illstoptheworldandreadwithyou's reviews
736 reviews

This is a fun and steamy dragon shifter romance. The story dives right into the attraction between Elodie and August. She walks out of a coffeeshop to interrupt an argument between a man and a woman. As soon as the man turns to her, he goes into heat, and as soon as he touches her, she joins him there.

If they sate their bond, they’ll be mated, but if they stay together (and maybe partake in some other actions to release some pressure), they may just make it through and be able to go their separate ways.

Fully expect to suspend your disbelief with this one; it is a dragon shifter romance after all. Elodie willingly goes with August, a dragon shifter whom she has just met, to his unfurnished cabin in the woods for four weeks. (Don’t worry; he gets furniture in there for her stat.) At least she has the forethought to be concerned about school and how her friends and mom will worry about her.

There’s plenty of heat to this one—both literal and of the attraction kind—but there’s also a sweetness to how they take care of each other. 

This is the first of three books, and it looks like each book focuses on the relationship between one of the three friends and one of the dragon shifter brothers.

I’m not going to lie; I will probably keep reading this series. This first book is a fun escape and has more plot than I was expecting. Listening to it at 2x speed on audio, it was a quick, little diversion that helped me get through some Saturday morning chores.

The audiobook has dual narration by Nick Mondelli and Renee Thorne. I expected his voice to be more gravely or growly as a dragon shifter, but ultimately liked his narration. Some of the phrasing in Thorne’s narration didn’t feel very natural to me, but those moments weren’t enough to fully pull me out of the story.

3.75⭐️

I listened to an advance copy of the audiobook from Dreamscape Media. All review opinions are my own.

Humor Me tells the story of Presley Fry, twenty-something standup comedy enthusiast and assistant at the Late Night Show, set against the backdrop of New York City as the Me Too movement is gaining more and more momentum. In many ways it’s a love letter to New York from the perspective of a transplant to the city, a study in coming to terms with grief, and a story of how much one is still growing up in their 20s. 

 

The synopsis description of Presley as “jaded” is certainly apt. She’s not a warm and fuzzy type, and she keeps most people at arm’s length. I loved watching her friendship develop with Susan, Presley’s late mother’s friend, and especially adored how Clark interacts with Presley. 

 

I appreciated the depictions of grief, the complicated feelings associated with it, and the different versions of it—grief over a loved one, who meant different things to different people, and grief over changing friendships and relationships. 

 

There are romantic elements to the story, but they aren’t the focal point. Humor Me is more about Presley coming of age and her evolving friendships. 

 

Ferdelle Capistrano’s narration captures Presley’s personality so well. I enjoyed her vocal choices for the other characters, too, especially how she portrays Susan’s warmth and Clark’s affability. 

 

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own. 

From the Goodreads synopsis: “Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.” 

 

Three kingdoms at war; a gambling, opium-addicted father, who refuses to join the army; a young woman on the eve of being married to an abusive merchant; and the unexpected gift her late mother left for her—these elements set the stage for K.X. Song’s The Night Ends with Fire. 

 

Meilin finds death in war preferable to marrying the merchant, so she binds her chest, dresses as a man, tucks her mother’s pendant under her tunic, and heads off to enlist. 

 

She’s already trained in qi gong and kung fu, but she still has a lot to learn. 

 

Juxtaposed against the training and experiences in war are Meilin’s trials and tribulations learning to harness her own magic and the spirit power channeled to her through her mother’s jade pendant. The dragon spirit connected to the jade isn’t the Mushu from Disney’s version of Mulan, though, and there’s a learning curve for Meilin when it comes to her levels of trust with him. 

 

There’s also the beginning of a love triangle. (This is the first book in a series.) One love interest is bound by duty; the other is not exactly what he seems. I’m interested to see where these relationships go. 

 

Please note that, while our heroine is quite young, some of the content is not. 

 

Also expect to see discussions of gender and gender roles, the characteristics attributed to, the expectations of, and the liberties (or lack thereof) awarded to each. Meilin is a woman masquerading as a man, after all, and she struggles to accept her own ambition. 

 

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley/Ace and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own. 

Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope who hails from—gasp!—New Orleans, Louisiana, needs to rapidly improve his reputation. He wants custody of his half-siblings, Freddie and Lu, and let’s just say that between his American roots and his political stance, among other things, he is not the most approved of member of the ton. When he turns to Lady Selina Ravenscroft for help, she decides the fastest way to improve his standing is to secure him a proper wife.

Selina is beloved by the ton, but her reputation would be dashed if her cohorts discovered that she is behind the circulating library that has—ahem—made some more enlightening reads available to women.

Here’s the rub, though: despite her multiple attempts at matchmaking Peter to the ladies of the ton, none of those relationships seem to take. As unfortunate as it seems, Selina discovers that she, in fact, may be Peter’s perfect match. Oh bother. 

He needs his status bolstered, but allying with her, and her potentially destructive secret, may cause an even greater downfall.

I adore Alexandra Vasti’s writing; I found myself wearing an irrepressible grin while reading this one; and I just love Peter’s half-siblings, Freddie and Lu.

Peter and Selina’s banter is delicious and their chemistry is fantastic. The stories surrounding the other ladies of the ton whom Selina attempts to matchmake with Peter only enhance the humor of the story.

There is a bit of a change in tone once Peter and Selina do get together. Things become more serious as the decision regarding Freddie and Lu’s guardianship grows closer. 

It all works out in the end, though, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

I've read this one twice now—once on my Kindle and once on audio.

I loved Mhairi Morrison's narration of The Halifax Hellions audiobooks, so I was excited to see that she narrates this one as well. I am happy to report that her narration of Ne'er Duke Well is just as delightful as her narration of those novellas. She uses a proper British accent for Selina and a slow, Southern drawl for Peter.

 4.75⭐️

I received an advance copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press and an advance copy of the audiobook from Dreamscape Media, both via NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Honey is a coming-of-age story set in the spotlight surrounding the pop princesses and boy bands in the late 90s and early aughts. 

I can see this one especially appealing to millennials and xennials. I really enjoyed the book once it hit its stride. 

It will bring you a bit of nostalgia; will stir up memories of watching Star Search, TRL, and choreographed performances, seeing pop culture scandals pasted across the pages of the gossip rags, and reading Rolling Stone; and will take you back to where you were during some of the major historical events of that time period.

It will make you think about how performers—especially young ones—are cast in the roles that others create instead of being portrayed as who they really are, about public perception versus individual autonomy, and about how both the public and the music labels feel as though they have a sense of ownership of and a right to the performers’ lives and their stories.

It gives insight into how music execs took advantage of these young performers and how those performers tried to find agency in their own careers at such a young age.

Honey includes all of this plus a story of friendship, love, and growth.

Complementing Amber's tale are magazine articles, interview clips, and song lyrics. I love when authors add mixed media to enhance stories like that.

The audiobook is narrated by Brittany Pressley, and I firmly believe that her narration can make any book even better. I especially liked her voice and accent for the Scandinavian producer. 

The interstitial mixed media sections have a male narrator, where appropriate, and the ones with lyrics include backing song tracks. I highly recommend reading this on audio.

I recommend checking content warnings from a trusted source.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

At the end of The Prince & The Apocalypse, I think every reader wants to know, “But what happens next???” I know I sure did when I read it.

Heir, Apparently picks up—spoiler alert for book one—a bit after the apocalypse is averted. (Sorry, y’all. I figure if you know there’s a book two, you probably also know that the world doesn’t end in the first one.) Wren is about to start college at Northwestern with her best friend, Naomi, at her side. Theo is about to be coronated as the King of England.

They haven’t talked to each other since Comet Week.

And he has her dog.

When Theo and a couple of his siblings bring Comet along with them for a royal tour in Canada, Wren sees it as her chance to see Comet (Theo) again, but things don’t exactly go as planned.

It seems like disaster seems to follow Theo and Wren everywhere.

As with The Prince & The Apocalypse, plan to suspend your disbelief for this one, and strap in for a fun ride. I didn’t enjoy Heir, Apparently quite as much as the first book, but I liked the additional characters on the journey this time around, especially Henry, who loves to push Theo’s buttons, the chemistry and romantic pull between Theo and Wren, and the added tension of whether or not a relationship between the two is possible as he prepares for his coronation.

I had advance copies of both the ebook and the audiobook. Laura Knight Keating’s narration captures the youthfulness of this cast of characters. I liked her vocal choices, and she portrays both the British and American accents well. 

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Wednesday Books and an advance copy of the audiobook from RBmedia, both via NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I recommend diving into this one without reading any reviews or the blurb first. You just need to know that there are several intimate scenes that are very 🔥🔥🔥, and there are creepy elements to the story. 

