REVIEW: "Take Any Chance" by Brenna Aubrey (Contemporary Romance)

TAKE ANY CHANCE by Brenna Aubrey
	Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: April 30th, 2024 Series: Gaming the System, #10 Standalone: No, at least read #1-3, 6, and 8
Categories:
Nerds in Love, Pregnancy, Doctors in Love
Other Books by Brenna Aubrey
#1 My Review #2 My Review #3 My Review #4 My Review #5 My Review #6 My Review
Description from Publisher:
In the game of life, Mia Drake has leveled up like a pro. Just out of medical school, she’s landed her dream job—a medical residency at a prestigious hospital. She has a beautiful home and an amazing husband. But there’s one more achievement she’s determined to unlock: becoming a mother. In the business world, Adam Drake is a beast. He can face any threat. Conquer any boardroom. But when Mia issues the challenge to start a family, Adam will have to take up a sword to fight the ultimate boss—his own fear. The path forward is clear, but are Adam and Mia truly ready to embark on this epic quest?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
I have been a big fan of this entire series basically since At Any Price came out, and absolutely loved Mia & Adam's love story, in particular. My heart has broken with them and then pieced back together again. I enjoyed their wedding, getting to know their friends, and I've been reading FallenOne every month. I was excited for their voyage through trying-to-conceive, pregnancy, and parenthood. Which is why it seriously pains me to say that I didn't really care for this book like I'd hoped I would. :( I loved getting to see these two as grown ups, settled in. But I can't help but feel like this book wasn't really necessary for the series... One of the biggest things that stood out at first was the lack of consistent timeline and general pacing. These two went from graduation (June) to a honeymoon & starting a hospital internship (July) to a holiday party (November) and then Adam was talking to Jordan about the jerk at the party and having just come back from his honeymoon (He didn't see his CFO for 5-6 months??). It didn't stop there, as Adam researched pregnancy for several weeks (January?), then they were trying for several months (June?) and then "just a couple of months" (April??), then she was pregnant just as her first year was up (July, right?) and just after her birthday near Mother's Day (May).... Yet she was due on Christmas Day, which would have had a conception period of late March, early April. Then, she was having a first appointment at 14 weeks, which isn't at all when a pregnant mom would be seeing a doctor, especially one who is potentially high risk (typically, women are seen around 10-11 weeks, then monthly until about 34 weeks, then every two weeks until 38 weeks, then weekly until birth). Her baby shower went from "next month" right after finding out the sex (which is unusual anyway), to us skipping a few months. There was also the fact that Mia was constantly talking down to Adam about her pregnancy, and he was fine to just assume she knew everything. AND SHE WAS OFTEN WRONG. It doesn't take any special training to see a 14-week fetus on an ultrasound. The baby looks very clearly like a little human at that point, let alone during the anatomy scan usually done around 20 weeks. How Adam the genius who was obsessed with research couldn't tell that his baby was the sex it was at that point, I can't even fathom... So much didn't make sense for a bright medical doctor who knew everything either, including the way they went about TTC (Why have sex so many times that it becomes boring? Why freak out when she hasn't conceived within a couple of months?), her entire birth experience (Scheduled an induction for the day after her due date? Told her to start pushing before she was ready, then to stop pushing so they could rush her to an unnecessary c-section while she fought the urge to push?). I've always appreciated the fact that Mia (and Adam) is a feminist who doesn't let herself get pushed around, and who will fight life's injustices. However, she got preachy AF in this with the other characters who we already know feel the same as she does. These characters would say things that sounded straight out of an activist's speech at a protest while just chatting together at lunch, which felt really over-the-top. These ladies decide to create a non-profit in an area that they even admit is already saturated with non-profits just like theirs, then go on diatribes about women's health rights in the U.S. that just don't fit in the context of what they were doing, and sounded scripted rather than conversational. Don't get me wrong, I talk to my friends about freedoms, rights, the corruption of horrible politicians and governments, but we don't sound like we're reciting an article from CNN (unless we're reading one out loud, haha). I started just skimming through the sections of this that got weirdly preachy, which made me sad. Also in line with feminists is going back to the pregnancy and especially the birth... Neither Adam nor Mia advocated for her the way you'd expect people who understood how pregnant women are treated in hospitals. There didn't need to be preaching here, but I can't fathom why a billionaire's wife wouldn't have had a private experience with the best pregnancy support you can imagine. This was an opportunity to explain why these two people would have made less mainstream choices, and then Mia could have been an advocate for better treatment of pregnant women and mothers in general. Her non-profit could have helped underprivileged mothers have access to midwifes, doulas, lactation consultants, and childcare providers. It could have helped educate women so they understood their rights and how to best advocate for themselves to avoid unnecessary interventions, unnecessary surgeries, and reduce the stress that can come with caring for a newborn. I had hoped that the fact she was due on a major holiday might play into that some, too, as it's an unfortunately reality that OBs push for inductions/c-sections so that they can avoid working inconvenient days. Instead, Adam actually told Mia multiple times to just listen to her doctor, as though she shouldn't be allowed to be informed herself and make her own decisions about what she wanted. Nevermind that Mia was already intimately familiar with the fact that some doctors have big egos and don't take women seriously.... I digress (I told you, womens' health is an issue I'm passionate about :P). There were sweet moments in this, and I really liked seeing Daddy Adam. I just wish we saw more of their day-to-day lives and less of a general synopsis of what the journey was, sprinkled with pro-choice speeches. I had even hoped for a bit more about the fact that Mia had previously had an abortion, and cancer treatments, and delving into how it might have been different for her than your average woman in her late 20s, both psychologically and physically. Or, to mostly be light and fun as their family grew, getting to see Uncle Heath (and maybe Uncle Heath's partner?) enjoy the fruits of all the many years he was there for his best friend as she rode the rollercoaster of a lifetime.
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: Brenna Aubrey
Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, is currently free on all platforms. She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. She's also a mom, teacher, geek girl, Francophile, unabashed video-game addict & eBook hoarder. She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, a bird and some fish.

