bookphenomena_micky's reviews
4674 reviews

Headlines:
Twin echoes
Grief
Small town secrets

A Sea of Unspoken Things was the kind of story that built and built into a bundle of feelings that were quite overwhelming in the best way. James (she/her) returned to the small town she escaped once she was college-aged but her return was under the most difficult of circumstances, to wrap up her twin's estate. Old relationships came to the fore, just like old secrets and lies did.

This story was slow mysterious unravel and I had many theories alongside James, Micah and Johnny. None of them ended up being right but it was such a gripping journey. While the tale was heavy with a palpable grief, somehow the unfolding mystery cut through the grief so that it didn't weigh the book down too much.

There was a low level romance in this story and it felt right in how it weighed less alongside the story of this family. Nevertheless, I was incredibly invested in the second chance for James.

As with many of Young's books in this genre, there was a tangible connection to the land. I was able to imagine myself amongst the trees, catching sight of the owls, hearing the water pouring through a gorge; only the sounds of nature. That's because Young is an exceptional wordsmith not only in her description of nature but how she gets you feeling as one with the characters. I highlighted so many pieces of dialogue and text.

There was a poignancy to this read and I think that is because grief is a very individual journey, so that being alongside James and her twin senses through this felt so personal. I spent the last few chapters in tears on and off, which told me how connected I'd become to James and Johnny. This was a wholly memorable story.

"Goodbye is a lost language. A silent one."

Thank you to Quercus Books for the review copy.

 

There is a need to suspend some reality entering into this story of YA-aged characters wrapped up in deep mafia business. The legacy of a deceased father helps give this story some credence but nevertheless, it did feel a bit far-fetched at times.

The story had some Romeo & Juliet vibes which I appreciated with two families pitched in opposition, known to one another by their surnames. Sophie, the FMC was slow to catch on to the bad blood between these families. She had a naivety that was a little frustrating but she had to wise-up pretty fast once the bad blood was revealed.

Some of the later mafia business lost my interest but what did pique my curiosity was the sense that the love interest from this story might not be end game. For that reason, I'll read on.

As a side note, this is a re-release of a trilogy from 2015 and it does feel like those earlier YA romance stories that were written.

Thank you to Simon YA for the review copy. 

Headlines:
Betrayal
Complex relationships
Ready your feminist rage

This sequel was a worthy follow-up to Iron Widow. The Zetian that emerged from the chrysalis of the first book was more fierce, more bold and yet she still had vulnerabilities. The co-pilot at the end of Iron Widow became one of the main characters of this piece and I am still frustrated over my own feelings about this character. He was montrous, somewhat noble, half-misogynist, half-feminist, part socialist and so that there were things I liked about him and things I hated about him. I think this conflict of feelings for this character was inevitable.

The relationships in this book were inherently complex, whether political, convenient or romantic. The ending of the previous book indicated a change from the connections I'd come to love. What I wasn't prepared for were the reveals about past, present and to-be romantic entanglements. The betrayals Zetian experienced were hideous and I felt such irridescent rage reading some parts. One reveal in the final third of the book made me close it for processing and stomp around the house a bit, so that I could pick it back up and cheer Zetian's plotting along. I have to say for all the tennis match of feelings this element of the story brought, I was a fan of every twist and turn.

In terms of the world and political plot, there were some huge reveals about the planet, the gods, leaving some uncertainty about friend or foe. Where the story ended up has me yearning for more of what's going to happen to this world.

I can't finish this review without homage to how Zhao wrote the realism of a feminist storyline. Even while this government was becoming less misogynistic, the reality was that Zetian's role wasn't accepted, she was reviled and her womb was a crucial factor in how she was perceived. I ate up these plotlines while side eyeing literally all the men in this book (maybe apart from one).

Will this be a trilogy or more, I don't know but I will jump to attention immediately when I can get my hands on more.

Thank you to Rock The Boat for the review copy.

 

Trope hell. Age-gap okay but don't make it icky with "daddy". So many sex scenes I got incredibly bored at the length and repetition.

 

This series finished on a great note with perhaps the grumpiest of devils in Graham (on a cracker). How these two could be a pair was one half, unfathomable and the other half, inevitable. Keeley seemed the most chaotic character but there were a lot of smoke and mirrors going on to someone soft underneath with a sense of integrity.

I liked Graham from the start, they were what each other needed. The two surprises were great ones and revealed early on. The story of getting to a space of trust was one very worth reading.

I was sad to not find out what happened to Mark in the end. I hope he was okay.

 

From the whimsy of the previous protagonist to the high powered attorney that was Gemma. We knew Ben from the previous book and he delivered in a way I expected him to. He had to chip away at the triple-layered hard shell Gemma had put around herself for good reason.

Good chemistry abounded but deeper feelings gradually crept in. I liked how the family and ex backstory was trickled into the contemporary. I was very scared during the third-act break up but I know to trust O'Roark's process.

Loving this series!

Dull as dishwater.

Headlines:
Empowerment
Wanting the best for each other
Wanting each other

It took a few chapters for this to get going but then I was into my usual ease and escapism I always get with O'Roark's books. The set up for the vacay at the start of this book was quirky but believable and started a foundation of family as the backdrop to the MCs' stories.

Drew was so disempowered despite her fame (or rather infamy), I found it hard to read how trampled on and misunderstood she was. The fact that Josh could see it, hated it and advocated for Drew to gain more control was like catnip in this relationship. The fact that Drew and Josh were in an enemies stance for the first half was quite a delicious addition to the recipe.

Six was a complication of irritation. Josh's mum was lovely and every other family member, both Josh's and Drew's were awful. It felt like Drew had no one on her side but all she really needed was the mass of Josh as her backup and cheer team.

This story went from Hawaii to the US, to Somalia and some Eurpean cities in between. Josh's work was frankly quite frightening and it was hard to see how this would all turn out. I felt 100% satisfied in the end.

I have a feeling I'm going to devour the next two quick smart. 

Sobs in gush...

The end has come and it was everything I needed and wanted. This series has been 100% comfort to me and Eilidh-Fyfe were a striking couple to lead this finale. Teenage crush, friends, not friends, friends to more was a ride that undulated well into their final position.

The romantic suspense in this one was perhaps generally a bit lower stakes overall but had moments of peak intensity where my adrenaline shot up. There were two really fantastic twists in the book that totally surprised me.

Eilidh wasn't the shallowness I saw in snippets in previous novels, she's homesick, career-sick and Fyfe -sick. I really enjoyed her character growth. I might have wanted to smash some sense into Fyfe at times because mixed messages were not it. Their coupling was worth it. There's never a rush in these books, couples take their time to grow attachments.

"There was still an emptiness in me. It had a name, Fyfe Moray."

This final installment was a bit more family-centric than the others and I basked in the characters I knew on page. Bless Samantha Young for those epilogues because it finished this series in style and warm fuzzies.

If you've not started this series, it is now complete for you to binge, go read!

Thank you to the author for the review copy.