**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Awkward is a standalone romance by author Lily Kate. I have read one of Lily Kate's other books, and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this best friends romance about an awkward doctor, I knew I had to read it. Awkward is kind of my thing. Plus, I really do enjoy best friends romances. Awkward was a really fun read. Great for fans of funny slow burn romances with lots of mishaps and plenty of heart. 

Awkward is the story of Dr. Jack Darcy and his best friend Allie. I loved watching Allie and jack together. Allie is trying to help Jack become less awkward around new women, so he can find his match. But of course both Jack and Allie have feelings for each other and they haven't acted on them because they are oblivious to the other one. If I am honest with myself, this is my least favorite set up for a best friends romance trope, because most of the time it is so obvious. I feel like the characters would have to know how the other felt. So while Awkward did have a fair bit of obliviousness between Jack and Allie, it didn't bug me much because the story line of this novel was so much fun. I devoured this book in one afternoon! 

My favorite part about Awkward was how good of friends Jack and Allie actually are. They have a genuine connection. I love that they have chinese food every Sunday and that they know each other so well. Awkward's premise is that Allie is trying to set Jack up with women and help coach him on being less awkward on dates. And there are a few dates that Jack goes on, but a large part of the story is the in between times where Jack and Allie are hanging out, which I really loved. It was pretty much all about them. Lily Kate has a very easy writing style in her books. They feel conversational and fun. She also has a knack for writing humor. I have really enjoyed both of her books. They put me in a great mood and the romance is always really satisfying. I can't wait to read more from Lily. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Batman is the second book in the DC Icons series. Each of the books in the DC Icons series is written by a different author, and it features the origin story of some of the biggest superheroes (and villains) in the DC universe. I am such a huge fan of all things DC and Marvel and I love origin stories, so this series was made for me. I still need to read the first book, Wonder Woman. Now that I have read and enjoyed Batman so much, I know that Wonder Woman will be coming up on my TBR pile shortly. Batman was everything I wanted it to be. It was fun and it was really cool to see a younger, and super nice Bruce Wayne.

I have a bit of a confession to make. Batman is my first Marie Lu book. Yes, I know! Please don't throw tomatoes or rocks. I have a bunch of her books, but I haven't read any of them. But fear not! That will all be changing soon because Marie Lu pulled me right into Gotham and held my attention until the very last page. I love Bruce Wayne. He is such a good guy. And you all know how much I love a good guy. It takes a lot for a bad boy to win me over (unless they have marshmallow for their insides) but Bruce is good through and through. He just has this internal urge to save people, which you can tell right from his first scene. I have never read the Batman comics, but I have seen the movies and tv shows centering around this icon so I do know enough about his world to have some expectations going in. And Marie Lu did not disappoint. I loved the exploration of all the Wayne Industries safety tech, and I loved that we got to see some familiar faces to the batman world. Of course we got to see Alfred, and we also got to see Harvey Dent as one of Bruce's best friends. 

But other than Bruce himself, my favorite character in the book was Madeleine. She intrigued me right from the very start. The first scene of the book is actually from her point of view, and she is one interesting girl. Bruce meets her at Arkham Asylum, where he is doing community service. Let me tell you, Madeleine is brilliantly creepy. That girl is always thinking. I loved her, as long as I am not on her bad side. She made the story extra interesting for me. 

Overall, Batman delivered everything I wanted. I got to learn more about Bruce Wayne. I loved Marie Lu's depiction of him, and I loved her rendering of Gotham. This was a book that I easily lost myself in. It had great characters and was an overall great time. Fans of superheroes books and of origin stories do not want to miss this one. Check out the DC Icons series if you have not already. Two books have already been released (Wonderwoman and Batman) and up next is Catwoman: Soul stealer by Sarah J. Maas!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Dear Dwayne, With Love is a standalone romantic comedy by the hilariously funny Eliza Gordon. Eliza's book, Must Love Otters is one of my favorite romantic comedies. It is so seriously awesome, I recommend it to everyone. I am such a big fan of her books, that I read them all! She never fails to crack me. Her books always feature relateable, quirky characters and an adorable heart racing romance. They are the epitome of funny, feel good reads. And Dear Dwayne, With Love is no different.

