Land Stand (The Black Mage, #4)

ARC received via the author in return for an honest review.

First Year (book 1) is on sale for $0.99 if you are looking for a good YA high fantasy series! Also if you have read the previous books in this series, check out the newly released covers! They are 100 times more awesome than the previously crappy ones!

Now to my review of Last Stand!
I think I psyched myself out with this one. I left the last book on a high, then had to wait forever for this to release. Luckily, Rachel gave me an ARC so I could ease the pain a little sooner. That being said, I would definitely recommend reading Candidate before starting this because I must have forgot half of what happened! There is no short summary of the previous book (nothing wrong with that), you just really need to know your stuff to stay caught up. I wish I would've had time to reread it, and maybe I would have enjoyed the beginning a bit more. 

I felt like the first 25% was Ryiah feeling guilty and moping about her situation. Granted, it sucks. One moment she’s married to the love of her life, and the next she’s knowingly ripping his heart out of his chest. If you loved Ry in the previous books, get ready to feel some heart-wrenching pain! The first 30% also lacked action! Both romantically and fighting-wise. Now that Darren's the Black Mage, I feel like he should've been doing more than just his brother's dirty work (because that's what it felt like). I still cannot wrap my mind around how much Darren cares for his brother. I mean I get it, they're brothers. But he's a completely evil! Their relationship has always nerved me. Speaking of Darren, he just didn't feel the same to me, but I can't quite place what it was. I just didn't care for him as much this book. Darren and Ry has some beautiful and long awaited moments together. But they had so much crap to deal with, sometimes the romance had to be pushed aside. Honestly, I forgot they were married sometimes!

Compared to the other novels, this one was SO much darker and dreary due to the context. I actually didn't mind the darkness. Shit's getting serious! They aren't kids anymore, and it turns out being an adult sucks (who knew?). Ry learns that being a Princess and wife to the Black Mage puts her in a position to change the world. She's always wanted to be a hero, but no one ever tell you what the hero has to sacrifice. Losing her love might just be the consequence of saving the entire kingdom. What is one loss compared to the lives of thousands? To Ryiah its everything.

I rated this 4 stars because I really liked it, but I didn't freak out and love it. Its a great conclusion to an epic fantasy series.

A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

THIS BOOK <3 and the feels!!

I cannot even put into words how much the book touched me. This is Maas' best work and I loved Queen of Shadows!! But this. This was something else entirely. The shear creativity of the world and character development, Oh the character development! All of it wrapped together in one, was complete perfection! And Rhysand is bae <33

First of all, let me just say that this book came at literally the worst time for me. It arrived on a Tuesday and I started finals on that same Wednesday: the very next day. It was pure torture for me to wait to read it. Goodreads was so tempting, I had to give the book to my roommate so she could hide it from me until I was done! But Nikki was right, it would have been worth failing my finals lol!

Okay lets get into the good stuff: (possibly mild spoilers)
Since reading the first book, I felt like I was missing something; something just didn't work for me. I still loved it and gave it 4 stars, but it felt like their was a hole in the story, and how right I was! The book takes place about 3 months after the events of book 1 and Feyre is still adjusting to being a fae, and a savior of her new people. But she feels lost, and quiet honestly empty and worthless. She seems to have a combination of PTSD and depression. And Tamlin? Well, he doesn't really seem to notice or know how to handle the situation, but he sure doesn't do anything to help her out. I lost all respect of Tamlin towards the end of book 1 and book 2 just solidified my feelings. He is controlling, domineering, and selfish. And it did not sit right with me the way he started to treat Feyre. Like she was a doll; something pretty that he could look at, fuck, and toss away. It was sickening. And she let him do it.

But Feyre evolves so much in this book, it almost seems like a different book (given that it was 624 pages it could have been--but we're glad its not). It was amazing! She starts out lost and weak and comes out one of the strongest female characters I've ever read who knows her place and her path.

Rhysand, oh my love. You are my favorite character of all time. He's brilliant, sweet, arrogant, strong, funny, sexy; I could go on forever, so let's summarize by saying he's basically perfect! He's my number one book boyfriend. The way he treats Feyre is admirable because he doesn't coddle her and he treats he as an equal. That's why I love him. So many guys from books are dominant and controlling; Rhys is dominant but he lets Feyre be independent. That is a healthy relationship, girls! He lets he be her own person, make her own decisions and supports her no matter what. We learn a different side of him and have a deeper understanding of his actions. And I'm glad because then we never would have met Cassian, Mor, Azriel, or Amren. Who are the most amazing side characters I've even met! I love them! And I love this story. I can't imagine the pain Rhys forced himself to endure when (view spoiler)[he retrained himself from telling Feyre even though he knew she was his mate. (hide spoiler)]

The ending took me by surprise because I thought I knew where it was going, but then Feyre and Rhys took me by surprise with the level of their brilliance. I am so excited for the next book so that they can kick some ass together and save the world. <333

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Bang

Bang by E.K. Blair
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well that was... something.

