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

River Gate by Kay L. Moody is the fifth installment of her novella series The Elements of Kamdaria. I have needed this book like I need air since finishing the first four in December. The series follows Talise, a Master Shaper from the Storm, as she works directly under the emperor to protect the people of Kamdaria. Please note: I will do my best to make this review as spoiler free as possible. However there may be spoilers to previous installments in this review.

Talise is angry and hurt at the beginning of River Gate. Aaden is on a mission, infiltrating the rebel faction that kidnapped Talise in the previous installment. She begged him not to go, but he still went, and now she questions his loyalty to her and the emperor. Talise isn’t one to trust easily. She has few friends, however those she counts as friends she’s fiercely loyal to….at her own detriment. During the previous books, we learn an important secret about Talise. That secret plays a big role in River Gate. It is no longer a secret, and Talise must come to terms with her new role.

This secret along with the secret the emperor kept comes to light. The citizens’ reaction is the catalyst for this story. Talise is sent by the emperor to the Gate (the middle ring of Kamdaria, where most of the citizens live) to win back the loyalty of the people lest they side with the rebel faction. I found this element of the story fascinating. It is the first glimpse the readers have gotten of the socioeconomic status of Kamdaria. We’ve been given hints along the way of how bad it is, but this is the first time we see it through Talise’s eyes. I love this world-building as it adds so much to the story and gives weight to what the rebels are doing.

Overall I really enjoyed River Gate, finishing it in just over a day. Each installment of the series is just over a hundred pages, making for quick, action-packed reads. River Gate is no exception. While the author had introduced us to Talise’s friends Claye and Wendy in the previous installments, they play a larger role here. I loved learning more about both of them and their interactions with Talise, Claye in particular. If you enjoy dystopia and fantasy, I highly recommend you grab a copy of this one.

I need book four ASAP please!!! Crypts and Crimes by Scarlett Dawn is the third book in her Trixie Towers that follows the Fae princess by the same name and the rest of the royals as they continue their hunt for the artifacts. Y’all I couldn’t sit this one down. I read it in one sitting. It is SO good! I think this may be my favorite installment yet. Please note: I will do my best to not spoil this story for you in my review. However this is the third book of the series and there may be minor spoilers to the previous books in this review. Read at your own risk!

Trixie is my favorite Scarlett Dawn character. She is sassy, loyal, and her dgaf attitude is on point! She will fight for what is hers no matter what, and I love her for it. Trixie’s sense of right and wrong lives in the gray between area. She sees all sides of a situation, and even when it is uncomfortable, she fights for the right solution. This becomes evident with her interactions with her mate.

King Athon is a tiger shifter and not to be messed with. His possessive nature borders on abusive, but he keeps it in check for Trixie’s sake. Being in a forbidden pairing is bad for anyone in the five kingdoms, but even more so for two royals. Both need to produce an heir, but is that even possible? Athon thinks he’s found a way, but his mate isn’t going to like it.

The plot for this one follows the previous books in the series. The royals are in the Elf kingdom celebrating King Traevon’s mated-day (think wedding anniversary equivalent). While there, some interesting things come to light, driving the plot and answering some questions surrounding Athon and Trixie, though admittedly leaving more questions in their place. This time the Misfits send them to the Caster kingdom. I was intrigued to see this kingdom of witches and warlocks, as all the royals seem to fear Queen Mikko’s gift. I was not disappointed!

Overall I really enjoyed Crypts and Crimes. I could seriously read these books over and over again. Scarlett Dawn‘s humor combined with the world-building makes for an entertaining, quick read. And the steam between Athon and Trixie keeps building. I’m waiting for an explosion, and it ain’t gonna be pretty

I received a copy of this book in audio from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Heir of Iron Hearts by Bekah Harris is the second book in the series Iron Crown Faerie Tales and picks up where book one left off. I’ll be honest, I debated picking this one up. I didn’t really enjoy the first one. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t my favorite either. I was lukewarm….y’all I’m not lukewarm anymore! This book changed that feeling.

