SET FIRE TO THE GODS By Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

August 4, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SET FIRE TO THE GODS By Sara Raasch and Kristen SimmonsSet Fire to the Gods by Kristen Simmons, Sara Raasch
Series: Set Fire to the Gods #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on 8/4/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources.

Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family’s taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn’t have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games, throwing Madoc in Ash’s path. She realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior.

But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.

Short and Sweet

Ash comes from a long line of gladiators but when her mother dies in the arena Ash knows she has to take down her fire God.

Madoc has been fighting in the streets to pay for his family’s taxes, but he doesn’t have the Earth God’s power but something else that hasn’t been seen in a long time.

After the Gods declare war on each other, Madoc and Ash’s paths cross. Madoc is exactly what Ash needs but Madoc isn’t ready to risk it all to help the enemy.

Characters

Ash: Ash is a dancer until her mother dies in the arena and Ash is forced to become a gladiator. Ash has a lot of resentment towards Ignitus the fire God, she blames him for how the people of Kula are struggling and how he keeps giving away her country’s resources. Ash is determined to take him down, she cares about others but she has one goal in mind.

Madoc: Madoc grew up on the streets until he was taken in by the Metaxa family. Madoc doesn’t have the ability to control the Earth so during fights his brother and friend Elias helps him. Madoc cares deeply for his family and would do anything to keep them safe, most of the decisions he makes revolves around them.

Romance

Ash and Madoc: Ash and Madoc meet during their fight in their arena. Madoc throws off Ash with his compassion and sympathy. I liked these two they were supposed to be enemies but there was something between them that led them to be allies instead.

My Thoughts

~ We got both Ash and Madoc’s POV in this book. I didn’t prefer one over the other.

~ I thought it was interesting to see the gladiator battles in the arena. We saw different people fight and advance to the next round. Ash was one of Ignitus’s fighters and Madoc was one of Geoxus’s.

~ Both of the God’s had bad tempers. Most of the fights between them led to a battle between their champions.

~ Madoc doesn’t have Earth power, but he has something else, the ability to control others. He doesn’t really know how to control it but he’s learning.

~ There was more going on than just the God’s looking for someone to fight in their war, but a bit of a conspiracy that involves someone trying to take everything from these Gods and somehow Madoc is in the middle of it.

~ We only get to see Geoxus and Ignitus but I would like to see the other four sibling Gods.

~ Ash had other gladiator friends which was nice to see, Madoc also had his family as a support system.

Overall

The book started off a bit slow for me but around 25% it started to pick up. I liked seeing Ash plotting against her God and Madoc just trying to make it long enough to ensure that his family would be okay. I wasn’t ready for what happened in the end but I’m excited to see what the next installment has in store!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE SCAM LIST By Kurt Dinan

July 31, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE SCAM LIST By Kurt DinanThe Scam List by Kurt Dinan
Published by Crime Spree Books on 8/3/20
Genres: Contemporary, Humor, Young Adult
Pages: 266
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Boone McReedy: high school conman, smooth-talking charmer, and the idiot who just got scammed out of $15,000 of his mom's money.

Darby West: ass-kicker, straight-shooter, and Boone's ex-girlfriend.

Now, they must team up to save their parents' business, one con at a time.

That is if they don't kill each other first.

Of course, they're only going to scam people who deserve it.

That's a promise.

Would they lie to you?

Short and Sweet

After Boone gets scammed out of $15,000 of his mom’s money, he has no choice but to get the money back one con at a time. Boone decides to team up with Darby his ex-girlfriend. These two have to work together to get the money back without killing each other in the process.

Characters

Boone: Boone is out main character, and he’s known for being a conman. Boone means well but he gets a kick out of doing cons. After losing his mom’s money he knows he has to pull out the scam list which is a little book full of cons his dad used to pull.

Darby: Darby is feared by most of the people in town, she has a tough exterior but she tries to do good. Darby agrees to help Boone with his cons as long as the people they’re conning deserve it. I liked Darby as a character she’s about empowering women and she tells it like it is.

