The Captive King ReRead by Susan Copperfield

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Captive King: A Royal States Novel

Title: The Captive King ReRead
Author: Susan Copperfield
Series: Royal States #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

I find the story of Summer and her journey to gaining more knowledge (and power as a side effect) to be a really interesting one. Particularly because she’s a PhD student and has to deal with the horrors of academia politics. I love that, at the end of the day, for some, academia is more about politics than it is actual knowledge and research. And that, upon understanding this, Summer is actually willing to walk away from empty promises and find her own version of knowledge and happily ever after. The fact that it involves a man who just wants to be with her is just a nice little side quest, in my opinion.

I love that Summer is absolutely stubborn, and hyper independent. She absolutely wants to do everything by herself and for herself. Which, I can completely understand. Yet, when Landon points out that she is potentially hindering herself in not asking for or accepting help, she’s not too stubborn and proud to try and fix the error of her ways. We all need help every now and again, and Summer is able to (eventually) learn this, and find a better way to thrive in the life that she has built for herself.

One of my favourite parts of this story isn’t actually Summer’s journey, or the way that her and Landon fall for each other (which is all brilliant). I love how, when corruption is discovered, Summer is able to absolutely bring Landon’s entire castle to its knees. Both physically and metaphorically. It was such a great use of chaos, mayhem and feminine rage to bring about positive change. Honestly, I kind of wish that I had powers of that calibre – that when the world was being kind of (okay, incredibly) horrible, I could bring it to its knee to create a new reality that is a little more fair and loving to it.

Finally, I love how The Captive King build on the meetings with Jessica and Pat, MacKenzie and Will. The layers of this world are really starting to come together to create a phenomenal and unforgettable whole. It makes a more cohesive series, and also gives you insights into well loved characters’ lives as they unfold and live their own happily ever afters. There are also a number of political viewpoints which are discussed, but, mostly, I just love how Summer is able to destroy the predators and give the voiceless some power back.

<- Null and Void ReReadA Guiding Light ReRead ->

Image source: Amazon

Null and Void ReRead by Susan Copperfield

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Null and Void: A Royal States Novel (3)

Title: Null and Void ReRead
Author: Susan Copperfield
Series: Royal States #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

It doesn’t matter how many times I read this, I still love MazKenzie and William’s story. I mean, they’re kind of the major catalyst for a lot of change in this series. But also, they are just funny and cute. I particularly related to MacKenzie this time around – being a single mum and trying my best to do what is good and right for my kids.

One of my favourite things about this couple is the way that William so willingly steps aside to let MacKenzie grow. He doesn’t pressure her or suffocate her, rather, he chooses to give her the space to come into her own power. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be annoyed in MacKenzie’s shoes – he doesn’t consult her. But, I also like how he knows the powerhouse she can become, without hesitation or doubt.

As I mentioned, I really related to MacKenzie as a single mum. And I adored how well she raises her daughter and prioritises her wellbeing abo e everything else. Yes, she’s a working mum, but she never let’s her daughter forget that she is loved and prioritised. I now know from experience that that’d not an easy feat, and it made me love her all that much more. Plus, she’s just a fierce Mumma Bear which is freaking amazing.

I might kind of dislike the term Null and Void to describe MacKenzie, but it did work really well. It perfectly describes how the stereotypes and judgements that MacKenzie experiences impact her everyday life. And, as with everything in the Royal States series, is a great commentary on how racism, sexism, and all the facets in between can seriously impact our society. In the most negative way.

<- Taken ReReadThe Captive King ->

Image source: Amazon

Iron Unicorn ReRead by Susan Copperfield

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Iron Unicorn (Agents of the Royal States Book 2)

Title: Iron Unicorn ReRead
Author: Susan Copperfield
Series: Agents of the Royal States #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2024

Thoughts

This might have been a reread of The Iron Unicorn for me, but honestly, I still just couldn’t put it down. There is something about this which is just too damn amazing and adorable for words. Terry is so damn sweet, as is Olivia. And knowing them from fairly on in the Royal States series just makes me want to find their happily ever after even sooner.

From the moment that Terry is introduced in Cold Flame, he is adorable and entirely loveable. His loyalty and compassion for others make him a really easy character to adore and connect with. But as this story unfolded, he quickly moved from a character I thoroughly enjoyed to one of my favourites in the series. And that’s not even taking into account the way that he chooses to love Olivia.

From the first read through to this, one scene is still my favourite

 And, I must admit, there were moments of rushed reading to get to it. Terry’s brilliance in kidnapping Olivia and Jessica was great. And the unique way in which he chooses to harness his powers? Absolutely brilliant. And unique – something I never would’ve thought of.

