Posted on by Meghan G

Prince of Fire: Review

Title: Prince of Fire

Author: Sophia Nye

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: E-book

Publication Date: March 15, 2024

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

**This book was provided to me from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for my honest review**

Summary

Two broken hearts. Too many secrets. One second chance. Six years ago, Dallan mac Murrough fell in love with the perfect girl. Though he was young when he proposed to her, he knew she was the only woman he could ever love. For reasons she never chose to share, she denied his proposal and shattered his heart. When their paths cross years later, anger and bitterness bubble to the surface despite his best efforts at civility. When Niamh first sees Dallan after years apart, her heart melts. He has all the same qualities as the boy she loved, except he is now very clearly a man–a strong, confident man with eyes that make her forget everything but the memory of him; a man with a gaping wound that she knows she made, and a smile so disarming she’d agree to just about anything. Except marriage. There’s no way Niamh will let herself give in to her feelings for Dallan. She broke his heart once because of a secret she carries, and she couldn’t bear to do it again. She loves him too much for that.

Review

Prince of Fire is the second book in the series Warriors of Fianna by Sophia Nye. It can stand alone without reading the first book, though it may have helped me a little to better understand some small parts of Prince of Fire that play back to the first book.  This is a historical romance that follows our two main characters, Niamh and Dallan.  About 7 years before the story takes place, Niamh and Dallan were in a loving relationship, until she did not accept his proposal and walked right out of his life.  When they find each other again so many years later, it is clear their feelings are still there, but how do they move past the hurt and secrets they’ve been keeping?

Historical romance is always a comfort genre to me.  I love feeling transported to a time and place unlike my own, and Prince of Fire was a great read to get me through some tough days.  Both Niamh and Dallan were characters I enjoyed, and we get to see both their perspectives told in a third person narrative.  It’s a second chance romance that always captures my attention, and I love the slow burn tension between the two that unfolds with every page. It’s a short book, under 300 pages and I would recommend it to any reader that’s looking for a good historical romance with new places and characters to explore.

I’m looking forward to going back and purchasing the first in the series to uncover some things I missed with the side characters and storyline.  I would also like to read the next book in the series as I enjoyed Sophia Nye’s writing and storytelling.

For:

  • Those who like dreamy Irish warrior male leads.
  • Those who like second chance romances.
  • Those who looking for a historical romance that isn’t set in Scotland.

Not For:

  • Those who don’t like when one of the main characters keeps a secret, or when miscommunication is involved.
  • Those who prefer contemporary romances.
  • Those who prefer closed door or no spice romances.
Posted on by Meghan G

Switched: Review

*This Audiobook was provided to me from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Title: Switched

Author: Sarah Ready

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Audio Book

Publication Date: February 20, 2024

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Summary

For Serena Otaki, free-spirited Californian, life is simple. She loves smashing atoms at The Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland. She loves Star Trek, spicy tofu, and her cat, Captain Purrk. She loves her messy (slob-fest) apartment, her chaotic brand of organizing, and staying permanently, happily unattached.

Life is perfect. She has one true love—physics.

Loving a man isn’t in her future.

For Henry Joules, uptight Brit, life is simple. He loves making analog black holes, drinking piping hot tea, and organizing his pencil tray. He loves his family, red meat, and obsessively cleaning his spotless apartment.

Life is perfect. He has many loves—physics, family, friends. He can’t wait to find the woman of his dreams.

Love and marriage are in his future.

One perfect night Serena and Henry meet. Sparks fly, particles collide, the universe comes to a halt, and…

It was a mistake.

They’re too different.

It won’t work.

Love isn’t in their future.

Until an electric storm causes an unexpected event at the particle collider and suddenly—they’ve switched.

Serena is in Henry’s body.

Henry is in Serena’s body.

And both life and love are suddenly very, very complicated.

Review

Serena is a physicist who works and lives in Geneva, Switzerland. One night, she meets a British man named Henry at the pub she frequents.  They hit it off and end up having a one night stand; however, when morning arrives and Serena realizes not only does Henry have deeper feelings than she would like, he happens to also be her new boss. Once it’s discovered by both that they don’t have the same intentions for each other, they end up not getting along.  Two years go by disliking one another, when one night while working on a project during a lightning storm, the two end up switching bodies. 

I listened to Switched on audio, and it was a very entertaining rom-com.  The plotline was unique to me, as I’ve never read a book before where the woman and the man switch places. That element brings humor, and allows the two main characters to be more empathetic for one another which draws them closer together. It’s also interesting that while they cohabit the body of the other, they seem to be capable of knowing memories and feelings of that person.  For example, Serena can have flashes of Henry in his childhood home and the way he felt in that memory. 

The narrator of the audiobook did well in voicing both main characters.  She was great too at maintaining them even when they were switched.  It helped me to visualize Serena being in Henry’s body and the other way around. 

There are a couple of things I did not like about the book.  These are more personal preference when it comes to romance novels.  Switched is very much an insta-love story.  Doesn’t matter if the 1st time they meet and the time they switch places is 2 years, because at the end of the day they did have one romantic night and then manage to mostly avoid one another for 2 years before having to spend time together due to the switch. And this switch only lasts for a couple of weeks. 

The other thing that bothered me–and honestly, this is truly a me problem–is when a person’s scent is described as being something intangible.  In this case, Serena keeps mentioning Henry smells like starlight. 


Switched is an overall likable romance book.  It kept me invested in it the whole time I listened, and I say give it a try especially if you like fluffy love stories.  I would recommend this book also to those who like Ali Hazelwood books.

