{Book Review} Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

 

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

About the Book:

Release Date: January 18, 2022

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook

Pages: 338

Blurb:

Edinburgh, 1817. Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry. 

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

Buy the Book:

Amazon | Add to Goodreads | Bookshop.org

My Review:

I was drawn to check this book out because it reminded me of the Stalking Jack the Ripper books, which I love. In Anatomy we meet Hazel, who has a passion for medicine and wishes to become a surgeon. The problem? It's Edinburgh in 1817 and women, especially noble-born women, are supposed to be meek, pretty, and have no life or opinions outside of marrying well and producing children.

Then there's Jack, a resurrection man (a person who robs graves and sells bodies to the medical college). He's just trying to survive but his friends are disappearing and a strange illness is spreading through Edinburgh.

When Hazel is discovered to be a female by the professor whose surgical classes she's been sneaking into and is thrown out, she's more determined than ever to continue her studies. All she needs is access to dead bodies. Luckily, a chance encounter introduces her to Jack and they form a tentative agreement. What starts out as a business exchange soon turns into something much more.

I really loved this book. It was definitely one of my favorite reads at the end of 2021, early 2022. While it is similar when compared to other books (Stalking Jack the Ripper, The Corpse Queen, etc.) it was those similarities that originally drew me to the book. It is unique from at lease SJTR in the difference in social class between Hazel and Jack.

My only drawback was the ambiguity of Hazel and Jack's relationship at the end of the book. Will they ever get to be together? For a "love story" as the title specifically states, I wanted more of a tied up ending.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Review: CROWN OF OBLIVION by Julie Eshbaugh

Crown of Oblivion
Julie Eshbaugh
November 12, 2019
HarperTeen
eBook, Hardcover, 480 pages

BLURB
Astrid is the surrogate for Princess Renya, which means she bears the physical punishment if Renya steps out of line. Astrid has no choice—she and her family are Outsiders, the lower class of people without magic and without citizenship.

But there is a way out of this life—competing in the deadly Race of Oblivion. To enter the race, an Outsider is administered the drug Oblivion, which wipes their memory clear of their past as they enter a new world with nothing to help them but a slip of paper bearing their name and the first clue. It’s not as simple as solving a puzzle, however—for a majority of the contestants, the race ends in death. But winning would mean not only freedom for Astrid, but citizenship and health care for her entire family. With a dying father to think of, Astrid is desperate to prevail.

From the beginning, the race is filled with twists and turns. One of them is Darius, a fellow racer Astrid meets but isn’t sure she can trust. Though they team up in the race, as Astrid’s memories begin to resurface, she remembers just who he was to her—a scorned foe who may want revenge. Astrid also starts to notice she has powers no Outsider should—which could help her win the race, but also make her a target if anyone finds out. With stakes that couldn’t be higher, Astrid must decide what is more important: risking her life to remember the mysteries of the past, or playing a cutthroat game in order to win her—and her family’s—freedom.

My Review:

Four years ago Astrid's brother Jayden ran away, escaping his indenture as the prince's surrogate. Astrid, Princess Renya's surrogate nearly died from the beating she took that night.

Now, with her father sick and needing medical attention and her younger brother depending on her, Astrid is thisclose to getting the King's decree allowing her father to get the treatment he needs.

But when tragedy strikes, Astrid is pushed to enter the Race of Oblivion, a life-or-death dangerous race/scavenger-like-hunt across the kingdom where the entrants are given a memory-erasing drug and the final outcome is death, a longer indenture to the king, or - for one lucky winner - citizenship for the winner's whole family.

When Astrid awakens in the race amid competitors who would kill her as soon as look at her, the unexpected help of a young man who seems so familiar to her, and a power she shouldn't have giving her an advantage the stakes are about to get a whole lot higher. 

Crown of Oblivion was so easy to get caught up in. I loved Astrid right from the start and was rooting for her all the way.

I thought the Race of Oblivion, it's memory-erasing drug administered by masked people, and the terrain the race spread across were really interesting and inventive.

There's nervous tension, danger, intrigue, magic, and adventure in these pages that will keep you riveted from start to finish. 

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Crown of Oblivion and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a strong female lead and a unique life-or-death adventure.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: BROKEN THINGS by Lauren Oliver

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Blurb:

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.
Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

My Review:

What first drew me to this book, even before I knew what it was about was the awesome cover. Then, as a Wisconsinite, the blurb immediately drew parallels to the Waukesha Slender Man Case so I knew I had to read it. 

