Monthly Wrap Up – Paws & Paperbacks

Monthly Wrap-Up: May 2021

Published on May 31, 2021May 30, 2021 by Breanna2 Comments

Hello 👋🏼 I’m still around, although as you can probably tell, blogging has not been on the forefront of my mind. I’ve been reading a lot more lately and starting to find myself reaching for more books so I’m happy I’m getting out of that months-long slump. I really hope that by reading more, I’ll also find the motivation to also get back into blogging because I DO really miss writing posts and reviews, I just can never find the energy or inspiration to actually sit down and blog.

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION: Emily Henry has clearly found her niche in writing adult contemporary romance because wow. This has the same heartwarming, entertaining, and emotional quality found in Beach Read. The characters were smart, relatable, and delightful. The romance completely delivered on the opposites attract and friends-to-lovers tropes. ARC provided by Berkley through NetGalley. ★★★★★ [review]

THE CROWN OF GILDED BONES: The fact that I had to DNF this makes it the biggest disappointment of this year. When I realized that the thought of reading another chapter filled me with dread, I knew I had to quit. There was absolutely no plot and the book dragged horribly. I read nearly half the book and absolutely nothing happened. I really care about the characters but cannot see myself reading the rest of this book, let alone the rest of the series. I usually love JLA books so I was not expecting this at all. DNF @ 42%

LIFE’S TOO SHORT: This book was breathtaking. As with her other two books, this is more than simply a romance book: it has depth, emotional complexity, and touches on heavy issues. This is my absolute favorite of her books and I cannot recommend it enough. The chemistry between Vanessa and Adrian was off the charts. The yearning and sexual tension was palpable through the pages. I couldn’t have hoped for a better book and Abby Jimenez has definitely become an auto-add author. ★★★★★

THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN: A dark, woodsy read? Adult fantasy? Magic? Enemies-to-romance? The word “wolf” in the title? I’m pretty sure this book checked all my boxes, and then some. I was seriously impressed by this debut fantasy novel by Ava Reid! From the excellent writing, to the slow-burn romance and bucketloads of angst, to the atmospheric setting this was such a tremendous story and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world for everyone else to enjoy and gush over! ARC provided by Harper Voyager through NetGalley. ★★★★

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW: While I enjoy reading thrillers, I feel like a majority follow the same basic formula that I’ve read ten times before with thrillers. The chapters were short and sweet and the writing was simple so I was able to fly through this book, which was a huge advantage. Sometimes with thrillers, they seem to drag since a lot of the conflict tends to be internal. I have to give props where they are due, however, and note that I absolutely did not see the reveal at the end coming. That character was not on my radar at all so I was very pleasantly surprised! ★★★½

ANXIOUS PEOPLE: This seems to be such a big hit with other people and I see it on a lot of “favorites” lists, so I think the probably stands more with me than the book. I did not connect with the writing at all. I struggled with the writing and the only way I can describe it is that it felt like it was trying too hard to be both poignant and comical. I also found every single character idiotically stupid, which I think was the point, but their dialogue were so over-the-top silly that became annoying very fast. ★★

WIILDE CHILD: Each book in this series has gotten better and better, but this one truly stole the show. It was pure perfection. With historical romance, a lot of conflict centers around the protagonist and the love interest getting together (don’t get me wrong, I love some good angst), but that’s not the case here. From the beginning, there is no playing games: Joan and Thaddeus make it very clear that they are into each other. The conflict comes from other issues in which the two of them have to work together to succeed and it was so refreshing! ★★★★

Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2021

Published on March 5, 2021March 4, 2021 by Breanna4 Comments

Hello friends! My February reading began really well but slowly diminished as the weeks went on because….I moved! Moving into an apartment has sucked what little energy I have left after being back on night shift, and sadly my reading has suffered. I’m really excited about my new place (of course my bookshelves and books were the first to be unpacked and put away 😅) and I can’t wait for everything to be settled so I can have some much needed time to myself!

SMALL GREAT THINGS: The way this book is written is both powerful and provocative. The story centers around racism, internal biases, and privilege. Picoult’s books always leave a lasting impression with me and this was no exception. engaging, thought-provoking book by Jodi Picoult that will leaving a lasting impact on me and my actions. This was an engaging, page-turning story that kept me on the edge of my seat. ★★★★★ [review]

NAMESAKE: Unfortunately, this was very dull and underwhelming compared to Fable, lacking all the magic that made the first one so enjoyable. Most of the plot felt contrived, the pacing was tedious, and interactions with the Marigold crew were missing throughout a majority of the book. A good sequel for wrapping up loose ends, but other than that this really did nothing for the duology. ARC provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley. ★★★½ [review]

