Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Book Two of the Caraval series

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Publication Date: May 29, 2018

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

What I Liked:

I'm actually a bit disappointed by this book, which is of course very surprise given how much I loved Caraval, and given how much everyone has loved Legendary. I felt so meh about this book while reading it, and when I finished it, I was left with a rather sour taste in my mouth. Definitely not what you would want to feel after reading a supposed masterpiece. But these things happen.

Caraval followed Scarlett Dragna, who entered Caraval in order to save her younger sister Donnatella. Legendary follows Tella, who enters Caraval in order to save her and Scarlett's mother Paloma, who has been missing for years. Paloma is trapped in a card of the Deck of Destiny, a cursed deck of cards that contains the Fates. If the Fates are released, chaos will ensue (or something like that). If Legend gets the Deck, he could gain the powers of all of the Fates in the Deck. In order to save her mother, Tella must find the Deck of Destiny. In order to uphold her bargain with a mysterious criminal who gave her information about her mother, Tella must give the criminal Legend's true identity. Tella has neither of those things, and so she must enter Caraval and win - so that she will receive the ultimate prize from Legend. It's a tricky game that Tella is playing, and it is not without consequences - or sacrifices.

In the first half of the book, I was pretty engrossed in the story. I wasn't totally sold on the whole finding-my-mother thing, but I was intrigued, and I liked Tella. I liked seeing Scarlett and Julian, though I hated the unnecessary drama (more on that below). I looooved Dante's appearances. I even loved Jacks' ridiculous, cruel self. The first half of the book was so fascinating.

I liked Tella for the most part. In book one, I pretty much hated her and branded her the most selfish, unworthy sister ever. But I liked her in this book. She is bold and uninhibited, and while she seemed selfish in Caraval, she seems more selfless in this book. It's clear that she loves her sister, but is very guarded. She is selfless when it comes to Paloma, which is how this book came to be. Finding her mother is so important to Tella.

I adored Dante and his wicked, charming self. I actually didn't totally care for him in book one, but he's so swoony and magical in this book. And not just in a love interest kind of way - the game of Caraval would not be the same without his presence. He's a charming devil, but he's also kind and sweet. He has a commanding presence about him and he has a way of popping up whenever he is needed (and whenever he isn't). 

There are many Scarlett/Julian cameos which I appreciate, though I wish they were all happy cameos showing Scarlett and Julian helplessly in love. I guess that will have to wait until Finale. Still, I'm glad that Julian and Scarlett are part of this book, and an important part.

I liked the Dante/Tella romance, but there wasn't nearly enough. The author teased with this romance.

Once I reached the second half of the book, I was kind of finished with it all. I'll talk about all of my dislikes next. I can't even say I liked the ending.

What I Did Not Like:

Ugh, where do I even begin? I just felt so meh about this book at the halfway mark and beyond. What went wrong, you might ask? I have no idea. 

I was never truly sold on the whole I-must-find-my-mother plot. It seemed forced and contrived, like the author desperately needed a good reason to bring back Caraval for a second time in a short period (like The Hunger Games), and so she grasped at straws and came up with Scarlett and Tella's missing mother. I just never bought into that plot. It didn't feel important.

I didn't care for the barely-there tease of a romance that was Dante/Tella. I loved Dante. I liked Tella. I loved Dante/Tella. I didn't love the lack of kisses and swoon.

And the implicated love triangle - for both Tella and Scarlett! Like two completely separate love triangles going on! What the heck! I thought Julian/Scarlett was a done deal but apparently not. You know what I hate? When girls want to make their man jealous and so they flirt with someone else. Or go find their ex. And they call it "exploring their options" or some bull***t and they want to bring about some competition between their man and the ex/side man. For real? This isn't cute. There's nothing wrong with dating. But there IS something wrong when you claim you love someone and yet you go look for your ex or another man just to make the man you love jealous, or some bull***. That's playing games and it's maddening. I'm talking about Scarlett.

Oh but Tella is embroiled in her own love triangle, don't you worry. I know she is in love with Dante by the end of the story, and I know he loves her, but there is another guy that seems to be in love with Tella and noooooooo thank you. I actually LOVE this character and I wouldn't mind a Tella/This Character pairing IF Dante had never existed. Meaning, This Character as a love interest is so unnecessary. Why though. Why.

Speaking of unnecessary, let's talking about all the unnecessary drama that is in this book. I already talked about Scarlett's bull**** that she's pulling with Julian, but I hate that she also let's so many factors bring down their relationship. She takes every little thing as a reason not to trust him. She knows who he is, what his role in Caraval is, and yet she whines about it all the time. I liked Scarlett in the first book. But she really got on my nerves in this book. And as much as I liked seeing her and Julian in this book, I would appreciated it more if there was less drama and more swoon. More of them working together as a couple, rather than Scarlett acting like a crazy girlfriend who runs off to her exes every time she believes something about her man (to put the situation in modern terms; Scarlett technically never runs to any exes, but hopefully you understand the picture I'm trying to paint). The drama is just so unnecessary. But I guess it's middle-book drama?

I think this is part of my frustration with YA these days - the drama is so unnecessary, and sequels tend to suck. In adult romance, a book is a standalone and the story is done within that one book. Thank goodness.

The ending of this book is not a happy ending. For anyone.

Would I Recommend It:

Honestly, this is one of those books where you have to read it yourself. Decide for yourself. 99% of the people who read this book love it, so what do I know? I felt so meh while reading at least half of this book. And the ending made me so sour. Not just because of the obvious love triangles, but because of the drama, and the cliffhanger, and it was just so stupid.

