ARC Review | We Are Blood and Thunder

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: We Are Blood and Thunder

Author: Kesia Lupo

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: March 3, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

On the edges of a sealed-off city, a chance encounter between two girls in the misty woods is about to change the course of everything. . .

Lena is on the run from her home, the Duke’s Forest, after being convicted as a mage and sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Constance escaped the Forest years before, after her own magical powers were discovered–but now, she will do anything to get back inside and reclaim her place as the duke’s daughter. The girls cross paths for only a moment, but that’s long enough to set them down paths that will change the dukedom forever.

As Lena reaches a safe haven where she can study and develop her powers alongside handsome but mysterious mage Emris, Constance maneuvers her way back into the home she left behind, unsure whether she trust the people she once considered her family and friends. All the while, the girls are connected by the dark, terrifying storm clouds that hang over the land and devastate everything in their wakes.

Only Lena and Constance hold the keys to dispelling the storm and keeping their home safe–if they can uncover who cast the spell that generated the clouds to begin with. But the truth is far more sinister than anyone could imagine, and it could mean that one of the girls will lose everything.

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

We are Blood and Thunder follows two main female characters, Lena, who has a mark on her face, no family and was raised as a cryptling in Duke’s Forest. She was assistant to the city mortician. Then there is Constance, a mage who comes back home to Duke’s Forest to help get rid of the toxic storm cloud that has been circling above Duke’s Forest for years.

Nothing is what it seems with either women. We follow their journeys and find out if the storm cloud can be defeated at all.

The world building is fascinating with different mage factions. We only get a glimpse of a few of them but I think there is so much potential to learn more about this fantasy world. The people in Duke’s Forest don’t use magic, they worship their Ancestors – the dead that are buried below their city in crypts. Their way of life is to serve them. Outside of Duke’s Forest is where magic thrives.
Lena interested me more than Constance. Lena is an orphan raised as a cryptling, assisting the city’s mortician. She is without family, raised basically with dead bodies but then things start happening to her, she has power. More power than she ever had in her life.
Emris, a huntsman mage, is Lena’s introduction into life outside of Duke’s Forest. He teaches her about her magic and power. Theirs is a friendship that grows and I was glad Lena had someone.
This story was gory and dark at times! There was dark magic, necromancy and dead bodies coming to life. I thought that was fun, haha, morbid yes but I liked that it went there.

I needed MORE from this story – I felt like there was so much potential with the world building and I didn’t get enough. Also I felt like the characters, or maybe mostly Constance, was superficial. Even her supposed romance with Xander was so quick and strange, I was like…??…am I supposed to feel something about these two? Because I feel…nothing.
I didn’t vibe with Constance but by the end, my feeling about her was right. So maybe there was a reason why something about felt off! There were some parts of this book that felt a bit melodramatic and it was mostly to do with Constance. 🤨
The story did drag a bit, especially with this problem of this toxic storm cloud hovering over Duke’s Forest. Like…what is it? Why is it there? Why Duke’s Forest? It ties in all at the end, but it took awhile to get there – to the point I didn’t know why Constance’s story mattered. It matters…but in the beginning I wanted to skip her parts to read about Lena.
The twist at the end was surprising but, Constance again, to me…ruined it. I just did not like her!
Triggers: death, being around dead bodies

I enjoyed the world building, Lena and the necromancy in this book but I really needed more. Overall, this book fell short for me in so many areas, but it did keep my interest enough to want to know what was the whole deal with the toxic storm cloud! It was just an okay read for me.

ARC Review | Saint X

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Saint X

Author: Alexis Schaitkin

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Categories: Murder Mystery, Adult, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Several days later, Alison’s body is found in a remote spot on a nearby cay, and two local men – employees at the resort – are arrested. But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. The story turns into national tabloid news, a lurid mystery that will go unsolved. For Claire and her parents, there is only the return home to broken lives.

Years later, Claire is living and working in New York City when a brief but fateful encounter brings her together with Clive Richardson, one of the men originally suspected of murdering her sister. It is a moment that sets Claire on an obsessive pursuit of the truth – not only to find out what happened the night of Alison’s death but also to answer the elusive question: Who exactly was her sister? At seven, Claire had been barely old enough to know her: a beautiful, changeable, provocative girl of eighteen at a turbulent moment of identity formation.