DUSTBORN: I’ve been itching to read a good dystopian/post-apocalyptic story for a while and Erin Bowman knocked it out of the park! For some reason I’m always more critical when reading these kinds of stories but I was so entertained and drawn completely into the story. From the characters, to the plot, to the amazing world-building, this was such a well-written story from beginning to end. I’m hoping to have a full review soon! ARC provide by HMH Books for Young Readers through NetGalley. ★★★★

A TASTE FOR LOVE: My first DNF of the year. There was really nothing wrong with this book, it just wasn’t for me for the simple reason that I think I’m beginning to outgrow YA contemporary books (and most YA books for that matter). The plot as a loose Pride and Prejudice retelling aspect that interested me, but unfortunately the rest didn’t compel me enough to continue. I think other readers, especially a younger audience, would enjoy this! DNF @ 36%

THE GIRL FROM SHADOW SPRINGS: After reading Dustborn, I was really excited for another dystopian type story, but unfortunately this really fell flat. The beginning of the book was promising: plucky heroine, interesting world-building, intriguing plot, but the second half of the book had a strange twist of events and I’m still not a hundred percent certain what the heck I even read. There were elements towards the end that felt very out of place with the tone of the rest of the book and in my opinion, should have been left out. ★★½

THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN: There is no better feeling in the world than rereading a favorite and realizing it was just as delightful and extraordinary as the first time! All the hype surrounding Bridgerton has got me feeling nostalgic for my favorite HR books and after rereading The Viscount Who Loved Me, I knew I was going to read this one again very soon. If you enjoy hate-to-love, fake relationships, slow-burn feelings, and witty banter and you’re looking for your romance fix, add this to your TBR!! ★★★★★

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#SixforSunday: Authors I’ll Always Read | Top Ten Tuesday: Books with ‘Love’ in the Title | Let’s Talk Bookish: Cliches and Tropes

Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2021

Published on February 1, 2021February 2, 2021 by Breanna3 Comments

Happy New Year! I hope everyone’s start to 2021 has been going well. My reading has gotten off to a slower start than anticipated but I’m trying a new thing this year where I don’t stress as much about meeting my reading goals…we’ll see how that goes! 😅

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS: This was a clever, exciting retelling of Jane Eyre set in the modern world. There was a lot of tension and an overwhelming sense of urgency while reading that made the book quite thrilling. With this book being a retelling of a classic novel, it’s obvious there is going to be some degree of predictability within the plot, however, I thought the twists were too easy to predict and the book started to loose some of it’s steam towards the end. ARC provided by St. Martin’s through NetGalley. ★★★½

DOWN COMES THE NIGHT: My first disappointment of the year is unfortunately one of the books I had most been looking forward to reading. This sounded promising with a synopsis indicating a darkly gothic story and an atmospheric fantasy, however, many of these elements I had been hoping for were sadly missing. Between the writing, which I found lacking, and my dislike of the main character, the story failed to captivate me. The book’s only saving grace was the really sweet and well-written romance. ARC provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley. ★★★ [review]

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE: Addie was a mesmerizing, visceral, and heartbreaking: truly deserving of all of the high praise it has received. There was a sense of yearning and urgency within the pages that made the book unputdownable. The atmospheric settings had me feeling nostalgic for times and places I have never been, which is another testament to V.E. Schwab’s capabilities as a writer. The ending was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. ★★★★½ [review]

MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU: The premise of this book is what really drew me to the story. Who doesn’t want to move to a quaint town on the coast of England, run a small bookstore and fall in love with a sweet, handsome Englishman? The story itself was pretty good, although I found parts of the writing lacking and dull. However, the tension between Evie and Roane was so incredible the chemistry was oozing off the pages, and for that fact alone I gave it an extra star! ARC provided by Berkley through NetGalley. ★★★ [review]

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WWW Wednesday #26 | #SixforSunday: 2021 Books I’m Excited About | A Year in Review: 2020 Reading Stats

Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2020

Published on December 1, 2020 by Breanna2 Comments

It’s finally December and 2020 is almost over! I was really hoping to have read more books this month but overall I felt pretty good about my reading. I’m still on orientation but I was switched to day shift for this month and I finally feel like a real person again! I’m hoping the increase energy I have from having a better schedule will help me read more books. I need to read ten more books to reach my goal for this year! I’m also really behind on writing reviews 🙈 so I’m hoping to have more time for those as well. How is everyone else’s yearly reading goals going?

THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES: This was the perfect fall read! It was full of witches and magic and gave off the best fall vibes. I loved how timely and powerful the story was about sisterhood and suffragists. The writing was beautiful and I enjoyed reading through the POVs of all three Eastwood sisters. Unfortunately, the pacing of the book was what killed the momentum for me. This book is long and very slow moving throughout many parts of the book. But otherwise, I enjoyed it! ★★★½ [review]

THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL: I found myself easily falling back into the world of Camelot and King Arthur which made reading this so much more enjoyable. The books is focused more on Genevieve and her character growth than anything else, and since I really like her character I was not upset one bit about it. I liked that the plot moved pretty quickly and that more information was revealed about Genevieve’s background: I cannot wait for all the pieces to fall together in the last book! ARC provided by Random House Children’s through NetGalley. ★★★★ [review]

YOU HAVE A MATCH: I loved this even more than Tweet Cute! This book screams Parent Trap vibes and I loved all the angst and familial drama that filled the pages. I absolutely flew through this book and cannot put it down. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves YA contemporary and stories full of friendships, family, and discovering yourself. ARC provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley. ★★★★

INTO THE HEARTLESS WOOD: Joanna Ruth Meyer’s standalone fantasies have impressed by a lot thus far (more so than her series). All I needed to know was that this book was a gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast following an astronomer’s son and a monstrous tree siren and I instantly added it to my TBR. Everything about this was magical: the beautiful writing, the fairytale vibes, the wicked woods and the monstrous creatures within. I loved every second of reading this and cannot wait for more people to read it too. Thank you to Page Street Books for sending me an ARC! ★★★★

A DEAL WITH THE ELF KING: This was my first book by Elise Kova and I was not disappointed in the least. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we need more NA fantasy/fantasy romance books! Publishers: give the people what they want. The story is a loose retelling of Hades and Persephone and it was perfect. I’m a little bummed that it was a standalone instead of a series (the next book features different protagonists) but I look forward to reading more from this author. Maybe next year will be the year I finally read the Alchemists of Loom series! ★★★

KINGDOM OF THE WICKED: I have been looking forward to this book since it was first announced. I loved the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and had total faith in Kerri Maniscalco with writing a dark story about witches and demons. Thankfully, my trust in her was not misplaced. The plot was fantastic, and I loved both Emilia and Wrath. I had some issues with the pacing towards the end of the book and the fact that it felt like some reveals/plot lines were glossed over, but I’m really looking forward to reading the next book! ★★★★

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Blog Tour: Soulswift

Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2020

Published on November 3, 2020November 2, 2020 by Breanna4 Comments

Happy Halloween! 👻 I hope you all had a great reading month! I can’t believe it’s already November. I’m hoping I’ll have some more time for reading and can get out of this reading slump I seem to be in. I think I just need a really great book to pull me out!

BLOOD & HONEY: While I didn’t seem to dislike this as much as other people, I’m sad to share that it did not live up to my hype and expectation. I was still enchanted by the writing and easily transported in the world. However, you cannot call this book anything other than a filler. This series went from a planned duology to a trilogy and it shows. A whole lot of nothing happens for the majority of the book. ★★★½ [review]

SOULSWIFT: The ending was heartbreaking beautiful and honestly I would expect nothing less from this author. The story follows two characters from opposing sides of a war who reluctantly work together to save their world. I really loved the presence of mythology/religion and the theme of doubts and beliefs. Such a wonderful story with beautiful storytelling. ARC provided by the author as part of the blog tour. ★★★★½

A GOLDEN FURY: Unfortunately, I really didn’t care for this book a whole lot. The plot and writing started out very strong: I was intrigued by the story, the setting, and the protagonist. However, the book started to go downhill very fast after the half-way point. The writing began to fall apart and the plotlines became over-the-top and silly. ARC provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley. DNF @52%.

CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE: By far my favorite book in the Bromance Book Club series. Noah and Alexis are the shining stars of these books (in my opinion) and their friends-to-lovers romance was nothing short of perfection. Everything about this book works: the characters, the plot, the chemistry, the themes. It was amazing to see Alexis and Noah support each other through thick and thin, and how that support was crucial to their relationship. They work so well as best friends that it was even more satisfying to see them finally admit their feelings for each other. ARC provided by Berkley through NetGalley. ★★★★½ [review]

WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED: This book definitely exudes a Frozen meets Mad Max dystopian vibe that just worked. It was exhilarating, page-turning, and full of non-stop action. I was hooked early on and the story’s forward moving-plot and non-stop action kept me reading page after page. The clear descriptions and vivid imagery throughout easily transported me into the book’s setting. One of the best parts of reading is getting lost in the world, and I was not disappointed. ARC provided by Abrams Books through NetGalley. ★★★★ [review]

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Top Ten Tuesday: Covers Featuring Skulls | WWW Wednesday #34 | Blog Tour: Winter, White and Wicked | WWW Wednesday #33

BLOGGER SHOUT-OUTS

Bookathon discusses the importance of breaks – Krisha talks about blogging burnout and how important it is sometimes to take a hiatus from reading/blogging to avoid feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated.

Happy Indulgence gives some great tips on blogging/instagramming on a budget – Bookstagramming and blogging can feel like you need to continually need to churn out money in order to succeed, but Bec provides some fantastic resources to show you don’t need to spend tons of money to blog/instagram!