Book Review: Girl, Stolen (Girl, Stolen #1)

Girl, Stolen
April Henry
3/5

Cheyenne started this book off not having the best week. She had pneumonia and was just waiting in the car for her step-mom to get her her medicine when a boy steals the car thinking it was empty. She's a pretty capable person, but she's also blind which kind of complicates the whole escape thing. Griffin feels bad, but he's too scared of his father to just let her go and his dad won't without a ransom.

I think the author did a fantastic job researching and writing about being blind. I learned some great stuff about how the visually impaired navigate the world so that was great. In terms of the kidnapping arc though I didn't really feel it, it didn't feel as life or death as I feel it would in that situation. Maybe it was because Cheyenne is such a strong character, but I just never felt stressed out for her.

Maybe the next book will dive deeper into the psychology behind that? I just felt like there wasn't enough internal struggle- from Cheyenne for you know being kidnapped, and from Griffin for being forced to go along with it and from being abused his entire life. If you want me to get behind a character who is participating in criminal activity you're going to have give him some redeeming qualities.

It was good though, if you want a lighter and more YA kidnapping story. Plus, like I said, great facts and emotions on her being blind I feel like authors can so easily forget to do research on stuff like that. We'll see if the next one has some more action though.

Book Review: Everything I Do (Outlaws #1)

Everything I Do
M.C. Frank
2/5

This book was kind of messy. It could be because when I read the description, I was very excited, and it didn't live up to the hype for me. A boy infiltrates Robin Hood's gang but it's not a boy?? It's a girl?? Who has a history with the gang? Yeah that all sounds great, as a plot, I think it's cool. The application of it wasn't great.

There were too many disjointed things happening yet simultaneously there was too much repetition. If you're repeating a whole block quote more than three times then let's be honest, you're grasping for things to fill the pages. I think there were big inconsistencies with the content, at one point Ru says that Robin Hood will be her first kill, at another she said she's killed a bunch of people. Stuff like that where I was like I can't enjoy reading this because I can see all of the mistakes.

Again, it's a cool premise and I finished it so it's not that difficult to read. It just doesn't flow well enough for me to give it any higher of a rating.

Book Review: Dearest Rogue (Maiden Lane #8)

Dearest Rogue
Elizabeth Hoyt
3/5

The cover of this book is so cringy and I'm like embarrassed to have it on my blog but it really shows that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover! Or just that I make too many assumptions about these kinds of books, there really was a beautiful story-line aside from the romance. Phoebe Batten is blind and the sister of a duke, as such she has basically no freedom. Captain Trevillion is the man in charge of keeping her safe from everything to staircases to kidnappers- and she gets kidnapped quite a few times so be ready.

I like heroines who deal with tragedy and come out stronger because of it. Phoebe is blind and it's so sad but she honestly takes it so well. She's never really complaining, I mean she is in some ways but honestly who wouldn't complain more about her situation. She's pretty likable as a character because she doesn't really whine and she's so compassionate about others. Not to the point of stupidity though, I find that authors in this genre sometimes have a difficult time drawing the line, but Phoebe is honestly pretty ideal.

I took some stars off just because of the actually "evil" element of the plot. I understand why it was used as a motivator, Phoebe and Captain Trevillion would not have interacted as much as they did if it weren't for an imminent threat. But the actual danger part felt very weak and half-baked, it didn't feel all that sinister.

That being said, I feel like Phoebe finding her voice as the strong woman that she is what a good plot in itself. I didn't like all the extra stuff that was piled on top of that, but it doesn't change that I really do love her character. Would recommend for regency romance fans, it's cliche but with the added intrigue of her trials.

Book Review: An Alaskan Christmas

An Alaskan Christmas
Jennifer Snow
3/5

This was a straight Hallmark movie of a book and, for the most part, it was pretty cute. Though bold move calling the book an Alaskan Christmas and then only giving Christmas like two pages. Erika is a workaholic surgeon who doesn't know how to have fun, like to the point of being a complete and total snob who I hated for the first fifty pages. Reed is also kind of a workaholic, also kind of snob, but it's kind of excused here cause he doesn't make a ton of money? Thought that was a little annoying but like whatever I got what the book was going for.

