**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me is a young adult contemporary novel by Olivia Hinebaugh. There were a few things I didn't love about this novel, but overall I thought it was still a good read. The good certainly outweighed my few gripes. So let's start with the good. The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me is a novel that is both very educational and was a cute coming of age story. I really enjoyed our main character, Lacey( most of the time). And I loved her friendship with Theo and Evita. Her friend group was my favorite part of the story.

And now for the few things I didn't love. Lacey sometimes came off as a little whiny, which could be aggravating, but then again, one could also say it was pretty age appropriate. She did irk me sometimes, but I appreciated her overall message and journey. Speaking of the message of the novel, I loved that The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me was so informative and had such an educational message worked into the story. However; at times the book came off as a bit too clinical, and not so fictional. But I do love that there were good adult role models in the story, and that The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me encouraged such an open dialogue. That was simply fantastic. 

The story itself was funky and fun. I loved how much Olviia Hinebaugh worked music into the story, since it was such a big part of Lacey and her friend's lives. It helped lighten the tone of the story significantly, which really helped to balance out some of the heavier topics explored. Overall, this novel was a good balance of serious and fun. I enjoyed how different it was than so many high school contemporary novels out there. 
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Scythian Trials is a fantasy with some dystopian elements by Elizabeth Isaacs. I believe this is a standalone novel. It is set in a world where we have humans and amazonians. Humans are known as Allos and Scythians are direct descendants of the ancient Amazon women. I loved seeing the fierce Scythian warriors. That aspect of the story kind of reminded me of The Valliant by Lesley Livingston, but actual storyline of the two novels is different. The Scythian Trials was a very interesting read. One that I really enjoyed.

In the The Scythian Trials, we meet Nya. I loved Nya. Like the other main characters in the book, she was such an interesting and complex character. In fact, the complexity of the characters is one of the features that made this novel stand out for me. In this world, the Scythian's fight to become eligible to go to Carpathia to choose their mates. Everyone is very excited for the rite of pasage, but Nya is dreading it. Here Nya meets Jax. The story takes a really interesting turn from there, and I have to say this story line really kept my attention from start to finish. The pace clipped along at a fast pace and I never felt a lag in the action.

There is also a romance in The Scythian Trials. I really loved Jax and Nya, but overall I enjoyed the world and story a little more. (I know, that is completely shocking to me too!) The world building is fantastic and so are the characters. Overall, The Scythian Trials had everything that I love in a book. I really enjoyed reading this novel. If you haven't heard of it, you should check it out. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Mirage is the first book in a series by the same name by Somaiya Daud. Mirage is a young adult fantasy/ sci fi series about a world that is actually the moon of another planet, called Andal. I loved the set up. Immediately it had a star wars type vibe, but the comparison does not go very far. Because Mirage is a masterpiece all of its' own. Somaiya Daud did such a fantastic job weaving this story! I am seriously still mesmerized by it.

As I said before, Mirage is set on a moon world, called Cadiz. Here we meet Amani, who is kidnapped and taken to the planet Andal, where she is forced to train to become the princess' Body Double. I was completely swept up in this story, and a large part of that was due to the intricate world building. Cadiz is heavily Moroccan inspired and Somaiya Daud really did a fantastic job creating this vast world. She immediately sucked me in and held me captive for the entire novel. By the end, I was practically begging for more!

There is also a really interesting romance developing in Mirage between Amani and Idris caught me right from he very start. (Idris the the princess' betrothed. scandalous!)  It was a bit rushed and a bit predictable but I loved it nonetheless. Mirage is a character building journey for Amani. I loved watching her develop into the young lady she was at the end of the book. And I know she is going to be even more kick butt in the next installment. The rebellious under current is a very strong theme brewing throughout. I cannot wait to see where this duology takes us and I cannot wait to see how it concludes. Honestly, I loved Mirage so much that I am kind of bummed it is only going to be a duology. I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters and this world yet. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

Plight is a new adult romantic comedy by K.M. Golland. I couldn't turn down Plight because the summary seemed zany enough to be a funny romantic comedy. And it was. But at times it was a bit too over the top for me. A fun read, but it didn't blow my socks off. The concept is equal parts hilarious and crazy. Basically, two neighborhood friends have proposal when they are 8 years old with a cheese doodle as the ring. Flash forward to when they are 30 and Elliot is ready to cash in on that marriage.

Plight is a zany read that was fun. Parts of it are completely unrealistic and unbeliveable but if you are in the mood for some light hearted fun that you don't take too seriously, Plight is a fast paced read that will put a smile on your face. The reason I couldn't go from like to love with Plight was the fast pace that the story sets out on. We are in chapter one when the characters are already on this marriage plot, and I could not figure Elliot out. Was he serious or kidding? I just kept going along with it, and I liked the direction and romance that developed, but I couldn't really form any kind of deep bonds with the characters. I was only partially invested in their story. But being that it is so lighthearted, I still had a good time with it.

