ARC Review: Impossible by Darcy Burke

May 5, 2022May 1, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Special thanks to Zealous Quill Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Impossible (The Phoenix Club #6)
Publisher: Zealous Quill Press
Published: 19 April 2022
Genre: Historical Romance

Panda Rating:

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Ada Treadway has been in love before, and it brought nothing but heartache. Still, she retains her cheerful optimism and is fiercely protective of the independence and respect she’s earned as bookkeeper of the Phoenix Club. When the owner enlists her help to organize his friend’s estate ledgers, she’s eager to prove her expertise and her worth. But his friend turns out to be a disagreeable, unpleasant beast, and Ada works to find the warm-hearted gentleman she’s sure lurks beneath.

Maximillian Hunt, the Viscount Warfield doesn’t care if he lives to see tomorrow, and he certainly doesn’t want to recall yesterday. The arrival of the meddlesome and effusively positive woman who will put his accounts in order not only reminds him of the past he’s desperate to forget, she sparks something within him he thought dead. Tempted by a future he never imagined, he must do the impossible: convince her that he’s worth risking her heart a second time.

TL;DR: Overall, while this started off strong, the romance felt a little too half-baked for me to fully enjoy it. That’s not to say that I didn’t like these characters or enjoy their story because I did, and I was actually quite convinced that this was going to be a favourite in this series, so it was quite disappointing that their romance ended up being a bit unsatisfying for me. I am looking forward to the next book in the series though as we finally get McDougal’s story!

#WWWWednesday: 04 May 2022

May 4, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads24 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last week I’ve managed to finish six books. It was a bit of a mixed reading week with mostly “okay” reads and a few that I really enjoyed!

Gallant by V.E. Schwab ★★★★☆
I buddy read this with Leslie and sadly, she didn’t enjoy it like I did but I totally get why! This was very slow-paced but I connected with Olivia and was invested in what happens to her cousin and those living in Gallant. It’s beautifully written, haunting and bittersweet. Check out my review!

The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle #1) by Nghi Vo ★★★★½
I get the hype! Nghi Vo’s writing was captivating. It’s lyrical, poetic, full of vivid imagery and flowed effortlessly off the page to hold me in rapture. This story was deceptively easy to read but is full of deeper meaning just below the surface. For how short this is, Vo still paints a stunning landscape of deadly politics and clashing cultures but also magic, fortune tellers, and mythology.

Monthly Wrap Up: April 2022

May 2, 2022December 6, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads28 Comments

Did April pass by in a blink and a blur for you too or was that just me? 😂 I travelled to Bali at the start of the month and I gotta be honest with you, nothing really stands out to me in April! I can’t recall doing much of anything this month except work, read, sitting by the pool and catching up with one of my besties every now and then. My insomnia hasn’t gotten better and I can count on one hand the number of times I fell asleep before 4AM but I can’t say I’m not used to it by now!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

May 1, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’ll be spending my Sunday in bed with Malice by Heather Walter. I’m reading this with Leslie and I’ve just started so I’m only five chapters in but so far, I’m intrigued by the world and I like Alyce!

What are you currently reading?

Book Review: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

April 28, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

Goodreads: Gallant
Publisher: Titan Books
Published: 01 March 2022
Genre: Young Adult Gothic Fantasy

Panda Rating:

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Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

#WWWWednesday: 27 April 2022

April 27, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads24 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last week I’ve managed to finish five books. It’s been a pretty great reading week with a good mix of genres and ratings. I’m so behind on my reviews (yikes!) but I’m hoping to get caught up soon.

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2) by Hafsah Faizal ★★★★★
I buddy read this with Leslie & Julie and this had us feeling all the feels. Oof, why is the romance between Nasir and Zafira not talked about more often? Holy wow, it was so angsty, so swoony and ugh, I love them so much? 🥹 I still need to write my review but far out this was an amazing conclusion to the duology!

(ARC) Tanked (Eastside Brewery #3) by Mia Hopkins ★★★½
I’ve been keen to read Angel’s story and it didn’t disappoint. It was sweet, swoony and steamy and I loved how the stories are brought together for a great conclusion to the series. Check out my review!