REVIEW: "The Cursed Soul" by K.C. Smith (Young Adult, Fantasy)

THE CURSED SOUL by K.C. Smith
	Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publication Date: October 3rd, 2023 Series: Waves of Sorcery, #1
Categories/Tropes:
Adventurers, Found Family, Magic
Description from Publisher:
Cursed. Forgotten. Reborn. Doraan and his entire crew are cursed to never walk on land again. For ten long years, they have roamed the sea, attacking and pillaging to survive. Doraan placed all his faith in his family to find a way to break their wretched curse, but when he discovers that his hope of freedom was nothing more than a dream, his world comes crashing down. Kamira is on the run from a life she never wanted. Finding shelter by stowing away on a ship docked far out to sea, Kamira disguises herself as a boy in the hope of making it to the ship's next port alive. Little does she know—their craft won’t be stopping at any port. Stuck aboard a vessel full of pirates with no destination in sight, Kamira fears they will not only discover that she is a woman but also a sorceress. Now she must face the threat of being thrown overboard–or worse, being turned in to the empire for hiding her outlawed gifts. As Kamira struggles to keep her identity hidden and gain their trust, Doraan sees her as a glimmer of hope for their cursed fate, even if it comes with a steep price. With danger at every turn, Kamira and the crew of the Cursed Soul must navigate treacherous waters in an attempt to not only save themselves but all of Emmoria.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
There are some interesting elements to this, but I think it also suffers from "Beginning Fantasy Series" syndrome where there is a lot of telling when it comes to building the world and that can drag the pacing down. It does kick up and then continue to ramp up to the end, with more action and a better understanding of the world. It ends on a cliffhanger that will be sure to drive readers a bit crazy until the next book. I really enjoyed the "found family" here with Doraan, Kamira, and Cormac. All of the characters have spirit in their own, unique ways, and they blend together well past the halfway mark when everything hits its stride. The political intrigue mixed with the adventure of pirates with heart make for an exciting tale. This is a great YA read (no triggers), especially if looking for something on the lighter side.
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:
Born and raised in Maryland, I spent a lot of my time escaping from my childhood into fantasy worlds. My heart holds a special place for YA fantasy as it got me through some hard times growing up. I spent a lot of time writing short stories in middle and high school. The journey to completing my first book has been long, but so worth it! I hope to write many more novels in the future. Currently, I still live in Maryland with my husband and our Chihuahua, Tank! I work full time as an Accountant, spending most my free time writing and creating! When not writing or reading, I enjoy rock climbing, which I do three times a week, and traveling the world!

