Mini Reviews: Reading Challenge Edition


Hello, reader!

I am, once again, woefully behind when it comes to writing reviews these days. 2022 has been a busy year with loads of change happening and I’ve found myself with less and less time to sit and write reviews. Though I’ve been reading a ton! Perhaps that is the problem 😂

That being said, I thought I would try and catch up with some of my reviews by talking about three books I’ve finished from one of the year long reading challenges I’m doing in 2022. I’ve not been doing great with my 22 in 2022 TBR, but I’ve checked up a good amount from my 12 friends, 12 recommendations TBR! And, today, I’m going to finally review three of them.


Title: Battle Royal

Author: Lucy Parker

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Romance

CW/TW: Death of a parent (past), abusive familial relationship, emotional abuse (past)

Rating: ★★★★

Links:
Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Amazon::
Goodreads


This was such a delightful read! It made me realize that food + romance may just be my thing, because I loved the backdrop of this sweet story. Two rival bakers competing to bake a royal wedding cake while also working together on a hit baking competition is apparently the recipe to win my heart, haha. Not only did I get a cute (and sometimes steamy) romance, but I got to drool over delicious sounding desserts at the same time. Win-win!

I truly enjoyed the chemistry between Sylvie and Dominic, though Sylvie is hands-down my favorite character. Sorry, Dominic… but she has an enchanted forest in her bakery’s basement! That’s a default win! They were both wonderfully written and complex characters, though, and I truly enjoyed getting to know them throughout this book. There were a few plot points that stretched the imagination, but, overall this was a charming and fun romance that left me smiling from ear to ear.

And the steamy bits weren’t half bad, either 😈

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WWW Wednesday: Feb 16, 2022

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.


Current Reads

  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Yes, I’m finally reading one of the darlings of the bookish community. So far, I have to say I’m glad I jumped on the hype train! This is such an incredible read, with complex characters and a peek into the glamour and awfulness of Old Hollywood. I’m swiftly learning that I really enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing because this book has absolutely captivated me.
  • The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri: Speaking of captivating, this book is just phenomenal! The setting is so vivid and lush, the characters are nuanced and intriguing, and the politics are capturing my interest. I’m loving everything about this story, so far, and have been thoroughly pulled into the tale. It’s a real struggle when I sit down to read on which book I want to pick up more!
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First Lines Friday #32

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first (I cheat a little bit here 😉)
  • Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to the end of another work week. We’re supposed to be getting a massive snow storm this weekend and I am not happy about it. Mostly because I have to work, boooo. If I could just sit at home and watch it snow, I’d be all for it! Alas, I work in healthcare and, snow or not, there are always samples to run.

In an effort to get my mind of my snowy drive tomorrow, I’ve picked something lighthearted for today’s First Lines Friday. This is a book I’ve just started reading and, so far, I’m digging the main character’s vibes! And, I have to say, the first line really caught my attention. Let’s see if it does the same for you!


The Line(s):

It was the exploding unicorn that final broke him.”


The Hints:

This rom-com is perfect for someone with a sweet tooth.

It just came out last year and is the first book in a new series.

It’s my first read from my 12 friends, 12 recommendations challenge!


The Reveal:

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The 12 Challenge: 12 months, 12 books, 12 friends

Hello, reader!

If you spend anytime in the online bookish community, you probably already know what this post is about. You probably saw a certain graphic floating around the internet at the beginning of 2022. If not, let me give you a peek at the beautiful template made by @shadowbooker over on Instagram!

Image

This graphic/challenge prompts you to read 12 books that have been recommended to you by 12 friends. It sounded like fun (and was literally everywhere), so I figured I would give it a shot! So, through a mix of both online and IRL friends and family, I cobbled together a TBR of twelve recommendations that I wish to read in 2022.


My 12 Challenge

First, I want to say “Thank you!” to everyone who gave me a recommendation! I made sure to ask for books beyond my usual SFF realm and y’all certainly delivered. I think I have a good mix of SFF, mystery/thriller, and romance going on here and that’s exactly what I asked for. I do love my fantasy and science fiction, but 2022 feels like a good year to try and branch out a little more. That being said, let’s take a look at the books that I ended up choosing from all your wonderful recommendations ❤

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WWW Wednesday: Jan 12, 2022

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.


Current Reads

  • Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips: This is the sequel to one of the funniest middle grade books I read in 2020! I’m reading it for my first The Write Reads tour of 2022 and I’m so excited to participate. So far, this is just as tongue-in-cheek and engaging as the first book. I’ve only read a couple chapter, but I’m loving it!
  • Frostheart by Jamie Littler: I’ve been wanting to read this middle grade novel for ages! Winter seems like the perfect time to do it, as well. This is the January pick for Middle Grade Marvels. I love discussing middle grade novels with this group and I’ve found some new favorites because of them! I’ve just started this one, too, and, so far, I’m having a great time.
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