Review: Flames of Truth by A.C. Pontone

Flames of Truth by A.C. Pontone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This was a decent novel. I love dragons so I was excited about that, but it was only focused on that aspect once which was a bit of a let down. I loved all 4 of the guys. They were all so different each other, all had their own personalities, but still felt the same toward Emma. I think my two favorite are Cam and Dave.

Emma is one tough chick. She's been given a shitty life but instead of giving up, she just keeps working and trying to find time to breathe. I think the 4 new guys in her life will be good for her, but she won't make it easy for them to be a part of it.

I wish this was a bit longer of a book because I would have liked the background story to be explained better. I am still a little confused as to what happened in the fae world so trying to keep up with the characters explaining their past was a bit difficult.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I may end up buying the next book, but I get the feeling the series in isn't complete yet and I want to sprint to the finish line to see how everything ends up, so maybe I'll wait until it's all written and published :) I'm very glad I got a chance to read this book!

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Review: Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

When I saw that Miranda Kenneally write this novel, I automatically snatched this eARC! I really loved this story and the ups and downs that the characters went through for 4 years. It was very realistic in the sense that relationships are hard work. They are emotional. They are worth fighting for.

Lulu is so mature for her age. Creating and writing a book, getting an agent and trying to publish a book, all before graduating high school? That's commitment! And her thoughts about her relationship with Alex was also very realistic. You don't see many teens thinking like Lulu does.

Alex is so soulful and I love how he loves his family. He is a little lost compared to Lulu but he eventually figures out what he wants for his future.

There are so many great messages for readers in this novel and it's very inspiring. I really enjoyed this book and I know many readers will fall in love with this story! I'm very glad I got a chance to read this eARC!

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Review: The Second We Met by Maya Hughes

The Second We Met by Maya Hughes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Elle is one busy girl. She's working, taking classes, doing homework, and doing 5,000 charity events. She only needs to do this until graduation, but she's running on fumes. And don't even get her started about her neighbor across the street...

Nix has the perfect life. Star quarterback, won the championship, getting ready to get drafted to anywhere of his pickings. What more could he want, right? Maybe to be someone more than a celebrity icon... And he'd like to get on better terms with his neighbor across the street...

The scenes between Nix and Elle will be a rollercoaster ride where both characters try to figure out their life their future, and their hearts. Both will have to find a way to trust one another in order to finally solve all of those mysteries.

I am so glad I stumbled into Maya Hughes novels. Ever since I read her first book, I've been hooked and she is an automatic author for me now. And I was so excited to get an eARC for this novel!

There are a lot of bumps in these two characters story and they are both so stubborn and hard headed. Seeing them struggle with their thoughts and feelings toward one another was refreshing and maddening, but very realistic.

Also they both had very big issues they were dealing with that I think a lot of readers will be able to understand. I know I did. To see both of them grow into their true selves was so rewarding, knowing they are going down the right path for themselves.

I'm also VERY excited for the next book! I can't wait to see what those two characters will do together!

Fans of Hughes and this series and the new adult world will love this book! So glad I was able to read it and I'm already waiting for more b books by this author! :)

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Review: Branded by Katie Hamstead

Branded by Katie Hamstead
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

This book was okay for me. I was very worried that Ali was going to get raped, but I'm happy to report that she doesn't in this novel. There were times where it got close but it never actually happened. So if that's a trigger for you, you might want to decide if this book is for you.

The amount of luck that Ali had through this entire book is crazy. This book is heavily revived religion - its why the war started - and Ali was a faithful believer. But for one person to go through everything she went through is a bit unbelievable for me.

Overall this was an okay novel. I'm glad I got a chance to read it.

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Review: The Jock and the Fat Chick by Nicole Winters

The Jock and the Fat Chick by Nicole Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this novel. The first is that the entire novel is through the guy's point of view: Kevin. It's not often you find YA novels through a makes point of view, but I do enjoy them when I discover them.

Second is how realistic the author made being a teenager in the high school world. Teens can be so mean. And we got that first hand through Kevin. And Kevin did what many others do and go along with the mean, snarky remarks that others say even though they don't want to agree.

And third, I LOVE the fact that when Kevin thought about Claire, he NEVER ONCE thought of her as fat. He never judged her by her size but admired her because of her personality and smarts and overall attitude. So many girls are constantly trying to improve their image to something different, but 9 times out of 10 people don't even think what they think about themselves.