This book is not a play on that case, there are of course similarities whether the author planned on that or not but this book is an engrossing mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out: Who really killed Summer Marks? 

It's a gorgeously written tale of a small town that persecutes three teenagers with little proof, misconceptions, how the scars of the past have shaped the lives of those left behind after a grisly crime, and learning to heal from it all. 

This is my first Lauren Oliver book and after finishing I kind of (completely want to) want to go out and auto-buy all of her other books. The big reveal in this one blew me away, I never would have suspected it and the ending left me satisfied.

Overall, this is a perfect October read, or an anytime read when you're looking for a pulse-racing thriller.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: The Towering Sky by Katharine McGee

The Towering Sky (The Thousandth Floor, #3) by Katharine McGee

Blurb:

The final book in Katharine McGee's epic New York Times bestselling Thousandth Floor series

When you have everything, you have everything to lose.

Welcome back to New York, 2119. A skyscraper city, fueled by impossible dreams.

Leda just wants to move on from what happened in Dubai. Until a new investigation forces her to seek help—from the person she’s spent all year trying to forget.

Rylin is back in her old life, reunited with an old flame. But when she starts seeing Cord again, she finds herself torn: between two worlds, and two very different boys.

Calliope feels trapped, playing a long con that costs more than she bargained for. What happens when all her lies catch up with her?

Watt is still desperately in love with Leda. He’ll do anything to win her back—even dig up secrets that are better left buried.

And now that Avery is home from England—with a new boyfriend, Max—her life seems more picture-perfect than ever. So why does she feel like she would rather be anything but perfect?

Perfect for fans of Kiera Cass and Anna Godbersen, and with all the drama, romance and hidden secrets from The Thousandth Floor and The Dazzling Heights , this explosive finale will not disappoint.

My Review:

The Towering Sky was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and the finale of the Thousandth Floor trilogy was well worth the wait!

All your favorite characters are back, as the police circle investigating the most recent death, and the stakes are higher than ever.

 I loved this book so much, it was everything I could have hoped for in an ending (in that it ended well with wrapping up all the storylines perfectly). 

The world-building in this series had me hooked from the start and I loved all of the features of the tower and their futuristic technology (often envious that we don't have this kind of technology today). 

Overall, this has been a great sci-fi trilogy with murder, mystery, romance, and I will reread not only The Towering Sky but all three for years to come!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young

Blurb:

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

My Review:

Eelyn was raised as an Aska warrior: fierce, brave, and loyal to her people. But when she sees her "dead" brother fighting with the Riki - the enemy of the Aska clan everything changes. She charges after Iri, nearly getting herself killed and then captured by the Riki in search of answers. 

At first Eeyln hates the Riki, as she was raised to. She doesn't understand why her brother would choose to stay with the Riki and betray the Aska. Bought as a dyr (slave) by Iri's friend Fiske she watches the Riki with as much hate and wariness as they look upon her. But soon she begins to see that the Riki aren't that different than the Aska and she starts to see why Iri cares so much about the family that have taken both of them in.

As Eelyn's feelings for Fiske and his family begin to grow an enemy to both the Riki and the Aska resurfaces and the Aska and the Riki will have to band together to defeat their common enemy - and in doing so will change the way the Aska and Riki coexist once and for all. 

Can two warring tribes defeat their greatest enemy? And if so, where will that leave Eelyn in the end?

Sky in the Deep is fantastically written and I absolutely loved the story. Initially I requested to review this book because I'd heard great things about it and I loved the cover but the story exceeded all of my expectations.

Eelyn is a strong character and her emotions were very well conveyed; I felt betrayed when she felt betrayed by Iri, I felt her sorrow for her family and the Riki during the attacks that brought the clans together, and nervous anticipation during the battle scenes (which I thought were well written).

Sky in the Deep is like stepping into the world of Vikings, which happens to be my favorite show, so I think fans of the show will love this book. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book! It's definitely a book to have on your TBR list this spring. I only feel sad that I've finished the book and have to leave this world behind.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: As She Fades by Abbi Glines

As She Fades by Abbi Glines

Blurb:

From the #1 New York Times- and USA Today-bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach and The Vincent Boys series, Abbi Glines delivers another smoldering, compulsively readable YA romance with As She Fades. 

