Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
Of Jade and Dragons- Amber Chen: Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but the prestigious Engineers Guild doesn't allow female applicants. But when Ying's father is murdered, and the clues lead back to the guild, Ying is determined to infiltrate their ranks. Disguised as her brother, Ying finds an unlikely ally in Aogiya Ye-yang, the broody eighth prince of the High Command. Despite being just as capable as her fellow competitors, Ying's father's renown paints a target on her back. If she wants to get to the bottom of her father's death, Ying must stay one step ahead of his killer. When Ying discovers that Ye-yang has plans of his own, she must decide if avenging her father will be worth the cost.
I've seen other reviewers describe this as a STEMinist retelling of Mulan, and that's the perfect description. I admired Ying's determination to find her father's killer using whatever means necessary. She was intelligent and brave but a little naïve. I enjoyed watching her go through the trials, but I wish they were more prominent because I love the competition element in fantasy books. I thought the secondary characters could've been fleshed out more, as well as the world-building. I got a vague sense of it, but it felt very surface-level. There's also a little romance between Ying and Ye-yang, which felt like your stereotypical YA romance. It had all the makings of something great but needed a few more tweaks. Still, I'm interested enough to pick up the next book when it comes out.
Listen for the Lie- Amy Tintera: Everyone thinks Lucy Chase is a murderer, and Lucy doesn't blame them-- she thinks she might be, too. Five years ago, Lucy was found walking along the side of a road, disoriented, and with her dress covered in her best friend's blood. When Savannah "Savvy" Harper's body was found, many in their small town believed Lucy killed her after the girls got into a fight, but Lucy sustained a head injury at the same time, which caused her to lose her memories of that night, so the case went unsolved. Lucy left for LA soon after, hoping to get on with her life, but then a widely popular true crime podcast decides to investigate Savvy's murder. When Lucy is dragged back to her small town and finds herself face to face with the handsome host, Ben Owens, she finally agrees to talk about the events. As the pair work together, Lucy's memories begin to return, and the truth will have shocking consequences.
This was so much fun! It was incredibly engaging and fast-paced. I loved the narrative style. Lucy was so snarky, and I loved how sarcastically morbid her humor was. I found myself chuckling during so much of her inner monologue. I also loved her grandma, who was an absolute spitfire. I would gladly read an entire book about her. The podcast element seems like a favorite plot device in thrillers lately, but I thought it worked well here. I liked the dynamic between Lucy and Ben, but I enjoyed them better as detectives instead of lovers. The mystery was full of twists and turns I didn't see coming. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to figure out how it would play out. It did get slightly repetitive in the middle bit, but overall, I thought it was super entertaining.
Up All Night with a Good Duke- Amy Rose Bennett: Artemis Jones spends her days working as a finishing-school teacher and her nights penning salacious Gothic novels. However, her dream has always been to open her own academic college for ladies. Artemis has no desire to marry and have her future be dictated by a man. But when a friend is in need, she doesn't hesitate to join in the London season, hoping she can, at least, find a wealthy patron for her school. Dominic Winters, also known as "The Dastardly Duke," needs a wife to produce him an heir and help reign in his willful daughter. The only problem is that most of high society has shunned him after rumors swirled that he murdered his wife. When a chance encounter brings Artemis and Dominic together, they devise a plan that will benefit both, but neither gave any thought to the feelings that would follow.
I've had this on my shelves for so long, and I finally decided to pick it up. I liked it, but at the same time, it was very meh. The book isn't that long, but it felt like it took forever to end. I think that mainly had to do with the fact that there's too much going on. Bennett crams so many plotlines into the story, so it feels too cluttered. If she cut a few out, it would've flowed better and given the story more room to breathe. I did enjoy the characters and the relationship between Artemis and Dominic. The relationship between Artemis and Celeste was also sweet. Overall, it was fine, and I'm interested enough to continue with the series.
