FROZEN By Erin Bowman

March 30, 2024 by Leave a Comment

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

FROZEN By Erin BowmanFrozen by Erin Bowman
Series: Taken #2
Published by HarperTeen on 4/15/14
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Gray Weathersby has escaped Claysoot and uncovered the truth behind the Laicos Project and the Order's twisted plans. Determined to fight back, his small group of rebels is on the hunt for more answers and more allies—a search that will take them on a harrowing journey across a frozen wasteland, and even deeper into a world built on the Order's lies.

Short and Sweet Review

Gray has recently escaped Claysoot and has learned about the Orders plans. Gray and the small group of rebels he is with plan on fighting back but first they have to make it to find more allies. The group travels across treacherous land and they find answers but it only leads them to asking more questions about what the Order really has planned.

Frozen takes place after the events of Taken. Gray is traveling with his dad, Bree, Emma, and a few others that he met in the last book. Their goal is to find answers and find allies so there’s a lot of traveling going on in this book and also trying to avoid being caught by the Order. In this book we see Franks forgeries be put to use and some of them have infiltrated the rebel group and some of them are so good at pretending to be the person they look like that the group doesn’t even know that there’s forgeries among them. There’s really not going on in this book to be honest, the group is just trying to find someone to team up with that will eventually help them take out Frank and his army of forgeries. Gray wasn’t my favorite character I didn’t like how he would react to things, people were looking to him to make decisions but most of his decisions were pretty selfish and sometimes put the group in more danger. I will say that the love triangle between Gray, Emma, and Bree was annoying and unnecessary. Gray eventually thinks he should be with Bree but honestly them don’t seem like a great couple, when they’re good they’re good but when things go bad they’re both very reactive and not in a good way. The first 2/3 of the book are actually pretty boring but the last 1/3 of this book are when things start to pick up and there’s a lot of action, there’s also a twist that I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, this sequel was okay. I think the pacing could have been better. I’m hoping with how this book ended the third and final book in this trilogy will be better and leave me more satisfied than this book did.

Filed Under: Reviews

VENGEANCE ROAD By Erin Bowman

January 22, 2024 by Leave a Comment

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

VENGEANCE ROAD By Erin BowmanVengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Series: Vengeance Road #1
Published by Clarion Books on 9/1/15
Genres: Action & Adventure, Historical, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 338
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.

Short and Sweet Review

Kate Thompson is going after the Rose Riders after they killed her father. The Rose Riders were after a journal Kates dad had which revealed the location to a mine filled with gold. Kate disguises herself as a boy and takes off through the west trying to find the Rose Riders and get revenge. On her journey Kate meets Jesse and Will who end up tagging along which complicates a lot of things for Kate.

Vengeance Road is almost like True Grit in the sense that Kates dad was murdered and now she’s after the gang who did it. I did like the fact that Kate knew what she needed to do and had her sights set on accomplishing her goal which was kill the Rose Riders with no remorse. Kate meets Jesse and Will as Nate which is her name while under disguise. Anyway Kates dad instructed her to go find someone if he did ever meet his end and that person just happened to be dead but his sons Jesse and Will were very much alive. They convince Kate that she’s going to need help, Kate doesn’t care about the gold just about getting her revenge but Jesse and Will do seem interested in the location of the gold. The action scenes in this book were great, there was no holding back and through it all we could feel Kates emotions. Kate was an interesting character she had tunnel vision but Jesse made her want to reconsider things, it was like an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other and that just caused internal conflict within Kate. Kate is also very combative and at points it was annoying because she was just too darn stubborn. I didn’t like the romance, Jesse was just too into being in charge and having the final say in things and he just wasn’t a good match for Kate. I will say Bowman did a great job with the western dialect and also setting up the old west setting for the book.

Overall, this was a good book. I liked the fact that it took place in the old west and that Kate was a badass heroine. There were great moments in this book and some that fell flat, but I would read the next book in this series which isn’t necessarily a sequel but a companion novel.

Filed Under: Reviews

INTO THE SUNKEN CITY By Dinesh Thiru

January 17, 2024 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.

