#5OnMyTBR: Title Starting with an ‘E’

Hi everyone! Whoops looks like I forgot to do a whole month of these! 😅 Let’s get back to it…

I saw this one Chonky Books and thought it would be a fun add to my blog. #5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook and you can learn more about it here or in the post announcing it. It occurs every Monday when we post about 5 books on our TBR.

This week’s theme is: Title Starting with an ‘E’

Title: Empire of the Vampire

Author: Jay Kristoff

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order couldn’t stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:

The Holy Grail.


Title: Extasia

Author: Claire Legrand

Her name is unimportant.

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain–an evil which has already killed nine of her village’s men.

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother’s shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?


Title: Elektra

Author: Jennifer Saint

The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?


Title: The Empire Gold

Author: S.A. Chakraborty

The final chapter in the Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

Daevabad has fallen.

After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.

But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.

Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.

As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.


Title: Everywhere You Want to Be

Author: Christina June

From author Christina June comes Everywhere You Want to Be, a modern tale inspired by the classic Red Riding Hood.

Matilda Castillo has always done what she was told, but when she gets injured senior year, she watches her dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer slip away. So when Tilly gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the summer with a New York dance troupe, nothing can stop her from saying yes–not her mother, not her fears of the big city, and not the commitment she made to Georgetown. Tilly’s mother allows her to go on two conditions: one, Tilly will regularly visit her abuela in New Jersey, and two, after the summer, she’ll give up dancing and go off to college.

Armed with her red vintage sunglasses and her pros and cons lists, Tilly strikes out, determined to turn a summer job into a career. Along the way she meets new friends … and new enemies. Tilly isn’t the only one desperate to dance, and fellow troupe member Sabrina Wolfrik intends to succeed at any cost. But despite dodging sabotage and blackmail attempts from Sabrina, Tilly can’t help but fall in love with the city, especially since Paolo, a handsome musician from her past, is also calling New York home for the summer.

As the weeks wind down and the competition with Sabrina heats up, Tilly’s future is on the line. She must decide whether to follow her mother’s path to Georgetown or leap into the unknown to pursue her own dreams.

Are any of these on your TBR list?

>>>>>

October

  • 02/10/2023 — Murder
  • 09/10/2023 — Gothic
  • 16/10/2023 — Apples & Pumpkins
  • 23/10/2023 — Title Starting with an ‘E’
  • 30/10/2023 — Halloween Freebie

Goodreads Monday: Witch of Wild Things

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: Witch of Wild Things

Author: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Pages: 320

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 9/12/23

Synopsis:

 

Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.

Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.

What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.

With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 10/22/23

Aloha friends!

I didn’t have a busy week but I don’t know where my time went! I think my heart has been heavy with all the things happening around the world. 😔

Also I am busy planning our Osaka, Japan trip which is in 4 weeks. My mom is having her procedure to remove her cancer (they found it on her ureter) this week so I’ve been thinking about that and wondering if she will be okay to come on the trip. Oh and I’m trying to get back to working out and eat better because my blood pressure was a little bit higher in my last doctor appointment. SO yeah I gotta work on that – self care and all that! That means I’ve been more tired so I think I finished only one book this past week. I’ve been reading slow…

I’m hoping I get get through more reading this week, but we shall see. Anyway, hope you have a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:


Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

+ Baseball – Phillies are still in it!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Swarm by. Jennifer D. Lyle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Swarm

Author: Jennifer D. Lyle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 11/7/23

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Survival

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

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sixteen year-old Shur is one of the first to see the creatures. While staring out the window in history class, she spots one floating over the soccer field. It looks like a monarch butterfly—but it’s huge. Within minutes, her classmates’ phones are buzzing with emergency alerts. These things are everywhere, and though nobody’s exactly sure why the alerts are telling them to take cover, Shur knows it can’t be good. It’s only when she’s left school and headed home that she what the creatures do: they attack.

By the time Shur, her two brothers, and their two best friends make it back to her house, it’s clear the five of them must survive whatever comes next on their own.

As the “butterflies”—new hybrid creatures thought to be created by climate change—multiply and swarm outside, anxiety-prone Shur focuses on what she can control: boarding up windows, stocking food, and preparing a shelter in the basement. They lose internet and power while vigilantes create terror outside. Meanwhile the creatures begin to fulfill their ultimate purpose: multiplying via parasitic load, and before long, the butterflies aren’t the only thing trying to get in. To protect her family and survive the invasions, Shur must find the strength to protect their sanctuary at any cost.

