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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
My Lullaby of You is a young adult contemporary romance by Alia Rose. The blurb for this book said it was perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. After reading My Lullaby of You, I'm not sure I see much Jenny Han in the writing but I definitely see Sarah Dessen. My Lullaby of You is great for a quick beachy read. The characters' story flowed in a very pleasant way, and while this book didn't send me into a spiraling book hangover, it was a nice feel good read.
My Lullaby of You is the summer story of Amy and Seth. I enjoyed watching the interaction between these two. Each of them has their own story to tell, which was my favorite aspect of this novel. We get to know Amy and we get to know Seth and we get to see everything that they are each going through and how those things shape their interactions with each other. Of course, we also get to see a really cute romance form between the two of them, but My Lullaby of You is just as much about individual character development as it is about romantic character development, and that was really nice to see in this young adult novel.
I am going to come right out and say it- I liked Seth more than Amy. Amy can be a bit whiny at times. She struggles with depression and she is having a hard time with the transition between high school and college, but man she did irritate me a time or two. Seth was great though. I really enjoyed him. Seth has gone through a lot , so he seemed a little more mature than Amy, but not by too much. I loved that the story was split between their time together and their own story portions. It was a cool narration technique, and it allowed us to really get to know Seth and Amy.
My one issue was with the pacing of the story. I couldn't really fall into a comfortable rhythm. At times, the story felt too slow. I was urging Amy or Seth to open up more. To tell more of their story. But then again, at other times the things felt a bit too fast or a bit too under developed. I wish a few more of the chapters and scenes were more fleshed out. But overall, the story was cute one. You can easily read this book in one sitting, preferably by the pool or on the beach listening to the waves hit the shore in the background. That is the perfect setting for this summer shore setting.
Bottom line: if you are a fan of Sarah Dessen's romances. That mixture of sweet with a hint of strife/real world stresses, you will really enjoy Alia Rose's novel. My Lullaby of You was a sweet read. One that I enjoyed. It is great for a quick, summer read.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
My Lullaby of You is a young adult contemporary romance by Alia Rose. The blurb for this book said it was perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. After reading My Lullaby of You, I'm not sure I see much Jenny Han in the writing but I definitely see Sarah Dessen. My Lullaby of You is great for a quick beachy read. The characters' story flowed in a very pleasant way, and while this book didn't send me into a spiraling book hangover, it was a nice feel good read.
My Lullaby of You is the summer story of Amy and Seth. I enjoyed watching the interaction between these two. Each of them has their own story to tell, which was my favorite aspect of this novel. We get to know Amy and we get to know Seth and we get to see everything that they are each going through and how those things shape their interactions with each other. Of course, we also get to see a really cute romance form between the two of them, but My Lullaby of You is just as much about individual character development as it is about romantic character development, and that was really nice to see in this young adult novel.
I am going to come right out and say it- I liked Seth more than Amy. Amy can be a bit whiny at times. She struggles with depression and she is having a hard time with the transition between high school and college, but man she did irritate me a time or two. Seth was great though. I really enjoyed him. Seth has gone through a lot , so he seemed a little more mature than Amy, but not by too much. I loved that the story was split between their time together and their own story portions. It was a cool narration technique, and it allowed us to really get to know Seth and Amy.
My one issue was with the pacing of the story. I couldn't really fall into a comfortable rhythm. At times, the story felt too slow. I was urging Amy or Seth to open up more. To tell more of their story. But then again, at other times the things felt a bit too fast or a bit too under developed. I wish a few more of the chapters and scenes were more fleshed out. But overall, the story was cute one. You can easily read this book in one sitting, preferably by the pool or on the beach listening to the waves hit the shore in the background. That is the perfect setting for this summer shore setting.