Bottom line: Plight was a decent read for me. It was a quick, funny novel that had me laughing, but didn't really have me buying into the storyline enough for me to fully believe it or become invested in the characters. The romance is fun and sexy and the writing is good, but the character development was somewhat lacking for me. If you are looking for a zany fast paced read with a funny concept, check out Plight.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Guardian of Secrets by Brenda Drake is the second book in the Library Jumpers series. The Library Jumpers series is a young adult fantasy series, that I am really enjoying. I loved the first book, Thief of Lies, and I liked this one just as much, if not more! Gia was an even better character than she was in the first book, and I think I overall enjoyed this one even more. Plus, hello they can jump into different libraries. (if you are a library geek like me, you should totally check out Brenda's guest post on her top favorite libraries from around the world! Its awesome. See it HERE)

Guardian of Secrets picks up where Thief of Lies left off, so you do need to read this series in order to fully understand an enjoy it. Gia is our main character, and she has grown so much in this series already! I think that is what I was the most impressed with. She was a bit on the immature side at times in the first book, but she has really grown into herself and matured as she starts to get more comfortable with everything that is going on around her. I love, love love watching a character grow throughout a series. For some reason it is one of the most satisfying things for me to read about. Even more than a romance sometimes.

And speaking of romances, the library jumpers series does feature a love triangle. And I am not going to give too much away about the love triangle, other than to say both of the guys are fantastic and the triangle itself is really well done. So well done, in fact that I don't even know if I am happy with the way it is panning out or not. I just don't know!! but the library jumpers is not all about a great love triangle, there are so many characters and friends in this group, that it is jst as much about the friendships. And it is really refreshing to see positive friendships displayed. Reading about all of the characters really just makes me happy. But that being said, I need the last book now because everything was not all laughing and rainbows. Please give me the next (and I think final) book asap!

Bottom line: Guardian of Secrets was even stronger than the first book, in my opinion. I really loved this one. I love the premise behind the story, I love the characters, I love the friendships and I really love the growth we saw in Gia. Plus, did I mention they can jump into a book and travel to different libraries through books?! How can that not be awesome. I want to do that! If you were on the fence with book 1, give book 2 a try because this one was even better! I really loved Guardian of secrets!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

Fly With Me is the first book in the new adult contemporary romance series, called Wild Aces, by Chanel Cleeton. Fly With Me was my first experience with a Chanel Cleeton book, and I was super excited to read it for many reasons. Chanel is a fellow law school survivor, I have a few of her books on my TBR because they all sound so good, and I was really in the mood for a swoony romance, and I have heard she is the go to author for that. So I grabbed Fly With Me and dug right in. Flash forward to three hours later and I am so engrossed in Noah and Jordan's story. I finished this book and had no idea how much time had passed. I went into my own little world and didn't resurface until I had no more pages to turn. (and if I didn't have a pesky job getting in the way, I would have immediately grabbed book 2!) Fly with Me was such a satisfying read. It was super emotionally charged. That is not to say they were always happy emotions, but it was a very emotional read for me. I really liked it!

Noah and Jordan met in Las Vegas, and that right there should tell you something about the start of their relationship. It was very carefree and fun at the beginning. I really loved meeting the two of them in Vegas because you could tell how well they complimented each other. But once the fun weekend was over, they each went back to their own hometowns and lives, and that is when the story got real. And really interesting. Because anyone who has been in a serious long distance relationship can relate to their story and some of the struggles they go through. And their journey was even more complicated because they were long distance pretty much from the start, which is hard because they don't know each other all that well. Not to mention the nature of Noah's job makes the whole relationship harder. But it all added to the richness of their story. I loved every aspect of this story. Chanel Cleeton did a fantastic job. I can't wait to read the next book.

Bottom Line: If you like multi-faceted romances that are sexy, and a great mix of lightheartedness and real life struggles the Wild Aces series is one for you. I loved Chanel Cleeton's writing and her characters. This book was so highly charged with emotion. Both in the romance department, which was hot, and in the plotline. I devoured this book and I want more. (and I need Easy's story!!!)

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Worth the Wait is the fourth book in the Kingston Ale House series by A.J. Pine. I have not read the first book in the series, but I did really enjoy book two- Six Month Rule, and book three,Three Simple Words . You can easily start off at any book you would like. They are very easy to follow and each book follows a different couple. I have read several books by this author, so I feel like I pretty much know what to expect going in. I know it is going to be a good romance, I know there are going to be flawed, complex characters that make for an interesting read, and I know that there is probably going to be drama thrown in. And I was right on all of the above for Worth the Wait, and for the whole series.

Worth the Wait is Jeremy and Grace's story.I really enjoyed Grace and Jeremy's backstories, and I think because of these two characters, Worth the Wait is my favorite book in the Kingston Ale House series to date! Jeremy and Grace each have their own reasons to be distrustful, both in general and of the opposite sex. It would be really hard to get over what Grace went through. That would be a hard betrayal for me to stomach. As soon as Jeremy and Grace run into each other, I could tell their chemistry and attraction was off the charts. And then they kept running into each other over and over again. I loved it. Grace is on what she calls a "man cleanse" which I found to be an awesome way to put it. I love A.J. Pine's sense of humor. She always does an awesome job balancing drama and humor in her stories. She is excellent at providing levity in the really heavy moments, and her writing is always excellent. I loved their story. It was cute, sexy and funny. And I really loved the theme of trust woven throughout the book.

Bottom line: If you like new adult contemporary romances that are very well done, Worth, and the whole Kingston Ale House series, is a great one for you to check out. It is a very character driven read with a lot of sass and a lot of heart. I think Worth the Wait might be my favorite AJ Pine book to date! (and I have read about 6 by her)

Side Note: They changed the covers for the series, and I have to say I liked the old covers better, but a lot of that has to do with my own personal opinions about contemporary romance book covers with guys in underwear on the cover. (I know, I know that is probably an unpopular opinion.)

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

yay we are back to willa!