I was drawn into this story from the very first page. Dear Dwayne is the story of Dani, a girl who is a self proclaimed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson fanatic. She has been writing letters to Dwayne for the better portion of her teenage and adult life. Let me tell you, her letters completely cracked me up. She even forms responses and has conversations with Dwayne in her head, which are equally funny. We get to watch as Dani balances her real life with fantasy life with Dwayne, but don't worry. Dani is not just a crazy person, soon she embarks on a fitness journey (end goal: meet Dwayne, obviously.) but she finds love along the way.

I just love Dani. I love everything about her. The best part about Eliza Gordon's books are that her writing is hilarious and she writes the best characters. Characters you just can't help but love. I don't want to reveal too much about this book because watching Dani find herself is part of the fun. I will admit there was a point at about 15% into the story, that I was having a great time. The writing was super funny and I was really engaged, but I did think to myself, what is the point of this story? And that is what I want you to find out for yourself. Trust me, by the end of the journey you will have laughed your butt off! Dear Dwayne, With Love is just what expect from Eliza Gordon's books- funny, smart romances. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Winner Take All is a young adult contemporary by Laurie Devore. It was a really interesting read for me. There were parts of it that I liked and parts of the story that I didn't love as much, but I will say one thing about this novel, it really made me think. Even the characters that I didn't love, made me think. And for that, I enjoyed Winner Take All. It was different than I expected, but not necessarily in a bad way. Winner Take All was a very entertaining read that made me think a lot about double standards that exist in our society today.

Winner Take All is the story an extremely competitive main character. Nell wants to be the best at everything. Nell is a very polarizing character. I can see readers either really liking her or really disliking her. Personally, I liked Nell. I liked that she is who she is. No, she is not perfect. Yes, she can be brash and abrasive at times, but she owns who she is. And we got to see a lot of great character growth with Nell throughout the course of the story. I felt like I really got to know her and get a feel for what was going on inside of her head. I was rooting for Nell.

And hey, I liked her more than Jackson. Jackson had his moments, and I came to appreciate him as a character, but man oh man did he get on my nerves at times. One thing that was unexpected for me was the sexiness of the book. I didn't expect it to be quite so saucy. It was a pleasant surprise for me, but be warned for some of the younger readers. I would recommend Winner Take All for upper young adult readers due to the mature nature of more than a few scenes. (If you like that sort of thing, let me tell you...you will really like this.) 

Winner Take All is set in high school, and it really delves into a lot of the double standards that exist for males and females. That was my favorite part of the book. Yes, I liked the romance and I loved the competitive natures of the characters, but this book was thought provoking as well. Plus, I love a good rivalry. Overall, I had moments of annoyance with Winner Take All, but I ended up really enjoying this one. I can't wait to see what other readers think of Nell, so let me know. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
S.T.A.G.S. is a young adult mystery thriller by author M.A. Bennett. In case you didn't know, S.T.A.G.S. stands for St. Aidan the Great School, is a book that is touted to be awesome for fans of The Secret History and Pretty Little Liars. I am a big fan of both of those books, so that coupled with the boarding school setting, I was pretty pumped for S.T.A.G.S. And S.T.A.G.S. delivered on what it promised, a twisty thriller. And though S.T.A.G.S. is set at a boarding school, a bulk of the novel took place at a country manor where this "hunting" weekend is set to take place.

I loved the premise of S.T.A.G.S. I think that was my favorite aspect of the story.  And the writing and storyline were both excellent. They kept my attention the entire time and I loved the eerie feeling of the story. But the characters didn't always live up to the plot in my opinion. I liked Greer well enough, but I didn't completely love her. And I not entirely sure why. There wasn't anything I could pinpoint that I really disliked. I was just way more invested in the storyline than I was the characters.