REVIEW: "The Other Side of the Mirror" by Dana Evyn (Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance)

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR by Dana Evyn
	Publisher: City Owl Press Genre: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance Publication Date: April 9th, 2024 Series: The Mirror Trilogy, #1 Standalone: No
Categories/Tropes:
Found Family, Magic, A Whole New World (Fae Realm), Strong Heroine, Forced Proximity (One Horse, Camping), Fae, Finding Yourself
Description from Publisher:
What if the fairytale was always a lie? Seven years after her family’s murders, Eva is attacked by a magical creature and abducted to the faerie realm. When a handsome fae saves her, Bash reveals that he must bring Eva to her faerie soulmate to stop a world-ending Curse. She relents, but only for the opportunity to find answers about her parents’ deaths. As their journey progresses, Eva delves into her previously hidden magic—and grows steadily closer to Bash. But when she meets her prince, she soon learns that all is not what it seems. While mystery and intrigue surround her, Eva takes it into her own hands to uncover the truth. But what she discovers is beyond her imagination, as she unravels the fae’s web of lies. Don’t miss this romantasy into the fae realm with hidden secrets, steamy romance, and true fantasy adventure.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK, NOW!! Okay, so now that that is out of the way, I can get to my review. ;) There's a cliffhanger ending to this, as you would expect from a trilogy, and it is a doozy! When I started this, I wasn't necessarily feeling the first couple of chapters. Eva just seemed so much like she was refusing to actually LIVE because her family had perished in a housefire SEVEN years before, and something about that just didn't really grab me. HOWEVER, enter a muddy golem attack and banter with a handsome, freckled redhead and the tendrils of the Faewilds, Bash & Eva pulled me in. I just couldn't stop reading this, and stayed up all night (No regrets!). Eva has grown up in the mortal world, completely oblivious to the fact that not only does another realm exist, but that she and her family are Fae that had to flee their realm during a war. She has been basically on her own, with only her best friend, since both of their families died within a short time. When she meets Bash, a random stranger who thinks she needs protection and also that she is some sort of key to ending a world-ending curse, everything changes. Bash is a favorite type of hero of mine: Strong, mischievous, respectful, loyal, and willing to show some vulnerability. He's not into unnecessary violence, but will not hesitate to right a wrong when he sees one (like someone he cares about being hurt... ;) ). I loved the banter between Bash and Eva, and the slow burn that you want to turn into the inferno they deserve. There was so much chemistry between them, both physical and emotional! I'm not a fan of instalust or instalove, and there was none of that here. There was a good (welcome) amount of spice in the last half. The world itself, with its lore and magic, felt the right amount of fleshed-out for the first book in the series. The explanation as to why Eva didn't know about any of it worked for the story, as did the way it all got to come out. I liked the way everyone's magic was always around in some way, a bit playful at times, but not with a mind of its own (just an extension). This book isn't for the faint of heart, as the author gives fair warning of in the beginning. There is some darkness and grit, and the characters find themselves dealing with some truly despicable villains. There is some really great dialogue after some dark times, which I feel elevated the romance and the depth of the characters. I didn't expect to love this as much as I did, but it was one of those books that I was tempted to immediately re-read!
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: Dana Evyn
Dana Evyn is a romantasy author who has been lost in her daydreams for as long as she can remember, though she only recently started writing them down. When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading a good book—especially one with an indomitable female lead, a unique magical world, and a dark twist you don’t see coming. She lives in Kirkland, WA with her two tiny humans, ever-supportive husband, and giant golden retriever.
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