Another Yes for Yarros

March 27, 2025 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Don’t you love a little alliteration? It’s my favorite. I read Great and Precious Things by speed writing romance icon, Rebecca Yarros. This woman has such an extensive backlist that I can’t even begin to dream of what her process might be. She mentioned in an interview earlier this year that we won’t even be seeing the fourth book in the Empyrean series next year because Onyx Storm “nearly killed her”.

Creative work can be intense and grueling. It can amount to hours spent at a desk with an aching back and a marathon going on inside of your brain. I’ve been working on my book of short stories that I hope to put out in the next 3 months or so, and have been bartering with the Gods of money in the hopes that they will help me win ANY of the writing contests that I’m entering.

Anyways, back to the book.

What It’s About

Ex-marine Camden Daniels returns to his small, stifling hometown in Colorado. He’s essentially the village leper, not only because of the havoc he used to wreak in his turbulent childhood, but because he committed the ultimate sin: He didn’t bring the Golden Son (his brother, Sullivan or Sully) back from overseas.

His little brother followed him into the service and returned home in a wooden box.

Camden’s neighbors and even his own father hold him responsible for Sullivan’s death.

Everyone except Willow Bradley: Sullivan’s ex-girlfriend and Camden’s lifelong love. While Camden would do anything to not have to deal with the unmasked hatred of the folks of Alba, Colorado, he’s been summoned home by an urgent phone call from his father. His father has early onset Alzheimer’s, and he begs Camden to return after years of silence so that his son can help him secure a DNR.

Camden’s mission is met with pushback from his older brother, Xander (who also happens to be the mayor). The two brothers prepare to battle it out in court, and the only person who’s willing to help Camden is Willow.

Willow has certain feelings for Camden that tangle with her grief over her first love. That doesn’t last long, however, as the two bend a knee to the bond that has held the two of them together since they were kids. Confusion, heat, and a bold love story ensue.

Dope Shit About This Book

So, here’s what I personally liked about this book, and what kept me coming back. Me staying dedicated to one book for days at a time is a big deal because I tend to read about 8 books at once, and I have an absurd number of books checked out from my library.

A female protagonist who is not afraid to want boldly. Willow doesn’t heed the hatred that palpates Camden’s presence in Alba. She is not afraid to let him know that Sully wasn’t the only man that she’s ever loved, and she takes step after faithful step back into Cam’s life, hoping that he’ll want her back.
An emphasis on the relationships between our parents and their expectations for us. Great and Precious Things is a cute love story for sure, complete with teasing nicknames similar to Xaden and Violet in Yarros’ Fourth Wing series. Both Willow and Camden have to untangle themselves from their parents’ perceptions of them. Camden wants his father to really see him and not his youngest son’s wild killer. Willow needs to stand in her truth in front of her judge father (he’s a judge in this town) and proclaim that she will not isolate Cam, that she will not don the mourning veil in Sullivan’s honor for the rest of her life.
Melty, melt, melt, romance. Camden is an undeniably likeable and well-rounded male lead. He is sensitive, protective, and a total hero. He is a tortured hero in a sense because he will never give himself credit for the good things that he has done.

Now, Go Get It

You know what I say- I always end these things telling folks to go to their local libraries. You can do that, or you can read it on Kindle Unlimited with a subscription. But I will say libraries are under attack in the US, and there’s no way of telling where things will end up in the next few years. Go to your library, get a card, and make your friends and family members get cards. Libraries need your support now more than ever.

What’s Next?

Let me know if I can take the book bullet for you and read a book you’re unsure about before you do. If the book is bad, I will have suffered so that you don’t. If the book is great, you’ll see it on this blog!

Also, comment and tell me what you guys are reading! Have you already read Great and Precious Things? Did you like it?

I’ll be posting again soon, probably about a romantasy I’m reading right now. In the meantime, stay weird and happy reading.

Alicia

Sager Slam Dunk

November 1, 2024 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello, readers! I just missed being able to post this one on Halloween, but such is the way when you have seasonaI depression.

If there’s one thing you’ve gleaned about me from this blog, it’s that I am a Sager fangirl. I’m willing to give just about any of his books a try. This book doesn’t dither or dally, and it jumps straight into the action.

I listened to this one and read a physical copy and I was glued to the edge of my seat. There were times when I was just sitting there listening to the story while not doing anything else to keep my hands busy.

This is another Sager book that begs the question, “Is it a ghost story or a thriller?” And honestly? I’ll let you figure that out. Sager has done the ‘haunted house’ trope before and in this one he took another shot at it and it was a slam dunk.

The book is a solid 4/5. First of all, it’s about Ethan, a 40 year old man who has recently moved back home, where a tragedy occurred 30 years ago.

When Ethan was 10 years old, he and his friend Billy camped out in his backyard. When Ethan woke up the next morning, Billy was gone. Ethan’s parents and the entire neighborhood searched for him, but their efforts were in vain.

Billy was never recovered.

Survivor’s guilt and anxiety have plagued Ethan for years. When he moves back into his childhood home after his parents have decided to move to Florida, he’s reminded of that one summer night on a near-constant basis.

Old friends reconnect with him as the secrets of his old culdesac reveal themselves. In true Sager fashion, you won’t see (or at least I hope you won’t see) the twist(s) coming.

You can snag this one on Amazon here. Or, if you feel that Amazon has enough money (they do), then you can visit your local library, chat with a librarian, and borrow a copy of Sager’s latest.

I look forward to checking in after my next read, and if there’s something you think I should review, either comment or email me at alicia@ajcreads.com.

Also!

If you have recently published a cool book on Kindle Unlimited, I’d love to read it! And I also might review it! So, hit me up, fellow indie writers.

Till next time.

Alicia

Rip My Heart Out, Why Don’t You

April 28, 2024May 18, 2024 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello, and welcome back to ajcreads! I’m back a week after my last post (it’s my intention to post more) and I’ve been busy devouring Say I’m The One by Siobhan Davis. I hadn’t heard of Davis before this week, but when I was prowling Audible for a good listen, I found this in my feed.

I listened to this book and read it on Kindle Unlimited, and I was hooked. Not a single shower was taken without this book playing on top of the toilet.

I’ll get right into it.

Say I’m The One is a searing hot romance with an unexpected twist. It is not for the faint of heart, and it’s not an ooey gooey read, although I do like my ooey gooey romances. Davis does a spectacular job of dropping you right into the mind and body of Vivien Mills, the daughter of two Hollywood actors. Vivien prefers to stay out of the spotlight, but when her childhood best friend turned boyfriend, Reeve Lancaster, breaks out onto the scene as a fresh face in Hollywood, she is thrust onto the world’s stage as Reeve’s clingy highschool girlfriend that won’t let him go and be great without her.

It makes matters worse that Reeve seems to be changing. He’s not the same sweet boy that Vivien has come to worship. He’s angry and defensive and nothing like himself as Hollywood sinks its claws further into him.

Their love is tested when Reeve snags the starring role in the Rydeville Elite series, where he we’ll be working up close and personal with Saffron Roberts (a literal psychopath) who is hell-bent on claiming Reeve for herself and breaking up his relationship with Vivien.

This book will give you a whirlwind of emotions that you leave you cheering for, and screaming at Viv as she navigates the new obstacles in her relationship. Davis does an incredible job of always launching straight into the action, giving us the good stuff right away.

The second half of the book left me feeling like I was reading a telenovela instead of a romance novel. The next part of the story is when we are introduced to Vivien’s new, and dangerous love interest.

Irish singer Dillon O’ Donoguhue is nothing like the soft-hearted man she’s used to. Dillon is fiery, his love is passionate and hot. Vivien experiences a wholly different kind of love with him, and the question she’s left asking is: Is Dillon’s love enough to finally give up on Reeve?

There is an incredible twist at the end of the book, so hold on tightly because I in no way saw it coming. This searing hot novel is the first in a duet. I’m going to start reading the second book as soon as I finish typing this.

What can I say other than: (squeal) Read the book!!

You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited if you have a subscription. When I snagged the audiobook, I got it from Audible for about $7.

Let me know if you read this book or have read it before in the comments. Love triangles bring me back to my high school years when the pressing question was Team Edward or Team Jacob? (I’ll never tell.) With Team Reeve or Team Dillon at the forefront of your mind while reading this, you will be hooked down to the very last word.

Keep it weird until next time~