June E-Book Review!

Hello fellow readers! Welcome to the June edition of e-book review where I compile 2-3 mini-reviews of a couple of books that I’ve read on my e-reader for this month.

Review #1: The Third Daughter (Royals of Dharia #1) by Susan Kaye Quinn

Genre: Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance

Page Length: 346 pages (electronic edition)

Synopsis: Sneaking out of the palace wasn’t one of Aniri’s best ideas. But she’s the Third Daughter of the Queen of Dharia—zero responsibilities and zero royal duties. She’s just the backup daughter, in case her older sisters’ arranged marriages—to take the crown or broker an alliance—don’t quite work out. But once Aniri reaches her 18th birthday, she’ll be truly free… and then she can marry the charming fencing instructor she meets for fevered kisses in the forest.

But then the impossible happens—a marriage proposal. From a barbarian prince in the north, no less. And if Aniri refuses, the threat of their new flying weapon might bring war.

So she agrees to the young prince’s proposal, but only as a subterfuge to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she doesn’t love. But once she arrives in the sweeping mountains of the north, she discovers the prince has his own secrets… and saving her country may end up breaking her heart. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

The Third Daughter is an action-packed novel full of espionage, romance, and suspense. Though Aniri, the heroine of our story, is a bit whiny at first, I’m glad that she grows out of that behavior quickly and focuses on the mission she needs to accomplish. The story is fast paced and full of twists and turns that will keep the reader entertained.

I thought that the story is a nice fusion between fantasy and adventure, and that the steam punk technology used in Aniri’s world is an added bonus. This is the second steam punk novel I’ve read and I’m really starting to enjoy the genre and a lot of its aspects. I felt that the overall plot progression was smooth and I loved how each character develops over the course of the story.

Final Verdict:

Despite the cringe worthy “Bollywood Punk” description this book is given, it’s definitely an enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read the other two installments in this series.

Review #2: FU Cancer by Hilaria Alexander

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Page Length: 376 pages (electronic edition)

Synopsis: Lucy has always been a good girl. The most hardcore thing she’s done in her life was falling for a divorced man ten years her senior.
But he was the love of her life and she married him. When her Peter Pan of a husband decided to divorce her, she thought it was her chance to start anew. That was until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Besides looking like Britney circa 2007, she is taking it well, real well. You might see her walk around the hospital during chemo sessions with bright-colored wigs and outrageous t-shirts that seem to shock the most conservative employees. One of them reads FU CANCER. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

FU Cancer tells the story of Lucy, a woman who is terrified of having cancer, but has decided that she will not let cancer be the “boss” of her. She also has a great support system of people that surround her giving her a boost a postive energy. As a narrator Lucy has a funny, witty, and sarcastic approach to most situations of life making her such an entertaining narrator. Her can-do attitude is uplifting.

I liked that Lucy tries to deal with her cancer one day at a time and that even though she keeps up a strong face, she shows she is vulnerable too. Getting to see the pov from the doctor/Lucy’s romantic interest Brian was interesting. He’s a really sweet guy and he loves her for who she is despite being sick, and he doesn’t pity her. Seeing the story from Brandon’s point of view also gave me a glimpse of how doctors treat and deal with terminally ill patients on a day-to-day basis.

Final Verdict:

A sweet and sometimes heartbreaking romance novel. The best part of this story is the message of living life to the fullest and cherishing the small moments of every day.