Book Review | The Kingdom of Back

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Kingdom of Back

Author: Marie Lu

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 336

Categories: Magical Realism, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart. 

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she’ll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age—her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

And as Nannerl’s hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true—but his help may cost her everything.

I did not know what to expect when I borrowed this book. I wasn’t loving the title and this was going to be something new as the author had not written historical fiction before. I only read one series from her and that was Warcross.

But I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Nannerl Mozart is Wolfgang’s older sister, the one we never hear about since Mozart basically equals Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. But he had an older sister and one who was accomplished at playing the clavier as well!

This story delves into her life but takes on a fantastical and magical twist. Nannerl wants to be seen too, she wants to be acknowledged as an accomplished talent as much as her brother is, but in a world dominated by men, she is second place. Then she makes a bargain with a magical being who promises he can make her immortal. Will all her dreams come true if she bargains with this stranger? Or will she lose herself and her brother?

  • I was skeptical of the magical realism in this book but hello…Marie Lu’s writing sucked me into this story so bad! It’s written like a fairy tale and it was so lush. The author’s love of Mozart and the music comes through into the writing as well. As someone who took piano lessons and was a big fan of Beethoven, I get her obsession with Mozart. These musicians made music that have lasted throughout time and it is magical.
  • The world building is wonderful especially since we get to travel with the Mozart family all over Europe. Today a popular musician would make millions and travel in style, but back then the Mozarts were just trying to make ends meet as their father’s ambition grew. It’s kind of a sad story.
  • It’s a story about a woman’s place in society, hundreds of years ago but it resonates in our time as well. Nannerl is talented but she’s a girl, which means she’s expected to listen, obey, be demure and marry at eighteen. She knows she will have to put away all her talent for composing after she is married.
  • Nannerl and her relationship with Wolferl is a beautiful yet complicated sibling relationship. They both are so talented and want to impress the world with their music. They also want the affection of their father who treats them like work horses to pay the family’s rent. 😒
  • Hyacinth – the liar. He did well playing both sides and it is revealed in the end of the story what he was truly after but yeah…he was a charmer wasn’t he? But I didn’t fall for it! Hyacinth’s world was well built and I enjoyed the tasks that he had Nannerl undertake. It just made me think of the Grimm fairytales or like Rumplestiltskin and stories in that vein.
  • The title explanation! After reading the book, now I love the title – it’s perfect!
  • At times I was so into the realistic side of Nannerl’s life, I almost wished it was pure historical fiction. But I think the author did such a great job blending the two worlds.
  • During reading this, I had flashbacks to the book Wintersong! 😱 You know, music and bargains with a certain Goblin King. And it seemed reminiscent because I was thinking wow, this Kingdom of Back reminds me of the movie, Labyrinth and it turn my thoughts took me to Wintersong.
  • There is no romance in this book which was awesome because the love between Nannerl and music was enough! ❤️

I am enchanted with this book. It really felt like something magical as I read it and it transported me into Nannerl’s world of music. It was almost like I was being transported to Narnia or The Never Ending Story because the writing is so lyrical. You can tell the author put her heart and soul into it because I felt it! I absolutely enjoyed this story and I’m glad I decided to read it.

Book Review | Starfish

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Starfish

Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman

Format: Paperback (owned)

Pages: 352

Categories: Coming of Age, Young Adult, Contemporary

A half-Japanese teen grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school in this debut novel.

Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin. 

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

From debut author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.

Starfish is a story about a girl named Kiko with a narcissistic mother, a broken family and a talent for art. She is dealing with being bi-racial, half white and half Japanese in a mostly white town. Kiko is ashamed of herself but through her art work she learns to express what she feels and hopes one day she can heal.

