Shannon O'Connor's Blog, page 10

Letters to Jupiter

Letters to Jupiter by Lotte Jean

5/5 Stars

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this collection of poetry. It was raw and thought provoking, making me stop and pause to consider the deeper meaning of many poems. Some of my favorites were ‘Boundary Breaker’, ‘Time Bomb’, ‘Singularity’, ‘Sweet’, and ‘Forget’. These poems were powerful and left me aching; “why did i exist to leave nothing but a bruise on society”. Several lines of poetry stood out to me personally but every page was filled with beautiful and unique poetry. This collection kept me captive until the very end, leaving me to devour it in one sitting.

14 Indie Novels for Valentine’s Day

My 14 favorite Indie romance novels/novellas that would be great Valentine’s Day gifts to a loved one (or yourself). In case you missed it, I recently released a collection of romantic & self love poems that would be perfect as well. You can grab a copy of All of Me in my shop or on Amazon.

Poems for the Dawn

Poems for the Dawn by J. R. Rogue

This collection of poetry was beautifully soft. Rogue is one of my favorite poets and this collection might be my new favorite. Lines like; “look for me in the pages of my favorite books” and “your mark is still here on my heart inked on my sleeve” are some of my favorites. She delivers a heartfelt collection that leaves you wanting to hold your loved ones close.

Deceitful

Deceitful by V.K. Ellis (Victoria Ellis)

5/5 Stars

OH MY GOD. What the hell did I just read? I’m seriously going to need a moment to collect my thoughts because wow. I honestly consumed this book because it was that good. I couldn’t put it down if I tried. A story that keeps you on your toes until the very end with a jaw dropping ending. This book has you questioning everything. I thought I was going crazy reading it. I tried the entire time reading it to figure it out and I wasn’t even close. This book keeps you guessing and you can’t put it down until you figure out the truth. Easily one of my favorites of 2021.

A Psalm for Us

A Psalm for Us by Reyna Biddy

2/5 Stars

Overall, I was disappointed in this book. I loved her first book; I Love My Love but this collection fell flat. There were a few poems that I enjoyed but they were often overshadowed by others. I felt like the poems in this collection dragged on, many poems were pages long but were repetitive in an annoying way, not one to make a point. Biddy seemed to repeat herself in many of her poems, even using the same wording throughout which I found annoying. It took me longer than expected to get through this just because it wasn’t keeping my attention.

Keeping Score

Keeping Score by Dee Lagasse

5/5 Stars

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

This is my first book I’ve read by Lagasse but it won’t be my last. A lot of authors I love had recommended her work so I thought I’d give this book a try. I have to say I am so glad I did, this story was so cute. Even if you’re not a sports fan (which I’m not) this book is too sweet to pass up. It tells the heartwarming story of a second chance romance of high school best friends Isa and Jake. It is cliche and sweet and everything you want in a romance novel. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout the book, it was honestly too good to put down. If you’re looking for a modern day sports romance or a Valentine’s Day read, this is the perfect book for you. And even if you aren’t, give this book a shot.

Bloom

Bloom by Victoria Ellis

***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review***

WOW. This collection absolutely broke my heart and put it back together all in the span of 100+ pages. The author gives you an insight into the past 10ish years of her life in the form of beautiful poetry. Your heart breaks reading about the abuse she went through but recovers as you read through her journey of recovery. Her struggles of feeling like she isn’t good enough for love and having trouble accepting new love; being all too familiar for someone who experienced similar abuse. Her poems are beautifully written and convey true emotion. I’ll be ordering a paperback version very soon.

Beautiful Monster

Beautiful Monster by Sara Cate

3/5 Stars

This is the second book of Cate’s that I’ve read and honestly, if I hadn’t read Gravity first, this might have been my last. The storyline is just okay. It has the hype to be a great age gap romance but it just falls flat. There is a lot of build up that ultimately leads to something, but it could’ve been better. The characters are supposed to have this incredible tension and although they say it, it’s not portrayed well. It seems quite forced. The writing is good, it just isn’t a story I cared about. I had a hard time finishing this book because I was bored waiting for something to happen.

My Dawn is Only Five Hours Away

My Dawn is Only Five Hours Away by Dion Auja

3/5 Stars

Now I personally try not to read anything specifically about COVID because I like to escape reality when I read, but this author reached out and I accepted. This collection starts off with a powerful foreward, “As an aspiring author, there is nothing magnificent in this world than to be felt by people through veins of words hanging around this globe of misery and pain.”. They did preface the collection saying it was unedited for the effect but personally I do wish it had been edited a bit more as some poems could be confusing. My favorite poems were ‘sometimes i don’t try’ and ‘sequence’. Overall the collection was good but could have definitely used some trigger warnings in the beginning, as it has a very dark tone.

Taking a Chance

Taking a Chance by Kat Savage

4/5 Stars

I really loved the conclusion to this series. Cora and Declan’s story is an enemies to lovers that is a unique take. Living across the hall from each other, Cora assumes he’s a jerk, but after giving him a chance he’s more than she expected. Their relationship is sweet and scary and I related way too much to Cora. Tinder dating is terrible, most men suck, and #trustissues. Cora was such a realistic character in the modern dating times. This book was the perfect combination of funny and sweet. Declan is the kind of guy you wish you’d meet, an absolute dream guy. I’m glad I took a chance on this series and Savages novels.