March Book Reviews
A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn
Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
I read Clean Sweep a few months ago after letting it sit on my Kindle for way too long. I loved it so much that I immediately bought this book, the second in the series. Dina is offered a lot of money and a chance for her Inn to thrive if she agrees to host a peace summit. It’s an extremely risky meeting but she eventually relents. One of Dina’s main obstacles to prepare for the summit is to obtain a cook, which is how we are introduced to one of my favorite characters in the series, Orro. I really enjoy following along with Dina’s adventures in Innkeeping and love and can’t wait to read more of the worlds the authors have created.
4/5 Stars
One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
The third book in the Innkeeper Chronicles has many more moving parts than the first two books. Dina has rescued her sister and niece from a hostile planet, taken in hunted guests, deals with local law enforcement, and is navigating a possible relationship with a werewolf all while the Inn is under attack. While I still love the world and story as I did with the other books, I didn’t understand Dina’s reluctance to a relationship with Sean until her reasoning is explained at the very end and the descriptive sex scene was a bit of a surprise after not having any of that for most of the series so far. I also felt that she didn’t make some of the smartest choices throughout the book and that’s always frustrating for a character you like. Overall, it was a great book and I’ll definitely read the next book when it comes out later this year.
4/5 Stars
Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood
This book is a must-read (or must listen, in my case) for any Hemingway fan. It really shows him as the cheating scoundrel he was but it also gives a humanity to each of his wives that I hadn’t thought of before- I now think of wives 2, 3, and 4 as more than just a woman who started a relationship with a married man. I still think of them this way because it’s the truth for each one of them, but this book really gives them more depth. We get the points of view from each one of them and it is wonderfully written.
4/5 Stars
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
I love having a book associated with a place or activity. I started reading this one on the way to Iceland and finished it there during a sleepless and extremely windy night. Victoria Schwab’s books are hit-or-miss for me- some I love and some I strongly dislike. I liked this one. I didn’t love it because it felt very YA to me and I’m generally not a fan of dystopian. I enjoyed the world and the story but didn’t feel a connection with the characters so didn’t get too invested in the book. It was very refreshing to have a story without romance between the main characters.
4/5 Stars
Gimmie Some Sugar by Molly Harper
The third book in the Southern Eclectic series sees Lucy move back home to Lake Sackett to start a bakery after her husband dies suddenly. Her childhood love interest, Duffy, is one that we’ve seen throughout all of the full-length books and novellas in this series so it’s nice to see him get his time to shine. This book (as are all others in the series) are such perfect examples of what a southern contemporary romance should be. They make me feel nostalgic for things whether I have experienced them or not. I feel like in this book in particular kids play more of a part and I like that; they seem to be regulated to the background most of the time and it’s always interesting to see how different authors portray them. Read these books!
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 Stars
The Prophet by Amanda Stevens
As a taphophile, I automatically want to like any books involving a cemetery. Amelia Gray is a cemetery restorer (so cool!) and she can see and talk to ghosts. This is the third book in the series and unfortunately they have been getting worse with each book. My two main complaints are Amelia repeatedly making really dumb choices (maybe if the author explained her reasoning a little more? But still, they aren’t good decisions) and listing out the rules her dad made for her regarding dealing with ghosts each time she goes against one of those rules, which is a lot. The story itself makes for an enjoyable read but is nothing special. I won’t be reading any more in this series.
3/5 Stars