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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Supervillain and Me is the first book in the young adult superhero fantasy by Danielle Banas, called the Morriston Superheroes series. I missed yesterday's top ten tuesday post, which was top ten books of 2018...so far. But if I had gotten my post up, this book would have for sure made this list! I loved The Supervillain and Me so, so much! I am going to come right out and say that I am a pretty big fan for superheroes and super powers. I love all things X-men, Avengers and pretty much any marvel or DC comic hero/villain. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that as soon as I saw the cover and summary for The Supervillain and Me, I was fangirling for it right from the get-go. That being said, I still had no idea just how much I would fall in love with this story and these characters. Danielle Banas knocked it out of the park with The Supervillain and Me!
The Supervillain and Me is set in a world where some people develop powers. The supers then tend to become a superhero for their city. The Supervillain and Me is set in the town of Morriston. Morriston currently has two supers- The Red Comet and Fish Boy. Go ahead and guess which one is the city favorite? (just kidding, Morriston loves both of them) And then we have Abby, our main character. Nope, she doesn't have powers but she is the sister to the Red Comet. I thought this was a cool way of making her super hero adjacent, without actually giving her super powers. But then a new super shows up on the scene- the Iron Phantom, except he is no hero. He is Morriston's very first super villain. And that is all I am going to tell you about the set up of this story, because you just have read it for yourself and watch it all unfold. But now let's talk about the characters and the reasons why I loved The Supervillain and Me so darn much!
I loved every single character in this book. Abby is great. Her best friend, AKA the Red Comet super fangirl is a hoot and a really great friend. And of course I totally loved the romance between Abby and Iron Phantom. The romance was very front and center and so much fun, and totally swoony. If you like your superhero books with a heavy dose of romance, The Supervillain and Me is the perfect book for you. I will say that I knew who the Iron Phantom was pretty early on, but I still loved every second of this book. I loved that so many of the characters were in high school. (It is a young adult book, after all!) Danielle Banas did a fantastic job fleshing out her characters and friendships and relationships. And her writing was funny and conversational and flowed perfectly the whole time. There was not a single instance where I found the plot dragging on. The Supervillain and Me was a fast paced book that I honestly never wanted to end. I am so happy this is going to be a series, and after that ending I am super interested to see what is going to happen in book 2.
Overall, The Supervillain and Me was a fun action filled super hero romance that I totally ate up. If you like superheroes, young adult books in a high school setting and a freakin' fantastic swoony romance, The Supervillain and Me is going to be your new favorite super hero book. It is my new favorite super hero series! I dare you to read this book and not become an Iron Phantom (or Red Comet...or even Fish Boy) fangirl. Danielle Banas did such a fantastic job with The Supervillain and Me. It is one of my favorite books in 2018 and Iron Phantom is one of my favorite book boyfriends of 2018! You need to read this book.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Supervillain and Me is set in a world where some people develop powers. The supers then tend to become a superhero for their city. The Supervillain and Me is set in the town of Morriston. Morriston currently has two supers- The Red Comet and Fish Boy. Go ahead and guess which one is the city favorite? (just kidding, Morriston loves both of them) And then we have Abby, our main character. Nope, she doesn't have powers but she is the sister to the Red Comet. I thought this was a cool way of making her super hero adjacent, without actually giving her super powers. But then a new super shows up on the scene- the Iron Phantom, except he is no hero. He is Morriston's very first super villain. And that is all I am going to tell you about the set up of this story, because you just have read it for yourself and watch it all unfold. But now let's talk about the characters and the reasons why I loved The Supervillain and Me so darn much!
I loved every single character in this book. Abby is great. Her best friend, AKA the Red Comet super fangirl is a hoot and a really great friend. And of course I totally loved the romance between Abby and Iron Phantom. The romance was very front and center and so much fun, and totally swoony. If you like your superhero books with a heavy dose of romance, The Supervillain and Me is the perfect book for you. I will say that I knew who the Iron Phantom was pretty early on, but I still loved every second of this book. I loved that so many of the characters were in high school. (It is a young adult book, after all!) Danielle Banas did a fantastic job fleshing out her characters and friendships and relationships. And her writing was funny and conversational and flowed perfectly the whole time. There was not a single instance where I found the plot dragging on. The Supervillain and Me was a fast paced book that I honestly never wanted to end. I am so happy this is going to be a series, and after that ending I am super interested to see what is going to happen in book 2.
Overall, The Supervillain and Me was a fun action filled super hero romance that I totally ate up. If you like superheroes, young adult books in a high school setting and a freakin' fantastic swoony romance, The Supervillain and Me is going to be your new favorite super hero book. It is my new favorite super hero series! I dare you to read this book and not become an Iron Phantom (or Red Comet...or even Fish Boy) fangirl. Danielle Banas did such a fantastic job with The Supervillain and Me. It is one of my favorite books in 2018 and Iron Phantom is one of my favorite book boyfriends of 2018! You need to read this book.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Nothing but Sky is a young adult novel by Amy Trueblood, set in the 1920s. I love the era of 20s, and this book embidoed that time period beautifully. Set in post world war 1, flying is still relatively new and very much for the guys. Along comes Grace who longs to be anywhere, as long as it is high up in the air, and I knew this was going to be a book that I couldn't put down.
I loved Grace. She is plucky and ambitious, and demands that you listen to her. I loved that about her. Grace is a total daredevil. She is part of “The Soaring Eagles” barnstorming team, which is a team of stunt flyers. One thing you soon learn about Grace...she has no problem setting her sights high. Both figuratively and literally. Her dream is to win the 1922 World Aviation Exposition in Chicago. I loved Grace's journey to get to the Expo and to compete.
Nothing But Sky is a read that is full of danger, adventure, spunk and tons of heart. Grace will make you fall in love with her. And then there is Henry. Oh my, how I loved Grace and Henry working together. There is a hint of romance in this book, but it is not the front and center storyline. Grace and her flying certainly is, which is perfect for this novel.
Overall, Nothing But Sky was a wonderful read. It is so well developed and executed. I felt transported to the 20s and to the Aviation Expo. Amy Trueblood brought Grace and her story completely to life. This is a book that really captivated me.
I loved Grace. She is plucky and ambitious, and demands that you listen to her. I loved that about her. Grace is a total daredevil. She is part of “The Soaring Eagles” barnstorming team, which is a team of stunt flyers. One thing you soon learn about Grace...she has no problem setting her sights high. Both figuratively and literally. Her dream is to win the 1922 World Aviation Exposition in Chicago. I loved Grace's journey to get to the Expo and to compete.
Nothing But Sky is a read that is full of danger, adventure, spunk and tons of heart. Grace will make you fall in love with her. And then there is Henry. Oh my, how I loved Grace and Henry working together. There is a hint of romance in this book, but it is not the front and center storyline. Grace and her flying certainly is, which is perfect for this novel.
Overall, Nothing But Sky was a wonderful read. It is so well developed and executed. I felt transported to the 20s and to the Aviation Expo. Amy Trueblood brought Grace and her story completely to life. This is a book that really captivated me.
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Ash Princess is the first book a young adult fantasy series by the same name by author Laura Sebastian. Ash Princess is Laura Sebastian's debut novel, which impressed me even more. I really liked this novel. I know it might seem like a storyline that you have heard before, and while I am not going to say it so shockingly different, it was different enough to stand out against other young adult fantasies. I especially loved the author's foreward, where she describes her heroine as someone who does not battle with a sword, but rather, with her own wits and cunning.
Theo is the princess of her country that was invaded and taken over when she was a little girl. Her parents, and most of her people, were killed and Theo, or Thora, was kept as a palace prisoner. The invading ruler, called the Kaiser, believes that he completely broke Theo's spirit. He allows her free reign of the castle, but she is made to wear a crown made of ashes to festivals to symbolize that she is only a princess of ashes. as awful as it was to see Theo walk around with her head held high and ashes literally streaking down her face, the detail of the Ash crown was an interesting feature of the story. Theo has been biding her time, until she finds an opening to help regain her land for the few remaining people she has. I liked her most of the time but towards the end of the book, she did make some decisions that personally made me mad. I don't think she had to go about things in quite the manner that she did, but we will see how that all plays out in the next novel. The world in which Ash Princess takes place is an interesting one, full of politics and warring countries- and magic! I loved the magical aspects of the story with the spiritgems and the history of the Astrean people and I know we are only going to see more and more of that in the next book.
