Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Words cannot describe my love for this book! 

 

“Pestilence” follow Sara Burns, a firefighter who sacrifices everything to shoot down one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Eager to make her suffer, he takes her prisoner, but the longer they’re together, the more uncertain their feelings for each other grow. 

 

What drew me in right away was Thalassa’s unique undertaking of writing a romance novel for each of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. This was not something I had seen done before and I was immediately intrigued by the idea of the four beings abandoning their tasks only for the women that help them find their own humanity. In this book specifically, Thalassa characterizes Pestilence so well, personifying the plague he represents. She also goes to great lengths to demonstrate how unfamiliar he is with mankind’s way of life. Some of the most comedic moments sprung from Pestilence not knowing how to respond to Sara’s basic needs when he holds her captive. 

 

The dystopian, post-apocalyptic world Thalassa creates after the arrival of the four horsemen was interesting in and of itself. Her world resembles our own, but with the horsemen’s destruction of technology, she cleverly avoids dating her book. Without technology, the population reverts to a more primitive way of life and more often than not resorts to violence when it comes to the existence of the horsemen, giving Thalassa a way to showcase the worst of humanity. 

 

Sara is the only one to convince Pestilence that mankind is worth saving, sparking a romance that set my soul on fire. What I love most about this book is that it actually has the enemies to lovers trope woven into the plot. Sara’s hatred for Pestilence is real. Because he is holding her as his prisoner and his one true goal is to conquer humans, thereby ending the world, he can’t be anything more than her enemy. Yet, the two still manage to fall in love with each other after being forced to spend time together. Their dark, twisted, and forbidden love story is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I loved every page of it! 

Review: Jessica Joyce’s debut novel is every bit as emotional as it is steamy. 

 

“You, with a View” follows Noelle Shepherd, an aspiring photographer who is grieving the loss of her grandmother. After stumbling across letters and photographs that reveal a secret relationship in her gram’s past, she jumps at the chance to learn more, even if that means spending two weeks on the road with her high school rival Theo, who just so happens to be the son of her gram’s lost love. 

 

Noelle and Theo’s love story is like no other! Through Noelle’s perspective, Joyce shares the details surrounding their rivalry. I enjoyed learning about their intertwined pasts and. was thoroughly entertained by their bickering while they were on the road. Joyce slowly builds up to the moment their rivalry turns into something romantic, their intense hatred unmasking itself as intense love. I adored their more intimate moments and their less spicy ones, namely when they traded secrets, danced at the closest bar they could find, and wiped away each other’s tears when times became difficult. Most of all, I love how the two ultimately support each other as they work through their own internal conflicts. Instead of fixing each other, they embrace one another, flaws and all. 

 

I also found this book impactful because it broaches the topic of grief. Joyce takes great care in sharing the state of Noelle’s mental health after the loss of her grandmother. She struggles to cope and puts her life on hold until she comes with the idea of going on the roadtrip her grandmother never got to. But grief does not go away within the span of two weeks on the road and I appreciate Joyce for communicating that. The pain only lessens with time, as seen in the novel’s epilogue, which leaves the reader feeling hopeful. 

 

I would be remiss if I did not mention how much I love Paul and his meddling. Without him, this story would feel incomplete. I adore that man for picking up on Theo and Noelle’s intense attraction for each other before they did themselves. I also appreciate him for becoming Theo’s father figure and a constant in Noelle’s life. 

 

It is safe to say that I am a Jessica Joyce fan! I cannot wait to see what she puts out next! 

Review: This Romantasy debut novel is perfect for readers who are new to the genre. 

 

“Trial of the Sun Queen” follows Lord, a prisoner under the Aurora King’s rule. When the Sun King selects her as the only human Tribute to complete in the Sun Queen Trials, Lor is determined to win if only to get her revenge. 

 

I gravitated towards this book because it was advertised to me as “The Selection” meets “The Hunger Games” and I am here to confirm that that is the case! I would even go so far as to add that it is reminiscent of “Divergent,” “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Unfortunately, the book does not diverge much from its sources of inspiration and because I am such a huge fan of many of the series mentioned, I was able to predict most of the book’s major plot points. 

 

One thing this book has that the others do not, however, are the alternating viewpoints. I really enjoyed reading from Lor’s point-of-view because of her strength and resiliency. Chapter’s written from Nadir’s perspective challenged me to figure out his role in the story and provided the most intrigue. Though the two were at odds the whole book, I am curious to see if that will change in the next installment. 

 

I think that this series is perfect for new adult readers. Despite some of my frustrations with the book’s plot, I ultimately had a lot of fun reading it and I am excited to explore Tuli’s other works in the future. 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Rachel Griffin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I never wanted this book to end! 

 

“Bring Me Your Midnight” follows Tana Fairchild, a witch fated to marry Landon, the son of the governor on the mainland, to secure an alliance between their two peoples. But when Tana misses a ritual that will release her pent up magic into the ocean, she turns to Wolfe Hawthorne, a witch that practices dark magic, for help. Rather than aid her in performing the ritual that has made the sea more violent, he teaches her his forbidden magic—a magic that makes that makes her feel more alive and question whether she should follow her heart or fulfill her duty to her people. 

 

What I love most about this book is the atmosphere Griffin creates. Her descriptive prose immerses the reader in the Witchery’s close knit, island community and beautifully captures Tana’s bond to the sea, a bond that was forged the moment Tana first swam in the ocean and left with salt clinging to her skin. I enjoyed the way Griffin personified the ocean and made it Tana’s safe place. 

 

I also like how the ocean is inherently connected to the two opposing coven’s magic—low tide magic and high tide magic. As Griffin puts it, low tide magic adds to what already exists with the caveat of leaving a buildup of of unused power while high tide magic has no limits but requires balance. I appreciate how Griffin doesn’t overwhelm the reader with her magic system in her explanation of it while still managing to make it complex. 

 

Tana and Wolfe’s forbidden love story swept me off my feet! Their secret meetings at midnight on the beach, fervent kisses, and loving embraces are absolutely magical. I could not get enough of their chemistry and their slow development from enemies trying to ignore their attraction to each other to lovers unable to resist giving in to their hearts. 

Review: This book managed to break my heart and mend it at the same time. 

 

“Gods & Monsters” follows Lou, Reid, Coco, and Beau as they seek vengeance for the destruction caused by Morgane le Blanc in “Blood & Honey.” 

 

Like the previous novel, “Gods & Monsters” transports the reader to new environments beyond the city of Cesarine. I really enjoyed exploring the waters of the L’eau Mélancolique, especially since they were only mentioned in passing in the first two books in the trilogy, and learning about the Melusine’s way of life. Mahurin’s take on mermen and mermaids is both unique an a touch dark, immediately capturing my attention and holding it. 

 

Lou’s personal journey of healing and self-discovery in this book is infused with emotion and drove me to tears on several occasions. Mahurin does a fantastic job convincing her readers to invest in the well-being of her characters by sharing their hopes, fears, and everything in between across all three of her books. It is for this reason that reading from Lou’s perspective was so painful. She felt like a friend of mine, a friend I just wanted to hug desperately. 

 

Lou and Reid’s love story in this book also elicited many tears. Without giving too much away, Reid makes the ultimate sacrifice, which leads the two of them to undergo the most difficult and truest test of their love. Alternating between their povs and watching them fall in love with each other all over again reminded me of how much I adored the establishment and development of their relationship in the first book of this series as well as the chemistry between them. 

 

While the quest the characters go on feels too drawn out by the end, I did not mind because I received the closure I wanted and needed. Additionally,  I found myself genuinely having fun spending more time with Mahurin’s characters. I am so glad I get to inhabit their minds for a while longer and return to the Kingdom of Belterra in “The Scarlet Veil”! 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review: Stein’s opposites attract debut novel is delightful! 

 

“When Grumpy Met Sunshine” follows Mabel Willicker, a sunshine-y ghostwriter hired to write grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding’s life story. But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a romantic relationship, the pair have to pretend to date to appease the public…that is, until the lines between what’s real and what’s fake begins to blur. 

