Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher | Book Review

Book: Meet Me in Paradise
Author: Libby Hubscher
Series: Standalone
Genre: Romance
My Rating: 3/5 Stars

“Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”

Wanting a good romance book to read, I searched Goodreads for new recommendations because there was nothing I owned that I was interested in. Especially with the weather turning warmer at the time, I was craving a tropical vacation themed romance and Meet Me in Paradise seemed to fit that description perfectly.

Ever since their mom passed away, Marin has been looking after and constantly worrying about her little sister Sadie. Choosing a life of comfort over traveling the world like her sister, Marin stayed sheltered and was okay with that. But Sadie was not, so she came up with a plan: send Marin alone to the tropical island of Saba under the ruse of a sister getaway, have someone steal her passport, and demand she take risks or else she couldn’t come home. During a terrifying flight, Marin meets Lucas Tsai, the man who owns the airline and the hotel she’s going to stay at. Through her distress of being trapped on an island alone, Lucas takes it upon himself to help her get out of her comfort zone as he shows her around. And Marin has no choice; she needs to impress Sadie enough so that she would be willing to help her find her way back home.

“Everything great is on the other side of fear.”

There were specific chapters, through Sadie’s thoughts and perspective, dedicated to Marin’s past and their overall characterization. I found them to be annoying because I was forced out of the tropical paradise storyline that I was trying to invest in. But I will say that I enjoyed how these chapters slowly revealed what was going on with Sadie and who she was talking to. It was a good build up.

“She needs to see the sun turn a mountain gold. She needs to feel the sensation of having conquered something hard, and that means she’ll have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when she’s tired, even when she’s scared.”

The first fifty pages really drew me in. It was fast paced and practically got to the point of the plot straight away. There were many times where I laughed out loud, especially during Marin’s multiple clumsy moments in a short span of time. But as the story went on, I found that there was something missing, something that kept me from falling completely in love with the story and the characters. I mean Marin and Lucas’s island adventures were definitely fun to read about, and I liked their romance, but I didn’t feel completely attached like I thought I would at first. I think it came down to this book being different from what I expected.

I would say don’t pick this up if you’re just looking for a fun summer romance. Though it has some of those elements, it turned out to be a much more serious and somber story. It was about finding oneself, sisterhood, and grief, with romance being a small focal point. I mean that’s not a bad thing, but it wasn’t what I was craving, and as a result, I got through it slowly.

Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/ZsMUprzbpd4

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We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal | Book Review

Book: We Hunt the Flame
Author: Hafsah Faizal
Series: Sands of Arawiya, #1
Genre: High Fantasy
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

“Together, we will raise the dunes from the earth, and rain death from the sky. Together, we are capable of anything.”

I’ve had many plans to read this book over the years. Especially when I participated in a MENA region readathon. Obviously I’m sold on any middle eastern inspired fantasy books because that is my background, but I still ended up picking this up, randomly, years after I bought it.

The kingdom of Arawiya has been without magic for decades, leaving Caliphates without the means that once made them thrive. In Demenhur, where snow exists instead of sand, Zafira ventures into the dreaded Arzs in order to feed her village. But everyone knows her as the Hunter, for her accomplishments would be overlooked if she ever ceased dressing as a man. In The Sultan’s Keep, lives Nasir, the Crown Prince who must obey his father, the Sultan’s, commands as his hashashin. With a father who is growing more and more cruel, Nasir has no chance of another life. That is until his new mission sends him to Shar, an infamously dangerous island, because a certain Hunter has been sent to find an object that will bring back magic. His task? Let the Hunter find the object then kill him. Easy enough for Nasir, until he lets the piece of himself, not yet touched by darkness, overtake him.

“We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves.”

Spoilers Ahead:

I always love a good enemies-to-lovers dynamic in the fantasy books I read, but the anticipation of these characters meeting really dragged on. It took too long. I was desperate to see them interact and develop a camaraderie, but the slow burn was a lot in this case.