I enjoyed the romance that was budding between Theo and the Kaiser's son, Soren, and I think I will like it even more in the second book. In fact. I think I will enjoy the second book more as a whole. Ash Princess was a great story, but it was a lot of world building and setting the stage for the big action that is to come. There was so much that went on at the end of the story, that I am itching for the second book to come out. I can't wait to see what is going to happen with Cress and I am so freakin' excited to see how that is going to develop. A surprise favorite character of mine was the Kaserin. She was a delight, and I wish we got to see more of her.
Overall, Ash Princess is a great start to a trilogy. There were a few plot holes that I am anxious to see developed in the next novel, but overall I thought this book laid the ground work for what is shaping up to be an excellent young adult fantasy series. I loved Ash Princess and I think I am going to like the second book even more!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Theo is the princess of her country that was invaded and taken over when she was a little girl. Her parents, and most of her people, were killed and Theo, or Thora, was kept as a palace prisoner. The invading ruler, called the Kaiser, believes that he completely broke Theo's spirit. He allows her free reign of the castle, but she is made to wear a crown made of ashes to festivals to symbolize that she is only a princess of ashes. as awful as it was to see Theo walk around with her head held high and ashes literally streaking down her face, the detail of the Ash crown was an interesting feature of the story. Theo has been biding her time, until she finds an opening to help regain her land for the few remaining people she has. I liked her most of the time but towards the end of the book, she did make some decisions that personally made me mad. I don't think she had to go about things in quite the manner that she did, but we will see how that all plays out in the next novel. The world in which Ash Princess takes place is an interesting one, full of politics and warring countries- and magic! I loved the magical aspects of the story with the spiritgems and the history of the Astrean people and I know we are only going to see more and more of that in the next book.
I enjoyed the romance that was budding between Theo and the Kaiser's son, Soren, and I think I will like it even more in the second book. In fact. I think I will enjoy the second book more as a whole. Ash Princess was a great story, but it was a lot of world building and setting the stage for the big action that is to come. There was so much that went on at the end of the story, that I am itching for the second book to come out. I can't wait to see what is going to happen with Cress and I am so freakin' excited to see how that is going to develop. A surprise favorite character of mine was the Kaserin. She was a delight, and I wish we got to see more of her.
Overall, Ash Princess is a great start to a trilogy. There were a few plot holes that I am anxious to see developed in the next novel, but overall I thought this book laid the ground work for what is shaping up to be an excellent young adult fantasy series. I loved Ash Princess and I think I am going to like the second book even more!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Bound to You is a young adult paranormal romance by Alyssa Brandon. Bound to You is the first book in a new series about Werewolves (at least I hope so!). Now, let's just get this out of the way up front. I have been pretty burnt out on wolves for a while now. I have always enjoyed a good werewolf story, but after seeing countless dozen iterations of the same thing, I got a little bored. So I haven't really read too many young adult novels featuring werewolves in the past couple of years. Sure, there have been some of my favorite series in the past have been about werewolves, but I have not found any novels in the past 2 or 3 years that have grabbed my attention. In fact, almost all I have read were either DNF or under 3 stars. Until Bound to You. Holy cow, I loved this book. I really loved this book. I read it in one sitting and I stayed up until about 3 am reading Bound to You. On a work night. A work night people! That is unheard of for me. But this book was so flippin' good, I just had to keep going. It cast a spell over me. And I am so happy to say, it is the best werewolf paranormal romance I have read in years!
I love a story featuring a mate, especially a reluctant mate. It provides for the best kind of slow burn romance. Bound to You is told in dual narrative between Megan and James, with a heavier emphasis on Megan's point of view. Megan is super excited to have finally found her mate, and James is ...less excited. James is a warrior werewolf and he leads a very different life than Megan is used to. Honestly, the whole idea of Warrior werewolves and wraiths was a really welcome, and really interesting addition to the storyline. In fact, it is because of this storyline that I am hoping we get to see more books in this series. I feel like there is still so much more to explore in that aspect of the world. I really enjoyed Alyssa Brandon's take on the werewolf. She really did a great job fleshing out the community and the customs and the duties, especially of the warrior class.
