Review: Fake-Off with Fate by Whitney Dineen

Fake-Off with Fate by Whitney Dineen leads off in the new small town romance series where love falls in Maple Falls.

We are introduced to Ashlyn. She is definitely the type of heroine you can't help but root for all the way. She finds herself unexpectedly having to step into her father's shoes as Mayor of the town while trying not to fall for the captain of the new hockey team. Unsure between helping her dad and doing what she wants to do with her life, getting involved with someone here is something that is not in the cards.

Setting the bar high for our expectations of this being the town where hockey players fall in love, Jaime is handsome, charming and the perfect person to root for. After recently getting his heart broken publicly, this new opportunity reuniting with his former coach to escape into this new small town should be the new start he desperately needs.

The chemistry between these two, a craved slow burn, blended with the fake dating trope keeps you paced to want those pages to keep getting flipped. The beauty of their friendship evolving along with their vulnerability of taking a second chance, gives us a well deserved hea that was worth every moment.

Beyond their story, we are are introduced to a wonderful town that comes alive from the people who make it special. While we journey through these two healing from their hearts being broken, we are surrounded by emotional, feel good or just simply moments that make you smile sprinkled with lol moments to fill the time.

This was a charming romcom that will sweep you off your feet. If you love fake dating and friends to lovers, then you should add this one to your reading list.

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Review: Wild Card by Elsie Silver

About the Book

Sebastian Rousseau is a grumpy, hot as hell fire pilot who is too damn good with his hands.

It’s the perfect combination. But unfortunately for me, he’s also my ex-boyfriend’s dad.

A chance meeting brought us together and a missed connection has kept us apart.

One year later, a stroke of fate has us living under the same roof—which makes everything between us downright messy.

Because even after all this time, he’s still the man I think about when I fall asleep. The one I can’t get over no matter how hard I try.

He’s working on mending a fragile relationship with his son and we both know acting on these urges would be the ultimate betrayal.

But I see the heat in his eyes. That look of need that never fails to send a shiver down my spine.

The mutual longing is borderline unbearable and the simmering heat between us is downright palpable.

We both know there are rules when it comes to situations like this.

But then again…following the rules never has been my strong suit.

Review

My expectations for Wild Card were complicated. On one hand, I pondered if Elsie Silver would be on a high, and Wild Card would be equally impressive as Wild Side.  I also considered the possibility that Wild Side would be the defining book in this series’ corpus and would forever be untouchable. If the latter consideration came true, then I at least hoped I would enjoy this book. That was somewhat the case. Wild Card scores the lowest out of the four books in the Rose Hill series for me.

I did not downright hate this book. In fact, I appreciated that it was not as messy as it could have been. Bash and Tripp’s relationship was complicated, and drama finds them once the truth is revealed. However, it could have been much worse. And from the way the book ended, I could see their relationship surviving this.

Another positive observation from Wild Card was Bash and Gwen’s relationship with Clyde. That was the highlight of this story. Both cared so deeply about him and spent most of the book ensuring that he was okay. Additionally, he was a fun and interesting character who brought much-needed entertainment to the book. Without Clyde, the book would only have Bash and Gwen, who, unfortunately, were the least interesting characters in Rose Hill. Their romance lacked spark and magic. I can count a few moments that they encountered that stood out to me.

Final Thoughts

Wild Card is a forgettable conclusion to an overall unforgettable series. With nonexistent chemistry and no real depth, Bash and Gwen’s romance doesn’t feel worth investing in. Silver might have attempted to villainize Tripp; however, at times, he felt more interesting than the main characters.

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Review: A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang

About the Book

From a rising-star author, winner of the both the Bram Stoker® and Nebula Awards, a richly inventive, brutal and beautiful science-fantasy novella. A story of family, loss, oppression and rebellion that will stay with you long after the final page. For readers of Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune, Neon Yang’s The Black Tides of Heaven and Kritika H. Rao’s The Surviving Sky.

Liu Lufeng is the eldest princess of the Feng royalty and, bound by duty and tradition, the next bride to the human king. With their bark faces, arms of braided branches and hair of needle threads, the Feng people live within nature, nurtured by the land. But they exist under the constant threat of human expansion, and the negotiation of bridewealth is the only way to stop— or at least delay—the destruction of their home. Come her wedding day, Lufeng plans to kill the king and finally put an end to the marriages.

Trapped in the great human palace in the run-up to the union, Lufeng begins to uncover the truth about her people’s origins and realizes they will never be safe from the humans. So she must learn to let go of duty and tradition, choose her allies carefully, and risk the unknown in order to free her family and shape her own fate.

From a rising-star author, winner of the both the Bram Stoker® and Nebula Awards, a richly inventive, brutal and beautiful story of family, loss, oppression and rebellion.

Review

The concept of A Place Near the Wind is that Lufeng is forced to marry a king to save her land. It had happened to her older sisters, her mom, and now it’s happening to her. She is sent to a land that is unfamiliar to her and destructive to the environment, plants, and animals. Information is withheld from her, and she doesn’t know what is going on.  She is determined to end the cycle and save her younger sister, with the only option being to kill the king.

I had to take my time with A Place Near the Wind. It was very dense and descriptive. There was very little dialogue. It’s a story centered on nature versus technology, with technology portrayed as horrifying. Most things that occurred in the palace were horrifying to Lufeng. The author did a great job of making things feel uncomfortable. 

