I love it when I come across something different to read so when I read the summary of Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares, I was immediately intrigued. Tom DeLonge and Suzanne Young created a story that pulled me in from the very first page and kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

Jonas and his brother, Alan, are lucid dreamers and since the death of their parents they have been hopping around from city to city. As they are headed to what Alan believes will be their chance for something stable, they are in a car accident. As the story picks up, Alan is in a coma and Jonas’ dreams are turning into something different. As Jonas turns to the dream world to find Alan and wake him up, he finds Night Terrors and Dream Walkers…things he doesn’t really know anything about.

I loved Jonas as a main character and thought his development was well done. I loved the relationship he had with his brother and it was fantastic to learn all about what it means to be Poet Anderson right alongside Jonas. As the story progresses, Jonas grows up. He has always had Alan to lean on and now that he is on his own, he has to figure things out and he has to do it quickly. As Jonas learns more about the dream world, he also learns more about his family and what is expected of him.

Outside of Jonas, there are a number of other characters that add to the story. Sam is the girl from school who not only catches Jonas’ attention, but she also has some important connections. The Dream Walkers are an interesting group and their interactions with Jonas and ultimately, their motivations made things complicated but I loved how things were tied together at the end. The other major character is REM and he is definitely the bad guy. He has history with Jonas’ family and he will do whatever he needs to in order to get what he wants and what he wants is a Poet.

I loved the world that DeLonge and Young have built out. Both the waking world and the dream world are well developed and provide layers for the story to jump into. The authors have also created a story that blends together a fantastic mix of action, and horror with a side of romance and family.

There’s not much more I can tell you about the actual story here as I don’t want to ruin anything. Just know that I loved every minute of this book and am hopeful that we will have more stories from these two that include the Andersons. Definitely consider checking this book out when you can - I found I was unable to put it down and now that I am finished I just want more.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

3.5 stars

This was another fast and fluffy story by Ally Broadfield. I thought the mystery of the tiara was an interesting spin to bring the main characters together and ultimately get them working together despite their initial negative feelings toward each other.

Broadfield's writing is well done and I found myself pulled into Edward's and Isabella's stories. Isabella has a secret she is hiding and even though she finds herself falling for Edward, she avoids telling him about it and ultimately this becomes an issue. Admittedly, I didn't find the secret to be that big of a deal but Edward had different thoughts.

If you are looking for a quick read that has a bit of a mystery along with the romance, consider checking this one out.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!

It is safe to say that Alexandra Bracken could publish her grocery list and I would love every bit of it. When I learned that she was going to be writing another series I immediately added it to my TBR list and then I found out what it was about and I knew I was going to need this in my hands…as soon as possible.

As soon as I started this book, I was hooked. Bracken immediately pulled me into this world right alongside Etta. I loved that we were learning everything at the same time Etta was as it made the story that much more suspenseful in regard to how things were happening and then too, what was going to happen next.

This book has so much in it I don’t even know where to start…really. There is the time travel…which is fantastic and one of my favorite things about this book. But that’s not all. There is also history, romance, amazing characters, and a story that will have you turning the pages to know what will happen next. I can’t say enough about the way Bracken builds this story and honestly, I can’t say much about the actual story without giving much away.

What you need to know is that Etta starts her day off thinking she will be playing her violin for an audience and then finds herself on a ship in the year 1776. From there Etta is tossed into an unfamiliar world with people she doesn’t know and doesn’t trust. The one bright spot is Nicholas and although he has his own secrets and tasks, he is also willing to do whatever he needs to in order to protect Etta.

While working together to complete their mission, Etta and Nicholas come to trust one another but there's no question, they are also keeping secrets from one another. Despite that, they find themselves drawn to each other and even though they are from very different times, they develop a connection. One of the things I loved about the relationship between these two was that they went into it knowing that they were both trying to get back to their own time but even with that on their minds, they still jumped right into each other’s arms.

I can’t say much more about the story as I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone - sorry, not sorry. Just know that this should be on your TBR list (if for some odd reason it isn’t already) and you should read this as soon as you possibly can. I can’t even tell you how much I can’t wait to get my hands on book two because I died a little after turning the last page of this book.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

So anyone that knows me knows that series books kill me because I am so impatient. Lucky for me, the next book comes out in about a week so I am super excited about that!

I liked this book and am interested to learn more about everything....honestly! I felt like we only got a little snippet of the information behind the angels and their purpose. I am hoping that the next book addresses the repercussions (if there are any) of Clara's decision as well as Christian's story.

I love Tucker...that is all.

Probably closer to a 1.5.

I don't know what it was about this book but I wasn't a fan. I enjoy a good character driven story and there was good potential here but I didn't care for the main characters, At all. Evangeline was frustrating and I can't even tell you how annoying it was that EVERY SINGLE MAN in this book immediately wanted her. WHAT??

And Drake was just ok for me. He is definitely an Alpha male and I appreciate that in a hero but there was something off in this one for me - I wasn't wowed by him. What I really wanted was to know more about Drake's work and what he and his crew are up to. I did like how protective they were of Evangeline but with that said, it came off as pretty annoying that each and every one of them wanted her for their own...if Drake didn't have her that is.

The story itself was ok but I found myself not caring either way if these two were able to make things work. I might check out the next one to see what happens but I'm not sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I happened across The Reluctant Sacrifice while scrolling though NetGalley and thought it sounded interesting. It was a quick read and had a solidly built story to keep me flipping the pages.