But again, decide for yourself. I would say that if you're on the fence, maybe just stop with the first book. Wait until the third book publishes and binge-read the series. Or just stop with Caraval. Caraval had a lovely ending and you can imagine an epilogue of Scarlett and Julian 40 years down the road, happily ever after. No need to read about unnecessary drama. 

Rating:

2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Perhaps I'm being generous, and maybe I just really wanted to love the book. I was so excited about it and so prepared to love it like I did Caraval. But I'm glad I didn't buy this book because I would have regretted. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to review it (I was supposed to post this review two months ago, whoops), but I would have regretted spending the money on it. I will read Finale but it'll be a library request from me.

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Review: Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh

Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh

Publisher: Revolution Publishing

Publication Date: May 31, 2011

Rating: 3 stars

Source: Purchased paperback copy

Summary (from Goodreads):

All Cris Pereira wants after being dumped at the altar is a do-over, but her life is not the average fairy tale and wishes don't come true in the real world. After she meets movie star Tom Abramson, she's determined not to fall for his intelligence, charm and impetuousness because dreams are for the foolhardy, and a modern girl can rescue herself.

What I Liked:

I know what you're thinking - you're probably like, what is this!? Renee Ahdieh book published before The Wrath & The Dawn?! No way?! Yes way! Fanfare is Ahdieh's publishing debut, though it's an adult fiction novel, so The Wrath & The Dawn is Ahdieh's YA debut in truth. I found a used paperback copy of Fanfare online and couldn't help but purchase it for my beautiful Ahdieh collection. Never mind that the book has been out of print for years and the paperback copies are rare and somewhat expensive. I got mine for fairly cheap and I love it. The story itself was pretty good! Not amazing but I can see the roots of Ahdieh's talent. 

Cris Pereira just got dumped, and not in a thank-goodness-it's-finally-over type of way. She is really not interested in love, but love has a mind of its own. Meeting Tom Abramson, the sexy, successful British movie star is one thing, but falling for him and him falling for her is another. She doesn't need him to heal her broken heart. But what if she wants him?

The concept of this novel is very cute. There is an adorable meet-cute, in which Tom is signing autographs and Cris's two young cousins wants to meet him, but are too nervous. Cris accidentally leaves her iPod behind, and Tom snags it and leaves his phone number. And that's the meet-cute! I love a good meet-cute.

I should mention that this is an adult novel, not technically YA, but the crossover is there. There is nothing too "risque" about this book - it's more so that the hero/heroine are not teenagers. But it's a fairly "clean" adult romance novel (like not explicit sex scenes), though there is occasional swearing. 

Cris is just like any of Ahdieh's heroines - sassy, spunky, and not in need of saving (even if she should want to be saved every now and then). She is trying to move on from her recent breakup, and she doesn't want to need another man. But Tom is different, even if he is a hot and famous movie star. Would it be so bad for a good man to care about and for her?

Tom is a sweetheart! Usually I don't go for books with famous people, like actors or rockstars or politicians, and I wasn't expecting to really like Tom. But he is a sweetheart and a good man. He is kind and selfless, and very honest. I feel like all of Ahdieh's heroes are different, but they have the same strong, honest core. I love this. 

The romance is cute! Tom and Cris are cute together. Cris has a lot of personal baggage to work through, so the romance is a bit slow at times. But Tom is nothing short of a gentleman and a sweetheart - so caring and understanding. He never pushes her, though he does ask for honesty. I think this is a good balance - never forcing her, but also not wanting her to stay stagnant and stuck in the past.

For much of the book, Cris is able to keep a low profile, but of course when you're dating a famous guy, the paparazzi has their ways of finding out things. Cris hates being in the spotlight, and it's something she has to come to terms with throughout the book. Does she want that kind of lifestyle? 

I love the climax of the book, and the ending. I won't say too much, but I love that it involves Cris running to Tom, having her come-to-Jesus moment. She is the one that messed up, and she is the one that asks forgiveness. She never wanted a knight in shining armor, and so she must be her own knight. I love that she went and fought for Tom, because she was the one that needed to do so.

The ending is very sweet! It's a great HEA. Never fear with Ahdieh and HEAs.

What I Did Not Like:

The concept of the story is so great, but the execution is incredibly cheesy. You can tell that this is Ahdieh's debut novel and you can see how much her writing has matured in the four years between this book's publication and the publication of The Wrath & The Dawn. I'm knocking off two stars because the writing and structure of the story was so cheesy at times. It just wasn't as flowery and melodic as Ahdieh's subsequent books, which is what I've grown used to. I'm so glad for Ahdieh's growth as a writer, but I'm also a little surprised at how not-well-written this book was. It's like it was by a completely different author! Though I can definitely see the beginnings of Ahdieh's talent.

I also wanted Cris to take a little more responsibility for her actions. This could be noted in several occasions. For example, Tom ended up getting punched in the face by this massive guy, because Cris picked a fight with the massive guy's girlfriend. Cris took very little responsibility for this event. What's more, she acted like it was Tom's fault for getting hurt, when it was clearly her own for instigating the event in the first place. This wasn't the only time Cris didn't take responsibility for her actions. BUT I will say that Cris redeemed herself in the end, by being the one to beg forgiveness for her actions. So the character growth is there, I supposed. I just needed to see a little more of it, earlier on. 

Would I Recommend It:

I'm not sure I'd recommend this book in terms of the story - it's not that great, though it is entertaining at times. Tom might be a little too much of a saint, and Cris might be a little too cautious and stuck in the past, but both characters show good character growth. The thing is, I wouldn't read this book for entertainment value; I'd read it to see how far Ahdieh has come, as a writer. It's interesting to see how she started out, having read three of her YA books that have been published (Smoke in the Sun to be published in June!). 

