Barbara Rachel's Reviews

Midnight Mayhem by Savannah Lee My rating: 4 of 5 stars My favorite part of  this book (and the series) — hands down —  is the lead character. And what I enjoyed most about Rowan was her sass — she has spirit and a never say die attitude —even when it is not the smartest move to be that way. Her loyalty, wit and fierce love for her friends and her mate were among the best parts of this series to me.  The relationship between her and her mate, was something that developed throughout the series that I thought was really well written. Rowan is rough around the edges and needs this (sometimes) grounding and opposing force that she finds in her mate.  More so than in the first 2 books I felt that some of the dialogue between the characters was rather clipped. But other than that I loved the book and the series. It will be missed. Extra star for world building and creativity. It was an awesome journey. Note, I did receive this ARC...

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft My rating: 4 of 5 stars 4 Stars! This was a bit more of a slow burn than I initially expected. In time, however, I fell in love with the story and particularly with Niamh and her journey. Arriving into a world of complex political intrigue that includes classism, racism, family secrets, and hidden attractions, Niamh at first seems so out of her depth I was worried she may not make it out unscathed. I really enjoyed how her story unfolded although at times it did feel that components of the this book were a bit borrowed from contemporary culture. In the end, however, Niamh’s path is distinctly her own. More than just romance, Niamh finds lifelong friends on her way to her (possible) happily ever after. While this is my honest review of this book, I was gifted a copy of the book, free of charge, in exchange for my review. I am thankful to Net Galley, Allison Saft and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this...

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros My rating: 5 of 5 stars What can I possibly say that has not already been said? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to what comes next. This dystopian fantasy is set in a dragon rider training school - more akin to an officer candidate program than a military school. A young woman enters as a first year trainee, much against her own wishes, and her journey is the story of this book. I loved it. The world building and political back story are so intricate but, I thought, without unnecessary detours. The developing romantic desires of the lead character tie into the story without completely overpowering it. To me this book was akin to Guy Gavriel Kay’s books in epic character development and world building but without the historical undertones. Particularly I am reminded of The Last Light of the Sun . The humorous and raunchier aspects - whether of a violent or sexual nature were more George RR Martin than Kay ...

  Another page-turner from Savannah Lee - I could not put this book down. It helped that I was anticipating book two in the Clover Pack Series since the moment I finished Midnight Mated.   Book two finds half-ling (shifter-fae) Rowan learning more about herself and her past - and becoming more powerful in the process. No spoilers here but if you are back to find out if the romance between Rowan and the brooding shifter Callan is going to progress - you will not be disappointed. The story delves more deeply into the faerie realm and there are more character introductions along the way. It was fast paced with in-depth world building while keeping the action moving on the conflict between Rowan and her enemies.  The book was entertaining, spicy, and I definitely recommend it and the series. I particularly appreciate a fantasy romance that is not so complicated with overblown world building that I cannot keep track of who is who. It is just the right balance of telling the st...

Heat Wave by T.J. Klune My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was the #audible version. Up front, let me just get to it - this is more of a love letter to the series than a real review. So if you are looking for a real critical review - move on to someone else.  As an ADHD reader I love feeling seen in the characters I read and Nicholas Bell (also known as the Extraordinary, Guardian) has a brain much like my own. I love him for it. He is messy, and almost annoying except he is so endearing. This is really the book where he comes of age and grows. #ADHDonthePage #WhyAreWeThisWay. We return to NovaCity for this YA, LGBTQ+, superhero fantasy (The Extraordinaries Series) finale. I do not like to give spoilers    so I feel like I cannot say too much about the plot here. My recommendation is if you read the first 2 books - read this. It was fantastic.  Part of my #ADHD life is accepting I do not like to finish anything and when I do not w...