INTO THE SUNKEN CITY By Dinesh ThiruInto the Sunken City by Dinesh Thiru
Published by HarperTeen on 1/23/24
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 363
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

For Jin Haldar, this life is nothing new—ever since her father died in a diving accident, she’s barely made ends meet for her and her younger sister, Thara.

Enter Bhili: a drifter who offers Jin and Thara the score of a lifetime—a massive stash of gold hidden in the sunken ruins of Las Vegas.

Jin knows it’s too dangerous. She stopped diving after her father’s accident. But when her sister decides to go, Jin’s left with only one choice: to go with her.

A ragtag crew is assembled—including Jin’s annoyingly hot ex-boyfriend. From there, a high-stakes heist ensues that’s beyond even Jin’s wildest fears. Crumbling ruins, sea beasts, corsairs, and a mysterious figure named João Silva all lie in wait. To survive, Jin will have to do what she promised herself she’d never do again: dive.

Short and Sweet Review

Ever since Jin’s dad died in a diving accident, she’s been finding it hard to make ends meet to keep the family in and care for her younger sister Thara. Jin swore she wouldn’t dive again but she will if it means keeping her and Thara together. Bhili is a drifter and she gets a room at the inn and she stays for a long time eventually earning the trust of Thara much to Jins dismay. Bhili ends up bringing trouble to the inn, but her solution is to go to the sunken city of Vegas and have Jin dive to get the gold that’s down there. Jin wants nothing to do with this plan but in a rapid pace Bhili gets a team together one that includes Jin’s ex Taim. Jin knows this will be dangerous but she has to go where Thara goes and the gold would be able to help them out tremendously.

Into the Sunken City was an interesting book, I haven’t read a book where the main character was a diver before. Jin is very head strong and she’s not very trusting of other people which drives her sister crazy, this quality in Jin also drove me crazy because it often led to her getting into arguments with other characters. I would say a majority of the scenes with Jin involve her arguing. Thara on the other hand was just naive and too willing to trust everyone around her. When Jin agrees to go to Vegas it’s because Thara is basically done with Jin calling all the shots and Jin doesn’t want to lose her sister. We see Jin, Thara, and Taim be captured by another pirate group and they end up having to do the Vegas dive for this guy. We don’t really know who to trust in this book and it feels like pirates are great liars. The biggest thing we see in this book is Jin’s love for her sister. I also liked that this world is different in that the states we know are basically under water. I wouldn’t really say there was a romance between Jin and Taim, mainly because Jin is still mad at him for joining the coast guard, also there wasn’t anytime for them to rekindle whatever they had.

Overall, this book was good and different. I think the plot was great but I didn’t jive with the characters, I love how different the world was and it was fun living through it and following Jin on her diving journey.

Filed Under: Reviews

MOCKINGJAY By Suzanne Collins

August 2, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

MOCKINGJAY By Suzanne CollinsMockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #3
Published by Scholastic Press on 8/24/10
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 339
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss Everdeen.

Short and Sweet

The 75th hunger games didn’t go as planned and if you thought President Snow was angry before, watch out! Katniss and Finnick were rescued from the arena and taken to district 12, while Peeta, Johanna, and whoever else was alive in the arena were taken to the capitol. In district 13 Katniss meets Alma Coin, who is looking to be the new president but needs Katniss’s help. Katniss needs to become the Mockingjay and help lead the revolution against the capitol and President Snow. Katniss agrees as long as Coin also agrees to rescue Peeta and pardon him.

This is the final book of The Hunger Games trilogy and everything was leading up to this moment, Katniss being the face of a revolution and hope. Katniss’s main focus in this book is keeping those she loves safe, saving Peeta, and finally getting rid of President Snow. Katniss is taken around to different districts to see the destruction left behind by the Capitol and this really gets her motivated and she gives messages not only to the districts but also to President Snow. Peeta is eventually rescued but his time in the capitol changed him and his reunion with Katniss isn’t a happy one. I will say I did like how the champions who have competed in the hunger games all deal with their PTSD and we see how Katniss and Peeta are really haunted by their past.

