1. | A Princess in Theory / Alyssa Cole
- I don't usually like contemporary romances, but apparently that just means I'm not reading the right ones because I adored this book. It was a mix of sweet and bittersweet that really hit the mark for me, the hero was absolutely delightful, and the issues tackled outside of the romance were weighty and well done. Full review here
|
2. | The Goblins of Bellwater / Molly Ringle - So, rather petty, but this was a book I read just because I was denied for it on NetGalley, lol. I showed them, I guess? Whatever, it was a great new adult paranormal book that tackled a lot of somber issues like depression and grief and family bonds. I loved the otherworldly goblins and the great atmospheric setting and all the various relationships. Full review here
|
3. | Beneath the Citadel / Destiny Soria -This book made great use of its small-scale setting to aid in the overall tone of the plot, but without making the actual world feel small as well, and I'm always endlessly impressed by that. The magic fit well with both the plot and the setting and was creatively used. The characters were all great, and they had a variety of complex relationships with each other. Plus. I mean, Newt and Evander, couple of the year. I loved them so much! Full review here
|
4. | The Ugly Stepsister / Aya Ling - A fun, lighthearted retelling of Cinderella where a modern day girl gets accidentally sucked into the story and cast as one of the ugly stepsisters. I really liked the young tone of the book and...well...some je ne sais quoi quality to the writing that for some reason I've never been able to parse. But it's just adorable. And the relationship that Kat builds with the prince is so natural and charming that I can't help but love this book. Full review here
|
5. | Empire of Sand / Tasha Suri - A great, amtospheric story about a young woman struggling with her bi-racial identity (note: neither race being white) and the effects of imperialism. I loved the worldbuilding in this one (I think I have a type, oh well) and the sense of grand scale and history involved. The complexities of the side characters and the various kinds of relationships they had with the main villain was also fascinating. So glad I picked this one up right before the end of the year. Full review to come!
|
AHH this is a great list! I’m obsessed with The Cruel Prince and literally cannot wait to get my hands on the Wicked King- Jude and Cardan are just both such interesting dark characters that are not afraid to be bold and ruthless which I LOVE! The poppy war is another book Ive been dying to read as well as the Red Rising and The Wicked Saints (which I just heard about a couple of days ago and NEED in my life) I’ve also been looking to get into some more contemporary romance and should give A Princess in Theory a try. Great post and happy reading :)
ReplyDelete