On the night of her high school graduation, Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma. They were supposed to spend the summer planning for college, for a bright future full of possibility. Together. Instead, Vale spends long days in the hospital, hoping Crawford will awaken. 

Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale’s brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can’t deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she's not immune to Slate's charm. Slowly, they form a cautious friendship. 

Then, Crawford wakes up . . . with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life. Except now, she’s in Slate’s territory, and their story is about to take a very strange turn.

Glines’ millions of fans will adore As She Fades, a novel as romantic as it is full of twists and unexpected turns.

My Review:

As She Fades is like a rollercoaster. You're riding along smoothly and you think you have everything figured out and then the bottom drops out from under you, shattering everything you thought you knew. And to be honest, this might be my favorite Abbi Glines novel to date just for its' uniqueness. Plus, Slate is definitely my favorite of her male leads.

The story starts out simple enough, Vale and her boyfriend Crawford get into a major car accident on the night of their high school graduation which leaves Crawford in a coma and Vale sitting vigil in the hospital every day for five weeks. There she meets Slate Allen, a frat brother of her older brother Knox, who is there to spend time with his cancer-riddled uncle. Vale doesn't want to like Slate. She knows his type - the slick, charming, manwhore type and yet as she's shown a different side of him she begins to live again and realizes that her relationship with Crawford wasn't so perfect after all.

As Vale starts college and begins to bring normalcy and routine back into her life she's no longer able to deny her growing attraction to Slate. But Slate's not the relationship type and Vale still has Crawford to think about.

Just as Vale and Slate begin to give into their feelings WHAM, part two starts and turns the entire story inside out. Forget everything, it's like you're reading a completely new story that makes sense but at the same time doesn't; like an alternate reality. 

Some may not like the way this book is plotted with the transition between parts one and two but I actually thought it was well written. The whole story is a departure from the author's other novels and I really loved it. While some of her other novels blend together with their similarity this one will stay with me, haunting me. 

My only issue with this book was where in the blurb it says, "Then, Crawford wakes up . . . with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life." I kept waiting for that but without giving any spoilers away, that's not the way the book is plotted. I don't know if the blurb was written that way to be purposefully deceptive, but its' a little misleading. But either way, it doesn't really affect the beauty of the book inside. 

Overall, I'm so glad I read this book and I definitely recommend it. The twists and turns were perfect and I couldn't wait to see how it ended, and the ending was satisfying.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

Shadowsong (Wintersong Duology #2) by S. Jae-Jones

Blurb:

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. 

When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands?

My Review:

Shadowsong picks up six months after Wintersong. Liesl is back in the world of the living working in the inn alongside her mother and sister Kathe, Josef is still away with his mentor Master Antonius and his beloved Francois, their father is newly dead, their grandmother Constanze is growing madder by the day, and people in the village are dying off - found dead in their beds without a clear cause of death aside from blue on their lips and frosty slashes on their throats. 

Liesl is adrift, mourning the end of her relationship with The Goblin King and she's unable to compose anything let alone finish The Wedding Night Sonata. When the family receives a troubling letter from Josef and another correspondence from a mysterious new benefactor Liesl and Kathe leave Bavaria for Vienna to start their lives over and be reunited with Josef. But Josef is changed, he's no longer the child Liesl grew up doting on but a cold, withdrawn young man full of resentment. 

Tensions are high as they settle into life in Vienna and soon questions begin to arise about their mysterious benefactor. Why did the Count bring them all to Vienna? What does he really want with them? Are the things people say about the Count, wild stories about sacrifices and opium laden parties, true?

Liesl, Josef, Kathe, and Francois are about to learn that their unseen patron has a very specific need for Liesl - one that has nothing to do with music and everything to do with the Underground world she left behind. 

Shadowsong is beautifully written, lyrical prose that drew me back into the world I fell so in love with in Wintersong. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting of the sequel, it was so much more. Where Wintersong was about Liesl discovering who she is and coming to terms with it (and of course our introduction to the sexy Goblin King), Shadowsong is about the bonds between siblings and the rifts that can tear us about, about love and loss, depression and despair. It felt rich with myth and legends, like the stories passed down from generation to generation to explain mundane things like winter and the changing of the seasons in mythical ways, like I was back in school studying mythology.

Maybe because I love someone who suffers from depression, but this book spoke to me in a way that almost moved me to tears in its realistic beauty. I thought the feelings of Liesl, Josef, The Goblin King, and the people who loved them were well plotted. I felt like I could understand and relate to all of the characters at one point or another. 

I loved that this book was written in multiple POVs, in the perspectives of not just Liesl but Josef, The Goblin King, and even occasionally Kathe and Francois and that there were also passages where we could peek into The Goblin King's past. It made for a richer reading experience, at least for me. I also greatly appreciate the glossary at the end of the book. It was the one thing that I had wished I'd had with Wintersong because although I can understand a little French, my German is very limited. 

Overall, I really loved this book. It was better than I could have hoped for and the ending was perfect. I wouldn't have wanted it to be any other way.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

About the author:

S. JAE-JONE (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and erstwhile editrix. When not obsessing over books, she can be found jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, co-hosting the Pub(lishing) Crawl podcast, or playing dress-up. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in North Carolina, as well as many other places on the internet, including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and her blog.

Book Review: There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Blurb:

Love hurts...

Makani Young thought she'd left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She's found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn't far behind.

Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.

My Review:

There's Someone Inside Your House was my first read of 2018 and WOW! I definitely made the right choice picking this book up! 

TSIYH channels Scream in this fantastic YA novel. We have our heroine, Makani Young who left behind a dark secret in her native Hawaii when she moved in with her grandmother in rural Nebraska. There's her two best friends, transgender Darby and Alex, who seems to revel in the grotesque. And then there's Makani's love interest Ollie. The loner, goth (not really but sort of) kid with the bright pink hair whose brother is a cop and his guardian after their parents were killed by a drunk driver. 

When Makani's classmates begin dying in a series of gruesome murders the town is suddenly suspicious of everyone. Who could the killer be? And what is his or her motive? None of the victims seem to be connected, they all came from different cliques, yet the killer's methods grow worse with each killing. Can Makani and her friends figure out who the killer is and clear Ollie, who has fallen under suspicion, in time? Or will the killer turn his murderous gaze on her?

I love, love, loved this book! It was gripping and fast-paced, gory yet not too scary. The killings were well plotted (if not a little unbelievable in a couple cases) and when they were woven in with the hints of Makani's mysterious past it really made you wonder what exactly Makani had done for her parents to ship her off to Nebraska. Could she be the killer, I wondered. 

In true horror-suspense fashion I kept guessing at who the killer might be up until the reveal. I was a bit worried, because we find out the identity of the killer with about 100 pages left in the book, about how the author would wrap the book up. Surely the killer wouldn't be able to go on killing once people knew who he was, right? Boy was I wrong! 

This book had me biting my nails until the very end. I only wish we could have seen a little of the aftermath, maybe how Makani's life went back to normal after the killer was stopped. Was it like in Scream? Was her picture and identity suddenly all over the media? Did Makani's mother ever come to Nebraska? That sort of thing.

Overall I thought this book was amazing. I really wouldn't have changed anything about the plot. I'm definitely going to reread this one again at some point.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Man Crush Monday: Book Boyfriend Edition #4

This MCM I've chosen one of my favorite book boyfriends who is appearing in an upcoming sequel I highly recommend...

Man Crush Monday: Book Boyfriend Edition #4

The Goblin King / Der Erlkonig / Mein Herr

Credit: S. Jae-Jones

Books The Goblin King / Der Erlkonig / Main Herr Appears In:

- Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

- Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

Why I'm Crushing:

The Goblin King is everything I love: broken yet sarcastic, mischievous, and oh-so-sexy. I loved him in Wintersong but I loved him even more in Shadowsong where we get a glimpse into his bleak beginnings and how he became The Goblin King. I love how he loved Liesl so much he was willing to pay the consequences just so she could live and while others have compared Wintersong to Labyrinth (which I have never seen and don't plan to) I saw The Goblin King more as Hades and Liesl as Persephone in a way. If you loved The Goblin King in Wintersong you're going to adore him in Shadowsong!

Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones hits bookshelves February 6, 2018!

Book Review: Breaking the Ice by Julie Cross

Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross

Blurb:

The second book in the Juniper Falls series from NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Cross, perfect for fans of Miranda Kenneally and Abbi Glines.

Haley Stevenson seems like she’s got it all together: cheer captain, “Princess” of Juniper Falls, and voted Most Likely to Get Things Done. But below the surface, she’s struggling with a less-than-stellar GPA and still reeling from the loss of her first love. Repeating her Civics class during summer school is her chance to Get Things Done, not angst over boys. In fact, she’s sworn them off completely until college.