But the storyline was pretty great. I loved the way the story is presented. Pretty early on we learn about a murder and we also know the murderer, which is totally unique. (It kind of reminded me of episodes of the tv show Monk, where we watch the murder take place, and then we spend the rest of the episode finding out the how and the why.) We didn't know the why, which had me totally intrigued. And I have to say, I really really enjoyed watching this story unfold. MA Bennett did a really great job making it very interesting. It does seem reminiscent of The Secret History by Donna Tart. 

Overall, Plot driven readers will likely enjoy this suspense thriller. The setting was great and the writing was excellent. There were many areas of the plot and mystery game that I absolutely loved, but I don't want to get into specifics because they are every much a part of the plot that gets revealed as Greer and her friend pulls back some layers and dive into the mystery. It is worth discovering for yourself. I liked the characters well enough, but I wasn't completely won over by them all. Fans of this book will be excited to find out that it is going to be made into a movie. I am really excited for this news because I think it will translate really well to the big screen.  

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Midnight Sea is the first in the young adult fantasy series, called The Fourth Element, by Kat Ross. The Midnight Sea is what I would describe as high fantasy, and I loved it. It kind of reminded me of the Storm Siren trilogy by Mary Weber. Kat Ross creates a rich fantasy world, full of new and scary creatures, lots of magical powers, and an intricately woven plot that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. (and then maybe even longer because there is a cliff hanger on this one.)

The Midnight Sea is the story of Nazafareen, and her "good" daeva, or demon, Darius. In this world they use the good demons, or demons who have been trained in the way of the light to defeat the bad demons- the Druj. Humans with powers, or the capability of having powers (I was a little unclear as to this part) are linked with a daeva, which creates a bond between them and their powers. It makes them stronger, allowing them to kill the Druj. But in the case of Nazafareen and Darius it also caused them to get closer and closer with one another. I loved this aspect of The Midnight Sea. It made for a really great, slow burn romance.

My only gripe about the story is that I wish it came with a glossary of terms and a map at the start of the story. Kat Ross has created a very intricate world with a lot of moving parts and new names, and I would have loved to have some context before I started reading. She does give a note to the readers at the end of the story that explain where in history we can place this story, and I loved that extra, but I think it would have worked better at the start of a story...with a map. Maybe it is just me, but I believe that every fantasy story should come with a map of the world. It helps me visualize as I am reading.

The Midnight Sea was a story that surprised me at the start, in the middle and again at the end. There were lots of plot twists woven into the story, some that I totally did not see coming at all! Fans of fantasy books will love this one. Do not miss The Midnight Sea. I can't wait for the next book in the Fourth Element series.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Nocturne is the first book in the fourth talisman series by Kat Ross. I really love Kat Ross' books. There should be a big ole disclaimer on this review though. Although Nocturne is the first book in a series, it is really a follow up series to Kat Ross' Fourth Element trilogy. Though you might be able to read this series without having read The Fourth Element trilogy, I am not sure that I would recommend it. There are some spoilers for events that happen in the previous series. I think these books are best read in order. Plus, The fourth Element series is a really awesome fantasy series that is perfect for fans of The City of Brass. And even better, the whole trilogy happens to be on sale right now for only 99 cents! 

Nocturne follows Nazafareen after the events of Queen of Chaos leaves off. I can't really get into much about those events without spoiling the previous trilogy, so let's keep it vague. Nazafareen is now in the foreign land of Nocturne, which is the land of eternal darkness. I actually love the lands of Solis and Nocturne even more than the world from the first trilogy. I just found their magic spellbinding and the setup is so unique. A land of endless sun and one of endless night. The only spoiler I will give you is that Nazafareen has forgotten much of her past and she is trying to get some answers to unlock her past. 

I loved that we got to see some of the same characters, like Nazafareen and Darius, as well as some new ones.  Plus, I really love it when there is a character that I cna love to hate. And boy have I hated some crazies in this series! When I think back on Nazafareen and Darius in these four novels, I just get so excited at their progression. Even with the setback of Nazafareen's forgetfulness I still love them so much! Nazafareen and Darius feel like old friends of mine and I eat up every word that Kat Ross has to write about them. I think both the Fourth Element and the Fourth Talisman series is perfect for fans of City of Brass by SA Chakraborty, which was one of my favorite reads of 2017. I love getting to know daevas and the rich magical atmosphere that Kat Ross so expertly crafts. Her books never let me down. 

