romance

Review: Fortuna Sworn (Fortuna Sworn #1) by K.J. Sutton

~ megs14malloy

Fortuna Sworn (Fortuna Sworn, #1)Fortuna Sworn by K.J. Sutton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Fortuna Sworn is the last of her kind. It was her and her brother, Damon, but he went missing two years ago.

Since that time, Fortuna has spent her days blending into the human world while searching for him at night. On one of her searches she gets captured by goblins and brought to the market to be sold.

Luckily she’s able to escape the whole being sold thing, but she did catch someone’s eye whilst at the market; a very powerful faerie named Collith.

Before she knows it, she’s receiving a proposition, her hand for the possibility of getting her brother back. I am putting it simply, but you get the gist.

The story follows Fortuna as she enters the world of the fae, hoping against all hope that she’ll be able to find what she’s looking for.

But if she finds her brother, will he even want to be rescued? And what is she sacrificing in the process?

This was good. I liked it. A solid foundation for the start of a series. I don’t read a lot of fae books, in fact, I have only read a handful that I can think of, but I liked how this one was constructed.

Additionally, I’m very intrigued by the ending and will be continuing on to the second book.

I won’t claim I understand everything going on here, but I loved Fortuna as a character and want to learn more about her and this world.

Fortuna is a creature known as a nightmare, which I have never come across before. Basically, she can make people see, or experience, their worst fears just by touching them. She wields this power as a weapon and I got to say, it’s pretty badass.

As stated above, I’m definitely on board to continue on with this series. I listened to the audiobook and thought it was a great way to take in this story. The narration was fabulous.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m so happy I finally had the chance to check this one out. It sucked me in!

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Review: One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

~ megs14malloy

One Night on the IslandOne Night on the Island by Josie Silver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On the cusp of her 30th-birthday, Cleo Wilder, a dating columnist for a Woman’s publication in London, is given a special assignment by her editor.

She is being sent to Salvation, a remote Irish island, on a self-coupling retreat. There she will marry herself and write about it. Cleo accepts the assignment with grace, looking at it as a chance to get away and re-energize herself, as well as her writing.

Mac Sullivan is a photographer from Boston with familial ties to Salvation island and the very lodge in which Cleo will be staying.

The twist, Mac is planning to stay at the lodge himself. The very tiny, fit for one person, or a couple lodge. When the two discover the double-booking, they also discover there’s no place else on the island for one of them to stay and the next ferry doesn’t leave for days.

Short on options, they decide to suck it up and share the lodge until the next boat. They’re both adults. Neither one seems like a psycho-killer, so how bad could it be?

Therefore, they do what any consenting adults would do and draw an imaginary line. He has his space, she has her space and they are only allowed to meet and talk in the common areas. After all, they’re in a gorgeous location, full of warm and friendly people, it could be worse.

Due to their circumstances, and a bit of whiskey, Cleo and Mac get to know each other fairly quickly. They’re both impressed with what they see, soon discovering they’re compatible as well, but it’s complicated.

The remote location and separation from their regular lives provides both characters ample time for self-reflection as well. I enjoyed those quieter moments with each character as much as I enjoyed their witty banter.

There were so many aspects of this story that I loved actually. The whole thing. It was a complete package for me.

What surprised me the most was the found family element that was created involving the locals.

I wasn’t expecting that and because of those connections, this became more than just a romance story for me. I could feel the confidence and self-acceptance in Cleo growing as the story progressed. She was finding her own tribe; it was beautiful.

I loved that for her character arc. It gave the whole self-coupling thing a real boost. I felt that aspect, even though the main focus was the ‘will they-won’t they’ vibe going on between Cleo and Mac.

I think it is safe to say at this point that I am in love with Josie Silver. Seriously, such a fangirl. Sometimes I feel like, the way she writes her stories, we share a brain or something.

I just know we would be best friends!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am so excited to see what Silver comes up with next.

Until then, I need to finally get to The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. I’m really hoping to pick that one up this Spring!

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Review: A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

~ megs14malloy

A Far Wilder MagicA Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

When Weston Winters shows up on her doorstop, Margaret Welty is home alone and has been for quite some time.

Margaret’s mother, a famous alchemist, is traveling for work and Margaret, essentially abandoned, has no idea when she will return.

Wes is an aspiring alchemist seeking apprenticeship with Margaret’s mom, hence his sudden and previously unannounced arrival. Although Margaret is annoyed by his mere presence, he is able to break down some of her walls and she agrees to let him stay until her mother returns.