I was kind of hoping for a little bit more suspense, twists & turns, but I predicted like everything that happened. It was a decent read.

What killed my vibes was Nina/Elizabeth. My gosh, she is a horrible person! I get she has a horrible past that we slowly learn about through flashbacks, but that was almost 20 years ago! To carry that much hatred and soul-crushing vengeance inside her for that long of a time is sad. (view spoiler)[Poor Bennett was only an 11 year old kid who saw something scary and told his parents about it. It wasn't his fault! You can't blame an innocent kid for the mistakes of your father (hide spoiler)]. She has never come to terms with her past and frankly blames everyone but the one person truly responsible, (view spoiler)[her father (hide spoiler)]. She is still a child, immature, and completely selfish. I hate her for what she does to sweet Declan. That being said, Declan was probably the only saving grace for me (he alone earns 1 star out of my rated 3). Without him, I wouldn't have been able to read this.

Pike is a different story. I liked him in the flashbacks, but both he and Elizabeth are walking down the wrong path in life. Instead of overcoming their dark past, they join it (in a different way, mind you but still the same: illegal and morally wrong.) Their relationship is quite disturbing to me. I can't really talk about it much without giving the plot away, but I think this relationship that they continue to share is holding both of them to the past. It's probably a major reason why they both turn out the way they have.

I am still undecided on continuing the series. (view spoiler)[I have a hunch Declan is still alive (hide spoiler)]

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The Air He Breathes

The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

They all warned me about Tristan, begging me to stay away. ‘He’s an asshole, he’s wild, and he’s broken, Liz,’ they would say. ‘He’s nothing but the ugly scars of his yesterdays,’ they swore. But what they didn’t see, what they chose to ignore was the fact that I was also a little wild, a bit crazy, and completely shattered too.

Wow. Just wow. This book was so emotionally raw. I don't think I have ever experienced such real emotions while reading. Not that I never cry while reading, but this was different. I would find myself crying one moment, and laughing the very next. And when I cried it was either gut wrenchingly sad moments or ones so happy that they make you heart hurt.

I love that the author hit every point on people being judgmental. Everyone does it. But you shouldn’t judge someone based on their appearance. I hate gossipers, and those like the group of women who think they are living life perfectly. Newsflash: not one life is the same, and you have no way of knowing the truth of another’s life unless you crawl inside their’s. Clearly Tristan was an asshole to everyone, but that was just his way of pushing people away and staying alone. But when a kindred spirit brushes yours, you can’t help but feel drawn to them. Because finally someone shares your pain.

”Everyone in this town is afraid of me. Do I scare you Elizabeth?” He whispered, his breaths brushing against my lips.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I see you.”

This author is quickly becoming one of my new favorites. I did’t realize this was the same author as Loving Mr Daniels, which has been sitting on my tar shelf for quote some time after the recommendation from Ash. I will definitely be picking that book up soon, as I have come to love Ms. Cherry’s writing style. Her writing has a way that hits your soul. Who knew I would cry over someone cutting their grass? And she made their real first time seem like the first time they were together. Seriously, there are SO many beautiful quote in this book I want to frame and hang on my quote wall, which is still a work in progress. I didn’t want to give too many quotes away because I like to find them as I read and not beforehand. If you are interested in reading more check out the quote I liked from my review page below!

Also… HOLY HOT COVER, BATMAN!! I mean hot damn!

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King

King by T.M. Frazier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GAWD DAMN that is how you end a book!

This book hit all the marks for me: Sexy, suspenseful, dark, gritty, funny, sweet. Apparently it is possible to have of those rolled into one good book! And by funny I mean laugh out loud! I was reading between classes and got some weird looks. I was just like "Sorry, but Preppy really gets to me!"

Speaking of my Preppy... I have a thing for books with male characters that aren't a love interest. Kind of like Kenji in Shatter Me, Roar in Under the Never Sky, or Aedion Queen of Shadows to make a few. Sorry thats my YA plug for today... But seriously I love that in a book and it is just hard to find in these types or "more adult" books.

My only complaint would be that I predicted some important events of the story.[Preppy's death (they always seem to kill off the funny guys...) & the trade (even though it didn't technically go down) (hide spoiler)]

Also, what kind of people don't look for a loved one when they go missing? That's just fucked up. Book two should be interesting, especially with the damn cliffy. I mean, WTF?!?! Not sure how I feel about that....

This book is packed with great quotes brought to you by the one and only, Preppy.

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Ink Mage

Ink Mage by Victor Gischler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5ish stars

The city of Klaar has never fallen. No enemy has crossed the Long Bridge or penetrated the city’s great walls. No one could have foreseen the betrayal from within the fortress’s walls. After a dramatic turn of events, the young duke’s daughter, Rina, finds herself a duchess and an army of one. Rina sets out on a quest to reclaim her city through whatever means necessary, even if that includes strange magic inked on to her skin.

I had mixed feelings while reading. There were huge gaps in the story because the POV changed every chapter. I felt like we missed a lot of the story when we switched characters and it just made the story's sense of time more confusing. I didn't care for a few characters and felt disconnected. I was indifferent to the romance! That is a downer. ):

A story with multiple POV is usually a hit of miss. I think this story could have benefits from more chapters from Rina. It was spread so thin amongst the characters that I lacked the kinship with the characters. We didn't really get very deep into the characters; it was all surface. What is driving the characters; why do they fight for the cause?

There were other gaps in the story that just seemed random. Like when did Alem learn to shoot a bow? There is freakin no way he was able to hit a target on his first try! When/How did this romance start to develop? It seemed a bit random.

I'm not so sure I'll be continuing the series because I have so many books on my TBR.

*Available on Kindle Unlimited*




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Rogue

Rogue by Karen Lynch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I'm just going to stick with my initial feelings because I still don’t know how to rate this! :/ I can’t give this anything above 4 stars and I seriously debated 3 stars there in the middle. I'm sticking with 3.5.

Through the entire book, I was going back and forth with my feelings. I was like: “Wow this is an interesting beginning, okay, okay, I see you… This middle is SO SLOW (I even picked up a book that I stopped in order to read this one sooner, and finished it)….Woah I didn't expect them to be the Master and DAMN did Sara finally kick some ass."

First of all, let me say that I loved the first 3 books in this series (both 5 stars). Book 1 may still be free for amazon kindle. If you haven’t already checked it out, I definitely recommend doing so. That being said, book 3 left me a bit disappointed.

The beginning was good. I loved Jordan, Roland, and Peter (always have, always will). I liked the idea of Sara discovering herself as a Morhiri without Nikolas. I also liked the dreaded wait for Nikolas to appear again (I guess its the masochist in me). All in all, a solid first 25% of the book.

The middle of the book is where it really hit me. I wanted so bad to rate this 5 stars, I really did, but I didn’t love it! It dragged in the middle 50% and I actually was bored! Sara’s training sessions, for one, were tedious and wasn’t that the whole premise of book 2?! Didn’t we read this already? Not to mention, once again, Sara had to connect with her demon (I thought she did that already..hello book 2??)

But the last 25% picked up a bit. Honesty, I had no idea how I was going to end up rating this. The ending definitely saved it.

For some reason, Sara and Nikolas felt different in this one. They spent so much time apologizing for their actions that I got really annoyed. Just owe up to your decisions! Nikolas was SO overprotective; he had so little faith in Sara! I love you dude, but I’d tell you to get over yourself. The reunion was a bit of a disappointment for me as well. On the plus side I loved the addition of Eldeorin and some new demon friends!

I just could not bring myself to love it as much as the other books in the series. I just didn’t get the same reaction reading this as I did other books I’ve recently read (which earned the 5 stars). My slump could be a reason why I’m being so grumpy. I’ve had a hard time getting through some books lately, so I’m just glad I finished this.

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Childstar 1

Childstar 1 by J.J. McAvoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review

Hard to rate because its only a novella.
3.5 Stars

Amelia London is America's sweetheart. Noah Sloan is America's bad boy. Both are former child stars and once were lovers. When they are cast as the leads in the upcoming erotic suspense blockbuster—Sinners Like Us—they are forced to come to terms with the issues that tore them apart to begin with.
As the whole world watches, can they keep their secrets hidden? After all, everybody is a sinner…

This is nothing like Ruthless People. The sex wasn’t as steamy. I thought the fake sex on set was hotter than the real stuff…and there wasn’t even a happy ending! I was excited about the sex scenes on set because those have always been interesting to me. What is it like to film one of those?? All I kept thinking was… lots of dry humping?? I guess I will never know because my answer was never answered… There was just a bunch of whipping (which I am all for). There should have been more of a build up to the sex, using the movie scenes as a catalyst. That being said, I wish the movie scenes were more detailed. I have to keep reminding myself that this was just a novella, but there could have be more details. I mean there has to be good descriptions in the sex scenes!! Maybe the next part will be better?Hard to rate because it is only a novella.

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Candidate

Candidate by Rachel E. Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

ARC won via author's giveaway

When given the option of an ARC or a free ebook upon release, which did I choose? The ARC of course! I couldn't wait to get my hands on this title. And boy did it not disappoint!

Riyah is only one year away of fulfilling her dream of becoming the Black Mage. Will Ry be able to beat the one person she has never been able to defeat: her rival, future husband, the non-heir?

Perhaps the gods will surprise us and it will be neither.”
“A true tragedy,” he agreed.
“Of epic proportions.”
His smile was just the faintest line in the shadows. “Two longstanding rivals.”
“And only one robe to bear.”
“Who will win?” Darren’s tone was wry. “The handsome prince?”
I grinned. “Or his valiant betrothed?

Her new life with Darren was supposed to be perfect, but she has only met complication after complication. Of course the King still loathes Ryiah. He'd rather she didn't exist. But what's done is done and Ry just wants is to stay under the radar and avoid his wrath. He really is a sick bastard. As the war seems to be coming closer and closer, Jerar is desperate for allies.

...This entire kingdom will fall to Caltoth. And when it does? Your lowborn wife will be the first blood I spill.

But Ry is taking full advantage of the time she has before her wedding and her princess duties call her. With Darren stuck at the Palace, Ry sets out to Ferren's Keep in hopes of some action and additional training before the Candidacy tourney. Rebels are on the rise and everything is not what it seems....

When the actually Candidacy started I think it was only 60% into the book. I remember thinking: what the heck else could possibly happen?? The answer: A LOT.

But seriously, that ending was mean! What is gonna happen?!?!

I knew I was going to love this book but it turned into much more than just a rivalry between two loves or the quest to become the next Black Mage. It was SO much more. And that made it oh so much better. I love me some betrayal, action, and suspense!

How many times can a person shatter?

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Ecstasy Unbound

Ecstasy Unbound by Setta Jay
My rating: 3.5  of 5 stars

*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

3.5 Immortal stars

Centuries ago, a mating curse was cast to prevent the evil Gods from breeding Immortals for Apollo's army. Although the spell saved many lives by preventing Apollo's destruction, no immortal can breed unless it's with their true mate, which are practically impossible to find. This left the remaining Immortals with a minuscule population. The Gods, both good and bad, are banished, along with their families.

Alex is the daughter of Athena, making her a Demi-Goddess. Technically Alex and her brothers are not allowed on Earthly Realm. They should be banished along with their mother and father, but have survived under the noses of the Guardians, who are the protectors of the Realm.

Alex has had unusually erotic desires for one particular Guardian. Never have the spoken to each other. But he knows as she hides in the shadows and watches as he gives other pleasures. Uri knows she is a Demi-Goddess and also knows he is duty bound to banish her out of this Realm. He figures as long as she stays in the shadows and out of his way he doesn't have to banish her. Because he likes when she watches and wishes it was her writhing underneath him instead of these puny humans.

When Alex seeks help, Uri is the only being who can provide what she needs. What will happen when the two finally meet?

The story itself was intriguing. And the sex scenes.... WOW. Those were some of the hottest pages I've ever read! It was smokin hot.

My only complaint was that some elements of the story felt similar to something else I read, although I can't place it. But I loved the characters and the mind connection thing. Plus I'm a sucker for a well-done mate plot.

I think I will continue the series so long as the POV is from the same characters! I need to find out what happens with Cyril and the couples

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A Shade of Vampire

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Available on KU

Sofia Claremont’s life has never been normal. As a child, her father was barely home and her mother… well her mother wasn’t exactly normal either. Eventually she was taken away and Sofia was left with her neighbors and the occasional check from her father. At least he hasn’t completely forgot about her.

On the evening of her seventeenth birthday, Sofia goes from walking the beach as a tourist in Cancun to being a captive of dangerous pale creatures who want more than just her blood. She is kidnapped and wakes on an inescapable, untraceable island known to the vampires as the Shade. She has no allies and her death in certainly in the future, it’s just a matter of who.

For five hundred years, the Shade has shielded the most powerful vampire coven from the sun. And for four hundred years their prince has been asleep. Now he is awake and Sofia is chose to be one of his. Despite his vast power and obvious thirst for her blood, his quarters might just be the safest place on this godforsaken island. Especially when Derek’s brother wants to claim Sofia as his own.
———————————————————————————
For starters it’s a nice story, but I feel like I’ve read it before. It was like a combination of Twilight and Captured. That being said, I was not a huge fan of Twilight and I really like Captured (The Captive series, by Erica Stevens) so you can see how confused I am! Having like Captured as much as I did, I found it difficult to get into the rhythm of this story because it was so similar! Captured was just done better in my opinion.

I also had some trouble with the characters; I felt disconnected from them! There was an insta-love vibe coming from Derek and I did not dig it (when do I?). I think I was hoping for Derek to be a darker and more mysterious character. He is described as the Dark Prince but the only thing he had going for him was that he was the legendary prince. I think the book could have gained from a POV from just Sofia instead of the dual POV with Derek. That would have made Derek’s character more mysterious and we would be right there with Sofia questioning his motives. It would have made it so much more interesting!

The relationship between Sofia and Derek seemed very abrupt. As I mentioned before, Derek fell really fast and really hard. The next thing I realized was Sofia had him wrapped around her puny human fingers. I felt liked we were jipped of the love story between them. I wished the author would have gone into more detail on this, especially when Sofia always described him as brooding and stoic. There was a short paragraph that described her teaching him to use a camera and they spent hours taking pictures and laughing. It was the first time she experienced this bit of humanity from Derek and we only got a measly paragraph about it! That disappointed me.

There were a few holes in the story, especially with Sofia’s family. What ever happen to her parents? What was her mother? I don’t think she was just crazy, which means she had to have some type of paranormal powers. There are so many unanswered questions and I assume they are all solved in many many books that follow this novel.

I really wished I could’ve like this one a bit more, but it is what it is. I liked the last 15% of the novel the best and will probably continue the series because it just ended! I needed more than that!

