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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
NA Review
My Thoughts
Train Wreck is a standalone romantic comedy by Elise Faber. It is also the first standalone novel in the Life Sucks series. I'm not sure if the series is all going to be set in the same town or not. We might get to see totally new couples in each book that are not connected. Either way, I can't wait for the next book in the series to find out, because Train Wreck was a lot of fun.
Train Wreck follow Pepper O'Brien, who life is a total train wreck. She is basically the running joke for her family. I felt kind of bad for her. On one hand, she comes from a big Hollywood family and grew up very privileged, but on the other hand, she just faced one back thing after another. I kept saying to myself, "when is this girl going to catch a break." Sure, some of the situations were a bit over the top, but in my opinion that just added to the hilarity and fun of the story.
And then we get to Derek. I loved Derek. I thought he was an excellent hero and an even better love interest. I loved how well he saw Pepper. He really empathized with everything she was going through. Watching the two of them dance around each other was so much fun for me. (are you sensing a theme yet? This book was a lot of fun.) I kind of wished that the whole Pepper's father asking Derek to look out for Pepper element didn't exist, because I feel like their connection would have genuinely happened either way, and it was just an unnecessary road block for them to face. I would have liked Derek to hang around organically. Because he totally would have. He is a great guy and he was clearly smitten from their first re connection encounter.
Bottom line: If you are a fan of romantic comedies, Train Wreck will be a book that you will likely enjoy. It is so much fun. The characters are so easy to root for. I couldn't wait for Pepper and Derek to get together, and I really wanted things to take a positive turn for Pepper. She is such a sweet girl, you can't help but like her. I loved that Train Wreck was a standalone with a happily ever after. Train Wreck is totally worth checking out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
NA Review
My Thoughts
Train Wreck is a standalone romantic comedy by Elise Faber. It is also the first standalone novel in the Life Sucks series. I'm not sure if the series is all going to be set in the same town or not. We might get to see totally new couples in each book that are not connected. Either way, I can't wait for the next book in the series to find out, because Train Wreck was a lot of fun.
Train Wreck follow Pepper O'Brien, who life is a total train wreck. She is basically the running joke for her family. I felt kind of bad for her. On one hand, she comes from a big Hollywood family and grew up very privileged, but on the other hand, she just faced one back thing after another. I kept saying to myself, "when is this girl going to catch a break." Sure, some of the situations were a bit over the top, but in my opinion that just added to the hilarity and fun of the story.
And then we get to Derek. I loved Derek. I thought he was an excellent hero and an even better love interest. I loved how well he saw Pepper. He really empathized with everything she was going through. Watching the two of them dance around each other was so much fun for me. (are you sensing a theme yet? This book was a lot of fun.) I kind of wished that the whole Pepper's father asking Derek to look out for Pepper element didn't exist, because I feel like their connection would have genuinely happened either way, and it was just an unnecessary road block for them to face. I would have liked Derek to hang around organically. Because he totally would have. He is a great guy and he was clearly smitten from their first re connection encounter.
Bottom line: If you are a fan of romantic comedies, Train Wreck will be a book that you will likely enjoy. It is so much fun. The characters are so easy to root for. I couldn't wait for Pepper and Derek to get together, and I really wanted things to take a positive turn for Pepper. She is such a sweet girl, you can't help but like her. I loved that Train Wreck was a standalone with a happily ever after. Train Wreck is totally worth checking out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
One of Us is Lying by Karen Manus is a young adult thriller. It is blurbed as being a mixture of “Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars”, and let's be honest- that was more than enough to sell me on this book. Seriously, that was all it took for me to be super super excited to read this one. And I have to say, I really loved One of us is Lying! It was a whirlwind ride that kept me on the edge of my seat basically from the first page.
One of Us is Lying is a very breakfast club set up. Five teenagers start out in detention, but here is where the pretty little liars comes in because only four of the five teens walk out of detention alive. There was also a gossip girl type element, with the whole secret gossip app, that discussed the latest school gossip. And that was just extra icing on the cake for me.
One of Us is Lying is a book that I don't want to say too much about. I think it is the kind of book that you need to go in knowing as little as possible and find the rest out for yourself. I also tried to solve the mystery on my own. I got a few things throughout the book right, but I was also wrong about a lot. Haha. Which is one of the things I loved about the story. It was so interesting to read because I didn't know what was going to happen next, and at the same time I needed to know. I was totally addicted to this story. I loved One of Us is Lying!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
One of Us is Lying by Karen Manus is a young adult thriller. It is blurbed as being a mixture of “Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars”, and let's be honest- that was more than enough to sell me on this book. Seriously, that was all it took for me to be super super excited to read this one. And I have to say, I really loved One of us is Lying! It was a whirlwind ride that kept me on the edge of my seat basically from the first page.
