The Ever Queen By. L.J. Andrews | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas, #2)

Author: L.J. Andrews

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 452

Publication Date: 1/26/24

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Pirates, Fae, Elves

The Songbird:
Captive. Challenger. Queen.

Enemies took her from the man who holds her heart. They might see her as weak, as a pawn in wicked games, but they’re no match for the first Ever Queen.

Let them think they’ve won. Her heart belongs to a beautiful monster, and she will never stop fighting until she’s back in his arms.

The Serpent:
Captor. Villain. King.

His enemies stole the woman who claimed his soul. They betrayed him out of greed and desire for the crown, but they won’t die for that betrayal. No.

They’ll die for touching her.

His heart belongs to a stunning little bird. He will never stop searching for her light across the skies. Not until the blood of his enemies spills at her feet, and his queen wears their bones around her neck.

Welcome back to the world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates collide with Vikings in passionate romance, brutal battles, and an unforgettable dark fantasy world. This book concludes the love story between Erik and Livia, but new, standalone romances with other favorite characters will continue to build the world. Readers are encouraged to check the TW inside the book for their reading comfort.

Content Warning: death, torture, violence, kidnapping, sexual assault

I started book two of the Ever Seas series since book one ended in a cliffhanger. But it picks up right away from book one and this time Erik has beg help from Livia’s family if he wants to find her fast. I enjoyed getting more backstory about Erik’s past with the Earth fae and seeing how they would mend their rift to save Livia. I thought it was fun to see both sides finally put aside their differences and get along.

Interestingly enough, Livia’s capture has opened the story up to include elves! She is trapped on an elvish island but the woman she meets, Skadi, is very mysterious and kind of vague which was a little frustrating at times. We do learn more about her and the elves near the end of the book.

Like book one, there is a lot of action – these pirates have to travel the seas to find Livia and Erik is as violent as ever to the people who are his enemies. But he is going to find Livia even if it kills him. Since this is called The Ever Queen, Livia does get a moment to shine, she is separated by Erik who is her constant protector and she goes through some scary situations alone. But she digs deep and uses her power to help herself get free.

There is more steamy scenes between Livia and Erik, lots of love expressed between them which is always so fun and sweet but also repetition with them always saying how they will follow each other through the skies and seas. A few times is okay but all the time can get kind of too much but it definitely fits the romantasy genre and I’d rather have that than them calling one another “mate” all the time.

I love all the secondary characters, all the family themes which I feel adds a heartwarming aspect to this whole series. Livia has such a great support system and I love that they have welcomed Erik into their fold even with their past.

My Final Thoughts:

I think it took a little longer for me to read this one but it is a tad bit longer than book one. I also had to take a break from binging because some things became a little repetitive. But I did love Livia and Erik and all the family themes. I’ve already started on book three which is Jonas’ story and will post a review when I am done with it.

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The Ever King by. L.J. Andrews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Ever King By. L.J. Andrews | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)

Author: L.J. Andrews

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 408

Publication Date: 9/16/23

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Pirates, Fae

They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter…

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

*Please note: This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside*

Content Warning: death, torture, violence, kidnapping

I tried to read a book by this author I think maybe sometime last year but I never finished the book and I can’t remember why. I think I just wasn’t feeling the writing. But I’ve been seeing The Ever King all over BookTok and I always see it when I’m scrolling through Kindle Unlimited books so I decided to give it a try.

I don’t know what it was about the writing this time but it worked! I was addicted right away because of the Ever King, Erik Bloodsinger, who is a villainous rascal, and out for vengeance against the Earth Fae King who killed his father. He is ruthless but inside his black heart was something only Livia could see. Speaking of Livia she is the daughter of his enemy and the sunshine of everyone’s life. She was raised in a loving home with loyal friends and just the opposite upbringing from the violence Erik endured. So their love story is one I really, really rooted for because I loved their banter! Livia might have been soft, but I like that when she knew she wanted him, she wasn’t afraid to tell him! The two of them had so much chemistry, I love that they both maybe hated one another but they were so drawn to one another they are inevitable.

This one is a series and I’m already addicted to it and the characters! I can’t wait to see more of Livia’s friends as the series unfolds because I got attached to them in the beginning of the story but the moment she gets kidnapped, we don’t see them at all. Another thing, there are a list of content warnings in the beginning of the story and the way Erik kills some of his enemies are so brutal. But I think that captured the “pirate” character so perfectly! He was rough, tough, ready to defend his people and cull anyone who stopped him.