I did enjoy this final installment, I will say I think Catching Fire was my favorite book. This book was focused on the revolution and we see Katniss figure out who was truly the enemy. I loved the ending and that goes back to Katniss working through some things. The ending was good but also a little bittersweet in a way. The Hunger Games was an exciting series and we see over the course of the three books the climax build to finally lead us here and overall it was successful. This trilogy was filled with excitement and characters who are clever and who you grow to love. The Hunger Games trilogy is one I can see myself picking up again in the future just to relive everything.

Filed Under: Reviews

CATCHING FIRE By Suzanne Collins

July 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

CATCHING FIRE By Suzanne CollinsCatching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #2
Published by Scholastic Press on 5/28/10
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Short and Sweet Review

Katniss and Peeta have won the 74th hunger games and are adjusting to life in the Victor’s Village in district 12. Katniss’s antics with the berries in the games didn’t go unnoticed, by the capitol or the people in other districts. President Snow pays Katniss a visit and tells her to be on her best behavior and make sure that people know that her actions in the games were because of her love for Peeta. After that Katniss learns of uprisings in other districts and she decides to join in but obviously on the down low. The President obviously is not about to let the uprisings or Katniss be the downfall of all he’s worked hard for, so for the 75th Hunger Games he decides to put past victors from each hunger games back into the arena. Now Katniss and Peeta have to survive in an arena with people who also have experience playing the games.

Catching Fire was more exciting to me than The Hunger Games. In The Hunger Games we see the build up to everything and we kind of see it come to a head in Catching Fire. Katniss knows she made the people in the Capitol angry but she wasn’t expecting to learn about the uprisings that are happening in other districts. Katniss isn’t sure what to make of this, the only thing on her mind is keeping her family and friends safe, she even thinks about running away again. In the end Katniss decides to be apart of the revolution but she’s not sure what to do especially after she gets the news about having to take part in the 75th Hunger Games. Katniss and Peeta still try to play the crazy love bird angle but I’m starting to think its becoming more than an act to Katniss. The two are also advised by Haymitch to start making some alliances. I did enjoy seeing all of the new competitors but was also sad when some of the people in Katniss’s alliance met their ends. Finnick was pretty useful and it was nice seeing another guy who knew what they were doing around in the arena he also had sponsors. The arena this time was different but there was a pattern the group figured out and in the end there were some things that happened that I wasn’t expecting.

I loved the ending and I’m ready to see how things end in the next book. Even though I’ve seen the movies it’s been a while and I did like seeing how much more detail is in the books. On to the next!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi Lee

November 12, 2021 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 NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi LeeThe Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #3
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 11/16/21
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Historical, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 592
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father’s estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged to an activist who challenges and inspires him. But most young Lords aren’t battling the debilitating anxiety Adrian secretly lives with, or the growing fear that it might consume him and all he hopes to accomplish. In the wake of his mother’s unexpected death, Adrian is also concerned people will find out that he has the mental illness she struggled with for years.

When a newly found keepsake of hers—a piece of a broken spyglass—comes into Adrian’s possession, he’s thrust into the past and finds himself face to face with an older brother he never knew he had. Henry “Monty” Montague has been living quietly in London for years, and his sudden appearance sends Adrian on a quest to unravel family secrets that only the spyglass can answer.

In pursuit of answers about the relic, the brothers chart a course to locate their sister Felicity. But as they travel between the pirate courts of Rabat, Portuguese islands, the canals of Amsterdam, and into unknown Artic waters, the Montague siblings are thrown into one final adventure as they face a ghostly legend that threatens their whole family.

Short and Sweet Review

Adrian Montague, is the heir to his father’s estate and he’s an up and coming political writer, he has a fiancé who is an activist and inspires him. But what no one knows is that Adrian struggles with anxiety, his mother also had a mental illness that she struggled with and after her recent death things just seem unclear to Adrian. When Adrian comes in possession of a spyglass that was his mother’s he thinks it will uncover the mystery of her death. Along his journey Adrian meets the siblings he never knew he had, and as they sail the seas the siblings will face off with a legend that threatens their family.

