The Final Target by Nora Roberts

 

I have read some J. D. Robb books by this same author, and enjoyed them. This book sounded intriguing, and although her books under the pen name Nora Roberts are usually in the romance genre, I thought I'd give it a try. In the future, I think I'll stick to her J .D. Robb books.

Arden Bowie is promoting her debut novel when Dustin, another aspiring writer, arrives at her book signing. Although he seems a bit aggressive in wanting her time to discuss writing, Arden doesn't pay much attention. Then Dustin shows up at her next signing, and the next. Still not suspecting him as being anything other than an obsessive fan, Arden lets her guard down, and Dustin attacks and nearly kills her. He is given a five-year sentence in a psychiatric facility, and Arden begins rebuilding her life in a small Oregon town, always aware of Dustin's impending release. 

The book starts fast, but quickly bogs down after Dustin is incarcerated. Arden's remodel of her home is recounted in excruciating detail, right down to her obsession with doorknobs. The romance between her and an ex-Los Angeles police detective is predictable, and her stereotypical gay neighbors border on the trite. I ended up skimming a good portion of the book, but I was engaged enough with the story to finish it. I think fans of Nora Roberts will enjoy this book; it just wasn't my cup of tea. 

2.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is May 26, 2026.

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The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song

I initially picked up this book because it sounded interesting, and I admit the cover attracted my attention. It is tagged as Science Fiction and Fantasy, both genres I enjoy, but it failed to mention it is also a romance, a genre I avoid at all costs. When I first started reading the book, I thought the writing style and characters were more in line with a Young Adult audience than with the Adult Fiction book it was billed as. It took me two tries before I was engaged enough in the plot to finish the book, but finish it I did! What finally drew me in was the exploration of myths and Meilin's use of her spirit powers. I found both good examples of the Fantasy genre.

Eighteen-year-old Meilin's life is rapidly going downhill. Living with an opium-addicted, abusive father, she is destined to marry an equally abusive husband. When war breaks out in the Three Kingdoms, Meilin sees her chance to escape by posing as a male and joining the army. She pulls it off and quickly makes friends through hard work and bravery in battle. She has also caught the eye of Sky, one of the warlords' sons. Although Sky doesn't suspect Meilin's duplicity, Meilin has feelings for him that are unbecoming of a soldier. What Meilin also discovers is that the necklace she just inherited from her mother has special powers that grant her access to the spirit realm, and a sea dragon spirit who guides her. Unfortunately, her powers are seen as black magic and punishable by death. With her secrets mounting, Meilin is torn between her deepening feelings for Sky and using her powers to help win the war. 

This is a fast-paced book that follows Meilin as she overcomes one obstacle after another — either through sheer determination or by using her magical powers. This is an action-driven story that spends little time developing the characters. I did get used to the writing style and skimmed the parts dealing with Meilin's feelings for Sky. For me, an annoying part was the use of names. Both Chinese and English names were used haphazardly. For every "Zilong", there was a "Sparrow." The author should have decided which to use and stuck with that. I know my reading taste is selective, and this review will be an outlier, but I can't give this book more than three stars. 

3/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ace, for a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book was published on July 2, 2024. 

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The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

About the only genre I avoid is romance. Judging by the number of romance books out now, I seem to be in the minority here. This book, tagged as folklore and fantasy, is primarily a romance novel. An otherwise remarkable story, beautifully written, lost a star rating from me because of this.

Historian Owen Mallory, a former soldier dubbed a coward, is enthralled with the story of Una Everlasting, a knight and dragon slayer who dies for her queen and country. During his scholarly research into the tale, he receives a mysterious book about her, which a war minister then steals. When Mallory tries to retrieve it, his blood spills onto the book, and he is transported back in time, meets Una, and accompanies her on her last quest: to slay the last dragon and retrieve the grail for the dying queen. What he doesn't anticipate is that the two will fall in love, and Mallory is forced to recount and relive Una's death over and over again.

I'm a sucker for time-travel books, and The Everlasting is a good one. As I stated, the writing is exquisite, and I loved the way Mallory and Una tried to change history. The characters are well-developed, and I especially liked Una's horse. I wouldn't have read the book had I known about the romance element, but I skimmed the sex scenes and some of the overwrought narrative, and enjoyed a well-told tale. 

4/5 stars.

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Atmosphhere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I cannot believe this is a TJR book. It is so unlike her other fantastic books that I couldn't finish it. Granted, much of this is my fault. I don't like the romance genre, and this was tagged as a romance novel, but since I love all things space-related, I thought I could skim the romance parts. Wrong. The central theme was Joan coming to terms with her sexual identity; the NASA parts were a backdrop. 

Joan Goodwin, a physics and astronomy professor, was accepted as an astronaut candidate at the start of the space shuttle era. Pitted against her fellow candidates, Joan is the glue holding the fragile relationships together. She is especially drawn to the enigmatic Vanessa. As their relationship moves beyond friendship, they risk jeopardizing their careers for love. 

Switching back and forth in time between a shuttle mission that goes awry and the newly formed bonds among the candidates, we get to know the individuals grouped with Joan. What was particularly annoying was Joan's relationship with her sister. Joan was a doormat, bearing the burden of caring for her niece while also facing the pressures of being an astronaut candidate. This, plus her deepening relationship with Vanessa and the related politics, would have been too much for a lesser person. Not so for Joan. 

I'm sorry to say I couldn't handle the drama between Joan, Vanessa, and Joan's sister. I finally gave up at the 50% mark. I rarely DNF a book, especially by an author I like, so admitting defeat was difficult. On the positive side, the insights into NASA and the astronaut training were good. The book was fast-paced, and the shuttle situation was engrossing, but overall, it wasn't for me. My opinion is in the minority, but I couldn't take any more. 

2/5 stars. 

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