I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Absolutely loved this continuation of Merida’s story! Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater isn’t a retelling of Disney’s Brave, but a continuation, picking up a few years after the events of the movie. Merida is stuck, not changing, and so is the rest of Castle Dunbroch. They are comfortable in their routines, living their lives in a bubble, ignoring the outside world around them. Then the god of ruin comes to bring change, but a timely knock on the kitchen door sends Merida out in time to stop him. Striking a deal to save her family and home, the story follows Merida’s journey over the course of a year.

Merida is exactly as I remembered. Feisty, stubborn, and refusing to marry. Can’t say I blame her, she is still young and wants to marry for love as her parents did, not for alliance. Merida’s journey over the year is born of desperation and that leaks out and adds urgency to the plot. Merida has to show the god of ruin that her and her family, that Dunbroch itself, can change. That they all still matter to the world. The stories and legends surrounding what the god of ruin can do haunt her dreams and urge her on her journeys.

I loved her interactions with each of the triplets. Merida has traveled before, learning different customs and things along the way, but has always left her brothers behind. This time, she encourages her family to allow her to visit three different kingdoms ad take a different brother to each. It was interesting seeing how the brothers adapted to different situations. I loved Merida’s relationship with her family in the movie, and it comes out in the story strong.

But her family and kingdom aren’t the only ones that need to change. Merida herself must as well. I loved taking this journey with her. Just as Merida must prove herself to the god of ruin, their bargain says he needs to show her his magic as well. I loved this addition to the story. Seeing him through Merida’s eyes, she believes he is a monster at first, but gradually sees what ruin brings. The dynamic between them is interesting, and I loved the snippets we get from the god of ruin’s POV.

Overall, if you can’t tell, I loved Bravely. It’s an exciting adventure. The desperation to stop the god of ruin drives Merida, but it is all she learns throughout the year about her family and her home that truly makes this story great. If you enjoy fairy tales, historical fiction, and of course Merida herself, I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed returning to this world! Beastly Bones by William Ritter is the second book in Jackaby, a historical paranormal mystery series, that follows Abigail Rook and her quirky employer Jackaby. Each book in this series is set around a different case that Jackaby and Miss Rook are trying to solve. In this particular book, we are introduced to a cat with…scales? Yes, scales. As the mystery surrounding this creature unfolds, Abigail and Jackaby find themselves at an archaeological dig site where things aren’t quite adding up.

I love Abigail. The entire story is told from her perspective, even breaking the wall and talking to us as if writing in a journal. Abigail is excited about this case as her field of study is archaeology and she feels she can contribute. I love her enthusiasm, and despite being completely new to the paranormal world, she accepts it in stride, learning on the fly. Her eagerness bleeds into the reader here.

Jackaby reminds me of a paranormal Sherlock Holmes. He’s quirky, sees and picks up on clues that most would miss, and also the worst at social manners. If it doesn’t pertain to the case or something paranormal, Jackaby will most likely miss it which tends to add a bit of tension between him and those he’s helping, including Abigail at times.

This particular case is interesting, exciting, and one that once I started I didn’t sit down. I finished this in one sitting. It’s fast-paced, lots of twists and surprises, though I’ll admit I had figured out some of the ending before it got there, and there are some characters who come back from book one.

Overall, I really enjoyed Beastly Bones. I cannot wait to read book three which will involve Jenny’s case (FINALLY). If you enjoy paranormal mysteries, quirky detectives, and exciting twists, I highly recommend it.

I receive an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Vampires have been making a come back over the last year, and I’m not about to complain about it! Vampires are one of my favorite paranormals to read about, whether they are the good guys or the villains. Belle Morte by debut author Bella Higgin is the first in a new series about vampires who live like the Hollywood elite. Everyone knows they exist, and everyone wants to be them or as close to them as they can be as willing donors with one exception: Renie.

Renie arrives at Belle Morte, one of the vampire houses in the UK, looking for her sister who went missing a few months earlier. They were really close and agreed on most things, except her obsession with vampires. With her sister no longer appearing in promotional photos or answering any of her mail, Renie does what any good sister would do: applies to be a donor at the same house. I really like her. She’s stubborn, a little on the shy side, and loyal to a fault. The only thing I really disliked about her was her inherent prejudice against the all vampires, even the ones who seem to be protecting her.

Edmond is the second in command at Belle Morte, a vampire several hundred years old. He is clearly smitten with Renie, how she doesn’t immediately fall for the vampires’ charms, and that she doesn’t want to be there. He’s intrigued, and I love that we get a glimpse inside his point of view. It’s needed to truly understand him.

Here’s where the story falls a part for me. It is a very slow start, lots of introducing of characters, not a lot of action, more telling instead of showing. This is a common mistake I see with debut authors. Despite that I kept reading and was rewarded with an awesome, action-packed, fast-paced climax and ending. I won’t lie though, I totally predicted the ending and the big twist within a few chapters of the book so that was a bit of a let down. I did however enjoy the overall world-building, the vampire society, and how humans react to them. It’s interesting and reminds me of a cross between the Southern Vampire Mysteries (Trueblood) and the more classic vampire stories.

Overall, Belle Morte was okay for me. I didn’t enjoy how predictable it was or the cliche tropes. BUT I did enjoy the ending and world-building enough to not only finish the book but be excited for the next. If you are a fan of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and of course all things vampire, I do believe you’ll enjoy this one.

This is a really cute story! Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron is a modern-day retelling of Austen’s classic Emma. Kamila lives and works with her aging father. As his primary caretaker, his health is her number one concern, everything else comes second. As a result, Kamila spends most of her free time matchmaking her friends and living a life everyone expects her to live. But when her nemesis returns to town and with the potential of her best friend finding a love of his own, Kamila begins to examine what she really wants and needs.

I love Kam! She is such a fun character. She is loyal to a fault, a little flighty with above average smarts. I love how empathetic she is to everyone she meets. However her downfall comes in that she tries to fit everyone into a neat box within her own life. It doesn’t sit well with her family or friends, and eventually catches up to her.

Rohan is amazing. It’s easy to see from the reader perspective where his interests lie. I love his relationship with Kam. They compliment each other really well. But like her, he has a downside. I needed more of him

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

I loved this book! Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score is a perfect summer romcom about a house flipper who falls in love with her sexy landscaper. Maggie Nichols has made a life for herself as a You-Tube star flipping houses with her best friend and ex-husband Dean. The two flit from town to town renovating crumbling shacks and turning them into dream homes. Arriving in the small town of Kinship, Idaho to renovate the town’s historical Campbell home, Maggie wanderlust is waning, and she finds she may want to spread her roots.

I love Maggie. She is such a fun character. She flips the script on feminine. Maggie is a force to be reckoned with, stubborn to a fault, loyal, and has an iron wall built around her heart. Her life has been far from perfect, but over the last few years, she’s carved a perfect life for herself. She doesn’t need anyone except for Dean or anything except a hammer and she’ll be happy. Or at least that’s what she thinks.

Then enters Silas Wright. I absolutely love Silas! His POV is hilarious to read. This man is head over heels for Maggie from first sight. He tells his brother he’s met his future wife, she just doesn’t know it yet. He then doggedly pursues a relationship with the ever reluctant Maggie. I love how grounded he is and convicted of his own feelings. While Maggie is someone who overanalyzes and thinks things to death, Silas jumps head first whenever his heart tells him too. And it is telling him to do just that.

While the romance is the clear driver of the plot, a lot of the action revolves around the remodeling of the Campbell home. This once great mansion is filled with town history and a little mystery surrounding the original owners. As Maggie works to bring the house into the current century, more mysteries are uncovered, and there may be a little wild west gold involved

I received an eARC of this book via the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Unputdownable! Rise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine is the first book in a new YA political fantasy duology. Calera has been at war with its neighboring kingdom Montevallo for 19 years. As a result, the kingdom is reaching the end of its coffers, it’s citizens are losing faith in their monarch, and both sides are desperate to find an end. When an assassination attempt inside the palace leaves the queen near death, Princess Charis Willowthorn steps into the role she was born to play. With enemies at every turn and unsure of the few friends she has, Charis must chart her own path and find a way to suss out the spy within the palace.

If you are a fan of YA fantasy, then this is a must read!

Full review on YA Books Central

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

I am really enjoying ! Each book is about a different Disney princess, what happens after their happily ever after and end credits roll, and a continuation of their stories. Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne continues Mulan’s story, picking up several years after she saved the emperor. Action packed and full of adventure, the story grabbed my attention and kept me up late into the night to finish it.

Mulan is enjoying her days at home, training an all female militia and helping the surrounding farms and towns. She is content in her life, yet struggles to find a balance and peace with what she is doing. When the emperor names her as his heir, Mulan is shocked and honestly wants to turn it down. What does she know about running a country? Also in accepting, she’d have to give up the possibility of Shang.

I love Mulan! She is one of my favorites. I love that she constantly pushes the boundaries and does what she needs to for the people she loves. In this case, her love for her country, for China, comes out in full force. I liked seeing her in her role as empress and how she handles the transition. I felt it was very true to life and true to what we know of Disney’s Mulan (I stress the Disney part because there is little of the original story here).

In addition to Mulan, there are some great new characters we are introduced to as well as an old favorite. Liwen is her second in command and her best friend. I love the relationship they have. It is born of loyalty and duty, but also has a kinship attached to it. The women would do anything for each other. And then of course there is Shang. I love him as much here as I did in the cartoon. He is a fantastic supporting character for Mulan. He pushes her to be her best and supports her at every obstacle.

Overall, I really enjoyed Feather and Flame. This story moves at a quick pace. There is a lot of palace intrigue and of course some skirmishes with the Huns. There is even a little romance

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Fun and flirty, Fake It Till You Bake It is the latest release from Jamie Wesley and will have you swooning over this reality TV star and her fake, football-star, baking boyfriend. This book was so much fun and there is a lot to love about it: fake relationship, enemies-to-lovers, gorgeous football players who also bake cupcakes, POC main characters…I could keep going

To say that I am enamored with this author duo is an understatement. I have yet to read anything by them I didn’t enjoy (both their solo works and the works they do together). I firmly believe that what they touch turns to gold. Illuminae has been sitting on my bookshelf for YEARS so I was super excited to have the push I needed to finally read it when it was voted for our #COYER YA book club pick this month. If you are an audiobook reader, I highly recommend you listen and if you are able to have a copy on hand to see all the amazing details inside the book even better. Every book is a new adventure, but this book….y’all, this book is an experience, fully immersive, highly entertaining, and one hell of a ride. Told through a series of interviews, dossiers, security footage, emails, etc, Illuminae documents the attack of the Kerenza colony and the survivors’ race to escape.

Kady Grant is my hero. She is a hacker girl to her core, understanding technology in a way that I only wish I could. This is a girl who’s life shattered the day BeiTech attacked her colony, and the funny thing is her life was already imploding as she broke up with her boyfriend just that morning. It’s clear from our first glimpse of her this is a girl who is barely holding it together, zero hope, but then a proposition from a fellow tech genius on board, and Kady finds herself with a job uncovering what is happening in the fleet and preparing for what is coming.

Ezra Mason is a boy who becomes a man overnight. Dumped by his girlfriend, nearly dying during his escape from the colony, separated from the only family he has, and then conscripted as a fighter pilot on the only United Terran ship, his life is nothing like he had planned. My heart broke for him. He’s so lost and barely hanging on when Kady finally reenters his life. She gives him hope that he didn’t have anymore. The two become fast friends again, communicating across ships and trying to figure out what is going on in the fleet and how long before the Lincoln, the BeiTech ship that is after them.

Ezra is on the Alexander, a United Terran Navy ship who answered the colony’s SOS when BeiTech attacked. It sustained heavy damage and the onboard AI, AIDAN, has been glitching ever since. After AIDAN orders Ezra’s team to destroy the Copernicus, a science vessel with 2000+ civilians on board, and then nukes them, the fleet scrambles to find out if AIDAN can be fixed. I loved AIDAN. He is one of those characters that you really aren’t sure if you should like, but I did. This malfunction AI quickly became a major plot point and one that I could not get enough of.

Overall, I loved Illuminae, devouring it in less than two days. Exciting, breath-taking, heart-stopping, and heart-breaking don’t begin to touch all the emotions this book will make the reader feel. I loved Ezra and Kady, even AIDAN. My heart was broken for their fight for survival, the hopelessness and desperation that dogged Kady’s movements and the hope that she gave Ezra. If you are a fan of sci-fi, if you enjoy exciting and innovative ways to tell a story, I highly recommend this one be on the top of your list.