For

  • Those who like books were the main character’s career is in a STEM field.
  • Those who like Freaky Friday.
  • Those who like Ali Hazelwood books.

Not For

  • Those who don’t like love at first sight, aka insta-love.
  • Those who don’t like main characters who are afraid of love.
  • Those who don’t like magical realism.
Posted on by Meghan G

A Court Of Sugar And Spice: Review

Title: A Court Of Sugar And Spice

Author: Rebecca F. Kenney

Genre: Fantasy/Dark Romance

Format: E-book

Published Date: January 1, 2022

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary

With their inheritance restricted until their marriage, sisters Clara and Louisa, both in their twenties, must live with their godfather Drosselmeyer. One night, an accident brings to life one of the strange wooden dolls in Drosselmeyer’s mansion. The Nutcracker doll is a cursed Fae prince, and he pleads for the sisters’ help. During the ensuing journey into the Fae realm, Clara encounters the handsome Sugarplum Faerie, and he promises her the chance to enact all the forbidden. fantasies she has dreamed of. Meanwhile Louisa and the Nutcracker Prince battle and bicker over everything, despite the growing attraction between them. And to make matters worse, the entire Seelie kingdom is under threat of conquest by the Rat King, ruler of the Dread Court.

This is a spicy, adult, fantasy romance retelling of “The Nutcracker” fairytale.

Trigger warnings are available on the author’s website and in the front matter of the book.

Review

Social media is usually how I discover new books to read.  My #1 source has become Tiktok, and at the beginning of the year a video came on my for you page recapping some drama associated with this book.  The drama part isn’t what got me to want to read A Court Of Sugar And Spice; it was how the creator of the Tiktok I described the book, and they seemed to really like it. It’s on Kindle Unlimited, so I figured I would give it a try and it was a great way to start the year, as it got me back into the groove of reading.

I will go ahead and mention that A Court Of Sugar And Spice is a dark romance. The book comes with trigger warnings, and I would highly advise reading them before starting. That being said, I’ve only recently started reading romance books with spice; and at most the romances I’ve read  might have a scene or two, but this book easily was the most spice I’ve read. There were times I would scan over some of these scenes since they happened more often than I was used to, but if that appeals to you, then I would recommend giving it a try.  I will forewarn that some of the spice is a little weird. 

A Court Of Sugar And Spice is a nutcracker retelling.  The synopsis is that the two main characters are sisters named Louisa and Clara. They are sent to the house of their godfather, Drosselmeyer, where he is to serve as their ward until either they marry or reach the age to receive their inheritance. Drosselmeyer is an inventor and toymaker, but the sisters soon learn that his inventions are more than meets the eye.  The sisters find out that their godfather is a faerie hunter, and the nutcracker in his possession is actually a fae prince from a different realm.  They decide to help the nutcracker escape, and in doing so travel to the prince’s faerie kingdom, where danger and romance ensue.


The book is told from a dual perspective of Clara and Louisa. Each chapter switches back and forth between them. I personally preferred the perspective of Clara the most, as her quiet, good girl persona was more like my own personality.  She also has the better romance in my opinion, but if you read this you could feel differently about it.  The book is action packed and the storyline moves quickly. I can see myself maybe rereading this in a couple of years; but I’m still trying to decide if I want to read the other books that follow, as A Court Of Sugar And Spice is the first in a series.

For

  • Those who want a Christmas/Winter romance, but none of the Hallmark feels.
  • Those who like the nutcracker, but wished it was dirtier.
  • Those who are looking for a new take on dark, fantasy romances with faeries.

Not For

  • Those who like fluffy, cozy romance.
  • Those who don’t like faeries or rats. (The description of the rat king made my skin crawl)
  • Those who would be affected by anything described in the trigger warning.

Posted on by Meghan G

Once Upon A Workday: Review

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

Title: Once Upon A Workday: Encouraging Tales of Resilience

Authors: Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz

Genre:  Graphic Novel/Comic

Format: E-book

Publish Date: April 2, 2024

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary:

Humorous and heartwarming tales of resilience, self-care, and mental health from the popular webcomic War and Peas

Told in rhyming verse and delightful comic illustrations, these stories cover everything from heartache and personal growth to creative burnout and searching for the elusive perfect email signature. 

While the groundbreaking Webcomic duo War and Peas is famous for their dark style of humor, they decided to try something more poetic and purposeful to inspire their millions of readers during challenging times. So they created the short story “A Job is a Job“ and published it online. It got so much attention and praise that the authors decided to make an entire collection of inspirational illustrated stories for adults.

These stories of heartache, self-doubt, family conflict, and employment help turn the struggle of becoming an adult in today’s world into something playful, punny, and profound. A Job is a Job will console and inspire the burnt-out professional in all of us. 


Review:

Once Upon a Workday gave me the same comforting feelings that I found in children’s books as a kid. This will be a great book to return to when I need some selfcare and encouragement. It reminds me that I don’t walk alone with the hardness of life, and shares some feelings I’ve had about my own life and work life.

The illustrations and rhyming verse make this a quick and fun book to read.  I plan to recommend to all my friends, so that they can find comfort with Once Upon a Workday as I did. 

For:

  • Those who like heartwarming and easy reads.
  • Those who like topics of mental health that is positively displayed through rhyming verse and illustrations.
  • Those who like books with childhood book vibes, but for grown ups.

Not For:

  • Those who didn’t like Dr. Seuss as a kid.
  • Those who don’t like topics of mental health.
  • Those who don’t like graphic novels or illustrated books.