A Blade So Black is the first book in the young adult fantasy reimagining series called The Nightmare-Verse  by L.L. McKinney. A Blade so black is an urban fantasy reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, with some kick butt Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes thrown in. This book was a lot of fun and was as equal parts paying homage to Alice as it was putting it's own spin on the tale. I loved the Urban fantasy setting versus the traditional wonderland setting. This book was really interesting and I am certainly interested in continuing the series.

In A Blade So Black we meet our Alice, who lives in Atlanta. I loved the Atlanta setting for this wonderland. I think an Urban twist on the story was brilliant, and really added to my opinion that there are major Buffy vibes in this story, which I totally dug. I love a kick butt Alice! Alice fights and banishes Nightmares, which come from the magical dream realm known as Wonderland. I thought the nightmare element was a really cool addition to the series. I will admit that at times I found Alice annoying, but I liked her enough that I am super interested to see what kind of character growth and progression she will have throughout the series. There is some romance as well as a love triangle, but all of that felt kind of secondary to the overall plot. I am not sure if it will become more of a main feature in the next books, but I am excited to see if it does. I kind of want it to, because I am not sure what I think about the romance as it stands right now. 

As for the plot- it was also pretty cool, though at times I was overloaded with details and information and I felt a bit overwhelmed and lost. As I kept reading, things became less confusing for me but I did find the writing style a bit jarring for me. I'm not sure if it was done on purpose because things are always a bit wonky in wonderland, but I didn't connect with the plot as much as I wanted to because of this. Overall, I enjoyed A Blade So Black. I loved this take on wonderland and Alice and I really enjoyed the fight element. I think this book will be perfect for fans of Buffy, fans of Alice retellings and fans of Urban Fantasy in general. This was a good start to an interesting series. And plus side- book two is also already out so you can continue on if you are fan of The Nightmare-Verse. 

Divided Fire is a young adult fantasy story about two sisters by Jennifer San Filippo. I loved that this book not only showcased a really interesting idea for a fantasy world (more on that later) but that it also featured to very different sisters as the main characters. I always enjoy a good sisterly tale. In Divided Fire the world has an elemental magic system. I know what you are thinking- well that doesn't sound too unique? And I agree, but here the twist is that your voice, specifically your singing voice is the key to unlocking the elemental magic. I loved this combination of signing, magic and using your voice to fight. It was a really cool idea, and the world building was my favorite element of this story. I am not 100% sure if this book is going to be a standalone or a series opener, but I am hoping (and leaning towards) a series because there are some things left unanswered at the end of Divided Fire. I am interested to see if there is going to be another book so we an tie a few of those open ends up. I think this could be a really good duology. 

In Divided Fire, we meet our two main characters- Sisters Kesia and Miren. As I mentioned before, magic users in this world can control an element with their voice, but this is not something that everyone can do. Out of our two sisters, Kesia is a Fire Singer while Miren does not exhibit any singing powers. Those that do have the ability to control elements with their songs are drafted into becoming fighters in the fierce war the country is currently embroiled in. There is also a really cool use of sign language throughout the story as it relates to the singers. I found all of that fascinating! Though our story follows the two sisters, a lot of the book featured them split up because Kesia has been taken and Miren is trying to rescue her. I really enjoyed the split perspectives because it allowed us to get to know each of the girls better and I think it makes the story more interesting. 

I will admit that because there is so much going on in the world, the beginning of the story felt a little info-dumpy at times, which I didn't love. A lot of it was vital and pertinent information that we did need to know for the story, but I just wish it was presented and incorporated  in more of a showing and not straight telling way. But that is really my only issue with the story. Other than that, I was swept up in this rescue mission. There is a lot going on in this story and at times it is hard to keep everyone and everything happening straight, but I still really enjoyed the tale. 

If you are a fan of fantasy stories that feature unique magic, sisterly love and a cool rescue type adventure, then Divided Fire will be a book you should check out. I had some minor issues with the story but overall, I really enjoyed this one. I am interested to see if there will be a sequel. 

3.5/5 gavels

To Have and to Hoax is an adult historical romantic comedy by Martha Waters. I love romantic comedies, but I have not read to many historical rom coms, so when I saw this one on netgalley, I was intrigued to say the least. And I have to say, To Have and to Hoax was a lot of fun, and it was really very funny! It is a big game of one upping each other between a husband and wife that had me laughing several times while reading. I did have some minor annoyances, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading To Have and to Hoax.