As Claire doggedly shadows Clive, hoping to gain his trust, waiting for the slip that will reveal the truth, an unlikely attachment develops between them, two people whose lives were forever marked by the same tragedy.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I went into this thinking it was a murder mystery where we find the clues to who murdered Alison, but I got something else.

Claire is an adult now but the death of her sister years ago still affects her and the people that were involved with the investigation. Instead of a real murder mystery, we are treated more to a look at the people that were affected by her death. There are news articles, witness statements, statements even from people who weren’t there but knew Alison. Claire runs into one of the people who was a suspect in Alison’s and she gets obsessed with wanting to find out what happened that night. What she comes away with is insight about her sister and man accused of committing the crime.

This was not the murder mystery I expected, but reading Alison’s journals and hearing accounts from people she came into contact was keeping me interested in this story! I did have to put this book down for a few days because I was bummed it was reading like a usual murder mystery but I’m glad I stuck it through.
I liked that we get to meet Clive, who was one of the last people to see Alison alive and we get to see his back story. Through him we get to know the island Saint X and the local lifestyle as we watch him and his best friend Edgar grow up. Clive hasn’t had an easy life, compared to Claire who grew up wealthy and privileged. But they both experience pain in their lives.
Alison is such an interesting character and we get to know her through her journals, videos, and personal accounts but in reality she was still so young and was finding herself.
I’m glad Claire got closure in a way – she had tried to avoid everything about Alison and her murder all her life, understandably since she was so young when it happened. What a traumatic event to go through and try to process. When she bumps into Clive out of the blue, it hashes up all the memories of what happened and the sister she thought she knew.
I think of all the characters in this book, Clive’s story was the strongest. His childhood, how he grew up on the island, how his mom abandoned him, meeting Alison and the night of the murder. Then there is the aftermath where he is living in NYC.

The ending was definitely unexpected! It’s sad how know one really knew the real Alison, she was still learning about herself too when she died.
There were times in the book I was slugging through and like I said, I even put it down for a few weeks. There are a lot of different accounts being told, sometimes randomly from a teacher of Alison’s or someone who barely knew her. The beginning is slow if you are expecting a usual murder mystery, and I seriously wanted to DNF this book but I didn’t. When we finally get to Clive’s story about what happened the night Alison died is when I was fully immersed in the story. This comes past the halfway mark!
Triggers: death

I almost gave up on this one but I’m glad I didn’t because in the end I did enjoy it. Don’t go into reading this thinking it’s a fast paced thriller murder mystery. It is more of a character study of Alison, the murder victim, and the people that are left behind with the aftermath of a traumatic event.

ARC Review | Foul is Fair

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Foul is Fair

Author: Hannah Capin

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: February 18, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary Sexual Assault, Rape Culture, Revenge, MacBeth Retelling, Murder

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Elle’s sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Elle as their next target.

They picked the wrong girl.

Sworn to vengeance, Elle transfers to St. Andrew’s. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She’ll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school’s hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.

Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Golden boys beware, for real! Here we have a crew of four mean girls, but on one special night when Jade (Elle before the party, Jade is what she is after…) is celebrating her sweet sixteen they crash a St. Andrew’s prep party and their lives are changed forever.

After the party we are in Jade’s head as she plots and plans the demise of the golden boys of St. Andrew’s prep that hurt her. Jade’s got a kill list and she’s crossing out names: Duncan, Banks, Duffy, Conner, Porter, Malcom, Mack and one girl, Piper. It is time for revenge, and these girls don’t play, their claws are out and they are ready to draw blood.