“If I told you my name, would you bow?” His voice was soft. A melancholy caress. He lifted his chin when understanding dawned on her face. “Or would you flee?”

I also think the story in general started out really slow. It took about 200 pages before it picked up. I was excited to start reading but the way it dragged on really put a damper on my experience with it.

I liked how a particular story from the past would be revealed in stages. We get bits of it in certain scenes until finally all of the pieces fell together and the character revealed all of the details. There were so many twists and turns and it made me face how wrong I was in terms of my understanding on the importance of certain characters (I didn’t think Altair would be as involved, and I didn’t think Deen would die).

Deens death was sad (even if I didn’t know him well yet) because it was unexpected and early. After the life he explained he longed for, his death was shocking because you realized he would never achieve his life goals. Plus the protagonist lost her best friend. At the same time, I was kind of glad he was out of the way because I wasn’t sure how it would work with him tagging along. If this was supposed to be a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, romance with the prince, Deen would make it more complicated if he was also in love with Zafira.

The banter between Altair, Nasir, and Zafira was a hit or miss for me. I mean some interactions with Altair made me laugh, but some of it was a little cliché and didn’t really hit the mark like the author probably expected it to. Not gonna lie, I sensed some sexual tension between Altair and Nasir, so you could imagine my shock when I found out they were brothers at the end. Please tell me I wasn’t the only one!

This was a pretty solid fantasy. Nothing about it was really unique or special, but it wasn’t bad by any means. I’m definitely happy I picked it up and crossed it off my large TBR pile. I have the sequel waiting on my shelf, so hopefully I will be back in this world very soon.

Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/ZsMUprzbpd4

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Without Merit by Colleen Hoover | Book Review

Book: Without Merit
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 3/5 Stars

“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”

Once in a while I find myself craving a Colleen Hoover book, and when it came time to read one this time, I was drawn to Without Merit because I had owned it for years and I wanted to get it out of the way. The reason why it took me so long to read it was because I had read a lot of reviews that pretty much summed up how this was collectively the least favourite CoHo book, but I finally decided to give it a try regardless.

Merit is tired of keeping her family members’ secrets. Nobody ever communicates, so she’s left carrying the weight. And yet she’s the one who always gets blamed, who everyone is always mad at. And of course it was too good to be true when an attractive guy, named Sagan, randomly made out with her. She was left with the humiliation of him mistaking her for her twin sister. Everything is suddenly too much. While things spiral out of control, she decides it’s finally time for the secrets to come out and writes her entire family a letter.

Slight Spoilers Ahead:

Like my more recent experiences with CoHo books, I was annoyed by the writing. She writes in a very list-like way. What I mean is that she develops her scenes by saying this happened and then this happened and so on. I also found it to be repetitive. Eventually, though, I got into the story and ignored the writing style the best that I could.

Personally, I didn’t think this needed a romance. I know this is the genre she always writes in, but the family dynamic, working through everyone’s problems, and Merit’s insecurities and hatred towards her family, was enough to be compelling.

“I used to feel like I was on the top of the world. Then one day, I noticed that it felt like I was no longer on the top of the world. I was just floating around inside of it. And then eventually, it felt like the world was on top of me.”

But the more I read, the more okay I was with it. It seemed like Sagan was the only calm addition to the family, so he was a nice buffer between them all. But out of the books of hers I have read so far, this was definitely my least favourite romance.

This one stumped me in terms of figuring out the direction it was intending to go in. It was so weird and ridiculous and sad, and knowing CoHo, I was expecting it to shock me in some way. But it didn’t really shock me. It was a series of small events instead of one BIG reveal. I don’t think a few of the issues were dealt well with by the end, but maybe that was the point. It’s not the ending but the beginning of them mending their issues. It’s not a story of complete resolution but a story that drives this family to go down that path. And we are left to imagine how that will play out.

Do I agree with the reviews about this book? Yes. It is definitely at the bottom of my CoHo list. But I’m happy that I finally read it.