Margaret may have ulterior motives. The Halfmoon Hunt approaches and she is desperate to participate. The winner of the hunt, the one who is able to slay the legendary Hala, the last living mythical creature, will win fame and a large sum of money.

The catch is only teams of two are allowed to sign up. Margaret is the best shot in town, but she needs an alchemist for a partner. Perhaps Wes can serve a purpose after all.

As you can imagine, with two young people living and working together under the same roof, sparks begin to fly. It’s not immediate and certainly not discussed, but as Margaret and Wes learn more about each other, they discover they may be more alike than they initially thought.

I was swept away with this story. Saft is a master at creating lush and fully-consuming atmospheres. I loved the world she created here; it felt very greater-Boston area, maybe mid-to-late 1920s, but with magic.

Additionally, I was impressed with the different layers woven into this story. For example, there was quite a bit of commentary on discrimination against ethnic minorities and immigrants. It never felt forced, which I appreciated. It felt like a completely natural aspect of this story.

Both Margaret and Wes had experienced outward discrimination and hostilities towards them based upon who they were and where they came from. Eventually, they were able to talk about and bond over these shared experiences.

I was moved by both of their stories and how they learned to stand strong in the face of those aggressions; how they both sought to make changes for the better for all.

That is just a minor part though, for me, the highlight of this book is the Halfmoon Hunt. I loved learning about it, the lore, history, dangers and watching Margaret and Wes prep for the big day. Of course it doesn’t go entirely smoothly.

Drama abounds as the event nears and I had no idea where it was going or what was going to happen. I was completely head over heels for this team by that point though, I was ready to cut down the competition myself!

While Margaret and Wes have their ups and downs over the course of the story, one thing that never waned was their growing feelings for one another.

This is a YA Fantasy Romance after all and I thought the romance was splendid; so natural and satisfying to watch evolve. From the early neurotic days of pining and questioning, all the way through to the end, I was invested.

There were no eye-roll moments for me, no wishing for it to be over, it was organic and fun.

I really enjoyed Saft’s 2020-release, Down Comes the Night. It was an impressive Romantic Fantasy debut. In A Far Wilder Magic, I feel like Saft’s writing has really blossomed. This is a complex story and it was executed so well.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to for Allison Saft’s next book. I look forward to following her career for a long time to come!!

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Review: Payback’s a Witch (The Witches of Thistle Grove #1) by Lana Harper

~ megs14malloy

Payback's a Witch (The Witches of Thistle Grove #1)Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After she graduated from high school, Emmy Harlow, left her small town of Thistle Grove and moved to Chicago. Since that time, she really hasn’t been back.

She’s forged her own life in the city completely separate from her magical family in Thistle Grove. Perhaps, now is a good time to mention that Emmy is a witch.

During her time in Chicago, she’s felt her powers waning. Apparently, it’s important for her to remain somewhat tied to her magical roots.

With the approach of a traditional spell-casting tournament occurring in Thistle Grove, Emmy finally decides to return for an extended visit. Her parents will be so happy.

Emmy’s family normally acts as the arbiters for the competition and because of where she falls within the family line, it is her turn. She could have passed the duties on to her overzealous cousin, but Emmy feels like it is finally time for her to be involved.

Upon returning to town, it doesn’t take long for Emmy to be right back into the small town circle: gossip, run-ins with ex-boyfriends, flirting with old classmates, amongst other things.

We learn more about the reasons behind Emmy leaving town, more about her and her relationships with her family.

I love the trope of a character returning to their hometown after an extended absence. As someone who moved away from my own hometown as soon as I graduated high school, I can totally relate to those feelings.

When you go back, it’s so mixed. You’re from there, of there, but also, feel like you are out of place. Life moves on without you while you are away and it’s like learning about a whole new place once you finally do go back.

I really enjoyed that aspect of this book. Emmy being reintroduced to her roots and really reconnecting with the people she had left behind.

The tournament was interesting as well, although I could have used more of it. It’s basically like the Triwizard Tournament, but for the founding magical families of this town. I wish there would have been more of that aspect.

Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the romance. I wanted to be interested, but I just didn’t care either way. It was fine, but I wasn’t sold on how quickly Emmy and Talia fell for one another. Also, I’m not really sure Gareth’s vices were worth the efforts the ladies went to in order to get back at him. Not to be mean but, get over it.

With all of this being said, this was a super cute story overall. I loved the town of Thistle Grove. It felt to me like an Adult version of The Babysitters Coven and I’m not mad about it. I will absolutely be continuing on with this series.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I am looking forward to returning to this town and this great cast of characters when the second book releases in May!

