ARC Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

February 24, 2022February 24, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads24 Comments

Special thanks to Travis Baldree for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Legends & Lattes
Published: 22 February 2022
Genre: Cosy Fantasy

Panda Rating:

_{(5 pandas)}

High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.

TL;DR: If you’re looking for a feel-good fantasy that’s full of cosy emotion and a heartwarming message, and immersive writing that will make you feel like you’re right there at this cafe with its wonderful found family of characters, then I would immediately recommend getting your hands on a copy of this book! Trust me when I say you won’t regret it. Also, snacks. Bring snacks!

#WWWWednesday: 23 February 2022

February 23, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads19 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 managed to read three books since last Wednesday.

Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga #3) by Fonda Lee ★★★★★ <– ALL THE STARS
OH, HOW I WEPT. This induced full-body heaving sobs. This book… I just… 😮‍💨 I truly have no words. Trust Lee to write such an epic conclusion that spans over 21-years and still make me feel like it’s not enough. I want more of the Kauls and yet no matter what we get I don’t think it’ll ever be enough. The Green Bone Saga is one of the best fantasies I’ve ever read and it’s top-shelf forever. I don’t have anything else to say cos literally no words! 😂 I’m so glad I went on this journey with Jess cos there was much crying involved, haha! 💜

These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) by Chloe Gong ★★★★☆
I’m so glad I buddy read TVD with Leslie cos she kept me on track while I dealt with the emotional devastation from JL, lol! I’m also glad I finally read this cos I finally get the hype! It was action-packed and much darker than I expected but Gong’s writing was stunning and I loved the slow-burn lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers doomed romance between Juliette and Roma. 😍 My review will go up next week!

#TopTenTuesday: 10 Favourite Dynamic Friendship Duos!

February 22, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads58 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: DYNAMIC DUOS (Submitted by Elley @ Elley the Book Otter)

With so much focus on romantic couples this month, I wanted to stick to friendship duos for this week’s prompt and I have to admit, I struggled (oh, this weak memory of mine)! 😂 I was tempted to go in the same direction as Leslie this week but although it took me *a while* to do it, I eventually managed to come up with a list of ten of my favourite dynamic friendship duos! Without further ado, let’s get right to it…

Goodreads Monday – Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

February 21, 2022February 21, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

Welcome back to Goodreads Monday! It’s been a hot minute since I did one of these but I’m excited to shine a spotlight on and talk a little bit about this book, which is coincidentally going to be released tomorrow (22/02/22)! Stunning. 😍

This weekly meme was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners and it invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.*

*Sorry if a book has been featured twice. I need to make better note of which ones I’ve done already!

This week’s featured book is Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. This is an upcoming release (as I mentioned above, it’s out tomorrow!) and it’s a “novel of high fantasy and low stakes”. It’s only got a few ratings on Goodreads so far but it seems well-loved!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

February 20, 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’m happily spending my Sunday night in bed with Beneath Cruel Fathoms by Anela Deen! I’m part of the blog tour organised by The Write Reads for the BBNYA top 10 winners and this book was number 6. I’ve heard great things about this romantasy so I’m very excited to dive in!

What are you currently reading?

ARC Review: What the Fang? by Stacey Kennedy

February 19, 2022February 14, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

Special thanks to Stacey Kennedy for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: What the Fang? (Undead Ever After #1)
Published: 25 January 2022
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Panda Rating:

_{(3.5 pandas)}

Willa Farrington’s magic is broken. Shunned by her coven for failing to pass the Summer Solstice Rite, Willa escapes to the one place no witch belongs – Charleston, a city that belongs to vampires. Determined to embrace her new life, Willa opens Cauldron Boil Books, and unexpectedly finds some friends among the vampires…

Until one terrible night Willa ends up on the wrong side of a pair of fangs. Thankfully, her captor’s plan is ruined when Killian Constantine, the drop-dead gorgeous Warden of Charleston, shows up to save her. But just when Willa thinks she’s safe, Killian, rumored to be the most feared vampire in the city, furiously demands to know why she – a witch – telepathically called him for help.

Intent on finding answers, the two embark on a journey to unravel the mystery behind Willa’s attack and their unusual connection. As they get closer to the truth, the fiery passion between them ignites. But their forbidden romance isn’t making them many friends, and just as Willa starts to think that her entire existence is a lie, deadlier forces come out of the shadows. She will need to believe in her malfunctioning magic, trust bloodthirsty vampires, and cross her fingers that she and Killian make it out together… and that neither end up dead.

TL;DR: What the Fang? is one of those books that I would recommend picking up if you’re simply looking for a purely entertaining read—it’s one that you don’t have to think much about and can happily consume in the span of a few hours, which is what I did and it was exactly what I was looking for!

The Sunshine Blogger Award V

February 17, 2022May 7, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

So, it was several months ago when Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog tagged me for the Sunshine Blogger Award! Becky is one of my favourites in the book community—I always love her reviews and recommendations, and she’s always fun to chat with. If you’re into SFF then you’ll definitely want to give her blog a follow! Thanks so much for the tag, Becky! 🥰

#WWWWednesday: 16 February 2022

February 16, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads15 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 Wednesday, I’ve managed to read six books and all of them were reads I really enjoyed!

Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti ★★★½
A fast-paced, action-packed and wonderfully diverse sci-fi graphic novel! Check out my review!

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna ★★★★☆
This was another buddy read with Leslie 💜 Though this was slow to start, once the action picked up we both sped through this read! I definitely get the hype.

#TopTenTuesday: 10 Books Too Good to Review Properly!

February 15, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads23 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 Too Good to Review Properly (I have no words!) (Submitted by Dedra @ A Book Wanderer).

Yay for a topic that I don’t think I’ve seen done before and one that I kinda struggled to make a list for! 😂 For the first three books, I was left too speechless to write a review and by the time I composed myself, I was too intimidated to write one because I knew my words could never do the book even a smidge of justice. The other seven I read before I thought to start writing reviews but they were all 5-stars and I can still recall the thrill of discovering the magic and the gutwrenching emotions these books made me feel! I’m hoping to attempt re-reading a few of them at some point but for others, such as A Little Life, I don’t think I could handle anymore! 🙈

ARC Review: From the Top by Jaqueline Snowe

February 14, 2022February 17, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Special thanks to the author for providing an ARC via Grey’s Promotions in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: From the Top (Central State #2)
Published: 15 February 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

_{(4 pandas)}

Falling for the captain was never part of the plan…
Cami Simpson is the ‘it girl’—at least until a string of terrible decisions leads to no boyfriend, no captainship of the dance team, and no fancy apartment. Due to a mold outbreak at her place, she’s forced to relocate to a co-ed dorm as a senior. And to top it off, she finds out she’s at risk of not graduating due to an error in her schedule. Talk about the worst senior year ever.

Frederick Brady the IV would never admit the massive crush he once had on the dance darling. Not to anyone. They’d almost had a moment a year ago, but she crushed him, so she’s the last person he wants to live next to. It doesn’t matter though. He’s on his way out to an internship and almost done with school where he can leave his heartbreak and data foes behind.

Neither expected to form a friendship or know what to do about their insane chemistry. With late nights, inside jokes, and the rare comfort they find in each other… lines blur, and the popular girl gets with the nerdy guy. Only, Freddie’s done this before and knows how it ends. His insecurities clash with Cami’s need to be picked first, so when Freddie has to choose where to attend his internship, he can either pick the job or the girl. And for the guy who’s set on protecting his heart, well, he might break hers in the process.

GET YOUR COPY!

add to Goodreads

Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the “dry heat” really isn’t that bad. She prefers drinking coffee all hours of the day and snacking on anything that has peanut butter or chocolate. She is the mother to two fur-babies who don’t realize they aren’t humans and a new mom to the sweetest baby boy. She is an avid reader and writer of romances and tends to write about athletes. Her husband works for an MLB team (not a player, lol) so she knows more about baseball than any human ever should.

TL;DR: If you’re looking for a fun/fast read and a steamy frenemies-to-lovers situation between a popular girl and nerdy guy that’s full of sweet vulnerability and explosive chemistry, then I would definitely recommend checking this out!