Heart of the Sun Warrior by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heart of the Sun Warrior (The Celestial Kingdom, #2)

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 11/10/2022

Categories: Fantasy, Series, Sequel, Chinese Mythology, Romance

After her perilous quest to free her mother, Xingyin thrives once more in the tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power. While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a treacherous confrontation.

Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would. As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation–to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love… even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.

The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin–the daughter of Chang’e and the mortal archer, Houyi–as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ What a gorgeous book cover! This whole series has some of the most beautiful book covers I’ve ever seen.

+ The story continues with Xingyin living on the Moon with the people she loves but she finds out there is a way to save her dad, who she thought was dead. Also another storyline happening is there is a traitor in the Celestial Kingdom who is making moves trying to usurp the Emperor, but Xingyin and her mother gets caught in the drama. I love the story about her parents and I’m glad there is a happy ending there.

+ I think the world of the Celestial Kingdom is so magical and ethereal. I was transported into the story with these celestial characters riding on their clouds, fighting with magic and there are even dragons.

+ Apparently I didn’t think too much of Wenzhi in the first book, which is surprising, because I liked him a lot in this book! I like how he’s trying to show Xingyin that he has changed, that he feels regret and remorse for doing what he did to further his goals. He doesn’t give up on her but also gives her space to figure out how she feels. I like how he helps her with what she needs even if he doesn’t agree with some of her plans. The ending gutted me though, I hated what happened to him.

~ The love triangle…I dislike it because I like both men. And she loves them both in their own ways also, which makes it even worse when it comes time for her to choose one of them. In the end I was rooting for Wenzhi but I was sad that things couldn’t work with Liwei because I loved their friendship turned into love. Unfortunately, his life as Emperor wasn’t what she would have been happy with. But I didn’t like how long it took for her to figure things out.

~ And speaking of the love triangle, this makes me want to point out that Xingyin was impulsive at times. She made frustrating choices. I know she wanted to save Liwei, and she wanted to save her family – she really didn’t have to always be the heroine. There were so many people who wanted to help her.

My Final Thoughts:

At times reading this book I thought that this didn’t have to really be a series and that Daughter of the Moon Goddess stands pretty good on it’s own. And though I didn’t love the love triangle situation, I’m curious to see what the ending means – since on Goodreads it says there is a third book to this series! Overall, this was entertaining, despite the little issues I had with it here and there. Also, the writing and the world building is beautiful. I’ll definitely read book three.

Book Links:

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Daughter of the Moon Goddess by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ciao For Now by. Kate Bromley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Ciao For Now

Author: Kate Bromley

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 316

Publication Date: 6/6/2023

Categories: Romance, Fashion Design, Italy, Contemporary

When an American interning at a fashion house in Rome butts heads with her professor’s surly son, sparks fly!

With her thirties rapidly approaching and a mountain of student debt looming over her, Violet Luciano’s dream of finishing design school and working in fashion has cost her everything. So when she lands an internship at an up-and-coming fashion brand in Rome, she brings her A game to Italy. With nothing left to lose, Violet plans to win the competition among the interns for the ultimate prize—a job at a New York label.

But when a coffee run goes wrong and Violet accidentally destroys a stranger’s laptop, all of the apology Americanos in the world won’t help her. Because it turns out that the man from the café is Matteo, her professor’s eternally grumpy son, who thinks she’s a clumsy American…and maybe a stalker. Their animosity (and undeniable chemistry) grows as together they’re forced to face a summer of chic parties, adventures through Rome and sharing a home…with the person they can’t stand the most.

The more time she spends with him, the more distracted she finds herself. With her chance to win the competition slipping out of her grasp, Violet has to decide whether to say ciao to Matteo—or ciao to her dreams.

Content Warning:

This story takes place in Italy which is always a fun setting for a romance. Violet is an aspiring fashion designer and is chosen with two other students to go to Italy for a one-month internship. She meets Matteo/Matt, who is the son of one of her professors and it’s not the best first meeting. But over the course of the month, sparks fly, and I think you know what happens. So yes it’s predictable but still kind of fun. I especially love her friend Marco, who is younger than her but very supportive and funny.

