Review | Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet. I’m one of them. Yay, me.

In order to survive, we have to take on a symbiont that wants to rewire our bodies to live in this brutal place. I like to call it a cootie. And my cootie’s a jerk, because it also thinks I’m the mate to the biggest, surliest alien of the group.

Women of Earth are being abducted by aliens. Fortunately, they are able to flee into the arms of the sexy blue aliens of Not Hoth. So goes the series Ice Planet Barbarians. Barbarian Alien is the second book in the Ice Planet Barbarians series by Ruby Dixon. I had heard this series follows different main characters in each book so I was quite pleased to find the characters in book one were still present in the background of Barbarian Alien. I need to check up on my friends, you know?

Barbarian Alien follows Liz and Raahosh. Liz could use a lot more patience, but I do love love and I found them to ultimately be a sweet couple. I needed a bookish escape and the wild world of Not Hoth provided.

⭐⭐⭐★★
3/5 stars

Source: library borrow. This is a review of my reading experience.

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Review | Beach Read by Emily Henry

Source: personal purchase. This is a review of my reading experience.

Beach Read is a romance novel by Emily Henry.

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

I'm so happy to be reading Emily Henry right now. I need more.

I'm not typically a romance reader, but I do enjoy romance in my genre books and in my movies.

I love Emily Henry's style of romance. I've only read two, but they fit the cozy vibe I'm seeking right now. I like all of the characters, and I like that they communicate with each other. Beach Read is an enemy to lovers romance, but not the kind that makes you hate the enemy before they fall in love.

Emily Henry makes me cry and her books aren't even heartbreakers. She just gets me right in the feels. I cried reading Book Lovers and Beach Read made me cry, too. Heaven help me if she ever writes a tearjerker.

I took Beach Read to the beach with me to read, but thankfully I knew it wasn't actually a "beach read". It was a great excuse to read it, though, and also the perfect escape while on vacay.

I feel like I'm probably the last person making my way through Emily Henry's books, but if you are a genre reader making a reach into spheres that are more cozy than your typical read, have a look into Emily Henry's books. You might just enjoy them, too!

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

4/5 stars

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Review | Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers is a romance book by Emily Henry.

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

If you've been following my blog recently, you know I've been on a quest for cozy things. Cozy books, games, movies, I'm here for your recommendations. I've been looking for more cozy genre books, but I also wanted to branch out into some romance books as well.

One thing that stuck out to me in the reviews of Emily Henry's books was the maturity of the characters. I'll admit I don't read romance books hardly at all, but I do watch a lot of Hallmark and Lifetime romance movies around the holidays. The few romance books that I have tried were definitely not the right fit for me. Emily Henry's books, however, sounded exactly like the type of romance books that I would enjoy.

I think Book Lovers was a great book to kick off my cozy romance journey since the main characters were book lovers and this was a world I felt comfortable in.

“You're in books. Of course you don't have a life. None of us do. There's always something too good to read.”

Nora is an agent and Charlie is an editor, and while this is a bit of an enemies to lovers story, all of the characters are very likeable. I loved being able to root for everyone in Book Lovers.

Another thing I loved is this book wasn't just about Nora and Charlie's relationship. It was also about the relationship between Nora and her sister Libby. I adore when books give us deep, meaningful relationships outside of romance. Book Lovers gave us both!

Book Lovers wrapped up exactly how I wanted it to, and I was not expecting it to hit me in the feels the way it did. I have a copy of Beach Read that I'm hoping to get to sooner rather than later then I'm sure I'll be picking up People We Meet on Vacation as well. If you have any recommendations similar to Emily Henry - romance or otherwise - I'd love to hear them. Otherwise, take this review as a recommendation to read Book Lovers.

5/5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Source: personal purchase. This is a review of my reading experience.

Review | Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune - Review

Source: personal purchase. This is a review of my reading experience.

Under the Whispering Door is a fantasy novel by T.J. Klune.

Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

I've had T.J. Klune's books on my wish list for a while now. Thankfully, Under the Whispering Door was my local book club's pick for October. I went into Under the Whispering Door expecting a much lighter and more heartwarming (throughout) read. I wound up really enjoying Under the Whispering Door, but it was more focused on death and grief than I was expecting.

I enjoyed Under the Whispering Door a lot more than the other members of my book club. I feel like I need to point out the fact that there is no explanation for the way the magic works in Under the Whispering Door. This did not bother me in the slightest. I don't need rules for my fantasy, and I don't need explanations of how the magic works. No one understands how the afterlife works, right? But if you are the type of reader who needs rules for your fantasies and you want to know why things are the way they are and how things work the way they work, Under the Whispering Door might not work as well for you as it did for me.

