discussion Archives - Angel Reads

Should I Read These Romance Books

May 10, 2022

There are so many books that I want to read. So many romance books I want to read. So today I thought I would come to you are ask for your help. I need you to help me decide if I should read these romance books.

I have an up and down relationship with recommendations from the internet. Whether it’s from tiktok or Twitter, sometimes a book sounds fantastic and then I’m left disappointed.

So I need your help. The books on this list are ones that I’m just not sure if I should read, but they have caught my eye. Let me know if you have read any of them? Are they worth it? Let’s get into it. As always these are in no order.

Ask Me Why by Harloe Rae | Unhinged (Necessary Evils #1) by Onley James. | The Bloody Bride (The Rocchetti Dynasty #1) by Bree Porter | Only the Positive (Only You #1) by Elle Thorpe.

The Unseelie Prince (Maze of Shadows #1) by Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Twisted Ginni by Nicola Rose. | Vicious Kings (The Dark Elite #1) by Eva Ashwood | Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout #1) by Lucy Score.

Lords of Pain (The Royals of Forsyth University #1). by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue. | Blood and Ruin by Rumer Hale.

And there we go! Those are the books that I’m not sure if I should read. Have you read anything from this list? What did you think of them? Should I read them? Let’s Chat!

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens | Discussion with Ely

Feb 20, 2022

Welcome back to Ely and I’s buddy read discussions. We haven’t done one of these in a while, but here we are. This year these are just going to come as they do. We don’t have much planned, but you will see a fair few this year.

Today we are talking about In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens. I have been wanting to read this one since I heard it announced. But let me tell you trying to get a copy of this one in Australia last year – was not fun. But anyway, let’s get into it. You can check out our other buddy reads here on Angel Reads and Earl Grey Books.

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

Pages: 320
Publish date: April 20th 2021
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN: 9781534480506
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family’s kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their crew discovers a mysterious prisoner on a burning derelict vessel.

Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean.

That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming—and secretive—as ever. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held ransom in a plot to reveal his rumored powers and instigate a war. Tal must escape if he hopes to save his family and the kingdom. And Athlen might just be his only hope…

In Deeper Waters:

Angel: I didn’t know what to expect when reading this book. I haven’t read a YA book in a while, but I just want wanted to read it. And I’m so glad that I did. It’s the book that I needed. It’s sweet, heartwarming and I didn’t want to stop reading it. And it’s one of those books that makes you feel warm inside. I know that you felt a little different to me, so what were your thoughts?

Ely: I agree that it’s an incredibly sweet and heartwarming read, but I think that I was expecting something completely different than what we got. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. I suppose I was expecting something to do more with an adventure with more action. While those aspects were there, I think this was more character-driven than plot-driven.

A: I have to agree why you for sure. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It was just different. I also absolutely agree that this is more character-driven, which is why I think I loved it so much. I am a massive fan of character-driven books, so this one suited me so well. Talking about characters, what did you think of Prince Tal?

Photo by Kameron Kincade on Unsplash

E: I think for me it was partly a case of not the right book at the time. I was really looking forward to something fast-paced and filled with adventure when I picked this one up, so it just wasn’t quite what I was after. I liked Tal—he’s a character with a big heart and honestly, I could relate to the way he just kind of wanted to stay home. What about you?

A: Tal just made things better. You know those characters that you can just connect with right away. That is Tal for me. As you said, I loved that he just wanted to stay home. And while some of it may have to do with his magic. He also just wanted to be where he was comfortable and gosh I can relate to that. We don’t see that a lot in fantasy and I kinda enjoyed that a lot. His family play a big part in his life, what were your thoughts on them?

E: It’s definitely a rare thing to see in fantasy so I did really enjoy that aspect. I loved his family—they’re all really interesting characters and I loved the way they interacted with one another and the people around them. I do wish we’d gotten to see a little more of them, they were just such a fun part of the book.

A: Yes! I really wish we got to see them a little more. But from the start, you could see how much they cared for one another and would do anything to help each other and the family out. They also had amazing siblings banter. They would tease one another, push each other to the edge. But at the end of the day, they loved each other. The romance in this one is very simple. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. It was just very nice to see, something very sweet and easy-going. Yes, they had their troubles, but it wasn’t about them as a couple. What did you think of the romance?

E: The romance is ridiculously sweet, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s so rare to get an LGBTQ+ romance in YA without a huge amount of angst so I loved that this was just simple and light-hearted. As you said, they have their issues but on the whole, it was just very heartwarming. What did you think of Athlen?

Photo by Juanita Swart on Unsplash

A: Athlen was such a huge cutie. Like you said the romance was ridiculously sweet and Athlen is exactly the same. He just made me smile the whole time. He has been through a lot himself. But there is something that happens when he is with Tal and it made me so happy. As we said before In Deeper Waters is very character-driven, what did you think of the arcs of Tal and even Athlen?

E: I honestly couldn’t have picked where their story would end up at the beginning of the book. I was expecting it to go in one direction, but instead, there were a few twists and turns. I absolutely adored Athlen—as you said, he’s just a downright cutie and I loved him for it.

A: I think that is why I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t know what going to happen. There were a fair few things that surprised me and I really enjoyed that a lot. I also enjoyed the writing style of this one. Everything was easy to read, I didn’t get lost. Especially when I wasn’t expecting the world of this book to be what it was. What were your thoughts on the world here?

