2024 Release Archives - The Litertarian

Book Review:: Quicksilver | Callie Hart

I feel like I’m in my romantasy era, and I don’t hate it! Look at the cover of this book. What an absolute killer. For me, Quicksilver lives up to the hype, but it’s not perfect.

This book, and pretty much all romantasy I’ve read, is an absolute whirlwind. I would say I loved it up to the 85% mark or so, when things got a little squirrely and felt almost like another type of book entirely, and I didn’t love that so much. I can’t mention exactly what bugged me without throwing major spoilers, so I won’t. But a new trope essentially was thrown in an already tropey book and…it just wasn’t expected at all by the rest of the story setup. At least by me.

Honestly, I’m super under-read in this genre, and even I could spot the heavy use of popular tropes in this book. I get it, and really I loved most of it despite being a little taken out of the story by those hey, I recognize this moments. But it did feel a little like spaghetti being thrown at a wall. I really don’t want to say the specific complaints I had because they would be major spoilers, but at the 80-85% mark it felt like this book made a major turn I personally did not see coming, and it felt…I don’t know. Half corny, half unnecessary, and a little bit dumb? It took me out of the story so fast. However, I will absolutely still read the rest of this series, so it wasn’t completely…ruinous *smirk*

Speaking of romance: Saeris Fane & Kingfisher. Build me a ship and send me to sea, because hot damn, I loved the enemies to lovers thing going on there, and their…whole deal. If you’re going to write romantasy, you better get the romance right, and Callie Hart nailed it.

I even liked the side characters in this book. Like most romantasy, there’s a lot to keep track of, but it stayed interesting and engaging throughout, and you never feel too lost or confused by mountains of new information. It boils down to Kingfisher being the guardian of his homelands, and the entire world conspiring against his goal, while Saeris Fane might just be the one thing that could help him actually succeed.

Overall, bravo! You have to leave your belief suspended reading a book like this, but it feels like Ms. Hart has her entire basis covered with this one. Everything feels well developed, if not entirely to my taste, but I can’t deny she’s great at her craft! I’ve got my copy of Brimstone pre-ordered!

Details

Title:: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1)
Author:: Callie Hart
Genre:: Romantasy
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 624 pages
Audio Length:: 20h 41m
Audiobook Narrator:: Stella Bloom & Anthony Palmini
Published:: December 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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Book Review:: The Ex Vows | Jessica Joyce

I get it now, the intense hype for Jessica Joyce. The Ex Vows is an angsty, emotional story about childhood friends who once took a shot at love and missed, coming back together for their best friend’s wedding and finding the embers still burning deep.

Georgia and Eli had a connection ever since they met as kids, which manifested in a tight-knit friend group that never wavered. That is, until they finally recognized deeper feelings one summer at the vineyard, and that changed everything. But they were young, and stupid, and were too good at ignoring their problems until they were too big to handle. Fast forward a few years, and their third wheel best friend Adam has found his person and they’re getting married. It’s not the first time Georgia and Eli will see each other since the breakup, but nine days? It might as well be an eternity. With a wedding that is cursed with the worst possible luck, and Georgia and Eli as the fixers, the two of them are seeing far too much of each other to maintain the careful avoidance they’ve practiced for years. It’s time to finally face the truth.

I should probably only give this book five stars, but this is a case of the prose making it impossible to rate it lower. Jessica Joyce can write, y’all. The way she builds an emotionally wrought scene in the present while pulling backstory and flashbacks in those same moments without losing focus is immaculate. It’s the kind of writing I want to do. So yeah, five stars.

My problem with the story itself I think stems from Georgia’s personality? It’s consistent, at least, but she gives herself so many problems by being a people-pleaser at any cost, especially to herself. She feels like she has to earn her relationships, that if she doesn’t invest in them consistently, smooth out any discomforts that might arise, her friends might realize they don’t need her and she’ll lose them. It’s a deep hurt that stems from her family life, and it’s still a very real part of her daily life.