Bottom line: if you are a fan of Sarah Dessen's romances. That mixture of sweet with a hint of strife/real world stresses, you will really enjoy Alia Rose's novel. My Lullaby of You was a sweet read. One that I enjoyed. It is great for a quick, summer read.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is a young adult fantasy novel, and one of my most anticipated reads of summer 2018. Fantasy romances are my very favorite genre at the moment, and one where the magic travels through kisses...well, how could I not love that book? I am so happy to report that not only was Kiss of the Royal just what I was looking for, it also surprised me in a very good way. Lindsey Duga took pieces of a few fairy tale classics and twisted and turned them into a fantasy novel of epic proportions. While I would really love to revisit the world that Lindsey created in Kiss of the Royal, at the moment I believe this is meant to be a standalone novel. And it is very satisfying as a standalone. It ends in a nice way, but I am so in love with the characters that I would love to read more about them. ::CoughZachCough::
Kiss of the Royal is set in a world where the royals have magic, and their magic is passed through kisses. But don't think romantic kisses, think more of kisses as a way of casting a spell. There are healing spells, and battle strengthening spells, and curse breaking spells. Princesses and Princes are paired up as battle partners to fight all of the evil creatures that seem to be overtaking their realm. It was interesting to see the royals out there as the major battle forces, battling evil. Normally, the royals- save one or two, are locked up in the castle while hordes of troops are out doing most of the fighting, so I liked this change up. But what was the most interesting about Kiss of the Royal was the concept of Love. There are two camps in this novel. The Royals that see love as something that doesn't exist. Kisses are meant to be a conduit for magic and nothing more. Anything else is simply lust. The Royals take a very pragmatic and logical approach to everything and romantic love as no place in their world. Princes and Princesses are carefully bred. And then you have the outlawed romantica...who believe that true love does exist. Learning more about love and how the two cultures viewed it was my favorite part of Kiss of the Royal. And it is a part of the story line that grows and unfolds more and more as the story progresses. I loved how Lindsey Duga developed it. It was great.
Princess Ivy has the strongest kiss in the land and Prince Zach is the strongest swordsman in the realm so when they are paired up to go on an epic adventure, I was hooked. I loved watching Zach and Ivy interact. I'm not going to lie, Zach was totally my favorite. I found myself really hoping to read some chapters from his point of view. but The Kiss of the Royal is told entirely from Ivy's point of view.
Kiss of the Royal really had it all. It has an epic adventure with tons of evil creatures, great battle scenes and plenty of kissing magic, but it also has so much more. It has a wonderfully developed plotline and great character interaction. I loved the connection between Zach and Ivy and I loved watching it grow into more. Kiss of the Royal gave me everything I was craving from a fantasy romance and then some. The twists and turns in this book surprised me more than once. Awesome job Lindsey Duga. She is an author that I cannot wait to see more from. And Zach is totally making my top 10 list of 2018 book boyfriends. I heart him.
Bottom line: If you are a fan of epic fantasies, with a dose of romance, Kiss of the Royal is a book you do not want to miss. It is a standalone, but I would love to see more books set in this world. (or heck even some scenes from Zach's point of view.) Kiss of the Royal is a romantic fantasy adventure that I completely loved. And I think you will too.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is a young adult fantasy novel, and one of my most anticipated reads of summer 2018. Fantasy romances are my very favorite genre at the moment, and one where the magic travels through kisses...well, how could I not love that book? I am so happy to report that not only was Kiss of the Royal just what I was looking for, it also surprised me in a very good way. Lindsey Duga took pieces of a few fairy tale classics and twisted and turned them into a fantasy novel of epic proportions. While I would really love to revisit the world that Lindsey created in Kiss of the Royal, at the moment I believe this is meant to be a standalone novel. And it is very satisfying as a standalone. It ends in a nice way, but I am so in love with the characters that I would love to read more about them. ::CoughZachCough::
Kiss of the Royal is set in a world where the royals have magic, and their magic is passed through kisses. But don't think romantic kisses, think more of kisses as a way of casting a spell. There are healing spells, and battle strengthening spells, and curse breaking spells. Princesses and Princes are paired up as battle partners to fight all of the evil creatures that seem to be overtaking their realm. It was interesting to see the royals out there as the major battle forces, battling evil. Normally, the royals- save one or two, are locked up in the castle while hordes of troops are out doing most of the fighting, so I liked this change up. But what was the most interesting about Kiss of the Royal was the concept of Love. There are two camps in this novel. The Royals that see love as something that doesn't exist. Kisses are meant to be a conduit for magic and nothing more. Anything else is simply lust. The Royals take a very pragmatic and logical approach to everything and romantic love as no place in their world. Princes and Princesses are carefully bred. And then you have the outlawed romantica...who believe that true love does exist. Learning more about love and how the two cultures viewed it was my favorite part of Kiss of the Royal. And it is a part of the story line that grows and unfolds more and more as the story progresses. I loved how Lindsey Duga developed it. It was great.
