Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author.  This is my honest review. 

Ever since she was a child, Penellaphe has been waiting for her 19 birthday - her Ascension.  She is the Maiden, the Chosen, and has been heavily watched and guarded her whole life.  She needs to be worthy of the Gods to complete her Ascension, and follow a strict lifestyle until that day arrives.  

So far she's done a pretty okay job of it.  Sure, she tests the limits, but nothing to anger the Gods to make her unworthy.  Until Hawke arrives.  With Hawke comes temptation, feelings, adventure.  Hawke awakens too many things inside of Poppy and makes her wonder "what if..."?

Soon Poppy will be on her own adventure, one she's not sure if she wants or not.  But she is also going to discover things she's never dreamed of, and things she won't believe at first.  Life is about to change for Poppy forever...

O. M. G.  I just...I'm speechless.  This book gutted me.  Ripped me apart and put me back together, just to destroy me at the end.  I just can't put into words how many feelings I felt throughout this novel.  

Because this is a high fantasy novel, it did take me a little while to get into the story.  World building takes time and I haven't read a fantasy novel in a LONG time, so it was an adjustment for me.  HOWEVER, once I did get into the story, it was game over after that.  I flew through the novel within a day and this is a BIG book!

Poppy is amazing.  She's fearless.  Reckless.  Stubborn and determined.  She's smart and intuitive, but also naive in some ways.  She's a rebellion and is always testing the limits.  I do not envy Poppy's lifestyle because she is also a prisoner.  Being told that she can't talk to anyone, that she has to cover her face, she can't leave the perimeter.  I think I would rebel too, because that is not a way to live life.  So I totally understand her "acting out" and wanting to feel something once and awhile. 

Hawke.  Man, we get an introduction to Hawke that leaves you wanting more, only to have to wait CHAPTERS before seeing him again.  He's intense, so serious, yet can joke around with Poppy at the same time.  He seems a little slow, but in reality he's the smartest character in this book.  Nothing gets by him - he has the eyes and ears of a hawk and is always one step ahead of everyone else - well, except when it comes to Poppy.  She's stunned him a few times which keeps him on his guard around her. 

I'm not going to go into details about this book and the specific subjects and genres that JLA writes about, because I personally think everyone needs to read this novel.  But I will say, I totally guessed it pretty close to the start of the novel.  And the big reveals were just as shocking and bone-chilling as I imagined it would be. 

Though I will have to say, THAT ENDING!!!  (And by that ending, I literally mean THE LAST SENTENCE OF THIS NOVEL!!).  THAT was something I wasn't expecting, because it seriously changes everything that was planned for Poppy and now I'm super confused on how things are going to end up.  I mean, there is no way that everyone will live happily ever after.  (Though. let's be real, JLA is a genius and she has the perfect ending, but I'm too emotional to work through all possibilities at this moment.)

This book has so many things in it.  Fantasy.  Mystery.  Forbidden Romance.  Supernatural.  Lies, deceit, betrayal.  Love, friendship, family.  And so so so many secrets your head will be spinning. 

I am so so so glad I got to read this eARC and I'm so bummed that I have to WAIT FOREVER for the next book in the series.  I know that I will be re-reading this novel again because there is SO MUCH INFORMATION in this large novel, and I want to gather every speck of information until I've memorized this novel!

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Review: Daughters of Ruin by K. D. Castner

Daughters of Ruin by K.D. Castner
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

So I got this book 4 years ago.... not so much of an eARC now, but better late than never!

I made it 25% of this book before calling it quits. I feel like the storyline was pretty good, but the errors in this novel were just too much. Also, the characters were not introduced very well so I was left confused many times.

I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC but it just wasn't the book for me, sadly.

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Review: Moment of Truth by Kasie West

Moment of Truth by Kasie West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I just realized that I have read all of Kasie Wests novels. There are very few authors I can say that I've read ALL of their books and anticipate the next reveal. So I am very happy I was able to get my hands on this library copy :)

As always, I adored this novel by Kasie West. Her stories are lighthearted and deep st the same time. Hadley has a lot of deep rooted issues she discovers in this book, and I honestly can't imagine what she is going through. She is a fighter and very competitive, so I'm glad she got to experience fun and exciting things by the end of this book.

My favorite character was Jackson. He may be looked at as a goofball but he is a really great guy who sees a lot more than most people do. He was a great person to latch on to Hadley and seeing them open up to each other was great.

Again, so glad I read this and Kasie West is an author I will recommend to anyone looking for a great standalone YA book :)

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Review: Fast & Hot by Kat Ransom

Fast & Hot by Kat Ransom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Booksirens and the author. This is my honest review.

I have been able to get all of the books in this series through BookSirens so far and I'm so glad because I am really enjoying them! This novel is my favorite, though. I really love Dante and Danica. Both of these characters are amazing and seeing them fall hard for each other was great!

Danica is one tough chick. The amount of terrible things she's gone through in her life makes me want to wrap her up and protect her. And when Dante finally saw what her life was like before meeting him and Cole really solidified how amazing Danica really is.

And Dante is a hot, manly man but also a mommas boy, who is proud of that title. Here doesn't shy away from it and he is so loyal to his family it's swoon worthy.

I get Cole's perspective on things, but honestly both Dante and Danica are adults so he should have accepted their decision and moved on.

I am so glad I got a chance to read this eARC and I hope I continue finding this series to see what else happens!

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Review: Shadowborn Academy: Year Two by G. Bailey

Shadowborn Academy: Year Two by G. Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.

Second year at the Shadowborn Academy is not the best for Corvina. Two of her friends are not at school and everyone is treating her differently after her true parents are revealed. Corvina just wants to learn magic and get to know her guys better, but life had a different plan. Now she's being pulled from one side to another and she's just trying to make it one day at a time...

I am seriously loving this series! Corvina is one tough chick and I love how she takes things in stride. Most of what she's gone through would put anyone else through a mental breakdown, but she's just accepting it and moving on.

Her loyalty and dedication to her friends and loved ones is amazing and I love how she never gives up.

Out of her guys, Pitch is still my favorite, especially after all of their interactions!

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this eARC and I'm going to be impatiently waiting for the next book to be released!

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Review: Shadowborn Academy: Year One by G. Bailey

Shadowborn Academy: Year One by G. Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.

G. Bailey is fast becoming a favorite author of mine, so I was EXTREMELY excited when I got a free early copy of this novel!! And I loved it! Corvina is a great leading character. She's really conflicted, has a lot of issues to get through, but overall, she's a strong-willed character who is fiercely loyal to her close knit group of friends.

Throughout this entire novel, I got a lot of Harry Potter vibes. Enough to keep my attention, but not so much that it turned me off of the story because it felt like a copy-cat.

There wasn't too much of the reverse harem storyline in this first novel, but I feel like that might get a jump start in the novels to come. I do have to say that my favorite of the bunch is definitely Pitch. He's been by her side since the beginning and their relationship is just going to get started I feel like.

This book ends on a soft cliff-hanger. The readers are going to want more automatically, but it's not a "I'm going to die if I don't get it now" ending either.

I'm very very excited I got the chance to read this novel and I can't wait for the next one already!

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Review: Worthy by Donna Cooner

Worthy by Donna Cooner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was recommended to me by a friend and I'm glad she suggested it for me! I've never heard of this author, but I really enjoyed this story. 

Linden is one conflicted teenage girl. She is shy and smart, says she doesn't want attention but she sure does bring a lot to herself. And she gives into peer pressure a lot. 

I was, and am, a girl who refuses to do something because other people pressured or bully, me to "fit in" or "everyone else is doing it". When someone did that to me in high school, I would say they need to stop it (in not so pleasant words) and it kinda made me a vocal, honest person. Though most thought my honest was a bit brutal, but I was okay with that. 

Linden caved into this power pressure and the thought of being popular. Her personal plans and goals got pushed back because of it, and her friendships were strained. I was very happy at the ending when she realized this and went back to her true roots. 

Also,  what school would allow this app to be advertised in their school news source? That's not very realistic to me...

Seeing Linden and Alex together was sweet and reminded me of my first crush and the amount of feelings you get. And I love libraries, so seeing them connect in the library was great for me :)

I enjoyed this book, but it did make me appreciate that I didn't have the "popular, mean girls" when I was in high school to deal with. I think I would have had a lot more enemies by the time I graduated lol!

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Review: Save the Sea by G. Bailey

Save the Sea by G. Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing novel and an amazing series. Seeing Cassandra complete the missions of the riddles was amazing, and she did them with so much bravery. I'm glad she wasn't a meek character who had to have her 6 men do everything for her. In fact, she did a lot of things without their knowing!