  • This family is broken – Kiko and her brothers aren’t close, they have a narcissistic mother which was portrayed very well, and her father is remarried with a family of his own. I genuinely felt scared for Kiko because her mom didn’t believe her about a certain situation and there seemed to be no one Kiko could really turn to.
  • Thank goodness for Jamie her best friend coming back into her life. Talk about having a life line! And thought their relationship went from a friendship to a crush to something more, I liked that she took a step back to fix other things happening in her life that took precedence.
  • The events that happened in Kiko’s life was something she blamed herself for and that was heartbreaking to think all of this burden was on her. The truth does come out though but still…so much heaviness. Kiko also deals with social anxiety on top of everything else and it just made me hope she gets help with everything one day. I love the sections of the story where Kiko thinks what she wants to say, but what she says instead. 😞 She censors herself so much.
  • She meets someone who appreciates her talent and helps her face some truths about herself. I love that she had a mentor in her life.
  • Kiko’s mom – 😒 she clearly has problems and needs help. When Kiko leaves her mom’s house (thank goodness) I was already worrying about her brother Shoji who was so quiet (all siblings dealt with their mother a certain way to cope) – and I was afraid no one was worrying about him enough.
  • It’s a heavy book. Kiko deals with self-esteem issues and anxiety exacerbated by living with her mother. Kiko’s mom didn’t even believe her about what her uncle did to her – it made me so angry but also I understood, this is reality, parents don’t believe their kids sometimes. Honestly it’s heartbreaking but I put myself in Kiko’s shoes and I felt like this story to be very realistic.
  • Triggers: racism, attempted suicide, anxiety, depression, sexual abuse

Starfish is not a light read, but I think Kiko’s story is important and will make an impact with many teens out there. I was raised in a place where the more mixed race you are the more special or beautiful you are and I wished so much Kiko had this experience. I felt such sadness for Kiko about her feelings of being trapped in her bi-racial body and in her home with a mother who thinks the world revolves around her. I wanted to break all those kids out of her custody. This story covers abuse (parental and sexual), anxiety, depression but it is also about strength too and the courage to embrace yourself and break free.

Mini Reviews | Institute of the Shadow Fae Series (Books #1-4) by. C.N. Crawford

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Court of Shadows (Institute of the Shadow Fae, #1)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited – borrowed)

Pages: 224

Categories: Urban Fantasy

A girls’ night out means three things to me: drinking whiskey with my best friend, keeping my magic hidden, and trying not to kill anyone. A supernatural gladiator like me isn’t supposed to exist anymore. 

But my Friday night takes a bad turn when a lethally gorgeous fae–Ruadan–tries to assassinate me. He’s taken a vow of silence until he’s slaughtered the outlaws on his kill list. Outlaws like me. 

Ruadan lets me live on one condition: I have to earn my place at the Institute of the Shadow Fae. As a powerful demi-fae, I can take the competition. 

But things fall apart when I’m given an impossible choice: betray my mentor Ruadan, or my best friend dies. Now, I face a quandary my gladiatorial past did not prepare me for.

I think I was supposed to read this series before the Sea Fae series but here we are. Arianna is a demi-fae who was once a gladiator and slave to Baleros. She’s a whiskey drinking, kicking ass fae who has a secret past. Ruadan is a shadow fae with a vow of silence and Ariana becomes paired with him when she is recruited into the Institute of the Shadow Fae.

  • Arianna can seriously kick some ass. And I love reading the scenes when she is fighting! Noble fae call her a gutter fae and seriously, this girl is starving and struggling on the street! She has a human friend named Ciara (does this sound familiar?! If you read my review of the Sea Fae trilogy by this author duo then you know this is familiar). Arianna’s last “master” is coming for her and she needs to do a mission for him to keep Ciara safe.
  • Ruadan is a silent assassin with all this swirly dark shadow magic around him. I like how they learn to communicate and something is brewing between them of course. Of course he’s a quiet, gorgeous (aren’t they all?!) demi-fae as well.
  • We learn about the Shadow Fae who seem to be big with this author duo. We learn about their beginnings and who rules them. Plus I’m a sucker for books about institutes or academies and trials to pass. We meet some interesting novices and yay another female! The male novices are alpha…of course and treat Arianna like dirt.😒
  • This book is a very quick read (224 pages?!)…so quick I downloaded book two right away. So far…I’m interested in the story. And…cliffhangers, ugh…

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Title: Court of Darkness (Shadow Fae, #2)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (KU-borrowed)

Pages: 236

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance

I would not say things are going well, exactly. I live in a burnt-out car under a bridge, surrounded by rubbish. When Ruadan shows up to bring me back to the Institute, I leap at the chance. 

That is, until he throws me into the dungeons. I’m on the naughty list, and the mentor who once trained me is cold as ice. Now, I must pass every single trial, or the Institute’s executioners will rip me to pieces. Good thing I can handle it. I was the queen of the gladiator ring, and I do not go down easily.

