Review: The Atlas of Us by Kristin Dwyer

The Atlas of Us by Kristin Dwyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, this was a heavy and sad book. Atlas has gone through more grief in her short life than I think I will ever go through. The amount of love she has for her dad and for her to continue to go through the pain of losing him over and over again really hits hard. This story is about her journey of dealing with that grief and a way for her to work through her emotions, though I honestly don't believe she will ever really heal from this loss in her heart. 

The month long hike she took to honor her dad's last wishes? I think that was a great stepping stone for her. To disconnect from her house where bad memories live. To disconnect from her grieving mother. To distant herself from all the people who witnessed her spiraling. Having to live without all of that while exhausting her body and mind cleaning the trail and be reminded of good memories with her dad? I loved this form of healing. 

Being with strangers and creating a different life to share with them? To then realizing she is closer to these strangers who know nothing about her real life? Too being able to have those moments of grief without worrying if anyone was going to judge her?

I haven't lost a parent, or really anyone that caused deep pain inside me yet, but this author really found a way for me to feel this pain. I cried more time than I care to admit, but it was because I felt Atlas's soul crushing pain. I think that is a beautiful talent Kristin Dwyer has. 

This book also puts things into perspective on what is important in life. I'm not bashing superficial things, but life could be so much worse than what we are currently living. It makes me appreciate what I have. 

I'm glad i decided to read this and I may even pick up the other book by this author when I'm in the mood for another sad book. 

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Review: Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray

Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've been mulling over my thoughts for this book review. I did enjoy it, but I also think there were parts that could have been better? 

Vanessa has been though way too much as a teen so far. She's honestly just living day to day which I don't blame her one bit. Plus she's not told anything about this new life she is thrust into. So her issues are honestly nothing to do with my rating because this girl is just trying to survive in a world she knows nothing about. And in a world where everyone seems to be lying to her, which is ironic given her ability.

I love her moments of rage. I feel like I'm those moments she's truly herself and letting her feelings out. She has a lot to be angry about. 

Sin. I'm sill reeling from all the secrets that were revealed at the end, but the way he changed personality wise when everyone was revealed? Yikes. This man is going to be dangerous and if he's able to manipulate everyone already, he won't be a great leader when he takes over. I can definitely see how spoiled he is and how he is used to getting his own way if he can fall for all the deceiving lies so far in his life. 

Calix was not a prominent character in this book really. And every time he was around Vanessa, there was so much animosity towards her. I'm sure because he knew Sin wanted her and what Sin wants, he gets. I do think he's the better choice of the two, but the way he always followed the rules to a T bothered me. He never once seemed to questioned the rule of Sylvie and maybe because he was blood bound, he didn't have a choice? I'm not sure but both boys rubbed me the wrong way.

The whole world building lacked something for me. I'm really not sure what was missing, but I just felt a disconnect from all of it honestly. Amy even life at court, where Vanessa was learning. We didn't get as much details besides the hierarchy. 

I hated that everyone in Vanessa's life that she loved or grew close to died. Seriously. Hasn't the poor girl been through enough already? I think the amount of deaths was too severe at the end and was a bloody massacre. 

So...I liked it, but I also had a lot of issues with it personally. I'm glad I read it and may pick up book 2 when it gets released to see how Vanessa gets out of this really messed up pack, but don't think it's a book I need to own. 

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Review: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I didn't know much going into this (except the obvious title) but heard a lot of good reviews. And it was an okay novel. I just didn't connect with it very well. 

Evie is a force to be reckoned with. I do actually like her bubbliness but she goes on so many inner dialog tangents that I lose track of what was actually happening. She's definitely a ray of sunshine in this environment, but it was too odd of a setting for me to really get lost in the story. 

What made me finish the book was The Villain chapter viewpoints. I loved being in his head and seeing him bewildered by Evie. His habit of being less villainy around Evie was quite comical. 

Am I intrigued on where the story goes next? A bit. Will i read the rest of the series? Not likely. I'm glad I read it to know whether i would also fall down the hype, but honestly thankful I won't need to add to my collection. 

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Review: Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh. My. Lanta! I honestly can't believe how much I loved this book! I went in pretty blind but got immediately ensnared by this story and almost finished in one sitting! 

