tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75645144828092814882024-03-18T14:38:24.518-07:00BookCatPinWelcome! I review books and participate in bookish memes~~Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.comBlogger1577125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-84818105763607746412024-03-18T08:00:00.000-07:002024-03-18T08:00:00.141-07:00Review: Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.</span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-iu90ebcqozfZ84pV8ZRPGCM4Wz_KsiSVjtyemMYegGKt0eMvi6T44eWyM6vqP_Wsthk5NGTAKfwjYoqoy3KOUloDIMxSxRJ078Jl6Pzvef1vagpp1jQ2ttLQ7YSiuaGUNyO1e-XFsTWE1ZqIt08gcIH-YgwWEcgAHKs-HPTHnpiEO9al65dT80nBISG/s2549/HH.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli" border="0" data-original-height="2549" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-iu90ebcqozfZ84pV8ZRPGCM4Wz_KsiSVjtyemMYegGKt0eMvi6T44eWyM6vqP_Wsthk5NGTAKfwjYoqoy3KOUloDIMxSxRJ078Jl6Pzvef1vagpp1jQ2ttLQ7YSiuaGUNyO1e-XFsTWE1ZqIt08gcIH-YgwWEcgAHKs-HPTHnpiEO9al65dT80nBISG/w207-h320/HH.jpg" title="Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli" width="207" /></a></div>Heartless Hunter</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(The Crimson Moth #1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Kristen Ciccarelli</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">February 20, 2024</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127305713-heartless-hunter" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Kristen Ciccarelli’s <i>Heartless Hunter</i> is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">As one of my most anticipated YA novels this year, <i>Heartless Hunter</i> left me with very mixed feelings. I loved the writing and the character growths but I couldn't quite get behind the story and the romance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Heartless Hunter</i> was a fast read with good pacing. Each character had depth that was explored. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">As the Crimson Moth, Rune pushed herself to her limits to rescue witches (because she couldn't save her Nan). While Gideon, haunted by a painful past, coped by throwing himself into his witch hunter duties. Both </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">tried their damn hardest to do right by their people.</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">It was sad that Rune and Gideon had to put on acts. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Both crossed boundaries that should have been left untouched. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">But ultimately valuable truths were learned.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Alex and Verity were excellent friends. Though I wasn't very fond of Alex, he was extremely loyal and devoted to Rune. Verity backed Rune whenever she needed the help. Both held powerful life-changing secrets. I'm still undecided on how to feel </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;">about Verity's real identity. Hiding in plain sight</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> is a clever twist but it also feels a bit convenient.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">In contrast to her best friends, Gideon was a weak love interest. Aside from his tortured past, Gideon didn't really stand out. His interactions with Rune felt stilted most of the time. What little of the "cat and mouse game" they played didn't feel significant. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Even with dual POV, </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I didn't feel a strong connection between </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Rune and Gideon</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">. Though with where they stood at the end of </span><i style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Heartless Hunter</i><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">, I'm hopful their romance will become more interesting.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Heartless Hunter</i> gave me a glimpse of everything I love then didn't quite live up to my high hopes. However, it still has potential. Especially with that unexpected ending. Fingers crossed that the next book, <i>Rebel Witch</i>, will deliver! Then I can shout my love for this duology at the top of my lungs!!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkO0iA5ez4dei1mqvsiLJY7SGS0tvm8Sdri6GrP6VQ4PSo3KtVS_XxrgJUtwiubQeg-6mUjuWVBpf8Nwv3EMNxZOTr9CIfxgjGc8cdnGGBe-yt3du0ssGi6mAyUSRzJGmHIWpD9H94kwd7MY7R7jkogV1h2Qfz0ld3mus2_PXyTCvql3DJyAnq8Pza5Tq/s200/4%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkO0iA5ez4dei1mqvsiLJY7SGS0tvm8Sdri6GrP6VQ4PSo3KtVS_XxrgJUtwiubQeg-6mUjuWVBpf8Nwv3EMNxZOTr9CIfxgjGc8cdnGGBe-yt3du0ssGi6mAyUSRzJGmHIWpD9H94kwd7MY7R7jkogV1h2Qfz0ld3mus2_PXyTCvql3DJyAnq8Pza5Tq/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-55559830238004608332024-03-11T06:00:00.000-07:002024-03-11T06:00:00.236-07:00Review: The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received a copy of this book from SMP Romance in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRWunBe_ScwJ-ht1_nnEGI7cJWe4kwTAPFSAEmuamhdU6Yfbm9yTh9AokrwIj8ulxNnmD1xM2vszPXMkOVldOv9WH3mk8iY7GlKqEWp8qTT5nC7nNaVRhxbk-CyLRDyCBkrLAL42P6OoEWEQfot1NQfI6G1M1CzeHSAI3Wd2xi1x8rtMCgIO0-bv4AmFS/s400/TT.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRWunBe_ScwJ-ht1_nnEGI7cJWe4kwTAPFSAEmuamhdU6Yfbm9yTh9AokrwIj8ulxNnmD1xM2vszPXMkOVldOv9WH3mk8iY7GlKqEWp8qTT5nC7nNaVRhxbk-CyLRDyCBkrLAL42P6OoEWEQfot1NQfI6G1M1CzeHSAI3Wd2xi1x8rtMCgIO0-bv4AmFS/w209-h320/TT.jpg" title="The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi" width="209" /></a></div>The Takeover</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Cara Tanamachi</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">January 30, 2024</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127281501-the-takeover" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Sometimes, when you ask the universe for your soulmate, you wind up with your hate mate instead.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">On Nami's 30th birthday, she’s reminded at every turn that her life isn’t what she planned. She’s always excelled at everything – until now. Her fiancé blew up their engagement. Her pride and joy, the tech company she helped to found, is about to lose funding. And her sister, Sora, is getting married to the man of her dreams, Jack, and instead of being happy for her, as she knows she ought to be, she’s fighting off jealousy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Frustrated with her life, she makes a wish on a birthday candle to find her soulmate. Instead, the universe delivers her hate mate, Nami’s old high school nemesis, Jae Lee, the most popular kid from high school, who also narrowly beat her out for valedictorian. More than a decade later, Jae is still as effortlessly cool, charming, and stylish as ever, and, to make matters worse, is planning a hostile take-over of her start-up. sharp elbows and even sharper banter as the two go head-to-head to see who’ll win this time. But when their rivalry ignites a different kind of passion, Nami starts to realize that it's not just her company that's in danger of being taken over, but her heart as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>The Takeover</i> was a nice surprise. It's a prime </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">enemies-to-lovers story with a side of business mixed in. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Light on drama and a breeze to read, I cheered for the good people and booed the evil overlords.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Mainly a romance novel, I loved how </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>The Takeover</i> incorporated </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">slices of reality into its plot. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">In Asian culture, certain</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> values, no matter how absurd they might sound, should be upheld. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Both Nami and Jae faced</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> expectations from their families. Despite some initial frustrations, it was moving to see some heart-to-heart talks near the end.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Nami and Jae's relationship was </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">all bark and no bite.</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Since their reunion, the banter between them always felt more flirty than hostile. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I liked it but I also wanted to see more of Nami going head-to-head with Jae. </span><b style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">"Life is messy and gray, and sometimes the 'right' thing isn't easy to figure out."</b><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> (p. 243) </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Regardless, I was still </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">extremely entertained watching them consume Hell Ramen XD</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Nami is surrounded by a group of oddball co-workers in <i>The Takeover</i>. They're best described as very nerdy, somewhat wacky and super sweet. The saga of the stolen chair that unfolded was ridiculous yet funny as hell. It's easy to see why Nami loved and cared for them so much.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Featuring adorkable adults, I laughed, swooned and raged alongside the characters. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>The Takeover</i> is an amusing romance story perfect for readers who love enemies-to-lovers and fun banter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyTMQr6c5Kq_Nrp7BhDQz49IIpg302jv9VWM6GxFYZZyiSG0ifluFqXIl5l7JWrAzYFWHYryGC2sccDujPfYi7w0QNMDypNBIGKnH82J7cyKumd53FIeNVrxEliTAJ6g5AMMRAeDtxEhEmnQ66kseGg-dX6PrwjEBqJXzcMHeQPkzxqYE4wy2t0awnSkB/s185/3.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyTMQr6c5Kq_Nrp7BhDQz49IIpg302jv9VWM6GxFYZZyiSG0ifluFqXIl5l7JWrAzYFWHYryGC2sccDujPfYi7w0QNMDypNBIGKnH82J7cyKumd53FIeNVrxEliTAJ6g5AMMRAeDtxEhEmnQ66kseGg-dX6PrwjEBqJXzcMHeQPkzxqYE4wy2t0awnSkB/s16000/3.5%20stars.jpg" title="3.5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-17643611170146656642024-03-08T06:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T06:00:00.139-08:00Review: Lore of the Wilds (Lore of the Wilds #1) by Analeigh Sbrana<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Frenzy Books in exchange for an honest review.</span><br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrJzTeXUDp1eXXkuHPm1mQ3NOK08EytNyJGI4pyMlOUc2h-z5oM1vLNAWg7m2C_j2RwCJXkeIv-tr3do4ykd6wzpQs8H_xBEJdltO7F3spizTgLot03q5AVIVHGJJTWywJEIX1GGNdlH0VEc_GOj7KBJIkfnf278Ma6j4NzvLEzfPJcnXhah5x1RSWiMa/s2400/LotW.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lore of the Wilds (Lore of the Wilds #1) by Analeigh Sbrana" border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1581" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrJzTeXUDp1eXXkuHPm1mQ3NOK08EytNyJGI4pyMlOUc2h-z5oM1vLNAWg7m2C_j2RwCJXkeIv-tr3do4ykd6wzpQs8H_xBEJdltO7F3spizTgLot03q5AVIVHGJJTWywJEIX1GGNdlH0VEc_GOj7KBJIkfnf278Ma6j4NzvLEzfPJcnXhah5x1RSWiMa/w211-h320/LotW.jpg" title="Lore of the Wilds (Lore of the Wilds #1) by Analeigh Sbrana" width="211" /></a></div><b>Lore of the Wilds</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Lore of the Wilds #1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Analeigh Sbrana </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">February 27, 2024</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195853531-lore-of-the-wilds" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A library with a deadly enchantment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A Fae lord who wants in.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A human woman willing to risk it all for a taste of power.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">In a land ruled by ruthless Fae, twenty-one-year-old Lore Alemeyu’s village is trapped in a forested prison. Lore knows that any escape attempt is futile—her scars are a testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She will leave her home to catalog/organize an enchanted library that hasn’t been touched in a thousand years. No Fae may enter the library, but there is a chance a human might be able to breach the cursed doors.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">She convinces him that she will risk her life for wealth, but really she’s after the one thing the Fae covet above all: magic of her own.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">As Lore navigates the hostile world outside, she’s forced to rely on two Fae males to survive. Two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males. When undeniable chemistry ignites, she’s not just in danger of losing her life, but her heart to the very creatures she can never trust.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Lore of the Wilds</i> was quite different from what I imagined. I enjoyed parts of the story but the voice felt young and the plot was all over the place. More often than not I found myself skeptical of how the characters acted.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I liked Lore for her bravery. She was deathly afraid of the Fae but to protect her loved ones, she marched into the unknown. Far from her home, danger and pain molded Lore into a more confident person. With the grimoire, she achieved quite a bit- most notably </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">rescuing Grey</span></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> all by herself. The only thing I wasn't quite comfortable with when it came to Lore was how she kept calling the grimoire hers. Yes, the magic called out to her but ultimately she did steal it from Lord Syrelle's library?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Lore's romantic entanglements made me cringe. Both love interests displayed hostility toward her but then studiously protected her. Why? Their quick change in attitude confused me. And don't even get me started on how fast Lore developed feelings for both males. I was especially not impressed with how wishy-washy she treated one of the guys. In the end the love triangle didn't even matter. It resolved in a too convenient way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">So my biggest disappointment with <i>Lore of the Wilds</i> came at the end of the book. The major reveal that </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Asher is Lord Syrelle</span></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">. The idea actually crossed my mind when I was forming theories but I dismissed it because it was just too easy. I'm sad the author chose this route. It diminished the whole storyline for me and cheapened the romance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Despite my mixed feelings, <i>Lore of the Wilds</i> was an entertaining story from beginning to end. I might pick up the next book if the writing gets some fine-tuning and the romance starts to make more sense.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9H3UWb9zef31xZnYqOBMCpLC1LxqQ_T6NNYBSK8Hi6r9YKtmeX9ONMJDuhLH0VyylEwuQwndhAEhgMI9mbDOOHEYCEtol8Rmb2ujANGElAq-j8Y9snknebquk7cSZvtvcxRJoOt4RyVf4z8AP5G59bUg_XS8dKHSLUUMABGsd1VLogo_VHcrwRQc1brA2/s150/3%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9H3UWb9zef31xZnYqOBMCpLC1LxqQ_T6NNYBSK8Hi6r9YKtmeX9ONMJDuhLH0VyylEwuQwndhAEhgMI9mbDOOHEYCEtol8Rmb2ujANGElAq-j8Y9snknebquk7cSZvtvcxRJoOt4RyVf4z8AP5G59bUg_XS8dKHSLUUMABGsd1VLogo_VHcrwRQc1brA2/s16000/3%20stars.jpg" title="3 Cats" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-7064907289438661552024-02-29T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T06:00:00.140-08:00Review: Rebel Skies (Rebel Skies #1) by Ann Sei Lin<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu-j95nLDg9JVFA1xs0IguxfCzh5Ix-LYb81quwu-zh0NiJdmkrrsORIOZrdY_jmQ3AxiotNh_ItPJYBTdxz7iUkAzVfsOpY2CmyNdvXY9DL5s_aRf5RYLsLgfxsR6FCXQfROUbRtQmJKqMLtrcSnEahI_mkg0nA-zVFPCsMN7Hnl7XGKzuliPfIbFYEs/s2475/RS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rebel Skies (Rebel Skies #1) by Ann Sei Lin" border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu-j95nLDg9JVFA1xs0IguxfCzh5Ix-LYb81quwu-zh0NiJdmkrrsORIOZrdY_jmQ3AxiotNh_ItPJYBTdxz7iUkAzVfsOpY2CmyNdvXY9DL5s_aRf5RYLsLgfxsR6FCXQfROUbRtQmJKqMLtrcSnEahI_mkg0nA-zVFPCsMN7Hnl7XGKzuliPfIbFYEs/w213-h320/RS.jpg" title="Rebel Skies (Rebel Skies #1) by Ann Sei Lin" width="213" /></a></div>Rebel Skies</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Rebel Skies #1)</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Ann Sei Lin</b></span></span><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">February 13, 2024</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/154488390-rebel-skies" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Ann Sei Lin's enchanting and action-packed debut, first in a series, will sweep readers away to an aerial world of magic, danger and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of Xiran Jay Zhao, Kalynn Bayron and the films of Studio Ghibli.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Kurara has never known any other life than being a servant onboard the Midori, a flying ship serving the military elite of the Mikoshiman Empire, a vast realm of floating cities. Kurara also has a secret — she can make folded paper figures come to life with a flick of her finger. But when the Midori is attacked and Kurara's secret turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, a gut-wrenching escape leads her to the gruff Himura, who takes her under his wing. Under Himura's tutelage, and with the grudging support and friendship of his crew, Kurara learns to hunt shikigami — wild paper spirits sought after by the Princess of Mikoshima.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But what does the princess really want with the shikigami? Are they merely enchanted figures without will or thought, or are they beings with souls and minds of their own? As fractures begin to appear both across the empire and within Kurara's understanding of herself, Kurara will have to decide who she can trust. Her fate, and the fate of her friends — and even the world — may rest on her choice. And time is running out.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Rebel Skies</i> features a most unique type of magic- paper magic. The book was easy to read though I wish there was more action and that we got to know the characters better.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">In </span><i style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Rebel Skies</i><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">, we meet Crafters. Not only were they special, their ability to create shikigami was fascinating. These paper monsters, each with unique characteristics, beg the reader to question the morality in their usage. This added a nice layer of complexity to the story. I love the author's creativity in bringing the shikigami to life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The synopsis of <i>Rebel Skies</i> is a little misleading seeing that no major changes affected the world. Rather, the biggest reveal happened with Kurara. I suspected the twist so it wasn't that surprising when we learned the truth about her. The author made many subtle hints ;) Kurara's world was not kind to her but her dedication to Haru was extremely admirable. So it was extra soul-crushing to witness </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;">Himura betray her</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">. I wonder if their relationship will be redeemed in the next book?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">We meet many side characters in <i>Rebel Skies</i> but to me they lacked character development. I really liked Tomoe and Sayo but their existence didn't seem all that important except when Kurara needed help? Also, the Interludes with Rei were kind of boring and went nowhere? I needed more from these characters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I enjoyed the introduction into the <i>Rebel Skies</i> world. Despite not loving the characters, I am curious how Kurara's story will proceed after that big revelation. I will definitely keep an eye out for the sequel's release.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P-AKDsy2ixPQJU3Zm5xyc6UV8pCIc3BR-hGIBZtbaVaQFwFjcBpT8mHFtvpQZ_xLA8WGyZedMXD6dkKd7jzYlXYojhjRnr_fD2MmHHwBbIQsbfNAfqY2y0JoGzk4T93ciPHPjS9c0uXDADeQeIyuiSVaa1J0dgOyFR-pqJvNGMILuBy8SVWG8iSm1zP_/s185/3.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P-AKDsy2ixPQJU3Zm5xyc6UV8pCIc3BR-hGIBZtbaVaQFwFjcBpT8mHFtvpQZ_xLA8WGyZedMXD6dkKd7jzYlXYojhjRnr_fD2MmHHwBbIQsbfNAfqY2y0JoGzk4T93ciPHPjS9c0uXDADeQeIyuiSVaa1J0dgOyFR-pqJvNGMILuBy8SVWG8iSm1zP_/s16000/3.5%20stars.jpg" title="3.5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-13044447726268572172024-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-27T06:00:00.127-08:00Review: A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen<p><span style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the author as a gift.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHj-umjco9CXVWz44H0rTrWuk9n2-dSmS2Ie-2cvw-I_7avVEimdrvX0yR5pD6tPPovbEbtlu56nXY7vF6rYU5C55zyNz65XM07xrx5L0y4J335mIaPK2JkFfdMKva36-beYajMUiic3bFtTZ5aLpYaIyGewMrVzNIksiLPc8fqu3rA1wS1cq2faEYeaR/s2560/AFIiB.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen" border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1664" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHj-umjco9CXVWz44H0rTrWuk9n2-dSmS2Ie-2cvw-I_7avVEimdrvX0yR5pD6tPPovbEbtlu56nXY7vF6rYU5C55zyNz65XM07xrx5L0y4J335mIaPK2JkFfdMKva36-beYajMUiic3bFtTZ5aLpYaIyGewMrVzNIksiLPc8fqu3rA1wS1cq2faEYeaR/w208-h320/AFIiB.jpg" title="A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen" width="208" /></a></div>A Fate Inked in Blood</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Saga of the Unfated #1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Danielle L. Jensen</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by February 27, 2024</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165940202-a-fate-inked-in-blood" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Under the emerging Romantasy genre, <i>A Fate Inked in Blood</i> is a must-read. Danielle L. Jensen has written a real masterpiece. My heart was in my throat the entire time I was reading this book.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>A Fate Inked in Blood</i> is a fast-paced well-crafted story with powerful action sequences and a passionate romance. The spin on Norse mythology was skillful. I loved the idea of the Unfated. They made the story </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">unpredictable and</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> thrilling. Danielle knew how to keep us on our toes!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">In <i>A Fate Inked in Blood</i>, Freya and Bjorn lived with secrets and forbidden desires. Even though their status forbid them from becoming more, there was no stopping their relationship from intensifying. The more they spent in each other's company, the more things heated up between them (and the pages). When finally the flames could no longer be contained, Freya and Bjorn left a burning trail all the way into that cave ;) Their connection was natural and unstoppable.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Aside from the romance, it was exciting watching the slew of side characters struggle and backstab for power. I am not a fan of prophecies but Bjorn's father's religious ramblings sometimes made me pause. As much as they seem forced, they made sense in a delicately convoluted way. Danielle's writing had me convinced. I was both frustrated and intrigued to learn and see more.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The second half of <i>A Fate Inked in Blood</i> slowed in pacing. Freya's thoughts and mindset began to feel repetitive. Given all that she'd been through, I can see why she had doubts. Freya had to continuously reaffirm her choices to keep her regrets and guilt at bay. With the twist and cliffhanger ending, she will have a lot more challenges ahead of her. I pray that she will stay true to herself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>A Fate Inked in Blood</i> blew me away with its high stakes plot and striking action scenes. The romance was t</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">orturous yet </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">so precious. I am pumped for more of Freya and Bjorn's tale!</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjv7R5K1Bgwyp7UQE_Np2eECVp167ldZ3UBtgITORyjUPsOKQIOwBOHopjKTT15umos-NyOJiLip3RrtvPm4FoDqwzkWw9ZnxaaX29dS7WqqYSD4qrJeTWmXSJEHZWxVQsoJ4kpJLdOk9AkouYg6ziFKUvJVdemv2eEKTv0umidxqK17IBnCwUUmd1Go9/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjv7R5K1Bgwyp7UQE_Np2eECVp167ldZ3UBtgITORyjUPsOKQIOwBOHopjKTT15umos-NyOJiLip3RrtvPm4FoDqwzkWw9ZnxaaX29dS7WqqYSD4qrJeTWmXSJEHZWxVQsoJ4kpJLdOk9AkouYg6ziFKUvJVdemv2eEKTv0umidxqK17IBnCwUUmd1Go9/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the author as a gift. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-65243784746263746142024-02-19T06:00:00.001-08:002024-02-19T06:00:00.250-08:00Review: I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Scholastic Canada in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXF_Bo3tNpUkXOGbF3xENEzTg5OTDVsJdFdASkdQNpfsXNhrXNhigJesMxJL-Nt0enmKVTAdaqERd1yVcqk4P1WW_7VHa3cb0h3d6VMmA-Gg3bb4-vsiQXcZZlKJ3GZeedtcaTiSE-eal-DHHuoEt9e0MU1QIXumxHdREu05kP6Qzwpe1EQ4aDzYOBgam/s2475/IHTDFY.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang" border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXF_Bo3tNpUkXOGbF3xENEzTg5OTDVsJdFdASkdQNpfsXNhrXNhigJesMxJL-Nt0enmKVTAdaqERd1yVcqk4P1WW_7VHa3cb0h3d6VMmA-Gg3bb4-vsiQXcZZlKJ3GZeedtcaTiSE-eal-DHHuoEt9e0MU1QIXumxHdREu05kP6Qzwpe1EQ4aDzYOBgam/w213-h320/IHTDFY.jpg" title="I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang" width="213" /></a></div>I Hope This Doesn't Find You</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">by Ann Liang</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">February 6, 2024</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124932739-i-hope-this-doesn-t-find-you" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Snarky and romantic, <i>I Hope This Doesn't Find You</i> is Never Have I Ever meets <i>To All the Boys</i> if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. <i>"You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>I Hope This Doesn't Find You</i> was a thoroughly entertaining read. It's definitely my favourite Ann Liang novel to date. It took me a few pages to get into the story but once I was in, I sped through.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>I Hope This Doesn't Find You</i> was t</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">hought-provoking and extremely relatable. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Sadie's need for everyone to like her and the pressure on Julius as he's being compared to his brother greatly resonated with me. It's such a common occurrence in Asian culture. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Ann Liang's writing kept me immersed in the drama. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">For someone so smart, Sadie was pretty careless with her emails. I would've deleted all the drafts after I was done venting so that there's zero chance they'd get sent. But everyone makes mistakes and what matters the most is how the situation is salvaged in the aftermath. The amount of hate Sadie received was disheartening but the changes that followed were actually good for her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The gradual change in Sadie and Julius's relationship was engrossing. The</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> tension between them was off the charts. I could feel the animosity crackling between them at the start. Then as they were forced to work together, I sensed their growing uncertainty. Sadie and Julius unpacked a lot of emotional baggage. In the end, I most enjoyed watching them clash with their <strike>lips</strike> words ;) Expert debaters they were!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">If I had one gripe with <i>I Hope This Doesn't Find You</i>, it would be not seeing Julius stand up to his parents and brother. I desperately wanted to see him tell them off! It didn't happen so I comfort myself by imagining it happening off page.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The ending of <i>I Hope This Doesn't Find You</i> crept up on me. Before I knew it I was at the last page. The last page for me but only the beginning for Sadie and Julius!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ImvQnAjWa4wPWFRS22OAAF0dMYRPIUVWvl1XWlcMhQSJS7frZAwy0xXnV-xFNK9lHVgFE2cO6-EE_vx-6HbbmlWAQydZkxNYvVW281lppSEkpB7seAErzixXUAHvhKtDnNcDR5QKEgUHO6TurTfrUmrUybsMbtGclp5T2SSNOMG6OYF-fFAYOIys4Bnh/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ImvQnAjWa4wPWFRS22OAAF0dMYRPIUVWvl1XWlcMhQSJS7frZAwy0xXnV-xFNK9lHVgFE2cO6-EE_vx-6HbbmlWAQydZkxNYvVW281lppSEkpB7seAErzixXUAHvhKtDnNcDR5QKEgUHO6TurTfrUmrUybsMbtGclp5T2SSNOMG6OYF-fFAYOIys4Bnh/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="3.5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-79697171336309956522024-02-05T08:00:00.156-08:002024-02-05T08:00:00.157-08:00Quick Thoughts: The Wren Hunt (The Wren Hunt #1) by Mary Watson<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjxflZZIiaZ6GmWDY8a9cmwB2h4H1mmdYhgSUQwJeE4tLUnL0JKCqxI0i6TQ-aZd4WCIERv9o-jRiOucy16Kb5dyaxFNBDnYiNw_jLp9BgxXBpCecv_15w-zpanSrWfJyLE3bpZHP5sJCw0uveTUfa_JCTwLl1JWLkLIB81csvUsEp80m0dc1QSRH0xm7/s1535/TWH.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Wren Hunt (The Wren Hunt #1) by Mary Watson" border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjxflZZIiaZ6GmWDY8a9cmwB2h4H1mmdYhgSUQwJeE4tLUnL0JKCqxI0i6TQ-aZd4WCIERv9o-jRiOucy16Kb5dyaxFNBDnYiNw_jLp9BgxXBpCecv_15w-zpanSrWfJyLE3bpZHP5sJCw0uveTUfa_JCTwLl1JWLkLIB81csvUsEp80m0dc1QSRH0xm7/w208-h320/TWH.jpg" title="The Wren Hunt (The Wren Hunt #1) by Mary Watson" width="208" /></a></div>The Wren Hunt</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">(</span></b><b><span style="color: red;">The Wren Hunt #1)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">by Mary Watson</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">February 8, 2018</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35216519-the-wren-hunt" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Every Christmas, Wren is chased through the woods near her isolated village by her family's enemies—the Judges—and there’s nothing that she can do to stop it. Once her people, the Augurs, controlled a powerful magic. But now that power lies with the Judges, who are set on destroying her kind for good.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">In a desperate bid to save her family, Wren takes a dangerous undercover assignment—as an intern to an influential Judge named Cassa Harkness. Cassa has spent her life researching a transformative spell, which could bring the war between the factions to its absolute end. Caught in a web of deceit, Wren must decide whether or not to gamble on the spell and seal the Augurs’ fate.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>The Wren Hunt</i> is a very memorable read! With a modern setting featuring characters with unique magical abilities, the story was unexpectedly spooky and fascinating!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the writing/atmosphere really transported me into the story</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- mystery permeated the air</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- interesting power division- Augur/Judge</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Wren doing her best given the situation she was in</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- sweet and compassionate Tarc</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- forbidden love</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- flirty Wren</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Aisling and Simon were good friends to Wren</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- eccentric Sibéal</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Wren making her own choice</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the different versions of the myths got confusing</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the ending felt too unfinished</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"...there was no such thing as coincidence, only partially formed patterns."</b> (p. 196)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9ePyiTZnhweESos_QhKHS01Bn83wCEJA8z5f3b9UZ1c_hsOQ4KBhnAVie8ea_UD8hZiS7C_vKCWib1cMdg0kHQtBpvGVtZtbqWsKDfPI9XJnx7RDPcux3oMfsl1NxcM4E5YKKngEMH-7Yyy7ETS_4Bl3mz-5-1EgxMLYRTAfh4EDZMzgs3OvoOdQFREL/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9ePyiTZnhweESos_QhKHS01Bn83wCEJA8z5f3b9UZ1c_hsOQ4KBhnAVie8ea_UD8hZiS7C_vKCWib1cMdg0kHQtBpvGVtZtbqWsKDfPI9XJnx7RDPcux3oMfsl1NxcM4E5YKKngEMH-7Yyy7ETS_4Bl3mz-5-1EgxMLYRTAfh4EDZMzgs3OvoOdQFREL/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-79632851240053224702024-01-29T08:00:00.113-08:002024-01-29T08:00:00.448-08:00Quick Thoughts: Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKqMtiGg2pRbMfd5KqxfLpRtZsmbJRMf9y3uJjHfVdrVdYHysaKdOiu80GA0oIzDqeQpnfU_tl314MC5CBg52Co4VzdvQHsd4sFgDmeULL9uzGonbtF5RcmOgblJuG_h4QTeb05cJ7qPymX6K71c3NQastQcXD27UaV8rguniw-NX1LLjud8SKBfb2Zjb/s2114/SCtM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills" border="0" data-original-height="2114" data-original-width="1399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKqMtiGg2pRbMfd5KqxfLpRtZsmbJRMf9y3uJjHfVdrVdYHysaKdOiu80GA0oIzDqeQpnfU_tl314MC5CBg52Co4VzdvQHsd4sFgDmeULL9uzGonbtF5RcmOgblJuG_h4QTeb05cJ7qPymX6K71c3NQastQcXD27UaV8rguniw-NX1LLjud8SKBfb2Zjb/w212-h320/SCtM.jpg" title="Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills" width="212" /></a></div>Something Close to Magic</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: red;">by Emma Mills</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">June 13, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919216-something-close-to-magic" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>A baker’s apprentice reluctantly embarks on an adventure full of magic, new friendships, and a prince in distress in this deliciously romantic young adult fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Gail Carson Levine.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands her a set of Seeking stones. In a country where Seeking was old-fashioned even before magic went out of style, it’s a rare skill, but Aurelie has it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The stranger, who turns out to be a remarkably bothersome bounty hunter named Iliana, asks for Aurelie’s help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood—which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie’s careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #741b47;">Even more dangerous are the feelings she’s starting to have for Hapless. The more time Aurelie spends with him, the less she can stand the thought of going back to her solitary but dependable life at the bakery. Must she choose between losing her apprenticeship—or her heart?</span><br /><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Emma Mills did not disappoint. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Something Close to Magic</i> was a whimsical little tale! The whole story was effortlessly fun. I absolutely adored the characters~</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a simple storyline with a thoughtful execution</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the easy writing made my reading experience so enjoyable</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- many humourous dialogues</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the contrast between Aurelie and Hapless was well done:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> - she had real world problems while he grew up sheltered</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> - she's practical and he's a bit of a daydreamer</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- despite their differences, Aurelie and Hapless's budding romance was cute</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the most lovable characters:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> - hardworking Aurelie</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> - Hapless and his positive thinking</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> - demanding but caring Iliana</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> - Quad being Quad</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- A++ friendships</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- realistic sibling relationships- volatile</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Aurelie had a brother-like figure in Jonas who did his best to look after her</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- fun(ny) court titles</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the twist on the villain</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Mrs. Basil got what she deserved</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- parts of the story felt flat</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Iliana and Pith didn't have any type of closure</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"...it's not enough to collect data- you have to be able to interpret it."</b> (p. 125)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"As a child, Hapless sometimes felt sad the day before a holiday or a birthday celebration, and no one could quite understand his explanation why- how the fact that it had nearly begun meant that it was essentially finished."</b> (p. 138)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"It's the average of it that really matters in the end. More so than the highs and lows."</b> (p. 270)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoENLj3AF-70vcG4-a4ep-cpWXP4DtPvi9FFDd6mYQba6Osb79g9KTN4gQzdPZUAfT1Lb6nJ4Ogz9Zpang5DWujP1DYxGBDJae7iudnXKtUocfENH5o19bOizF6H3Qy_rjRaKmSCJf26yRt4dBpTpBhxLLRQ6YAuYY5lpAWqIPNYhVPlCCVIxI8ovpWWj/s200/4%20stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoENLj3AF-70vcG4-a4ep-cpWXP4DtPvi9FFDd6mYQba6Osb79g9KTN4gQzdPZUAfT1Lb6nJ4Ogz9Zpang5DWujP1DYxGBDJae7iudnXKtUocfENH5o19bOizF6H3Qy_rjRaKmSCJf26yRt4dBpTpBhxLLRQ6YAuYY5lpAWqIPNYhVPlCCVIxI8ovpWWj/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-62970392782776359072024-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:002024-01-17T08:00:00.136-08:00Quick Thoughts: If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaaKR2npn8Sb-SjCCBUecH2NqGsW-HNEwZTa8bFhFzTxPbU-_yIREp4COCOJNZTt_ZU1VCP7HB8MlF5pYiTI8N_NzmdtKLXsUbyBFujQQ7zbedJu6Ad4RKpotrCpaTMqz287uHZxBKhEhyfBQElLVnK-Gr8Vyy8VB0JV-MxkMfpBIn2emdyo6oWpouzdQ/s2650/IYCStS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang" border="0" data-original-height="2650" data-original-width="1744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaaKR2npn8Sb-SjCCBUecH2NqGsW-HNEwZTa8bFhFzTxPbU-_yIREp4COCOJNZTt_ZU1VCP7HB8MlF5pYiTI8N_NzmdtKLXsUbyBFujQQ7zbedJu6Ad4RKpotrCpaTMqz287uHZxBKhEhyfBQElLVnK-Gr8Vyy8VB0JV-MxkMfpBIn2emdyo6oWpouzdQ/w211-h320/IYCStS.jpg" title="If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang" width="211" /></a></div>If You Could See the Sun</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">by Ann Liang</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">October 11, 2022</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60099660-if-you-could-see-the-sun" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school, where she’s the only scholarship student among China’s most rich and influential teens. But then she starts uncontrollably turning invisible—<i>actually</i> invisible.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>In this genre-bending YA debut, a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates’ most scandalous secrets.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>If You Could See the Sun</i> was an engaging and thoughtful read. I liked the characters and could relate to some of what they went through. The story was very realistic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>What I Liked:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- a genuinely smart story</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- heartfelt familial interactions</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- important discussion on class division and racism</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- mouth-watering descriptions of food</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- a subtle but cute romance</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- seeing Alice actually getting to know Henry</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- likable teachers</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- a few moments of hilarity</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- some drama-worthy scenes: the kidnapping, outsmarting the school board rep</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- a clever twist of a solution</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- promises of a better future</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- I was sad Alice's power was not explained in any concrete way</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>"I'm friendly with everybody...but I'm friends with nobody." </b>(p. 33)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>"I think about guilt and karma and survival and how being good doesn't ever promise you anything in this world- only power does that."