I really enjoyed reading this. The writing was some of the best that I have read in a while. I loved Kirby as a main character. This wa⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I really enjoyed reading this. The writing was some of the best that I have read in a while. I loved Kirby as a main character. This was a very character driven novel which is my favourite kind of book.
RIP Steph Bowe - may your family know that your books are still being read and thoroughly enjoyed.
Merged review:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I really enjoyed reading this. The writing was some of the best that I have read in a while. I loved Kirby as a main character. This was a very character driven novel which is my favourite kind of book.
RIP Steph Bowe - may your family know that your books are still being read and thoroughly enjoyed....more
I was so lucky to read an early version of this book and fall in love with both Callum and Ambrose. They’re both comI love everything about this book!
I was so lucky to read an early version of this book and fall in love with both Callum and Ambrose. They’re both complex characters in a cruel world and their love story isn’t your typical boy meets boy etc. There is more to it- heartache, pain, misunderstanding- but there’s also this great love and deep respect that draws the two back to each other time after time.
Rowan has such a way with words that makes you fall in love with her characters. Every single one of them. And she is truly excelling as an author witRowan has such a way with words that makes you fall in love with her characters. Every single one of them. And she is truly excelling as an author with her writing just getting better and better.
I recommend this to anyone looking for something short and sweet that still holds substance. You won’t be disappointed!...more
Lish & friends begin the book by investigating the case of a missing girl and through a series of events Lish ends up imprisoned. But that’s only the Lish & friends begin the book by investigating the case of a missing girl and through a series of events Lish ends up imprisoned. But that’s only the first part of this book! We meet an array of side characters both human and not, and there is even a hidden magical realm.
If you love found family and adventure then I think you will enjoy this one. I also think it will appeal to fans of SJMAAS due to the Calahi being similar to a Fae (but this isn’t as steamy as one of Sarah’s books). Amber Wolf almost has a dystopian feel to it too. Especially as we read about super storms ravaging the human world.
What I liked about this book was that it didn’t rely on the ‘chosen one’ trope, in fact, Lish needs her friends to help her save the realm. Amber Wolf is seeped in magic, but I think the real magic of this book is in the found family Lish finds in both the human and magic worlds.
This slow burn, friends to lovers is the perfect book if you’re looking for a sweet romance!
Set in Canberra, Australia we follow Tess and Frankie. TeThis slow burn, friends to lovers is the perfect book if you’re looking for a sweet romance!
Set in Canberra, Australia we follow Tess and Frankie. Tess is a single mum who has a daughter in the same class as Frankie’s son. Frankie isn’t single at the start of the novel and she is in a relationship that has technically been over for a year. It’s about a quarter way through the book when that relationship officially ends. It is interesting to see one of the MCs in another relationship in a lesfic romance, and to be clear there is no cheating involved- although I am not certain that Frankie’s wife didn’t cheat on her with the blonde mum from school! Both Tess and Frankie are amazing mothers, but have neglected the romance in their lives, even though Tess is in the business of romance.
Now, this is slow burn. Like mega slow burn. The two MCs don’t get together until well over 50% of the book. Speaking of tropes, the miscommunication trope is used in this book with the miscommunication being cleared up towards the end.
This book will delight fans of lesfic romance, especially those who love when the two MCs build a friendship into a relationship (with all the steam!).
The secondary characters are even enjoyable- especially Jenny and Rob! The chemistry between Tess and Frankie is off the charts! And my favourite part was learning about all the dates Tess organises through her business- I wonder if their are real event businesses like Date at Eight?!?
All in all, this was a very sweet romance with lots of chemistry- even when our two MCs were just friends. It’s a quick read and that’s exactly how I like my romances! If you love a slow burn romance then this is the story for you.
*I received an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review*...more
“Then he was there with a hand on Henry’s shoulder, lighting the dark as sure as the sun rose every morning.”
Part historical fiction, part mystery, pa“Then he was there with a hand on Henry’s shoulder, lighting the dark as sure as the sun rose every morning.”
Part historical fiction, part mystery, part romance. This book had me invested from the first chapter!
Told across multiple POVs and time that spans 200 hundred years, Echoes follows Lillian, Nick, Henry, and West. Each character is very well written. I can’t decide whose story I prefer more!
Lillian’s father has just died and she’s returned home to the manor that has been in her family for hundreds of years. Tasked with going through her ancestral home in order to sell the place, she discovers a chilling presence walking the halls of Ashlington. She enlists her childhood friend, Nick, to help her uncover Henry’s story. A story that takes place all the way back in the 1800s as he serves in the British Army alongside West.
Writing over two timelines can be hard to do, but Rowan pulls it off amazingly. Each timeline has its own arc and they intertwined towards the end of the book.
I don’t know much about the Napoleonic war, but Echoes reads as if Rowan has thoroughly done her research- therefore teaching me a whole lot of stuff- and has effortlessly built her plot around real life events.
Although this book has an amazing plot, I must say that one of Rowan’s many talents as an author is her characters. Echoes is a very character driven story and you can’t help but love and root for each one. You will fall in love with Lillian, Nick, Henry, West and the whole gang- including a very sweet dog named Holly. These characters feel so real with many facets as to who they are and why they make the choices they do.
All in all, The Echoes of Ashlington is a brilliant book that will have you wanting more- which is perfect because it has been announced that it will be a series! Congratulations Rowan ...more
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
★★★★★
This was all the right amounts of cute, tearfulThank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
★★★★★
This was all the right amounts of cute, tearful, and swoony! It was just perfect. I loved all the characters and thought that the storyline had all the heart expected of a YA contemporary. This was my first book by this author and also her debut without another co author. I’ll definitely be reading more of her work....more
I really wanted to enjoy this one. The actual plot has SO much potential but unfortunately the exec⭐️
Read via Audible- narrator was Stacey Glemboski.