There were so many great messages in this book and I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it. This is a story that I will not be forgetting any time soon!

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Review: Play Date by Kate Donovan

Play Date by Kate Donovan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

This was a decent novel. I had some issues throughout the book because it kept jumping from one character to another character's viewpoint with no rhyme or reason. I thought this was Rachel and Bam's novel, so when it started going to Sean and other character's storyline, I found myself not interested. I would skip over other people's information and look for Bam or Rachel's names and start reading again.

I really loved the interaction between Rachel and Bam. They are complete opposites, and yet they just click with each other. Rachel is an odd duckling, though, so she was always saying one thing, doing another, and thinking a third thing. She didn't seem like she had everything figured out in her life, so the thing she had with Bam was a stress reliever for her, almost.

Overall, this book was okay, but I am not inclined to read any more books about these characters, sadly. But I am glad I got to read this eARC novel and maybe I'll pick up another book by this author!

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Review: Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian

Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This was a pretty decent ending to the series. I do have to say that I just really didn't get completely vested into the storyline, which was a letdown for me. Maybe I had too high of expectations? I'm not sure. Theo did progressively get to be a solid character, who finally found her wants and needs and strived to achieve them, so I'm proud of her, but I just really didn't connect with the story or the characters as much as I wanted to overall.

A lot of characters died in this trilogy, but one in particular was hard to face. I seriously wished it didn't happen, but I do understand that there was a war, and when all of the main characters survive, it's not very realistic. War is something that many have to be sacrificed in order to create a better future.

I'm very glad I got the chance to read this eARC novel and this trilogy. I know there will be tons of fans out there who will adore this ending, even if it wasn't for me in the end.

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Review: Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just like the first book in this series, I found it to be an okay book. I was really hoping that I would be wow'ed by the continuation of the storyline for this series, but for some reason I'm not connecting with it as much as I wanted to. Theo's character development is getting better but she's still toggling back and forth on her feelings for EVERYTHING. Which guy she likes, if she is really a true queen or just a fake, etc. I want her to be certain about one thing in her life, but she's full of worry and confusion and almost non-commitment - which is VERY bad if you think about it, as she's advocating to be the true Queen...

I'm still Team Soren and I feel like Theo is just teasing both boys. She's sending so many mixed signals to both of them that I'm surprised they aren't getting whiplash. I need Theo to be confident in the 3rd book. I need her to make the hard decisions and not spend an entire chapter wondering if she made the wrong mistake. She needs to figure out how to be queen, even though she doesn't know how to do it. To be queen, you must feel like you are a queen. You must have the respect as a queen. Theo is getting there, but she better have it figured out by the end of book #3, otherwise the future of her people doesn't look all that great...

So, yeah, it was okay. I'm glad I'm getting around to reading this series, but I can't see myself re-reading this again.

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Review: Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

After the brutal attack against Theo's home and family, she has been forced to be a prisoner for the last 10 years under the rule of the new leader, Kaiser. Every time her people rioted against him, Kaiser would take their punishment on her, showing the world what will happen if they continue to defy against his rule. But when Theo was forced to kill one of her own people - someone she knew and loved, she realized that this is not the way to live her life. In fear and betraying her people. She realizes that she needs to fight back, and after a few unexpected visitors find her, she actually has the power to do that.

Within her plan is to trap the Prinz Soren. Theo is all for that considering what his father, the Kaiser, has done to her. What Theo didn't expect was to actually like Soren. Webs of lies and betrayal and guilt are spun around Theo and she needs to figure out what to do in order to secure her future as a free person, instead of the Kaiser's prize and prisoner.

So I've been sitting on this book for a few years, waiting for the trilogy to be complete. Since I just got the 3rd book as an eARC, I dived right into it, excited to see what this world is all about. And overall, I enjoyed the book. It wasn't the best book in this genre that I've read, but it has a lot of potential moving forward. I appreciate that, currently, Theo isn't a character who was weak one moment and the next can wield a sword and fight like a warrior. She knows her capabilities and she knows what she can't do, and that didn't change throughout the book. Now, I can see her growing some supernatural abilities, considering it's been hinted at a few times in this book alone, but she still isn't a superwoman who can rip out a heart or anything.

I'm annoyed about the "love triangle" in this book. I get her conflicting feelings for Soren, but I also feel like she is forcing things between her and Blaise. Honestly, she should just focus on herself because she is so messed up from the trauma that has been her life for the past 10 years instead of trying to see which boy is the best....

I did enjoy this book and I'm looking forward to more information about Cress and the Dragonsbane plotlines. I think there will be a lot of surprises with those two alone in the next two books. I'm very glad I got an eARC of this book and am excited for the rest of the series!

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Review: Undecided by Julianna Keyes

Undecided by Julianna Keyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I really enjoyed this novel. Nora is determined to change her life around and honestly? I feel like she did a really good job throughout the school year. Some people find it hard to change their life 360 degrees, but Nora really stuck to her guns and made sure she didn't screw up this year. The only thing I found frustrating was her secrecy for things. Like when her and Crosbie started to like each other, she wanted to keep it away from Kellan because they had a "rule"... Seriously? He's not your dad, Nora!! Just tell him what's up and accept the backlash. It wasn't as bad as she thought and things got better. And the other secret? Yeah...she should have found a way to get that out in the open before it exploded in her face.

Overall this was a good novel. I think with a little less secrets, it would have been a great novel. Either way, I'm glad I got a chance to read this book!

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Review: A Love for the Pages by Joy Penny

A Love for the Pages by Joy Penny
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

I thought I was going to really like this novel, but it just came out "meh" for me, sadly. June does NOT act like a 19 year old. She's more like a freshman in high school for how she acts. Maybe it's just me, but when I was in college, I was working, taking classes, doing homework, reading for fun and having a life. June was just floating by and then she comes home and expects to do what she always did in high school? Just reading and hanging out with her friends? She wasn't moving forward in her life but was making it stand still, and that's no way to live.

Her fascination with Everett Rockford and then her 3 guy characters from classic literature was a bit weird, I must say. And I love book boyfriends! But I guess it's because she was taking EVERYTHING that was happening in her life and finding ways that it correlated with her favorite books, and that's just a bit much. Book boyfriends are nice to have in a fantasy, but don't try to make it a reality because that's just not going to happen.

And then everything that happened with Everette. June was literally bipolar when it came to her feelings about him. I was having a hard time even thinking that she liked him because of the way she acted around him and thought about it. For me, there were no sparks between June and Everette, and then all of a sudden they are in love? It just wasn't believable for me and it was clunky...

Like I said, I really wanted to love this book, but it just ended up being okay for me. A lot of the story seemed to be missing and the connection between the two characters just wasn't there for me. I am glad I got a chance to read this eARC novel, though!

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Review: Some Girls Lie by Amy Andrews

Some Girls Lie by Amy Andrews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This was a decent book. I got annoyed with Ethan a lot, and JJ for that matter, because it was obvious that Ethan was starting to have feelings for JJ but wanted to "stay friends" and not ruin their 30 year long friendship. And with JJ, she just needed to go for it and tell Ethan how she really felt. She let that go on for WAY too long and she wasn't living her life the way she wanted to. So when they were "engaged" I felt like they both just needed to say their feelings outloud and get it out in the open. I think once the shock wore off, things would have gone great and it would have been a much faster response than how they proceeded in the book.

Also, Shane? He can die for all I care. Of course I think he has a mental issue, so I shouldn't say that, but he's not a nice guy and he needs to take a hint. JJ and Ethan didn't stutter when they told him to leave town and leave them alone.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC!

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Review: Undone by Shannon Richard

Undone by Shannon Richard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

Paige's life is...rough right now. She's homeless, workless, and boyfriendless all in a matter of a few months. So when she moves in with her parents, in a small Florida town, she's just trying to survive. Then when her car breaks down after a terrible job interview, life is just laughing in her face. With no job, she has no money to fix her car, and without her car she can't find a job. Just when she was giving up on life, Brendan popped into hers. At first, it was a bit of a rocky introduction, but soon they were both always wanting to spend time with each other.

Life has it's rough spots and it's amazing events, and the reader gets to see this with Paige and Brendan's story as they meet and fall in love.

This was a good novel. I really enjoyed how real it was and how it depicts life for any normal person. I really felt for Paige and Brendan and the rough times they have had in their past. The attraction between the two was hot right from the start and it never really slowed down after that. In the middle was a bit of a lull for the story, but it picks right back up toward the end of the book.

I'm also very intrigued about Gracie and Jax... Perhaps I'll have to find their book to see how that all panned out between the two of them!

Overall I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC and I will have to keep my eye out for more books by this author! :)

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Review: Her Last Wild Ride by Abby Green

Her Last Wild Ride by Abby Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This was a very short and sweet novel. Ashling didn't have a chance to keep her word with her friend, Jenna, about no attachments, no men, while they started their business the second that Johnny walked through the door. Especially considering that Jenna wanted to jump his bones as well.

For this being such a short novel, I actually felt like there was a lot of character development, and the relationship grew throughout the novel. Most novellas are rushed and no back story, which makes it really hard to connect with the characters, but I didn't have that issue with this book.

Also, I appreciated the fact that the characters didn't fall into the "I love you stage" by the end of the book. I mean, they've known each other for 2 weeks, so it is realistic that they would want to get to know each other better before that happened.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC!

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Review: The Way Back to Us by Jamie Howard

The Way Back to Us by Jamie Howard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

So this cover? It definitely does not give the right vibe for this novel! It looks all light hearted and easy-go-lucky, but this is actually a dark book. Full of mystery, twists-and-turns, and surprises. Doesn't mean I didn't like it, but I was just surprised at the turn that this book took and how I was not prepared for it at all!

I really liked Dani. She's had a hard life, and after being told the truth about everything she thought she knew, she took it in stride and tried to fix all of the problems that have happened. Her and Gavin together was adorable and heartbreaking all at the same time.

I'm glad I got a chance to read this novel and I'm intrigued about the last pair of this group... I may have to find the next book and see how that pans out in the end!

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Review: If I Should Remember by K.D. Van Brunt

If I Should Remember by K.D. Van Brunt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

Zoe is dreading starting over at a new school. Being the new girl isn't going to be fun, but since she can't remember the last year of her life, she's not really missing old friends or her old home. Now people won't know her interesting background and hopefully she can make new friends. And that seems possible since she met two teen guys on the day she moved into her new house!

But the town has a mysterious person going around and stealing dogs. With her dog, Rin, Zoe is very cautious about this and wants the person responsible caught and put away. On top of that, Zoe is having very weird dreams that are causing her to have strange reactions afterward. Her family is keeping something from her, her therapist wants her to try to remember the past year, and her two closest friends, Adam and Derek, have a dark past and don't get along with one another. With all of this mystery in Zoe's life, it seems she may be able to remember her past, but to what cost of her sanity?

This was an interesting novel. I enjoyed it for the most part. I read some reviews where the readers got annoyed about the dog, but I figured that out right away. The big mystery of Zoe's missing year was something that I did NOT figure out though, and seriously got goosebumps when it was revealed. Like, seriously? That is some legit scary stuff!!

I was always Team Derek, so when Zoe was with Adam, I wasn't too pleased. But Adam showed his true colors in the end, so I felt justified in my early pickings :)

Sam was a true older brother to Zoe, and I completely understand his behavior throughout the novel. But in the end, he does love Zoe as any brother would.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it will definitely leave me thinking for awhile now. I'm very glad I got a chance to read this eARC!

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Review: Dirty Talk by Megan Erickson

Dirty Talk by Megan Erickson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This was a good book. The women in this book have been through a very rough life so to see them find a home in this town was uplifting. I loved that Violet fell under Brent's spell right away which showed his personality as amazing.

Overall I'm glad I got a to read this book!

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Review: Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman

Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

Jill has known Max her whole life. Being next door neighbors and having their parents be best of friends kind of guaranteed that Jill and Max would be around each other a lot. But things have been extremely strained between them - ever since Max's father has a heart attack. And now that Jill is getting a new step-sister any day now, life has shifted away from her normal.

Then Max showed up in her room and changed everything - with a kiss. Jill wants Max back as a friend, but there is so much going on in his life, and in her life, that being friends doesn't seem to be exactly what they need - or want. So many secrets and lies and deception happens with them, though, that a life with each other may or may not be possible after everything is revealed...

This was an okay novel. I really feel for the characters, because both of them are going through A LOT OF SHIT at only 17 years old. And I feel the most for Jill, because holy mother, I would have killed her father. Like legit, commit murder if I had to deal with his childish, immature, terrible decisions he is making - and he's supposed to be the adult in this situation.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but the issues that came up were too much, the way Jill and Max dealt with their issues and their feelings were frustrating and repetitive, and honestly, 17 is an age where they need to start making their own decisions and curse the consequences. They are going to be living their own life soon, and if they can't even have a mature relationship and accept the consequences, they are going to have a very rough life ahead of them.

I'm glad I finally got a chance to read this book, and I'm very happy that I got this as an eARC!

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Review: Soul in Darkness by Wendy Higgins

Soul in Darkness by Wendy Higgins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adore everything Wendy Higgins writes, and this was yet another one that I loved! Mythology stories are always great, but the story that Higgins wrote between Psyche and Cupid was just amazing. I have taken forever to start reading this because I knew once I started it, it would end all too soon - which it did.

The amount of emotions that Psyche went through in this book is enough to give a person a heart attack. But she is such a strong person and took each hit as they came, becoming an even better person throughout this life-altering experience.

I get to meet Wendy Higgins next week at Penned Con 2019, and I'm so excited! I will also be getting this book from her and having her sign in, so that is a double excitement event :D

This is a book that I know I will re-read in the future, and this is an author that I will always one-click her books to buy, so I'm excited for what she will write next!

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Review: To Be Your Girl by Rae Kennedy

To Be Your Girl by Rae Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

When Haley changes schools and decides to stay with her older brother, Tuck, she never imagined she would get sucked into boy trouble.

But when she starts to see Adam, she's realizing she may be crushing on Tuck's roommate - HER roommate - Cade. Which wouldn't work out since he's a man whore who brings women to their places for only a one night stand.

That doesn't stop them, though, from exploring their feelings toward one another. But when heartbreak is looming over them, they have to make the final decision on what they want for their future... and if they will be in each other's lives or not...

I really didn't expect to like this book as much as I did! The characters were very likable and the writing complete sucked me into the story. Haley and Cade's friendship and relationship was pretty rocky the entire novel but the sweet moments between them really showed the reader how much they liked each other.

This book reminded me of "Beautiful Disaster" by Jamie McGuire in a way, with many similarities. I think Kennedy really did a great job describing college and relationships in college because it is chaotic and amazing and unexpected.

I'm very glad I got a chance to read this eARC and I'm going to be looking out for this author now!

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Review: Love in the Stacks by Delilah Peters

Love in the Stacks by Delilah Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book! It was short, sweet and to the point. Plus it's about working in a library, which I do, so that was the cherry on top for me :)

Now it may have been just a tad too short for my liking, but I was just along for the ride. I loved the interaction between Ben and Poppy - how awkward he was, how forward she was, how the tension sparked between the two of them. Guy librarians are so awkward anyway, so that was a great depiction of them with Ben's mannerisms. And Poppy was very forward and went for what she wanted - not letting anything get in her way.

Any book about librarians / set in a library will get my attention, so I'm glad I enjoyed this book as much as I did :)

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Review: The Scotch Royals by Penelope Sky

The Scotch Royals by Penelope Sky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This series was pretty good. There was a lot of reputation and lots of secrets and deceit, but overall I enjoyed the story and I liked seeing all of the characters grow. The one who changed the most was Crewe and it was all for the better. Ariel was a snob and put her nose too far into Crewe's business, but I guess that's what "family" does in the end, right? London was an okay character. She was the one that seemed the most flaky to me and I didn't like how she flipped from a victim to an instigator, to a person taking crap and lying down for it.

But overall I really enjoyed this series and I'm glad I got a chance to read this!

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Review: The Scotch Queen by Penelope Sky

The Scotch Queen by Penelope Sky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Even though there was a lot of repetition and the book could have been shorter because of this fact, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. It definitely has a Beauty and the Beast feel, and the ending left me wanting more. I'm very intrigued to see how things work out in the 3rd and final book. This series is turning out to be better than I originally thought it would be!

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Review: The Scotch King by Penelope Sky

The Scotch King by Penelope Sky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got the boxset of this series on Amazon for free, and was very intrigued by the synopsis. I actually really enjoyed the book as a whole. Crewe thinks he's a terrible person, but he's really not, and London can tell that about him, apparently. I don't think I would have taken as many chances at things that London did with Crewe, but she seems to be a bit fearless for the most part. There are parts that contradict previous actions or statements, and that annoyed me a bit, but overall I think this was a good book. I'm curious to see what else happens between these two characters.

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