One of Us is Lying is a very breakfast club set up. Five teenagers start out in detention, but here is where the pretty little liars comes in because only four of the five teens walk out of detention alive. There was also a gossip girl type element, with the whole secret gossip app, that discussed the latest school gossip. And that was just extra icing on the cake for me.
One of Us is Lying is a book that I don't want to say too much about. I think it is the kind of book that you need to go in knowing as little as possible and find the rest out for yourself. I also tried to solve the mystery on my own. I got a few things throughout the book right, but I was also wrong about a lot. Haha. Which is one of the things I loved about the story. It was so interesting to read because I didn't know what was going to happen next, and at the same time I needed to know. I was totally addicted to this story. I loved One of Us is Lying!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**What I Lost is a young adult contemporary by Alexandra Ballard. What I Lost is so unlike anything I have read before in young adult, and that was what I loved most about it. I know that there are other books that take place in a rehabilitation/therapy center, and books that center around the issue of anorexia and eating disorders, but I haven't really read any. I found the whole thing to be super, super interesting.
What I Lost follows our main character, Elizabeth as she checks into the facility and through her treatment, as well as a group of other young women being treated at the same place. I loved the raw look we got at each of the characters. I felt like we got to know not only Elizabeth, but also her roommate and some of the other girls. They are also so different and multifaceted. I just love reading books about well crafted flawed characters. This book hit me right in my feelers. I honestly had no idea how anything was going to turn out for Elizabeth or any of the girls. The author did a fantastic job at making this book feel very realistic to me, and with eating disorders a happy ending is not guaranteed.
Then there was the whole element of the mysterious care packages that Elizabeth was receiving. I loved this element of the story. A lot of the first part of the book is setting up the new daily routine the girls in treatment have to go through, and it also touches on some of their triggers and stress-ors. I found that aspect of the story to be fascinating. (Though if this is an issue that you or a loved one is/has gone through, parts of this book might be a trigger for you.) But then we see the first of the secret admirer packages, and my immediate thought was...ooh this is interesting!
What I Lost is a book that sucked me in from the very first page. I was so hooked to this story. I loved the writing, I loved the characters, and I was so engrossed in the journey. What I lost is a wonderful story. I would easily recommend this one to a wide variety of people. It was so different for me, in such a great way. I love it when books feel fresh and just break the mold on what you were expecting.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
What I Lost follows our main character, Elizabeth as she checks into the facility and through her treatment, as well as a group of other young women being treated at the same place. I loved the raw look we got at each of the characters. I felt like we got to know not only Elizabeth, but also her roommate and some of the other girls. They are also so different and multifaceted. I just love reading books about well crafted flawed characters. This book hit me right in my feelers. I honestly had no idea how anything was going to turn out for Elizabeth or any of the girls. The author did a fantastic job at making this book feel very realistic to me, and with eating disorders a happy ending is not guaranteed.
Then there was the whole element of the mysterious care packages that Elizabeth was receiving. I loved this element of the story. A lot of the first part of the book is setting up the new daily routine the girls in treatment have to go through, and it also touches on some of their triggers and stress-ors. I found that aspect of the story to be fascinating. (Though if this is an issue that you or a loved one is/has gone through, parts of this book might be a trigger for you.) But then we see the first of the secret admirer packages, and my immediate thought was...ooh this is interesting!
What I Lost is a book that sucked me in from the very first page. I was so hooked to this story. I loved the writing, I loved the characters, and I was so engrossed in the journey. What I lost is a wonderful story. I would easily recommend this one to a wide variety of people. It was so different for me, in such a great way. I love it when books feel fresh and just break the mold on what you were expecting.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**'Dating-ish' can be read as a standalone, is a full length 100k word novel, and is book #6 in the Knitting in the City Series.
Dating-ish is a romantic comedy from the fabulous Penny Reid. By now, I think you all know that Penny is one of my all time favorite authors. I absolutely love everything she writes. Seriously, everything. I can count the amount of authors that is true of on my hands, so it is a big deal to me. I have not read all of the Knitting in the City books, which I need to rectify immediately because they are so excellent. I have read a couple of them. Each of the novels works as a standalone, but they are about a group of friends, so reading them all does give you some nice character and couple overlap.