Fletcher Scott is happy to keep a low profile around Juniper Falls. He’s always been the invisible guy, warming the bench on the hockey team and moonlighting at a job that would make his grandma blush. Suddenly, though, he’s finding he wants more: more time on the ice, and more time with his infuriatingly perfect summer-school study partner. 

But leave it to a girl who requires perfection to shake up a boy who’s ready to break all the rules.

My Review:

Breaking the Ice is the second book in the Juniper Falls series and it revolves around Haley Stevenson (Tate's ex-girlfriend from Off the Ice) and Fletcher Scott. 

After her break up from Tate, Haley has sworn off relationships until at least college and she's trying to focus on bringing her grades up during summer school and getting a tuition waiver to go to her dream college, UCF. If only Haley could focus on what she needs to get done.

When her Civics teacher assigns a partner project, Haley seeks out the help of the guy sitting behind her, a guy who seems annoyed with her already. Insert Fletcher Scott who prefers to stick to his loner tendencies after being the victim of bullying and whose family has been the topic of cruel town gossip in the past. The last thing he wants or needs is to get closer to the town "it girl" because getting close to anyone means the chance that someone might figure out his secrets. Secrets he can't afford to have getting out.

As the two spend more and more time together Haley gets under Fletch's skin and teaches him that letting people in isn't always a bad thing and Haley in turn learns the importance of caring about someone other than herself.

I was eager to read Breaking the Ice after reading and loving Off the Ice earlier this year and this book definitely didn't disappoint. If possible, I think I loved Haley and Fletch's story even more than I loved Tate and Claire's story. I thought Fletch's allergies were plotted well and very well researched as well as the undercurrents of Fletch's OCD and Haley's possible ADHD diagnosis, although I would have liked for that to have had a definitive answer. I mean I'm sure Haley had ADHD but it seemed like something that was just going to be looked into. 

I loved getting to see a different side of Haley and the other characters that returned from book one. I especially liked Jamie and kind of hope we either see more of him in a future book or even his own book. Another character I hope to see more of is Fletch's cousin Cole. Maybe give him a year or two to get a little older and I think he'll be a heartbreaker. 

There were a couple things I wish would have been wrapped up more. I would have maybe liked to have seen Mike and Fletch have a conversation about the past, even though I do like how the author plotted it I just would have liked to see them be able to put that incident in the past together. I also kind of feel like we were left hanging at the end with Fletch's hockey offer and I wonder if it will be elaborated on in a future book or if we're to just assume that he said yes (which I think he probably would). 

Overall I loved this book so much. It made me laugh and it's one of those feel good books that will leave you with a smile on your face. This author is definitely one that's books I want to return to over and over again.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

4.75 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Blurb:

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel that begins the Women of the Otherworld series.

My Review:

A year ago Elena Michaels left Stonehaven, Bear Valley, New York, and her werewolf pack behind to live a normal life. But it's not easy being a werewolf in Toronto. She has to sneak away in the middle of the night to Change and go for runs and hide her secret from her live-in boyfriend, Philip.

 The Elena gets a call from her pack Alpha, Jeremy Danvers telling her to come home. Elena resists at first, knowing that returning home to Stonehaven will just dredge up the past again and simultaneous remind her and make her forget why she left in the first place. It will also mean seeing Clayton Danvers again - her former lover who bit her and turned her into a werewolf. 

But Elena is needed back at Stonehaven. A mutt (non-pack werewolf) has killed a woman - and she won't be the last. As Elena reluctantly returns home she falls back into her old patterns and routines. Unbeknownst the to the pack, the troubles they're about to face is bigger than one errant mutt - and not all of them will make it out of the uprising alive. Will Elena realize she needs the pack - and Clayton - as much as they need her? Or will the mutt uprising drive her away from her old life forever?

Let me start by saying, I watched the television show before reading this book. Yes, there are differences between the two, but I believe they're both great despite (or maybe due to) those differences.  

Elena is a strong female lead, her difficult upbringing saw to the strength she would embrace as an adult. I really liked this spin on werewolves, where Elena was the only female werewolf in existence. It made her sound more unique, one woman among the men. 

I love Clayton, and watching Elena try to deny her feelings for him as she tried to tell herself being with him was just returning to the familiar and nothing else was realistic. I also love the rest of the pack members, although I'm sad that Logan has a much smaller role in the book than he did in the show and also Jeremy seemed warmer on the show - albeit at times I wasn't sure he was trustworthy on the show. 

