Recent Reads: Divine Rival by Rebecca Ross

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 
Series: Letters of Enchantment #1
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date:  April 4, 2023 

 

Format: Audiobook
Source: Borrowed from the Library

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Shadow and Bone meets Lore in this epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

Review: 

I picked up Divine Rivals from the library after being very disappointed with another book, really hoping it was worth all the hype it has gotten. It has also been on my To Read list. I feel like books lately have been either love or loathe for me...

I loved this book. It was such a refreshing read.

Iris works for a newspaper and is trying for a promotion. She isn't very well off and the promotion would be great for her and her mother, whom she now supports. However, there is another person vying for it as well, her enemy, Roman Kit. Roman is a pompous ass, wealthy, gets everything he wants and needs, doesn't really need the job or the promotion, and also hates Iris... or so she thinks. 

In this world, a war of the Gods is occuring and many have been called to one side or the other to fight. Iris' brother was one of those. She hasn't heard from him in a long time and her mother is barely keeping it together, drinking all the time. Her one solace is her typewriter, given to her by her grandmother, she writes on it and sometimes she gets messages back - she isn't sure where they are coming from or what kind of magic it is, only that it helps her through her day-to-day, even if she doesn't know who/what is on the otherside.

Circumstances change and Iris decides to go to war as a correspondent, hoping to find her brother. Then all the real fun begins.

The book is told in dual POV, Iris and Roman. There was wonderful banter throughout and that kept me wanting to listen, that said their wasn't as much world-building information as I would have liked to have. No mention of how the typewriters work, but just that they do... I wanted more about the God and the war. (Prequel maybe!?). I was really enjoy the book though. I liked Iris, she was strong, determined, and sometimes a bit too dramatic btut in the best ways. Roman was so oblivious at times that you have to laugh at him.

Then... you get a kind of happily ever after... with 2 more hours left of the book and you know everything is going to implode and BOY DOES IT EVER IMPLODE. 

The whole thing ends on a cliffhanger, so thank goodness the 2nd book is already out. 

Building the Book Pile #462

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Almost the end of September...it always flies rigth on by. I have only made it thorugh half of my TBR this month and only have today and maybe a bit tomorrow to try to ramp it up and get 3 books read (realistically not going to happen, but I am in the wishful-thinking stage)

I hope you have had a good week and month. Here in New England of the US we go apple picking, corn mazes, and to some fall festivals and although work is crazy, I was still able to do those things 🍁🍂🍁🍂 What did you get up to?

No onto planning October... witchy vibes and Halloween. Mr. 12-ft Skeleton is already up in the yard! I have to add the rest of my lights today.  Do you decorate for Halloween?

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

This Week

Recent Reads: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (YA)

Early Reader Review: The Knitting Witch by Norma Kassirer (Youth)

Recent Reads: The Goldne Enclaves by Naomi Novik (YA)

Books Received Recently...  

 
None!

Probably for the best (again)

Prepping for witchy books 💀👻

via GIPHY

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: Tempest of Tea by Haesah Faizal (Adult) -5 stars

Recent Reads - DNF - Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (Adult) -1 star

Recent Reads: Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce (YA) -5 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce 

Series: Dungeons and Drama #1
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Publication Date:  January 9, 2024 

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Own

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn't hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she's grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can't waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she would've thought...

Review: 

I really liked this cover art, is is adorable and so cutesy - it set the stage for me and ... I do judge a book by its cover, so here we are. 

This one held up. Riley loves musicals and gets into deep trouble when she steals her mom's car to drive to the city to see one... she doesn't have a license and so her parents have grounded her in the worst way she can think of - Riley has to work at dad's game store (sounds so fun to me but I understand it isn't everyones cup of tea). 

This was a cute, simple, fake-dating trope. Riley fake dates Nathan a gamer from dad's shop, to get back at her ex and help Nathan win the attention of another girl who plays D&D with him. They oviously have to fall for each other right.. ?!. (no spoilers).

I like both the game references and the mustical ones - as I adore both those things, so this was a fun read overall. Best of both nerdy worlds. It was an adorable and swoon-worthy clean YA read. Nathan becomes a hero and friend, and she learns to love D&D and make new friends in the process too. 

If you like the fake-romance trope and gaming, this one if probably a good one to pick up.

DNF Review: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney  

Publisher:  Flatiron Books
Publication Date:  August 30, 2022 

 

Format: Audiobook
Source: Borrowed from Libby, owned (gave away) BOTM copy.

Rating:

Did Not Finish


Goodreads Synopsis: 

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

Review: 

I stopped listening to this book at 30% (~100 pages in). 

This was toted as an Agatha Christie-like mystery but it feel short for me. 

Daisy, the MC is whiney and sad through the first few chapters and her family is SO obnoxious. I waited until here was a murder to stop reading, hoping at that point it would speed up/ get better... but it was unbearable even after the mystery started. 