I guessed who was going to be the new queen in book 2, but I am intrigued on how the promise will go... that was a very interesting scene.

This book has everything: sexy pirates, mermaids, dragons, war, royalty - you name it. I loved it so much and I know this will be a reread series in my future!

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Review: As I Fall by G. Bailey

As I Fall by G. Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free novella from the authors website (at this link: https://books.bookfunnel.com/freebooksbygbailey). This is my honest review.

I read this as book 2.5, since that is how goodreads listed it, and at first I was super confused. These are characters we've not been introduced yet and it's on an island we haven't visited yet.

BUT it has a major clue for one of the pieces of Cassandra's riddle that she has to solve, and one of pirates was mentioned since he is from this island and knows these people.

I'm glad I read this before book 3 since it has a lot of clues that I'm sure will help make sense in the third and final book in this series!

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Review: Love the Sea by G. Bailey

Love the Sea by G. Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great sequel in this series! Seeing Cassandra connect with her pirates was great and seeing her grow into her powers was entertaining. The king is evil and twisted and crazy.

The deaths that happened in the fights were sad and seeing Cassandra reconnect with her family was bittersweet.

I'm really enjoying this series and love the twists and turns. Really excited to see what is next!

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Review: Escape the Sea by G. Bailey

Escape the Sea by G. Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love pirate stories and this novel did not disappoint me! Cassandra is experiencing so many new things since leaving her island and I'm super excited for her. Except she keeps getting kidnapped, which is not so exciting.

Seeing her with the 6 pirates is great too. She's learning how to interact with more people and is experiencing attraction for the first time... with multiple men.

I also enjoyed getting the guys perspective as well! That is a new feature in reverse harem that I have not discovered in other novels and I really loved it! Also, this has a story besides loving multiple men, which I felt like made the story better and the moments with the guys more intense.

Cassandra is an important character I feel like is destined for great things, so this story is going to get crazy good,  I feel.

I'm so glad I got this entire series to binge and I can't wait to see what else happens!

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Review: Resisting Them by G. Bailey

Resisting Them by G. Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love how the title is 'resisting them' and yet Elsie didn't do a whole lot of resisting haha. The relationship between Elsie, Ezra, Flynn, and Max was intense, instant, and sparks flew off of the page. They were trapped at the boy's house for only two weeks, but they moved fast and fell hard.

The relationship between Elsie and her mother was interesting. Her mother had done some terrible things in her past, yet feels that she can judge her daughters decision. I'm honestly supposed Elsie decided to go see her mother, given their past encounters.

I really enjoyed this quick,  intense read and will now devour all of G. Bailey's novels!

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Review: Hate That I Love You by Alexis Winter

Hate That I Love You by Alexis Winter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.

I've just recently started reading books by this author, and I think this one might be my favorite do far.

I think this is very realistic in the fact that Elise has remembered Nate after all of these years, but Nate had to go down memory lane to remember her. Women remember the tiniest details.

Seeing them have an office war was great and hilarious. They didn't communicate very well but it was nice to see them have a little rival.

I'm glad I got a chance to read this book and I look forward to more books by this author!

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Review: Jane's Team by Janie Marie

Jane's Team: A High School Reverse Harem Romance by Janie Marie
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley.  This is my honest review.

This is my first book from this author and I thought it was okay. After reading through other people's reviews and reading the second epilogue, I realize this would have been better, probably, if I had read the other books in relation with these characters. I might have had a better relationship and understanding, a better connection with this story and characters.

I know that reverse harem novels are becoming a thing and I really do enjoy them, but almost all of them leave me with more questions than just simply enjoying the story.

Why is it just NOW that all 4 guys show interest in the 1 girl?  What is so special about Jane that they all 4 need to have get in their lives, even if it means sharing her which none of the guys did before her?  Why is the girl in these stories almost always a virgin?  If Jane really loves all 4 guys, why does she feel weird in public with them? Why does she care about the opinion about everyone around her - people she isn't friends with?

Okay, questions are released and I can focus on the story. Out of Tescero, Ryder, David, and Luc, Luc was by far my favorite. Which makes me sad because Jane was rarely around him. I would have loved more scenes with the two of then getting to know each other better.

The relationship with Tescero was ridiculous to me. Really the overall reason she loved him because he looked like Ryder. She kept saying she liked the friendship and closeness she had with him but that would make him another girlfriend to vent to. Not a guy she loves intimately.

It was obvious she loved Ryder the most but she "needed" all of them. Jane didn't, she just didn't want to lose any of the guys.

You would think after my review, I don't like this genre, but I do. I just think Jane needed to be more confident in her life and decisions than she is because this is a big choice she is make, and she can't be childish about it.

Overall, this was an okay novel. I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC, and I may pick up the other books with these characters to see how things got started.

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Review: My Best Friend's Brother by Alexis Winter

My Best Friend's Brother by Alexis Winter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jazz and Damon are interesting characters. They both like each other but refused to tell each other. Then when Damon tells Jazz, they instantly stay to make out. There wasn't a lot of build up between the two of them and then it just suddenly happens out of nowhere. But then they almost play games with their feelings and I just felt a bit disconnected from both of them.

This was an alright novel overall.

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Review: Cold Hearted by Nicole Houston

Cold Hearted: A BWWM Military Dark Romance by Nicole Houston
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Booksirens. This is my honest review.

I wanted to like this book but it just wasn't for me. We go from Tristian hating Aiya on site for no reason, to him being rough with her when she isn't interested, too her giving him her virginity and both starting they love each other... I mean, talk about bi-polar emotions and being jerked around.

These two characters were all over the place and I just didn't connect with then. Plus the military side of the story fell flat for me and felt left out. It just popped up at random times.

I wish I had liked this book more, but I am glad I got a chance to read this eARC!

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Review: I Hate You, Fuller James by Kelly Anne Blount

I Hate You, Fuller James by Kelly Anne Blount
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This was a cute, fast read.  I do have to admit the synopsis hooked me in because it reminded me of 10 Things I Hate About You. It's really not like that movie though, so don't let it fool you like it fooled me.

Wren is awesome. She's smart, ambitious, and she loves her grandfather. She doesn't feel burdened by any of those things and she's just such a good person inside and out. She thinks she's being mean when she tells people her true thoughts but even then she does it in a way that isn't mean at all.

Fuller did what many teen guys do: he liked being popular and found out that if you put someone down other's will follow your lead. He is very sweet with his brother,  Hudson, but the way he treated Wren in order to look cool was just wrong.

Overall I enjoyed this novel and I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC.

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Review: Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa

Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book. There is SO MUCH shoved into this book! I feel like there were so many fights and battles that a few of them could have been put into book 2 to even it out.

Lots of twists and turns happened in this book. I predicted the final outcome,  well of the last battle that is.

And death. There was so much death that happened in this novel. On the one hand I was okay with it because it actually made it realistic. With that many battles the possibility of everyone surviving is slim and most books have every character you ever love survive which is annoying. But man this was just brutal. My heart kept breaking over and over again.

Yumeko is amazing. She learns to harness her power like a rockstar and she is just so pure and good and light. I don't think she has a mean bone in her body. So suffice to say she was my favorite character.

I'm so glad I got a chance to not only read this book as an eARC but also this series. While I had a rough start with book 1, I'm glad I stuck it out and got to the ending because it was worth it!

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Review: Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book was a bit slower than the first novel. Tatsumi and Yumeko were apart for most of the book, dealing with their own issues before clashing at the end of the novel.

I love how Yumeko is learning more about her fox side and realizing it's not a terrible thing like she was raised to think. And we don't see a lot of Tatsumi, but when we do, he's becoming a different person, for better or worse.

I'm very glad I have book 3 on hand, because that is an ending I wouldn't want to wait a year to ser how things end.

I'm glad I got an eARC of this series to explore this world Kagawa created!

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Review: Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Yumeko hasn't been able to experience the world having lived in the temple her whole life. So when her world comes crashing down, she gets her wish to explore, but she didn't realize the danger she will be in. Now she needs to travel with the dragon scroll, which puts her in harm's way.

With her tricky mind she finds a easy to get help, a bodyguard essentially, with Tatsumi. And throughout their travels, one demon after another threatens their mission...

I love Julie Kagawa so I was extremely excited to get the entire series as an eARC so I can binge through them. And I'm so glad I have books 2 and 3 because this novel has so much information that it would require a reread for each new novel!

Because this is high fantasy and another culture, I foundthe beginning to be a bit rocky for me to connect with the story line and the characters. But it finally clicked and it became familiar just in time for everything to skyrocket and get me hooked.

Yumeko is a great character. Being part fox helps her a lot in this book but I also think it helps her be sly in her everyday things. She's able to hide her true identity from everyone, including Tatsumi who sees everything. She's also very naive and it's great watching her understand everyday things and experiencing life and making friends. She's also really good with people and I think everyone wants to shield and protect her because of her innocence.

I adore Tatsumi and really feel for him about his situation. He's used to his life do things seem normal for him but once he meets  Yumeko, he realizes things will never be the same. I love seeing him start to have feelings, even though that means his ultimate end.

Oksme is a hoot and a definite comedic aspect to this series story line,  and Daisuke is an interesting addition to the group.

I'm glad I started reading this and I'm intrigued on how things progress after the ending of this book. Very thankfully I received this eARC!

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Review: Hatemates by Mickey Miller

Hatemates by Mickey Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was stunned when the location of this novel was revealed: Galesburg, IL!  I had to go there quite often when I was growing up.  Even more crazy?  DJ is from Davenport, IA and I lived 30 minutes from there!  So this book amazed me in just the location of the novel, without even getting to the great storyline and characters!

I adored this novel.  It's quick to read, a funny situation, and a lot of self-reflecting for both characters.  I love how spunky and down to earth Alex is.  She is a serious student because of her tortured past and she's very mature for a freshman in college.  Most college students are about partying and having sex every day, but Alex definitely wants a jump start on her career and is working very hard to get it.

And DJ.  I love that him and his athletic friends don't fit the standard type of dumb jocks.  When they were hanging out together, I loved the topics they were talking about and how not everything was about that "hot girl" this and that.  He is the standard guy who everyone thinks he has it all, but really his life is a crumbling mess.  But the way he responds to everything is very level-headed (well, except when it comes to Alex that is). 

I loved seeing Alex and DJ interact with each other - when they weren't avoiding temptation and staying away from each other.  I also loved seeing the friendships with other students at school and not having this book be just about their feelings for one another.  College is definitely a place to create a new life, make new friends, and honestly get a feel for how their lives are going to be in the future.  DJ and Alex are definitely going to have many adventures for their future!

This was my first book by Mickey Miller, but you can bet it won't be the last!  I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and now I'm intrigued to buy more from him to see if they are all as great as this one.  Though this one might be my favorite just because it reminded me of home and growing up myself, being that it was in locations I grew up!

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Review: The Friend Agreement by Alexis Winter

The Friend Agreement by Alexis Winter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author.  This is my honest review.

This is my first novel from this author and overall I enjoyed it.  Mia and Trent both have inner struggles with themselves and their feelings toward one another, so a lot of the novel was bouncing back and forth on how they felt at that particular moment.  If they would have just been frank and upfront with each other, a lot of their issues wouldn't have happened and they would have been on the same page. 

I do relate to long distant relationships since my significant other travels a lot for work.  I don't know why they didn't think it could work for the two of them for a little while until they could get it figured out, instead of deciding they were to end it.  People do it all the time - especially military families.  I know that every person has their own thoughts about that, and some can't live without their spouse right next to them, but it's not as impossible as these two made it out to be.

I do have more books by this author that I'm planning to read, so hopefully I can give higher star reviews for those.  I'm glad I got a chance to read this novel and I'm looking forward to more by Alexis Winter.

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Review: Eulogy by Rachel Van Dyken

Eulogy by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh Chase.  The agony you went through.  The anger.  Just the amount of emotion this man has stored inside of himself would take down a normal guy.  And the honest truth is I don't blame the guy.  Now taking your anger out on an entire bloodline where there are wives and children that have nothing to do with the business is a bit much, but for anyone who didn't defy their leader, yeah I could see a bloodbath.  Then again, if I had a mafia boss and they told me to do something, I would feel like I would have to in order not to die by defying them, so I guess this situation is a bit difficult. 

And Luciana.  God, she might actually be my favorite female character of this series.  To be able to single-handedly stop a mad-man from killing 60 people is amazing.  And it was all because she loved Chase.  Luc is not the bravest person in this series - in fact she is 100% the shyest and easily scared of the bunch.  She's not made to be in the mafia - she got scared by a mouse!  But she grew to love Chase and all of his darkness.  She loved him how he was - Luc didn't want to change him.  And that alone is enough to penetrate the shield that formed around Chases heart when Mil betrayed him. 

