sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.55k)

April and Oliver have an, interesting to say the least, relationship. They are possibly step cousins but I was a little confused on it.

April's brother Buddy dies (one thing that REALLY bugged me is not telling their Grandmother that Buddy died... They just made her think he was gone somewhere else during all the family times together) and that brings Oliver back into her orbit, him with a fiancee in tow. There has always been some kind of strong magnetism with these two MCs. Their world are about to get very tangled again and it's not always a great situation to be in.

April is assaulted at a young age and she keeps trying to be with the wrong type of man for her since then. I wish she felt more comfortable in her skin than she seemed to. 

This was good for what it was but I feel I might have had a better grasp if I read the duology this is stemmed from. 

I love the idea of the shapeshifter, Felicity, becoming the Princess Jasalyn so that Jas can get away from court to find the revenge she needs for the torture she had at the hands of this dead but maybe trying to come back to life Mordeous. 

I'm not really into fae books but it was fine. I can see why this is a YA read.

This book was a whirlwind adventure in Ireland and I read it easily in a few hours.

Carla is in Ireland for her best friend's wedding (Anna and Keane from Float Plan, book 1 of the series) and she immediately kisses Eamon (Keane's brother) in a pub when he picks her up to drive her to the wedding.

They have an immediate connection and decide to take some off-road adventures on the way there. It starts at a fling until feelings become involved. I loved their side journeys, especially the run in with the bull, and loved them just having so much fun.

There are also some sad parts as Carla's dad has dementia so she eventually goes home after so much of traveling the world to spend (what turns out) to be his last days. I cried, I admit. 

I also love the end where Carla and Eamon travel the world together.

This is a light romance and heavy female friendship story. Ava, Chelsea and Madison meet in college and become a very tight-knit group of friends.

Ava is kind of toxic though. She came across as a spoiled rich girl that had to count on her friends to feel her worth.  Madison had crappy parents who didn't even want her and she basically raised herself so she really clung to these girls and flourished under their attention.... But this also leads to a breakdown in the group.  I actually liked Chelsea, she was the most grounded and down to earth one of them. I related to her motherhood challenges.

I did enjoy the setting of Italy and the descriptions of the beauty. I could have done away with half of the fashion talk as I tended to skim those parts. 

I absolutely abhorred Liam's rich family but couldn't look away from their train wreck either! Poor Anna, being thrust into that because Liam made a mistake and never filled from their sham marriage. 
I thought though that she held up pretty well under the circumstances placed on her at his sister's island wedding. 

I loved Anna's reason for being the money that Liam would be offering... To take care of her dad in his medical needs after he was always there for her as the single parent.  

I loved the descriptions of the island. I had a blast when these two finally gave into a physical relationship... They got pretty wild/hot and heavy super quick.

I laughed at what happens to Liam's horrid dad at the end.... The comeuppance is pretty sweet for people who behave how he did!

I enjoyed Lydia and Callum's Costa Rican love affair and it was the perfect summer read. 

While traveling to her sister's destination wedding (yay to have Elle and Quinn back!) Liddy loses the antique wedding dress and gets caught in a fake relationship with her boss, Callum, who she's been secretly crushing on. 

These two have some of the craziest/funniest situations happen to them. While chasing the wedding dress down, they grow a bit closer and soon the relationship turns physical.

I like that the disability rep is talked about with Liddy's history of scoliosis. I love that Callum finally finds it in himself to listen to his mom and why she left. I loved that they could get to a place to repair their relationship. 

The few scenes with Granny are so funny and I want her in my life! This is a great, tropical atmosphere of reading

There were things to like about this book but also it was kind of confusing. I wish this world was better fleshed out especially with the rules the monarchy has to follow, why only monarchs have magic, and why a 10 year old Princess was exhiled just because it was thought she had a hand in the deaths. 

On one hand, I'm glad we didn't have to get a lot of info with her parents. In the flashbacks, they are vile and cruel. 

I'm so glad she had Sebastian at her side. I did like eating them fall in love but it hurt that doing so made THEM hurt (literally).

you find out at the end that there is a conspiracy at the beginning to "out" magic.... But it left me a bit more confused.

So I might like to read a second book if that's the plan of the author and hope that it gives more answers. 

I quite enjoyed this historical fiction romance. I have never read anything in the 1300s and honestly have avoided them because I thought they might be too dull, but this was worth the read.

After an arranged betrothal/marriage for new Župan Konstantine to Suzane, there are multiple attempts on their lives. 

Suzane is untrusting of men because of her father's abuse and a past rape so it takes her a long time to reconcile that her new husband is not like any man she's known. 

They are constantly under threat, even when it seems they finally might have found peace. I'm happy that the side characters took their protection of Suzane seriously.

There are quite a few scenes with fighting among a few men to battles where some great detail is laid out to the reader, but you have to think of the timeframe and why this might be necessary to divulge to the reader.   

Wow, I have never wished more that I played a violin (because my husband plays the cello). Those scenes are 🔥

I hate that Alex/Xander was manipulated by people who he put his trust in to forge his music career. He was so talented. I did kind of understand why he wanted to get away from his name because of his stepfather Nathan but hate how it hurt his mother (who I also felt was manipulated by Nathan).

Gwen is a musical genius! I wish she had stood up to the Pops earlier when it was obvious they were trying to use her promotion to the first chair for publicity purposes. I love the friends she had in her corner, especially her roommate Jacob. 

This was swoony, spicy and just so loveable

It's the end 😭 and I'll never be the same! 
I simultaneously love and hate this book! 

Boy, our people are GOING THROUGH IT in this conclusion. Keris and The Nightbringer are utterly destroying this world. They have built their own huge armies and Laia and The Blood Shrike are trying their best to stop it but they are both haunted by unimaginable does from every side. 

If you read this, don't get attached to characters..... They might not make it. 

I wanted to throw Elias/Soul Catcher through a wall 🤣. So hot and cold with Laia...I know he has a big job to do and it's not going well but come on! 

The ending battle and life after is both heartbreaking and bittersweet. I was holding my jaw closed because I kept getting shocked. Wonderful series!