Another month, another 4 books finished! While I wish I was reading more, I’m happy with averaging a book a week, especially in the busy summer months! This month, I finished Fourth Wing, Until I Get You, The Fine Print, and The Coven. I’m reviewing all these below, so as always, feel free to read them all, or skip around to what interests you! Happy reading!
Fourth Wing Book Review
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean #1
Genre: Fantasy, dragons, enemies-to-lovers
Pages: 500
Release Date: May 2, 2023
If you think I didn’t drink the Kool-Aid and read Fourth Wing, you’d be out of your mind! Of course, I did, and I couldn’t have loved it more. Was I surprised by the ending? No. Did I love the characters and world building? Yes! Am I patiently waiting for the second book to be released in November? Maybe not patiently but waiting nonetheless!!
My Blurb
If you haven’t seen Fourth Wing all over the internet, it’s about Violet Sorrengail, who’s essentially forced to join the dangerous dragon-riding faction of Basgiath War College by her mother, who is the commanding general and a legend. Having planned all her life to join the Scribe Quadrant (think librarians and historians) and the fact that she’s weak with a literally fragile body, she’s incredibly ill-prepared to make it out alive in a world that’s graduate or die.
And with her famous family of riders and leaders, Violet has enemies from the start, including Xaden Riorson, whose dad was executed by Violet’s mother for being part of a rebellion. He’s also the most powerful rider at the school and a wingleader. He hates her, and she doesn’t trust him… but I always love enemies-to-lovers…
Aside from that, there’s a war going on in and outside the kingdom, and the protective wards are failing. Everyone has secrets and there’s more to the war than Violet knows. But she’s got the mind of Scribe and begins to question leadership and what she thinks she knows as the truth.
My Thoughts
There are so many characters to love in this world! I can’t say it all without spoiling, but I loved her friendships and her relationship with her sister. I enjoyed the unique fantasy element of the dragon riders, and how they are essentially just humans without powers until they bond with a dragon. I saw similarities between this book and the Divergent series, so we’ll see where it goes. But with the different factions and training, it was definitely reminiscent. Overall, Violet is an easy heroine to root for, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the Iron Flame (book 2).
Until I Get You Book Review
Author: Claire Contreras
Genre: Hockey romance, suspense/dark romance
Pages: 462
Release Date: April 5, 2023
“I don’t want to be your nightmare.”
Lach
Another great book from one of my favorite authors, Claire Contreras. This book is marketed as hockey romance with dark themes, but I’m not sure that’s entirely a fit. Even Claire questions what this book is about in her notes at the beginning. Our hero does play hockey in college and a few pro years, but for half the book, he’s also just a businessman obsessed with getting the heroine back or I suppose making her pay… second chance in a way? But there’s also darker elements of a stalker, so suspense/dark romance?
My Blurb
Until I Get You is about college senior hockey star Lachlan, who meets Lyla at a party. He’s instantly interested in how disinterested she is in him. Classic. Despite her best efforts to keep him away and keep him safe, she grows close to him and starts to see a life where they can be together after college.
Unfortunately, those plans come crashing down when her stalker catches wind of their relationship. After a close call, Lyla decides to run to protect the man she’s grown to care about. She starts a new life and doesn’t want to be found.
3 years later, Lach has finished playing pro hockey and agreed to take over his father’s business. And he’s finally got the resources to find Lyla. He makes it his mission to get her back, but also to end the terror Lyla has dealt with for years.
My Thoughts
Overall, I loved this book. There were so many different elements to it. It’s suspenseful, and you want to know all the answers right away, but Lyla is slow to answer them. She has incredible friends, and I loved their relationships. Lachlan is an obsessed hero, but just wants to love and help Lyla. Lyla is an incredibly strong character, and after everything she’s been through, deserves whatever happily ever after she can have.
