Where I Left Off

Reading Recap 2 - Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, Lauren Roberts and more!

• Kristen Bahls • Season 2 • Episode 30

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For the second reading recap, I'm talking all about romance novels, with one fantasy in the mix. Hear my opinions and a short synopsis of each book over the course of the episode. Sorry in advance for the new titles you'll be adding to your TBR.

Reading Rec:

  • This week's rec is from Davina Reddic. Find the book here. 
  • Follow Davina on Instagram.


For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.

For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.

For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.

Kristen Bahls:

I'm Kristen Bahls and you're listening to When I Left Off A Bookish Podcast, and today I'm sharing my next installment of the reading recap series, and this episode is almost all romance. There are many different subgenres. I do have one fantasy book. Technically it's been called Romantasy, but I don't think it has one of the key tenets to classify as that. I can't tell you what it is because it's a spoiler. So just know it's almost all romance, but a lot of different subgenres, from dark romance to contemporary to new adult and then my one fantasy that is sometimes called romantasy. So stay tuned. That is what you're getting in this episode.

Kristen Bahls:

But first I wanted to give a little bit of a writing update. So at this moment in time I have a deadline with my editor for January, as in I have to have the whole book written and it's gone through betas and I've fixed, based on my betas feedback, to go into my editor for a copy in line edit. I don't know how I'm going to finish this book by January and give my beta team time to read over it and give me developmental feedback. I may have to push this back. She said I could push it back without penalty. I may be doing that.

Kristen Bahls:

It's like you try to give yourself a deadline, but then it's just life gets in the way, and life has really gotten in the way lately. I normally wake up like 30 minutes earlier now and I come in before work and I have 30 minutes to write and I do that before I start my day and that's all the writing time I get. Every once in a while I'll work on it on the weekends, but it's mainly that writing time. It's a lot. I'm getting closer to 40,000 words, which is like roughly, this is not actually what it will be because you know, with like formatting and everything, it would change, but it's like about 140 unformatted pages. So I am getting closer. It needs to be 300, I am getting closer, it needs to be 300, which I in all my research said was about 60,000 words, I believe. Maybe it's more, like 250 is 60,000. That kind of makes more sense. Anyway, I was really just trying to get to 60,000 for this cozy mystery and I'm almost at 40,000. So you're thinking like only 20,000 words. But, like I said, life has gotten in the way it's happening. I mean life has gotten in the way it's happening. I mean I'm making it happen.

Kristen Bahls:

I really enjoy writing every day. It's super fun to get to be able to do it and my mystery's happening. I got to write a red herring the other day, which was so much fun. And the mystery's happening, the romance is happening. It is a cozy mystery with a romance B plot, so there is a lot of romance tied up in there. So right now the romance is really romancing because that storyline is kind of coming to a tension point and then the mystery is starting to unravel a little bit more. So there's red herrings coming in and then, of course, I'm trying to keep the integrity of making it also about two teachers and keeping stuff about their teachings. So it's, you know it's an interesting balance, but I really do like it and I think I'm liking it even more.

Kristen Bahls:

Of course I'm sure that it's going to go through a million rounds of edits, but yeah, that's kind of where I'm at on the whole writing section. We'll see if I can meet this January deadline. I will probably be pushing it back. Now, getting in to what we're going to be talking about today, I first have to do a reading rec. And don't forget, reading recs are where authors and readers alike can send in voice memos recommending books to you, the listeners, and I wanted to include her rec because I think it's always interesting whenever authors can kind of talk about their own book, and I can tell you it is a good, twisty, crazy ride of a thriller, so definitely add it to your TBR. This is Davina.

Davina Reddic:

Hey, Where I Left Off listeners. My name is Davina Reddic and I am the author of The Awakening. What Lies Inside? And this is my reading rack?

Davina Reddic:

The Awakening is a psychological thriller that is very twisty, a little dark and, I want to say, immersive. It's been written in such a way that I want you to feel all the feels of our narrator. You will find yourself confused all the feels of our narrator. You will find yourself confused, you'll find yourself frustrated, and I mean you won't be alone, because that's exactly what she is. The story follows the memories and thoughts of our narrator, who we don't get to meet until a little further into the book. And while we're going through all the motions with her, we kind of find out that she isn't as reliable a source of information as she portrays herself to be, and I think that's a really fun aspect of this story. It leaves you wanting to trust her but questioning if you really should.

Davina Reddic:

There's a lot of mental health here, the treatment of mental health, the acknowledgement of such issues and the importance of reaching out. There's also talk of marriage woes and mommy and daddy issues, so there's a lot to unpack with this narrator. There is an author note in the beginning of my book. I think it's really important for readers to know what they're getting into here before they get into it. It's important for me to be transparent. I never want to offend or trigger anyone and potentially lose a future reader. So if you do decide to give the Awakening a chance, please read the author note first. I will end my rec by saying that this is a quick in-your-face, you know, straight, gut-punching psychological thriller and I do not think our narrator, our female main character, will disappoint you one bit.

Kristen Bahls:

So good. Like I said, it's crazy, it's wild, the Awakening, What Lies Inside. Like you, you are going to be confused for about like I don't know, probably 70% of the novel and you're going to like it because eventually everything starts to make sense and about the time it starts making sense, everything goes down and it's crazy. So, anyway, if you want to really like mind bending kind of thriller, this, this is definitely the one to pick up. It is available on Kindle Unlimited and I will have it linked down in the show notes with the other books I'm talking about today. Let's get into the books. Let's officially get into the books.

Kristen Bahls:

First up, I am talking about Funny Story by Emily Henry. This is a contemporary romance novel. It is. I rate it at five stars and I would say it's maybe like a two of five. On the Spice scale. It was like a two.

Kristen Bahls:

I felt like it was similar-ish in Spice to like an Ashley Poston, an Abby Jimenez, not quite like an Alexa Martin and Amy Lea or an Allie Hazelwood level. So basically, what I'm saying is it's somewhat tame. It's not very descriptive, and it is. It is open door though. So I feel like it's really stupid to point out that the writing of this book is well done. I mean it kind of feels like saying like Steven Spielberg's a talented director, it's Emhen. We know that the writing is good. That said, I did DNF Happy Place, her last book, and this is the first time that I've read one of her novels throughout all the way through. But don't worry, I already have book lovers the people we meet on vacation and Beach Read on my shelf. So I will be reading through the classics at some point. I think that funny story just ultimately packed the punch that I was missing from what I read of Happy Place, and this one was just so much more up my alley. So all that to say also is if you have an author that maybe you don't love one of their books, try, try again. Their writing style is always changing. They're always growing. Maybe it's just the plot or the character of that specific book that you didn't love. So I'm all for giving authors multiple chances and trying multiple books before I decide okay, maybe they're just not for me.

Kristen Bahls:

I originally picked up this book when I wanted a fluffy rom-com and I am so glad that I put it down and picked it back up later. This is not fluffy, it has grit and sadness and the main characters are understandably wrecked in the beginning of this novel. So what I'm saying is be prepared. Let me give you my short little plot synopsis and then I'll go into a little bit more of the specifics.

Kristen Bahls:

So Daphne and Miles are roommates who have both hit an all-time low. When all by myself is blaring in their apartment, you kind of feel like they've earned a moping session. So the long and the short of it is, daphne and Peter were engaged until Petra, peter's supposedly platonic and beautiful childhood slash best woman, confesses her love for him. Childhood slash best woman confesses her love for him. Daphne moved her entire life to be with Peter and has nowhere to go. When he calls off their wedding, daphne ends up moving in with Moles, petra's now ex-boyfriend. They form a kinship as they put the pieces of their lives back together and figure out who they are without their significant others.

Kristen Bahls:

The title gives this book away and it is romance with an inevitable HEA or happily ever after. So this is the definition of what Catherine Sinter describes when she says happy endings are not spoilers but something to look forward to. You know they're going to fall in love, but it was quirky, it was raw, hilarious and the banter was an A+. And I loved Daphne and Miles and I found it really easy to relate to Daphne. I was just absolutely charmed by this book and I would say that it is similar to Catherine's center and that the characters don't just arrive at their happy endings. They put in the work and they're going to go through a lot of crap to get there. And even though Daphne and Miles were the main characters, I actually really appreciated the B plot with Daphne and Ashley and it really touched on their friendship and just kind of how tough it is to make friends as an adult and just kind of how tough it is to make friends as an adult. And their banter between Ashley and Daphne is almost just as fun as with Miles and Daphne and I just laughed so many times while reading this book. So whether you're unsure about Emily Henry or you're a devoted fan, I would recommend this book either way. I thought it was really good Next up. I'm like already laughing before I even get into this book. Either way, I thought it was really good Next up. I'm like already laughing before I even get into this book.

Kristen Bahls:

Okay, this is Butchered Blackbird by Brynn Weaver. This is dark romance. I actually am not going to rate the book and I'll tell you why in a second, but this is the spiciest book I have ever read. This is off the spice scale chart. It's the spiciest I have ever read. I am going to admit to fast forwarding through those parts on the audio so I can't like I heard it enough, but I didn't hear everything. Um, yeah, it was a lot, but just make sure that if you want to read this book, you really read the trigger warnings before you pick it up. So the trigger warnings they are more than one page and if you decide that you're that you like actually want to read the book, just make sure that you are actually ready to read this book. The trigger warnings Let me say that one more time. I sometimes forget to look at the trigger warnings, but I'm telling you you need to read them all and make sure you're good with it before you start this book.