And then she did a fantastic job incorporating a really swoony romance. The romance is upper YA, maybe even New Adult, so I would be aware of that for younger readers. I loved the romance. The tension between Megan and James was both front and center to the storyline and secondary to other plot aspects when it needed to be, but it was fantastic. It is a big part of what kept me flipping pages late into the night. I cannot recommended this book enough. Whether you are a big fan of werewolf romances or if you are a little over the idea- give Bound to You a try. It is one of my favorite reads of 2018 and hands down the best werewolf paranormal romance I have read in years. I can't wait for more from author Alyssa Brandon.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Bound to You is a young adult paranormal romance by Alyssa Brandon. Bound to You is the first book in a new series about Werewolves (at least I hope so!). Now, let's just get this out of the way up front. I have been pretty burnt out on wolves for a while now. I have always enjoyed a good werewolf story, but after seeing countless dozen iterations of the same thing, I got a little bored. So I haven't really read too many young adult novels featuring werewolves in the past couple of years. Sure, there have been some of my favorite series in the past have been about werewolves, but I have not found any novels in the past 2 or 3 years that have grabbed my attention. In fact, almost all I have read were either DNF or under 3 stars. Until Bound to You. Holy cow, I loved this book. I really loved this book. I read it in one sitting and I stayed up until about 3 am reading Bound to You. On a work night. A work night people! That is unheard of for me. But this book was so flippin' good, I just had to keep going. It cast a spell over me. And I am so happy to say, it is the best werewolf paranormal romance I have read in years!
I love a story featuring a mate, especially a reluctant mate. It provides for the best kind of slow burn romance. Bound to You is told in dual narrative between Megan and James, with a heavier emphasis on Megan's point of view. Megan is super excited to have finally found her mate, and James is ...less excited. James is a warrior werewolf and he leads a very different life than Megan is used to. Honestly, the whole idea of Warrior werewolves and wraiths was a really welcome, and really interesting addition to the storyline. In fact, it is because of this storyline that I am hoping we get to see more books in this series. I feel like there is still so much more to explore in that aspect of the world. I really enjoyed Alyssa Brandon's take on the werewolf. She really did a great job fleshing out the community and the customs and the duties, especially of the warrior class.
And then she did a fantastic job incorporating a really swoony romance. The romance is upper YA, maybe even New Adult, so I would be aware of that for younger readers. I loved the romance. The tension between Megan and James was both front and center to the storyline and secondary to other plot aspects when it needed to be, but it was fantastic. It is a big part of what kept me flipping pages late into the night. I cannot recommended this book enough. Whether you are a big fan of werewolf romances or if you are a little over the idea- give Bound to You a try. It is one of my favorite reads of 2018 and hands down the best werewolf paranormal romance I have read in years. I can't wait for more from author Alyssa Brandon.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Wolf Hour is a middle Grade fairy tale by author Sara Lewis Holmes. I absolutely loved this story. It was such a treat for me to read. It was fun, creative, a little creepy and super cute all at once. I cannot wait for Sara Lewis Holmes next novel! I would recommend The Wolf Hour to readers of Middle grade and young adult alike. This book was excellent. It is about a town near the edge of the Forrest, where strange things keep happening. Girls go missing, or go mad. The Wolf Hour is such a unique concept, so even if my review does not do the book justice, still read it! You will love it, trust me!
The Puszcza is a magical forest where the stories that we all know and love come to life. With some black magic from the witch, she can actually pull people into the stories to live them. The Wolf Hour is told in multiple perspectives, from the three pigs, to Magia- our main character, to my very favorite character- Martin, the wolf! I don't want to spoil the plot of the story because it is so excellently crafted that I want you to enjoy it for yourself. Instead, I am going to gush about the adorable-ness that is Martin the wolf.
Martin's mom has lived in the Puszcza her whole life and she has seen the havoc that stories and tales can cause, so in order to protect Martin from that, he is only allowed to read books containing facts. No fiction stories for him. Martin loves to read, and he devoured encyclopedia's and dictionaries and learns all kinds of facts. He cracked me up so much with all of his fact spewing, and curiosity and confusion with stories and talking pigs and girls. He was my absolute favorite part of the story. I would love to read another book with Martin.