Rating:

3 stars. This wasn't a bad story! I've read it twice and I did enjoy it. It was cheesy and somewhat poorly written, but entertaining at times. I'm glad I had a chance to read it and add the book to my collection. I love finding these out-of-print copies!

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Review: My Royal Sin by Riley Pine

My Royal Sin by Riley Pine

Book Two of the Arrogant Heirs series

Publisher: Harlequin Dare

Publication Date: June 1, 2018

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

She’s totally off-limits… 

…which makes her even more irresistible!

Famed for his iron control, Prince Benedict is unprepared for the chemistry that ricochets through him when he meets Ruby. She is temptation personified…but couldn’t be more inappropriate for a royal fling! Except after years of choosing duty over desire, his control has finally snapped—he’s choosing pleasure, of the most X-rated kind. After all, if he’s going to indulge in the forbidden, the higher the stakes, the greater the thrill!

What I Liked:

I read My Royal Temptation a few months ago and really enjoyed it. I didn't know the book would be part of a series, so I was really surprised and very pleased to find out about My Royal Sin and My Royal Hook-Up. While I didn't totally dislike this new book, I think my expectations had been a little too high, and I felt a little disappointed. Still, it was a fairly decent companion sequel.

Benedict is the second son of the king, the spare heir, the one destined for priesthood. There are only  a few weeks before he takes his vows and becomes a priest. But no one knows what goes on in Benedict's head - like how fascinated he is by desire and pleasure, and how much he wishes he could give in to temptation. It only gets harder to resist when a mysterious woman named Ruby shows up to seduce. Ruby - Evangeline - was set to seduce Prince Benedict and find a painting he owns. She doesn't expect him to be quite so tempting himself - or for her to fall in love with him.

It was an interesting struggle, with a priest-bound hero and a seductress heroine. Two opposites, both struggling with their lives. Evangeline isn't an escort - she's a struggling artist trying to provide for her sister-in-law and niece while her brother is in prison. She is given a job to seduce Prince Benedict, and she takes the job because she needs the money. Evangeline has never done anything of the sort, but she's desperate, and she'll do anything for her family.

Benedict has always struggled with his desires. He is determined to see his duty through, but he has always wanted to experience a great manner of things with a woman. And when Evangeline shows up, he knows she has an ulterior motive, but he doesn't want to resist her. Benedict is a good guy. I felt for him, and I understood his willpower in trying to fulfill his duty.

These two are a good pair. They learn to trust each other quickly, and they fall for each other. They are very compatible in other ways - the chemistry is there from the start. 

I like that there is something more than the romance going on in this book. It's not something you'd expect, so I won't go into details, but think secret societies and hidden treasures. Definitely makes the story even more interesting.

There is a happy ending! I always love those.

What I Did Not Like:

I think my expectations were a little too high, in terms of the sexy times. I soooo expect more sex, and the sex to be more x-rated (as implied by the synopsis). A virgin priest with a dirty mind and a novice seductress? That should have made for a combustible pair. And believe me, Benedict was ready for some dirty action. He is well-read in terms of pleasure and Evangeline is perfect for him. But I found the sexy times lacking - there weren't enough scenes, and the few that were there weren't particular hot - like, not more so. It was a little disappointing! This is supposed to be Harlequin's hottest line yet, AND here we have a priest with a filthy mind - come on! I expected more.

Would I Recommend It:

I recommend book one, and honestly this one isn't too bad so I'd recommend this one too. I think my own expectations had been high, so I felt a little let down, but if you don't have expectations for this book, then you won't be disappointed. It's hot, just not as hot as I was expecting. And the romance is also kind of sweet. This is a short, quick read, so there's low commitment!

Rating: 

3 stars. Despite this slightly low rating, I did enjoy the book, and I am looking forward to reading the next one. I love the idea behind this series and I'm so curious to see what kind of man the hero of the next book is.

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Review: Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: June 26, 2007

Rating: 3 stars

Source: Purchased copy

Summary (from Goodreads):

There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.

Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

What I Liked:

This was an impulse buy from BookOutlet - the book was $0.59 so how could I not? I absolutely adored Barnholdt's Through to You, and I figured it couldn't hurt to give this book a chance. Plus one of my blogging friends absolutely loves this book. Believe it or not, I actually really enjoyed this book. I know my rating does not quite show this, but I found this book to be really well-written. What I found myself disappointed in was the ending, in that it didn't feel like an ending. There needed to have been an epilogue. But I'll talk about this more later on!

Jordan and Courtney had been together for four months, when Jordan breaks up with Courtney. He tells her that he doesn't want to be in a relationship anymore, and that there is this new girl he met on Myspace (I know, right?!). Courtney is devastated. To make matters worse, Jordan and Courtney were going to move in to college together, and they had a three-day roadtrip planned. They're still going to go on the roadtrip, but Courtney is pissed, and Jordan, well, Jordan isn't telling her everything. Some people aren't meant to be together - but some people really are, that's what this story is all about.

This story is written in dual POV and dual timeline, which I thought was neat. Usually I don't really care for the whole flashbacks thing but it really worked in this story. So we get to see chapters from Courtney's POV, and chapters from Jordan's POV, and each of them have chapters that are in the "before", "the trip", and "after". The "before" starts with Jordan and Courtney meeting at a party and takes us all the way up to Jordan breaking up with her. "The trip" is exactly what you'd expect - present time, in which Courtney is angry about having to still go on the roadtrip with Jordan, but she still goes, and it doesn't quite go as planned. The "after" is pretty much when they get to the college, and she finds out about ~things~ around that time. Like I said, usually I don't like dual timelines, flipping between past and present, but it worked in this story.

Courtney is someone I really related to and understood. She is very analytical and Type A, a planner and an overthinker to the max. She likes things planned to the finest detail, and when she has a plan and a schedule, she likes to stick to it exactly. She likes to know exactly what is going on with no grey areas. I am very much like this so I understood her and I liked her. For much of this book, she is not happy with Jordan, and rightfully so. But she also misses him, and rightfully so.

Jordan is the golden boy player type, the good-looking one that all the girls love, the one that is confident and charming, but also sweet and sensitive when he wants to be. He runs from his problems, which is part of the reason why he and Courtney started hanging out (it's complicated), and he ended up realizing that he genuinely liked her and wanted to be with her. Jordan is a more complex guy than meets the eye, and I liked him a lot. He isn't sleazy and a d-bag like you'd think. He's a decent guy; I know his type and I like him.

I expected more drama in the story, what with Jordan having a new girl he met on Myspace and all that. But surprisingly, the drama wasn't that bad? I hate drama and I expected a ton of it, but the drama was really all between Jordan and Courtney and not really including other people. Jordan misses Courtney but can't talk to her about ~things~. Courtney misses Jordan but she is furious about the breakup. Things are complicated between them. 

Nevertheless, I could really feel the bond between them, and their feelings for each other. The romance in this book is messy because they're broken up, but it's still a really sweet romance. I loved seeing them pretend like they were okay, like they both weren't hurting, like they both didn't want to grab the other and kiss. It was good angst!

This book was published in 2007, and I was twelve years old at the time... apparently Myspace was still a thing back then? This book centers a lot around Myspace - Jordan's mysterious "Myspace girl". I actually learned a lot about Myspace from this book. But honestly, even though this book dates itself, you could replace "Myspace" with "Snapchat" or "Instagram" or something, and replace mentions of CDs with Pandora or playlists or something, and this book would be entirely applicable to teens today. In fact, all of Jordan's and Courtney's mannerisms, speech, etc. are all totally applicable to teen culture today. I mean, it was only ten years ago, but still. *I* never had a Myspace profile, so this book is a little on the old side! But still very much relatable.

I'll wrap this up. While I did not love the ending (see below), I liked it for the reason that it was a HEA. I love HEAs, and this ending wasn't a disappointing or heartbreaking ending. I'm glad Courtney finally learned the truth and she and Jordan had a conversation about everything. Drama sorts itself out. Barnholdt wrote a pretty great roadtrip romance. But I wasn't totally satisfied.

What I Did Not Like:

There really needed to be an epilogue to this book. The ending is so abrupt and left so many loose ends. With Courtney being such a meticulous planner and organizer, I expected her to be fixing things left and right. I'm trying to be vague on purpose. I just felt like there was a conversation, and that was it - the book ended. Can we see a cute scene with Jordan and Courtney, four months later during Christmas vacation? Or something? I just wanted more assurance that things are working out. This is my biggest complaint and it's pretty much the reason why this book isn't getting four or more stars from me.

Also, I wanted more kissing! There is some kissing in the "before" chapters, but I wanted present-day kissing. Second-chance angsty romances make for some serious chemistry and passion, y'all. There should have been some intense makeout sessions! *complains*

Would I Recommend It:

As far as YA contemporary romance novels go, this isn't a bad one. I liked it (minus the really open ending), but it won't be for everyone. It's a second-chance romance with some angst between the two main characters, which I actually enjoyed (surprisingly). I do recommend Barnholdt's Through to You which is unrelated to this novel, but a really good YA contemporary romance standalone. I think Barnholdt writes good contemporary, but each of her books are different and may not be for every YA contemporary romance reader.

Rating:

3 stars. I liked this book but really wanted an epilogue or more chapters in the story. However, I hear that Right of Way is a companion novel that includes some Jordan/Courtney cameos... so I guess I have to read that book now. I hope I won't be disappointed!

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Review: Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks

Book Three of The Embraced series

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: March 27, 2018

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the brilliant imagination of Kerrelyn Sparks comes a bold new fantasy romance series in which passion and magic collide. Behold the Embraced…

Gwennore has a talent. An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it, she’s a valuable asset to her people. But when the kidnapping of a young girl thrusts Gwennore into the very heart of the realm of the dragons, she discovers not only a place of power and magic, but also a haunted land, plagued by an ancient curse that all but ensures extinction to the royal family. But when she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, they strike a bargain—save the country from its cursed illness, and he will return the kidnapped girl. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil feel so good…

Silas has no way of curing the family he’s loyally served for years. But when a beautiful elf, long considered the enemy of the dragons, comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to passion and desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy to save the very existence he holds dear? And can their love survive those that threaten to tear them apart? 

What I Liked:

This is one of those cases in which I'm like, I enjoyed this book buuuuuuuut... I also didn't really care for it. It was an okay read and not terrible but definitely not a new favorite or anything like that. I'm sure others will find this a great addition to the series. But I had a hard time really caring about the female protagonist, Gwenmore, and that can kill enjoyment pretty quickly.

But I didn't totally dislike her. Gwenmore is one of the five adopted sisters raised in a convent on a lonely island, and she is the third to leave and face her destiny. One afternoon when she is playing with her little niece, she is captured by a dragon - only to be rescued by another dragon. The dragon takes her to the royal family of Norveshka, where she is taken in by Silas Dravenko, general of the royal army. When he realizes that she is a healer, he asks for her help in getting rid of a curse that has stricken his country for generations. Gwenmore never intended to stay in Norveshka, but how can she leave when she has fallen in love with the charming, smoldering general?

Overall I thought Gwenmore was an okay protagonist, though she really got on my nerves at times (see below). I liked that she began to trust in herself as the story went on - and she began to trust Silas (something she doesn't do easily). It was good to see her grow into her gift and herself. She is an innocent girl, with a great deal of power.

I loooooooooved Silas. He is flirtatious and roguish, with a very strong sense of honor and selflessness. He never hesitates to save Gwenmore or anyone else, and always puts everyone else first. He may seem confident and full of swagger, but deep inside, he is lonely. I loved his charming self, but I also loved his more vulnerable self. He is persistent but respectful of boundaries. Silas is a good guy, and for the life of me, I wanted to strangle Gwenmore for being so poor to him sometimes.

I love all things dragons, and there is a nice amount of dragons in this story. I was curious to see how the author would work them in, and I was very happy about how she did it. Like you expect it, but it's still nice to see how it is worked in. The kingdom of Norveshka has a long and heartbreaking history, very much centered around its dragons. All of which is revealed in this book!

I adore Silas's officers, the male secondary characters! Dimitri and Aleksi are hilarious - honestly, the brotherhood in this book is awesome. They have such a great camaraderie, something I always like to see among males in any type of novel. I hope all of them get their own happily ever after!

The conflict of this book centers mostly around getting rid of the curse that plagues Norveshka - something sinister has been at work for centuries. Gwenmore is an extraordinary healer (she has interesting elvish gifts!), and she is confident that she can find the source of the curse. But there is a familiar evil standing in the way. 

The other part of the story is the romance, which was sweet and frustrating. I'll talk about the "frustrating" part in the next section. But for the most part, it was a sweet and sometimes spicy romance. I think I wanted more from the romance, but I also appreciated the progression of the romance and the tension. Mostly sparked by Silas, which was part of my frustration.

Theoretically I liked this book, but I finished it feeling rather dissatisfied, like something was missing. Or maybe I just wasn't that into it, like I was the other books. This wasn't a bad book, and I'm sure others will love it.

What I Did Not Like:

I got so fed up with Gwenmore around halfway through the book. You know the phrase "the lady doth protest too much"? Yeah. Gwenmore was seriously annoying. She rejected Silas over and over, despite the fact that internally she was telling herself to go for it, and physically she really wanted to in addition to mentally/emotionally, but she kept shutting doors in his face (literally) or running away (literally). This was not cute. This was not part of a merry chase. This was absolutely annoying, and also heartbreaking to see (on Silas's end).

You know what would have redeemed this crap? Silas, walking away from Gwenmore (rather than being the persistent guy that he is). And Gwenmore having to chase after him. That would have made her realize that a good man wanted her and he had no bad intentions when it came to her - and she was in the wrong by turning him down (knowing that she wanted to be with him, physically and emotionally). Gwenmore is kind of an idiot? I really wanted the ending of the book to have Silas leaving her after she rejects him one more time, and Gwenmore realizing that she's a complete dumba** and runs to him.

Does this happen? No. Of course not. Because Silas keeps trying to win her over - which is cool of him, but seriously? I don't love this. It's romantic but also kind of icky - men shouldn't be putting in all of the effort. The woman should be too (in this case we're dealing with a male/female couple), and Gwenmore didn't do any of this. She didn't fight for the relationship, she put no effort into it. Instead, it was all "omg Gwenmore is hot, I want her so much, I want to kiss her, I'm not going to stop trying to get her to admit she wants me, even though she keeps rejecting me", and then Gwenmore keeps rejecting him, until finally her hormones take over her common sense. Seriously? This is stupid. Gwenmore needed to put in some actual effort into the chemistry, and eventually the relationship. The chase wasn't fun because Gwenmore was so annoying with her constant rejections. She saw each one hurt his feelings and THAT made her sad, but she never did anything about it.

Authors. Do better. Let the girl chase. Get rid of this notion that a man should be the one doing all of the chasing. I like it sometimes, it works with some books, but really, let's not keep this up all the time. (I'm referring to M/F couples specifically, as is the case with this book.)

Would I Recommend It:

I recommend the series in general - the first two books are excellent. This one was okay for me but not super great, but I suppose I'd still recommend it to those who have read the previous books in the series. If you've read none of the series, definitely do not start with this one. Start with book one and go in order, even though they are standalone companion novels. The series will make more sense that way, and also I personally think this third book is the weakest of the three. But in general, this fantasy romance series is really good. The romances are sweet and passionate, the men are sweet, charming alphas, and the women are strong, innocent women. I like these match-ups!

Rating:

3 stars. I wish I'd liked this one more, especially since we're dealing with a dragon (mmm, fiery), and an elf (magical!). I was frustrated with Gwenmore and the romance. But I adored so many of the other characters, and the story in general was pretty good. I'm definitely going to be reading book four (and book five). I hope we'll see cameos of Silas and Gwenmore, as we saw a lot of Leo and Luciana (and heard about Rupert and Brigitta) in this book!

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Review: Moonlight Sins by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Moonlight Sins by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book One of the de Vincent series

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: January 30, 2018

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Julia Hughes has always played it safe until she learned a very painful lesson. Now Julia’s starting over with a job in the Louisiana bayou—and a scorching encounter with a stranger, only to discover he’s Lucian de Vincent . . . her new employer. The de Vincent brothers share a massive fortune and a dark reputation. Julia cares for their troubled sister, but a menacing presence in the mansion—and the ever-present temptation of Lucian—prove dangerously distracting. 