My Final Thoughts:

I can’t wait to read the next two books that are out! I’m hoping each of her close friends gets a story because I’d love to see a story for Celine, Mira, Jonas, and even Aleksi. I’d also like one for Tait even though he’s a mystery. I think this book had everything I wanted in a romantasy – there is adventure, revenge, romance, family, friends, politics, and we’ll see what happens next.

Quotes From This Book:

“I didn’t want a match because that was expected. I wanted passion, the burn that if my love didn’t touch me soon, I’d burst. I wanted heat, and mess, and obsession.”
The Ever King by. L.J. Andrew

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The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Unmaking of June Farrow

Author: Adrienne Young

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 10/17/23

Categories: Adult, Time Travel, Magical Realism, Mystery, Romance

A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant novel of romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.

Content Warning: death, murder, violence

This story was mind-boggling and honestly I don’t know if I followed the timelines presented to me in it. I need a white-board filled with explanations for this one but not in a bad way! Time travel stories always leave me a bit lost.

The Farrow women have an illness that has to do with the mind, or they also call it a curse. But what these Farrow women know is that they can time travel and it’s explained pretty well in the story but like I said, I’m a visual person so at times I just went with it even though I didn’t quite follow the time jumping.

All I know is the writing is immersive, I was so invested in June’s story. And when she jumps back to a time where she has to basically figure out her bearings and face the consequences of a past decision, it pulled my heart strings. I only wanted the best for June and her family. I’m just glad it worked out in the end. This story is filled with mystery and so much emotion packed into a very quick read. There are also very tense moments when June starts piecing together everything that happened in one fatal night that changed all their lives forever. But overall what a unique story!

My Final Thoughts:

I love this author’s books and so far only read fantasy from her. This one was different but I enjoyed the mystery and putting all the pieces together. I may not have followed how all the time jump works but what made me love this book was the emotions it made me feel. I’m glad I finally read this one!

Quotes From This Book:

“You may have ruined my life, June. But first, you gave me one.”
The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young

“I’d never felt fear like that. Not ever. And I didn’t think there was any way to ever come back from that explosion of light that had birthed a universe inside of me when she said that word. Mama.”
The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young

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Other Books From This Author:

The Last Legacy by. Adrienne Young | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Namesake | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Fable | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC Review | The Girl the Sea Gave Back ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sky in the Deep by. Adrienne Young ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dungeons and Drama by. Kristy Boyce | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Dungeons and Drama

Author: Kristy Boyce

Format: paperback (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 1/9/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she’s grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can’t waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan’s Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she would’ve thought…

Content Warning:

Riley is a theater kid who loves musicals and for punishment she is forced to work at her dad’s game shop. A boy from her high school who she’s never talked to named, Nathan also works at the store and she goes from a girl singing musicals to learning how to play Dungeons and Dragons with him and his friends. Riley working at the shop is not quite the punishment after awhile as she forges a growing bond with her dad and make a lot of new friends.

This is a fun young adult story, perfect for teen readers. I adored Riley and her best friend, Hoshiko and also Riley’s relationship with her mother. I enjoyed seeing her open her world and learn more about her dad’s love for gaming! I have minimal knowledge of D&D but I know enough from my husband and son about the game and it was cool to see how Riley learns and joins the game.

The fake dating was super cute!

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one! I feel like the book cover captures this book so correctly. It’s sweet, funny and heart-warming. It’s filled with theater kids and gaming kids and when the two worlds combine it’s so much fun!

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This Summer Will Be Different by. Carley Fortune | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Summer Will Be Different

Author: Carley Fortune

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 361

Publication Date: 5/7/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Chick-Lit

This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

Content Warning: death of a loved one

I’ve been meaning to read a book from this author and now that I finally did I can knock that off my list.

This is a romance between Lucy and her best friend’s brother, Felix. It has flashbacks through the years from the moment they met to where they are now in the present and how it was always a secret, casual thing between them but the sparks are undeniable. Life happens between the times they are together, they date different people, Lucy gets close to their family and she loses someone she loves very much. Through it all are memories of the times they are together where everything feels right between them but what does that mean for a future between them?

I liked the setting of Prince Edward Island and Toronto since I don’t read much books about those places. It did give lots of summery vibes especially when it flash-backed to times spent on PEI.

I thought this one was okay. Maybe I went in with high expectations but I felt like everything was so predictable and I didn’t love the ending where they decide to be together and then few days later they go back to taking it slow? No, I wanted it to be happy ever after by then but nope, had to have the dose of reality at the end where they have to find themselves first. I also didn’t feel connected to the characters. I felt like I was just coasting through the story. And I was also getting frustrated with Bridget’s (her best friend) secret taking so long to be revealed.

