Here are the books I read this past month that were not part of scheduled reviews.
The Prince & the Apocalypse (The Prince & the Apocalypse) by Kara McDowell
The Prince & the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell Series: The Prince & the Apocalypse #1
Published by Wednesday Books on July 11, 2023
Genres: YA romance, YA Science Fiction
Length: 10:16
Source: the library
Format: Audiobook
My Rating:
Goodreads
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An American teen stranded in London is forced to team up with the British crown prince if she wants to make it back home before the end of the world in this delightfully rompy high-stakes rom-com.Wren Wheeler has flown five thousand miles across the ocean to discover she’s the worst kind of traveler: the kind who just wants to go home. Her senior-year trip to London was supposed to be life-changing, but by the last day, Wren’s perfectly-planned itinerary is in tatters. There's only one item left to check off: breakfast at The World’s End restaurant. The one thing she can still get right.
The restaurant is closed for renovations—of course—but there's a boy there, too. A very cute boy with a posh British accent who looks remarkably like the errant Prince Theo, on the run from the palace and his controlling mother. When Wren helps him escape a pack of tourists, the Prince scribbles down his number and offers her one favor in return. She doesn’t plan to take him up on it—until she gets to the airport and sees cancelled flights and chaos. A comet is approaching Earth, and the world is ending in eight days. Suddenly, that favor could be her only chance to get home to her family before the end of the world.
Wren strikes a bargain with the runaway prince: if she’ll be his bodyguard from London to his family’s compound in Santorini, he can charter her a private jet home in time to say goodbye. Traveling through Europe by boat, train, and accidentally stolen automobile, Wren finds herself drawn to the dryly sarcastic, surprisingly vulnerable Theo. But the Prince has his own agenda, one that could derail both their plans. When life as they know it will be over in days, is it possible to find a happy ending?
My Review:
This was another read for the Gateway list for next school year. And it was another winner for me! I’d wanted to read it when it came out, but didn’t get around to it. So I got the audiobook from the library and listened, and wow, it was so good! I loved the whole journey that the two had to take. The way they got to know each other even with basically less than a week’s time. They both had so much to work out for themselves about their lives, even as it looks as if their lives are almost over. I loved the way it ended, and now I have to read the second book! Definitely another one I’ll be voting highly to have on the list next year.
Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross Series: Letters of Enchantment #1
Narrator: Rebecca Norfolk, Alex Wingfield
Published by Macmillan Audio on April 3, 2023
Genres: YA Romantasy
Length: 10:50
Source: the library
Format: Audiobook
My Rating:
Goodreads
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When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.
After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.
To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.
Shadow and Bone meets Lore in this epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.
My Review:
I’m finding since my stepdad passing away earlier this year that deaths of parents or family members hit differently. And of course we all know that most YA fantasy or sci-fi stories often include the dead parent aspect. So I had some tears with that. Of course without Iris’s mother passing away, she might not have left to become a war correspondent. The mythology part of the story was a little thin, it was more of the romance at times. And I guess I didn’t realize it wasn’t just a single book, that there was a sequel, until I got close to the end and saw the way it was going. Overall it was pretty good, I don’t know if I’ll go back and read/listen to the sequel, although I do want to know what happens to Roman after the end of this one, as well as her brother. The narrators were good for this one!
The Big Bang Theory: A Matter of Friendship written by Ivan Cohen and illustrated by Jen Taylor
The Big Bang Theory: A Matter of Friendship by Ivan Cohen, Jen Taylor Genres: Childrens Picture Book
Pages: 40
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
My Rating:
Goodreads
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Exploding with fan-favorite characters and jokes from The Big Bang Theory, this picture book is perfect for readers of all ages, including the hit TV show's biggest fans and the smallest science enthusiasts! Leonard, Sheldon, and their super smart friends are competing in the Siebert Science Fair! The first prize? An appearance on everyone’s favorite show, Professor Proton! Who will make their big debut? Will it be Howard and Raj for their rocket? Amy and Bernadette for their research on the human brain? Leonard for his laser? Or Sheldon for one of his four projects—maybe his comparison of soft kitty and warm kitty? When a scientific catastrophe disrupts the event and jeopardizes everyone’s chances at stardom, though, a solution comes from a new and different kind of friend.
My Review:
An adorable little story with all the characters. Obviously it took some liberties because they weren’t all friends or even in the same city/state/country as kids. And while Sheldon was definitely as condescending as his character was on the show, he might have been a little less rude, which is okay since it’s a kid’s book. But it was fun to read, and I am enjoying these cute little tv show picture books of my favorite shows.
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Nice reviews. I don’t read YA generally, but that first book does sound really good. Maybe for a challenge someday…
It was a good one! I’ve been reading some good ones for the Gateway books for next year so far.
The Prince and the Apocalypse sounds pretty good, I might have to check that one out. The premise sounds like an interesting one and I like the sound of them having to figure some things out about their lives.
It was fun! There is a sequel and I’m debating if I’ll listen to it, as I’m not sure if it was needed, although the end was pretty interesting.
These all look great. The Big Bang one is adorable and I’ve got the Rebecca Ross one on my TBR.
Hope you enjoy that one!
The Prince and the Apocalypse sounds so good! Thanks for sharing these reviews😁
It was cute, more contemporary than much with the actual science of the apocalypse though.