Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Keeper of the Lost Cities is one of these books that immediately pulls you in, and doesn‘t let you go until it ends! It‘s been years since I‘ve last picked up a Middle Grade book, so my expectations were neither high nor low. I simply wanted to have fun with the story, and was rewarded with some huge worldbuilding, cool magical abilities, fun characters - and dinosaurs.

It doesn‘t surprise me the in the slightest that this series is so popular and loved among its readers as it seems to be the perfect place to escape to. Both the worldbuilding and the magical abilities that are presented in the book suprised me because of the attention to detail Shannon Messenger put into all the aspects. I must admit I‘m a huge fan of the idea of having telepathic abilities, but while reading, it was hard to just pick one cool ability as there are so many! (I mean being a Polyglot is definitely something that would be rather amazing!) But what kept the story going was the loveable cast of characters we meet. I just loved seeing the protagonist engage with different people, finding friends in this new world while trying to navigate through it.

Now, I‘m definitely not the target audience for this series, and therefore, can‘t properly comment on a few aspects that I wasn‘t able to relate to. (Which is also the reason why it didn’t end up a five-star-read for me, while I can clearly see how it might be for many others!) For me, this was just a fun adventure into the Middle Grade world. Yet I was able to enjoy the story, and admire the worldbuilding - which says a lot about the book itself. So if you‘re looking for something to buddy read with your younger sibling, niece, nephew or your child, and you’re a fan of the Fantasy genre yourself, or you just want to have a little fun adventure, then Keeper of the Lost Cities is something that should end up on your shelf!

This story‘s only flaw is being a novella.
Anything else? Perfection!

But on a much more serious note: How the hell can one put so much tension, such perfect scenes into one NOVELLA, and make me squeal as much as if I had been a reading a whole novel. I bow down to Ali Hazelwood.

Everything about Under One Roof is just perfect. From the way, we get these incredible scenes building up to what has already been teased in the beginning. The way, I started rooting for this couple from page one. There was no time to question anything - except, who let Ali write a novella instead of a book? - because I was so absorbed with Liam and Mara. This is the perfect quick read to boost your serotonin.

Honestly, got a free night? A lunch break just by yourself? A silent morning with your cup of coffee? Then READ THIS!

Ali Hazelwood just knows how to put the chemistry within the pages.

Hands down, my new favorite romcom!

If you love the tropes hate-to-love and fake-dating, some office tension, even more tension in Spain, and probably the - okay the most perfect book boyfriend (really, he is), then read this book. Because there was not one single scene that I wasn‘t completely loving. Cancel all your plans, because The Spanish Love Deception has your weekend booked, and you don‘t need anything else.

Whenever I pick up a romcom, I quickly get absorbed into it. They are addicting, fun and leave me behind with the best giggly feeling ever. So whenever I read one, I kinda expect to love it, not questioning much, just here for the vibes, the tension and the sertonin. But The Spanish Love Deception hit me so much harder than others before that I can safely say this is probably the best I‘ve read so far, and Aaron Blackford is a very important reason why, but not only.

Putting the gushing aside a little longer (because I know there will be no going back once I start), I do want to say that the one thing I loved the most about this book was actually the pacing. The set-up. The build-up. Of course, the premise of the story is that Catalina needs a date for her sister‘s wedding in Spain. So we expect that a majority of the events in the book will take place at said wedding, right? I was ready to see everything else rushed to the point where the two protagonists are fake-dating their way through the big event. But that was not the case. We get to see Lina and Aaron in their daily environment first - at work, where they are bickering at each other, glaring at their opponent, oblivious that there‘s a different reason why their eyes always keep finding the other. We get to see them interact, coming closer because desperate situations call for desperate solutions, alas taking your nemesis - the one person you swore to hate until death and beyond - as your date to your sister‘s wedding. But before we reach that critical event, the book takes its time to show us some vital moments between the two protagonist, making me eager to see them finally go through their plan of fake-dating. And once we‘ve spent enough time with them in New York City, and finally take off to Spain, everything that we witnessed before just gets more tense, and I was all here for it. The pacing, the time this story takes to let my two all time favorite tropes (enemies-to-lovers, though it‘s more a hate-to-love situation here, and fake-dating) come together is just beautifully executed. And that‘s probably really the main reason why this book has become my new favorite romcom. Nothing felt too rushed, nothing felt unnecessary, every scene had its impact, and the build-up felt so convincingly real that I didn‘t question one thing. This is slow-burn at its finest!

