Best of April

Weeeee. Here are the best of the bests for May. 

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

"And Housemaid gets best book because it threw a punch!"

Carole - Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce

"Such a refreshing YA read. So good."

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole -  Nadda this month. Didn't watch any movies. Only shows. 

Blodeuedd - Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)

"I watched The book club 2. No idea if I watched the first one but I enjoyed this one, and it was funny too."

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - High Potential (s1), Will Trent (s3)

"I really enjoyed High Potential. A good mix of fun and crime. And Will Trent s3 was good!"

Carole - Dead Boy Detectives (s1), Ghost UK (s5)

"Rewatching Dead Boy Detectives. So stinkin' good. And the last season of Ghost UK broke me. Also so stinkin' good."

Best Cover of the Month:

C's pick: Dragons!!!

B's pick: Simple, but good.

Honorable Mention:

Carole's pick - Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

"I would give this book of the month, but it wouldn't be fair. It's one of my fave books ever."

Book Review: The Charm School by Susan Wiggs

Author: Susan Wiggs

Title: The Charm School

Series: The Calhoun Chronicles #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 384

Published: April 1, 1999

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

As the ballrooms of 1800s America glitter, romance is afoot...

Boston and Rio de Janeiro, 1851

An awkward misfit in an accomplished family, Isadora Peabody yearns to escape her life as a wallflower in Boston society. Fate intervenes when she learns that a ship bound for Rio de Janeiro is in need of an interpreter—a pursuit she very much enjoys. The only problem? The surly and handsome captain is adamantly opposed to a woman taking the role.

Sea captain Ryan Calhoun used to have a good family name. But he’d purposely walked away from everything it afforded him, driven by his quest to right an old wrong. When he finds himself falling for the meek young woman who comes aboard his ship, he’s determined to stay away from her—if only to keep her out of his secretive, dangerous plans.

As the tides of attraction flow between them, Ryan and Isadora must risk it all for love. For a true lady must learn to speak her mind, and Isadora is ready to put her newfound charms to the test.

Review:

This was voted for our DNF 2nd Chance challenge. I try to do this challenge twice a year, because sometimes a book (like some people) deserves a second chance. 

Isadora is awkward and a misfit in an accomplished family. She is nothing but a wallflower in the society of Boston. Fate has a funny way of intervening, and she finds herself on a ship bound to Rio de Janeiro as an interpreter. Everything seems golden.....except for the surly and handsome captain. Ryan used to have a good family name, but he walked away to right an old wrong. Isadora is something he wants to avoid so he can keep his secretive and dangerous plan...well...a secret. Attraction and lust have other plans for them though. 

I still don't get what the title means. There is no school. Ryan doesn't do much to teach her. Is it the boat? Is it the sea? Is Isadora self-teaching? Beh. 

Ryan is meh. 

Isadora is meh. 

Their chemistry seems forced and I just can't buy it even at the end. I did enjoy some of their quips though. I actually chuckled a bit.

The locations are the best part of the story! So refreshing, but sadly I still didn't warm up to these two as a couple. 

I managed to get to the end just so I could see the hows and whys. Morbid curiosity I guess.

All-in-all, I DID finish this so I can safely say it is a slight win for the DNF 2nd Chance challenge. However, my opinion barely changed. I'll give it a bonus star for the locations and the quips. 2 stars from me.  

Favorite Character(s): the boat

Least Favorite Character(s): Isadora's family.

 Challenge(s):

- Library love #10

Audiobook Review: As Luck Would Have It by Sonya Lalli

Author: Sonya Lalli

Narrator: Amrit Kaur

Title: As Luck Would Have It

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Chick Lit

Format: Audiobook

Published: October 10, 2024

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

Hockey coach Ashley Jaswal doesn't take nonsense from anyone … except her overbearing and superstitious family. They believe she's a good luck charm for her brother Jas, the newest Vancouver Canucks draft pick, forcing Ash to attend all his games as he rises up the NHL ranks, sacrificing her personal life (not that she has one—who decided hockey season needed to be 10 months long anyway?).

Ash also clashes with Jas’s teammate, Canucks captain Devin Snyder. Devin is yet another arrogant hockey bro—and admitted total babe—who is fresh off a scandalous break-up with a global pop-star. But she soon finds the ice melts between them, and they share an unexpected chemistry. As Ash wrestles with her family’s demands, her brother’s career and her feelings for Devin, will she find a way to take a risk and make her own luck? Or will she puck this up?

Review:

Weeee love hockey love stories!