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The Naked Duke

The Naked Duke by Sally MacKenzie
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Very predictable plot and naive characters. The main character was just too innocent for me. She didn't even know what a penis was or how a baby was even made. I just wanted to shake her. Or maybe slap some sense into her. Seriously? I know she grew up without her mother but she couldn't have been that oblivious to the world, could she?

And the whole thing from the beginning with the mixup of rooms and such, I thought it was just too unlikely. But apparently she is that dumb to not understand what was happening. I saw from a million miles away!

The story was just okay. I have a horrible ability to predict the outcome of some books. What can I say? It's a sixth sense. Or maybe its just that predictable?

Audiobook by Abby Craden
4 stars

I had to add this extra review of the audiobook narration because it was my first audiobook ever! At times I liked it, such as when I was walking across campus, I liked that I was able to continue the audio where I left off in the book. But the pace is just so much slower than what I am used to! And it just got awkward when the steamy parts came....(which by the way weren't all that hot and heavy to begin with.)

The only complaint I have about the narration was James' voice. It was just creepy in my opinion! He was supposed to be funny, and the voice just did not fit his personality.

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The Scorpion Rules

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

Once Upon a Time, at the End of the World...

Great Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy. She is a future ruler of a superpower and has been a hostage since age 5. Under the Children of Peace program each ruler must forfeit their child in order to insure peace. Don't have a child? Sorry, you aren't qualified to rule! When a leader acts out of turn, such as starting disputes/wars with other countries, the children pay for it. Greta's country is on the verge of war. When it comes she knows her life will be over. She will be taken to the grey room, just as the others before her and no one knows what happens after.

Greta's world has been the same for 7 generations. It is just the way things are; her duty. So when the Children see the plume of dust on the horizon they know that one of them is next. But when a new hostage arrives, he threatens to change everything the Children thought they knew about their lives, especially Greta. She will see her life from an entirely different perspective.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So this was't what I expected.

The first half of the book was promising, but I just didn't care for the way it went the last half. I really had to push myself to read it. Certain parts of the book I could have done without. The goats are one. I just seems unnecessary to talk about the sexuality of a goat. That's right people, goat hormones.

Greta was a strange character. She is very set in the world she lives in. And I think she has accepted her death sentence, until Elian comes and shows his rebellion to the system. And she doesn't quite change in the way that you would think, but I think she becomes more regale because of it.


I wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle. Greta knew Xie all their lives and is just now seeing her as more than a friend? Of course there's Elian. Dear sweet, rebellious Elian, whom I found to be quite the idiot at times.

No these main characters were not the best.

The Holy Utterances of Talis and the character himself were the highlights of the book. He is a strange guy, but clearly brilliant in order to come up with the whole idea. He basically is training them as children to became puppets to his liking. The thing is, it actually worked. He was able to get the entire world to play his game, his way, and her ended up ruler of the world. I like that his writings were shared because I found them quite entertaining. Through them we are able to determine what kind of person the ruler of the world really is. He is calculated but also has a very laid back was of thinking, along the lines of: Yeah I bomb cities, but its not a big deal; doesn't really work (other than kill millions of people!!).

There's a math to it, blowing up cities. When you're strictly interested in the head count, when that's your currency, blowing up cities gets expensive. You can do it once in a while, but you can't make a regular habit of it. Costs too much.
No blowing up cities doesn't work, not in the long term. You've got to find something that the people in charge aren't willing to give up. A price they aren't willing to pay. Which leads us to Talis's first rule of stopping wars: make it personal. And that, my dear children---that is where you come in.

Overall, I'd say it's a pretty average book. I liked the world that was created and Talis was an awesome villain for creating this strange yet brilliant Children of Peace. I still love that idea.

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Darken the Stars

Darken the Stars by Amy A. Bartol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book 3 of Kricket

*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.*

Also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Seriously? That's how the series ended! It just seems so.... anticlimactic. I loved every other aspect of this book except that ending.

So here's the thing... I read a couple reviews prior to reading and learned about a shift in the romance (view spoiler)[aka Kricket and Kyon (hide spoiler)]. And I was like what the fuck?

First of all, how dare that reviewer not warn about spoilers in their review! If you are going to write a review, make it spoiler free or hide/warn of the spoilers! That really pisses me off. It just ruins the experience for other readers, especially when the review was an ARC and no one else had the chance to form their opinions. For that reason I hid or left out certain aspects of this review that I wouldn't have wanted to now prior to reading this book.

And after I learned about this particular spoiler I though seriously, (view spoiler)[Kricket is just gonna leave Trey after everything they went through and did together?? *replay shower scene from book one in mind repeatedly* (hide spoiler)] The change just seems so..random. But I actually enjoyed it! Anyways, I ended up putting the book off and stewing about this new turn of events (keep in mind I haven't even read it). It kept eating at me and I was wondering WHY?!? But then I realized that I was letting this particular reviewer's opinion skew my own before I even had a chance to create my own! So I manned up and finally read it. I was so glad I did.

