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erinarkin20
Loved this story and Drix might be one of my favorites now...
It has been a while since I have read anything by Katie McGarry and Say You’ll Remember Me reminded me of why I love her books so much. On our last podcast with Swoony Boys, Kass mentioned how much she loved this book so I pushed it up on my TBR. Once I started, I found myself unwilling to put this down (unfortunately my work life didn’t really agree with me on this) and couldn’t wait to find out what happened with these characters, Elle and Drix, whose lives couldn’t have been more different.
Elle is the governor’s daughter and she knows she is lucky to have the things she has but sometimes she just wants to do what she wants without the expectations and pressure that comes along with being who she is. She would also like to be free to do the things she loves, not what her parents believe is right. I have to say I was frustrated with Elle sometimes and it was more around how much she let her parents control her and dictate almost everything in her life from her hair color and contact color to what classes she could take.
Drix on the other hand, doesn’t have much materially but he has his brother, sister, and friends. Drix spent most of his time drinking, getting high, making music, and chasing after girls but after having been convicted of a crime that he didn’t commit, he knows he needed to change and he takes this for the wakeup call he needed. Now that he is out, Drix is willing to do whatever he needs to in order to get his life back on track and that includes becoming the poster boy for the Second Chance Program. This program is the governor’s newest project to rehabilitate delinquents and Drix isn’t going to do anything to ruin his chance for a clean start. He completely changed who he was while he was away and if the program will help him get into the music school he wants to get into, he knows he can change his life.
When Elle and Drix meet, they have no clue who the other is, and I loved how McGarry introduced them to each other. I also loved how McGarry developed the friendship / relationship between them. It starts out with a chance meeting at a fair and slowly becomes more and it felt real. Of course, they are attracted to each other but because they are traveling together (with the governor) they start to spend time together and really get to know each other. I love that Drix specifically calls out that he likes the “real” Elle more than that perfect version her mother is creating and encourages her to wear her glasses and be who she wants to be.
The other part of this story that I really enjoyed was the tie to family. Drix obviously didn’t have the best role models with his parents and he has restructured his definition of family to revolve around his brother, sister, and friends. And they truly are a family – they care about each other and support each other in all the ways a family would/should. When Drix goes away, he knows someone in his circle let him take the fall and when he comes back, he has a hard time being ok and trusting those he isn’t sure of, and that includes his sister and his best friend.
On the other hand, Elle loves her parents and knows they love her, but they are super controlling and didn’t really support her in the things she wanted for herself…they just wanted her to be what they wanted her to be. Throughout the story I could feel her frustration, but she always fell back to the idea that they were doing the things they did out of love and protection. She trusted her parents to always do the right thing and unfortunately, she learns that they don’t.
In the end, this is more than just a good girl falls for the bad boy story. Elle’s optimism and desire to do what’s right is threaded throughout everything she does and Drix’s desire to be better than he was are what move this story forward and kept me turning the pages.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I think if you are a fan of McGarry’s other books, you will really like this one. She does a fantastic job of highlighting the challenges that the “have nots” face as well as showing that just because someone’s life looks perfect on the outside, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it truly is. If you are looking for a story that has well developed characters, a fantastic story, and of course, swoons, you should check this one out. As always, I am looking forward to whatever McGarry puts out next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!
It has been a while since I have read anything by Katie McGarry and Say You’ll Remember Me reminded me of why I love her books so much. On our last podcast with Swoony Boys, Kass mentioned how much she loved this book so I pushed it up on my TBR. Once I started, I found myself unwilling to put this down (unfortunately my work life didn’t really agree with me on this) and couldn’t wait to find out what happened with these characters, Elle and Drix, whose lives couldn’t have been more different.
Elle is the governor’s daughter and she knows she is lucky to have the things she has but sometimes she just wants to do what she wants without the expectations and pressure that comes along with being who she is. She would also like to be free to do the things she loves, not what her parents believe is right. I have to say I was frustrated with Elle sometimes and it was more around how much she let her parents control her and dictate almost everything in her life from her hair color and contact color to what classes she could take.
Drix on the other hand, doesn’t have much materially but he has his brother, sister, and friends. Drix spent most of his time drinking, getting high, making music, and chasing after girls but after having been convicted of a crime that he didn’t commit, he knows he needed to change and he takes this for the wakeup call he needed. Now that he is out, Drix is willing to do whatever he needs to in order to get his life back on track and that includes becoming the poster boy for the Second Chance Program. This program is the governor’s newest project to rehabilitate delinquents and Drix isn’t going to do anything to ruin his chance for a clean start. He completely changed who he was while he was away and if the program will help him get into the music school he wants to get into, he knows he can change his life.
When Elle and Drix meet, they have no clue who the other is, and I loved how McGarry introduced them to each other. I also loved how McGarry developed the friendship / relationship between them. It starts out with a chance meeting at a fair and slowly becomes more and it felt real. Of course, they are attracted to each other but because they are traveling together (with the governor) they start to spend time together and really get to know each other. I love that Drix specifically calls out that he likes the “real” Elle more than that perfect version her mother is creating and encourages her to wear her glasses and be who she wants to be.
The other part of this story that I really enjoyed was the tie to family. Drix obviously didn’t have the best role models with his parents and he has restructured his definition of family to revolve around his brother, sister, and friends. And they truly are a family – they care about each other and support each other in all the ways a family would/should. When Drix goes away, he knows someone in his circle let him take the fall and when he comes back, he has a hard time being ok and trusting those he isn’t sure of, and that includes his sister and his best friend.
On the other hand, Elle loves her parents and knows they love her, but they are super controlling and didn’t really support her in the things she wanted for herself…they just wanted her to be what they wanted her to be. Throughout the story I could feel her frustration, but she always fell back to the idea that they were doing the things they did out of love and protection. She trusted her parents to always do the right thing and unfortunately, she learns that they don’t.
In the end, this is more than just a good girl falls for the bad boy story. Elle’s optimism and desire to do what’s right is threaded throughout everything she does and Drix’s desire to be better than he was are what move this story forward and kept me turning the pages.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I think if you are a fan of McGarry’s other books, you will really like this one. She does a fantastic job of highlighting the challenges that the “have nots” face as well as showing that just because someone’s life looks perfect on the outside, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it truly is. If you are looking for a story that has well developed characters, a fantastic story, and of course, swoons, you should check this one out. As always, I am looking forward to whatever McGarry puts out next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!
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3.5 Stars
The Lost Crow Conspiracy by Rosalyn Eves is the second book of the Blood Rose Rebellion series and admittedly I was a bit on the fence jumping into this book as the first one left me a little wanting but based on the ending of book one, I knew I was going to have to see what happens next for the characters, so I immediately dove into it and I am glad I did as the story got interesting. If you have not yet read book one, you might want to hold on reading this review as there are some things I will talk about that will for sure ruin that book for you if you don’t want any spoilers.
This book picks up shortly after the end of book one and things have drastically changed in Anna’s world. She is facing danger and conflict from both the Monarchy and the Praetheria and because her family doesn’t know the whole truth about her breaking the Binding, she doesn’t have anyone she can really rely on other than Gabor.
Politics plays a big role in this book. With the Binding broken, some Luminates who had magic have lost it and some lower-class citizens now have access to their magic for the first time. This is creating some unforeseen issues and add to that the Praetheria who are wandering free now want to be able to do what they like, and Anna is in a tough position. When she finds herself engaging with the Archduchess and her son both politically and personally, Anna needs to figure out where she stands and what she wants. Her heart still belongs to Gabor, but Gabor recognizes that they are coming from different worlds and will never be accepted which drives him to a decision that Anna doesn’t want to accept.
As I mentioned, Anna is trying to figure out what she wants. It is important to note that she is getting pressure from Hunger and Vasilisa (Praetheria) to help them get what they want, either through her attendance in the Congress or just her everyday activities. Because of who she is and who she knows, Anna has the ability to get the ear of some pretty powerful people. Unfortunately for her, as a young woman, her opinions and thoughts aren’t always accepted by those around her and when she discloses to all what her role was in releasing the Binding, things take a turn for the worse for her.
