Book Reviews Archives - Page 29 of 114

Book Review: The Play by Elle Kennedy

Nov 28, 2019

The Play (Briar U #3)

Pages: 422
Publish date: October 7th, 2019
Publisher: –
ASIN: B07NF2BDFZ
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

What I learned after last year’s distractions cost my hockey team our entire season? No more screwing up. No more screwing, period. As the new team captain, I need a new philosophy: hockey and school now, women later. Which means that I, Hunter Davenport, am officially going celibate…no matter how hard that makes things.

But there’s nothing in the rulebook that says I can’t be friends with a woman. And I won’t lie—my new classmate Demi Davis is one cool chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell, and so is the rest of her, but the fact that she’s got a boyfriend eliminates the temptation to touch her.

Except three months into our friendship, Demi is single and looking for a rebound.

And she’s making a play for me.

Avoiding her is impossible. We’re paired up on a yearlong school project, but I’m confident I can resist her. We’d never work, anyway. Our backgrounds are too different, our goals aren’t aligned, and her parents hate my guts.

Hooking up is a very bad idea. Now I just have to convince my body—and my heart.

The Play:

I received an e-arc of The Play in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’m not going to lie here, but this is probably my least favourite Elle Kennedy book – and that is really hard to say. In the past, I’ve really enjoyed most of her books, but there was something about The Play that I just couldn’t love.

The Play by Elle Kennedy follows protagonists Hunter Davenport and Demi Davis as they try and navigate a new year at college. Last year distractions cost the ice hockey team their whole season. Now as captain he knows that he has to redeem everything that happened the year before. So he has a plan and that is to focus on hockey and not on women. But all his plans are out the window when he meets Demi. But she has a boyfriend, so everything is going well until they break up and she is looking for a rebound.

Samantha Gades

I really wanted to like The Play, but I just couldn’t get it into like Elle Kennedy’s other novels. It was a combination of reasons that made me like this book less than all her others.

I didn’t have much of a problem with the protagonists, other than the fact that I felt a distance from them. I couldn’t really connect with them at all. Hunter was really interesting to me. Throughout the Briar U series, especially at the start I really enjoyed getting to know him, but as the novels went on and his attitude changed – understandably. I couldn’t like him as much as I wanted too. He acted like a 2-year-old and that just put me off. So being in his head, while he gets over most of the issues, wasn’t the best. It was hard for me to like Hunter like other male protagonists and that really put a sour note on the book for me.

I didn’t have any problems with Demi, but I just could not connect with her. I really wanted to like her, but there was something that was holding me back. Saying this I really enjoyed Demi as a character, she was interesting and engaging. But I couldn’t love her as a protagonist. She just didn’t feel real for me. I felt that she was just someone on a page and really nothing more. I felt very similar about Hunter as well.

Green Chameleon

Because of not being able to connect with characters, it made it really hard to love the romance. While everything was believable, I wasn’t begging them to get together. And while I enjoyed Hunter and Demi together, again I just felt very separated from it all and wasn’t able to connect with it. In saying this, I did find it adorable and I did like them together. I felt like they fit one another and they really worked well together.

One of the things that I did like about the romance was that they started out as friends. That is always something that I love having in my romance books. It just makes everything more relatable and real.

Another problem that I had with The Play, was that it was too long. It was over 400 pages, and for a romance book, that took some out of me. I love long books, but I feel that romance books that exceed that 350 mark, takes a lot out of the reader. I kept on wondering when the book was going to end. Because of all this, it made reading the book less enjoyable.

Alejandra Quiroz

The Play by Elle Kennedy was okay. I didn’t hate it by any means. But compared to her other books, this is very low on my list. I really wanted to like it, but I was just left disappointed. I think if I hadn’t read many of Elle Kennedy’s books before, I wouldn’t feel the way I do. But I really do enjoy Elle Kennedy’s books.

Overall, The Play was okay. I really wish that I could have liked it more, but it was a miss for me. I wasn’t able to connect with both protagonists as I would have normally liked. And this made it hard for me to like the romance. I just felt like there was something missing. It was an okay addition to the series and Elle Kennedy’s world and I did like reading it. Hopefully, I will love Elle Kennedy’s book a lot more.

