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REVIEW: THE PROPOSAL – JASMINE GUILLORY

The Proposal – Jasmine Guillory

Synopsis: When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn’t the hard part–they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…
At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up–in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes…

I have started listening to audiobooks while I run. So now the goal is to find books that can easily keep me entertained while also keeping me distracted from the torture I am inflicting upon myself. This romantic comedy kept me very entertained! It took me a little bit to warm up to Nik. I wasn’t overly impressed with her personality, but I loved her friends and their contrasting personalities. A little ways into the book Nik’s character seemed to relax a little bit, and she was more enjoyable to follow. I am definitely becoming more of a rom-com fan. Not exactly what I expected from myself when I started reading again a few years ago.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

REVIEW: THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR – ROSE CARLYLE

The Girl in the Mirror – Rose Carlyle

WOAH. You know when you finish a book and just have to sit there for a second to process? That was me with this book. I don’t attempt to predict plot twists while reading. I like to just sit back and enjoy the ride. So while some may have found the ending “predictable”, I did not. This was Rose Carlyle’s debut novel, and I really hope she writes more! This is a book where I wish I had skipped reading the synopsis, but I was struggling to decide what book to read next and was shuffling through my entire TBR pile. If I would have skipped the synopsis, a lot more about this book would have been a shock. Just like movie trailers – they can give so much away. I like to go into a book blind, but that also means I am 100% guilty of judging a book by its cover. If you are like me and don’t always like to read the synopsis – just know it is below (and labeled) so you can scroll right on past. In my attempts to keep this spoiler free, there is not a whole lot I can say about this book. I enjoyed the journey. I really felt for Iris throughout. She was rough around the edges, but in the end a likable character. Overshadowed by her more “perfect” twin. If you decide to read this one, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Synopsis: Twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beyond what the eye can see lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of Summer’s seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband Adam.
Called to Thailand to help her sister sail the family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris nurtures her own secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But when she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes. When she makes it to land, Iris allows herself to be swept up by Adam, who assumes that she is Summer.
Iris recklessly goes along with his mistake. Not only does she finally have the golden life she’s always envied, with her sister gone, she’s one step closer to the hundred-million-dollar inheritance left by her manipulative father. All Iris has to do is be the first of his seven children to produce an heir.
Iris’s “new” life lurches between glamorous dream and paranoid nightmare. On the edge of being exposed, how far will she go to ensure no one discovers the truth?
And just what did happen to Summer on the yacht?
Only Iris knows . . .

Would I recommend this book: Yes

REVIEW: RUIN AND RISING – LEIGH BARDUGO

Ruin and Rising – Leigh Bardugo

Synopsis: The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.
Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.
Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

This series was so good. This final book was actually my favorite of all three. At one point I literally yelled out loud “I knew it!”. Then I was broken, and overall very content with the ending. I really enjoyed how Alina’s grew in this book. Finally stopped playing the victim and took control when needed. I cannot wait until the Netflix series. Normally I am worried that screen adaptations are going to ruin it, but I have high hopes this time. Sign me up for anything in the GrishaVerse! I had a slow start getting into this one, but not for lack of interest. Just lack of reading time. But after the first 100 pages, there was no way I was putting it down. I flew through the last 300ish pages in only a few days. I am going to take a slight break, but still plan to read the Six of Crows duology before the end of April.

Would I recommend this book: Yes!

“I hope you weren’t looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.”

“Na razrusha’ya. I am not ruined. E’ya razrushost. I am ruination.”

“Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing.”

REVIEW: P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU – JENNY HAN

P.S. I Still Love You – Jenny Han

Synopsis: They were just pretending. Until they weren’t. And now Lara Jean has to learn what it’s like to be in a real relationship and not just a make-believe one.
But when another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him suddenly return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

These books are so fun! I am sad the third was not immediately available at my library and I have to wait. The narrator is a really good fit for the book. I hate how easily a narrator can ruin this for me. But I am loving all the boy drama and sister drama in this lighthearted series.

Would I recommend this book: Yes, especially if you enjoyed the first

“I know now that I don’t want to love or be loved in half measures. I want it all, and to have it all, you have to risk it all.”

“In memory, everything seems to happen to music.”

“People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no telling how long you will have them near.”

REVIEW: ELEVATION – STEPHEN KING

Elevation – Stephen King

Synopsis: Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis.

Oh how I missed Kings writing style. It is just so good! Elevation doesn’t make any of my top lists, but it was still a rather enjoyable read. While most of us would probably panic in Scott’s position, it was refreshing for him to have a “control what you can control” type of attitude. I nice reminder to enjoy what you have and to not take life too seriously. I am glad the first King I picked up this year was this one. Nothing to really freak me out, just a nice relaxing read.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

“Everyone should have this, he thought, and perhaps, at the end, everyone does. Perhaps in their time of dying, everyone rises.”

“Why feel bad about what you couldn’t change? Why not embrace it?”