I really wanted to enjoy this one. The actual plot has SO much potential but unfortunately the execution fell short.
I found the writing to be poor. More editing was definitely needed. It was one of those instances where third person wasn’t right for this project. Half the time I forgot who the MC was as her character was flat.
I’m upset that I didn’t enjoy it as the author is so lovely. Unfortunately though I won’t be continuing this series. ...more
(Read via Audible- narration by Emily Bennet was good).
I would have given this three stars had the Dad story line not have happened. I did not⭐️ ⭐️ .5
(Read via Audible- narration by Emily Bennet was good).
I would have given this three stars had the Dad story line not have happened. I did not like how clean and tidy it had been and how she essentially forgave him for being a deadbeat Dad after a few dinners. It really ruined it for me which was sad as I was enjoying it until that happened towards the end. ...more
I think I would have given this 4 stars if it had just been Ruby’s story. Unfortunately I didn’t like Morgan (you can’t force someone out or to say I I think I would have given this 4 stars if it had just been Ruby’s story. Unfortunately I didn’t like Morgan (you can’t force someone out or to say I love you) and in parts found their relationship toxic. Also there was some super corny moments!...more
(Read via Audible- Narration by Amanda Dolan was very good.)
What a lovely surprise this book was. I only picked it up because I receive⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
(Read via Audible- Narration by Amanda Dolan was very good.)
What a lovely surprise this book was. I only picked it up because I received an ARC from the publisher for the second book in the series ‘Kingdom of Sea and Stone’ which releases late 2020.
I thought this would be another generic YA fantasy but it was truly a wonderful debut with rich story telling. My favourite part was the world in which the story is set. A castle in a mountain and village on the water. It just seemed different in YA fantasy and had an almost dystopian feel to it.
The main character Nor is also an enjoyable and likeable character. The villain is just that- he makes you hate him with the awful things he does.
Now I am excited that I have the ARC of the next book waiting for me on my Kindle....more
*Read via Audible- the narrator was Marisa Calin. Which I give her narration 3 stars. I didn’t really enjoy her interpretation of Alosa. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
*Read via Audible- the narrator was Marisa Calin. Which I give her narration 3 stars. I didn’t really enjoy her interpretation of Alosa. But, it wasn’t enough to turn me off the audiobook version.*
I really enjoyed this book. I am VERY late to reading it but I was looking for something easy to listen to on Audible.
I really don’t have anything to say to fault it. It was written as typical YA fantasy but with a twist of pirates. At the time I am sure it would have been something different for the genre....more
This has been sitting on my kindle waiting to be read since 2016. I wish I had read it sooner!
I have been a massive fan of Naya since G⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This has been sitting on my kindle waiting to be read since 2016. I wish I had read it sooner!
I have been a massive fan of Naya since Glee first aired way back when. What happened to her is truly tragic and devastating.
I think that if I had read this book when it first came out I still would have given it 5 stars. It was an enjoyable and entertaining read. She sure fit a lot into such a short life!
Yes, there are things she probably couldn’t write about or only scratched the surface on some, but what she did write about was interesting. It was fun to get a glimpse into what she had been through and how she lived. And, learn new things about her or the correct facts on things the tabloids had reported.
By reading this book and reading some of the things she said about life and a persons time in this world, plus some of her instagram posts, I really think her soul knew that her time was short. This book IS her life story minus the last short four years.
I do recommend reading this if you feel up to it and ready. It is so heartbreaking that we didn’t get to see more of the pure talent she had to offer us.
This is the fourth book in R.J. Vickers Forbidden Queen YA fantasy series. Again we follow Kalleah as she sets out to reclaim Baylore with her closest friends and army.
The description of this book states that it is a long march, and let me tell you it is. Most of the book is her journey around the towns surrounding Baylore and she doesn't actually reach Baylore until the last 30% of the book. I understand why this marching through surrounding towns happened but I found it to be very slow especially after the previous book also had a lot of travel in it. There is no real action in this book until the last 20% of the book. I believe that is why this has been my least favourite of the series.
In saying that, three stars from me is not a bad rating at all. I think being four books into this series shows my commitment to it and my love of Vickers storytelling. I genuinely like these characters and can't wait to see how Kalleah's long journey ends up.
This book had a lot more romance than the last two which I was pleased about. And, I beg Vickers to not do anything to hurt Baridya and Mellicante because they are perfect!
I believe this series is going to be six books in total and Usurper Queen may just have that middle book syndrome that many series have. But, it was still a good book that was very well written with compelling characters. Yes, it was a physical journey but it was also a mental journey for Kalleah as she had to make choices that made her friends see her in a different light- choices that left her wondering who she really is. I love character-driven books so I loved that about this one.
The ending of Usurper Queen had me turning each page with excitement so I can't wait for the next one!...more
This books plot was pretty pointless. Why couldn’t we just have the image of Ellie living happily at home with her parents ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
(Read via Audible)
This books plot was pretty pointless. Why couldn’t we just have the image of Ellie living happily at home with her parents and Gavin??? So unnecessary....more
This was so good! Loved the story, loved the characters, loved everything. The style of writing was so similar to The Miseducation of C⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This was so good! Loved the story, loved the characters, loved everything. The style of writing was so similar to The Miseducation of Cameron Post. Worth the read! ...more
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