**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Court of Memories is the second book in the forbidden queen series by author Dyan Chick. The forbidden queen series is a fae based fantasy romance series, and it does pick up right where the first book ends off. So you do need to read this series in order. I read the first book just a few months ago, and it did take me a minute to gain my bearings back into this world again. (because 2018 has been the year of fae romances for me. I just can't get enough of them!) I will also say, that the forbidden queen series is a reverse harem romance, so there are multiple love interests in this book. If that is something that bugs you or is not up your alley, then this might not be  the series for you. But I also have to say, I have really been enjoying reverse harem books this year. The power of five series is one of my favorite series of all time, and they are not all about sex. (at least not the series I have been reading. There are some like that, I'm sure.) Court of Memories was way better than the first book in the series, Court of Secrets. I feel like we not only got to know the characters better, but we also had a lot of plot progression in this book. Things are getting really, really interesting in this series. 

In Court of Memories, we are still on a journey with Cassia and four fae princes- each from one of the different courts, Dane from Summer, Tristan from Winter, Cormac from Autumn and Ethan from Spring court. Cassia was a changeling that was left in the human realm, and now that she is back in the fae realm she is like a magnet to all kinds of beasties because of her untapped, untrained magic. I love getting to know each of the princes the best, and learning more and more about their secrets. There are also lots of cool fae court politics and secrets galore as they all progress on their journey to speak to the Queen. 

Court of Memories set us up for a fantastic book 3. I will say, that I did see some of the surprises coming, but the book was still so much fun. And there were a few things with the winter prince that surprised me, and some powers that I can't wait to learn more about. I'm not sure how many books there will be in this series, but I am guessing 3 or 4. Court of Memories left me totally ready for the next book. I think we are going to get more answers and there will certainly be a lot more action and intrigue in the books to come. I have a special spot in my heart for all of the princes, but Cormac and Tristan are currently my favorites. But who knows, as I get to know each of the princes more, my favorite may very well change. If you are a fan of fae romances, the Forbidden Queen series is a fun one. Each of the books are quick read that you can easily finish in one day. The first book was only ok in my opinion, but the second book was much better! Bring on book 3! I have a feeling I am going to like that one best of all!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Match Me if you Can  is a standalone young adult contemporary romance by Tiana Smith. In fact, Match me if you Can is Tiana's debut novel, which blew me away. I loved this book. It was super cute, and even though it was pretty predictable and the characters could be a bit immature, it was a great time from start to finish for me. Match Me if you Can is a new twist on the matchmakers trope that I always seem to enjoy. Match Me if you Can is also a retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Here, our main character is not the matchmaker, but rather her best friend is a well respected match maker at her high school. Our main character, Mia hijaccks her friend Robyn's match making email to set herself up with her crush. 

I loved all of the characters in this book. I thought they were age appropriate and all well developed. Mia, Robyn, Logan and Vince all really captured my heart.  But Logan most of all. Let me set the stage for you. Mia likes Vince, the popular soccer player. Vince saw how well match making worked for his best friend, so he writes in to Robyn and requests to be matched. Mia jumps on Robyn's email and matches herself with Vince. Insert Logan who has had a crush on Mia for forever, a looming prom (complete with promposals galore!) and you have a wayy too cute young adult high school rom com that I simply could not put down. 

I loved how up front Logan was with Mia the whole time. She was an idiot for not being #TeamLogan from the start, but Vince was also a nice guy and Mia was a teenager with hearts in her eyes, so I get it...kinda. I was just so smitten with sweet Logan that Vince never did it for me. But watching the comedy of errors play out was fun nonetheless. I loved seeing Mia figure out which guy was the right guy. If you are a fan of really sweet and cute high school based romantic comedies, I think Match me if you can is a must read. I loved it! I am already lining up for Tiana Smith's next book, Not Up for Debate, which is being pitched as a young adult you've got mail. Heck yes!! I need that book in my life right now. Tiana Smith- you have a new fan in me. :) 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Fallback is a new adult contemporary romance by Mariah Dietz. I know it is early in 2019, but I can already tell this book is going to be a favorite of the year. It just had everything I was looking for in a book. I read it one day because I just could. not. put. it. down. And this book clocks in on 465 pages, so it isn't what I would call short. It just came out this week, and you all need to run, not walk to grab a copy. If you like romantic comedy types reads that are a pinch of The Devil Wears Prada and dash of The Wedding Planner, I absolutely loved The Fallback. I fell in love with the characters, and their romance was super sweet. This novel was a lot of fun.