My Final Thoughts:

I think I wanted more depth to this story. It was just okay for me but I think I will try her most popular book to see if she’s an author I’ll continue to read because I did like some elements of the story. Maybe I just went in with high expectations.

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Happily Never After by. Lynn Painter| Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Happily Never After

Author: Lynn Painter

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 313

Publication Date: 3/12/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary

Their name? The objectors.
Their job? To break off weddings as hired.
Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.

When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple (usually) wants to hear at their ceremony: “I object!”

During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to her: he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.

The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. She looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a little hookup session or two—but it’s totally fine, because they definitely do not have feelings for each other. Love doesn’t exist, after all.

And then everything changes. A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object, but his fiancée is the woman who broke Max’s heart. As Max wrestles with whether he can be a party to his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.

Content Warning: profanity

This one was cute! Max takes on side gigs at an “objector” at weddings which is something I’ve never heard of before but it’s pretty clever if people actually pay someone to do something like that. He objects at Sophie’s wedding and then they become friends. They have great banter and growing chemistry but I really love how they just start off as friends.

Both Max and Sophie have issues about love but I think it’s fun watching them get to the point where they both realize falling for each other might not be a bad thing after all. Especially with all the amazing sex they have together!

I thought Sophie’s roommates were the cutest! Larry really had quite a personality. I did think it was interesting that Asha was her best friend but was barely in the book at all. Larry was more of a best friend to her it seems, which was fine since he was my favorite character probably!

I did think the reason for the fake dating or fake situationship was kind of weak I mean – Max’s dad wanted him to keep Sophie in his life so that he could buy a boat? (He needed the approval from his wife who would be happy that their son Max is dating kinda thing). Also, the third-act break-up was not it. I don’t know that they had to fight over something to do with his ex when she is barely mentioned. It wasn’t the biggest conflict since they were “just friends with benefits”, but the fact that Max had to really evaluate how he felt about his ex kind of bugged me. And there were some things with the writing that made me cringe, like his nickname being Maxxie 😅. Also they use a lot of profanity if you’re not into that.

My Final Thoughts:

I thought this one had a fun premise and two characters that really got into the “objector” role. It never gets deep I think which works for Sophie and Max since they weren’t looking to fall in love but with all the time they spent together getting to know one another it seems inevitable, they just have to stop fighting it. The banter between them was fun and easy. I had my issues here and there but it’s a super quick read and Sophie’s roommates were such fun characters! Overall, it was good – I can see this as a rom-com movie.

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Betting on You by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Wager by. Lynn Painter | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Better Than the Movies | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Dixon Rule by. Elle Kennedy| Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2)

Author: Elle Kennedy

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 526

Publication Date: 5/14/24

Categories: Romance, Series, Sports Romance, New Adult, Hockey

Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.

Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.

What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?

Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.

And it might just be getting a little too real.

Content Warning: stalking, physical abuse, death of a parent, grief

This is book two in the Campus Diaries series and I think I like this one more than the first one minus the kinky sex scene which works for some people but for me was an ick.

I like Diana Dixon a lot and I liked her when she was in the first book also. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, she’s independent, hard working, sassy with the guys and a good friend. As for Shane, he’s one of the hockey guys but I like how he’s a girlfriend kinda guy. He’s been trying to get over his ex and has a bad reputation for hooking up with the cheer team, which Diana’s is on. He misses being in a relationship which is opposite of his friends who are so big into hooking up constantly.

The two of them together with their different personalities really appealed to me. There was fun banter between them and lots of chemistry. I thought their interactions with one another at their apartment complex was so funny especially with the HOA meetings and their little community! As for the spice – there is some kink in this book and I’m not judging but that was a scene I could have done without. They are definitely a friend group that is not shy with each other but it’s a no for me! I wanted to close my eyes lol…and I don’t usually feel like that when reading a book.

The conflict comes with both their exes. Diana is dealing with Percy who is becoming a stalker. Her story takes a darker turn with Percy being physical and I didn’t expect that at all. Whereas Shane deals with his ex coming back into his life and wondering how he feels about her. There’s a dark turn to his story also when it comes to his family, which was also unexpected.