Bottom line: The Wolf Hour is a wonderfully magical story that will appeal to both fans of middle grade and young adult. I loved the Puszcza, I loved the characters and I really loved the tale that Sara Lewis Holmes wove. She is an author to be on the look out for! I loved The Wolf Hour and I think you will too.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Puszcza is a magical forest where the stories that we all know and love come to life. With some black magic from the witch, she can actually pull people into the stories to live them. The Wolf Hour is told in multiple perspectives, from the three pigs, to Magia- our main character, to my very favorite character- Martin, the wolf! I don't want to spoil the plot of the story because it is so excellently crafted that I want you to enjoy it for yourself. Instead, I am going to gush about the adorable-ness that is Martin the wolf.
Martin's mom has lived in the Puszcza her whole life and she has seen the havoc that stories and tales can cause, so in order to protect Martin from that, he is only allowed to read books containing facts. No fiction stories for him. Martin loves to read, and he devoured encyclopedia's and dictionaries and learns all kinds of facts. He cracked me up so much with all of his fact spewing, and curiosity and confusion with stories and talking pigs and girls. He was my absolute favorite part of the story. I would love to read another book with Martin.
Bottom line: The Wolf Hour is a wonderfully magical story that will appeal to both fans of middle grade and young adult. I loved the Puszcza, I loved the characters and I really loved the tale that Sara Lewis Holmes wove. She is an author to be on the look out for! I loved The Wolf Hour 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**
3.5/5
Berserker is a young adult norse fantasy novel by Emmy Laybourne. Emmy Laybourne is an author with such diverse skills. She has written apocalyptic stories, fantasy stories, monster stories and I have to say I am a huge fan of hers. My favorite book of hers is Sweet, but Berserker was a good read as well. The description of Berserker immediately caught my attention. I love anything having to do with mythology, and norse mythology is super interesting to me. Plus, the tag line is killer- "Are Hanne's powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?". I was instantly intrigued. What are her gifts?
Berserker is told in multiple points of views. Hanne is our main character, but we also get to meet her siblings, and Owen, a cowboy from the west. Which brings me to the thing that I enjoyed most about this book, and what I am excited to see explored more in upcoming novels. I loved the dual setting. Berserker takes place both on the western frontier as well as in Norway. I liked all of the characters and I found the story to be interesting, but the book felt a little dense and slow at times. It wasn't a book I read in a single setting. I put it down and picked it back a good number of times, but overall I was glad I finished it because it was so unlike anything I have read in a while.
As far as characters go, I really felt for Hanne. Her gift is so violent, and the writing and scenes certainly reflect that. It was really interesting to see her inner dialogue and concerns regarding her power. But I really loved Owen and Knut, her younger brother most of all. I found them to add something extra to the story. I think I am most interested in learning more about the various Norse powers in the next book. I love all of that and I can't wait to see what direction Emmy is going to take this series in.
Overall, Berserker was a good read. Though it did feel slow at times, I think the next book has the potential to really pick up. I think Berserker would be great for fans of novels that don't shy away from graphic fighting scenes.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
3.5/5
Berserker is a young adult norse fantasy novel by Emmy Laybourne. Emmy Laybourne is an author with such diverse skills. She has written apocalyptic stories, fantasy stories, monster stories and I have to say I am a huge fan of hers. My favorite book of hers is Sweet, but Berserker was a good read as well. The description of Berserker immediately caught my attention. I love anything having to do with mythology, and norse mythology is super interesting to me. Plus, the tag line is killer- "Are Hanne's powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?". I was instantly intrigued. What are her gifts?
Berserker is told in multiple points of views. Hanne is our main character, but we also get to meet her siblings, and Owen, a cowboy from the west. Which brings me to the thing that I enjoyed most about this book, and what I am excited to see explored more in upcoming novels. I loved the dual setting. Berserker takes place both on the western frontier as well as in Norway. I liked all of the characters and I found the story to be interesting, but the book felt a little dense and slow at times. It wasn't a book I read in a single setting. I put it down and picked it back a good number of times, but overall I was glad I finished it because it was so unlike anything I have read in a while.
As far as characters go, I really felt for Hanne. Her gift is so violent, and the writing and scenes certainly reflect that. It was really interesting to see her inner dialogue and concerns regarding her power. But I really loved Owen and Knut, her younger brother most of all. I found them to add something extra to the story. I think I am most interested in learning more about the various Norse powers in the next book. I love all of that and I can't wait to see what direction Emmy is going to take this series in.