I absolutely will read anything Amy writes. I love her story telling ability, the worlds she exhibits, and the characters she creates. It angers me that people give this book such low ratings, just because what they read was unexpected and unsatisfactory. Would you rather read a book when you know exactly what happens? It's actually one of the reasons why I loved this book. It, and Amy, deserve so much more than the grumpy 1 and 2 star ratings I've seen.

I felt like Kricket was different in this book. She seemed more independent and strong. Part of me thinks its because Trey was not there holding her hand, but who knows. Kricket has always done well accommodating to her surroundings. She's a survivor and a fighter.

I wish we had more time to get to know this new side of Kricket. It just felt so short and I flew through the story. Before I knew it, it was the last page! Plus new characters were introduced and I wanted to dive deeper into those relationships.

Can I just say that I was all for Trey in the first book, but in the second I just didn't feel it anymore. That being said, I didn't mind one bit the way things turned out romantically in this third installment. However, the ending is a different story....

UGH it was so frustrating!! I had about 7% left in the book and I just kept thinking "Where is this going? Something else has to happen!" But nothing did! I felt no real closure. It was like jumping off a cliff. Honestly, the ending was probably the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star for me.

Just because a book isn't what is expected doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a chance. I say go for it, this book was awesome!

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Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

ARC received in via NetGalley in exchange for honest review

4.5 stars

This is the probably the best contemporary I've read all year!

All her life Maddy has been content with staying Inside. She is allergic to the world, meaning she has not been Outside is a very very long time. She cannot remember the smell of fresh air, the wind blowing in her face, or even the feeling of driving in a car. Everything we do daily, she hasn't in her last 17 or so years of life. But she is content in her life; her white room, white walls, white tees, and white Keds, with her book spines providing the only source of color in her room (reminded me a bit of a hospital, if you ask me). Her only companions include her mother who is also a doctor, and her nurse/only friend Carla.

Her books are the main source of companionship outside of the Carla and her mom. Here is a brief excerpt of Maddy describing her process when she receives a new book:

When a new book arrives, my first task is to remove the wrapping, a process that involves scissors and more than one broken nail. My second task is to write my name on the inside front cover:

PROPERTY OF: Madeline Whittier

I don't know why I do this. There's no one else here except my mother, who never reads, and my nurse, Carla, who has no time to read because she spends so much time watching me breathe. I rarely have visitors, and so there's no one to lend my books to. There's no one who needs reminding that the forgotten book on his or her shelf belongs to me.

REWARD IF FOUND (Check all that apply):

This is the section that takes me the longest time, and I vary it with each book. Sometimes the rewards are fanciful:
~Picnic with me (Madeline) in a pollen-filled field of poppies, lilies, and endless man-in-a-moon marigolds under a clear blue summer sky.
~Tea with me (Madeline) in a lighthouse in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of a hurricane.
~Snorkel with me (Madeline) off Molokini to spot the Hawaiian state fish- the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

Sometimes the rewards are not so fanciful.
~A visit with me (Madeline) to a used bookstore.
~A walk outside with me (Madeline) just down the block and back.
~A short conversation with me (Madeline) discussing anything you want, on my white couch, in my white bedroom.

Sometimes the reward is just:
~Me (Madeline)

One day everything in Maddy's world changes. She has new neighbors. And a perfect view right from her window seat. And she see him. His mother calls him Olly. He wears a black t-shirt, black jeans, and a black knit hat. He catches her looking and stares right back. Everything changes from here on out, Everything. Just when Maddy thought she was content in being alone and void of illness at the moment; she realizes being alive doesn't necessarily mean you are living.

Spoiler Alert: Beware the Queen of Hearts. She'll have your head.

Things I loved:
1. Maddy & her inner monologue
Her POV is compelling due to how she tells parts of the story through health logs, diary entries, schedules, emails, diagrams, etc. It was different, and I loved it.

2. The Romance
It was simple and not overbearing. Olly is going through a tough time and they connect in a real way. It does't feel like insta-love because the connection is so strong and realistic. Also, it was pushed. The story mainly focuses on Maddy and how Olly changes she

3. The Chapter Titles
It may sound stupid, but its true. The titles provided an added humor to the book and really showed Maddy's personality. I just loved that added creativity.

4. The Writing
This author is going on my to-watch list. Seriously, there were SO many beautiful quotes and her story telling ability is amazing!

Overall I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good contemporary.

This book is going to be on the top of many readers lists this year!

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Demons at Deadnight

Demons at Deadnight by A&E Kirk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really needed this 5 star! I struggled for a whole month *gasp* to find a new book for me to obsess over. I was seriously debating reading my favorite books again just to get my spirits up. Part of the struggle was coming down from a major book high from the Queen of All that Dies. I added this book when my friend Ashley read it a few months back and it just sat in my TBR shelf waiting for the day to be read. And after a subtle nudge from said friend, I decided to pick up this book. At this point I was desperate and quite honestly hopeless.

Let me just say that ever since TMI I have been obsessed with demons, angels, and demon hunters. I tried to find books that were along the same lines, all of which fell short. But this. This is right up there with TMI. There is a Jace & Clary type relationship. And I love that!

Speaking of Jace, let's do book talk with book boyfriends in honor of this 5 star & our new groupie!
Me: Welcome to the group Ayden! Boys say hello to Ayden.

boys: Another one? Seriously?!?

Jace: Hey bud, I'm still the number one demon hunter got it?

Ash: At least it's not another guy named Ash...

Ashtaroth: Watch it, asshole! And just so we are clear, Ayden, this is one demon you are not gonna kill. I will snap you in half, like the flaming stick you are.

Me: Hmm the rest of you are are being suspiciously quiet...

Trey: I'm gonna go feral wolf on your ass

Liam: No, I'll take care of him...

Me: Liam! Trey! Knock it off! Wolfe, Montes, Raffe & Warner stop brooding! There is enough of me to go around! This new love doesn't take away from what we have!

Ayden: Just be glad she didn't bring the rest of the Hex boys... Although I have been told I am the most smokin' of us all...

Me: Enough. Yes it is true the other Hex boys are also hawt!! They are charming, mysterious, funny--

Ayden: Hey I'm your favorite not them!

Me: Hehe sorry, but they are all great! Except for Matthais, he was kind of an asshole. But he surprised me in the end a bit. I really liked how all of you have like a superpower! That's awesome! And the book was freakin hilarious! So many one liners! I was smiling through the whole book! I loved that each of the Hex boys are unique and have something different to offer in your team dynamic. I loved how loyal you treated Aurora too! Even when all of you were having trust issues, you guys still cared about her. I love the kind of books were the girl has a main crush but has other boys-that-are-friends around. I was hoping for one of the boys to stick out from the group as more of a best friend title, but there is still time for that... it might even be Matty in the future...

Ayden: *laughs* Oh you went there!

Me: Haha just a hunch! Well I have to say I am hoping that you will be the Bellator to her Divinicus. Unfortunately, it's not looking so good for you right now... I mean WTF WAS UP WITH THAT ENDING?!
I probably looked a little something like this after finishing the book:

I expected something similar but damn not that at all.

Ayden: My thoughts exactly. I promise, I was not pleased about it either. If I knew what Aurora was seeing I would have been very upset at the time.

Me: Well we don't want to spoil any of the rest of the story. The bottom line is if you readers like action, ass kicking, demon hunters---

Jace: check out the City of Bones!

Me: No! The book is Demons at Deadnight. Jace stop finding plugs for your book! You've had enough time in the spotlight. It's time for the Nex to shine.

Jace: I can't help if the ladies love me!

Me: *sigh* Anyways, if you liked TMI I think you would like this too! There's ass kicking, humor, demons, some slight steamy romance, and the sexy Hex boys!! Plus its on Kindle Unlimited! Check it out!! Now if you will excuse us, Ayden and I have a date to read the next book in the series! Until next time boys!

Before reading: Come on, book. Be my next 5 star!

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Ugly Love

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmm... I don't know, something about it spoke to me, but another part was just average. I really suck at these reviews where I'm not sure how I feel.

It's the typical story of boy meets girl and they agree to a friends with benefits type of relationship. No strings attached.
Only it is more difficult than it seems, and clearly we know it will end in heartbreak. Hearts intertwine and love gets ugly.

Love isn't always pretty Tate. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it'll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you're back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way.

I loved Tate's relationship with Cap. Cap is a bit of a mystery but he sure was entertaining. He, more than anyone, understands Miles.

"What do you think would make a man never want to experience love again?"
"I suppose if a man lived through the ugliest side of love he might never want to experience it again. Tate, sometimes a man's spirit just ain't strong enough to withstand the ghosts from his past. Maybe that boy just lost his spirit somewhere along the way."

It is definitely heartbreaking, but I found it predictable. And there were a few things I just could get over in the story, Rachel (the character in the book not me lol) is one.

Whatever he did to Rachel, at least he loves her enough to regret it.

I know we understand Rachel by the end of the book but I still hate her for how she made Miles feel and suffer for those 6 years he was alone. That was just cruel. I mean she wasn't the only one that it affected! And Poor Miles suffered all those years while she moved on with her life and basically forgot about him.

What threw me off in the book was how the POV changed. It is told from both Tate and Miles, but Miles tells his side from 6 years ago. This made me feel disconnected from Miles because he is telling the story of him falling in love with another girl! And I mean hard. He becomes obsessed with her (not in the creepy stalker way). Here was Tate falling head over heels for Miles, and Miles was still hung up with self-pity from his past.

All in all this was a nice story about learning to love again and overcoming hardships.

This was my first Colleen Hoover book and I will definitely give her other books a try!
>>>this one is calling my name!

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Storm Siren

Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Type: book 1 of Storm Siren
POV: 1st person~ Nym
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

*1 Special Snowflake Star*

Here is why (that's right. I made a list)

1. Nym. She feels nothing but pity for herself. She may have awesome powers that control the elements but she is weak. Emotionally. Physically. She has no backbone and people inferior to her walk all over her. The way I see it is this: Someone piss you off? Zap 'em with a lightweight bolt. There is no reason why Nym would let someone like Adora treat her in such a way. AND her inner monologue about the love interest was SO ANNOYING. Plus the moment she lays eyes on the love interest, she decides she has never seen anyone quite as beautiful. Insta-love. *barf*. She also seems to the special snowflake syndrome. All the men fall all over her because of her beauty, and I hate that in a character. She is no badass, but an ignorant coward.

2. Eogan. Now about this love interest. He is NOT swoon worthy. I have no attraction to him whatsoever. He is dull and there is nothing special about him except for his looks. It went a little something like this: She is attracted to him because he is SO handsome. I mean he is just handsome. His dark exotic skin, his beautiful hair and green eyes. Handsome, handsome, handsome. NOOOO. Be more descriptive! We needed to have more scenes with him and Nym that connected us to him and make him likable. Yes we can create a picture in our head, but as readers we fall in love with the characters themselves not looks!! Lack of character depth is another major issue.

3. Nym + Eogan. When they kissed I FELT NOTHING. No butterflies. No chemistry. I think that pretty much sums that up.

4. The lack of world building. The storyline itself has so much potential!! The characters and descriptions just ruined it. The whole concept of the magic was never explained and the High Court was poorly described and explained. I wanted to learn more about the King, and who exactly Nym is fighting for. A lot of things were just thrown at you as a reader, as if you were expected to know everything about the world. It is the author's job to explain the world so that it is not confusing. Yeah a few thing should be left a mystery to be revealed later, but come on, not the whole damn thing.

For anyone still on the fence about this one, I'd say skip it. Now I will continue to rant in the foul mood this book put me in, while I try to find a book to pull me out of this damn reading slump.

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Stray

feisty, female...and feline

Stray by Rachel Vincent

Type: book 1 of the Shifters series
POV: 1st person~Faythe
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Why is it so hard to find a decent shifter book?!

This is another difficult book to rate. The plot had so much potential, but it just fell short. If I didn't read this a little everyday instead of all in one day, I probably wouldn't have finished. The characters drove me absolutely nuts. Summary of characters:

Faythe was so freakin annoying with her feminism rants. I felt like these rants were the entire book. We get the idea, Faythe, they treat you special because you are a female. Get over yourself. She was so stupid and immature for a 24 year old. It really didn't help her case that she still called her father Daddy.... *cough* spoiled brat *cough*. Did I mention that is one of my pet peeves? And no; I do not have Daddy issues!

The love triangle pissed me off and confused me. Faythe was so indecisive with the two men, it drove me insane. And I cannot understand how she chose who she did[Marc (hide spoiler)]?!? He is controlling and exactly what she ran away from to begin with, so why?!

There is a very small chance of me continuing this series unless anyone liked the next better?

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Taming Lily

by Monica Murphy

Check it out on Goodreads!

*ARC received in exchange for honest review*

Check out my review of the youngest Fowler sister's story Stealing Rose here!

This title is now available!

Type: Book 3 of 3 of the Fowler Sisters (May be read as a standalone)

POV: Dual 1st person~ Lily & Max

Rating: 2/5 stars

The evil Pilar is out to destroy a Fowler heiress again. She wants the company for herself and will stop at nothing to get it. This time Lily is the subject of her wrath, and Lily is not exactly as everyone puts her out to be.... 

As before, Monica Murphy writes some steamy sex scenes. But to be honest, that was all that I liked in the story, and even that eventually got boring. I was kind of hoping for the wild Lily to be the real Lily. It is called Taming Lily and I thought that would be what Max does, which is tame her and change her partying ways. In reality, Lily makes herself out to be the partier, wild child of the Fowler family, but she isn't. She's actually a hacker, and hates the person she is. I hate characters like this, because all they do is whine and whine when they are the only ones who can make the change. I was just disappointed in Lily's character. She fell so fast for Max, that it was almost unrealistic. I am so sick of the insta-love (or in this case insta-lust/love-in-disguise). Gross. I am all for angst and enemy turned lover. Which bring a different topic: the banter. Can it even be called banter?

I also struggled to connect with Max. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he wanted her. This type of relationship is way overdone and made the book too predictable. And Max was so obsessed with Lily's looks. That is like a pet peeve of mine, when the character's inner dialogue is constantly talking about how hot, or beautiful, or damn sexy the other character is. It just had me rolling my eyes. Seriously dude. She's not a piece of meat, even though she puts herself in those type of situations.

Overall the plot reminded me a lot of the second book, Stealing Rose. It takes place out of the States. Also in both books, the guys are trying to steal something from the girls!! Seriously!? It felt way too familiar to book two for my taste. Book two still remains my favorite of the series because Lily and Max drove me off a cliff. Or maybe I drove myself off it...