momwithareadingproblem's reviews
1177 reviews

A Grave Girls' Getaway by Jeaniene Frost

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adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This one grew on me. Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho is a tale of star-crossed lovers….erhm I mean a story about the grandchildren of two rival bakeries who form a tenuous alliance in the hopes of saving their bakeries from being swallowed up by a big box store. From the Brazilian setting to the copious amounts of food, this book will leave you satisfied and craving more. 

I will be the first to admit I did NOT like the start of this book. It felt very young, even for a YA, like classify it middle grade young. However, about a quarter of the way into the book I realized something I didn’t pick up on to begin with. I think the over-the-top drama was intentional and essential to the story as Lari, our main character, mentions multiple times how much her grandmother loved telenovelas and would compare what was happening to her as something from one of those shows. With that in mind, I was able to thoroughly sit back and enjoy this book. 

The story opens on the day of Lari’s grandmother’s funeral. She is overwhelmed with her grief and angry at the situation. Her anger is only expounded when she arrives home to their bakery to find the bakery across the street open and flaunting their success. In a fit of rage, she walks over to give them a piece of her mind only to trip and accidentally take out the wedding cake Pedro worked on all morning. And so the drama begins. 

Lari is an interesting character. She feels things deeper than most characters, and as such she reacts accordingly. Her grief over losing her grandmother and the fear of losing her home and bakery eat away at her. Lari is desperate, and desperate people do desperate things like making a deal with the devil or in her case a deal with a Molina. 

Pedro is not at all what Lari, or I, expected him to be. He is harsh at times, the feud between their families interfering with their personal and school lives. But he is also kind and empathetic toward Lari. He understands her fear better than anyone else as it is his own fear. This common ground gives them a chance to bond and find out that there may be something better to fight over. 

The feud itself is over the top drama, but again spot on for a telenovela. I loved the backstory we are given, and the things we learn through Lari as she learns there is more to it as well. The budding relationship between Pedro and Lari is also sweet in nature, and I found myself rooting for them early on. 

Overall, I enjoyed Salt and Sugar. The cultural tie-in to Brazil was fun to explore, and all the food made me hungry and curious to try out some new recipes. If you are a fan of enemies to lovers or looking for a sweet YA contemporary, I highly recommend it.
Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What a read! The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis is the first Star Wars book I’ve read as an adult, and now I’m wondering why I’ve waited so long. I am a life long fan of Star Wars, meaning that I cannot tell you the first time I ever watched it because it has just always been. Princess Leia, Luke, Han, Chewie, Threepio, and R2 are a part of my childhood and will always be what influenced my love for sci-fi. Because of this, I’ve always been hesitant to read books set in their world. Lucas got it perfect in my opinion. I am so glad that my husband finally wore me down enough that I agreed to buddy read this one with a fellow book lover (thanks Kristen!). 

The Princess and the Scoundrel begins the same night the Death Star exploded. We find Princess Leia celebrating on Endor and beginning to process what this means for the new government as they can no longer call themselves rebels. In the midst of this inner turmoil, she finds peace with Han. She spent a year looking for him and then rescuing him from Jabba the Hutt. She had a full year to love this man, grow without him, and fight for him. When he proposes, the answer is immediate and feels so natural. Seeing as this couple was my original OTP, I was in my element reading about their honeymoon 😁

For Han, it’s been one week since he awoke from being frozen in carbonite. The last thing he remembers was the princess telling him she loved him and then pain. Since then, he was promoted to general and led an assault on Endor, and now the war that had barely started for him is over. It’s a lot to cope with, and to be honest he is struggling. Like Leia though, he finds peace with her. He’s ready to start a new life, whatever that may look like, as long as she is in it. What he as yet to come to realize is what that means.

I loved seeing the beginnings of their relationship here. These are two people that come from completely opposite worlds (both literally and figuratively), and they have to find a way to cope with that. Han’s frustration with Leia is true to life as he deals with her always putting everyone above her own needs. She’s a diplomat, an ambassador, but she also has a large heart. She empathizes with and feels the grief of others deeply. For Han, he has to find a way to support her and make her see she is no longer alone. 