Adrian Montague is the youngest Montague sibling but he doesn’t know that because he’s grown up his whole life believing that he’s an only child. When he’s given a spyglass that once belonged to his mother it brings him to Monty his older brother. The reunion is a shock and not really a joyous one. It only leaves Adrian with more questions and with the realization that there’s one more Montague sibling out in the world. With the spyglass in his possession Adrian decides he needs answers so he sets sail with Monty at his side. Adrian tries to find out what led to his mother’s death, he’s convinced that the spyglass was cursed by the Flying Dutchman and now we’re back on the seas with pirates traveling to different areas trying to find anything that will give Adrian the answers he’s looking for.

Adrian is a character that struggles with anxiety and OCD so seeing everything through his POV is interesting. He’s a character that struggles with speaking up for himself and keeping his emotions in check. We can see that some of the characters just meeting him didn’t know what to make of him, like at first Monty didn’t know what to do but Felicity knew that she needed to be more patient and be careful with how she worded things. I loved that we got to see characters from past books Monty, Felicity, and even Percy! Adrian is engaged but we only see his fiancé Louisa in the beginning and end so not so much in the middle but she did seem like a strong female character. The adventure that our protagonist goes on was exciting and I feel like it was needed for him to realize that everything he needs is what he already has. Adrian now has his brother and sister and a fiancé who loves and cares for him.

I loved the ending and I’m sad that this was the last book in the Montague Siblings series but the ending was wrapped up well and these are characters and voyages I won’t forget!

Filed Under: Reviews

ONE DARK THRONE By Kendare Blake

September 13, 2017 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.

ONE DARK THRONE By Kendare BlakeOne Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
Series: Three Dark Crowns #2
Published by HarperTeen on 9/19/17
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.


Short and Sweet

After the events that took place during the Quickening the Ascension year is in progress and things have changed. Katharine is different after returning to the manor, Mirabella doesn’t seem to be the front runner anymore, and Arsinoe is trying to figure out what to do with her new found skill. The question is which sister will prevail and take the crown and the throne?

Characters

Mirabella: The elemental queen, in the last book she was thought to be the strongest of the sisters but now that seems to be uncertain. Mirabella tries to see the good in her sisters and likes to think about memories from when they were younger, but this makes her apprehensive about the fact that she has to kill them.

Arsinoe: Our naturalist queen, we find out in the last book that she’s actually a poisoner which makes sense as to why her naturalist gift never seemed to show. Now Arsinoe is trying to figure out how this new skill works and how to use it in her advantage.

Katharine: The poisoner queen, oh how things have changed with Katharine. Katharine was one of the weaker queens but after climbing her way out of The Breccia Domain she’s back with a vengeance and the people on the island now call her, ‘the undead queen’.

Romance

Arsinoe and Billy: I love these two so much! Arsinoe still won’t admit how she feels about him to his face but Billy doesn’t give up easily. He was sent away to Rolanth to be Mirabella’s taster but he was always thinking about Arsinoe. These two cared about each other and it was my favorite romance of the book.

Katharine and Nicolas: Nicolas was one of Katharine’s suitors and one she liked. I honestly think Katharine only got with Nicolas to get back at Pietyr.

Jules and Joseph: After the events of the last book Jules is still trying to find a way to forgive Joseph. Does she trust him? No. Does he still try to make an effort? Yes. Did I think these two should be together? No. Maybe in the first book, but after what he did she just couldn’t trust him I like the fact that she tried though. “So you trust me?” She turns and looks squarely into his handsome, storm-blue eyes. “Not one bit.”

Quotes

~ “This is how it is,” Arsinoe whispers. “Someone’s going to die.”

~ “I am only afraid of what I must do.”

~ “Neither of my sisters will be returning to the island. The crown and the throne are mine.”

My Thoughts

~ Arsinoe, may have a new skill as a poisoner but she knows that she has to keep this a secret and use it to her advantage at some point. For now she still uses low magic to make a bond with her bear familiar.

~ Jules is one of my favorite characters that isn’t one of the queens. She’s the best and I like her better than Bree and Elizabeth. Jules will go to the end of the Earth to try to keep Arsinoe safe. She considers herself to be Arsinoe’s guardian and its like its her full time job. I love how she looks after Arsinoe and doesn’t treat it like a ob she does it because she genuinely loves her.