FEBRUARY WRAP UP

Romancing Mr Bridgerton – Julia Quinn – 4/5 stars

Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo – 4.5/5 stars

Once Upon a Dream – Liz Braswell – 3/5 stars

Seige and Storm – Leigh Bardugo – 4.5/5 stars

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han – 4/5 stars

Elevation – Stephen King – 4/5 stars

P.S. I Still Love You – Jenny Han – 4/5 stars

Whew! Another 7 books finished in February! I am 28% of the way to my reading goal for the year. This month my favorite reads were the start of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. They have been so fun to read and I am so excited for the Nexflix show in April! My least favorite was Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell. I truly believe this one was ruined by the narrator. He made the characters sound so dumb which was really disappointing because I live Sleeping Beauty. I finally finished my first King at the very end of the month and I was reminded how much I enjoy his writing style. March is going to be a good month. I have the final Shadow and Bone book that I am going to follow up with Six of Crows. I plan to dive back into The Witcher series and give that another shot, and hope to discover a few fun audiobooks. And who knows, maybe another King or Crichton will sneak in there! Happy reading friends!

REVIEW: TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE – JENNY HAN

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han

Synopsis: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.
But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.
As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

“Fun quick read” has been my go to phrase for a lot of books so far this year, and I am going to do my best not to use it today. This book marks book 12 of the year for me. After binge watching all three movies on Netflix on Valentine’s Day I decided to put this audiobook on hold at the library. It came available in 3 days, and I listened to it in a little over 24 hours. Obviously, the book and movie are a little different, but I still rather enjoyed both and plan to continue on with the book series. I want to know if any high schools actually do things like ski trips? Regardless of how unrealistic this high school story is at times, it’s still really entertaining. Boy drama at its finest! I am a mood reader, and for some reason I have been all about the light dramatic books lately. Compared to the last few years where I have been all about the thrillers and horror books, this is a pretty large shift. I am sure I will shift back at some point, but I am going to take this opportunity to fly through some books that have been on my TBR for years that I just haven’t been in the mood for.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

“I wonder what it’s like to have that much power over a boy. I don’t think I’d want it; it’s a lot of responsibility to hold a person’s heart in your hands.”

REVIEW: SIEGE AND STORM – LEIGH BARDUGO

Siege and Storm – Leigh Bardugo

Synopsis: Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her—or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

I am throughly enjoying this series. A perk to reading these books after the trilogy is done is getting to read them all back to back. Book two took no time at all getting started. I was really pleased by this because coming off book one, the last think I wanted was for half the book pass before anything happened. After book one I was looking forward to see how Alinas character developed. Well, I can say I am a little annoyed with her now. I think she is making dumb decisions when it comes to her relationships. And while multiple love interests keeps things interesting, I wish she would give Mal the respect that he deserves. Anyway, I flew through this one about as quick as the first and am looking forward to rounding out the series here soon.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

“When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”

“Anything worth doing always starts as a bad idea.”

“I’m perfectly capable of being stupid on my own.”

REVIEW: ONCE UPON A DREAM – LIZ BRASWELL

Once Upon a Dream – Liz Braswell

Synopsis: What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. It should be simple–a dragon defeated, a slumbering princess in a castle, a prince poised to wake her. But when the prince falls asleep as his lips touch the fair maiden’s, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over. With a desperate fairy’s last curse controlling her mind, Princess Aurora must escape from a different castle of thorns and navigate a dangerously magical landscape–created from her very own dreams. Aurora isn’t alone–a charming prince is eager to join her quest, and old friends offer their help. But as Maleficent’s agents follow her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are and, moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

This was the third Twisted Tale I have read, and probably my least favorite. I really wanted to love this one, but I had a really hard time getting into it. I was really annoyed with Prince Phillips character and not overly impressed with Princess Aurora. Nothing really memorable happened, so by the end I was just glad it was over. Its been about a week since I have finished this one and honestly I don’t have much to say about it. I love the cover art though!

Would I recommend this book: No

REVIEW: SHADOW AND BONE – LEIGH BARDUGO

Shadow and Bone – Leigh BARDUGO

Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold — a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue, as she trains with the Grisha — her country’s magical military elite — and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

This series has been sitting on my shelf since December 2019. Not the oldest of my unread books, but they had sat there long enough. After seeing the Netflix teaser for Shadow and Bone, I knew it was time to pull these off the shelf. If I understand correctly the show will be based off both Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, so I have 5 books to get through before April. 1 down… 4 to go. And if the others are anything like this one they will not take me long to finish.

I had a hard time putting this one down. I forgot how much I love to read YA Fantasy. There is a special place in my heart for books with maps. I actually referred back to the map a number of times while reading which is actually new for me. Usually I just study the maps before and after I finish the book. I really liked Alina’s character. I am looking forward to her character development through the series. Since she discovered she has a magical power in this book, a lot of her character development was figuring out who she is and desperately wanting a place to fit in. It feels like we have only scratched the surface with her character and I am really hoping that is true.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

“I’m sorry it took me so long to see you, Alina. But I see you now.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk”