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Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec & Andi Arndt | Mini Book Review

Posted February 11, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

Heidi's Guide to Four Letter Words by Andi Arndt, Tara Sivec
Published by Self on December 3, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 197
Source: Gift
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Cowritten by USA Today best-selling author Tara Sivec and award-winning narrator Andi Arndt, a hysterically funny, heartfelt romance about starting over and taking chances.

Nothing good ever comes from drinking a box of wine alone. So when I decided to entertain my drunken self by setting up some hand-me-down podcasting equipment and reading the steamy parts from romance novels, I never thought anyone would actually listen. The fact that I admitted my huge crush on my sexy next door neighbor made the whole thing even more mortifying. But sometimes life surprises you, and that’s how my podcast, Heidi’s Discount Erotica, was born.

Now I, Heidi Larsen, a sweet former kindergarten teacher in Waconia, Minnesota, lead a scandalous double life reading erotic novels to the listening world. And with each episode, I find myself embracing my new alter ego more and more. Now I’m starting to feel more comfortable in my own skin and do things I never would have dreamed of - like kissing my neighbor.

Look out, Waconia, because Heidi’s on the loose! She’s in your ears, in your hearts, and down your pants...wait, that didn’t sound as good as it did in my head. Well, you get the picture, don’tcha know!

This was hilarious. Andi Arndt is my favorite audiobook narrator, so when I found out that she’d written a book with Tara Sivec I was immediately interested. I wish I’d listened to it, because I’m sure it would have been even better with Andi’s fun voices and tones she brings to her characters but oh well. Anyway, I loved Heidi. She’s a former kindergarten teacher, so all her outfits are what I can only imagine resemble what Ms. Frizzle wore in The Magic School Bus. She decided teaching isn’t for her, and quit her job. Now she’s working at a company that records and produces audiobooks of erotic novels. She meets a celebrity narrator and his cute wife, and they all become fast friends. I loved this friendship, even though I am really struggling to remember their names at this moment. They are very aware of her crush on her hot neighbor named Brent, and help her gain confidence and provide advice for how to navigate this situation and nab the man of her dreams.

Heidi is a little awkward. She’d rather hide in the bushes than confront Brent, and I understand and empathize with this so much. Love is a battlefield. Her work sends her home with a bunch of erotic novels because yay perks of the job, so she starts reading them in the hopes of learning a thing or two about the game of love. And THEN she gets really brave and takes home some recording equipment and then accidentally gets super drunk and starts a podcast. A podcast wherein she gushes about Brent and also reads steamy scenes from those novels. Because why not?? But she can’t read half the words because she’s so embarrassed, so she substitutes other words in and I was laughing so hard. I loved watching her gain confidence and listeners. I loved Brent and his appreciation for Heidi’s quirkiness. I even loved Heidi’s hilarious mom who loves to feed people and says about 14,000 words before she gets to her point. It was all just so much fun and so funny. I’m definitely interested in reading more from Tara Sivec and Andi Arndt! I hope they partner together more in the future.

Hotshot Doc by R.S. Grey | Book Review

Posted January 21, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Hotshot Doc by R.S. Grey
Published by Self on December 6, 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 372
Format: eBook
Source: Gift
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Dr. Russell has a bad reputation around our hospital. The scrub techs say he’s cold-blooded, the nurses say he’s too cocky for his own good, and the residents say he’s the best surgeon in the world—really, just a swell guy!—on the off chance he’s within earshot.

I try to avoid him and his temper at all costs. It’s just as easy to admire his sexy, grip-it-while-he’s-ravishing-you hair and chiseled jaw from a healthy distance, preferably from the other end of the hallway…half-hidden behind a plant.

Unfortunately, my plan crumbles when my trusty ol’ boss decides to swap his white coat for a Hawaiian shirt. His retirement leaves me with two terrible options: switch specialties and spend months retraining, or take an open position as Dr. Russell’s surgical assistant.

That means I have to stand near him in the OR for hours on end and anticipate his every need without letting his biting words and bad attitude intimidate me. Oh, and as if that’s not difficult enough, my silly crush on him—the one I’ve tried to stomp on until it disappears—might just be reciprocated.

It’s fine.
I’m fine.

I take my job seriously. There will be no smoldering bedroom eyes across the operating table, no angry almost-kisses in the supply closet. (Well, no more of those.)

What’s the phrase? An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Maybe I should go for a whole damn bushel.

I know we’re only three weeks into 2021, but I think it’s safe for me to say that Hotshot Doc is going to be one of my favorite reads of the year! I didn’t know how much I loved medical romances until I was about a quarter of the way through this book. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Yes, so medical romances. Who knew? I mean, I should have known. I love so many of the medical shows on TV, so why wouldn’t I love to read a love story that takes place in the middle of a hospital with high medical stakes? This was just so, so good.

2. Dr. Matt Russell is the broodiest, grumpiest, coldest hero I’ve read about in a long time. I really didn’t think I’d ever fall for him because he’s just such a jerk, but it’s all a front! It’s a facade! This guy… as I was reading I pictured him as Neal Caffrey but bigger. Dr. Russell is like 6’2″, broad, ripped (because you have to be strong enough to stand and operate for hours, you know), dark hair, blue eyes, wears a suit… So my dream, basically. And even though he’s so insufferable, I kept catching these little glimmers of a caring and completely selfless man. And he loves children! He loves his job, which is essentially providing better quality of life for his young patients. I really can’t find anything wrong with him, although his interpersonal skills leave much to be desired.

3. Bailey is Dr. Russell’s perfect match. She can hold her own and talk back and takes no crap. She’s also so sweet and happy and caring, so she’s the perfect one to wiggle under his skin and make him think. She is determined to break his shell and be his friend, and he’s just not having it. It takes a lot of confidence to put up with that kind of treatment and not give up, and I loved that about her. She’s also very selfless and became the guardian of her little sister after their parents died. And she’s hilarious.

4. On the surface, Bailey and Matt are like night and day, but they work so well together and I loved the “I can’t stand you, but you’re who I want to be with” tension between the two of them. They have really great chemistry, and I flew through the pages as quickly as I could.

5. Speaking of Bailey’s sister, her name is Josie and she’s a young teen. I don’t think I have ever loved a kid in a book more. She is so, so funny. She sees and hears everything, and she really loves her sister. Her relationship with Matt is so cute. One night, he stays over at their place because the weather is bad and he can’t drive home. He sleeps on the couch, and Josie is so concerned that he’s going to have to go to bed without a book to read that she forces The Hunger Games on him. Because how on earth can one go to sleep without reading first?! I like this girl.

6. The romance is very swoony. It’s a bit forbidden because they’re co-workers, and then there’s some “hands off, Josie is in the other room”, so all these obstacles really build up the tension between them. They’re so good together!

7. The ending felt a little rushed. I needed more information on a number of different topics, so it was not the most satisfying. But there were no loose ends, so that’s good.

8. I want all of R.S. Grey’s book now.

9. I also want more medical romances, so help a girl out.

All in all, this was so much fun! It was funny and serious and heartwarming and there was even some Christmas in it, so I’m a happy girl. I wish I’d gotten a longer epilogue with more details, though. Regardless, though, I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

A Tale of Beauty and Beast by Melanie Cellier | Book Review

Posted January 4, 2019 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 2 Comments

A Tale of Beauty and Beast by Melanie Cellier
Series: Beyond the Four Kingdoms #2
Also in this series: A Dance of Silver and Shadow
on November 26, 2017
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 295
Format: Audiobook
Source: Gift
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Lily has managed to save the duchy of Marin, with the help of her twin, Sophie. But now Sophie faces an even greater threat. Can she save the cursed kingdom of Palinor from its beastly prince?

I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, and after really loving the first book in this series I was even more excited to get to this one because I knew it would be amazing. Be careful reading any further, as this review will spoil who won the Princess Tourney in A Dance of Silver and Shadow!

The Princess Tourney is over and, as its winner, Sophie sets off on a curious and magical journey to Palinor to meet her betrothed: the beast (aka Prince Dominic). Since she’s the narrator this time, readers get to finally know Sophie better. I really liked her, and I felt I identified more with her than I did with Lily in the first book. Sophie arrives at the castle after a long journey in a carriage driven by an invisible force through a wintry wilderness, and finds it to be empty of people even though it looks taken care of. After some exploring she begins hearing voices of people she cannot see. She calls out to them, startling a whole staff of people who work there. They were not expecting her to be able to hear them. Dominic is not invisible, but he cannot speak to her and communicates through abrasive notes. It’s pretty obvious the kingdom has been placed under a curse and, of course, Sophie is going to try to break it and save the people she’s begun to form strong bonds with. The romance also begins to blossom and thrive as time goes on and we learn more about our tortured beast.

There are numerous ties to the original tale of Beauty & the Beast, as well as the Disney version. Melanie Cellier does find unique ways to make the story her own, however. Lily is still a part of the story, although the kingdom is quite isolated. I loved the secondary characters (the wait staff), and their interactions with Sophie. They look out for their master even though he’s kind of a jerk, but they also validate Sophie’s concerns and sympathize with her plight. I loved the relationships she formed with them. I really loved Melanie’s writing, too. Really my only complaint is that the female narrator did a pretty awful job portraying Prince Dominic’s voice. I felt the same with her portrayal of the male characters in the first book, too.

All in all, this was a very nice retelling of Beauty & the Beast! I love the writing, and I enjoy listening to these books even though the narrator bugs me a bit at times. I’m excited to read more from Melanie.

A Dance of Silver and Shadow by Melanie Cellier | Book Review

Posted September 6, 2018 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 3 Comments

A Dance of Silver and Shadow by Melanie Cellier
Series: Beyond the Four Kingdoms #1
on September 4, 2017
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 345
Format: Audiobook
Source: Gift
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When Princess Liliana and her twin sister set sail for new lands, Lily hopes to find adventure and romance. But the people of Marin live under the shadow of a curse--one powerful enough to destroy entire kingdoms. To protect them all, Lily and eleven other princesses are forced to participate in a mysterious and secret tournament.

Lily spends her nights competing in a magical underground realm and her days unraveling the dangers of this new court. Although she needs the help of the Marinese prince, Lily knows she can't let herself grow too close to him. There's no time for romance when the duchy is about to fall to the encroaching darkness and the winner of the tournament faces a terrible fate.

But Lily and her twin have a secret advantage. And Lily grows increasingly determined to use their magical bond to defeat the tournament, save the princesses, and free Marin. Except she might have to sacrifice true love to do it.

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, there's a lot more at stake than worn out dancing slippers.

I’ve always really loved fairytale retellings, and I accidentally stumbled across this one last year while I was browsing Amazon looking for Christmas present ideas for people. That’s a super dangerous thing to do, isn’t it? I always find more things that I want than anything else! This was a beautiful story, though, so I don’t even regret it! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. A Dance of Silver and Shadow is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, which I’m really unfamiliar with. And when I say unfamiliar, I mean that I know absolutely nothing. I’m tempted to go read it now to see how closely this story follows the original. Anyway, this book is centered around a “Princess Tournament” (the characters all refer to this as the “Princess Tourney”, which drove me absolutely insane until I learned to live with it). Twelve princesses from various kingdoms have been gathered together to compete in a series of challenges. The tournament itself is governed by magic, and the tasks that the princesses must perform reflect the prince that the tournament is being held for. The winner of this particular tournament will enter a betrothal with the beastly prince of Palinar (any guesses which fairytale the next book in this series will retell?). None of the girls want to win, as tales of the beast are frightening, but harm will come upon them and their families if they don’t put forth and honest effort.

Every few nights, a ball is held where the princesses dance and mingle with members of the kingdoms who have come for the tourney. After the ball is over the girls are all sent into a room, where a magical portal opens in the floor and they climb down to enter an underground realm with forest, a lake, and a mirror version of the palace above ground. This is where the challenges, some of them very dangerous, occur. The princesses return in the wee hours of the morning, their slippers worn through. The magic of the tourney prevents them from discussing the goings on with anyone, even amongst themselves. The premise is really very interesting!

2. Princess Lily and Princess Sophie are our two main characters. They are twins, who can project their thoughts to each others’ minds. They are incredibly close, and I loved their sisterly bond. They are also two of the older princesses in the tourney (17, I believe). Lily narrates the story, and I liked her voice. She’s strong and brave, and feels it is her duty to protect the other princesses (some of them much younger) during the tourney. She takes it upon herself to help them and keep them safe. She also finds herself falling for the Marinese prince. While residing in Marin for the tourney, she learns of the dangers in the kingdom and decides she must save Marin as well! It’s a pretty big undertaking for a young princess.

3. I listened to the audiobook version of this story, and found it to be mostly enjoyable. I didn’t love the sharp voice the narrator used for some of the characters. Luckily the voice she used for Lily did not bother me, since we listened to her narration a lot. The male voices were not done well at all, in my opinion, but I was able to look past that and enjoy listening.

4. The tourney was very creepy to me, and I loved reading about the different tasks the princesses had to complete. The realm where everything takes place has been corrupted by a sinister magical force, so things felt very unsettled. It was exciting and suspenseful!

5. Some of the other princesses really bothered me, particularly the younger ones. They were very whiny and complained a lot, but I did like Celine. I’d love to read a book about her soon.

6. A Dance of Silver and Shadow is completely clean, with no bad language and just a light romance on the side.

7. I LOVE Melanie’s writing. It’s so lush and descriptive!

8. The ending made me immediately start the second book because I had to know more. Make sure you don’t read the synopsis for A Tale of Beauty and Beast, though, until you read this book or you will find out who wins the tourney!

Overall, I really loved this story and I’m so excited that I’ve found an author I like who does retellings. I don’t read nearly enough good ones. I don’t know how closely this one follows the original, but that didn’t matter to me at all. If you enjoy retellings, magic, fantasy worlds, mysterious kingdoms, sister bonds, strong female characters who don’t need a man to save them, and beautiful writing, definitely give this book a try!

Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard | Mini Book Review

Posted November 13, 2017 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard
Published by Razorbill on September 4, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Retelling
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gift
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A modern-day retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with a chilling twist

Harper has never been worried about falling in love, something she is skeptical even exists. But everything changes when Logan moves to town, and to Harper's shock, the two tumble into an intense romance. It's everything she never thought she wanted.

Then she meets Logan's twin brother, Caleb, who was expelled from his last school. True, he's a bad boy, but Harper can't shake the feeling that there's something deeply sinister about him--something dangerous. When Logan starts pulling away, Harper is convinced that Caleb's shadowy past is the wedge being driven between them. But by the time she uncovers the truth, it may be too late.

The author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, and Ripple delivers a modern-day retelling of a famously gothic tale, full of suspense, lies, and romance.

This review is incredibly tiny because I don’t have much to say. I was very disappointed in what could have been an amazing book. Mandy’s writing was great, and her storytelling was wonderful. But the publisher did readers a huge disservice by telling us that this is a Jekyll and Hyde retelling. That’s a major spoiler, and it made me far less intrigued and curious. I knew what was going to happen before I even opened the book, and I was right on the money. This could have been very exciting and suspenseful, but all I could do was roll my eyes at the dumb decisions Harper made.