Book Reviews Archives - Page 34 of 115

Book Review: Repeat by Kylie Scott

Apr 11, 2019

Repeat by Kylie Scott

Pages: 304
Publish date: April 7th 2019
Publisher: –
ASIN: B07KWCJ9S6
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she’s forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did – which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.

Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlour with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can’t seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?

Repeat:

I received an e-arc of Repeat by Kylie Scott from InkSlinger PR ink exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve slowly been making my way through Kylie Scott books – and I’ve really enjoyed all that I’ve read. So when I heard that she was bringing out a new book that also included a tattooist artist as a love interest – I knew that I needed it. Repeat first came out as an audible audiobook in January, but now you can get the ebook.

Repeat follows protagonist Clementine after she tries to put her life together after an attack leaves her with no memory of her life before. She can do the basics of life but remember anything about her life isn’t going to come easy. She doesn’t know who she is or who she was. So when she finds out the tattooist artist who did her tattoos she knows where to start. But then things become way more complicated. She used to date Ed, and she nor Ed know why she left him. Now she has more to figure out, but could someone still be out there to get her?

Repeat was a really interesting read. I didn’t really know what to expect when going in. While the theme of a character losing their memory is and has been very common, it’s done in a different way here. Kylie Scott has managed to use a common trope, especially in romance and make it her own.

Romina Farías

Clementine was a really interesting protagonist. I really wanted to love her, but there was something that made me hold back – and I don’t think that this is a bad thing. Clementine doesn’t remember anything about her life before she was attacked. It was such an interesting concept that Kylie Scott utilised here. Clem knows nothing about her life before, so the reader gets to see her trying to put the pieces back together. It was really interesting seeing Clem find out about her life from other people, but I also loved that she didn’t take everything on board. She found that this was the time to change who she is, and she becomes who she felt she needed to me.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Ed at first, he didn’t really want anything to do with Clem and I understood why. But it was also very hard to read. He was very standoffish and sometimes he came off as someone who didn’t care. But that isn’t the case. The reader can see that Ed cares about Clem a whole a lot, and even though she really hurt him, he knows she needs help right now. And as Repeat went on, I grew to like Ed more and more. His love for Clem really shined through and I really wanted him to be happy.

Kylie Scott has a knack of writing both male and female characters that and interesting, but also have many sides to them. They all have their faults and there was nothing different in Repeat. Both Clementine and Ed have their up’s and downs and that is what made reading about them more real. The reader is able to see that they both care about one another, but is that what’s hurting them the most?

Morgan McDonald

The romance in Repeat was really interesting. Ed and Clem have a lot of history, but Clem doesn’t remember any of it. Including why she broke up with him, and how it tore them both apart. I also really liked that the reader was as much in the dark as Clem. So we were finding out everything about Ed and Clem together, with her. It was like they were falling in love again. The other week I talked about my favourite romance tropes, and Repeat explores that of a second chance romance. And I thought it was done really well here. I did feel that at times it moved a little too fast, but it wasn’t a massive issue for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed Repeat. It’s a second chance romance that is gritty, hard to read at times, but also put a smile on my face. Clemintine and Ed are really interesting characters that were perfect for each other, without being perfect themselves. Kylie Scott knows how to write a good romance and she has done it again with Repeat. It’s addicting, sexy and just oh so good. If you are looking for a romance that is a little different than this is for you.

Book Review: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Apr 8, 2019

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Pages: 432
Publish date: April 16, 2019
Publisher: Simon Pulse
ISBN: 9781534425149
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

Serious Moonlight:

I received an e-arc of Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about this book.

I’ve read two of Jenn Bennett’s books previously – and adored them. Starry Eyes was a great second chance romance, while Alex, Approximately just got to me. And Serious Moonlight was just so good, a mix of romance with a little mystery, it just worked here.

Serious Moonlight follows Birdie as she begins her summer job at a historic Seattle hotel. Closed off from the world, Birdie took comfort in a life where she could be a heroic detective. After an awkward encounter with Daniel Aoki, they now have to work the night shift together. But when they stumble on a real-life mystery, they have to work together if they want to discover who the famous reclusive writer is meeting at the hotel.

João Silas

Birdie was a really interesting protagonist in Serious Moonlight and I am not sure how I feel about her. Birdie has had a hard life and that has really influenced her. While she does have an outgoing nature at times, I felt that she is also very withdrawn. Not only does she like to keep to herself, but doesn’t know how to handle certain situations. However, this made for an interesting read. Because Birdie’s character development and character arc were fantastic. The reader is able to see Birdie really grow throughout Serious Moonlight and not only become comfortable with others but also herself.

I felt the same about Daniel. There were times where I really enjoyed getting to know him, but then he did some things throughout the novel that just didn’t sit well with me. Daniel like Birdie has gone through a lot. Things are revealed as the novel goes on and Birdie and Daniel get to know one another. I really liked that Daniel had a positive outlook on everything that he did. Well, he had his own demons her really tried to help those around him.

One thing that I think that Jenn Bennett does so well, is create characters that are, honest, real and have flaws. And she did it again in Serious Moonlight. It makes reading her books, feel more real. Meaning, I don’t have to imagine these characters, these worlds. They just fit.