ARC Review: Burning Up by Tara Wyatt

April 25, 2022April 25, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

Special thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Burning Up (The Prescotts #6)
Publication Date: 26 April 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:

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We have to burn to rise from the ashes.

Nearly two years after her divorce, Felicity Hawthorne is ready to date again. At least, she thinks she would be, if the idea of dating wasn’t so freaking terrifying. But then she wins a date with sexy, swoony firefighter Noah Prescott at a charity bachelor auction, and everything changes.

FDNY captain Noah isn’t looking for a relationship. Since losing his father as a teenager, he’s spent the past twenty years shouldering heavy responsibilities, and he knows he doesn’t have the time or energy to be anyone’s boyfriend. But one date with sweet, charming Felicity has him wanting things he shouldn’t want.

Which is why Noah suggests Felicity practice her budding dating skills with him. He wants more of her, and practice dates are as close as he can come to having her in his life without hurting her. But then dating practice turns into practice of another kind—the kind that involves moans and sighs and orgasms—and Noah knows he’s going to fall. Hard.

GET A COPY:

AMAZON

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

April 24, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday night in bed with My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth. This is an ARC I’m buddy reading with Leslie and Julie as we all have a copy. I’m excited for a fun/light YA contemporary with a bit of romance!

FUN FACT: this author also writes fantasy under a different name and is better known for her very famous recent release The Atlas Six! 👀

What are you currently reading?

ARC Review: Tanked by Mia Hopkins

April 23, 2022April 22, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

Special thanks to Little Stone Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Tanked (Eastside Brewery #3)
Publisher: Little Stone Press
Publication Date: 26 April 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:

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A fighter without a purpose. A crusader with nothing to lose. Can she trust him with her heart, or is he just another lost cause?

Angel
By day, I do all the grunt work at my family’s struggling L.A. brewery. By night, I blow off steam at an underground fight club. I never thought the pandemic would bring Deanna Delgado back into my life—the woman who ghosted me three years ago after one unforgettable night. But the brewery needs a miracle to survive. And that miracle could cost me the only person who’s ever had faith in me.

Deanna
My family calls me an idealistic do-gooder, but I see a better, brighter future for my community. My biggest problem? I’ve just lost the job I love. To ease my pain, I’ve hooked up with Angel Rosas, the filthy-sweet one-night stand who’s somehow dropped back into my life. There’s so much more to Angel than he lets on. Is he the man I can trust with my body and my heart? Or is he just another lost cause?

GRAB A COPY:

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

AMAZON AU

B&N

APPLE

KOBO

Romance Mini-Reviews: Talia Hibbert Edition

April 21, 2022April 21, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

I’m back with more mini(-ish) reviews and today it’s for two Talia Hibbert books that I’ve read in 2022 but still haven’t reviewed. Talia Hibbert is one of my auto-buy romance authors—she brings the swoon and the steam and while I’ve read one or two of her books that didn’t entirely sweep me away, for the most part, her romances have been winners! Without further ado, let’s get to it.

WORK FOR IT BY TALIA HIBBERT

Goodreads: Work for It (Just For Him #4)
Publisher: Nixon House
Publication Date: 03 September 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance

Panda Rating:

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For men like us, trust doesn’t come easy.

In this village, I’m an outcast: Griffin Everett, the scowling giant who prefers plants to people. Then I meet Keynes, a stranger from the city who’s everything I’m not: sharp-tongued, sophisticated, beautiful. Free. For a few precious moments in a dark alleyway, he’s also mine, hot and sweet under the stars… until he crushes me like dirt beneath his designer boot.

When the prettiest man I’ve ever hated shows up at my job the next day, I’m not sure if I want to strangle him or drag him into bed. Actually—I think I want both. But Keynes isn’t here for the likes of me: he makes that painfully clear. With everyone else at work, he’s all gorgeous, glittering charm—but when I get too close, he turns vicious.

And yet, I can’t stay away. Because there’s something about this ice king that sets me on fire, a secret vulnerability that makes my chest ache. I’ll do whatever it takes to sneak past his walls and see the real man again.

The last thing I expect is for that man to ruin me.