Kristen Bahls:

This is not my normal subgenre, dark romance. You know this. You listen to these episodes and that's why I'm not rating it. I don't have any other dark romances to compare it to and I really wouldn't even know where to begin. And the cool thing about books in general is that you try different genres and sub genres and discover what your preferences are. That being said, I am not the target audience for this book.

Kristen Bahls:

I really thought that I could handle the graphic, descriptive gore after reading so many thrillers, but uh holy, nope, I could, I could not. I. I will admit that. I mean there are just a lot of things that are done for shock factor. So just a warning it's going to be super descriptive and gross, and I mean dismembered body parts, chainsaws and things on or around a dead body being compared to food. So this is kind of like it's a weird comparison, but it just seems like it is. This is like Dexter meets You've Got Mail, only without like actual emails, but they have a competition and they're rivals and it just feels very similar to the spirit of You've Got Mail and okay. So overall with this book, was the writing strong, witty and fun? Yes, it definitely was.

Kristen Bahls:

Did the plot make sense and move throughout the novel? Yes, it did. Does it have a kind of serial killer magic? Sure, it does. This is actually going to have a film or TV adaptation, I can't remember which. I think maybe a film, and I will not be watching that. The pictures in my head while reading this book were enough, and I don't know if I will read the next book in the series Leather and Lark, because right now I, like I just need I need a little bit of a break from it. But here is my plot synopsis so you can decide if it is a book for you.

Kristen Bahls:

So Sloane, nicknamed Blackbird or the orb weaver by the police, slash public that's her public name is a serial killer. Rowan, aka Butcher, is a serial killer. Rowan aka Butcher is also a serial killer who comes across Sloane and helps her out of what we'll call a sticky situation. They decide to start this competition and meet once a year to find their victim and do their thing. They only kill other serial killers that have hurt other people in an effort to rid the world of them, but they're also messed up. So it's not, you know, completely to save humanity. Their equally dark parts have driven them to become who they are. So who's going to win the competition? Will sparks fly between the two, and will the killers that they've hunted finally catch up to them? Yeah, you're going to have to read to find out, but only if you dare. I'll end with this on this book.

Kristen Bahls:

So cookies and cream, ice cream used to be my favorite flavor and I just don't know anymore. The other day I had an opportunity to get cookies and cream and I did not. I couldn't do it. Just don't ask me what's in the ice cream. Seriously don't ask. But on a side note, kind of like a little tangent, so I was talking with my friend who she loved this book she rereads it all the time. It's one of her favorites and I said something like um, we were talking about what the ice cream was and I said that I had some guesses of, like, what it was going to be and that all my guesses were wrong. And she was like, yeah, no, no one could guess what that was. And honestly, it's true, um, and don't say that you have not been warned, like I've warned you. So overall I really liked the book, but I don't want to downplay the graphic nature of the book and I think that this is either going to be like totally your thing or totally not your thing. So I would only recommend it to specific readers, but I don't know that I would recommend it to just like anyone and everyone. So basically I like it, but I'm sure that this is probably on like the tamer side of dark romance and I think I'm just not a dark romance reader, at least right now, and that is okay. So this was my one like foray into dark romance and I will probably not be going back for a while, ok.

Kristen Bahls:

Next up is Just Don't Call Me Yours by Heather Garvin. So on a totally opposite plane, this is new adult romance, which technically new adult is 18 to 25, but some people say 18 to 30. So I don't know, it's just kind of in that new adult, like you're graduating, you're in college, graduating college, kind of starting your life off, kind of romances. I gave this one five stars and the spice level on this is, I said, like a three and a half. Maybe it's more like a three, three, three and a half, but it is open door and wow, oh, wow, the way I flew through this book. Open door and wow, oh wow, the way I flew through this book. Okay, I loved the pacing and it really transported me back to college and it's very relatable and I feel like it's maybe this first book I would classify as kind of almost like a spicier Emma Lord. It kind of just reminded me a little bit of Begin Again, but just spicier, because Begin Again is closed door.

Kristen Bahls:

So Margo is adjusting to life as a college freshman, and it doesn't help that she shares a wall with a guy who insists on playing his guitar at an ungodly hour. When she bangs on the door, she's greeted by a standoffish Jackson, who is too cool to turn down his amp and practice somewhere else. This is the instigating event that sets off the animosity between Margo and Jackson, and they keep running into each other and have a very specific reason that I don't want to spoil. That puts them in even closer force proximity. So will Margo survive freshman year? Will Jackson make it to the band of his dreams, and will Margo and Jackson ever come to a truce on their taste in music? You're going to have to read to find out.