As for the conflict between Matt and Violet, it’s all due to Violet and her self-doubt but they eventually work things out after some time apart. It wasn’t anything too dramatic.

My Final Thoughts:

I felt like this one was a quick light romance story which would be perfect for a beach or pool read. It’s set in Italy which is fun and perfect for a little romantic escape.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLOG TOUR } Talk Bookish to Me by. Kate Bromley | ARC Review + Excerpt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLOG TOUR} Here for the Drama by. Kate Bromley | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Nettle & Bone by. T. Kingfisher | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Nettle & Bone

Author: T. Kingfisher

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 243

Publication Date: 4/26/2022

Categories: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Magic, Paranormal, Adventure, Lite Horror

After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.

Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.

On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.

Content Warning: domestic violence, death

I finally read a book by this author and I can see why there is so much hype around her books! I love the fairy-tale aspect of Nettle & Bone. I felt like I was lured in by the wonderful writing and then I was just enjoying this journey that Marra and her friends go on. Marra is a princess who is trying to save her sister from her horrible husband but she needs help in doing so. I thought she was an interesting character, the sister who is put away in a convent but she makes it her mission to save her older sister.

The group of characters that come together to go on this quest to kill the Prince who is married to Marra’s sister, is fantastic. I loved their dynamic and interactions, especially the two older ladies, the dust-wife and Agnes (the godmother). Even though they are taking on a dark type of mission, there was so much humor too.

Of course, I loved the strange pets in this story – Bonedog and Finder! There is even a tiny bit of romance that happens for Marra, which was kind of cute.

As far as this being categorized as horror – I was like…where is the horror? I was expecting something darker and maybe some gruesome scenes but nope. This almost felt like a cozy fantasy. This will definitely appeal to the fans who are not fans of horror.

My Final Thoughts:

I love the fairy-tale story telling and the amazing characters and animals that we meet in this book. Even though Marra’s journey to kill a Prince is wrought with challenges, her motivations for doing it comes from her love of her sister. I love that she found the strength to want to try and save her. This was a fun and quick read!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 703

Publication Date: 5/2/17

Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Faeries, Series

The epic third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre’s world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.

Content Warning: violence, death, slut-shaming, war

My Goodreads review of this one was 4 stars at first read and I’m keeping it at that!

+ The best part of this book comes in the second half of it and this is quite a long book at 700 pages. So in my re-read it was kind of a slog to get through the first part. But once it hit the halfway mark and things start happening then it just goes off the charts. Just everything that happens in that major battle scene against Hybern is amazing. It’s emotional, it’s chaotic, everyone is on the verge of dying! So good.

+ Nesta. This is where my appreciation for Nesta grows even more and we know her story is going to be amazing because she is badass. That woman is feral! Her book is probably my favorite of the whole series. Elain – we get to see more of her personality and struggles but we REALLY need her book now.

+ That scene with the girls and their dad – ugh, it gutted me in the first read. I think I cried. This time I didn’t but that scene will always stick in my mind.

+ Everyone comes out of the woodwork in this one ti fight against Hybern. It gives me Lord of the Rings – the Battle of Helms Deep – vibes! Can you imagine if this was on screen?! Especially when they think they are going to lose and it pivots. Anyway, everyone puts aside their differences <looking at you Tamlin👀>

~ The first half is a lot of build-up, trying to gather allies, support and leading up to this big battle with Hybern. It wasn’t quite holding my attention, maybe because I knew what was coming but we get to see some things like Lucien and Elain try to be around one another. Some Nesta and Cassian interactions.

~ Tamlin. Man…what happened to you? Sometimes I feel bad for him though because he did love her. Like does he deserve his own happily ever after? I sometimes want it for him but also…he’s such an ass.