Dating-ish follows Marie and Matt. I absolutely loved the two of them. I want another book written from Matt's point of view, or some deleted scenes or something because I love him so much. He is equal parts nerdy and bossy, and that is a combination that strangely works very, very well for me. I don't know how Penny Reid does it, but she always manages to make me love her latest leading man more than the last. I thought Cletus, from the Winston Brothers series, was going to be my favorite, but then Matt came along. And I really, really love Matt! (please don't make me pick between them. I want them both.)
The plot line of Dating-ish totally captured my attention and my heart. I don't even know how I can possibly say this but I think this might be my favorite Penny Reid book to date. It deserves so much more than five stars. Matt is a scientist trying to develop an compassionate AI robot that will replace people in relationships. Marie is trying to write a story about services that can be used to replace the things a partner brings to a relationship. And that is all I can say without spoilers. But I loved the plotline for this novel. I found it to be so much fun and fascinating.
Dating-ish is my favorite kind of romantic comedy. It has amazing characters, smart, sexy and sassy writing, a fantastic slow burn "friend-zone" romance and hilarious quips and one liners. Matt's computer puns cracked me up. (I am laughing now as I write this even.) Matt and Marie totally stole my heart. Actually, that is what I love the most about Penny Reid romances- they always steal my heart! Her books hook me like few others are able to do. I flat out ignored the world while I was reading Dating-Ish. (I was even reading this while waiting to go into court for a hearing, instead of reviewing my file because I had to know what happened next! Don't worry, I won my hearing ;) )
Bottom line: Dating-ish was a home run hit for me. I couldn't have loved it more if I tried. Penny Reid's books are dangerously addictive. And all I want is more more more! Dating-ish is one of the bext books I have read this year! (and I think I have already said that about another one of Penny's books from 2017!) If you have not read a Penny Reid book yet, you are missing out. If you love yourself, do yourself a favor and read Dating-ish. Your inner nerd will thank you.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Dating-ish is a romantic comedy from the fabulous Penny Reid. By now, I think you all know that Penny is one of my all time favorite authors. I absolutely love everything she writes. Seriously, everything. I can count the amount of authors that is true of on my hands, so it is a big deal to me. I have not read all of the Knitting in the City books, which I need to rectify immediately because they are so excellent. I have read a couple of them. Each of the novels works as a standalone, but they are about a group of friends, so reading them all does give you some nice character and couple overlap.
Dating-ish follows Marie and Matt. I absolutely loved the two of them. I want another book written from Matt's point of view, or some deleted scenes or something because I love him so much. He is equal parts nerdy and bossy, and that is a combination that strangely works very, very well for me. I don't know how Penny Reid does it, but she always manages to make me love her latest leading man more than the last. I thought Cletus, from the Winston Brothers series, was going to be my favorite, but then Matt came along. And I really, really love Matt! (please don't make me pick between them. I want them both.)
The plot line of Dating-ish totally captured my attention and my heart. I don't even know how I can possibly say this but I think this might be my favorite Penny Reid book to date. It deserves so much more than five stars. Matt is a scientist trying to develop an compassionate AI robot that will replace people in relationships. Marie is trying to write a story about services that can be used to replace the things a partner brings to a relationship. And that is all I can say without spoilers. But I loved the plotline for this novel. I found it to be so much fun and fascinating.
Dating-ish is my favorite kind of romantic comedy. It has amazing characters, smart, sexy and sassy writing, a fantastic slow burn "friend-zone" romance and hilarious quips and one liners. Matt's computer puns cracked me up. (I am laughing now as I write this even.) Matt and Marie totally stole my heart. Actually, that is what I love the most about Penny Reid romances- they always steal my heart! Her books hook me like few others are able to do. I flat out ignored the world while I was reading Dating-Ish. (I was even reading this while waiting to go into court for a hearing, instead of reviewing my file because I had to know what happened next! Don't worry, I won my hearing ;) )
Bottom line: Dating-ish was a home run hit for me. I couldn't have loved it more if I tried. Penny Reid's books are dangerously addictive. And all I want is more more more! Dating-ish is one of the bext books I have read this year! (and I think I have already said that about another one of Penny's books from 2017!) If you have not read a Penny Reid book yet, you are missing out. If you love yourself, do yourself a favor and read Dating-ish. Your inner nerd will thank you.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Year of Four is the first book in the Phoebe Pope series by Nya Jade. The Phoebe Pope series is a young adult paranormal romance featuring a magical boarding school for shifters. You all know I am a sucker for a magical school setting, and this one was particularly cool for two reasons. One, it sits below a normal boarding school, and the students attend classes both "above" and "below". I loved the mixing of the students from the two schools, and I really loved the idea that the regular school "hid" the shifter school. And the second reason I loved this setting was that this was no ordinary school for shifters...no this was a secret spy school. Where they are training animal shifters of all kinds to be spies! How awesome is that? I have never seen this spin the boarding school idea and I couldn't wait to dive into the series.
