You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black

I pre-ordered this book so fast when I saw the stunning incentives! I saw this book everywhere, it seemed. It has such a beautiful cover, and I was hoping the inside would be the same. I am sad to say this one was a bit disappointing.

Niamh was an interesting character, and her magic was really cool. I love the fact that she was able to sew her emotions and different spells into clothing. I have read about a similar magical power, so it’s something I’m familiar with. I think that’s why I wasn’t too bothered with the lack of her magical abilities and where it came from. On the other hand, I was so confused by everyone else’s magic. She never gives us any information about how it works or what it stems from besides that it is hereditary. I still couldn’t tell you what Kit’s magic was. It was all confusing and just a matter of fact.

Niamh being hired as the wedding’s seamstress was a fascinating idea. It’s obvious that Kit will be her love interest, and I was waiting for all the angst, and it was barely there. I didn’t feel anything close to what I was expecting, and maybe that’s my fault. It was set-up perfectly, and there are hints of it, but not enough. I know this is YA, but still. The enemies-to-lovers was there, and I did enjoy that aspect.

The supporting characters might have been what I enjoyed most about this book. I got a lot of Bridgerton vibes with the gossip columnist. Was it as obvious to everyone else?!

Overall, the story was interesting enough that I kept going. It was a really quick read, but that could be because it’s a YA, and there’s not a lot of depth with the overall fantasy aspect. The relationship was okay and I liked it fine. I have seen a lot of positive reviews, and I might be in the minority. 

 You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black

I was excited to jump back into another Hawkins book! I did enjoy The Wife Upstairs. I buddy read this with Leah and made it much more exciting!

One of the things that I love about Hawkin’s writing style is that you fly through her books. It’s fast paced and intriguing that you can’t help but want to keep going. It was definitely the case with this one. It was such an easy read, but it was nice to buddy read and take our time with it. I did figure out a couple things early but still found many shocking twists! It didn’t take away from the story because I was on the edge of my seat the last bit. I didn’t know what was going to happen!

Jules and Cam were such easy characters to root for. I felt for Cam. He’s was the lucky kid, who was saved by Ruby. He was given anything and all but it never comes without a price. As the story unfolds you learn just how this might not have been a dream come true for Cam. There’s something about Ashby House and how it affects those who live in it. Regardless, I do think that Jules and Cam’s character development was very well written!

Overall, this was a great read! It’s so hard to review thrillers without giving anything away. The best I can say is that it was addictive and I enjoyed the ride. If you enjoy morally gray characters, then you will enjoy that aspect. The ending was really good and my favorite Hawkins book so far. I can’t wait to read when she comes out with next!

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

 

I jumped into this story and quickly loved the writing and atmosphere that Summers creates. Honestly, I saw the cover and wanted to read it. I went into this book completely blind and I’m so glad I did.

As I mentioned above, the prose were great and easy to read. Summer’s creates a world that’s really unique and keeps you wanting more. I found myself turning pages quickly, and it was faster paced than I’m used to for a fantasy. Although, some of the pacing towards the end was a bit off. It felt really rushed in places and too slow in others. The overall world-building was lacking in places. There’s so many things that I didn’t understand and just went with it. Now, the original romance and what this book stems from, is one I’m interested in. It was powerful, and I would love a prequel of that story.

One of the issues I had with this story was the relationship between Violet and Aleksander. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be a romance or just friends with benefits. It felt like the latter but it could be that it was so underdeveloped. I got so many friendship vibes that I couldn’t really get into the romance.

Now onto Violet. I really enjoyed her character most of the book. She was not afraid to do what needed to get done. She’s quite frankly the opposite of her mother! I get that she was upset with her uncles, but I don’t think the ways she acted towards them throughout the book was just. It came off a little bratty and immature. Penelope was a character that I was really perplexed by. I’m unsure if it’s just the lack of character development, but I didn’t quite understand her reasonings.

Overall, I did like this book. It was a fast read, and I loved that it was a standalone. I didn’t think the romance was there, and I did like the overall story. I hope she has a spin-off story about the original love story! I think the ending wrapped up perfectly!

Many thanks to Orbit and Redhook for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

Oh, TJ Klune, you are a brilliant man! To be honest, I wasn’t as excited to jump into book three when I knew it was about Robbie. He isn’t an OG, and you don’t get to know him that well in book two. I am so glad to report that I was so wrong. This book might be my favorite of the three! We are focusing on Robbie and Kelly.

We jump time and we are with Robbie on a compound. It’s a bit confusing because that’s not quite what we remember, right?! It was jarring and I was trying to figure out what was going on. Considering the last two books it’s a different approach. In the end, it makes sense but you just need to hang in there. It will all make sense eventually. haha. Something to note is that the overall plot of this book moves at a snail’s pace. I’m not saying that the book itself does, just the actual plot.

We get Robbie’s backstory right away, and I knew this was going to be a heartbreaking story. I cried so many times. I have to quote a moment in the book because it’s what I kept telling my husband. haha!

I have a love for all of these characters, even the ones that are no longer with us. Klune does such a fabulous job pulling in from previous characters and making you fall in love with them all over again. I’m trying so hard to not do spoilers here so I’m going to try and keep it vague. Robbie and Kelly are so sweet and their love for each other is inspiring. It’s crazy what all they have to go through but their character arcs are just so beautifully written. Robbie might have become one of my favorites and I never thought I would be saying that!

I have to take a minute to talk about all our supporting characters, aka the pack. The humans are dwindling but gosh are they amazing. Jessie is a character that I have loved from the get go! I have always loved Elizabeth and her Queen status with the pack. In this book, she really steps up and I love her for it. Rico has huge character growth in this book too and he gives some great humor in intense moments.

Overall, this was an amazing book and I cannot wait for Brothersong. I know, I will have to keep the tissues handy because things have become intense. I don’t know if I’m ready for the conclusion but I’m going to love every minute of it. I highly recommend this series if you are a fan of TJ Klune and werewolves!

Many thanks to Tor and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own! 

 

I had a lot of high hopes for this one. It sounded amazing and there are many parts I thoroughly enjoyed. On the flip side, there are a few issues I couldn't ignore. 

I'm going to talk about the things I liked first: 

I enjoyed the atmosphere Ibanez created. If you are into Egyptian artifacts/history then you will enjoy this. Cleopatra is the main focus and finding her tomb. Most of the setting in this book takes place in Egypt, and there are so many descriptive details, it makes you feel like you are there. 

My favorite part of this book is Whit and his part in the enemies-to-lovers romance. He's so mysterious but at the same time very easy to read. At least, he's easier for us to read than Inez! I thought the romance was a slow burn but done so very well. I think the pacing for their relationship was perfect but anything but instant love is a big win for me. 

Now, I want to talk about some things I didn't love: 

The pacing. Wow, it was all over the place! The beginning had us going at a decent pace and then around the middle, it started to really slow down. I had a hard time wanting to go back to the book at several points. I did love the details but sometimes it was a lot. I don't need to know all the details of the outfits being worn. The worst part of the pacing was the end. The last 25% of the book is just a hot mess. There are so many plot moments that didn't make sense. A few times, there are emotional moments thrown at us but we jump right into something else, without being able to process. I do think there was something added that didn't need to be there at all. It just didn't fit with the theme of the book and was a bummer. The pacing was the biggest issue I had with this book. 

Another thing I have mixed feelings about is Inez. I was so back and forth with either loving or hating her character. There are several instances when she makes the dumbest decisions without thinking things through. She throws caution to the wind and then gets frustrated when things go array?? I had a hard time following her logic. On the flip side, there are times she had amazing comebacks, and I liked how she stood her ground. 

One other thing I want to point out- is the magic. I'm a bit confused by it and it wasn't executed well. It sprinkles itself throughout the book at odd times with no explanation. Where does it come from and how does it happen? I would like more of that explained in book two! 

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this one. It had a lot of potential but the pacing was hard to overcome. The mythology and adventure aspect was a lot of fun. The romance was so good and the ending has me wanting to pick up book two! 

Many thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 I have enjoyed reading The Songs of Penelope and I cannot wait for the third book. With that being said, this one wasn’t as strong as Ithaca.

We pretty much start where Ithaca left off. Penelope has a hold on Ithaca but she’s about to be battling to keep it. Menelaus shows up at her door, claiming to want to help, but takes over. He puts his Spartan soldiers throughout the place and is searching for Orestes, to take his thrown. Penelope is entering a deadly game and I wasn’t sure how she would come out. The plot takes a long time to get going and makes the pace slow down. There’s a lot to explain and set up but it was on the border of becoming boring.

The absolute best part about this book is Penelope and her women. It was so great getting to see them outsmart men at every turn. The cat and mouse chase at times was nerve-wrecking but I shouldn’t have worried. Penelope has such a mind and I was enjoying the ride to see how she overcame. I’m trying hard not to spoil anything. The last 1/3 of the book was so good and saved this for me. I am not kidding that it was so good and brought me back in. The plotting and scheming on both ends was just so fabulous to see play out! I didn’t know what was going to happen and it kept me on my toes.

Overall, this was a slower-paced book but if you keep with it, it will be worth it in the end. Penelope and her island full of women are such a force and it’s been so entertaining to see them in action. This is a book about how women can overcome men and some of their power. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I do think things are about to ramp up and I can’t wait!

Many thanks to Orbit for a finished copy of this book. All opinions are my own! 

 

You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black

I'm a huge fan of Adrienne and she has yet to disappoint me. I know, it's like I'm asking for trouble but this was such an amazing book.

There are so many things going on in this book and Young can weave the story so beautifully. June is from a long line of "cursed" women. Her grandmother has just died and left some cryptic clues for her. She starts to unravel the past and the journey she's taken on is wild. As she's learning about her past, she's starting to realize things are not at all what she's been told/knows. I found the murder mystery was woven into the story in such a natural way too. The atmosphere that Young created made you feel like you were living it.

I loved June and her story. I don't want to get into the plot too much because there's a lot of things I don't want to spoil. Just trust me that it is never boring and the writing keeps you so immersed that you don't want to stop. This did take me a while to read but because you have to take your time with it. It's not a bad thing, just know you need to read at a slower pace. There are a little for everyone with a love story, murder mystery, and some magical realism throughout the story.

Overall, this was a great book. I think this is a story that I'm going to remember for a long time. It's such a beautifully written book with details that will stay with you. It's one of Young's strongest books to date. I cannot wait to see what she does next!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for an e-galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

 

Wow! This was an amazing sequel, and it was packed with action from the get-go. I’m always worried about the sequel and if it will fall victim to the trilogy slump. Thankfully, that did not happen, and I enjoyed this one very much.

Sim did an great job expanding on the world. Most of our main group is scattered to different parts of the world. At first, I was worried that it would just be a lot of info dumps but it wasn’t. She did a great job explaining what was going on but flowing it through the plot nicely. The magic is such an interesting aspect of the story. I really loved getting to know more about it and delving into what everyone’s powers are.

We have a lot of added characters in this book and I adored most. I do think there could have been a more fluid switch between the different POV’s. I sometimes felt lost and had to think about who this person was and where we were in the world. If you would have told me that Angelica would become one of my favorites, I would have told you that you are crazy. I was not the biggest fan of Angelica in book one. This book had me falling in love with her story and character arc. She quickly became one of my favorite POV’s to read about. Taesia will still be my number 1 favorite but Angelica came in pretty close.

Overall, this was a great sequel! It’s always so hard to write reviews for a sequel because you don’t want to give away spoilers. I will say, if you think a story about God’s trying to use royals as puppets, to get their way sounds interesting, this is for you. I love this world and these characters! Sim has done something unique and I cannot wait for book three!!

Thank you, Orbit for a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own! 

It was so good to get back to Green Creek!! I was extremely excited to read this book because Gordo was one of my favorite characters from book one. I love that we get a book about his character and learn more about what happened with Mark.

I think I might love Mark and Gordo more than Ox and Joe! I know, I know. Maybe it’s because it’s a second chance at love or because they are similar in age. Either way, I think that Klune has done a fantastic job with both relationships, thus far.

We start with the wolves leaving their pack in the first book. We get to see what they were up to when Joe decided to take off for revenge. I loved seeing that side and how those relationships progressed. Gordo’s story then kind of jumps back and forth between the past and present. I loved getting to see his past and what happened but it’s also very sad. I would expect nothing less from a Klune book.

I think the thing that held me back from giving this five stars was the pacing. Don’t get me wrong, I have a newborn and that’s killing my reading vibe. With that being said, this did take a while to suck me in. It’s a bit of a chunky book and it was a slow start. Once, we get going though, it was hard to stop. I think that Klune has done a great job having a sub-plot with an overarching main plot. There’s a lot of things in play and we are making our way to the big bad wolf. ha- ha.

The characters in this book are where this book stands out. Characters are Klune’s sweet spot and like all his other books they are amazing here. I love them all and I was tense because I just didn’t want anything to happen to any of them. That’s saying a lot because there is a huge pack and that provides many side characters. We have such a variety of personalities that really help the intense and dark aspects of the plot. I have to give a special shout-out to Elizabeth. I don’t know if it’s because I relate to her as a mom but she’s got such moving moments, pretty much anytime she shows up on the page.

Overall, I loved this book! There are some little things here and there but I loved getting to know Gordo better. He and Mark are just *chefs kiss.* I am really interested in where things go from here and can’t wait to jump into book three! Also, a side note- the change in covers has been epic! They are stunning.

Many thanks to Tor and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!