Lori

I picked this book up because I like the writing of the author but not quite the storytelling. I was hoping this book would be an improvement to the last story and there was some improvement. This book does better with introducing the characters and the fictional country the story takes place in. The pronouns are introduced and quickly explained more naturally than in the first book.

The story is just a little slow and not much happens. If I were to describe the story to someone else, I know I wouldn’t have much to say. The whole story is a bit tepid as there is not much pulling you in. The writing is good, but story could have used more work. It almost felt incomplete.

I can’t tell if I am going to try other books by this author since I have heard such good things about them.

I have no plans to start running so I might not be the best person to write a review on this book. I picked this up since I need a book about a run club for a reading challenge and this book looked interesting.

I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by the author and must say this man had me ready to run out the door. From what I understand this book has a good basic running guide. I liked that the author slowly guides us in what you need for running, how to run, and what to expect

interspersed with motivation and life lesson stories. It made for an easy introduction to running that didn’t feel overwhelming. You aren’t laden down with technical jargon and I was almost looking forward to getting out there despite not wanting to run.

The authors honesty with lessons learned really gives this book heart that I haven’t always felt with other guides. His motivational speaking is something I will take into other activities I am learning and working on.

This is worth a read even if you are not into running.

I have been looking for a cozy and magical series to read and I think I have found one to settle in. This is the first in a series as it sets up the main character to start building her magical knowledge and sadly introduces a love triangle. I am not the biggest fan of love triangles and I was not looking for romance in this series but we will see what happens.

The rest of the book was great. The cast of characters was interesting and diverse. The main mystery was good as it didn’t over explain the investigation or make huge jumps in conclusions. The magical baking and general magic is not at the forefront of this book and I hope there is more to come in the next books. I did enjoy the main character building up her new business and settling into life.

I am looking forward to the next book. Worth a look at for any one into cozy magical mysteries.

I watched the movie before reading this and it was a great companion to the book. Finally having read the book I must say it was worth the read. Even though I knew what would happen in the book, because of the film, the writing and stirring storytelling had me in tears by the end.

I will say that this book is written for adolescent kids. The wording and gentle way it brings up major topics is fit for a school room. I found that I liked the movie a little more as some of the descriptions were a little odd, more child like. With this in mind I did enjoy the story, and it was worth reading at least once.

I was disappointed with this book. I have already read the first two books in the series. This one felt different and slower. The romance between the characters had me trying to talk to the main character and tell her to move on. I just didn’t like the two of them together.

The main character spends too much energy thinking about her ex. The betrayal and reason for the divorce in the first place can’t be overcome in my view. I was hoping this book would end up with them getting over what happened, becoming better people and realizing they should move on with someone else. I am disappointed that they stayed together.

The quality of this book was lesser compared to the others in the series. It’s sad, as I had liked the other ones so much that I ordered them and even got this one on pre-order. The pacing is sluggish since you spend such a large amount of time listening to the character's inner turmoil. I also hated the number of times the MC described how hot the guy was. This is somewhat common throughout the other books as well, but in this one, it's just over the top. I get it; he’s attractive. Please stop!

The witchy vibe in this book are great and have built up nicely since the last book. It felt quite natural when brought up. Also I loved that the MC learned to stand up for herself and her business. Although I do wish we saw more of her standing up in business negotiations. We only get the one good scene.

There is a lot I like in this book, but the romance holds it back and given that it’s a romance book, that’s not great. It's not a completely bad romance, but it's also not as good as what I know this author can do.

I will say that I did see the show before reading this book. The show on its own is great. I had also heard bits and parts from my partner who had read this series before me and they highly talked up the books.

This book takes you right into the thick of the story and builds from there. The story picks up immediately and sets a fast pace followed throughout the book. I did find that it was sometimes too fast and there are some characters that I wanted to see more of. On the other hand, the quick pace was nice as we didn’t spend too much time on one scene or on the character backstories allowing the main story to flow. I do hope we learn more about the characters in the next book as they are very interesting.

The characters are written in a captivating way. Miller is my favourite. He has great lines throughout the book and is just a scene-stealer. The world-building can be a bit much at first but you get into it. Each of the factions/Societies (Earth/Mars/Belters) is unique. Reading the Belter speech can be a little odd but if you listen to the audiobook or have watched the show it's easier to get into the rhythm of it.

There is a good mix of action and politics. You don’t feel cheated on the fight scenes as you do with some books. They are descriptive, fast-paced, and well-thought-out. With the political side, once you have a grasp of the societies it becomes easier to pick up the build of what will

become a massive political battle. There are a lot of questions the book opens up but doesn’t finish but this only makes me want to get to the next book.

I can’t wait until my hold comes up for the next book.

I watched the film many times before reading this book and I wish I had read this earlier. I found the book to be better story wise compared to the film although the films visuals fit the story so well.

The book is not quite magical despite having magic in it. It felt more cozy and whimsical. The author made multiple storylines, each interesting on their own, and brilliantly combined them near the end. I often found myself smiling at how cute or funny the story is. I loved the main character. She went from someone passive to someone more commanding. She does make some mistakes along the way to becoming a stronger person but it’s nice to see a female character be more assertive.

This would be a great book for any kid to read. I enjoyed this so much.