Book Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Nov 18, 2019

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Pages: 416
Publish date: August 6th, 2019
Publisher: Penguin Australia – Bantam Juvenile US
ISBN: 9780593120934
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

House of Salt and Sorrows:

When I read the synopsis for this one, I knew that I had to read it. Retelling and reimaginations are always books that I look out for each year. And this 12 dancing princess’ sounded just my thing. It did take me a little while to pick House of Salt and Sorrows up after I brought it and I have no idea why. Because as soon as I picked it up, I feel in love with the writing, the characters, and the story.

House of Salt and Sorrows follows Annaleigh as she tries to navigate the world, where people she loves just keep on dying. From her sisters to her mother, people say that the family is cursed. And slowly Annaleigh starts to believe in too. With her sisters dancing all through the night, Annaleigh doesn’t know if she wants to join them or not. Then she meets a mysterious stranger and things start to change even more. But will Ananleigh find out why she keeps on losing her sisters before it’s too late?

Ravi Pinisetti

Annaleigh was such an interesting character in House of Salt and Sorrows and I really enjoyed getting to know her throughout the novel. Annaleigh while quite innocent has gone through hell. She has lost her mother as well as sisters and everything in life is falling apart. She is trying to keep everything together because she wants to help the rest of her family. The best she can.

Throughout the novel, Annaleigh character arc is fantastic. I love the reader gets to see her grow throughout the story. Not only get to know the world around her but also get to know herself. Annaleigh doesn’t show a lot of emotions to those around her including her family throughout House of Salt and Sorrows. But as the novel goes on, she starts to let go and lets people in, including Cassius.

House of Salt and Sorrows is one eerie novel. It’s creepy and makes your stomach turn most of the novel. But that is also what makes it so captivating and breathtaking. It took me a while to figure it out, but it reminds me a lot of Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan. It’s got that same uncanny nature that leaves the reader feeling a little sick to the stomach. You have no idea what’s going to happen next, what’s going to pop out to you, but you keep on reading. This is a dark novel, but it’s what makes it unique and totally something that I would want to pick up. The writing is also quite lyrical, which adds to the ambiance of the whole book.

Nihal Demirci

I love the idea that this is a twelve dancing princess retelling. Like I said before I love retellings’ and when there is something new and different out there, I want to read it. I think that Erin A. Craig did a fantastic job of both exploring the original story as well as making it her own. I really loved the spins that Erin A. Craig did put on the original story, it became even more eerie and captivating.

Sometimes when reading retelling there are a few things that can happen. First, it could be too similar to the original that it doesn’t have anything unique about it or secondly it could be nothing like the original and the reader isn’t able to pick up what it’s supposed to be. But House of Salt and Sorrows fits perfectly in the middle where it has enough that the reader knows it’s a twelve dancing princess retelling, but it’s also unique.

While I did love the romance throughout House of Salt and Sorrows, I really wish there was a little more focus on it. I felt that the reader doesn’t really get to see the development between Annaleigh and Cassius. They were totally adorable together, but I wanted more. What also made the novel more interesting was the mysteriousness of Cassius.

Obviously family is a massive theme throughout House of Salt and Sorrows and what I really liked about that was it showed, the good, the bad and the ugly side of family. It really enhanced the novel and added another dimension to everything going on. The reader really never knows what’s going on. And adding untrustworthy characters, including family members makes everything way more interesting and intense.

Milo McDowell

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is haunting, captivating and intriguing. This eerie novel takes the reader on an adventure. Annaleigh and the rest of her family go through a hell of a lot throughout House of Salt and Sorrows and they suffer, immensely. Hope is also threaded throughout the novel and hits the reader all in the right spots. If you are looking for a new and exciting retelling, that is dark and takes the reader on a journey then this one is for you.

Have you read House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood

Nov 8, 2019

It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood

Pages: 304
Publish date: April 7, 2019
Publisher: Text Publishing
ISBN: 9781925773910
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward.