I learned this was a MacBeth retelling but I knew as I was reading the line “foul is fair, fair is foul” that it felt familiar. Jade’s best friends, Mads, Summer and Jenny are like the witches in MacBeth. Jade refers to them as her coven. They’ve had things done to them when they were younger and these girls learned to fight back and rule the school. They refuse to be victims and they take what they want. They make things happen, they ruin lives if anyone tries to come for them. Not only was MacBeth all over this story, I got Heathers vibes too (which I grew up with and love) and it also made me think of the new tv series Euphoria (I’m kind of obsessed). It’s like Euphoria, in the sense of how the story flows from Jade’s thoughts, memories of the party, and other events that take place.
This girl squad is tight, they are honest, they are all in and got each other’s backs. But I also loved that the revenge wasn’t only for Jade, but for all the girls who came before her. I know it was kind of sick with the murders but damn was I cheering them on.
I loved how the “house of cards” fell and how Jade plotted the downfall. I was scared for her and scared of her – but she and her friends took those St. Andrews boys and one girl down like bosses! How are these high school kids so vicious? It helps they are all the rich kids and have power, fast cars, big houses and parents that are hardly around it seems. And lawyers, they have lawyers on hand! So important!
The story is a powerful message about rape culture. Here we have these golden boys who, in real life, would probably get away with this behavior for the rest of their lives. There was no remorse in these boys, they took what they wanted…but here comes Jade who comes to take what is hers, reclaim the power that they stole from her. Jade plays them like puppets on a string! I was like, damnnnnn girl…I think a lot of us females have had enough so we resonate with her rage. And Jade wouldn’t have have been able to do all of this without the support of her friends who believed her. They didn’t see the rape happen, but they believed her 100%.
This story is in your face, and unapologetic. The writing is poetic, but sometimes just a few words left an impact. Jade is not a sweet girl – she is hell bent on her plans of revenge. She gives no F’s, she is ruthless, she’s scheming and ready to spill blood. The story is violent, and at times bloody. Jade manipulates Mack to get what she wants.
I think the author did a great job showcasing each character, especially Jade and the boys at St. Andrew’s prep that was involved and their strength and weaknesses.

There are so many triggers in this books: sexual assault, rape, rape culture, attempted suicide, murder for the sake of revenge, violence.
Because this book is so dark, it may not appeal to some readers, especially because Jade comes off as a psychopath, she’s getting high off these murders! Also I enjoyed the poetic writing but I can see how some readers would get confused with the metaphorical writing.
The way Jade uses Mack to take down the golden boys was at times, for me, not believable. He fell for her so fast and was willing, just because she smiled a certain way, whispered the right words, kissed him a lot, now he’s about to murder his friends? She was doing a lot of emotional manipulation on him, but it didn’t seem like she needed to try very hard. I definitely had to suspend my belief there and go with it.
What happens next to Jade?! I need to know.

Some books capture the sign of the times so perfectly and this book does it well. It’s the rage we feel these days with the MeToo movement, unleashed through Jade and her coven. Women are fighting back the powerful golden boys that have ruled for what seems like eons and it’s about time.

If you can handle the triggers in this book, I think it’s an intense, bold story that dares you not to look away from the damage rape culture can cause. I believe this is the first book in a series or duology, I’m not quite sure, but I am VERY curious to see what happens next after the ending of this book. I think this book could have stood strongly as a standalone already, but maybe we get to see how society paints Jade when they find out what happened to her and what she’s done in retaliation. Things could get intense, I look forward to reading the sequel.

ARC Review | The Raven and The Dove

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Raven and The Dove

Author: Kaitlyn Davis

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: Unknown for digital copy \ 506 for hardcover (according to Amazon.com)

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

A princess longing to be free…

On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon.

A bastard aching to belong…

Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him.

Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart…

Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her.

Thank you to Kaitlyn Davis and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Princess Lyana loves her home, the crystal city of Sepharia, where the House of Peace resides. Her people are doves and she is vivacious, beautiful, mischievous and knows how to get her way. She is undeniably magnetic to everyone around her. The courtship trials is about to take place and she will be wed to prince from another House. She’s prepared for this all her life despite that deep longing inside her to explore the world beyond her home.

Rafe is a raven and the bastard brother to Prince Lysander (Xander) of the House of Whispers. Rafe is standing in for his brother to win the hand of a princess for their house, but something happens and the plan backfires on Rafe and Xander in the most unexpected way.

But besides this courtship drama something bigger is happening to the land below the Sea of Mists. There is a prophecy and a King who needs Lyana for his Queen to save the world.