I kind of called all the paranormal twists... and that is NOT very Agatha Christie. She might have withheld information and reveled it at the end for the conclusion but there wasn't paranormal things. 

The reason I really stopped reading was the pacing was just so off for me. It was SO SLOW... I was listening at 2x speed hoping that would help and it didn't... that an everyone just sucked. Daisy, her family, her grandmother, all bad. The grandmother seemed like she just wanted to start things with the family, making her seem just as uppity as she perceived them... and she raised them, made them this way, so her trying to be the bigger person in the end (or seemingly so) was a loss. 

I just couldn't get passed the 'why start now?' element here... and stopped caring because in 100 pages nothing really happened.  I was disappointed and passed the book along to a friend with the disclaimer that it wasn't for me. I hope that she and others enjoyed it more. I am a huge fan of Christie, and this did not match up.

Recent Reads: A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal 

Series: Blood and Tea #1
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Publication Date:  February 20, 2024 

 

Format: Audiobook
Source:  Borrowed audio from the library, own hardback

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Why save the world when you can have tea?

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

From the New York Times—bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Review: 

Since I have been slower to read physical and ebook editions of books I have been trying to use Libby for Audiobooks so that I can listen while working or in-transit to work and home. It helped a lot in August. 

I loved this book. I am glad that I already also own the hardback.

Arthie has been hardened on the streets by a conquering country that invaded her island when she was a child. She now lives in that country as a tea-shop owner, but the tea-shop is more than it seems.

This is a heist book, mystery, and a vampire fantasy all rolled into one little package and tied with a bow... a beautiful world-build of a bow. I loved this world so much. While the overall plot sets the stage well, Arthie experience with the location makes you feel a certain way about it all as well and I like that in a character. ...tell me where you are and make me feel ways about it... the author does this really well. 

Told in multiple POV - Arthie, Jin, and Flick, the story progresses smoothly and while, like always, one personality steals the show, they were all interesting and I never wanted to skip past anyone. I was most captivated by Arthie becuase of the mystery of her background and lack of opening up to the reader. The others kind of put all their skeletons out there for the readers. We knew Flick was in trouble, we knew what Jin experienced and was afraid of - those experiences caused a lot of turmoil for them and during the heist planning also played roles. With Arthie - you don't get much until the end of the book and boy does it wollop you over the head! 

I had my suspicions but it all coming to light pulled it all together... that end though... be prepared to feel that chaos deep in your heart and NEED the next book that doesn't seem to be coming until 2025. 

Jin is going to rage... I think... 

Building the Book Pile #461

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Hi there - a week went by and I didn't post any reviews that I said I would.. they are read for THIS week! Promise.

Work is crazy, I am doing my best to still have hobbies... it's hard. This book pile is short and sweet so I can prep some more reviews for the following weeks. 

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

This Week - for real this time!

Recent Reads: Tempest of Tea by Haesah Faizal (Adult)

Recent Reads - DNF - Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (Adult)

Recent Reads: Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce (YA)

Books Received Recently...  

 
None!

Probably for the best

Have you missed anything lately?

Early Reader Review: Hope It All Works Out!: A Poorly Drawn Lines Collection by Reza Farazmand - 3 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!

Early Reader Review: Hope It All Works Out!: A Poorly Drawn Lines Collection by Reza Farazmand

Source: From Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Hope It All Works Out!: A Poorly Drawn Lines Collection by Reza Farazmand

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date:  September 24, 2024

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis:

The absurd antics, good-natured sarcasm, and misguided optimism of Mouse, Bird, Turtle, and Snail are inspiring and infectious, and a reminder that sometimes the best plan is to have no plans at all. The perfect book for comic lovers of all kinds, Hope It All Works Out offers a deep dive into the Poorly Drawn Lines comics of New York Times bestselling author Reza Farazmand.

On the surface, the animals in Poorly Drawn Lines are sophisticated, decadent creatures — Turtle sports a beret, Snail wears shades, Bird smokes cigarettes, and Mouse assumes a fighting stance when anyone challenges his emotional fragility. But lurking beneath their surface images is a surprising warmth and charming naivete that provides the perfect setup for Reza Farazmand’s unparalleled sense of humor. This author-curated collection of new comics and greatest hits showcases the unique and charming world of these small animals and the amusing gap between their tough guy images and animal innocence. Familiar to millions of readers of the Poorly Drawn Lines webcomic and FX animated series on Hulu, this book collection includes dozens of never-before-seen comics. 

Review: 

This is a graphic novel collection of strips - mostly sarcastic, adult humor about life. Mouse, Bird, Turtle, and Snail are the characters and best described, they would be Mouse - Main character, Bird is the angry one, turtle is the stoner friend, and snail is that friend that is rude and annoying and you are friends but not sure why.