Kristen Bahls:

This book just had me hooked from page one and it really captured the angst and the enemies to lovers trope really, really well. There's some stuff that they do that was just so funny and cute. I don't want to ruin it for you, but I kind of want to ruin it for you, but I'm not Okay. Uh, so music. I promise I can string together sentences today. Uh, that was a little bit much, but music lovers are going to appreciate this, because Jackson and Margo have very passionate discuss discussions about their favorite bands. Um, and at the start of the book they are polar opposites, like polar opposites in their music taste. And the second book is actually out, and just came out recently, and so this book the first one it does end on a to be continued. So you're going to want to pick up the second book immediately. They are both available on Kindle Unlimited, the first and the second. The second book is substantially spicier than the first and the second. The second book is substantially spicier than the first. Also, letting you know that. And then, yeah, I'm going to fly through heather garvin's backlist.

Kristen Bahls:

I really enjoy her writing style. It just kept me so entertained the entire time and I really liked the pacing of this. I thought it was just really different. Like the music element made it different and it just felt fun and fresh and it reminded me of being in college a little bit and it I don't know. I just really enjoyed it. I got a kick out of it, I had fun.

Kristen Bahls:

Next up we have Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood. This is contemporary romance. I gave it four stars and the spice level is your standard Ali Hazelwood spice. So this is open door. According to Ali herself, this is an audio only novella which will be published on Spotify, and I got an advanced listener copy, or ALC, on NetGalley, but it will be out to the public on October 1st.

Kristen Bahls:

Here's the plot synopsis and then I'll tell you more about it. I was shocked when I got approved for this on NetGalley, by the way, but it's only because it's through Spotify, not through Berkeley, because Berkeley does not approve me for anything on NetGalley. Okay, here is my plot synopsis.

Kristen Bahls:

Viola and Jesse are video game programmers at different indie gaming houses that want to adapt a beloved book series into a third video game installment. And Viola has a deep attachment to the series and she is so excited to work on the absolute project of a lifetime. But the catch is that she has to work with another company on the project, and it just so happens to be Jesse's company. And not only does she have an interesting past with Jesse himself, but several members of the team have bad blood. There's a lot of bad blood on that team between them. So when they have to go on a snowy team building retreat, all chaos just breaks loose. So will the teams learn to work together for the sake of the game? And, obviously, will something happen between Viola and Jesse? No, no, you gotta listen to find out.

Kristen Bahls:

So I will start with the one con of this right now. Okay, the narrator, since it's audio, only she has this growl it. Yeah, it was kind of a lot for me, but, that being said, this feels very similar to her other STEM series like the Love Hypothesis, love on the Brain, love. Theoretically this is very similar, only you know it has video games, like it's centered all around video games. So I will say that one of the major kind of like plot points slash points of contention between the FMC and the MMC, which is the female main character and the male main character, is that it's similar to something in the love hypothesis. So it actually made it really easy for me to guess it and it was kind of predictable if you've read a lot of Allie Hazelwood books before, which I have read all of Allie Hazelwood's books. So I kind of felt like I was able to guess it pretty easily and maybe it would have been predictable if you hadn't read the Love Hypothesis. So you're probably going to know what's going to happen.

Kristen Bahls:

That being said, um, if it's mainly like I think you're going to like this book, if you want the same cake in different flavors, like what me and Paige were talking about, you know, with With the love hypothesis, with love on the brain, with love theoretically, it's kind of like you know that you're getting cake like that is Ali Hazelwood's writing style, you're just getting like a vanilla cake, a chocolate cake, a strawberry cake, just in a slightly different flavor, and I honestly, I like that. That's why I read Ali Hazelwood. I love how she incorporates STEM and how she makes these different topics interesting. Am I that interested in video games? Yeah, not really.

Kristen Bahls:

But did I like listening to this book? I did, I really enjoyed it and, like I said, it just felt like some of her old stuff. So if you, you know she's had all of her like, okay, so it was love hypothesis, then it was love theoretically, I mean love on the brain and then love theoretically, and then you know we've had like check in mate and bride and not in love. So if you were kind of wanting her to regress back into her other kind of like STEM novels, then this is going to give you a very similar feel, just with video games. So just know that, going in, if that's not what you're looking for, then you may not like this. But if that is what you're looking for which is what I was looking for and I genuinely enjoyed this because I just want more Allie Hazelwood all of the time then that's why I gave it four stars, because I loved it.

Kristen Bahls:

Um, I, I couldn't. I couldn't get over the voice and there were just some things that, like on audio sounds so cheesy, so I felt like that kind of kept taking me out of it. But either way, I really love Ali Hazelwood style. I loved it just, I guess, overall. Oh, if I'm writing like, if I knew that I was writing a novella that was only gonna be in audio, I think I would almost like play it back a bunch of times to make sure that everything translates. And for the most part it did. It's just like I said, it seemed a little bit cheesy hearing it on audio, but I don't know, that may have just been a me thing, so it's not as if it was bad. Maybe I would even give it four and a half stars, I don't know, because I really, really enjoyed it and I wanted to keep going. So I would say it's either four to four and a half stars I'm a little bit undecided on that but I would say it's definitely worth a listen.

