Here at Chapter Break, we don’t always write a full review of every book we read. Well, now we decided to do these monthly wrap-up posts with roundups of our reviews this month and mini-reviews to fill in the gaps. Enjoy!
Mini Book Reviews
Julie’s Mini Reviews:
Hexed by the Tide: A Tide Bound Novel: This was a quick and fun novella that says it is standalone but definitely feels like you would benefit from having read the series it is part of. There wasn’t much room for worldbuilding or getting to understand the characters, as we are thrown right into the action. The main character a fierce and headstrong sea witch pirate queen who doesn’t let anyone close. Then we have this I enjoyed the heist, the accidental teleportation to a far away (not so deserted) island, and the two working together to help stop something terrible and help the victims. The MMC is a total golden retriever and the he falls first trope is strong with this one. The FMC on the other hand is standoffish and dismissive. Until she isn’t, and their time together softens her in a sweet way. I did wish there was more backstory and more world explanation – particularly with the merfolk! But it was quick and enjoyable. If you’re looking for a lighter, fast read, a pirate romantasy with grumpy/sunshine, with a dual POV, and a heroic rescue, this might be right up your alley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mated for the Holiday (Starview): Another cute holiday romp, in the same world as next book. Grumpy werewolf who was hurt by a chosen but not fated mate and now doesn’t do relationships and “can’t have a mate” for some reason that he hasn’t shared. Then there is the girl who is human who is stranded in the storm, and he rescues her. So she’s staying with him to wait out the snow for a few days, and shenanigans and spice happen. Lots of it. They can’t deny their attraction. But he’s so broody and secretive, and does not communicate. UGH. We have the “she deserves better than me” trope, and the dude decides what’s best for her trope. UGH. Just be the alpha that you are! Wolf up dude! But the FMC has much more sense and doesn’t reject what she wants. The audio is in alternating POV. I liked the MMC voice a lot, but the FMC’s voice sounded very young (when the FMC is nearly 30). I also didn’t love her version of the male voice during the POV chapters. Perhaps this would have been better as duet rather than dual narration. I received an ALC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hexed For The Holiday: A Magical Paranormal Romance (Starview): A cute holiday romp. Two best friends who have been secretly in love with each other for years, suddenly find themselves stuck in a magical shop and accidentally trigger a truth serum and confess their feelings. Then they spend a very spicy evening while stranded together. A very spicy evening, with wax play and bondage. This was a cute, short book, but might just be the thing if you’re in the mood for a happy story that moves fast. The audio was good, done in alternating POV with two narrators. I received an ALC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Keeper’s Card (Fairytale Tarot Book 3): The Keeper’s Card was the final conclusion to the Fairytale Tarot trilogy. Mira goes through the biggest character development in this book, though she does spend most of the book still spiraling over her insecurities and mistakes and inner monologuing for chapters. I felt the first half of the book was a bit slow but the second half of the book was exciting and fast-paced. The tarot magic aspects were interesting and the power struggles between the evil King and the rest of the characters were challenging. There were some surprising secrets revealed and that made the ending exciting. But, a lot felt rushed and not fully fleshed out. There were some interesting threads that could have been explored more. I liked Bael, he was very sweet and supportive, but I wanted more emotional depth and romance. Overall a cute sweet read, very YA and light but enjoyable. Thank you for the chance to review the advanced copy.
Lynn’s Mini Reviews:
THIS WILL BE FUN: Honestly, wasn’t all that fun? The first half is introspection\navel gazing\complaining about how miserable the main characters are. The second half picks up, though. The band (of heroes) gets back together for their 10 year reunion to rescue the queen’s betrothed. Told in three different pov’s, Clare, Elowen, and Beatrice. We get some action, adventure, and romance. But we also get distractions like tablets (spell-cast), uber-esque carriage rides, and a pseudo-Las Vegas. I found it very distracting. I did fid the first quest scene hilarious, as they barged into a cave with absolutely no plan whatsoever. The character I found most interesting was Vondra, former assassin turned queen’s guard. And we don’t even have her pov. Full cast narration was a bonus. Overall, it’s been a few days since I finished this and I’ve definitely moved on to other books.
World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon: Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I picked up the first in this series on a lark. How could I not pick up a book titled Zomromcom? And as much as I loved Max and his crazy outfits, I was a lot more intrigued by the zombie mystery, or specifically, who let the zombies out? When I saw the next book was available on NetGalley, I jumped on it. This time around, we have Gwen, an oracle who isn’t very successful at prophesy, and straight-laced Hugh, a demon. I admired Gwen. She does a lot to keep her small community together. And has an obsession with cheese that I can get behind, including cheesy (pun intended!) books and tv shows. And, oh, Hugh. He is a literal and figurative tight-a$$. Which ends up being rather hilarious in a lot of instances. Especially when he has to disguise himself or when he’s dealing with the trolls, Kip and Lorraine. The romance between Hugh and Gwen moves very quickly in this novel. And is definitely on the spicy side. In this iteration, being a demon means always being warmer than the average human. This works out to Gwen’s advantage, as she’s always cold. (I do wonder, though, how that would work out if both partners were always warm? Or they lived somewhere that is always hot and humid? But I digress.) What is missing for me in the romance is Hugh’s POV, as the book is exclusively told from Gwen’s POV. There are a number of scenes where I’d like to know more about what Hugh is thinking. The zombie mystery is addressed and mostly resolved in this novel, to my satisfaction. There is political intrigue, lying, and manipulation by politicians and allies alike. Kudos for this plotting to author Olivia Dade. The end provides satisfactory closure, while offering a hint of what could possibly be a third book in the series. One I would definitely read for the troll humor alone. Solid plotting, humor, and romance in this book.
Books we reviewed in full this month:
- [9 May] A Game of Cat and Witch (Monstrous Shifters) by Ruby Rune ★★★★
- [15 May] Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry ★★★★½
- [18 May] Beast and Remedy by L.L. Riley ★★★½
- [20 May] Tilly and the Wisdom Trials by David Tra ★★★★
- [21 May] Court of Wings and Spirit by Heather D. Grace ★★★★
- [26 May] The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer, Tamara Moss ★★★½
- [27 May] It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson ★★★★
Don’t forget to join our Book Bingo.
We are linking up our monthly wrap up posts with Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight (we now co-host her monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up) and The Sunday Post (hosted by The Caffeinated Reviewer).
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