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| Pub Date: 6-18-24 YA - Fantasy |
Of Jade and Dragons- Amber Chen: Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but the prestigious Engineers Guild doesn't allow female applicants. But when Ying's father is murdered, and the clues lead back to the guild, Ying is determined to infiltrate their ranks. Disguised as her brother, Ying finds an unlikely ally in Aogiya Ye-yang, the broody eighth prince of the High Command. Despite being just as capable as her fellow competitors, Ying's father's renown paints a target on her back. If she wants to get to the bottom of her father's death, Ying must stay one step ahead of his killer. When Ying discovers that Ye-yang has plans of his own, she must decide if avenging her father will be worth the cost.
I've seen other reviewers describe this as a STEMinist retelling of Mulan, and that's the perfect description. I admired Ying's determination to find her father's killer using whatever means necessary. She was intelligent and brave but a little naïve. I enjoyed watching her go through the trials, but I wish they were more prominent because I love the competition element in fantasy books. I thought the secondary characters could've been fleshed out more, as well as the world-building. I got a vague sense of it, but it felt very surface-level. There's also a little romance between Ying and Ye-yang, which felt like your stereotypical YA romance. It had all the makings of something great but needed a few more tweaks. Still, I'm interested enough to pick up the next book when it comes out.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 3-5-24 Adult - Thriller |
Listen for the Lie- Amy Tintera: Everyone thinks Lucy Chase is a murderer, and Lucy doesn't blame them-- she thinks she might be, too. Five years ago, Lucy was found walking along the side of a road, disoriented, and with her dress covered in her best friend's blood. When Savannah "Savvy" Harper's body was found, many in their small town believed Lucy killed her after the girls got into a fight, but Lucy sustained a head injury at the same time, which caused her to lose her memories of that night, so the case went unsolved. Lucy left for LA soon after, hoping to get on with her life, but then a widely popular true crime podcast decides to investigate Savvy's murder. When Lucy is dragged back to her small town and finds herself face to face with the handsome host, Ben Owens, she finally agrees to talk about the events. As the pair work together, Lucy's memories begin to return, and the truth will have shocking consequences.
This was so much fun! It was incredibly engaging and fast-paced. I loved the narrative style. Lucy was so snarky, and I loved how sarcastically morbid her humor was. I found myself chuckling during so much of her inner monologue. I also loved her grandma, who was an absolute spitfire. I would gladly read an entire book about her. The podcast element seems like a favorite plot device in thrillers lately, but I thought it worked well here. I liked the dynamic between Lucy and Ben, but I enjoyed them better as detectives instead of lovers. The mystery was full of twists and turns I didn't see coming. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to figure out how it would play out. It did get slightly repetitive in the middle bit, but overall, I thought it was super entertaining.
Rating: 4/5
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| Pub Date: 6-28-22 Adult - Historical Romance |
Up All Night with a Good Duke- Amy Rose Bennett: Artemis Jones spends her days working as a finishing-school teacher and her nights penning salacious Gothic novels. However, her dream has always been to open her own academic college for ladies. Artemis has no desire to marry and have her future be dictated by a man. But when a friend is in need, she doesn't hesitate to join in the London season, hoping she can, at least, find a wealthy patron for her school. Dominic Winters, also known as "The Dastardly Duke," needs a wife to produce him an heir and help reign in his willful daughter. The only problem is that most of high society has shunned him after rumors swirled that he murdered his wife. When a chance encounter brings Artemis and Dominic together, they devise a plan that will benefit both, but neither gave any thought to the feelings that would follow.
I've had this on my shelves for so long, and I finally decided to pick it up. I liked it, but at the same time, it was very meh. The book isn't that long, but it felt like it took forever to end. I think that mainly had to do with the fact that there's too much going on. Bennett crams so many plotlines into the story, so it feels too cluttered. If she cut a few out, it would've flowed better and given the story more room to breathe. I did enjoy the characters and the relationship between Artemis and Dominic. The relationship between Artemis and Celeste was also sweet. Overall, it was fine, and I'm interested enough to continue with the series.
Rating: 3/5
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