It’s been a long two years since [b:Trick|36200189|Trick (Origin, #4)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505010602s/36200189.jpg|57830314] released and left me hanging. Seeing that the series was finally continuing, I was so excited! Trap is the fifth book in Origin, but it was so different and not at all what I’ve come to expect from Scarlett Dawn. The storyline and pacing were rushed, and the characters fell flat which makes me sad. I’ve loved the series up to this point.

Noelle Harvey is the least likable character to come so far in Origin. She’s horrible! A tabloid journalist who works for Karma and has ties to the big bad of the series, Noelle got on my nerves. The book starts with an exposé on shifters that she releases to the world, not thinking of the consequences. Obviously things spiral for her quickly. Yet I got to hand it to her, girl has guts. She doesn’t bow down to any of the men we’ve met so far, she even gives Poppy a run for her money.

Wolfe Cooper is the love interest in this installment. I love Wolfe. He’s introverted and likes (understatement!) technology. In fact, his corporation runs most everything. Awkwardly honest – he reminds me of people with Asperger’s – Wolfe softens Noelle some. He’s a good counterbalance to her character at the very least.

I really struggled to follow the plot in Trap. Even with my dislike of Noelle and love of Wolfe, I struggled. There were big holes in events (like how did you get from point A to point B holes) and the pacing fluctuated from breakneck speed to slower than a turtle. It was distracting, and I couldn’t keep up.

Overall, Trap was an okay read for me. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. I’m questioning whether I will continue the series now, which makes me sad. That said, the next book in the series is Theron’s who I’ve been waiting to read since the series started soooo I’ll be reading 😉 If you enjoy paranormal romance with a splash of dystopia, I recommend starting the series from the beginning. While each book is a standalone romance, the overall plot of the series reaches through all the books.

I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting is the third book in the Shacking Up and the first by this author I’ve ever read. I’ll be honest. I hate writing reviews when it is a book that I didn’t love, but also didn’t hate. I have lukewarm feelings about this book, the characters, and even the plot.

Rian Sutter is a twin, the responsible one if you ask her. She’s the level-headed, looks at the numbers first girl. And she doesn’t do one-night stands, ever. Rian is the typical girl you find in modern, contemporary romance. Very two-dimensional, not a lot of characteristics. Literally I could be describing any character in a romance right now, and that is sad to me.

Pierce, “the fixer upper” as the blurb describes, is the love interest. Again I could describe him in a few sentences and he fit into any romance novel. Just change the name and job description 🙄 Pierce is a lawyer on summer break after screwing up a big case. Now he is flipping houses with his brother and renting them in the Hamptons. He comes off as the alpha male, but is a big puppy inside. He’s caring and loyal, and puts the girls needs first.

The plot of this book isn’t all that exciting either. Rian and her twin are trying to raise enough money in their real estate business to begin flipping houses and eventually buy the home that they grew up in. The big mystery of the book is why they aren’t in the house. Pierce and Rian butt heads constantly, this is definitely enemy-to-lovers trope. Though I think the enemies is one-sided as Rian can’t stand him and Pierce can’t get her out of his head. This story bored me. It’s one I’ve read a million times with nothing new to add. However I did enjoy the beach setting.

I want to note that I started reading this as an audible book and switched back to my eARC copy halfway through. I liked Rose Dioro who narrated Rian’s perspective. She gave an otherwise boring character life. Jacob Morgan on the otherhand bored me to tears. He was very monotone and I couldn’t continue to listen to him as Pierce. Plus there was something that made me feel dirty listening to a man read a sex scene *shudders* Don’t worry, it’s just the prude in me coming out 😉

Overall I Flipping Love You was just okay. It wasn’t terrible. In fact it is very well written. It just wasn’t original. This book is perfect for anyone that enjoys Helena Hunting’s books and as a good beach read.

I enjoyed this book more than the first! Twice Magic by is the second book in The Wizards of Once and picks up in the middle of the action (featuring Xar….who else?!). Xar is in Gormincrag (like a prison) due to the mistakes he made in book one and Wish is behind a giant wall. Will these two kids who were never meant to meet meet again?

I love Xar and Wish! Xar is a the son of a wizard, though he never came into his magic (see book one for details of what he does about it). Wish is the daughter of the Queen of the Warriors. Neither really fit into the society they were born in and both rebel against it in their own ways. After a daring escape, Xar returns to the warrior castle to retrieve his spellbook. This results in him breaking in and stealing it and also kidnapping Wish in the process. Though is it really considered kidnapping when she goes with him willingly?

Adventure abounds in this book, much like the first. However I enjoyed this installment much more. The world building is done, the characters know each other and have formed a friendship so the reader gets thrown right into the action. I love it! There is a quest for a giant’s last breath, a war (like an actually, full on war) between the Warriors and Wizards and the Witches thought dead, and a magical backstory for two characters I didn’t expect. I loved that last bit 😉

Overall I really enjoyed Twice Magic. Like the first, I listened to an audiobook which features the immensely talented David Tennant as narrator. Y’all it is fantastic! He really brings the characters to life in a way that wouldn’t translate if you read it on your own. If you enjoy medieval fantasy, I highly recommend grabbing a copy asap.

This review first appeared on Mom with a Reading Problem.

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

Sandpiper Shore by Debbie Mason is the 6th book in the Harmony Harbor series, featuring the eldest Gallagher cousin Logan and matchmaker Jenna Bell. I personally love this series! It’s a fun, light contemporary that you can read in one-sitting, HEA guaranteed, and always leaves you smiling. In this installment of the series, Jenna Bell has a real-life Cinderella moment after her belief in love is dashed by her two-timing fiancé, but her Prince Charming doesn’t believe in happily ever afters.

Jenna is a wedding planner, but she has a secret gift of her own. She can look at a couple and be able to tell if they are soulmates. It’s a little quirky and endearing in my opinion. Too bad it doesn’t work on herself. She could have saved herself a lot of heartache. After her fiancé breaks the news that he is with her step-mom (gag me), Jenna has a one-night stand with the delectable Logan Gallagher. She isn’t ready for more though and their relationship moves into friends territory.

Logan isn’t the marrying kind. He’s more married to his job than anything, yet he finds himself in over his head where Jenna is concerned. Moving her to the friendzone is safer for the both of them in his opinion. Then an accident leaves him with amnesia and mysteriously engaged to the woman he was sworn to protect.

The plot for this book is a little all over the place. There are many threads that eventually combine. However this doesn’t distract from the enjoyment of the story. Sandpiper Shore is more than a romance, it’s mystery and intrigue, and some adventure mixed in just for fun. And I can’t forget the ghostly Colleen who is stuck in a limbo of sorts as her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren decide what to do with her estate. If you enjoy contemporary romance, I highly recommend this one. It will make a fantastic beach read this summer.

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

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains is the first in her new series Sweetwater Springs. Y’all it is no secret that I love small town romance, and this book fits the description perfectly. Kaitlyn and Mitch’s story is cute in a kitchy-way and I love the circumstances that bring them together.

Kaitlyn is still reeling from losing her dream job when she finds out that she has inherited her grandparents Bed & Breakfast. She has fond memories of the little B&B from visiting there as a little girl. She decides to move to the small town Sweetwater Springs and revamp her grandparents business. I found myself drawn to Kaitlyn. I like her determination to make this work. She hangs all her hopes on it and prays it will pay off in the end. What she didn’t expect is to share her inheritance with the boy who grew up next door to her grandparents.

Mitch hasn’t been back to Sweetwater Springs since he joined the Marines. Now all he wants is to sell the B&B so he can get out of the small town. What he wasn’t counting on was Kaitlyn. He decides to give her the two months that the will required and then sell his share to her. What he doesn’t count on is falling for her.

I love that Kaitlyn’s grandparents are basically playing matchmaker from beyond the grave. They are forcing their granddaughter and a man they loved to run the B&B together. It’s something that Kaitlyn probably could have fought in real life, but makes for a cute story as they faces the challenges of running and opening a run down B&B. Plus y’all this is set in my backyard….well the otherside of the mountains but still basically my backyard. I love the setting and the chemistry between the characters. AND it’s set around Christmas adding a touch of magic to the story in my opinion.

Overall I enjoyed Christmas on Mistletoe Lane. I can’t wait to return to Sweetwater Springs as the author has set up a fun town and some great characters. If you are looking for a sweet Christmas romance, this is it!

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

The Corner of Holly and Ivy by Debbie Mason is the 7th installment of Harmony Harbor and perhaps my favorite so far. I love second chance love stories and this is that. Arianna Bell and Connor Gallagher were high school sweethearts who were forced apart by their respective family members. When Arianna was severely burned and nearly died in the store fire at the end of [b:Sandpiper Shore|36501081|Sandpiper Shore (Harmony Harbor, #6)|Debbie Mason|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509334750s/36501081.jpg|58218500], Connor realizes his feelings for Arianna never went away. Now he is determined to prove that he still loves her and wants her back.

I’ll admit that when I started this book I was more than a little hesitant. I didn’t like Arianna. She was terrible to Jenna in [b:Sandpiper Shore|36501081|Sandpiper Shore (Harmony Harbor, #6)|Debbie Mason|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509334750s/36501081.jpg|58218500], and I wasn’t sure how Debbie Mason could redeem her character. BUT she does that in the very first chapter. Arianna lives with her grandmother, taking care of her. The two are very close and Arianna’s near brush with death has made them closer. Her grandmother has dementia. Y’all mine does too, so I almost immediately connected with Arianna. Arianna is struggling with her own demons, her new scars both physically and mentally, all while taking care of her grandmother who isn’t slowing down and refuses to recognize she has a problem. My heart broke for Arianna and I cheered her on as much as I could.

Connor is my new favorite Gallagher. He basically gives up everything to show Arianna he loves her and is going no where. I promise I’m spoiling nothing in saying that because it is clear from the first chapter what his intentions are. I found myself swooning for him and yelling at Arianna to look past her hurt and see the man who loves her.

The Corner of Holly and Ivy is different from its predecessors as it deals with heavier subject matter. While it is still a light, easy read, it comes with heavy emotional baggage. Set aside some tissues when you read y’all….consider yourselves warned. If you enjoy contemporary romance, I highly recommend it.

Warcross by Marie Lu is the first in a sci-fi duology about the digital age of gaming. This isn’t the first book of its kind ([b:Ready Player One|9969571|Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)|Ernest Cline|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500930947s/9969571.jpg|14863741] people!), but it is unique in its own right and written specifically for the YA crowd. It asks some big questions. What happens when life is lived in virtual reality? Can you really trust those you are closest too? Who makes the rules?

The entire story is told from the perspective of Emika Chen. Emika is a teenage hacker known for her skills of finding what you need/want in Warcross. She is fearless which is what makes her a good hacker. But a glitch during the Warcross Championship causes the world to see her. Now Emika is the most wanted person on the planet. The person who finds her though is the last person Emika thought would.

Thinking herself arrested, Emika is surprised by the offer presented to her by Hideo Tanaka, the creator of the games. Hideo needs Emika’s help. Someone has hacked the game and is trying to take it down. He hires Emika to by an insider, a spy during the tournament inside the game. Of course, our hacker accepts the challenge. I like Emika. She is fiesty, questions everything, and is loyal to a fault. Hideo is sweet, humble, and extremely intelligent. He intimidates me for good reason 😉

Everything’s science fiction until someone makes it science fact….

The plot is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride. I listened to the audiobook and binge listened in two days. I was on the edge of my seat, holding my breath at least half of the book! I love the world-building. Marie Lu sets up a dystopia where people are partially living their lives in virtual reality. The characters were glasses 24/7 that put them inside the world of Warcross. At times when Emika is walking through the streets of Tokyo, her experiences remind me of people playing Pokemon Go, no joke! The virtual is in the real and it is hard to distinguish between the two.

For all that I enjoyed Warcross, I was not happy with the secondary characters like Emika’s roommate and her teammates. They are forgettable, not fleshed out, and blend together while reading. At times, I had to rewind the audio recording because I forgot who was speaking to Emika. Not good y’all and not what I’ve come to expect from Lu.

Despite that, I really enjoyed Warcross. The ending y’all! It was not expected. I’m still in shock. Marie Lu has set up an amazing series and I cannot wait to read more! If fast-paced science fiction is your thing, then Warcross should be your next read.