 Search no further, this is the best of both worlds as a romance and a fantasy.  From start to finish, I was loathe to put this book down. I felt drawn to learn the fate of our main characters and felt invested in Nora and her path from the beginning. Her internal and external challenges and insecurities were so palpable and relateable. Overall, the depth of development of the characters was remarkable. Also, I loved the hints of possible plot twists and turns throughout. I was really impressed by the descriptions of the fae world - I felt I could easily see it all in my minds eye. The romance was full of passion and hit all the breathtaking notes without being crass. It was adult level, to be sure.  Overall, I loved this book and cannot wait for the next one!  Please note, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #romancefantasy #fantasyromance #bodydiversity #faehumanromance #darkfantasyromance #readyfornextbookplease

 First of all, let me say I did receive this ARC for free; I am writing a review voluntarily. Okay, to get right to it, I really enjoyed this book! Our protagonist may have been down on her luck, but it has made her stronger than she knows and I enjoyed her wit and sarcasm, both of which are a cover for a deeply loyal person (once trust is earned).  The descriptions of transformation - shifting, heightened senses - were very well written - it was almost like being there.  I appreciate being able to visualize the scene and the characters in this way, especially the fantastical and magical aspects of the story. (#ADHDreaderandreviewer) Some of the dialogue, however, seemed clipped or rushed and I wished for some more of the eloquence put into the prose.   🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The intimacy scenes are very spicy and had some different aspects - without giving anything away - that I found surprising. Nothing over the top, by my standards, but I will not be recommendinnng this to ...

Okay so, I love love love the characters - especially Nicholas Bell  - he such a wonderful messy ADHD teen angst with BIG FEELINGS character. I love how Seth and he compliment each other in all the ways. I am also totally here for this type of super hero story - diverse, queer - with supporting roles filled by cis-straight parents - may we all go live in that better universe soon. I also appreciated the way Nick has to wrestle with conflicting feelings about his father and the police, although in this universe the ***spoiler*** police are distinctly moving away from being on the hero side and moving to the villain side. It is all very no-shades-of-grey, as one expects from a Hero Genre story. I did find Nick to be a bit drawn out with his anger towards his dad, but he is in high school, so that tracks. I also felt it maybe took too long to build up to ***spoiler*** Nick’s powers and the big reveal at the end, which kind of made the prom scene and a few others more predictable becau...

So, of the two books in this series, the first,  Not Your Average Hot Guy , was my favorite.  I will not say that I disliked The Date From Hell so much as... well, I am afraid I was a bit bored.  You know how life is about the journey and not the desination? Well the storyline in this book was about a  rather convoluted journey and I kept wanting to skip forward to find out what was actually going to happen. It may totally be me (#inattentiveADHD) and not the story, but it just seemed overly complicated with layer after layer of obstacles. I was an over it about half-way through. What I did enjoy about this was, like the first book, there were plenty of laugh out loud moments. Also, if your preference is a RomCam that is less steamy and a bit more PG-13, this series is a good choice over all. Of course, I loved the audible. The voice actors are stellar (see my admited bias from the Not Your Average Hot Guy post). I also, personally, really appreciate when there are...

Format: Audible Bias: my cousin is one of the voice actors reading, so there may be some bias, but he is Amazing, so maybe not... Review:    This was a fun read and I really did enjoy it.  One standout for me when reading this book is that even though it was a light read, the author does go really deep into the occult world. There was so much background that was surprisingly well researched - details I had to look up (because I am a nerd) and some wild characters to learn about. So I was defiantly here for the esoteric details that really did balance well with the lightheartedness of the story itself. That was really impressive actually. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments which is another major plus for me. It also had some swoony parts, which I always appreciate but was definitely PG-13, in case that matters to someone out there. I do not mind a bit more but this time it was just what I was in the mood for, honestly.  Overall I could not put it down (o...

  If you want to take just one recommendation from me, consider reading this book. For the last year it has been in my top 5 books that I have ever read.  Can a book make a person feel happy for days on end? I do not know if I have had this experience before but this book certainly did that for me. I laughed, I cried - the usual. But most of all, this book actually made my heart smile and made me feel better for having read it. It left a positive imprint that has stayed with me, truly. The first thing I will say about this book, it is full of original character types and fantastic hybrid types, such as a wyvern, which I had to look up.  However, even though we are in a fantasy with fantastic beings, the themes are timeless: friendship, loyalty, standing up to bigotry and of course, falling in love. This story and the characters in it really spoke to my heart and overall this book was the reason I started a "cannot-stop-smiling" category on goodreads.  Love, love, lov...