This book actually alternates perspectives from Anna to Matyas and while I found the chapters that were from Matyas’ perspective, I found myself hurrying through them to get back to Anna’s story. For some reason I found that part of the book more compelling and yes, we needed to understand what was happening with Matyas but I just happened to be more interested in what was going on with Anna.
For Matyas, he is coming to terms with who/what he is now and what his role in the world is. It was interesting to get his point of view on what he sacrificed to help Anna and then too, to hear how he felt he even failed at dying. I also thought it was interesting that at times, he had a bit of anger toward the fact that Anna was continuing to live her life and he didn’t know what to do with his now. As he starts to figure out where he fits and ultimately as his story starts to meet up with Anna’s I found myself turning the pages to see where Eves was going to link it all up.
Overall, I found myself enjoying this book more than the first one. I think the pacing felt better and the addition of Matyas’ point of view added a layer to the story that we didn’t have before. There were still points of the story that dragged a bit for me but overall, there was a great balance of character development, story development, and action / political intrigue. Consider checking out this series if you have not yet done so. I will be waiting on the next book to see what happens next for these characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Lost Crow Conspiracy by Rosalyn Eves is the second book of the Blood Rose Rebellion series and admittedly I was a bit on the fence jumping into this book as the first one left me a little wanting but based on the ending of book one, I knew I was going to have to see what happens next for the characters, so I immediately dove into it and I am glad I did as the story got interesting. If you have not yet read book one, you might want to hold on reading this review as there are some things I will talk about that will for sure ruin that book for you if you don’t want any spoilers.
This book picks up shortly after the end of book one and things have drastically changed in Anna’s world. She is facing danger and conflict from both the Monarchy and the Praetheria and because her family doesn’t know the whole truth about her breaking the Binding, she doesn’t have anyone she can really rely on other than Gabor.
Politics plays a big role in this book. With the Binding broken, some Luminates who had magic have lost it and some lower-class citizens now have access to their magic for the first time. This is creating some unforeseen issues and add to that the Praetheria who are wandering free now want to be able to do what they like, and Anna is in a tough position. When she finds herself engaging with the Archduchess and her son both politically and personally, Anna needs to figure out where she stands and what she wants. Her heart still belongs to Gabor, but Gabor recognizes that they are coming from different worlds and will never be accepted which drives him to a decision that Anna doesn’t want to accept.
As I mentioned, Anna is trying to figure out what she wants. It is important to note that she is getting pressure from Hunger and Vasilisa (Praetheria) to help them get what they want, either through her attendance in the Congress or just her everyday activities. Because of who she is and who she knows, Anna has the ability to get the ear of some pretty powerful people. Unfortunately for her, as a young woman, her opinions and thoughts aren’t always accepted by those around her and when she discloses to all what her role was in releasing the Binding, things take a turn for the worse for her.
This book actually alternates perspectives from Anna to Matyas and while I found the chapters that were from Matyas’ perspective, I found myself hurrying through them to get back to Anna’s story. For some reason I found that part of the book more compelling and yes, we needed to understand what was happening with Matyas but I just happened to be more interested in what was going on with Anna.
For Matyas, he is coming to terms with who/what he is now and what his role in the world is. It was interesting to get his point of view on what he sacrificed to help Anna and then too, to hear how he felt he even failed at dying. I also thought it was interesting that at times, he had a bit of anger toward the fact that Anna was continuing to live her life and he didn’t know what to do with his now. As he starts to figure out where he fits and ultimately as his story starts to meet up with Anna’s I found myself turning the pages to see where Eves was going to link it all up.
Overall, I found myself enjoying this book more than the first one. I think the pacing felt better and the addition of Matyas’ point of view added a layer to the story that we didn’t have before. There were still points of the story that dragged a bit for me but overall, there was a great balance of character development, story development, and action / political intrigue. Consider checking out this series if you have not yet done so. I will be waiting on the next book to see what happens next for these characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Crave is the fourth book in the Nava Katz series by Deborah Wilde and if you haven’t started this series yet, you are missing out. With a fantastic cast of characters focused on ridding the world of dangerous demons, these books have become some favorites of mine in the paranormal genre.