E: It’s definitely an easy read. I think there were a couple of moments where the writing needed to be a little bit stronger. I think worldbuilding was one of those times—Lukens created this really interesting world but then I don’t think they used it to its full potential. And I feel like there were lots we were introduced to that then never came up again.

A: I have to agree with you on that for sure. I felt that this book could easily become a series about the whole family and the world. I had the markers for that. As you said the world was really interesting, but I just wanted more. It wasn’t that it was lacking, but it could have been tighter.

E: I 100% agree with you there, it could definitely be stretched into a series following the different family members. I think it almost would’ve been better with fewer elements so that the really important ones had time to shine.

Photo by Jakob Braun on Unsplash

A: I think it would have also made for a fantastic series. As I said before I really enjoyed the family aspect of this book and being able to see their stories would have been really interesting. In saying this I am really excited to read FT Lukens new book coming out in a few months. I want to try more from this author for sure.

E: I think I’m going to wait and see your thoughts on their next book before jumping into it myself, but if you really enjoy it, I might end up giving it a go too!

A: Well thank you for joining me today. And don’t forget to check out all our previous discussions and I hope you check out some of our future ones soon.

And there we go! I hope you enjoyed us talking about In Deeper Waters by FT Lukens. Have you read it yet? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston | Discussion with Ely

Aug 26, 2021

Welcome back to Ely and I’s buddy read discussions. Sorry that it’s been so long – lots of things have just come out. We are a little behind, but we are going to try and catch up. Hopefully soon.

Anyway, here we are. Today we are talking about One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. This is one both of us have been highly anticipating and I’m so glad that we both were finally able to get to it. You can check out our other buddy reads here on Angel Reads and Earl Grey Books.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Pages: 422
Publish date: June 1st 2021
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN: 9781250244499
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

One Last Stop:

Angel: Like I said this book is one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. I adored Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, which was actually one of our first buddy read discussions. And let me tell you it didn’t disappoint me at all. It’s different from Red, White and Royal Blue for sure. And it’s not something that I normally gravitate to in regards to science fiction and time travel. But I seriously loved it so much. How did you feel about it?

Ely: Honestly, I feel a little conflicted. I loved it, but I can’t decide whether I loved it more than RWRB or less. It was certainly different and it was incredible, but I still can’t decide!

A: I feel the same. RWRB is top tier for me. I love it so much. And like you said One Last Stop it’s incredible. There were just a few things that just stopped me from falling head over heels obsessed with it.

Firstly I think August was the perfect protagonist for this story. From the start, she captivated me and I didn’t want to leave her story. She was different and stood out, but also felt very familiar. What are your feelings about August?

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

E: I also loved August. She’s such an interesting and layered character and I loved how we got to see her go from this quite closed-off person in the beginning to this completely different one by the end. That was really beautiful.

I absolutely adore her housemates as well, particularly Myla. They are all just such weird and wonderful characters and the relationships they all have with one another are so lovely and pure. What did you think of them?

A: August character arc was seriously spot on. Her growth throughout the novel was so damn good. She didn’t just change quickly, it was nice and slow and worked perfectly with the novel.

August’s housemates added another 10 layers to this novel. Seriously. They were absolutely brilliant. Found family is one of my favourite tropes and it was utilised perfectly here. I wanted to know more and more about them – and got that – without it taking away from August’s story. They made August feel loved – and that just hit.

The romance in One Last Stop was also a massive highlight for me. From the start, Jane is captivating and took me by surprise. And together they are just so good. What did you think of Jane?

E: Absolutely! I think it was almost the perfect description of a found family—one that just kind of sneaks up on you.

I adored Jane. And I think she’s one of the best love interests I’ve read about in a while. She’s so much fun, but she also, of course, has this mysterious depth to her. She and August just work together, there’s no other way to put it.

We’ve buddy read quite a few NA and adult romances at this point, some that we’re kind of ruined by the romance and/or sex scenes. How did you feel about this one?

A: Jane really took me by surprise. I didn’t I was going to like her as much as I did, but she just latched onto me and didn’t let go.

Damn it was good. I was surprised by it, let me tell you. Compared to RWRB this is another level and I was so here for it. It not only added another layer to the novel, but it was a fantastic way to explore Jane and August’s relationship more. What were your thoughts on it?

E: She really does suck you in. Maybe this is something to do with the way August sees her, but either way, Jane rocks.

Honestly, top tier. It also just made me super happy. Their entire relationship just feels really, well, real. I know RWRB sort of ignited this trend of contemporary royal romance books, so here’s hoping some more sapphic books get their turn in the sun.

Photo by Luke Pennystan on Unsplash

A: Oh I absolutely agree with you, this romance not only felt real but honest and it just made it for me. Oh, I am so for sapphic royal romances any day of the week.

Like I said before while this was one of my most anticipated books of the year, I was also very hesitant. The science-fiction/time travel elements of the book made me nervous. But it didn’t feel out of place at all. I understood everything that was happening, and I didn’t get too confused. What about you?

E: I think I got a little lost with some of the time travel stuff, but not in a way that took me out of the story. It was more like oh, I don’t know what that term means but okay. Otherwise, I thought it tied in really well as you said—nothing felt out of place.

A: Oh I didn’t understand everything, but it didn’t make me feel dumb so that is something.

I wasn’t a massive fan of the long chapters – but that is seriously the only thing that really bothered me. Overall, it was such a fantastic read and I couldn’t put it down.

I hope that you all enjoyed this discussion. Have you read One Last Stop yet? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!