Review: I definitely think that “A Court of Mist and Fury” is tied with “Empire of Storms” for my favorite book written by Sarah J Maas. I LOVED this one! I did not feel like I was reading 641 pages because the writing kept me engaged the whole time. We finally got to explore The Night Court and be introduced to a new cast of characters from the inner circle.

What made this book challenging at times was watching Feyre slowly lose herself to her own demons and fall into depression. The events that transpired in the first novel scarred her and her relationship with Tamlin quickly took a turn for the worst. Feyre’s mental health journey made her character feel real. I felt her pain and understood it. I think that this is a testament to Maas’ great writing and I am just so glad that Feyre found happiness in another who allowed her the space to fight her own battles and find herself. 

This book really stresses that in the end, sometimes we have to be our own heroes. We cannot always rely on others to save us or be our crutch. Feyre relied on Tamlin for a long time to serve as a supplier of happiness. But Under the Mountain, he could not save her because he was battling his own demons. After discovering her own inner strength, Feyre was able to take a step towards moving on. I think that this message is really important to consider.

Review: After reading “Wait for Me” by Caroline Leech at the request of a friend, I decided to check out her second historical fiction book! 

I found the storyline to be absolutely fascinating! The book takes place during World War II in Scotland and revolves around the lumberjacks and lumberjills that contributed to the war effort. I had no idea lumberjills even existed and i wish that history courses spent more time discussing the contributions made by women to support their countries.

Another element of the book I appreciated was the strong main character developed by Leech. Maisie decided to join the lumberjills in order to be more independent after butting heads with her father. Despite the internal struggles she faced, she persevered through lumberjill training. i think Maisie is a great character that many young girls can and should look up too! 

The book also presents a good depiction of ptsd that many soldiers were diagnosed with at the end of the war, which provides important representation. 

I definitely recommend this to lovers of historical romance and historical fiction! I can’t wait to see what else Leech has in store for future works!

Review: When I first read the Divergent series in middle school, I thought it was the best collection of young adult books that I had ever laid eyes upon. It still remains one of my favorite series to this day, however as time passed, it fell lower in the rankings (in part due to how dry Insurgent was). When I discovered that Veronica Roth had released a new book, I thought I’d read it just for kicks.

What Worked:
01. The character development. It was interesting watching the characters grow as time progressed throughout the novel. I laid witness to how grief can effect certain individuals and how love might cloud the mind of others. One interesting touch Roth included was that of perspective. The chapters focusing on Cyra were written in the first person, whilst the chapters focusing on Akos were written in the third person limited view. I am not sure what led Roth to make this choice, but the changes in perspective revealed a lot about the character and enhanced the mystery surrounding Akos’ thoughts and backstory. Overall, I would say that Roth did a spectacular job developing her characters and letting their emotions bleed through the pages of the novel.

02. Roth’s use of imagery. The novel revolves around several different planets similar to the way Star Wars is crafted. Roth did a great job distinguishing the differences between the two and even included a glossary at the back in case of confusion. It was enchanting the way Roth was able to go into great detail about the plants on each planet. They were completely fictional, but I found myself finding tastes, smells, and images for them. She also did a great job describing each planet’s appearance and customs. I got to know more about how the solar system as a whole operated and what kind of beings were involved in the story. I love how the imagery in this novel helped me to picture the diverse characters while not going overboard.

03. The chemistry between the two main love interests. I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, so I’ll leave it at this: Their relationship was just so addicting and the end left me begging for more.

04. The unique storyline. At first I was a bit skeptical because when I read the summary, it sounded awfully similar to Romeo and Juliet. Two households on opposite sides of the planet that despise each other... I mean come on. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading the novel. I found that if this were another adaptation of Shakespeare’s work, Roth did a phenomenal job making it stand out from the rest. There were no distinct references or parallels to the play, making the storyline completely unique and original. I know that there will be some readers who may stop me and point out that the characters had “current gifts”, powers extremely similar to that of mutations from Marvel’s X-Men series. I didn’t take much issue with this being a superhero myself. The gifts bestowed on her “fate favored” characters were gifts I would not have conjured up or seen on the screen. She was able to transfer images I might have pictured on my television and put them nicely on the page, which is no easy task. I commend Roth for her job well done!

What Didn’t Work:
01. The pacing at the start of the novel. I actually started reading this book back in 2017 when it first came out. I was faced with several difficulties because I really wanted to get into the story, but the beginning was just so slow. It was an agonizing process to break through the first couple of chapters and I ended up not finishing it in favor of reading other books that were much quicker paced. After three years, I picked up the book again this year determined to finish it. I chose to start over, as I didn’t remember anything, and it took a lot of patience to once again push myself through the first couple of chapters to get to the “juicy” stuff, which was well worthwhile.

Jess Approved?: ✓

Review: After reading Champion, the conclusion to the Legend series, I was unsure about how The Midnight Star would compare and whether or not it would be a fitting ending for The Young Elites series in general. I was not disappointed in the slightest.

What Worked:
01. Adelina as a character. It is Adelina that made this story so captivating. She’s ruthless and cruel, the Queen of darkness that will kill all who oppose her rule. She truly is villainous, welcoming the demons who whisper in her head. And yet, even though we are to believe she is the anti-hero, we can see the small part of her that is still human. The part of her that holds an undying love for Violetta. The part of her that has feelings for Magiano. The part of her that wants to do right. What made The Midnight Star so special was witnessing Adelina’s struggle to distinguish what is real and what is a hallucination. She is unable to get a grip on her powers and she knows it. We expect her to simply relinquish her abilities, but she cannot resist what her power offers her, strength. We struggle to watch her suffer as the voices in her head take control, slowly deteriorating the Adelina we know and love. Her story is devastatingly beautiful and I couldn’t tear myself away from its bittersweet end.

02. Adelina and Violetta’s relationship. I was touched by the sisterly bond exhibited by both Adelina and Violetta. Though the pair spent most of the novel apart due to Adelina’s rash actions at the conclusion of the second installment, it was beautiful to see the love they had for one another deep down inside. The Midnight Star was about the sacrifices Adelina and Violetta had to make for each other, which was incredibly moving.

03. The ending. The conclusion to The Young Elites series is beautiful and bittersweet. I should have known that I would be left heartbroken, especially after how painful it was to read the ending to Champion. Though I was left feeling extremely sad, the ending was perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing. I received proper closure for the events that transpired and the words written on the last page lingered in my mind for several days after finishing the novel.

04. The romance. Lu did a beautiful job developing the romance between Magiano and Adelina. At the start of the series, I was on board with Enzo and Adelina, but as the series progressed, I realized that they truly weren’t right for each other. The way Lu described how Magiano was able to calm Adelina’s demons left me swooning.

05. The ambiguity. One thing I really appreciated about this series was the way Lu left things open ended. Adelina does not fall into age old categories like “good” or “evil.” She is free to make up her own mind and change her behavior over time. She is neither a hero nor an anti-hero. Lu leaves things up for interpretation when it comes to Adelina and better yet, all of her other characters, which is truly refreshing.

What Didn’t Work:
01. The page length. Something I found interesting about The Midnight Star is that it is the shortest book in The Young Elites trilogy. I usually do not let page length dictate the value of a novel, but I did feel as though a lot was left out. I fully invested myself in Adelina’s story at the start of the series, so much so that I felt as if I was embarking on the journey at her side. When I reached the “finale,” I was left wanting more. A piece of her story felt missing and I can only wonder if an extension of the novel would have left me satisfied.

02. The large cast of characters. As I reflect upon The Midnight Star and the rest of The Young Elites series, I wish Marie Lu could have developed some of her side characters. The cast of characters throughout the series has always been pretty big considering the large number of members from the Dagger Society, the Rose Society, and the Inquisition Axis. As I made my way through the last installment of the series, I noticed that Lu created certain characters to serve only one purpose before casting them aside. Michel, for instance, is a member of the Dagger Society known as “The Architect.” I only got to know him in the first novel when he was briefly used to assist Adelina in her training. With Michel’s help, Adelina was able to create more realistic illusions. After serving his purpose of helping Adelina, he was rarely mentioned again until he resurfaced for only a moment in the third book. I wish I could have gotten to know more about his abilities and his background so as to help me understand his role in the Dagger Society. It was so odd for him to be the only member of the Daggers that wasn’t fully developed as a character. Sergio is another character that didn’t get much development. As a member of Adelina’s Rose Society, I expected to learn more about him, but all that was revealed was his small connection to the Daggers and his inability to control his powers. All in all, I do wish that there were more quality character development with regards to Michel, Sergio, Lucent, and Maeve. Perhaps this could have solved the page length issue as well.

Jess Approved?: ✓ 

Review: I decided to purchase “The Bride” after learning that my mom was friends with the author’s daughter when they were children. I am so glad that she encouraged me to check out Garwood’s work, because “The Bride” and its sequel “The Wedding” are my absolute favorite historical romance novels. 

“The Bride” satisfies in many ways! For one, i thought Garwood’s depiction of the highlands during the medieval period was pretty accurate. I loved getting immersed in the setting and Garwood’s plot line was so believable that Jamie and Alec’s story seemed real. 

Another aspect I enjoyed was the characterization of the two protagonists and how perfect they were for each other. I loved Jamie’s character! She was incredibly humorous, kind, protective, and possessed just the right amount of naivety. Alec’s arrogance and cockiness as a Scottish warrior was accompanied by a tender side which I found appealing. Their two differing personalities came together to form a passionate romance <3 they were the perfect couple and made my heart very happy.

Jess Approved?: ✓

Review originally posted to: Booklr | Bookstagram

Review: I loved “The Wedding” just as much if not more than “The Bride.” I don’t know how Garwood does it!! I completely fell for Connor and Brenna. Their playful banter practically sent my heart soaring. 

I previously mentioned in my review of “The Bride” that one aspect I preferred was the great depiction of medieval Scotland. Garwood’s vivid description does not disappear in this sequel, which I greatly appreciated! Once again, the storyline felt believable and I was completely immersed in the beautiful country crafted by my imagination. 

I found myself enjoying this story’s heroine more than the previous one’s. I loved how Brenna did not shy over her large appetite. She was not afraid of expressing herself and always told Connor exactly how she was feeling about certain matters.

The enemies to lovers trope was wonderfully executed in this novel. Connor held so much anger towards the man that killed his father. So much so that he convinced himself he could only feel anger and could not love Brenna. Garwood pulled my heartstrings by having Brenna tear down Connor’s walls. I cannot wait to give this story a reread!!! 

Review: “The Viscount Who Loved Me” is by far my favorite Bridgerton novel! The story embodies the enemies to lovers trope. As a huge fan of this trope, it did not take long for me to fall in love with Anthony and Kate’s relationship <3. Kate is extremely stubborn and witty, which made her a strong, female character in my eyes. She was never afraid to speak her mind and was extremely protective of her younger sister. Kate’s tough personality mixed with Anthony’s authoritative nature (he is the eldest and a viscount after all) made for an entertaining read!

Without giving too much away, I just want to say that chapter 13 is everything 💙⛈ my heart absolutely melted.

Jess Approved?: ✓

Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading “An Offer from a Gentleman” and I’m curious as to why it isn’t the subject of more conversations! Benedict and Sophie’s story is probably my favorite Cinderella retelling, as it has much of the bones of the original fairytale, but also diverges to create something completely unique. 

What I loved most about Sophie and Benedict’s relationship was how they both loved each other no matter their class in society. Some of my favorite moments include Sophie tending to Benedict when he got sick or encouraging him to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. My heart fluttered whenever Benedict became protective of Sophie and defended her honor.

I’m so glad netflix ordered a 3rd season of Bridgerton so I can see how the pages of “An Offer from a Gentleman” come to life on the screen.

Review: I was really looking forward to reading “Romancing Mister Bridgerton” because I loved Penelope’s character in the Netflix series. Words cannot describe my disappointment. 

In the first three books, Colin was depicted as this incredibly sweet, easy going, witty gentleman. For whatever reason, his personality changed entirely. I found myself shuddering at his behavior. He was inconsiderate, cold, and just flat out rude. There were times where I wished Quinn could have just written the novel about Penelope as an independent woman living her best life without a husband. 

Penelope’s character saved this story for me, as she was what really kept me going. I loved reading about her finding her voice and making a name for herself.