Overall, Berserker was a good read. Though it did feel slow at times, I think the next book has the potential to really pick up. I think Berserker would be great for fans of novels that don't shy away from graphic fighting scenes.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Soul Mate is the fourth book in the roommates series by Kendall Ryan. The roommates series are each standalone contemporary romances. I loved book one, the Room Mate, and book two, The Play Mate. I liked the third book, The House Mate, but maybe not every bit as much as books 1 and 2. It was a pretty close call though. The Soul Mate fell somewhere in the same region as the third book. I love the characters, but the pregnancy plot is not always a hit with me. I will give it to Kendall Ryan, though, she took a really interesting take on the story and I really enjoyed where this one went. Overall, it was a feel good read and a great romance, just like all of Kendall's stories.
The Soul Mate is the story of Mason and Bren. They meet one night Mason fell a lot harder than Bren did. Bren scampers away and leaves Mason wanting more. But then a potential baby complication inserts itself into the mix and Bren shows up at a gyno office, and who does she see?? Mason. Dun Dun Dun. I mean, not the most realistic coincidence, but funny nonetheless. What I found interesting was how they chose to handle the "situation". They both decided to wait for one month to see if Bren is pregnant so they can get to know each other and see if there is a connection between the two of them regardless of a possible baby. The whole thing is screams of an "it's complicated" facebook status. But it was fun seeing Mason and Bren try and decide what they were going to do, not only with each other but with a potential baby. mason will totally melt your heart. It took me longer to warm up to Bren, but because Mason liked her so much, I decided I liked her too. (Do you ever do that when reading a book?)
Overall, their romance was a lot of fun. I enjoyed their story, even if it wasn't my normal cup of tea. To be honest, Mason was my favorite part of the story. I really connected with him. He is such a great guy- totally swoon-worthy. Character driven readers will love him. Each of the books in the roommates series can be read as total standalones. And I really do mean that in this case. I didn't notice any character overlap. Just a series of standalone novels that focus on the same trope. So if this is a trope that you enjoy, you will love any and all of the books! Kendall Ryan is a great writer. Her books are predictable in the way you want them to be. You know you are going to have characters with awesome chemistry, URST through the roof and witty and sassy banter. Everything I love. The Roommates series is a great read for me.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Soul Mate is the fourth book in the roommates series by Kendall Ryan. The roommates series are each standalone contemporary romances. I loved book one, the Room Mate, and book two, The Play Mate. I liked the third book, The House Mate, but maybe not every bit as much as books 1 and 2. It was a pretty close call though. The Soul Mate fell somewhere in the same region as the third book. I love the characters, but the pregnancy plot is not always a hit with me. I will give it to Kendall Ryan, though, she took a really interesting take on the story and I really enjoyed where this one went. Overall, it was a feel good read and a great romance, just like all of Kendall's stories.
The Soul Mate is the story of Mason and Bren. They meet one night Mason fell a lot harder than Bren did. Bren scampers away and leaves Mason wanting more. But then a potential baby complication inserts itself into the mix and Bren shows up at a gyno office, and who does she see?? Mason. Dun Dun Dun. I mean, not the most realistic coincidence, but funny nonetheless. What I found interesting was how they chose to handle the "situation". They both decided to wait for one month to see if Bren is pregnant so they can get to know each other and see if there is a connection between the two of them regardless of a possible baby. The whole thing is screams of an "it's complicated" facebook status. But it was fun seeing Mason and Bren try and decide what they were going to do, not only with each other but with a potential baby. mason will totally melt your heart. It took me longer to warm up to Bren, but because Mason liked her so much, I decided I liked her too. (Do you ever do that when reading a book?)
Overall, their romance was a lot of fun. I enjoyed their story, even if it wasn't my normal cup of tea. To be honest, Mason was my favorite part of the story. I really connected with him. He is such a great guy- totally swoon-worthy. Character driven readers will love him. Each of the books in the roommates series can be read as total standalones. And I really do mean that in this case. I didn't notice any character overlap. Just a series of standalone novels that focus on the same trope. So if this is a trope that you enjoy, you will love any and all of the books! Kendall Ryan is a great writer. Her books are predictable in the way you want them to be. You know you are going to have characters with awesome chemistry, URST through the roof and witty and sassy banter. Everything I love. The Roommates series is a great read for me.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Headlights, Dipsticks, & My Ex's Brother is the first book in Edie's Automotive Guide series by Heather Novak. Headlights, Dipsticks, & My Ex's Brother, which I will be calling Headlights for the rest of this review, is a really fun read. There was one aspect of the story icked me out so much, but I just pretended it wasn't a thing for most of the book, and out of sight out of mind worked well for me. (more on this in a bit.) Once I ignored that aspect, I loved Headlights. I found the characters delightful and it was a story that was a very nice, quick feel good read. I do have to say, I don't love the cover. It is giving me major sweet valley high vibes. But the story more than made up for the slightly dated feeling cover.