Trigger Warnings: assault, sexual assault, stalking, death, suicide
The Fine Print Book Review
Author: Lauren Asher
Series: Dreamland Billionaires #1
Genre: Enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance
Pages: 448
Release Date: December 1, 2022
“I’m not signing anything before I have a chance to read the fine print.” – Zahra
“You’re not special enough for any fine print.” – Rowan
When I read the synopsis for The Fine Print, I’m not sure how I missed that this is basically Disney fan fiction. So, if you love all things Disney, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. Sorry, just had to let you know!
My Blurb
Rowan’s grandfather created Disney, I mean Dreamland. Yes, it’s even located in Florida! When his grandfather passed, he left him, his two brothers, and their father individual letters with tasks they must complete in order to take over the family business. Rowan is tasked with working at Dreamland with the Creators for at least 6 months and to renovate the park.
Wanting fresh ideas, he opens up submissions from park employees with the winning employee given a job with the Creators. Zahra has been wanting to work for the Creators her entire life. She’s passionate about making the park inclusive for all and also has tons of ideas for rides and worlds in the park.
After drunkenly submitting her proposal which was really just criticizing Dreamland’s most expensive ride (she made it with Brady – Rowan’s grandfather – but the idea was stolen by her ex and left out crucial parts), Zahra has little hope she’ll get the job. But she does! The only downside is that she’ll have to work with Rowan.
Even though Rowan’s a bosshole, Zahra finds herself starting to like him. But she’s conflicted when she starts texting and bantering with an “anonymous illustrator” who makes her ideas come to life on paper.
My Thoughts
Overall, I thought this book was really cute. I’m not the biggest Disney fan, but I liked how you could compare the park to Disney and how it works. Zahra has such a good heart, and I loved seeing her rub off on Rowan, who’s main concern was just making money, even if it’s at the expense of employees. I also appreciated that the characters were diverse and inclusive!
The Coven Book Review
Author: Harper L. Woods
Series: Coven of Bones #1
Genre: Fantasy, paranormal, enemies-to-lovers
Pages: 298
Release Date: March 16, 2023
“If it is order that you value, then I will bring you nothing but chaos.”
willow
A paranormal/fantasy book under 300 pages! I love long books with lots of storytelling, but honestly, sometimes I get exhausted of these 5 and 600 page books. So, I really appreciated that this book was on the “shorter” side, and it didn’t lack for action.
My Blurb
Willow Madizza is a witch, and she knows that she’ll be forced to go to Hollow’s Grove University soon enough to practice her magic. Her first priority is getting her little brother to safety after their mother dies – the last thing she wants for him is to be discovered and forced to choose between his magic or having kids which is required of male witches.
The Vessels, things locked in immortal human bodies that fed like vampires on witch’s blood, run the school and do the Covenant’s bidding. When the Vessels show up to retrieve her for school, she fights against the handsome and infuriating headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne to get her brother out. With her brother to safety, she heads to gothic Crystal Hollow – the secret magical town.
Hollow’s Grove hasn’t been open to new students in 50 years – after a bloody massacre occurred there. But this year, they’re opening it up to 13 new students. Willow’s been trained her entire life by her father to attend and get revenge for her family. Willow has a secret. While people think she’s the last of the Green line (plant and earth magic), she’s also part of another powerful line of necromancer witches (Blacks) that the Covenant thought they’d killed off when they killed Willow’s aunt. She needs to find her aunt’s bones for her family to have access to the magic.
My Thoughts
There was so much to this story!! I almost feel like I need to reread it to catch all the details and information I didn’t understand the first time around. The relationship between the witches and Vessels is fascinating and confusing. Willow’s power makes her a good match against Gray’s strength and age. I loved seeing their relationship develop… even though Gray is incapable of love/true feelings! The overall magical aspect was really cool to see – like how she keeps the harmony with nature. The ending was a huge cliffhanger, and I can’t wait for book 2 to see how everything plays out and read Willow’s thoughts on those who betrayed her.
Final Thoughts
That’s all for my July 2023 reading wrap-up and book reviews! Let me know if you read or have read any of these books and if you liked them – in the comments or over on Instagram! If you liked these spoiler-free book reviews for Fourth Wing, Until I Get You, The Fine Print, and The Coven, I’d love for you to share this post!
