Waiting on Wednesday- Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting. It's been like a year, since my last WOW. I'm so glad to be back!

 

 

I finally started this series last month after dragging my feet for years. I just wasn't sure if this would be my type of book. Boy was I wrong. I've flown through the first three books in a few weeks. I am about to start the fourth book, I cannot wait for this book. I was trying to read the fourth book closer to this release, but I just cannot wait! Such a great series so far. I did not know this was a series of six books, so that's the only downfall!

 

 

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

 

That cover is awesome!! I cannot wait. What are you waiting on???

Top Ten Tuesday!

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Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year.

Many of the books I've been reading lately, are not new. So I will be adding books that I have read that were published this year and previous. This is my first one! 

1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

2. Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

3. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

4. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

5. The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

6. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin 

Those are the ones that I've loved so far. I didn't read that much until a couple months back. 

What are the books that made it on your list?! I would love to know and build my TBR list!! Leave a comment below :)

Beautiful Randomness

Hey guys!

I just wanted to post that I also have another blog for makeup reviews/swatches, crafts and just all kinds of things! 

Link below:

craftsbeautyandreviews.blogspot.com

Britt-Marie Was Here by @Fredrik_Backman

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book. This review/opinions are my own.

This really does break my heart. I loved both of his previous books: A Man Called Ove & My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. I loved them both! I know that his books can start off slow and then it’s just amazing after about 1/3 of the book. I really tried. I am about 55% of the way and I just can’t get into this book. It’s definitely going to be one of the rare DNF-Did not finish- books. I am so sad about it. I know that I’ll be in the minority here. If someone can tell me that it gets so much better, please do so. I just can’t get attached to any of the characters or the plot.

Let me explain myself, the characters. Ugh, I cannot stand the way he’s chosen to describe these characters. Actually, most of them don’t even have real names. How is “Somebody” a name?! I get that’s what she makes up. It still just makes everything confusing. There’s so much strange dialogue between the characters that it makes it awkward. I know it’s totally the point. Britt-Marie is an awkward OCD soul. I get it but you have to engage me into these conversations. Most of this book is just boring and it goes nowhere. I’m 55% of the way through and NOTHING has really happened. I also did not laugh at all. I didn’t think it was funny and she kept saying “ha ha” and I was getting really annoyed with it.

This book had so much potential but it just completely fell flat for me. I couldn’t get pulled in by any character. I did try though. I picked this up and read a few chapters over the course of a month! I just had to stop every time. I told myself that this would be the time I got sucked in and it never happened. There’s so much I want to read and I just can’t keep trying to get this one finished. I gave it a valiant effort, I swear.


View all my reviews

The Heart of Betrayal by @Mary_E_Pearson

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I want to thank Goodreads First Reads and the publisher, for providing me with a copy of this book. This review/thoughts/opinions are my own.

Blurb from goodreads:
“Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save Lia's life, her erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There's Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be savages. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.”

Okay, I will admit that I did not read the 1st book. Honestly, I did not know this was part of a trilogy, when I requested it on goodreads. I started reading this book and kept thinking that I was missing something. Sure enough, it is a sequel. I went ahead and continued reading it because I could not get my hands on the first book. I figured that I would be okay because they usually will summarize big moments in a previous book. I was not wrong.

Anyways, I really liked this book. It was fast paced and I was just sucked into this book. I spent the rest of the day reading because I just had to know what was happening.

I loved all these characters. Wow, the scheming and plot twists were pretty great. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Towards the end of the book, I was starting to get really nervous! I really liked Lia. I really liked how independent and brash she could be. She wouldn’t take anything from anyone. She always knew how to push just far enough, without actually crossing the line. I enjoyed that and I will admit, sometimes it made me nervous.

I definitely was torn between the boys. There is clearly no love triangle here but I really like Kaden. I actually like him more than the Prince. He’s (Prince) a bit arrogant and all about being a hero. He didn’t really end up being the Hero to me. Lia doesn’t need a hero at all. I just really liked Kaden and we learn so much about him in this book. I will definitely go back and read the first book though.

The ending is definitely a surprise. It does take us some time to get there but it’s not boring. You fly through this book but we do get a lot of background and history of Venda.

I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book to see how this ends!

View all my reviews

Heir of Fire by @Sarah_J_Maas

 

I started this book on Wednesday night and spent my whole day off Thursday reading. I am so glad that I kept up with this series because I'm loving it.