Odessa is one amazing woman. Being forced into a marriage she wasn't expecting, leaving her family and hometown, learning to adapt to a whole new culture. Learning to fight and evade monsters. Seriously, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and Odessa really grew throughout this journey. 

It's hard to talk about the love interest without spoiling anything. Let's just say, from the moment of the wedding, i knew exactly what had REALLY happened and having to wait so long for the reveal? Torturous. And the amount of lies and deceit and secrets the Wolfe family has? Insanity. I figured it about half. But the other reveals? Didn't see them coming. 

I cannot wait for the next book to come out. Seriously, this has become a high anticipated release for me now! 

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Review: Luxuria by Colette Rhodes

Luxuria by Colette Rhodes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This might be my first monster romance book? Maybe? Either way I really enjoyed it! 

Seeing Allerick and Ophelia stumble thrift their feelings was the best. Both are from opposite worlds and both have a hard time communicating to each other in their feelings. 

What i loved the most though was that Ophelia was able to finally be herself. She was basically punished for her thoughts and dreams and now she was actually able to be happy in a new world with new people. Seeing her shine and becoming her full potential was amazing. 

I'm glad I decided to take a chance and read this story! 

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Review: Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer

Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

A book box is doing a special edition of this book and i was excited to find an ARC to read ahead of time. 

Cordelia is a spitfire. I love that she can take care of herself and is very independent even though she lives in a world where society would frown upon that. She knows how to hold her temper and how to behave to match the environment she is in. She's quick and sharp and extremely smart. She observes her surroundings and can understand what is going on and how to mold into the person that is expected. 

I also felt really bad for her because basically her entire family just wants to use her for one reason or another. Growing up with her aunt was the best case scenario and I'm glad she has that for so many years before finding out the rest of her family were greedy selfish jerks.

Bishop is very intriguing to me and I love how gentlemanly he is even though he's a werewolf. He definitely goes against the norm of the werewolf stereotype and watching him be surprised by Cordelia over and over again was brilliant. He never took her for granted and always was curious what she would do next. 

I'm glad I got the chance to read this novel! 

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Review: Endless Anger by Sav R Miller

Endless Anger by Sav R. Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Im so glad I read the 1st generation series before this book because the family history trait does come up quite often in this book. 

I gotta be honest, this cover is seriously my favorite ever and the #1 reason I dived into 7 Sav R Miller novels in just a few weeks. 

And Lucy and Asher's story? Loved it. These two have been each other's soul mates since the moment they met. They get each other and complete each other. Having the ability to help one another just by standing next to one another is amazing and I loved that about them. 

Lucy is so pure and sweet. She wants to build her own life and not just be following in her parents shoes. She wants to do her own things and not rely on family money. She's awkward and shy and doesn't socialize well and I felt a deep connection with her. 

And Asher is also quiet and reserved (but I mean look at his father) and while that matches Lucy's personality, Asher doesn't care what other people think about him. He's only content if Lucy is happy and if she's close to him. Honestly his sole purpose in life is to be with Lucy and I loved that so much. 

The whole back story is the school was fine. I could have done without the cloak and dagger and murder and whatever. I was solely here for Lucy and Ashers intense connection. 

But Foxe?!?! FOXE?! Why??? That was unnecessary and cruel. He's the sweetest guy and already struggling... we better get his redemption story!!

So glad I got the chance to read this novel and very excited to meet the author! 

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Review: Bitten by Destiny by S Young (Samantha Young)

Bitten by Destiny by S. Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

I absolutely adored Echo and Elijah's story, along with this highly anticipated finale novel! I'm so glad I decided to reread all the books! They flowed so well together and we got the epic battle we've all been waiting for! 

I love that Elijah is a famous musician. It's not a life you would think a fae would have but the fact he got to live his dream is phenomenal! And to use his powers for good? Love that. 

Im glad Echo discovered who Willism was before it was too late and was able to help stop basically the end of their world. Also for her to be that miserable in her life is so sad and bittersweet. I'm glad she got to find a purpose to be happy and look forward to the future! 

I adored this series so much and I'm so glad it got completed and had all the epicness that Samantha Young creates! 

