Showing posts with label 3 stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 stars. Show all posts

17 Jan 2025

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: BULL MOON RISING by Ruby Dixon (Review)

17 January 6 Comments


Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

BULL MOON RISING

Author: Ruby Dixon
Series: Royal Artifactual Guild #1
Source: eARC via publisher
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Representation: N/A

Summary:
In a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, a woman determined to save her family joins forces with an unlikely partner in this captivating special hardcover edition of USA Today bestselling Ruby Dixon’s new steamy romantasy. 

As a Holder’s daughter, Aspeth Honori knows the importance of magical artifacts... which is why it’s a disaster that her father has gambled all of theirs away. Now in danger of losing their hold—and their heads—if anyone finds out the truth, Aspeth decides to do something about it. She’ll join the Royal Artifactual Guild and the adventurers who explore ancient underground ruins to retrieve the coveted arcane items. 

It’s a great plan—with one big problem. The guild won’t let her train because she’s a woman. Aspeth needs a chaperone of some kind. The best way to get around this problem? Marry someone who will let her become an apprentice. Who better than a surly guild member who needs a favor of his own? He’s a minotaur (it’s fine) who is her teacher (also fine)... and he’s about to go into rut (which is where it gets tricky). He also has no idea she’s a noble (oops) and will want nothing to do with her if he finds out the truth.

Now Aspeth just needs to pass the guild tests, thwart a fortune hunter, and save her hold. Oh, and survive a rut with her monstrous, horned husband, who she might be falling in love with. 
It’s time to dig deep. Literally.

Purchase*:
(note that these are affiliate links! I receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Content WarningSexual Content, Sexism, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Addiction, Violence, Death of a parent, Vomit, Pregnancy

In Bull Moon Rising, Ruby Dixon blends romance, adventure, and magic in a steamy romantasy. The story follows Aspeth Honori, the daughter of a Holder who finds herself in a bind after her father gambles away all their magical artifacts. Determined to save her family, she devises a plan to join the Royal Artifactual Guild to retrieve arcane items from ancient ruins. However, the guild won't allow her to train because she’s a woman. To overcome this, Aspeth marries a gruff minotaur guild member who has his own set of problems, creating an arrangement that quickly becomes more complicated than either expected.

While the concept of a high-stakes magical adventure is intriguing, the execution sometimes falls short. As with many romantasy novels, Bull Moon Rising places heavy emphasis on the romance between Aspeth and her monstrous yet alluring partner. While the romance is well-written, steamy, and fun, it sometimes overshadows the broader plot. I would have liked to see more focus on the world-building and the magical artifacts that drive the story.

One of the book's strengths is its exploration of sexism. Aspeth's struggle to navigate a male-dominated guild and her use of her wit to bypass societal restrictions add depth to the story. It was refreshing to see these elements woven into the fantasy world, even if the plot could have done more with them.

On the downside, the "twist" near the end of the book felt out of place and didn’t fit smoothly with the rest of the narrative. It seemed like an attempt to raise the stakes but felt somewhat disconnected from the story's core themes.

Despite these flaws, the monster romance element delivers, and Dixon does a great job of making her minotaur hero both intimidating and endearing. The chemistry between Aspeth and her surly partner shines, and the intimate scenes are crafted with care.

Overall, Bull Moon Rising is an enjoyable read for fans of fantasy romance who don’t mind a story that prioritizes the romantic arc over intricate world-building. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel, as there are plenty of elements in the world and characters that could be expanded upon in future installments.

Have you read this book? What was your favourite part?

31 Jul 2023

Review: ALL TOO FAMILIAR by Belinda White (Accidental Familiar #1)

31 July 0 Comments

ALL TOO FAMILIAR

Author: Belinda White
Series: Accidental Familiar #1
Source: Audible Plus
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: July 31, 2019

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:

Representation: N/A

Summary:
A familiar is a life-long companion. Choose wisely.

It's hard being the youngest in a family of witches known for their power. It's even harder when that magical power has all but passed you by.

Still, I was doing okay for myself. I like to think I was proving to the rest of my family that magic wasn't a requirement to living.

Then Aunt Opal was accused of murder. Wouldn't you know it would happen right when everyone else in the family but me was out of town.

Now it's up to me to prove her innocence, and a little magic could go a long way in helping me do that. My aunt's been after me to get a familiar for quite a while now. They are known for helping a witch channel her power and even strengthen it.

So, want to or not, allergies or not, I did it. I went to an animal shelter and found my familiar. A cute little black kitty. The allergy medicine companies were going to love me.

But for some reason, this little guy didn't make me sneeze. Kind of weird, actually. Not that I was complaining.

I just really wish I'd known more about him before I did the binding spell…
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters
Content Warning: pet allergies, death, murder (not graphic), use of a taser

I thought this was really cute and a good introduction to this series! I would have liked a bit more focus on the mystery portion and less on the romance aspects. There is a delicate balance in these types of cozy mysteries of the need to have the romance be cozy and the mysteries be interesting and I think this doesn't quite have that balance yet.

I thought it was interesting that the main character wasn't super powerful and that the mystery wasn't just waved away with magic. There was a slow development, but I liked that she is able to play to her strengths and using a tazer. I hope the next book has a bit more character development, especially for the side characters that we barely got introduced to.

This is also a very White, Straight book. That doesn't necessarily make it bad, but it does have the tropes of cops/investigators being "good guys" that you can "trust" when we know that isn't the case. Take that, and this genre, with a grain of salt when reading since one of the love interests is usually a cop.

I am interested in reading the rest of these, so we'll see how far into the series I get!

Have you read this book? Are you going to pick this up?

28 Jul 2023

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: A DUEL WITH THE VAMPIRE LORD by Elise Kova (Married to Magic #3)

28 July 1 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

A DUEL WITH THE VAMPIRE LORD

Author: Elise Kova
Series: Married to Magic #3
Source: Audible
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication Date: August 18, 2022
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Representation: N/A

Summary:
On the night of the blood moon, the Vampire Lord must die.

Floriane's position as the forge maiden of Hunter's Hamlet is one of reverence, for it is her skill that arms and protects the vampire hunters. She knows her place and is a faithful servant to the Master Hunter and her community... until the night of the blood moon. Until her brother is dying at the hands of the Vampire Lord Ruvan.

Wanting to defend her home at all costs, Floriane fights the vampire lord, ready to give her life if it means taking his. But Ruvan doesn't want to take her life... he wants her.

Kidnapped and brought to the vampire castle, Floriane is now blood sworn to the vampire lord. She is bound in mind and body to her worst enemy. But Ruvan isn't the fiend she thought he was. She learns the truth of the vampires: They are not mindless monsters, but a proud people, twisted and tortured by an ancient curse.

Ruvan believes that Floriane might be the key to ending his people's suffering. All Floriane wants is to defend her home. Loyalties are tested and the lines between truth and lie, hate and passion, are blurred.

When her dagger is at his chest, will she be able to take the heart of the man who has claimed hers?

A darkly-reimagined Snow White meets inspiration from Beauty and the Beast in an epic fantasy world of hunters, vampires, and curses that run deeper than blood. This stand alone is complete with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon worthy, enemies to lovers story.

Purchase:
Content WarningsBlood, Body Horror, Death, Injury, Mind Control (of androids), Murder, Prostitution (mentioned), Slavery (of androids), Violence


This had the potential to be a much better book if it had been shorter. There was so much added to this that could have been cut down to make the story run smoother and provide more of the action scenes. There still would have been room for the slow-burn aspects of the romance but it was just way too long and I found myself getting bored throughout.

I did like the vampires in this and their magic system! I thought that was a really unique aspect to this and helped to "update" the vampire romances that we grew up with into something a bit more interesting.

As with all the other Married to Magic books, this is a standalone so you can jump right into this one if you would rather read about vampires instead of other magical monsters/creatures. I do recommend this one!

Have you read this series? What was your favourite part?

15 May 2023

Review: BURN OUR BODIES DOWN by Rory Power

15 May 0 Comments

BURN OUR BODIES DOWN

Author: Rory Power
Series: N/A
Source: Audible Plus
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:

Representation: N/A

Summary:
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Wilder Girls comes a new twisty thriller about a girl whose past has always been a mystery—until she decides to return to her mother’s hometown . . . where history has a tendency to repeat itself.

Ever since Margot was born, it’s been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot’s questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them, stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along.

But that’s not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only, when Margot gets there, it’s not what she bargained for.

Margot’s mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what’s still there?

