Book Review: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Sea Witch

Author: Sarah Henning
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (July 31, 2018)
Hardcover, 368 pages
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Summary
Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

Rating: 5 stars

Review
I fell in love with Sea Witch, and I fell hard. I'd kind of like my heart back please, and maybe some tape or glue so I can try to piece it back together? Thanks.

I kept thinking I knew what to expect next from this book, and then no. No I did not. It's written in the first person present tense, which I don't really love but Henning makes it work for her with a few minorly awkward seeming areas. Interspersed through the main story being told in Evie's (present tense) voice, there are flashback chapters told from an omniscient view that alternates focus on various major players. Just when I'd start to get comfortable and smug, thinking I knew what was in play and what was coming next, there'd be one of these expository chapters that would reveal the inner mind and motivations (and machinations) of various characters. Then suddenly it was like my whole world was tipped on its axis and I was like "Wait, what? WHAT?!?!" I just... I can't... This book... *sigh*

Just amazing. Words can't express the level of amazing this book is. Are we sure this is Sarah Henning's debut novel? And, um, can she please have a whole dragon hoard of almost-finished novels that will be ready to publish very soon that are just as mind-blowingly amazing as Sea Witch? Because I have definitely added Sarah Henning to the top of my auto-buy list.

Evie is a great character and, having heard that this is sort of an Ursula (from Disney's The Little Mermaid) origin story, I kept trying to figure out where she'd go to the bad. I have a soft spot for villains, especially believable villains who are the hero of their own story, or who fall while trying to do the right thing. I love the complexity of the relationships between them all, and I had some major second-lead syndrome going on too.

Book Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (+ Audiobook review)

The Hating Game

Author: Sally Thorne
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publishing Date: August 9, 2016
Paperback, 384 pages
Audiobook: HarperAudio (August 9, 2016)
Narrator: Katie Schorr
Length: 11 hours 29 minutes
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Summary

Nemesis (n.)
1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;
2) A person’s undoing;
3) Joshua Templeman.

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Book Review: Infamous (Famous #2) by Jenny Holiday

Infamous

Author: Jenny Holiday
Series: Famous, Book 2
Publisher: Jenny Holiday
Publishing date: March 20, 2018
Kindle, 272 pages
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Summary: Is he brave enough to face the music?

All that up-and-coming musician Jesse Jamison has ever wanted is to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. When a gossip website nearly catches him kissing someone who isn’t his famous girlfriend—and also isn’t a girl—he considers the near miss a wake-up call. There’s a lot riding on his image as the super-straight rocker, and if he wants to realize his dreams, he’ll need to toe the line. Luckily, he’s into women too. Problem solved.

After a decade pretending to be his ex’s roommate, pediatrician Hunter Wyatt is done hiding. He might not know how to date in the Grindr world, how to make friends in a strange city, or whether his new job in Toronto is a mistake. But he does know that no one is worth the closet. Not even the world’s sexiest rock star.

As Jesse’s charity work at Hunter’s hospital brings the two closer together, a bromance develops. Soon, Hunter is all Jesse can think about. But when it comes down to a choice between Hunter and his career, he’s not sure he’s brave enough to follow his heart.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: I grow increasingly convinced that Jenny Holiday is incapable of writing a book I don't fiercely love. Like the first book in the Famous series, this is another slow burn, friends to lovers story, this one a M/M romance where the first book was a M/F romance. Can I just say, I love the inclusion of more than one type of couple in this series? Usually you see a series that's all M/F, or all M/M, but I think this is my first series with a straight couple in one book and a gay couple in another. And apparently slow burn friends-to-lovers stories are my new favorite.

Jenny Holiday writes a mean slow burn romance. Gah. Words, there are none. Jesse Jamison is on his way to stardom with his band, Jesse and the Joyrides. (LOVE the band name!) He's got this formula he follows so he knows who to sit next to on the train to avoid conversation (which is hilarious, smart, and adorable) but makes the choice to sit next to a super hot guy (Baby Silver Fox, he calls him), whom he winds up really enjoying talking to.