She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

It Sounded Better In My Head:

I’ve been waiting to read It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood for some time as soon as it won the Text Prize really. I got it the week it came out, and while it did take me a while to read it, I finally did a little while ago. And overall, I really enjoyed It Sounded Better In My Head. It’s one of those books that when I finished it. I just smiled.

It Sounded Better In My Head follows Natalie as she tries to navigate life after high school and what’s it’s like to be an adult. After her parents announce that they are planning on divorcing, her two best friends get together and everything that Natalie understood is falling apart. Thrown in an unexpected romance and Natalie is left trying to figure out what to do with her life.

Nick Jio

The stage between the end of high school and the start of university, TAFE or what every someone chooses to do, is always hard. There are so many emotions running through your system, so many choices. And so many different ways that you could go. And I think that’s what Nina Kenwood mastered here in It Sounded Better In My Head. While I finished high school a little while ago now, I still remember clearly how I felt. The uncertainty, the overwelling nature of it all.

Natalie was a really easy protagonist to get along with. I was able to connect with her in so many ways and that just made her feel so real. One thing I loved about Natalie was a very honest character. And while she didn’t say things to other characters the reader is able to see through Natalie in those moments. Natalie didn’t have a great teen life. There were a lot of things stopping her from stepping out and being herself. She just wanted the world to swallow her whole. From a body that went against her all the time, too painful ache Natalie didn’t feel like she had the confidence to show everyone who she is – because, in reality, she didn’t know who she was.

I loved this refreshing look into being a teenager. We see and hear a lot of insecurities in YA – but I haven’t felt it like I did in It Sounded Better In My Head. The reader is able to feel everything that Natalie went through and felt. We are able to put ourselves in her shoes and fit. And when then when Natalie thought everything was going to change, it just went the other way.

Kate Williams

The notion of family and friendship is a massive theme throughout It Sounded Better In My Head. And I really loved how it showed as complicated, beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking. At the start of the novel Nina finds out about her parents’ divorce and that really tears her to pieces. She doesn’t really understand what’s going on or how to deal with everything. And then her best friends are together it just breaks Natalie for a little while I think. But we slowly see her out those pieces back together. The reader is there cheering for Natalie in every corner. Hoping that she not only mends these relationships but also feels good about them.

And while for the part really enjoyed Natalie and the friendships she had. I also felt that they treated her like she was 5 and didn’t know anything about the world. It’s something that really did bother me throughout the novel. And while I think they thought they were coming from a good place, they didn’t consider Natalie is her own person and can look after herself pretty well.

The romance in It Sounded Better In My Head was totally adorable. It utilised one of my favourite tropes and did it in such a great way. I really enjoyed Alex as a character and the reader is able to see how much he likes Natalie and enjoys her company. The slow pass of the romance and how they both slowly started to fall for each other was perfect.

I also loved that Alex was absolutely great with Natalie and her concerns. He let Natalie go at her own pace and never really pushed her for anything. Which is something that you rarely see in YA and it was done in such a positive light. In saying this, I do wish we got a little more of their relationship throughout It Sounded Better In My Head, but really that is it.

Everton Vila

It Sounded Better In My Head also had a great sense of place. I always find that #LoveOzYA novels, especially those sent in Australia, have a really beautiful way of writing place. I can always imagine and picture everything in these novels. Maybe it’s because I like in Australia, and Melbourne in this case. But everything just seems more real.

What Nina Kenwood has done in It Sounded Better In My Head, is write an honest, heartwarming coming of age novel. It truly captures all those feelings of leaving high school and the anxieties of what to do with life as an ‘adult.’ It explores family breakdowns, friendships out of high school and pure romance that just made me melt. While doing all this, It Sounded Better In My Head is also run, charming and left me with a smile. If you are looking for a YA contemporary that isn’t going to tear you apart but still makes the reader feel so many emotions.

Have you read It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s chat! On a quick side note, this has a publish date of April 2020 in the US, so add it to your TBR.