Romance

Boone and Darby: Boone and Darby went out on three dates and after that she started ignoring him. But now that they have to work together we see that they do have chemistry and they’re both good people they just go about things differently which was the reason for the split in the first place.

My Thoughts

~ Golden Mountain is the flea market Boone’s mother owns and with the $15,000 stolen Golden Mountain is under the risk of shutting down.

~ It was interesting seeing how Boone got scammed out of the money and it was even better seeing who was behind everything.

~ Boone’s father is in prison for running cons and Boone goes to visit him to catch up and get advice for how to get the money back.

~ I liked seeing each of the cons, Darby and Boone make a good team.

~ We get to meet a lot of characters and one of my favorites is Roadie he has a booth at the flea market and he ended up helping Boone a lot in this book.

Overall

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and it had a bit of a mystery and I loved seeing how the cons would play out and I just wanted to see if Darby and Boone would reach their goal. If you wanted a bit of background on Boone and Darby there’s also a novella out with a few short stories! I would recommend this book it was funny and held my attention until the very end!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE MALL By Megan McCafferty

July 27, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE MALL By Megan McCaffertyThe Mall by Megan McCafferty
Published by Wednesday Books on 7/28/20
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is psyched to spend the summer after graduation working at the Parkway Center Mall. In six weeks, she and her boyfriend head off to college in NYC to fulfill The Plan: higher education and happily ever after.

But you know what they say about the best laid plans...

Short and Sweet

Cassie has everything planned out, she’s going to work at Parkway Center Mall after graduation until she goes off to college in New York with her boyfriend. But sometimes plans don’t always pan out and now Cassie has to reevaluate everything.

Characters

Cassie: Cassie is our main character and she’s smart a bit of a know it all. There’s a lot going on in her life, she just recovered from mono, her boyfriend has been cheating on her, and her parents are separating. She snaps on people a lot but I just think its because of all the things she’s going through, but sometimes she did go too far. I did like Cassie as a character though she knew what she wanted and she went for it.

Drea: Drea and Cassie used to be best friends in middle school and then they had a falling out so having to work with your ex friend is awkward and tense. I loved Drea she’s your typical Jersey girl all about the fashion and big hair. Drea loves fashion and has big dreams to start her own clothing line. There’s a lot more to Drea, she has a tough exterior but she’s still sensitive. My favorite thing about Drea is her laugh I could just hear it and it was hilarious and made me smile.

Romance

Cassie and Troy: Troy and Cassie have been dating for two years. They work at America’s Best Cookie together and a few weeks will be leaving to New York to go to college. Unfortunately Troy is a piece of trash and has been cheating on Cassie while she’s been recovering from Mono! Cassie had to find out the hard way because the other girl also worked at the mall.

Cassie and Sam: Sam works at the record shop and Cassie and Sams first interaction wasn’t the best. But over time they start hanging out more. I think these two would have been better off as friends especially because Cassie is leaving soon.

My Thoughts

~ Going into this I didn’t really know what to expect because the synopsis doesn’t really offer a lot, but I was pleasantly surprised.

~ Cassie was supposed to work at America’s Best Cookie with Troy but everything changes when she finds out he’s been cheating on her so obviously working there is not an option. Cassie ends up getting a job at Bellarosa Boutique.

~ Bellarosa is owned by Gia and her daughter Drea also works there. Drea and Cassie used to be friends so this job situation is also a bit awkward. I loved the mother daughter duo of Gia and Drea I could just picture them, like I said Jersey girls!

~ Anyway there’s a bit of the mystery at the mall that involves Cabbage Patch Kids, a little weird but I liked it. The girls had to find Cabbage Patch Kids which also had maps which would eventually lead them to a treasure.

~ Cassie and Drea used to be friends, so I liked seeing them grow closer together over the course of the book.

~ I loved the setting it was so realistic and hearing about all the stores, I also liked seeing how Cassie tried to avoid certain places because of the people she didn’t want to see.

