Book Review: Fraternity of Brothers Book 1

Fraternity of Brothers Book 1 by Marina Pacheco 📱

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Medieval Europe, 996 AD. Fifteen-year-old Galen survived a horrendous assault, only to be exiled by his family. Taken in by monks and grateful to be spared as a suspected sinner from the execution block, he ekes out a lonely existence of unrelenting pain. But he gains a chance to prove himself worthy when a famous young illustrator arrives at the abbey and selects him to help with an important manuscript.

Thrilled to be handpicked for his superb scribing skills, Galen fears the other members of the order will sabotage his newfound fellowship with their whispered accusations. But when more brutal attacks rock the quiet community, a confrontation with his assailant might force him to finally speak his truth.

Will Galen find his voice and triumph over trauma and tragedy?

While it took me about 50 pages to really be drawn into The Life of Galen, the first book in Marina Pacheco's Fraternity of Brothers series, I ended up really enjoying this book.  I became so enraptured that I read it in one day.

I loved this story and how it explores the ways true friendship can heal emotional wounds. A young scribe, Galen, learns to trust that he is worthy of a friend as he has become somewhat content with his lonely existence when he meets fellow monk, Alcuin, a  man brave enough to choose the company of an outcast and risk the judgement of his peers.  I aspire to be the type of person who chooses a friend based on my own opinions, not those thrust upon me by others, and I love how that is beautifully represented in this book. 

My chief complaint was how quickly the villain was bested at the crescendo of the conflict in the story. There seemed to be an awful lot of build up to something that was over and down with in just a few short paragraphs.  I still look forward to reading more in this series of five books set in 996 AD Anglo-Saxon England.  

Thanks to the author and Voracious Readers Only for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The White Ship

 

The White Ship by Charles Spencer 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

The sinking of the White Ship is one of the greatest disasters in English history. Here, Sunday Times bestselling author Charles Spencer tells the real story behind the legend to show how one cataclysmic shipwreck changed England’s course.

In 1120, the White Ship was known as the fastest ship afloat. When it sank sailing from Normandy to England it was carrying aboard the only legitimate heir to King Henry I, William of Ætheling. The raucous, arrogant young prince had made a party of the voyage, carousing with his companions and pushing wine into the eager hands of the crew. It was the middle of the night when the drunken helmsman rammed the ship into rocks.

The next day only one of the three hundred who had boarded the ship was alive to describe the horrors of the slow shipwreck. William, the face of England’s future had drowned along with scores of the social elite. The royal line severed and with no obvious heir to the crown, a civil war of untold violence erupted. Known fittingly as ‘The Anarchy’, this game of thrones saw families turned in on each other, with English barons, rebellious Welsh leaders and Scottish invaders all playing a part in the bloody, desperate scrum for power.

One incredible shipwreck and two decades of violent uncertainty; England’s course had changed forever.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🤴🏻

Full disclosure: I’m a huge fan of Medieval History. If that’s not your jam, this book may not be as enjoyable for you as it was for me. This is a brilliant piece of nonfiction work from Charles Spencer. The sinking of The White Ship is an event I was mildly familiar with (Didn’t we all read Beowulf in junior high?), but this book was very educational. Wait! I mean that in the absolute best way! It was an enjoyable read and I never once felt bogged down by the details.  

🏰⚔️

This well written account covers the pivotal years at the end of William the Conqueror’s line before the Plantagenet reign began.  I’ve found that there is a more bountiful offering of enjoyable but historically accurate books about the Plantagenet and Tudor Dynasties than the preceding royal bloodlines.  I highly recommend this to anyone interested in England’s monarchy in the High Middle Ages. 

Book Review: Black Cake

 

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫4.5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

We can't choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett's death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage, and themselves.
Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor's true history, and fulfill her final request to "share the black cake when the time is right"? Will their mother's revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
Charmaine Wilkerson's debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

🍰🌊🏊🏾‍♀️

This was my January pick for my Book of the Month subscription and I am so glad I flipped a coin in favor of this book.  When a debut novel is this incredible, it just gives me warm and fuzzy feels all over. *sigh* Confession: I’d never even heard of black cake before reading this book, so I don’t know which emoji best depicts it and will be using them all.

🥮🤷🏻‍♀️

As you can imagine from my 4.5 star rating, this book was near perfect.  Beautifully written and successfully weaving multiple timelines, I was particularly drawn to the “flashback” timeline being shared by Eleanor Bennett.  However, the characters in the present day timeline, Eleanor’s two adult children, were the weakest part of the story for me.  I did not connect to or care about Byron or Benny and find myself skimming over their parts in the last quarter of the story. Because I found both of those prominent characters in this book to be flat and uninteresting, I knocked off half a star for this otherwise stellar debut.

🎂

Thank you to the author along with NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: A Letter to Three Witches

A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating 

The Summary:

Bewitched meets Practical Magic in this sparkling and quirky rom-com with an enchanted twist. When romance problems cause their powers to go berserk, a trio of witches whose family was banned from practicing magic risk getting in serious trouble with the Grand Council. Can they get their magic—and their love lives—in order before it’s too late?

 

🧹🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♂️

I absolutely loved this book! So many rom-com novels follow the same recipe these days  and it has become just plain boring to me. This story was a new, fresh idea and was executed flawlessly.  I also appreciate how A Letter To Three Witches was a ”spice free” read without sacrificing the chemistry between the two characters with the burgeoning romance. Above all else, I had no idea what an enjoyable ride this book would be and I particularly loved the witty dialogue & hilarious hijinks our three witches got up to. 

Thank you 🙏🏻 to the author along with NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Finlay Donovan is killing it... except, she's really not. She's a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay's life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn't written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she's mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet... Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

 📚💻🕶

Finlay Donovan might not actually be killing it, but author Elle Cosimano most certainly is! This book was wildly entertaining, y’all. I’d file this under contemporary murder mystery comedic thriller with a hint of romance. If you’re anything like me, you never even knew you needed a book that hits on all of those genres at the same time - but, believe me, you do!

As if the brilliant execution of this book wasn’t enough, I’ve finished it just in time for the sequel! Elle Cosimano’s follow up to this hilarious book, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead, was just published on February 1st.  I recommend you binge read these two back to back because when I reached the end of this story, I was not ready to say goodbye to Finlay, unlikely heroine that she may be. 

😂

Book Review: A Brush with Love

A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings

⭐️⭐️💫2.5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable. 
A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules.
So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can't risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.
Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture.

 🪥❤️

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. The back and forth between Harper and Dan from “just friends” to “I can’t live without you” and back again was very frustrating to me. While I liked both main characters, I reached a point of liking them better apart and no longer rooting for them to be together. 

To be fair, this is a debut novel for Mazey Eddings and I think there was a lot of potential here. I would definitely give future novels by the author a fair chance because it is so satisfying to witness an author’s growth as they hone their craft. Sadly, most of the issues I had with A Brush with Love can be chalked up to “first book flaws”.

🥴

Thank you to the author along with NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: A Million Junes

 

A Million Junes by Emily Henry 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

For as long as Jack “June” O’Donnell has been alive, her parents have had only one rule: stay away from the Angert family. But when June collides—quite literally—with Saul Angert, sparks fly, and everything June has known is thrown into chaos.

Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away? And why has June—an O’Donnell to her core—never questioned her late father’s deep hatred of the Angert family? After all, the O’Donnells and the Angerts may have mythic legacies, but for all the tall tales they weave, both founding families are tight-lipped about what caused the century-old rift between them.

As Saul and June’s connection grows deeper, they find that the magic, ghosts, and coywolves of Five Fingers seem to be conspiring to reveal the truth about the harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations. Now June must question everything she knows about her family and the father she adored, and she must decide whether it’s finally time for her—and all the O’Donnells before her—to let go

✨

Basically, Emily Henry is a witch! Already, she proved to be a master author of the contemporary romantic comedy (IMO).  Now, I find that her sorcery is no less powerful in the YA fantasy realm.  How, Emily? HOW?

This story was flawless. The magical realism was intoxicating and the characters were three dimensional and relatable.  They made me care and feel so much!  This is one of those times when I finish an audiobook and I’m like, “OOF, I need a copy of this book on my shelf!”

I can’t recommend this book enough. Also, Emily Henry just went from being “one of my favorite romcom writers” to simply one of my favorite authors.  

Book Review: Any Way the Wind Blows

 

Any Way the Winds Blows by Rainbow Rowell 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward.

For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages -- and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound vampire knowledge. Penelope would love to help, but she's smuggled an American Normal into London, and now she isn't sure what to do with him. And Agatha? Well, Agatha Wellbelove has had enough.
Any Way the Wind Blows takes the gang back to England, back to Watford, and back to their families for their longest and most emotionally wrenching adventure yet.

This book is a finale. It tells secrets and answers questions and lays ghosts to rest.

☹️

That is an accurate depiction of my face upon reaching the end of this book. I just… expected more. There were a number of things that I needed to be addressed in the final book in this trilogy that were never even mentioned! I’ve sat on this review for a full 24 hours and finally decided to keep it short and sweet because I’m not here to spark a debate with the diehard fans, but I just didn’t like this book. The Simon Snow Series itself was just okay for me, with Wayward Son being my favorite of the three books by far. 

🤭

I still love Rainbow Rowell, but I would recommend you read some of her standalone books because I don’t believe this series is the best she has to offer. My top three favorites of her books would be: Fangirl, Landline, and Eleanor & Park.  Read one of those and then drop me a line, I’d much rather talk about one of those with you.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Book Review: Lucky Leap Day

Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5/5 Star Rating

 The Summary:

After one-too-many whiskeys, fledgling screenwriter Cara Kennedy takes a page out of someone else’s script when she gets caught up in the Irish tradition of women proposing on Leap Day. She thought she might have dreamt everything, until she wakes the next morning with a hot guy in her bed and a tin foil ring on her finger. Her flight is in four hours, her clothes are all over the room, and she has the most important meeting of her career in exactly two days—and on top of everything else, her husband has a dog who thinks Cara is a perfect surrogate mother, despite the fact that she has never been much of an animal lover…

Deciding to work things out stateside, Finn and her new fur baby accompany her to LA, where Finn spends his days going on auditions and his nights charming his new bride, leaving Cara to wonder whether this is real love, or if Finn is another aspiring actor just after her Hollywood connections? With limited time on his tourist visa, will Finn be able to convince Cara that she’s the right girl for him, or will time run out on their Hollywood ending?

🍀

This one was super cute, y’all.  I was very excited about receiving this audio arc from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for my honest review. For me, so many boxes were ticked before I even began listening: 

cute cover ✔️ 

love interest with a swoon worthy brogue ✔️

accidental marriage (after which hilarity ensues) ✔️

and the cute Irish dude has a dog that loves our quirky heroine ✔️

So much to love here and it delivered on all of those fronts.  However, I was just not buying into the conflict when it finally popped up. I mean, Finn was basically perfect for most of this book and then the conflict that was finally presented felt contrived to me.  While the book started out strong, I feel like it fizzled out in the third act.

🤷🏻‍♀️

All in all, if you’re looking for a fast paced rom com of a story, I definitely recommend Lucky Leap Day. Kudos to Ann Marie Walker for choosing to keep this story clean when so many authors add unnecessary spice to simply appeal to the masses.  Also internet high five for that epilogue because it was such a fun little twist!