Picking up where book three left off, Nava and Rohan are officially together, and things appear to be going well. I mention this because they have had a few bumps and things are nowhere near perfect for these two in Crave but they are great together and they are both trying to figure out what it means to be “together”. The banter between them is fantastic and the sexy times are too!
While Nava and Rohan are still working to figure out who within the brotherhood is corrupt and working against them, they also have a new challenge to face. There is a drug out on the streets that is hurting users in a way that only a demon potentially could. As they go on the hunt for the demon known as Candyman, Nava and Rohan have to face some things about themselves and their relationship that they may not be ready to face.
This series continues to get better with every installment. I found myself unable to put this book down not only because of the characters but there are so many layers to this that I wanted to know what was going to be revealed next.
As a character, Nava has shown a lot of growth. She knows that not everyone in the brotherhood supports her being there but no matter what those people think, she is going to do the best she can, and I think that is a different Nava than we had in the first book. Now – I’m not saying she isn’t snarky and in your face about things because she wouldn’t be Nava if that weren’t true, but I love that she is also working hard and taking things seriously no matter what.
So, there isn’t much more I can say without potentially spoiling something so this is where I will leave it. Just know that if you are looking for a paranormal series that has a slew of interesting characters, a story that will keep you turning the pages, and some swoons and snark, consider checking this (and the other books too!) out when you can. I will be over here patiently waiting for the next book in the series as well as anything else Wilde wants to write.
Thank you to the author for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Picking up where book three left off, Nava and Rohan are officially together, and things appear to be going well. I mention this because they have had a few bumps and things are nowhere near perfect for these two in Crave but they are great together and they are both trying to figure out what it means to be “together”. The banter between them is fantastic and the sexy times are too!
While Nava and Rohan are still working to figure out who within the brotherhood is corrupt and working against them, they also have a new challenge to face. There is a drug out on the streets that is hurting users in a way that only a demon potentially could. As they go on the hunt for the demon known as Candyman, Nava and Rohan have to face some things about themselves and their relationship that they may not be ready to face.
This series continues to get better with every installment. I found myself unable to put this book down not only because of the characters but there are so many layers to this that I wanted to know what was going to be revealed next.
As a character, Nava has shown a lot of growth. She knows that not everyone in the brotherhood supports her being there but no matter what those people think, she is going to do the best she can, and I think that is a different Nava than we had in the first book. Now – I’m not saying she isn’t snarky and in your face about things because she wouldn’t be Nava if that weren’t true, but I love that she is also working hard and taking things seriously no matter what.
So, there isn’t much more I can say without potentially spoiling something so this is where I will leave it. Just know that if you are looking for a paranormal series that has a slew of interesting characters, a story that will keep you turning the pages, and some swoons and snark, consider checking this (and the other books too!) out when you can. I will be over here patiently waiting for the next book in the series as well as anything else Wilde wants to write.
Thank you to the author for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
5 gazillion stars...I have no words right now other than I need the next book immediately.
Ok - after a few days of thought...My love for this series knows no bounds. These are some of my favorite characters and storylines ever.
Anything I write here will not do this book justice so just trust me when I say that if you haven't started this series yet, you should. The characters and world that Bardugo creates are amazing and you have to read her stories to understand.
Siege and Storm picks up with Mal and Alina traveling undercover to escape The Darkling. Alina is back to hiding her power which means she isn't at 100%. The beginning of the book where it is just Alina and Mal is one of my favorite parts. We get a glimpse into the feelings they have for each other as well as how their relationship was when they were at Keramzin. Mal is swoony - no question about it and I liked him a lot more in book 2 because we get more of him.
Unfortunately their escape isn't long-lived. They do meet with The Darkling again and find out he has gained additional power. At the same time, we are introduced to a new character, Sturmhond. He is absolutely one of my favorite characters in this series now. Some of his dialogue actually had me giggling out loud.
Throughout the story we know Alina's goals and reasons for doing the things she does but one of the best parts of the story was seeing how her decisions impacted Mal. He struggled throughout the entire book with who he is and what his purpose is. Their relationship changes along the way and it is clear that they are no longer the orphans they once were.
As per usual, I have no words for The Darkling. There will be those out there that disagree with me on this but I can't help myself - I just love him. Despite everything he is doing, I think deep down he really does love Alina for more than just her power.
I refuse to give anything away in this book - so I feel like I should stop here. Trust me when I say that this series is by far one of the best out there and you should get started reading it immediately - if you haven't already. I myself will be reading this over and over...it's that good.
I will close with this note to Leigh Bardugo:
Ok - after a few days of thought...My love for this series knows no bounds. These are some of my favorite characters and storylines ever.
Anything I write here will not do this book justice so just trust me when I say that if you haven't started this series yet, you should. The characters and world that Bardugo creates are amazing and you have to read her stories to understand.
Siege and Storm picks up with Mal and Alina traveling undercover to escape The Darkling. Alina is back to hiding her power which means she isn't at 100%. The beginning of the book where it is just Alina and Mal is one of my favorite parts. We get a glimpse into the feelings they have for each other as well as how their relationship was when they were at Keramzin. Mal is swoony - no question about it and I liked him a lot more in book 2 because we get more of him.
Unfortunately their escape isn't long-lived. They do meet with The Darkling again and find out he has gained additional power. At the same time, we are introduced to a new character, Sturmhond. He is absolutely one of my favorite characters in this series now. Some of his dialogue actually had me giggling out loud.
Throughout the story we know Alina's goals and reasons for doing the things she does but one of the best parts of the story was seeing how her decisions impacted Mal. He struggled throughout the entire book with who he is and what his purpose is. Their relationship changes along the way and it is clear that they are no longer the orphans they once were.
As per usual, I have no words for The Darkling. There will be those out there that disagree with me on this but I can't help myself - I just love him. Despite everything he is doing, I think deep down he really does love Alina for more than just her power.
I refuse to give anything away in this book - so I feel like I should stop here. Trust me when I say that this series is by far one of the best out there and you should get started reading it immediately - if you haven't already. I myself will be reading this over and over...it's that good.
I will close with this note to Leigh Bardugo:
4.5 stars!
I loved Andersen's Tudor books and while this book is a departure from that, I loved it just as much. This book has a great mix of history, family legacy, and mystery. If you're looking for a story that will pull you in, not only with a mystery but with interesting characters, check this one out. I can't wait to see what Laura Andersen writes next.
**Edited 3/5/18**
The Darkling Bride is the newest book from Laura Andersen and if you haven’t heard me rave about her other books yet…go check them out. They are some of my favorite historical fiction books…which leads me to this book and one of the reasons why I wanted to read it.
This book focuses on the Gallagher family and their family home, Deeprath Castle located in the Wicklow Mountains, has been at the center of their story for a long time. Due to the family history as well as the mysterious circumstances around some deaths in the family, the legend of the Darkling Bride has continued to grow.
One of the things I thought that Andersen did really well was moving from current time to the past easily. The story flowed well and while I really wanted to focus on Aidan and Carragh, I also was extremely interested in Jenny Gallagher’s story. Andersen does this by weaving all the pieces together seamlessly and tying it back to the mysterious deaths of Aidan Gallagher’s parents which have gone unsolved for years.
I love a great character driven story and Andersen does a fantastic job of developing both Carragh and Aidan. I loved these two and they both have had something traumatic shape who they are today which gives them a connection not everyone has. With that said, they have both been trying to avoid anything that links them to their painful pasts but that isn’t as easy as they would hope, especially for Aidan when the cold case around his parent’s death is revisited by an inspector that is determined to figure out what really happened. I do also have to share that the banter between Aidan and Carragh is wonderfully done.