Overall

In a time where social distancing and quarantining are a thing reading a book about the mall was great. I felt like I was there even if it does take place in the 90’s. I loved hearing about all the stores and seeing the interactions Drea and Cassie had with other shop owners and customers. I loved the little mystery that’s involved too! This book is funny and cute and such a great read for the summer!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE STEPPING OFF PLACE By Cameron Kelly Rosenblum

July 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE STEPPING OFF PLACE By Cameron Kelly RosenblumThe Stepping Off Place by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
Series: The Stepping Off Place #1
Published by Quill Tree Books on 7/28/20
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

It’s the summer before senior year. Reid is in the thick of Scofield High’s in-crowd thanks to her best friend, Hattie, who has been her social oxygen since middle school.

But summer is when Hattie goes to her family’s Maine island home. Instead of sitting inside for eight weeks, waiting for her to return, Reid and their friend, Sam, enter into a pact—to live it up, one party at a time.

But days before Hattie is due home, Reid finds out the shocking news that Hattie has died by suicide. Driven by a desperate need to understand what went wrong, Reid searches for answers.

In doing so, she uncovers painful secrets about the person she thought she knew better than herself. And the truth will force Reid to reexamine everything.

Short and Sweet

Reid and Hattie are best friends, but when Hattie dies by drowning Reid’s world comes crashing down. But when they say that Hattie committed suicide, Reid just doesn’t understand how. Reid starts to question Hattie’s death and if there were any clues her past that could have showed this outcome.

Characters

Reid: Reid is interesting to say the least. She feels like she needs Hattie to survive, Hattie is the push Reid needs to go out and do things like go to parties or talk to people. Without Hattie, Reid basically has to figure out who she is without her best friend.

Hattie: Hattie is someone who is brave and is ready for an adventure. When we do have scenes with Hattie in them we see she’s always trying to push Reid out of her comfort zone and help her try new things. Hattie seemed normal during the times we do see her.

Sam (Hammy): Sam is a friend of Reid’s and he and Reid decide to hangout together because Hattie will be gone the whole summer. I liked Sam he was a really good friend, he would try to make sure Reid and fun and after Hattie’s death he was there to make sure she was okay.

Quotes

~ “She knew me better than I knew myself.”

My Thoughts

~ So we only get Reid’s POV but the book alternates from the past to the present. In the past we get to see how Reid and Hattie were together and in the present we see how Reid is dealing with Hattie’s death.

~ I liked Reid at the beginning of the book and later I realized that she’s grieving Hattie’s death but the way she was treating people ruined her character for me. I didn’t like how hopeless she was being she really felt like she couldn’t survive without Hattie but she had all this support around her but it was like she wouldn’t try.

~ Like I mentioned earlier Reid was grieving for what felt like 3/4’s of the book. She also started getting a little crazy she was too much for me.

~ Reid obviously didn’t want to believe Hattie died by suicide so she came up with theories she also tried to do a little investigating into Hattie’s life and last moments.

~ I liked seeing how everything came together, Hattie may have seemed fine but as the book progresses everything clicks.

Overall

The book started off great and I was interested in seeing the friendship between Hattie and Reid. Towards the end I was put off by Reid’s attitude and how she was treating people. Overall the book was okay but the only thing that kept me from loving it was Reid.

Filed Under: Reviews

GHOST WOOD SONG By Erica Waters

July 15, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GHOST WOOD SONG By Erica WatersGhost Wood Song by Erica Waters
Published by HarperTeen on 7/14/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, LGBT, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

If I could have a fiddle made of Daddy’s bones, I’d play it. I’d learn all the secrets he kept.

Shady Grove inherited her father’s ability to call ghosts from the grave with his fiddle, but she also knows the fiddle’s tunes bring nothing but trouble and darkness.

But when her brother is accused of murder, she can’t let the dead keep their secrets.

In order to clear his name, she’s going to have to make those ghosts sing.

Short and Sweet

With her father’s fiddle Shady Grove has the ability to call ghost. After her brother is accused of murder Shady knows she has to use the fiddle and get some help from the other side to prove her brothers innocence.

Characters

Shady: Shady Grove is our main character. She plays the fiddle and has been around the presence of ghost for most of her life. Shady is described as a good girl and innocent and she doesn’t know many of the secrets her family has been hiding from her. I did like Shady she was determined to help her brother. She loves her family and friends but she did anything she could to help Jesse and keep her mom, aunt, and Honey safe.

Romance

Shady and Cedar: Cedar is a cowboy and a sweet one at that. Even before he really knew Shady he would help her out. I like how they both have a passion for playing music it brought them together in a way. I liked the romance between these two and how much Cedar cared for Shady’s wellbeing.

Shady and Sarah: Shady and Sarah are friends and potential lovebirds but it was not working out. Sarah was closed off and sometimes she would just ignore Shady which I didn’t like.

Quotes

~ “Shady Grove. Jesse ain’t never done anything but look out for you. It might be your turn to look after him. No matter what. That’s what brothers and sisters do.”

My Thoughts

~ Shady is one brave girl, she went out following the sounds of fiddle playing to find her father’s fiddle, and she facing the ghost that come when she plays the fiddle.

~ I was worried about Shady weird things happened when she played the fiddle other than just the ghost, there was a shadow man that would appear and wasps.

~ I loved that Shady felt that she had to be Jesse’s protector in this time, it’s usually the other way around with Jesse protecting Shady.

~ Shady and her friends; Cedar, Rose, Sarah, Orlando, and Kenneth form a band. They’re also around when the ghost appear when Shady plays the fiddle and although they don’t like what’s happening they stick around to help Shady when she needs it.

~ I felt bad for Shady’s mom she lost her first husband and then her second and she lost Jesse too when he was taken to jail.

~ I liked that there was a mystery to this book and that the fiddle was able to summon the ghost. It was great seeing Shady follow leads and play the fiddle and be reminded of her father.

~ Shady’s family also had a lot of secrets that she didn’t know about and seeing her uncover them and learn more about her family made me happy. Everything going on in her family’s past and what happened with Jesse was like two separate mysteries but everything tied in nicely.

~ The one thing I didn’t like was the love triangle I feel like it could have been great without it especially because I didn’t like the way Sarah treated Shady.

Overall

This was such a good book! It was creepy and kept me on the edge of my seat. I just wanted to know what would happen next with the mystery and the ghost and the fiddle! Shady was brave and I loved how determined she was and she wasn’t about to let anyone stop her from achieving her goal. If you’re in the mood for a mystery or something creepy this is the book for you!

Filed Under: Reviews

LOVE, JACARANDA By Alex Flinn

July 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LOVE, JACARANDA By Alex FlinnLove, Jacaranda by Alex Flinn
Published by HarperTeen on 7/7/20
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Jacaranda Abbott has always tried to keep her mouth shut. As a foster kid, she's learned the hard way that the less she talks about her mother and why she's in jail, the better. But when a video of Jacaranda singing goes viral, a mysterious benefactor offers her a life-changing opportunity--a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school to study musical theater. Eager to start over somewhere new, Jacaranda leaps at the chance. She pours her heart out in emails to the benefactor she's never met.

Suddenly she's swept up in a world of privilege where the competition is fierce and the talent is next level. As Jacaranda--Jackie to her new friends--tries to find her place, a charming boy from this world of wealth catches her eye. She begins to fall for him, but can he accept her for who she really is?

Short and Sweet

After someone records a video of Jacaranda singing in a grocery store, a mysterious benefactor decides to send her to a boarding school to learn about musical theater. At the school Jacaranda thinks this is a great time to start over fresh no one has to know that her mother is in prison and that she’s been living in foster homes. Jacaranda writes emails to her benefactor and tells him everything going on in her life. Jacaranda also meets a boy, but will he stay when he learns the truth about her past?

Characters

Jacaranda: Jacaranda has learned it’s better not to talk about her mother and why she’s in prison. Jacaranda has had to live in foster homes and it’s been rough, so when she gets the opportunity to attend the boarding school she takes it. Jacaranda was a great main character it was hard not to love her. She was just entertaining and it was like seeing the world through her eyes. I loved how in awe she was of everything and she never took anything for granted.