The world building is creative and unique. Here we an aviary kind of people, humans with bird wings living above the clouds on floating islands. There are seven houses, who’s mythology is based on seven Gods giving them their unique wings and Godstones. It’s an intricate world and in this first book we learn more about their world instead of the one below on land. I was engrossed with learning about each house. In this world above the clouds, magic is forbidden, if you have it, you are punished. And then there is the issue about the dragons which is very mysterious, but I think we learn more about them in book two. For now, dragons are these creatures wreaking havoc but we don’t know why.
There are secrets and betrayals in this book and some were frustrating yet kept me hooked to the story. The secrets with the romance story arc were pretty predictable and I was fine with that but the betrayal…oh the betrayal at the end got me like…😱, oh my heart. I was squeamish, shocked, and trying to understand why this was happening.
Lyana and Rafe are electric together and seem meant to be….BUT…there are two other people in Lyana’s life that will have an impact on their relationship. This is the first book and it seems like a love triangle is happening…but I can’t say it is for certain. We shall see what happens in the next book.
I care about the characters! Lyana comes off as a princess who knows how to get her way, but when she does get her way and it doesn’t turn out as she had hoped, she bounces back. Rafe is someone I feel for – the feeling of not belonging anywhere, not being allowed to want things or have the things he wants. 💔 What was done to him…gah, I can’t even think of it. Xander (Lysander) and his feelings of inadequacy because of his deformity. He’s a good guy, and he loves his brother but holds resentment too. And Cassi…..ohhhhhhhh Cassi.
Cassi gets her own bullet point because although Lyana is a big part of the story, Cassi’s role as Lyana’s best friend seems innocent at first but we learn Cassi is not who she says she is. Another secret, another betrayal but maybe the biggest of them all so far. I was lulled into thinking this was a princess choosing a mate story, but no…it got dark. It took a twist I wasn’t expecting at all.
There are four perspectives we get in this book and each of them were done very well. I felt all their angst, hopes, dreams and fears. I get a good feel for these four characters through their story telling.

The courtship of Lyana is what this book is mostly about, including the forbidden love with Rafe. But we are fed morsels about a prophecy and someone who will save the world, but save it from what? We meet a vague, mysterious character Malek and I can’t tell if he is good or bad yet. He is a king apparently, on land or at this moment, on the ocean. So much more to learn about him and this world on land.
The dragons are also vague in this story but they seem like the enemy. They wreak havoc on land and have been seen above the Sea of Mists, so we don’t know much about them.
Because we are mostly immersed in the aviary world in the sky, we don’t get a real sense of the magic use on land. It is elemental magic but the history and use of it is something I hope the next book will expand on.
Once again, because this is loosely based on Tristan & Isolde, there is forbidden love and I hope to goodness it ends well. Can it end well? After that ending, I don’t know. 😰
Triggers: violence

I did not expect to read this book in one sitting, but I did. I was engrossed in this unique world of bird people who knew nothing of the land below. This first book is mostly a set up for the rest of the series so if the plot seems thin I think it’s because there is much more to be revealed and a land world to build on. If you like forbidden love, courtship trials, dragons, magic, secrets and betrayal, you may want to check this title out. I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next one!

ARC Review | Heart of Flames

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Heart of Flames (Crown of Feathers, #2)

Author: Nicki Pau Preto

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 640

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Veronyka, Tristan, and Sev must stop the advancing empire from destroying the Phoenix Riders in this fiery sequel to Crown of Feathers, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake calls “absolutely unforgettable!”

You are a daughter of queens.

The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.

Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.

Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she’s supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka’s sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost—even if it means inciting the war herself.

Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.

As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire—and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they’re willing to go—and what they’re willing to lose in the process.

I pray you are able to pass through the flames.

Thank you to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Crown of Feathers, but for some reason, I could not get into this second book, Heart of Flames. Maybe it’s a mood read kind of thing, maybe I’ll reread in the future and enjoy it more.

Things pick up where it leaves off in book one. Val’s identity is revealed and the tension between the empire and the Phoenix Riders have grown. There is a spy, Sev, who is taking a very big risk. Tristan and Veronyka’s relationship grow further and my favorite characters, the phoenixes are back! This sequel is more in depth but for some reason failed to hold my attention.

I love the covers so far in this series, all that fire and flames. It’s gorgeous!
The phoenixes of course! They are my favorite part of the story because they are awesome beings who can communicate. Reading this series makes me want to be a phoenix rider too!
The world building is so detailed and vivid, the author does a good job at making it all come to life.
Veronyka and Tristan’s relationship is growing but it has it’s frustrating moments. The romance doesn’t overtake the story which is nice because they have a bigger mission at hand but it was nice to get more acknowledgement between them about their feelings. Also the other relationship that I enjoy a lot is Sev and Kade. Sev is taking a big risk being a spy and the two of them have gone through some tough events together. Love that they are together again in this book.

