My Weekly Pull [6]

My Weekly Pull is something I will hopefully be doing every Wednesday to show which comics I received for the week! Comic book stores will offer to pull specific comics for you until you're able to pick them up. It's keeps you from missing out on the issues you want!

I've done this post a few times (obviously since this is the sixth post, lol), and I really want it to be something that sticks. If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! Leave a link in the comments if you decide to do your own post. I would love to stop by and check it out!

All-New Wolverine #30 by Tom Taylor, Juan Cabal, Dan Mora

Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows #15 by Jody Houser, Nick Roche, Ryan Stegman

Despicable Deadpool #293 by Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, Mike Hawthorne

Falcon #4 by Rodney Barnes, Joshua Cassara, Jay Anacleto

Incredible Hulk #712 by Greg Pak, Greg Land

Invincible Iron Man #596 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stefano Caselli, Mike Deodato

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #27 by Brandon Montclare, Natacha Bustos

Moon Knight #191 by Max Bemis, Jacen Burrows

Phoenix Resurrection Return of Jean Grey #5 (of 5) by Matthew Rosenberg, Khoi Pham, Leinil Francis Yu

Tales of Suspense #101 by Matthew Rosenberg, Travel Foreman, Andrea Sorrentino

I am incredibly pumped for All-New Wolverine! It looks like Daken is finally fighting will all of his appendages again, so yay. The cover for Despicable Deadpool...it looks like Rogue is going to smash him with a rock. I'm sure he deserves it, right? Falcon is in a hot mess. 

I'm not sure why there are so many Iron Man suits attacking Riri on the Invincible Iron Man cover, but it looks intense. I really like the Moon Knight cover! It's a comic I started reading with Jacob, but the dude is DARK. He has different personalities in his head, and not all of them are nice and want to keep people alive. I decided to stop reading it after two issues, but Jacob still enjoys it. He tries to get me to read it, but ugh. I don't like over-the-top death and destruction. 

It's my last Phoenix Resurrection! I can't wait to see how they wrap everything up!

Do you read comics? Would you like to start? Find a comic store in your area and look around. It doesn't have to be a big commitment. You can walk in, find something you like, and walk out for less than five dollars. You'll never know unless you try!

Deadly Sweet (The Spellwork Syndicate, #1) by Lola Dodge

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spellbooks in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Too bad no one wants witchcraft on their campus. Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with rejection letter after rejection letter.

Desperate to escape her dead-end future, Anise contacts the long-lost relative she’s not supposed to know about. Great Aunt Agatha owns the only magic bakery in the US, and she suddenly needs a new apprentice. Anise is so excited she books it to New Mexico without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl.

The Spellwork Syndicate rules the local witches in Taos, but as “accidents” turn into full-out attacks on Anise’s life, their promises to keep her safe are less and less reassuring. Her cranky bodyguard is doing his best, but it’s hard to fight back when she has no idea who’s the enemy. Or why she became their target.

If Anise can’t find and stop whoever wants her dead, she’ll be more toasted than a crème brûlée.

Who knew baking cakes could be so life or death? 

𑁋

I received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I really liked the premise for Deadly Sweet, but the story felt hollow. The synopsis makes it seem like Anise has this incredibly rare gift, but the book doesn't elaborate on that at all. She can bake spells into food, so that's cool, but why is that an uncommon power? Why is it so unusual in a town full of magical people?

The blurb is also misleading. She "books it to New Mexico," but it's not solely because she's excited about being an apprentice. Also, the reasons behind her leaving town are never resolved, and it isn't an issue that can be overlooked. Did her mother meddle with minds... I have no idea what happened there. Additionally, she left "without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl," but she didn't even know there was another girl to ask about!

Do not get me started on her "bodyguard," or whatever the hell he is. He has a contract with her, or Agatha, maybe the Syndicate... I'm not sure. It's obvious he doesn't want to be there, and his gruff attitude gets pretty old. The author doesn't even drop hints about him and where he came from, or why he's determined to protect Anise with his life. Everything felt unfinished. I know this was the first book in a series, but all of the characters were very blah. There wasn't anything special that made them stand out.

I am aware this was an advanced copy, but it was difficult to read through at times. There were a few paragraphs I had to skip over because I wasn't sure what the author was trying to say. Major plot holes, too. Characters would start off one way and then be something else by the end, or we would see someone for a few chapters and then poof.

The story had some compelling aspects, and I really liked the overall concept, but a lot of the magic didn't make sense. I wanted to know more about the vortex in Taos and all of the individual characters, but I felt like I was reading an outline--a lot of potential and very little detail.

White Hot & Wildfire (Hidden Legacy, #2-3) by Ilona AndrewsNarrated by Renee Raudman

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.” But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice … 

“Grandma pointed her fork at me. “Just watch. Fate will throw you two together. One day you’ll just run right into him and boom! True love.” 

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Just when Nevada Baylor has finally come to accept the depths of her magical powers, she also realizes she’s fallen in love. Connor “Mad” Rogan is in many ways her equal when it comes to magic, but she’s completely out of her elements when it comes to her feelings for him. To make matters more complicated, an old flame comes back into Rogan’s life…

Rogan knows there’s nothing between him and his ex-fiance, Rynda Sherwood. But as Nevada begins to learn more about her past, her power, and her potential future, he knows she will be faced with choices she never dreamed of and the promise of a life spent without him.

As Nevada and Rogan race to discover the whereabouts of Rynda’s kidnapped husband and are forced to confront Nevada’s grandmother, who may or may not have evil motives, these two people must decide if they can trust in each other or allow everything to go up in smoke. 

“When we were at the lodge, and you were dancing in the snow, I kept wondering why the snow wasn’t melting. You’re like spring. My spring.” 

This review is going to be for White Hot and Wildfire. I devoured these books (barely sleeping), and I'm not sure where one ended and the other began.

Words cannot express how much I love this series! It's seriously one of my all-time favorites. They are books that I will read again and again until I'm old and gray, and even then their audiobooks will be played at an insanely loud volume to compensate for my nearly nonexistent hearing.

I love the relationship Nevada and Conner have. He wants to protect her and keep her safe, but he isn't macho about it. He wants Nevada to be her own person and make choices without his influence. He knows that she is capable of defending herself (even if he wants to murder all of her enemies), so he doesn't try to keep her away from danger. He sees her as an equal, and I absolutely love that. They are repeatedly there for each other, and I adored the progression of their relationship. It was perfect.

The family dynamics in this series are incredible. I love the Baylor family and its many members. Grandma Frida is hilarious, and you know you'll laugh when she's around. There is a small age gap between some of the members, and I think the authors did a wonderful job highlighting those differences. Teenagers are angsty and emotional. They're also prone to rash decisions and heightened feelings. Nevada is always concerned about what is best for them, but really they are all devoted to each other. They fight like family, but their love for each other is always there.

The villains are even superbly written. I don't think I had an issue with any character (except morally), because they were all detailed and driven. There was a reason behind everything, even if we don't know what those reasons are.

The magical aspect is phenomenal. It's new and refreshing, but also detailed and descriptive. I'm not confused by how it works, and you can tell the authors put a lot of work into the why and how of it all.

Bonus: I never knew what was going to happen! If the characters were surprised, so was I. I didn't know anything before they did, and I wasn't able to guess things before they happened.

Magic, steamy romance, action, family, monsters, pacifist bears--this series has it all and more! If you haven't read the first book, Burn for Me, stop reading this right now and go find it! 

My Weekly Pull [5]

It's still Wednesday, which means I remembered to do it on the right day! I just did not have time to type this up before now. I still count this as a win.

The Black Panther cover is one of my favorites so far! I love how Old School it looks. The Legion cover is creepy. J said that Legion is supposed to be the son of Xavier (X-Men), and my first question was, "Who is his mom?" He looks crazed and I think he's supposed to be. He has a mind like his father, but his somehow splits into multiple personalities.

The Marvel Two-in-One is Thing and The Human Torch. The first issue was interesting! It answered a few questions I had from reading other comics (about the Fantastic family), but I'm starting to feel like I see Dr. Doom EVERYWHERE. The guy gets around. The X-Men Blue Annual is VENOMIZED, so obviously we chose that cover. It also starts the Poison X crossover!

Amazing Spider-Man #794

Black Panther #169

Legion #1

Marvel Two-In-One #2

Phoenix Resurrection #4

X-Men Blue Annual #1 

Stacking the Shelves [4]

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. This meme is for sharing all the books you’ve added to your shelves throughout the week.

I had a pretty good book week this week (and last), so I'm going to combine the two! 

Giveaways:

Here So Far Away by Hadley Dyer

I usually enter a Goodreads giveaway on a whim, so I was shocked and thrilled when I got an email saying I had won a copy of this book! I never win things! Yay! I also cannot wait to read this--it looks amazing! 😍

NetGalley:

Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Library:

 Deep (Stage Dive #4) by Kylie Scott

Renegades (Renegades #1) by Marissa Meyer

Other:

 HeartShip (Full Hearts #1) & HeartOn (Full Hearts #2) by Amy Jo Cousins

I'm so excited about all of these books! I'm going to read them all this week--😅 Haha! Maybe not all of them, but definitely a few! Have you read any of these? Let me know what you thought!

Mini Reviews [1] The Hating Game & The Baller

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne,
Katie Schorr (Narrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Nemesis (n.)
1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;
2) A person’s undoing;
3) Joshua Templeman.

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game. 

“I want to know what’s going on in your brain. I want to juice your head like a lemon.”

I didn't love The Hating Game. Lucy and Joshua really frustrated me as characters, and I didn't understand their reasons for the games they played. If you hate a coworker with every fiber of your being, it makes more sense to remain professional and pretend they don't exist. 

It was clear that their games were thinly veiled flirtations, but neither of them admitted their feelings, and the progression of their relationship was painful. It also didn't feel realistic to me. Lucy had the potential to be a quirky-cute character, but a lot of her actions and conversations were childish. 

I didn't mind listening to this in the background, but I wasn't too worried if I missed something. I'm sorry if you recommended this to me! I know it's disappointing when a friend doesn't like a book as much as you did.

♡

The Baller by Vi Keeland,
Mackenzie Cartwright (Narrator),
Sean Crisden (Narrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads):
The first time I met Brody Easton was in the men's locker room.
It was my first interview as a professional sportscaster.
The famed quarterback decided to bare all.
And by all, I don't mean he told me any of his secrets.
No. The arrogant ass decided to drop his towel, just as I asked the first question. On camera.
The Super Bowl MVP quickly adopted a new hobby--screwing with me.
When I pushed back, he shifted from wanting to screw with me, to wanting to screw me.
But I don't date players.
And it's not because I'm one of the few women working in the world of professional football.
I'd date an athlete.
It's the other kind of player I don't date.

You know the type. Good looking, strong, cocky, always looking to get laid.

Brody Easton was the ultimate player.

Every woman wanted to be the one to change him.

But the truth was, all he needed was a girl worth changing for.

Turned out, I was that girl.

Simple right? Let's face it. It never is.

There's a story between once upon a time and happily ever after...

And this one is ours.  

“They say blood is thicker than water, but that doesn’t mean shit. Everyone needs water to live.”

The Baller is my first book by Vi Keeland. It was a fun story that provided a nice break from what I routinely read. The language was occasionally too much, but it wasn't unbearable. (I'm not against swearing, but it seemed to be the bulk of Brody's vocabulary.)

I liked their story well enough, especially the ending (adorable!), and thought Brody's relationship with his ex-girlfriend's ailing grandmother was sweet. It allowed us to see a different side of him. However, the addition of Brody's ex-girlfriend was odd at times and didn't always flow with the rest of the story. She wasn't there, then she was, but then she had her own perspective for a few chapters...

If you're looking for something short and entertaining to read, this might be worth looking into! It was enjoyable, but not very memorable. 

My Weekly Pull [4]

I have been absolutely awful about doing this each week! I really want this to be a reoccurring post, so I need to get my shit together and start scheduling them in advance. Once I'm holding the comics, I have no desire to write a post about them. I want to sit down and read every single one. In my defense... I've waited a month to continue a story, and waiting another day is unnecessary torture.

This week:

All-New Wolverine #29

Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man #299

Amazing Spider-Man Venom Inc Omega

Last week:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #78

Daredevil #597

Despicable Deadpool #292

Gwenpool #24

Old Man Hawkeye #1

Phoenix Resurrection #3 (of 5)

The Punisher #220 

Spider-Man Deadpool #26

Venom #160

All-New Wolverine is wonderfully intense! I love all of the characters and their story. Honey Badger is my new Spirit Animal. Gwenpool is ending (which I'm super bummed about). It's also weird because Gwenpool knows she's in a comic, so she also knows that her comic is about to end. I'm curious to see how they wrap up her story. Phoenix Resurrection is fabulous! If you want something short, it will only have 5 issues (but I definitely want more). I'm excited to read Old Man Hawkeye! The Hawkeyes are quickly becoming my favorite Marvel characters. All-New Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) is also ending. 😭 I'm just happy Kelly Thompson is also writing Rogue & Gambit!

I haven't gotten into The Punisher yet. It's one my husband gets solo at the moment. I plan on reading it in the future, though. He says it's good, and I can usually trust his opinion. Books? No. Comics? Mostly.