Here we follow Ashley Jaswal who is a hockey coach and a school teacher. She doesn't take nonesense from anyone, except for her family. They are overbearing and superstitious. They believe she is a good luck charm for her brother, Jas. If she misses a game, he doesn't do well, so now she has to go to every.single.game. Things are about to change and Ash will have to make some tough choices when Jas is drafted for the Vancouver Canucks. Will she sacrifice her personal life to attend every game or will she finally put some boundaries down. At the same time, she clashes with Jas' teammate and captain, Devin Snyder. Devin is a babe, but he seems to be an arrogant hockey bro who is fresh off a scandalous break-up with a global pop-star. Nothing is as it seems though. 

This was truly entertaining!! I didn't want to stop listening! 

Poor Ash, but there are times I wanted to shake her. However, it's hard to really set boundaries with family, especially when you do love them. Her father is a piece of work so F him. Sexist for sure. You can say he is simply just "old school" but still....F him. 

I loved Devin once we really get to know him. 

Jas...........he has potential to be a good man someday, but he has too much of his father in his head right now. There is hope for him especially near the end. I hope we get to see him find love in the future but I don't think this is going to be a series. Booo!!!!!!

Love a good romance, but I love a romance with some depth. We go over sexism and racism in sports and life in general. The author did a nice job weaving it into the story and it actually helped push the plot along. It didn't muddy the story at all. It was beautifully done. 

As much as I enjoyed this, I did have some issues with the ending. It was very sweet and adorable and yes, Ash and Devin find their HEA. However, I'm still debating on how I feel about Devin's decision. I also wanted more of an epilogue if this isn't going to be a series. There are a lot of questions I have that I need answers for. Sure, I can assume but where is the fun in that? 

The narrator was nice. She did a good job with the different genders and different age groups and different accents. Lovely job. 

All-in-all, this was a nice read. I really did enjoy it. I wanted a hair more from the ending and I'm not sure how I feel about Devin's decision, but even with that I enjoyed this. A lovely story with some depth. 4 stars from me. 

- Favorite Character(s): Ash and Dev

- Least Favorite Character(s): Ash's father and Jas (he DID get better but his transformation still has a mile to go)

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #19

- Romance Reading #15 (Snow/Ice on Cover)

Book Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Title: Fourth Wing

Series: The Empyrean #1

Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

Format: paperback

Pages: 544

Published: May 2, 2023

Where I got It: My shelf (local book store)

Summary: 

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general―also known as her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away… because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter―like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda―because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Review:

Everyone has been ranting and raving about this and I will admit I've been curious. Especially for the dragons. I got this beaut of a version on sale at my local book store (#supportsmallbusiness) so why not!?

Here we follow Violet who wants a quiet life among the books and tomes as a Scribe. However, her mother won't allow that. She has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you are smaller and have medical issues, death is a little closer than it is for everyone else. Especially when it comes time to try and bond with a dragon. Dragons are not known for liking "weak" and "fragile" humans. They want the best of the best. At the same time, Xaden and so many others want her blood in revenge. She may not be the strongest, but she will be the smartest and live as long as she can. 

I will admit I was nervous because the last book I bought just for the cover and people saying it was amazing turned out to be a DNF. Eee. But I was pleasantly shocked that I grew to really adore this story. 

Love dragons here. They are your typical self-absorbed and grumpy dragon and I love that. However, when they find a special human they do get attached. There was a scene (won't spoil anything) where you could see that dragon's heart shatter as their human died. I literally had tears. 

This book is brutal. It's a tough world and a tough thing to become a rider. Not everyone makes it. It felt very Sparta-like. Only the tough survive and this school/boot camp only want the tough to survive. Even if you bond with a dragon, it doesn't guarantee you'll survive boot camp/school. You have to be on your guard and be careful who you befriend. I def don't want to be in this world. If I was...I would be a Scribe. Leave me be with the books. 

There is some romance here but it isn't the main story. There is something the higher ups are hiding. It's easy to guess if you pay attention to the small clues.

Like I said....this world is rough and I cried a couple of times. I wouldn't survive because I grow attached to people. So many people died!!!!!!!!! OMG the ending! Of COURSE someone I loved doesn't make it. *cries* So have your guard up and love no one! *cries more*

I had one issue with the book (minus people I like being killed off). I hated how modern the dialogue was at points. It didn't feel fantasy-like sometimes. It's easy to look past and didn't ruin the story for me, but I guess I'm biased because I'm so use to the dialogue being a certain way in fantasies. Could just be a me thing. But yes....it didn't ruin it overall for me but it did bug me a bit. 

All-in-all, I grew to really adore this. I have to read book 2. 

4 stars from me. 

Favorite Character(s): Liam, Violet, Rhi, Mira, and all the dragons

Least Favorite Character(s): Dain, Jack, and Violet's mother