And now for the hard part. As much as I loved the characters, I have to say the plot in this story stole the show. (Which is something for me to say, since you all know I am such a character driven reader.) But I could not put this book down. I want to bow down to Kat. This book seriously rocked! I loved it, I loved it, I loved it. I cannot wait for more.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Beauty That Remains is the debut young adult novel by Ashley Woodfolk. The Beauty That Remains is powerful book featuring wonderfully diverse characters. It is a realistic fiction piece about how people deal with loss differently, and also about how this new era of social media can shape the grieving process. I really enjoyed this novel. I found it to be so multi faceted, and so interestingly put together. I think this is a great book to recommend to reads of realistic contemporary fiction. Ashley Woodfolk is a wonderful new voice in young adult literature. 

The Beauty That Remains is told in three different point of views, following our three main characters- Autumn, Shay, and Logan. Each of our main characters has lost someone close to them. Autumn lost her best friend, Shay lost her twin sister and Logan lost his ex-boyfriend. There were a few things that I really loved about this novel. First, I loved the diversity in the cast of characters, and I loved how each of their journeys were distinct but merged together in a really beautiful way. Having the book told in each of their points of views, really allowed the reader to get to know everyone really well and we got to see inside their heads and see how they were coping with their loss.

Second, I really loved the format that The Beauty That Remains is told in. Social media has invaded almost every single aspect of our life, and our social media does not just disappear after we pass away. I thought it was really smart to incorporate various social medias and use them to showcase how grieve is changing in this technological and very public world. The Beauty That Remains is told in a multitude of formats, including traditional conversations but also in various emails, gchat, and comments from our main characters to their loved ones. This was a really interesting look at how social media has affected the grieving process. I think the format of The Beauty That Remains was my favorite part of the story. I also loved the thread of music that wove the characters together. Watching each of their journeys overlap was bittersweet but it was also beautiful and realistically raw. 

Overall, The Beauty That Remains is a really thought provoking bittersweet novel. I loved the way music and social media through the mixed formats were incorporated into the story. This was a really beautiful and power debut novel from Ashley Woodfolk. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what she thinks up next. 



This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Dating Debate is the first book in the Dating Dilemmas series by Chris Cannon. The Dating Debate is a young adult contemporary romance. I have read Chris Cannon's other young adult series, the Going Down in Flames series, which is a young adult paranormal romance. I really love that series, so I was excited to read something completely different from this author. The Dating Debate was a super quick read that was light, fluffy and a lot of fun. The Dating Debate is perfect for when you are looking for a quick fun book that you can easily finish in one afternoon.

The Dating Debate follows our spunky main character, Nina. Nina is an unapologetic bookworm, which I totally loved about her. She cracked me up when she found out that her next door neighbor, West was "fluent in Harry Potter", which was so obviously a major plus in all bookworms books. Nina cracks me up. She is spunky and adorable and she really loved debating, over everything. Which, in some of her arguments makes her seem more than a little stubborn and a tad immature, but overall she was a pretty age appropriate character.

West is a great guy. I really liked him, and I loved the added illness he was dealing with, with his mom. It is a topic I haven't seen addressed in many young adult books, and the secret he was keeping was an interesting one. Honestly, I was pretty intrigued to see how that aspect of the story was going to play out. But the main focus of The Dating Debate is the romance between Nina and West. It starts out as a way for both of them to avoid going to a valentines day dance with people that they don't like, but it turns into a really nice and natural relationship between the two of them. I loved that Nina and West just started hanging out more. It wasn't so much about a fake relationship as it was the start of a real friendship. It was really cute.

Bottom line: The Dating Debate is a great reader for younger YA readers. It is a cute romance that has a fast paced plot with adorably quirky characters. There are moments of immaturity, but overall this was a very fun read.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs