Book Review · Books

Loving Romeo (Magnolia Falls #1) by Laura Pavlov [BOOK REVIEW]

Loving Romeo (Magnolia Falls #1) by Laura Pavlov [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

Loving Romeo (Magnolia Falls #1) by Laura Pavlov [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 352

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: HQ Stories

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

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Demi Crawford was Magnolia Falls royalty.
I was the boxer from the wrong side of the tracks.
She was the epitome of everything good, while I was broody and rebellious.
We couldn’t be more different.
Her family was enemy number one which made her guilty by association.
I despised her before I even knew her.
It was easier that way.
But now she’d moved in next door to me, and she was everywhere I turned.
I couldn’t avoid her no matter how hard I tried.
She was beautiful and honest and sweet.
Everything I knew I shouldn’t want.
Shouldn’t need.
They say there’s a fine line between love and hate—and I don’t know when I crossed over.
I was so wrapped up in this girl I couldn’t see straight.
She was the right hook I never saw coming.
Hating her was supposed to be my end game.
Loving her… well, that was just the beginning.
But the secrets that lived between us threatened to tear us apart.
Lucky for her—I was a born fighter.
And she was definitely worth the fight.

My Thoughts:

“Loving Romeo” was a cute love story. A bad boy meets the rich girl in a small town, and catches feelings for her, despite hating her family. I have to be honest, I did not like Demi at all and couldn’t relate to her or connect with her. She obviously comes from a rich family, and she’s quite fast to say to everyone that everything she has, she worked hard for. And yet, she has this to say about her owning a coffee shop and an apartment on top of it:

“I’ve been away at school for four years. I came home and opened a business, one that I’m working at every day. I’m living in a small apartment above the coffeehouse and trying to do things on my own. But I’m hated anyway because my family has money?”

Umm, sorry, Demi, darling, but you sound entitled. How exactly did you manage to open a business right after finishing school? With what and whose money? Not all mortals can just spawn a business right after finishing school, unless they have some kind of support.

With Romeo, I could understand where he was coming from. I could understand his hatred towards Demi’s family. In the book, we later find out more about why he holds such hatred, and it ends up being the reason that actually brings the two together. But it still felt exaggerated at times when he would judge and be rude to Demi, saying he hates her by association, only to 20 pages later ignore his opinion and want to rip her clothes off.

Once we get past this and they start catching feelings for each other, I enjoyed the story more. Although I have to say, it lacked action and adventure. The most exciting part was the actual boxing match – I really enjoyed that part. I am still curious though – did Johnny Cane got his autographs for letting the girls in?

Overall, it’s a cute romance. Nothing too special and I probably won’t remember the book in too much detail in a few years. But it’s a great book to take on a holiday with you, or pick it up when in need of a bit of small town romance. That being said, I will still be reading the rest of the series, as I am now intrigued about the rest of the characters.

Favourite Quotes:

“It ain’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward” Rocky Balboa

“Don’t ask me how, but standing in this cold space, where most of the people who worked out here smelled like dirty socks and were covered in sweat, still somehow managed to be the most romantic moment I’d ever experienced.
Because I felt a connection to him that was foreign to me.
Something I’d never felt before.”

“It doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks. When you love someone, you love all of them.”

“I don’t hold love over people’s heads. I’m careful about who I love, and when I love someone, it’s forever. I can’t just turn it on and off, and I don’t think you can either.”

“I’d never felt this connected to another person, yet at the same time, it felt like the world I’d known was crumbling around me.”

“If nothing good ever happens to me again, I’d still be the luckiest guy in the fucking world.”

“There was something about the way that he looked at me. Like I was the only girl in the whole world. Like he’d move heaven and earth for me if I asked him to.”

About the Author:

Laura Pavlov is a USA Today and Amazon top 10 Bestselling author. She writes sweet and sexy small town romance that will make you both laugh and cry. Laura is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome kids who are currently adulting, one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. She’s living her own happily ever after in Las Vegas. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves hearing from readers!