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Review: A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

A Brush with LoveA Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harper Horowitz is in her last year of dental school and is anxious about her future placement into an oral surgery residency program. In truth though, Harper is anxious about a lot of things.

She has an anxiety disorder and sometimes finds it a struggle to keep herself focused and negative repetitive thoughts at bay. In spite of her challenges, however, Harper excels as a student and takes it very seriously.

Heading to class one day, Harper, distracted and in a rush, crashes into a jaw-droppingly cute boy named, Dan.

Her literal wrecking ball force of a crash destroys a project he had been working on. Harper, remembering how difficult that portion of first year had been, guiltily offers to help him repair it.

Working together on the project, the two hit it off. They feel comfortable with one another and the banter back in forth is flirty and fun.

Dan finds himself quickly falling for Harper, but she is pretty clear with him, she doesn’t want any distractions. She can’t afford it at this point in her life. They have to stay just friends.

Lines get blurred though and the ‘just friends’ mandate becomes more and more difficult to maintain.

Harper feels out of control. This whole Dan debacle is overwhelming. She needs her life to return to the way it was before the infamous crash, but is that what she truly wants?

A Brush with Love is such a smart, witty and romantic comedy. I fell in love with Harper from the very first chapter. I feel like she came to life on the page, and don’t even get me started on Dan.

Swooning from the start!

Even though this is cute and funny though, that’s not all it is. Both Harper and Dan had great depth of character with some hard-hitting story lines in their past.

Both of them were struggling to move past self-doubt, guilt and fear. I loved watching them open up with one another about their pasts and really support each other through those moments. Their vulnerability was beautiful.

Eddings did a great job balancing the humor with serious, real-life issues that many Readers will be able to relate to.

One of my favorite aspects was the incredibly fun dialogue. Harper had a great friend group and the dynamics between them all was fantastic. If you are a Reader who loves hilarious dialogue, you have to read this.

The one, very small critique I have with this story, is that I didn’t feel any real conflict in the plot until about the 70% mark. Then it felt like that wrapped up too quickly after it presented itself.

That’s extremely minor though and completely personal taste. You may read this and feel that it is perfectly paced. It is super fun the whole way through, I just could have enjoyed a bit more time with the resolution to the conflict.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I did listen to the audiobook and it was absolutely fantastic. I definitely recommend that format to Readers who enjoy audiobooks.

Also, I was super stoked to see that this is the first book in a companion series by Eddings. This makes me so happy. I cannot wait for the next book!!

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Review: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

~ megs14malloy

It Ends with UsIt Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After graduating college, Lily moves to Boston. It’s a bit of a change from her small hometown in Maine, but that is exactly what she is looking for.

Lily is thriving with her new found independence. She starts her own business and begins to see success with that.

She’s young, gaining confidence and coming into her own.

Then she meets a handsome, slightly arrogant, neurosurgeon, Ryle. He’s sexy as hell and Lily is driven to distraction. She can’t get this guy out of her head.

It appears Ryle feels the same way, but this is a guy who once told her he wasn’t into relationships. Was that just big talk, or was he serious? Do they stand a chance of building an actual future together?

At the same time she is overwhelmed with questions about Ryle, an old flame of Lily’s resurfaces. She’s been thinking of him a lot. A bit of her past she has never forgotten. Will this throw a kink in the works for her and Ryle?

It Ends with Us was my first Buddy Read of 2022 with my fabulous niece, Alyssa.

It was also my first Colleen Hoover book. I was so uncertain going in, as it falls way outside of my comfort zone.

I was so nervous that I wouldn’t like it, or worse, that I would hate it and people would get ticked off by my review. This was such a good book though. I had absolutely nothing to be worried about.

I became so involved in this story, I forgot I was reading a book. It covers a few difficult topics, including domestic abuse. Alyssa and I had some great discussions stemming from these more hard-hitting aspects.

Lily isn’t a perfect character and I appreciated that about her. She makes mistakes and often second guesses herself. Sometimes she would waffle back and forth on decisions and I felt like that made her extremely realistic.

It’s easy to read her story and judge; to say or think what you would do in her place, but I think it is impossible to really know unless you’ve walked a day in Lily’s shoes.

I was surprised at how moved I was. I read via the audiobook and listened to the last chapter and maybe an epilogue (I can’t quite recall) on my morning commute. I ended the drive with tears just streaming down my face.

The lines where you discover where the title comes from. OMG!!!! That hit me like a freight train. If you’ve read this, you know exactly what I mean.

