Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
goodreads blurb: Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
my take: 4.25 out of 5. This was my most anticipated book of the second semester, I even preordered it (a shocker for me) as after reading the fourth wing, and that insane cliffhanger I needed to know right away what happened. First up, its a beast. I mean I’m a very fast reader but this one was long. Also, so that you are not as frustrated about this as a I am, this is not a two part book, it is a 5 book series and this book will leave you in the same cliffhanger mode as fourth wing yet with not a close date to solving it. I might have been a tad frustrated about that. IS it better than fourth wing? no Did I enjoy it? of course I did . Am i still invested in their world and will read the other 3 books? yes. Was i pissed off at some of the turns? Yes, and as I discussed with a friend, there better be some sort of happy ending to this after 5 books, it is a fantasy romance after all not a pure battle book!
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
Goodreads blurb: Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London. But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead. And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely. Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds. Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.
my take: 3 out of 5. This book was hard for me but in a way it was self inflicted. I absolutely adored the invisible life of Addie LA Rue last year so I was all in on reading the new book by the same author. I however did not read too much into it before hand. And although this is the first of a series, there was a prior series of the same characters of which this is a follow up and although you can start from this one, my level of confusedness was evident and I think it is clearly made for people who enjoyed the prior series. I really enjoyed some parts of this, the magic was great and some of the characters, especially Delilah, are very interesting. However there were many things that went against it. This was even more of a beast than Iron Flame. IT was so long, between this one and Iron Flame i felt like i did almost no other reading. However as quickly as Iron Flame got devoured this one dragged along and even at my 2x speed in audiobook it still took me over 15 hours. It is also slow, and it takes way to long to set up the worlds, and right where it gets good, it ends and now I have to do a second book. However will I do the second book – I might need to be very bored or have nothing in my TBR (which if you know me there is a slim chance of it)
Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major
Goodreads blurb: One Day meets Groundhog Day, in this heartwarming and emotionally poignant novel about a stressed woman who must relive the same day over and over, keeping her family and work life from imploding as she attempts to spare her husband from an unfortunate fate. It is an ordinary Monday and harried London literary agent Emma is flying out of the door as usual. Preoccupied with work and her ever growing to-do list, she fails to notice her lovely husband Dan seems bereft, her son can barely meet her eye, and her daughter won’t go near her. Even the dog seems sad. She is far too busy, buried deep in her phone; social media alerts pinging; clients messaging with “emergencies”; keeping track of a dozen WhatsApp groups about the kids’ sports, school, playdates, all of it. Her whole day is frantic—what else is new—and as she rushes back through the door for dinner, Dan is still upset. They fight, and he walks out, desolate, dragging their poor dog around the block. Just as she realizes it is their anniversary and she has forgotten, again, she hears the screech of brakes. Dan is dead. The next day Emma wakes up… and Dan is alive. And it’s Monday again. And again. And again. Emma tries desperately to change the course of fate by doing different things each time she wakes up: leaving WhatsApp, telling her boss where to get off, writing to Dan, listening to her kids, reaching out to forgotten friends, getting drunk and buying out Prada. But will Emma have the chance to find herself again, remember what she likes about her job, reconnect with her children, love her husband? Will this be enough to change the fate they seem destined for? A moving “What if” story of what it is to be a woman in the modern world—never feeling we’re getting it quite right—about learning to slow down and appreciate life that is sure to resonate with women’s fiction fans.
My Take: 4.25 out of 5. I Love the concept of the letters at anniversaries, I think everyone should copy that. As someone who always loves to send Christmas cards and love when my friends send year in reviews, and that concept seems like a year in Review of the relationship. The description of the book, One Day meets Groundhog Day, lent itself to a beautiful premise, however I Might have a love hate relationship with Groundhog Day time loop situations. I stress about what needs to be fixed, when will it end. This was a beautiful love story and although at first I didn’t love it, it grew on me and I understood the beauty of the story. Also make sure the kleenex is close by.
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
Goodreads Blurb: Benefits of a summer romance: it’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken. There aren’t enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris’s life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. She’s a professional organizer whose pantry is a disgrace. No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little Summer Romance. Is there?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. it comes out June 4, 2024
My take: 4 out of 5. I’ve become a fan of Annabel Monaghan, and her book Nora Goes of Script was so good. This one is in a very similar vein. I really appreciate that she goes for the romance of older women and the nuances of such. As a 40+ person, its kind of fun, not only to read about romances of 25 year olds. This was a lovely if a tad predictable romance, that will be a perfect Summer book for your vacations next year.
Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams
Goodreads blurb: Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—discover second chances at love in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives. A sprawling and exciting new novel from Beatriz Williams, the acclaimed author of A Hundred Summers and The Summer Wives.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. it comes out June 25, 2024
My Take: 4.25 out of 5. I had no expectations going into this book, it seemed interesting and Im familiar with the author. I read this so quickly and I was completely involved in their story. I needed to know the details and what happened. As much as you think you know how the story will end up and that it could be a tad predictable, the final twists and turns came from left field for me and I really enjoyed that. This is comes out in June and I highly recommend this for your summer adventures. It has travel, romance, family drama, war and some good old fashion heartbreak.
Tati's Tidbits 