Dear Diary,
Real life continues to prevent me from reading. Audiobooks are my only salvation. I yearn for slow, cool days filled with coffee and books.
—A disgruntled reader
This post contains affiliate links, which means I might make some extra coffee money at no extra expense to you if you buy something through one of my links. Read more about that here.
Just Finished:
I am unashamedly one of the millions of people who can’t get enough of the Hawthorne brothers and the (mostly) controlled chaos that envelops everything they do. It’s so hard to discuss an Inheritance Games book without spoiling anything, so I won’t say a word about the plot, but just know that this story is filled with all the action, secrets, puzzles, family, surprises, and romance you’d expect from a Jennifer Lynn Barnes book. I loved every minute of it, and thought she wrapped up the series beautifully with this excellent finale.
This second chance romance about two operatives who recognize each other while each on separate undercover missions is full of action, banter, and heart. I had so much fun tagging along on this romp from art musums to underground bars, abandoned barns to Italy. Ben and Cybil’s story of getting to know and trust each other after some childhood hurts that were never worked through was great—especially against the backdrop of neither one knowing that the other is a covert operative. It raises questions like how much do you give someone you know the benefit of the doubt? And how much can/does someone change as they age and mature? It’s a great romantic suspense story that will entertain you from start to finish. I listened to this one on audio and the narration was excellent.
In Progress:
I am on an unofficial mission to read as many of the most popular YA fantasy books as I can, and this one is quite popular. I’m about a third of the way in, and so far I’m enjoying the danger and mystery surrounding a young woman named Evangeline Fox and the deal she makes with a Fate, Jacks the Prince of Hearts. I do feel like the writing style is a little more simplistic than I prefer, which makes it feel more like it’s intended for a younger audience than other YA fantasy I’ve read, but that’s more of an observation than a criticism. I plan to finish it and likely even continue with the series. I didn’t realize it when I first picked it up, but it also has ties into Stephanie Garber’s Caraval series as well, for those who have read that one.
The second book in the Fallen City duology, this book, like the one before it, is an epic fantasy laced with romance and political intrigue. Maris, now outside the city of Isara, and Luca, trapped inside, continue to yearn for each other while each does their best to stay alive in what feels more and more like a pointless war orchestrated for the entertainment of the gods. There are a lot of action scenes in this book, as well as several surprises that I didn’t see coming. There was one twist around the 60% mark that almost had me DNF’ing but I’m a big Adrienne Young fan and stuck with it to see what she would do. I’m happy to say she redeemed that storyline, and I’m well on my way to finishing this book. I received an early copy through NetGalley, so don’t expect to be able to read this one until December 15th, but you should definitely plan to pick it up once it comes out. Fair warning, you do have to read Fallen City first. These two must be read in order for the story to make sense.
Up Next:
Jenny Proctor is always a favorite rom-com read! This story about Ivy, assistant to Freddie, who is a super hot rockstar. She knows it’s a bad idea to fall for him, but the heart wants what it wants, so when she gets pulled into a fake-dating scheme to help him out with the press, she goes along willingly. What could possibly go wrong, right? Jenny Proctor is great at writing clean romances that hit the perfect balance between humor and depth, with characters you want to root for. Can’t wait to start this one!
Another personal favorite of mine is Amanda Cox, who never disappoints with her heartfelt, poignant tales of all different kinds of love—romance, family, and friendship. This one is about a young woman who becomes the temporary keeper of a lighthouse as an escape, but rumors of a ghost, some strange occurances, and some very old papers draw her into a mystery and a decades old romance. Seriously excited to dive into this one!
Leave a Reply