Overall, this book was as easy to get hooked on as the show and I didn't want to put it down.  Despite it being a rather long book I didn't feel like the story dragged or got boring at all. Bitten is filled with action and sexy shirtless werewolves and I found myself loving it even more than Charlaine Harris's True Blood series! This book is definitely a must-read for Urban Fantasy lovers! 

My Rating:

★★★★★

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

Blurb:

Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiancé and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything. 

When Andie meets the two children she quickly realizes things are much worse than she feared. The place is a mess, the children, Carter and Alice, aren't your average delinquents, and the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. What's worse, Andie's fiancé thinks this is all a plan by North to get Andie back, and he may be right. Andie's dreams have been haunted by North since she arrived at the old house. And that's not the only haunting. 

What follows is a hilarious adventure in exorcism, including a self-doubting parapsychologist, an annoyed medium, her Tarot-card reading mother, an avenging ex-mother-in-law, and, of course, her jealous fiancé. And just when she thinks things couldn't get more complicated, North shows up on the doorstep making her wonder if maybe this time things could be different between them. 

If Andie can just get rid of all the guests and ghosts, she's pretty sure she can save the kids, and herself, from the past. But fate might just have another thing in mind.... 

My Review:

All Andie (Andromeda) Miller wants is closure from her ex-husband of ten years, North Archer so she can marry her new love Will. But on the day Andie goes to return her un-cashed alimony checks to North he has an unusual proposition for her. 

North has become the guardian of a distant cousin's two children, Carter and Alice. So far the kids have gotten rid of three nannies who all claim the children are incorrigible and that the house is haunted. So North is willing to pay Andie $10,000 a month to go to the house in Southern Ohio, fix things, and bring the children back up to Columbus.

When Andie arrives at the house she finds a crumbling mansion similar to the House of Usher and Hill House combined and the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. 

As she tries to bond with Alice and Carter she finds herself haunted by steamy dreams of her ex-husband and nearly-nightly midnight visits from a mysterious girl who makes her think that maybe there really are ghosts. Especially when she sees another woman dressed in 19th-century garb across the pond in the backyard and a similarly dressed man peering at her from the turret's balcony. 

Things spiral out of control when Andie's ex-brother-in-law Southie shows up with a child-bullying tv reporter and a parapsychologist who doesn't believe in ghosts; followed by her crazy tarot card reading mother, her ex-mother-in-law Lydia, Isolde Hammersmith the supposed best psychic in Ohio, her fiance Will, and finally North Archer himself, the one that everyone has been waiting for. Andie knows she must figure out how to put the ghosts to rest once and for all before somebody else gets killed. And then maybe she will realize that all everyone's been wanting is a second chance; and that MAYBE THIS TIME she and North can work things out.

This book rings true to Miss Crusie's usual witty banter and charm. There is never a dull page to be found and it makes you feel good reading it!

 Yes, I've read this book again. And I still love it. But this time I find myself wishing the author would write a sequel, maybe when Alice and Carter are adults where they return to Archer House and realize that one of the ghosts (won't say which because of spoilers!) is still around. That would be awesome!

The only complaint I have after reading this book so many times is that I've begun to pick up on a few grammatical errors that never got fixed during the publishing process. But maybe I'm just picky.

My Rating:

Forever ★★★★★

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Paper Princess by Erin Watt

Paper Princess (Royals #1) by Erin Watt

Blurb:

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor―a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone. 

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

My Review:

Seventeen-year-old Ella Harper has not had an easy life. She started stripping at fifteen to pay her dying mother's medical bills and now she strips to keep a roof over her head while still attending high school. But everything changes when Callum Royal shows up at Ella's school and announces that since both of her parents are dead and as her father's (the man she never met) best friend, he is her legal guardian.

     Ella tries to run but Callum quickly locates her in a strip club where she's trying to earn a little fast cash. He makes her an offer: come live with him and his five sons and he'll give her $10,000 each month that she stays plus more after she graduates.

      Reluctantly Ella goes with him to his mansion on the Atlantic coast. Upon arrival it is clear that Callum's sons are not happy that she's going to be living with them - Especially second oldest son, Reed.

      As Ella tries to settle into her surreal new life the Royal house is filled with tension as the boys try to prove Ella is either sleeping with their dad or just after money. Ella tentatively becomes friends with Callum's girlfriend Brooke and Valerie, the cousin of her new school's resident mean girl, Jordan.