In To Have and to Hoax, we meet our married couple, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley. They have been married for 5 years, but we soon learn that they have not had a great marriage for most of that time. But that all changes when Violet thinks her husband has fallen off a horse and was badly injured. When she finds out that is not true, she decides to get even and tell him that she is sick. And from there the games begin. They keep trying to one up each other. It kind of reminded me of a historical version of the Friends episode where Rachel and Phoebe find out about Monica and Chandler dating, and they decide to play pranks on Monica and Chandler stating “they don’t know we know”. And then Joey gets involved and Monica finds out that they are pranking them and that they “know” so they decide to prank them back, stating “they don’t know we know, they know!” and the whole thing spirals out of control…in a funny way. That is exactly this book. It is a lot of fun, but I do feel like it went a bit too far at times. I liked their interactions and their flirting, and I really liked the two of them, but I kind of wish the grew up a bit and each apologized to each other. But they are both so stubborn that I understand why it didn’t happen that way, I just wish it did.

Which brings me to my other little annoyance. It felt like James took the brunt of apologies, when I firmly believe that the fault lay squarely on both of their shoulders. But other than those minor issues, I really did have a lot of fun while reading To Have and to Hoax. I think there are so many funny scenes that will have you giggling and laughing out loud, and rooting for our couple to just admit that they do care about each other. All in all, this book was a total good time! If you are a fan of historical romances and of Romantic comedies, I think you will enjoy To Have and to Hoax

Historically Inaccurate is a young adult contemporary by Shay Bravo. I enjoyed Historically Inaccurate but I didn't love it as much as I was initially hoping. I picked it up because I am a big history nerd and I was super excited to see a book featuring a college history club, which we will get into later but it didn't end up being what I thought it was going to be. Overall, it was a cute read that has a diverse cast of characters, which I enjoyed and a nice romance that was sweet. I liked this one, but it didn't blow my socks off.

In Historically Inaccurate we meet our main character Sol, who is still reeling from her mother being deported. When Sol gets to college she joins a history club that has some strange initiation tasks for its' members. Sol is tasked with breaking into this house and stealing a fork, and during that task she meets Ethan, who becomes her love interest in the book. I liked Ethan a lot and I liked Sol well enough. It's interesting because I really liked who she is as a person, but she rubbed me the wrong way sometimes with how much she seems to chatter about nothing in her thoughts. Her thoughts and thought process were a large part of the story, which I didn't mind, but they tended to wander off in directions that didn't seem to have anything to do with the plot, and that was a little confusing for me. I loved how close Sol was with her family, and I was really happy to see that depicted in the story even with her mom being deported, which was obviously tough on Sol and her Dad.

Sol and Ethan were the highlight of the story for me. I thought it would be the history club, but there was very little history to the club. Instead it seemed to just be a mischief making club, which was fun, but unexpected. If you are looking for a book that features a diverse cast with many different minority representations present, hijinks and serious issues interwoven, then I think you will want to check out Historically Inaccurate. This was a decent read for me.

The Darkest Star is the first book in the young adult Origin series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The Origin series is a young adult paranormal/sci fi romance featuring aliens. It is a spin off of her Lux series, which I have been meaning to read but I have still not read. But I decided that since they are just set in the same world but don't necessarily have to be read in order, I decided there was no time like the present to binge read the Origin series because book three released this month. And I am so so glad that I decided to pick these books up now. I am loving them! The Darkest Star is hands down my favorite alien book I have ever read. If you have followed my reviews for a while now, you may have noticed that I don't typically read many sci fi books and I read even fewer books featuring aliens, but after reading The Darkest Star, I might have to rethink my position on aliens. I loved this book and all of the characters in it!

In The Darkest Star we meet our main characters Evie and Luc. Evie lives in a world that has already been invaded by aliens called Luxen. The invasion war is now over, and Luxen now live among humans. They wear disablers to disable their powers. Our book starts out with Evie and her friend going to a nightclub that is known to be a Luxen club. There Evie sees Luc for the first time, and her whole world changes. Not right away, because he is a total jerk, but it puts events in motion that Thrust Evie further into the world of the Luxen than she ever imagined. It called all kinds of her beliefs into question, and without giving too much away, there are plenty of secrets in this book (and the next one!)

Evie and Luc crackle off the page! I just love the two of them. They are great characters on their own but they are magic together, and they are not even together in a relationship for much of the book, but still I love them. Evie is so inquisitive and kind, and Luc is so protective and fierce, but with Evie he just a big ole marshmallow teddy bear. It's beyond adorable. This book was the perfect foundation for the series. It sets up the worlds, lets us really get to know the characters and the motivations of everyone and it also has plenty of plot twists and turns to keep the readers guessing. Even though some of the twists were pretty easy to see coming, there were many that truly surprised me. This is a fantastic first installment that has left me super ready and excited to dive into the second book! The origin series is perfect for fans of paranormal romance and science fiction alike.

4.5/5

*Note: this review may contain spoilers. This is the second book in a series that should be read in order.
If you are new to this series, you can check out my review of book one- The Darkest Star HERE*

The Burning Shadow is the second book in the young adult Origin series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The Origin series is a young adult paranormal/sci fi romance featuring aliens. It is a spin off of her Lux series, but you do not need to read that series first if you don't want to. I have not read the Lux series yet, but because I am loving the Origin series so much, I can't wait to pick up all the books in the Luc series and binge read them! I am not the biggest fan of aliens, but Luc, Emery Zoe and the whole gang are really making me rethink my position on aliens. I loved The Burning Shadow. It has even more twists and turns than the first book and it is by far my favorite Alien series that I have ever read.

The Burning Shadow takes place right after the events of the first book, and Evie is reeling from the bombshell that was dropped on her- that she used to be someone else entirely. Even though I saw this coming while I was reading the first book in the series, I never could have predicted everything that would mean for Evie as so many things come to light in this installment. I was so excited while reading this book because there was so much going on. We have Evie's ex friend April who is protesting the Luxen. We have the mystery surrounding what was done to Evie. We have the mysterious message that was delivered by crazy Micah, and we have growing tensions all over the world. Not to mention the mysterious illness that is spreading around, killing people. When I first picked up this book and I saw a flu like sickness killing people, ,I thought "Oh no! this is going to hit wayy too close to home." But this is no normal sickness because those that do not die, do change. This book felt creepier than the first book and I loved every single second of it! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading.  

And the romance aspect was great. Evie and Luc still crackle off the page! I just love the two of them, and I have such a soft spot for Luc. I love how protective he is of Evie and I loved that their romance amped up in The Burning Shadow. If you liked The Darkest Star, then you will love The Burning Shadow even more. I know I did! I cannot wait to read the next book and continue on with this series. This ending has left me super happy to have the next book ready to go because it is intense. The origin series is perfect for fans of paranormal romance and science fiction alike. I love the Origin series so much!

4.5/5

Past Perfect Life is a young adult contemporary mystery by Elizabeth Eulberg. I enjoyed Past Perfect Life. It is a mystery but the mystery element of the book was over much quicker than I expected it to, and instead the main chunk of the story deals with the aftermath of the event, which was interesting. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that had me feeling all the feels! I think Past Perfect Life if good for readers who enjoy emotional contemporary reads that also incorporate mystery and suspense elements.

In Past Perfect Life we meet our main character, Allison, or Ally, as she tries to complete senior year and her college applications. When she finds out something she was not expecting- that she isn’t who she thought she was. I have to admit, this would really rock my world, so I completely related to Ally when it totally turned her world upside down. This was a really emotional read for me, and I loved Ally as the main character because I felt like I was in sync with her throughout the whole book. I was really all over the emotional spectrum, just like she was. Understandably so!

The plot of this book was great. I enjoyed the twist in the story, even though I kind of felt like we learned about it a little too soon.

Her father actually kidnapped ally when she was little and they have been on the run from her mom ever since.

watching Ally navigate everything that was going on all around her was interesting. I found the character development and thought processes to be the best part of Past Perfect Life. I also enjoyed the romance, which was cute but nothing remarkable in my opinion.

Overall, I enjoyed Past Perfect Life. It didn’t blow my socks off, but it was a good emotional read. I think fans of contemporary coming of age stories mixed in with a side of emotional suspense books will enjoy this book.

*Note: this review contains spoilers. This is the third book in a series that should be read in order.
If you are new to this series, you can check out my review of book one- The Darkest Star HERE & book two The Burning Shadow HERE-*

The Brightest Night is the third book in the young adult Origin series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The Origin series is a young adult paranormal/sci fi romance featuring aliens. It is a spin off of her Lux series, but you do not need to read that series first if you don’t want to. I have not read the Lux series yet, but because I am loving the Origin series so much, I can’t wait to pick up all the books in the Lux series and binge read them! I am not the biggest fan of aliens, but Luc, Emery, Zoe and the whole gang (even Grayson) are really making me rethink my position on aliens. I loved The Brightest Night. I stand by my statement that this is by far my favorite Alien series that I have ever read.