One of the aspects of Copperfield’s romances that I truly love is that she doesn’t flinch away from difficult emotions. For Iron Unicorn, this is primarily how challenging Olivia finds the changes in her life. No one could undergo major surgery and a huge alteration in an important relationship without scarring. And I love that this is part of the journey to happily ever after, not a hurdle to be pushed to the side.

<- The Vampire of Montana ReReadMore Susan Copperfield ->

Image source: Amazon

The Vampire of Montana ReRead by Susan Copperfield

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Vampire of Montana (Agents of the Royal States Book 1)

Title: The Vampire of Montana ReRead
Author: Susan Copperfield
Series: Agents of the Royal States #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

I absolutely love rereading The Vampire of Montana. Copperfield does such a great job of writing morally grey and questionable characters. And Daphne is one of the best examples of this. She might be able to kick ass and is ultimately seen as a “good guy”, but she is also most definitely a questionable good character.

Daphne and Ed have a great Meet Cute, and I like that they are a total chance meeting. Honestly, it is one of the most impulsive, neurodivergent fallings that I’ve had the pleasure to read. They kind of bump into one another, and then just roll with each other’s sanity. The very definition of impulsive picking a person and then just… sticking with them.

Daphne coming into her powers is kind of intense, and a little bit harsh at moments. But I also really enjoyed how powerful and intense the moment was. It shows the strength (and pitfalls) of certain assumptions that we all hold. But also, the depth of love and care that Daphne is capable of when it comes to her friends and family.

Not only is this a great and entertaining paranormal romance, but it also sets Iron Unicorn up kind of perfectly. I really enjoy it when a book so seamlessly leads into the next one. And just makes you eager to dive straight in.

<- More Susan CopperfieldIron Unicorn ReRead ->

Image source: Amazon

The Flame Game ReRead by R.J. Blain

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Flame Game (A Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) Book 16)

Title: The Flame Game ReRead
Author: R.J. Blain
Series: A Magical Romantic Comedy (With a Body Count) #16
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

The Flame Game is the final tale in Bailey and Quinn’s story. And honestly, it’s such a great way to give them closure for their three novel story arcs. I love how it is still filled with their typical chaos and mayhem. But with a little more calmness to their relationship and love for one another.

Even though Bailey is more confident and secure, she is still just as chaotic as her first two stories. And she never ending journey to reclaim a sense of self and self-esteem after abuse is continuing. I love that, even though she’s found love, she still has the same challenges and difficulties. Nothing was magically solved overnight. She just has someone in her corner now.

I love how Audrey is the reason Quinn and Bailey get together. And it’s her choices and active decision to be a presence in his life that have such a long-term consequence on, well, everything. The Flame Game bought so much closure to this weird relationship and dynamic. Making so many of the past, seemingly random choices make a warped kind of sense.

It took me this read through to realise how good the title of this novel is. The Flame Game isn’t just because Cindercorns, but rather, the well though out revenge that the Quinns decide to enact on those that have wronged them. Even when they vanquish their foe, they damn well make sure that nothing about him is capable of returning and haunting them.

<- A Chip on Her Shoulder ReReadMurder Mittens ReRead ->

Image source: Amazon

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Spanish Love Deception | Book by Elena Armas | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU

Title: The Spanish Love Deception
Author: Elena Armas
Series: The Spanish Love Deception #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance, Travel
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

The Fake Dating Trope is always one that I am guaranteed to enjoy. I can’t imagine it really happening in real life. But I still enjoy the journey of reading it. I particularly loved how Lina’s desperation for a fake date makes her turn to an “enemy” of sorts, and just how well these two tropes worked together.

From the very beginning of the storyline, it was fairly obvious that Aaron has some big feelings for Lina. But, that didn’t take away from the pure enjoyment of reading about their tale. I loved how their story unfolded and Aaron was able to gently lead Lina to understand some of his past actions, and all of the misunderstandings that lay between them. Plus, I do love just a little predictability in my romances.

Most romances, I don’t pay a lot of attention to the setting. Its normally not something that fascinates or intrigues me. That was not the case with The Spanish Love Deception. The backdrop of Spain was just amazing. New York as a starting location was fun, Spain and all of its countryside beauty was distractingly beautiful. Maybe because I want to actually visit Spain… the family and chaos of Spain and Lina’s life over there was absolutely adorable and unforgettable. Something that really just added a gorgeous extra layer to an already seriously enjoyable romance.

