Blitz is the second book in the Railers Legacy series. These books are technically stand alone and can be read indepeA Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Blitz is the second book in the Railers Legacy series. These books are technically stand alone and can be read independently of one another, but they work best when read together. There are a lot of character crossovers from the other books. This was an fun novel that was only hampered by a too rushed romance.
I enjoyed Blitz and found it a generally well-paced and solid book. The romance between the main characters moves too quickly for my tastes, but I appreciated the care and support they provided to one another despite the pressures of the outside world.
Prince of Dawn is the first in the Celestia series by Nicola Zhang and, on the whole, I would say the book is a stroA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Prince of Dawn is the first in the Celestia series by Nicola Zhang and, on the whole, I would say the book is a strong opening salvo. While many of the characters are imperfect, they have room to grow and the pacing is solid. The plot, though perhaps a bit predictable at times, was engaging enough to hold my attention and keep me wanting more. By the end of the book, I was definitely invested in and eager to see what comes next.
I think Prince of Dawn was a decent ramp up to a new series and it has real potential to get even stronger as the story moves forward.
The Champion’s Secret is part of the Red Dragon series by Becky Black, but it would be better described as being part oA Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
The Champion’s Secret is part of the Red Dragon series by Becky Black, but it would be better described as being part of the Red Dragon universe. It has only a loose connection to the first three books and can be read as a standalone. That said, readers might appreciate the world building more if they’re familiar with the rest of the series.
We were introduced to Will Garrett in Too Good a Man where, aside from being a brilliant lawyer, he was shown to be a stalwart and loyal friend.
I enjoyed many parts of The Champion’s Secret and the romance between Will and James was rather sweet.
For the most part, I enjoyed Office of the Lost, which is a unique blend of fantasy and pop culture and half a dozenA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
For the most part, I enjoyed Office of the Lost, which is a unique blend of fantasy and pop culture and half a dozen other genres in between. It’s a dual-author book, with each writer taking control of one of the MCs. Despite this writing style, the chapters blended well and had a good connective thread throughout. There were some pacing issues towards the center of the book as things got a bit laggy, but thankfully this didn’t last very long. I’m not sure that Leo and Crispin’s multiple realm hops were fully necessary to the story and this did add to the pacing issues I mentioned, but these moments did have some charming aspects as well.
I think most light fantasy fans will appreciate Office of the Lost on one level or another. Though I didn’t love every aspect of the book, there was enough to keep me interested and I did enjoy the unique relationship between Leo and Crispin. The ending leaves an open door to a possible sequel and I would enjoy seeing how this couple continues to change and adapt to the worlds around them and to one another.
King’s Man VI picks up directly after King’s Man V and these books work best read back to back. This is the last booA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
King’s Man VI picks up directly after King’s Man V and these books work best read back to back. This is the last book in the series and, as much as I have liked the characters and certain aspects of the overall plot, the story lacks sustainability at this point.
My biggest frustration with this installment was how unnecessary it felt. The first third of the book is just a re-hash of the first novel, but from a different perspective. It did not add anything to our understanding of the characters and did not, from my perspective, answer any questions that most readers hadn’t already unraveled for themselves.
This was a series that started off relatively strong and whose characters hooked me right from the start. But six books could have easily been three and there were too many moments that felt repeated or simply tired.
This installment is the fifth in the King’s Man series and these books must be read in order. There are too many chaA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
This installment is the fifth in the King’s Man series and these books must be read in order. There are too many characters and interconnecting storylines to try and tackle any of these novels as a standalone. It will be difficult to avoid spoilers here, but I will do my best to keep them to a minimal.
Tempting the Stars is the third in the Red Dragon series and these books must be read in order. Though Tempting the StaA Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Tempting the Stars is the third in the Red Dragon series and these books must be read in order. Though Tempting the Stars does not have quite the level of drama or intensity as the previous book, Too Good a Man, it still offers up a fairly balanced story with characters who have become both familiar and increasingly more complex over the course of the series.
The secret Jarvez discovers about his family is a pretty awful one and sends the character on something of a downward spiral of grief, guilt, and self hatred. The angst never gets too crazy and the author does a good job of showing Jarvez’s fragility without things becoming melodramatic.
Too Good a Man is the second in the Red Dragon series, which starts with The Company Man. These books must be read iA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Too Good a Man is the second in the Red Dragon series, which starts with The Company Man. These books must be read in order. Too Good a Man serves as a strong follow up novel and goes a long way to further develop both Alyn and Jarvez’s relationship and their individual personalities.
I enjoyed Too Good a Man and probably appreciated the character development here the most. Warts and all, Alyn and Jarvez are now more dimensional and more believable as characters. I’m a big fan of the space opera and Too Good a Man definitely falls into that category, so I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Book Two was definitely stronger than Book One and, while there were still some issues, I felt like the story reallyA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Book Two was definitely stronger than Book One and, while there were still some issues, I felt like the story really started to find its feet here and we see a wider scope of politics at play. I was more involved with the characters and was a lot more invested in the overall story. With any luck, this series will grow from strength to strength as it continues and I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment.
The King’s Man is definitely a slow burn romance that has hidden identities, masked men, and political intrigue. BooA Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
The King’s Man is definitely a slow burn romance that has hidden identities, masked men, and political intrigue. Book One initially struggles to find its footing. The start feels rather jumbled and rushed and it’s not always clear what is happening and to whom or why. At times, it feels like chunks or sections are missing and it took about half the book for things to settle down and start making a bit more sense. This may be off putting to some, but I encourage you to stick with it, as the story, once it solidifies, is a good one and the characters are well constructed.
Speed is the first in the Railers Legacy series and, while this can be read on its own, I think it will be more enjoA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Speed is the first in the Railers Legacy series and, while this can be read on its own, I think it will be more enjoyable for those who read the original Harrisburg Railers books. Characters from that series make guest appearances in Speed and that added to my enjoyment of the story.
Both Noah and Brody are well-rounded characters who read as multi-dimensional and nuanced. Both have health issues, but Brody is far more angsty as he struggles to understand what it truly means to be in a relationship with someone. Noah, at times, feels a bit too positive and, while this makes a nice foil for Brody’s darker edge, it leaves Noah seeming naive in comparison.
I liked Speed quite a bit, especially the contrast between Noah’s positive sunniness and Brody’s darker personality. I really enjoyed the original Harrisburg Railers series, despite not being a sports fan, and it was great to return to that world with Speed.
The Company Man is the first in the new Red Dragon series by Becky Black and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. Evans anA Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
The Company Man is the first in the new Red Dragon series by Becky Black and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. Evans and Kashari are a strong couple and have a natural affinity for one another, and while the plot was, at times, uneven, I found the overall story fairly interesting.
The resolution to the overall threat to both the ship and crew was resolved a bit too quickly. We’re never in doubt, as readers, as to where the threat is coming from, but once it actually unfolded, it was over almost as soon as it began. Given the build up, it would have been nice to see more time devoted to the resolution.
On the whole, I enjoyed The Company Man. The main characters certainly have chemistry and they work well together, both in and out of the bedroom. The storyline was engaging, but it needed better balancing against the romantic aspects of the book. But despite that, I’m looking forward to seeing where Evans, Kashari, and The Red Dragon end up heading on their next adventure.
Jericho is the first in the Free to Love series and follows the evolving relationship between a newly turned vampire A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
Jericho is the first in the Free to Love series and follows the evolving relationship between a newly turned vampire and his human friend and and their interactions with a tightly knit shifter pack. The book uses some common vampire and shifter tropes and I think fans of those genres will find plenty to enjoy here. But I couldn’t help thinking Jericho felt somewhat boring. It read as the same old vampire story and the book never broke a lot of new ground. Now, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Authors don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time they write a book, but I think Jericho suffers from a somewhat tired genre coupled with an equally tired plot. There is a bit of twist, which I appreciated and thought was particularly clever, but it wasn’t really enough to lift the novel above the mundane.
I wanted a bit more in terms of plot and character tension and felt like Jericho lacked much original flavor. That said, the book still had its enjoyable moments and there’s enough chemistry between the main characters to satisfy most romance fans.
