Book Review: The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary

March 7, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

Goodreads: The Worst Guy (Vital Signs #2)
Published: 28 December 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

_{(5 pandas)}

Eight weeks of forced proximity is a long time to hate someone you’re trying not to love.

Sebastian Stremmel doesn’t need another headache. He has enough of his own without Sara Shapiro, the noisy new reconstructive surgeon, stomping all around his surgical wing with her chippy, chirpy cheerfulness.
But Sebastian doesn’t usually get what he wants.

No one gets under his skin like Sara – so much so a heated “debate” and an exam room left in shambles later, they land themselves in eight weeks of hospital-mandated conflict resolution counseling. Now they’re forced to fight fair…which quickly leads them to playing dirty when no one’s looking.

They know it’s a mistake.
They promise themselves it will never happen again.
They swear they got it out of their systems.
They didn’t.

Author’s Note: Grumpy/recovering people-pleaser sunshine. Introverts attract. Enemies-to-lovers in the workplace. Banter, bicker, and button-pushing foreplay. Don’t tell the friend group, get jealous when the friend group tries to fix her up.
Heat: rip her clothes off before you get the front door open.
Angst: big laughs, big feels, no ugly crying.

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

March 6, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads10 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 the rest of my Sunday in bed finishing up my ARC for Royal Captive by Heather Frost (out on 18 March). I’ve been taking my time with this book cos there’s a lot happening and the stakes just keep getting higher! It’s also so satisfying when a theory I had in book one, that I didn’t think would really end up being possible, ends up being POSSIBLE. So satisfying! 😍

What are you currently reading?

Book Review: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

March 6, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

Goodreads: These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: 17 November 2020
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Panda Rating:

_{(4 pandas)}

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Blog Tour Review: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir

March 4, 2022March 4, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir.
Special thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: Anne of West Philly: A Modern Retelling of Anne of Green Gables
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 01 March 2022
Genre: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

Anne of Green Gables with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves Anne Shirley to modern-day West Philadelphia, where where she finds new friends, new rivals, and a new family.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn’t looking for: a family.

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Monthly Wrap Up: February 2022

March 3, 2022December 6, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads39 Comments

Another month has come and gone and honestly, good riddance to February! 🙊

Hmm… I think it’s safe to say that February was kind of a shite month? Personally, things are much better now than they were mid-month. Globally, things definitely turned to shite towards the end of the month and my heart feels so heavy, especially with regards to what’s happening in Ukraine. Every day more and more people show their disrespecting asses with their whole gd chest on that freaking bird app and this month it has just been more tiring than usual. 😮‍💨

But on a more positive note… Here are a few good things that happened this month:

#WWWWednesday: 02 March 2022

March 2, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads23 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?

I’ve finished six books since last Wednesday and most of them were shorter reads (>300). It’s been quite a restless reading week with me picking up and then quickly abandoning many books because nothing took. I did have two 5-star reads (one a re-read) though so I guess there’s that? 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Best Men (The Best Men #1) by Sarina Bowen & Lauren Blakely ★★★☆☆
I read the prequel Super Hot Wingman (#0.5) and wasn’t entirely feeling the chemistry between our MCs but thought that’d change once I started The Best Men. Sadly, it never really got there. It wasn’t a bad read but I just wanted a bit more of their backstories, connection, everything?

Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir ★★★★☆
I read this graphic novel for an upcoming tour. It’s a modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables which I admittedly haven’t read but I still enjoyed it! The art was wonderful and the character growth was fantastic. My blog tour review is coming this Friday!

#TopTenTuesday: Books I Enjoy But Haven’t Mentioned On My Blog

March 1, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads40 Comments

So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s prompt is: Books I Enjoyed, but Have Never Mentioned On My Blog

Hmm, I think this week’s topic is gonna be pretty easy (hope this doesn’t come around to bite me lol) because there are lots of books that I’ve loved and never mentioned on here. I think! Anyway, let’s head to Goodreads to find some titles… *5 minutes later* Okay, that wasn’t too painful! I rated the following books 4-5 stars and as far as I can remember have never mentioned them on my blog! I read most of these years ago so I admittedly remember close to nothing about many of them and I also have the feeling that if I read them now my ratings would be drastically different… But that’s neither here nor there! 😬 Here’s what I’ve got:

ARC Review: Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine (Illustration)

February 28, 2022March 1, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

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

Goodreads: Chef’s Kiss
Publisher: Oni Press
Published: 12 April 2022
Genre: Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

_{(5 pandas)}

Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this sweet, queer, new adult graphic novel!

Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?

When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.

TL;DR: This was an absolute treat to read and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a wonderfully illustrated graphic novel about new beginnings and finding your way in the world, with wonderful characters and great friendships that are sure to make you smile!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

February 27, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

Alright friends, THE TIME HAS COME! 😂 I’ll happily be wrapping up up weekend and spending my Sunday in bed with The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary! I’m so ready to finally get acquainted with Sebastian 😏

What are you currently reading?

BBNYA Blog Tour Review: Beneath Cruel Fathoms by Anela Deen

February 25, 2022March 15, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

Hello, hello friends! I’m so excited to be back for another blog tour hosted by @The Write Reads for BBNYA 2021 finalist Beneath Cruel Fathoms by Anela Deen. Don’t forget to check out all the other bloggers participating in this tour: here or click on the banner below! 😍

*For those who want to know more about BBNYA more information about the competition can be found at the end of my post!*

Special thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads: Beneath Cruel Fathoms
Publisher: Fine Fable Press
Publish Date: 17 May 2019
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Romance Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

After a violent storm destroys her ship, Isaura Johansdottir knows better than to hope she’ll be rescued from Eisland’s vast Failock Sea. Adrift and alone, her plans to start over lost, it’s a tragic conclusion after the disastrous end of her marriage—until she’s saved by Leonel, one of the merfolk, a creature long believed extinct. In repayment for her life, Leonel enlists her help to investigate the Failock’s mysterious and deadly plague of squalls. But when Isaura discovers Eisland’s ruthless new Lord commands the storms, her life will be in more danger on land than it ever was at sea.

As guardian of the Fathoms, Leonel must find the cause of unnatural storms ravaging the tidal currents and destroying the sea life. There are rumors of dark magic stirring in the Orom Abyss, the resting place of old, vanquished gods who tried to submerge the land millennia ago. Yet without proof, no one in King Ægir’s court will listen to him. And if it’s discovered he broke the Blue Laws to save a shipwrecked landweller, he might not survive the consequences.

As storms spread, Leonel and Isaura uncover secrets as forbidden as the bond that grows between them. Betrayal lurks in the restless sea, and when ancient powers lay siege to Eisland’s coast, the truth may be drowned along with everything else

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