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Book Review · Books

Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros [BOOK REVIEW]

Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 527

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Piatkus

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

Before I start talking about “Onyx Storm” at all, as this is the third book in The Empyrean series, it goes without saying that this review will most probably contain spoilers from the previous books. I will refrain from spoiling this book, though. It feels like yesterday that I read “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame” and at the same time, it feels like forever ago!

I really enjoyed returning to Violet and Xaden’s story. To be honest, the first 100 pages were a struggle. A lot of information dump and not a lot of action – big difference in Rebecca’s writing style that felt unfamiliar. But I forgave her, because she likes using the Oxford comma. Around half-way through the book though, things started to pick up. I loved that a lot of the side characters had their moments of fame and their time to shine. My favourite part in this book was Violet and Xaden’s relationship. And not only the romantic scenes, but also the silent acts of love. Choices they make throughout the chapters that show how much they care for each other. Their selflessness and willingness to make sacrifices to protect the other person. 

“But the thought of you being out there, beyond the wards, facing down a known attack of venin, triggered something in me I’ve never felt before. It was hotter than rage, and sharper than fear, and cut deeper than helplessness, all because I couldn’t get to you.”

“I would have killed anything and anyone in that moment to reach you. No exceptions. I would have channeled every ounce of power beneath my feet without hesitation if it would have landed me at your side.”

I really enjoyed the ending as well.

That huge cliffhanger, oh my goodness! The scene that had me ask so many questions and the realisation that I have no answers. It was an incredible ending, that leaves a lot of room for discussion and theories about what happened. And the conclusion is always the same – we’re going to have to wait for the next book to find out. I cannot wait for book four now – I am desperately curious for answers. Onyx Storm – you were good to me after all!

“I could reach the rank of Maven, lead armies of dark wielders against everyone we care for, and watch every vein in my body turn red as I channel all the power in the Continent, and I would still love you. What I did doesn’t change that. I’m not sure anything can.”

“Yes, love, I’m jealous. I’m jealous of the armor that holds you when I can’t, the sheets on your bed that caress your skin every night, and the blades that feel your hands. So, when the prince of our realm walks into my classroom and starts talking to the woman I love with what can only be considered intense familiarity, and then has the audacity to ask her out right in front of me, naturally, I’m going to get jealous.”

About the Author:

Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros [BOOK REVIEW]

Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event. She’s the recipient of the British Book Award for Book of the Year and the Alex Award from the American Library Association. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. As the mother of six, when she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and two cats who rule them all. 

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Book Review · Books

Exiles by Mason Coile [BOOK REVIEW]

Exiles by Mason Coile [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

Exiles by Mason Coile [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 224

Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: John Murray

Format I read it in: Uncorrected proof (e-book)

Rating: ★★★★

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There are many ways to die on Mars. Only one way to find the truth.

The human crew sent to prepare the first-ever colony on Mars arrives to find their brand new base half-destroyed and the three robots sent to set it up in disarray—the machines have formed alliances, chosen their own names, and picked up some truly disturbing beliefs. Each must be interrogated. Their stories analyzed. But one of them is missing.

In this barren, hostile landscape, even machines have nightmares, and the line between human and artificial intelligence blurs. The astronauts will need to examine their own stories and wrestle their own demons before it’s too late.

In this wicked, taut, one-sitting read, Mason Coile blends science fiction and psychological horror in a story that terrifies and unnerves as it engages some of humanity’s deepest questions.

My Thoughts:

“Exiles” was my first book by Mason Coile. Only after I finished the book, I realised the name is a pseudonym for Andrew Pyper, and he unfortunately recently passed away. I had a look at the books he had written and was intrigued by some of them, and will definitely be checking them out soon.

If you know me, you’ll know I almost never pick Netgalley copies nowadays. The main reason is because I prefer printed copies. I like to hold the book, pencil and tab into it and it’s easier for me to share it on social media this way too. I also have too many books on my TBR at the moment, that I very rarely accept a new upcoming book. That being said, I can’t help myself and always browse the upcoming releases on Netgalley, to see what’s coming soon.

