Tag: romance

Posted in Reviews

SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
4/5 Stars

This was a fun, unique concept and a super quick read for me! I have been meaning to get to Sky in the Deep for a while now and I’m happy to have finally devoured it.

I found the premise of deep-seated Viking clan rivalries to be a super fun jumping-off point. Having read a lot of stories with the enemies-to-lovers trope, I thought the plot arc was *a bit* predictable at times, but that didn’t take away from the well-developed characters and intriguing details that illuminated this world.

I also thought the ending read suuuper fast (which can be a plus or negative, depending on your reading preferences). I wish that part was fleshed out a little more. But then again, I am also totally the type of reader who loves suspenseful build-ups to big battles where you get to know all of the characters motivations and fears (which this book did a great job of showing), but not a super big fan of the actual action sequence of the battle itself.

Basically, my main takeaway was that I really enjoyed Young’s writing style and characterization, so I’m very excited to read more of her works!

Comparable titles:
Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Nemesis by Anna Banks

***I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Posted in Blog Tour, Reviews

WHERE DREAMS DESCEND by Janella Angeles

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
4/5 Stars

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I have a weak spot for stories about circuses and competition. There is just so much potential for drama! and magic! and darkness! And Where Dreams Descend certainly delivered on this tall order!

Kallia is a protagonist who was very easy to root for. I genuinely liked her and wanted her to succeed! It was really refreshing to see the confidence she brought to her performances and life, even as she was facing so many unknowns (new places, judgmental people, and a society she knew nothing about) and while nobody believed in her but herself.

Jack and Demarco were also both interesting characters in very different ways. I feel like I know them a bit less than Kallia, mostly on account of the mystery surrounding their characters that was significant to the plot. I hope moving forward in the sequel that we get more candid looks at their values and motivations.

The storyline was a lot of fun. I just love the way competition-style plots create such a heightened, condensed arena for drama and intrigue. My one critique which held me back from giving it five stars was that the ending felt a bit rushed. It certainly captured the *wow* moment I was expecting from all the suspense throughout the rising action, but I wish we had a bit more time afterward to digest what just happened.

Altogether, though, this is certainly a book to look out for this summer/fall! I will definitely be recommending it to many friends and YA fantasy fans.

Comparable Titles:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

***I received an e-ARC from Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review as a part of the blog tour!

Posted in Reviews

THE BETROTHED by Kiera Cass

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
4/5 Stars

Over the years, I have been a pretty big fan of The Selection series (It’s kind of my guilty pleasure series… it’s just so entertaining to reread). The Betrothed is definitely in the same vein as Cass’ first series as a relatively feel-good fantasy romance. In fact, at times it felt like the same world to me (although this one is much more high fantasy than dystopian futuristic). While I enjoy that Cass’ writing style is distinct and recognizable, I wish this book held its own a bit more. I will try to refrain from comparing the two series too much, but I felt it just had to be said since I think a large part of my enjoyment of this book stemmed from the sentimental factor that it brought me back those warm and fuzzy and jaw-dropping feelings!

I quite enjoyed the first half of the book, but then the ending felt rushed with so many plot twists thrown in there. I was a bit surprised to learn that there will be a sequel due to this hasty ending (it felt more like trying to wrap it up quickly for a standalone); I wish that the fall-out of the climax was more fleshed out rather than thrown in there for shock value. I’m sure it was a necessary plot point for the future progression of the story, but I found it rather jarring and didn’t quite find my footing again by the time the novel finished.

While I have many critiques, I am giving it such a high rating because of how darn enjoyable and entertaining it was to read! Please give this one a chance. I know I’ll be reading the sequel and maybe I’ll even reevaluate my feelings about the plot’s pacing once I see where it’s going!

Comparable titles:
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
Torn by Rowenna Miller
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Posted in Reviews

THE MIDNIGHT LIE by Marie Rutkoski

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
4/5 Stars

This has been one of my favorite reads of 2020 so far! I just adored the characters and couldn’t help but feel giddy at being taken back to the world of The Winner’s Curse series, which is one of my all-time faves. The Midnight Lie was a bit slow to start, but it really picks up and then you won’t be able to stop.

I thought this story set up the foundation for a great expansion of the fantasy world from The Winner’s Curse series. I liked the way it was a spin-off, yet it wasn’t necessary to read the original series, so anyone can just jump into this story. And it definitely had its own original fingerprint, apart from the previous series. The romance is so sweet and features two really distinct, multi-dimensional characters with bold, unforgettable voices of their own.

As always, I’m a huge fan of Marie Rutkoski’s writing and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Comparable titles:
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
The Falconer by Elizabeth May
The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta

Posted in Reviews

FANGS by Sarah Andersen

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
4/5 Stars

I’m so happy to see that this webcomic has been turned into a book! I randomly stumbled across it online a few weeks ago and absolutely loved the concept and characters. Then when I realized that the author was Sarah Andersen, whose Sarah’s Scribbles books I love, I was even more excited. This comic is certainly a departure from her previous books, but it still has the same heart and humor running through it despite its differences!

Fangs really plays on the cliche of vampires and werewolves by depicting an unlikely romantic pairing between the two in a modern day AU setting. Each page of the book is one simple scene where the two main characters interact. Reading it in the book bind-up setting, I felt like the storyline was nicely continuous and showed great development as the pair explores their relationship. Initially, reading it as disparate comic strips every few days, I hadn’t noticed the flow between the scenes as much, but this way it all really hit me in a super effective way. By the end of the book, I was extremely attached and didn’t want it to end!

This brings me to my main critique: I felt like the ending fell flat. Not that there was anything wrong with it but it didn’t seem like a needed conclusion. I wish there had been a bit more of a resolution or glimpse into their future. Instead, it just sort of ended abruptly to me. Like it was just for the sake of finishing the book, but I could foresee there being so much more interesting content in their relationship moving forward that *the world* is denying me!

Overall, Fangs was so fun and quirky. Although the panels are short, it becomes really easy to get attached to the characters. Whether or not you’re a big comic/graphic novel reader, I would definitely recommend it for a quick read or even something to get you out of a reading slump since it’s mostly visual and fast moving. I honestly haven’t read so many comics before, but it’s something I’ve been getting into a lot lately. I can’t think of any direct comp titles in this genre, but I would say that it has the spirit of Carry On mixed with Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (and yes, I know those are sort of wild comparisons, but think of it in *spirit* and *humor* and *satire*… and just go with it!).

***I received an e-ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Posted in Reviews

WELL MET by Jen DeLuca

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks

In two words: So cute!

So a while ago, I received this book as an e-ARC from Penguin Random House’s First to Read program (before it was shut down last year) in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, time got away from me but I am so happy to finally get the chance to review this book now.

When I read it last summer, Well Met was a bit of a guilty pleasure read. I wanted something light and romantic and I think this novel is the perfect beach read to deliver on that desire. The main characters are sweet and likable. The Renaissance Faire setting really makes for a great premise, which I haven’t really seen a lot of in books (if at all!).

A story of family, love, and jousting, Well Met was a pretty positive reading experience all-around for me! Although it wasn’t super remarkable in regards to its content (I’m sure this love story arc has been done before in other settings– and I’ve probably watched the rom-com movie equivalent of it many times), this book delivered on exactly what I wanted coming into reading it.

Comparable titles:
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

***My review is also posted on Goodreads and Tumblr!

Posted in Reviews

THE BEAUTIFUL by Renee Ahdieh

Posted on by unapologeticallyabooks
4/5 stars

In preparation for the release of The Damned in a few weeks, I wanted to review Renee Ahdieh’s The Beautiful. This novel had a lucious, historical setting in New Orleans in 1872 with the twist of paranormal creatures roaming the streets of the vibrant city. I found the atmospheric writing of the setting to be the most compelling part of the narrative (not unexpected, considering how lovely Ahdieh’s writing is in The Wrath and the Dawn and Flame in the Mist series) and it’s what is bringing me back to anticipate the next book!

The protagonist Celine Rousseau is a force to be reckoned with as she has no problem subverting expectations for proper ladies of the time to get what she wants. The circumstances of her society force her to become confident and independent, yet she still manages to find trust in her friends (and sometimes, unfortunately, her enemies).

I actually quite liked that the paranormal elements of the plot were left vague throughout most of the book. In fact, it felt a bit strange to me when the term “vampire” was mentioned toward the end of the novel. I know when this book was first being hyped a lot of people made the inevitable comparison to Twilight, but I really don’t think it ended up being the classic vampire story most of us were expecting.

The potent tension between Celine and her love interest Bastien was really fun to read, especially with the great dialogue that felt straight out of a telenovela at times (but in the best possible way—this coming from a major Jane the Virgin fan). However, the many minor characters felt underdeveloped. Since this is the first book of the series, though, I’m sure there will be much more room for these other characters to grow.

As a side note, every time I hear Camila Cabello’s song “My Oh My” (which coincidentally just started playing as I’m writing this review), I think of this book. So I think that goes to show how successful Ahdieh was at establishing the deliciously dark tone of the novel.

I’m interested to see where the sequel will take this story!

Comparable titles:
The Diviners by Libba Bray
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
A Love Like Blood by Marcus Sedgwick

***My review is also posted on Goodreads and Tumblr!