I was just bored reading this story. 😕 I was slugging through the beginning and started not to care about Veronyka and Val’s history. And for me this felt like too long a read, especially when my interest started to wane. I read the first book in one sitting, but this installment I picked up and put down so many times. 😞
There are many characters in this book and they are all pretty fleshed out which is great, but because it jumped from one perspective to the other, I lost interest. Usually, I enjoy different perspectives but for some reason this one didn’t cut it for me.

I skimmed a lot of the ending of this book unfortunately because I just wanted to finish but my interest was gone by the halfway mark. I might pick this up later again when I’m in the mood to read about phoenixes because that is my favorite part about this series, the magical creatures and their bond with their riders! But I know a lot of people will enjoy this sequel but for me, it fell flat.

ARC Review | Selected

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Title: Selected

Author: Barb Han

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Dystopia

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

After a polarized nation was broken by the threat of civil war, States have now become countries. And in New Maine, things have gotten worse.

Giving my family a better life is everything. And my selection to attend an elite prep school suddenly offers my family a dramatically different life—food on the table, a roof over their heads, and a fighting chance at a future.

Everything is going great until some of my friends begin ghosting me, and then disappear. Soon it becomes clear this “chance of a lifetime” isn’t the Holy Grail I was promised. And the attention from one of Easton’s elite has me questioning why a boy with a golden future wants to risk it by being seen with me.

But when I find out why I’m really at this school, I may have to trust him if I want to live.

Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Selected is set in a future America where the states are now countries. Tori goes to a private school where the rich kids still rule the school. Tori is smart, gifted and she gets to go to the school because she is sponsored. She falls in love with a boy, Caius who is from a wealthy family and happens to be the hottest guy at school. But while Tori is away at school, her brother Trevor gets into some trouble and she has to find out what it is.

The idea of a future America divided into countries was what intrigued me about this story. Unfortunately we don’t get a lot of world-building in that aspect. But the book cover is great.
I like a high school story where you have the usual hot boy/strange girl hook-up so this was it for the story for a good chunk of it until we get to the part of the story where Trevor (Tori’s brother) gets involved.
Tori is an intriguing character, she’s being sponsored to go to the school and has a high IQ. She dances and seems like a really good kid.

This book held my attention until I thought it was about Caius and Tori falling in love and nothing else because that’s what most of the beginning of the book is about. By the time Trevor is in the story I lost interest as to what he would be involved in.
The story was lacking something…suspense? A thrill? Not even the romance between Caius and Tori made my heart melt. I felt nothing! It’s a light dystopian read but maybe I wanted more because most dystopians I read are fast paced and filled with danger.

This one was not for me but I think if you like a light dystopian young adult book, there will be others who will enjoy this better than I did.

BLOG TOUR} Temporary Wife Temptation by. Jayci Lee

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Temporary Wife Temptation

Author: Jayci Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 224

Publication Date: February 4, 2020

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Fake Marriage

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Much more than he bargained for…
“You want me to find you a wife?”
“No. I want you to be my wife.”
Garrett Song is this close to taking the reins of his family’s LA fashion empire…until the Song matriarch insists he marry her handpicked bride first. To block her matchmaking, he recruits Natalie Sobol to pose
as his wife. She needs a fake spouse as badly as he does. But when passion burns down their chaste agreement, the flames could destroy them all…

Thank you to Harlequin Desire and NetGalley for a chance to be on this blog tour and providing me a copy of this eARC to read.

Temporary Wife Temptation is a fake marriage romance as an employee, Natalie, ends up married to her boss, Garrett, to help him out. The situation also helps Natalie who is trying to adopt her late sister’s daughter. What starts off fake becomes something real as Natalie and Garrett learn to navigate their agreement and their feelings before things come to an end for good.

This is a korean drama in the form of a book, but k-drama lite! My mom loves k-dramas and I used to watch them when I had more time on my hands but this book has all the drama on a light romance level, but heavy on the seduction!
I love the explanation about Korean family hierarchies and how grandparents are regarded. Garrett tries to buck convention when his grandma and the woman who helped start the family empire wants to arrange his marriage. Garrett and Natalie both have strong ties to their families, though Natalie has sadly lost her sister and now is trying to adopt her niece. It’s a sad situation but I love how family is important in this story.
Garrett and Natalie’s attraction grows right away, so fast actually, but this is a VERY short book, at 224 pages! So I can see why the sparks were happening so quick, though the actual sex in the story only happens after they get married and near the end of the book.
It’s a happily ever after, with not too many obstacles in the way. If there were any, the solutions were easily implemented.

It’s a quick story and everything seemed to fall into place when they should but at times it felt rushed.
The story focused on the attraction growing between Garrett and Natalie, so though there was some underhanded corporate espionage happening in the background, it was never a focus. When the fake couple who is turning into a real one becomes…FEELINGS are growing between them, the mini break-up they have didn’t seem major to me at all. It’s predictable – he will apologize and they will get back together. So there are no surprises in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this fake marriage story. It was a fast read, with some sizzle and there was a focus on family which I loved. This is the first book I’ve read from this author but I would definitely read more from her.

About the author JAYCI LEE: Jayci Lee writes poignant, funny, and sexy romance. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. She is semi-retired from her 15-year career as a defense litigator, and writes full-time now. She loves food, wine, and travelling, just like her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal. She hopes her books will do the same for you.

Book Review | Scythe

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Format: Paperback (owned)

Pages: 435

Categories: Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Young Adult

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.

I finally read Scythe and I’m glad I waited this long to read it while the hype has died down. But now I know why there was hype around it. It is a thought-provoking story and it made me question a lot of things.

Here we have a utopian society, where it’s “perfection” is basically taken care of by the Thunderhead. It’s what we know as the “cloud” right now but in Scythe it eventually becomes a sentient being. Isn’t that why people are afraid of AI? Well it comes true in this world of Scythe.

But there is one domain the Thunderhead cannot intervene and it’s in the process of gleaning or killing for the sake of population control. Scythes are experts in the art of killing because it is their job to keep the human population under control, because in this future time, immortality has been achieved through science. When Citra and Rowan become apprentices to become a scythe they know only one of them will get the job. They train under different scythes and learn about killing but they also find out there are some serious issues going on in the Scythedom.

This story made me think and question many issues like immortality and if we ever achieve it. It is all achieved in Scythe and yes I had to suspend my belief a lot because I barely know anything about nanites (though I’ve heard of it before). It’s crazy, and wondrous to think immortality can be achieved through science and yet as you read the book…it gets a bit frightening too. Because humans experience boredom and even in the story we have a teen jumping off rooftops, getting a good “splat” and being revived. Over and over again…and I was like…say what? 😳
This book is about killing, because it is the Scythe’s job to glean. It’s a sacred job to some and others take it very to the next level of crazy but I thought it was interesting to see how different the scythes were in their methods of gleaning, their approach to gleaning and what they believe is their purpose when gleaning. They make the choice of WHO gets gleaned, and in our day and age, we’d say they are playing God. Scythe Goddard definitely thought he was a god. 😒
I enjoyed the twists and turns in the story. It moved the story along. The beginning of story was a bit slow because of the world building and Citra and Rowan going through training but I didn’t mind that. I found myself enjoying the slow reading.
I like how we get two apprentices that give us a glimpse into how different scythes go about their business. But I was bummed for Rowan going through what he did. 😞

Triggers: KILLING. And I mean, suicide (of course they get revived), all manners of killing with knives, guns, poison, flamethrowers, mass killings. Abuse. I didn’t think I could read this book because of the subject matter.
Citra and Rowan’s romance – if you are looking for a love story in this book – this book isn’t it. Their relationship grows but it’s kind of unnecessary to make them fall for each other, yet they do declare their love for each other. There are no romantic parts whatsoever.
Did I connect with the characters? Not on a deep level, I felt the most for Rowan because he got a bad deal with Scythe Goddard. And he changed a whole lot in the book. He is probably my favorite character.

Even with all it’s imperfections, this story stays with you, at least it did with me. I love how it made me question our lives as humans and also wonder about the future of AI and a world of immortality (not through vampiric means, which to me is WAY more romantic 😂). Would I want to reset my age to 21 again, three times over? What would I do with all that time? And the scythes…oh man, I would not want to become one and I wouldn’t want to be in a room with one. As for Citra and Rowan’s journey, I need to see what happens to Rowan and I need to learn more about the Thunderhead. How did it come to be? I have so many questions and with that said, I’ll be reading Thunderhead right away! I think I did good finding these two books on discount from Bookoutlet! 💃🏻

Mini Reviews | Vampire Towers Series by. Kelly St. Clare

Hi Everyone! So I read this one back to back and book three comes out in March, so these will be a mini review.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Blood Trial (Vampire Towers #1)

Author: Kelly St. Clare

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 475

Categories: Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Adult Fiction

The dice are rolled at midnight.

As the twenty-one-year-old heiress to the Le Spyre fortune, my life should consist of strawberry mojitos and golf carts. Right?

But I’m determined to forge my own path.

Desperate to escape the meaningless games of the rich, I flee my family’s estate.

Secret alias—check.
Place to sleep—uh, kind of?
Job—crap!

I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, but that’s the least of my worries.

My city is a giant board game. The players are supernatural— freakin’ vampires—including an overbearing crown prince whose unwanted attention could spell my demise.

Now, I must play their deadly game, or my grandmother and best friend will pay the ultimate price.

This is another Kindle Unlimited title by indie author Kelly St. Clare and I have to say I was in the mood for some vampire urban fantasy novel.

What I Liked:

It’s a different take on a vampire novel…there are two old, wealthy vampire families competing and playing a game, think Monopoly. Yes, they roll dice when it is their turn and buy property. Sound confusing? Oh I’m still a little confused, two books in, but I’m rolling with it because it’s different! The winner gets to live, the losing family…DIES. The city they are playing for IS real…and human and heiress Basilia, or Basil to some, and Bas to others…lives in. She gets caught in the middle of this crazy game.
The vampire prince, Kyros, is a hottie of course with major alpha male tendencies. And yes they are attracted to one another but Bas and Kyros go through blood exchange that has a consequences, three days of a thrall, which makes them lust for each other on a crazy level. It’s hot…but also…kinda weird because his vampire siblings has seen Bas naked…A LOT. 🤣 But she doesn’t care.
Bas is…young, so she can be naive due to how she was brought up – filthy rich. I mean she’s twenty one, she’s just been really sheltered. And thank goodness for her best friend Tommy. Love her! Tommy is real with Bas and Bas doesn’t have many people in her life. I love how close they are.
Super fast read and entertaining if you like urban fantasy stories. Hot, slow burn attraction between Kyron and Bas. And it’s a cliff-hanger ending but book two is published so that’s good!

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:

Kyros’ alpha male can be a but much at times – but he’s a vampire…so you kinda gotta let the guy be.
The dice game is a bit confusing, it supposed to be high stakes and I get that. But as long as I remember it is like Monopoly, then I just go with the flow.
What is up with Kyros’ family always seeing Bas naked during a thrall? LOL…vampires! 🤦🏻‍♀️
I didn’t get some of the lingo in the book, only because I thought it was British or Aussie slang, but I see the author is from New Zealand, so it’s probably slang from there? Which I am clueless about.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Vampire Debt (Vampire Towers, #2)

Author: Kelly St. Clare

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 412

Categories: Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Adult Fiction

Vampire royals strategise at 2 a.m.

Last week, I inherited every cent of the multi-billion-dollar Le Spyre estate.

But tequila is far easier to swallow than the coincidence of my beloved grandmother’s death.

I’m over this supernatural game, yet walking away from Kyros isn’t simple with the damn mate thing on the cards.

The Indebted need my help. My grandmother deserves justice. And, uhm, the third blood exchange did something to me.

It’s official. I’m done playing by paranormal rules. I’m making my own–and playing to win. Because if I enter Ingenium on my terms, there’s no turning back.

Winning is the only option.

What I Liked:

Bas and Kyros finally hook up – I mean, I’m all for the slow burn but their moments in thrall was putting them over the edge and when they finally have sex I was like, okay, glad THAT’S out of the way now. 😅
We learn more about Bas’ grandmother and we move into her former life as an heiress. We get insight into where Bas grew up and how she grew up.
Kyros’ siblings are interesting characters. It was funny to see how they try and do matchmaking between Kryos and Bas by irritating Kyros.
Bas shows she has more power now that she is back in charge of the Le Spyre wealth and out from under Kyros’ thumb. She has an ulterior motive but it’s nice to see her in charge for a change. I like that she is the championed of the Indebted (basically vampire slaves).

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:

Bas is in charge but she was also kind of whiny and irritating. I get that her relationship with Kyros is mostly because of the thrall and he’s done some shady things but it’s a lot of back and forth between them. I kind of want her to make up her mind already.
The story lagged for me in the middle – but maybe because I read the books back to back so I felt like I was reading 800 pages instead of just 400? LOL…maybe I just needed a break from Kyros and Bas’ crazy relationship.
I’m pretty sure Bas is going to fall in love with Kyros and turned into a vampire. I mean…it’s heading there right?! As for who wins this Monopoly game (which at times seems silly to me haha), we shall see in the next book.