Romance

Jacaranda and Jarvis: Jarvis is Phoebe’s cousin and he meets Jacaranda when he comes to visit Phoebe. These two were so cute together and I felt so natural and real between them. They were able to share their lives with each other (mostly) and they supported each other and were excited for one another. The only thing was Jacaranda always felt bad that Jarvis didn’t know about her mother so that always made her want to rethink things with Jarvis. I thought Jarvis was sweet though, even though he didn’t know what Jacaranda was hiding he would always try to reassure her that things would be okay between them.

My Thoughts

~ The book is written in emails, everything we read is Jacaranda writing emails to Mr. Smith. I thought it was great I liked how she basically recapped her day and experiences for him.

~ We don’t know who Mr. Smith is and neither does Jacaranda and I think that’s the great part, its a bit of a mystery.

~ Jacaranda meets Daisy and Phoebe. Daisy and Jacaranda hit it off but Phoebe and Jacaranda start off as frenemies. I really liked Daisy and Phoebe, Daisy was always there and someone Jacaranda could go to. Even though Phoebe and Jacaranda didn’t start off as the best of friends they do become good friends and I was glad because they helped each other a lot.

~ As Jacaranda learns there’s fierce competition and talent in the theater world but that doesn’t scare her off it just makes her work harder.

~ There was a big twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting, I think my jaw dropped it was crazy and I wasn’t prepared.

~ The pacing of the book was great and being a part of Jacaranda’s world was the best thing. I loved the characters and all of the emails it made it feel like I was there with her!

Overall

I loved this book! It was so cute and reading all of Jacaranda’s emails to Mr. Smith never got boring, I loved all of the updates she gave him. This book was amazing and I would read it again. I read this so fast it was hard to put down and following Jacaranda around while she navigates this new life and these new experiences was heartwarming and just put a smile on my face!

Filed Under: Reviews

FAITH: TAKING FLIGHT By Julie Murphy

July 7, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FAITH: TAKING FLIGHT By Julie MurphyFaith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy
Series: Faith Herbert Origin Story #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on 7/7/20
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Faith Herbert is a pretty regular teen. When she’s not hanging out with her two best friends, Matt and Ches, she’s volunteering at the local animal shelter or obsessing over the long-running teen drama The Grove.

So far, her senior year has been spent trying to sort out her feelings for her maybe-crush Johnny and making plans to stay close to Grandma Lou after graduation. Of course, there’s also that small matter of recently discovering she can fly….

When the fictional world of The Grove crashes into Faith’s reality as the show relocates to her town, she can’t believe it when TV heroine Dakota Ash takes a romantic interest in her.

But her fandom-fueled daydreams aren’t enough to distract Faith from the fact that first animals, then people, have begun to vanish from the town. Only Faith seems able to connect the dots to a new designer drug infiltrating her high school.

But when her investigation puts the people she loves in danger, she will have to confront her hidden past and use her newfound gifts—risking everything to save her friends and beloved town.

Short and Sweet

Faith is your typical teenager, she usually spends her time hanging out with her two friends Ches and Matt, volunteering at the animal shelter, or obsessing over her favorite show The Grove. Over the summer Faith discovered she has the ability to fly and it might just come in handy especially when people and animals in town start to go missing.

Characters

Faith: Faith is our main character and she’s a pretty normal high school senior. She cares about those she loves and I liked that she always tried to be there for everyone. Over the summer Faith went to a “camp” and came back home with the ability to fly, she’s still getting used to her new ability though.

Matt and Ches: Matt and Ches are Faith’s best friends. They hangout all the time. These two keep Faith grounded and they are who Faith go to when she needs help. These two mean well and I love the friendship that the three of them share.

Dakota: Dakota is an actress from the Tv show the Grove. She seems pretty down to earth and friendly. She didn’t act like she was too good for anyone just because she was an actress.

Romance

Faith and Johnny: Faith and Johnny are in journalism class together. These two like each other but they don’t act on their feelings. You can tell that they like and care for each other. They went on one date but it ended short. I would be interested to see where their relationship goes or if it would even begin.

Faith and Dakota: Faith and Dakota meet at the fair and ever since then they’ve been spending a lot of time together. There was obviously chemistry between the two and I liked that they got to know each other and felt safe sharing things about their lives with each other.

My Thoughts

~ So, Faith’s parents died in a car crash, now she lives with her grandma Lou. I loved the relationship that Faith and her grandma had they just love each other so much! I felt for Faith when she learned that something was wrong with her Grandma.

~ Ches is on a journey to become a better student so when she starts to become distant Matt and Faith just think it’s because she’s stressed but there’s something that Ches is hiding from them.

~ Faith is a huge fan of The Grove and even has a blog dedicated to it. So it was a basically a dream come true when she meets Dakota, and through Dakota she meets other members of the cast and gets to tour the set.

~ People and animals start disappearing in town and honestly this mystery worked well and it also gave us a glimpse of Faith’s time in “camp”

~ I love the pace of this book, everything just worked. I loved the characters and I was not expecting some of the things that ended up happening.

Overall

I loved the mystery aspect and how the story progressed. I would love to see how Faith progresses with flying and seeing more of the characters! I’m excited for the sequel and to see where things will go with this series, this was a great start!


Filed Under: Reviews

SISTERS OF SWORD AND SONG By Rebecca Ross

June 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SISTERS OF SWORD AND SONG By Rebecca RossSisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross
Published by HarperTeen on 6/23/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

After eight years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon unexpectedly appears a day early, Eva knows something is wrong. Halcyon has charged with a heinous crime, and though her life is spared, she is sentenced to 15 years.

Suspicious of the charges, brought forth by Halcyon’s army commander, as well as the details of the crime, Eva volunteers to take part of her sister’s sentence. If there’s a way to absolve Halcyon, she’ll find it. But as the sisters begin their sentences, they quickly learn that there are fates worse than death.

Short and Sweet

Evadne has waited eight long years to be reunited with her sister Halcyon, but when Halcyon arrives a day earlier than expected Evadne knows something is wrong. When Halcyon’s commander comes he informs that Halcyon is on the run and is going to be charged with murder. Halcyon’s life is spared but she is given a 15 year punishment, which Evadne decides to take part of, and find out what truly happened while Halcyon was gone.

Characters

Evadne: Evadne has always been over looked, mainly because Halcyon was held in a higher regard. Throughout this book Evadne showed that she’s not just her sisters shadow she’s very capable even when people thought she wouldn’t be. I loved Evadne she was willing to do what it took to make things right and she was brave and loved those closest to her fiercely.

Halcyon: Halcyon was one of the commander’s favorite Hoplites until she made a grave mistake and ended up killing the commander’s son, Xander. Halcyon has the mentality of a warrior she’s fierce and brave but after what happened she’s changed. I think the only thing that got Halcyon through her punishment at the quarry was the thought that she had to make it back to her family especially Evadne.

Damon: Damon’s older brother was Xander, and although he’s still dealing with the death of his brother, he promises Halcyon that he’ll look out for Evadne. Damon is a mage, he’s not the most powerful but he’s not the weakest either. I liked Damon he was caring and he was also willing to risk everything to make things right.

Romance

Evadne and Damon: Damon and Evadne meet at Halcyon’s court date and from then on he begins looking out for her like he promised Halcyon. Over a few weeks Evadne becomes Damon’s Scribe and they spend more time together. Their relationship was slow and I liked that the book wasn’t entirely focused on their relationship. Evadne and Damon’s relationship was sweet they kept each other going during their toughest moments.

My Thoughts

~ We get both Evadne and Halcyon’s POV in this book and I think I enjoyed Evadne’s more mainly because it was interesting to see her work as a scribe.

~ Halcyon and Xander’s mission before everything happened was to find a relic that would help the Queen and break a spell on her. After everything Damon and Evadne take on that mission. I liked seeing Evadne and Damon’s quest to find the relic, I also liked how more relics were revealed in the book.

~ Even though I wanted to be mad at how Halcyon was treated she had a lot of pride and she was willing to accept the consequences for her actions.

~ Halcyon meets Thales in the quarry and he ends up being a worthy ally to her.

~ The way everything took place and the pacing of the book was perfect. It was hard to put the book down I just wanted to know what would happen next especially towards the end.

~ Both Evadne and Halcyon grew a lot in this book. Evadne realized that she was her own person and was capable of doing things that she may have not thought possible. Halcyon was still fierce but she was a little more ruthless.

Overall

The ending to this book was satisfying. I love the bond between Halcyon and Evadne they loved each other a lot. This book was amazing and I couldn’t put it down. I thought we would just see the sister’s go through their punishment but there was so much more than that, there was magic and relics, and an epic battle at the end. If you see this book pick it up and read it!!!

Filed Under: Reviews

SEASONS OF THE STORM By Elle Cosimano

June 22, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SEASONS OF THE STORM By Elle CosimanoSeasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano
Series: Seasons of the Storm #1
Published by HarperTeen on 6/23/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

One cold, crisp night, Jack Sommers was faced with a choice—live forever according to the ancient, magical rules of Gaia, or die.

Jack chose to live, and in exchange, he became a Winter—an immortal physical embodiment of the season on Earth. Every year, he must hunt the Season who comes before him. Summer kills Spring. Autumn kills Summer. Winter kills Autumn. And Spring kills Winter.

Jack and Fleur, a Winter and a Spring, fall for each other against all odds. To be together, they’ll have to escape the cycle that’s been forcing them apart. But their creator won’t let them go without a fight.

Short and Sweet

Hanging between life and death, Jack was given a choice he could either die or live as an immortal. Jack chose to live and with that decision he became the embodiment of the season Winter.

Every year the Seasons have to hunt each other. Summer kills Spring, Autumn kills Summer, Winter kills Autumn, and Spring kills Winter.

Jack has fallen in love with Fleur a spring, but to be together these two have to figure a way out of a cycle that has kept them apart for years, but Chronos won’t let these two go without a fight.

Charcters

Jack (Winter): Jack is one of our main characters and his main goal in this book is to be with the girl he loves and he’s willing to sacrifice everything. At first it may have seemed that Jack was only doing it for himself but towards the end of the book he forms a bond with Amber and Julio. Jack’s handler is Chill.

Fleur (Spring): Fleur is about to be terminated she takes to long to kill Jack and when her season is over she doesn’t put up a fight she basically lets Julio kill her. Fleur has a good relationship with Julio they’re best friends and I did like seeing the interactions they had with each other. Fleur’s handler is Poppy.

Amber (Autumn): Amber seems reluctant to leave the observatory but she goes along with the plan anyway. Amber just wants to make it to Arizona to see her mother for the last time. Amber was a little standoffish but in the end she was protective of everyone around her. Amber’s handler is Woody.

Julio (Summer): Julio seems like a hot head but he really cares about those around him. He loves to surf and play his guitar. I really think that if he had his own POV I would love him even more. Julio’s handler is Marie

Romance

Jack and Fleur: These two have been in love for a long time, but it’s hard to make things work when Fleur has to kill Jack at the end of his season. I love how Jack was determined to make things work, he researched and figured out that he and Fleur could be together. They’re both protective of each other and I was glad that once they were out of their cycle they had more time to figure out they were together these two just fit.

Amber and Julio: Amber and Julio also had a lot of love for each other but kept their distance from each other after they had an incident in the 80s. If Jack and Fleur were protective of each other Amber and Julio took it to another level. These two knew that they were meant to be together and I’m glad that they finally got the chance.

Quotes

~”Spring’s here, and my season’s over. Our time’s up, and now she has to send me home.”

~”Because we were willing to take risks for each other.”

My Thoughts

~ This book started off really slow to me, it wasn’t until I reached the 30% that things really started to pick up.

~ My favorite part of this book was getting to see the seasons work together, they’re so used to killing each other and now they have to work together to survive. It was fun watching them escape the observatory and then seeing them go cross country to try to evade Chronos and stay alive.

~ We only get Jack and Fleur’s POV and I enjoyed both I think it would be interesting to get Amber and Julio’s also. There wasn’t more POV that I enjoyed over the other, I liked seeing how both of them felt with everything going on around them.

~ So each season had a different power, Fleur could control nature, Julio could control water, Amber had Fire, and Jack could freeze things.

~ The seasons could survive by using each other, but they had to be careful not to take too much from the other season.

