Book Notes: June 23, 2021

 Welcome back for another couple of book reviews. I've been reading a ton of romance novels lately. Maybe you're getting tired of them. So in today's selection, I've got a fantasy fairy-tale retelling for you which I found super enjoyable. I'm also going to share a romance novel review because, like I said, I've been reading those almost exclusively. I'm tired and they're usually easy to read so they're my go-tos. 

Book Review: Of Beast and Beauty (Daughters of Eville, #1) by Chanda Hahn

Of Beast and Beauty by Chanda Hahn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An Excellent Fairytale Retelling

This was an excellent fairytale retelling with lots of unexpected things going on. I loved the pace of the plot. The characters and settings were well crafted. I was able to really immerse myself into the tale. It's also a clean story...no graphic language or bedroom scenes. There is a fair amount of blood and death, so if that bothers you, you might want to choose a different story. But you'll be missing out on a great story, for certain.

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Oi! That's a short review and probably didn't do the book much justice. I enjoyed this book enough to download a sample of the next one in the series. I was skeptical at first, thinking these would be darker with villains being hailed as some sort of anti-hero, which just isn't my kinda thing at all. I'm happy to say, it started dark, but there was some light at the end of the story. The only thing that could've made these better for me would mean they'd have to be written from a Christian perspective and the magic element would have to be tackled in a different way. But this book was a good first in a series, enough so that I'm really wondering what happens in the other stories. 

Book Review: Saltwater Cowboy (Saltwater Cowboys #1) by Christy Barritt

Saltwater Cowboy by Christy Barritt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Good Story

This was a good story - a sweet romance with characters who faced obstacles bravely and kept moving forward. It was clean and leaned toward inspirational with the MCs praying a few times and a few mentions of faith.

While the plot was fairly solid, I felt like there could've been a bit more tension. The woman's life was in danger but I didn't sit on the edge of my seat worrying about it. That's the best explanation I can give for how that seemed to me.

Overall, though, it's a good, cozy story that's easy to read, clean, and inspirational. If that's your jam, give this one a try!

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 Thanks so much for checking out my post today. If you've read these, or if you plan to do so, I'd love to hear what you think. Please feel free to leave your comments about your thoughts on either or both of these books below. 

Until next time!