I also really, really love the cover changes the series got. I think the new covers are perfect for the story. And I'm not sure if this is unique the to new cover editions or not, but I absolutely loved the illustrations in the book as well. The Year of Four follows Phoebe Pope and a group of other students and shifters in their school year. Like I mentioned before, I loved the mixing of the normal and the paranormal. I thought it added so many layers of excitement to the story. Honestly, this book really surprised me. When I first started reading, I thought the story was going to be one thing- where we trained Phoebe and the other new shifters to fight and ultimately kill Vigos- these horribly scary shifter monsters that are plaguing the earth. But then the story soon morphed into something much more, with lots of mysterious characters ans secrets. I really enjoyed myself with this book, and I am so so happy that I have the second one because I can't wait to dive in and continue the story.
I loved the whole cast of characters but I loved Phoebe the most. I feel like Nya Jade did a fantastic job of fleshing out her character. I felt like she was a real life friend that was telling me about her adventures. She felt so real to me. She is going to be a character that I know I am going to continue to love in upcoming books because I felt like we really got to know the way she thinks and learn what makes her, her. That is my favorite part of a book. When an author can make you think the main character is a real person, then I know they have totally won me over.
Bottom line: The Year of Four was a pretty great start to the phoebe pope series. I might have missed this series when it first released in 2012, but I am super happy that I found it now. It kind of reminded me of The Shapeshifter's Secret series by Heather Oslter, which I really enjoyed. Except Pheobe Pope has a big twist in the story that makes it totally unique and a lot of fun. This series will be great for people who really enjoy a magical school setting, love adventure and love paranormal books featuring shifters. Bring on book 2!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Year of Four is the first book in the Phoebe Pope series by Nya Jade. The Phoebe Pope series is a young adult paranormal romance featuring a magical boarding school for shifters. You all know I am a sucker for a magical school setting, and this one was particularly cool for two reasons. One, it sits below a normal boarding school, and the students attend classes both "above" and "below". I loved the mixing of the students from the two schools, and I really loved the idea that the regular school "hid" the shifter school. And the second reason I loved this setting was that this was no ordinary school for shifters...no this was a secret spy school. Where they are training animal shifters of all kinds to be spies! How awesome is that? I have never seen this spin the boarding school idea and I couldn't wait to dive into the series.
I also really, really love the cover changes the series got. I think the new covers are perfect for the story. And I'm not sure if this is unique the to new cover editions or not, but I absolutely loved the illustrations in the book as well. The Year of Four follows Phoebe Pope and a group of other students and shifters in their school year. Like I mentioned before, I loved the mixing of the normal and the paranormal. I thought it added so many layers of excitement to the story. Honestly, this book really surprised me. When I first started reading, I thought the story was going to be one thing- where we trained Phoebe and the other new shifters to fight and ultimately kill Vigos- these horribly scary shifter monsters that are plaguing the earth. But then the story soon morphed into something much more, with lots of mysterious characters ans secrets. I really enjoyed myself with this book, and I am so so happy that I have the second one because I can't wait to dive in and continue the story.
I loved the whole cast of characters but I loved Phoebe the most. I feel like Nya Jade did a fantastic job of fleshing out her character. I felt like she was a real life friend that was telling me about her adventures. She felt so real to me. She is going to be a character that I know I am going to continue to love in upcoming books because I felt like we really got to know the way she thinks and learn what makes her, her. That is my favorite part of a book. When an author can make you think the main character is a real person, then I know they have totally won me over.
Bottom line: The Year of Four was a pretty great start to the phoebe pope series. I might have missed this series when it first released in 2012, but I am super happy that I found it now. It kind of reminded me of The Shapeshifter's Secret series by Heather Oslter, which I really enjoyed. Except Pheobe Pope has a big twist in the story that makes it totally unique and a lot of fun. This series will be great for people who really enjoy a magical school setting, love adventure and love paranormal books featuring shifters. Bring on book 2!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Gallowglass is the first book in the adult paranormal romance series of the same name by author Jennifer Allis Provost. I enjoyed Gallowglass and I am excited to continue on with the series. I found this one to be a bit slow in parts, but the characters and the story line, along with the promise of where the series can go was enough to keep me interested in the story the whole time. This book felt more like a foundational book for the series. I think with the foundation to the story laid out, the rest of the books will be even better for me.