The story revolves around Aubrey Shaw who is linked to a prophecy that essentially requires her to sacrifice herself for her people. If you can’t tell from the title, Aubrey isn’t down with that and with her ability as a jumper, she has been able to evade the people who most want to find her…her father, her sister, and her best friend (former) Joshua.

As far as characters go, I thought they were all well-developed. Aubrey was likable, caring and smart. The one thing I didn’t get was why she kept giving Joshua a pass. He, like the rest of their people, wanted her dead…no matter what he felt for her. And to add to my dislike, he hooked up with Aubrey’s sister. UGH…NO. I really liked Coy and he was definitely the better of the two guys. He did what he could to protect Aubrey and I thought his backstory was interesting.

Definitely consider checking this one out. I’m glad I came across this one and will watch for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

R.C. Lewis won me over last year with Stitching Snow so when I heard she was writing another book, it immediately went on my to read list. Spinning Starlight is based on a Hans Christian Andersen classic, The Wild Swans and I admit, I don’t really know anything about that tale. Despite that, I found this retelling to be quite entertaining.

This story introduces us to Liddi Jantzen who is the daughter of the most powerful tech family in the galaxy. She has been surrounded by her family and a load of expectations her whole life and when we are introduced to her, we find out quite a bit about her. First, since her parents death’s, Liddi has really only had her older brothers to rely on and these days she doesn’t get to see them as often as she would like. Second, Liddi is worried that she won’t live up to the expectations that being a part of her family bring. It is clear she doubts herself and she compares herself to her brothers all the time and in her mind, she always falls short.

Unexpectedly Liddi finds herself in the middle of a situation she has no idea how to handle and the wrong move (or word) could end up killing her brothers. When Liddi ends up in another world, she finds herself connecting with Tiav, someone who can help her but also someone who can cause a lot of trouble for her. As Liddi works with (and sometimes against) Tiav to fix the conduit problem and save her brothers, she has to do it without the use of her voice.

I thought the character development was well done. Liddi’s story and the background of her family history was done in a way that gave me the information I wanted when I needed it. I loved getting introduced to her brothers and her parents through the flashbacks. I also thought the science part was well done – not that I know anything about physics or traveling to other worlds but the way things were explained only added to the detail and believability of the story. The world building was also well done.

Tiav was a great character. He is kind and patient with Liddi and I have to admit, there was a time where I wasn’t really sure how things were going to end up for these two. Immediately he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and help her but she did end up burning him so I couldn’t really hold his actions against him. He is a great mix of smart, trusting, swoony, and loyal.

I can’t say much more about the details of this story only because I don’t want to give anything away. You do find out early on what is going on and why as well as who the bad guy is, but certain pieces of the whole story are revealed throughout the book. What I can say is that if you enjoy the sci fi genre and fairytale retellings, you should definitely check this one out. I enjoyed the whole thing and can’t wait to see what Lewis writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

Review to come

Ahhhhhhh...I'm going to need the next book like right now.

Riot of Storm and Smoke is book two of the Threats of Sky and Sea series and I admit it…I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book because if you know me, you know how impatient I am with series books. When I came across book one last year I was pleasantly surprised so I jumped at the chance to read book two as soon as I could. If you haven’t read the first book, maybe stop here and go read it…then go get book two and come back and let’s talk about all the things.

So first, I have to say, I had to go back to book one to read the last few chapters. It had been quite a while since I read the story that all I remembered was that I needed to know more. With that said, as soon as I got caught back up, I was pulled right back into the story. Book two picks up right where book one left off so you aren’t missing any action or momentum at all.

I still really like Bree and I feel like she came into her own in this book. There are definitely times where she almost gives in to the futility of her situation but then she would push forward…which I appreciate. While Bree struggles to figure out her power, she also has a decision to make. Now that she knows who she really is, she has to decide whether she will come forward or keep it a secret. I have to admit, I wanted her to step forward without being forced into it but I can’t blame her for wanting to distance herself from what will come when she shares her secret.

If you know me at all, you also know I like my swoony parts along with everything else and I have to say, I was worried Bree and Caden were going to be separated for the entire book. Thankfully they do end up coming back together and I loved everything about that reunion.

The reason they were separated is that Bree, Aleta, and Tregle are headed out to Nereidium to save Aleta’s people and Caden knows he can’t go. He has to do whatever he can to stop his father. Unfortunately for him, the King suspects Caden knows where the girls are hiding and he is willing to do whatever he can to get them back…including torturing his only son and heir to the throne.
With Caden’s ties to the underground, Bree and group get away and eventually Caden gets away from the king too. But that doesn’t mean their problems go away. As Caden realizes his father is actually pretty evil, he decides he will do whatever it takes to save the Egrian people from his father’s greed and thirst for power. While Caden travels the countryside to build an army, he comes to terms with the fact that his father isn’t who he thought he was and because of that, he’s able to push forward, even when faced with something truly unthinkable.

The secondary characters are done well in this series as well and have pretty pivotal parts. We meet some new ones and get to see some of the ones that have been around since the beginning. I really liked Sir Liam and I thought Elena added another layer that I wasn't expecting. If you don't know who Elena is, definitely check out the novella that addresses her story.

So…there isn’t much else I can say without giving any of the story away. As always, I don’t want to ruin any bit of this book for you. If you are looking for a story that has magic, danger, action, and of course, swoony parts, definitely check this one out. I am really looking forward to the next book of this series as I am curious to see what impact the ending of this one has on the rest of the players. If it has been a while since you read book one, definitely refresh yourself with how it ended. It really helped me get back into the story!

Thank you to the author for the review copy!