Content Warning: body horror, violence, big bugs

I was so curious about this book because of the cover and title. Scary butterflies? How?! Butterflies are such beautiful creatures!

And then I read the book and yes I can imagine huge, people sized butterflies being creepy and scary especially with their legs and other body parts that isn’t their wings. Shur, along with her family and friends rush home after seeing a swarm of these butterflies in the sky at school. But it’s not only at their school – apparently it’s taking over the world and being bit from you makes you turn into a very scary, nasty creature. They get holed up at their house trying to survive without adults, without electricity, and just whatever they have.

I think teens who like horror and survival stories will love this books. It’s got some gory parts especially when they have to fight off whoever is trying to come into the house. I felt like how the kids survived was realistic and brave of them really. There was definitely a reference to COVID in here and we all remember how the world basically went on lockdown in 2020 and that’s what this book kind of felt like, minus scary butterflies outside out doors. COVID was the scary butterfly for us.

There wasn’t much explanation for the creatures in the book but I just went along for the wild ride this story took me on.

My Thoughts:

This one definitely gave me flashbacks of being in lockdown during COVID but I think I’d rather deal with that than carnivorous butterflies! The teen characters did a pretty good job surviving without any adults around. The story has scary butterflies, zombies, and killing said creatures with whatever they go, so if you like some gore, you will like this one. This one will appeal to teens, the younger YA crowd who likes horror and survival stories.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Books About Haunted Houses

You know, I don’t mind horror but I think the one thing that terrifies me is a book about a haunted house. Monsters I can deal with, murder I can deal with but haunted houses awaken that fear of me I had as a child watching Poltergeist and yes I watched all of them (mostly because my older boy cousins loved horror and we lived all in one house so they picked the movies!). I did read The Shining by Stephen King, but that’s a hotel so I was fine with that. But haunted house stories I kind of stay away from but maybe one day I’ll be brave to read these..🏚🎃


Delicious Monsters by. Liselle Sambury

The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.

Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…

A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?

As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.


How to Sell a Haunted House by. Grady Hendrix

Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…


The Amityville Horror by. Jay Anson

28 Days of Terror in a House Possessed by Evil Spirits

In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their dream home, the same home where Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers and sisters just one year earlier.

The psychic phenomena that followed created the most terrifying experience the Lutz family had ever encountered, forcing them to flee the house in 28 days, convinced that it was possessed by evil spirits.

Their fantastic story, never before disclosed in full detail, makes for an unforgettable book with all the shocks and gripping suspense of The Exorcist, The Omen or Rosemary’s Baby, but with one vital difference…the story is true.


The Haunting of Hill House by. Shirley Jackson

It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.


Our Share of Night by. Mariana Enriquez

A woman’s mysterious death puts her husband and son on a collision course with her demonic family.

A young father and son set out on a road trip, devastated by the death of the wife and mother they both loved. United in grief, the pair travel to her ancestral home, where they must confront the terrifying legacy she has bequeathed: a family called the Order that commits unspeakable acts in search of immortality.

For Gaspar, the son, this maniacal cult is his destiny. As the Order tries to pull him into their evil, he and his father take flight, attempting to outrun a powerful clan that will do anything to ensure its own survival. But how far will Gaspar’s father go to protect his child? And can anyone escape their fate?

Moving back and forth in time, from London in the swinging 1960s to the brutal years of Argentina’s military dictatorship and its turbulent aftermath, Our Share of Night is a novel like no other: a family story, a ghost story, a story of the occult and the supernatural, a book about the complexities of love and longing with queer subplots and themes. This is the masterwork of one of Latin America’s most original novelists, “a mesmerizing writer,” says Dave Eggers, “who demands to be read.”


With or Without You by. Eric Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: With or Without You

Author: Eric Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 11/7/23

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Rivalry, Coming of Age

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

Thank you to Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

New from Eric Smith comes a delightful YA rom-com about two teens caught in the middle of their families’ orchestrated rivalry between their Philly cheesesteak food trucks.

All’s fair in love and (food truck) war.

Everyone knows Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz hate each other.

According to many viral videos of their public shouting matches, the Plazas and Ortiz families have a well-known food truck rivalry. Jordan and Cindy have spent all of high school making cheesesteaks and slinging insults at each other across their shared Philadelphia street.

But the truth? They’re in love, and it’s all just an act for the tourists.

When the fake feud lands them a reality tv show pilot, Jordan and Cindy find themselves having to lie on a much bigger scale. Trapped between pursuing their dreams or their love, can they find a way to have their cheesesteak and eat it too?

Content Warning:

I have a husband who was born and raised in Philly so I love books that are set there because I get to learn more about the city and culture. We get a lot of the culture in this book through Jordan who is a Philly boy and then the other perspective through his girlfriend, Cindy, a transplant from Boston, MA. They both run a food truck and they have a rivalry going on between them when they are outside but in secret they have been together for awhile. When a television company wants to do a show on the rivalry, things start to unravel.

Jordan and Cindy already have an established relationship, so I thought this book did a good job showcasing the different challenges a young relationship could face when both parties are about to start their lives after high school. Jordan has a dream that he and Cindy will do a road trip together and run a food truck. But Cindy has dreams of actually returning to Boston, her hometown, and go to college. With all the secrecy going on, trying to hide their relationship from the public – they realize they were keeping secrets themselves…well actually mostly Cindy. I felt bad that these teens couldn’t be together without lying to the public and on camera. I don’t read a lot of books where the couple is already together so I thought this was different but in a good way. Thing is you don’t get the falling in love feels in this book, but more the -“I love you, let’s fight for our relationship” vibes instead.

I did wish Cindy could have told Jordan right away what she was feeling but it’s not always easy. And I was surprised with Jordan – yes he should have listened to Cindy and realized the food truck business was not her passion, but he was pretty forgiving of her after some things went down. I felt like that showed both of them were pretty mature for their age and were in it for the long haul, which is heartwarming. I like how they made it work in the end.

There are other themes in this book other than Jordan and Cindy’s relationship. The story explores how their families went into debt from their small businesses and how they dealt with that challenge. Some of that burden falls on Jordan and Cindy’s shoulders, but they deal with it in different ways, just like their parents.

Tropes: secret lovers, family rivalry

My Thoughts:

Instead of a falling in love type of romance, we get an established relationship between two teens who hit a few road bumps in their relationship, but they decide to fight to make it work. I loved that the story is set in Philly, and that it’s a story based around one of their favorite foods, cheesesteaks. It definitely made me hungry! All the characters are vibrant and unique and I liked the themes about family, debt and belonging. I like how both Jordan and Cindy are coming of age and really have to make some big decisions about their lives, with or without the other. I enjoyed this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLOG TOUR} ARC Review | Don’t Read the Comments ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


BLOG TOUR} You Can Go Your Own Way by. Eric Smith | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Powerless by. Lauren Roberts | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Powerless

Author: Lauren Roberts

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 593

Publication Date: 11/7/23

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy

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

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This sparkling edition will include a special case stamping, bonus content, and a teaser to book two in this heart-pounding series!

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, this young adult fantasy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other.

She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole live pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is…completely Ordinary.

Content Warning: violence, death

It looks like this book was published in January 2023 but is getting another publication date in November, so I was intrigued by it because of the cover. I never heard of Lauren Roberts even though I’m on BookTok but after looking at some Goodreads reviews, it seems this book got popular because of BookTok so I was curious about it.

This book definitely takes inspiration from The Hunger Games and Red Queen. Paedyn lives in the slums but she gets recruited into the Purging Trials, where she has to fend off the competitors. Everyone in the kingdom either has a power or are Ordinary, a person without power and Ordinaries are killed right away. It’s a brutal kingdom and Paedyn is trying to survive. She’s also trying to avenge her father’s memory and does that by finding the resistance and helping them.

Of course it’s not a romantasy without some romance and Paedyn and Prince Kai are opponents in the Trials but wildly attracted to one another. There is lots of tension but this is a SLOW burn. Like super slow. There is a lot of flirtation and Kai likes to call her darling which I thought was cheesy but their banter was fun. Thing is Kai’s older brother Kitt, and future heir of the kingdom is falling for Paedyn too and oh no do I hate the brothers love triangle trope. Kai is crazy about her, but doesn’t think he deserves her because he is the future Enforcer – basically the King’s henchmen. He is a killer. Anyway the thing with Kitt reminds me a lot about Maven in the Red Queen.

I wasn’t loving the book but it was one of those situations where you know its starting to get messy and you can’t look away! I’d love to have more world-building. The trials were alright, and I don’t know how people didn’t keep testing Paedyn for her “Psychic” powers which is such a weak power. Somebody could have exposed her right away, but they just forgot about it as everyone using every power they had in the trials. I didn’t care for how Kitt was falling for her when clearly Kai was so interested in her and he knew that but I did like the twist and crazy events that happened in the end. Goodreads says this book clocks in at 593 pages but me eARC ended at 468? I think it took me two days to read but I did find it a quick read.

Tropes: slow burn, rivals to lovers, enemies to lovers, girl with no powers

Why you should read it:

  • you like Hunger Games type of stories
  • lots of angst and romance drama, slow burn, tension

Why you might not want to read it:

  • definitely Hunger Games “lite”
  • wasn’t a big fan of the writing

My Thoughts:

I did find this book entertaining because of the similarities to The Hunger Games and I liked the ending but I had some issues with it too like I wasn’t connecting with the writing sometimes and ok Kai’s very charming (he’s sexy and he knows it kinda guy) but something about him always saying darling got on my nerves. But I think I’ll be reading book two because of that ending. I’d say this was an okay read with lots of potential.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

King of Pride by. Ana Huang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: King of Pride (Kings of Sin, #2)

Author: Ana Huang

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 358

Publication Date: 4/27/23

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Opposites Attract

She’s his opposite in every way…and the greatest temptation he’s ever known.

Reserved, controlled, and proper to a fault, Kai Young has neither the time nor inclination for chaos—and Isabella, with her purple hair and inappropriate jokes, is chaos personified.

With a crucial CEO vote looming and a media empire at stake, the billionaire heir can’t afford the distraction she brings.

Isabella is everything he shouldn’t want, but with every look and every touch, he’s tempted to break all his rules…and claim her as his own.

***

Bold, impulsive, and full of life, Isabella Valencia has never met a party she doesn’t like or a man she couldn’t charm…except for Kai Young.

It shouldn’t matter. He’s not her type—the man translates classics into Latin for fun, and his membership at the exclusive club where she bartends means he’s strictly off limits.

But she can’t deny that, beneath his cool exterior, is a man who could make her melt with just a touch.

No matter how hard they try, they can’t resist giving into their forbidden desires.

Even if it costs them everything.

King of Pride is a steamy opposite attract, forbidden billionaire romance. It’s book two in the Kings of Sin series but can be read as a standalone.

Contains explicit content and profanity. Recommended for mature readers only.

Content Warning:

I have finally read King of Pride which is the second book in the Kings of Sin series and follows Isabella and Kai from book one! It took me awhile to finish this one not because it’s bad but because of my mood swings. So here’s what I thought:

+ I was intrigued by Kai and Isabella in book one, King of Wrath, because we get introduced to them there and there is definitely some interest between them – especially on Kai’s part I think. These two are complete opposites! Isabella is vivacious, a bit flighty, still searching for her path in life. Kai is controlled, sticks to his goals, doesn’t show much emotion and likes to win.

+ I like how Kai wasn’t a total alpha male. I felt like he gave Isabella space even though there were times he would feel some jealousy. And honestly once he admitted to himself how he liked her he was all in. Also he was a comforting figure when Isabella didn’t believe in herself. He’s smart, open to trying new things (with Isabella) and honestly this man was not afraid of his feelings for her which I appreciated! It was Isa who was afraid.

+ Isabella is a Filipina which is cool! Love the representation and I could totally relate to her family dynamics.

+ Their love story is sweet and spicy. The conflict was mostly about their separate lives and how to bridge it but I thought it was cute seeing them grow as friends and then taking the leap as lovers. And yes there are very spicy scenes that I was not expecting out of Kai! lol…he does seem like someone who is straight forward but I like how he had his little kinky moments.

~ I know Isabella having low self-esteem and struggling through life is realistic but the story of her ex boyfriend was a little dramatic and I kind of laughed because it was so out of left field! It’s not a funny story but – Like, what girl?! You’ve been hiding that story in you all this time? 🤦🏻‍♀️ It wasn’t needed and was only mentioned once! She was having enough trouble just figuring out her career and path in life and comparing herself to her successful brothers.