</b> (p. 167)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>"Reputation is currency, a source of power."</b> (p. 321)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREjQrhQkzwt0OKdnhPZm5gdho0hyFdlRPctKfLH7X60YBRz-ILS7MJDN1WHdSUPdXMADa2lvikRDj-t98PbwPYlO6iTjmxVWhBFOkUHoLvSOlvkJ1Q-EFTztZg3kk8XNigqLapTQGV_YB3sp1wZeSENbi4vVgZUDwcV065gVdkVFabXsRG92dq817mWyq/s200/4%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREjQrhQkzwt0OKdnhPZm5gdho0hyFdlRPctKfLH7X60YBRz-ILS7MJDN1WHdSUPdXMADa2lvikRDj-t98PbwPYlO6iTjmxVWhBFOkUHoLvSOlvkJ1Q-EFTztZg3kk8XNigqLapTQGV_YB3sp1wZeSENbi4vVgZUDwcV065gVdkVFabXsRG92dq817mWyq/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-37959879565426273172024-01-01T08:00:00.003-08:002024-01-01T08:00:00.138-08:00Quick Thoughts: The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology #1) by Holly Black<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCFLvsDuy8dEHpxgVFrSFb7PX6Pblwu9gmS58W4DRLtpd-sMYXuKEVb0yZp7KKJuh5bi8V-qb8gspZG-YQNdgIvc3NNyMrfy7OvyQjO6ZKJpjJ-Izg_8iSjEbjsKW8FJwnCsAIl7WMfNnMJh6mJlYohplhddQg9e-5Oz1eYVNwsgBtf1miHxznMhwvA/s1250/TSH.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology #1) by Holly Black" border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCFLvsDuy8dEHpxgVFrSFb7PX6Pblwu9gmS58W4DRLtpd-sMYXuKEVb0yZp7KKJuh5bi8V-qb8gspZG-YQNdgIvc3NNyMrfy7OvyQjO6ZKJpjJ-Izg_8iSjEbjsKW8FJwnCsAIl7WMfNnMJh6mJlYohplhddQg9e-5Oz1eYVNwsgBtf1miHxznMhwvA/w212-h320/TSH.jpg" title="The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology #1) by Holly Black" width="212" /></a></div>The Stolen Heir</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(The Stolen Heir Duology #1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Holly Black</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">January 3, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61198133-the-stolen-heir" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i>A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>#1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Holly Black returns to the opulent world of Elfhame in the first book in a thrilling new duology, following Jude's brother Oak, and the changeling queen, Suren.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">I can always trust Holly Black to deliver a </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">macabre</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> yet</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> whimsical tale of the fae. </span><i style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The Stolen Heir</i><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> was a little slow in pacing but there was plenty of intriguing ploys and deception.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a quick and easy read</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the reminders of previous events in the TFoTA series</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the characters have quite the adventure/road trip</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- some clever planning</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- noble Oak</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- seeing all the sides of Suren/Wren</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- Tiernan's </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">surliness</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> made me laugh</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- Hyacinthe grew on me with his loyalty</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- satisfying character growths</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the flashback scenes that show depth to Oak and Suren's relationship </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- the uncertainty between Oak and Suren</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- Suren's revenge</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- a very predictable plot twist (maybe intentional?)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- no Jude and Cardan cameo XD</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- sadly it's not the most memorable story...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"It doesn't feel good exactly, to be in danger, but it does feel good to be the cause of events rather than being swept along into them." </b>(p. 140)</span></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3EBq3-8ApX0wCetwNRcpoSaswu9YYs4A8TC05BvvPTKE8qGhuzF2f67-DfxrwT1dbkIaza8XJ03vmeLIfbFH4Be0Jp1bKA-3cyT_CigAjLNrVPExI11BO4XYI3dPA4vcpcjrOYEWv1K6AxFcxk6_iy3RcFthRAf_AHApRKzGPiQOVeHkLDWgHi7GjQ/s200/4%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3EBq3-8ApX0wCetwNRcpoSaswu9YYs4A8TC05BvvPTKE8qGhuzF2f67-DfxrwT1dbkIaza8XJ03vmeLIfbFH4Be0Jp1bKA-3cyT_CigAjLNrVPExI11BO4XYI3dPA4vcpcjrOYEWv1K6AxFcxk6_iy3RcFthRAf_AHApRKzGPiQOVeHkLDWgHi7GjQ/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-20121527781488787272023-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-26T06:00:00.141-08:00Review: Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King #2) by Rachel Gillig<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPoTnwsAnp7wjzuiwKyT1ybIxb2VQ6ovY1UpwUFbHPBLVJwL92hDYflMFQ_oMKmv93j9jIZ_ndf4E-VEpkTk2r9GSl86Wb5PAyfG3gjfVQbt4_v8wLKtNs6yX7eWNhSHPtuImM6pr17A6TY1G_P_xtUZjhEWHVjG8fk8BMiGnl_4dULlKk4GBOfiB3WSc/s400/TTC.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King #2) by Rachel Gillig" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPoTnwsAnp7wjzuiwKyT1ybIxb2VQ6ovY1UpwUFbHPBLVJwL92hDYflMFQ_oMKmv93j9jIZ_ndf4E-VEpkTk2r9GSl86Wb5PAyfG3gjfVQbt4_v8wLKtNs6yX7eWNhSHPtuImM6pr17A6TY1G_P_xtUZjhEWHVjG8fk8BMiGnl_4dULlKk4GBOfiB3WSc/w207-h320/TTC.jpg" title="Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King #2) by Rachel Gillig" width="207" /></a></div>Two Twisted Crowns</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(The Shepherd King #2)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Rachel Gillig</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">October 19, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/103452565-two-twisted-crowns" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">In the dark, spellbinding sequel to <i>One Dark Window</i>, Elspeth must confront the weight of her actions as she and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to save the kingdom—perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's <i>For the Wolf</i> and Alexis Henderson's <i>The Year of the Witching</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: the Nightmare.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">And he’s not eager to share any longer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The heart-wrenching story that started in <i>One Dark Window</i> is beautifully wrapped up in <i>Two Twisted Crowns</i>. Bold and smart, this tale once again gave me all the feels. Simply phenomenal.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Continuing the eerily spellbinding world with unbeatable Card magic and sorrowful yet resilient characters, <i>Two Twisted Crowns</i> was an excellent sequel. The natural pacing combined with the multiple POVs gave the book a great balance of story and action. It was exciting to solve the riddles/past and let the politics and the strategies play out. I especially loved the author's usage of the tree words- meanings were cleverly twisted and added.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">A new but not surprising romance burst onto the scene in <i>Two Twisted Crowns</i>. After the hints in <i>One Dark Window</i>, I needed some more Ione and Elm! Carrying past hurts, both were cautious- not revealing too much of their true selves. The undeniable pull between them produced some <strike>hot and</strike> heavy scenes. While Elspeth and Ravyn's romance was not as present (for obvious reasons), we still got to see them interact. Both relationships were painfully sweet and deliciously hopeful.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Everyone in <i>Two Twisted Crowns</i> got what they deserved. In particular, I felt immense satisfaction watching Hauth </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;">meet his end</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">. Elm, Ione, Ravyn and Elspeth more than earned their happiness. I was relieved </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;">to see Elspeth return</span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;"> even though it was bittersweet to watch the Nightmare go. His bond with her was so special. It was good that he set things right and was finally reunited with his family.</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> Everyone was at peace.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Two Twisted Crowns</i> has one of the best endings I've ever read. The last chapter made me teary and my heart was full reading the epilogue. If you love a story that comes full circle, I highly recommend this duology!!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6hze0ZqhzIioVOpgxdW9rRano3Zn-njWeq_BQbiPJgGo2j570NtoIlny-buI1yngAxxd-fUq0vSGx0F75mGN1PAkjcZ17xDKsS3co5aGuNywUajjEiHyEFVbAG-9ZDlFQ59zWLISfrrAhoL1HyVUFrYJrbzsNV1Nj43a5WnuSPnymX4NWey5qzv_awyu/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6hze0ZqhzIioVOpgxdW9rRano3Zn-njWeq_BQbiPJgGo2j570NtoIlny-buI1yngAxxd-fUq0vSGx0F75mGN1PAkjcZ17xDKsS3co5aGuNywUajjEiHyEFVbAG-9ZDlFQ59zWLISfrrAhoL1HyVUFrYJrbzsNV1Nj43a5WnuSPnymX4NWey5qzv_awyu/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-63404736198871894412023-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-20T06:00:00.142-08:00Review: The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist #1) by Kylie Lee Baker<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Frenzy Books in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdN0qqLOPUMhnAUfHLERTYktWQFdiQzDawncEjs6_MF5a7mL5PNylWFMN-r5wJrUiE2Y_UfctryHSjerEcWdqzjCix6z6yYfHYmmV2pbE-NPE9F5NLSpa72BHFRXFMAhvgz9Ja-IrpywjOPmpl3PYmZlNsdJZAP4SuzkOKGi4OyEdb2t9cQv7oPDrHuAfZ/s2048/TSA.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist #1) by Kylie Lee Baker" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdN0qqLOPUMhnAUfHLERTYktWQFdiQzDawncEjs6_MF5a7mL5PNylWFMN-r5wJrUiE2Y_UfctryHSjerEcWdqzjCix6z6yYfHYmmV2pbE-NPE9F5NLSpa72BHFRXFMAhvgz9Ja-IrpywjOPmpl3PYmZlNsdJZAP4SuzkOKGi4OyEdb2t9cQv7oPDrHuAfZ/w211-h320/TSA.jpg" title="The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist #1) by Kylie Lee Baker" width="211" /></a></div>The Scarlet Alchemist</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(The Scarlet Alchemist #1)</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Kylie Lee Baker</b></span></span><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">October 3, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66098770-the-scarlet-alchemist" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>The Scarlet Alchemist</i> is my first novel by Kylie Lee Baker. The visceral plot told a remarkably dark tale. This story full of desperation tested limits and </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">pushed its characters to the brink.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">For a YA novel, the writing in in <i>The Scarlet Alchemist</i> was surprisingly visual. The author did not shy away from descriptions of blood and guts. Especially when it came to life alchemy. The author presented a fascinating approach. The ultimate achievement was worth all the sacrifices (of others). Though I find it a bit crazy to be physically eating gold (no matter if said gold were in an edible state), its consumption to maintain immortality has a poetic sense given its importance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Zilan's life was full of hardship but her cousins made it tolerable. No one was more precious to her than Wenshu and Yufei who were really siblings to her. They shielded each other as much as they could. Despite some heavy bickering and disapprovals, I really felt the love they had for each other.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Li Hong was a refreshing love interest. His good intentions warmed me but as a prince, he was so clueless. To Zilan, Li Hong was an annoying presence at first. However, with his sincerity and innocence, he managed to squeeze himself into her heart. It saddened me to see how he ended up. But I have hopes!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>The Scarlet Alchemist</i> was foreboding and raw. Even though the story felt slow at times, certain plot twists made things more exciting and raised the stakes even higher. Give me more surprises in the next book please!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZ8K0kAP3CHkJxOi6bTDwCVVovg0BvWQcliNdy5P89XEAieAVkkTIWm9n6VZaCHy-LQfkCHi9dkyDOawbbq78lYkibCzk0UcLBdSu5vXqduGr9GgAnIS99DbhVeVVZMxsXSSKvc_wFuJFNaSQMRxyZ4Ck5krI-7XddSLZUmsOYAV-JGF2Xvj3fqK0XrC6/s200/4%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZ8K0kAP3CHkJxOi6bTDwCVVovg0BvWQcliNdy5P89XEAieAVkkTIWm9n6VZaCHy-LQfkCHi9dkyDOawbbq78lYkibCzk0UcLBdSu5vXqduGr9GgAnIS99DbhVeVVZMxsXSSKvc_wFuJFNaSQMRxyZ4Ck5krI-7XddSLZUmsOYAV-JGF2Xvj3fqK0XrC6/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-3906287042728747492023-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:002023-12-14T08:00:00.131-08:00Review: Never Met a Duke Like You (Taming of the Dukes #2) by Amalie Howard<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: red; text-align: justify;">*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigm4nAQ5EhG1yTAN8owcjAz7Sgnckm4_D5Gi7HUWvw43GBBnraLLw5Yhg_53mjIRcih4wZunYR4Xo7OrDf2F6jM0WrXMn1aPc2w_CCD3GhSv34crMpJO9ZhqiWoRcgRRdFb0k4HaJc24B0dUVSeDz3NEOTJrrk2O_AEeLQmwIQqH9lFPOHFDb52Ip-0iQT/s400/NMaDLY.