Lucian’s grandmother claimed de Vincent men fall in love once—and hard. Apparently, it’s Lucian’s turn. Julia’s compassionate care of his twin makes Lucian want to lay himself bare. But some secrets are better for Julia not to know. 

The recent “suicide” of Lucian’s father is the latest in a string of deaths on the estate. Someone is eliminating the de Vincents. And the best way to get to Lucian may be through Julia. . . .

What I Liked:

I had high hopes for this book, because (1) it's a JLA book, and she's a great storyteller, and (2) the whole New Orleans/Gothic vibe really pulled me in. I love stories involving the heroine living in the same house as the hero (like this case, in which Julia is hired as a live-in nurse, or historical romance novels in which the heroine is a governess or chaperone, or whatever). So I excited to like this book a lot. In the end, I felt kind of meh about it. I have no doubt that fans of JLA will enjoy the book. For me, I just didn't love it.

Julia is a sweet, caring young woman in her late twenties, looking for a fresh start. She's leaving her job as a nurse to move to Louisiana and work as a live-in nurse, caring for a young woman in a near-coma. But Julia doesn't know that the young woman is Madeline de Vincent, and that the family hiring her is the notorious de Vincent family. Three brothers live in the de Vincent mansion - Devlin, Gabriel, and Lucian. There is something strange about the house, and there is something even stranger about the brothers. No matter how she tries, she can't get Lucian from under her skin. Lucian would do anything for his twin sister Maddie, including allowing a nurse to live in the mansion and become privy to the de Vincent secrets. But he doesn't plan on falling for her. His feelings for her put her in danger, something neither of them realize until it is too late.

For the most part, I liked Julia. She is different from JLA's repetitive heroines, who are usually spitfire spunky girls who are always looking for a fight. Nothing wrong with those types, but it seems like ALL of JLA's heroines are like that. Julia is actually very sweet and caring, and takes her job as a nurse very seriously. I liked how resolute and determined she was to treat Maddie as best as possible, and how she tried to keep things professional between her and Lucian. Julia, for the most part, is very smart, and I loved her sweetness and near-docility. Her strength is quiet and smooth, not loud.

Lucian is such a flirt, and a charming, swoony one at that. He has his own emotional baggage, including his relationship with his father, his tense relationship with the eldest de Vincent (Devlin), and all that he has done to protect the de Vincent family. I liked Lucian even though he's such a flirt - he is very honest and open about what he wants, so you can't even really fault him for being a flirt.

The mystery/suspense part of the story deals with the murder (but apparent suicide) of the de Vincent patriarch (the brothers' father), which happened right around the time Maddie shows up, lying face-first in the family's pool. Maddie is unresponsive and barely moves, but something strange is going on, and it has to do with her reappearance, after ten years of absence. Sometimes the suspense was intriguing, other times it was boring. 

The romance started off really lusty and eventually progressed to deeper feelings. I liked the chemistry between Lucian and Julia and also liked how they fit together as a couple, beyond the sexy times. They circled each other for nearly the entire book but it was gratifying to see them finally get together. They had good chemistry!

I didn't really care about the other two brothers, though I'm curious to see if Devlin will crack under his perfect, cold facade. Gabe got on my nerves and I don't really care to read his book (the next one, Moonlight Seduction). But I did like the bond between the three brothers, tense as things were.

Overall, the book wasn't bad, but I have a bit of a bad taste in my mouth after finishing the book, like something didn't settle right with me. There were a couple things that I didn't care for, minor as they might seem. 

What I Did Not Like:

I just can't shake the "meh" feeling I have for this book. Like it was an okay read but 10/10 would not reread, that sort of thing. At times I was intrigued, other times I was bored. The beginning was somewhat boring, and then it got interesting, and then it got boring again, and you get the idea. 

The middle 40% of the book is kind of a drought in terms of sexy times, so that might have factored into things. Maybe the other should have spread things out, in terms of the sexy times. Also I kept seeing people say how this book was sooooooo hot. It really wasn't? I mean it was pretty hot but not scorching hot? I think my expectations, in that regard, were too high.

I really could have done without Gabe's initial interest in Julia. Seriously? It wasn't the formation of a love triangle, thank goodness, but the author could have dropped that part, especially since it clearly went nowhere. I h a t e when there is any hint of anything when it involves brothers, so that didn't need to be in the story at all. When Julia meets Gabe for the first time? Unnecessary. Other interactions? Unnecessary. Again, no love triangle, no messiness, but it just felt unnecessary, especially since Julia had no feelings or attraction towards him.

It's amazing how a heroine who is supposedly not super attractive, somehow attracts aaaaallllll the hot men in town. Good for Devlin for being a cold-hearted bastard with no interest in Julia.

The climax and ending felt really rushed. I completely expected the ending, actually from the moment a key character was introduced I knew what was going on, and yet I still had a hard time keeping track of what was going on in the end. There was a lot to sort through. Also? There was that cliche thing in which the villain took the time to explain everything to the hero/heroine. Does this ever actually happen in real life? I highly doubt it. This is a pet peeve that seriously bothers me.

Would I Recommend It:

If you're a fan of JLA's adult work then it's fair to give this book a shot - especially since the "meh" feeling that I have could very well just be me. I wanted to fall in love with this book and also be seriously creeped out and chilled by the Gothic setting and curses and hauntings and whatnot. Mostly I was just annoyed with Julia for not jumping Lucian's bones, and for Gabe not leaving everyone alone (he's so annoying), and for everyone not waking up and seeing what was in front of them. Also don't read this book if even a shred or hint of love triangles mess with you. There isn't a love triangle but it still bothered me (Gabe's interest in Julia).

Rating:

3 stars. I do not think I will be reading Moonlight Seduction, especially since Gabe's story now has a trope that I do not like (feel free to contact me if you want to know more). Don't get me wrong! These books can be read as standalone novels and this trope I mention has nothing to do with Lucian and Julia. If book three focuses on Devlin, then I will probably read book three! But not book two.

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Review: Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Book One of the Unearthed series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Rating: 3 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...

What I Liked:

I'm going to be completely honest - I had a really hard time reading this book. I struggled to get through it, which is something I usually don't have a problem with. It took me nearly a week to finish the book, which is seven times longer than it would usually take me to finish the book. I recognize and acknowledge how well the story was put together, but the first half of the book was extremely dull, and it almost seemed like the authors were trying to include too many mysteries and puzzles and half-truths here and there. In the end, I want to read the next book, but I won't forget how much I struggled with this first book.

Jules Addison has landed on Gaia to explore an unknown temple that could contain a wealth of information that could change the future of Earth. There is technology that the Undying left behind on Gaia, and Jules is determined to find it. Mia has also just landed on Gaia, having been smuggled in, in order to find artifacts to bring back to Earth to sell. She is a scavenger in desperate need of money; he is a scholar with a thirst for knowledge. Their paths collide, and they have no choice but to work together to find a way off the planet. But the farther they go into the hidden temple, the more they learn about the Undying... there is more to the temple than advanced technology, and the discovery could change the future of Earth forever.

I struggled with the first half of the book, and the second half of the book was still a bit of a struggle, but definitely more interesting. I think I really only started to try and get invested when Jules and Mia were deep in the temple, and they realized that they were not alone. From that point on, I started to at least care more. But everything before that - Jules and Mia meeting, their bargain with each other, actually finding the temple, starting to explore the temple - meh. Once Jules and Mia started to feel more pressure and danger, AND started to realize that there was more to the temple than old rocks and symbols, I started to care more.

I did like the Indiana Jones feel that I got as the story went on. There were so many puzzles and traps and decoding that needed to be done, which was really cool. Jules's education and quick-working brain came in handy, as did Mia's fast instincts and math skills. They were a well-matched pair for the temple, given how complex and different each obstacle was. The Undying really made things complicated for those trying to seek out their technology.

I liked Jules from the get-go, with his proper, well-mannered ways. He is very intelligent and inquisitive, and cares so much about finding the tech so he can study it. He is a scholar with a true scholar's mind, and he is a good person with little malicious intent. He has good instincts and he has a good heart. I liked his strengths - his quick mind, his cleverness, his selflessness.

Mia is more savvy and sly, a scavenger out of necessity but a very skilled person to have around. She gets herself and Jules out of some sticky situations. She has murky motives at times, but she really cares about her little sister back on Earth. Everything she does is for her sister. For the most part, I liked Mia, and I understood her.

Jules and Mia are a great pair together, especially in terms of how well they worked together to find a way out of the temple. They are both very smart in different ways, and they use their strengths to help each other. They didn't always have the best relationship, with the amount of lies between them at first, but they begin to trust each other after they save each other's lives several times. 

You can guess that there is romance in this book. It is very subtle and barely there, but Jules and Mia start to catch feelings for each other towards the end of the book, which was cute. No love triangle or anything like that, just subtle romance that takes its time to build. Which is fine!

I won't say too much more in terms of the plot but I will say that the ending is not necessarily surprising, but it is very cliffhanger-y and can be seen as shocking if you weren't looking at all of the clues that the authors left. It's a good hook for setting the book up to have a sequel, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel (whenever that will be). I definitely want to know more!

What I Did Not Like:

The only reason why I'm not giving this book four stars is because I struggled so much with it. I tried three times to read this book, and I feel asleep or put the book aside each time. The four time (Sunday night), I told myself that I was finishing it once and for all. The first half of the book is incredibly boring. There are so many passages of info-dumping, and even with all of the info-dumping, I was often left confused about the world-building, the history, who the Undying were, if the Undying were the people that left in a ship from Earth... there are a lot of questions that I have and I think I should not have those questions because they are fundamental groundwork questions. What exactly is the Undying? How do humans on Earth know of their existence if the Undying lived a zillion years ago? What is up with the ship that disappeared from Earth without a trace? There were a lot of "historic" things that just didn't add up to me. I think the authors also tried to have to many half-truths out there, too many seeds to pick up, too many half-written histories that would be explained letter. For all the info-dumping that happened, I was still really confused. And really bored.

In any case, the first half of the book did not interest me. The second half of the book was... better? But still kind of dry and stuffed with long passages of info-dumping. There was more dialogue in the second half, and more heart-twisting events, but I still didn't get invested in the story. I never felt like I truly got into the story.

Would I Recommend It:

I do recommend this book, despite my struggles with it. It could have just been me! (Though, based on reviews by blogger friends, I don't think this is the case.) I love YA science fiction and thought this book would have been my jam, but that wasn't necessarily the case. It was okay though! I think the story was well-written and creative. I just had a hard time getting into it.

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded down to 3 stars. I will still definitely check out the sequel, as I have certain hopes and expectations for the book. But I'm not really as enthusiastic about the series as I was before I read this book. It was a little disappointing, to have struggled so hard with a book that I'd been looking forward to reading for a year or more. But I'm hoping the next book will be better for me!

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Review: A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen

A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Rating: 3 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

The moment Spencer meets Hope the summer before seventh grade, it’s . . . something at first sight. He knows she’s special, possibly even magical. The pair become fast friends, climbing trees and planning world travels. After years of being outshone by his older brother and teased because of his Tourette syndrome, Spencer finally feels like he belongs. But as Hope and Spencer get older and life gets messier, the clear label of “friend” gets messier, too.

Through sibling feuds and family tragedies, new relationships and broken hearts, the two grow together and apart, and Spencer, an aspiring scientist, tries to map it all out using his trusty system of taxonomy. He wants to identify and classify their relationship, but in the end, he finds that life doesn’t always fit into easy-to-manage boxes, and it’s this messy complexity that makes life so rich and beautiful.

What I Liked:

I'd heard great things about this book, and while I'm not a YA contemporary fan (definitely not a tough-issue contemporary person), I was curious enough to want to know more about it. This book broke my heart in many ways, but it was really and truly inspiring and hopeful. It wasn't an easy read but it was a meaningful one, and I'm glad I took a chance on it. 

This book begins when Spencer is 13 years old, and his new neighbors are moving in. That is when he meets Hope. He likes Hope immediately; she is nice, fun, and she doesn't think he is a weirdo because of his Tourette Syndrome tics and sniffs. But his older brother Dean also thinks Hope is cool. As the years go on, Spencer and Hope are friends... Dean and Hope are a couple... and then they're not... Spencer and Jayla are a couple... Hope and Mikey are a couple... and so life goes. This book is a story of broken hearts and painful sibling relationships, or loss and life, and misunderstandings and lost time. It ends with Spencer being 19 years old, and thus closes the story after six years.

Most of the story is narrated by Spencer, though occasional chapters are letters from Hope to her older sister Janie, who travels to third-world countries to do humanitarian work (if I remember correctly). Spencer is a different kind of male protagonist, primarily because he has Tourette Syndrome (and you don't find a lot of YA books featuring characters with Tourette Syndrome - definitely not them being protagonists). Spencer is an intelligent, clever, logical kid who has his quirks and eccentricities but really is a good kid. He has the worst luck, falling for his best friend. His best friend Hope, who ends up dating his big brother Dean.

I have to say, I didn't always like Hope. She didn't seem to think things through, and she definitely wasn't a big fan of communication, from what I could see from her side of her friendship with Spencer. I didn't think she was good for Spencer at all, whether as a friend, or what he wanted (her as his girlfriend). I began to like her more as the story went on, but I was totally rooting for Spencer to not end up with her. 

You can imagine how messy this book is. Messy isn't always bad because life really is messy. Relationships are messy. Nothing is ever black-and-white, like we'd hope. The relationships in this book are very muddled. Spencer has been in love with Hope for forever. Hope has been interested in Spencer for forever but... she gets with Dean for stupid reasons. And then she gets with Mikey after a bad breakup with Dean. Spencer starts dating a girl named Jayla, and I shipped them so hard. I was so hoping they would be endgame. But like I said... messy.

So I wasn't really a fan of the romance (except Spencer and Jayla, but even then...). The relationships I DID like were the slow development of Spencer's relationship with his dad; Spencer's great relationship with his stepmom Pam; Spencer's friendship with Paul, and eventually Traven. I liked seeing these more positive, healthy relationships blossom, because goodness knows none of the romantic relationships were healthy. Not even Spencer and Jayla's, and I had been shipping them. But some of the family relationships and friend relationships were really beautiful to see grow and unfold.

I personally thought the author did a great job with Tourette Syndrome representation. I knew a few students in primary and secondary school that had Tourette, but I don't really know much of the specifics of the syndrome. To me it seemed like Allen did her research and really understand the depth of the syndrome and how it affected life for the character, and the surrounding characters. 

And of course, the taxonomy illustrations at the beginning of each chapter (most chapters, anyway) were really cool. They definitely tied everything together! I would occasionally skip one (because I was engrossed in the story) but I always came back to read that taxonomy that I skipped because they were interesting, and mostly foreshadowed that chapter's events.

This story was really hard to read, because it's heartbreaking (especially in terms of Spencer/Hope, but also for other reasons). But I'm glad I gave it a chance. It's worth the read and makes you think about things like relationships, and loss.

What I Did Not Like:

My personal opinion: I thought Hope was kind of a toxic character, especially for Spencer. She seemed to be a negative influence in his life and didn't act like much of a friend. She started dating Dean and I thought that should have been the end of her and Spencer's friendship. Spencer didn't take it well (Hope and Dean dating), and I think he should have cut the friendship at that point. Hope was not a very supportive friend and didn't do a good job of being Spencer's friend. I hated when she walled herself off from Spencer and how much time they wasted not talking to each other, because of Hope's hardheadedness. Anyway, even if Spencer hadn't had feelings for Hope, I still would have wanted him to distance himself from her. She was toxic for so many reasons, before and after the big loss in her family.

In all honesty I was so hoping Spencer and Hope would not end up together. I thought Spencer and his girlfriend Jayla were great together! (Until Jayla did something awful.) I definitely didn't want Spencer and Hope together. So that was disappointing. 

Would I Recommend It:

I do and don't recommend this book. If you're a YA contemporary fan, especially if you're a tough-issue contemporary fan, then I DO recommend this book. You'll probably love it - it's very well-written and so thought-provoking. But if you're not a YA contemporary person? Don't even bother considering reading it. It's not a non-contemporary-fan's type of read, for sure!

Rating:

3 stars. I am glad I gave this book a chance. It made me think and reflect on my own relationships, past and present. But it wasn't a book that I loved or totally enjoyed. This type of contemporary really isn't for me but I'd hoped that I would like it. But I think it wasn't for me!

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