Category: Recent Reads

Recent Read: Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood is a set of 3 novellas about 3 friends, all in STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering and Maths, just in case you didn’t know), who find *spoiler alert* love.  But, I feel if you’re reading an Ali Hazelwood, none of this is a surprise to you!

The stories are varied enough that you don’t feel like you’re reading the same stories over again, but I do like that her female characters work in STEM, as it is an area that women are generally under represented, and so it’s a great way to inspire, and show behind the scenes of what happens there!

If you’re looking for your next romance author, then this is a great introduction to Ali Hazelwood!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book Group!

Recent Reads: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune

Posted on by Pam

My review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune is a sweet cosy fantasy story, with themes of found family, children with powers they don’t understand, and self discovery.  There is also a 

I really enjoyed the book, but I did find one thing a bit jarring, and that was the sleeping location of one of the orphans, which was in the closet of the man in charge of the orphanage.  It felt wrong to me as in the UK we have safeguarding rules about how adults with this kind of role should act, and this isn’t what they should do.

So other than the above, I really enjoyed the story.  I know that a lot of people have really enjoyed all of this book.  

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan Macmillan.

Recent Reads: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (book 2 in Part Of Your World series)

Posted on by Pam

My review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Abby Jimenez is one of those authors that I get grabby hands about when I hear there’s a new book coming out!

I’ve read all of her books so far, and really enjoyed them – so much that there have all been 5 star reads, as is this one!

Abby Jimenez manages to put these believable characters in situations that makes me keep wanting to turn pages to find out what happens next!

Yours Truly kept this tradition going! Set in a hospital, it’s a work place romance, with our male lead having anxiety. I found it really interesting the way this was written about.

There are pop ins from previous books, and of course lots of references to Nadia Cakes as Abby Jimenez is the owner and founder!

Trigger warnings for this book are renal failure and miscarriage.

If you’re looking for a book that you’ll have a hard time putting down, then Yours Truly is for you!

Thank you to @netgalley and to @littlebrown for access to read this.

Recent Reads: Daphne by M C Beaton (book 4 in The Six Sisters)

Posted on by Pam

My review:

I finished reading Daphne yesterday! It’s a light, entertaining read (as are the rest of the Six Sisters series), set in regency times, with a series of sisters finding husbands!

I have enjoyed the different challenges each sister has had, and their different thought processes! M C Beaton obviously has a lot of fun dreaming up weird and wonderful situations that they can get caught up in, and how it is all going to work out in the end!

The other sisters (and their husbands) are often in the background, and I think this one had the most of another couple in it.

I listened to the audio book, and enjoyed her different voices for different characters!

You’ll enjoy this if you like Georgette Heyer books, or if you enjoy Bridgerton (but much less spicy).

Recent Reads: The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk

Posted on by Pam

My review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk is a historical story, with automata, travel to the Ottoman Empire, and all set in the 18th century.

This is a mystery story with a fantastical element as Zachary can see into people’s hearts and minds.

I enjoyed the story, and the adventures.  It has sweet moments, and some danger. It was also interesting to look at automata from such a long time ago!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Random House.

 

Recent Reads: The Girl In The Red Coat by Kate Hamer

Posted on by Pam

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Girl In The Red Coat by Kate Hamer is a thriller dealing with the disappearance of an 8 year old girl.

There is a light fantasy aspect to this as she might have healing powers. 

I enjoyed the story, and the two points of view, the girl and her mother.  The mother’s point of view always starts with the days since her daughter disappeared, and I thought that was a good way of immediately setting the scene.

I read this quite quickly as I was drawn into the story, and kept turning pages to see what was going to happen next.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Faber and Faber.

Recent Reads: The Year Without Summer by Guinevere Glasfurd

Posted on by Pam

My review:⭐⭐⭐

The Year Without Summer by Guinevere Glasford is set in 1816 when a volcano erupted and the aftereffects caused world wide weather issues, and this follows six different people.

I liked the idea of this book, but I found that jumping around the different points of view to be a little confusing. It has some famous characters in it, like Mary Shelley, and I found that it assumed some prior knowledge about them and what has happened before the book starts.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to John Murray Press.

Recent Reads: Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

Posted on by Pam

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor is set in India about people in the criminal underworld, and their servants.

I found it to be a fast paced story.  It has different points of view which are explored as the story continues. I found this enhanced the story, and the tension.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book Group.

 

Recent Reads: Part Of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Posted on by Pam

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez is the 4th book, with some of the same characters popping up.  I have loved every book, and I’m looking forward to her next book due out later this year!

These are contemporary romances, written with humour and empathy.  I found the characters to be well rounded, and very believable.  I was interested in their lives and I was cheering them on. 

It’s a fun, easy read, and would be perfect on holiday!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book Group.

Recent Reads: Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

Posted on by Pam

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen is a fantasy story, with Violet, a prophetess who is willing to lie for what she wants.

I do enjoy court intrigue, and I liked this take with morally neutral characters.

It’s an entertaining story, with politics, romance and intrigue!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Hodder & Stoughton.