The Brightest Night takes place right after the events of the first book, and now we are all reeling with the bombshell that was dropped on all of us. View Spoiler » The Brightest Night is not overall as action packed as the first two books because so much of the book takes place in one location, but we do learn a ton of information. The mysterious illness that is spreading around, killing people is still very much in play in this book and we are learning more about what it does to the people that it doesn’t kill, and through that we are also learning more about Evie herself. About what has been done to her and about what she can do now. And let me just tell you. If you thought Luc was scary powerful as an Origin, then you are about to be shocked with what Trojan Evie can do. She is crazy powerful and I have a feeling that there is even more to come.

There is also more Evie and Luc romance now that they are officially together, and I was completely loving it! I just love the two of them, and I have such a soft spot for Luc. I love how protective he is of Evie. I adored this series so much, and even though I liked this book just a smidge less than I liked the first two books in the series, I still loved this book! I thought it was fantastic, scary, tense and a completely wild adventure. And the ending! The ending completely gutted me. I need my hands on the fourth book right this second because I have a physical need to see what is going to happen next. The origin series is perfect for fans of paranormal romance and science fiction alike. I am obsessed with the Origin series!

Enemy Zone is the first book in the contemporary romance Trident Rescue series by author Alex Lidell. I have read several of Alex's paranormal and fantasy series, but this is the first time I am reading a contemporary series by her, and I have to say Enemy Zone was just as magically as her fantasy series! I completely loved this book! It is my favorite contemporary romance read of the year! (even though it doesn't release until 2021) I loved everything about this book- I loved the characters, I loved their chemistry and romance and I loved the Trident Rescue guys. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I am super bummed that I will probably have to wait a good long while because Enemy Zone does not even release until January 2021.

In Enemy Zone we meet our main characters, Cullen and Skylar. The book is told in dual narrative between the two of them and I loved this narration style because it was so much fun to dive into each of their heads. Cullen and his 3 friends have all served in the military and came back home after service to start up various businesses in the town of Denton Valley. I think at least one of them comes from family money of some kind to start bank rolling these businesses but they are all loaded and they basically own a large portion of the town. Trident Rescue is a private EMT team, headed up by the four guys in their spare time. In Enemy Rescue we see Cullen on the scene of a car accident when a new reporter from the town gossip publication comes up to ask questions. Skylar and Cullen are basically hate at first sight. I loved watching the two of them go toe to toe over everything and anything. They are one feisty pair!

When Skylar finds herself as the new dispatch at Trident Rescue to earn some extra money while she is chasing her dream of becoming a journalist, things in this book really picked up. Skylar's past is a large part of the plot of this book, and I don't want to spoil anything but this is first and foremost a romance novel and the romance was perfect! It was quick witted, full of banter and super sexy! I loved every second of this book, and I am already itching to get my hands on book two in the Trident Rescue series!

The Circle Taken is a young adult dystopian by Sage Sask. When I first started my blog almost 10 years ago, I was obsessed with dystopian stories. But then over the next couple of years (2011, 2012, 2013) I read so many that they all started to feel like the same story and the same evil government and I got dystopian burnout.  I then took a very long break from reading dystopians, but lately I have been craving more good dystopian and I have had decent luck with finding stories that I have been enjoying and that are feeling fresh and unique again. That is what I was hoping when I picked up The Circle Taken, and I am happy to report that I really enjoyed this book. 

In The Circle Taken, we meet our main character Alexia, who was abandoned by her family at a young age and she has no memories of her early childhood. Alexia has psychic powers. She is able to tell the past and the future by touching someone or something, but this is something that she has worked hard to conceal. The world in the circle is a world restructured because of the aftermath of a devastating world war. The new world is divided up into zones with very strict government oversight and control. The government tells you what you can do, what kind of job you can have, etc. During her aptitude test, her ability is found out, and she is sent to an island where other people with powers. Here the story really picks up pace. I loved the adventure that follows. I do still have some questions after having read this novel, and I am really hoping that we get a follow up book because I want some answers!

Alexia is a great main character. Her memory loss made her super interesting because she is more critical of everything happening around her. I appreciated that about her. If you are a fan of action adventure dystopian stories with extra powers and abilities thrown in, I think you will really enjoy The Circle Taken. It has great characters, a fast moving plot and an interesting world.