What an unexpected and beautiful book this was. By turns funny, poignant, and devastating, The Hymn to Dionysus blends A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
What an unexpected and beautiful book this was. By turns funny, poignant, and devastating, The Hymn to Dionysus blends mythology and historical fantasy to create the story of a weary, scarred soldier who struggles to exist in a world that no longer welcomes or recognizes him.
Phaidros is such a compelling character, I found myself drawn to him right from the start and his desperate loneliness, stalwart devotion, and acerbic wit made him seem very real.
The book is well-written and has almost a lyrical quality to it. It ebbs and flows naturally and the pacing is strong. There are some odd turns of phrase that may have been intentional on the part of the author, but are occasionally confusing. Yet, for the most part, these moments are rare and the they do not impact either the pacing or the overall plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Hymn to Dionysus. The writing was strong and the characters are engaging and beautifully rendered. It’s one of the books you can sink into and lose yourself for awhile. Even if mythology isn’t normally your thing, I encourage you to give this one a try.
It would be safe to say that A Kingdom of Dreams is chaotic and sometimes that chaos works and sometimes it doesn’t.A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
It would be safe to say that A Kingdom of Dreams is chaotic and sometimes that chaos works and sometimes it doesn’t. Having finished the book, I’m still not actually sure if I like it or not, which made this one an unusual read.
There’s a lot happening from the jump and, while the story is threaded through with Norse mythology references, there is very little bearing to the actual mythology here. The author definitely played fast and loose, mythologically speaking, but acknowledges this from the start, which I appreciated.
In many ways, A Kingdom of Dreams comes down square in the middle between interesting and annoying and depending on the moment, it wobbles back and forth between the two. It’s a story that has good bones, but it’s needs to untangle itself from its chaotic pacing and lack of character development, and give everything a chance to develop more evenly than it has thus far.
The Prince’s Heart was, at times, a difficult read and while it seemed to want to be a fantasy romance, it had so maA Joyfully Jay review.
2.75 stars
The Prince’s Heart was, at times, a difficult read and while it seemed to want to be a fantasy romance, it had so many issues it often became its own worst enemy. Let’s start with the positives. It is fantasy-lite, so for readers who aren’t normally fans of fantasy or who want to dip their toes into the genre, this might make a nice entry point. It’s got all the flavor of a fantasy without any complex world building. Darien and Tag are also sweet enough characters, both well-meaning and genuine. So there are no anti-heroes or or overly complex moral dilemmas here, if you like your romances simpler and more straightforward.
On the whole, I struggled with The Prince’s Heart and did not enjoy it as either a fantasy or a romance. The storyline and characters were too simple and lacking in depth and, when combined with a somewhat jagged writing style, I was never able to find my groove with this one.
The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre is well written and the world building, which is heavily Scottish in flavor, is also gA Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre is well written and the world building, which is heavily Scottish in flavor, is also generally well developed. But everything about Fierre’s eating disorder was a challenge to process. It’s designed to be that way, of course, and I applaud the author for tackling such a weighty topic and doing so in a unique way. But for anyone with food-related triggers, the book may be a difficult read. It certainly was for me, even though my relationship to food is quite different than Fierre’s. So just be aware of this aspect going forward.
The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre was a good book, but it wasn’t an easy one. There were parts that were difficult to read and there are certain scenes that some will find potentially triggering. Fierre and Aiven are a charming couple and their personal journey will please most readers. The writing was fairly strong and well rounded, but I found the last quarter of the novel disingenuous.
Cold Winter Nights is perfect for fans of a Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s warm, cozy, and fairly predictable, and ifA Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
Cold Winter Nights is perfect for fans of a Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s warm, cozy, and fairly predictable, and if that’s what you want, then you’ll be absolutely content with the plot and its outcome. It’s sweet and, while there is some angst, it’s fairly low-key, so there’s nothing too heavy happening here. Which is probably why I didn’t particularly enjoy the book.
Cold Winter Nights is pretty much the opposite of everything I like in a book, but that doesn’t mean it was bad. I accept that it wasn’t for me, but I know plenty of readers will appreciate Royal and Stone’s romance and the charming nature of Windeville and its residents. So if you love a greeting card romance, then I think you’ll really enjoy Cold Winter Nights.