Hunter (aka Dr. Baby Silver Fox...) just got out of an 8 year long bad relationship where basically his boyfriend kept him in the closet in regards to his family and friends, so he's moved to Toronto for a fresh start. He's a hospitalist (uh, basically a pediatrician for the hospital instead of at a medical practice?) and oh, my god, could there be a more perfect man alive? (The answer is no, there could not.) Fast forward a few years after Jesse and Hunter's meeting on the train, and one of Hunter's, Avery, is a huge Jesse and the Joyrides fan. I want to keep talking about how they meet up again and become friends etc. etc., but really, just read the book. I'm sitting here trying to write this review and I've got a stupid grin on my face just remembering this book, especially certain Hunter/Jesse scenes that I want to talk about but I don't want to ruin it with spoilers! And not only are the leading characters amazing, the side characters are also a delight, especially Avery and the guys that make up Jesse's band (but especially Billy, LMAO!)

This is the second book in the Famous series, but it can be read as a stand alone. There are some minor spoilers for the first book in the series, Famous , but frankly they're barely passing mentions so you're unlikely to spoil anything for yourself. That being said, Famous is also an amazing read, so if you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?!

Book Review: Making Up (London Celebrities #3) by Lucy Parker

Making Up

Author: Lucy Parker
Series: London Celebrities, Book 3
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: May 28, 2018
ebook, 245 pages
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Summary: Once upon a time, circus artist Trix Lane was the best around. Her spark vanished with her confidence, though, and reclaiming either has proved…difficult. So when the star of The Festival of Masks is nixed and Trix is unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight, it’s exactly the push she needs. But the joy over her sudden elevation in status is cut short by a new hire on the makeup team.

Leo Magasiva: disgraced wizard of special effects. He of the beautiful voice and impressive beard. Complete dickhead and—in an unexpected twist—an enragingly good kisser.

To Leo, something about Trix is…different. Lovely. Beautiful, even though the pint-size, pink-haired former bane of his existence still spends most of her waking hours working to annoy him. They’ve barely been able to spend two minutes together for years, and now he can’t get enough of her. On stage. At home. In his bed.

When it comes to commitment, Trix has been there, done that, never wants to do it again. Leo’s this close to the job of a lifetime, which would take him away from London—and from Trix. Their past is a constant barrier between them.

It seems hopeless.

Utterly impossible.

And yet…

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

“You know, when you’re not annoying the hell out of me, you might be my favourite person.”

Good lord, the chemistry between Trix and Leo is dynamite. I can't even start to say all the things I absolutely love about this book. Trix is an amazing spitfire, pink-haired, little pixie of a woman, who has some scars and issues she's dealing with that make her that much more real. Plus she's an aerialist in this awesome sounding show that sounds like Shakespeare meets Cirque du Soleil, so what's not to love? (I have a weakness for the circus arts, I will admit.)

Leo is also a gorgeous creature that I want to lick- wait, what? I mean, that is fully formed and wonderful. I love the way he cares so much about his sister (even when she's being a brat), and the way he calls Trix "Tinkerbell," and the way he's self-conscious about his hot body, and… Oh man, the list goes on. This is an AMAZING enemies to lovers romance that I just could not get enough of. And they're both such nerds, geeking out about the same show, drawing little barbed comics of each other and slipping them under each others' doors… Ugh, be still my heart. Fan of enemies to lovers romances, definitely check this one out right now. If you loved Sally Thorne's The Hating Game , definitely check out Making Up.

This is the third book in the London Celebrities series, but can be read as a stand alone. Trix's best friend Lily is the leading lady in the second book in the series, Pretty Face , so there are some minor spoilers for that book in this one (but not really anything you don’t know from reading the back cover of her book…) And since this book is AMAZING, book one is called Act Like It  and is available for only $0.99 on Amazon, so you can go read it before Making Up comes out on May 28. ;)