Tag: Fiction

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How to Steal a Galaxy

by Alex Revis, review 22 of 2024

Murderbot meets Oceans 11 in book two of the Chaotic Orbits series. I loved being back for another fast paced adventure with the quick witted and jaded Ada, this time with a ploy to disrupt a charity auction with mysterious and dark purpose. This is the rare instance when I wish a book was longer. Would highly recommend this and the first book in this series, Full Speed to a Crash Landing for something quick and fun.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

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We Three Kings

by Kristen Bailey, Review 21 of 2024

I was so glad to see another fun holiday rom-com from Kristen Bailey after listening to Five Gold Rings last year. There’s something so charming about Bailey’s signature style and it’s perfectly suited for cozy holiday romps. The extremely questionable workplace romance aside, the banter, goofy set ups, and sweet cast of characters make this a fun seasonal read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

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How to Summon a Fairy Godmother

by Laura J Mayo, Review 18 of 2024

This Cinderella retelling puts one Theo, one of the wicked step-sisters in the spotlight and boy is it delightful. Theo is messy and complicated in a way that fantasy romance leads rarely get to be. I listened to the audio version of this and the narration was well done. If you’re a fan of fairytale retellings, the Assistant to the Villain Series, fairy/regency romance this one will tickle you. I’ll be waiting for more in this series! 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

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Januaries

by Olivie Blake, Review 16 of 2024

This collection of short stories by Olivie Blake was the perfect fall read for me. Just spooky enough to feel seasonal, and just campy enough to have fun. Some of the subject matter is sensitive so it might be worth a quick look at the content warnings. The stories range from paranormal to mythological and were all compelling in their own way, some laugh out loud funny, others can’t put it down suspenseful. The cast of narrators was exceptional and I would definitely get the audiobook of this one. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

Categories: Fiction, Horror, Humor, Short Stories 

Content Warning: Stories include a wide range of sensitive content from graphic murder to postpartum anxiety.

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The Phoenix Keeper

by S.A. MacLean, Review 14 of 2024

The Phoenix Keeper was a cute little magical romp. The main character is an anxious and awkward zookeeper who cares for magical creatures. I wanted to love this book but I found myself annoyed by the immaturity and cluelessness of the main character and I was bummed that the foreshadowing was so heavy handed. Even so, I stayed engaged by the awkward yet funny interactions and interesting magical creatures. The audiobook narrator was great but ultimately this wasn’t for me. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

Categories: Rom Com, Fantasy

Content Warning: Anxiety, Animal Death

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Full Speed to a Crash Landing

by Beth Revis

Review 12 of 2024

This novella was a great little sci-fi escape after some heavier reading. Full Speed to a Crash Landing tells the story of Ada Lamarr, a looter with questionable morals whose journey begins with her almost dying after her spacecraft is damaged and ends with her playing an unexpected role on a secret intergalactic government mission (while maybe even falling in love?). The narration was great and I found myself laughing at Ada’s hilarious interactions with the other characters. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes in book 2!

Would recommend it to anyone looking for something cute, short, and funny! Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

Categories: Science fiction, Novella, Romance

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The Spellshop

by Sarah Beth Durst, Review 8 of 2024

This cozy fantasy has found family, magic, and sentient plants and lots of small town charm. Librarian Kiela and her assistant, a spider plant named Kaz, find themselves making a home, jam and a lot of trouble when they arrive at Keila’s childhood home after revolution displaces them from their beloved library. The book was a lovely little escape but felt a little slow paced and includes a love story almost too cute to suit my particular tastes. Despite this, I’m sure many will quickly fall in love with the adorable cast of magical and wondrous inhabitants of the world Durst has created. 

Would recommend to anyone who loved the cozy found family of the Legends and Lattes books.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

Categories: Fiction, Fantasy (Cozy), Romance

Content Warning: Fire, War, Death of a parent, Government collapse

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The Rom-Commers

by Katherine Center, Review 6 of 2024

Emma, a dedicated rom-com fan and writer, meets her (unlikely) match in the very famous, cynical, and ambitious Charlie when a mutual friend connects the two to patch up Charlie’s terrible attempt at writing romance.

Truthfully, I’m not a huge fan of the normal woman and famous man meet and fall in love trope (and I’ve read several in the last year) so I had lower expectations for “The Rom-Commers” than I should have for how big of a fan I’ve been of Katherine Center’s other books. She always imbues her characters, even the minor ones, with so much warmth and humanity that I don’t know why I was surprised that I came to love every character in this book. 

Would recommend to those interested in an extremely funny, not-spicy, rom-com with heartfelt characters. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

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Neighbors and Other Stories

Written by Diane Oliver, Review 3, of 2024

Short story collections are chronically underrated, and this collection is no exception. The author, Diane Oliver died in an accident in 1966 at age 22 and the world lost the opportunity to read more of her work. This collection was compiled and released nearly 60 years after her death. The masterfully narrated stories in this collection are understated, impactful, and painfully timely. Two of my personal favorites were “Mint Juleps not Served Here”, “Health Service” and “Frozen Voices” but many others also left a mark. Though Oliver’s stories were written during the Civil Rights Movement and early integration, many of their themes and descriptions are unfortunately still relevant today and hit home as a professional who works in health and human services. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

Categories: Fiction, Short stories 

Content Warning: Racism, Violence, Infidelity, Colorism, Classism

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Orbital

by Samantha Harvey, Review 18 of 2023

Orbital is a short meditation on the magnificent and mundane aspects of humans in space. Even with the lovely narration, I found myself losing the thread of the story. Each chapter describes an orbit around earth from the vantage of the space station and includes several astronauts’ points of view. The structure was interesting to listen to but hard to follow at times. Would recommend Orbital to those looking for a unique perspective on space, humanity, and climate change.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

Categories: Fiction, Science Fiction, Literary

Content Warning: Death of a Parent