And when “Exiles” showed up, the synopsis stopped me in my tracks. A story about a woman, Dana, who joins the mission to be the first human on Mars, alongside two male astronauts. And on their way to Mars, right before they are supposed to land, something is not right – they cannot get comms. The three robots that have been on Mars for a while, setting up the station and ensuring everything is running smoothly, have gone incommunicado. When the team manages to land safely, there are only two bots left, and their stories of what happened are not adding up.

It’s obvious that something has been going on before the humans arrived. But with their conflicting stories, it’s up to the astronauts to investigate and make a decision. Is there really an alien who tried to harm them, or has the third bot turned evil? And with these conflicting stories, there’s something else that is becoming obvious to the astronauts – these machines are very capable of lying and definitely cannot be trusted with anything now.

The story is very fast-paced and breathtaking.

I never knew exactly who I could trust at any given time. Truthfully, the book kept delivering plot twist after plot twist, despite me anticipating them. I could relate to Dana’s story, her fear and her motivation for joining such a permanent mission. Taking a one-way ticket to Mars is not a small decision to make. It was also interesting how the crew’s opinion about the bots differed. The captain treated them as machines, as slaves, only there to set up a station and run errands. Whereas Dana had a relationship that bordered on friendship. It was intriguing to see the bots have consciousness, they chose their names and genders, and they started to experience boredom and loneliness on the planet, whilst waiting for the humans to arrive. 

The ending was brutal and raw. Despite a small part of me actually anticipating that ending, I still did not see it coming. There was also something briefly unfinished there. A few crumbs of regret and sadness loomed, and all ending in a very poetic way. If the author knew he was dying, this feels like the perfect ending to his last book. In a morbidly beautiful way, very fitting. I will always praise this book. I am curious to see how it will age in the next 20-30 years, if I am lucky to still be alive to witness that. And I will always recommend it to anyone that asks for a good book set on Mars.

About the Author:

Exiles by Mason Coile [BOOK REVIEW]

Mason Coile is a pseudonym of Andrew Pyper. Andrew Pyper was a Canadian author. He published over ten fictional books, including The Demonologist, which won the International Thriller Writers Award, and Lost Girls, which was a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book of the Year.

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Book Review · Books

Silver by Olivia Levez [BOOK REVIEW]

Silver by Olivia Levez [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

Silver by Olivia Levez [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 419

Genre: Young Adult, YA, Fiction, Science Fiction

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Format I read it in: Uncorrected Proof

Rating: ★★★


Silver has been trained since birth for her collect data on the humans to test if Earth is viable for her home ship, Charybdis, to colonise. The only rules are that she must feed back the data she collects to the ship, and at all times follow the To touch is agony. To feel is pain.

So when Silver inhabits the body of a young woman and infiltrates the house she is staying in, she must learn to pass as a human without revealing her true identity. But she isn’t prepared for how the humans will get under her skin. And she definitely isn’t prepared for Finch, the boy she starts to fall for. Especially when he touches her – and it doesn’t hurt.

It is not how Charybdis said it would be.

Have they been lying all along?

Conflicted by the war between her growing feelings for Finch and her allegiance to her ship, Silver must decide who to stand by and who to betray.

My Thoughts:

I was very intrigued by the story of Silver. She is an alien and is sent to Earth for a mission – to collect data on humans and test if Earth is viable for her mother ship, Charybdis, to colonise. All her life, she has been taught that she must follow the Mantra, a set of rules that her ship stands by. To stay away from humans. To not touch them, for touch is agony, and to feel is pain. 

When Silver joins a family as a pet-sitter, she has to inherit the body of the young Polish girl to do so. The more time she spends with the family, the more human she becomes. The book is also set around Christmas time, so she feels extra included and excited about all the festivities. She starts to develop a crush for Finch, and when they touch by accident, she expects to feel pain. But instead, all she can feel is warmth and funny feelings about this boy, which is extremely confusing to her.