The only thing Margot knows for sure is there’s poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she’s there, she might never escape.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters
Content Warning:  Fire, Emotional abuse by a parent, including gaslighting. Familial and generational abuse, Nonconsensual pregnancy – note, no sexual assault or rape, Body horror, some gore, blood (lighter, relative to Wilder Girls), Death. On page character death. Child/infant death (takes place off page but implied violence – pages 301 and 308 in the print ARC), Off-page gun violence, Emesis (mention of vomiting).

This was a creepy read! I've been getting into a lot of ecological horror and dystopian fiction recently, so this fit in really nicely for that niche. I thought there was a lot of interesting power dynamics and things discussed in this novel, especially around single motherhood and socio-economics impacting lifestyles.

The writing itself is very good. There are no hiccups, no floundering about, and it flows smoothly. Rory Power gets to the point that she wants to make without beating around the bush. I really wanted to enjoy this story, however, and sometimes we want something so strongly that it slips away. I think it was mainly the pacing since a lot of the action was held off until the end.

While jumping around in the story and learning things slowly is an important factor in this book, and others like it, the novel took so long getting to the meat of the plot that I got slightly bored along the way. I didn't really connect with any characters except our lead because we didn't know their motivations and you're always so skeptical of everyone in these types of novels. 

Was the true horror and mystery of it all worth it when it finally arrived? Yes, it absolutely was. There is something sickening, twisted and disturbing about the history behind the horror of Margot's family. And for that, this book is well worth the read. That something so seemingly small would make me feel as uncomfortable as it did, speaks well for the way that the author unfolds it into the rest of the writing. But it arrived quite late, and developed far too fast for me to properly enjoy.

Burn Our Bodies Down has a Stephen King-esque vibe that hit me more than once, and I've noticed that other readers have felt the same. It's this nagging little thing at the back of your head that you notice here and there and can't let go of. I appreciated it, even if the whole of it fell a little more off the mark than I'd hoped.

There's merit to this novel, I just wish that more of those daunting details which pop up near the end and made me uneasy—while making everything charged and fraught with terrible possibility—had been delivered a little more starkly from the start.

Have you read this book? Are you going to pick this up?

19 Jan 2023

We Can(ada) Read: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS by Maggie Knox

19 January 0 Comments

We Can(ada) Read is by Canadians for EVERYONE to learn more about some amazing Canadian authors!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Author: Maggie Knox
Series: N/A
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: October 4, 2022

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Representation: N/A

Summary:
True love wasn't on their holiday wish list.

When Sadie and Max are selected as contestants on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they've finally gotten their big Nashville break. But then they're paired up for duet week and stun the world with their romantic onstage chemistry. With fans going wild for #Saxie the network demands that they remain a duo on and offstage, or exit the competition. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn't be too hard, except for one small problem--Sadie and Max can't stand each other.

But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or will an unexpected trip to Banff spark real feelings by the Christmas finale?
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Content Warning: death of a loved one, death of a grandparent, grief, stalking, alcohol consumption, sexual content, creepy men.

This could have been a four star read if the conflict and resolution had been a bit more interesting. But I thought there were a lot of easy "cop-out" moments in this that took away from the story because I was so focused on the plotholes. I also think it's a little strange that we missed an entire year of each of their lives - there was no moments in the in between to keep us intrigued in their relationship or the characters.

This didn't feel like a "holiday" romance novel, except that it took place around Christmas. I felt like this could have taken place at any moment in time and it would have been the same novel, so I'm not sure how I feel about it being a "Christmas romance novel."

But the premise was cute enough and there were some heavier topics discussed in this around grief and how the music industry treats women that I could give it some passes. I liked Sadie and Max both as individual characters and a couple. I thought that their best personality traits were perfect for the other person and I am glad that they got together at the end.

If you were a fan of Maggie Knox's other books, you'll probably enjoy this one too!

Are you going to pick this up?