It also had that whole boy-next-door thing going for it that Hallmark movies love to exploit- her best friend has an older brother who got hot while she was gone and now she can totally see herself with him. Less superficial than a Hallmark movie only because we're in their heads and we see a little more justification, but still, they were only together for like a week before they were in love.

I sound like I'm roasting it, but I read these books for a reason and I love them. The biggest issues I had here were how many sex scenes there were and how quick the ending was. I didn't expect it to be quite so graphic and irrelevant to the plot, like it got kind of gross and I was just trying to flip through it all as fast as possible. The ending also felt kind of inorganic, there was an incident and I hate when stuff like that is used to push the plot through, makes it feel cheap.

Not bad for a romance of this variety, deeper than it could have been but not quite deep enough on the emotional front. Cute though and not totally horrible.

Book Review: The Lady and the Highwayman

The Lady and the Highwayman
Sarah M. Eden
4/5

This was a super cute standalone! Regency era, Elizabeth Black has fought hard to win her independence. She is able to remain on the fringes of respectability by running an all girl school and writing polite "silver-fork" novels. But secretly, she thrives on writing the Penny Dreadfuls which excite the low-class citizens. When she meets Fletcher Walker, he enlists her help in guiding his club to the man who is stealing the pennies of the dreadful business, obviously not knowing that he was speaking to her. It's more than a couple of writers though, it's a whole society of authors dedicated to the public good and assisting those less fortunate and Elizabeth gets thrown into it all.

Some of the action was a little dull, not hyped up as much as it could have been, but it had a realistic element to it. I really loved the whole angle of it, Penny Dreadfuls were considered to be the lowest tier of literature, yet they were the only ones decent enough to assist those in need. It's sad but it gives a whole other historical perspective that I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

The romance was cute, a little speedy but it was a different time so what can you expect. Overall, it was pretty enjoyable, a fast read with some fun little facts. I feel like the best thing a historical fiction book can do is prompt you to read more about something, and now I know more about what Penny Dreadfuls are. Would recommend for people looking for a short clean romance.

Book Review: Dark Desires

Dark Desires
Eve Silver
3/5

I think that it's indicative of how much I need something to read right now that I didn't shut this book down just by the title. I hate the word desires so much I don't know why, probably cause there are lengthy pointless mature scenes like there are in this one. It's fine and all and I read a lot of romance so obviously I anticipate it, it's just so pointless to the greater message of the plot that it feels so obligatory.

I was confused for a bit of this book because I thought it was Jack the Ripper and I was like wrong decade and wrong victims, but it's just got the same vibes as Jack the Ripper's murders. I'm a big fan of nineteenth century murders so that part of it was pretty good, I love a good mystery and there were some elements of it that I didn't expect.

Some things worked out too well for me to really get behind them. I understand the main romance because that was the whole point of it all so it worked out really typically. I didn't think that every other character in the novel needed a romantic pairing, that just felt like reaching. There were a lot of parts- like the central interaction with the murderer- that felt a little too much like reaching.

I did like it though, it was a fun and fast little murder mystery. Other than what I talked about here, there weren't really all that many problems with it and I'd probably recommend it to people who are obsessed with this sort of thing like me.

Book Review: Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All
Laura Ruby
5/5

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Set during WWII, this book follows the story of Frankie, a half-orphan from Chicago, and Pearl, a ghost who doesn't know who she is or why she's here.

It goes over a couple years of their life, dealing with all of the tragedy which a world at war entails. Half-orphans were children who their families could no longer support, but who had parents who were still keeping up with their lives. Frankie's father starts off by saying his apartment is too small for his three children, but ends up marrying another woman, taking her four children and her brother to Colorado, and leaving Frankie and her sister Toni behind. The injustice of it all is heartbreaking, Frankie deals with so many tragedies that I have no idea how she stayed standing. It was all beautifully written though, told through the perspective of Pearl, who is also just trying to find her way in a simultaneously heartbreaking story-line.

