Tag: rivals

REVIEW: Lia and Beckett's Abracadabra by Amy Noelle Parks

REVIEW: Lia and Beckett’s Abracadabra by Amy Noelle Parks

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free, electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Montgomerys and the Blackwells have been rivals since Lia’s grandmother, Matilda, and Beckett’s grandfather, Henry, divorced. The two families can hardly stand to be in a room together. And Lia knows Blackwell boys are troublesome – and forbidden.

But when she first meets Beckett, she thinks he’s just a cute guy who loves math like she does. But when she’s called in for the contest her grandmother has devised, she discovers Beckett is definitely a Blackwell.

With her grandmother’s Starlight Theater in Mirror Lake at stake – as well as her honor as a magician and a Montgomery – Lia is determined to win the contest. If she can take down some Blackwells and the unscrupulous good-old-boy network in Mirror Lake at the same time, all the better.

Review

Outstanding! This was a delight from start to finish. I loved everything here – Lia and her family, the Blackwell boys (There’s a Hawthorne brothers/Inheritance Games feel to the interactions here that I adored), and the entire journey. Even the magic was fascinating – which can be hard to pull off in writing. When I finished reading, I was desperate to HOLD this book in my hands and tell everyone how good it was. When I finally see this in a store, I will absolutely hug it.

This is the perfect sort of story for me – great chemistry in the characters, supportive family members, a quest that goes beyond the central characters, a plucky heroine with plenty of sass… Wow, I loved all of this!

This is a not-to-be-missed book. Grab a copy for yourself and settle in for laughs and heart eyes and a few “they must pay” moments wrapped in a fantastic, magical story. You can read my review of another great Amy Noelle Parks book here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!

REVIEW: This May End Badly by Samantha Markum

REVIEW: This May End Badly by Samantha Markum

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Doe finds out her beloved Weston girls school is merging with their rival, Winfield boys school, after her senior year, she’s devastated. She’s convinced that when the school goes co-ed, the girls will lose far more than they gain. Doe is certain this is the worst idea ever, and she’s determined to do her part to see the merger fall through.

But Doe’s rivalry goes beyond the rival schools. She also has a personal rival at Winfield – Nathaniel Wellborn the Third. So, to escalate her feud with Three, she agrees to fake date his cousin. But Wells wants something from their arrangement besides watching his cousin go ballistic. So, they’ll fake date until Doe helps Wells get a family heirloom back from Three. It will just require some secrets and maybe some small, harmless lies.

But Doe’s lies start to compound until she’s at risk of losing everything at Weston that matters to her.

Review

Wow, this was great! There are a ton of laugh-out-loud moments, which I loved. But there are also some serious ones, too. Doe starts falling apart and alienating everyone who loves her. And it’s painful to watch. But when she has a cause outside herself to fight for, she is a force to be reckoned with. And I was cheering all the way to the end.

I loved the cast in this. Even the antagonistic characters have moments to shine. I might have liked a few more pages dedicated to the fall out at the end, but that would have made the story more about what happens at the end. And this is really about Doe – about her figuring out who she wants to be, about her learning to channel her anger, and about her relationships with all of the important people in her life.

Fans of coming-of-age stories with fantastic characters should not miss this. Come for the romance, humor, and prank war. Stay for a Moxie-ish “we’re not going to take it any more” climax that is a home run. (Language, TW: Sexual harassment/predator)

Rating:♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

REVIEW: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Wisteria Society (pirates) and the League of Gentlewomen Witches have been at war for centuries. And when the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered and put on display, things heat up as both groups want the artifact for themselves.

But when Charlotte, the future leader of the League, and Alex, a pirate, disappear together while chasing down the amulet, the two societies will team up to be certain the two don’t corrupt one another.

Review

I loved this quirky world when I read book one in the Dangerous Damsels series, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. The mash up of historical fiction with fantasy elements like flying houses, magic, and then pirates was a lot of fun! That world is expanded a bit here as the pirates return in conflict with their witchy rivals. This unique set up really works for me.

The story took longer to gel for me in this book. While the worldbuilding propelled me forward, it took awhile for the characters to find a rhythm. By the end, I enjoyed Alex and Charlotte and the way their relationship grew and how it influenced their individual journeys. I just had to stick with the story for awhile until I found my footing with it.

Fans of quirky, magical tales as well as fans of the first book in the series should definitely pick this up and give it a try. I’m eager to see what the author does with this world next! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park

REVIEW: So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Jessie was tired of being overlooked and taken advantage of at her New York firm, but she’s completely caught off guard when she’s laid off. The company says it’s because she doesn’t “show leadership,” even though she saved the day countless times over the years. But someone else always took the credit. So, now she’s moved back in with her parents in Nashville to try to figure out her next steps.

Already feeling a bit fragile, the last thing Jessie needs is to run into her middle school nemesis. Gorgeous and successful, Daniel is a Korean parent’s dream child. But as Jessie lets Daniel help her with some connections for launching her new business, things between them start to heat up. Should she even think about giving her heart to someone, though, who could be here today and gone tomorrow?

Review

I requested this book solely because of the author. I adored the last couple books I read by Suzanne Park including Loathe at First Sight and The Perfect Escape (YA).

