awwwwwwwwwww

The Last Time We Met – Maggie Brown & Leni Hanson

Romance, LGBTQ+, fiction.

Rating 9/10

Merritt returns from being apart of doctors without boarders and at the airport, a blast from the past is there. Austen, her musician crush fling is there and what is horrible is that she didn’t recognize Merritt. Austen denied but she knew very well who this mysterious woman is. Their paths cross once more at a Gala. They slowly get to know each other, and love doesn’t keep them apart. A romance blossoming that proves that they were meant to be together.

I loved this novel. I thought the slow burn was perfect and was expecting for one or the other to come forward with their feelings. The writing is beautiful, and the characters felt realistic. I love the fact that this wasn’t just erotic smut, and it was more about the characters interactions and feelings. The novel moves at a slow pace which made the romance a rather slow burn. I occasionally read slow burns, but not often enough. I want to read more of this genre and would be very much interested in reading more from this author.

Advertisement

the royal reveal

Siren – Sophia Elaine Hanson

Dystopian, music, weapons, young adult, science, fiction

Rating 11/10

Ronja finds out that her father is exiled royalty. They had fled Revinina to the shores of Tovaire to find safety to regroup and plan an attack on Revinina. Also, to save their friends of the revolution. Ronja must convince all of Tovaire to help her. This takes a lot of convincing between her, Roark, and other people who managed to escape with the new kingdom. Once they established an alliance, Ronja becomes passionate towards getting back her friends and family and enacting revenge on those who messed with her.

I binged this final book of the series and cried. Such a beautiful ending. I wish I did not finish the series so fast, but I could not help it. I loved the writing and the way the story just kept me from putting this book down. One would have to order these books and go on this journey themselves. The characters are lovable and memorable.

her voice is a weapon!

Radio – Sophia Elaine Hanson

Dystopian, music, weapons, young adult, science, fiction

Rating 10/10

After escaping the Red Bay prison, Ronja learns about her voice that can cut through the Singers and Conductor’s music. Ronja is a deadly weapon that is to be weaponized for Anthem. She and a group of people decide to go against the commander and end the Music as well as the Conductor since she is a powerful weapon, and everyone wants the true revolution. They confront the Conductor but there is a life or death situation that Ronja must decide either to give herself up or watch her friends die. The conductor gives Ronja some information that is a life changer.

This is the second installment of the Vinyl trilogy and this was excellent as the first. This might be a short book review as there was a lot packed into the novel and I would not want to spoil too much. Again, the author writes beautifully and so glad that she decided to make a second book and I look forward towards the third and final installment. There was a plot twist I hadn’t expected and did love the novel overall.

weaponized music?!

Vinyl – Sophia Elaine Hanson

Dystopian, music, weapons, young adult, science, fiction.

Rating 10/10

Ronja goes from working at the subtrain to home every day. One day her boss decides to cut her paycheck and she has to find an alternate way to make money, she’s the only capable person to make money. One day, she is kidnapped and mistaken as a Off by these captors. They later during interrogation find out that she is not who they thought she was. They immediately cut off her Singer. Singers are given at birth and music plays through the Singer by the Conductor to keep the society in check. Singers are regulators of all emotions, thoughts, and creativity. No real music is allowed. Ronja is taken with Roark who was the son of the Mayor of Revinina to the leaders of the underground resistance called Anthem and they tell her the truth. After being introduced to a whole new perspective of the history she was taught, they show her real music and she is astonished by the sounds that was not produced by the Singer from the Conductor. She reveals to Roark her gratitude for saving her and reveals she is from a family of Mutt singers. Roark senses this emergency and they immediately act to save her mother and two cousins. When they return to the surface, the society changed and became more deadly. This is when they launch the revolution that throws all of Revinina into chaos.

I had found this book series off of a TikTok person who showed their published books. I instantly was intrigued by the thought of a world where music was weaponized against society. I ordered this as an entire series, and I do not regret purchasing the entire series because the first book was a tease. Hands down the packaging was beautiful, and I hesitated from opening because of the beautiful ensemble. Hanson really had built an intricate world that is subversive. I really found myself drawn in with every word and every action. The characters felt as if I knew them personally and the dialogue felt so smooth. There are many one liners that made me chuckle a little. This author is an Indie author that should become mainstream or more known because I feel her work is underappreciated. Her work is so beautifully written. Order the book series off of Etsy or if one prefers the eBook then off of Amazon. I personally got these series off of Etsy because she signs the books and there is artwork from someone, she collaborated that brought the characters alive.