First let's talk about the part of the story that icks me out. I loved Edie. But to have her ex boyfriend marry her mother was a gross that I just couldn't deal with. It made me seriously hate both her ex and her mother, and quite frankly, I just didn't want to think about or deal with either of them. Luckily, they are really only passing secondary characters in the story. They do rear their ugly heads a few times, but I just breezed through those parts and got back to the much more enjoyable Edie and Luke. And now that is out of the way, we can move on to more enjoyable aspects of this novel.
I loved Edie. She is fiesty and strong and very determined to go after what she wants. And what she wants is to keep the auto shop up and running. Edie and Luke are really easy to root for. From the start, you just know they care about one another. Luke is such a great guy. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but Heather Novak does a great job making her reader feel strong feelings for her characters. The characters that I loved, I loved hard, and the characters that I disliked, well I hated them just as hard. Which made this book a whole lot of fun. It wrapped up nicely, and I can't wait to see what is going to happen in the next book. This is a series I am really interested in continuing. Some parts of the novel came together just a little too easily, if you know what I mean, but it was great for a quick lighthearted read. If you are looking for a fun feel good read, with a whole lot of emotion, then Headlights, Dipsticks, & My Ex's Brother is a great book for you to pick up.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
First let's talk about the part of the story that icks me out. I loved Edie. But to have her ex boyfriend marry her mother was a gross that I just couldn't deal with. It made me seriously hate both her ex and her mother, and quite frankly, I just didn't want to think about or deal with either of them. Luckily, they are really only passing secondary characters in the story. They do rear their ugly heads a few times, but I just breezed through those parts and got back to the much more enjoyable Edie and Luke. And now that is out of the way, we can move on to more enjoyable aspects of this novel.
I loved Edie. She is fiesty and strong and very determined to go after what she wants. And what she wants is to keep the auto shop up and running. Edie and Luke are really easy to root for. From the start, you just know they care about one another. Luke is such a great guy. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but Heather Novak does a great job making her reader feel strong feelings for her characters. The characters that I loved, I loved hard, and the characters that I disliked, well I hated them just as hard. Which made this book a whole lot of fun. It wrapped up nicely, and I can't wait to see what is going to happen in the next book. This is a series I am really interested in continuing. Some parts of the novel came together just a little too easily, if you know what I mean, but it was great for a quick lighthearted read. If you are looking for a fun feel good read, with a whole lot of emotion, then Headlights, Dipsticks, & My Ex's Brother is a great book for you to pick up.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Bone Season is the first book in the young adult fantasy/sci fi dystopian series, by the same name, by Samantha Shannon. I have put off reading this book for a while, and I am not really sure why. It was always a book that interested me on my TBR list, but like a million other titles, I just never got around to it. This year I charged myself with the goal of reading more books that have been sitting on my TBR list for far too long and one of the series near the top of my list was The Bone Season series. Especially with the release of the very anticipated third book later this year. I wanted to be caught up for the next book. And I am so glad that I finally read The Bone Season. It is a fantastic read that I would recommend to fantasy lovers everywhere.
I think it will appeal to both fans of young adult and adult fantasy because the world that Shannon created is incredibly detailed and multi faceted. Honestly, it was a little overwhelming at first, because you open the book to this multi tiered chart of the orders of clairvoyants. And holy cow. I am not going to lie, I probably spent a good 15 minutes on that page alone before I even started reading just examining the different types of clairvoyants. I knew before I started that this was going to be an intensely detailed world because look at all the different abilities that existed within it. And that didn't even take into account the political climate of the world or the structure. I was hooked before I even started the book. (And I loved the chart so much! I referenced back to it throughout reading the story. It was super helpful!)
The Bone Season has a looot of its' own words and phrases and slang. You have to stick with this story because it is confusing at first. You are dropped into this whole new world, and I am not going to lie, i was confused for a good chunk of the beginning. But! You have to stick with it, because the story gets soooo good, and it does get easier to understand. I promise it does. It is definitely upper YA if not straight new adult because the book is super dense. But also super exciting and different and just plain cool. I really liked Paige. She is rash and impulsive at times, but I so admired her spirit and strength. And I loved Warden. I can't wait to see Warden in the next book because I think the romance is really going to start to develop and it is something I am liking...a lot. I can't wait for more.
As for the actual plot of The Bone Season. I don't even know where to start. It is so complicated and detailed. I'm just going to break it down into parts. There are normal people running London, and then there is this whole underground of people with abilities called clairvoyants. They are basically banned from society, they either have to work for the government or go underground. Paige gets caught and is transported to this whole other place that she didn't even know existed, which is run by a crazy monster alien race, called the Rephaim. Who have their own powers and their own agendas and who treat the clairvoyants like slaves. And then the story really starts. There is so much more going on, like rebellions and uprisings and politics and magic and romance. It is all really excellent. you just have to trust me. I know this review probably confused you more than anything, but let me leave you with this takeaway:
You have to read The Bone Season. It is one of the strongest young adult/adult fantasy debut novels I have read in a long time. The world Samantha Shannon created is complex and addictive. I can't wait to travel back to it. I need more. (Luckily I have copies of book 2 and 3.) Read the Bone Season now if you haven't. You can thank me later.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Bone Season is the first book in the young adult fantasy/sci fi dystopian series, by the same name, by Samantha Shannon. I have put off reading this book for a while, and I am not really sure why. It was always a book that interested me on my TBR list, but like a million other titles, I just never got around to it. This year I charged myself with the goal of reading more books that have been sitting on my TBR list for far too long and one of the series near the top of my list was The Bone Season series. Especially with the release of the very anticipated third book later this year. I wanted to be caught up for the next book. And I am so glad that I finally read The Bone Season. It is a fantastic read that I would recommend to fantasy lovers everywhere.
I think it will appeal to both fans of young adult and adult fantasy because the world that Shannon created is incredibly detailed and multi faceted. Honestly, it was a little overwhelming at first, because you open the book to this multi tiered chart of the orders of clairvoyants. And holy cow. I am not going to lie, I probably spent a good 15 minutes on that page alone before I even started reading just examining the different types of clairvoyants. I knew before I started that this was going to be an intensely detailed world because look at all the different abilities that existed within it. And that didn't even take into account the political climate of the world or the structure. I was hooked before I even started the book. (And I loved the chart so much! I referenced back to it throughout reading the story. It was super helpful!)
The Bone Season has a looot of its' own words and phrases and slang. You have to stick with this story because it is confusing at first. You are dropped into this whole new world, and I am not going to lie, i was confused for a good chunk of the beginning. But! You have to stick with it, because the story gets soooo good, and it does get easier to understand. I promise it does. It is definitely upper YA if not straight new adult because the book is super dense. But also super exciting and different and just plain cool. I really liked Paige. She is rash and impulsive at times, but I so admired her spirit and strength. And I loved Warden. I can't wait to see Warden in the next book because I think the romance is really going to start to develop and it is something I am liking...a lot. I can't wait for more.
As for the actual plot of The Bone Season. I don't even know where to start. It is so complicated and detailed. I'm just going to break it down into parts. There are normal people running London, and then there is this whole underground of people with abilities called clairvoyants. They are basically banned from society, they either have to work for the government or go underground. Paige gets caught and is transported to this whole other place that she didn't even know existed, which is run by a crazy monster alien race, called the Rephaim. Who have their own powers and their own agendas and who treat the clairvoyants like slaves. And then the story really starts. There is so much more going on, like rebellions and uprisings and politics and magic and romance. It is all really excellent. you just have to trust me. I know this review probably confused you more than anything, but let me leave you with this takeaway:
You have to read The Bone Season. It is one of the strongest young adult/adult fantasy debut novels I have read in a long time. The world Samantha Shannon created is complex and addictive. I can't wait to travel back to it. I need more. (Luckily I have copies of book 2 and 3.) Read the Bone Season now if you haven't. You can thank me later.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs