I am seriously so obsessed with this book. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and devoureOne of my new favorite fantasy romances!
I am seriously so obsessed with this book. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and devoured this story in two days. The heroine is a human who was adopted by a vampire king and trained to win this tournament. When she enters, she is going against vampires and other creatures with magic, but she's been training her whole life. She ends up teaming up with Raihn, a cocky vampire who doesn't underestimate her strength and wit to win. There was so much action in here as they go through each trial and I love how the heroine was actually put through the wringer and gets hurt and has to recover from that obstacle. Then, THE ROMANCE. There was so much chemistry between the heroine and Raihn and I was just dyyiinnngg for them to get together throughout pretty much the whole book. And the ending!?!? I'm annoyed I have to wait three months to find out what happens next!!
For an action packed fantasy with an addicting romance, you have to pick this book up!!...more
I'm still not sold on this series, especially since we still don't have so many answers. I did appreciate how the romance finally started developing bI'm still not sold on this series, especially since we still don't have so many answers. I did appreciate how the romance finally started developing between the heroine and some of the guys. But I'm still so confused about things and the beginning of this book was pretty boring. There isn't as much fantasy as I like in my fantasy romances yet, but hopefully that changes in the next book! ...more
I loved the first book in this series, but this one was boring? The heroine just sat around that camp a lot and it took forever for things to pick up.I loved the first book in this series, but this one was boring? The heroine just sat around that camp a lot and it took forever for things to pick up. We also didn't have as much fantasy content either, which is something I was really looking forward to after the ending of book one. I'm definitely interested enough to continue on in the series, but I just wanted so more from this book. Sure there was a twist at the end, but that wasn't enough of a shock to make up for the lack of plot for the rest of the book. ...more
This was....interesting. I listened to this on audio and definitely don't think that was the way to go. There wasn't really any world building and it This was....interesting. I listened to this on audio and definitely don't think that was the way to go. There wasn't really any world building and it was hard for me to keep track who was who. I wasn't sold on any of the romances and hate how we still have SO MANY QUESTIONS that haven't been answered. I get this is a six book series, but I don't like not knowing so many things after the first book. I am intrigued enough to continue on, but I'm not as obsessed with this series as everyone else seems to be. ...more
Eh this was just okay. It had all of the elements of a really good fantasy novel, but everything fell short and just wasn't fleshed out enough. The heEh this was just okay. It had all of the elements of a really good fantasy novel, but everything fell short and just wasn't fleshed out enough. The heroine had a friend group that was kind of there to be there and their relationships weren't really developed, and they conveniently went away when the plot needed them gone. The romance started off so strong, but then that also kind of took a back burner to the plot and I wasn't dying to see how that would play out. There is still a lot about this world that wasn't explained and I didn't love this enough to want to continue on in the series. ...more
This one had so much potential and I was loving the beginning of this story. Hanna's father dies, so she goes to Finland for his funeral. Qui3.5 Stars
This one had so much potential and I was loving the beginning of this story. Hanna's father dies, so she goes to Finland for his funeral. Quickly she finds herself learning about a world she never knew and traveling to the world of Death to see if her father is actually alive. I loved her journey towards where Death lives, but once she arrived there, the story quickly lost steam for me. I didn't really care for Hanna's behavior once she was being kept by Death and I didn't really buy their connection. Sure they had some hot times together, but it kind of came out of nowhere and I didn't truly buy any more connected betweent them. Also, she was so adamant about having answers and finding her father in the beginning, but once she met Death, all of that stopped. She just acted like a victim and lost all of her agency. This also felt a bit too contemporary to be a dark fantasy. Hanna referenced a lot of pop culture and just felt so out of place in the fantasy setting. I guess that was the point since she had no idea about any of the fantasy stuff until now, but it just felt a bit jarring to me. ...more
This was a solid fantasy romance! I really enjoyed how the beginning of this book started out with forced proximity since the hero and heroine are stuThis was a solid fantasy romance! I really enjoyed how the beginning of this book started out with forced proximity since the hero and heroine are stuck in another realm together waiting for the hero's people to save them. He's a super powerful immortal and she's a regular mortal from a small village. I really loved how the hero fell so hard for our heroine and wasn't afraid to tell her how he felt. The world in here was a little slow to build throughout the begging of the story and dragged just a little bit, but I really enjoyed learning about everything and I'm excited to learn more in the next book. I enjoyed all of the side characters in here and the plot was definitely intriguing, especially once we got to around the halfway mark. The ending almost happened a little too fast and it was hard to follow everything, but I'm excited to continue on in this series! ...more
Plot-wise, I think this one is the best since book one. I appreciated how so much was happening and there was a goal for Poppy to get back to Cas. I lPlot-wise, I think this one is the best since book one. I appreciated how so much was happening and there was a goal for Poppy to get back to Cas. I loved how the relationships developed and how we finally had THE SCENE that has been foreshadowed FOR THREE BOOKS. I was actually a little underwhelmed by THE SCENE and thought it was going to be a lot more scandalous because of the backlash it got. But I loved how JLA is having Cas and Poppy's evolve and change so that it doesn't stay stagnant after having four books dedicated to the same couple. Personally, I did not see any emotional cheating in here and still see Poppy and Cas having a relationship that is stronger than ever. Especially since Poppy and Cas have plenty of conversations about their relationship and how they feel about it and the decisions they've made.
I will say that I am still not a big fan of the inf0-dumping through all-knowing characters who are answering Poppy's never ending questions. The info-dumping at the end kind of left me are confused, BUT I'm happy that the plot is continuing to move forward and we have new goals for out characters. The first half of this book was pretty slow, which is normal for this series. The last half definitely moves and I enjoyed the story overall. ...more
SO MUCH ACTION AND ANGST! I really loved this book and how the plot was non-stop action. There was never a slow moment and I had no idea how Lara and SO MUCH ACTION AND ANGST! I really loved this book and how the plot was non-stop action. There was never a slow moment and I had no idea how Lara and Aren were going to fall back in love or how they were going to save Aren's people. So good! I loved how we saw more of Lara's sisters and how Aren had to fight his love for Lara with his hate for how she betrayed him in book one. I loved it and can't wait to read another book in this world about a different couple in book three!! ...more
I really loved this book! I loved the premise of how Lara had literally trained her whole life to be a spy and take Aren down after they were4.5 Stars
I really loved this book! I loved the premise of how Lara had literally trained her whole life to be a spy and take Aren down after they were married. They fell in love so slowly, but so deeply, and I was obsessed with the relationship. I must say, though, that this is a SLOW BURN romance and that had me absolutely dying. I wish we had a bit more pay off throughout their romance instead of just at the end of the book. Also, there was a HUGE miscommunication in here that I knew was going to be used as a finally conflict at the end, which I wasn't a big fan of. But I really loved this world and watching Aren and Lara fall for each other! I also really loved the side characters and cannot wait to pick up the second book! ...more
What a wild ride! I flew through this book in two days and didn't want it to end. I really loved how we jumped right into the action that we left off What a wild ride! I flew through this book in two days and didn't want it to end. I really loved how we jumped right into the action that we left off on in book two. I love how Poppy is such a strong heroine who actually knows how to fight and jumps right into the action. And Cas respects her fighting and encourages her to defend herself and be a part of the danger. As usual, we have plenty of steam in here, but I kind of missed the hateful angst we had in book one. In here, they're together, and I was tired of reading them being happy together. But that's definitely a personal preference of mine because I love angst and drama and not a couple happy together.
There were some parts in here that dragged a bit and had way too much talking, but I did enjoy the secrets that were revealed and how things were starting to connect. I am definitely even more intrigued in this world and its history and I cannot wait for book four to come out!! ...more
This has been on my TBR forever, so I am so excited I finally picked this up on audio. This was so good! I loved the action and the mystery of Layla tThis has been on my TBR forever, so I am so excited I finally picked this up on audio. This was so good! I loved the action and the mystery of Layla trying to discover who she really is and the true extent of what she can do. And talk about a yummy forbidden romance! I don't think I'd consider this book a love triangle since it's so obvious Layla and Roth belong together. I loved how he was a demon and showed Layla that he really wasn't all that bad. The story itself was fun and I'm dying to figure out what happens next in book two!! ...more
Book one in this series is one of my favorite reads of the year. I was SO FREAKING EXCITED for this book. Unfortunately, everything I wanted to happenBook one in this series is one of my favorite reads of the year. I was SO FREAKING EXCITED for this book. Unfortunately, everything I wanted to happen isn't even going to happen until book 3.
First off, this book is slow. VERY slow. There are so many 20+ page conversations where they just talk about history and things Poppy didn't know. They stayed in the same place for so long and, after the last half of the first book, I was severely disappointed with how little action there was. I get more world building needed to be done, but I like my world building done by the characters uncovering things, not sitting around and talking about things. This really felt like a bridge book between the action of book one and the action we are promised in book three. I thought they would be in Atlantia and then go looking for both brothers in this book. Nope. None of that happened.
The romance was fine. It was hard adjusting to the name Casteel in this book and it took me awhile to connect to his character again. I thought that Poppy and Cas's relationship regressed a lot between the end of book one and the beginning of this book. It took awhile for them to trust each other again. Kieran and the wolven are my absolute favorite characters and I could read a book just about them. And after all of that discussion about the joining, all I can say is that it BETTER happen in book three. Or I'll be disappointed.
While this book left me very underwhelmed, I will say that ending was intriguing and I am definitely picking up the next book. I just hope the next book is everything I hoped this book was. ...more
This was such a fun take on Cinderella! From the beginning, I was hooked on this story and this society that was so obsessed with Cinderella's tale. IThis was such a fun take on Cinderella! From the beginning, I was hooked on this story and this society that was so obsessed with Cinderella's tale. I loved Sophia and how she was trying everything in her power to get out of following in Cinderella's footsteps and being with the one she loved. There was plenty of action in here and I loved the twists at the end of the book. The pacing wasn't perfect and some parts moved too fast while others were too slow, but overall I really enjoyed this story! This reminded me how much I love YA fantasy and how I really need to pick up more! ...more
This was such fun Beauty and the Beast retelling! IN this story, both father and son are cursed and need to find love to break the curse (though, of cThis was such fun Beauty and the Beast retelling! IN this story, both father and son are cursed and need to find love to break the curse (though, of course, it's never that easy). Louvean's sister is in love with a man, and Louvean follows her to an old, magical castle where her beloved is living with his cursed father. I really don't want to say much else, but I really loved how Louvean was a widow and fell for Ballard while her sister was in love with his son. This book was also definitely steamy and I loved how Louvean and Ballard slowly fell for each other. The curse was very complex in here and I enjoyed how it wasn't something that was easily solved or broken. If you want to pick up a really unique Beauty and the Beast retelling, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up! ...more
I think we all know how hyped this book is. Because of that, I had such high expectations going into this one. That, plus the fact that I just read FrI think we all know how hyped this book is. Because of that, I had such high expectations going into this one. That, plus the fact that I just read From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armtentrout and was BLOWN AWAY by that book, Radiance just didn't live up to the expectations I had.
When I started this book, I honestly thought it was going to be a new favorite of mine. The two main characters are revolted by one another, but they got along really well. I loved how they just kind of clicked personality-wise and enjoyed one another's company and being honest with each other. The romance, though, was soooooooo slow and pair that with a super slow plot and I had a hard time getting through this book. There was a lot of sitting around and talking, eating dinner, and sitting around and talking. Where's the magic??? Brishen has some sort of magical ability, but he barely even used that.
The end of the book did pick up, but the epilogue took the story in an entirely new direction and I'm not sure if I'll like it. The romance is already established, so the plot is going to have to really step it up in book two for me to enjoy it, if I end up picking it up. This romance was super cute with how they were friends and slowly realized they actually were attracted to each other first emotionally and then physically, but I need more substance to my fantasy romances to enjoy them. ...more
WHY DID I NOT LISTEN TO EVERYONE WHO TOLD ME HOW AMAZING THIS BOOK WAS!?!? I've had this book since March and have been putting off reading it becauseWHY DID I NOT LISTEN TO EVERYONE WHO TOLD ME HOW AMAZING THIS BOOK WAS!?!? I've had this book since March and have been putting off reading it because it's over 500 pages. But I finally picked it up for a vlog and it is easily one of my new favorite books of 2020.
Poppy is a Maiden and is following orders and waiting for until the time for her Ascension. That means that she stays in her room, cannot show her face to anyone, cannot be friends with anyone, and must follow the orders of the Duke and the Duchess. But one night she decides to sneaks out to live a little and has an unforgettable encounter with a Royal Guard named Hawke. Soon, Hawke is actually replacing one of her personal guards and Poppy finds herself around Hawke all the time. With her feelings and attraction becoming harder to ignore, Poppy begins uncovering secrets about the kingdom and her duties while falling for her mysterious and enticing guard.
THIS ROMANCE. GAHHH. Okay, so the beginning of this book is slow. Poppy and Hawke have a moment in the very beginning and then nothing really happens between them for another 200 pages. But once we reach 200 pages, this book does not slow down until the very last page. I was obsessed with the chemistry between Hawke and Poppy and by the end, I was literally obsessed with Hawke. I love how he knows Poppy has trained her whole life to protect herself and trusts her to take care of herself while fighting is going on. The entire dynamic between Hawke and Poppy was to die for and I could not get enough.
The twists and turns in this book really got to me and I never saw them coming until literally the page before things were revealed. I am so happy that my sister had already read this because I was running to her every twenty pages to freak out over something new. AND THAT ENDING. I am so relieved that I only have to wait until September to get book two because I NEEEED to figure out what happens next.
If you're like me and waited to pick up this book, STOP EVERYTHING AND READ IT NOW. I definitely think that fans of the ACOTAR series will love this book and you're going to fall in love with Hawke. Is it September yet? ...more
This book was so so so good. Nesta is broken when this book begins and slowly pieces herself back together throughout this book while exploring a relaThis book was so so so good. Nesta is broken when this book begins and slowly pieces herself back together throughout this book while exploring a relationship with Cassian and learning to let him in. To let anyone in. I don't want to say too much more about this book so that I don't spoil anything. I have a more in-depth look at my thoughts with a spoiler discussion going up on my youtube channel tomorrow. I do wish we had more of an active plot that was more high-stakes like the previous three books were. We had a few scenes where things had a lot of action, but I was hoping for more in this book. But this plot was definitely much more character-driven than plot-driven and I didn't end up minding. I already can't wait for the next book! ...more