Mini-Reviews: Realm of Knights, The Princess and the Fangirl, I Love You So Mochi

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Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis
Knights of the Realm #1
Published by Reign Publishing on September 10, 2019
Age Group & Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Author

Reid has spent her whole life pretending to be a man so she can inherit her father’s estate, but when a chance encounter threatens to expose her lie, she is forced to risk everything.

In the kingdom of Marsden, women are subservient to men and land can only pass from father to son. So when Reid Ellington is born, the fifth daughter to one of the wealthiest landholders in the kingdom, it’s announced that Reid is a boy.

Eighteen years later, Reid struggles to conceal the fact she’s actually a young woman. Every day, her secret becomes harder to keep. When one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring with a sword, she is forced to accept his offer and lead her father’s soldiers to the border. Along the way, she discovers a covert organization within the army known as the Knights of the Realm. If Reid wants to save her family from being arrested for treason and robbed of their inheritance, she will have to join the Knights and become a weapon for the crown.

To protect her family, Reid must fight like a man. To do that, she’ll need the courage of a woman.

A copy of the book was provided for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore does not affect the opinion or content of the review.

Being a fan of Jennifer Anne Davis’ Reign of Secrets series, it took a long time before I decided to call it quits on Realm of Knights. The writing style for this one just didn’t work for me in Davis’ latest, so it’s definitely more of personal preference. In addition, it just felt super slow to get things going and I didn’t feel there was anything much by 66% of the book?

However, from reading Davis’ other works, there is more than likely a cliffhanger that would’ve gotten me invested had I chosen to continue with the rest of the book. It just didn’t work out this time. Maybe one day I’ll try it in a different format.

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston
Once Upon a Con #2
Published by Quirk Books on April 2, 2019
Age Group & Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Format: Physical
Source: Library

The Prince and the Pauper gets a modern makeover in this adorable, witty, and heartwarming young adult novel set in the Geekerella universe by national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year's ExcelsiCon isn't her last, she'll consider her career derailed.

When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That's easier said than done when the girls step into each other's shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these "princesses" race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

The Princess and the Fangirl is a cute sequel to Geekerella, returning to the Starfield fandom introduced in the first book. This sequel follows Jessica and Imogen, who switch lives when their paths collide at ExcelsiCon and someone has been leaking the script. I adored the character growth they both undergo and seeing appearances from the main characters of Geekerella.

Also, Imogen has 20/10 insults that made me laugh even though no one wants to be on the receiving end.

I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn
Published by Scholastic on May 28, 2019
Age Group & Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Format: Physical
Source: Gifted/Giveaway, Owned

Kimi Nakamura loves a good fashion statement.

She's obsessed with transforming everyday ephemera into Kimi Originals: bold outfits that make her and her friends feel brave, fabulous, and like the Ultimate versions of themselves. But her mother sees this as a distraction from working on her portfolio paintings for the prestigious fine art academy where she's been accepted for college. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi's estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life.

When she arrives in Japan, she loses herself in Kyoto's outdoor markets, art installations, and cherry blossom festival--and meets Akira, a cute med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. What begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind, and to figure out where her own heart lies.

In I Love You So Mochi, author Sarah Kuhn has penned a delightfully sweet and irrepressibly funny novel that will make you squee at the cute, cringe at the awkward, and show that sometimes you have to lose yourself in something you love to find your Ultimate self.

OMG, I Love You So Mochi is such a delight to read and I loved every moment of Kimi’s journey through Japan as she tries to figure out where her passion and path truly lies. Sarah Kuhn’s novel features cute puppies, adorable romance, and most importantly, mochi (I definitely added the book to my TBR because of the title, don’t judge me). I particularly love how the book integrates how her grandparents and parents met, in addition to the developing romance between Kimi and Akira.