Ivy is adjusting to her new life as the heir of the Winter Court. She’s handling it about as well as could be expected for someone that just found out magic and faery exist. Heartbroken at the thought of never seeing her grandmother again and being torn from the man she loves, Ivy has a lot to adjust to. Barret is now Ivy’s guard, making this whole adjustment harder. They can’t be seen together for fear of angering the Unseelie prince, her betrothed. My heart ached for them as they navigated their new roles.

What drives this story is the multiple points of view. It adds a lot of tension in the form of dramatic irony, where we the readers know what’s going on, but the characters do not. It’s fantastic! There are so many twists and turns in the story, deceptions from nearly every character that it is hard to keep up, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. If anything, it made me enjoy it more. It’s not easy to surprise me

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

When a book starts with a police transcript, you know you are in for a treat! The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren is the first I’ve read of this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love a good romcom, and this book delivers just that. America’s sweethearts, the Tripps, aren’t all they are cracked up to be. It’s up to Carey and James to keep them in line and hope that their fighting doesn’t end up front page news. The Honey Don’t List is a fast-paced, exciting read full of humor and unexpected romance.

Carey Douglas is twenty-six at the start of this book and realizing that she needs a change. She has worked for the same people since she was sixteen and feels she has nothing to show for it. Stuck doing everything the Tripps don’t want to do and doing all the work they take credit for, Carey is at her ends meet. I like Carey. She speaks her mind, works hard at everything she does, and truly doesn’t ask for much. I empathize with her work situation. She is the unseen force behind Comb+Honey, the company owned and run by Melissa and Rusty Tripp. Despite all she does for them, most see her as Melissa’s personal assistant and nothing more.

James McCann is new to Comb+Honey. Taking a job as lead engineer two months prior, he’s yet to do what he was hired to do. Instead he plays assistant to Rusty Tripp and takes his frustration out on Carey. I like and empathize with James. He is caught between a rock and a hard place. He needs this job to help his resume, but he feels that he’s losing his skills. He’s stuck just like Carey by the Tripps.

When Carey and James catch Rusty cheating on Melissa the night before they leave for their book tour, the two wind up on babysitting duty. Both were looking forward to ten days off while the Tripps went on their book tour. Now they are stuck going with them, making sure the couple don’t fight in public and continue to be America’s sweethearts. It would look really bad if their marital woes wound up as front page news while they are trying to sell a book on marriage. Together James and Carey work to keep their jobs intact and find they have more in common than they realized.

Overall I really enjoyed The Honey-Don’t List. Clearly Christina Lauren had the Gaines in mind when they wrote the Tripps, other than the cheating and in general not liking each other that is. The Tripps are a trainwreck waiting to happen, and poor Carey and James are along for the ride. If you enjoy romcoms, I highly recommend you dive into this one. It will leave you smiling long after you finish.

Beautiful, captivating story! Fae Captive by Sarah K.L. Wilson is the second book in her series Tangled Fae and picks up right where book one left off. This action-packed story picks up speed on page one and doesn’t stop til its heart-rending ending. Y’all I need book three asap!

Allie is now caught in the cage and at Scouvrel’s mercy. Yet she never loses perspective. When she finds herself doubting, she slips on her scarf and sees the Fae’s true world. She never lets herself forget who the true enemy is. However….is Scouvrel really the enemy he wants her to think he is? As the reader, I was tortured with this question throughout the entire story. Allie is a force to be reckoned with and I love her, but Scouvrel kind of stole my heart a bit.

The world-building here is phenomenal. We got glimpses of it in [b:Fae Hunter|49337409|Fae Hunter|Sarah K.L. Wilson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576620088l/49337409._SY75_.jpg|74779091], but here Wilson takes us into the world of the Fae. It is twisted and broken. The Fae here live a lie, surrounding themselves with illusions of grandeur and beauty. When in reality, these Fae are anything but beautiful. The plot takes us on a trip through their lands as Scouvrel tries to keep Allie from her sister’s hands. Yet Allie has other ideas. She wants to free her father and go home. The question is how.

Overall I devoured Fae Captive. There is no other way to describe it. I love every word of the story so far, even the twisty bits that broke my heart. If you are a fan of faerie tales, you do not want to skip this one!