Which leads me to my next reason why I absolutely adored this book: Catalina and Aaron. Can I begin with how much I love their names? Catalina, I know you prefer being called Lina - but CATALINA?! Such a beautiful name! Actually, I may have been gushing over the name before picking up the book so I‘m biased, but damn every time Aaron said that name it was me getting all the goosebumps. And then there‘s Aaron Blackford. A man with such a name already has me in his grasp, but Aaron‘s appeal doesn‘t stop there. Oh no, that man. That man. *sigh* Every time, I felt like he couldn‘t top whatever he did, he does, and the main problem is how perfect he is doing everything he is doing. Honestly Lina, no wonder you were at his mercy. I would have caved in, and let him do whatever he wanted the moment he opens his mouth. Scratch that. The moment he looks at me. But after all he does? There‘s no way I would had been as strong as Catalina was. And while usually, the enemies-to-lovers trope demands some bad behavior, I loved how there was no need to make him the big nemesis, the counterpart of Lina, for the tension to work. I loved how it was her perception of him constructing this image, and I loved seeing her notice things as the story moved on - while I was already head over heels for this man.

Really, The Spanish Love Deception does everything right. Everything. From the way, the premise is introduced to the story, to the pacing that gives us enough time to fully build up to the main events, the little scenes that had my heart aching, craving more, more, more, to the characters that just worked perfectly together, giving us the banter, the tension and all those moments where I kept screaming for them to finally give in, and get themselves as much as myself out of this misery. Elena Armas perfectly tied the two tropes of hate-to-love and fake-dating together in a convincing slow-burn romance that will put you on a high, making those butterflies in the stomach go crazy.

And now, how shall I continue with my day, my life without Aaron Blackford?

An Ember in the Ashes is one of the many books that I have purchased years ago, and let it sitting on my shelf, wasting away in my ever-growing TBR. Until now that is. And can someone smack me for taking so long to pick it up? Thank you.

I can totally see how and why this series had ignited so much love and passion those many years ago when it released, but there‘s one thing I need to get out: Am I the only one or is Elias Verturius the most underrated fantasy book boyfriend of the 2010s? I‘ve seen people fangirling. Of course I did. But damn, the shouting should have been louder. This man deserves all the attention. I want to hold him, and never let go of him. He alone is worth your time to read this series. But this book offers so much more.

Because it‘s been some years since my purchase of the copy, I must admit I went into the story more blindly. I had forgotten most of the premise the blurb offers, and didn‘t bother rereading it for I wanted to just finally enter the world Sabaa Tahir had created. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The world we meet in An Ember in the Ashes is a dangerous, cruel and violent world. Yet, interesting. Mind you this is one of the world that probably most of us would end up dead within two seconds, but this is what makes it so interesting to see the characters navigate through them. And what made it even more beautiful was to see how hope itself was embedded in this story that is overshadowed by some much pain. I loved how the main focus wasn‘t set on something magical, but the brutal education of the Masks, and the protagonist navigating as a slave, trying to find a way to save her brother. Still, magic does make its appearance, and I loved how it was incorporated into the plot, promising a hellfire once its presence can‘t be avoided any longer.

Just as the worldbuilding was intriguing, so were the characters. It took me no time to get attached to the two main characters - Elias and Laia. Both of them, finding themselves on the complete opposites of the power structure in this book, reveal to have more in common. We get to know each of them on their own, learning of their hopes, dreams and fears. Elias immediately had my heart, and I was just wishing I could jump into these pages to give him comfort and peace. As for Laia, I was not expecting her character to be so … fragile. If I can say so. Usually, the heroines of YA fantasy books get the hang out of everything rather quickly, while Laia relies for way too long on the help of others. However, I was suprised to end up loving her character arc so much. Her development takes time, and for once, it makes it a little bit more convincing, but also I just liked to see someone continue to choose to survive, despite lacking any skills necessary for that aside from sheer will. Laia and Elias make an interesting pairing, in the sense, that they truly make sense for each other. Which made the fact that it took some time for them to share scenes alone almost unbearable. But to be honest, with everything at stake in their lives, that made sense. I was admiring to see them living their seperate lives, crossing each other‘s paths once in a while, before fate wasn‘t able to keep them away any longer from each other. (Despite the other potential love interests) Though I have to agree with many people voicing their opinions that the relationship between these two characters felt a bit rushed, I still enjoyed seeing them together in scenes, and therefore didn‘t mind that aspect as much as I already felt it was a slow-burn that will probably never take me out of my misery. Aside from these two, however, there are also many secondary characters that will get you just as invested. And maybe that‘s why I can forgive the rushed pace of the relationship forming between Elias and Laia, since we get so much time seeing them bond with other characters.

An Ember in the Ashes is an amazing first installements to a series I can‘t wait to binge (and still want to slap myself for taking so long to do so) filled with characters that will have you invested within seconds, a world so cruel and violent that you won‘t be able to put down the book, and the message of hope that itself feels like an ember in the ashes, ready to ignite everything.

A Torch Against the Night immediately follows up the events at the end of An Ember in the Ashes, and therefore, pulls us immediately into action-filled scenes, pulling our behinds at the edge of the chairs. And doesn‘t stop.

In this sequel, we face adventures, action, conspiracies, threats, and stakes than I thought it would be possible. All while we get to explore the world of the An Ember in the Ashes series more, as Laia and Elias make their way to Kauf, with Helene close on their tail. I loved how this book didn‘t make me sit still at all, not even when there wasn‘t someone throwing knives because of the characters taking over the angst. This book is as much plot-driven as it is character-driven, and the balance is masterfully crafted. Not a scene felt unnecessary as every tiny moment was either leading up to another dangerous event, a big revelation, or sprinkles of what is yet to come, making my head dizzy with trying to puzzle it out only to be slapped with a twist I didn‘t see coming. Honestly, the titles of these books speak for themselves. Because when book one truly is an ember in the ashes, this one is a torch against the night.

The additional POV of Helene in this book opened up new paths and aspects of this world that I was enjoying a lot - especially since Laia and Elias were too focused on their mission ahead of them. The love for the Blood Shrike is evident to me now. While I had enjoyed Helene in the first book, her posing as a potential love interest for Elias dulled my excitement a little for her characters. In A Torch Against the Night, however, Helene proved herself a strong and complex character and one that will make things hopefully very interesting in the following books. But as much as my admiration for Helene grew, so did my frustration but with all of the characters, and unfortunately the most with Laia. She still remains a convincing and likeable heroine, and while I try to tell myself that the bad choices she had made throughout the books will only help her grow, I often wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her. However, that wasn‘t the most frustrating aspect. It was her relationship with Elias. Whether you name this slow-burn or just them being idiots, is up to you once you read it. I for my part would have wished to see more time of them bonding before the utter havoc happened. Especially with the events taking place with Keenan, I wasn‘t truly able to grasp the deeper connection between Laia and Elias because some things felt missing. Which saddened me more than you can imagine since I am rooting for them, like an idiot myself.

Nevertheless, A Torch Against the Night is a wonderful sequel that you will devour, no doubt. And now I shall go crazy because OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT THE END AAAAAH!

Picking up this book I expected to burn as much for the story and its characters as I did when I was devouring An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night. Unfortunately, I found myself tiring of the plot and the characters‘ decisions made.

A Reaper at the Gates opens the doors to a bigger picture - we get to see more of the world and its conflicts, wars, injustice and problems - as well as finding the characters on new paths in their lives - Laia fighting for the Scholars beside her brother, Helene trying to save the Empire from evil, and Elias becoming the Soul Catcher. Each of them have now bigger battles to face than before. Their motivations have become bigger, not involving just their lives but that of many. The stakes have become bigger, the threat deadlier. And yet, I couldn‘t really feel much for them.

The biggest issue I had with this installement was probably the pacing, and the fact that while the characters face new paths in front of them, not much happens. The book focused too much on slowly navigating the characters through their lives, probably placing them where they need to be in the next and finale installement. Which is the reason why this book felt more like a filler than one that delivers some pivotal moments for their development. Especially during the middle part lots of scenes and moments felt dragging, and not even the expanding of the worldbuilding was able to keep me too invested as things just out of hand too quickly.

Despite all of this, this book had some moments that I hadn’t seen coming, which mainly opened up new questions that I‘m curious to see answered in the next installement. Which is why I‘m still invested to see where the story is heading, and - especially - ending.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

If you‘re looking for a quick, light-hearted, sweet, and whimsical read that you binge in a few sittings, then look no further because this one is waiting to sweep you away far beneath the sea in the realm of the spirits where those, gods, dragons and other magical creature wait to enthrall you.

Based on the Korean classic The Tale of Shim Cheong, this retelling follow the protagonist Mina as she leaps into the sea instead the actual girl who was supposed to be sacrificed to the Sea God as his bride because she is who Mina‘s brother loves. From there on, she enters the Spirit Realm beneath the sea where she finds herself in front of the Sea God and realizes he is far from what she expected. Worse even, there is a curse which can only be broken by the Sea God‘s bride, and ridden by her determination to save everyone she loves and put an end to the sacrifices of young girls, Mina tries everything to find a way to break it.

Similiar to the enchanting retellings of Elizabeth Lim and Sue Lynn Tan, this story reads itself like a fairytale. We are swept away in a whimsical world filled with gods, dragons, spirits, and magical creatures - and I loved every thing about it. I wasn‘t familiar with the Korean classic this story was retelling, so I had no expectations or ideas on where exactly this story is leading, which is why I also just loved to be part of the ride and see where Mina will lead us next. After researching the content of that classic, I‘m also thrilled that a close version of that story found its place in this one while The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea seemed to follow a different path on telling this.

The setting, the story, the characters - everything about this book is rather enjoyable, and I had fun reading this story in two sittings because of the quick pacing and whimsical touch to it. However, as much as the pacing allowed me to fly through the pages, it caused some of the issues I had with the execution of the story, and the romance we are being presented with. Three hundred pages didn‘t seem enough to truly let the story breathe. Everything happened too quickly - the passing of important events, the resolving of issues, the development of the relationships - for them to leave a proper impact on me. Which is why I wasn‘t able to immerse myself too deeply into this story, or to feel deeply enough for the characters.

Despite the fact that I overall enjoyed the story, these aspects didn‘t allow me to love it as much as I wished to do. Which is somewhat a pity because I‘m convinced if there had been more pages or even a sequel to it, then this could‘ve easily become a new favorite. Nevertheless, it remains a sweet and light-hearted story that one can enjoy, especially if you‘re looking for a quick read to binge in a sitting or two.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I fell in love with the story and its characters very early on when I picked up An Ember in the Ashes not even slightly being able to fathom in which direction this story is heading. From the dangers of Blackcliff Academy to the past of the jinns, the world got bigger and bigger with each installement and each new path the characters had to go through. Thus is why I was excited to read this finale installement, especially because while the previous book, A Reaper At the Gates, was partly underwhelming, it did open new doors and pose new questions which I eagerly wanted to see answered.

Now where do I begin? Because my heart is still aching after everything that went down in A Sky Beyond the Storm. Each of the three main characters finds themselves on a path of suffering and hope. Helene wants to secure the Empire, and defy her enemy, the Commandant. Laia, fighting for the Scholars, is set to defeat the Nightbringer. And Elias? Struggling with who he had to become, he wants to save the ghosts of the dead, letting us wonder if he will ever be able to find what he had to let go of in order to be the Soul Catcher.

While the characters were mostly seperated from each other in the third book, we slowly get to see their lives once more intertwined with each other. Something that I was desperate for. Each of them grows more through the challenges they have to face - seperately and together - until we reach the final climax of the story, where once more things I wouldn‘t have seen coming happened and took my suprise. However, as much as I enjoyed the direction this story was going, the pacing tended to be too slow at some times, and too fast at others which made the whole impact of the story feel a bit underwhelming to some extent. Especially the characters were something of a bigger issue to me in this book. While I appreciated some scenes, and loved to see them all together in this book, they have grown far from what they used to be. While I strongly consider their development important and necessary, the one thing that didn‘t work anymore was the bond between them. I would have wished for some more calmer moments where these characters find their way back to each other, sharing their growth and developing their bonds further.

The message of hope which had been omnipresent from the very first book continues to strongly carry this one, and I must say I loved to see that represented in the many characters. Characters that I came to like because neither of them was wholly good or evil, and that layer to them makes this conclusion so hard to swallow, because one doesn‘t want to say good-bye to them. Nevertheless, I‘m happy that we reached the epic finale of this story because if this means less suffering for the characters, it also means less pain to my own heart. While this book is unfortunately not my favorite installement, I believe the message this story carries is one that leaves an impact and a huge reason on why this series can be considered a classic in the modern YA fantasy genre.

Reviewing A Touch of Darkness is not an easy task, considering there are two ways to talk about this.
A) By letting the mood reader who loves to indulge in smut take over.
Or B) by letting the reader who loves some good plot, development and logic do the talking.

Either version of myself would deliver a different outcome to this review, but it would also feel incomplete to just offer you one point of view. Therefore, you have to deal with two versions of myself describing their review experiences. However, I think I‘m not the only one who is torn between two sides if it comes to this book, so maybe hearing both outcomes, will be more useful than just one.

If I let the first version of myself - the one who loves to indulge in a steamy romance and binge a book just for vibes - take over, then I would tell you this: A Touch of Darkness is a fun, quick, addictive and very hot read that is perfect for a weekend where you just want to turn your head off and mindlessly read. The setting of a modern world with the Greek Gods and Goddesses roaming it is fun, and seeing some known names from Greek Mythologies walking around feels like hunting for easter eggs which I definitely enjoyed. Especially to see how these characters were placed in this modern world was something I enjoyed. I mean there’s no way Hades would be anything but a club owner, making bargains with mortal, right? As for the story of Hades and Persephone, it kicks in rather quickly, not letting you wait too long for these two to share a scene together, and definitely is anything but the definition of slow-burn. Hades wants Persephone, Persephone wants Hades, and we want them. Together. Undressed. And it‘s common knowledge that that is what we get.

However, if I let the logical part inside of me take over, the outcome looks rather different. As the main focus is put on Hades and Persephone‘s relationship, we don‘t get to see much of the events that happen in the world which makes some aspects feel underdeveloped or unlogical. I would have loved to see more of the world than just clubs, and I would have love to see some more depth to the characters themselves. The secondary characters are rather flat, and while Persephone and Hades do have more aspects to them, they as well are mostly overrun by their lust for each other. And while the first version of myself enjoyed this being anything but slow-burn, the other part of me - the one speaking now - would have wished for someone to hit the brakes in terms of their relationship. Especially since it‘s the lust that is dominant in this story, and not the aspect of love, no matter how much the characters claim those feelings for each other.

But the part in me that binged this book, and enjoyed it, didn‘t mind the flaws and issues that came with it. On the contrary, I had a hell of a time with it, it was addictive, and I flew through the pages. At the time of me reading this, it was just the perfect story to escape. Especially because I‘ve been reading fantasy novels with big worldbuilding before picking this one up. Therefore, it was just the right book to mindlessly read, spend my evening with, and enjoy. Without needing to put too much thought in it. I needed a steamy romance, and I got one. Hades surely delivered what he is promising. That part in me would have come here, and rated this book with delicious five stars.

The logical part of me that saw the issues, though, wouldn‘t have gone higher than maybe 2.5 stars. Because as much as I enjoyed the stories, some aspects were not developed enough to make sense. Aside from the steamy scenes, no other plotline had me intrigued enough to care much about it, and I craved for some more development.

So what am I gonna do now?
I let version one and version two of Aleksandra sit down together, and came with a decent rating of three stars, maybe even giving it the .5 if we do the math (okay that would be 3.75 but since GoodReads won‘t let us even do halfstars, and I never use .25 to my ratings, we stick to 3.5!).

This is an okay book. It‘s far from perfect and lacks things that I would have wished to see - especially considering the hype it had received over the last years - so it would wholly have its grip on me. However, it kept to its promise to be a steamy romance one can have fun with reading, and therefore I generally enjoyed this book for what it is. Depending on what you‘re looking for and what you‘re excepting, you will either end up enjoying it and binging it in a sitting or two, or be left disappointed if you‘re looking for some grand worldbuilding and deeper character development. Overall, it really comes down to what you‘re looking for, and if you‘re looking for a steamy read you can mindlessly read, one that is addicting and delivers some good smut, then this might one you‘d enjoy picking up!

I for, my part, will continue with this series nonetheless what the rational part in me says!

Usually, when I pick a romance story, it‘s something light, adorable and sweet. Something to kick up my serotonin level. Something that makes me giggle as I‘m reading it. Punk 57 does definitely not fall into that category. However, after friends have been reading and loving it, and the hype was a bit hard to ignore, I told myself to give this book a try, no matter how hesitant I have been for I couldn‘t imagine enjoying a bully romance as much as a rom-com.

But damn, did I enjoy this book!

Punk 57 is addicitive, hot, and keeps you on the edge. If there‘s a contemporary romance coming close to the fantastic feeling of what enemies-to-lovers could look like, it‘s this. Now the bully theme isn‘t my favorite, and I definitely don‘t see myself seeking out these type of books unless something else intrigues me. But I would lie if I say I didn‘t enjoy how this relationship played out in the book.

At first, it took me some time to get adjusted to the story, the setting and the characters. Ryen needed a lot more warming up to than Misha, and I wasn‘t the biggest fan of the High School setting. But the moment I managed to get into the story, I was sucked in, being incapable of putting the book aside.

Misha and Ryen are two characters that work well together. Both of them are trying to be someone they truly aren‘t, only showing their true face or the version they wish to be to each other. Through letters. But once they do meet, things become more complicated than that. Because they don‘t meet the version they have gotten to know through the letters. Filled with hatred, curiousity, and lust - these two can‘t seem to stay away from each other. I truly loved to see them challenge each other, to see how far they were willing to go, and seeing them work things out.

However, the story did lose some of its power over me during the last 100 pages, right after the big reveal happened. Somehow I felt that the events progressed too quickly, and the characters lost some credibility to them. Which is the main reason on why this book didn‘t end up being a five-star-read for me.