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Review: Bound by Forever by S Young (Samantha Young)

Bound by Forever by S. Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I forgot so many details about this book and I'm so glad I reread Kiyo and Niamh's story. I love how strong yet vulnerable Niahm is. She's been in the know about who she is her whole life which is vastly different from book 1 and 2. But she went through a lot of grief and loss losing her brother. Kiyo had been going through the motions of life for so long with no real purpose, and seeing him come to life being around Niahm was great.

So so so glad book 4 is primed and waiting for me to see how this story unfolds!

Original review from November 2020:

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

The True Immortality series is one that I immensely enjoy revisiting with each new novel.  This novel was amazing and I loved both Kiyo and Niamh.  They are full of mystery and adventure and seeing them interact with each other is very amusing, considering they are so similar to each other. 

I do not envy Kiyo at the beginning trying to protect a person who can literally poof to another location, so I understand his unethical ways.  And Niamh is a breath of fresh air who is always finding the beauty in things, considering what she has been through her whole life. 

I love that this book takes us to many new locations such as Tokyo and how enamored Niamh was with everything.  It was like I was traveling and seeing everything with her, even though I've never been there before. 

Kiyo is a hard character to read, so I'm glad we got to see what he was thinking and feeling during this book.  Otherwise I think we would have seen a completely different character if it was just through Niamh's point of view. 

All of the mystery and adventure and the missions was great.  Seeing more of not only the fae-born's stories, but also the history of Kiyo's curse was amazing and so much is becoming clearer and clearer.  I'm very intrigued on what is going to happen in the 4th book, because I can know for certainty, I'm going to love every word of it!

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this eARC and this is a series I think everyone should read!

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Review: Red Card by Maren Moore

Red Card by Maren Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Cillian & Rory's story is filled with so much emotion it's hard to fully grasp in one sitting. This book had so much to unpack and I'm sorry to finish it because I adored these characters so much. 

Rory is such a bubbly person, but also a hardcore scary woman when she needs to put a ruby player in their place. I love the different layers of who she is and seeing her struggle with wanting more in life but unable to accomplish them due to her inexperience. But that didn't stop her. She just found a tutor to teach her because Rory refuses to give up without trying every route possible. Love that spunk! 

Cillian is a person who shows you, with the right motivation, a person can truly change. For his sister, and then for Rory, Cillian wants to be a better person and he's putting in the work to make that future happen. He had such a rough time with the new team but that didn't stop him from doing his best. But once Rory got involved things started looking up. And I love his relationship with Ainsley!

I'm so glad I got the chance to read this novel and cant wait to hold the pretty book in my hand! 

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Review: Kiss of Fate by S Young (Samantha Young)

Kiss of Fate by S. Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved rereading Rose and Fionn's story. Their beginning started off rocky, but I loved that by the end Rose was so much stronger and wiser and Fionn was more human and felt more emotion. Having each other in their lives helped the both of them so much and seeing the progress on both sides is fascinating. 

So glad to be back in this world!

Original review from February 2020:

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

Rose is a traveler without a plan.  She is going from location to location, trying to find the piece of her that is missing.  She has this hole inside of her that she wants to fill, but she is on a mission with no plan.  When she sees a Viking of a man come inside the club she was bartending at, Rose doesn't understand the slightest on how her life will change forever...

Fionn has been on the path of vengeance for his entire life - which being as he's over 2 centuries years old, that's determination.  When he finds Rose, his end goal is finally within reach.  But he didn't expect the connection the two of them have...

I am so excited I got a chance to read this eARC!  I love everything this author writes, so being able to read it early is amazing.  Rose and Fionn are great characters and I was anticipating the moment they couldn't ignore what was happening between them.  We do get to see Thea and Conall in this novel, which was nice, but I also enjoyed this book because we get more of a backstory of what really happened to cause the supernatural world to hunt the fae.  

I loved Bran's character and how he picked on Fionn, and then when Bran and Rose met?  Too funny!

I really love that Rose was never scared of Fionn, even though he is a Viking of a man close to 7 feet tall.  She held her own and actually put him down a peg or two, which was very entertaining.  Seeing them try to trust each other was emotional, especially with what happened in the middle of the novel. 

I'm also very excited for the next novel (I hope? I beg? I'm pretty sure I know who's story it is about?) and I'm very intrigued to see how this all ends within this world of novels. 

