Tag Archive for: 4 Stars

Darling Girl

Darling GirlTitle: Darling Girl
Author(s): Liz Michalski
Genre(s): Retelling
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 352
Length: 11h 42m
Narrator(s): Elizabeth Knowelden
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice: 2.5 Flames

My Thoughts

DARLING GIRL was a very interesting, dark twist on the story of Peter Pan by JM Barrie. I really enjoyed the topsy turvy nature of this story and flipping everything on its head. I thought the idea of Holly Darling looking for her daughter while trying to keep her son safe from what lurks in the shadows, windows, and wind was a fun concept.

At first, I thought Holly was selfish but as I learned more and more about the truth and what happened to her and her family, I realized that even though many of her decisions and actions were questionable, she did what she thought was best for her family. I liked her arc of character growth. I wish, however, she had done more in the story instead of relying on other people. The ending was a bit anticlimactic because of it. I also didn’t think she spent enough time with Christopher Cooke to warrant him being the love interest. I loved that he was, but I thought he needed more time and pages in the story.

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The Slowest Burn

The Slowest BurnTitle: The Slowest Burn
Author(s): Sarah Chamberlain
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 336
Length: 11h 12m
Narrator(s): Hunter Johns, Kate Handford
Source: Library
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice: 3 Flames

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed THE SLOWEST BURN. I loved both Ellie and Kieran, their chemistry, and banter. I loved that the story switched between Ellie and Kieran’s POVs. I thought it was a fun, spicy, enemies-to-lovers romance that dealt with some hard topics.

I really appreciated the look at grief from different perspectives and how messy it can be. I also loved the look at what it feels like to be a square peg in a round-hole family and never measuring up for the people who are supposed to love you. I loved the sense of found family, the look at neurodivergence, and the lesson of learning to love yourself the way you are.

One-Star Romance

One-Star RomanceTitle: One-Star Romance
Author(s): Laura Hankin
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 400
Length: 10h 57m
Narrator(s): Laura Hankin
Source: Library
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice: 2.5 Flames

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed ONE-STAR ROMANCE. It was a fun, enemies-to-lovers romance. I loved the chemistry between Natalie and Rob from the very beginning. I normally like romances that don’t span years, but I liked how ONE-STAR ROMANCE handled the passing of years. It felt like the romance was that much more sweet because of how long it took the characters to admit to and act on their feelings. I also loved that the author narrated the audiobook.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Ink Blood Sister ScribeTitle: Ink Blood Sister Scribe
Author(s): Emma Törzs
Genre(s): Fantasy
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 416
Length: 13h 53m
Narrator(s): Saskia Maarleveld
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice: 1 Flames

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE. I thought the concept and magic system were very intriguing. I also thought the mystery aspect of the story was fun. I guessed a lot of what was going on but I still enjoyed reading the story as everything came to fruition.

I loved both Esther and Joanna. I felt for them as they learned the truth that had been hidden from them for most of their lives. Even though I liked Nicholas, I thought he was really naïve and needed to ask more questions. I also liked Collins, just not as a romantic interest for Joanna. I would’ve rather seen her with Nicholas.

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The Lost Apothecary

The Lost ApothecaryTitle: The Lost Apothecary
Author(s): Sarah Penner
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 301
Length: 10h 29m
Narrator(s): Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice: 1 Flames

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed THE LOST APOTHECARY. I loved that the story was written in three POVs, two from the past and one from present day. I thought it was an interesting look at how we interpret past events vs what really happened.

I liked both the past story and the present day one, but I thought the past one was a bit more interesting. I thought the idea of an apothecary dispensing poisons to women that wanted to exact revenge on the men who betrayed them was a really fun concept. It made for an interesting mystery.