There were so many elements that I really enjoyed in Gallowglass so I am going to quickly list the things I loved, and then I would encourage you to check out the excerpt above if you think this is the type of book that would interest you.
I loved the setting. I have always wanted to visit Scotland, and I adore books that take place there.
I loved all of the creatures in the book. Fae are always a welcome addition to a book, but there were also lots of other creatures in Gallowglass, and I really hope that is a trend that continues in the next book.
I loved loved loved that the main character was a graduate student working on her doctorate. I love seeing mid and upper 20 something characters because it is easier for me to relate to them sometimes. plus it is fun to imagine all of this happening to me.
Bottom line: Gallowglass was a fun whirlwind read. I liked getting to know the characters and the world and I can't wait to continue the story.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Gallowglass is the first book in the adult paranormal romance series of the same name by author Jennifer Allis Provost. I enjoyed Gallowglass and I am excited to continue on with the series. I found this one to be a bit slow in parts, but the characters and the story line, along with the promise of where the series can go was enough to keep me interested in the story the whole time. This book felt more like a foundational book for the series. I think with the foundation to the story laid out, the rest of the books will be even better for me.
There were so many elements that I really enjoyed in Gallowglass so I am going to quickly list the things I loved, and then I would encourage you to check out the excerpt above if you think this is the type of book that would interest you.
I loved the setting. I have always wanted to visit Scotland, and I adore books that take place there.
I loved all of the creatures in the book. Fae are always a welcome addition to a book, but there were also lots of other creatures in Gallowglass, and I really hope that is a trend that continues in the next book.
I loved loved loved that the main character was a graduate student working on her doctorate. I love seeing mid and upper 20 something characters because it is easier for me to relate to them sometimes. plus it is fun to imagine all of this happening to me.
Bottom line: Gallowglass was a fun whirlwind read. I liked getting to know the characters and the world and I can't wait to continue the story.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Roar is the first book in the young adult fantasy series, called the Stormheart series by author Cora Carmack. Roar honestly blew me away. I loved it so much, and what I loved the most about it was that I don't feel like the story took the most conventional plot path. It continued to surprise me and that was pretty magical. I have read Cora's new adult novels in the past and I love her Rusk University books, so I was super excited to see that she was venturing into the young adult fantasy realm. YA fantasies are quickly becoming my very favorite type of books to read. (I do still love a good contemporary romance though...but mostly in the new adult age group.) I thought Cora Carmack slayed this genre. She is such a talented author, and with Roar she has quickly climbed the ranks as an auto-read author for me. I loved Roar that much.
Roar is a difficult book for me to explain in a short review because there is so much going on in the Stormheart world. In this world, members of nobility have powers which enable them the ability to fight certain types of storms. The more storms you can defeat, the more powerful you are. They channel their ability through the use of various stormhearts, which are crystals captured from the heart of a storm. Aurora is the princess of one of the biggest countries in the region. Her mother, is a very powerful Stormling, but Aurora doesn't have any powers at all. Without giving too much away, Rora decides in order to be the princess her kingdom deserves she needs to go out and join a storm hunters crew to gain some stormhearts. I don't want to tell you any more than that because the progression of this story was really wonderful. It was mysterious and riveting. I loved finding out a little more about the storms and the characters as we went on the journey. I still have tons of questions and lot's of things I need to know more about in the next book, but Roar was such a satisfying first read for me.
I really loved everything about the book. I loved Rora, or Roar as she calls herself with the hunters. She is brave, fiercely independent, and really really honorable. The whole cast of characters was a lot of fun, and I am dying to know more about all of them...but especially Cassius, Locke and Sly. I think they all have many more layers to peel back. And I can't wait until we can get to know all of their secrets. The romance in Roar was just as awesome as I was hoping. Cora Carmack writes excellent romances, and I was hoping that would carry over to Roar. And it totally did!
Bottom line: If you love YA fantasies with a fantastic romance throughout, lots of adventure and a brilliantly magical world where storms take on a life of their own, you will LOVE Roar. (It is thundering and lightning behind me as I write this review, and I think it is their storms way of showing it's approval. Cora, you have the storms on your side!) Roar is a fantasy fantasy debut from Cora, and I am dying to get my hands on the next installment ASAP.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Roar is a difficult book for me to explain in a short review because there is so much going on in the Stormheart world. In this world, members of nobility have powers which enable them the ability to fight certain types of storms. The more storms you can defeat, the more powerful you are. They channel their ability through the use of various stormhearts, which are crystals captured from the heart of a storm. Aurora is the princess of one of the biggest countries in the region. Her mother, is a very powerful Stormling, but Aurora doesn't have any powers at all. Without giving too much away, Rora decides in order to be the princess her kingdom deserves she needs to go out and join a storm hunters crew to gain some stormhearts. I don't want to tell you any more than that because the progression of this story was really wonderful. It was mysterious and riveting. I loved finding out a little more about the storms and the characters as we went on the journey. I still have tons of questions and lot's of things I need to know more about in the next book, but Roar was such a satisfying first read for me.
I really loved everything about the book. I loved Rora, or Roar as she calls herself with the hunters. She is brave, fiercely independent, and really really honorable. The whole cast of characters was a lot of fun, and I am dying to know more about all of them...but especially Cassius, Locke and Sly. I think they all have many more layers to peel back. And I can't wait until we can get to know all of their secrets. The romance in Roar was just as awesome as I was hoping. Cora Carmack writes excellent romances, and I was hoping that would carry over to Roar. And it totally did!
Bottom line: If you love YA fantasies with a fantastic romance throughout, lots of adventure and a brilliantly magical world where storms take on a life of their own, you will LOVE Roar. (It is thundering and lightning behind me as I write this review, and I think it is their storms way of showing it's approval. Cora, you have the storms on your side!) Roar is a fantasy fantasy debut from Cora, and I am dying to get my hands on the next installment ASAP.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Architect of Song is the first installment in author A.G. Howard's Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga, which according to the summary follows the "generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness." It has been so long since I have read a ghost story, and even longer since I have read a historical ghost story. I adored The Architect of Song. It is such an atmospheric read. It is on the slow side, but when you are in the mood for a very well written, meandering, but romantic book, The Architect of Song is a great one for you to check out.
Because of the slow, descriptive pacing throughout, coupled with the fact that The Architect of Song is 425 pages, it took me some time to read. Actually, it took me a few days, which is very odd for me. But I rather enjoyed the denseness of this story. It allowed me to take my time and savor the characters. I love Juliet. As soon as she described how she tricks the world into thinking she is not deaf, she fascinated me. Then there is the ghost (AKA Hawk). He is a delight as well. I liked him so much that I was disappointed when the Viscount finally made his appearance as a love interest as well in the story. Juliet is a wonderful 1880's female protagonist. She is all at once true to the time, but still pushes boundaries. It was a very complex persona that A.G. Howard developed and I thought it was perfect!
The Architect of Song is a perfect mix of mystery, twists and turns and romance. It is unlike other new adult novels I have read in the past, because the romance in this one does not take over everything else this book has to offer. Instead, the romance (and yes, there is a love triangle- you are forewarned.) blends in with the rest of the story, which is actually what I prefer with atmospheric reads such as The Architect of Song. A.G. Howard really did a great job with this one. I love a new adult time period piece.
Bottom line: Fans of A.G. Howard need to read The Architect of Song. The book ends at a good place, so you aren't left hanging until book 2, but I am certainly very interested in continuing the Haunted Hearts Legacy series. The Architect of Song is a haunting and mystery time period historical that is beautifully done. It is a slow paced and dense read, but one that is well worth the time and effort. The Architect of Song is a book meant to be savored.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Architect of Song is the first installment in author A.G. Howard's Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga, which according to the summary follows the "generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness." It has been so long since I have read a ghost story, and even longer since I have read a historical ghost story. I adored The Architect of Song. It is such an atmospheric read. It is on the slow side, but when you are in the mood for a very well written, meandering, but romantic book, The Architect of Song is a great one for you to check out.
Because of the slow, descriptive pacing throughout, coupled with the fact that The Architect of Song is 425 pages, it took me some time to read. Actually, it took me a few days, which is very odd for me. But I rather enjoyed the denseness of this story. It allowed me to take my time and savor the characters. I love Juliet. As soon as she described how she tricks the world into thinking she is not deaf, she fascinated me. Then there is the ghost (AKA Hawk). He is a delight as well. I liked him so much that I was disappointed when the Viscount finally made his appearance as a love interest as well in the story. Juliet is a wonderful 1880's female protagonist. She is all at once true to the time, but still pushes boundaries. It was a very complex persona that A.G. Howard developed and I thought it was perfect!