~ Jules also learns that she has a second gift, she’s legion cursed which occurs when you have two gifts, shes a naturalist of course and she has the war gift. She’s just learning how to use the war gift and is determined to use it to keep the ones she loves safe.

~ Mirabella is trying to wrap her head around the things that occurred during the quickening. She knows that she has to kill her sisters before they kill her. She plans on starting with Arsinoe for sending her bear after her and then Katharine.

~ Katharine is very determined to kill her sisters. A lot has changed with her but I guess thats what happens when you ‘come back from the dead.’ She was eating a lot of poison so much so that she ends up becoming poison.

~ The events of the quickening set a lot of events into motion in this book.

~ I loved Mirabella and Arsinoe in this book. Mirabella doesn’t want to kill her sisters and Arsinoe knows that she may not stand a chance. I liked Katharine in the last book because she seemed sweet but she was blood thirsty and it was a little overwhelming.

Overall

Can the sequel be better than the first book? Yes and this series is the proof! It only seems to get better and I can’t wait until the third book is released. What’ll happen next with these girls, is what I need to know! So much happened in this book and I’m ready to find out whats going to happen. Love this series and I think its a MUST READ pick up the first two books now!

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THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE By Mackenzi Lee

June 19, 2017 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 GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE By Mackenzi LeeThe Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #1
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 6/27/17
Genres: Action & Adventure, Historical, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 528
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee—Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s.

Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

So Monty vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.


Short and Sweet

Monty and his best friend Percy are going on a grand tour of Europe, and they plan on having the time of their lives. Even with his younger sister, Felicity coming along, Monty won’t let it ruin his fun. But things get crazy when the group encounters an ancient artifact, highwaymen, and pirates.

Characters

Henry “Monty” Montague: Our main character who grew a lot over the course of the book. Monty has the most engaging voice, he’s entertaining and sassy. He got the group into the mess they were in by trying to get even with someone. Monty had the problem of saying things without thinking and often came to regret it, but his friends called him out on it. He was a flawed character but that’s whats great about him because over the course of the book he learned from his mistakes.

Percy: Monty’s best friend and our voice of reason. Percy is also a person a color which I found interesting, because of course during the time that this book takes place it makes travel for the grand tour a bit harder because certain places won’t allow him to stay. Percy also struggles in this book because throughout the course of his friendship with Monty he has always supported him and now Percy has his own demons to fight and wonders if Monty can support him.

Felicity: Monty’s younger sister and the brains of the group. Felicity’s strength and knowledge saved the group from dangerous situations. I was rooting for her throughout the book she had goals and I felt bad that during that time girls her age didn’t have many choices.

Romance

Monty has liked Percy for a while, and thinks the grand tour will be the perfect time to express how he feels. But things don’t work well mainly because Percy seems more annoyed with Monty than smitten. It seemed like Monty always said or did the wrong thing that ended up pushing Percy away.

My Thoughts

~ This isn’t an ordinary grand tour of Europe, like it was expected to be. Mayhem begins when the group reaches their first stop in Paris. This leads them to places that are off of their original course.

~ In Paris, Monty steals an artifact that leads to the group being attacked by highwaymen, hiding in a small town, going to Barcelona, meeting pirates, and trying to find something on an island that is sinking.

~ My favorite part of the book was the whole mystery surrounding the artifact and what it does. The artifact was the whole reason the group had to go off course so I was eager to find out what it could do.

~ What I loved the most about this book was how fast paced it was. From the very beginning we embark on a journey with these characters.

~ In each city we meet different characters and all of them add to the story in their own way. My favorite characters were the pirates I loved learning more about them and their ultimate goal.

~ I felt like I was with the trio of characters and I was worried about their well-being, they were in some dangerous positions and on the run from some people who wanted them dead.

Overall

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is a must read! Everything about it is amazing, the characters, the action and adventure, the diversity, and of course the romance. The ending was great and everything was wrapped up nicely. Monty, Percy, and Felicity are a set of characters I won’t forget. This is hands down one of my favorite reads of 2017, and I encourage everyone to pick it up and read it!

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Filed Under: Reviews

AVENGED By Amy Tintera

April 25, 2017 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.