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Never Met a Duke Like You (Taming of the Dukes #2) by Amalie Howard" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigm4nAQ5EhG1yTAN8owcjAz7Sgnckm4_D5Gi7HUWvw43GBBnraLLw5Yhg_53mjIRcih4wZunYR4Xo7OrDf2F6jM0WrXMn1aPc2w_CCD3GhSv34crMpJO9ZhqiWoRcgRRdFb0k4HaJc24B0dUVSeDz3NEOTJrrk2O_AEeLQmwIQqH9lFPOHFDb52Ip-0iQT/w214-h320/NMaDLY.jpg" title="Never Met a Duke Like You (Taming of the Dukes #2) by Amalie Howard" width="214" /></a></div><b>Never Met a Duke Like You</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Taming of the Dukes #2)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Amalie Howard</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">November 14, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63251906-never-met-a-duke-like-you" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is beautiful, clever, and popular. Afforded every luxury as a duke’s daughter, she fills her days with friends, intrigues, and a self-professed knack for matchmaking. She may have sworn off love for herself, but she is rather excellent at arranging it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Faced with an insolvent estate, the Duke of Greydon has no choice but to return to England in a final attempt to revive his family’s fortunes. He’s been gone for years, happy to have escaped his mother and the petty circles of the ton. To his dismay, not much has changed, including the beautiful and vexing heiress next door.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But when an accident of fate traps the friends-turned-enemies in an attic together, the explosive attraction between them becomes impossible to ignore and even harder to resist. They are total opposites and their lives don’t align in the slightest, but fate, the ultimate matchmaker, appears to have other plans . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">When it comes to regency romances, I love picking up sequels with standalone stories. Even more so when the series is called Taming of the Dukes ;) <i>Never Met a Duke Like You</i> was a well-paced and relevant story with blunt characters and a hesitant yet sizzling romance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Never Met a Duke Like You</i> tackled two important subjects: mental health and women's rights. Greydon fought hard for fairer rules. While the changes didn't come easily, I loved the honest discussions. Outwardly Vesper was a proper lady conforming to society, on the inside she held a spark of defiance. When it finally ignited, she confidently went for it (him) ;)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Both Vesper and Greydon guarded their hearts closely due to past traumas. It was nice watching them clear up misunderstandings and continue afresh. Though I wanted Greydon to grovel a little more, he and Vesper made a well-matched pair. Their intimate scenes were unabashedly hot and passionate lighting up the pages of </span><i style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Never Met a Duke Like You</i><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I adored the supporting cast of characters. The ladies of the Hellfire Kitties cracked me up. They teased Vesper mercilessly while also giving her sound advices. Cat the cat, had suspiciously great timing. Vesper's brother, Lushing's commentaries throughout the story gave me some good laughs. I really hope his story (</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">with Briar please!)</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> will be next. Even Vesper's father had a comedic presence- holding the peace between his daughter and Greydon while also nudging them towards each other.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I super appreciate the Content Guidance at the beginning of the book and the A Letter from the Author at the end. They were very informative and made reading <i>Never Met a Duke Like You</i> a more insightful experience.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0FN3-8RBZVgJU_-3x03lUhCtQ8GiH7A7gMovXT8aJxzIkl_cRS7MzQR-_dPnaToVLu-aYKax3oxWiOl2H012WvnDwhZbMrcO2PrVcyj2g7XA1zFhrrniPhCyt7oQYjp6qM310IZZd7-C4esQ8eP0Feh-J-hhZ9k5E3iSECIs6S5qZL7wTjDFY7Zkq01J/s200/4%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0FN3-8RBZVgJU_-3x03lUhCtQ8GiH7A7gMovXT8aJxzIkl_cRS7MzQR-_dPnaToVLu-aYKax3oxWiOl2H012WvnDwhZbMrcO2PrVcyj2g7XA1zFhrrniPhCyt7oQYjp6qM310IZZd7-C4esQ8eP0Feh-J-hhZ9k5E3iSECIs6S5qZL7wTjDFY7Zkq01J/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div></div></blockquote><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-11736798616801096852023-12-11T08:00:00.001-08:002023-12-11T08:00:00.139-08:00Review: Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Firefly Books Ltd. in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2yPrD6az-9m1S9jXaOSRlyRog8yccjVdHKA2BcScX-N6jQHNkLIIBGD3l2pBNP8GiHiBz6lCj35itu7zTG_WrcrorpT0iS5d-lMy9Sn6Gl1yAzaTkD8EZjbaK0G3og3g7zuQAUXjgQPv4NfeZlCmIhTfUzB6Cl4pT7VCpQS9iqrMwiuUOOws9JPuthHi/s2542/SandB.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher" border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="1646" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2yPrD6az-9m1S9jXaOSRlyRog8yccjVdHKA2BcScX-N6jQHNkLIIBGD3l2pBNP8GiHiBz6lCj35itu7zTG_WrcrorpT0iS5d-lMy9Sn6Gl1yAzaTkD8EZjbaK0G3og3g7zuQAUXjgQPv4NfeZlCmIhTfUzB6Cl4pT7VCpQS9iqrMwiuUOOws9JPuthHi/w207-h320/SandB.jpg" title="Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher" width="207" /></a></div>Salt & Broom</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Sharon Lynn Fisher</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">December 1, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126923497-salt-broom" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A gifted healer unravels the mysteries of a cursed estate―and its enigmatic owner―in a witchy retelling of <i>Jane Eyre</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i>Salt and broom, make this room</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i>Safe and tight, against the night.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Trunks packed with potions and cures, Jane Aire sets out on a crisp, clear morning in October to face the greatest challenge of her sheltered girls’-school existence. A shadow lies over Thornfield Hall and its reclusive master, Edward Rochester. And he’s hired her only as a last resort. Jane stumbles again and again as she tries to establish a rapport with her prickly new employer, but he becomes the least of her worries as a mysterious force seems to work against her. The threats mount around both Jane and Rochester―who’s becoming more intriguing and appealing to her by the day. Jane begins to fear her herb healing and protective charms may not be enough to save the man she’s growing to love from a threat darker and more dangerous than either of them imagined.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">With atmospheric writing, </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Salt & Broom</i> was a short and sweet read. The story wasn't the most thrilling but I loved the witchy vibes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Salt & Broom</i> was full of uncertainty and intrigue. While I didn't care for the mundane activities, the build up in the mystery was expertly done. I had my suspicions. When the truth was delivered, the solution was thorough and satisfying. What I found </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">a bit irrelevant was t</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">he side plot of Jane's birth</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">. It felt too neat and convenient.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The witchery in <i>Salt & Broom</i> was actually very practical and down-to-earth. I found it delightful watching Jane cast with simple phrases and create charms using plants. She was knowledgeable and only ever used her ability to protect and heal. Mr. Rochester is a lucky man!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I couldn't fully embrace the feelings between Jane and Rochester. No doubts that they were genuine but given the short amount of time they spent in each other's company (spread out over 2-3 days), their declarations of love simply came about too quickly. I wish the romance had been given more time to develop.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Salt & Broom</i> was an enjoyable retelling- sufficiently suspenseful and </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">warmly witchy</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">. I'd love to learn to make protection charms~</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0FN3-8RBZVgJU_-3x03lUhCtQ8GiH7A7gMovXT8aJxzIkl_cRS7MzQR-_dPnaToVLu-aYKax3oxWiOl2H012WvnDwhZbMrcO2PrVcyj2g7XA1zFhrrniPhCyt7oQYjp6qM310IZZd7-C4esQ8eP0Feh-J-hhZ9k5E3iSECIs6S5qZL7wTjDFY7Zkq01J/s200/4%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0FN3-8RBZVgJU_-3x03lUhCtQ8GiH7A7gMovXT8aJxzIkl_cRS7MzQR-_dPnaToVLu-aYKax3oxWiOl2H012WvnDwhZbMrcO2PrVcyj2g7XA1zFhrrniPhCyt7oQYjp6qM310IZZd7-C4esQ8eP0Feh-J-hhZ9k5E3iSECIs6S5qZL7wTjDFY7Zkq01J/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-46773208923702531152023-12-04T08:00:00.002-08:002023-12-04T08:00:00.138-08:00Quick Thoughts: Master of Iron (Bladesmith #2) by Tricia Levenseller<div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">*Review contains slight spoilers from the previous book in the duology.</span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvE6xTFCjmiNNPer9y9erXW_AEfn7F9cWNCUfRrBM601y6GyR2iatgfzHYYLzKx0HOUcGZyOMNebegZmb3s1Da9gvR4LuBwQ226lrn8Q6wF2vDNlb88In68TRndeld7jjo8XC6Q-iaqmN_H6I8H81noLo-4unN77bp_JPg3Wr4QDVd_fVQbjSwnKLlQ/s400/MoI.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Master of Iron (Bladesmith #2) by Tricia Levenseller" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvE6xTFCjmiNNPer9y9erXW_AEfn7F9cWNCUfRrBM601y6GyR2iatgfzHYYLzKx0HOUcGZyOMNebegZmb3s1Da9gvR4LuBwQ226lrn8Q6wF2vDNlb88In68TRndeld7jjo8XC6Q-iaqmN_H6I8H81noLo-4unN77bp_JPg3Wr4QDVd_fVQbjSwnKLlQ/w212-h320/MoI.jpg" title="Master of Iron (Bladesmith #2) by Tricia Levenseller" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Master of Iron</b></div></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Bladesmith #2)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Tricia Levenseller</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">July 26, 2022</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58484177-master-of-iron" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Eighteen-year-old Ziva may have defeated a deadly warlord, but the price was almost too much. Ziva is forced into a breakneck race to a nearby city with the handsome mercenary, Kellyn, and the young scholar, Petrik, to find a powerful magical healer who can save her sister's life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">When the events that follow lead to Ziva and Kellyn's capture by an ambitious prince, Ziva is forced into the very situation she's been dreading: magicking dangerous weapons meant for world domination.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">The forge has always been Ziva's safe space, a place to avoid society and the anxiety it causes her, but now it is her prison, and she's not sure just how much of herself she'll have to sacrifice to save Kellyn and take center stage in the very war she's been trying to stop.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>In <i>Master of Iron</i>, the conclusion to Tricia Levenseller's exciting Bladesmith YA fantasy duology, a magically gifted blacksmith with social anxiety must race against the clock to save her beloved sister and stop a devastating war.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">I enjoyed <i>Blade of Secrets</i> a lot but <i>Master of Iron</i> was even better! It's more </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">adventurous, most intense and quite confident by the end. I miss the characters already...</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666;"><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the smooth writing is so easy to read</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- many different but engaging plotlines</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- actions yay!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- educational at times (eg. forging, warfare)</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- lots of honest and heartfelt conversations</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Ziva being brave and taking chances</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the informative romances</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Tamra and Petrik working on their communication</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Ziva and Kellyn are couples goal</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- I adored the stolen romantic moments</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the antics of the royals were unexpectedly comical</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the best ending ever~</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- Elany is kind of a loose end?</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"My sister raised me to be my own person. She taught me to love who I am and to fight for the things I want. I'm proud of how I turned out." </b>(p.206)</span></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJiJdMk3noVjnhbQD1mJrIYItNI7mTEBB9oCviRSHcOW-eN7VzfoGS7AZ3Fm34pnNwW8J2tQGquMqnYBCPjSu_WuSF2jXcHsU4CvDh2w2cmAXtFGH35dKhq1SdpEMdVvtzfckc2s9nPUgy8yWR5LcIchd1LN64J_anVycTTC-8qHpM8uhE5iGqUW0YA/s250/5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJiJdMk3noVjnhbQD1mJrIYItNI7mTEBB9oCviRSHcOW-eN7VzfoGS7AZ3Fm34pnNwW8J2tQGquMqnYBCPjSu_WuSF2jXcHsU4CvDh2w2cmAXtFGH35dKhq1SdpEMdVvtzfckc2s9nPUgy8yWR5LcIchd1LN64J_anVycTTC-8qHpM8uhE5iGqUW0YA/s16000/5%20stars.jpg" title="5 Cats" /></a></div></span></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-69409046360510776362023-11-27T08:00:00.062-08:002023-11-27T08:00:00.136-08:00Quick Thoughts: The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4ayVIIxrTU27Q2QZF9mixlPGuk3tbTs-6JtE47pVERjApZIkyGIKpndMF8GoCRj31esHrIUCweWVmOBNoPYOZi6VO-B1pO_Y4LIiJtWva2z39Ei-5Dulbwx8UgwyDwcyuIIy6k220C_qIIaYFXHcWuxFnMR1WPa12GccC2tEnkni21LrIbEMQfYMVgXV/s475/TBoI.