~ I got even more tired of Rhys and Feyre calling one another “my mate”. Can’t they just use their names? lol…

My Final Thoughts:

The battle with Hybern is so epic and my favorite part of this whole book. I’m glad that part lived up to expectations. I think there are a lot of things in the first half that could have been cut out just to make the story move faster but I know there was a need to build up the tension of an epic war coming.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Flame and Shadow by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

House of Sky and Breath by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Silver Flames | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

All This Twisted Glory by. Tahereh Mafi | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: All This Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom, #3)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 2/5/24

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Devil, Jinn

The highly anticipated third novel in the This Woven Kingdom series, full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi.

As the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, Alizeh has finally found her people—and she might’ve found her crown. Cyrus, the mercurial ruler of Tulan, has offered her his kingdom in a twisted exchange: one that would begin with their marriage and end with his murder.

Cyrus’s dark reputation precedes him; all the world knows of his blood-soaked past. Killing him should be easy—and accepting his offer might be the only way to fulfill her destiny and save her people. But the more Alizeh learns of him, the more she questions whether the terrible stories about him are true.

Ensnared by secrets, Cyrus has ached for Alizeh since she first appeared in his dreams many months ago. Now that he knows those visions were planted by the devil, he can hardly bear to look at her—much less endure her company. But despite their best efforts to despise each other, Alizeh and Cyrus are drawn together over and over with an all-consuming thirst that threatens to destroy them both.

Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, ready to exact revenge…

Layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance, All This Twisted Glory is the explosive third book in the captivating, bestselling This Woven Kingdom series.

Content Warning: violence, blood magic

I am kind of irritated that this is not the final book! I was assuming it was, which is my mistake.

+ I needed to read this just for Cyrus and Alizeh alone. I need them to have a happily ever after and this book was serving so much angst between them, and not even one real kiss – there is a spicy scene in the book but it was a dream?! I felt Cyrus’ anguish…like what more does this man have to endure? I need a full on real life spicy scene between them asap. 😅

+ What I didn’t expect was the found family/friendship happening with Kamran, Hazan, Huda and the rest of their crew. There were some funny moments between them and some growing animosity between Kamran and Huda which may turn into an enemies to lovers romance maybe? Anyway, I thought this group of characters together were kind of funny because the whole story is so angsty and filled with beautiful prose because of Cyrus and Alizeh and then Kamran and Huda will start fighting or Deen and Omid will interject with something so random.

+ I liked learning more about Cyrus, because he is more than what we know so far. And I cannot believe this man is going to risk it all for Alizeh – he is so in love but their story is so tragic right now.

~ Nothing really happens in this book, which is what I said about the previous book! Where is the plot?! How can there be two books about nothing but angst between Cyrus and Alizeh? And why am I eating it up? 😅 This book barely moves the story forward and yet it boggles my mind that I was fully invested in it so much that I couldn’t put it down and I will admit that investment was just to see if in any part of the book Cyrus and Alizeh would at least share a kiss. I felt as insane as Cyrus was feeling throughout the whole book. Still, I wish there was more to this story about maybe revealing a way to outwit the devil or something. Like was there really a need to make this book more than a trilogy?

~ There is something about Alizeh that I don’t quite totally love on her own, which has been my complaint since book two. I love it when she and Cyrus are together but as an emerging Queen to her people she is soft, not hardened at all, and maybe that’s a strength for her? But for me, I don’t see it yet, she is naive and maybe it’s just all due to character growth that is coming. I’d like to have seen some of that growth by now in book three though.

My Final Thoughts:

Did I devour this book? Yes I did and yes I admit it was all because of Cyrus. Or I kept reading to see if something more would happen between Cyrus and Alizeh. Kamran was a jerk, Alizeh at times was just too soft so Cyrus was my favorite. There is a spicy scene and every other scene between them is filled with so much angst and tension – which I really love and why this gets a 3.5 instead of a 3. Nothing happened to move this story forward which was how I felt about the last book so I was hoping this third book would have been finishing the series, but I was wrong. Am I still going to read book four, yes, because I need to see Cyrus and Alizeh be endgame but is it frustrating as hell? Yes. They better start trying take the devil down in the next book! Anyway, I don’t know what magic spell this book has put over me but I’m here for the romance.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

This Woven Kingdom by. Tahereh Mafi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These Infinite Threads by. Tahereh Mafi ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Restore Me (Shatter Me #4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Defy Me (Shatter Me #5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 626

Publication Date: 5/3/16

Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Faeries

The seductive and stunning #1 New York Times bestselling sequel to Sarah J. Maas’s spellbinding A Court of Thorns and Roses .

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.

Content Warning: violence

This is another book I’ve re-read countless times but it’s been awhile since I did my last re-read. My Goodreads review of this one was 4 stars at first read but I’m bumping it up to 5 after this re-read.

+ What I appreciate about this book after time has passed and I’m a tiny bit older is I love Feyre’s growth as a character. She gave her all, risked her life because of Tamlin. She was so in love with that man- but did she really know him? Or like she says in the book, did she just attach herself to the first person who showed her any kind of affection? Feyre wasn’t whole to begin with, she never had a family that showed love, except for Elain who is just a sweet sister, and then Tamlin came along. But in this second book she’s even more broken after what happens Under the Mountain and this is her story about rebuilding herself into something broken, but strong. Someone who can live with what she’s done, someone who can accept herself as who she is.

+ If ACOTAR is beauty and the beast then ACOMAF is Hades/Persephone which is another favorite of mine!

+ I love Rhysand’s family and friends. For the supposed villain that he is, he’s been hiding a whole city that he loves and protects and family and friends that he’s sacrificed everything for. And they welcome Feyre, who is broken, they don’t pity her, they don’t coddle her – Cassian trains her. Feyre is around people that accept her as is.

+ Yes, she goes from Tamlin to Rhysand, but hey she’s a woman with her own mind. Tamlin wasn’t the right fit for her but I do love how her relationship with Rhysand transpires, it builds slowly with time, patience and friendship. He knows she’s suffering and he’s there for her as a lifeline but not as someone she’s madly in love with – just a person on the other side of the hell she’s in telling her, she’s not alone. I love that about them. It really is a beautiful love story between them. Also this is where the series gets spicy!

~ Tamlin’s character is just shredded in this story. He is way overprotective, too possessive – because he is afraid of losing Feyre and he loses her anyway! I honestly didn’t love how Feyre loved this man SOOOOOOOOO much, she did all of those things Under the Mountain, for HIM…and he ends up being a jerk in this book. Like come on, there has to be a reason why she felt all those things with him. He can’t be that awful?! I know…they are both broken after what Amarantha did to all of them but I had hope for Tamlin in this book and nope…he is tarnished in my eyes.

~ This is a longer book than the last one, as is SJM’s style so once more there is a lot of talking and explaining. Rhysand alone in the end giving Feyre his explanation for keeping the secret of them being mates is a few pages long! 😅 I don’t mind but seriously…oh and this is the part of the series where we start hearing the word “mate” repetitively and I am very used to it by now but still, it was this series that made me start rolling my eyes at the word “mate”. I also still laughed out loud when she starts glowing during their spicy scene…like what in the Twilight?! lol…

My Final Thoughts:

I love this book because of Feyre’s growth and we learn so much about Rhysand and Velaris. I love all the secondary characters like Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren. Are there issues that I found, sure I mean…there a lot of things that get repetitive like the whole mate thing but I’m in love with Feyre and Rhysand’s love. By the way, this is where Nesta captures my attention, she’s a very unlikable character in book one but her strength and not giving a crap is compelling regardless how bitchy she comes off – which is why her story is one of my favorites. Story wise we learn more about the King of Hybern and that intense ending again was awesome. But the romance between Feyre and Rhysand is where it’s at.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Flame and Shadow by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

House of Sky and Breath by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Silver Flames | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 419

Publication Date: 5/5/15

Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Faeries

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Content Warning: violence, death, torture

I can’t say how many times I’ve read this book. But it’s been so long that I’ve done a re-read, I thought why not right now? In my initial review for this book in 2015 on Goodreads was 4 stars. So I’m bumping it up 1/2 a star because I loved it the more I re-read it.

+ Feyre is a fantastic character. She’s a survivor, she does makes mistakes, she’s not even the strongest person physically but she survives on her instincts and is always learning. I love her bravery even when she’s deathly afraid. I love that she took care of her family and has complicated feelings about her family.

+ I love that this first book in the series had a beauty and the beast vibe where Feyre goes to Prythian to live in Tamlin’s home as punishment because she kills one of his men, without knowing he was a faerie. I like that this faerie world of Prythian is dangerous and Feyre comes in contact with many different monsters while living there.

+ The world building is so good. And I loved how bad a villain Amarantha is. The ending of the book is what made my jaw drop about this book. What Feyre does for Tamlin and her bravery throughout it all made me admire her so much.

+~ Ah, the romance. It’s so good when you don’t know what’s coming in book two! 😅 All my re-reads after reading it the first time made me look at Tamlin a different way of course. But here’s the thing, it was so good between Tamlin and Feyre. He was this gorgeous, scary beast and all he wanted to do was protect though we find out later there is an ulterior motive to having her in Prythian. She risked it all for him!

~ There is a lot of talking in this book, in this whole series actually because there is always explaining to do. There are stories that Feyre doesn’t know, faerie lore, there’s a lot she needs to catch up on and figure out so yes…sometimes it’s a lot of explaining happening.

My Final Thoughts:

I never get tired of re-reading this book, especially this first one because we see this human girl turn into a broken almost superhero at the end, all for the guy she loves. But also, this was the first book that introduces us to this amazing world of Prythian and I truly love all the adventures Feyre has capturing the Suriel, fighting the Naga and the worm, and helping to end Amarantha’s reign of terror. It’s a dark, sultry story without it being spicy. Of course I have my issues with it too but overall I love the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Flame and Shadow by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

House of Sky and Breath by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Silver Flames | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fake Mate by. Lana Ferguson | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Fake Mate

Author: Lana Ferguson

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 12/5/23

Categories: Adult, Shifters, Grumpy/Sunshine, Romance, Medical Romance

Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.

Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.

Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?

Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.

Content Warning:

Two doctors, Mackenzie and Noah, who are both shifters pretend to fake date, or in this case, be fake mates to help hide the fact that Noah is an alpha and to help Mackenzie’s grandmother get off her back about dating.

This was a fun story because of the tropes: grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, and it’s a medical romance (so Grey’s Anatomy with all the co-workers in on the drama). I thought Mackenzie’s friends were fun! Now this is a shifter romance so there is mention of alpha, omega, lots of sniffing and claiming. And it’s quite smutty too! There is so much steam from the halfway point onward, it was definitely mating season between these two. Mackenzie even goes into “heat”, so yes, if you like a steamy rom-com, you will enjoy this one. Mackenzie really brings out Noah’s personality – he is the hospital’s grump, but she had enough personality for both of them.

Now because I listened to this as an audiobook there were times I couldn’t get into it especially when both narrators would have to go into their opposite voice – especially during the steamy scenes because it would make me laugh or roll my eyes. I thought I was versed enough in shifter romances before but then was confused at the word “knot”? Because I didn’t read this book and I was listening, I wasn’t sure if they were saying “nut” or “knot” 😂. And I was like oh…is that his like ejaculation?! Like he’s nutting in her? LOL oh my word. I had to google it. 🤭 I guess I learned something new about shifter romances then! Knotting is a thing and now I know.🤦🏻‍♀️

My Final Thoughts:

This was a light-hearted, but very steamy shifter romance. It’s funny and smutty, and has some fun tropes like grumpy/sunshine and fake dating. Also it’s romance between doctors which is always fun times in a hospital setting! I loved the drama and gossip at the workplace. I even learned something new. The narrators did a great job but there were just some parts I couldn’t handle listening to – especially with they had to speak in the the other character’s voice during a steamy scene but other than that I’d say this was an entertaining book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Nanny by. Lana Ferguson | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Great Alone by. Kristin Hannah | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Great Alone

Author: Kristin Hannah

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 435

Publication Date: 2/5/18

Categories: Adult, Domestic Violence, Family, Alaska, Historical Fiction

Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

Content Warning: domestic violence, hunting, alcoholism, PTSD, vehicle accident, injuries, death of a parent

I’ve had this book on my shelf since it was published in 2018 because it was a gift from my mother-in-law but I never picked it up to read because I knew it was going to be dark. At the time I wasn’t in the mood to read something dark but after reading her latest book The Women, about nurses in Vietnam, I thought it was the perfect segue into reading The Great Alone since it has a character who is back from the Vietnam war.

+ The writing is wonderful as always. I started the book in the morning and by noon I was 75% done with the book! I was surprised by that but I was really engrossed with how I was immersed in this story about a family who moves to the wilds of Alaska. I felt like I was there and I love how she equated to dangers of Alaska, especially the Alaskan winter to what Leni’s dad was going through with his PTSD and his downward spiral into it.

+ Leni is a strong girl/young woman and I like how Alaska brought out that toughness in her. She wasn’t a girl who complained about her circumstances and she wasn’t one to fight back in fear her dad would hurt her mother. She grew up in a complicated and scary situation. Leni didn’t only have to survive the environmental factors of Alaska but also survive what was taking place behind closed doors within her own family. I felt for her, and was so afraid for her and her mother.

+ This is a dark story with a happy ending and like Leni’s mother tells her, there were some really good times along with the really bad times. I felt the loneliness of their lifestyle and felt the isolation that came with Leni’s mother being abused. I was scared for them. Leni’s relationship with her mother is what gets them through the scary and hard times in their lives. This story really takes you into a domestic violence relationship and how a woman is reluctant to leave because of fear and even hoping the person they love can change. It’s a brutal descent into the darkness with all the warning signs ringing around them for years and it’s kind of hard to watch it happen because all you want is for them to leave their situation and be safe. But in reality, like this book, it’s never that easy when different feelings are involved.

~ I loved that there was a romance for Leni. I loved that she had someone in the Great Alone, but I think the ending felt a bit rushed. There are some loose ends to tie up and it is tied up, but in a heartbreaking fashion. There is so much that goes on in the end but I am still glad it ends up okay for the most part for all of them.

My Final Thoughts:

I didn’t read this book right away when I got it because I was a tired mom with a barely one year old – so sleep deprived and someone told me it was a dark read. I’m glad I put it off and read it after reading The Women since both books take place around the same time period – the mid 1970’s, and talks about the Vietnam war. I love how she captures living in isolation in Alaska and the wild beauty of Alaska in general. All I could think was uh-huh, I would NOT survive! This was a great book.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Four Winds | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Women by. Kristin Hannah | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve actually read a lot of Kristin Hannah books but never wrote a full review for them since I read them before creating this blog. I did leave star reviews on Goodreads for them though so this is what I rated them:

Firefly Lane ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

True Colors ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Winter Garden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Night Road ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Home Front ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Nightingale ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Flame and Shadow by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 951

Publication Date: 1/30/24

Categories: Adult, Series, Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fae, Sci-Fi

The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

Content Warning: violence

I had to process this book for a day or two and still there is so much to think about.

+ I have so many thoughts and let’s see if I can get to all of them. This is book three in the Crescent City series but if you’ve read Sarah J. Maas books then in this book you will find that all her books have interconnected in THIS one book. It’s wild, it’s crazy with the world-building – like I just want to see her white board with all the notes and all the lines connecting this character arc to this character…etc…it was pretty genius and maddening at the same time because if you don’t remember who is who from a certain book, you kind of have to wing it and go with the flow which is what I was doing since I did nor do a re-read at all before this book. But yes…the world-building is fantastic. Also, I was getting some sci-fi feels in this book because the Asteri being intergalactic parasites, definitely not what I was expecting!

