Sophie Reads YA: Hodder

ARC Review: Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno

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Heavy Hitter
Series: None
Author: Katie Cotugno
Published August 20th 2024 by Harper Perennial/Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads Synopsis
The beloved New York Times bestselling author of Birds of California hits it out of the park with this smart, sexy, thrilling take on the celebrity-athlete story—a funny, sizzling, ripped-from-the-headlines romance between an international pop star and a major league baseball player who thought his best days were behind him.

Taylor and Travis. Jennifer and A-Rod. Marilyn and Joe. When a professional athlete and a megawatt star fall in love, the world is obsessed . . .

With four chart-topping albums, Lacey Logan is a superstar whose life no longer feels like her own. Her every move is photographed, videoed, and dissected online, and her carefully curated Instagram feed studied by fans worldwide. To maintain her privacy, Lacey skillfully controls her narrative, showing fans and paparazzi what she wants them to see.

But when Lacey discovers her boyfriend is hiding two devastating secrets—a bad cocaine habit and a pregnant girlfriend—she begins to lose confidence and control of her own story. Then big-shouldered baseball player Jimmy Hodges, a former Rookie of the Year when Lacey was in high school, walks into the bar where she’s venting to a friend. With his shaggy beard and unfashionable button-down, Jimmy is the opposite of the picture-perfect guy Lacey thinks she wants. Soon, sparks fly and inhibitions go out the window when Lacey dares to take some chances.

Lacey and Jimmy are polar opposites. But could this be the forever after they both need?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

World famous superstar Lacey Logan has a life which is no longer her own. With four chart topping albums under her belt, and a worldwide tour about to start, all she wants is some time for herself. But then her boyfriend cheats on her, and her confidence is rocked. Lacey needs something for herself, so when baseball player Jimmy Hodges walks into the bar she's in, she decides to go for it. Lacey and Jimmy could not be any more different, but somehow it works. However, with fans like they have, will they be able to keep their fling a secret, or will they have to face their feelings in the public eye?

I'm not a full on Swiftie, but when I saw this book and the synopsis, I knew it would be somewhat based on Taylor and Travis' relationship. And though it is, it's also different enough that it felt right for the characters. Lacey has had her life controlled down to the minute since her first album took off, and she can barely think for herself. With an alcoholic mother who only comes into her life wanting money or gifts, and managers and assistants always hounding her, she is about to break. And it's not helped when she discovered her boyfriend - who's perfect on paper for her - has a Coke habit, and a pregnant mistress. Jimmy walks into her life just when she needs him, though he is the polar opposite of everything she ever expected she wanted. Their romance was not easy. Both are famous, though her fans are in a whole other league, and could put the FBI to shame with their investigation skills. While they were still just getting to know each other, they wanted to keep everything quiet, but it all became too much. I loved that the book didn't try to sugarcoat how hard it was for Lacey and Jimmy to have a proper relationship, and they really fought to be together. Such a great book!

Dates Read:
August 23, 2024

Rating
4 Stars

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Never a Hero (Monsters #2) by Vanessa Len

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Never a Hero
Series: Monsters #2
Author: Vanessa Len
Published August 29th 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads Synopsis
This sequel to the contemporary fantasy Only a Monster will take Joan deeper into the monster world, where treacherous secrets and even more danger await.

Despite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. She reset the timeline, saved her family – and destroyed the hero, Nick.

But her success has come at a terrible cost.

She alone remembers what happened. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend – and maybe more – is an enemy, trying to kill her. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn’t even know her name. Only Joan remembers that there is a ruthless and dangerous enemy still out there.

When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world as a fugitive, she finds herself on the run with Nick – as Aaron closes in.

As the danger rises – and Nick gets perilously closer to discovering the truth of what Joan did to him – Joan discovers a secret of her own. One that threatens everyone she loves.

Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself.

Vanessa Len’s stunning Only a Monster trilogy continues with this second instalment, a thrilling journey where a secret past threatens to unravel everyone's future.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After stopping Nick from killing all of the monsters, and destroying the world, Joan managed to reset the timeline, and she alone can remember just what happened. But, it seems that her actions had bigger consequences than anyone could ever expect. Re-meeting Nick, who doesn't remember who she is, and who has his family again, is bittersweet, but when they are attacked by monsters who want to kill them, all in the name of the mysterious villain, Joan needs to trust that he won't betray her. And Joan also needs to learn just who she can trust, and why she is so pivotal in the rips in the timeline.