The best part though was reading the author's note at the end and finding out that Frankie's life is a real story, that of Laura Ruby's mother-in-law. It's amazing to think of how many interesting stories like this are lost to history. I'm so thankful that I got to read this one- and that via knowing that Frankie is a mother-in-law knowing that she must have gotten some sort of happy ending beyond how the novel ended.

I would totally recommend this book for people who love war stories or stories with paranormal elements. I had just seen 1917 when I started reading this, so I was really in the mood for some more tragedy. But yeah, give it a read, you won't regret it!

Book Review: Hidden Magic (Magic Underground Anthologies #1)

Hidden Magic
Anela Deen
4/5

I'm reviewing an ARC for Anela Deen's novella in the first part of the Magic Underground Anthologies, A Veil is Parted. I got the ARC for this novella in an exchange for an honest review, which I'm here to provide. To be honest, I love Anela Deen's writing, I wish that she were more popular because I've yet to read something by her that wasn't great.

In this novella, Jessa lives in a small town in Michigan. She's just been dealt some earth-shattering news, and she's had to deal with a lot of earth-shattering news in the last couple of years. As she's stewing on her news and trying to walk home from her neighbor's house, she stumbles into an active fight between creatures that she has never seen before. Simith is a pixie, but he's not probably what you imagine when you think of a pixie, he's a trained soldier who has been at war for over a decade. When the two meet, they both have a lot of issues. They're helping each other grow and I'm super excited to see where it goes.

My only criticism would be with the pacing, novellas always have a weird vibe for me because they're so short and yet so packed with information. I'm excited for the rest of the anthology to come out cause I really need more from this universe.

Book Review: RISE (Rise #1)

Rise
J.M. Kearl
3/5

This is another Kindle Unlimited book that has good cover art so I really appreciate it for that. There are two kingdoms who have had conflict for decades, Hesstia and Delmar. Daelyn has lived in Hesstia her entire life and been taught to fear Delmar and abhor magic, though she doesn't share the sentiment on magic since her mother has been practicing it her entire life. The book follows her and several other characters as they navigate the tensions of the nations.

It had a lot of positives. I generally liked Daelyn and thought she had the potential to be a great protagonist. Unfortunately, I feel as though all of the other POVs detracted from how good of a character she was on her own. There was too much going on for me to really fall in love with any of the characters. The style of writing wasn't what I typically go for either because too much was being given away. If the author is telling us exactly how people feel or why something is happening, I don't feel like I'm taking as much away and nothing is really surprising me. I also just hate Madison and wish she had gotten less page-time, anyone who hits their child and has no remorse for it is not a redeemable character to me.

There is potential in the series, like I still want to read forward to know what becomes of all of them. I do hope that there are less random storylines in the future, and that the characters stop telling me directly how they feel and why they feel that way.

Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent #1)

A Natural History of Dragons
Marie Brennan
3/5

A Natural History of Dragons is different from any book which I've ever read. Imagine a novel that's kind of regency era, a woman who is trying to be a scientist in a period where women are not allowed to do much, but she wants to be a natural scientist who studies dragons. There are illustrations!! We get to see Lady Trent actually do her research, it's a memoir but of a scientist who studies dragons and that makes it like the coolest thing ever.

That being said, I had issues with the general progression of the book. There were so many boring parts where I felt like nothing was happening, then bam, the last twenty pages her life changed completely and everything was different. It's a short read, only like 320 pages, but it had so many of those lulls that there were times I had to force myself to pick it back up. Maybe if it wasn't dragons, if the illustrations and the cover weren't so beautiful, I may have DNFed it. Fortunately though, I love dragons and I do love the narrative which Lady Trent chose to adopt. It really combined two of my favorite things- dragons and regency- so I don't know how I couldn't at least kind of like it.

I don't know if I'll continue on the series, just because of the lulls, but it's a very interesting concept and a fairly easy book to get through. It's not a romance though, so don't be fooled by that, though there is a romantic pair they don't get a lot of focus. Would be more of a book for people who either love dragons or love funny fiction books pretending to be non-fiction.