I also thought the secondary characters were great. Not only did they help move the story forward, but they also added layers to the story that weren’t necessarily expected. Carragh’s family, Inspector McKenna, Nessa Gallagher, Kyla and Philip – all were important to the story.
One other piece that I will briefly mention is the story of Jenny Gallagher as she is at the center of the Darkling Bride legend. Family legacy plays a big role in this book and Jenny’s story is the one that begins it all. As the only daughter and inheritor of the Gallagher estate, Jenny had a hard time finding someone who wanted her for more than Deeprath Castle. When Evan Chase, an author, arrives to explore the legend of the Darkling Bride, their story begins and echoes into the future as Aidan and Carragh find out more about the Gallagher family than they truly expected to.
I don’t really want to say much more as there are some twists and turns in this story that I don’t want to disclose and potentially ruin the whole thing. Just know that going into this book, you will get to dig into the secrets of the Gallagher family through the eyes of three different generations and each will give you an important part of the whole story. I had a hard time putting this book down and I loved trying to figure things out right along with the characters in this book. If you are looking for a story that will take you to the countryside of Ireland and digging into a family mystery, I highly recommend you check this book out. I will be waiting patiently to see what Laura Andersen writes next and you will most likely find me re-reading this one (and her other books) again just to tide me over.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Andersen's Tudor books and while this book is a departure from that, I loved it just as much. This book has a great mix of history, family legacy, and mystery. If you're looking for a story that will pull you in, not only with a mystery but with interesting characters, check this one out. I can't wait to see what Laura Andersen writes next.
**Edited 3/5/18**
The Darkling Bride is the newest book from Laura Andersen and if you haven’t heard me rave about her other books yet…go check them out. They are some of my favorite historical fiction books…which leads me to this book and one of the reasons why I wanted to read it.
This book focuses on the Gallagher family and their family home, Deeprath Castle located in the Wicklow Mountains, has been at the center of their story for a long time. Due to the family history as well as the mysterious circumstances around some deaths in the family, the legend of the Darkling Bride has continued to grow.
One of the things I thought that Andersen did really well was moving from current time to the past easily. The story flowed well and while I really wanted to focus on Aidan and Carragh, I also was extremely interested in Jenny Gallagher’s story. Andersen does this by weaving all the pieces together seamlessly and tying it back to the mysterious deaths of Aidan Gallagher’s parents which have gone unsolved for years.
I love a great character driven story and Andersen does a fantastic job of developing both Carragh and Aidan. I loved these two and they both have had something traumatic shape who they are today which gives them a connection not everyone has. With that said, they have both been trying to avoid anything that links them to their painful pasts but that isn’t as easy as they would hope, especially for Aidan when the cold case around his parent’s death is revisited by an inspector that is determined to figure out what really happened. I do also have to share that the banter between Aidan and Carragh is wonderfully done.
I also thought the secondary characters were great. Not only did they help move the story forward, but they also added layers to the story that weren’t necessarily expected. Carragh’s family, Inspector McKenna, Nessa Gallagher, Kyla and Philip – all were important to the story.
One other piece that I will briefly mention is the story of Jenny Gallagher as she is at the center of the Darkling Bride legend. Family legacy plays a big role in this book and Jenny’s story is the one that begins it all. As the only daughter and inheritor of the Gallagher estate, Jenny had a hard time finding someone who wanted her for more than Deeprath Castle. When Evan Chase, an author, arrives to explore the legend of the Darkling Bride, their story begins and echoes into the future as Aidan and Carragh find out more about the Gallagher family than they truly expected to.
I don’t really want to say much more as there are some twists and turns in this story that I don’t want to disclose and potentially ruin the whole thing. Just know that going into this book, you will get to dig into the secrets of the Gallagher family through the eyes of three different generations and each will give you an important part of the whole story. I had a hard time putting this book down and I loved trying to figure things out right along with the characters in this book. If you are looking for a story that will take you to the countryside of Ireland and digging into a family mystery, I highly recommend you check this book out. I will be waiting patiently to see what Laura Andersen writes next and you will most likely find me re-reading this one (and her other books) again just to tide me over.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.