In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been reading a few books (mostly romantic in nature). I made the decision to set a Goodreads reading goal for this year, so I’ve been working toward that. Let’s get into what I’ve read and how I’ve felt!
*All books were read through Amazon Kindle, and all covers and descriptions are from Goodreads.*
KINGDOMS WILL RISE AND FALL FOR HER…
“Cat” Catalia Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods—and her homicidal mother—have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever.
BUT NOT IF SHE CAN HELP IT
Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm—until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic. Cat fights him at every turn, but Griffin’s fairness, loyalty, and smoldering advances make him increasingly hard to resist and leave her wondering if life really does have to be short, and lived alone.
I gave this 4/5 stars. I appreciate a good fantasy romance, and I love slowburn and enemies-to-lovers as tropes. I like the romance and banter, and the characters got along well.
Cat, the main character, doesn’t start off as friends with Griffin and his crew–of course–but she soon finds herself getting used to their presence. I enjoyed the magic system, the difference of cultures, and Cat’s abrasive, defensive attitude.
Georgia Pearce possesses remarkable psychic abilities. When she discovers an ancient dagger hidden in her workshop, she knows it can only mean one thing. Trouble.
Trouble arrives in the form of Zak Goodwin, an entity more powerful – and definitely sexier – than any she’s come across before. However, when a horde of dangerous vampires show up and threaten Georgia and her sister, she has no choice but to ask Zak for help.
Along with a shifter cop, a band of vampire warriors, and her own psychic skills, Georgia sets out to stop the awakening of an immortal vampire who has the power to destroy the world — and discovers that staying alive isn’t nearly as dangerous as falling in love.
I gave this book 3/5 stars. This book didn’t change or move me, and the characters weren’t particularly special. The plot could’ve been much more interesting and it felt a bit like insta-love to me. The dagger wasn’t even that important until mid-way through the book.
The book was fast-paced, but at the same time it moved too fast. I felt like I couldn’t get my bearings with this book, and ended not caring about the events that happened in the book. The villain wasn’t even that intimidating; it didn’t make me want to read the next book.
Lucy needed a change of scene. She didn’t expect the change of a lifetime.
Doctors Without Borders has been Lucy Young’s life for the past four years. After being rescued from a conflict zone, she’s making a change from saving lives under gunfire to practising medicine in safe, serene Siena.
Now treating wealthy patients at a private clinic, she’s never felt less comfortable. She’s used to helping those in dire need – not those in need of a nip and tuck. Her turmoil grows when she encounters injured tennis star David Lorenzo, whose smiles make Lucy forget her aversion to the rich.
She’s soon falling for the sportsman but is she losing herself in this world of excess? All she’s ever wanted was to help the underprivileged, so can her future lie in Siena at the clinic – with David?
I gave this book 2/5 stars.
Have you ever read a book about a woman and just knew it was written by a man who didn’t know how to write women? I have, and this book is one such thing. I was so uninterested in reading the entire book that I skipped right to the end.
The main character wasn’t likable. She was very judgmental, and felt that working at a clinic was less important than work than working in a war-torn country–which, I can understand, but she judged every rich person that crossed her path and made sure that her disdain was known.
Everything good that could happened to her happened and she faced no consequences for her judgments of people, and it felt like she hadn’t made any growth whatsoever.
He’s uncovered a long-held family secret. She’s shocked to learn the truth—and to find out she’s caught in the middle between love and loyalty …
Colin Delaney’s wealthy family has been a Central Coast fixture for generations. The family is rocked by the sudden death of Redmond Delaney, Colin’s uncle and a major shareholder in the family fortune.
Julia McCray knows that her brother, Drew, has been hiding something—something that’s been tearing him apart. The day Colin turns up on Julia’s doorstep, he reveals a secret that will throw both her family and his into turmoil.
When Julia’s loyalty to her brother conflicts with her growing feelings for Colin, she must choose between love and family. Either way, her world will never be the same.
I gave this book 3/5 stars. At first, I gave it 4 stars, but there was something that I was wary about that made me change my mind. I enjoyed the conflict, but I was a bit wary of the relationship. The romance was good, almost insta-love but not quite, and I enjoyed the family dynamics of the Delaneys.
I thought that the different sides of grief were shown well, and also the idea of a family that will always be there, even if you don’t want them to be. There are apologies that I would like seen in the book, but that’s for another time.
[SPOILER ALERT: do not read this paragraph if you do not want spoilers] The only reason I didn’t give this 4 stars is because I was wary of the incestuous implications of this. Now, it may not bother some people, but Drew, Julia’s brother, is Colin’s cousin. It just made me uncomfortable, as I know that Julia and Colin are in no way related, but I would personally find it weird and kind of gross to date my half-brother’s cousin.
So! Here are the books that I’ve read. I enjoyed a few of them; some I wish that I could erase from my memory. Let me know that you’ve been reading in the comments below!
Texas is going through a crisis. They are freezing, with water and power being down. There have been many deaths because of the price gouging and shutdown of power from companies. Please, do your best to reach out, donate, and find a way to help those in Texas.
Myanmar’s democratic government has been taken over in a coup. Please help spread awareness.
Racism against Asians of all countries and cultures is at an all-time high. Speak up, speak out, and help those that have been experiencing racism.
Keep this in mind though: do not use racism against Asians to speak down on Black Lives Matter and other movements. Do not use Black people as a tool. Do not use them as an example. BLM is a movement that came together as a result of Black people banding together to try and make change. Statements such as “if you support BLM then you should support Asians.” This is not a competition. Do not make it so.
Racism is wrong on all counts. In every form and iteration. It’s embedded in our global culture. Fight it, unlearn it, and keep doing what you can to eradicate it.
kannaree.com 