The world-building in this was fantastic. It felt like a Studio Ghibli production with how vivid it was and how pretty and flowy the words were.  Lufeng was described multiple times as being their grandmother’s puppet and severely values the tradition from her old land. Something can also be said about her commitment to saving her mother and sisters; however, there is a lack of character development with her. There was a lot left to be explored with her.

Final Thoughts

A Place Near the Wind is an allegorical novella exploring the friction between different cultures and identities. Describing it as Studio Ghibli horror feels fitting. While the world-building and pose are compelling and rich, the narrative feels confusing, requiring readers to re-read sections for understanding. The narrative overshadows the character development.

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Review: The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

About the Book

The Saint of War spares the life of a servant girl so she can fulfill her destiny as the kingdom’s greatest warrior in this short story of love and loyalty by New York Times bestselling author Alix E. Harrow.

Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor. The bards sing her name and her enemies fear it. But the war never ends and the cost keeps rising—how many times will she repeat her own story?

Review

The Six Deaths of the Saint was a beautiful story about forbidden love and glory. I can’t recall the last time I read a story in second person. I’ll admit it probably has been since undergrad, and I was a little afraid to dive into this one. Harrow uses the second person to her advantage and writes an excellent fantasy book. I could see myself re-reading this to experience the magic and to see if I missed anything in my initial read. It’s a short story, but it is vibrant and meaningful. I could not recommend this story enough.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed The Six Deaths of the Saint, and I am prepared to binge the remainder of the Into Shadow collection. This was a beautifully written, descriptive story with themes of pain and love. 

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Review: The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O'Neal

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is a heartfelt, beautifully layered novel that sweeps readers across continents on a journey that’s as much about the soul as it is about the sights. 

When recently divorced Veronica Barrington answers an ad to become a travel companion for Mariah Ellsworth, neither woman expects the trip to be life-changing. As they follow in the footsteps of Mariah’s late mother's last unfinished project, an acclaimed food writer, through the cafés of London, Paris, Morocco, and India, the story comes alive into a rich tapestry of friendship, healing, and self-discovery.

What makes this novel beautiful is the descriptive imagery on the journey through the continents placing you there in these beautiful places. You can almost smell the spices in the air, the different cultures and traditions blended with their own personal emotional transition. Their journey inspired by the letters left behind by Mariah’s mother add a layer of mystery, leading both women—and the reader—toward revelations about love, forgiveness, and the courage to start over.

While Veronica and Mariah’s evolving relationship is the heart of this book, a gentle companion to their journey, Henry, a former war photographer whose quiet pain mirrors their own, brought a special element to the healing of their journey. The connection with Mariah’s mother along with the unexpected friendship that blossomed between himself and Veronica allowed their shared journey to embrace unexpected friendships and the courage to step into the unfamiliar.

This was an overall beautiful book that will take the reader through a visual, emotional and uplifting experience around some of the most beautiful places in the world. A shared journey through trauma evolved into an inspired renewed journey to start a new chapter full of strength, hope and forgiveness of the past. 

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Review: Please Don’t Go by E. Salvador

About the Book

He felt like he was drowning.

She was about to drown.

Josefine Resendiz, is struggling to figure out her life. Between her complicated relationship with grief and not having a single clue how to feel what she can't understand, she's sinking and isn't sure how to float back up to the surface.

Daniel Garcia, shortstop, a budding ray of sunshine, and potential first round pick for the MLB Draft, has life figured out. At least, that's what everyone assumes. On the surface, he's the embodiment of happiness and life. But beneath it all, guilt and grief have been consuming him since his brother passed away. Unsure how to deal with his feelings, he bottles them up and masks the pain of haunting reminders behind a mask of smiles.

That's until he stumbles upon Josefine on Christmas Day. That wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be there but neither was she, at least not for long. The night evolves into something neither one of them expected and when morning comes, she's nowhere to be found.

He can't stop thinking about her. She wants to forget him. But fate seems to have plans for them.

Once the semester begins they find out they have a class together, and avoiding Daniel becomes hard when they're paired to be hiking buddies. Much to Josefine's chagrin, she likes him more than she cares to admit. And Daniel is struggling to keep everything he's bottled up around her.

Hesitantly and unknowingly, they're opening up old wounds they wanted to keep closed. Feeling grounded around each other. And unintentionally falling in love.

Review

Please Don’t Go is heavy. I don’t think I was prepared for how heavy it would be, and I would recommend that everyone consider the trigger warnings before reading. Within that first chapter, I knew this book was going to wreck me.

On Christmas Eve night, a chance encounter brought Josie and Daniel together, both drawn to the same place by their grief. The circumstances are not ideal, and fate brings them together. Josie’s a black cat fmc who has a rugged exterior. After her mother’s passing, she is alone—in life and in the house she inherited. She’s angry and feels guilty about her feelings towards her mom. Daniel puts on a brave and sunny face. He shows up for everyone; however, on the inside, he feels broken, lost, and empty. He and Josie are dealing with unimaginable grief and have been struggling silently for so long.

Their lives are changed for the better once they meet. They can recognize what the other is going through and be the light they each so desperately need. Their love doesn’t fix their struggles; however, it urges them to get better and gives them the strength and support they yearn for. It’s a beautiful, raw love story completed with an equally impressive group of friends.

I look forward to the next couple in this series and seeing a glimpse of Daniel and Josie. I want to give a special shout-out to Angel and Daniel's friendship. It was very sweet, and they had so many excellent moments.

Final Thoughts

Please Don’t Go was packed with heart and expertly crafted. It made me feel things. A lot of things. I was 100% invested in Daniel and Josie. Not on their romance, but them as people. This is by far one of my favorite reads of the year.