Brooke is an event planner at a very well respected Chicago firm. The book starts off on a very personal level with Brooke. I felt like we really got to know her even before Levi ever entered the scene, which I really appreciated. But once Levi did enter the story, I was hooked. There was no looking back for me. Though the book certainly had predictable moments, it totally delivered on everything it promised; great characters and a great romance. I loved watching Levi and Brooke, especially once she learned of his connection to her boss. I can so easily see this story translate to a rom com movie. I also loved Brooke's blog. That was a great side story line for the book, and an awesome way to get an insight into Brooke figuring out who she was as a single woman. It led to some excellent character growth and development.

If you like cute romantic comedies with a wonderfully sweet connection and slow burn romance, the Fallback is a must read for you. I know it is going to be a big contender for best books of 2019 and Levi is totally topping the chart of favorite book boyfriends. This is the first book I have read by Mariah Dietz, but it certainly won't be the last. I can't wait to read more of her work.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Analiese Rising is a young adult fantasy romance by Brenda Drake. I love Brenda's Library Jumper series hardcore, so I was super excited to see a new novel come out from her. Analiese Rising is a standalone novel, but I can easily see a sequel, spin off or companion novel come from this world and these characters, and I really hope we do get to see more into this world. It is no secret that I am a huge fan of mythology, and the awesome thing about Analiese Rising is that this book does not only incorporate one  area of mythology, but instead pulls in gods and goddesses from all types and aspects of myth from many different cultures, which was really cool.

I loved that this book set us off on an instant adventure with our main character, Analiese, who finds out that she is a descendant of a god of death. She runs into a stranger that hands her a mysterious list of names. And one of the names is her own. He then tells her that she is in trouble and that she needs to find his grandson and deliver a package to him. I love instant adventure/quest type stories because they immediately draw you in and hook you, which is exactly what happened to me with Analiese Rising. I was gripped from pretty much the first page, which is a big deal. No slow build here. On her journey to figure out why she is sent to deliver a bag to a stranger's grandson, Analiese uncovers a whole new world of magic and mythology. Along the way she meets Merek (the grandson) and their adventure was filled with so much fun. It had Percy Jackson and Meg Cabot's Abandon series vibes, but on a more diverse mythological scale.

Analiese learns more about her powers and about who she is throughout the story as well, which was pretty cool. She is  a Riser, which means she has the power to raise the dead. I loved learning about her powers, and seeing her uncover some other secrets about Risers and the Gods. Though there were a few cringe worthy moments with the characters, and although the ending felt a bit rushed to me (which is part of why I am hoping for another book in this world!) I really enjoyed the adventure and the romance. Merek is awesome! I think a ton of characters will love him instantly. Analiese Rising is a really fun romantic fantasy. Perfect for fans of mythology.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Please Note: This is the fourth and final book in the Power of Five series and this series needs to be read in order. 
If you are new to the series, check out my review of Power of Five, my review of Mistake of Magic  and my review of Trial of Three for more information

Lera of Lunos is the fourth and final book in the new adult fantasy romance Power of Five series by Alex Lidell. You all know how much I LOVE this series! It is one of my favorite series of all time. Of all time people!  I feel like this is the type of series that I can read over and over again and love it just the same every time. Even though I have unequivocally loved all three of the other books, I was super nervous to start Lera of Lunos. Not because I didn't think I wouldn't love the book, but because I was not ready for the series to end. (I hate reading the last book in series. Am I the only one?)  Finally I pulled on my big girl panties and started reading this book, and of course, once I did, there was no turning back for me. I loved this book. Books one and three were still my favorite in the series, but this series as a whole is so good. So so good. 

In case you are new to this series, Power of Five series  is a fae fantasy and it is the story of a group of four elite fae warriors, who have been searching for years for the fifth member that will complete their warrior quint. They are all shock to find it is a human girl named Lera. Lera and her fae are forced to undergo the trials that all quints must face in order to become a warrior unit. We also get to explore more about the magic that binds Lera's quint together and the uniqueness of their bond. I love unraveling the secrets of this world. In the last book, we got to see a reveal of who the big bad villian was, and we had a very action packed ending. The action continues on in Lera of Lunos, with Lera having to explore more of her weaving abilities. 

Another great aspect of this novel is that we finally got to see more to Tye. In the first three novels, Tye was a big jokester. So much so, you might think that is all there is to his character. But you would be so very wrong to think that. We really get to take a look into Tye's past and learn more about why he is the way he is. And his conection with Lera finally deepens past the easy go lucky feel good guy. Tye has depth, and it was really nice to finally be able to see that. I am still holing firm with Coal as my favorite, but really the whole quint together is pure magic. Each of the guys, as well as Lera, bring something different to the quint as a whole. I love seeing them work together and just seeing them interact together. They do a great job at balancing each other out. And speaking of balance- Lera of Lunos was a great balance of story progression, crazy action, surprises and romance. I wish this book was much, much longer, but I was happy with the way everything turned out. I am still holding out hope for a bonus fifth book about Lera and her guys, but I don't have any indication from the author that will be happening. (but please do make it happen Alex! Pleassssseeeeeee!!!!) 