Triggers:

Blood, violence, alpha male losing his temper.

So far, I liked the first book better than the second, yet I liked seeing Bas get some control back in the second book. It’s an entertaining take on vampires playing Monopoly (I know that sounds weird) but just go with it. We shall see what happens in the third book!

Book Review | Faking Ms. Right

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Faking Ms. Right (Dirty Martini Running Club #1)

Author: Claire Kingsley

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 303

Categories: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary

“When I kissed you last night, I wasn’t pretending.”

Everly Dalton is a walking, talking, martini-drinking dating disaster. Forget kissing frogs. She can’t even get past the first date. But at work, she’s a badass—the longest-running assistant billionaire Shepherd Calloway has ever had. Her coworkers wonder how she handles the big bad wolf—and never gets bit.

Shepherd Calloway isn’t interested in being anyone’s sugar daddy. Tired of women who only want him for his money, he swears off dating, determined to focus on running his empire. Until his gold-digging ex hits him where it hurts, putting him in a difficult position.

His solution—to have Everly pose as his live-in girlfriend—is obviously crazy. But the timing is uncanny. It just so happens Everly needs a favor from her boss—a big and awkward one—and this could ensure everyone gets what they want.

Besides, Everly can totally survive a few months of faux romance.

Except there’s a problem. Shepherd is supposed to be a single-minded, unemotional robot boss. Not an actual human with a heart and morning wood. Between the awkward bed-sharing and tingly fake dates, lines are blurring. And as Everly gets to know the real Shepherd, she discovers there’s more to the man behind the bank account.

And faking it gets all too real.

Faking Ms. Right is a hot, STAND-ALONE romantic comedy.

It’s been awhile since I went into my Kindle Unlimited subscription to find an eBook. I was in the mood for a fake-relationship trope and I got it with Faking Ms. Right!

Everly comes off as perfect, perky, and nothing can dull her shine, but underneath she is made of steel…with a smile.

Her boss Shepherd is hard to get to know, Everly is there as his assistant and runs his daily work schedule competently. Until one night, Shepherd needs her to go beyond her assistant duties and fake being his girlfriend to save face in front of his ex-girlfriend.

Everly does her “job” perfectly but she’s also falling for her boss, and he is falling for her. This can’t turn out good…or can it? It definitely can.

Everly is Miss Positive, a ray of sunshine that was refreshing to me! She’s charming, and sweet but can stand her ground if need be. I like that she can make the best out of a bad situation.
Everly’s best friends, Nora and Hazel are hilarious, mostly Nora who is that girlfriend who is outspoken. They were so fun and it showed a side to Everly that did enjoy letting loose and having fun. But having those girlfriends get her through her tough times or them knowing she was going to fall for Shepherd and was going to be for her anyway, that’s friendship goals!
Diversity was present with Everly’s sister who had a wife and Shepherd’s brother had a husband. That was nice to see and why was I so emotional at the end when Shepherd’s brother and Everly’s sister had a “moment”? Ugh! It was a good moment and it made my heart happy.
Everly and Shepherd’s relationship I thought evolved nicely, from fake to an attraction they couldn’t deny. I mean, I can’t blame her after he lets her in. The thing I liked about Shepherd was that he wasn’t arrogant, even if he was a “billionaire”, his money status wasn’t a focus of this book. He was private and closed off yes (due to some past parental stuff) – but you could tell he cared about his brother and dad a lot.
There are steamy sex scenes in this one with a touch of kinky. Haha…not too much, but hey it’s definitely a fun time between Everly and Shepherd!

Of course it IS a fake-relationship trope and you already know they will get together so it was predictable but I loved it anyway.
Now Shepherd moves Everly into his home to make their relationship more believable and I thought wow…they are really going all in with this. I mean, couldn’t he just say he was dating her without the whole moving in thing? But I understood why it happened. Plus it made the tension and attraction between them grow much faster!

This was exactly what I needed to get me out of a fantasy slump. It’s always refreshing to switch genres and this one has a happily ever after, definitely what I was looking for! I love all the characters in this book except Svetlana of course. I want Nora and Hazel’s stories to be written too – it would be interesting to see what kind of guy they would end up with. (Actually, I see that Hazel’s story was just published!! So I will be reading that very soon.) 😍 I’m very excited to continue reading about these fun characters.