Princess Ivy has the strongest kiss in the land and Prince Zach is the strongest swordsman in the realm so when they are paired up to go on an epic adventure, I was hooked. I loved watching Zach and Ivy interact. I'm not going to lie, Zach was totally my favorite. I found myself really hoping to read some chapters from his point of view. but The Kiss of the Royal is told entirely from Ivy's point of view.
Kiss of the Royal really had it all. It has an epic adventure with tons of evil creatures, great battle scenes and plenty of kissing magic, but it also has so much more. It has a wonderfully developed plotline and great character interaction. I loved the connection between Zach and Ivy and I loved watching it grow into more. Kiss of the Royal gave me everything I was craving from a fantasy romance and then some. The twists and turns in this book surprised me more than once. Awesome job Lindsey Duga. She is an author that I cannot wait to see more from. And Zach is totally making my top 10 list of 2018 book boyfriends. I heart him.
Bottom line: If you are a fan of epic fantasies, with a dose of romance, Kiss of the Royal is a book you do not want to miss. It is a standalone, but I would love to see more books set in this world. (or heck even some scenes from Zach's point of view.) Kiss of the Royal is a romantic fantasy adventure that I completely loved. And I think you will too.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Up to You is the fourth book in the new adult contemporary romance, Love with Altitude series by Daisy Prescott. Each of the books in the series can be read as standalone contemporary romances. I read, and really enjoyed the third book in the Love with Altitude series, Wild For You. I also really enjoyed Daisy's Wingman series, so I knew that I was going to enjoy Up to You. Daisy is a feel good contemporary author that never fails to put me in a better mood. and Up to You did not disappoint.
I will be the first to admit that I am a sucker for anything involving a wedding at the moment. I mean, I always have loved a good fake relationship/need a date to a wedding book, but now that I am actually planning my wedding, I am extra excited about wedding storylines. (go figure!) Up to You is the story of Mae, Landon and Aiden. Yes, there is a love triangle going on in this novel, but it was so much fun. I love a good love triangle, but if you do not, then this might not be the book for you. Landon is the wild guy with a wild reputation to match, and Aiden is his sweet brother. I am a sucker for a good guy, so it should be no surprise that I really favored Aiden in this story. I like Landon, but up against Aiden it was no contest for me.
Other than the romance, Up to You is full of great humor and lovable characters, two things I have come to expect and appreciate about Daisy Prescott's romances. Mae and her friends were great. We get to see more of Mara, Zoe and Sage. I love this type of series set up for contemporary romances. I really love interconnected standalones, where we get to watch the love stories unfold for a group of friends because I love to revisit characters and check in to see how they are doing after their main story is complete. It's so much fun, which is the perfect way to describe Daisy's books. They are so much fun to read. I need to go and read books 1 and 2 in the Love with Altitude series because I have thoroughly enjoyed books 3 and now 4. This is a perfect summer romance series. If you haven't read these books yet, you are in for a treat. Be sure to give them a try!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Up to You is the fourth book in the new adult contemporary romance, Love with Altitude series by Daisy Prescott. Each of the books in the series can be read as standalone contemporary romances. I read, and really enjoyed the third book in the Love with Altitude series, Wild For You. I also really enjoyed Daisy's Wingman series, so I knew that I was going to enjoy Up to You. Daisy is a feel good contemporary author that never fails to put me in a better mood. and Up to You did not disappoint.
I will be the first to admit that I am a sucker for anything involving a wedding at the moment. I mean, I always have loved a good fake relationship/need a date to a wedding book, but now that I am actually planning my wedding, I am extra excited about wedding storylines. (go figure!) Up to You is the story of Mae, Landon and Aiden. Yes, there is a love triangle going on in this novel, but it was so much fun. I love a good love triangle, but if you do not, then this might not be the book for you. Landon is the wild guy with a wild reputation to match, and Aiden is his sweet brother. I am a sucker for a good guy, so it should be no surprise that I really favored Aiden in this story. I like Landon, but up against Aiden it was no contest for me.
Other than the romance, Up to You is full of great humor and lovable characters, two things I have come to expect and appreciate about Daisy Prescott's romances. Mae and her friends were great. We get to see more of Mara, Zoe and Sage. I love this type of series set up for contemporary romances. I really love interconnected standalones, where we get to watch the love stories unfold for a group of friends because I love to revisit characters and check in to see how they are doing after their main story is complete. It's so much fun, which is the perfect way to describe Daisy's books. They are so much fun to read. I need to go and read books 1 and 2 in the Love with Altitude series because I have thoroughly enjoyed books 3 and now 4. This is a perfect summer romance series. If you haven't read these books yet, you are in for a treat. Be sure to give them a try!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Holy Cow! That's what I have to say about Dive Smack. Dive Smack is a young adult physiological thriller by author Demetra Brodsky, and this book totally blew my mind. It has been awhile since I have read a thriller. I have been in a big fantasy kick lately, but it was really nice to switch things up and dive into this twisty thriller that really grab s a hold of you. I don't love to read a ton of physiological thrillers, but I am always on the lookout for a good one. One that keeps you thinking long after you turned the last page. And that is what Dive Smack was. Demetra Brodsky did a fantastic job with this debut novel!
My favorite part of Dive Smack were the characters. Theo is fantastic. Watching the toll this plot takes on him and watching the plot unravel and progress was fascinating. Dive smack started out a little slow, but boy oh boy is it a novel that really builds. It just keeps getting better and better until there is a huge climax at the end of the story. I was left rethinking everything by the time Dive Smack ended, which is exactly what I am looking for in a physiological thriller. If you are like me and are always on the lookout for a good physiological thriller in the young adult age group, look no further than Dive Smack. I really enjoyed the experience that was Dive Smack.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Holy Cow! That's what I have to say about Dive Smack. Dive Smack is a young adult physiological thriller by author Demetra Brodsky, and this book totally blew my mind. It has been awhile since I have read a thriller. I have been in a big fantasy kick lately, but it was really nice to switch things up and dive into this twisty thriller that really grab s a hold of you. I don't love to read a ton of physiological thrillers, but I am always on the lookout for a good one. One that keeps you thinking long after you turned the last page. And that is what Dive Smack was. Demetra Brodsky did a fantastic job with this debut novel!
My favorite part of Dive Smack were the characters. Theo is fantastic. Watching the toll this plot takes on him and watching the plot unravel and progress was fascinating. Dive smack started out a little slow, but boy oh boy is it a novel that really builds. It just keeps getting better and better until there is a huge climax at the end of the story. I was left rethinking everything by the time Dive Smack ended, which is exactly what I am looking for in a physiological thriller. If you are like me and are always on the lookout for a good physiological thriller in the young adult age group, look no further than Dive Smack. I really enjoyed the experience that was Dive Smack.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs