Tag: Book Reviewer

ARC Review: Puck Shy by Teagan Hunter

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Special thanks to Teagan Hunter and her team for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Puck Shy (Carolina Comets #1)
Publication Date: 28 October 2021
Genre: Sports Romance
Panda Rating:


I’m having the definition of a bad year.
Game Six loss costing my team the Cup? Check.
Getting arrested and ruining my image? Check.
Almost getting run over after my car breaks down? Oh, look—a hat trick.

My contract is up with the Carolina Comets this year, and I need to get it together if I want to stay with the team.
I need relaxation, not a relationship.
But when I’m scrolling on a dating app and stumble across the pretty girl who almost ran me over, I know I can’t let her walk away this time.

Harper is funny, smart, and doesn’t care about hockey.
I’m not supposed to be focusing on anything other than my career, yet I can’t get Harper off my mind.
I know I shouldn’t fall for her…but I think I already have.
PUCK SHY is a standalone hockey romantic comedy. It’s good, low angst fun with some hot hockey players.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

I’m a Missouri-raised gal, but currently live in North Carolina with my US Marine husband and 9-year-old dog. I spend my days begging him for a cat, and I survive off coffee, pizza, and sarcasm. When I’m not writing, you can find me binge-watching various TV shows, especially Supernatural and One Tree Hill. I like cold weather, buy more paperbacks than I’ll ever read, and I never say no to brownies.

Writing is my passion, and this is just the beginning of my journey.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter | Reader Group

TL;DR: This was a great start to a new sports romance series! Harper and Collin were super likeable characters and their romance, albeit a little cheesy at times, was really sweet. Their goofy and flirty banter brought had me constantly smiling as I read, and I loved seeing them get to know each other and slowly fall in love. There are also some great friendships in this story, Harper and Ryan are hilarious besties, and I can’t wait to meet more of the Carolina Comets in future books!

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

Dini @ dinipandareads12 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!

Ah, another Sunday come and gone and I don’t want to go back to work tomorrow! I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday in bed with my ARC of Puck Shy by Teagan Hunter. You might’ve seen me reading a few of Hunter’s romcoms and they’re always a fun & steamy read! Hunter is now delving into the world of sports romance focusing on the NHL and this is the first in her new Carolina Comets series! I’m having fun with it so far 😊

I’m having the definition of a bad year.
Game Six loss costing my team the Cup? Check.
Getting arrested and ruining my image? Check.
Almost getting run over after my car breaks down? Oh, look—a hat trick.

My contract is up with the Carolina Comets this year, and I need to get it together if I want to stay with the team.

I need relaxation, not a relationship.
But when I’m scrolling on a dating app and stumble across the pretty girl who almost ran me over, I know I can’t let her walk away this time.
Harper is funny, smart, and doesn’t care about hockey.
I’m not supposed to be focusing on anything other than my career, yet I can’t get Harper off my mind.
I know I shouldn’t fall for her…but I think I already have.

PUCK SHY is a standalone hockey romantic comedy. It’s good, low angst fun with some hot hockey players.

What are you currently reading?

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#FirstLinesFriday: 22 October 2021

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First lines:

“Once upon a time, there lived twelve reasonably attractive princesses who, when lined up together, caused such a sight that the world agreed to call them beautiful. And so they were.”

Do you recognise the book these first lines come from?

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Blog Tour Review: The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Retelling of the Secret Garden 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!

Be sure to click on the banner above to check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Retelling of the Secret Garden
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 19 October 2021
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

The Secret Garden with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, this full-color graphic novel moves Mary Lennox to a New York City brownstone, where she and her very first group of friends restore an abandoned rooftop garden…and her uncle’s heart.

Mary Lennox is a loner living in Silicon Valley. With her parents always working, video game and tech become her main source of entertainment and “friends.” When her parents pass away in a tragic accident, she moves to New York City to live with her uncle who she barely knows, and to her surprise, keeps a gadget free home. Looking for comfort in this strange, new reality, Mary discovers an abandoned rooftop garden and an even bigger secret…her cousin who suffers from anxiety. With the help of her new friends, Colin and Dickon, Mary works to restore the garden to its former glory while also learning to grieve, build real friendships, and grow.

GET A COPY:

AMAZON
B&N
BOOK DEPOSITORY
INDIEBOUND
INDIGO
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Quick Fire Fantasy Book Tag!

Dini @ dinipandareads21 Comments

I’m back today with another tag and today it’s all about fantasy books! I first saw the Quick Fire Fantasy Book Tag on El @ Papertea & Bookflowers and it looked like a fun and easy one to do, so I thought I’d give it a try! Aside from romance, fantasy is my most read genre and I enjoy all kinds from MG to YA to Adult. Who doesn’t love being swept away into new worlds with great characters and exciting stories!? On that note, let’s get to it. 😉

Rules

  • Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post
  • Link to the creator’s blog (thebookwormdreamer.wordpress.com) in your post
  • Answer the prompts below – all fantasy books!
  • Tag 5 others to take part
  • Enjoy!

5 star book

The Goddess of Nothing At All

I read this last month and it it’s one of my top reads of 2021 and one of my all-time favourites! This is a story about Sigyn Odindottir, a lesser known Norse goddess by birth, and Loki’s wife. I would 100% recommend this book if you love: Norse mythology, unapologetically queer characters, characters who refuse to give up or back down no matter how many times they’re discarded or beaten down, heart-achingly sweet romance and heartbreakingly painful betrayals, and complex and morally grey characters that you want to protect forever and rage against!

my review

Always going to recommend

Jade City // THE GREEN BONE SAGA

Should anyone be surprised to find this title here? Absolutely not! Not sure if I’ve raved about this book/series enough on my blog yet but… Easily one of the best ever adult fantasies I’ve read in my life and I haven’t even read the final book yet. The Green Bone Saga is E-P-I-C and I will never not recommend this beast!

own it but haven’t read it yet

A Dead Djinn in Cairo

This is a novella that I’ve had on my Kindle for a while now and I don’t know who exactly I haven’t read it yet. As if the mystery set in an alternate magical Cairo wasn’t intriguing enough, the story is also shorter than 50 pages, so it’s a guaranteed quick read!

would read again

Name of the Wind

NGL, I read this book ages ago, long before I started reviewing and blogging, so I have very little recollection about the majority of the story. What I do remember was how thrilled I felt after finishing it and how desperate I was to get my hands on the sequel. I also remember how much I loved Kvothe. I’m actually planning to read this again next year (hopefully, lol)!

in another world

MAGIC UNLEASHED // Venators

I was introduced to this series thanks to a blog tour a few years ago. It’s still ongoing and there are apparently plenty more books to come in this series, but I love the huge cast of characters and Eon is a fantastic albeit terrifying world where 90% of the creatures are likely to want to kill you. The story is action-packed and full of magic and supernatural creatures!

my review

back on earth

Spellbreaker

This is a historical fantasy set in regency London and it’s a delightful mix of magic and real! I really enjoy Holmberg’s writing that always manages to hook me in quickly. There’s so much to enjoy in this story including: an intriguing mystery, forbidden magic, a sweet slow burn romance, and great found family vibes!

And that’s a wrap, folks! I’ll be tagging a few people below but no pressure if you’re not interested or if tags aren’t your thing! Even if you’re not tagged and want to do it, please feel free to do so! 😊

Becky | Hasini | SAMMIE | KERRI | Maria

Have you read any of these books or are they on your TBR?

#WWWWednesday: 20 October 2021

Dini @ dinipandareads12 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:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?
Post divider: What did you just finish reading?

I’m still in a funky reading mood so I’m kind of surprised that I managed to finish seven books, though a few of them were novellas or quick romances:

Man in Charge Duet by Laurelin Paige ★★½
I thought this duet started out promising. While not really standing out, it wasn’t terribly written and there was some intense sexual tension between the H/h, although there wasn’t much depth to their character. But by the time we hit drama-land and got to book two, I only gave it 2-stars for the smut cos the rest was just a hot hot mess! 🙈

Given to Darkness (Ikiri Book 2) by Phil Williams ★★★★☆
This story picks up right from where Kept from Cages leaves off and it was an absolutely thrilling and action-packed conclusion to the Ikiri duology. We reunite with the fantastic crew and experience more terrifying supernatural events, monsters and even zombies as we travel across continents in a race against time to stop Ikiri’s dark powers from spreading further. Check out my review!

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ARC Review: Given to Darkness by Phil Williams

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

🥳 Happy Pub Day to Given to Darkness! 🎉

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Given to Darkness, book two in the Ikiri duology by Phil Williams. When I was approached by Phil to read the conclusion to this thrilling duology I immediately said yes because I remembered how much I enjoyed book one! Check out my review for Kept from Cages.

Special thanks to Phil Williams for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Given to Darkness (Ikiri Book 2)
Publisher: Rumian Publishing
Publication Date: 19 October 2021
Genre: Supernatural Action Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

Ikiri demands blood. Whose will it be?

A malevolent force stirs from the heart of the Congo. One child can stop it – but everyone wants her dead. Reece Coburn’s gang have travelled half the world to protect Zipporah, only to find her in more danger than ever. Her violent father is missing, his murderous enemies are coming for them, and her brother’s power is growing stronger. Entire communities are being slaughtered, and it’s only getting worse.

They have to reach Ikiri before its corruption spreads. But there’s a long journey ahead, past ferocious killers and unnatural creatures – and very few people can be trusted along the way. Can two criminal musicians, an unstable assassin and a compromised spy reach Ikiri alive? What will it cost them along the way?

Pick up this exciting conclusion to the Ikiri duology today, for a supernatural thriller that will keep you hooked right to the finish

BUY A COPY:

AMAZON UK
amazon US
B&N
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Book Review: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous

Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

Goodreads: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Published: 01 June 2021
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Coming-of-Age

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

Sunny Song’s Big Summer Goals:
1) Make Rafael Kim my boyfriend (finally!)
2) Hit 100K followers (almost there…)
3) Have the best last summer of high school ever

Not on Sunny’s list: accidentally filming a PG-13 cooking video that goes viral (#browniegate). Extremely not on her list: being shipped off to a digital detox farm camp in Iowa (IOWA??) for a whole month. She’s traded in her WiFi connection for a butter churn, and if she wants any shot at growing her social media platform this summer, she’ll need to find a way back online.

But between some unexpected friendships and an alarmingly cute farm boy, Sunny might be surprised by the connections she makes when she’s forced to disconnect.

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

Dini @ dinipandareads11 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!

Since I finished a dark fantasy last night I’ve found myself in a bit of a restless reading mood and found it difficult to keep focused on any of the few reads I currently have going. The most I could focus on was Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson and I’m still really enjoying it. The world building is exceptional and I’m loving so many of these characters! Does this mean I need to prepare for their eventual demise? 😭

Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, a lesser god, and an immortal trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.

Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city. A world transformed by BioChromatic magic, a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous: breath can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

But the rewards are great: by using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be performed.

What are you currently reading?

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Top 5 Saturday: Books set in the Forest!

Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

Welcome back to another Top 5 Saturday! Just in case you don’t know Top 5 Saturday is a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and it’s where we list the top five books (they can be books on your TBR, favourite books, books you loved/hated) based on the week’s topic. You can see the upcoming schedule at the end of my post 🙂 This week’s topic is actually: books set in the forest.

I focus most of my Top 5 Saturdays on books that are still on my TBR but this week I thought I’d take a look at five favourite books that are set in the forest. There’s a good mix of fantasy, romance, horror, and mystery in this lot and they were all wonderfully atmospheric reads—the forest often felt alive in these settings! Without further ado… Here are my recs for you!

The Bear and the Nightingale

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. Read more…

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