Posts Tagged: Diverse Books

Thursday, February 15, 2018

The Royal Romance I Didn’t Know I Needed: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

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I received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Royal Romance I Didn’t Know I Needed: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa ColeA Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
Series: Reluctant Royals #1
Published by Avon on February 27th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Avon
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

From acclaimed author Alyssa Cole comes the tale of a city Cinderella and her Prince Charming in disguise . . . 

Between grad school and multiple jobs, Naledi Smith doesn’t have time for fairy tales…or patience for the constant e-mails claiming she’s betrothed to an African prince. Sure. Right. Delete! As a former foster kid, she’s learned that the only things she can depend on are herself and the scientific method, and a silly e-mail won’t convince her otherwise.

Prince Thabiso is the sole heir to the throne of Thesolo, shouldering the hopes of his parents and his people. At the top of their list? His marriage. Ever dutiful, he tracks down his missing betrothed. When Naledi mistakes the prince for a pauper, Thabiso can’t resist the chance to experience life—and love—without the burden of his crown.

The chemistry between them is instant and irresistible, and flirty friendship quickly evolves into passionate nights. But when the truth is revealed, can a princess in theory become a princess ever after?

If you have ever read or enjoyed a romance novel, this book needed to be on your TBR yesterday. I was over the moon when I was approved to read an advanced copy and the book held up to every single one of my expectations + more.

REASONS TO READ

  • Naledi Smith is in grad school studying to be an epidemiologist
  • Spam emails that aren’t really spam from the assistant of the Prince of Thesolo
  • Cocky Prince who doesn’t really know how to function outside of a castle but learns to impress a girl
  • Some cooking experiments when said cocky prince is trying to impress Ledi
  • Angst but like good angst
  • Swoony romance with hate-to-love vibes.
  • Discussion of socio-economic privilege
  • Discussion of what it’s like to live in a non-western country with non-western traditions, also politics where white people always try to take advantage of non-white people. HMMMPH.
  • Part of the novel is set in a non-western setting
  • Ledi’s profession is actually a big part of the novel
  • Complex friendships where friends love each other but like, sometimes don’t know how to talk
  • An assistant who will not put up with Thabiso’s bullshit and is basically his only friend
  • BASICALLY READ THIS BOOK.

 

four-half-stars

4.5 Hot Espressos

Review + Giveaway: The First to Know by Abigail Johnson

Posted by on 02/06/2018 • 12 Comments

Abigail Johnson is a new-to-me author so I had no idea what to expect but The First to Know blew me away. It’s a heartfelt family drama and totally worth it.

Dana Fields just wants to do something nice for her dad for his birthday. What starts off as a heartwarming gesture soon turns into Dana’s worst nightmare. In her search for her father’s family, Dana discovers that she has a half-brother her age that no one knew about.

When she confronts her half-brother, he wants nothing to do with her. With no one she can really turn to, she does what she really shouldn’t, she turns to her half-brother’s cousin (she and the cousin aren’t related by blood.)

I know, I know. This all sounds like…

Diverse Books Out January 2018

Posted by on 02/04/2018 • 5 Comments

Last year, I attempted to do a monthly round up of diverse books out and somewhere along the way I stopped doing that. I am going to try to get back on the horse though because the feature was always a great way for me to discover new books as well as help you discover new books! When I curate these roundups, I try to make sure I don’t miss anything and try to make sure I don’t include anything with bad rep. Let me know if something slips by me though!

                         

Any of these on your TBR? What are you most looking forward to diving into??

Didn’t Love: American Panda by Gloria Chao

Posted by on 02/02/2018 • 3 Comments

American Panda was one of my most anticipated novels of 2018 so it is truly unfortunate that I did not, in fact, love it. I do want to start off by saying that I don’t intend to discourage anyone from reading the book in this review, just convey my experience with it. We are at a point in time where even though there is a large influx in diverse books, we still don’t have nearly enough. Stats show that the number of diverse books published by diverse authors every year is so dismal. I hope that this book will allow many many many kids to see themselves reflected in the story and that they will be able to cherish it.

That said, my biggest issue with the book is not…

Liked But Didn’t Love: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Posted by on 01/26/2018 • 2 Comments

I have no clue how I am supposed to start this review. I tried to explain to Nick how I felt about the book because we sorta buddy read it (she finished a day before I did) and it’s really hard to capture my overall reaction. There were bits that I loved but overall, The Wedding Date just didn’t make the impression I had hoped it would. It’s a total feel-good read and I want to see it on a big screen (this is the second time I am saying that about a book in the span of a month.)

I am a big romance reader but as Nick will tell you, I am really picky and want a very specific sort of vibe. I want the domestic scenes…

Complex and Feel-Good: Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Posted by on 01/24/2018 • 9 Comments

Let’s Talk About Love surprised me. I went in expecting good vibes and it still blew my expectations out of the water. It is NOT a perfect book, I am nitpicky and its hard for books to be perfect for me, but Let’s Talk About Love is damn well a fantastic read that is worth your time.

Do you love a feel-good romance that will sweep you off your feet? Do you love reading about friendships that have true-to-life complexity? Do you love some angst (the good kind)? Let’s Talk About Love is an ode to not just romantic love but all kinds of love, it explores the complexities of all kinds of relationships and it’s just a GOOD BOOK.

So why am I a nit picky bastard? Well because…

Might Have Been Better In Verse: Wait for Me by An Na

Posted by on 11/02/2017 • 0 Comments

Wait for Me was a new-to-me title when it showed up on my (metaphorical) doorstep. I hadn’t heard much about it but upon some research found out it was being republished with a pretty new cover and all. I dove into the book not entirely sure what to expect but ready to meet new characters and enjoy a new story.

This review is a hard one to write because upon finishing, I am not entirely sure how I feel about Wait for Me. I am divided on it because there are parts of it I enjoyed and other parts that really made it hard for me to finish the book feeling like I had read something worthwhile.

I think the number one issue I had with the book was just the pacing…

A Poignant Novel That Deals With Immigration: The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Posted by on 06/16/2017 • 2 Comments

Maybe you know or maybe you have no idea who I even am or how you ended up on this site but Randa Abdel-Fattah changed my life when I was a kid. On more than one occasion, I’ve talked about how Does My Head Look Big In This is one of the three most important books in my life that helped redefine how I felt about my identity and about myself as a human being. So, when I heard that she had a new book coming out, I was over the moon. Of course, this was ages ago and this was when the book was coming out in Australia and I was all the way here, sad because I didn’t think I’d get to read the book. Then I found out…