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Posted in book review

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

Posted on by Awakening Biblio

Title: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

Author(s): Kate Khavari

Genre: Mystery

Format: Ebook

Would I Recommend it? Yes!

Book Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Spice Rating:

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Synopsis

It’s a race against the clock to find who the true criminal is or else your mentor professor ends up behind bars. This is no faint task as we are dealing with poisons, which thankfully you are knowledgeable about. But will that be enough?

Saffron Everleigh works with Dr. Maxwell at the University College of London in the botany department. As the two attend a dinner party, an unexpected crime occurs. A fellow professor’s wife is unexpectedly poisoned and in a coma. The police immediately put Dr. Maxwell into custody. While Saffron knows that Dr. Maxwell could never do this, everyone else is preoccupied with the university’s upcoming expedition to the Amazon. Saffron will have to navigate all these obstacles, plus being a women in the 1920’s. With the help of Alexander Ashton (a fellow researcher) the two have their handful while attempting to find the culprit.

Content Warning: Poisoning, mentions of sexual assault, some violence, mention of war, off-page death of parent in war.

Thoughts?

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before I get into the story review, can we please talk about this cover! Immediately when I saw this book I was attracted to the cover. The colors are vibrant and classy. Once I read the book it matched the vibe of the mystery and Saffron as a character. I would 100% want this book on my shelf.

Once I started this book I had a hard time stopping. I thoroughly enjoy a good historical fiction, but when you add in the mystery side of things its a new dynamic that keeps things interesting. Saffron is a character who is well advanced for her time. She sees the struggles of being a women in academia and society, but that does not stop her from finding out the truth. She is determined no matter what happens.

While she is partnered with Alexander Ashton for this story, she is still the primary lead and the attraction the two characters have does not take away from the story. I was following along with their mystery and attempting to figure out who could have poisoned Mrs. Henry. I did not see the criminal coming which allowed me to stay engaged in the mystery.

The one thing about writing reviews for mystery books is to make sure to not reveal too much that will spoil the mystery. I guess the main notable points that I would mention is that the characters are developed well, but I feel like there are parts of the story missing (specifically from Alexander’s perspective). Saffron introduces the world of women in the 1920s and in academia, and it is done well. I was far more intrigued by the ideas of poisons then I should have comfortably been. Lastly, that cover is something I have a hard time forgetting.

I now wonder what the next mystery will look like for Saffron and if Alexander will be involved after that ending?

Final Review

Do I think this is a good book?

Absolutely! I wish that there were more books in the series ready to go, I would have immediately started the next one.

Would you classify this as a cozy mystery?

Uhh…I know that some people will classify historical mysteries as a cozy mystery, but I would say that this one can fall into the category of standard historical mystery.

Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and mysteries.

Posted in book review

The Lady or the Lion

Posted on by Awakening Biblio

Title: The Lady or the Lion

Author(s): Aamna Qureshi

Genre: Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Would I Recommend it? Yes

Book Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Spice Rating:

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

Synopsis

Would you choose love or fate? If you were forced to choose a random door with a beautiful woman or a fierce lion would you select it with ease or terror?

Durkhanai Minagul is the crowned princess of Marghazar. She is passionate about her people and seeks truth and sincerity wherever she goes to represent her people. However, her family’s past does not follow those morals. Rumor has it that her grandfather is at fault for the mass assault. This causes the neighboring kingdoms to threaten war. As a servant to her people, Durkhanai will do what it takes to cease the pending violence.

Unfortunately there is more history that she is about to uncover, one that tests the waters of family over duty. Throw in a spice of love and you get a whole lot to deal with as the future queen.

This story is inspired by the “The Lady and the Tiger” a Pakistani tale of forbidden love and royal obligations.

Thoughts?

Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Books for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As I have mentioned numerous times throughout this blog, I thoroughly enjoy audiobooks. They allow me to escape to a new world while I am driving (this does not distract me and I promise I am a safe driver), cleaning, and getting ready for work. I enjoy a narrator who is able to bring the character to life and keep me engaged in the story.

The narrator for this story was Deepti Gupta. I did a little research on this narrator, as she was one I have not heard before. She is a home based narrator, with degrees in Acting (MFA), Theater Studies (MA), and English Literature (BA). She has narrated more than 30 audiobooks and has used her diverse accent (Indian, American, and British) to her advantage (Thank you http://deeptiguptanarrates.com/about/ for all the wonderful information). No one in their right mind would argue that Deepti Gupta does not have the talent or the ability to narrate a book well. Honestly, for this particular choice I think she was a good choice for her background. Her ethnicity and accents also were crucial to this role. I was grateful that for a Pakistani inspired tale they did not use a white narrator… not appropriate or needed (in my opinion). I was able to distinguish MOST of the characters just from the way she presented them. With that being said however, I found that her narration was very slow (even for 1.5x speed) and had moments where she was monotone that distracted from the experience. It made it difficult to stay focused at times, but if it was not for the ability to increase speed, I do not know if I could have finished it. But I was able to increase speed and I am happy to report that I finished the book and loved it.

Enough about the narrator, time for the meat and potatoes (AKA the story). I really haven’t read much South Asian, Pakistani, or Muslim based works. I have never read anything written by a Muslim American either. I wasn’t avoiding it, I just never found anything….until now.

Forbidden love is not really my favorite trope. If forbidden love is in a book I already know one of two things is going to happen (1) they are going to fall in love anyways or (2) one or both of them is going to be killed. It is kind of a deterrent for me; however, this one had so many other components happening within it, that even with knowing what would happen with the forbidden love (or at least thinking I would know) I was preoccupied. I was most intrigued by royal role that Durkhanai played and the way she was going to prevent any impending doom. Not only that but the backstories related to her family were in-depth and well-thought out. I often forgot that there was a romance side to this story.

Character wise, each character was detailed and intricate. I understood what their personalities were and their descriptions were well done.

While the audiobook was good, I think that I would have enjoyed physically reading the book better. I think I will attempt a physical read with book two in this series.

Final Review

Do I think this is a good book?

Yes, I think that this is a good book. In a single book, the author was able to establish characters, plot, and create an engaging read. While I did struggle a bit with the audiobook, I was continually wondering what next.

Is this a stand-alone fantasy or a series?

This is a fantasy series. The Lady or the Lion is book one in the “The Marghazar Trials Series”. The second book in the series (release date August 30, 2022) is titled “The Man or the Monster.”

Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?

Likely yes. The main demographic that I would recommend this to are readers who like folktale inspired retellings. Any reader who also enjoys forbidden love tropes and underestimated, yet strong female protagonist will also enjoy this book.

My disclaimer notice relating to a white person reviewing the works of a BIPOC author.

Since I am white with very little diversity in my genetics (LGBTQIA+ is about where that diversity stops), I purposely try to read books from other perspectives. I embrace the ideas and words that the authors present me and choose not to address anything that I do not really understand from a cultural perspective (until I have been properly educated on it, then I will share what I learn for more conversation). I will acknowledge when I do not understand something or do not connect with a character because of their different background than my own. That does not mean that it is a bad book or story, it is just something different than my own. My goal is to continually be respectful and enjoy various works of literature.

Posted in book review

Just One Night

Posted on by Awakening Biblio

Title: Just One Night

Author(s): Carly Phillips

Genre: Romance

Format: Audiobook

Would I Recommend it? YES!

Book Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Spice Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Synopsis

Linc Kingston has high expectations for himself, the company, and his family. He will protect his family no matter what and is determined to have perfection. He likes order and control. One thing he doesn’t expect and can’t control is his relationship with long-time friend and personal assistant Jordan.