Sadly, this one wasn’t as magical for me as those two books. There were a couple fun moments, but overall Jessie and Daniel didn’t click for me as a reader. The secondary characters didn’t grab me either. I couldn’t get a good rhythm with the story, and it was far too easy to set this down and not pick it back up. I don’t think it’s a “bad” story. It just felt flat for me. The story didn’t keep me engaged and flipping pages like the other two books I mentioned did.

If you are a Park fan, I’d definitely give this a go and see what you think. It’s a fairly light story, so it could make for a nice rainy/snowy day distraction.

(No Rating)

REVIEW: Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz

REVIEW: Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Nowhere Man is back.

As Evan works to rebuild his home and sanctuary, the Nowhere Man phone rings. The man on the other end is devastated – at the absolute end of himself. His daughter has been kidnapped by his enemy. And while he is powerful in so many ways, he feels powerless to fix this. But Aragón Urrea is not a good or virtuous man. Evan isn’t sure he is someone he even wants to help – and Aragón isn’t sure he is worthy of the assistance either.

 

Review

Wow, this was good. I have come to enjoy these books, even though they are darker and more violent than I prefer in my reading material. But I am completely attached to these characters. I have to know what is happening with them. And this book really delivers when it comes to the core group. (Joey, who is my absolute favorite character, has some stellar moments in this book.)

The Nowhere Man case/mission here is fascinating in that Evan is determining early on if he can bring himself to help the sort of person he usually fights against. There’s a lot of great material here on the rival groups Evan must infiltrate.

Swirling throughout the whole book – the mission and Evan’s personal life – are questions about family and connection. I loved this piece of the book. It was a great counter to the violence and tactical passages that don’t always click for me as a reader.

While the end of this one is not as huge of a cliffhanger as the last one, there are plenty of open-ended threads – and a direct threat – that will have me reaching for the next book when it releases.

Fans of this series will not be disappointed. New readers will probably be fine starting here and following the mission. The personal pieces, though – my favorite parts – will be harder to really dig into without the benefit of the earlier books. (Language, violence and gore, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

REVIEW: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When she was 8 and he was 9, Adraa met Jatin for the first time. Their parents talked about the betrothal while Adraa and Jatin were talking about magic and getting to know one another. To say that first meeting didn’t go well would be an understatement.

Now, nine years later, Jatin has finished his magical schooling. He has mastered all 9 types of magic. And he loves rubbing it into Adraa’s face when he sends her periodic “love notes” with secret, sarcastic messages in them. Adraa, as a future ruler/maharani of Wickery, can’t rule unless she can master all 9 as well. She has 45 days to get a handle on the last piece of magic.

But Adraa has other priorities than magic practice. She’s been undercover on a mission sanctioned by Jatin’s father, going by the name Jaya Smoke. She can pull it off now because no one really knows she’s the next Maharani. But once she’s 18 that all changes, so she has to work fast if she is going to uncover the seedy things going on in her country.

Jatin has met “Jaya,” but he has no idea she is his betrothed, Adraa. And that’s okay because she thinks Jatin is his own friend and guard Kalyan. And while neither knows who the other is, they team up on Jaya’s undercover mission, one far more dangerous than future royalty should be tackling on their own.

Review

This was fantastic! I loved the secret identity story line even though it was obviously going to cause trouble eventually. I also loved the magic system and the world-building for this. I was completely engrossed, right from the beginning. This is exactly the sort of YA fantasy I love.

I loved Jatin and Adraa, both as individuals and as a potential couple. They are so good with and for each other!

The larger mystery that Jatin and Adraa are investigating takes awhile to develop. And in an instant it becomes  far more than it seems to be early on. I was waiting for some big shift, and got more than I bargained for. There isn’t a cliffhanger per se in this; you get to some level of resolution. But it’s really more of a breathing spot before launching into whatever book 2 will have in store. I can’t wait to read it and see what happens next for these characters. Book 2, Bound by Firelight, is currently scheduled to release in 2022.

I highly recommend this one for fans of YA fantasy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Click'd by Tamara Ireland Stone

REVIEW: Click’d by Tamara Ireland Stone

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Allie gave up a summer of soccer with her best friends to follow her passion. She spent her summer at coding camp. And while she was there, she developed a game – an app. Click’d takes a user through a multiple choice quiz and then matches him or her to other users who answered similarly. Then users are sent  on a scavenger hunt to find their matches. It’s a great way to meet people and make new friends. And Click’d gets Allie a coveted spot in a coding competition.

When Allie shares Click’d with her friends, it’s a HUGE hit! And the popularity only builds in the week leading up to the competition. But that many users exposes a glitch in the app. Allie tries to find the bad code. She doesn’t want to shut down the app before the contest. She has a real chance to beat her nemesis with Click’d. But only if she can find and fix her glitch.

Review

I know almost nothing about coding. But I didn’t have to know anything to completely love this whole book!

The characters in this book are delightful. Allie is smart, dedicated and earnest. She loves coding. And her friends accept and celebrate her passion. Her “nemesis,” Nathan, is a kindred spirit, but Allie doesn’t see that because of her competitive nature. There’s a great dynamic between the different characters.

The games/apps are fun! I can totally see how kids would go crazy for a social app like Click’d. And I’d play Nathan’s game in an instant. It’s very cool. The fact that these are 7th graders in advanced coding classes and building their own apps is inspiring.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough to kids, teachers, parents and librarians. This book would work for coders as well as kids who have no interest in creating their own tech. This is a great story on its own and a great tech story, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½