I like the Campus Diaries stories so far but I feel like there is a common theme with them. Despite their cartoonish book cover designs that make you think it will be a spicy new adult romance – they actually have some heavy themes and usually it’s thrown in at the end of the book. I don’t know if I like that format, because I feel like things get rushed at the end. Also, the two books I’ve read are 500+ pages long and I don’t think it needs to be. But at least this one was a quicker read because I love Diana and Shane and there was less hockey in this one compared to the first book.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked this one better than The Graham Effect except for that one scene that I wish I could have closed my eyes on lol. For the readers who like kinky sex, you’ll love this one. I usually like angst between two people but Diana and Shane didn’t need it. I love how they are enemies or maybe more frenenemies turned into lovers. Their romance progression was fun and they were both funny together. Like I really believe they are the most solid couple after everything they went through together and know they’ll be together forever. I just wish the books weren’t so long and things get thrown in at the end making some things feel rushed. I’m afraid to read Beckett or Will’s book because it’s definitely going to be kinkier and I can’t with the friends watching one another having sex.😅 So we will see if I read the next book in the series, depends who it will be about!

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Book Links:

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The Graham Effect by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Misfit by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bad Girl Reputation by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️

Good Girl Complex by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When the Moon Hatched by. Sarah A. Parker | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)

Author: Sarah A. Parker

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 718

Publication Date: 1/13/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Dragons, Fae

The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.

Content Warning:

I saw this book all over booktok and wanted to try it but honestly the first few times I tried to start it, I wasn’t feeling it and put it aside. It was actually going to stay as a DNF but five months later, I decided to pick it up because I needed a long book to kill time and I finally pushed through 700+ pages to finish it and I have a few thoughts. At least once I got into a rhythm it read, fairly quick for 700+ pages.

Raeve has a past that she’s buried deep inside her because it’s so traumatic. She’s a cold assassin who is trying her best to survive but in her past she’s lost a lot of people she loved, including a dragon. Her lost is really heartbreaking when the story pieces everything together. Did I get frustrated when she pushed away the truth? Yes, I did but Raeve is going to come to terms and heal on her own time.

Kaan is a king who is trying to rebel against his ruthless brothers. He’s the good guy. I did like the banter between them because Kaan is an alpha male minus the a-hole tendencies which is nice. The two of them have chemistry but without revealing too much, there is much to unravel between them. There are some steamy scenes between them, but not a lot. They have some things to work out between them.

Story wise it’s pretty much Raeve trying to take down a ruthless regime who is oppressing the people. She finds out Kaan has the same goal also but she has some major personal issues to work out. The magic system and calling on different gods is interesting. I really loved the story about Raeve’s past, the people she lost and the dragons, that part did get me emotionally.

But I had a few issues with this book. First off, because the beginning is the story of creation about this world, I was already not connecting to the story because the info dumping, so did I skim it? I did. So for awhile I didn’t understand why the dragons became moons and then the moons would fall. Also – I don’t like the alternative spelling of words like Ma being Mah and Pa being Pah. Or day being Dae. There is a lot of world-building and it took me awhile to immerse myself in this world and learn about it.

My Final Thoughts:

I’m actually surprised I finished this book. I think there was an even amount of things that I liked and didn’t like. I did think it was too long and there is a lot of world building to get through. The way it starts didn’t catch my attention right away and it was almost a DNF for me but I pushed through and did enjoy Raeve’s story. I like the dragons a lot. I don’t know if I will continue the series though only because I’m not sure I have the motivation to read another 700+ pager in this series.

quotes from the book

“How can someone you love so much be here one moment, gone the next?”
When the Moon Hatched by. Sarah A. Parker

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Heavenbreaker by. Sara Wolf | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heavenbreaker (#1)

Author: Sara Wolf

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 5/21/24

Categories: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Series

Bravery isn’t what you do. It’s what you endure.

The duke of the powerful House Hauteclare is the first to die. With my dagger in his back.

He didn’t see it coming. Didn’t anticipate the bastard daughter who was supposed to die with her mother—on his order. He should have left us with the rest of the Station’s starving, commoner rubbish.

Now there’s nothing left. Just icy-white rage and a need to make House Hauteclare pay. Every damn one of them.

Even if it means riding Heavenbreaker—one of the few enormous machines left over from the War—and jousting against the fiercest nobles in the system.

Each win means another one of my enemies dies. And here, in the cold terror of space, the machine and I move as one, intent on destroying each adversary—even if it’s someone I care about. Even if it’s someone I’m falling for.

Only I’m not alone. Not anymore.

Because there’s something in the machine with me. Something horrifying. Something…more.

And it won’t be stopped.

Content Warning: grief, violence, murder

This is one of my most anticipated books this year and I bought the hardcover because it’s really gorgeous with the sprayed edges. Now, I did go into this book with a little bit of caution because it’s a space opera and I sometimes love that genre or I just don’t connect. With this book, my feelings landed in the middle.

I love the violent and full of rage main character, Synali. Yes, she should be angry that someone killed her mother and almost killed her. Yes, she should be raging against the injustice of the wealthy houses who don’t do anything to help the poor – she grew up poor and had to do all kinds of things to survive. And yes, she wants to take down her father’s house even if she dies trying.