~ I loved the handlers in this book, it was their job to look out for their season but they did a great job when they had to split up from their seasons. The handlers had a harder time living outside of the observatory because they were more susceptible to becoming sick.

Overall

This book started off slow but when things started to pick up I couldn’t put it down! There was so much suspense and I loved seeing the teamwork from the foursome. Chronos was always one step behind so the group always had to be on the move and when they had to fight they stood their ground. I’m excited to see what will happen in the sequel!



Filed Under: Reviews

YOU SAY IT FIRST By Katie Cotugno

June 12, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

YOU SAY IT FIRST By Katie CotugnoYou Say it First by Katie Cotugno
Published by Balzer + Bray on 6/16/20
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

One conversation can change everything.

Meg has her entire life set up perfectly: she and her best friend, Emily, plan to head to Cornell together in the fall, and she works at a voter registration call center in her Philadelphia suburb. But everything changes when one of those calls connects her to a stranger from small-town Ohio.

Colby is stuck in a rut, reeling from a family tragedy and working a dead-end job. The last thing he has time for is some privileged rich girl preaching the sanctity of the political process. So he says the worst thing he can think of and hangs up.

But things don’t end there.…

That night on the phone winds up being the first in a series of candid, sometimes heated, always surprising conversations that lead to a long-distance friendship and then—slowly—to something more. Across state lines and phone lines, Meg and Colby form a once-in-a-lifetime connection. But in the end, are they just too different to make it work?

Short and Sweet

Meg basically has everything planned out, she’s going to go to Cornell in the fall with her best friend Emily, she has a supportive boyfriend, and she even works at a voter registration call center.

Colby lives in Ohio, and he’s still dealing with the death of his father. Colby is working at a dead end job and has no idea what his future will be like.

One phone call changes everything for these two. Meg finds that Colby gets under her skin, and Colby doesn’t like the idea of someone privileged preaching to him about going to vote. But things don’t end after their first phone call, Meg and Colby continue to talk and end up having honest and sometimes heated conversations that lead to a long distance friendship that turns into something more.

Characters

Meg: Meg lives in Philly and she loves politics, which is why working at the voter registration center is the perfect job. Meg is someone who likes to debate but recently she’s lost that spark. Meg’s parents divorced and her father is getting remarried and her mother is an alcoholic. I felt for Meg she tried to put on a happy face but she had so much going on in her personal life that people didn’t know about.

Colby: Colby lives in Ohio and is more rough around the edges. He isn’t a stranger to getting in trouble and he works a dead end job. Colby has also had to deal with the loss of his father, which has been hard on him.

Romance

Meg and Colby: These two had the most interesting conversations, most of them were about politics. I liked how they talked on the phone almost every night getting to know each other and also getting each others opinions on different topics. These two live such different lives that it made it understandable that they sometimes offended each other. In the end I think these two pushed each other to be better, and to pursue the things they really wanted in life.

Quotes

~ “If you want to change the world, go out and change it, Colby had told her.”

My Thoughts

~ Meg and Colby help each other a lot, Meg helped Colby pursue a job that he wanted and Colby helped Meg voice how she really felt to Emily.

~ I think after everything that happened between Meg’s parents she became more reserved and less assertive which is why she lets Emily make all the decisions.

~ Colby and Meg’s conversations always pushed the other to see a different point of view and I liked that they were honest with each other.

~ So Colby and Meg do end up meeting which didn’t end well sadly. But it seemed like even when things didn’t work out they were always drawn back to each other.

~ Reading the interactions between Meg and her mother was hard, mainly because you could tell that her mother had a problem but didn’t want to admit it.

~ Watching Meg and Colby finally take charge of their lives was amazing to see Meg apply to be an intern for a candidate and watching Colby getting a job he was interested in put a smile on my face.

~ I couldn’t put this book down I just thought that Meg and Colby were great and the ending just left me with a happy heart.

Overall

This was so cute and perfect for a summertime read! I loved the dynamic between Colby and Meg, they’re so different that it worked, opposites attract. The romance was cute and I also liked how the book focused on the issues each of them were facing in their personal lives. Pick this book up its perfect for the summer and also its election year!

Filed Under: Reviews