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel" border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4ayVIIxrTU27Q2QZF9mixlPGuk3tbTs-6JtE47pVERjApZIkyGIKpndMF8GoCRj31esHrIUCweWVmOBNoPYOZi6VO-B1pO_Y4LIiJtWva2z39Ei-5Dulbwx8UgwyDwcyuIIy6k220C_qIIaYFXHcWuxFnMR1WPa12GccC2tEnkni21LrIbEMQfYMVgXV/w212-h320/TBoI.jpg" title="The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel" width="212" /></a></div>The Book of Ivy</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(The Book of Ivy #1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Amy Engel</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">November 4, 2014</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20640755-the-book-of-ivy" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">This year, it is my turn.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Because Bishop <i>must</i> die. And I must be the one to kill him…</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I can see why <i>The Book of Ivy</i> was such a hit when it was first released. There's a really good balance between the dystopian world and the romance-based plot. I kept rooting for the characters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- despite the unfairness, it's a captivating world</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a showcase of human nature</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a powerful and personal story</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the moral choices/dilemma</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Ivy standing up for herself and others</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Bishop and his patient kindness</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the quiet connection between Ivy and Bishop</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- exploring the meaning of family</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Ivy's defiance felt very selfish at times</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Bishop is a great guy but he doesn't do much- no job?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"He allowed me the freedom to save myself, which is the very best type of rescue."</b> (p. 247)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"I want to be someone strong and brave enough to make hard choices. But I want to be fair and loving enough to make the right ones."</b> (p. 271)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tpXYy9Yc-2ZmzOrYpSvhXxi5tvUwdnt_stKuvH-NIQmSgqA4mW1lGPqQYgStelo5_VPnr8QsF749AXD2qryYkvmT6r40fzlpHOSxhkTkRBmcQpyqLdmc6DtPiohrHzphZVhmyZVUGJY0F7futaL41x7lOj1Q1QgAyFTsrqnshRYOBzn8Kux4EUeLJMVl/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tpXYy9Yc-2ZmzOrYpSvhXxi5tvUwdnt_stKuvH-NIQmSgqA4mW1lGPqQYgStelo5_VPnr8QsF749AXD2qryYkvmT6r40fzlpHOSxhkTkRBmcQpyqLdmc6DtPiohrHzphZVhmyZVUGJY0F7futaL41x7lOj1Q1QgAyFTsrqnshRYOBzn8Kux4EUeLJMVl/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-46635223473255107882023-11-20T08:00:00.085-08:002023-11-20T08:00:00.151-08:00Review: My Temptation (Kingston Lane #1) by T.L. Swan<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received a copy of this book from Firefly Books Ltd in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwabQ-TK4ElnEUZF1OJvQYLl5dljVcWm_7RtROazS3WTOHBsr4FZmpz_3X99kgFoDnTwltSSrTGbRA_5MYFqlZ1ujgSvxEIOmYERtROC_VZAxiZ1e6do5_rfAY1RMZezLapFEQeO5Rddto3fJghps50bvDXumIaynDRHwgl_wZiSJSh6XQZmM8Rf5zMjV1/s2300/My%20Temptation.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My Temptation (Kingston Lane #1) by T.L. Swan" border="0" data-original-height="2300" data-original-width="1498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwabQ-TK4ElnEUZF1OJvQYLl5dljVcWm_7RtROazS3WTOHBsr4FZmpz_3X99kgFoDnTwltSSrTGbRA_5MYFqlZ1ujgSvxEIOmYERtROC_VZAxiZ1e6do5_rfAY1RMZezLapFEQeO5Rddto3fJghps50bvDXumIaynDRHwgl_wZiSJSh6XQZmM8Rf5zMjV1/w208-h320/My%20Temptation.jpg" title="My Temptation (Kingston Lane #1) by T.L. Swan" width="208" /></a></div>My Temptation</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Kingston Lane #1)</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by T.L. Swan</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">August 29, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/108216269-my-temptation" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Enter a world of luxury, lust and love with this scorching first title in T L Swan’s provocative and witty Kingston Lane series. The first time I laid eyes on Henley James, I was mesmerized. The chemistry between us was like nothing I’d ever felt. Impeccable suit, dimpled smile. He was charming and gorgeous, sophisticated and suave. He gave me his business card and asked me to call. His dating game was strong; I was gone from his first smile. I’d love to tell you our date was a raging success, but it wasn’t. Far from it. I decided right there on that day that Henley James and I would forever be mortal enemies; I would never think of him again. Three years later, I bought my dream home. I’m so excited to meet my neighbors―that is, until I do. Oh no! What are the chances? It’s him. Still single, still the hottest man alive, and still obnoxiously sarcastic. He saunters around wearing next to nothing and refuses to close the blinds at night. I will not let myself think of him at all costs. It could be my sanity. My temptation is a nightmare.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Addictive is the first word that I'd use to describe <i>My Temptation</i>. The story was a bit long but the characters and their interactions kept my attention. Also, gossipy neighbours make for the most entertaining reads ;)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>My Temptation</i> had its ups and downs. I enjoyed reading about Juliet and Henley. They had chemistry and their compatibility was undeniable. However, it was kind of annoying hearing her constantly saying so. Same with the word "infuriating" and the action of "rolling their lips". Sure, they sound sexy but </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">the repetitive usage grew old very quickly. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The story (and the characters) could've done with fewer of these!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Whether they were being intimate or not, Juliet and Henley were on fire. But their relationship was quite unhealthy (bordering on toxic). Henley was sometimes sweet, other times a complete dominating a**hole. Even though he had his reasons, I wish Juliet was less understanding. With the number of cold shoulders he gave her, she should've given him a harder time when he came barreling back into her life. I would've made him grovel more!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Whether it was Juliet and Henley together or the two of them with their friends, <i>My Temptation</i> was full of sexual innuendos and dirty talks. I loved the unabashed way the friends talked amongst themselves. Their teasing was especially amusing!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I'm looking forward to which eligible bachelor on Kingston Lane is next. From the hints in <i>My Temptation</i>, I can tell that any of their stories will be white hot and great fun ;)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Zq9XBxtMD5TUkdjZfh92CLf54hQjBoCEtPGkugEGc01DQM3Y96lCy3aMWpuklAfjIRg-vG_IMpKu8aSmsaJ1b2fWj4XaW0EQYVj4NyQazcFYC0glni_2Zy_uGIim2GWL-l3khcDUVW5056Fz5hs3yoiHPyOMzPeKfJg-VkONS4gCDOwiix3jtlv-t7rR/s200/4%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Zq9XBxtMD5TUkdjZfh92CLf54hQjBoCEtPGkugEGc01DQM3Y96lCy3aMWpuklAfjIRg-vG_IMpKu8aSmsaJ1b2fWj4XaW0EQYVj4NyQazcFYC0glni_2Zy_uGIim2GWL-l3khcDUVW5056Fz5hs3yoiHPyOMzPeKfJg-VkONS4gCDOwiix3jtlv-t7rR/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-21020597821592605682023-11-13T08:00:00.182-08:002023-11-13T08:00:00.145-08:00Review: Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eedl5rr_6gYUeZJMXyFWUVFeyZlpsv48cd0ZOk9uzLNKCmZTsnp0_xA7nwOyRkEOKch6f_x-K4ZYfSwllMF_ud9fY66MyrMY_QCA8Izxvkc8vsjrIl6lv1hDwKTYSCzvmUj7sqUnnfgFBIHdW3wHDgEuSMDwIlRTLf5yFOOvv_jwVn2Z2liB1YaK8x3E/s2560/TotF.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco" border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eedl5rr_6gYUeZJMXyFWUVFeyZlpsv48cd0ZOk9uzLNKCmZTsnp0_xA7nwOyRkEOKch6f_x-K4ZYfSwllMF_ud9fY66MyrMY_QCA8Izxvkc8vsjrIl6lv1hDwKTYSCzvmUj7sqUnnfgFBIHdW3wHDgEuSMDwIlRTLf5yFOOvv_jwVn2Z2liB1YaK8x3E/w212-h320/TotF.jpg" title="Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco" width="212" /></a></div></span></b><b><span style="color: red;">Throne of the Fallen</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">by Kerri Maniscalco</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">October 3, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75673878-throne-of-the-fallen" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i>Sinner. Villain. Ruthless.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">These are wicked names the Prince of Envy welcomes. They remind him what he isn’t: a saint. And when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows he’ll be called much worse before it ends. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, <i>nothing</i> will stand in his way. With a powerful artifact and his own future at stake, Envy is determined to win, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin—and passion—like no other…</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i>Talented. Darling. Liar.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows notorious rake—and satire sheet legend—Lord Phillip Vexley to blackmail her. And now it seems Vexley isn’t the only scoundrel interested in securing her unique talents as a painter. To avoid Vexley’s clutches <i>and</i> a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Waverly Green’s newest arrival, enigmatic Lord Ashford ‘Syn’ Synton, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Shifting Isles—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm, and encounters with exiled Fae—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I have many thoughts when it comes to <i>Throne of the Fallen</i>. On one hand I loved how conflicted yet driven the characters were. On the other hand, the plot twists were predictable and the romance sometimes felt cringey.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Throne of the Fallen</i> was quite the dramatic story with the writing equally over the top. I didn't love the writing style but thought it suited the book well. When the characters were tortured (emotionally), I felt their despair. When they were turned on, I felt their desires. But what really fueled me reading <i>Throne of the Fallen</i> was the mystery. The truths were easy to guess but hearing them from the characters had definite effects.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Headstrong and stubborn, Camilla took good care of herself. She owned her sexuality and boldly stated her needs. Envy matched her. He never backed down and elicited sensuality between them. Despite both their efforts to conceal their true feelings, their moments together were surprisingly full of emotions. Though I really could have done without some of the cheesy dialogues :P</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Although we didn't get a lot of scenes with the Princes of Hell all together, their bickering and teasing had me snickering along. They sure knew how to rile each other up. I'm curious which brother's story will be next. Going off the hints we got in <i>Throne of the Fallen</i>, I'm positive it'll be a saucy one.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Although I didn't love everything about <i>Throne of the Fallen</i>, the story was still most intriguing and enjoyable. As long as Kerri Maniscalco writes strong and opinionated female characters, I'll keep reading her books.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZMnov5bCt_eYc-xgYhi6PXjpS4eL4kXLkKtBHb9rFMOvgSwBtcaOM1DiDDm5xwTvGm9XaWQp9GDXYFFlJEGOmebXA74DijiU3fZDY6DaSh10h5Ik8BvRTyat5qFnmZDqGq64bBBv2KZVT_FOQypRPl7ChX4S0TZ7gztHvjogQfi1LdTdmv9cDHXTZ9tf/s185/3.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZMnov5bCt_eYc-xgYhi6PXjpS4eL4kXLkKtBHb9rFMOvgSwBtcaOM1DiDDm5xwTvGm9XaWQp9GDXYFFlJEGOmebXA74DijiU3fZDY6DaSh10h5Ik8BvRTyat5qFnmZDqGq64bBBv2KZVT_FOQypRPl7ChX4S0TZ7gztHvjogQfi1LdTdmv9cDHXTZ9tf/s16000/3.5%20stars.jpg" title="3.5 Cats" /></a></div></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-70676419872670987602023-11-08T08:00:00.011-08:002023-11-08T08:00:00.155-08:00Review: Foxglove (Belladonna #2) by Adalyn Grace<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPNvfyDy9KP6Y3Te9eqIRmScenJ0tXrXuTetkUYiA502aYtnkVXPr2KFgPwsdSFT6uo7by7McQkELT9l6tqtlQ5226vfB-CGvvEK48uYgaaz6hD40P6FPnI4UmR_LYxfaeRGHT9ucx2JM9T5L1gNSMnD5lQ-ihXnH9nnd_HVLS3NJ2Knu6yocZ6F5p5fz/s2560/Foxglove.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Foxglove (Belladonna #2) by Adalyn Grace" border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPNvfyDy9KP6Y3Te9eqIRmScenJ0tXrXuTetkUYiA502aYtnkVXPr2KFgPwsdSFT6uo7by7McQkELT9l6tqtlQ5226vfB-CGvvEK48uYgaaz6hD40P6FPnI4UmR_LYxfaeRGHT9ucx2JM9T5L1gNSMnD5lQ-ihXnH9nnd_HVLS3NJ2Knu6yocZ6F5p5fz/w213-h320/Foxglove.jpg" title="Foxglove (Belladonna #2) by Adalyn Grace" width="213" /></a></div>Foxglove</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">(Belladonna #2)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">by Adalyn Grace</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">August 22, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63023639-foxglove" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused <i>Belladonna</i>, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games--all with their destinies hanging in the balance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to the story of Signa and Death is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Foxglove</i> caught me by surprise- I was not prepared for how much I'd love it. I liked <i>Belladonna</i> but <i>Foxglove</i> really hit it out of the park for me! I'm still thinking about the characters...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Fiercely loyal and strongly determined, Signa and Blythe did everything in their power to protect their loved ones. Fate played a dangerous game with </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">them but both girls played bravely. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Difficult choices were made; irreversible bargains struck. I greatly admired both Signa and Blythe.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Foxglove</i> was full of twists and turns. I guessed the identity twist early on but it was still satisfying to see my suspicions confirmed. So fun following the trail the clever writing left. The second twist was entirely unexpected but brilliant. Blythe's love for her cousin was more than apparent </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;">with the sacrifice she made</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">. In an effort to stay vague, I will just say I'm so pleased with the turn of events. The ensuing resentment </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;">(between Blythe and Fate)</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> promises a chaotically good time.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I didn't love the love triangle aspect of <i>Foxglove</i> but I'm also thankful it wasn't exactly a true love triangle. While Fate's love story sounded epic, it couldn't come between everything Signa and Death shared. I felt the strong connection between them. The stolen moments and their longing to truly be together tugged at my heart. Can we give them a break?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Delightfully delicious, <i>Foxglove</i> was quite the romantic story. The characters have really grown on me and I must know how they'll fare. <i>Wisteria</i> can't release fast enough!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcipfbCoMa2eiJjKz2sppb4E01kLlilpYo8oDHE7j-rSTZr2dVJW3zkLMIICf5yRn8hh3f1AGBTw3B2WSMHT-6uQ8ERWHjU0SccyRweqbKMdYMHgsyHsAA7K3KAdWkujNMJoGszZT5tKppthDUIyJFUiZmA7UsiOFUrMb7Iui-SFM3WZ2X1nzLQzqgkMM/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcipfbCoMa2eiJjKz2sppb4E01kLlilpYo8oDHE7j-rSTZr2dVJW3zkLMIICf5yRn8hh3f1AGBTw3B2WSMHT-6uQ8ERWHjU0SccyRweqbKMdYMHgsyHsAA7K3KAdWkujNMJoGszZT5tKppthDUIyJFUiZmA7UsiOFUrMb7Iui-SFM3WZ2X1nzLQzqgkMM/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-89951581112316763882023-11-06T08:00:00.002-08:002023-11-06T08:00:00.150-08:00Quick Thoughts: The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBDfGXj9wkLfqnScMDiShE4egLCPdp3Sq4_bZhjauGPYb5QIAB1QZ9NWDGcyN89k93zX0SWVEM6y5JCvSwWlTfsRYQwbca0O3Pqd2ES6_eOczbJkg1mitL7ViwHp4d3jtstLGuz7yKOKsB7WN-9NepHXLyP_NCEEaBcI4yK-_O54q0RURwpipdx1NJiff/s1500/TBO.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="978" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBDfGXj9wkLfqnScMDiShE4egLCPdp3Sq4_bZhjauGPYb5QIAB1QZ9NWDGcyN89k93zX0SWVEM6y5JCvSwWlTfsRYQwbca0O3Pqd2ES6_eOczbJkg1mitL7ViwHp4d3jtstLGuz7yKOKsB7WN-9NepHXLyP_NCEEaBcI4yK-_O54q0RURwpipdx1NJiff/w209-h320/TBO.jpg" title="The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia" width="209" /></a></div>The Beautiful Ones</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">April 27, 2021</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55077709-the-beautiful-ones" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis—neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse—and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he has traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But great romances are for fairytales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina — and himself — that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins.<i> The Beautiful Ones</i> is a charming tale of love and betrayal, and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Once in a while I pick up a book that's not my usual type of read and I end up praising myself for the decision! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed <i>The Beautiful Ones</i>. It was an addictive read.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- lush writing that inspired all sorts of feelings as I read</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a truly passionate story:</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> heart-wrenching but also fulfilling</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">highly entertaining</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> drama</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- some </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">powerful </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">scenes</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a second chance romance that moved me </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">(ironically)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Nina's unassuming nature</span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- most of Hector and Nina's interactions</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- genuine friendships (Hector and </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">É</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">tienne, Hector and Nina, Nina and Luc)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a loving family</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- bittersweet moments</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a satisfying ending</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- bo</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">o Valérie's chapters</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Luc was kind of annoying and immature</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"She existed, and had always existed, in a rather untamed state, which was facilitated by her family, who confused her intellectual inclinations with a wholesome disposition."</b> (p. 197)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIs2-Yf4IKp0zkCPLKr-U5vyMQ0mKI3wGignmJtt9_EVFJ_qHj0HziRT_Vs6SNmbU4aAcFYThZ9zTO3NL2c5GjAkQIaV1z60d1QwwLdsbMgYol78rM-7yFz5iQ6X7XpPP00EA-AWzgcgyIvGT2nZ9xZgcWbZIU2J1J39-3_dGkDl5B5GhmmcSlbQyi7Mk/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIs2-Yf4IKp0zkCPLKr-U5vyMQ0mKI3wGignmJtt9_EVFJ_qHj0HziRT_Vs6SNmbU4aAcFYThZ9zTO3NL2c5GjAkQIaV1z60d1QwwLdsbMgYol78rM-7yFz5iQ6X7XpPP00EA-AWzgcgyIvGT2nZ9xZgcWbZIU2J1J39-3_dGkDl5B5GhmmcSlbQyi7Mk/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div></span></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-92042363004855528622023-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:002023-10-23T08:00:00.139-07:00Quick Thoughts: Blade of Secrets (Bladesmith #1) by Tricia Levenseller<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3eqStvkLXU9c06ujTYkKu9LS_8GKV8uIKhmLFwVcaq2sHUKs4ozVbxyQtIc-R0Eh5LJft_Acl5oea9l56chEu6GfnF-DLa0aysW6tVV4Jxd6FI7ofAhlTxAXk_YNS_QwyccIe9x0dt0uCOzqzSnUuFpHXsVDzGzATKNhX4DYGMwvGWzGPgrEIOfUNA/s900/Blade%20of%20Secrets.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blade of Secrets (Bladesmith #1) by Tricia Levenseller" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3eqStvkLXU9c06ujTYkKu9LS_8GKV8uIKhmLFwVcaq2sHUKs4ozVbxyQtIc-R0Eh5LJft_Acl5oea9l56chEu6GfnF-DLa0aysW6tVV4Jxd6FI7ofAhlTxAXk_YNS_QwyccIe9x0dt0uCOzqzSnUuFpHXsVDzGzATKNhX4DYGMwvGWzGPgrEIOfUNA/w212-h320/Blade%20of%20Secrets.jpg" title="Blade of Secrets (Bladesmith #1) by Tricia Levenseller" width="212" /></a></div>Blade of Secrets</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Bladesmith #1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Tricia Levenseller</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">May 4, 2021</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51591632-blade-of-secrets" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims' secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world's known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i>A teenage blacksmith with social anxiety accepts a commission from the wrong person and is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she's ever made.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">Tricia Levenseller is one of my favourite authors so I had no doubt I'd enjoy <i>Blade of Secrets</i>! The story was unique and uplifting with a subtle and sweet romance. I especially loved how relatable the main character felt.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a compelling story with steady pacing</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- some dangerous but fun travels</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- really great anxiety rep</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- many characters with depths</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- an amazing sister bond that's not perfect</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- how contrasting Ziva and Temra are</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a cute slow burn romance</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- charming Kellyn and his surprisingly big but down-to-earth family</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- awkward but smart and loyal Petrik</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the coolest weapons!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- some small twists that I didn't see coming</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- I wanted some more action</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"Love is uncomfortable at first. It's terrifying and exhilarating. But that will pass. It will becomes easier and something that you need rather than want."</b> (p.281)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WAjcTmInNqysWSz27V08YHJ8dG6nlwIUneAyatQNLpXVMuEEabZCRlg6SlLLe6IU0aHwbt2LRBhQXiE3qVhExCR27pSYOKiKzWlL4XzqVBQYAyNql99ES94P2I3jbo-N9UI3bUhNyYWM9fB-uKZ0Rf2azusaHGDiTc2mE5YiRVPjxDAIk1K5j8gA1w/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WAjcTmInNqysWSz27V08YHJ8dG6nlwIUneAyatQNLpXVMuEEabZCRlg6SlLLe6IU0aHwbt2LRBhQXiE3qVhExCR27pSYOKiKzWlL4XzqVBQYAyNql99ES94P2I3jbo-N9UI3bUhNyYWM9fB-uKZ0Rf2azusaHGDiTc2mE5YiRVPjxDAIk1K5j8gA1w/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-87206926653704102832023-10-17T08:00:00.109-07:002023-10-17T08:00:00.142-07:00Review: Foul Heart Huntsman (Foul Lady Fortune #2) by Chloe Gong<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: red; text-align: center;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mG3I_1V37VElOatFY5lMPspcYCcrWCBJDgi0TzyJ8StItxTC8Kcm_4_wLTVyOPRBVLHFrcTqK7JoDxC1aZ3fMLXAe_lDFPesI-ec0CjAde6xiPoWzKmfzLVd3g-LDOQZ4IktEHL6dKNtNEUE6QLA9wtAQigjOQTLKwiHaZXcPD4dTN-4KHgA5gXlJe-m/s1200/FHH.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Foul Heart Huntsman (Foul Lady Fortune #2) by Chloe Gong" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="802" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mG3I_1V37VElOatFY5lMPspcYCcrWCBJDgi0TzyJ8StItxTC8Kcm_4_wLTVyOPRBVLHFrcTqK7JoDxC1aZ3fMLXAe_lDFPesI-ec0CjAde6xiPoWzKmfzLVd3g-LDOQZ4IktEHL6dKNtNEUE6QLA9wtAQigjOQTLKwiHaZXcPD4dTN-4KHgA5gXlJe-m/w214-h320/FHH.jpg" title="Foul Heart Huntsman (Foul Lady Fortune #2) by Chloe Gong" width="214" /></a></div>Foul Heart Huntsman</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: red;">(Foul Lady Fortune #2)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: red;">by Chloe Gong</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">September 26, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101138075-foul-heart-huntsman" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>From the #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>These Violent Delights</i> and <i>Our Violent Ends</i> comes the second book in the captivating Foul Lady Fortune duology following an immortal assassin in 1930s Shanghai as she races to save her country and her love.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother’s traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasion—but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it’s not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">What a grand finale to the <i>Foul Lady Fortune</i> duology! Packed with intense action, witty humour, shocking betrayals, moving gestures and swoony romances, <i>Foul Heart Huntsman</i> was the most fun I've had with a Chloe Gong book!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Foul Heart Huntsman</i> continues the serious and delicate story started in <i>Foul Lady Fortune</i>. The political clashes reached an all-time high. The resulting deception and jailbreak had me on the edge of my seat. Despite the tension, Ms. Gong's writing managed to lift the heavy atmosphere from time to time. I smiled and laughed plenty from the good-natured banter sprinkled throughout the story between the characters. From secret agents to foreign invasion to weaponized serums to immortality, each loose end was tied up neatly without any doubts.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">The amazing cast of characters from <i>Foul Lady Fortune</i> continued to shine in <i>Foul Heart Huntsman</i>. Rosalind's identity has been exposed but instead of it becoming a hindrance, she used it to her advantage. Orion who did his best to help out was so funny when he was clueless. The tenderness between Celia and Oliver really showed in this installment. Phoebe played her part brilliantly. I delighted in seeing her relationship with Silas become even more complicated ;) Alisa, my favourite, was feisty, perceptive and sarcastic as hell. I loved that they looked out for one another even though they didn't all work for the same side. </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #ffe599; font-family: georgia;">Lastly, it was f***ing awesome seeing Juliet, Roma, Benedikt and Marshall all together again.</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> Teamwork!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Foul Heart Huntsman</i> was such a fulfilling finish to the <i>Foul Lady Fortune</i> storyline. Is this also the end to the Secret Shanghai universe? Whether it is or isn't, I'm so grateful to Ms. Gong for the adventure of a lifetime!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTrY8_Us_FYbsVH2VcmZ_pciqyKU66LiwJ-KjhRHkItnVP5Yzm3xYos9UQCAK2rY3lRTY9w2QWn8Kt6WPrCz_WTOKBouLwFaAMcqcLhn9Y82wcYwIeDHxU-UYK1NIch4o2YAA2vQsSi_hTxja_P__JkXlXajig6xQgGF0a2cSz73hPx2fDCGpR5mPm1jZ/s250/5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTrY8_Us_FYbsVH2VcmZ_pciqyKU66LiwJ-KjhRHkItnVP5Yzm3xYos9UQCAK2rY3lRTY9w2QWn8Kt6WPrCz_WTOKBouLwFaAMcqcLhn9Y82wcYwIeDHxU-UYK1NIch4o2YAA2vQsSi_hTxja_P__JkXlXajig6xQgGF0a2cSz73hPx2fDCGpR5mPm1jZ/s16000/5%20stars.jpg" title="5 Cats" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;">*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from ARC I received.</span></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-56823281202881660482023-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:002023-10-13T08:00:00.142-07:00Quick Thoughts: Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBrf4Sm9iK1F_9f8Pu2Tp4wanJihWuSIUMAZa2w83CFBpuw4wcLlOIivHOIn7nqjnpr9nH6lGVonv2yMpc-WU4T_7ADDDR5IMxfRzsVUz9nm1Mf7H56qNsJsDyaOsKM04CU6zwntzB2mi1c5MDIg3Fzr3SE8QNZmctFPNRuVC7OxqQODRFXIQorwSJMna/s2560/SfF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young" border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBrf4Sm9iK1F_9f8Pu2Tp4wanJihWuSIUMAZa2w83CFBpuw4wcLlOIivHOIn7nqjnpr9nH6lGVonv2yMpc-WU4T_7ADDDR5IMxfRzsVUz9nm1Mf7H56qNsJsDyaOsKM04CU6zwntzB2mi1c5MDIg3Fzr3SE8QNZmctFPNRuVC7OxqQODRFXIQorwSJMna/w212-h320/SfF.jpg" title="Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young" width="212" /></a></div>Spells for Forgetting</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Adrienne Young</b></span></span><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">September 27, 2022</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59559145-spells-for-forgetting" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">August knows he is not welcome on Saoirse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. But the town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><i>Spells for Forgetting</i> hooked me with its </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">deeply atmospheric setting. The story was haunting and the characters expertly creepy. This was not my usual type of read but I enjoyed it!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- captivating writing</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- I was wholly absorbed by the island</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- multiple POVs that were short and to the point</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">intense relationships and friendships</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- Emery's strength (in doing what's right)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- August's love for his mother</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- Emery and August's connection was undeniable</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- seeing how people can have different sides to them</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- knowing what the town council was capable of</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">evil did not prevail</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Dutch felt like a convenient complication</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the truth behind Lily's death was anticlimactic</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the ending felt weak</span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"I'd been in love with August Salt since before I knew what the words meant. I don't know when it happened- the narrow space between seconds, when a spark like the birth of a hundred stars found a home in my blood. Since then, every day had been colored with the glittering light of it dragging me in its wake, pulling me beneath its surface. And I didn't care. If this was what it was like to drown, then for the rest of my life, I didn't want to take another sip of air."</b> (p. 289)</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_F0YmcV6AFFhZo_e5yFZ1buZc_-rstGIyvkr2In003kaiD2C2vzEI4YINM1syOW-8DGXUPxK3wVK-WQvy23PQdw7qsj2R7sIUWpl40Z4nlBhrB4ty-aHSgTtDRQoTjWzVLirDY-Qw9XgmOQZe4P0xl1_vevpTPUQ_7uGVV7OvMP27LXIgptOCZDPyLyY/s200/4%20stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="200" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_F0YmcV6AFFhZo_e5yFZ1buZc_-rstGIyvkr2In003kaiD2C2vzEI4YINM1syOW-8DGXUPxK3wVK-WQvy23PQdw7qsj2R7sIUWpl40Z4nlBhrB4ty-aHSgTtDRQoTjWzVLirDY-Qw9XgmOQZe4P0xl1_vevpTPUQ_7uGVV7OvMP27LXIgptOCZDPyLyY/w200-h59/4%20stars.jpg" title="4 Cats" width="200" /></a></div></span></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-73484283795820207512023-10-02T08:00:00.018-07:002023-10-02T08:00:00.152-07:00Quick Thoughts: Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehALz_CFIG3FTGndPZWgMCD8drbhFgIAnXeylPcDMtdhJy6YBVFSauDWjT-G61IwewukqO7cqIafZqGKG9JT4ZwPf1Xn3VYs93-L0FRpERfE2FxFFSCOb-njlY5mjfsbf3uzFbINPUxVkYKqFQXDeTUJxMprWgZ1oINuVp8nCD3ogXdIfU76CMEifjRuH/s400/MMO.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehALz_CFIG3FTGndPZWgMCD8drbhFgIAnXeylPcDMtdhJy6YBVFSauDWjT-G61IwewukqO7cqIafZqGKG9JT4ZwPf1Xn3VYs93-L0FRpERfE2FxFFSCOb-njlY5mjfsbf3uzFbINPUxVkYKqFQXDeTUJxMprWgZ1oINuVp8nCD3ogXdIfU76CMEifjRuH/w210-h320/MMO.jpg" title="Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score" width="210" /></a></div>Maggie Moves On</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Lucy Score</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">June 21, 2022</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59228193-maggie-moves-on" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Can these opposites turn up the heat… without burning down the house?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">House-flipping sensation and YouTube star Maggie Nichols can’t wait to dig into her next challenge. Arriving in tiny Kinship, Idaho, with only a cot and a coffeemaker, Maggie is prepared to restore a crumbling Victorian mansion in four months or less. She has her to-do lists, her blueprints, and her team. What she doesn’t have is time for sexy, laid-back landscaper Silas Wright.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The man takes flirtation to a whole new level. And he does it shirtless…sometimes pants-less. He and his service school-dropout dog are impressively persistent. But she’s not interested in putting down roots. Not when fans tune in to watch her travel the country turning dilapidated houses into dream homes. A short-term fling on the other hand could fit nicely into her calendar. After all, Maggie remembers what fun is like. Vaguely.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">As their summer gets downright steamy, Silas manages to demolish the emotional walls she’s spent years building, sending Maggie into a panic. He’s the wrench in her carefully constructed plans. With the end of the project looming, she has a decision to make. But how can she stay when her entire career is built on moving on?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><i>Maggie Moves On</i> is a book I wish I liked a whole lot more than I actually did. While I found Maggie to be very likable, her love interest, Silas's possessive behaviour annoyed me. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I ended up skimming through quite a bit of the story.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Maggie's independence</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the contrast between Maggie and Silas- she's a planner and he's a in-the-moment guy</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Silas and his siblings were a hoot</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- acknowledging past wrongs and working on repairing relationships</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- found family with Dean and Cody</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the story within the story was fun</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Kevin and the kittens</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- insta-love/lust from the love interest</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- too many cheesy moments</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Silas's alpha actions made me cringe hard</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- everyone was just so nice there was barely any conflicts in the story</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">"...it doesn't matter how much you have, if it's not what you want. You can't just decide to be happy with less than."</b><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> (p. 299)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">"You don't have to need something just to treat yourself."</b><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"> (p. 313)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvXgTPclRVjBtATn6yoD0i_oCqgtnbwRgtYVwFjfXvJ5u01-1fqDO9l4BwyH3T4SiAW39xTMyJTYlkR2ZhVuueFdUrI4oh6LnTW3ZXQ3Wqk51GIGHuML1Zk7exb-w8_aMwOu2C8SJGDRGUJzec55SOSf5efeg7VooQSy3DRw5timlga43YCxwkeAh32GD/s150/3%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvXgTPclRVjBtATn6yoD0i_oCqgtnbwRgtYVwFjfXvJ5u01-1fqDO9l4BwyH3T4SiAW39xTMyJTYlkR2ZhVuueFdUrI4oh6LnTW3ZXQ3Wqk51GIGHuML1Zk7exb-w8_aMwOu2C8SJGDRGUJzec55SOSf5efeg7VooQSy3DRw5timlga43YCxwkeAh32GD/s16000/3%20stars.jpg" title="3 Cats" /></a></div></span></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564514482809281488.post-44890104325620404312023-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:002023-09-28T08:00:00.144-07:00Quick Thoughts: Threads that Bind (Threads That Bind #1) by Kika Hatzopoulou<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLY5enOEDOEM0oA3-CwgE3gBdYmYbKmWZq7z06HbhiwOuTQmhYjKjWkwuDWgizM-e2XkNV--n3k0Dk3T7xJoZJuhxZS5Wp2JkAq5cH8BL2TqBwzfJKrntUWaB1IBMASkFNCI5NKTUxHGsMVjkYhKLt9ttR7DypAoT167CvRBYi81HP69gIi5meB7RWxcZb/s2560/TtB.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Threads that Bind (Threads That Bind #1) by Kika Hatzopoulou" border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1694" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLY5enOEDOEM0oA3-CwgE3gBdYmYbKmWZq7z06HbhiwOuTQmhYjKjWkwuDWgizM-e2XkNV--n3k0Dk3T7xJoZJuhxZS5Wp2JkAq5cH8BL2TqBwzfJKrntUWaB1IBMASkFNCI5NKTUxHGsMVjkYhKLt9ttR7DypAoT167CvRBYi81HP69gIi5meB7RWxcZb/w212-h320/TtB.jpg" title="Threads that Bind (Threads That Bind #1) by Kika Hatzopoulou" width="212" /></a></div>Threads that Bind</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>(Threads That Bind #1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>by Kika Hatzopoulou</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">May 30, 2023</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53418394-for-the-wolf" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Goodreads</span></a> Summary:</b></span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;">But the investigation turns personal when Io's estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: xx-large;"><em><u>Review</u></em></strong></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">I'm not sure why but I was under the impression that <i>Threads that Bind</i> is a standalone. With that ending, I'm glad it's not! I want more time in this dark world with its ambiguous inhabitants and their unseen enemies.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>What I Liked:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a haunting world</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- easy to understand social classes</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- complex characters</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the modern spin on the mythology (the gods)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- cool but frightening abilities</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- a confounding mystery</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the subtle romance</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Io and Edei teaming up</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- the good and ugly sides to sisterhood</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Io's struggles made her stronger</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- Rosa, Io's best friend, is fun</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- that explosive ending that promises pain in the next book</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Not So Much:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;">- can I get more Io and Edei please</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><b>"Lies curdled love into something sour and noxious." </b>(p. 85)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEtQXuhlAd09grsp2Zag0Rb7kjyvJLQlkxn228wXBk5qi4V4AJOq6zK3nWLCiBvBjlb6Gc7i6bDvLDdb-bUafX9_P6o-suqEQzi-9sAthE8LEhMvhkjTBFDLDHos99UFDc0Dsc138ONcxu6N1KJMQYDREkBVvw0bFt5MZ8zA8gVAVJ-1HdeaZd2kozLhh/s235/4.5%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4.5 Cats" border="0" data-original-height="59" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEtQXuhlAd09grsp2Zag0Rb7kjyvJLQlkxn228wXBk5qi4V4AJOq6zK3nWLCiBvBjlb6Gc7i6bDvLDdb-bUafX9_P6o-suqEQzi-9sAthE8LEhMvhkjTBFDLDHos99UFDc0Dsc138ONcxu6N1KJMQYDREkBVvw0bFt5MZ8zA8gVAVJ-1HdeaZd2kozLhh/s16000/4.5%20stars.jpg" title="4.5 Cats" /></a></div></div>Eileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03417123941765693827noreply@blogger.com2