16 Jan 2023

Review: ONCE UPON A CON Series by Ashley Poston

16 January 1 Comments

GEEKERELLA

Author: Ashley Poston
Series: Once Upon A Con #1
Source: Audio from Audible
Publisher: Quirk Books
Publication Date: April 4, 2017

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:

Representation (Whole Series): F/F romance, demisexual main character (implied) Japanese side character, M/M romance (side characters), bisexual main character, latinx side character, nonbinary side character

Summary:
Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Content Warning: Moderately strong language, emotional abuse, fatphobia, groping, Harry Potter references, misogyny

Geekerella

I thought this was really cute and I liked a lot of the retelling portions of this. It hit all the right beats and had a pretty compelling storyline. But I thought some of it was just too convenient and could have been better fleshed out. I just felt like it was too fanfic-y for me, especially since the romance felt almost insta-love. I know, I know, they talked for a while. But only via text and never once called each other. And the explanation for not doing that wasn't compelling enough in my opinion.

But it was cute! And I enjoyed it so I'll probably continue on with this series.

The Princess and the Fangirl

I didn't realize I skipped this one when I was reading, so I came back to it before continuing with another book. This was ... okay. I like the setting of this series and how it could be our world and life. But it was also kinda boring.

There wasn't a lot of things happening because we learned the plot right from the beginning and then there was just too much fluff in between for me to really enjoy it. I was hoping for a bit more action than what we were getting. It also didn't quite make sense that they switched places when Jess could have just asked Imogen to go find the script for her.

But it was cute! And I'm glad I read this series. It's free on Audible Plus so if you have the chance, give it a read.

Bookish and the Beast

This was really cute and I enjoyed it a lot! It doesn't have the same level of "fandom" as Geekerella, but it was definitely a cute rom-com novel. I did think the characters fell a little short and everyone had the convenience of "being rich" which made a lot of the problems easily solvable.

I thought this could have been a better retelling of Beauty and the Beast - it focused so much on how Vance doesn't see the magic of books rather than the other aspects of B&tB. I like books about books, but this just didn't have the right magic for me.

I do recommend this series, though!

Have you read this series? Are you going to pick this up?

29 Dec 2022

We Can(ada) Read: THE UNMATCHMAKERS by Jackie Lau

29 December 0 Comments

We Can(ada) Read is by Canadians for EVERYONE to learn more about some amazing Canadian authors!

THE UNMATCHMAKERS

Author: Jackie Lau
Series: N/A
Source: Audiobook from Kobo
Publisher: Kobo Originals
Publication Date: June 28, 2022

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Representation: Asian-Canadian main character, Asian-Canadian love interest

Summary:
From the author of DONUT FALL IN LOVE comes a perfect summer love story set in the forested paradise of Canadian cottage country that asks the question: can love beat the odds when the odds are two mothers dead-set against it?

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You’d think my mother would be trying to set me up with architect Neil Choy, the unmarried son of her best friend. But you’d be wrong.

My single mother has always been fiercely independent. Since I was a small child, she’s always told me not to believe in fairy tales and that I don’t need a man. So she’s failed to mention that Neil is a total hottie in glasses. When I see him for the first time in a decade, on a multi-family cottage vacation, I’m in for quite a shock. (In fact, I nearly fall in the lake, but let’s keep that a secret.)

He sure can grill a mean steak and mix a killer cocktail, plus he’s pretty impressive in a kayak. Yes, he’s a little stern and grumpy, but that just makes him more fun to tease—and makes it more satisfying when he quirks his lips in my direction.

Even though my mind is spinning romantic fantasies, I’m not entirely sure how he feels. And I’m afraid that if anything happens between us, it’ll screw up the friendship between our staunchly anti-relationship mothers. Especially since they’ve been acting increasingly weird since we arrived—I will never forgive them for the S’mores Incident. In fact, I think they’re trying to sabotage my love life, and I’m starting to worry that I won’t make it through this bizarre summer vacation…

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Perfect for fans of Helen Hoang’s THE BRIDE TEST and THE DONUT TRAP by Julie Tieu, THE UNMATCHMAKERS is a forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy that explores finding the balance of meeting expectations and being true to yourself, and how even the best of intentions can sometimes backfire.
Purchase:
Kobo
Content Warning: overbearing parents, explicit sex scene, falling into water

I thought this was a cute enough, short read! There wasn't as much emphasis on the romance as I would have liked - and I thought it would have been more friends to lovers than instalove but that's okay. There seemed to be a lot of emphasis on the community and family rather than on the romance, which in my mind took a bit away from the overall story.

But I loved that it's set in Canada in places I've been to and there's a charm about that for me. I also ate timbits while reading it!

This is one that you could easily pass on and read something else, but if you have Kobo Plus and can read it for free, you may as well!

Are you going to pick this up?