Overall, I would say my first CoHo experience was a fantastic success. I can’t wait to pick up more from her to see if they can garner the same emotional reaction.

Everybody needs a good cry once in a while!

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Review: While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Date #6)

~ megs14malloy

While We Were DatingWhile We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While We Were Dating is the sixth book in Jasmine Guillory’s Adult Romance series, The Wedding Date.

If you are unfamiliar with this series, they are all companion novels with some connecting characters. You can read them in any order, or as standalones.

In this installment, we follow Ben Stephens, who is the younger brother of Theo Stephens, the leading man of The Wedding Party.

Ben, who is known as a bit of a ladies man, works for an ad agency. When he is sent to pitch an important ad campaign featuring movie star, Anna Gardiner, he’s nervous.

Turns out, he had nothing to worry about. Ben is charming and he knocks it out of the park; making a great first impression with Anna.

Anna is at a turning point in her career. She is popular and well-known, but she really wants to get to that next level.

She views this ad campaign as a great distraction while she waits for her latest movie to drop. She’s anxious about what the reception to her role will be, but she remains hopeful that amazing things will come from it.

After Ben’s company wins the campaign, Anna makes sure Ben is the lead on the project. He could be just the right kind of distraction she needs.

Anna generally doesn’t mix business with pleasure, but there’s always room for exceptions.

Due to an unusual set of circumstances, Ben and Anna spend quite a bit of one-on-one time together and their light flirty banter quickly evolves into something more.

As the two are forced into a bit of a fake-dating relationship in order to aide Anna’s image, the lines blur even further. Is it real, or is it not? It’s so hard to tell in Hollywood.

I had a lot of fun with this one. I enjoyed Ben and Anna so much. Both of their characters worked for me and their banter together was adorable.

As with the earlier books in the series, I appreciate how Guillory included some important real life issues. Her characters are never just laser focused on love and romance. They always have issues they are working through and for me, I feel like they always grow in a satisfying way.

In this one, Anna’s celebrity was interesting to read about. I think frequently about how anxiety-inducing it must be to live that sort of fishbowl lifestyle. It must be challenging and exhausting to separate who you really are from all that constant chatter.

Ben is a breath of fresh air in Anna’s life. He’s a sincere person, who having worked in the past as a back-up dancer, is used to the buzz and craziness that comes with the entertainment business. He doesn’t get blinded by all that. He just sees Anna.

While I felt this one was wrapped up a little abruptly, I’m still very happy with the ending. My heart is full and I’ve got a big ole smile on my face!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I will definitely continue to pick up anything else Guillory chooses to write. She’s got her own style and I’m here for it!

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Review: When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord

~ megs14malloy

When You Get the ChanceWhen You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

High school student, Millie Price, dreams of becoming a Broadway star.

She lives in New York City with her slightly-dweeby, single-dad and fun-loving, Aunt Heather, but she has her sights set on a competitive precollege program that will take her out of state next year.

Her Dad isn’t happy when he finds out about Millie’s plan. He doesn’t understand why she can’t finish up school at home. She’s steps from Broadway, why would she need to travel across the country to help her future career prospects?

It’s clear to Millie that he just doesn’t get it and probably never will. ((Our Millie is nothing if not dramatic.))

What Millie needs is an ally to sell this precollege program to her Dad, but where to find one?

Although she knows next to nothing about her birth mother, an untouchable topic in their household, Millie does know that her Mom was a huge fan of musical theater.

Perhaps if Millie can find her, she can recruit her onto Team ‘Let Millie Go To Precollege’, thus swaying her Dad.

Going off clues found within her Dad’s embarrassingly honest LiveJournal from 2003, Millie and her best friend, Teddy, begin the hunt in earnest.

They narrow their candidates down to three women living within New York City. All Millie needs to do is get close to them and insert herself into their lives, until she can figure out which one is her Mom.

When You Get the Chance swept me off my feet from the very start. It’s a beautifully engaging love letter to musical theater, featuring one of my favorite YA Contemporary protagonists of all time.

I absolutely adored Millie. Her moods, dreams and insecurities all felt incredibly real to me. I’m basically her Aunt Heather now. I love her so darn much.

Emma Lord does a fantastic job of mixing cutesy-YA Romance, with quite serious family issues. This seems to be a trend in her work that I really appreciate.

Millie has a lot of questions surrounding her Mom that unfortunately, she doesn’t feel comfortable asking anyone. She can tell by her Dad’s reaction anytime her Mom does get brought up, that he doesn’t want to talk about.