The plot of this one is character driven, but also there is a lot happening. We get a glimpse of life after the fall of the empire. Leia and Han are sent on a honeymoon on the Halcyon, a luxury star cruiser who is going on its first voyage free of the empire. Here we see both sides coming together, those that supported the empire and those happy to be free of it. Leia is in more danger than she’s ever been, and Han isn’t comfortable with that as he realizes just how much. When they find themselves on a frozen moon as part of the cruise, they must find a way to work as a team to help its citizens. 

If you can’t tell already, I loved The Princess and the Scoundrel. I could ramble on for several more paragraphs about why I loved it so much, but I’ll stop here 😂 Fans of Star Wars will love seeing Han and Leia as the begin their lives as husband and wife with the remnants of the empire looming around every corner. Exciting and thrilling read!

Well Played by Jen DeLuca

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a grand slam, out of the park! The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams is about one professional baseball player and his pursuit to win his wife back. When Gavin Scott’s wife asks for a divorce, his world comes to a screeching halt. The reason for it is humiliating and more than a little blow to his ego. His buddies come to his aid though by bringing him into their secret book club. They promise to help him win Thea back, but he has to follow their rules to do so. 

It’s been a little while since a book made me laugh out loud as much as this one did. The bookclub and men involved are amazing. These men read romance novels and call them “manuals” for their love life. Just typing that makes me chuckle. The idea that men would use romance books as a guide for their love life is absurd, but also genius. The author puts a fictional book within this story that Gavin is reading to woo his wife back, and the stories parallel each other to some degree…well as much as a Regency romance can parallel contemporary. 

I loved the dual POV. At first I thought we’d only be getting Gavin’s perspective which wouldn’t be fair to Thea as she isn’t painted in the best light during the opening. Thea is fantastic. After she orgasms during sex with her husband, he learns that she has been faking them for the last three years. Humiliated and his pride stung, he moves into the guest room. After three weeks of not speaking to her, she asks for a divorce. Love was never a question. Thea always loved Gavin, but somewhere along the way she’s lost herself and who she was before she was his wife and a mom. As much as this book is a romance, it is also about Thea finding out who she wants to be. 

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better story. The Bromance Bookclub has been sitting on my shelf since it came out, and I’m sorry I didn’t read it sooner. I finished this one in less than 24 hours. If you are a fan of romantic, heartfelt comedy, I highly recommend it. Looking forward to starting book two!
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

For those readers who enjoy dry humor, dark and grisly deaths, and light fantasy, this book is for you. Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier has been on my TBR shelf since prior to the book’s release, yet somehow I kept forgetting about it. I recently found an audiobook copy at my local e-library and devoured it. This book is wonderfully written with just the right balance of humor and macabre.

Lord Cassiapeus, who goes by Cas, was on a mission from the king to inspect the country’s aqueducts when he and his three friends were ambushed and taken prisoner by a rival kingdom. Three years, Cas was thought dead, and now because of the plague that swept the country, he is free. The story opens with Cas nearly home, struggling with PTSD; his own near brush with death giving him the ability to see the spirits of the dead. His only goal is to return home and hope that the plague has left his brother and city in peace. What he finds is the king, his new bride, and recently produced heir threatened by an unknown assassin. 

Cas is a great character. I loved seeing the story unfold through his perspective. His own struggles are at the forefront, but the mystery around the prince’s failed assassination at his naming day help to distract him. Lena, the king’s sister and horse thief to Cas, makes a great ally. She brings Cas out of his darkness. She recognizes the parts of him that have been irrevocably changed by his experiences and is willing to sit in those dark places with him. 

The quirky humor was unexpected but greatly appreciated as the subject material can be quite dark. Johnathan Myles narrates, and his narration adds to the humor with subtle inflections in his tone. Sarcasm doesn’t read well on page, but in audiobook form it is spot on! Cas, along with most of the survivors of the plague, cope with gallows humor, which isn’t for everyone. As a nurse, I highly appreciate it. Sometimes you laugh to keep from crying because if you really stop to think about what is happening it will break you. This is where Cas is when we meet him, and Lucier conveys it well.

Overall, I really enjoyed Year of the Reaper. Its light fantasy, beautifully depicted characters, and their devastating world is captivating. I got lost in this one and didn’t come up for hours at a time. I think I would classify this one as historical fantasy as it is loosely based on the Black Death in 14th century Spain, even this world is a fictional Spain. Highly recommend!
Riven by Mindee Arnett

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of this review.