The Architect of Song is a perfect mix of mystery, twists and turns and romance. It is unlike other new adult novels I have read in the past, because the romance in this one does not take over everything else this book has to offer. Instead, the romance (and yes, there is a love triangle- you are forewarned.) blends in with the rest of the story, which is actually what I prefer with atmospheric reads such as The Architect of Song. A.G. Howard really did a great job with this one. I love a new adult time period piece.
Bottom line: Fans of A.G. Howard need to read The Architect of Song. The book ends at a good place, so you aren't left hanging until book 2, but I am certainly very interested in continuing the Haunted Hearts Legacy series. The Architect of Song is a haunting and mystery time period historical that is beautifully done. It is a slow paced and dense read, but one that is well worth the time and effort. The Architect of Song is a book meant to be savored.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Please Note: this review may contain spoilers for book 1. If you have not yet read Into the Fire, you can find out more information on that book HERE.
Out of the Ashes is the second book in the young adult fantasy series, Into the Fire by Kally Hashway. I read and reviewed the first book in 2014, when the series was under one of Kelly's pseudonyms. She has since moved the books under her main author name and has given the series a cover face lift. I love the new covers a lot more than the old ones, so I am happy with the change. If you recall my review of the first book, you will remember that I loved the idea of a book centering around the magical creature, the pheonix. I still do.
A lot of the first book dealt with the "before" and worries of the main character, Cara's rebirth. Cara was scared that she would forget her her first love Logan once she was reborn. The book ended on a big cliffhanger, and book two picks up right where the first one left off. You need to read this series in order, or you will be completely lost. I have to say, Out of the Ashes started off with an emotional bang. I was immediately swept right up in everything that was going on. Even though it had been about a year and a half since I read the first book, I was transported right back to that time seamlessly. It was like I had never left.
I loved that this book was told in dual narrative between Logan and Cara even more than I loved it in the first book. I think it was so fitting. And I don't know who I felt worse for- Cara or Logan. I really don't want to spoil anything from book two so I am going to keep this part short and sweet. Kelly Hashway does an excellent job keeping the pace of the book up and keeping emotions running high throughout. I was in a whirlwind of emotion from every character, all the time. The Hunters are still out there and they pose an even bigger looming threat. How will Cara and Logan handle everything? Will they be able to be together once again? Or is it too much to surpass after her rebirth. Out of the Ashes hits the ground running and never lets up. I liked this book even more than the first one, and that is really saying something. What a great fantasy series. I can't wait for book three!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Please Note: this review may contain spoilers for book 1. If you have not yet read Into the Fire, you can find out more information on that book HERE.
Out of the Ashes is the second book in the young adult fantasy series, Into the Fire by Kally Hashway. I read and reviewed the first book in 2014, when the series was under one of Kelly's pseudonyms. She has since moved the books under her main author name and has given the series a cover face lift. I love the new covers a lot more than the old ones, so I am happy with the change. If you recall my review of the first book, you will remember that I loved the idea of a book centering around the magical creature, the pheonix. I still do.
A lot of the first book dealt with the "before" and worries of the main character, Cara's rebirth. Cara was scared that she would forget her her first love Logan once she was reborn. The book ended on a big cliffhanger, and book two picks up right where the first one left off. You need to read this series in order, or you will be completely lost. I have to say, Out of the Ashes started off with an emotional bang. I was immediately swept right up in everything that was going on. Even though it had been about a year and a half since I read the first book, I was transported right back to that time seamlessly. It was like I had never left.
I loved that this book was told in dual narrative between Logan and Cara even more than I loved it in the first book. I think it was so fitting. And I don't know who I felt worse for- Cara or Logan. I really don't want to spoil anything from book two so I am going to keep this part short and sweet. Kelly Hashway does an excellent job keeping the pace of the book up and keeping emotions running high throughout. I was in a whirlwind of emotion from every character, all the time. The Hunters are still out there and they pose an even bigger looming threat. How will Cara and Logan handle everything? Will they be able to be together once again? Or is it too much to surpass after her rebirth. Out of the Ashes hits the ground running and never lets up. I liked this book even more than the first one, and that is really saying something. What a great fantasy series. I can't wait for book three!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
I have been totally loving reading books in a series back to back. This is the summer of the binge read for me. So I decided to do that with books one and two in the Witch's Child series. So this is a combined review for books one and two in the Witch's Child series by Catherine Egan.
The first two books in the Witch's Child Series by Catherine Egan are Julia Vanishes and Julia Defiant. The books got a beautiful new cover change for the release of the second book. While I really liked the original covers, I love the new covers. I am a big fan of the cover change and now I want to get both books with matching new covers. #BookBloggerProblems lol The Witch's Child series is a really interesting one for me, because it is one of the few series that I ended up liking the second book way, way more than I liked the first book.
I found the first book, Julia Vanishes to be an interesting read, but I found it to be kind of confusing in a lot of places and kind of slow at the beginning. The book picked up a bit as it went on, but it was only an ok read for me. That was not the case at all with the second book. I really enjoyed Julia Defiant. The book takes place in a different location than the first book, which I thought was really interesting. I don't know of too many series that do that, but because of the new location, and some new characters, the whole book felt different to me. Even the writing felt fresh and different.
To be honest, I think Catherine Egan stepped up her game with Julia Defiant...big time. I liked everything about Julia Defiant so much more than the first book. I liked the writing, the setting, and it was less confusing for me because I already had some concept of the world and what kind of witches they were. But there is still so much mystery surrounding the characters that I was continually interested in their adventure. The plot and pacing also felt faster and more exciting in Julia Defiant. You do need to read these books in order, and in Julia Defiant our group of characters sets out to find someone. (I don't want to give too much away.) I really enjoyed the world in created in the witch's child series. You aren't told much, you have to piece together the magic system and who all the players are. That was the tricky, and fun, part of the first book. In this world, most witches cast their spells by writing them down, which I thought was a really cool take on a witch's powers. And witch's are persecuted heavily in this world, so they are all in hiding.
Fans of stories featuring witches and fans of European adventure stories that have a historical feel to them will really enjoy these atmospheric books. They are plot driven novels, and I have to say the second book was really really great. If you read Julia Vanishes, and you didn't fall in love with it, I would really urge you to continue on in the series because I found Julia Defiant to be a better overall story than the first book. I enjoyed it a lot!
blue3.5
Note on the rating: I gave Julia Vanishes 3 stars and Julia defiant 4 stars, which combined is a series rating of 3.5, so far. :)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
I have been totally loving reading books in a series back to back. This is the summer of the binge read for me. So I decided to do that with books one and two in the Witch's Child series. So this is a combined review for books one and two in the Witch's Child series by Catherine Egan.
The first two books in the Witch's Child Series by Catherine Egan are Julia Vanishes and Julia Defiant. The books got a beautiful new cover change for the release of the second book. While I really liked the original covers, I love the new covers. I am a big fan of the cover change and now I want to get both books with matching new covers. #BookBloggerProblems lol The Witch's Child series is a really interesting one for me, because it is one of the few series that I ended up liking the second book way, way more than I liked the first book.
I found the first book, Julia Vanishes to be an interesting read, but I found it to be kind of confusing in a lot of places and kind of slow at the beginning. The book picked up a bit as it went on, but it was only an ok read for me. That was not the case at all with the second book. I really enjoyed Julia Defiant. The book takes place in a different location than the first book, which I thought was really interesting. I don't know of too many series that do that, but because of the new location, and some new characters, the whole book felt different to me. Even the writing felt fresh and different.
To be honest, I think Catherine Egan stepped up her game with Julia Defiant...big time. I liked everything about Julia Defiant so much more than the first book. I liked the writing, the setting, and it was less confusing for me because I already had some concept of the world and what kind of witches they were. But there is still so much mystery surrounding the characters that I was continually interested in their adventure. The plot and pacing also felt faster and more exciting in Julia Defiant. You do need to read these books in order, and in Julia Defiant our group of characters sets out to find someone. (I don't want to give too much away.) I really enjoyed the world in created in the witch's child series. You aren't told much, you have to piece together the magic system and who all the players are. That was the tricky, and fun, part of the first book. In this world, most witches cast their spells by writing them down, which I thought was a really cool take on a witch's powers. And witch's are persecuted heavily in this world, so they are all in hiding.
Fans of stories featuring witches and fans of European adventure stories that have a historical feel to them will really enjoy these atmospheric books. They are plot driven novels, and I have to say the second book was really really great. If you read Julia Vanishes, and you didn't fall in love with it, I would really urge you to continue on in the series because I found Julia Defiant to be a better overall story than the first book. I enjoyed it a lot!
blue3.5
Note on the rating: I gave Julia Vanishes 3 stars and Julia defiant 4 stars, which combined is a series rating of 3.5, so far. :)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs