I don’t even know how to begin this review. This isn’t the first time I’ve read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. It isn’t even the second or third. I’ve read the Twilight Saga countless times since I was first introduced to the series in the Fall of 2008. I credit Twilight with bringing me out of the dark ages (aka college, the time of required reading that killed my reading mojo).

This reread is the first time I’ve read the series in five years, almost six. The last time I read it was right before I started blogging. Revisiting the series now was like reading it for the first time. Not much has changed, and I still love it 😉 The writing style, the sparkly vampires, and the dreary Forks sucked me in 11 years ago, and y’all it will always remain one of my favorites.

Twilight opens with Isabella Swan, Bella for short, leaving her home in Phoenix to live with her dad in Forks, a small town in the Olympic Peninsula. Needless to say, she’s crazy to leave the warmth and sun of Phoenix for the cold and rain of Forks. But Bella wants to give her mom and new step-dad time to themselves, and it wouldn’t hurt to get to know her father a little better as well. Bella is an extreme introvert. I identify with her on every level. Like her, I’d much rather be the outsider looking in instead of the center of attention. Unfortunately for her, being the new kid in a town as small as Forks means exactly that. Bella is prepared for the attention. What she isn’t prepared for is the Cullen family.

The Cullens are also relatively new to Forks and an enigma to the students of the school. Most of Bella’s classmates regard the Cullens as you would a celebrity. They are looked at in awe, but not talked to or invited to hang out with the other kids. They are too beautiful, too perfect to truly fit in with the other students. Bella notices them immediately and finds herself drawn to them, specifically the youngest brother who is in her Biology class, Edward.

Edward Cullen will give you emotional whiplash. As described by Bella, he is beautiful in a tragic sort of way. He comes off as aloof. When he does talk, it’s very formal with a cadence not of this century. Bella is fascinated with him and finds herself falling in love…at least she calls it love. I personally think it’s lust for the first 90% of the book 😂

The plot revolves around the mystery surrounding the Cullen family and Bella’s obsession with Edward. It’s a character driven plot, with plenty of action towards the end. I still remember my reaction the first time I read the book. When the “big reveal” happens and you learn Edward’s secret, I flipped back (you know because it was pre-Kindle era for me) to all the interactions Bella had with him to that point. I wanted to see if I could pick up the foreshadowing, which is balanced well throughout the book. I knew before Bella what was going to happen because of Meyer’s subtle foreshadowing that left you questioning all of Edward’s actions. I loved it!

Overall Twilight will remain one of my all-time favorite reads. Everytime I read, I pick up something new. This time because it’s been SO long between reads it was like reading it for the first time. I remembered things as they happened, I picked up on subtle things that are important later in the series that I didn’t the first time I read the book. Bella, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Jacob, Emmet, and even Charlie are some of my favorite characters of all time. If you enjoy paranormal romance in a YA setting, I highly recommend it. You know for those that haven’t read it yet 😉

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

Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson is the third book in her Sometimes in Love series. This time it follows actress Sadie Gold as she returns home to film her first leading movie role. This book has every contemporary romance trope I love: star-studded, second chance, first love. Seriously y'all I was hooked from the start and finished the book in less than 24 hours. If I hadn't desperately needed sleep, I would've finished it in one sitting.

Sadie Gold is an easy character to like. She's not the typical, full of herself actress that the tabloids portray. Instead she's the girl-next-door type. She keeps to herself, has a few very close friends, and doesn't really date. This movie she is training for could make or break her career, and she is ready to tackle it head on. What she is not ready for is working with the man that broke her heart all those long years ago.

Bo Ibarra is, quite simply, a good man. He works hard for everything he owns and for the business he is a partner of. When Sadie reenters his life, he is as prepared as he can be. He knows he must face her, and he's ready. Maybe fate throwing them together is a second chance, if she'll have him.

The tension between Sadie and Bo drive this plot. Sadie never stopped loving Bo, but she never forgave or understood why he left her all those years ago. Bo never stopped loving her either and his reasons for leaving are flimsy at best. Yet Sadie is willing to put her heart on the line and pursue a possible future with this man. The problem: there is a big secret hanging between them that once brought to light could unravel that future Bo is building.

Now about this secret….I have to talk about it because well it bugs me. So I'm putting it in spoiler tags. If you've read the book, feel free to read and message me your thoughts because I want others' opinions. If you haven't read the book, click and read at your own risk 😉

Spoiler

Why oh why did the secret have to be about abortion?! I get that right now it is a big topic in our country, but it seriously could have been anything. It could have been a miscarriage or an adoption. But abortion?! Really, you bring that up at the end of the book, like literally the last three or four chapters (if even that!). It didn't fit the story. Sadie claims she sure of the decision she made, that it was the right one and she isn't remorseful….at the end of the story. BUT during the whole book, she has panic attacks over little things that remind her of what could have been. I like that the author shows this side of abortion, but it doesn't fit with Sadie's attitude, and the whole thing is rushed as a plot device at the end of the story. NOT cool!

Overall, I enjoyed Once Upon a Bad Boy. I enjoyed it so much that I'd like to go back and read the previous stories of the series. While the book can be read as a standalone, the characters from the previous books pop in and out and there are spoilers to those books in this one which is why I'd like to go back and read those. If you enjoy contemporary, second chance romance, I highly recommend this one.

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

Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau is the first book in a new paranormal romance series called The Beast Charmer. Billed as a cross between Fantastic Beasts and Assassin’s Creed it lives up to the hype. I found myself fully immersed in Leena’s world and fascinated with her creatures. Personally I can’t wait for more from the world!

Leena Edenfrell is an exiled beast charmer with a price on her head. She is bitter about the events that led to her exile, and she is cunning. She has to be with the people she now deals with. To live outside her community she must trade in beasts. Raised to love them and cherish her beasts, this is agony for her to hand over a beast in exchange for gold. This alone made me like her. Her conscience gets the best of her time and again, but she will do anything to protect her creatures.

Noc is the leader of the undead assassins…yep they are like vampires. At least that’s how I pictured them. He is cursed though. Anyone he loves falls ill and dies. So Noc keeps himself separate from his clan and keeps a firm (imaginary) line in the sand that he will not cross. He will not allow himself to feel for anyone. Then he meets Leena, and despite his hard and fast rules, he finds himself falling.

Noc’s assassin failed to kill Leena and instead gets himself captured by her. To bargain for her own life, she exchanges the assassin with Noc and promises to deliver four beasts in exchange. This leads Leena, Noc and three of his skilled assassins on a trip across the continent looking for a beast that will allow Leena back into her community and the beasts she promised him.

I love the world-building more than anything else in the book! Each beast mentioned is unique with its own abilities and talents. I found myself visualizing them as Leena describes them. Leena’s exile is also at the forefront of the story, along with Noc’s curse. Noc wants a cure, Leena wants to go home. Together they might just get what they want.

Overall I really enjoyed Kingdom of Exiles. I struggled a little at the beginning of the story. The author fully immerses the reader in the world and it took a bit for me to catch up. Once I did though, I fell in love with the beasts, their world, and of course Leena and Noc. I can’t wait for more

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken is the second book in The Darkest Minds series and picks up a few months after the events of the first book. A little recap….if you haven’t read The Darkest Minds, there are spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

Spoiler

The first book ends on a massive cliffhanger. Chubs was shot and left at a hospital. Liam and Ruby are taken in by the Children’s League. Ruby is given a choice to save Liam or allow him to remain in the Children’s League’s custody. She chooses to save him. To do this, she has to erase herself from his memories. Yep, that’s right she erased herself. Y’all not what I was expecting AT ALL. Liam leaves with no memories of her and Ruby leaves with Cate.

Ok you’re all caught up.

It’s been a few months since Ruby was taken by Cate to the Children’s League headquarters in California. In those months, Ruby has honed her skills as an Orange becoming one of the League’s “leaders” and interrogators. She sees herself as a monster, but believes in what the League is doing. They are rescuing Psy kids from the camps, getting intel on the president, and causing all kinds of havoc in general. But there are those inside the League that want her and others like her dead. When Cole Stewart reveals that Liam has a flashdrive the Children’s League wants, Ruby accepts the mission knowing she must leave behind those she’s come to love.

Ruby is a fascinating character. She struggles daily with her Psy abilities. She doesn’t want them. The guilt for leaving Liam the way she did eats at her daily. Because there is nothing she can do for Liam or Chubs or Zu, she fights to protect her team at the League. She’s fiercely protective of them and will do whatever she can to keep them from harm.

While key characters from the first book are noticeably missing *cough* LIAM *cough*, Alexandra Bracken introduces new characters that I instantly fell in love with. Jude is like Zu, a Yellow and young. His childlike enthusiasm and love for Ruby tugged on every single one of my heartstrings. He is a sweet and lovable character that I just wanted to reach out and hug. Vida is a tougher character to like. She is a Blue (I think….if I remember correctly). She gives Ruby heck, but that’s just her. Vida sugarcoats nothing, and doesn’t love easily. But she is loyal to a fault.

The plot of the story is convoluted and fast-paced. As the reader, you find out things as Ruby does which means you are left wondering the truth behind other characters’ actions. Who can you really trust? When Cole asks for Ruby’s help in finding this flashdrive, she’s anxious to do the job. One it will give her a glimpse of Liam and two it will serve as closure. She did the right thing and can move on….at least that’s what she thinks. But things are never that easy.

Amy McFadden is a brilliant narrator. I found myself at the edge of my seat many times as she flipped her tone or change inflection just enough to give insight into the characters. I was completely lost in her telling of the story.

Overall I really enjoyed Never Fade. Ruby, the new characters, and the revelations that shake their world at its core left me breathless and wanting more. If you enjoy dystopias, this is one that is a must-read.

Oh wow! Wow, wow, WOW!!! Undying by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner is the sequel and conclusion to Unearthed. It is not at all what I was expecting, but exactly what I didn’t know I needed. I was really torn on how I felt about [b:Unearthed|25446297|Unearthed (Unearthed, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495338043i/25446297._SX50_.jpg|45210048] when I finished it last year and didn’t know if I wanted to finish it, but when I came across a copy at the library, I couldn’t pass it up. I’m SO glad I grabbed it to read. Please note that if you haven’t read the first book of this series, there are spoilers to that book ahead. Read at your own risk. A little recap:

Spoiler

Unearthed ended on a massive cliffhanger. Mia and Jules are stranded on the Undying ship they found on Gaia. The ship has just crossed the portal back to Earth and is now in orbit around their planet. As the book begins to end, portals aboard the ship start opening and Undying come pouring out. Now Mia and Jules have to find a way to warn Earth that the ship is a Trojan horse before it is too late.

Okay now you’re all caught up.

The scholar (Jules) and the scavenger (Mia) are in over their heads. On a ship orbiting Earth that is full of the Undying, neither of them knows how to accomplish what needs to be done. Add in the terror they feel at realizing the Undying somehow look human and you’ve got a high-suspense read. Jules is a little more sure of himself in this book than Mia is. Mia took the lead on Gaia. She knows how to scavenge and lie her way out of anything. Jules is the scholar, who can analyze and deduce what needs to be done. This book focuses more on his abilities than hers. They know they need to get warn Earth about what is on the ship. The question is how.

I like Jules and Mia together. I wasn’t really sold on their romance in the first book. It felt forced. However here it doesn’t. They rely on each other and trust the other with their life. It’s sweet and heartbreaking at the same time that these teens have been forced to become adult too soon. However they handle that stress well.

When they do get to Earth (with two aliens in tow), no one believes them and it is up to them to save the world. They begin a trek across Europe to Prague in search of Jules’s father who is perhaps the only person that will believe them. I liked the change of scenery, however I did miss Gaia. Having aliens on Earth though made up for it 😉 The plot moves like lightning, leaving me breathless at times and unable to read fast enough. I loved the mystery surrounding the Undying and the slow unraveling of the mystery.

Overall I really enjoyed Undying. It lived up to my expectations and exceeded them. I love the new characters that are introduced, like Dex and Atlanta. If you enjoyed [b:Unearthed|25446297|Unearthed (Unearthed, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495338043i/25446297._SX50_.jpg|45210048], I highly recommend this one.

Oh my heart!!! I need a moment….



In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken picks up where [b:Never Fade|16150830|Never Fade (The Darkest Minds, #2)|Alexandra Bracken|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1368460550l/16150830._SY75_.jpg|21986942] left off. A little recap….If you have not read the series to this point, there are spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

Spoiler

Ruby and her friends found the flashdrive that revealed the cause of their Psy abilities, but at a terrible cost. The president bombed their headquarters, and the sweetest of the group died in the escape 😭 Cole is a Red, but 🤫 Liam doesn’t know. They have Clancy and the papers he was trying to destroy. Now what remains of their group are making their way to the Farm.

Ok you’re all caught up.

Ruby is grief stricken at the opening of the story and rightfully so. I am grief-stricken and it’s a fictional character! Processing her grief and continuing to protect all those she loves is becoming too hard for her to handle on her own. So she turns to a Stewart, but not the one you’re thinking. She can’t face Liam. What she did to him, he may have forgiven her, but she hasn’t forgiven herself. And now she has Cole’s secret to keep too. It’s all too much, anyone would crack under that kind of strain. It’s just a matter of when.

We get more of Cole in this book than the previous, and y’all I didn’t expect to fall in love with him, but I did. He is an older version of Liam with a hard demeanor that puts people off. His one priority is Liam, to protect him at all costs. This is how he has lived his life, and now Liam is in the middle of the action, and he doesn’t know how to handle it. Add in that his confidantes are dead or missing and he is now the leader of this ragtag group, his Psy abilities are getting the best of him. With Ruby, or “Gem” as he affectionately calls her (y’all I love that nickname, like I sighed everytime he said. I really ship them hard! Even though I love Liam too), he can let his guard down and be himself. He shows her his vulnerability which she encourages he shows the others as well. They are close, like brother and sister, and I love how the author shows their platonic relationship.

Liam and Ruby are at odds. Liam doesn’t want to fight, Ruby is aiming for one. She has trained to take down the Psy camps, Liam wants to expose them and let the adults do the work. Ruby doesn’t trust that will work. She only trusts her plan of getting the kids out herself. It is why she has stayed with the Children’s League as long as she has. The promise of retribution, of releasing her friends, girls that were her family before she met Liam and Chubs and Zu on the road.

Amy McFadden kills it again as the narrator. She is fantastic! Y’all I have bought audiobooks to listen to just because she is the narrator without reading the synopsis. I found myself aching listening to her tell Ruby’s story which is so full of heart-break. I even shed tears and had to pause it more than once to collect myself.

Overall In the Afterlight is a fantastic, explosive conclusion to the series (though I know that Zu gets her own book and I do plan to read it as well). Ruby, Liam, Cole, Chubs, and Vida are at the heart of this story and really drive the plot. If you enjoy YA dystopia, put this series on your must-read list!

The Lost Sisters by Holly Black is a novella that is part of the The Folk of the Air. It follows [b:The Cruel Prince|26032825|The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493047153l/26032825._SY75_.jpg|45959123]….well sort of. Told from Taryn’s point of view, this novella is part-apology, part-defense of Taryn falling in love with Locke. Y’all I loved this little novella! It is compelling and while I found myself hating Taryn a little bit more while reading, I also felt pity for her which I didn’t think was possible when I started.

Taryn tells the story like she is talking to Jude. It’s like she is speaking to you the reader when it starts, but you quickly realize this speech/monologue is meant for Jude. Taryn has been hiding secrets and resentment for her sister for a while, and it all culminates here.

I loved this short addition to the series. The backstory that is given for Taryn’s and even Locke’s actions strike home after finishing [b:The Cruel Prince|26032825|The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493047153l/26032825._SY75_.jpg|45959123]. It shows just how much the fairy world has affected the sisters. They have become their own fairy tale and it is heart-breaking. I guess we will see if any relationship between the sisters can be redeemed as the series continues, but I honestly don’t see how. There is little love lost between them. If you enjoy The Folk of the Air series, I highly recommend you grab this novella!

I received an eARC of this book from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins is a loose retelling of the Brothers Grimm story by the same name. The country of Lochlanach (say that three times fast) is being terrorized by a beast. It comes out at night, slaughtering people in the country side. After it kills on royal land, the king sends out a proclamation for hunters. The prize for killing the beast is his eldest daughter’s hand in marriage, essentially the hunter would become heir to the throne. This brings in men from all over the world and leaves Aerity, the princess, with no escape.

So I liked Aerity. She’s 17 and still very much sheltered from life outside of the palace. Everything she knows she’s learned from her tutor, in books, or from spying on the maids. When the beast begins terrorizing the countryside, she grows up quickly, accepts her duty as princess, and learns that sometimes what the heart wants it can’t get. She’s good at hiding her emotions and projecting the regality that is required of her. My heart broke a bit at this. She’s devastated that she won’t marry for love as her parents did, but instead will marry an unknown hunter and this makes her scared.

Paxton Seabolt *swoon* I’m not really sure why he’s so swoon-worthy. I can’t explain it. He’s bitter, hates the royals, and wants nothing to do with the princess. He’s downright rude to her, but the few glimpses the author gives from his POV, as the reader you see he’s tortured. Haunted by his past and a future he can’t control, Paxton lashes out at everyone. Better they hate him than like him, right? Except Aerity sees through him. She sees his hurt and that his actions don’t always match what he says.

The plot of the book centers around this monster that is really terrifying. It attacks at random with no pattern to where it will hit next and kills everything that comes across its path. When the king issues the proclamation for hunters, over 100 arrive from all over. It makes for an interesting read as Aerity takes them all in, noting the differences in their cultures and dialects. Honestly it was great for the world-building aspect. There’s also the insta-love (gag me!). As much as I loved Paxton, he isn’t who I shipped for Aerity and honestly I’m not spoiling anything as it occurs from the first moment they see each other. Yep SEE each other, not speak or anything like that, just see each other and they are instantly in love….erhm lust.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It’s a high fantasy at it’s best and while it isn’t a cliffhanger ending, the author does leave you wanting more. I loved the details and little hints the author gives throughout the story that there is more to the beast than meets the eye. And Aerity, while a bit naive, was fun to see grow during the book. If you enjoy high fantasy and the Brothers Grimm, I highly recommend you grab a copy of the book and read it for yourself.