I am the daughter of the first female POTUS, and today is about to become the longest day of my life…
24 hours—that’s how much time I have to save my mother before terrorists assassinate her. But now my father and brother are missing, too. This goes deeper than anyone thinks. Only someone on the inside would know how to pull this off—how to make the entire First Family disappear.
I can’t trust anyone, so it’s up to me to uncover the conspiracy and stop these madmen. Because little do they know, they picked the wrong person to terrorize.
My name is Sophie Washington, and I will not be a victim. No one, I repeat no one, is taking me or my family down. But the clock is ticking…
Thank you to Entangled: Teen and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.
If you like shows like 24 and Homeland, then this book is for you. I can’t say I ever watched 24 but Homeland is one of my favorite shows. T-Minus takes place in a span of 24 hours. Right away I get thrown into Sophie Washington’s life and she’s being taken to a safe house because a plot to assassinate her mother, the President of the United States is underway. She’s separated from her mom, dad and brother and doesn’t know who to trust.
But Sophie is no ordinary president’s daughter – she and a bunch of her friends underwent TIA training. Something similar to special ops training but for teens! So yes, she and her friends are skilled at espionage, fighting, hacking, you name it, each of them excels at what they were trained to do.
The clock ticks down as Sophie and her friends have to find out who is behind this plan that is killing people she loves. This story is fast-paced and full of suspense. I sort of suspected early on who the villain was but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. And sometimes it’s unbelievable to think teenagers can be the ones to save the day in a situation like this. But I think Sophie and her friends convinced me they could handle any situation with the training they went through.
I believe this is a standalone novel but I feel like there could be a whole series devoted to Sophie and her friends saving the day. This is an entertaining page-turner with lots of thrilling action to keep anyone engaged
The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it’s sending waves crashing through Sabrina “Bree” Beckham’s love life…
When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell service to Little Bridge Island—as well as its connection to the mainland—twenty-five-year-old Bree Beckham isn’t worried . . . at first. She’s already escaped one storm—her emotionally abusive ex—so a hurricane seems like it will be a piece of cake.
But animal-loving Bree does become alarmed when she realizes how many islanders have been cut off from their beloved pets. Now it’s up to her to save as many of Little Bridge’s cats and dogs as she can . . . but to do so, she’s going to need help—help she has no choice but to accept from her boss’s sexy nephew, Drew Hartwell, the Mermaid Café’s most notorious heartbreaker.
But when Bree starts falling for Drew, just as Little Bridge’s power is restored and her penitent ex shows up, she has to ask herself if her island fling was only a result of the stormy weather, or if it could last during clear skies too.
Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.
No Judgments is a lighthearted, sweet, romance revolving around Bree, her love of pets, a hurricane and a love interest, Drew Hartwell.
It took me a few days to finish this one – it’s a perfect summer beach read, but for some reason the story didn’t hook me in immediately and I kept putting it down to read something else. I finished it today though and I thought the latter half of the book was better than the first, only because as a romance, I thought it was going too slowly for my taste.
Sabrina Beckham, Bree, as she’s known in the story is from New York City, fleeing her life there to find her her place on an island in Florida called Little Bridge Island. She loves animals, particularly an old cat she’s adopted. Bree and a few of her friends, decide to weather out the hurricane headed their way.
The story follows Bree before the storm and after it, the actual hurricane hitting the island is glossed over, but the romance picks up as the hurricane is about to hit. For awhile I had to ask myself if this was a romance, because I felt like it was more of a hurricane animal rescue story! I wanted more romance.
I thought the story was cute but I wasn’t attached to any of the characters, except maybe the animals featured in the book. This is definitely a beach read kind of book, perfect for a lazy summer day.
My actual review on this audiobook is posted on my children’s book review blog because it’s more for middle grade/young adult. But honestly, I think it would be good for adults who enjoy a mystery as well, hence why I’m cross-posting it.
The book itself is good, but I also wanted to talk about my experience with audiobooks.
Do you like to listen to them?