I found the world-building really creative and I was hooked in the beginning of the story. There is a futuristic jousting tournament every year where riders, ride a steed – but the steed is not a horse. It’s a huge (compared to a tall tower), alien like robotic body of some sort – even in my own mind, I had a hard time imagining it and was wishing this was a graphic novel. Anyway, the rider, rides the steed into the biggest jousting tournament of the year and the winner gets a favor from the king. Synali, is not a rider but she’s chosen to become one for a house that is not her own, all for the goal of revenge and hopefully destruction. The world that is created is really fantastic and there is a lot of history to learn about these steeds and what happened to Earth.

The secondary characters are very interesting like Dravik who has an ulterior motive and we don’t totally know how much of a villain he is yet but Synali is working with him because they both have the same goal in mind. Mirelle, who is Synali’s cousin and enemy, is an interesting character that shows us a little bit of what Synali longed for in a family. Synali sees what could have been if she wasn’t born a bastard. Rax, is her rival but so opposite in nature to her rage, yet Synali hasn’t scratched the surface of him yet. I think there is so much more to learn about all of these characters and I hope we get to see that develop in book two.

Some things that maybe disconnected me from the story? The sci-fi elements, because sci-fi does that to me haha, but I pushed through. The writing – and I usually like her writing because it’s straight to the point but this one was too much being straight to the point at times. The chapters are short, and sometimes the sentences are too, which for the most part I understand because Synali is just walking rage, no feelings except for mostly rage and grief for her mother. The short chapters does help move the story quickly though.

The romance between Synali and Rax has so much potential to be an amazing enemies to lovers but I felt like there wasn’t much emotion between either of because Synali is all about revenge and Rax is all about winning to survive his situation.

My Final Thoughts:

I read this book in one day because I was riveted by the world-building and Synali’s character. I felt like my attention waned a bit as I was rushing through to the end but maybe because I was hoping the romance would develop more but it’s definitely not the main focus of this story. I had my issues here and there with the story but it’s because I’m not a big sci-fi reader. Overall, I was entertained and I’m looking forward to book two and hoping for more development in some of the characters and their relationships.

quotes from the book

“I have my memories. The past isn’t pain – not all the time.”
Heavenbreaker by. Sara Wolf

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Book Review | The Unfairfolk (Valenbound, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Send Me Their Souls | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | Find Me Their Bones (Bring Me Their Hearts, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | Bring Me Their Hearts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Curious Tides (Drowned Gods, #1)

Author: Pascale Lacelle

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 10/3/23

Categories: Academia, Romance, LGBT+, Witches, Series, Fantasy, Young Adult

Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.

Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore— alive —only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.

Content Warning: grief, violence

This one has a slow start but I didn’t give up on and I’m glad I didn’t.

I love the world-building where magic is based on when a person is born and under what moon. It had the dark, gloomy academia vibes which was nice. I love the secret societies intrigue. We have two POVs from Emory and Baz. Emory survived a ritual that killed a bunch of her classmates, but she wasn’t even supposed to be there. Baz is the older brother of her best friend, Romie, who was lost in the ritual. They are both back at Aldryn College – a college for magic users, but this time Emory has new powers and she and Baz are trying to figure what went wrong during the ritual that went bad and they uncover so many things about magic, lies they were told, and secrets about other worlds.

My favorite characters so far are Baz, Kai, and Vera. Emory, I didn’t love because she kept making mistakes and trusting the wrong people. I didn’t see her as a good person, especially with how she treated Baz! She leads him on for her benefit and he deserves better. I hope there is growth for her in book two – there was some at the end of this one, but she really needs to do much more to win me over.

The beginning was too slow and repetitive at times but it picks up at the halfway mark and from then on it gets good mostly because of Kai, who I love but it just moves faster and has more action. There is a love triangle which infuriated me because I could tell from the start that Keiran wasn’t trustworthy but Emory had to learn the hard way I suppose, because she is so stubborn.

My Final Thoughts:

I definitely wanted to read this one because of the beautiful cover and I love the whole moon magic concept. It’s also an academia book and I was in the mood for it. I didn’t love Emory, the love triangle, or the slow beginning and the repetitiveness of some things that could have probably been cut to shorten this 544 page book. But once it picks up in the middle, I really couldn’t put it down! I love Baz, Kai, and Vera. I love the world building and magic system. I do hope there is growth for Emory in book two because I do not think she deserves Baz at all. I am looking forward to reading book two because of how this one ended. I’m curious to see these other worlds that have been hinted at!