AVENGED By Amy TinteraAvenged by Amy Tintera
Series: Ruined #2
Published by HarperTeen on 5/2/17
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

Emelina Flores has come home to Ruina. After rescuing her sister, Olivia, from imprisonment in rival kingdom Lera, Em and Olivia together vow to rebuild Ruina to its former glory.

But their fight has only begun. Olivia is determined to destroy everyone who acts against Ruina. Em isn’t as sure. Ever since Em posed as Prince Casimir’s betrothed in Lera, she’s started to see another side to this war. And now that Cas has taken the throne, Em believes a truce is within reach. But Olivia suspects that Em’s romantic feelings for Cas are just coloring her judgement.

Em is determined to bring peace to her home. But when winning the war could mean betraying her family, Em faces an impossible choice between loyalty and love. Em must stay one step ahead of her enemies—and her blood—before she’s the next victim in this battle for sovereignty.


Short and Sweet

Emelina and Olivia Flores go back to their kingdom of Ruina and vow to rebuild it to its former glory. But alliances are shifting and figuring out what to do and who to trust is just the beginning.

Characters

Emelina: One of the queens of Ruina who is willing to do what is best for her people. Emelina is way more level headed than Olivia, which I’ll get into a little later.

Olivia: The other queen of Ruina who is also willing to do what is best for her people but in a very different way than her sister. Olivia is back with a vengeance, she is not happy which is understandable she was kept prisoner but she will kill anyone who gets in her way. “You’re weak!” she screamed again.

Cas: Prince of Lera who is fighting for his throne, because his cousin Jovita and some of his people have turned against him.

Aren: The second strongest Ruined who is Emelina and Olivia’s friend. Aren struggles in this book with being angry and killing with Olivia, because he understands her anger or with being level headed with Emelina and showing compassion towards people.

*We get to read from all of these characters POVs.

Romance

There is two romances in this book that I feel are worth mentioning.

Emelina and Cas: They developed a bond in the first book Ruined and they still have feelings for each other even though their people don’t like the match. I love these two together I think it would work, I mean she did pretend to be someone else but all the feelings they have for each other are genuine. “I’m very reasonable. Em says it’s one of my best qualities.”

Aren and Iria: Iria is a warrior from the Olso army. Okay this is a match I didn’t see coming but the more I read the more I liked it. Aren needed someone who wasn’t a ruined who could understand what he was going through and show him compassion and Iria was the right person. She risked it all for him and his feelings for her changed over the course of the book and he showed his feelings more and I loved it!

Quotes

~ “We take. We will take the throne, we will take responsibility, and we will crush anyone who defies us. Got it?”

~ “It sounds like you’re about to die.”

~ “The Ruined don’t betray each other.”

My Thoughts

~ There is so much going on this book and it’s amazing, I couldn’t put this book down.

~ In Ruined Emelina aligned with the Olso kingdom to help her rescue her sister and attack the kingdom of Lera. Now that Em and Olivia are back in Ruina the warriors are back and along with them is August, the youngest prince of Olso. He proposes a marriage to Em and thats when things get complicated.

~ Em still has feelings for Cas and he still has feelings for Em. I mean they are technically married but he thought he was married to someone else and not one of the heirs of Ruina.

~ Olivia is intense! She will literally kill anyone who gets in her way provoked or not. I think she likes it shes like a killing machine snapping necks left and right. Olivia doesn’t like Cas and believes that Em’s love for him is causing her to make the wrong decisions.

~ I felt bad for Cas in this book. He’s trying to be with Em which is difficult because the Ruined don’t like the Lerans and she has to put her people before him, and his cousin Jovita is making things hard for him with his own people. Jovita convinces the Lerans who are staying in the fortress that Cas is going crazy and she temporarily takes over. Cas now has to figure out who is by his side and how to get his rightful place on the throne back.

~ I also liked Violet she is the governors daughter of the Southern Providence. She was also a strong female character and was loyal and willing to help Cas when most people weren’t.

~ I was worried about Olivia and Em, its like oil and water. When they got back to Ruina they proposed a diarchy. They’re so different Olivia is angry and thinks she can just take anyone out who gets in her way while Em thinks she can talk things out with people and try to make things better without so much bloodshed.