Every so often, Silver has to go back to the mothership to “shield”. When she shields, the founders gather all the data she has collected. They are not impressed with her, as she has gotten too close to the humans and she is also starting to defy them by visiting much less frequently.

The story of Silver is very fast paced and addictive.

I read it in two days. But I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. There were a lot of discrepancies with the characters. Stella, for example, kept coming in and out of the picture. It felt convinient, when it was needed to fit the story and plot. Silver’s character had many flaws too. She showed empathy, but then was brutal the next second. For example the scene where she tells Finch the truth about his dad.

Also, there are some things that didn’t add up with her powers. On page 94, she scanned “Brave New World” in a second, and in the next chapters she does that with other books too. But on page 122, it takes her “seventy-seven minutes” to watch some cooking videos. Surely, if she had an ability to inhabit humans, scan books in seconds, morph into anything, she can also process cooking videos at a crazy speed?

For some reason, I couldn’t relax enough to enjoy the book. As a whole, I really loved the idea behind it and the story about the world/the ship/Vortex/Founders. But personally feel that it may have been slightly poorly executed. I would still recommend it if you are after a unique alien story with a romance twist to it. 

About the Author:

Silver by Olivia Levez [BOOK REVIEW]

Olivia Levez divides her time between teaching English and binge-writing in her caravan by the sea. Olivia likes hula-hooping, yoga and real ale, but not at the same time. She lives in Worcestershire with her husband, two sons and her real life Dog, Basil.

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Book Review · Books

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 688

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal

Publisher: Headline

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew – the forbidden love at the heart of it.

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels…

Thoughts:

It’s a shame, but “A Discovery of Witches” was a bit too slow for my taste. It started very promising and instantly captured my interest. We have Diana, who knows she’s a witch, but has chosen to not use any of her powers. Until she does it without realising. And this occurrence captures the interest of other witches, but also vampires and demons. This is how Diana ends up meeting Matthew, who is a vampire. And as soon as the two meet, they instantly bond.

I will be brutally honest and admit that I stopped reading the book a few chapters later. And it took me a good few weeks to get myself to continue reading it again. The book was boring and monotone and nothing really noteworthy happened, apart from Diana getting to know Matthew and discovering his red flags, one red flag at a time.

“A Discovery of Witches” starts to get interesting again once Diana starts to learn more about her powers. A lot of secrets then come flooding to the surface and the stakes get higher. The ending was quite enjoyable. It kept me intrigued and it kept me guessing. The book ending made me curious about what’s next, and that is the only reason I’ll be continuing with the series. Okay, maybe the other reason is that I already own the next two books in the series, so it would be a shame to leave them untouched. I loved all the stories about  alchemy, magic and evolution and I wish we had more of that. When it comes to the romance part, unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan. Maybe book two will introduce us to a demon, and give me “Jacob from Twilight” vibes? You never know, a girl can only hope…

Matthew left out his breath and sat back in his chair, staring at the chessboard. His queen stood encircled by his own pieces – pawns, a knight, and a rook. Across the board his king was checked by a lowly black pawn. The game was over, and he had lost.
“There’s more to the game than protecting your queen.” Hamish said. “Why do you find it so difficult to remember that it’s the king who’s not expendable?”
“The king just sits there, moving one square at a time. The queen can move so freely. I suppose I’d rather lose the game than forfeit her freedom.”

About the Author:

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

Deborah Harkness is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who draws on her expertise as an historian of science, medicine, and the history of the book to create rich narratives steeped in magical realism, historical curiosity, and deeply human questions about what it is that makes us who we are.

The first book in Harkness’s beloved All Souls series, A Discovery of Witches, was an instant New York Times bestseller and the series has since expanded with the addition of subsequent NYT bestsellers, Shadow of Night (2012), The Book of Life (2014), and Time’s Convert (2018), as well as the companion reader, The World of All Souls. The All Souls series has been translated in thirty-eight languages.

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