 

I love how Mabel and Alfie are more complex than their grumpy and sunshine personalities. Through Mabel’s point-of-view and her intimate conversations with Alfie, the reader learns that both feel trapped by their own personas. Mabel dons “Bubbly Girl armor” to be the person she needs to be for others instead of just being herself. She also clings to her cheeriness to avoid feeling like just a body when the world overanalyzes why Alfie would date a plus size woman. Alfie pretends to be someone he is not because of the expectations surrounding how footballers are supposed to act. With time, both come to the realization that they can be their true selves in each other’s company. Watching their love blossom and true selves flourish as they worked together on Alfie’s memoir made my heart race! 

 

I also enjoyed how Stein ended each of her chapters with email correspondence, newspaper articles, video transcripts, tweets, and interviews connecting to the events that transpired. The change in formatting was entertaining and reveals how the public’s attitudes towards  Alfie and Mabel’s Cinderella story brought them together. 

 

The only issue I came across was not being able to understand the British pop culture references and slang, which often interrupted my flow of reading, but did not deter me from progressing through the novel. 

Thank you to Penguin Teen and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review: Elle’s dark academia novel dazzles! 

 

“House of Marionne” follows 17-year-old Quell who has been cursed with forbidden magic flowing through her veins. In hopes of keeping her mother safe and ridding herself of her deadly magic completely, she inducts into a magical debutante society called the Order. But passing the three rites of membership proves to be a difficult task and the more she discovers about the Order, the harder it is to turn her back on the dark magic she’s grown to embrace. 

 

Elle’s intricate world-building blew me away! The level of detail she provides surrounding each house, the magic specialties that exist, the Dragun brotherhood, and the induction process is astounding. I also thought it was cool concept for each inductee to manifest either a crown or a mask that reflected their strength and power. 

 

The amount of information Elle packs into her novel is intentionally overwhelming at first, closely aligning with Quell’s feelings towards the world she is spontaneously thrust into. I enjoyed reading from her point-of-view and learning about the inner workings of the Order at the same time she does. Quell’s perspective is also unique in that it allows the reader to experience how magic—both light and dark—feels through descriptive language. 

 

Additionally, chapters written from Yagrin’s point-of-view create a layer of intrigue that propel the story forward. I enjoyed trying to piece together his role in Quell’s journey of self-discovery and the reveal at the end did not leave me disappointed! 

 

My only qualm with this book is the pacing. Despite “House of Marionne” being 400 pages, the pacing felt off. The speed and ease with which Quell masters her magic and makes it through each stage of the induction made the whole narrative feel unrealistic. The pacing also accelerates Quell and Jordan’s relationship development, creating a whirlwind romance. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, fans of the slow burn trope, like myself, will be left wanting.

Thanks to Lauren for lending me your ARC so that I could read this book before pub day!

Review: I can confidently say that this is my FAVORITE Chloe Gong book. 

 

“Foul Heart Huntsman” is the sequel to “Foul Lady Fortune” and follows Rosalind, Alisa, Celia, Oliver, Phoebe, and Silas as they try to rescue Orion from his mother after she wipes his memories. 

 

The novel is told from 8 povs and I loved reading from every single one. While this number may seem intimidating at first, it was easy for me to alternate between them because each perspective seamlessly flows into the next, creating a cohesive story without any potholes or gaps. Additionally, I found each character and their respective character arc equally compelling. There’s never a dull moment when it comes to Gong’s storytelling. 

 

The romance in this book is everything I could have hoped for and then some! In my review of “Foul Lady Fortune,” I mentioned that I wanted to see more of Orion and Rosalind’s chemistry and boy does Gong deliver in this book. Their romantic connection deepens, when Rosalind lays her heart on the line at her most vulnerable to win Orion back. Their relationship development in this book is beautifully paced and is infused with emotion. Watching the two fall in love for the second time in combination with Celia and Oliver as well as Phoebe and Silas professing their own romantic feelings left me an emotional wreck, which just goes to show the hold this book has on me. 

 

I also loved the cameos made by Roma, Juliette, Benedikt, Marshall, and Lourens in this book. I am absolutely HERE for the Gongverse! I appreciate Gong allowing us to check up on them without having their characters dominate what is ultimately Rosalind and Orion’s story. 

 

Am I sad that “Foul Heart Huntsman” is the last book in the Secret Shanghai Universe? YES. I am devastated! These characters have been a constant in my life these past three years. At the same time, however, this book gave me closure and relief. I am content with how this series resolves and I am excited to see what Gong has in store for us next. 

Review: “Divine Rivals” is the book I cannot stop thinking about and for that reason alone, I cannot recommend it enough. 

 

“Divine Rivals” follows Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, two young rival journalists competing for a columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. With her mother suffering from addiction and her brother missing after enlisting in a war among gods, Iris desperately needs to win if she hopes to hold her family together. To keep her worries at bay, she writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door. Unbeknownst to Iris, they end up in the hands of Roman and he anonymously writes her back, sparking a connection that follows Iris to the front lines. 

 

Ross’ writing is infused with magic. Her lyrical prose and imagery contribute to her seamless world-building and instantly immersed me in the high stakes atmosphere of her world. From page one, I was sucked into the lore and mythology surrounding the gods, fascinated by their presence and role in the war. The battle is very reminiscent of both of the World Wars, so I had something familiar to cling to while reading about the front lines. The elements of realism paired very nicely with the fantastical, enriching my reading experience. 

 

The love story in Divine Rivals is one for the history books. I loved alternating between Iris and Roman’s perspectives because it allowed me to fully grasp their character motivations, discover the origin of their respective inner conflicts, and pinpoint the moment they each fell in love with one another. Their development from rivals at the Oath Gazette to lovers desperately clinging to each other on the battlefield is well paced, emotion filled, beautifully done in every other respect. 

 

I especially loved watching Iris and Roman fall in love with each other twice — in person and over letter correspondence. Ross includes the contents of each and every letter in full to forge their connection and make it more believable. With Iris in the dark about the identity of her pen pal, she falls in love with two different sides to Roman and eventually has to come to terms with the fact that her rival and correspondent are the same person. 

 

You’ll have to take my word for it that this book is AMAZING because my review barely scratches the surface. If I could read it again for the first time, I would. 

Review: Armas’ slowest burning romance novel yet has the biggest pay off! 

 

“The Long Game” follows disgraced soccer exec Adalyn Reyes and retired goalkeeper Cameron Caldani as they begrudgingly work together to lead a small town children’s team to victory. 

 

Adalyn faces many hardships as a woman working in a very male-dominated sports industry. Her talents are often taken advantage of  and not fully appreciated. As a result, the novel centers around female rage and mental health — specifically anxiety and panic attacks. I really appreciate seeing this kind of representation because shame is often attributed to both feminine rage and anxiety when it should not. It is empowering and validating to see a character like Adalyn embrace her anger and seek out help when she needs it. 

 

In my opinion, Cameron Caldani is Armas’ best male lead thus far. Aside from his rugged good looks, mouthwatering thigh tattoo, sexy British accent, affinity for yoga in skintight, long sleeve thermals, and his mother hen-like tendencies, Cameron is a complex character with his own inner struggles that he tries to conceal by putting up a grumpy front. The chapters written from his point-of-view are my favorite because I loved watching him go from wanting nothing to do with Adalyn to worshipping her. Despite his initial reservations, Cameron becomes Adalyn’s support system when she needs one the most and loves her exactly for who she is. In turn, Adalyn gives Cameron the space he needs to heal and becomes someone he can confide in. 

 

Another reason why I love this book so much is because of the atmosphere Armas creates. She paints a beautiful picture of her fictional town of Green Oak, North Carolina through the seasonal activities Cameron and Adalyn attend, the compelling side characters that make up the town’s close knit community, and sensory imagery capturing the environment. 

 

I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this book in September!