This book explores a prioritizing friends culture I’ve never experienced. For these folks, friendship is everything. It covers a lot of versions of friendships being tried and tested. It’s something very important to Georgia. Maybe too important? But that’s probably being conflated in my mind with her aptitude as a major pushover.

Aside from that, this story has heaps of swoon-worthy romance. As I mentioned before, she uses just enough of the history between Georgia and Eli to make us burn and yearn for them in the present. I really appreciated that these flawed characters in the end earned their happy ever after.

Read it for the prose, read it for the redemption, read it for learning from clumsy mistakes. Read it for the immersive summer vineyard vibes. Read it because this is the kind of love story that demands a place in your thoughts for a long time after you’re done turning the pages.

Details

Title:: The Ex Vows
Author:: Jessica Joyce
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 390 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 10m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kyla Garcia
Published:: July 16th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Book Review:: The Ministry of Time | Kaliane Bradley

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is a fascinating, captivating, historical – sci-fi – romance – adventure – thriller. Ha. It’s a mashup of multiple genres that will have you enthralled and delighted and leaving you wondering what-if…

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley Book Cover

A young woman begins a highly secretive new job with the Ministry of Time. She is tasked with working with a specific time refugee named Graham Gore, who was rescued just before his historic death, to acclimate him to their ‘modern’ time. The shock of moving from 1847 and learning the fate of everyone and the world itself you knew, and knowing you can never return is quite the shock. There is a lot he needs to learn, and he has a lot of questions.

This book is exactly what you want in a sci-fi novel. Through an undeniably clever premise, so many ideas are introduced that will have you scrunching your brow in thought. Through a historical lens, is our modern society as advanced as we think? Or are there things we have unwittingly lost through the ages by our constant innovations and moral superiority? Methinks there has done.

Whenever one plays with time, things are bound to get messy. What begins as a thoughtful, contemplative book quickly turns into a mystery thriller with an unknown danger in pursuit of our beloved characters. Something bigger is happening, and there’s not much time to figure out what.

This book is immaculate. I loved every minute of it. I’d love recommendations of books with a similar vibe. I know I’ll be returning to The Ministry of Time many times over the years. Absolutely brilliant. I’ll be keeping my eye on Kaliane Bradley!

Details

Title:: The Ministry of Time
Author:: Kaliane Bradley
Genre:: Sci-Fi / Historical / Thriller
Publisher:: Simon & Schuster
Length:: 339 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 22m
Audiobook Narrator:: George Weightman & Katie Leung
Published:: May 7th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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The City in Glass | Nghi Vo
Our Infinite Fates | L a ura Steven
Awake in a Floating City | Susanna Kwan

Book Review:: Four Weekends and A Funeral | Ellie Palmer

When a random library read pulls your heartstrings nearly out of your chest, you know you’ve found a good one. Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer is a stunner.

Four Weekends and A Funeral by Ellie Palmer Book Cover

Alison and Sam had recently broken up from their mediocre relationship when he dies in an accident. At his funeral, his sister begs her to pretend they hadn’t broken up so his parents are able to think he was finally settling down – something they’d been harping him about for years. She is a people pleaser, and goes along with it, even volunteering to do the emotional-wrecking task of cleaning out his apartment for them. But his best friend Adam was already planning to do that, and four hands are better than two. When Alison realizes she is having more-than-friends feelings for Adam, it makes everything unimaginably complicated. He doesn’t know they’d already mutually broken up, so she is off limits – indefinitely. Once the apartment is clean, they won’t have to see each other anymore and torture themselves with this undeniable spark of attraction.

What a complex story this is. There are obvious themes of death and grief in this book, and Alison’s own health issues double-down on them. Her mother suffered from breast cancer, and it turns out she has the gene that makes it far more likely for her to develop it as well. So likely, she’s opted for a voluntary preventative double-mastectomy. It’s a unique sort of representation that added a lot to the story in a very meaningful way.