Before reviewing this audiobook, I tried two other ones. One of them was with my trial through Audible and I borrowed Sorcery of Thorns. I did not enjoy the ten minutes I listened to. Yes, only ten minutes! I couldn’t concentrate on the scene and the narrator’s voice was not getting me into the mood to listen. I felt so lost and I had heard so many good things about the book, I didn’t want to ruin my experience of it so I stopped.
But I didn’t want to give up on audiobooks. So many people I know enjoy them, I wanted to see if I would like them too. I thought it could help dwindle my TBR list if I could just listen to an audiobook while I drove or while I cleaned the house. I was wrong…
I borrowed another book, not with my Audible credit, since I only had one left. I used Overdrive (online library) and borrowed The Belles. It took a few days just to get to almost half way into the book. My son would listen in on the audiobook whenever he caught me, and he’d start asking question and then my daughter would join in with her babbling. I’d lose concentration and I’d end my session. 😞 Did I finish that book? No…but I remember the main character’s name was Camilla, I think…and there were lots of scenes with fashion and beauty elements. The narrator’s voice did a good job – but I seriously would have finished that book quicker by reading it.
The book above, Childish Spirits was short and the narrator was great. Ghost stories also have an oral history so that helped my frame of mind as well. It was perfect as an audiobook especially for someone like me who apparently has a short listening attention span! Seriously, audiobooks remind me of college lectures – and they put me to sleep. Oh the torture! So maybe I associate audiobooks with sleep and lectures? 😂
My verdict on audiobooks? I think they are great for children’s books or short stories. But for regular young adult and adult fiction, so far it’s not for me. I still won’t say I truly dislike them because someone suggested I listen to a memoir audiobook, like Michelle Obama’s bestseller. I will try it and see if it changes my mind. So far I’m not a big fan of them.
What do you think about audiobooks? Are you a fan? Or not? Any audiobooks you could recommend? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to read your thoughts!
A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.
It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.
With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.
Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time—only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.
Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end…
I just finished reading Finale and I’m still processing my thoughts as I write this review. I gave it 4 stars but it’s dropped to 3.5…? And maybe my expectations were a bit high after reading Legendary, but this one fell short for me. I’m bummed that I didn’t love it as much as the other two.
This book picks up right away after Legendary. It is told through Scarlett and Tella, the Dragna sisters. Legend is about to be crowned emperor except the Fates are waking up. And he needs his powers at full force to defeat them, or at least take down their leader, The Fallen Star. He is a new villain that rules and punishes the other Fates to keep them in line. Around this story of taking down The Fallen Star is another game our main characters are playing, but it’s not Caraval.
I don’t hate love triangles in stories. I mostly enjoy them because I like the angst and trying to decide who would be best for our main characters – but by book three, I wanted these Dragna sisters to make a decision on their men. Caraval was a mysterious high stakes game invented by Legend, but the other game being played in this series is the game of love. And they all keep playing it, to the point of distraction.
Scarlett tests Julian’s love by meeting the real Nicolas. Nicolas has a cameo in this book, I don’t even know if he was necessary to the story. Tella tests Legend by running away from him and going to Jacks. This happens, a lot. After awhile, I got weary and I wanted choices to be made.
I liked Tella in Legendary, but she is so indecisive and impulsive in Finale. And yes, she loves the bad boys. That’s fine, I like bad boys myself. She got herself into situations that tested my patience but after awhile I just figured she likes the drama, she likes the game. How else could I explain why Tella keeps going back to these guys who don’t treat her right? Okay so they are good looking and great kissers, but come on…this girl seems to pine for heartache. Also she’s always creeping around trying to find out what Legend is up to in the beginning of the book. 😅 I was like, girl…what are you doing? 🤦🏻♀️
Julian and Scarlett at least had a relationship that seemed steadier, maybe because he’s not immortal. But Legend and Tella? I guess Tella did have a valid dilemma, to choose between Jacks the jerk with a literally devastating kiss or Legend the player who could also act like a jerk. 🙄 I was thinking…run away…from both of them! Are there no other options out there for Tella? hahaha…not gonna lie, I was even rooting for Jacks at one point.
This story was also darker than Caraval and Legendary. There are blood vows, obsessions and deceptions. But at least the story tried to point out obsession is not love. I did find it interesting that love was what could kill an immortal. It made some of the characters in this book question what they valued more: love or immortality? We also learn more about Paradise (the Dragna sisters’ mother) and her role with The Fallen Star. As I said, it’s a game of love, a dangerous game at that.
The ending was slightly surprising and left a little open so I wonder if the world of Caraval isn’t over. There are some questions left unanswered.
There is no Caraval game in Finale. The game in Finale is love and I think it took the mystery away from what the Caraval series was all about. The grandeur, the element of surprise, the romance, the players, the locations and illusions of Caraval was missing in Finale. Maybe that was the point – Tella had to decide if Legend the person was what she loved, or Legend the illusion. As a series, it is fun, different and enjoyable. As for Finale, the book, it wasn’t my favorite in the series. But it did have a happy ending at least. 😊
Pages: 440 (but Exclusive Version has a bonus 13 pages)
Categories: Family Dynamics, Slow Burn Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary
Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.
When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.
Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.
For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?
What is it about Sarah Dessen and summer time? The two go hand in hand! I first read her books in college back when they were first published and I haven’t stopped (23 years later).
It’s also fitting that I finished the book just before the fourth of July, since The Rest of the Story takes place during the height of summer. Emma Saylor, has lost her mom to drug addiction and her dad has remarried. An emergency leaves Emma with no place to stay for the summer, but she ends up heading over to North Lake, where her mom grew up. She meets a whole bunch of family she’s never really known and puts together the missing puzzle pieces of her life.
Sarah Dessen knows how to write about family dynamics in a way that is so relatable. I mean, this book is about summer on a lake – I’ve never done that, but I live on an island, and our economy is tourism. My mom and most of my aunts all worked as hotel housekeepers. I’ve heard complaints time and again, all my life, from my mom and aunts. It’s hard work! Also…try living with a mom who cleans rooms for a living. I’ve inherited cleaning anxiety, I always feel my house isn’t clean enough when my parents come over. 🤦🏻♀️😂 So once again, different location, different cultures but I could still relate to this book! That’s why Sarah Dessen books are amazing and special.
I love how Emma, who deals with anxiety on a daily basis learns to cope with the Calvanders (her mom’s side of the family). They are a large family – noisy, confrontational at times and basically…family. Emma is an only child and grew up with her dad and Nana so this was out of her comfort zone. I related to the Calvanders so much. They reminded me of my relatives – and I have a lot. Lots of aunts, uncles and cousins.
While Emma is in North Lake she learns about her mom and what she was like growing up. It’s not a pretty picture at times and that’s another reason why I love Sarah Dessen stories. She goes there, in the imperfect places of a character’s past and life but there is always a silver lining in the end.
And then there is the friendship to lovers romance in this book. It’s slow and sweet, and you hope they make it eventually! The romance is never the focus of the book, the family issues are, but it’s nice to see Emma try to find a summer romance, because didn’t we (or some of us) want one at that age? I totally did!
I don’t know if it’s because I’m older now and I just felt more at 18 years old reading her books and relating to her characters, but this time at 40-I can totally understand the parent in the book so much more than Emma. Due to the fact I am a parent myself and in a few years will be dealing with a teenager (I’m scared lol). 😅 But I still understood where Emma was coming from. I was, once upon a time, a teenager too.
I love that Emma gets a chance to figure things out and make mistakes along the way. And just because a story seems over…it isn’t. 😍 I also love that this book shows how families are complicated. This is a Sarah Dessen summer book for sure: light reading, a little romance, lots of family love, a happy ending…and “the rest of the story”. ☀️ 😉
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.
Welcome to the magical world of libraries and grimoires! The dedication in the book alone gave me feels. I am that girl who lost herself in books at a young age and it’s a love that has never disappointed me!
The beauty of Sorcery of Thorns is how it weaves this mystery story in one of the most loved places for a book lover, a library or libraries I should say. Libraries are places of magic for us who love books. It’s why I once upon a time debated on becoming a librarian. It was a librarian at my elementary school that made me fall in love with books. I’ve worked in only college libraries but just being around books academic or fiction, it feels like home to me. Just as Elisabeth feels at home in the Great Library at Summershall in the Sorcery of Thorns.
I was swept up in this story of libraries and the directors, wardens, apprentices and the grimoires. Oh those amazing grimoires which have such different personalities! Books speak to us, in this story and in real life. Come on, have you ever told a book it’s beautiful? 😅🥰 I do it all the time.
And what’s a library story without sorcerers, the users of dark magic and grimoires? Nathanial Thorn is a very mysterious young man and he has a demon by his side named Silas. Elisabeth is deathly afraid of them in the first half of the book because she has had no interaction with the outside world. She’s been in the library so long, she was taught to fear sorcerers. I find the relationship between Silas and Nathanial so interesting, especially since demons are…well demons. They don’t feel the way humans do.
We find out there is someone out there trying to sabotage the great libraries in Austermeer and Elisabeth needs to find out who it is and stop them. It is a murder mystery, wrapped in sorcery and demon lore.
It is rare these days to read a young adult fantasy novel that is a stand-alone. But I’ve read this author’s other book and I have to say she does so well in balancing a story and giving us everything in one book. Her stories feel light also, even dealing with topics like demons. This story reads like a fairy tale, so effortless. Sorcery of Thorns has everything: humor, action, romance, friendship, and mystery.
This book wove it’s spell on me for sure. I thought the sorcery and demons in the book added a lot of excitement and action. The characters stood out on their own, but my favorite might have been Katrien – our resident bookworm apprentice who is Elisabeth’s best friend. The romance between Nathanial and Elisabeth is a slow burn and doesn’t take precedence. Nathanial has reasons to keep Elisabeth at arms length but eventually they grow on each other. And of course, I was in love with all the library scenes as well.
This story is a well written, enjoyable, enchanting homage to the mystery and wonderment of libraries and a girl who will help defend it from evil. I’d love to see this as a movie or tv series – with more adventures in the world of libraries, grimoires, sorcerers and demons! As a library lover, this book was definitely for me!
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine…
Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.
Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.
In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.
Thank you to Harlequin TEEN and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc.
The beginning of this story is intriguing. We meet twin sisters, Nor and Zadie, and they live in Varenia, a place on the water where the most beautiful girls are from. They are so beautiful, the kingdom of Ilara always goes there to find their future queen. Requirements for being chosen as a queen? The potential queen has to be the most beautiful girl in Varenia. Appearance wise, you have to be flawless, meaning no scars among other things.
Zadie is perfect. Nor, on the other hand, has a scar on her face she acquired from saving her sister’s life. I love their sisterly bond and how they would do anything for each other. I also enjoyed this world of Varenia that the author created, it’s a poor place to grow up in, the people are struggling and the pearls they survive on is becoming more scarce. It’s a beautiful place with gorgeous girls, but the reality is that they will struggle without their pearls. Varenians are a part of the sea, their life is the ocean, but Nor dreams of exploring beyond Varenia.
I think the first part of the book was stronger than the second half only because Nor’s connection is strongest with her sister and her home. When she arrives in Ilara it cuts her off from the sunshine, ocean, fresh air and her relationships. In New Castle she is bereft of all the things she loves and lives with a villain, her future husband.
There is a romance in the story but it doesn’t take over the book, which was fine. I felt like even if it it didn’t have romance, the love between the sisters would have been enough for me. There is also some thrilling action which I enjoyed. But the ending was rushed which is so unfortunate because this book started off so well and I was really into it.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read about a loving sisterly bond and how the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Quest, Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eArc book for an honest review.
I loved it.
And I wasn’t quite sure, even with the synopsis, what I was getting myself into. But the first few sentences let me know right away I was going to be taken on a magical journey and the story held to it’s promise.
The writing reads like a dream. It’s very beautiful and reminds me of a fairy tale – but with a twist. Maia Tamarin’s idyllic life is torn at the seams due to unfortunate life events and to help her family she poses as a boy to compete for the chance to become the imperial tailor for the emperor. It sounds like Mulan, but with fashion involved.
Here’s where things take on a Project Runway spin and yes, I used to love that show! 😬 So did I enjoy that part of the book? Oh yes! The backstabbing, the challenges, the fashion, and wondering who will be eliminated, makes for great drama.
Then there is the impossible challenge which takes Maia and the imperial enchanter, Edan, on a quest. I love how Maia and Edan’s romance builds. She is not impressed by him and he helps her because he is intrigued by her but it stays that way for awhile. Edan is snarky and flirty but she doesn’t put up with it. The relationship grows deeper as they open up to one another during the quest. Yet, after the impossible becomes possible, Maia makes a choice that has consequences for both of them.
Maia is strong, brave, and willful for her age. She loves hard – it’s present in her love for her family and for Edan. I hope in the second book she gets to appreciate her feminine side since throughout Spin the Dawn, she is living in a male dominated world and has to pretend be a boy. Even in her family she was surrounded by men – so I think it would be nice for her to have a female friend who knows she’s female. The only other female in this story who has a big role is Lady Sarnia, who is the emperor’s future wife. She comes off as a villain, but she is someone trapped in a man’s world also, so I hope she gets more of a spotlight in book two because there is more to learn about her.
This story was filled with emotion, magic, love and epic adventure. It was more than I expected and I can’t wait for the next book.
Categories: Jane Austen Retelling, Romance, Young Adult, Coming of Age
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Mansfield, Massachusetts, is the last place seventeen-year-old Edie Price wants to spend her final summer before college. It’s the home of wealthy suburban mothers and prima donnas like Edie’s cousins, who are determined to distract her from her mother’s death with cute boys and Cinderella-style makeovers. She’s got her own plans, and they don’t include any prince charming.
But as she dives into schoolwork and getting a scholarship for college, Edie finds herself drawn to two Mansfield boys strumming for her attention: First, there’s Sebastian, Edie’s childhood friend and first love, who’s sweet and smart and . . . already has a girlfriend. Then there’s Henry, the local bad boy and all-around player who’s totally off limits—even if his kisses are chemically addictive.
Both boys are trouble. Edie can’t help herself from being caught between them. Now, she just has to make sure it isn’t her heart that breaks in the process.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and NetGalley for this opportunity to read this eArc.
I read this last night, thinking to go for some light teen romance story and a few hours later, past midnight, with my heart racing, I thought, THIS BOOK. ❤️💔
Reading the book, I thought, is this a Jane Austen Mansfield Park retelling?! Yes, I silently screamed it in my mind, as to not wake anyone up but I didn’t get the memo! The blurb said nothing obvious about it, except Mansfield is the town they live in? Duh – I should’ve caught that. And though I have never read Mansfield Park, I have watched the movie…a million times. I love Mansfield Park. I love the story of Fannie Price and her sweet love in the end. Now because I know the way Mansfield Park ends…I was feeling all kinds of conflicting emotions while reading Hearts, Strings and Other Breakable Things – (I love the title by the way)…because I did NOT want it to end like Jane Austen’s ending. Not that anything is wrong with Miss Austen’s version. But there is a character in HSAOBT (yes I just did that, sorry) that made me want a different ending! 😩
Edie Price is in foster care but goes to live with her aunt Norah. She has two cousins, Julia and Maria, who try to give her a make-over and help her fit into their life. The sisters are always arguing and Maria is just over-the-top but I find her hilarious. There is a next door neighbor, Sebastian, who Edie shares childhood memories with, and who she has the biggest crush on. But alas, he has the perfect girlfriend, Claire. And Claire has a devastatingly handsome and player of a brother, Henry, who is breaking hearts left and right. Henry has his eye kind of trained on Edie – but she isn’t having it. Edie is smart, not into the materialistic things, she writes music, loves to read and pines for Sebastian.