The overall feel and coloration felt just meh to me. It was clever and funny at times for sure but it felt a little draggy even for short strips. Maybe it was hitting too close to real life/ real world for my liking.  Not sure. 

The strips that I liked: 

• Notebooks bring too good to use/ write in. "Too good for my thoughts"  Painful realization yea, but also so truuuuue sometimes.
• A break from messing things up - just want to "work in my garden , do some reading" THIS... ALL THE TIME PLS.
• Devil's advocate - "an a-hole but for intellectual purposes" made me giggle. 

Overall, Just ok, I liked the pastel colors but was a little bored and jaded by the time I got to the end. Mouse really wasn't a character I wanted to 'win' or suceed, he was just there. It was illustrated well enough but nothing mindblowing. That said, if you are looking for overly sarcastic and kinda dark... this is it. 

Building the Book Pile #460

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Good morning! Happy Sunday and halfway through September (not sure where time is going).

Work in September is always crazy, so blogging and reading is always less-than stellar. 

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

This Week:

Recent Reads: Tempest of Tea by Haesah Faizal (Adult)

Recent Reads - DNF - Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (Adult)

Recent Reads: Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce (YA)

Coming closer to their release dates: 

Hope It All Works Out - Review up on Sept. 17

Books Received Recently...  

 

Gentlest of Wild Things by Sarah Underwood - From the Publisher for review.

The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott- From the Publisher for review.

Warrior of Legend by Kendare Blake- From the Publisher for review.

The Knitting Witch by Norma Kassirer- From the Publisher & Librarything Early Reviewers for review.

One Wild Chrismas by Nicholas Oldland- From the Publisher for review.

Have you missed anything lately?

Queen of the Night by Elizabeth Muse  - 4 stars

Monthly Re-Cap & TBR Pile (Sept 2024)

A Great Big Virtual Hug - 5 stars

Wacky Witches and their Peculiar Familiars - 4 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Queen of the Night by Elizabeth Muse

Queen of the Night by Elizabeth Muse  

Publisher: ABO Publishing, LLC
Publication Date:  January 22, 2022 

 

Format: Ebook
Source: Freebie from a Stuff your Kindle day

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Frankie Baxter knows what it means to lose everything. Because once upon a time, she did. And being the oldest daughter of a mafia Don means going nowhere unguarded. Too bad she’s run off anyone who might stand a chance at keeping her safe.

Now, even a quiet night out with her girlfriends requires she spend some quality time under the watchful eye of the last remaining bodyguard willing to risk his neck to babysit, her ex-best friend, Charlie Morrow. The only man on Earth who seems to delight in pushing every single one of her buttons.

Not that any of that matters, though, when one of the Five Families, a rival organization hellbent on a hostile takeover of her father’s territory, comes for her, forcing her and Charlie to head to the one place nobody is brave enough to attack: her grandmother’s house.

Five days. One impromptu road trip. A mountain of secrets. And sexual tension so blistering it threatens to scar whoever makes the first move.

Of course, unlocking the vault of whispered conversations and previously classified family lore isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for Frankie. Especially when her best friend, turned enemy, turned lover, is a werewolf who’s been keeping her at arm’s length for her own safety.

Turns out a night with the big bad wolf never looked so good.

Review: 

Frankie is a mob-boss daughter, her brothers were murdered in front of her, and she is barely hanging on to her sanity. Her best-friend, who had always been around for all of them, wasn't there to help and wasn't there afterward either. She is even more pissed about that fact when he is assigned to be her babysitter/bodyguard now that she can go out again. While out they have to go on the run.

This is a mafia/werewolf/ romance  - it is spicy and short and was a quick read. 

Frankie is just a brat, Charlie has his guard up most of the time, but you can tell he cares for Frankie even though she is being a pain. Frankie really is just living through her grief being so angry.  

While the writing wasn't anything spectacular, the story/ spice/ will-they-wont-they elements were what kept me reading. The werewolf add-in was an interesting one and I am not sure it was nessesary but here we are, iot was weird, but worked. This short book was lots of emotion, fun and funny, and the dialogue was very entertianing. 

If you are looking for a shorter romance and like a mafia focus, this might be for you. (but it is spicy!)

Monthly Re-Cap & TBR Pile (Sept 2024)

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Here is the progress from August

I had a pretty good reading month... in part because of audiobooks

~~Books I Read in August 2024~~   

 Daisy Darker and The Power of Saying No were both in the DNF camp...sadly. Reviews will be up eventually. 

 TBR for SEPTEMBER

• The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
• Witchy Reservations by Stephanie Damore
• My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (review)
• Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert
• The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott (review)
• Gentlest of Wild Things  by Sarah Underwood (review)

How was your August reading?  

Feel free to share it in the comments below! I would love to know what you are reading!