 

If you do want a bit more info before starting it, I will say this: while I was reading, I had moments when I was wondering how and when all of the different, and seemingly disparate, elements would come together. When everything finally did come together, it changed my opinion of the book in a good way. 

 

This audiobook features duet narration by Tara Langella and Troy Duran. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that all of the adult male dialogue—not just Aiden’s parts—were voiced by Duran in this one. It was quite the immersive listening experience; I felt like I was watching everything unfold onscreen. Both narrators are excellent, covering a variety of different characters in tone and accent, and Duran’s voice for Aiden, in particular, is deep and growly and delicious. 

 

There are dark romance + thriller vibes in this one, so if there are elements found in those types of novels that may disturb you, I recommend checking the author’s website or a trusted source for content warnings before picking up this one. 

 

I received a copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own. 

“A professional baseball player and his heckler prove that true love is worth going to bat for.” (I love that tagline from the book’s blurb.)

Daphne Brink is in a rut. She’s just finalized her divorce; she and her cat live in a tiny apartment; and she’s doing freelance writing assignments to get by. 

When she and her best friend attend a baseball game for the local major league team the day she signs her divorce papers, Daphne imbibes a bit too much—okay, probably way too much—and starts heckling the players as they walk up to bat.

She just doesn’t realize that she’s heckling the players from the home team.

As it turns out, one player that she heckles, Chris Kepler, has quite the memorable reaction to her taunts.

An (accidentally ) anonymous apology sent via social media DMs leads to a deep emotional connection developing between Daphne and Chris, but when Daphne gets a job working with the team, how will her anonymous messages to Chris impact their real lives?

There’s something about Alicia Thompson’s writing that immediately sucks me in. Word choice? Tone? I can’t quite pinpoint it, but I know it’s good.

I was quickly pulled into Daphne and Chris’s world.

Highlights for me:
- Their banter
- Their chemistry 🔥🔥🔥
- How Daphne adapts and grows
- Chris and how he opens up to Daphne/Duckie
- How Thompson handles grief
- Plus Daphne is a bookstagrammer(!)

Thompson deals with some heavy topics in this one, so please check a trusted source for content warnings.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Hello, cozy fantasy goodness! This was like being cuddled up in a soft blanket with my hands wrapped around a mug of hot tea.

A librarian escapes the capital city under siege with her trusty companion, Caz, and crates of spellbooks from her section of the library in tow. With nowhere else to go, she returns to her family’s long-abandoned cottage on the outer island where she grew up.

The more time that she spends there, the more she realizes how the imbalance of wealth and power in the empire has affected those on its outer edges and the more she observes how neighbors in the outer islands care for each other.

With the help of Caz and the spellbooks in her possession, she begins implementing small changes to help the islanders wherever she can.

Highlights for me:
- The budding romance with her neighbor (and how clueless Kiela is about his feelings)
- The found family aspects of the town
- Merhorses
- Caz, the sentient spider plant
- Meep, a sentient succulent with speech patterns that remind me of Groot
- Kiela’s and Caz’s love of books

Warning: This book will make you crave jam and cinnamon rolls.

I adored the narration by Caitlin Davies. She brought these lovable characters (and a curmudgeon or two) to life so well. I especially enjoyed her voices for Caz and Meep. I highly recommend curling up with the audiobook version of this one!

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

4.75⭐️

A couple of kidnappings, a power hungry dragon, sky cities, the Deep, spells, enchantments, and a high-stakes heist will keep you turning the pages of The Sky on Fire.

Strap in for the adventure and world-building; stay for the found family and the romance.

I especially enjoyed the bonds shared between some dragons and their riders as well as Anahrod’s gift with animals.

Note: while this one is technically closed door, the actions behind that door are implied and there is graphic dirty talk in one of the scenes.

I enjoyed Lauren Fortgang’s audiobook narration. This one has a vast cast of character’s, and I enjoyed her vocal choices for them, especially her portrayal of the flirtatious banter between some of those characters. With all of the world-building involved and the level of detail in the book, I did find myself having to focus more on this audiobook and having to rewind to make sure I caught everything.  The audiobook is done well, but due to the content, some parts do not lend themselves well to listening while multitasking.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Rep: queer, poly, mental health (anxiety, PTSD, grief)