~ I loved getting to know more about Aren and seeing him struggle between what was right and what was wrong. His bond with Iria just made me smile it was cute and the relationship building was amazing.

Overall

I LOVED this book! It was amazing and it makes my want the next book so bad. I need to know whats going to happen next! I couldn’t put this book down and it didn’t end in a big cliffhanger but it still left me wanting to know what Em is going to do! Avenged was a great sequel and I definitely recommend this series its one of my favorites. You have to pick up Ruined if you haven’t and then get Avenged they don’t disappoint!

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SILVER STARS By Michael Grant

January 18, 2017 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.

SILVER STARS By Michael GrantSilver Stars by Michael Grant
Series: Front Lines #2
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 1/31/17
Genres: Action & Adventure, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 576
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

The summer of 1943, World War II. With heavy memories of combat, Frangie, Rainy, Rio and the rest of the American army are moving on to their next target: the Italian island of Sicily.

The women won’t conquer Italy alone. They are not heroes for fighting alongside their brothers—they are soldiers. But Frangie, Rainy, Rio, and the millions of brave females fighting for their country have become a symbol in the fight for equality. They will brave terrible conditions in an endless siege; they will fight to find themselves on the front lines of WWII; and they will come face-to-face with the brutality of war until they win or die.


Short and Sweet

Frangie, Rainy, and Rio are back, this statement just makes me happy. These soldiers are on to their next target, Italy, and back to the front lines to sacrifice their lives for their country.

Characters

Rainy: Is given a mission that will in the end help the US Army, which she’s all for because she follows orders, but while she’s on the mission she begins to question if she should have taken the mission in the first place.

Rio: Is on the front lines in battle and has a more prominent role in this book because she’s looked at by everyone on camp as someone who was meant to be a soldier.

Frangie: Is still a medic just trying to do her job trying to save the lives of injured G.I’s if she can and just going where she’s needed.

Romance

There’s not really that much romance in this book. Rio still has her hometown sweetheart, Strand that she talks to via letters, and they do get to meet up at one point in the book. I thought Rainy would have a romantic interest in this book, but boy was I wrong, I was really wrong. I don’t want to spoil anything… While writing this I realized that Rainy was talking to another boy and now I’m questioning myself and if they could have a romantic relationship. Halev are you the one for Rainy? Because C definitely wasn’t.

My Thoughts

~ I loved this book just as much as the first one (Front Lines).

~ Rio, had a lot more page time than the other girls which I didn’t really mind because she had more action going on in her story line.

~ Okay so Rainy has a mission that she goes on in this book which we follow her through the motions. Her story line was interesting but it gets better towards the end of the book. Rainy is intelligent and her knowledge of multiple languages is impressive. By the way after finishing the book I did some research on what Rainy would have went through and its awful.

~ Frangie, I love her so much. She’s caring and she picked a job that suits her strengths. I would say that Frangie’s story line is kind of like Rainy’s it’s interesting but gets better towards the end. I’m glad she got to meet up with a loved one to brighten her mood.

~ I will say that the war has changed these three girls. You can tell it changed Rio in the first book and you get more of that change in this book, shes a little more excited to kill than she was before she killed her first Kraut. I didn’t feel like there was much change with Frangie but she does learn a few things about her family that surprises her. Rainy didn’t have a change until the end of this book which was understandable especially with what she had to endure.

~ Rio is really the only one in this series who has a best friend with her in the war, Jenou. I like that she has a friend with her but I was upset by the strain that their friendship was going through.

~ My favorite thing about these books is when the girls meet and have interactions. It happened in Front Lines and it happened in this book too. I love how they remember each other and are friendly.

~ Michael Grant does a GREAT job writing this series. He definitely does his research and makes this series so true to the time it’s placed in. When reading this book it feels like you’re transported to the front lines with these girls and seeing what they see and feeling how they feel.

Overall

I love love love this series its one of my favorites! I want the third book now, just to see the next mission these girls will have to tackle. If you haven’t read Front Lines you should, and then pick up Silver Stars, because these books do not disappoint! I would recommend this series in a heartbeat, so if you like action and historical fiction with details that make you feel like you’re there then this series is for you!!!

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Filed Under: Reviews