Well…Henry and Edie, stole this book. If you know Mansfield Park then you know how it ends, but I was team Henry. He’s such a player but when that player falls in love, whew…it’s an amazing thing. So the ending was inevitable but oh Henry. There is a scene between Edie and Henry that just smolders, like there is no kissing involved, no sex, it’s innocent but it stopped my breath. 10 seconds of 🔥. It was funny, intense and sexy at the same time and I fell in love with Henry.
Speaking of sex – there are situations in the book, which I was fine with because Edie is coming of age and learning these things. She’s allowed to feel this way and dream these things, what teenager doesn’t when going through puberty? And with Sebastian and Henry around, who can blame her? 😅
Like Mansfield Park there are other things happening besides Edie’s love life. She’s dealing with a broken friendship with her BFF from back home who isn’t talking to her. I liked that Edie wasn’t perfect and did something she needed to own up to. She also has to figure out her future – what to do about college, missing her mom, and learning about love.
I absolutely loved this book and I only knocked off half a star because I wanted Henry to be the one. But it’s basically a 5 star read for me, so just round it up. HAHA. Henry and Edie’s relationship was the book, the sexual tension between them is off the charts and the sweet moments between are swoon worthy. I couldn’t sleep after I finished the book, thinking of THAT scene and how broken my heart was for him. 😫 🤣 Also um, can they make this book into a Netflix movie so I can see that scene come to life and like…rewatch it a million times? K – thanks!
So basically I need more books from this author ASAP – with more scenes like that particular one! This is a fantastic retelling and I am definitely adding this to my book collection.
*P.S. – I know I’m posting this review super early from the publication date but I love it so much, if you are on NetGalley. Definitely try to get your hands on this one.
Categories: Phoenixes, Mages, Fantasy, Young Adult
I had a sister, once…
In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.
I promised her the throne would not come between us.
Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.
But it is a fact of life that one must kill or be killed. Rule or be ruled.
Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all.
Sometimes the title of queen is given. Sometimes it must be taken.
I borrowed this book on account of its fabulous cover – I knew nothing about it. The blurb sounded interesting so I borrowed it then I started seeing others posting about it on Instagram, saying how good it was. I am glad I borrowed it and what a book to start my summer reading!
It IS good. I saw some poor reviews on Goodreads because of the slow beginning but I’m learning (since writing book reviews) to really slow down when reading fantasy books. There is a lot of world building in fantasy and it can be slow going. If it’s too slow, I put it down and pick it up the next day. I didn’t feel this was too slow, but I had a headache last night and couldn’t read long into the night. I picked it up this morning and didn’t stop until I was done.
We meet Veronyka and Val who are sisters. They are both animages (they can control animals) and shadow mages (they can get into people’s heads). Their relationship is not easy which made me want to read more. Val is something else! I pegged her as just a really obsessive, controlling sibling. But her character is what made me want to read more because I wanted to know her motivations and secrets.
I didn’t mind the slow world-building. I enjoyed learning about the history of Pyra, the warrior Queens and phoenix lore because it was so interesting to me. Also there is a history being told through letters and accounts about two sisters long ago, who loved each other but turned enemies….hmmm….🤭. Now the one thing that threw me off at times was the character Sev.
The story is told through three perspectives. Veronyka, a girl who poses as a boy to become a Rider. Tristan, a boy who inherited his Phoenix and who hopes to one day become Commander. And then there is Sev, an animage who decided to become an Empire soldier – to be the opposite of what his parents were. Sev’s voice took me out of it at times because I wasn’t sure what his purpose was in the book until later. He does grow on me in the end though and I hope things work out for him.
Is there romance in this book? Nope. Will there be romance in the next book? There better be! Ha! There was a hint of things happening in this book but nothing flourished into romance, understandably. But I’m hoping for it!
I was hooked to this story. I’m down for the phoenixes. I love them. I love the lore of how they can be reborn. I love their bonds with their Riders. I love their awesome names. So now we need to witness these Apprentices actually riding them. I look forward to the next book to see what happens to Veronyka but more so I want to know what is Val going to do. The ending has a reveal that made me gasp in surprise and it’s going to complicate their relationship more I think.
This was the perfect book to start off my summer reading list!
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