Thank you again for the eARC and I'll be on the lookout for more by this awesome author! :)

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Review: War of Hearts ny S. Young (Samantha Young)

War of Hearts by S. Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Almost 6 years later from my original read, I just reread this since the final book is coming out this month. And I loved it just as much this time as I did the first read! Thea is extremely tough and brave and smart, but also a bit broken at the beginning of this journey. Meeting Conall and learning what she was really changed her as a person and allowed her to become stronger. And seeing Conall battle with himself of what his gut said versus what he was told shows just how much a person needs to rely on their instincts. So glad I reread this novel! 

My review from August 2019:

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

Thea is an unknown supernatural. She can't figure out what she is, but she knows she's damn strong and fast. Living her life on the run is not ideal, but she's making it work. However, when an Alpha werewolf is sent to hunt her down and return her to a horrible man, Thea realizes she can't run from him. Not when Conall has the ability to track anyone once he gets their scent. And Thea definitely tried, only to be thwarted by Conall's ability. 

Now Thea is being forced to go to a terrible man who's only mission is to get more power, while trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. Plus her attraction to Conall isn't helping the slightest, especially when he thinks such terrible thoughts about Thea. 

The more Thea and Conall are together, though, the more they realize that they are just on the brink to finding out Thea's heritage, and opening up a whole new can of worms they will have to deal with. 

I love Samantha Young. I have read all (or close to all?) of her books and I have enjoyed every single one of them. So when I got a chance to read this new genre of hers, I was extremely excited! I loved the mystery, the adventure, the suspense. This book has everything you could ever ask for. 

I do have to admit, once Thea's abilities were revealed to the reader, I automatically guessed what she was. This storyline follows closely to a popular TV show (I'm not telling you what it is because that will give away Thea's species), and I was right when her species was revealed. That didn't deter me from liking the book, though!

Thea is an amazing character. She's been through so much in such a short amount of time in her life and she's still a person who cares about others in need of help. She is super powerful, but she doesn't let that change her personality or abuse her powers to benefit herself. 

And I loved the interactions between her and Conall. She sure tested him quite a bit throughout their travels and it aggravated him to no end, causing me much amusement!

Also, while the author says this is a standalone novel, I wouldn't be surprised if this world gets revisited again in her future novels to expand on another aspect of this storyline. There is definitely an ending that could be open for more books, and I would not be upset if I got to see Thea and Conall as side characters in another storyline for new adventures! :)

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this eARC and I'm looking forward to more by Samantha Young in the future!

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Review: Dance of Devils by Jagger Cole

Dance of Devils by Jagger Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Brooklyn and Kir are complete opposites, but boy did their connection ignite into flames! Kir has been a character everyone has wanted for forever and I'm so glad Jagger was finally able to write his story! 

Brooklyn has had a rough life. She is a fighter though and won't stop trying to achieve her dreams. I love that about her and need more of her determination in my own life. 

Kir is so possessive and protective and Brooklyn really needs that in her life, so it worked perfectly. He also had a lot of secrets which came back to bite him later in life. 

So glad i got the chance to read this novel and I can't wait to read the next installment! 

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Review: Precious Hazard by Neva Altaj

Precious Hazard by Neva Altaj
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

As always I dived into this book and devoured it, which I always do with a Neva Altaj novel! I seriously loved Tara. She was so obnoxious and went out of her way to get on Arturo's last nerve. I laughed out loud so much with all the crazy ideas she came up with and it was hilarious seeing how it affected Arturo! 

And Arturo is definitely a loyal guy, always doing what he's told even when he despises it. He definitely needed a little Tara in his life to mic things up! 

Glad I got the chance to read this novel! 

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Review: Liars and Liaisons by Sav R Miller

Liars and Liaisons by Sav R. Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grayson and Violet! Two complete opposites that just somehow work together. I love how innocent and naive Violet is. She definitely goes beyond her way for her father which is just messed up a bit, not gonna lie. She's also too stubborn for her own good. 

Grayson has been punishing himself for what his family did and honestly they got what was coming to them. Good riddance. I'm glad he got his muse back even though it started as revenge for his brother. 

It was great to see the whole crew together in the epilogue! I'm very exited for the 2nd generation series now! 

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