+ With a world-building as large as this series and the other series combined since it did crossover here…there are SO many names to remember. I kept trying to figure who was who and why they were important in the series. 😅 I think I did pretty good considering how many characters there are. My favorite characters? Lidia/the Hind. Nesta and Azriel in their parts of the book were outstanding because I love them and ACOTAR is my first love compared to Crescent City so I loved seeing them in the book.

+~ My favorite parts of the book were when Bryce was with Nesta and Azriel. I loved everything to do with Lidia also! She is so badass. The ending had some pretty good action and something was finally happening against the Asteri. But books this large lose me in the middle, which kind of sucks. Act 1 was fantastic – I was so into it. Act 2, I was struggling through (this happened in the last book also)…seriously, my interest dropped when Bryce left Velaris. I could not for the life of me care about the wolves for some reason, and then Tharion? I don’t know what happened with him. I was like…can we go back to Velaris which made me acknowledge that my love for the ACOTAR series is way stronger than this Crescent City series.

+ I’m happy the “my mate” overuse was really cut down in this one. I felt like the romance really took a backseat in this one which was kind of nice? And that’s weird for me to say since with SJM books, the romance is what I’m usually there for. I did love Lidia and Ruhn’s story though there was a lot of drama between also but totally understandable after what they both went through. I think they deserved their own book!

~ Bryce was frustrating me throughout the whole book and I was questioning a lot of her decisions. When she asked something from Nesta I was like, no Nesta, don’t even entertain Bryce’s request because I didn’t even trust her lol. She was arrogant and I just didn’t like her. But after reading book two I think I knew I was just not a Bryce girlie. And also Bryce and Hunt do nothing for me! Maybe because their love is pretty set and there was nothing to really fix? That’s why I loved Lidia and Ruhn, because there was a love growing there and it was beautiful to see them find happiness together after the stuff they went through individually.

~ The way it’s written with it jumping from POV’s in one chapter, but not having a line or something indicating it’s switching to another POV kind of ruined the reading experience for me because I had to go back and see if I missed a section or something. I did read this as an ebook so I don’t know if I would have had that problem reading the hardcopy. I do feel like with it written this way it was building up suspense, which is great because this big chunky book needed to have something motivating me to read, but something to indicate a change in POV would have been just helpful! To be honest I skimmed some of the parts with Tharion, Ithan and the other boys because I was not interested or maybe I forgot who they were?

My Final Thoughts:

Could this have been made into 2 books? Yes…or 3? Make it a 6 book series! But for the most part I was entertained by the first and last parts of the book. The middle was where I struggled. I loved Lidia and Ruhn, they were my favorite in the book and of course, Nesta because ACOTAR is my first love. I didn’t care for Bryce at all. I will say I was amazed as usual by the world-building and cross-over. SJM always does a fabulous job luring us into these amazing worlds that she creates and having it cross over just makes it really cool. If you loved the series already then you will love this one. It’s not my favorite of her series so my rating may seem a bit lower and I think my expectations for this one was super high, especially after the long wait for the book, but I did enjoy the book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) – 4 stars

House of Sky and Breath by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review – 3.5 Stars

A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} – after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars

A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} – after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars

A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars

A Court of Frost and Starlight by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

A Court of Silver Flames by. Sarah J. Maas – 5 stars

Throne of Glass by. Sarah J. Maas – 3 stars (surprising but I just thought this first was okay when it came out in 2012)

Crown of Midnight by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Heir of Fire by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Queen of Shadows by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Empire of Storms by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Tower of Dawn by. Sarah J. Maas – 2 stars (wow I did not like this book huh? lol - I wish I wrote reviews on Goodreads back then so I could remember why I didn’t like it!🤦🏻‍♀️. My guess is it was super long and by the 6th book and waiting for the book my interest had waned or I grew out of this series? Not sure but I do know I loved Manon. That’s all I remember lol.