This was my first book by Elena Armas even though she frequently pops up as a suggested author. I may have found it a little slow to get started, but I definitely loved this. And now I can’t wait to read more stories by Armas.

<- More Elena ArmasThe American Roommate Experiment ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster Australia

With Her Hundred Miles to Hell by Kat Howard

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: With Her Hundred Miles to Hell
Author: Kat Howard
In: Glitter and Mayhem (Amber Benson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2013

Thoughts

This was a very convoluted, dream-scape type short story. For me, it was all about the darkness of dreams and the journey to death and hell. It was really fun to read and kind of brilliant, but, as I mentioned, kind of dark and, almost felt a bit like a fever dream to read.

Reading this felt very disjointed and dreamy, and was probably not the best short story to read right before bed. But, I kind of enjoyed being in a dream scape, before actually entering my own dream world.

With Her Hundred Miles to Hell was all about the little deaths that we must sacrifice to bring our dreams to life. And I seriously enjoyed the premise. I kind of wanted this to be longer and expanded. It was a truly intriguing and dark story. One that I would most definitely read again (and probably find new things to be fascinated by).

<- Apex JumpStar Dancer ->

Image source: Amazon

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Book Review, ,
Overview
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: Treat yourself to the million copy bestseller

Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Gaming
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

This was one of those stories that I really wanted to love, but in the end, I just couldn’t. The premise was great, and it was a good story. But definitely not one that I loved. And probably not one where I’m likely to feel the drive to read much more by this author. It just wasn’t my kind of story.

For starters, I felt absolutely zero connection to the characters. The potential was there in the beginning, the desire was there. But, I just didn’t fully lean into it. It was one of those stories, that I could walk away mid-tale and not care less what was going to happen in the end – I’m sure they hit differently for others. But, for me, I just couldn’t get there.

I also absolutely loved the premise of the story, I love how it was structured. But the actual execution felt somehow lacking. To me, this very much felt like a story that has gotten great media, but maybe can’t quite live up to the hype. Or maybe it was just me, that is always a distinct chance.

I may enjoy stories which jump timelines, but I also found that this one jumped around just a little too much. Kind of like a kid on a sugar rush. It felt like the story became overcomplicated and confusing, taking away from the overall enjoyment. Again, not a bad story, but not one I would recommend to a friend either.

Image source: Amazon

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Third Gilmore Girl

Title: The Third Gilmore Girl
Author: Kelly Bishop
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Celebrity, Memoirs
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2024

Thoughts

As someone who watched The Gilmore Girls in her late teens, early twenties, I was absolutely intrigued and fascinated to read Kelly Bishop’s memoir. Plus, she was also in Dirty Dancing, another one of my favourite movies from that portion of my life. This didn’t disappoint. It was a great insight into a phenomenal actress, one whose work has formed a really important part of my TV watching in my formative years.

The Third Gilmore Girl is well worth the read, and I’m really glad that I had the pleasure of diving into Bishop’s journey from show girl to Gilmore Girl. This was well written, engaging and impossible to put down. Such an amazing journey with so much joy in each and every moment. I adored learning more about the actress and travelling through time and theatres with her.

One of the things about this memoir that I really love is how open and honest Bishop is about her different challenges and circumstances. She unflinchingly shares the more hidden parts of her life with humour and humility. Her ability to acknowledge her mistakes, her challenges and all of the emotional turmoil of a life well lived made this story so difficult to put down. And completely unforgettable.

The Third Gilmore Girl is honestly one of the best memoirs I’ve read in a while. It had a little less drama and angst than some of the other more heartbreaking ones on my shelves. But, still plenty of drama and action to keep you intrigued. I truly enjoyed how open and honest Bishop is, without creating a heart racing intensity that I sometimes find in the books that I read.

<- AbleMao’s Last Dancer ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Sure, I'll Join Your Cult | Book by Maria Bamford | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU

Title: Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult
Author: Maria Bamford
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Memoirs, Mental health
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

To start with, I really enjoyed this memoir. It was clever and witty. Had me smiling and laughing as I read it. But then, it started to get a little bit repetitive. And a little more repetitive. Until, finally, it may have been different anecdotes, but mostly the same punchlines.

Although I started to get bogged down in this, I did still finish it. And mostly enjoy it. Bamford was open and honest, which i always love. And didn’t hesitate to laugh at herself and the predicaments she would find herself in.

As much as I didn’t mind this, between the repetitive punchlines and the tone of the memoir, its not one I’d read again. Overall, not a bad read. But probably a little too needy for my personal tastes and engagement.

Image source: Simon & Schuster Australia