TW for suicide attempt.

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A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole | Book Review

Book: A Conspiracy of Stars
Author: Olivia A. Cole
Series: Faloiv, #1
Genre: Sci-Fi
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

“Is this how humans got ourselves into this mess? By believing that we have as much right to this planet as the Faloii? Do we think we own the galaxy?“

For a some time now I’ve been meaning to read more Sci-Fi books, so I’ve been slowly expanding my collection in this genre. I received A Conspiracy of Stars in a book box a while back, never having heard of it. As I read it, I decided that this was definitely an underrated book; it deserves more attention.

Humans, forced off of their original planet, only had one choice for a new home: Faloiv. This is a small planet inhabited with foreign animals and plants, as well as, the indigenous people known as the Faloii. Because of an agreement after the humans crash landed, they were able to build a small community of compounds to study the animals and plants of the planet in order to ensure their continued survival. But when teenagers are suddenly allowed to enter the labs to intern, like sixteen year old Octavia English and her classmates, they begin to discover the sketchy happenings behind the scenes. And with Octavia learning about her deep connection with the animals, an experience that no one else she knows possesses, she begins to see past the excitement of lab work, towards the dangers that are occurring due to humanity’s desire for power and control.

“Facts are not always facts. The version of the truth we know is what is shown to us.”

I found that it was very easy to follow along when I first started reading. I quickly understood what was happening, as well as, went along with the terms they used. The basic information aside, there were a lot of different species named. Obviously species of all kinds on this planet were a huge focal point in the plot and conflict and I appreciated what Cole created. What she came up with, in terms of their unique characteristics, was fascinating and creative.

Sometimes books don’t need romances and it felt like it was added just for the sake of adding it in this case. The concept alone was engaging enough for me, so I found the romance to be irrelevant. It was just too instalovey and bland. But I still liked the characters individually.

Almost everyone’s education and careers revolved around science, while other paths were almost nonexistent (which is evident in Rondo’s passion for music and how he didn’t have an outlet to pursue it). It’s scary to expect everyone to have the same interests. So many shady things were going on, and the secret keeping that was slowly being revealed gave me chills. It even created a tense family dynamic because we had parents going along with it. This was not just about humans crash landing on a new planet and building a small community, it was about how far they were willing to go to gain power. I mean, there was a corrupt leader who only worked with the people who voted for him.

I think the climax was very gripping because I cared about the stakes. I was angry along with the main characters and I was in tears reading about what the animals, and a Foloii indigenous man, went through in captivity.

Almost everything that was mentioned earlier in the book tied together by the end. The author had a clear path she wanted to go down and it showed. I just wish more facts about the previous planet were mentioned. I wanted to know what happened to cause the humans to evacuate. I don’t know if I will continue with the next book. I would definitely pick it up if I had it, but I’m not going to go out of my way to purchase it anytime soon.

Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/IZRpQmSn4vA

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Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare | Book Review

Book: Chain of Iron
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Last Hours, #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

“We are none of us perfect, and no one expects perfection. But when you have hurt people, you must allow them their anger. Otherwise it will only become another thing you have tried to take away.”

Reading Chain of Gold, the previous book, had given me everything I had imagined and dreamed of in terms of seeing characters I have adored, all grown up, with their own families. So of course I was looking forward to the sequel in order to continue this demon-slaying, drama-filled story, with these unforgettable Edwardian characters.

After Cordelia’s reputation is shattered to protect James from being accused of a crime, they hastily decide to get married. The plan is to stay married for a year and then get divorced. But as weeks go by, Cordelia realizes that this marriage will not be easy to endure because of her unrequited love, especially with James longing for Grace Blackthorn while wearing the bracelet she gave him. But other problems begin to arise. The London Enclave is hit with a new mystery: Shadowhunter murders taking place at dawn after night patrols are over, with obvious signs that no demons had a part in it. The Merry Thieves, Anna, Cordelia, and Lucie take it upon themselves to solve this mystery. But Lucie must also act to bring back Jesse from the dead, one of the many secrets that are being kept from each other, threatening their friendships and relationships.

Spoilers Ahead:

There was not a lot of action in the beginning, and by action I obviously mean demon hunting. You would think that after making this statement many times about her previous books, I would expect it. But no, I was still surprised by how domestic things were for a good chunk of the page time. The domesticity was really a result of Cordelia and James’ marriage, which happened almost right as the book began (another thing that I wasn’t expecting). The beginning was also really heavy with society and the formality of it all through balls and such, which was a reflection of it being the early nineteen hundreds. I always found it interesting how, despite Shadowhunters claiming they are very separate from mundanes, they still apply mundane expectations and lifestyles into their lives.

The overall feel of the book was intriguing. I loved the way Clare created a vivid winter imagery; I could picture it really well. Then there was the unexpected murder mystery: a very consistent plot point throughout the story. Obviously I was engaged with this concept because I was trying to find hidden clues to figure out who it was (but I guessed wrong, which makes it better because it wasn’t predictable).

There was a lot of set up for romantic couples in this. Clare masterfully crafted situations where certain characters were forced to interact, and knowing that it would lead to a potential relationship made it so much more entertaining. Of course she leaves me with a million ships. But it’s frustrating too because most of these situations were not happy ones. The whole book I was like: when is James going to take that damn bracelet off?? And when it finally happens we are left with even more angst. I love angst though. Even though miscommunication is the worst, I really want Cordelia and Matthew to have a good time on their trip, especially because poor Matthew is hurting and I want him to have the world. I am begging Clare to give him happiness in the next book.

“Love is not always a lightning bolt. Sometimes it is a creeping vine. It grows slowly until suddenly it is all that there is in the world.”

Some things I wasn’t a fan of: I was surprised that I didn’t care as much for Lucie and Jesse this time around. Going into it, I assumed that they would be one of my top favourite ships, but instead I found myself bored every time they were on the page. Another thing, Clare’s books are known for being funny. The dialogue between characters stood out to me in the past, and though there was some of that in this book, certain jokes made by the characters were a little off. I guess it just wasn’t my taste.

That ending ruined me and I expect the next book to hurt but also give me good things. I look forward to the final book in this trilogy. I can’t believe we are almost done with another Shadowhunter series.

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Welcoming Spring With Poetry | Reading Vlog

Welcome to my poetry reading vlog. It is spring and the weather is finally warming up. Join me as I read and interpret various poems and don’t forget to follow this link if you are interested in reading more:

She All Falls Down by Elle Donovan

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Legendborn by Tracy Deonn | Book Review

Book: Legendborn
Author: Tracy Deonn
Series: Legendborn, #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

“The most important thing you can do in this world, the most necessary thing, is to survive it. You can’t do anything for anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first.”

This is why I always push through books when I feel like putting them down. I was not immediately excited about this, but when I kept reading, I realized that this was going to be a new favourite. I loved this so much.

After an accident takes her mother’s life, Bree decides to go through with her plan to attend a program at UNC–Chapel Hill, for high schoolers, with her best friend Alice. What Bree does not expect to uncover, during this experience, is a secret society of descendants of King Arthur’s knights called the Legendborn, who fight the demons she has begun seeing. As she regains memories that were erased by powerful Merlins, she believes that perhaps the answers to what happened to her mother are not so simple, that it was not just an accident. So she recruits her new school mentor, who was a part of this society until he decided he wanted out, to help her join and gain a high enough title in order to have the right to demand answers. But first, she has to get through the trials.

“If the world is simple, certain people will never be inconvenienced, never need to adapt. I disrupt those people, and you do too.”

This was everything I didn’t know I needed. Almost every scene captured my attention. Considering this was an urban fantasy, I enjoyed the balance of contemporary and fantasy elements it was giving. Like yes we were reading about a young character embarking on her first experience in college, but it became so much more than that. What was interesting was how we found out information about the Order with Bree. For example, other characters would use terms that were not defined yet and we would both be confused.