Jordan is the daughter of a Kingston housekeeper. She and Linc met at a young age and connected instantly. From that point on, they were the best of friends. One problem, Jordan has always had a crush on Linc, but they are from two very different worlds; nothing like that could ever happen.

Although Jordan may be the only one who can handle Linc and all his quirks, neither is prepared for the one and “only” steamy, sexy, and intimate night. On a trip to meet Linc’s new step-sister [thanks, dad], the trip ended up being way more than he bargained for.

When worlds collide, friends become lovers, and the unexpected happens, you just have to chalk it up to that one night…

Thoughts?

From the second I started to listen to the audiobook I knew I was going to love it. If I have learned anything about my reading habits, its that I thoroughly enjoy romances that intertwine characters to allow for a series to develop. In this case the focus remains on the two main characters Linc and Jordan, but you get glimpses of his family. I suppose that one of the subplots does revolve around The Kingston’s meeting their stepsister; but the reader sees more of the backend of that interaction and more of the sexual tension between Jordan and Linc.

The narrators, Mackenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais, did an excellent job not only animating the characters based on Carly Phillips’s vision, but they were able to immerse the reader in all the family drama that ensued. And boy, let me tell you, there was a lot. When narrators are responsible for narrating spicy scenes, I get nervous that it will sound like a sex phone operator. Thankfully this is not the case with these two.

Let’s talk length. Get your head out of the gutter :).

The book itself is 5 hours and 42 minutes long as an audiobook and 282 pages if you are physically reading it. This is a short little book that packs a lot of punch. I did not feel that the storyline was rushed or missing elements to make it intriguing. You were able to still feel connected to the plot and characters through the development of the story. Each person in the story was described in a manner that allowed for basic imagery and room for interpretation of appearance. Their personality was evident without a doubt.

My favorite thing about this book was easily Jordan. The girl went through a lot. She has major insecurities and yet was able to continually be strong and independent. No matter what life threw at her, she was determined to get through it with or without a man. In addition to that, she knew what she wanted and was at least willing to attempt it. On their first night together, she easily initiated it and secretly controlled the situation, even if Linc thought he was in charge.

By the time I got to the end of the book, I had become interested in another relationship; Linc’s sister Chloe and her soon-to-be husband. Then the cliffhanger happened… honestly that was the point that I was hooked. I have yet to listen to the next book in the series, but I will definitely be.

Final Review

Do I think this is a good book?

Yes. I think that the story covered all the bases and kept me engaged. I continually wanted to see how these two would connect and manage all the twists and turns life threw them.

Is this book a series or a stand alone?

Just One Night is book one in the Kingston Family series. As of today [08/25/22] there are 6 completed books, 1 novella, and 1 publication pending.

Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?

I would say that this book is a good starter book for anyone interested in steamy romance. The plot relies heavily on the friends-to-lovers aspect, the spice is manageable [nothing kinky], and it flows at a nice pace. The only major content warning I would add is that there is mention of parental death [off page] and cheating [off page].

I was delighted to finish listening to this book. The cliffhanger at the end made me want to start the next book immediately. Unfortunately, it was not available as part of my kindle unlimited membership….so I have been patiently waiting until I have a credit to spend. That said, if you like a friends-to-lovers, rooting for the underdog with some spicy scenes, then I recommend this book to you.

Posted in book review

The Dragon’s Bride

Posted on by Awakening Biblio

Title: The Dragon’s Bride

Author(s): Katee Robert

Genre: Romance

Format: Audiobook

Would I Recommend it? hmm…. with a few caveats

Book Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Spice Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Synopsis

Prince Charming isn’t going to save every damsel in distress. Sometimes, you have to save yourself.

Briar Rose was too late to try an safe herself. She thought marrying her husband would help her; instead he was terrifyingly horrible. Trapped in an impossible situation she tries one more thing, a Hail Mary call, to save herself. To do this, it meant making a deal, freedom for seven years of service. As she is transported to a new realm, she did not realize that she would go to the highest bidder. Who you might ask was the highest bidder? Sol, a dragon in charge of his realm.

While not uncommon for dragon’s and human’s to intermingle, there is a lot more to this contract than meets the eye. Does she really know what she has gotten herself into?

Thoughts?

First of all, check the content warnings on this book.

  • domestic abuse (historical, off-page, but the heroine is dealing with the aftermath of getting out of that relationship)
  • murder (off-page)
  • human/non-human sex
  • size difference
  • explicit sex
  • breeding
  • pregnancy (epilogue)

Second, check the content warnings on this blog/post.

  • discussion of explicit sex
  • discussion of content warnings
  • discussion of human/non-human sex

Now that all the warnings have been covered… This book is not for everyone. It is 100% a monster romance. This book included dragon (Sol)/Human (Briar Rose) sex. How does that work, you may ask? Great question because I had no idea either.

This was my first technical monster romance. I have read books with fae, werewolves, or vampire relations, but not while they were in their “true” form. The idea of a dragon/human relationship was out of my comfort zone, and I was unsure how I felt about it. I haven’t written this post yet, but I am a huge advocate of understanding your boundaries while reading romance. Everyone has hard lines they need to discover; some are easier to determine than others. It can be difficult to figure it out without testing the waters. Hence where we are now.

I tried a monster romance; in this case, it was not a hard pass. I enjoyed it, but it was not what I expected either.

In my opinion, this was pretty tame, considering. There were numerous avenues that I think Katee could have taken this book, but she decided to focus on the idea that Briar Rose has a lot of trauma and dragons are typically scary. Instead of Sol being scary, aggressive, and dangerous, she worked to make him kind, considerate, and gentle (unless the sex conversation/actions dictated otherwise). Hence the relatively tame sexual relations. I should state the caveat that while the sexual actions performed were more on the tame side in my opinion (we are talking about a giant dragon with 2 very large d**cks), the content is 100% explicit.

One thing I like about Katee’s writing of sex scenes is that she has enough detail to discuss what’s happening but not too much that it feels dragged out. There is usually enough plot to balance out the sex. As far as the plot goes for this story, it was fine. I wasn’t blown away by Briar Rose and Sol’s relationship, but I was intrigued by the backstory of the realms and the demon. Those stories are ones that I want to know what is truly happening in the background. The plot wasn’t surprising or amazing, but it did its job and intrigued me.

Typically I choose to read Katee’s books rather than listen to the audiobook. In this case, I decided on the audiobook. It is a short book/audiobook and did not take long to get through. The narrators were wonderful to listen to. No complaints on that front.

Let’s talk covers. I am not really a huge fan of the classic clinch cover that romance novels use. Not really my cup of tea, but I absolutely appreciate the artwork. I personally prefer the more discrete special edition paperback of this book.

Final Review

Do I think this is a good book?

It is not my favorite Katee Robert book, but I thought it was pretty good.

Was it weird that the main character was a dragon?

Kind of. With the audiobook, I zoned out and forgot that he was a dragon until there were descriptors used that could only describe a dragon. It wasn’t my favorite thing when it did occur, but it also wasn’t bad. I won’t lie and say that I didn’t try to logically figure out the mechanics of how this relationship would have worked because it seemed like a lot of effort.

Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?

Absolutely not. This is 100% a book for people who are (A) know that they like monster romance or (b) are interested in trying something a little different.

The Dragon’s Bride was my first monster romance and likely won’t be my last (I want to know the backstory of some of these other characters). It does not set any strong boundary lines for me, but it is not something I will naturally gravitate towards. I probably would have never read it if it wasn’t for Katee Robert’s writing it.

Posted in book review

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Posted on by Awakening Biblio

Title: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Author(s): Shelby Van Pelt

Genre: Fiction

Format: Physical Read

Would I Recommend it? Probably.