This is a a deeper story than I expected going in. It is still a rom-com, but there is more at stake for these characters than usual. They wrestle with very big feelings and obstacles that effect more than just themselves. It is a true moral dilemma they’re facing, and fortunately the ending somehow is exactly perfect. This book will hit you in the feels, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Details

Title:: Four Weekends and A Funeral
Author:: Ellie Palmer
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 40m
Audiobook Narrator:: Karissa Vacker
Published:: August 6th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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32 Days in May | Betty Corrello
Promise Me Sunshine | Cara Bastone
The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center

Book Review:: Listen for the Lie | Amy Tintera

Wow – I was blown away by this book. From the title, which has to be one of my favorites of all time, to the intricate and relentless mystery, I was inexorably hooked from the get.

Ben Owens investigative crime podcast, Listen for the Lie, has a new season and a new case to unravel – the brutal murder of a woman named Savannah, colloquially called Savvy, in the small Texas town of Plumpton. The prime suspect, Lucy Chase, has a new life in LA, but the popularity of the up-and-coming podcast has her new life crumbling around her. Who wants to hire a murder suspect of an unsolved crime? Who wants to live with one? The answer, clearly, is no one.

Returning to Plumpton for the first time for her grandmother’s birthday celebration, Lucy is confronted with the dark past and the community that was all too ready to shun her. She genuinely has no memories of that night, and with everyone so certain she was the killer, she’s not completely convinced of her own innocence. She loved Savannah, and she sustained serious injuries of her own that night. Isn’t it finally time to find out the truth, if it’s even possible?

The web of suspects is small at first, until lies about alibis come to the surface, and suddenly there is real doubt about whodunnit. It seems there isn’t much to do in Plumpton than drink and knock boots, two things sure to muddle the facts and motives. Thrown in the unreliability of Lucy’s memories and this mystery will keep you up way past your bedtime.

What a treat of a thriller. Absolutely recommend!

Details

Title:: Listen for the Lie
Author:: Amy Tintera
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Celadon Books
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 18m
Audiobook Narrator:: January LaVoy & Will Damron
Published:: March 5th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Book Review:: Where the Library Hides | Isabel Ibanez

Where the Library Hides is the second book in the Secrets of the Nile Duology by Isabel Ibanez. If you have not started this wonderful historical fantasy series yet, please start with What the River Knows. If you’ve not read it, the review below may include spoilers.

Where The Library Hides by Isabel Ibanez Book Cover

Inez is in deep with the forgery circuit mystery in Egypt, too deep to ignore – too deep to turn back. The only way she can get out from beneath her uncle’s thumb of control is to marry Mr. Whitford Hays, a cunning man of mystery & deception she’s convinced herself she can trust. But when he betrays her within days of their secret wedding, Inez accepts that only she is in control of her destiny – there is no one left she can trust. If she doesn’t work to preserve the legacy of Cleopatra and other Egyptian relics, no one will. Her fiery a relentless personality is back in full force for this conclusion to the series. But what I love about Inez is that she’s not all fire. She also has so much compassion. She has an open heart for forgiveness and wants to give others the benefit of the doubt, even when they may not deserve it.

In this novel she is put through many trials, and jumps head first into dicey situations many would run away from. She’s brave. She’s strong. She’s noble. And she won’t stop until she succeeds.

Whitford Hays…oh Whit, Whit, Whit…what a rascal you are. Where he is a swashbuckling enigma in the first book, we get to see some deeper layers to the secretive genteel in this second book, and ladies, he’s far from perfect. He makes some big boo boos along the way, but in the end, the romance is as bombastic as we (and they) deserve.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. The intrigue, the adventure, the tension…all of it is handled masterfully, and I’m not sure how I feel about it ending after only two books. Did it need more? No. But selfishly I want to linger far longer in this world. Luckily I own both books in multiple formats so I can revisit them literally whenever and whereever I want. #readergoals

Read it. Love it. Thank me later.