Bree’s experiences, what she discovered, and just everything that worked and connected together, resulted in the most epic character growth. She was strong, she called people out, but she also had to carry the weight of so many heartbreaking truths. She took something that was rooted in so much tradition and history and carved a place for herself, whether they wanted her there or not. And that’s why the end reveal, despite its appalling cause, will be such a big you know what to the racists and the system they’ve built.

“From buried lives to beaten ones. From blood stolen to blood hidden. I map this terrain’s sins, the invisible, and the many, and hold them close. Because even if the pain of those sins takes my breath away, the pain feels like belonging. And ignoring it, after all I’ve just witnessed, would be a loss.”

So, I need to talk about the romance because I was all for what took place between Bree and Nick and I didn’t even care that it happened too fast because I thought it was cute.

“How does he do it? How does this boy navigate my emotions like a seasoned sailor, finding the clear skies and bringing them closer, when all I seem able to do is hold fast to the storms?”

But then, out of nowhere, I became a Sel stan and that’s when a new ship arose. Okay, hear me out, Sel becomes an unexpected ally for Bree, someone she decides to share secrets with when Nick specifically told her that he was dangerous. They form this bond, this trust, while Nick kept disappearing because he was busy. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, trying to pick up on foreshadowing for the next book, but it really does seem to be going in that direction. And I have to say, the interactions and conversations Bree and Sel had (after he realized that she wasn’t a demon) were so much more interesting that I started looking forward for more. And yes, I did freak out every time their dialogue was funny. I might be a little biased though, considering Sel became my favourite character.

I’ve realized that I enjoy books with a community, something that brings a group of people together (in this case demon hunting). Obviously, I am looking forward to the sequel to continue reading about the relationships, friendships, and Bree’s journey.

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Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Book Review

Book: Gods of Jade and Shadow
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Series: Standalone
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Historical Fiction
My Rating: 3/5 Stars

“She had looked up at the night sky far too often, trying to divine her future in the face of the pockmarked moon. Casiopea was a realist, but her youth also made it impossible to remain rooted to the earth every second of the day. Once in a while she sneaked a line of poetry into her heart, or memorized the name of a star.”

A coming of age narrative filled with dreaming, history, and mythology. On the surface, I expected to enjoy this; it reminded me of The City of Brass. But I had a weird experience with it instead. It started out okay, and my heart and soul were preparing to read through a new favourite book, because once they got into their quest, I got invested. But that went downhill as my desire to read plummeted. Do I have an explanation as to why this happened? No. I still can’t really tell if my lack of desire to pick up this book was due to me being in a reading slump or because the story did not continue in the way I imagined. Probably a mixture of both. Regardless, I will highlight my thoughts ahead.

When Casiopea Tun accidentally resurrects the former Supreme Lord of Xibalba, from an endless sleep put upon him by his usurper brother, she finds herself bound to him in an unexpected way. Now they must not leave each other’s sides and embark on a journey to find the missing pieces of his essence so that he can reclaim his throne and unlink Casiopea from a slow death. Despite the necessity of joining him, Casiopea has always been eager to leave her Grandfather’s house, where she has been treated poorly. And her dreams have always stretched further than the town of Uukumil, where she grew up. If they are unsuccessful, not only will she never see her dreams come to pass, but her world will turn into bloodshed and death.

“Folktales are full of such coincidences that are never coincidences at all, but the brittle games of powerful forces.”

Slight Spoilers Ahead:

I loved the dynamic that took place between Hun-Kamé and Casiopea: the way she used sarcasm and the way he replied to those remarks seriously. It was different and my anticipation for where their relationship was headed was strong. But at the same time, Hun-Kamé barely ever talked. I mean him and Casiopea had conversations, but there were times when I wondered why he had no reactions. I felt like it put a barrier between their relationship development.

I enjoyed the rivalry between Casiopea and Hun and Martin and Vucub, especially with how it played out by the end. I was not expecting Martin to play such a big role in this book.

“He was afraid, like when he’d been a small child and thought monsters lurked under his bed; only now they did, and he assisted them.”

Honestly, I was expecting more from an adult fantasy book. The events that took place throughout their journey were average at best. Nothing they went through was remotely interesting. It took me what felt like forever to get through it. Though, I did enjoy how almost every chapter began with some kind of historical fact about the places they were traveling to, the style, and the ways of life in the 1920s.

I was surprised that such a huge event took place in the last 30 pages or so. It seemed like something that needed more time to develop. The ending was satisfying in the most unsatisfying way (if that makes sense). It was bittersweet because of course she becomes the hero she claims she is not. There was no way around the dangerous fate that would await the people of her region if she decided to be selfish. I guess for me, with the books I’ve read in the past, they always find some sort of loophole, but this was the adult aspect of the book.

“One day mortals would make songs about his victory, narrating how death killed death and carved himself a magnificent new kingdom. An impossible task. A thousand years they’d sing and a thousand more.”

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Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning | Book Review

Book: Darkfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Fever, #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4/5 Stars

“You want to believe in black and white, good and evil, heroes that are truly heroic, villains that are just plain bad, but I’ve learned in the past year that things are rarely so simple. The good guys can do some truly awful things, and the bad guys can sometimes surprise the heck out of you.”

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for years (what’s new). I had initially bought it because I knew Sarah J. Maas recommended it. What can I say, except, her books are to my taste. But I couldn’t tell you why I put it off for so long.

When MacKayla finds out her sister was murdered while studying abroad, she makes it her mission to find the culprit and seek justice when no form of authority proves to be very helpful. And Mac has something they don’t, a clue left behind by her sister. When she arrives in Ireland, it is anything but easy to search and gather information. Nothing makes sense; the stories she hears don’t align with what she knows about her sister. This leads her to opening her eyes to the world of the Fae, as well as, meeting Jerrico, a mysterious bookstore owner, who takes her in and who is after what this clue is about. Suddenly the search for what happened to her sister becomes more complicated.

Mac, as the narrator, was interesting. There was a lot of future Mac chiming in about what she would later know and find out. Those moments read like a diary entry or a recount, which I believe was the intent. I guess it’s not a bad thing because it builds anticipation for the rest of the series; what Mac’s journey will look like becomes a topic of interest. But something that bothered me was how her character development was unbelievable in this first book. When Mac was attacked, she fought back like she had trained hours in combat, which wasn’t the case at all. Not even a little bit.

As this was published in 2006, I found the outdated references to technology funny. I don’t know why it stuck out to me so much. Maybe because I was more familiar with it, as opposed to something that was decades older. Anyway, not really important to the story, but I still wanted to bring it up.

There was so much vagueness in this book. A lot of scenes were cut with the next part or chapter taking place hours later. Instead of experiencing the full scene, Mac explained what happened after the cut. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t stay in the scene longer. It wasn’t like it was uneventful or not important. Maybe it was to keep the book short?

Well, Jerrico and Mac (although he called her Ms. Lane almost EVERY SINGLE TIME he talked to her, so much so that I couldn’t remember what her first name was anymore) were definitely something. I considered it a super slow burn romance (at least I think there is going to be a romance between them) and by super slow burn I mean we pretty much got nothing in this book. I imagine it will grow throughout the series.

This was like a long prologue. I was expecting certain things to happen, but by the end I realized that what I was looking for was not going to be included unless I continued with the series. And considering I was intrigued by this first installment, I suspect I will be picking up the next book very soon.

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End of the Year Reading Vlog | Christmas, Birthdays, Chloe Brown, and Pride & Prejudice

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday and Happy New Year! This vlog follows me trying to finish the last two books I started months ago but never finished. It was a race to get them done, as the new year was fast approaching. I also show some Christmas traditions my family and I have!

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