      The longer she stays the more the Royal boys realize she's not going anywhere and a truce is forged. The more time Ella spends with the gorgeous Reed, the more she wants him. But does he want her too?

       As they grow closer Ella finds herself falling for Reed. But what dark secrets is he hiding? Do they have a future or will Reed torpedo their budding relationship and break Ella in the process?

    Paper Princess was an amazing read! I found it nearly impossible to put down from the first page. Paper Princess reminded me slightly of a mash-up between Megan Mead's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian and the movie Cruel Intentions. Ella is tough as nails on the outside but on the inside, she just wants normalcy and to be accepted. I loved all of the Royal boys, especially Easton. I wasn't sure I would like Reed but underneath his angry exterior is an amazing, caring guy.

      The ending completely shocked and broke me and I NEED to read the next book pronto! As a whole Paper Princess is a perfectly written tale of a poor girl with a dark past being thrust into a vastly different life than she's ever experienced before. This book made me laugh at times but more importantly it made me FEEL. I loved every minute of this fast-paced read and I can't wait to see what's next for Ella and the Royal family.

My Rating:

5 of 5 Stars

Book Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb:

The long path to the throne has just begun for Aelin Galathynius. 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. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

My Review:

It's time for Assassin-Queen Aelin Galathynius to begin her quest to regain her throne, but the Lords of Terrasen are unwilling to let go of the past and Aelin's history as Adarlan's assassin and recognize her as the true Queen of Terrasen. 

When an imminent attack on Rifthold by the Ironteeth witches is uncovered, Aelin sends Rowan to save Dorian and bring him to Skull's Bay while Aelin, Aedion, and Lysandra set off to take back Ilium from Erawan's stolen Ardarlan forces. There her ancestor Brannon commands that she search out a lock. Pushing it aside she and her allies sail to join Rowan and Dorian in Skull's Bay where Aelin hopes to call in some debts and build up her army against Erawan. But why is the lock so important? And what does Aelin's destiny have to do with the lock?

Meanwhile,  Elide Lochan is lost within the Oakwald forest and being stalked by monstrous creatures from Morath called ilken. She must find her Queen and she's been charged with delivering a stone to someone unknown to her named Celaena Sardothian. When she's on the brink of being captured by the ilken she is saved by a Fae warrior, Lorcan. Together they tentatively forge a promise that Lorcan will take her to Terrasen under his protection as long as she tells him everything she knows of Morath. But while being hunted by the ilken and hiding amongst a traveling carnival will their search for Aelin truly take them to Terrasen? Or will their path take them somewhere else entirely? Will they be betrayed and captured before they ever reach Aelin? And is it possible that after centuries alone, the heartless warrior's heart may finally be softening towards someone?

When Manon Blackbeak kills one of Iskra Yellowlegs's Thirteen and saves Dorian Havillard from slaughter she's essentially signed her death warrant in the eyes of the Matrons. Will she or her Thirteen escape their punishment? What will happen when the secret of her heritage is revealed? 

As Aelin and her allies converge on Skull's Bay and beyond, new allies will be made, strengths will be put to the test, and new dangers will arise. Will Aelin and her court make it through unscathed? Or will everything go terribly awry? 

Empire of Storms, the fifth installment of Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series is a high-risk, heart-pounding adventure. I haven't read the first four books (except for the first 30 pages of Throne of Glass) and initially it took me a few chapters to piece everything together, but even not reading the first books I easily became engrossed in the story. Empire of Storms is a massive book and it took me ages to get through but I loved every minute of it. 

Once again Sarah J. Maas has created a world full danger and intrigue with enough unique characters to fall in love with. Throughout reading Empire of Storms, I got caught up in all the different relationships forming - from Lysandra and Aedion to Manon and Dorian to Elide and Lorcan and even the meeting of Aedion and his father and they all tugged at my heartstrings just as much as Aelin's quest and Aelin's relationship with Rowan did. Maas's excellent writing kept me turning pages, dying to find out what dangers laid ahead and how each character would make it through - if they would make it through. I have to admit, of all the sexy male character in this series, I think Lorcan might be my favorite, though. 

The ending of this book completely blew me away and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in book 6. This book is a must read for fans of the series, but prepare yourself for the heart-stopping ending! 

My Rating: 

5 of 5 Stars