Details

Title:: Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile #2)
Author:: Isabel Ibanez
Genre:: Historical Fantasy
Publisher:: Wednesday Books
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 14h 29m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ahmed Hamad and Ana Osorio
Published:: November 5th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

What the River Knows | Isabel Ibanez
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross
The Ministry of Time | Kaliane Bradley

Book Review:: The Night We Lost Him | Laura Dave

I’m coming to realize that Laura Dave is one of my favorite authors right now. She’s an excellent atmospheric writer. The tone of her books is clear from the first page and blankets the entire narrative in a somber and mysterious aura. It’s right up my alley. Couple that with excellent character work, interesting narrative concepts, and prose as smooth as butter and you’ve got yourself a five-star book all day long.

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave Book Cover

Nora is a strong woman who will be okay no matter which way the story turns. But the death of her father, and her estranged brother’s insistence that there is more to the story, brings up deep personal conflicts within her that she suddenly needs to explore. It is this train of story that we need closure on, and not necessarily the mystery surrounding her father’s death – but because she can’t reconcile her own issues without understanding his last days, we need to know that too. It’s brilliant story building, and I was hooked all the way through.

My one complaint is something that probably makes her books all the more marketable: they’re not longer. I could read 450+ pages of one of her stories happily, and I know she’d fill it all in with scintillating details that would only enhance it all. However, she fits a damn good story into these 320 pages, and I have to call that just about perfect.

I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Details

Title:: The Night We Lost Him
Author:: Laura Dave
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: S&S/Marysue Rucci Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 49m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan
Published:: September 17th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline

Book Review:: Sounds Like A Plan | Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith

Sometimes a bookworm has to do some retail therapy, am I right? I picked this book up on a whim on one of those such occasions because it looks compelling and fun rejuvenating and man, I was not disappointed!

Sounds Like A Plan by Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith Book Cover

Jackson and Mackenzie are both PIs in their own struggling firms. Jackson specializes in high profile (read: rich AF) clients, and Mackenzie’s offices are figuratively on the other side of the tracks and actually falling apart. Both of them are in dire need of some cash flow, and what do you know, some random lawyer steps into both their offices, separately, offering a boatload of it if they drop everything to find a missing girl. They both think the case is theirs alone (why wouldn’t they) until they bump into each other while chasing leads (a few times). Turns out, the guy hired a few people and whoever finds the mark first gets the payday. The third PI in the bunch is a sleezebag who runs a stripclub so Jackson and Mac team up and will split the cash.

This book is exactly what it looks like. Fast paced, action-packed, filled with sexual tension – chef’s kiss! It was one thing after another for this dynamic duo, and I was screaming for them to get together the whole time. It was the perfect balance of thriller, comedy, and romance, and I flew through it!

I loved the way the characters played off one another. Jackson has a taste for the finer things and Mackenzie dabbles in Krav Maga. She’s tough as nails and Jackson is constantly surprised and delighted by her. I am so excited this is a series, because I think there is so much to dig into with their backstories, and I can’t wait to see what else might develop between them. *waggles eyebrows*

I really wavered giving this book 5 stars, and really, maybe I should. The part that bothered me was at the beginning their two narratives (dual POV) were almost an exact mirror of them taking the exact same steps, going to the exact same places, getting the exact same information in the exact same order. Eh. I thought that wasn’t necessary. It would have been more interesting if there was SOME variation there. Luckily that part only lasts maybe 15% of the book (?), and it’s not a deal breaker.

If you’re looking for a fun and flirty new thriller mystery series, I can’t recommend this one highly enough. Book two comes out later this summer!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Sounds Like A Plan (Sounds Like A Plan #1)
Author:: Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith
Genre:: Crime Thriller
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 21m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jaime Lincoln Smith & Angel Pean
Published:: July 9th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

author website (Pamela)

Author Website (Dwayne)

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Book Review:: Wild Eyes | Elsie Silver

What I wouldn’t do to live in a place as beautiful and idyllic as Rose Hill. The first book in this Elsie Silver series is Wild Love, an absolute banger about Rosie and Ford. Wild Eyes is about Rosie’s brother and Ford’s best friend, one in the same man by the name of West Belmont.

West is a single dad minding his own business on his horse ranch in rural Canada. Down the road, his best friend built a recording studio, and when one of his artists shows up early, his sister offers his guest house for her stay. West doesn’t mind, he’s a pretty easy-going guy, but when his new tenant turns out to be Skylar Stone, the world’s current biggest country pop star, things get complicated. Skylar is struggling with bone-deep anxiety and no sense of the ‘real world’, and West is struggling to keep her out of his head.

Oh, my heart. This is a story about a young woman holing up somewhere to take inventory of her hurts and heal them, and the man who sees her, helps her, and holds space for her to do so.

West has two kids, a boy who doesn’t talk much and a spitfire of a little girl who reminds me of my own son. He’s the father we wish everyone could have. He loves his kids for who they are and would do anything for them. That’s how West loves. He accepts all the imperfections, admires the things that make people unique. He sees people. It’s his superpower. For Skylar, no one ever sees her, or asks her what she wants. They think they already know her and don’t bother digging further than that.

The two of them are so well matched. Skylar is in a place where she needs the peace and quiet ranch life offers, she needs the wide-open spaces and quiet to make some mistakes that won’t be broadcast to the masses. She needs someone to notice her for her, to show that they genuinely care, even if it’s hard to accept.

Boy, this Rose Hill series is one to sink deep into, I’m telling you. The concepts are a little tropey or corny maybe if you’re looking to be critical, but the way Elsie Silver crafts a story and creates romance in the most imperfect but beautiful of people…it’s stunning work. When you pick one up it’s impossible to put back down. Wild Eyes is another must-read for anyone who is craving a little bit of hopeless romance. They do get quite spicy, but hey, that’s half the fun!

Details

Title:: Wild Eyes (Rose Hill #2)
Author:: Elsie Silver
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Bloom Books
Length:: 464 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 26m
Audiobook Narrator:: Teddy Hamilton & Savannah Peachwood
Published:: September 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Book Review:: Birding with Benefits | Sarah T. Dubb

Is there anything better than having a hunky guy teach you a new hobby? Turns out hanging out in nature for hours at a time with a single, patient, and knowledgeable man can be highly erotic, which is not a good thing when the last thing you want to do is jump into a new relationship.

Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb Book Cover

Celeste was only trying to help a friend in a pinch when she accidentally signed herself up for a six-week bird-watching competition. She thought it was a one-night-fake-date-for-revenge-on-an-ex type of situation, when really John just needed a partner to sign up for the contest he’s hoping will help launch his new bird guiding business. Although it wasn’t what she had originally expected, Celeste still agrees to help him, so long as he doesn’t think her inexperience will hinder his chances.

This is not really a slow burn romance, but there are some scenes between Celeste and John that get the longing and the littlest intimacies so right. I swear you can feel the steam wafting off the pages. And when the spice finally arrives, honey, it is an Indian food buffet: strong, yummy, and a depth of flavor you just can’t get enough of!

These two have both been burned in past relationships and aren’t ready to pursue new romance. However, it becomes impossible to deny the chemistry that is pulling them together. They set rules for their arrangement, but they quickly get blurry as the attraction gets further and further out of hand.

Celeste has an adorably bubbly personality that others often tell her is ‘too much’, and John is quiet and often criticized for not pushing himself hard enough. This story pushes both characters to face these perceptions of themselves and I appreciated the character growth each undergoes.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was a great representation of the (young?) middle-age demographic with characters who have been through real, complex relationship issues. The bird-watching aspect was really unique and makes me want to slow down and listen to the natural music birdsong in my own backyard more often.

Details

Title:: Birding with Benefits
Author:: Sarah T. Dubb
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Gallery Books
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 57m
Audiobook Narrator:: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw & Evan Sibley
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: June 4th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 4