Book Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Spice Rating:

Rating: 0 out of 5.

Synopsis

You have a mystery to solve. Who are you going to call? Clearly a 60-pound octopus.

Remarkably Bright Creatures follows the stories of Tova Sullivan and Cameron. Tova is recently widowed and many years ago lost her son in a tragic accident. Cameron can’t keep a job, has had some rough patches in life, and is ready to learn more about his parents.

How are they connected? They both have a unique experience with the aquarium. Tova is the cleaning lady who befriends the octopus. Cameron gets a job at the aquarium.

Marcellus has decided to help his new friend Tova learn the truth about what happened to her son Erik. Can he find the truth? What other mysteries will be solved throughout this story?

Thoughts?

In June, my co-workers and I decided to start a book club. This book club’s guidelines are that each month a member will be randomly selected to pick the book. That book needs to be one that no one else has read. Otherwise, the genre, topics, and format are up to you. At the end of the month, we meet to discuss our thoughts on the book.

Since this is a book club pick, I will provide my review and the consensus of the book club.

My Thoughts

In June, I was the lucky winner. When it comes to picking books, it has already intrigued me if it has a pretty cover. So, as I was walking down the aisles of books and saw this book just sitting there, it immediately caught my attention. It was gorgeous. As soon as you open the book, you are greeted with some wonderful page art. I was pleasantly surprised.

Now that we have covered the cover, let’s look at the inside of the book.

I went back and forth on the rating for this book. The big question that I usually ask myself when I’m stuck between a 3 and a 4 is whether or not I’d recommend the book to someone else. In this case, yes, I probably would. The easier option would have been to give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars, but that would have made logical sense. (Also, Goodreads doesn’t give the option of halves.)

To describe Remarkably Bright Creatures in one word is slightly difficult. Perhaps heartwarming is the direction I’d go. But it’s not really heartwarming, more so intriguing. But no, that doesn’t work either. Hmm… emotional? I honestly have no idea the best way to describe this book. It truly is just a unique experience.

There are three main characters to this story, each with their own personality and backstory. Tova, the 70-year-old aquarium cleaning lady, Cameron the 30 something “failure” and of course Marcellus, the 60 pound Octopus.

While this story was predictable, had numerous chapters that I had to push through from sheer boredom, and a writing style that was odd at times, the story’s savior was Marcellus. His chapters were life-saving in more ways than one. They often made me laugh, and I always looked forward to them. Otherwise, when a chapter was good, I did not want to put it down.

I noticed that the character development was different as well. I felt like I never really understood or could picture what the characters were like until the end. And even then, it was more guessing. The author established one main feature about each character and then covered portions of their back story.

If I am being completely honest, the story is 3 stars, but with Marcellus plus the beautiful cover, it becomes 4 stars. Overall this is an emotionally driven story with a clear and solid ending. You will not be overly emotional with this book, but some moments made me tear up, laugh, or smile.

Marcellus McSquiddles was easily my favorite character, and I secretly wish more chapters were dedicated to him. He was the show’s star.

Book Club Consensus

While my book club didn’t hate the book, they also did not like it. Here were the *BIG* concepts that we covered.

  • Cameron was way too whiny, ran away from everything, and encompassed every stereotypical thing related to a child without parents.
  • Cameron blamed everyone else for his mistakes and took zero responsibility.
  • There were so many little details that were completely unnecessary and drawn out. For example, the cleaning routine at the aquarium was described in so much detail that I could clean it with my eyes closed.
  • The book would have been better as a screenplay rather than a novel. We literally cast the entire movie for it when we came to this realization.

Final Review

Do I think this is a good book?

Yes, I do. I think it was overhyped because it was a “Jenna Reads” book. But overall, I enjoyed it.

Can the octopus talk to humans? Is this realistic?

No, the octopus does not talk to the humans with his words. You are shown his internal thoughts and feelings, but no direct words are exchanged. They do communicate in other ways but not in words.

Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?

Kind of. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something different, enjoys reading about family connections, and loves a good cover.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a debut novel. While it is noticeable that it is a debut, there was a wide range of wonderful components to this story. I am not sure if she will write another story, but it would be interesting to see what she writes next.

On a side note, if you like documentaries, you may also like “My Octopus Teacher”. It has similar vibes to this book.

Posted in book review

Beach Read

Posted on by Awakening Biblio

Title: Beach Read

Author(s): Emily Henry

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Physical Read

Would I Recommend? Yes!

Book Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Spice Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Synopsis

January Andrews is known for her romance novels. At one point she believed in all things love. She had a relationship that she thought would last forever and she wanted her relationship like her parents. Everyone has secrets though. Following the death of her father, January learns that there were some skeletons in her parents closet. After these secrets are reveal and her perfect relationship fails, believing in love is no longer a reality. As a result, she has been struggling to write her novel. Now she has three months to write her next book…but can she do it?

Her father left her his house after he died. January decided that she would clean it out and spend the summer there trying to write her book. There would be no distractions and it should make it easier. That was until she met her next door neighbor, Gus, who she went to school with and was in constant competition. When the two run into each other in town, both struggling to write their books a competition begins.

Who will win in the end? What other secrets may be hiding? Will January and Gus finish their books? Will they stay enemies?

Only time will tell.

Thoughts?

I read this book immediately after finishing “The Dead Romantics.” I didn’t realize it was going to be the summer of writers. There were some similarities between the books: writers, not believing in love, dead father, but there was also a lot that was different.

When I was first introduced to January, I wasn’t sure how I felt about her. She was going through a lot, navigating her feelings and facing the reality of her financial/family situations. Those are places that I can definitely relate to, but I was a little worried that her pity party would drag out too long. Thankfully I did not find that to be the case.

You are quickly introduced to Gus and see another side of January that highlights her inability to cope and forget the past. Gus had other things in mind. As their relationship developed in different ways, I enjoyed seeing how both characters grew, changed and interacted with each other as they tried to write these new books. They also have some wonderful banter; the note passing is adorable!

The challenge that Gus proposed was truly a delight. Seeing how both characters could create a story and the process that they took was interesting. The dichotomy of the types of books each wrote was also fascinating. Usually I tend to focus my reading on romance or women’s literature. It’s not that I don’t enjoy anything else, but it’s what I gravitate to, so seeing a small perspective of thought process for something different was interesting.

Even though I liked both Gus and January, my favorite character was easily Pete. Pete always has something up her sleeve and is the life of the party. She is the person that causes me to squirm when they enter a room or their opinion into my relationships, but I also know they have the best intentions. Pete is witty, carefree, and an interesting business owner.

So why not 5 stars?

While I enjoy Emily Henry’s writing style and storylines, storylines were dragged out, and others were not developed enough. I also found that there was a lot of hype around this book, making it difficult to stay objective about it. I would like to mention that I owned this book way before the hype; I just hadn’t gotten to it yet. While there is not a lot of sex or intimacy when it does occur, it’s not too bad. The against the bookshelves, wooh! Loved that!

Final Review

Do I think this is a good book?

Yes. I really enjoy Emily Henry’s writing style and the way she develops her characters.

Was it really a summer-y read?

While you aren’t sitting on a beach or going on some magical vacation, the majority of the book takes place within the three months of summer (June, July, August). January and Gus still experience some summer activities, such as the 4th of July, summer weather, and sitting on the patio watching the lake.

Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?

Yes! I would say that this is a loose enemies to lovers, so if that is not your cup of tea then this may not be for you.

If you are looking for a cute summer read about someone trying to overcome their past and explore the future, this book is for you. Like all Emily Henry books, a small surprise occurs within the book designed to pull on your heart strings. Overall, it is a delightful read, and I am sad it took me so long to pick it up.