Tag Archive for: 5 Stars

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Husbands & Lovers

Husbands & LoversTitle: Husbands & Lovers
Author: Beatriz Williams
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 384
Length: 12h 31m
Narrator: Helen Laser, Caroline Hewitt
Source: Owned
Reason: BotM Backlist
Rating:

My Thoughts

I absolutely adored HUSBANDS & LOVERS. I was hooked from the prologue. It was a beautiful story of love, loss, and betrayal. I equally loved reading both Hannah’s and Mallory’s stories and loved how they fit together.

I knew why Mallory left and didn’t talk to Monk about Sam way before the reveal. I’m sad I was right, but I’m glad the story happened the way it did. I also feel so much for Hannah and her life. She lost so much. I’m glad Mallory and Paige figured out what happened to her and got to meet Károly in the end.

Silver Elite

Silver EliteTitle: Silver Elite
Author: Dani Francis
Series: Silver Elite #1
Genre: Romantasy
Format: Audio
Pages: 528
Length: 19h 12m
Narrator: Amanda Dolan
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored SILVER ELITE. I was hooked from the get go and I couldn’t put the book down. I loved the setting and the concept of the “modified” and I loved the dystopian aspect of the story. The story felt like THE HUNGER GAMES meets DIVERGENT and GRACELING, with a little bit of FOURTH WING thrown in as well (no dragons, though). It is more of a romantopian than a romantasy, but either way it was awesome.

I thought Wren was a great protagonist and heroine. She reminded me of all my favorite dystopian/fantasy heroines. I loved the chemistry between her and Cross. Their banter was amazing and none of the spicier scenes made me roll my eyes. (Francis really knows how to write good kissing scenes!) The other characters were also fantastic. I kept second guessing their motives and had a hard time deciding which side they were on. I’m really looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out next year.

As far as the controversy, I didn’t feel like SILVER ELITE was written by A.I. The writing may not be the best literature has to offer, but it seemed natural for a story like this.

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Here One Moment

Here One MomentTitle: Here One Moment
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Audio
Pages: 501
Length: 15h 53m
Narrator: Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill
Source: Owned
Reason: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored HERE ONE MOMENT. I loved the premise of the story and all the characters. I laughed, cried, and stayed up way past my bedtime finishing it. I loved the message of using our one life to love, learn, live, and overcome our fears and anxieties.

I loved the way Moriarty portrayed how personal, all-consuming, and physical grief can be. I loved the serious look at and discussion surrounding mental health. I loved the advocacy of therapy and not suffering alone, that reaching out for help doesn’t mean you’re weak. I also loved the use of math and statistics to show the probability of how life and death sometimes feels cold and calculating, and unfair, how it can be sudden or expected.

Sunrise on the Reaping

Sunrise on the ReapingTitle: Sunrise on the Reaping
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #5
Genre: Dystopian
Format: Audio
Pages: 382
Length: 12h 48m
Narrator: Jefferson White
Source: Owned
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I’m so glad Collins has decided to write more books in Panem universe. I love deep diving into so many of the secondary characters from the original trilogy. I’ve been looking forward to SUNRISE ON THE REAPING since I heard about it and it did not disappoint.

I knew Haymitch had to have had a rough life, especially in and after the games. I just had no idea how awful it really was. Poor, Haymitch! Despite how gruesome his story was, it was a fantastic edition to the series. I really loved learning more about him. I also loved how Collins interspersed “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe throughout the book and especially during the last chapter. It added a lot of feeling and atmosphere to what happened to Haymitch and the other characters.

It was really fun to see all the character cameos from the original trilogy as well as a few from THE BALLAD ON SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES. The characters endeared the book to me more than anything else.

As of the end SUNRISE ON THE REAPING, I still want to know how Snow became president of Panem and what led to that happening between the tenth and 50th Hunger Games. I also still want to know why he and Tigris had a falling out. I also want to know how both Lucy Gray and Maude Ivory died because of something Clerk Carmine or Tam Amber said near the end of this story. I’d love to read Finnick’s story or what happened during the first quarter quell next. And, I think it would be fun to get Mags’, Beatty’s, and Johanna’s stories at some point as well.

One Golden Summer

One Golden SummerTitle: One Golden Summer
Author: Carley Fortune
Series: Florek Brothers #2
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 382
Length: 11h 51m
Narrator: A.J. Bridel
Source: Borrowed
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I discovered Carley Fortune when her debut came out in 2021. I instantly fell in love with EVERY SUMMER AFTER and each subsequent book since then. 

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER is my favorite of Fortune’s novels. I adored Alice and Charlie. I loved their interactions and all the fun they had together at the lake during the summer. I loved that this story is a companion to EVERY SUMMER AFTER and that we get to finally see Charlie’s happily ever after. I loved revisiting the same lake and getting to see Percy, Sam, and Charlie again. It made this story that much more special.