Book Review: Blossoms and New Beginnings by Susanne Ash

Author: Susanne Ash

Title: Blossoms and New Beginnings

Series: The Alphabet Sweethearts

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella, Short stories

Format: ebook

Pages: 57

Published: January 21, 2025

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

Can love bloom again where it once began?

Lila Bloom has built a beautiful life in Juniper Falls, running the town’s flower shop and organizing the beloved Spring Blossom Festival. But when her high school sweetheart, Graham Hart, returns after nearly three decades away, old memories—and old wounds—resurface.

Graham never planned to come back to Juniper Falls, but caring for his ailing father has brought him home. Seeing Lila again is both a comfort and a challenge. The girl he once loved has grown into a vibrant, independent woman, but the hurt he left behind still lingers between them.

Thrown together to prepare the festival’s centerpiece garden, Lila and Graham must confront their shared past while navigating the unspoken feelings that still bloom between them. As whispered doubts and fears threaten to pull them apart again, they’ll need to find the courage to believe in second chances—and the love that never truly faded.

Review:

Yayy, another short story! Love the idea of this series. :) 

In this one, we are following Lila and Graham. They were high school sweethearts, and it went wrong when Graham left. Decades later, Graham is back to take care of his ailing father. Seeing Lila again is both a comfort and a curse. She was the one, but he had to leave her behind. This is their chance to find love again, but will the past and doubts pull them apart?

Another sweet short. I'm liking this series. It's quick and sweet. 

I am soooo picky with second chance stories. It depends on WHY they broke up the first time. In this one, I didn't mind the reasons, and I was rooting for them to get back together. Get over the past and love each other. 

A little more drama than the last one, and I was here for it. It was balanced. 

The ending was lovely. 

Can't wait to read book 3! 

5 stars from me. 

TMST: Narrators/Audiobooks

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

Do you prefer single narrator, duet/dual narration, full cast, or "graphic audio" audiobooks?

I'm not picky when it comes to how many narrators the book has. However, it needs to make sense for the story and POVs happening. If we get a whole cast...cool, but if the narrator is good they can manage it themselves. It all depends on the story and the narrator(s) involved. 

I do LOVE when they have sound effects though and some music. It just adds an extra glitter to the story happening. 

Blodeuedd's Monday: The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely

By: Lauren Blakely

Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Jacob Morgan

Series: How to Date, Book 4

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Release date: 04-11-24

Publisher: Audible Originals

Contemporary romance/from audible

Maybe I should have started something else, but I sort of just continued listened, but I was not really feeling it.

Monroe and Juliet has a podcast. She also goes on bad dates. Then they inherit a house and he becomes her dating coach. Oh and they had a fling years ago.

Things heat up, but he has some issues that I never really got. She really liked him and tiny bit of drama ensues.

It was good at times, and at times I felt like I would not miss much if I fell asleep for 30 minutes. Lol, ok that sounds bad.

Eight years ago I fell into a secret summer fling with the bright, big-hearted Juliet before our lives went in different directions.

Now, I’m the grumpy to her sunshine on a popular dating podcast we host, and when a wealthy fan gives us a charming coastal cottage as the biggest thank you ever, we head to the town where I grew up to give it a makeover.

And find the house has only one bed. Located under a mirrored ceiling.

To make matters even harder, the woman I’ve been pining for tells me she wants to try to find the one and would I please be her dating coach for the week?

Like hell I’ll let her date other men. I’ll coach her on three dates with me.  But the second I take her out, I don’t feel like her teacher. I feel like she’s mine, especially when the first night ends with us tangled up together in that bed.

Each night we grow closer, but this dating experiment forces me to face my greatest fear – whether a man like me is worthy of her love.

Even though I’m already head over heels for her.

Audiobook Review: Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

Author: Jasmine Mas

Narrator: Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Aiden Snow, & Tristan Morris
Title: Blood of Hercules

Series: Villains of Lore #1

Genre: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Mythology
Format: Audiobook
Published: August 1, 2024
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Step into the Coliseum at the Spartan War Academy where monsters are made, immortality is won, and even a god can die…

Alexis Hert isn’t a hero, and she certainly isn’t a god. All she’s ever been is a survivor.

But the Fates disagree.

When a blood test leads to her admittance at the Spartan War Academy, she’ll have to do more than merely survive.

Alexis will have to claim her birthright: immortality.

But immortality is a privilege, one earned in the crucible of the academy, where the heroes are villains and classrooms battlegrounds. While gladiators Achilles and Patro, her demanding mentors, hone her into a warrior, Augustus and Kharon, her professors and the brooding heirs to the underworld, haunt her steps and her thoughts.

Because where there are gods, there are bound to be monsters, and there is more than one hunting Alexis…

Review:

This was picked for my book club. I feel like I have heard of this one. The cover and title seemed very familiar. 

Alexis is nothing but a poor girl in the human world. Her life is thrown off track when a blood test leads to her being forced into the Spartan War Academy. This will give her a chance to claim her birthright and join the rest of the gods as an immortal. But immortality is a privilege and has to be earned through the crucible of the academy. Not only will she have to face tough lessons, physical tests, mental tests, and demanding mentors....but monsters and professors are haunting her.

I'm struggling to put sentences together today...so we'll divide and conquer this review. 

The Good

- I liked Alexis a lot. She has a lot of issues, but she can still find some humor in situations. She had me chuckling a few times

- The world was cool. I wouldn't want to live in it, but the mix of mythology and futuristic/post-apocalyptic was refreshing. 

- I adored Hades and Persephone. I hope we see more of them in the next book  

- Loved the animals (no spoilers here) companions!!!!

- Def a dark "romance". Some aspects I liked...some I didn't. Reverse harem is fun! 

- The narrators were lovely. I do wish we had more time with our male cast. 

- That was a good ending. I do want to read more just to see what happens to our cast. 

The Bad and the Ugly

- Honestly, I think we could've done some time skipping. We were in the Crucible FOREVER. Sure, I get it was important to see how bad it was, but there could've been some slimming down a bit. Some spots didn't do anything for anyone. It didn't help the plot, and it didn't add to the badness of the place. 

- The dark romance element left me feeling...unsure. Some aspects I liked, some I didn't. I really hated the scene at the dance.

- Why is every guy in love with her? Yes, I like Alexis....but it gets so old that all the men want her. :S Boring. 

- Possible love...square? IDK. It's hard to explain without spoiling. Curious to see what happens next with this.

Conclusion

So I did enjoy this. It was really long and took a while to get through. There should've been some scenes cut a bit to help move the story along better. Also, there are a lot of trigger warnings in this one since it is a dark romantasy. Def keep that in mind before jumping in. 

Overall, I did like this. Some issues, but it was refreshing. I liked the world (don't sign me up to live in it), and the characters were nice. I do want to read book 2 because of how this ended. I need to know. 

I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #7

- Library Love #6

- Reading Romance Challenge #5 (2+ Narrators)