Oh my heart hurts and my brain….it hurts too! From Blood and Ash is the first book in a new series from Jennifer L. Armentrout, and she surprised us all with this release. I don’t know how she kept it a secret y’all, but she did, and it was the best surprise ever! From Blood and Ash is a captivating story about one girl and her duty to the kingdom.

Poppy is the maiden, chosen by the gods, but no one really knows what that means for her. Veiled at all times, no one except her guardians and personal guard has seen Poppy’s face. She’s held as a symbol of hope by the Ascended (more on them in a minute). Yet Poppy feels smothered. Regular, everyday routines are given to her as a privilege. It’s her “sacrifice.” As the day of her own Ascension draws near, Poppy becomes restless. She doesn’t fit this maiden role. She rebels in the only way she knows how. She learns to fight from her guard Vikter who is like a father to her, she sneaks books from the library that she isn’t supposed to read, she befriends her maid, and she sneaks off to the Red Pearl, a place of ill-repute. It’s here where the story begins and I found myself completely engrossed in Poppy’s plight.

And then enters Hawke. Hawke is a soldier in the Royal army, a new transfer from the capital. After a chance encounter with Poppy at the Red Pearl, tragedy strikes and Hawke finds himself as Poppy’s new guard. He is highly trained, and he sees through Poppy’s defenses better than her closest friends. He is an enigma, one she wants to figure out (and that of course endears him to me). Chaos seems to follow in his wake, or maybe it’s following Poppy. Regardless, Hawke brings levity to a dark tale.

Unlike Armentrout‘s other books, this is a fantasy and a little bit of a slower read than you might be used to from her. There is a lot of world-building to do, and I love how she interweaves it into the main plot without just info-dumping on us. By a quarter of the way into the book, you know everything you need to know. Anything else that may come up as the story progresses is explained then and in greater detail.

Perhaps my favorite part of this story is the world-building. The Ascended are intriguing. They only come out at night, their eyes are solid black, they’re fast and inexplicably strong. They are also worshipped by their people. Everything in this society revolves around them and the Ascension which takes place once a year for the nobility as they reach a certain age. No one really knows what happens during the ceremony, only that if they are found worthy, the gods will bless them as Ascended. What happens to the unworthy?

Overall From Blood and Ash is taking the spot as my favorite read this year (so far). I love Poppy and Hawke, I love the world-building, I even love the plot twists that break me. Y’all this book is everything I could ask for in an epic fantasy. Armentrout delivers a steamy romance with a plot full of deception and mystery. If you enjoy fantasy, I highly recommend you grab a copy and start ASAP!

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

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

Revenge isn’t always sweet. In fact, it usually leads you down some dark roads and blows up in your face. The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy picks up just a week after Con and Lia’s hasty wedding. Exploring their new relationship, the threat of the Emperor, and to what lengths either will go to protect Calanthe, Kennedy delivers a fast-paced, thrilling fantasy with a romance to last the ages.

Queen Euthalia, Lia for short, is at a crossroads. She always knew that her kingdom depends on her living, but at the same time, she’s always planned for the inevitable…her death at the emperor’s hands. Lia has never shied away from this. In fact, while being the Virgin Queen, she’s played up the role as she secretly planned a way to kill her betrothed. Then Con shows up and ruins her plans. Yet her prophetic dreams haven’t changed. The wolf will tear her limb from limb before delivering her to the emperor. So she still plans and waits out the inevitable.

Con is a mystery to Lia, and without his POV chapters, would be to the reader as well. But my goodness do I love him! His new marriage to Lia is changing things about him, things he didn’t expect. He is allowing himself to remember his time before the mines, the goodtimes, and despite the fact that their marriage was unconventional, Con wants to emulate his parents. He wants whatever they share to develop into a loving marriage. For him, this is a one-time deal, something he will remain faithful too. The only obstacle is his need for revenge and Lia’s unwillingness to put Calanthe in harm’s way.

I love the character development in this book. The first book focused more on world-building, and while we still get the lush fantasy and expanding of the empire, this one focuses more on Con and Lia. Con struggles with reconciling his past with his present. He’s done everything in his power to forget who he is and what he stands for in his need for revenge. Lia puts herself behind her people. She will do what is necessary to protect them, no matter the cost. And the cost is high.

Overall I loved The Fiery Crown. The development of the characters and the new information we receive about the empire left my mind reeling. I love Lia and Con and how their relationship evolves from one of necessity to one of want. The lust was there last book, but in this one love develops and it is oh-so-sweet. If you enjoy high fantasy, adventure, and romance, you are in for a treat!

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

I don’t even know where to begin! My heart hurts, my head hurts – pretty sure it exploded around chapter 40 – and I’ve cried til I can’t cry anymore. My emotions are all over the place as I write this. I’ve waited about two hours since finishing the book to see if I can come up with the words to describe just how awesome it is. Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L Armentrout is the second book in her spin-off series The Harbinger and picks up the day after the events of the first. So if you haven’t read Storm and Fury consider this your spoiler warning. Read at your own risk

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 could not sit Aurora Rising down! This is the first book by the writing duo Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff that I’ve read, and it will not be the last. I cannot stress enough how fantastic this book is. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, and then I laughed some more. The diverse characters, the out of this world setting, and the cryptic plot have set the tone for the entire series.

Squad 312
Aurora Rising alternates points of view among the seven main characters: Tyler, Scarlett, Cat, Finnian, Zila, Kal, and Auri. Tyler is the goldenboy and leader of his squad. He’s also the most intense of the characters. Tyler is concerned with leading his team to the best of his and their abilities. He pushes them to the limits, but also knows where those limits are. Scarlett is Tyler’s twin sister and the “Face” of the squad. This designation means that she is like a diplomat/liaison for the group, and she is perfect for the job. Scar has a way about her that puts the other members at ease. Cat is the pilot. She is a no nonsense girl and I love her for it. You never have to wonder what she is thinking. Fin is one of two aliens in the squad. He’s the engineer and comic relief. He has a self-deprecating humor that endears him to the reader. Zila is the “Brain,” meaning she is the smartest person on the ship. However what she has in smarts, she lacks in people skills….which is a lot. Kal is the other alien of the group and the “Tank,” or the guy that goes in to battle for his crew. He’s also the least trusted, and my favorite of the crew. He’s stoic but when you get his POV the first time, you’ll fall for him, trust me 😉

Then there is Auri, or Aurora O’Malley, a girl out of time. Tyler saves her at the beginning of the book. She’s been floating in space for over two hundred years, the only surviving member of her crew. I ached for Auri. She’s grieving the life she lost and people that have been dead centuries, but to her were alive when she went to sleep. It’s heartbreaking, but she faces it headon. I admired her courage throughout the book.

The Trigger
When Auri’s life is entrusted to squad 312 (without their knowledge by the way), the plot thickens. Auri’s life in the past has been erased, but why? And why does the Terran government want her? None of it makes sense to Tyler, but he will follow orders and protect her. Auri is seeing things, things that haven’t happened yet, it is all Tyler has to go on and that is what takes them across the galaxy.

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff built an amazing world / galaxy in Aurora Rising. The different alien societies that Fin and Kal are a part of are fully established and immersed into the story so that as Auri learns about them the reader will as well. It isn’t info-dumping at all! I naturally accepted them without question as I read. In addition to Fin and Kal, the crew travel to multiple areas of the galaxy encountering different settings and societies in each. Reading, I was engrossed in the story, and it flowed from one section to the next without any holes.

I loved every moment and plot twist! I particularly loved reading the multiple points of view. Sometimes when you have that many characters, it can feel like head hopping and the characters blend together. That is not the case here. Each character is fully fleshed out, and their personality radiates through their chapters. I never forgot who’s head I was in, not once, throughout the entire book.

My Final Thoughts
Overall I loved Aurora Rising from start to finish. I loved it so much that I read the entire 480 pages in less than 48 hours. It is everything I love about science fiction in one pretty package (have y’all seen that cover 😍) The year wait for book two is going to be SO long but absolutely worth it! Perfect for sci-fi fans young and old, Aurora Rising is everything I love about Star Trek with the dry humor and hijinks of Firefly.

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.

I am an Austen girl through and through. I love the originals, and I love reading new adaptations as every author puts a different and unique spin on the classic tales. This one is no different. When I first came across Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe, I was so excited. A Christmas-themed, gender-swapped Pride and Prejudice? Yes please! Melissa de la Cruz delivers a smart, fun, holiday romance in her twist of the classic.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any beautiful, brillant, single woman who is rich as hell will be in want of a husband.

Darcy Fitwilliam is a highly successful, 29 year old who left home as soon as she could to escape the pressure her family put on her. Darcy has never quite measured up to what her father’s ideals. As a result, she’s made her own way. She’s held onto her on-again, off-again boyfriend for far too long with no intent of ever marrying him. When her mother has a heart attack, Darcy drops everything to return home and care for her. This brings her home just in time for the holidays, and her mother may have ulterior motives for keeping her there.

Enter Luke Bennet. Luke is slightly older than Darcy, never left home, and is a successful carpenter in their small town. Having made her life hell during high school, Darcy wants nothing to do with him. But after one too many eggnogs, sparks ignite. Now the two can’t seem to stop running into one another in town. While their families may have other plans for them, Luke and Darcy slowly seem to be falling for one another.

I’ll be honest. Starting out, I really didn’t like Darcy. Just like Mr. Darcy, she comes off as arrogant and prideful, prejudice against those that she doesn’t really know. However I love how the author shows us her character’s progression. As the walls that Darcy has built around herself crumble, I fell in love with her. She has stayed away so long, but finds that the longer she’s home the less likely she is to leave. And Luke….it took awhile for him to grow on me. He was just as judgy of Darcy as everyone else, and I felt like he used her more than once. I had a hard time getting behind their relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe. While not a straight-up retelling of the classic, the story is clearly inspired by the original. I love the small details and the hometown setting. I even enjoyed the opposite-attracts trope. If you are looking for a sweet, slightly steamy, holiday romance, I highly recommend it.

Homecoming for Christmas by Ciara Knight is a sweet, second chance romance about coming home again. I love small town romances, and this is the first in a series about a group of friends in the small town of Christmas Falls. Each novella has a different author, tells a complete story, and are all tied together by this town. Ciara Knight creates a magical story about hope, friendship, and love in her novella.

Ashley Brooks left Christmas Falls eight years ago and claims to have never looked back. However a letter from her old mentor brings her home. She hopes that she can get in and out without being seen, but alas that never happens in a small town. With her mentor’s request to save the community center that holds so many of Ashley’s good memories, she finds that she will be staying in her hometown through the holidays and that means fixing the relationships she left behind.

I like Ash. She’s unpredictable, spunky and fun, the life of the party. Being home only a day, Ash realizes just what a mess she left. Her friends no longer trust her to stay and her family isn’t much better. Then there’s Brent, the boy she loved who couldn’t love her back. Brent seems determined to prove to her that everything she needs is in Christmas Falls, including him. Brent let her go once, he has no intention of letting her leave again.

Overall, I enjoyed Homecoming for Christmas. It’s a quick read, I read it in one sitting. Ash and Brent are easy to root for, and the story unfolds naturally. I love the addition of saving the community center and her dying town. It adds a little Christmas magic to the story. If you enjoy sweet, second chance romances, I highly recommend this one.