This is going to be a hard review to write because I’m kind of ambivalent about it. Riven by Mindee Arnett is the first in her new steampunk/epic fantasy series by the same name. It follows Mars, an assassin and spy master, as he goes on what he hopes is his last mission. What he uncovers will shatter all that he has grown to believe and reshape how he sees the world. Riven promised a lot, but the delivery fell flat for me which is why I’m having a hard time nailing down how I feel about the story.

I really enjoyed Mars, Fura, and Katrín. They make a good team, even if their goals don’t align. Mars is our main character, and the story unfolds from his perspective. This is where I struggled the most. For a master spy, he seemed pretty clueless as to what the girls were up to. Despite that, I enjoyed reading as he discovered more about this complex world and where he fit into it. 

Fura and Katrín are a packaged deal. Where one goes the other is sure to follow. Raised as sisters by Fura’s late father, the two have a tight bond. Fura is straight-laced and idealistic where Katrín is more like Mars and sees the world for what it is. The two balance each other well. 

The world-building is detailed, and at times I found myself lost in those details instead of invested into the story. This is a massive world, and there are moments where a lot of information is given without enough time digest it. At times, this upset the pace of the plot which started out intriguing. Mars being assigned as a glorified babysitter and guard to a girl whose father’s assassination was his last assignment gives the story a bit of danger as you always wonder when/if Fura will discover the truth. 

This is quickly lost as Mars becomes involved in Fura’s day-to-day life and the assembly they will be attending where she will be named as the Torvald heir. The first 10-15% of the book is engaging and exciting, then it drolls on for about 60% before finding that sweet spot at the end to keep the plot moving which is why I struggled with this one so much. If not for that first 10-15%, I most likely would have DNFed the book. I’m glad I didn’t though.

Overall, Riven is a sweeping epic fantasy about one girl’s quest to change the world and the assassin who was sent to stop it all. I loved the world-building, even when it slowed the plot down. The intricate magic system, the way it is portrayed is quite similar to steampunk (there are even airships!), which added a little modernity to an otherwise older fantasy trope. If you are a fan of epic fantasies that don’t follow the standard rules, I recommend you give this one a go.
Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost

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adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Please note that if you have NOT read the first book of this series, there may be minor spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

To say I devoured this book is an understatement. I’m not sure I’ve ever read/listened/consumed – take your pick – a book faster than I did this one. Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost is the second book in Veritas and Ian’s story. Shades of Wicked ended on a brutal cliffhanger. Ian is without his memories, yet he remembers how he felt about the little Law Guardian and is determined to find her. Veritas is wallowing in her own grief and attempting to fulfill the vow she made to her father to hunt down the souls released from Dagon when the story opens. 

Veritas is one of my favorite characters to read. She is not a damsel in distress, she can kick your butt if she needs too. She is fierce, loyal, and despite all the bad things she seen and experiences, she remains good at her core. How can you not like her? Here we see a different side of Veritas. Her carefully cultivated emotional walls are crumbling. She let her other half out to play, and she has no idea how to stuff that and her feelings back into the proverbial cage she let them out of. Her entire world has upended, and to make matters worse, the man she is running from, the man who made her feel, the man who loved every piece of her is hunting her down, and she doesn’t know why.

Ian is Ian. There is no other way to put it. Of all the characters we’ve met in this series, Ian is the one you can count on no matter what. He’s always brought levity to the story, and he does that here, but also we are finally seeing what no one else has seen: his decency and goodness. Ian has a heart of gold, a depraved, sex-focused heart of gold, but still gold. Veritas sees straight through him like no one other than his sire Mencheres does. I love seeing this side of him. His single-minded focus to find her is endearing and of course he does it in true Ian fashion 😉

There is so much I could unpack about the plot of this one, but

Overall, I loved this one just as much if not more than the first. Ian and Veritas are simply perfect together. The banter is spot on. The action which drives the story is exciting and engaging. I absolutely did not want to stop reading it (sorry to the girls I buddy read with, I totally left them behind 😅). If you are a fan of paranormal romance and urban fantasy and haven’t read this series, I highly, HIGHLY recommend it.