The romance in Serious Moonlight was really interesting and different from what I’ve read from Jenn Bennett. Birdie and Daniel had met before the start of the novel, and it wasn’t the most graceful goodbye. So when they have to work together, everything gets a little awkward. But it was kind of cute. I loved how innocent Birdie was and how Daniel loved playing upon that. But not in a bad way, he just pushed her out of her comfort zone a little – and that made both of them grow. There were parts throughout their relationship that I didn’t love. But it was out weight by how adorable they were together.

Michał Parzuchowski

The theme of family was a big part of this novel. Both Birdie and Daniel have different family lifestyles and it was great seeing these two come together. Birdie mostly grew up with a very strict and protective grandmother. While Daniel’s family is more outgoing, after some events his mother becomes very protective of him.

I don’t think that Jenn Bennett gets enough love, this is the third novel of hers that I have read and I’ve loved. Like I said before Jenn Bennett knows how to write real and honest characters. They have their faults, but they are also so compelling and I want to cheer for them. Both Daniel and Birdie have been through a lot before the novel start, and the reader gets to see them go on a journey and grow.

Overall, I really enjoyed Serious Moonlight. It’s a great combination of mystery and contemporary that captures real characters. With writing that is easy to read, the characters float off the page. Jenn Bennett is able to create a story that is easy to follow and to fall in love with. Daniel and Birdie were fantastic characters that really stood out for me. If you haven’t had the chance of reading a Jenn Bennett, then I think you should get on it.

Book Review: Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally

Mar 24, 2019

Coming Up for Air (Hundred Oaks) by Miranda Kenneally

Pages: 293
Publish date: July 4th 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN: 9781492630111
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swin. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic tryout, so Maggie feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to sacrifice in the water to win at love?

Coming Up For Air:

I have been reading Miranda Kenneally books for years now. When I first picked up her books I fell in love with the sports romance and now I read it all the time. Miranda Kenneally books are much harder to find here in Australia and that’s mostly why I kept putting off reading it. But I thought it was due time for me to pick it up.

Coming up For Air by Miranda Kenneally follows Maggie as she tries to navigate her final year of high school, and more importantly her competitive swimming. Swimming has always been a part of Maggie’s life. Most of the day when she isn’t swimming she is thinking about swimming. And now she is training more than ever, because not only is Maggie striving to earn scholarships, but also to earn her spot at the Olympics. But after her best friend Levi earns a tryout, Maggie feels the pressure to get a place at the trails even more. But after a college visit, Maggie realises that she has missed a lot of the high school experience. And she thinks Levi might be the one to help her.

I just loved this book so much. I loved the characters, the plot and just everything in between. I’ve always finish Miranda Kenneally books with a smile on my face and it was no different for Coming up For Air.

Hao Sun

Maggie was a fantastic protagonist in Coming up For Air. She was honest, real, and had her faults – and that is why I enjoyed reading about her so much. Maggie has been training to get to the Olympics most of her swimming life, it’s what she gets up each does and thinks about. But by doing this, she also forgets how to be a teen. It was a really interesting way of looking up the ‘normal’ teen life, and I really enjoyed seeing Maggie experience some new things for the very first time. And while I loved seeing such a young driven character, it was great to see her let loose and kind of go with the flow.

One of the things that Miranda Kenneally does so well, is that she represents honest female characters that have their faults. Sometimes in YA, I have a hard time connecting with the protagonist because I feel like they can’t go wrong. But Kenneally does the opposite. This makes for not only a really good read but a protagonist with a fantastic character arc.

Levi was a really interesting character and for the most part, I really enjoyed him. Like Maggie, he is focused on his swimming and becoming the best that he can be. But he is naturally talented so things do come a little easier for him. Because of this, he likes to get this frustrating out a little differently. It was an interesting contrast to Maggie. Throughout Coming up For Air the reader gets to see many different sides to Levi, and I really enjoyed that.

Quino Al

I know I have spoken about this before many times. But I love sports romances books. I don’t really know why but they always put a smile on my face. Sometimes it is a little harder when I don’t know the sport so well, but I like learning about new things. And I think that Miranda Kenneally knows how to writes sports romances so well. You aren’t really thrown into the deep end with it all, but the reader learns along the way. I also like that Keneally didn’t just look at one type of sports in her Hundred Oaks series – it centres around all different types which is really cool.

The romance in Coming up For Air was adorable. It melted my hear and I just couldn’t stop smiling. And not only that it looks at one of my favourite romances tropes – best friends to lovers. Maggie and Levi have been friends since forever. They rarely spend a day apart, so Maggie knows that asking him to experience more of ‘normal’ teen life is going to be hard. But she does it. I really enjoyed that Levi didn’t give in right away – he showed that he respected their friendship – which was really nice. I loved that the heat between these two slowly builds and they both start falling for one another.

Alejandra Quiroz

Friendship and coming of age was also a massive theme throughout Coming up For Air. One of my favourite things about young adult novels is the exploration of friendships and I really think it was done well here. It explores some really fantastic friendships, as well as one that has turned a little nasty. Maggie has a really strong friendship group surrounding her that not only encourages her with swimming, but also other things in life.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Coming up For Air by Miranda Kenneally. It was a little bittersweet reading the final book in this series as I have been reading it for some time now. But Coming up For Air was a great way to finish it all off. It explores coming of age, being a teen and looking into the future. You will laugh, you will smile and you might even cry. Maggie and Levi are adorable together, but also have fantastic character arcs of their own. If you are looking for a cute, quick read, then this one if for you.

Have you read Coming up For Air by Miranda Kenneally? What did you think? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read any other books by Miranda Kenneally? Let’s Chat!