Thought Train to Pusan

As I continue my journey with audiobooks (a new development for me over the past couple of months), my enjoyment of them has varied considerably depending on the narrator. In this case, it was a mixed bag: for the most part it was good but as the reading went on it’s as if more quirky inflections and voices were being out on to differentiate characters and moods, and honestly I’m learning that I hate the addition of silly voices to distinguish the characters. I can follow fine without it! Or even if it’s just a slight difference in speech, but without all the added flourish which I have heard coming from a number of readers at this point. In any case, let’s not get too tied up in my personal preferences of reading vs listening: Spellbound (the first of the Magic in Manhattan series by Allie Therin) introduces us to Rory Brodigan, a young man with the magical ability to scry the past life of an object, working in an antiques shop as an appraiser in New York in 1925. This work c...

I’m not the first Cannonballer to review this one, and I’m sure I won’t be the last. And truly, this book was exactly what I wanted. It’s fun, smart, and sweet. Is it all that realistic? In some ways, absolutely, and in others no. But do you really think I picked something like this up for the realism? No! It’s about how I thought it would make me feel, and I was right! The tone of the book suggests a happy ending, and you’re dang right you get it! The premise of Red, White & Royal Blue is simple enough: Alex, first-son of the (female!) president of the United States has a beef with Henry, the Prince of England. After an altercation between the two is caught on camera, the two governments decide to create a PR spin about the two spending time together and being close friends. And once they actually do start spending time together, well… their relationship may suddenly become a sticking-point in the image of the royal family, and in Alex’s mom’s bid for re-e...

Apparently this book is a little divisive among my circle of friends: some loved it, some really didn’t. And unfortunately I am falling on the side of it not really being for me. Which is not to say I don’t love epic romances ( The Song of Achilles is one of my absolute favourite books, after all!), but the story here wasn’t selling me beyond the initial concept. It’s a shame really, I found the premise to be so intriguing, but the overall experience quite lackluster overall. The Gargoyle is told from the point of view of a nameless protagonist, who is involved in a car accident that leaves him severely burned on the majority of his body. This opening hook immediately drew me in and then left me cringing as the experience and recovery was written in intense detail. As our protagonist recovers, however, and in the midst of wanting to end his own life, he meets a woman from the psych ward of the hospital named Marianne, who tells him that they know each other an...

3.5 stars out of 5! Round 3 of my adventures in hockey romance this year, and Him has definitely been the best one so far! Am I going to read the sequel for it, titled Us ? Mmm, I'm not so sure yet. But potentially. Him is a m/m romance between two long-time hockey bros, Jamie and Wes, who became fast friends over the years, spending their summers at hockey camp together, until after an awkward interaction things suddenly went cold between them. A few years later back at camp though, with one of the boys out and gay, and the other questioning, they find themselves drawn together in ways they never thought they would be. The basic premise here is a story that I've read/watched a few times before, just in different circumstances (and usually in LGBT+ media, in fact). It's that of the good friends, one of whom develops feelings but doesn't think the other feels the same way, only to end up with them separating to meet again later and need to confront the dynamic once...

After being disappointed by the   hockey-themed romance Slammed by Victoria Denault, fellow Cannonballer, Emmalita, had some recommendations for me to check out! And this novel Game Play (first in a series called “Power Play” by Lynda Aicher) was definitely an improvement, and I liked the relationship in this one a lot more. But I was still very frustrated by a lot of aspects: the lack of communicating their feelings clearly and talking about things! Is this a common romance trope? Just talk to one another! (I say this as I am the worst for hiding how I’m feeling at times…) The setup for Game Play is a little meet-cute banter between Dylan Rylie, a defenseman looking to get an extended contract on a local NHL team as his career begins, and Sam Yates, a star player on the US women’s hockey team who is finding her hockey career coming to an end. The two have some great banter and competition between one another, and I totally love that dynamic. After what ...