Kristen Bahls:

If you haven't read any Ali Hazelwood at all and you're just looking to kind of get into her books, I can actually see that I could see that this might be one that you would like. Um, I will say that I also like. I will say that I also like the low to love you novellas, so that's another option if you are just getting into. Ultimately, I would recommend it for Ali Hazelwood fans or if you're trying to dip your toes in Ali Hazelwood for the first time. I, of course, love the Love Hypothesis. I think that one is my favorite and honestly, Check and Mate is my second favorite. But if you're just determined to do a novella, then this could be a good option. In the Loathe to Love you novellas there's one where they're like in some kind of like Arctic something and they're two scientists and that's the one that is my favorite of those if you are determined to try a novella. So just throwing that out there. But I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was fun. It was unique with the video games, but it had the Ali Hazelwood that we know and love. So if you want more Allie, then yeah, I would listen to it. Okay, next up is Powerless by Lauren Roberts.

Kristen Bahls:

I know who am I. I've actually been reading a lot of fantasy lately. Granted, it's more of YA fantasy, but it's still fantasy. Either way. I just stepped out of my comfort zone and I have continually started with fantasy Again. This is more like all of these. All the fantasy books that I've been reading are kind of more on the like dystopian or urban fantasy side. I have not crossed over into high fantasy.

Kristen Bahls:

I will say I did buy A Court of Thorns and Roses because I've had so many friends on Bookstagram just beg me to read it. They're dying to have me read it. So I bought it, but have I read it? No, I have not read it yet. So I bought it, but have I read it? No, I have not read it yet. You know, I just feel like I need to be ready to start a series and like this is what's happening with me right now.

Kristen Bahls:

During the Shatter Me series, I started it. I didn't really realize it was like six books plus novellas, or is that with novellas, I don't know, I can't keep up. There's so many books. I'm on book four, but anyway it's. Yeah, I don't have time for this. I don't have time for series. I don't have time to keep up with fantasy stuff. I'm so tired at the end of the day that I can't really handle a high fantasy.

Kristen Bahls:

So this book was easy to understand. It's good for those that are a little bit nervous to get into true fantasy. I think that obviously this book is very polarizing. People either love it or they hate it. I can understand both sides. Personally I loved it, but I understand how maybe some people like it isn't for them. So this is going to be one of those recommendations that I'm like.

Kristen Bahls:

I enjoyed it, but I have no idea if you are going to. So let me. Let me give you the lowdown a little bit more about powerless. I'm sure you've seen the cover, I'm sure you've heard of it. You've heard of Lauren Roberts, but here's a little bit more of a dive into what it actually is. This is why fantasy.

Kristen Bahls:

I gave this book five stars because I just enjoyed the ride. You know, at a certain point, like books are supposed to be fun, and if you enjoyed a book the entire time through, albeit there might be some plot holes or some things that don't quite make sense or maybe some writing that could be improved. But can we say that for most books in general, if you're reading for critique, you're always going to find something, and I really enjoyed the ride. That was this book. But I am not a high fantasy reader. I don't read fantasy that often, so that also could have something to do with it. So if you do read fantasy a lot, I don't know, this may or may not be for you.

Kristen Bahls:

Okay, so, like I said earlier, even though it gets labeled as such, I don't believe that this qualifies as romantic. There's a key genre convention and I can't tell you what it is or why, because that would completely spoil it, but that's what I'm saying. So, also, I think this is like a one on the spice scale and it would classify as clean by romance standards. There's only kissing. So you're good If you're worried about like. This is not. This is not a court of thorns and roses or fourth wing. I'm pretty sure both of those have um are open door, from what I've been told, but if I'm wrong, I don't know, I have not read them okay.

Kristen Bahls:

So, like I said, is this book perfect? No, there are a couple uh, writing and like just kind of plot pitfalls, like, for example, um, they're eating dinner at this one table and it sounds like they're. I can't remember if it was specifically said, but it sounds like the two characters, the FMC and the MMC, are seated like somewhat apart and then, magically, they're able to like hold a conversation with each other, and I think it said something like he whispered in her ear or something about him being close, and I'm like wait a minute, did he teleport? So there are a couple of things like that. There are a couple of things like that. So if that kind of stuff is going to bug you, then, I don't know, this may not be for you. Or if you think that you can get past it because the story is really great, because the story is really great, then this could be for you.

Kristen Bahls:

There are a lot of similarities to the Hunger Games, like a lot, like a lot, a lot. Like when there is a deviation from something that happened in the Hunger Games, I was like wait, but that's not how it is in the Hunger Games. And then I was like, oh wait, this is yeah, this is not the Hunger Games. So, just know, there are a lot of similarities. It's just similar, like just similar general rules and stuff, and I'm sure that even Suzanne Collins borrowed some of her stuff from other people. So it's more like the general rules of the games in this book are very, very similar to the Hunger Games. It's just not like total fight to the death, like that's. Pretty much the biggest difference is that, you know, in the Hunger Games, of course it's supposed to be fight to the death, one winner. This is not fight to the death, but you can totally die during it, basically, and people will. So that's a key difference. But there are so many similarities to the Hunger Games.

Kristen Bahls:

I've read the Hunger Games. I've read Divergent, I've read the Selection Series, I've read Red Queen, read Harry Potter, read all, read all of them, read a lot of the like general, uh, maze Runner, who's probably one of my favorites, all those. I've read all those and, yeah, there there are a lot of similarities to the Hunger Games. But, uh, keep in mind that this is the author's debut novel and so I like, I feel like I've almost just said bad things and I'm not that just, you're going to notice a lot of similarities, so I would be mad if I didn't know that. Going in, I was like, wait, why does this sound like the Hunger Games? Like it is going to be similar, but it's not exact.

Kristen Bahls:

Ok, so, like I said, this was the author's debut novel, but it was so addicting, it was fun and it was just a wild ride that just kept me guessing and like frantically flipping to the next chapter. I could not put this book down. I could not put this book down, and I don't even read fantasy, so it it grabbed me. Um, and yes, just books that I'm gonna give five stars to, even though they aren't technically perfect, because I feel like if any author can make me think about the characters after I finish the book, can make me constantly flip and just say one more chapter every five seconds and just dive headfirst into the second book in this ultimate trilogy. They deserve the stars. They deserve them, and so I think Lauren deserves the five stars on this one. I really enjoyed this book. Um, keep in mind, so fearless, the last book in the trilogy does not come in until April 2025.

Kristen Bahls:

And Lauren loves a cliffhanger, and this is not like your average cliffhanger. This is like throws the book off the cliff. With the cliffhanger kind of cliffhanger. You're going to have so many questions, so many questions. It's going to leave you in a really bad spot. You're going to want to throw the book across the room. That happens at the end of Powerless.

Kristen Bahls:

I immediately picked up Reckless. So buy them both at the same time. If you are going to start this series, just do yourself a favor. There's cliffhangers and then the cliffhanger on Reckless, like I said, it's going to make you want to throw your book across the room. It is so incredibly frustrating. It just it zigs and it zags and be ready to want to know what happens, and you're not going to be able to until April. So if you want to start the series a little bit later, a little bit closer to April, I would.

Kristen Bahls:

I don't know how I'm going to make it. Obviously, I'm going to have to make it until April, but I don't know how I'm going to do that. Um, and this is the final book in the trilogy. So how is she going to end it all up? What's going to happen? I don't know. Well, actually, I do know she said a couple of things in interviews, but I don't want to spoil them for you.

Kristen Bahls:

Also, there is a novella that comes with this powerful. I have it, I just have not read it yet and it tells the novella of a key character's story while Peyton is in is in the palace and the games, stuff like that. So there's going to be something. It's a shocker towards the end of powerless. You're really confused. What's going on, why it's happening? Well, that novella is going to answer your question, because it feels like an unanswered question, but that novella will answer it and that's all I can tell you on that. So anyway, throwing all of that out there, I feel like I've talked about it forever. But anyway, here is kind of the general like plot synopsis that I wrote up and this is hard because these fantasy books are not easy to come up with plot synopses for. So OK, here it is.

Kristen Bahls:

Peyton is a thief who survives day by day in the rough streets of the loot and after she saves a prince, she's nominated for the trials where contestants compete in deadly challenges for a chance at fame and fortune. The prince one of the princes, the prince she saved, kai is a skilled assassin for the king, known as the Enforcer. He is also in the competition and he must win the trials to show his father, the king, that he is up for the challenge as enforcer, basically, and kind of prove his worth. Will the trials make them or break them, and can they survive? Read to find out. So I left a lot of details out of that to not spoil anything. I was trying to give you the general gist.

Kristen Bahls:

But the banter and the enemies to lovers in this book. It was fantastic. Some people say it's too much. I say it's just right, I loved it. I loved it. It was so fun. It's like combining. Again, it's kind of like combining a fantasy, more of a dystopian type fantasy, and then like a love story in there too. So and the love story didn't overshadow the fantasy, I felt like there was enough fantasy and there was enough Love Story to where one was not overshadowing the other, which is not always the case in these kind of books. I didn't feel like the world building was super complicated. There are several similarities, like I said, to the Hunger Games. So that might also be like, while I caught on quicker, because I already remembered, like as I started reading, the world building that went into the Hunger Games. So I don't know if that also happened, but anyway I would recommend the book.

Kristen Bahls:

I liked Reckless, I think so. Powerless is kind of. When a lot of things are happening. Reckless may seem like there's not as much action, but you need the events in Reckless, the second book, to get you to where you're going to be in the trilogy, to end it all out in Fearless. So I liked Reckless. I think it had a purpose. The ending is wild. You're not going to be able to guess it. Insane, insane plot twist. So just know, lauren's going to give you a plot twist every single time, every single book. So just just be ready. But anyway, I would recommend the book. I thought it was good. If you want to try the powerless trilogy, only two books are out maybe wait a little bit closer to April, but add it to your TBR. I enjoyed it a lot. Like a lot, a lot. Okay, that's all I'll say about that.

Kristen Bahls:

Next up is one of my no. Next up is one of my no, my favorite contemporary romance of the year. I think it actually somehow surpassed the Wrong Commerce by Catherine Senter. Maybe I need to read both of these books, like back to back, so I can validate that statement. Honestly, I think that that could be a thing that I need to do, but anyway, I can't believe I get to talk about it. So this is the X-Vows by Jessica Joyce, and this is contemporary romance. This is not a rom-com. This is not a rom-com Repeat, not a rom-com. Five stars for sure.

Kristen Bahls:

The spice level is like a four out of five. It's more, it's more, it's more, it's uh, it's open door. I haven't read you with a view in a while. I'm rereading it right now, but I feel like it's spicier than you with a view from my memory. But it's generally kind of more on par with Amy Lee, allie Hazelwood and Alexa Martin. So it's just kind of like, sprinkled throughout more than some of the other books. Like it's not super graphic. It's definitely not Tessa Bailey or Elle Kennedy level. So that's not what you're going to get, but it is more than some books, most books, a decent amount of books, books that I've been reading yeah, it's, it's more so.

Kristen Bahls:

And if you have any questions, you can always go to the send us a text message option on the show notes of the podcast. You can send me a text asking me more questions and I can let you know, or you can DM me on Instagram. I am at where I left off pod. There you go, so you can always ask me questions. I can give you more details if that's what you need to feel comfortable. I don't want there to be any kind of like spice jump scare, because that's the worst, when it's spicier than you would like and you didn't realize that until you're already in the book. So anyway, I get to talk about this book some more.

Kristen Bahls:

So this episode would definitely not be complete without me gushing over Jessica Joyce's latest book. Her first book is you With A View, which is one of my favorite books of all time, and then she did release, technically, a novella in between and it's called A Risk we're Taking. It happens around New Year's. Claire and Connor are adorable and I would highly recommend it. I loved it. But we're going to call The Ex Vows her official sophomore novel because you know the other one was a novella. So A Risk Worth Taking, this one is her true like sophomore novel. So normally they say that you know the sophomore novel is impossible to follow. Especially, you know, the sophomore novel is impossible to follow, especially after a fantastic debut, which she had a fantastic debut. But holy crap, jessica Joyce did it. She did it.

Kristen Bahls:

This is my favorite romance novel I've read this year, like I already said, but I want to say it again just so you know. There's just something about it. It's really just like a visceral experience and I feel like the heart that she put into this book. You can just feel as you're flipping the pages and this book is going to be absolutely gut wrenching. You're going to cry. If you don't cry, I would be surprised. I literally like I annotated this book and I have so many page flags, so many page flags you can see how insane it looks on Instagram. I wrote annotations in the margins such as like cue the waterworks. Why am I still crying it?

Kristen Bahls:

There's a little plot twist surprise, and I love when a romance novel has a little plot twist in there. And this has a little plot twist. Surprise that I just said what and everything tied together perfectly. I don't know how you would ever guess the plot twist surprise that I just said what and everything tied together perfectly. I don't know how you would ever guess the plot twist, but as soon as it was revealed, I instantly thought of like it just tied itself together, but not in a way that you would ever guess it. So I loved that. I loved everything, of course, but it's it's funny.

Kristen Bahls:

There's a lot of banter, but it's a little bit more of like a gritty wit kind of banter. Um, it's like Georgia, the main character. Her two best friends are guys. So a majority of the people in the book, um, are guys, and so their banter is just a little bit. A little bit more sarcastic, a little bit less like fluffy, I would say. And this was just like this was amazing. It was amazing. I would not call this fluffy at all. Like I said, there's more like sarcastic, witty banter and it packs just more of kind of a bite. It's like less sugary, sweet and there is a lot of anguish and tension throughout this book, a lot. It is really sad, but really good but also really funny. Only Jessica can like balance all of these different emotions.

Kristen Bahls:

But before I tell you even more, I have to tell you the plot of this novel. So here's kind of my general synopsis. So Georgia is best friends with Adam and Eli. She has been best friends with Adam forever and I think like middle school and then in high school Eli was new and Georgia like let herself into the house and then ended up meeting Eli, who she was instantly attracted to and was instantly attracted to her. He was the new kid. So they all all three of them went to the same high school. They liked each other so much throughout but they were afraid to ruin their friendship.

Kristen Bahls:

So George and Eli did not date until college. So then George and Eli date it sounded like, and they may. She may have said it expressively, but I can't remember explicitly. But I can't remember. I think it was like later in college that they started dating. And then Eli and Georgia, they finished college, they move out. They actually moved to New York together and they are living together and they break up.

Kristen Bahls:

And basically Georgia, georgia and Eli have kind of like tried to remain friends for Adam's sake, because they love their friendship, but it was a really gut wrenching breakup for both of them and they have a lot of unresolved feelings. So it's very hard for them to all be in the same room. But then Adam is getting married and there is a curse, so he thinks on his wedding and everything happens and basically their venue burns down like a week before the wedding and so then Georgia and Eli accidentally both volunteer and have to go down alone to try to fix the wedding and basically rebook everything. They only have a venue at this point and, like everything else, yeah, has kind of fallen, has just like crashed and burned. So it's up to Eli and Georgia to put the pieces of Adam's wedding back together and they go alone to the vineyard and of course, they have to work together. So will sparks fly? Will they be able to figure it out? Will Eli, georgia and Adam remain the trio as they all start kind of getting married, going off, growing up, separating and all the stuff that happens as you grow up from your high school and college friends and start kind of living your own separate lives? There you go.

Kristen Bahls:

That was a really long plot synopsis. I'm sorry, once I got going I just got going, but I loved this book. It has a lot going for it in the trying to put the wedding back together. Like Jessica's just really good. I'm sorry I'm gushing about her some more, but she's really really good at having a side plot that moves. Like it doesn't feel like she started with the romance and then just said OK, what random side plot can I do to get the characters together? No, like she really thinks out the side plot. There's always something really happening and really going on to where you have that to look forward to. But then you also get like heavy romance and heavy pining. So I feel like romance readers would really like this.

Kristen Bahls:

But I feel like Jessica Joyce is honestly a really good author. For those who are maybe a little bit newer to romance and want something, you know, with a subplot that's going to move to, jessica's pacing is just really next level. I feel like every time I open up one of her books, like from page one, I'm just hooked. It's something about her pacing and just the way that she does things. It's so clever, it's so smart. I just I can't say enough good things. She's definitely one of my favorite authors. Like Catherine Sinter, sarah Adams and Jessica Joyce are probably my three favorite authors. There are a lot of authors that are very close to that. I could give you like a whole long list of all the authors I love, but anyway, jessica did a fantastic job in this one, I would say so.

Kristen Bahls:

It does have the second chance romance trope because, like I said, george and Eli dated previously, but I'm not a huge fan of second chance romance. I don't hate it, but I just don't gravitate towards it like in any way at all. And this book honestly changed my mind. It is the best use of second chance romance that I have read so far ever. If you also want another good second chance romance, the rule book by Sarah Adams is probably the second best second chance romance that I've read. I've read some that are very boring and I'm not into them. So this, this changed my mind. Thank you, jessica. I think she can change my mind with anything, um, any trope she has. I don't even almost look at what the trope is, because I just know I'm going to like her book, basically. So you're going to laugh a lot and you're going to cry a lot, but you're going to come out the other side changed for the better. So I would highly, highly, highly recommend the X-Files.

Kristen Bahls:

It was one of my favorite books and again, if you felt like I was gushing in this reading recap, it's because I chose these books specifically because I really enjoyed them. I wanted to get the word out about them and I need to talk about more in the future. I feel like I've almost been like reading faster than I can write up and talk about them. There are some amazing new authors that I've discovered, like Katie Bailey. She is a closed door, self-published romance author. I would highly recommend her books. They are fantastic, especially if you like Sarah Adams. She has that kind of flair, but maybe with like a little bit more humor, like it's her own kind of special form of humor. I really enjoy Katie Bailey. Um, and I'm trying to think of who else I've discovered that I haven't really gotten to talk about while I'm reading the shatter me series.

Kristen Bahls:

Oh, chelsea Curto Yep, face off. I'm definitely going to talk about in the future. Oh my gosh, that was so good, so good. So, anyway, if you haven't checked out Katie Bailey, if you haven't checked out Chelsea Curto, do it. Look them up. Um, chelsea is very open door and Katie is very closed door. So if you read open door, go to Chelsea. If you read closed door, go to Katie. And don't forget about Leah and Cindy and every book I mentioned in this episode as well, because all of their books are incredible mentioned in this episode as well, because all of their books are incredible. So that is my reading recap today.

Kristen Bahls:

That's it for today on when I Left Off a bookish podcast. I will be joining you for more reading recaps, hopefully kind of mix more in with the author interviews. I have some amazing, exciting, so fun interviews that I still can't believe that I got to do so. Stay tuned for all of that and don't forget if you want to see what I am reading in real time real real time then you can always follow me on Instagram at whereileftoffpod, and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review and all that other stuff. It really does help. Anyway, thank you for listening and I'll see you next time. Leave a review and all that other stuff. Um, it really does help. Anyway, thank you for listening and I'll see you next time.