In the end, Under the Whispering Door turned out to be as much of a romance as it is a fantasy. I think I really needed this type of read right now.

As I mentioned, there is a lot of death and grief and mentions of suicide in Under the Whispering Door so be prepared for that, but everything in Under the Whispering Door is handled with care. This is the first book I have read by T.J. Klune, and I would really love to go back and read The House in the Cerulean Sea.

One thing I have noticed in feel-good fantasies is there is a lot of tea, and I am here for that. I want feel-good fantasies, warm tea, found friends, love, kindness, and happy endings please. (These are all things you will find in Under the Whispering Door.)

If you are a fan of Becky Chambers or Travis Baldree, you might want to check out T.J. Klune's books as well.

 

4/5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

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Book Review | In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

In a Holidaze is a romance novel by Christina Lauren.

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners..

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

 

I loved the beginning of In a Holidaze so much! It was cute and hilarious and just what I needed in 2020.

The problem is the book shifted away from all of the things that I loved in the beginning. At first I thought I was no longer enjoying it because the rom-com had lost it's comedy and shifted to simply being a romance. As the book went on, however, it was definitely more than that for me. In a Holidaze wasn't delivering on any of the promises it made in the beginning. The Christmas version of Groundhog Day was only a hook. There were also things that just didn't make sense. (And no, I'm not talking about the time travel/Groundhog Day stuff. That's not supposed to make sense.)

It's worth noting that I'm not a romance reader, and I can't speak to the expectations of the genre. I can only speak to my own experience with In a Holidaze, and it just wasn't a good fit for me. I like the idea of reading a Christmasy rom-com this time of year, though, so I think I will still give it another try next year with a different book and see how it goes.

In a Holidaze seems to be a big hit with a lot of people right now so definitely seek out other reviews - especially from people who read romance way more than I do. As for me, I was expecting all of the things that hooked me in from the beginning to continue on throughout In a Holidaze, and I was left disappointed and confused with the way things wound up progressing.

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 stars

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Book Review | The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

The Bride Test is a contemporary romance novel by Helen Hoang.

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

Subjective review alert! The Bride Test was this month's selection for my book club.

First I'm going to explain why The Bride Test was a great read. I think the representation of autism was my favorite aspect of The Bride Test. One of the main characters was autistic, and this aspect was handled so well. The writing was really compelling, too. If I didn't have to take care of my family, I'm certain this would have been a one sitting read. Even with commitments, it was still only a one day read for me.

Now I'll explain my three-star rating. It's a contemporary romance, and I'm just not a romance reader. I pretty much need plots that aren't possible.

I think folks who like sweet and sexy romances would probably dig The Bride Test. though.

While The Bride Test was a step completely outside of my wheelhouse (which is exactly why I'm in a book club), I enjoyed the representation of autism and recommend it to folks who love reading  contemporary romance.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Book Review | Without Condition by Sonora Taylor

Without Condition is a horror/dark romance novel by Sonora Taylor.

Cara Vineyard lives a quiet life in rural North Carolina. She works for an emerging brewery, drives her truck late at night, and lives with her mother on a former pumpkin farm. Her mother is proud of her and keeps a wall displaying all of Cara’s accomplishments.

Cara isn’t so much proud as she is bored. She’s revitalized when she meets Jackson Price, a pharmacist in Raleigh. Every day they spend together, she falls for him a little more — which in turn makes her life more complicated. When Cara goes on her late-night drives, she often picks up men. Those men tend to die. And when Cara comes back to the farm, she brings a memento for her mother to add to her wall of accomplishments.

Cara’s mother loves her no matter what. But she doesn’t know if Jackson will feel the same — and she doesn’t want to find out.

I'm continuing my Women in Horror Month reviews with Without Condition by Sonora Taylor.

This is a tough review for me only because I was the wrong audience for this one.

The character development in Without Condition was great. I read this as a group read with several of the Ladies of Horror Fiction team, and we had some really great discussions after reading about the main character's childhood and experiences with bullying.

Without Condition was also well written and a quick read.

The only reason this wasn't a huge hit with me was it was less "horror" and more "dark romance". I'm just not a romance reader.

If you enjoy dark romance and need a great read for Women in Horror Month, Without Condition might be an excellent choice for you. I am definitely open to reading more of Sonora Taylor's work in the future.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Review copy provided by author