And for her to stand up to the five families and sacrifice herself for Chase, just to show how much she loves and trusts him?  Seriously, she is the most badass one of the bunch.

I was looking at the other two novels I have left in this series and I think I am going to end with this novel.  These are the original characters and they now have their happily ever after endings.  I now know who Vic is and that he gets a story, and there is the 10 years in the future story, but I'm pretty content with finishing the series with this one.  There is so much that I feel after this ending that I just want to store it inside and bottle it up.

I'm so glad I finally read this series and stuck with it to the end.  It was definitely a journey and I won't be forgetting this mafia romance series for a very long time!

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Review: Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken

Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do not envy either Dante or El. Dante had been thrown into this crazy family and has enormous shoes to fill. That's a lot of pressure plus the family business isn't all that's cracked up to be.

And El... man I can't understand how she is still saner. If I were her I'd either be finding a way to kill myself or I would be a stone cold killer. To go through what she did and still have hope for a good future? She's an angel.

There was so much that happened in this novel and and my heart hurts for Chase. I don't think I could live my life the way these characters do. Too much danger and pressure and death.

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Review: Empire by Rachel Van Dyken

Empire by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has a lot of emotion.

First you have Sergio who went through the worst emotion you can feel: heartbreak. He was forced to marry only to fall in love and watch her die. Then to be told he had to marry again to another person he doesn't know. I don't blame him for being a jerk. He's getting the short end of the sticks left and right. So him adjusting to Val is understandable to me.

And Val. To find out your life had been a lie, that nothing is true... that's a hard thing to process. Then to be told that you have to marry a stranger, one who is hauntingly beautiful and terrifying at the same time? That is rubbish for my 21st brain to process but Val is a better person than me and loves her family. Me? I would have run away lol.

To see these two go through their situations and emotions was very realistic. I don't think I would have been as strong as Val was to be honest. Sergio was a dick.

I'm glad I've continued with this series and I'm going to make it to the end. These characters are amazing and I can't wait to see what's in store next.

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Review: Elude by Rachel Van Dyken

Elude by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh man I didn't expect this book to make me cry... all of the other books had great endings but this one was so bittersweet. I was secretly waiting for a miracle to happen and was devastated when it didn't come...

Andi and Sergio are amazing together. Well, Andi is amazing at annoying Sergio until the stone wall around his heart broke down. These two were so great and I'm glad I read this novel, even if it was heartbreaking.

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Review: Ember by Rachel Van Dyken

Ember by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved seeing Phoenix finally getting some peace from a very terrible life he was forced to have. Bee was a blessing for him and I loved that she never gave up. She was so persistent and chipped away at Phoenix's walls until they finally crumbled. And the fact that she wasn't disgusted or horrified by what he had done? It just shows how pure she is and how much she loves him.

This was the best character development story out of the bunch and I am so glad I read Phoenix's story. It's probably my second favorite in the series!

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Review: Bang Bang by Rachel Van Dyken

Bang Bang by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At first I wasn't going to read this book because I haven't met Ax or Amy throughout the beginning of the story, but then I started Phoenix's story and BAM there they were.  And I'm so glad I did decide to get this on Amazon and read it, because I love these two!!

I felt so much for Amy at the beginning when she was so desperate to find a job.  I know many people live that life, and to see Amy struggle so much really broke my heart.  But the fact that she was strong enough to keep going to school throughout that terrible ordeal really shows how determined she was.  I hope she continues to finish her schooling now that things are going well for her since Ax showed up and saved her.

The whole mafia family is just messed up.  I understand that is the life, the way they grew up, and they are changing things with the new blood coming in, but their childhood's were really terrible.  I'm glad that Ax was able to make his world right when he found Amy, and I'm glad they got their happily ever after.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but the mafia family went soft when they didn't kill their enemy at the end of the novel!  Haha.

I would definitely recommend to anyone reading this series to read this book, even if you think like me and you don't need to.  Because once you start reading Phoenix's story, these two characters are thrown at you and you will feel like you missed out on something.

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Review: Enforce by Rachel Van Dyken

Enforce by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was nice to get the guys perspective from this first novel of the series. Seeing the struggles that all 4 of them went through at the beginning really showed how difficult their lives are. And their difficult decisions when it come to Trace really shows as well.

I'm going to read Phoenix's story next, which I'm really excited but also kinda dreading after everything he's been through.

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