~ I felt like this book didn’t have that romance angst as the first one so it didn’t seem as passionate as Dante and Vivian but I still enjoyed it. There were no games between Isa and Kai – I really do love that about them.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked how different Isa and Kai are from Dante and Vivian and honestly Kai is a great guy. He’s the boring, driven, but caring guy who goes all in for the woman he loves! If you like the opposites attract trope then you will enjoy this one. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

King of Wrath by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 10/18/23

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Okay I didn’t finish many books this past week because Throne of the Fallen took up my days. It actually took me 3 or 4 days to read that one! Not that it’s bad, but it’s a long one, clocking in at 627 pages. I remember buying it as an ebook but then I went to Barnes & Nobles with my kids a couple days ago and I saw it on the table and gasped because the cover was so pretty. But then I saw how thick it was and was relieved I bought the ebook. I just cannot read a thick tome of a book anymore – it kills my wrists and it’s a problem trying to read in bed at night with a book that thick. And I don’t have daylight hours to devote to reading so ebooks are where it’s at for me. Though I still want the book for my shelf just because it looks pretty lol…

What are you currently reading?

Plot Twist by. Erin La Rosa – I’m about 10% into it.

This Cursed Light by. Emily Thiede – I’m only 4% into this one.

Didn’t See That Coming by. Jesse Q. Sutanto – Just started this one but I’m at 11% – will probably read this one the quickest because there is no dense world building to get through and it’s YA so that is usually a quick read for me.

Starling House by. Alix E. Harrow – I just got this one on my online library and I’m excited to read it!

What have you just finished reading?

Throne of the Fallen by. Kerri Maniscalco ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

King of Pride by. Ana Huang ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What are you going to read next?

Artifacts of an Ex by. Jennifer Chen

Two Twisted Crowns by. Rachel Gillig

Her Dark Wings by. Melinda Salisbury

What are you reading right now?

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 10/17/23

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

Two Twisted Crowns by. Rachel Gillig

In the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she’s wrought – perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson’s The Year of the Witching.

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.

And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head. The Nightmare. And he’s not eager to share any longer.

Goodreads | Amazon


Unholy Terrors by. Lyndall Clipstone

A bloodstained tale of a girl torn between her vows and her heart, where falling in love may be the deepest sin of all…

Everline Blackthorn has devoted her life to the wardens—a sect of holy warriors who guard against monsters known as the vespertine.

When a series of strange omens occur, Everline disobeys orders to investigate, and uncovers a startling truth in the form of Ravel Severin: a rogue vespertine who reveals the monsters have secrets of their own.

Ravel promises the help she needs— for a price. Vespertine magic requires blood, and if Everline wants Ravel to guide across the dangerous moorland, she will have to allow him to feed from her.

It’s a sin for a warden to feed a vespertine— let alone love one— and as Everline and Ravel travel further across the moorland, she realizes the question isn’t whether she will survive the journey, but if she will return unchanged. Or if she wants to.

Goodreads | Amazon


The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young

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

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

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

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

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

Goodreads | Amazon


Flower and Thorn by. Rati Mehrotra

One girl. One boy.
A promise broken.
A magic stolen.

Irinya has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily–said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat an entire army–Irinya knows this is their chance for a better life.

Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive imposter.

Irinya’s fight to recover the priceless flower and to fix what she’s done takes her on a dangerous journey, one she’s not sure she’ll survive. She has no choice but to endure it if she hopes to return home and mend the broken heart of the boy she’s left behind.

Goodreads | Amazon


Friends Don’t Fall in Love by. Erin Hahn

Erin Hahn’s Friends Don’t Fall in Love is about long-time friends, taking chances, and finding out that, sometimes, your perfect person was right there in your corner all along.

Lorelai Jones had it a thriving country music career and a superstar fiancé. Then she played one teenie tiny protest song at a concert and ruined her entire future, including her impending celebrity marriage. But five years later, she refuses to be done with her dreams and calls up the one person who stuck by her, her dear friend and her former fiancé’s co-writer and bandmate, Craig.

Craig Boseman’s held a torch for Lorelai for years, but even he knows the backup bass player never gets the girl. Things are different now, though. Craig owns his own indie record label and his songwriting career is taking off. If he can confront his past and embrace his gifts, he might just be able to help Lorelai earn the comeback she deserves―and maybe win her heart in the process.

But when the two reunite to rebuild her career and finally scratch that itch that’s been building between them for years, Lorelai realizes a lot about what friends don’t do. For one, friends don’t have scratch-that-itch sex. They also don’t almost-kiss on street corners, publish secret erotic poetry about each other, have counter-top sex, write songs for each other, have no-strings motorcycle sex, or go on dates. And they sure as heck don’t fall in love… right?

Goodreads | Amazon

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!