  • The trials to become a Shadow Fae goes on but Arianna needs to kill Baleros and he can’t seem to die! I’m still enjoying the fight scenes a lot.
  • Ruadan can speak, thank goodness and he’s half incubi, a sex demon…well, well…which means there will be some hotness from here on out right? Right. 🔥🧯 lol
  • Ruadan and Arianna team up because he obviously has a soft spot for her. But what are these memories Arianna conjures up – what IS she? I mean everyone keeps asking and I am too – this better be good! 🤔
  • Another short one at 236 pages…like can we stop with the cliffhangers and maybe combine books one and two? lol

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Court of Night (Shadow Fae, #3)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (KU)

Pages: 238

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance

As a Knight of the Shadow Fae, I’m tasked with defending the Institute. I’m deep into a world of dark magic, orgiastic death cults, and demon roller discos. 

But my new life begins with an impossible choice: turn over Ruadan within twenty-four hours, or my nemesis will unleash the Black Death. 

Worse, my old gladiator master is threatening to reveal my identity. If the truth gets out, I’ll be out of the Institute faster than you can say “wrath of an incubus.” 

If I can’t find and kill my oldest enemy in time, then it’s the Black Death for everyone, and I’ll be back on the run once more.

  • Love finding out what Arianna’s parentage is. It’s so bad ass and really fits her kick ass personality. She is a fighter but with such a lineage also very feared and it could come between her and Ruadan.
  • Speaking of the love-birds, I think they are sweet together(as a killing, kick-ass couple LOL). But I love them as a couple.
  • Some things were becoming redundant like Arianna always fighting herself aroused in wet clothing but can’t say I blame her – she’s hanging out with an incubus. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I felt myself wanting to move on from her always wet clothing, these darn portals filled with water haha.
  • Also another short book with a cliffhanger, it was driving me a bit crazy…

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Court of Dreams (Shadow Fae, #4)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (KU)

Pages: 235

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance

Exiled from the Shadow Fae, I’m left out on London’s streets. The Knights of the Institute are dying of the plague, and they’re sure I’m to blame. 

Desperate to speak to Ruadan, I invade the Institue. Then, things take a turn for the worse. Like, “tortured in a tiny prison cell” worse. Seems like Ruadan has completely betrayed me. But when I finally reunite with my dark demigod, it turns out I’d totally misunderstood his actions. 

Once I’m out of jail, Ruadan and I have to fix this mess, and we’re thrown together once again. That means finding my father, and killing Baleros before the monster gets what he’s after: the skin off Ruadan’s corpse. If Baleros gets what he wants, then he’ll control the world, and I’ll lose Ruadan forever. 

  • Arianna/Liora is trying to help the Shadow Fae again and yet…she’s banished again. Redundant yes, but I like how she keeps fighting to do the right thing. She may be death incarnate but she’s still a good person but she’s afraid Ruadan hates her.
  • Everything comes full circle for Liora – she has accepted everything about herself and she’s found parts of her past.
  • I’m so happy for Liora and Ruadan.
  • Aenor from the Sea Fae trilogy makes a cameo which makes me wish I read this series first!
  • Yes I read 4 books in one night because of the short installments and cliffhangers and that drove me crazy.

** Triggers: violence, abuse

I could’ve done without the short lengths of the books and the cliffhangers! But it was another urban fantasy series that made me escape from the real world and had a little bit of everything. I especially love the fight scenes because Arianna/Liora is great at kicking ass. And then there is the romance which was hot and sweet at the same time. I think I’m a new fan of this author duo.

Mini Reviews | Court of the Sea Fae Trilogy by. C.N. Crawford

Court of the Sea Fae Trilogy by. C.N. Crawford

My Rating for the whole series: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Dark King ; Fallen King ; Rising Queen

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (borrowed – KU)

Pages: Book #1 – 296 ; Book #2 – 272 ; Book #3 – 308

Catergories: Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Romance

A snarky fae, a sexy king, and forbidden desire deep as the sea. The first book in a three-book series.

Once, I was a fae princess with sea-magic at my fingertips. Now? I’m a hunted supernatural in a squalid shop, stripped of my power. My only comforts are stale cookies, Elvis records, and my hula-hoop. Until a lethally sexy fae king arrives and rips even those away. 

After the brutal king throws me in prison, I strike a bargain with him: my freedom in exchange for helping him find a magic blade. What Lyr doesn’t know is that the blade might restore my stolen magic. 

