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Title: The Death King Author: Penelope Barsetti Series: Death series #1 Thank you to Penelope Barsetti, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. To give a clearer warning than the one at the end of the blurb—If you can’t handle the repeated rape of the protagonist and her resultant suicidal ideations, don’t go anywhere near this book. Think it might still be worth it? Heard it’s the …
Title: Darling Girls Author: Sally Hepworth Series: n/a an argument for nurture Thank you to Sally Hepworth, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. First a disclaimer: I have no experience or personal knowledge of the foster care system, much less that of Australia, so I won’t be commenting on it. I have no idea if this novel perpetuates false and/or negative stereotypes or perceptions regarding foster …
Title: Speculations in Sin Author: Jennifer Ashley Series: Below Stairs Mystery #7 *heart eyes* MUCH thanks to Jennifer Ashley, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Kaila Mundell-Hill once again for inviting me on the blog tour. Yes, another approval from Berkley! They waited several months to approve my request only four days before publication, but a win’s a win! I LOVED this book!! Ashley’s writing …
Title: A Haunting in the Arctic Author: C. J. Cooke Series: n/a didn’t end well Much thanks to C. J. Cooke, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to Kaila Mundell-Hill for inviting me on the blog tour. Yes, you read correctly—Berkley actually let me have an ARC. No, no, don’t run to your bunker. Stay close, though. Ghost story, psychological thriller, historical fiction—this novel has it all…..if …
Title: Iron Flame Author: Rebecca Yarros Series: Fourth Wing #2 A great follow-up! Got a bit long, though. I spaced off from time to time during the second half when it was all boring war- or strategy-talk. Xaden and Violet’s argument got old, too; felt like they were just arguing in circles. Didn’t help that, like they themselves acknowledged, they kept getting interrupted by either hormones or external matters before they could finish the argument. Thank god they finally did, …
Title: Crown of Blood and Glass Author: Lucinda Dark and Rebecca Grey Series: Awakened Fates #1 not a bad premise but bad execution Thank you to Lucinda Dark and Rebecca Grey, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to an ARC eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review. DNF 60%. I stuck with it until the hero forced himself on the heroine just to prove that she did want him, despite her protests. I assume he didn’t complete …
Titles: The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes Series: The Inheritance Games Why is this series so popular??? This is a review for the trilogy as a whole. No spoilers. This series did not live up to the hype; I’m a little bitter that I waited several months to get my turn at the audiobooks from the library. How many other books could I have borrowed and enjoyed in that time? I was further …
Title: Where Ivy Dares to Grow Author: Marielle Thompson Series: n/a Self-centeredness: The Novel Thank you to Marielle Thompson, Kensington, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to DNF it multiple times, but I pushed through until 95%. Then I just couldn’t take it anymore. Saoirse, the MC, is incredibly self-centered. My God. The entire novel is about how horribly treated she is and how miserable she is because …
Title: Goddess of Rain Author: Jane Frkovich Series: Lost Gods #1 Reads like fanfiction Thank you to Jane Frkovich, Danielle Fliller, BooksGoSocial Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review. Have you ever wanted to read a Percy Jackson and Star Wars crossover fanfic? Or listen to a narrator who sounds like a student reading aloud from a novel in English class, is overly obsessive about enunciating every single vowel …
Title: The Grace of Wild Things Author: Heather Fawcett Series: n/a Thoroughly enchanting! Much thanks to Heather Fawcett, HarperCollins Children’s Books/Balzer + Bray, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This story was thoroughly enchanting. And way more cerebral than I would expect of a “children’s” book. The themes are deep and layered. Fawcett has officially found a place on my authors-to-keep-an-eye-on list. My only complaint is that the ending wasn’t …