Fans of new adult fantasy romances do not want to miss this series because it will soon join your favorites shelf. As a reminder, there are multiple love interests in this series, but if you are unsure of how that will play out, just read the book! I promise you will be a convert and you will immediately fall in love with Lera, River, Coal, Tye, and Shade. I cannot get enough of this series! Everyone needs to read it immediately. (It is free on Kindle unlimited, so if you are a KU member, go grab this book this instant! If you are not a kindle unlimited member, still grab book 1- it is free on amazon right now!) One of my favorite reads of 2018 and 2019 and one of my favorite series of all time! This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

The Darkest Part of the Forest is a book that I have been dying to read for a long time. And a lot of that had to do with the cover. I still sometimes get lost just looking at it. I love it that much. Plus, I was really loving the fact that this book is a standalone. And I did end up liking the book...just...not as much as I thought I would. Now, I haven't read too many reviews for the Darkest Part of the Forest so I have no idea whether I will be in the minority or majority, but I will attempt to convey my kind of confused relationship with this book.

I absolutely LOVED the way the book started and the way the book ended. In kind of an anonymous third person narrative that felt like the start of a fairy tale narration. "deep in the middle of the forest, there was a boy..." That kind of thing. But it was very well done at grabbing your attention right off the bat. I really wanted to know what the deal was with the sleeping boy. I was pumped, this was going to be such a cool story. But then it got a little bumpy from there. And don't get me wrong, it still was a cool story. But within the first few chapters, a lot is thrown at the reader. Names, and things, and concepts that you just have no idea what they mean or what they are. It is a lot to get at once. And I get that this was a special kind of town, where things were never really normal. I liked the concept of the town. Humans mixed with fairies and creatures in the forest. It reminded me of the Hansel and Gretel : witch hunters movie or Grimm Brothers movie.

Holly Black did a great job with the setting and scenery descriptions in the story. I felt like I could really picture the town of Fairfold and the forest creatures, but I had a bit of trouble connecting with the characters. The pacing seemed off in that regard. Sometimes I felt like the story was going by too fast with not enough detail and sometimes I was just plain bored while reading. I could never fall into my reading stride, where time ceased to exist and I could read for hours and have it feel like minutes. I felt all of the minutes and hours it took me to read The Darkest Park of the Forest.

The underlying story plot, with the monster within the forest was the most interesting part of the story. That and Hazel's "hunting". Both of those things were the reasons why I wanted to keep reading The Darkest Part of the Forest.  I loved the background information on the monster and I loved the way all of the secondary characters and villains connected and came together. The story reveals itself all in due time and for that I was grateful. I thought the tale that Holly Black told was a creative one, but the pacing was a miss for me and made it hard for me to completely fall in love with this book. But I can see a ton of people loving the world that Holly Black has created here, and loving the twisted creatures of Fairfold. So, if you like the Fairfolk and you like dark, but not really so dark undertones to the story, then The Darkest Part of the Forest is the book for you!

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**

Kill Code is a romantic suspense novel by author Luna Kayne. It is the first book in a trilogy. I enjoyed Kill Code. I thought some parts of the beginning were a bit slow, but overall this book was a good foundation for what is going to be an eventful trilogy. And Kill Code definitely was a novel that built as it went on. The ending was more than I expected. It certainly set us up for an interesting second novel. Kill Code follows a special forces team in search of a group of hackers. I love anything involving hackers, so I was excited to learn more about what was going on.

I liked the characters, and the romance was certainly pretty steamy in parts. I liked the balance of the romantic elements with the obvious suspenseful atmosphere throughout the story. I really liked that this was a reunion of sorts for our main characters. It was cool that Jessa and jack knew each other from several years back. They were both great main characters, especially Jessa. She really came into her own by the end. I can't wait to see even more character growth from her in the next installment of the trilogy.

Romantic suspense is not a genre that I read of a ton of, but Kill Code was a well done example of the genre. I enjoyed it, and I think I will enjoy the next book even more now that I know a lot of the backstory. There are some darker elements of the story that may not be for everyone, but they are intentional because of the background to the story. Just be aware of that. If you are a fan of dark romantic suspense novels, I think the Kill Code series will be a good one for you to check out.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs