Saturday, March 16, 2024

REVIEW: "Legendary" by Stephanie Garber (Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult)

LEGENDARY
by Stephanie Garber

Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Publication Date: May 29th, 2018

Series: Caraval, #2
Standalone: Could be, yes, but first book is highly recommended



Categories:
A Whole New World, Alter Ego, Enemies to Lovers, Love Triangle? (Not really, but sort of), Strong Heroine, Not Your Hero/Anti-Hero, Magic
Other Books by Stephanie Garber:
#1

Goodreads
#3

Goodreads
#3.5

Goodreads
Spin-Off

Goodreads
Description from Publisher:
A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever...

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . the games have only just begun.

My Rating:
Heat Rating:

I was so blown away by the first book, Caraval, I started this immediately afterwards. Which was great, as this picks up just after that first book.

This is Donatella("Tella")'s book. Tella is vivacious and up for adventure, though also prone to bouts of recklessness. She and Scarlett go with the Caraval crew to a special version of the game, off of the usual island, to the empress's birthday party at the capitol. I wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of her character in the first book (I'm more of a Scarlett myself), but it didn't take long for her to grow on me once I got inside of her head.

Stephanie Garber continues to enthrall with the magic and vibrancy, though this book is a little darker than the first. It's still very much Young Adult, but just has a bit more edge. Tella finds herself wrapped up in a love triangle of sorts, being involved with both Dante and The Prince of Hearts (Jacks), and there are definitely a lot of questions about who the real villain is.

I absolutely love this book, possibly even more than Caraval!


My Source: I rented this in both eBook and audiobook from a public library. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Stephanie Garber
#1 NYT & international bestselling author of the Caraval series and the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy.
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REVIEW: "You Deserve Each Other" by Sarah Hogle (Contemporary Romance)

YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER
by Sarah Hogle

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020

Series: You Deserve Each Other, #1
Standalone: Yes



Categories:
Contemporary Romance, Weddings
Description from Publisher:
When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.
My Rating:
Heat Rating:

This was kind of amazing. Incredibly character driven with so much emotion and depth. I didn't expect so much soul searching... The arc and development are so fantastic.

The layers that drop to expose what Naomi missed are slow coming but worth it. I loved Nicholas and what was obvious in regards to him from almost the start.

The haze lifting as Naomi wrestled with her demons... The strength Nicholas gets when it comes to boundaries... This book handled it all really well!

I will say that I was apprehensive about the way they treated one another at first. I didn't really find their pranks all that funny, and it bothered me the way Naomi reacted to things in a very egoistic way. It made a lot more sense as the story progressed though.

I could barely put this down by about 20% in. Wonderful story!


My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author:
Sarah Hogle is a mom of three who enjoys trashy TV and provoking her husband for attention. Her dream is to live in a falling-apart castle in a forest that is probably cursed. Her novels are You Deserve Each Other, Twice Shy, Just Like Magic, and Old Flames and New Fortunes.
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Thursday, March 14, 2024

REVIEW: "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross (Fantasy/Romance/Young Adult)

DIVINE RIVALS
by Rebecca Ross

Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Publication Date: April 4th, 2023

Series: Letters of Enchantment, #1
Standalone: No



Categories:
Magic, Gods/Mythical Beings, Military Invasion, Political Intrigue
Other Books By Rebecca Ross:
#2

Goodreads
Elements of Cadence, #1

Goodreads
Elements of Cadence, #2

Goodreads
Description from Publisher:
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Shadow and Bone meets Lore in Rebecca Ross's Divine Rivals, an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

My Rating:
Heat Rating:

OMG, the arc for both Iris and Roman, as well as for Irish *&* Roman!!

I honestly wasn't sure if I would like this one as I read the opening scene. It just felt a bit slow... And then Roman Kitt entered the chat and the story ramped up and I literally couldn't put this down and read it all in one sitting!

Iris starts as this downtrodden 18-year-old who is struggling to just survive day-to-day, hoping her soldier brother is still alive and that her mother will stop spending all of their money (and her time) on drinking. She's irritated by how handsome, witty, and talented her work rival is, as she wants to hate him but just cant.

This is mostly her point-of-view, but occasionally switches over to Roman Kitt's (her rival). I'm immensely glad for that, as stories told like this, with a secret & candid communication is had between "strangers" really works best when we at least get a glimpse from the other side.

Roman is a privileged 19-year-old who is, as is very eloquently described, a writer who is getting to write his own story. His family has expectations for him and he has convinced himself that what they want is what he wants.

Well done, Rebecca Ross, as this book is just so well-written that it made me laugh, cry, and be giddy with the romance. I loved so many of the turns of phrase, and the emotions were just so VISCERAL. There was a masterful balance, keeping you from going too far over the edge of despair, and allowing you to laugh when the world was falling apart and not feel it was wrong.

The various supporting relationships in this felt very organic, and the characters were all diverse in a very natural way (I love diversity of characters that don't rely on stereotypes!). The world building also felt authentic, with the magic/fantasy aspects being more than just a convenient plot device.

Roman and Iris spend most of this book teetering on the edge, which means that their relationship is a slow burn that ultimately turns into an inferno. Despite their ages and the potential for melodrama, the kind of angst that can be frustrating for the main trope here isn't present. There is a sweetness and sincerity to their bond that leaves you no doubt that they make each other better.

I appreciated the amount of "steam" in this, as it wasn't afraid to acknowledge that these were young adults in love, but it also didn't go into unnecessary detail. I got a chuckle from Roman & Iris's lorry drive to the front lines, for instance (IYKYK), and think things like that added to the authenticity (Roman is only human, after all...).

The ending had me nearly in tears, fearing the worst. I just may wind up devoting most of my weekend to this series and I grab the next book!!


My Source: I purchased a hardcover copy to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Rebecca Ross
Rebecca Ross is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy books for teens and adults.

She has written multiple highly acclaimed duologies, including LETTERS OF ENCHANTMENT, ELEMENTS OF CADENCE, and THE QUEEN’S RISING as well as two standalone novels: DREAMS LIE BENEATH and SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG.

When not writing, she can be found in her garden where she plants wildflowers and story ideas. She resides in Northeast Georgia with her husband and her dog.
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