 

In this book, we start off with Celaena making her journey to Wendlyn. She is heartbroken and truly lost. She ends up getting "captured" by Rowen and taken to her evil aunt. She makes a bargain with her, to train with Rowen to gain information. Most of the book ends up though her whole process, while getting pieces of what is going in back in Ardalan with Chaol and Dorian. There's a lot of evil, lies, plots and crazy happening in this book. You get a lot of information about many different aspects but at the same time things are coming together.

 

The writing is just outstanding in this whole series. Maas does an amazing job doing different points of view throughout this series. There's a lot of times that I'm not fond of reading all the different perspectives of characters. It can drag out too much and bore me a little. She does not do this here. She does a great job, incorporating a lot of opinions and thoughts, while keeping the plot moving. You don't get much of a retelling, more of how they are moving forward and vital information. You get to see how all the pieces are moving, since all the characters are a bit scattered.

 

She has a way with words too. You can just feel what these characters are going through and feeling. Especially, Celaena and her dealing with her heartbreak and past. You can also picture everything she's writing, as if you are seeing it for yourself.

 

We already have a lot of characters but she adds more in this book. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Manon and her story but I feel like it's going to come together in an epic way. I really got into their perspective and how they do things. It was a bit separated from the books actual plot but I know that it will come together later. I think it's basically to give us a peek into the witches side of this whole war/world. It gives us some good information! I really loved Manon's character by the time we got to the end of the book.

 

 Oh, how I love Rowan. Seriously, he might be my favorite out of all the male characters. He is tough and relentless. Although, you definitely see his other side when it comes to Celaena. They really have the perfect connection and are so similar. They way things come together for them was a bit predictable but I'm not mad about it. It's great! I cannot wait to see what happens in the future with them.

 

I thought that Maas did a wonderful job with Celaena's character in the second book and having her character grow. Boy, did she blow that out of the water in this book. She has Celaena grow into a true warrior/assassin/queen. She embraces her past and learns to deal with it. She makes it part of her and it just takes her to the next level. I love how she's fighting this constant battle of her past/present/future. She's constantly trying to hurt herself and not care about her life because she's trying to atone for the bad things she has done. She doesn't feel she deserves to be queen because she has done nothing for her people in 10 years. She is fighting this constant battle within herself and Maas does a great job making you feel it too.

 

This book doesn't have much in the romance sense but that's okay. There is so many other things going on, you don't have much time to miss it. I'm sure we will get a lot more in the next book. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to start the next one.

 

Crown of Midnight by @Sarah_J_Maas

 

 

 

 

Wow! This book blew me away!

Okay, I totally understand why people have a love for this series. I guess, I shouldn’t say that just yet, with two more books to go. The reason being, this book was fantastic! I was so let down by the first book because it was just slow and the plot didn’t really pull me in. Not the case for this one, at all.

The plot is amazing. There is so much going on that it’s a wild ride. You really just get sucked in and it’s been a while, since that’s happened with a book. I devoured this book in a short time. There is so much character development, plot development and the writing was fantastic. I will admit, this book does not feel like a YA. It’s pretty dark at times and things are described very detail, especially the violence. It didn’t’ take anything away from me. It’s just a warning, if you have teens reading this series. There was so much more magic and power. The way that Celaena’s character developed was beautiful to see. She’s much more powerful and there is so much more depth there.

It wasn’t just Celaena’s character either. We get so much more from all of them! They are all making mistakes and trying to learn from them. Gosh, Maas, did an amazing job with the relationships in this book. I love how she showed us vulnerability from all the characters. They are not perfect but they are trying their hardest. So much more intense and much more tangled. We not only read but understand how they are feeling toward each other. I love how there is no more love triangle. As a reader, you know exactly who is she is in love with.  There is so much deception, secrets and lies. They are all unraveling and it’s becoming so interesting. I honestly, cannot wait to dive into the next book.

I'm so surprised that this book was not predictable. I didn't really know what was going to happen most of the time. I didn't expect that twist either, what a gut puncher! I can't wait to see how Maas works out all these relationships in the next book. I'm totally joining in all they hype! I hope the rest don't disappoint!

 

The Crown by @Kiera_Cass

 

 

 

 

I really want to give this 2 stars but I thought I would be generous because I liked the original books so much. This book was just such a disappointment. The Heir wasn’t too bad and I figured that maybe this one would be better. Nope, it was worse. The biggest problem I have with this book is that it is SO unrealistic. There’s several things that make it so.

For example, there is no way in heck that Maxon would give up his crown and make her daughter queen, to be with his wife. I get she’s a bit sickly now but his DUTY is to be a KING. He’s still of sound mind and there’s no way, after 20 years, he’s going to give up and put his daughter that has no experience on the throne. Secondly, how in the world did she just decide to change the whole entire way the country is run on a whim? Oh, I’m on an emotional high because my “all the sudden” love of my life, loves me back. Let’s get rid of everything that the people are happy about with a snap of my fingers.  It’s just not realistic.

The worst thing to me was the love story or lack thereof. I get that her and Erik had some moments but they never really had much of a way to REALLY fall in love. It just doesn’t happen like that. Cass did not give us a love story and something for us to root for. It was just out of the blue, “Oh, I love him.” It felt forced and I just couldn’t buy it. I found myself really rolling my eyes throughout this book. It’s so sad because I did like the original story. 

Maybe I have just grown as a reader, not sure.

 The writing in this book just really fell flat for me. Not only was it a short book to really end the duology, it was really rushed. I kind of felt like Cass was tired of the series or something. The ending just wrapped up so quickly. She proposes to her “love” and makes a huge change in the country and it’s all happy ever after, in a few pages.

I’m just was expecting so much more. Definitely more of a romance, like Maxon and America’s story.  

Throne of Glass by @Sarah_J_Maas

 

 

 

I was really excited to start this series. I have been putting it off for far too long. I went on vacation and thought, what the perfect series to start!

 

I am so sad to say that I was a bit disappointed. There was so much hype about this book, that I was a tad let down. The good thing, is that the second book is doing better for me. ;-)

 

We start off with Celaena imprisoned and her thinking she's going to die. We then find out that the Prince is there to take her, so she can be his fathers Champion. Such an amazing premise and there could have been so much out of this book. I felt like the story just dragged on and on. I was waiting for some awesome action and for the story to pick up. Don't get me wrong, it's good but not great. I was finding myself a little bored with the story at some points. It finally started to pick up at the end. There was so much of the middle that could have just been cut out. I'm intruiged about all the magic that's starting to happen and what Celaena's roll will be. There's a lot of potential. I hope it gets as amazing as everyone is talking about. I need a lot more movement character and plot wise.

 

I did love Celaena and I think there's a lot more to her than we know. Maybe even more than she knows. I also really liked how she is so independent and doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. I love her sass too. It should be interesting to see how her relationship grows with Westall and the Prince. This is a good book and I'm expecting it to really take off in book two.

 

I'm a tad bit annoyed that there is ANOTHER love triangle. Come on!! I'm not even sure, who I want her to end up with. Maybe the second book will help with that.

 

 

Lady Midnight by @Cassandra_Clare

 

 

This book. was. amazing. I had this sitting on my counter for 5 weeks! It was due back at the library in 4 days and I decided to pick it up and give it a try before returning it. I have a HUGE love for the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices. I own all the books and will back them up til the day I die. I just love, love this world that Cassandra Clare has made. When I saw that she was making another series, I was worried. How could you not be worried? Is it going to be as good as the previous books?  I am beyond excited to say that this just might be her best one yet.


This book is intimidating, especially for a YA novel. It's a whopping 668 pages, plus and epilogue. It was a huge time commitment, in a time when I'm obsessed with Netflix and Hulu. I know, it's so bad. Anyways, I picked this up and decided to give it a try before returning it to the good ol' library. I usually can tell whether I'm going to enjoy a book between 50-100 pages. I started this book today and finished it today. I could not put it down. Cassandra did it again and spun an amazing story that had me from the beginning.
I honestly think this is her best writing yet. This book felt like it had so much more emotional punch and just captured you into the story. I would be reading and didn't even know two hours had passed! The flow of the story is just packed with adventure and you never, ever get bored. There are so many things going on that you really have to pay attention though. The attention to detail she ads to this story is just amazing. I am completely convinced that she has a thing for forbidden love. I actually really love her take on it, in this series.


The character development in this book is outstanding! I loved how Ty's character is so different and there's so much going on there that makes you see how complex he is. The character growth of all the characters is very well done. By the time that you finish this book, you will love them all. Mark's character has a lot to go through and I love how she didn't rush it. She really made you see the struggle and the growth. It was real and hard. It's hard for me to say because I loved Clary but I think I like Emma much more. She is just pure greatness and you get to see her depth in the first book! This is just the first book! I also like Julian more than Jace or Will. WHAT?! I know.. I don't know if it's due to growth in Cassandra's writing or the story itself. The depth and growth of these characters in this first book alone is so great. She did a beautiful job making them all individuals and real.
I also loved the relationships between most of the characters. There's so much going on and so many people involved but she didn't lose the emotion, tension, love and dedication from all these characters relationships. There's a maturity to this book, I didn't see much of, in the previous books from characters.

I did like to see the little parts where the previous characters were included but I liked how it was just a little. They had their time in the sun and although, I love them, it's time to move on. I appreciated the small instances but so glad that they didn't outshine the main characters in this book.

I'm totally team Julian. There HAS to be a way for this to work, HAS TO BE. There is a loophole or something because love is everything. Especially, the love they have for each other. I'm worried though. I really hope that Clare isn't going to throw in a love triangle again. I detest love triangles. I understand it but hate it. So I'm just getting ready for it.. TEAM JULIAN! lol

I LOVED this book. I went through a lot of emotions with this one. I also didn't waste my day, so that's a MAJOR plus. I highly recommend it and I'm not lying when I say that it's her best written book yet. The story is original, fresh and there's a lot of realness to it. The only thing I didn't like was that it was a bit slow to start off, but hang in there, it's worth it. I did love that most things were wrapped up in the first book, so you aren't completely left hanging, until the next book. Don't get me wrong, there's a larger story that needs explored, but there's a semi-ending. I really cannot wait for the next book! Kudos, Clare. I'm sorry that I doubted you.

Lazy Crafternoon by @Stella_Fields

Lazy Crafternoon by Stella Fields
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was expecting more from this because most of these things I have seen in other books or on pinterest. I would say that if you have bored teens at home, this would be good. A lot of these projects are pretty easy and things they would like. I love crafts and I've done most of these on my own. It's a good book if you have teens, otherwise I would just skip out on this one.

I did like that it does have instructions. A lot of books these days, just have pictures and you are on your own. I do want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a temporary download to read and review this book.

The Most Magnificent Thing by @Ashley_Spires

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ah, this book is too cute! I loved this. I think it's a great message to never give up and I love how her dog knows just how to cool off her anger. Such a sweet message and shows that hard work ALWAYS pays off! Great book. Recommend it for sure. The illustrations are also so cute. Simple but precise. Kids will love this!

 

Winter by @Marissa_Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the last book in the Lunar Chronicles series. We get to delve deeper into Princess Winter’s character. She’s stuck on Lunar with her evil stepmother, Levana, and can’t get away. She’s also battling her attraction to Thorne, her longtime childhood friend. In the previous books, we get the hints that Winter is weak and scarred. She is most definitely scarred but she is not weak. Together with the rest of the crew, they come together to fight the war we have been waiting for.

When I first grabbed this book, I was shocked at how big this book was. It is one of the longest YA books that I’ve read in a while. It made me really nervous because if a book is too much over 400 pages, I tend to get lost and bored. Fortunately, that never happened with this book. I started this and could not put it down the whole day. That’s right, I started and finished it in one day! I understand why this was so long. With the previous characters, we get their story and their relationship and some of the bigger plot. With this book, she had to do this and finish the story.

I have loved this story since the beginning. Cinder will always be my favorite because she is clearly the leader. She is so strong and will do whatever it takes to help all the people/friends that she loves. She doesn’t even want to be queen but fights so hard, just to get the people away from Levana’s teirney. I loved Thorne’s character as well. He adds so much fun to this book that you find yourself laughing a lot. His banter with the group, mostly Cinder, is just great.

Winter might be the strongest one of them all. She’s seen as the weak one who has the scarred face and can’t do anything on her own. It’s mostly because Levana will not let her do anything. Levana is scared of her because she knows the truth. Everyone loves Winter for who she is. She’s sweet, caring, and very strong. She decides not to use her Lunar gift and is suffering because of it. She’s going a bit crazy but it’s all because she refuses to use it. To me, that makes her one of the strongest characters in this whole book.

Now, some issues I had with this book… First, the size… I totally understand what she was trying to accomplish but it was a little too much. There are times in this story that there are too many things going on at once. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book immensely. I just think there are things that were a bit overkill. Second, the ending was just a little blah. It drug out a bit too much and everyone’s story cleaned up so nicely. I know, I know. It’s a fairytale teen book. Was I wrong to expect so much more?

Overall, I loved this book and really enjoyed it. I cannot wait for her next one. She has some pretty hefty shoes to fill because she did a fabulous job with this whole series. Way to go, Meyer!

The Winner's Kiss by @Marie_Rutkoski

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third and final installment of the Winner’s Trilogy. This book starts us off at beginning of the war between the East and the West. We also have Arin and Kestrel on two different paths. Kestrel has been caught and captured. We find her on her way to a brutal work camp. Then we find Arin in the thick of the war. He’s leading ship battles and mostly, trying to convince himself that he doesn’t love Kestrel anymore. He believes that she has betrayed him.

I absolutely loved the first book but then the second book fell flat for me. I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint! There’s a lot going on in this book. We have the two main characters both vying for their lives on different parts of the country. We also have the war raging on. I loved Kestrel in this book. She is the absolute definition of a fighter. She fights to her very best and tries so hard to stay alive. Then later in the book, I love how she never just gives into what everyone is telling her. Even though, there are many frustrating points when you just want Arin and her to be together, I respect what the author did here. The characters in this series are just so amazing. I particularly, loved Roshar in this book. His commentary and character growth in this book were refreshing and surprising. I really didn’t think I was going to like him as much as I did. I almost liked him more than Arin.

Once we get to the middle of the book, this book grips you and does not let go. I loved the times when Kestrel is trying to find herself and how caring he is. He is so patient with her and you can feel how much he loves her. I really enjoy the fact that Rutkoski, really made their relationship realistic. They are going through ups and downs that are so much more like real situations, lack of communication and personal struggles. These are things that everyday couples experience and it was nice to see her add some reality to it. She really had a run with my emotions in this book. Rutkoski, really had a gift with her writing.

Really, the only complaint I have is that this book was a bit long. There are times that it drug out a bit but that’s okay. It wasn’t terrible and it never lost me.

Overall, I think that Rutkoski did a fabulous job finishing up this series. I always dread the last book because most of the time, it’s a big miss. She drew me in and never let me go. I am sad to see this series go but at the same time glad it ended well. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! Loved this series!

Queen of the Tearling by @Erika_Johansen

 

 

 

I wanted to love this book so bad. I did not love it. It was a lukewarm like. It took me almost a year to finish this book. Yep. It just sat in a stack of books that I needed to read and I could only read a little at a time before I had to stop.

 

This book had SO much potential but it fell flat for me at many points. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the story. I will most likely read the next book, hoping this was just a rough start. This definitely felt like it was a Game of thrones type of book.

 There are some really graphic instances in this book. One of the things that it reminds me of GOT is the abundance of characters. There are so many characters in this book that I sometimes felt lost and had to backtrack a bit. It could be that it just took me so long to read this.

 

Regardless, I feel like the story itself was great. I really liked Kelsea and her character. This is one thing the author got right. Kelsea is just a badass. She doesn't put up with anything and can take care of herself. I also loved her because she is a good person, truly. If she saw anything bad happen to anyone, she would do everything in her power to stop it or fix it. That's a great character and someone you want to root for.

 

Now, this is where this book dropped to just 3 stars.. For one, it is very slow, almost painful. Reasons I just had to walk away so many times. I'm not a quitter and I finally just forced myself to finish it. The last 150+ pages really pick up and drag you back into the story. At some points, the author just over does it on the details. I started to get lost and just feel my eyes glaze over. The last thing that I didn't like.. there are so many holes. I know, it's a series. I just didn't like that everything was introduced and nothing was explained. Especially, since this book was so long. I felt like she had so much detail on the things that didn't matter and not enough about the important things. For example, what happened in the past? What is going on with the stones?

 

I will most likely read the next book because I need to know all the answers. I'm being a bit more hopeful that it wont be as paintstakingly slow. We will see. I guess, I liked it enough to read the next at somet point.

 

Princess of Tyrone by @Katie_Hastead

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to thank Katie Hamstead for providing me with a copy of this ebook to read and review. These are my own thoughts and opinions. Now, lets get to the book...

 

First, I want to point out that I love the cover! I didn't really get to see it when I got my ebook, so I was surprised when I went to add it to my goodreads account. Love it. I'm a huge Disney princess fan and have always been one. My favorite is The Little Mermaid but I love them all. I'm not saying this is Disney or princess-y but just stating my love for them and the fairytales. When I read the description of this book, it sounded like something right up my alley. It's loosely based on the story about Sleeping Beauty. I love retellings of fairytales.

 

The writing in this book is fantastic! I started this book and it immediately sucked me in. I'm not kidding. I could not put it down and I spent half the day reading this book. I had to know how it ended. I love how Apolline is on a different planet and we get to see how she grew. She becomes a strong, independent, funny women and it made it so easy for us to root for her. I like that we go her whole story and how she meets Allard. I really loved Apolline and Allard. As soon as, she meets him, I was so excited! You fall completely in love with them from the beginning. Especially, knowing who they are to each other when they do not. Hamstead does a wonderful job making sure this isn't just a "love at first sight" romance. You get to see them fall in love and not in just two seconds. That is SO refreshing to me and just so much more realistic. It's a journey and it was so sweet. They both know they are betrothed to someone else and fight their attraction so much. The secondary characters are also fantastic. I love Charlie and how protective he is of Apolline. The relationship between Apolline and the fairies was also a lot of fun. Even Beau and Nathanial are great and they only have a small part in this book. The characters are all what you want from any good book. They will not disappoint. I can't wait to see more about them later. :)

 

I love how Hamstead wrapped up the ending. All these little pieces throughout the book that you don't think mean much, make a huge impact in the end to save Apolline.

Even though this is a retelling, Hamstead does a wonderful job making it her own and added plenty of plot twists. It's full of action and flows really well. Her new world kind of reminded me of the Marissa Meyer, Lunar Chronicles series, which I adored.

 

If you like fairytales and want a fresh new take, this is definitely a must read for you! I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series! Thank you so much for letting me read this to review!

 

Review: Diverging Cadence by Katie Hamstead @Katie_Hamstead @YABoundBookTours

    Like I mentioned in the review of the first book, I'm going to be so random and all over the place with these reviews. I just cannot even handle all the thoughts running through my head. This story is so original. 

    This book was everything. I'm not even kidding. I feel the pace was a bit faster and I know that some people were upset because she was back and forth so many times but really, what would you do? She's completely in love with BOTH men. How is that a choice to be taken lightly? I absolutely believe that there is more than just one person that can make you unbelievably happy and we get to see it here. 

    We start when she's landing at her college that's across the country from everyone she knows and loves. I commend that she made the choice to take the hard road and actually continue on the path because it was the whole point of the second chance. We get to see how tough and strenuous the long distance relationship is for her and James. The whole time, she knows she's going to eventually meet Austin but she just can't let James go. I don't blame her, he's amazing. We had a whole book (first one) to fall completely in love with James. In this second book, we get to do the same with Austin. I admit, it's not as much as a whole book but at least we get a sense of why she loved him so much. We then go through the agonizing events that lead up to her choice. I wont lie, I was so tempted to just look up the ending and see who she would choose. I had no idea and I really couldn't stand the heartbreak of either guy. 

     This book is a lot more fast paced and we get a lot more character development from everyone. I mean it takes talent to be able to keep tabs on so many supporting characters in a natural and unforced way. I will admit that the ending of this book was wrapped up rather quickly. I was half way through this book wondering how she was going to get through the rest of this story, so quickly. 

The last 1/3 of the book, I was a mess. This book tore my heart open and had it spilling all over my face (tears). The twists and turns of this story are fabulous and I promise you will not be disappointed. Hamstead did a marvelous job with these characters and the way you just feel everything they are going through. Cadence is a tough cookie because I honestly don't know what I could have done. The way these characters grow and develop in this book is just amazing. I honestly have not read a book/duology this good in quite a while. 

   In recap, great duology and I highly, highly recommend it. Make sure you have both books on hand because you will not want to stop. You will need to know what happens. You will also give your husband and loved ones extra hugs and cuddles. It really makes you appreciate what you have. Tomorrow is never promised, so always remember to treat every day like it is your last. I will definitely be reading the next thing Katie Hamstead comes out with!

I would like to thank Katie Hamstead and YA Bound Book Tours for providing copies of these ebooks for review. Receiving them free, has not influenced my thoughts and opinions, they are my own. 

Review: Deceptive Cadence by Katie Hamstead @Katie_Hamstead @YABoundBookTours

 Okay, I’ve been on a bit of a reading hiatus and just have not been into it. I needed to just read these and get it done to put up my reviews. These books turned into so much more than a deadline. This will be the most random, all over the place review. I just am having the hardest time coming up with how to review these books because they were just so good. I devoured both books in one day. I did absolutely nothing else but read these. So here is the first book…

The premise was so interesting to me but I wasn’t sure how Hamstead was going to pull it off but she nailed it. So in the first book, the emotions hit you from the very beginning. We get Cadence in the hospital after a horrible earthquake that took her husband and child from her. When you go to the morgue with her, you feel what she feels. Hamstead does an AMAZING job making you feel everything in this book. An angel then appears to her, offering her a second chance to save them. Of course, she jumps on this but the catch is that she has to go back into time ten years. Guys, she has to do high school and those horrible teen years all over. No sweat, right?! The thing is she gets to make up for all her regrets and what if’s. All these new changes help her keep her family intact and then open up a path to a new love.

   Oh how I loved James. The way he pursued her for months, never giving up. The way these two loved was just breathtaking. You could feel all the emotions they were having and let me tell you, it could be so intense. The whole time Cadence is just fighting it so hard because she knows; she’s doing this for one reason, to save her husband and daughter. 

   When she finally gives in, it’s just beautiful. I had no idea who I wanted her to end up with. I remembered the beginning and her love and devastation over the loss but James tested that. You have this whole book to completely fall in love with his character.

   Hamstead did an amazing job with the character growth of not only the main characters but all the supporting characters too. Their families were just so much fun. Cadence’s dad was something else too. Man, James really put up with so much to be with her. You really get how much he truly loves her, which makes this so much harder on her and us, as readers.  

   I wasn’t sure how she was going to get all of high school in this book but she did a great job with it. I admit there are times that things are in so much detail, that it kind of drags a bit but I never got bored.  I was always just enthralled with the story and I would look up and an hour was gone. If flowed well and I think that Hamsted has a talent with words. The way she can just make you feel everything and just keep you sucked into the story.

   I enjoyed how every year the Angel would come back and show her the choices she made differently and the two different paths. It was so interesting to see the paths change of those around her. It really makes you think about all the “what ifs” and regrets in your own life. All these small choices make such huge ripples that you would never even think of.

   This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It will take you all over the place emotionally and you will not want to wait to read the next book. I recommend having them both on hand, so you don’t have to wait.

I want to thank Katie Hamstead and Bound Book Tours for review copies of this book. It has in no way, influenced my opinions and thoughts on this book. 

Release Day & Giveaway: Starflight by Melissa Landers @Melissa_Landers @DisneyHyperion

STARFLIGHT Launch Blitz & Giveaway

 

I'm really excited about this book! I actually live 5 minutes from Loveland, Ohio. How cool is that!?! I love her Alienated series, so I can't wait to see what she has in store, with this new book!

 

Hey there, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m thrilled to announce the release of STARFLIGHT, the first in a brand new sci-fi series from Disney-Hyperion. I originally pitched this story to my editor as “Overboard” (one of my favorite romantic comedies) meets “Firefly” (an amazing show that was tragically cancelled after one season). STARFLIGHT follows the misadventures of Solara Brooks, a penniless felon who indentures herself to her high school nemesis, Doran Spaulding, in exchange for passage to a new world. But when Doran’s memory is temporarily erased, Solara convinces him their roles are reversed—that she’s the master and he’s the servant—and leads him onto a renegade spaceship, where intergalactic shenanigans ensue. STARFLIGHT is very different in tone from the Alienated trilogy, but the story is still filled with all the things I love: humor, heart, and adventure.

 

What do reviewers have to say?

“Get ready for blast-off! Action-packed and utterly addictive, nobody writes like Melissa Landers. A smart, satisfying romance set in a vividly detailed world, Starflight was just plain fun!” –New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman

“Teens will be bracing themselves during the swashbuckling action scenes. A great choice for fans of raw sci-fi action, reminiscent of the lawlessness presented in the television series Firefly.” –School Library Journal

“A lively tale of romance, space pirates, conspiracy, and made (as opposed to genetic) families.” –Booklist

If you like your sci-fi adventure served with a side of romance, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of STARFLIGHT today. It’s now available in stores and online.

 

 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RUTRl2

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1MKVTwt

Book Depository (free international shipping): http://bit.ly/1OoN2WD

Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1IIMPx7

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a STARFLIGHT swag pack, complete with custom nail wraps, bookmarks, and a mini poster! The giveaway is open internationally. Due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

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Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn't afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in pulic-- just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, "Sweetheart of Ohio." For more information or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com