Last Year I Was Reading is hosted by Maria @ ReadingMaria. Every Thursday (or whichever day you choose), take your current read and compare it to what you were reading this exact time last year.
- Which one do you like better?
- What is different about the books?
- Any special facts/things you want to make note of or bring attention to?
Last year, I read/reviewed, Love Her or Lose Her (Hot & Hammered #2).
Today, I read and reviewed two novels, Sisters of Shadow (Sisters of Shadow #1) and A Dance with Magic (The Twin Kingdoms #2), which are both ARC novels.
The easiest comparison for the three novels is that they are all a part of a series. While Love Her or Lose Her and A Dance with Magic are both the second novels in their respective series, Sisters of Shadow is the first. Love Her falls under the contemporary umbrella based on its time period and setting whereas the other two novels are under the fantasy. While A Dance with Magic seems to fall under historical, Sisters of Shadow could go under either time, although I believe it seems more historical.
All three stories include romances, however, only Love Her portrays it as the central plot. In the other two novels, each has a mystery element that is the primary focal point and the romances are a close secondary. Love Her takes an already established relationship and gives them a will-they-won’t-they survive as a couple plot. A Dance with Magic takes a will-they-won’t-they couple that previously have feelings for each other, but they have yet to establish their status as a couple. On the other side is Sisters of Shadow that has two main characters that both meet their potential love interests within the novel.
For choosing one novel as a favorite, this one is an easy choice based on rating alone. This novel would be A Dance with Magic. While I was not a fan of Love Her or Lose Her, I have come to appreciate Tessa Bailey as I enjoy her Bellinger Sisters series. Sisters of Shadow was not a bad novel as there were elements that I thought could use some improvement. The potential is there, though, so I most likely will give the sequel a try. A Dance with Magic was just enjoyable as I liked both the mystery and romance elements and cannot wait to see where the series goes next. b
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What book were you reading this time last year and how does it compare to your current read?
I’ve not read any of these but I think this time last year I may have been reading the Selection series!
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I love this idea! I will definitely be doing a last year I was reading. Luckily I started using Goodreads last year so I have an accurate account of what I was reading!
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A Dance with Magic sounds like a pretty fun little novella. I love a good fantasy romance and short stories and novellas have been my jam this year!
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