This leaves poor Millie to struggle on her own with a lot of unanswered questions. While her Dad is super loving and supportive of her, there’s just a lot left unsaid.

I loved how this wildly fun and hilariously witty story was wrapped around this serious, dramatic core.

It’s fun, sweet and fast-paced, while also having true substance that should resonate well with a lot of Readers.

If you pick this one up, and I definitely recommend that you do, please take the time to read the Acknowledgements at the end. I think it gives great insight into Lord as a writer and her inspiration for this story.

At this point, I will pick up anything Emma Lord writes. I love her brand. I’m sold!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I look forward to adding a hard copy to my growing Emma Lord collection. Her writing absolutely fills my heart with joy and I just can’t get enough of it!

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Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

~ megs14malloy

The Love HypothesisThe Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The prologue to our action is an adorable Meet Cute in a bathroom in the research wing of a University.

Unfortunately, our smart and quirky protagonist, Olive, is having major issues with her contact lenses at the time and never gets a good look at the guy she’s talking with.

Regardless of her optical challenges, the interaction made an impact. In fact, it sort of helped her decide the course of her life. Her decision to pursue a Ph.D. was in a way spurred along by that encounter.

Three years later, Olive is now a Ph.D. candidate at that very University, living a perfectly normal single student lifestyle.

That is until her best friend, Ahn, falls for the guy Olive went on like two dates with. Olive seriously doesn’t care if Ahn goes for it. She doesn’t have feelings for that guy, but Ahn isn’t buying it.

Therefore, Olive does what any good friend would do and creates a fake dating relationship with the first man she can literally grab.

The man in question happens to be Adam Carlson, a young hotshot Professor with a surly reputation. What could go wrong?

Pursuing motivations of his own, Adam agrees to go along with Olive’s scheme. Logically, it is a win-win for both of them, but can they keep to the boundaries set-up at the beginning of their agreement?

I really had fun with this story. Olive was such a great main character. I grew quite attached to her over the course of the story and was rooting for her to achieve all her goals.

Additionally, I felt that the incorporation of a female main in STEM was such a refreshing set-up for a Contemporary Romance. The University setting, the research issues and politics, the hot professors, it was all so engaging!

The fake dating was actually quasi-plausible and I enjoyed watching the evolution of Olive and Adam’s relationship as they got themselves in deeper and deeper.

Adam is definitely a swoon-worthy male lead!

Overall, this is a memorable, science-is-sexy story and I want more from Ali Hazelwood; definitely one of my favorite Romance stories of the year, if not my very favorite.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Highly recommend!

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Review: The Sky Weaver (Iskari #3) by Kristen Ciccarelli

~ megs14malloy

The Sky Weaver (Iskari, #3)The Sky Weaver by Kristen Ciccarelli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Sky Weaver is the third, and sadly, the final installment of companion novels within Kristen Ciccarelli’s Iskari series.

I started this series on a whim earlier this year and immediately fell in love with it. It’s so underrated.

In this edition we get to follow a character who has intrigued me from the very first book. Safire, a soldier and cousin to the new King, Dax, and his sister, the Last Namsara, Asha.

We also follow a new character, a pirate, Eris, known as the Death Dancer, who has the power to travel between worlds, thus making her next to impossible to catch.

When important items begin to be stolen from the kingdom, Safire, commander of the King’s forces, determines the Death Dancer may be plaguing them.

She’s correct and in fact, Eris has taken a special interest in the beautiful commander.

The two play cat and mouse for a bit, which only piques their interests more.

As their fates are pushed further together, both seeking Asha, albeit for different reasons, the two women build a tentative alliance, learning more about one another and about their greater world in general.

I loved this story so much. My favorite of the series. It was action-packed, full of reveals, high stakes and swoon-worthy pining.

An Enemies-to-Lovers trope set in a dragon Fantasy world, with beautifully told lore for the world sprinkled throughout. What is not to love?

Additionally, I enjoyed how the three storylines all really came together in this one. Ciccarelli wrapped it up nicely, although I will say, if she ever chooses to write more in this world, I will be the first one to line up to buy it.

One of my favorite aspects of this series, was the lush and lyrical legends Ciccarelli created as a base for this world. Those sections are included in all three books and are connected to Gods, Goddesses, Myths and Lore of the world of Iskari.

It connected so well with the main storyline and characters; absolutely seamless.

If you have had this series on your radar for a while, you should definitely check it out. I am so happy that I did and now consider it to be one of my favorite YA Fantasy series!!

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