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

What an amazing read! Fae’s Defiance by M. Lynn & Melissa A. Craven is the second book in their series Queens of the Fae and picks up right where the first left off. Y’all this book does not suffer second-book syndrome. It is not a bridge to the end. It doesn’t lag in its pacing. Nope, Fae’s Defiance is a sprint to the cliffhanger I happily dove off of. And thank the good Fae that this is a rapid release, and we do NOT have to wait long for book three. Please note that if you have not read book one of this series, there may be minor spoilers to that book in this review. Read at your own risk!

“Brea Robinson is a princess.” Brea is adjusting to her new life in the Fae world, her world. This isn’t an easy task for her. It isn’t something she is excited about, especially after the betrayals from the first book. She doesn’t trust easily, and she makes the new Fae in her life work for it. Despite her internal monologue that she is ready to fall apart, Brea is strong on the outside and displays a fearless outlook on her new situation. She faces each new challenge head on, and I love her for it. She isn’t some damsel in distress, waiting on someone to save her. She’s her own hero and making her own path in this new world.

Despite that outlook, Brea is insecure. Her time in Fargelsi, the eternal Spring realm, left her shaken. She doesn’t trust those that have saved her and brought her to Eldur, the desert realm, and she doesn’t trust herself. Letting her own guard down is hard for her. Brea doesn’t trust her judgment after she placed her trust in the wrong Fae. Between this and her horrid upbringing, Brea is having a hard time believing that her true mother loves her and wants what is best for her. It also plays a pivotal role in her relationship with the two Fae that brought her to Eldur, Finn and Lochlan.

Can I just say how much I love these two Fae? Finn is light-hearted and reminds Brea of her best friend Myles. He doesn’t treat her like a princess, but another person. He sees her and understands her in a way that allows her to let her guard down easily. Lochlan, on the other hand, is unfortunately the brother of Griffin O’Shea, who broke Brea’s trust in the first book. This, along with his role in her kidnapping from the human realm, does not win him any favor with Brea. He’s broody and pushes her buttons every chance he gets. Despite that, he’s never once put her in danger. Lochlan puts Brea’s safety above his own. To say he wormed his way into my heart is an understatement. I love this broody Fae, and I absolutely LOVE that we get a few chapters in his POV this book.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, this story moves at a lightning pace. The plot is just as intricate, if not more so, than book one. We get more world-building as Brea becomes accustomed to her new life in Eldur. Y’all the imagery here had me sweating. It feels so real. I could feel the desert sun on my neck. I love that the authors transported me to Brea’s world!

Now let’s talk foreshadowing for a quick sec. I read A LOT. That’s not an understatement, I easily read 100 new books a year. Few authors pull off good foreshadowing. Most of the time you’ll see reviewers mention how predictable a book was and that they didn’t enjoy it as a result. Y’all, that’s bad foreshadowing. What we have here in Fae’s Defiance is the exact opposite. This is an example of fantastic foreshadowing. This is the kind where you are reading and you pick up little hints along the way, but those surprises still smack you in the face when you get to them. It’s not there for shock and awe, but there because it was clearly planned to be. I love this!

Overall, if you haven’t already guessed, I love Fae’s Defiance! Brea is one of those characters that you just love and root for from page one. I love her character development so far in the series and can’t wait to see where the authors take her next. I highly recommend this series for anyone that enjoys YA fantasy.

This review first appeared on Mom with a Reading Problem. To see it and other reviews, follow the link.

What a fun read! I’m a sucker for romcoms and all things sports so when Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn was chosen as our April #COYER Book Club read I knew I had to read it. This is the first book in her series Ice Knights which is a spinoff of two series Harbor City and The Hartigans. I have not read those, but plan to now that I’ve read this one. Parental Guidance is an unconventional romance featuring two opposites that have more in common than they realize.

The book opens with Caleb Stuckey, a defenseman for Harbor City’s Ice Knights, and he’s been called to the coach’s office, somewhere you don’t want to be. An unfortunate incident with some rookie players caught on camera has caused a PR nightmare for the team, and the coach places the responsibility squarely on Caleb’s shoulders. To fix it, the coach, their PR rep, and Caleb’s mom have come up with a solution. Caleb is going to join Bramble, a new dating app that gives the parents control, and do PR videos with the date his mom chooses after each of their first five dates.

Poor Caleb! I adore him. He is genuinely an all-around good guy. He worked hard for the position he has on the team, and this has thrown him. He isn’t a relationship kind of guy. The last thing Caleb wants going into preseason is dating a woman he didn’t choose. However he’ll do what is necessary for his fellow teammates. Caleb wants to fit in after enduring years of teasing while in school. He has dyslexia, which made him a target when he was young. This anxiety still follows him as an adult which made me want to reach through the pages and hug him.

Zara Ambrose is a miniatures artisan and conned into joining Bramble by her best friend and dad. She’s a workaholic who doesn’t trust easily. She has no time for men or dating, especially when growing up she couldn’t rely on her own father. With her own issues to work out and a big auction to work on, Zara has zero time for a real relationship. At first, I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t like Zara. She comes across harsh at first, but I quickly fell in love with her snark.

Zara and Caleb strike a deal during their first date and set up boundaries for their Bramble dating. Caleb needs her to help the public forget the viral video, and Zara needs her cobwebs cleared if you catch my meaning

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

What a ride! Fae’s Destruction by M. Lynn & Melissa A. Craven is the final book in their series Queens of the Fae and picks up right where the last book left off so buckle up for an emotional rollercoaster from page one. I laughed, I cried, I raged, and yes, I even swooned. Fae’s Destruction is a nonstop, action packed, emotionally charged story that will leave you breathless by the end. Please note that this is book three and there may be minor spoilers to the previous books in the series from this point on. Read at your own risk!

“Brea Robinson is a prisoner.” Brea finds herself right back where she started, a prisoner of Queen Regan in Fargelsi. This time is different. Brea knows exactly where she is, who she is with, and why she is there. This girl is not the same that we met in book one. She is fierce and will do whatever is necessary to protect the ones she loves, even if it costs her own heart in the process. My heart broke for her over and over again with each sacrifice she made. As a result of her trade for Myles and Neeve, Brea is cut off from the world outside of Fargelsi. With no news of her friends and family, Brea has nothing but hope to cling to while her aunt plans a wedding to the wrong O’Shea brother.

“Douchey” Loch is now king of Iskalt. Everything he thought he’d lost as a child is now his again. But it isn’t all he wanted. He wanted Brea with him, ruling beside him. Instead, he receives word that she is married to his brother. Lochlan breaks my heart in this book. He is understandably hurt by Brea’s decision to save her friends, but he doesn’t fault her. Instead he begins strategizing how to save her. That is until the news comes that she married Griff. Now he’s lost, heart broken and defeated. I hated seeing him like this. But I’m not the only one. Brea’s friend Myles basically adopts Loch, and I love him for it. Now I see why Brea loved Myles so much.

Griff is still not to be trusted in my book. I wasn’t sure what his long game with Brea was. Clearly she wasn’t okay with marrying him. Yet, Griff went through with it anyways and acted hurt that she wasn’t happy. What kind of guy does that?! Griff’s charm and looks have worn off from the first book. I really wanted to like him, but the authors gave me someone to dislike, even if it tore a piece of my heart to do so.

The plot does not lag in this book. While book one set up the world and book two was nonstop action, Fae’s Destruction rules on emotions. Don’t get me wrong, there’s quite a bit of action, but the emotional rollercoaster takes center stage. I love the alternating point of view between Lochlan and Brea. This gives us a clear picture of what is happening in Fargelsi and the rest of the Fae realms which also reflects Brea’s internal struggle with her magic.

Overall I couldn’t sit Fae’s Destruction down! I loved every word and did not want it to end. I’m hoping and crossing all my fingers for a spin-of series (Pretty please

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

That was….underwhelming. Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim is the first book in her series of the same name. It is touted as a gender-bent retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. That alone is why I wanted to read it, but it fell short on so many levels.

The story opens on a debtor’s ship where Silverfish, formerly known as Amaya, spends her days hunting for pearls, waiting til she has enough to buy her way to freedom. When one day, so close to freedom, she helps save a man that is drifting and drowning in the sea, Silverfish finds herself running for her life. Boon, the man she saved, offers her a deal. Let him train her, and she can return to Moray, her home, with his wealth. There’s one catch though: she must help him bring down the man he feels responsible for his own situation, Kamon Mercado.

Amaya is a contradiction of a character. She is ruthless in her pursuit for revenge, not caring who she brings down in the process. Yet she cares about the other kids left on the debtor’s ship. So much so that she bargains with Boon to buy the ship and set them free. They are now under her care where they will stay until her job is finished. Amaya is easy to like. While she operates in a gray area of the law (and morality), she is focused and determined, loyal and caring in her own ways. I immediately rooted for her.

Then there’s Cato, the infamous son of Kamon Mercado, who Amaya is tasked with befriending. I’m not really sure how I feel about him. He used to spend his nights in the Vice Sector of the city gambling, drinking, and having relations (to put it nicely) with anything with two legs. He drug the family name through the mud, and now that they are broke, he is trying his best to live up to his father’s expectations and help rebuild the family name. Cato is hard to like. He wears a mantle of shame around and has very little self-esteem. I felt bad for him, but a lot of what happens to him in this book (and his past) falls squarely on his shoulders. His own actions bring about a lot of the trouble he faces. I really wanted to reach through the book, smack him and tell him to take responsibility for his actions.

While I like the characters and premise of the story, it fell apart for me in its execution. The first portion of the story is action-packed, then when Amaya returns to Moray, the plot and action stop. The back and forth POV between Amaya and Cato is distracting and does not flow well within the plot. While eventually these two separate storylines, converge, until they do, Cato’s story seems to serve one purpose: make the reader empathetic to him. It failed with me, and instead I found myself skimming his chapters to get back to the main story.

Overall, Scavenge the Stars was an okay read for me. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. I would have enjoyed the story more without Cato’s POV. I liked Amaya and her self-made mission. While her morality lived in the gray in-between area, she is laser-focused on her own goals and what she wants from the rest of her life. If you enjoy dystopian fantasy, I believe you may enjoy this one.

This review first appeared on Mom with a Reading Problem. To see it and other reviews, follow the link.

Influence by David R. Bernstein is the first book in his YA dystopian series of the same name. I have wanted to read this book for a long time. It’s one of those that is constantly recommended to me so I went in with high expectations. However they were not met. This is more of a reflection of me as the reader than the book. I’ve read too many dystopians, and unfortunately they are all starting to run together.

Influence follows Kaylin, a young teen nomad who stays away from big factions/colonies in an effort to hide her Influencer ability. Not much is revealed about these abilities. Why do some have them and others don’t? What happened to the country that we know live isolated and in factions? What is the threat and why do the characters live in fear and revolt? I’m hoping these answers are revealed as the series progresses. As it is right now, we have a bunch of teens with supernatural abilities, ranging from influencing a person’s actions to telepathy, leading a revolution against the largest faction.

I like Kaylin. She’s a typical teen, despite her influencer ability. This ability makes her a target for all the factions. She is hunted, and as a result never stays in one place to long. When her and her best friend encounter a bounty hunter of sorts on the road, her friend is trapped in the faction walls and the hunter helps Kaylin escape. He knows that this is the girl they’ve all been looking for and exactly what their rebellion needs. Farren is one of those characters that I wanted to like. He’s there for us to (he’s the love interest!), but he fell flat for me. As a result, the relationship the author portrays between Farren and Kaylin feels forced and unnatural.

Overall, Influence was an okay read for me. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I was somewhere in the middle which made writing this review hard! I plan to read more of the series. I love dystopians, and I’m hopeful that the world-building will be present in the books to come as this one focused more on the character development of Kaylin. While not what I expected, this YA dystopian still held enough interest for me to keep reading.

Now I listened to the audiobook version of this story. The narrator is fantastic. Her infections and tone kept my attention making Influence a quick listen. In fact, I’ll be looking for more audios narrated by her.

This review first appeared on Mom with a Reading Problem. To see it and other reviews, follow the link.