But as we journey, the gorgeous jerk is starting to make me feel things I’ve never felt. When Lyr touches me, desire ignites. I see raging passion in his eyes, too. If I give in, I risk losing my chance at reclaiming my power. Even worse… I could be forfeiting my life.

I started this series so I could make use of my Kindle Unlimited membership and I needed a light, quick urban fantasy read. I read this whole series in two days, that’s how quick it was. This is the first book I read from this author duo and this is how it went:

Dark King – Book #1: should be called Dark Queen because it introduces us to Aenor who is a thief struggling to survive in the street with her human Gina. Aenor once was a Morgan sea fae set to inherit a kingdom but those dreams are dashed when her home is destroyed. This means Aenor has great powers and Now all she has on her mind is revenge, to take down the being that destroyed her world, but who did it?

My Thoughts:

  • I don’t read a lot about the sea fae so I liked that I got to learn about sea creatures from mythology. Another thing is that Aenor is from the kingdom of Ys. I only heard about that legend in another book so seeing it here in depth was pretty cool!
  • Lyr, the demi-god is of course a hot alpha fae and there is an attraction between them but…what is up with his friends? 🙄 Anyway Lyr needs Aenor to find something and he seems into her…but is he really?
  • Aenor as a character is ballsy, can kick ass, hates men (because her mom was this crazy Queen who killed her husband and wore the blood stained dress for ages and told Aenor to never trust men – okay…lol 😳). Aenor is soft when it comes to her human Gina and also she is a defender of abused women – she kills dangerous men.
  • It’s a quick read, pure escapism, with hot gorgeous fae.

Life in a fae castle should be pretty sweet. Except, my lover wants to take my magic from me, and I made a deal with the devil. Literally. 

Salem is the light-bringer, gorgeous as sin and just as evil. Some call him Lucifer. What do I call him? Whatever he tells me to, because he’s cast a mind-control spell over me. He hates me, but I have a plan. I’ll lead him to a sorcerer who can kill him. 

But as I journey with the fallen god, I see him watching me, wanting me. And it’s mutual. Turns out fate has a sick sense of humor, because my destiny ties me to Salem. Still, I have to stop him before he gets what he wants. Because if I fail, he will unleash hell on earth.

Fallen King – Book #2: we find out the person who destroyed Aenor’s kingdom is Lucifer himself! He’s smooth, has more of a personality than Lyr does haha…and he has a backstory that isn’t the same stuff we here about him falling from the sky, he’s evil…la la la. Also, his name is Salem.

My Thoughts:

  • The chemistry between Salem and Aenor is much better than with her and Lyr. But prophecy said she has to kill him to protect the world and for him, he has to kill her to ascend back to heaven so….what to do?
  • We learn about Lucifer’s past when we ruled the kingdom of Mag Mel. Seriously, this guy has a past and I appreciate that he has a story. And he’s trying to find someone he cared about that Aenor supposedly killed so…there’s a lot these two have to work out huh?
  • I like Aenor’s battles so far in this series with mythological monsters. The series so far has a lot of action to keep it moving and much more sexual tension in this one. I mean…it is the devil Aenor’s dealing with.

My mate lies in a rotting cage at the bottom of the sea, and I’ll do anything to get him back. Maybe he’s the devil himself, but he made the ultimate sacrifice for me.

When my plan backfires, I’m left with a lethal hex surging in my veins. Now, I only have a few days to live. And Salem? He’s wrestling with a dark curse of his own, one that he says makes him burn.. 

He keeps saying this ends with one of us dead, that our story is a tragedy. But I’m determined to rewrite the tale fate has penned for us. If I can’t, he warns I could die at his hands.

Rising Queen – Book #3: Aenor and Salem can’t seem to let one another go. They fight more creatures, have more sexy times and they still have to decide who dies and gets their happily ever after. Can they find a way to be together and both get what they want?

My Thoughts:

  • Love Aenor and Salem together – he may be Lucifer but she can definitely keep up with him. And he keeps up with her also, I’m so glad they have their happy ending.
  • I loved Ossian who is Salem’s servant but becomes a good friend to Aenor.
  • I enjoyed the witches that were featured in this series alongside the sea fae, fallen angles, Shadow Fae and the legend of Ys. Having them leap into portals and different worlds kept the story moving at a fast pace.
  • All the books in this series were 300 pages and under which means…this could have easily been condensed into one book but I know Kindle Unlimited book series don’t work that way and that’s fine! All the cliffhangers in this series made me want to read the next volume.

**Triggers: violence

This series was pure fun urban fantasy about the sea fae and then some. It had everything from humor, adventure, fights, monsters, devils, gods, lust, and love. Overall, the whole series was entertaining and let me escape a bit.

ARC Review | Starbreaker (Endeavor, #2)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Starbreaker (Endeavor, #2)

Author: Amanda Bouchet

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: April 28, 2020

Categories: Sci-Fi, Romance, Space Opera

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

THEY NEVER WANTED TO BE HEROES

Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan are still the galaxy’s Most Wanted, and with revolution in the wind and the universe on the brink of catastrophic war, the situation couldn’t be more desperate. Despite the Dark Watch scouring the known sectors for them, rebel leaders have handed the crew of the Endeavor a delicate and dangerous mission: break into Starbase 12 and free renowned scientist Reena Ahern. She’s the only one who stands a chance of tipping the odds in their favor for the first time in decades.

BUT PULLING OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE IS WHAT THEY DO BEST

The clock is ticking. But as their attraction builds and secrets are revealed, Tess and Shade must decide if they trust each other enough to execute this impossible prison break. They could change the course of history, but they’ll be risking everything… They’ll just have to tackle one crisis at a time.

This is the second book in the Endeavor series and it takes off right away. We are back in space with Tess and Shade and there is more shady business going around.

Their relationship is constantly being tested and there are always curveballs thrown at them. Will they get through this mission?

  • I like Tess and Shade as a couple. Even when they have trust issues, at least they don’t give up on each other! They always have each other’s backs and they just make a good team.
  • So much action. Tess and crew get into harrowing situations all the time!
  • The world building is great – it’s in space but they visit different planets, like the jungle planet where some steamy scenes take place. But I just love how her version of space and different planets isn’t the usual dry landscapes that we are usually presented with when it comes to Sci-Fi.
  • I like the secondary characters that make Tess and Shade’s crew. They add humor and I found myself caring for them too.
  • I found the second half much more exciting than the first. I think because it’s been awhile I read the first book, I had to get my bearings in this one and it took awhile.
  • It’s definitely a mood read for me – I’d have enjoyed even more if I was in the mood to read about space. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This sequel is filled with space fights, romance and surprises so if you enjoyed the first book in the series, I think you will definitely enjoy this one as well.

Book Review |The Bride Test

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient, #2)

Author: Helen Hoang

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 296

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Autism

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

I didn’t read The Kiss Quotient and honestly…I didn’t know I needed to. 😫 But now that I know, I better find it on my online library haha.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book and I was definitely surprised!

Khai is autistic and he is afraid he is incapable of loving someone but his mother has taken it upon herself to help him find a woman. She finds one in Vietnam.

Will Khai and Esme (My) fall in love before her time in the United States is up?

  • The autistic representation is something I haven’t read in a romance book before. It was so great to get the perspective of a character with autism and in a relationship.
  • There are sparks between Khai and Esme from the get-go! Obviously they are both attracted to each other because their personal thoughts were pretty steamy. But I thought it was great to be in their thoughts since they both had difficult expressing their feelings. Esme’s first language is not English and she felt shy using the words she did know, whereas Khai has challenges expressing himself because of his autism. They eventually learn how to communicate, but in the beginning it is a challenge.
  • I liked Quan a lot. 💕 He is patient with Khai and looks out for him when he can. Helps that he is hot and good with the ladies.
  • The after sex scene was funny yet eye-opening! I love that Khai had to get some advice because when Khai and Esme actually do the deed – it was like…oh. 🤭 Haha…but like I said, it’s a good thing because Khai really did need a talk on the subject.
  • Arranged marriages are tricky! I know it still happens but wow..poor Khai getting no choice in the matter, his mom just sprung it on him…like surprise, here’s this girl I found! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I’d be so mad if my parents did that to me. Yet I’m glad he found love with Esme!
  • At times I thought the chemistry between Khai and Esme lacking but I think because they had their own way of communicating and sometimes it wasn’t resonating with the other person. In the end they compliment each other because Esme learned to respect his boundaries. I mean that’s a good lesson in itself – we all need to respect people’s boundaries. And Khai had to respect her being a capable female.
  • Trigger: grief

This is the first book I’ve read from Helen Hoang and I am glad to see the autistic representation with Khai and how he navigates being in a romantic relationship. Overall I found the story enjoyable and I look forward to reading Quan’s book for sure!

Book Review | The Unhoneymooners

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Unhoneymooners

Author: Christina Lauren

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Categories: Contemporary, Romance

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.

I finally read this book! I remember it was everywhere in 2019 and was highly recommended so I’m glad I snagged it on my online library.

I was wary to read it because it’s a twin story, and look…I’m okay with twin stories but I’ve been reading a lot of them and I’m kind of tired of it. It’s not my favorite thing to have twins in a story but I’m glad I read this one!

Olive’s twin sister, Ami, just got married and…she and 200 other people got sick at the wedding. So someone had to take the free honeymoon package that Ami had won – and it ends up being Olive and Ami’s bother-in-law, Ethan taking the trip. Thing is they don’t like each other, and now here they are trapped together on a 10 day vacation in Maui.

This one is laugh out loud, funny, sweet, and crazy!

  • I love how Olive knows herself. She’s confident about her body, not so confident in other areas of her life like her being a bad luck charm (she always gets into a jam), but her voice is strong in this book and I love it, quirks and all.
  • This story starts off with madness, I was cackling! It was so out there and fun. I love the Torres family which is loud, large and drama filled. I love that Olive’s twin, Ami is a bargain hunter and got practically everything for her wedding, for FREE. I love that it’s in Maui because I’m an island girl from Hawaii (Oahu to be exact) but yes…Maui is MAGICAL.
  • Olive and Ethan run into people on Maui and it takes everything to the next level! Their “hate” turns into like, attraction and…love.
  • It’s not an easy story of enemies to lovers…there are others involved in this story, like Ami and her new hubby, Dane. So things are not that easy for Olive and Ethan and that to me was definitely realistic!
  • Left me feeling happy in the end and wishing this was a rom-com movie…
  • Dane, Dane, Dane…eww.
  • Like I said earlier, the twin thing is done for me. I think I read three twin books last week alone and not intentionally! 😫 I love the bond between twins but other than that…and the whole twins dating siblings thing is a little weird for me.

I loved this book and it’s my second Christina Lauren book that I’ve read. I can see why they are very popular in the contemporary romance genre and I look forward to reading more books from them.

Book Review | Shadowscent

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Shadowscent

Author: P.M. Freestone

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 362

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy

In the empire of Aramtesh, scent has power.

When disaster strikes and the crown prince lies poisoned, long suppressed rivalries threaten to blow the empire apart. It’s up to a poor village girl with a talent for fragrances and the prince’s loyal bodyguard to find an antidote.

To succeed, the pair must uncover secrets – cryptic, ancient tales as well as buried truths from their own pasts – in an adventure that will ignite your senses.

Scent has power, especially for someone who can recognize the most subtle of scents. Shadowscent is a story of adventure in the empire of Aramtesh. It starts with a girl, Rakel who can recognize scents and concoct the right medicines to help with healing. Ash, is the crown prince’s bodyguard who hides a secret. When the Prince is poisoned, Rakel and Ash have to find the cure for the prince before it’s too late.

  • I enjoyed the world building of Aramtesh and learning of the royal family. There is a secret brotherhood, Rangers, and the Order of Asmudtag at play. For the most part they were all fascinating. Also Prince Nisai and his friend were always needing out about history and in that sense we get to learn about their empire a little more.
  • There is a lot of action in the second half of the book when Ash and Rakel are on the quest to figure out a riddle and help bring a cure back to the poisoned Prince.
  • Though I was interested in Rakel and her talent with scents, the first half of the story failed to really capture my attention. It was a little slow moving so I slugged through this book and skimmed a bunch of it.
  • I wish there was more urgency or a feeling of danger in this book, but it wasn’t coming through for me. Yes the Prince is poisoned and they need an antidote for him, but nothing about it felt like urgent or maybe because by then I wasn’t invested into the story?
  • I couldn’t connect to the characters. Rakel was my favorite but I think her voice was a bit lost every time Ash came into the picture.
  • Triggers: death, poison

This book was an okay read for me. It started off too slow for me. I think for a story with so many elements of secret orders I was expecting more danger or something to keep me on edge, and I got nothing in that department. But I still think there are many who will still enjoy this book because it does have adventure especially in the second half of the story.

Top Ten Tuesday | 4/7/2020

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Books I Bought/Borrowed Because…

(Fill in the blank. You can do 10 books you bought for the same reason, i.e., pretty cover, recommended by a friend, blurbed by a favorite authors, etc. OR you could do a different reason for each pick.)

Borrowed: It’s crazy times with depressing news all around because of the coronavirus and so I needed something cute. This did the job!

Borrowed: Again, was going for the romance books because of this anxious time …this one was interesting and review coming soon!

Borrowed (on hold): Because I didn’t know I had to read this before The Bride Test! lol…oh well.

Borrowed (on hold): because it’s a new release…I’m a bit wary about the whole Mozart story thing but I’m also curious.

Borrowed (on hold): looks intriguing

Borrowed (on hold): it’s a popular new release and the cover looks so cool

Borrowed (on hold): love the cover and I’ve read another book by Emma Mills and enjoyed it

Borrowed (on hold): I’ve read the other two books in the series and want to see how it ends.

Borrowed: Saw this available on my online library and remember seeing it on NetGalley but I never requested it.

Borrowed (on hold): another hyped new release so I want to see if it’s good

Book Review | Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels, #6)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels, #6)

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Format: eBook (owned)

Pages: 384

Categories: Historical Romance

Everything has a price…

Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything—or anyone—is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife—and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he’s determined to have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love—the one thing he can’t give.

Everything except her…

Severin is the most compelling and attractive man Cassandra has ever met, even if his heart is frozen. But she has no interest in living in the fast-paced world of a ruthless man who always plays to win.

When a newfound enemy nearly destroys Cassandra’s reputation, Severin seizes the opportunity he’s been waiting for. As always, he gets what he wants—or does he? There’s one lesson Tom Severin has yet to learn from his new bride:

Never underestimate a Ravenel.

The chase for Cassandra’s hand may be over. But the chase for her heart has only just begun…

Lisa Kleypas for me is one of my auto-buy author. Her books just does it for me when I need to escape and bask in a happily ever after.

Cassandra is the last Ravenel who needs to find her happily ever after and the man to offer it to her is a self-made man named Tom Severin. The two of them are total opposites though – he’s very pragmatic and intelligent. Cassandra is friendly, social and loves to read fiction novels.

Tom wants her because he’s bored with everything else but Cassandra wants more than just to be chased. She wants a happily ever after with a man who is different than the rest.

  • It’s a Lisa Kleypas book so it’s an automatic like from me! I don’t read many historical romance books anymore, but she’s a must read for me. I read it in one sitting.
  • Tom is not the usual alpha male type love interest. He’s a shrewd businessman but he’s also more comfortable with rules and how things work because he is an engineer! I think it’s funny how he didn’t understand fictional novels and the point of them! 😅 Tom had a rough childhood and though at times I thought he was oh so cold especially with Bazzle – I understood why. Personally I liked his style in the bedroom because he was so attentive and careful with Cassandra and that was so sweet.
  • Their romance is a slow burn. Tom wants to possess her like he can buy everything else, and he doesn’t do “love”. His claims heart is frozen but Cassandra is a flame and his undoing.
  • It gave me all the warm feelings I want in a romance book and it’s much needed during these stressful times.
  • Cassandra doesn’t stand out very much in personality but she’s the last Ravenel. She’s gorgeous, golden, sweet and warm. All she wants is a nice husband and to have her own family. She’s endowed with a voluptuous body and has to deal with how people perceive her because of her looks. With Tom, she’s patient.
  • I think I would have liked to learn or meet Tom’s family. But I wonder because they were mentioned and Lisa Kleypas does so good at writing romance series covering a whole family…will Tom’s family get their own series? Because I’d read it all.
  • I can’t say Tom chases Cassandra, like the title implies…he actually pushes her away! But in the end he can’t help himself and just has to be with her.
  • Trigger: sexual assault

Cassandra thawed Tom’s frozen heart and I loved watching it happen. There was no enemies to lovers tension between them, but there is friendship and attraction. I love how Cassandra would suggests books for him to read and he’d come back with a one sentence assessment of a book. He’s so straight-forward, but there is hope for him with Cassandra by his side haha. This story left me with warm happy feelings at the end and that’s exactly what I needed. Overall, I enjoyed this last edition to the Ravenel series very much.