I loved the first book, and as soon as I saw that Never a Hero was available on NetGalley, I jumped to download it. Because of how Joan had changed the timeline at the end of Only a Monster, I knew that there would have to be consequences, but the amount of things that occurred because of her actions were unreal. I loved seeing her growth across the book, and she was no longer the naive teen we met in book 1. Whenever it seemed as if all was lost, she and the gang managed to escape. I will say that one thing I disliked was how little Aaron was in this book. I'm definitely on Team Aaron (if that's even a thing), and it was disappointing that he didn't have as big a part as he had in book 1. I still have apprehensions about Joan and Nick's relationship, though they are 'soulmates'. I did think that learning more about the true timeline, and why these two were seen to be soulmates did explain part of it, but I still have questions. The final chapters of this book were phenomenal, and I'm dying for book 3! I don't know how Vanessa has managed to weave such a magical story, but I'm in awe of her work.

Dates Read:
July 24-26, 2023

Rating
4 Stars

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Painted Devils (Little Thieves #2) by Margaret Owen

10:00

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Stardust in Their Veins (Castles in Their Bones #2) by Laura Sebastian

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Stardust in Their Veins
Series: Castles in Their Bones #2
Author: Laura Sebastian
Published February 7th 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton/Delacorte Press

Goodreads Synopsis
Princesses Beatriz and Daphne have lost their older sister, but their mother's grand scheme of taking the continent of Vesteria is far from complete. With the country of Temarin now under the Empress's control, only the nations of Cellaria and Friv remain free from her rule. What's worse, an ominous prophecy has begun to shine through the constellations: the blood of stars and majesty spilled.

Usurped by conniving cousins Nico and Gigi, Beatriz fears for her life, while in icy Friv, Daphne continues her shaky alliance with the rebels even as she struggles to stay a step ahead of them. But when an unlikely ally offers Beatriz a deal, she finds herself back in her mother's sights.

With enemies around every corner and the stars whispering of betrayal, Daphne and Beatriz can't trust anyone--least of all each other. If they've learned anything, though, it's that the Empress's game is constantly changing. And the arrival of surprise visitors from Temarin just might tip the scales in the princesses' favor... if they manage to avoid meeting their sister's fate before they can make their next move.

Immerse yourself in the second book in a fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Ash Pricess series. The sequel to Castles in Their Bones is the story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

After their sister Sophronia is killed in a coup, Daphne and Beatriz know that they are in danger, and need all the help they can get. Beatriz is lucky to have been only imprisoned by the coup that has taken her throne, and Daphne is dodging attempts on her life at every turn. They don't know who they can trust, and it seems their mother's plots might put them in more danger than they expected. If they can get together, and if they can overcome their past distrust, they might be able to use their star magic to succeed, but the odds are stacked against them.

After the cataclysmic ending to Castles in their Bones, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Stardust in their Veins! Sophy had been my favourite of the sisters, and I was gutted that she was murdered, but thankfully her deaths sparked the drive in her sisters to fight against their mother, and the plots against them. This was a hefty book, and so much happened. We had three PoVs, Beatriz, Daphne, and Violie, and each other's individual stories were epic, but when they had moments together, it was fantastic! I didn't really like Violie or Daphne that much in book 1, but we learn so much more about them in this book, and it makes more sense why they acted that way previously. There's so much growth in this book, both in the three main characters, but also in the secondary characters like Bairre, Pasquale and Leopold. The romance is ramping up too, and though some of the characters make bad choices at times, I can see how their actions will help them in the future. Yet again there's a fiery ending, and book 3 can't come soon enough! My favourite of Laura's books, and I think I'd honestly read anything of hers!!

Dates Read:
April 22-29, 2023

Rating
4 Stars

2022 Beat the Backlist challenge

ARC Review: Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

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2022 New Release challenge

Review: The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber