Book Review: When It's Real by Erin Watt

When It's Real by Erin Watt

Blurb:

Under ordinary circumstances, Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett would never even cross paths. 

There's nothing ordinary about Oakley. This bad-boy pop star's got Grammy Awards, millions of fangirls and a reputation as a restless, too-charming troublemaker. But with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley needs to show the world he's settling down—and who better to help him than Vaughn, a part-time waitress trying to help her family get by? The very definition of ordinary. 

Posing as his girlfriend, Vaughn will overhaul Oakley's image from troublemaker to serious artist. In return for enough money to put her brothers through college, she can endure outlandish Hollywood parties and carefully orchestrated Twitter exchanges. She'll fool the paparazzi and the groupies. She might even start fooling herself a little. 

Because when ordinary rules no longer apply, there's no telling what your heart will do…

My Review:

19-year-old Oakley Ford has a problem. He hasn't brought out a new album in two years and he's losing followers on social media by the thousands. He's dying to change his sound and work with his dream producer but all the producer sees is another pop star who isn't serious about music or life. 

Insert Vaughn Bennett - a regular girl who's just trying to work hard to help support her family after her parents died two years earlier in a car wreck. Oakley's PR team have thought of the perfect solution - a made-for-publicity relationship with a "normal" girl so people will start thinking he's getting serious about life and music again. Vaughn is hesitant. She has a boyfriend, W, who she adores even if he is pressuring her to have sex with him. And okay, she can't stand the stupid Youtube videos W and his friends make. But they want her to pretend date Oakley Ford - the guy who cheated on his last "girlfriend?" Are these people crazy? But when Vaughn hears what Oakley's management team are willing to pay her she has no choice. Her family needs the money. 

Everything has been carefully planned - from Vaughn's fake breakup with W to her meet-cute with Oakley on Twitter to the beginnings of an unbelievable-if-it-weren't-true romance - except for one thing: Vaughn and Oakley can't stand each other. Oakley can't believe he's stuck with the one girl in the world not falling at his feet and Vaughn thinks Oakley is an arrogant self-entitled jerk. This will never work. Or will it work too well?

When what starts out as a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt begins to turn into the real thing, will Vaughn and Oakley's relationship survive the Hollywood fishbowl of paparazzi, online haters, and fame whores looking to sully Vaughn's name to make one for themselves? Or will Oakley's fame tear them apart?

At first, I was afraid I wouldn't like When It's Real as much as I've loved Erin Watt's Royals series. I was afraid Oakley was being made out to be like a Justin Bieber-type, but as I allowed myself to dive deeper into Oakley and Vaughn's story I realized I couldn't be more wrong. I loved When It's Real, every single minute of it!

While Vaughn did slightly remind me of Ella from the Royals Series, I found her struggle to balance friends, work, relationships, and helping her sister Paisley care for their younger brothers to be genuine and relatable. 

Oakley, meanwhile, transformed from a self-absorbed jerk into a decent guy as he began falling for Vaughn and I loved his friendship with Ty and the way he, with Vaughn's help, began to mend his rocky relationship with his mother. Erin Watt portrayed what we sometimes forget about celebrities: that they're just people too. People that make mistakes and deserve some sense of privacy. What they do for a living doesn't mean we have the right to invade every aspect of their life and the normal things we take for granted are things they rarely get to truly enjoy. 

I easily fell for Vaughn and Oakley, enjoying the chemistry they tried to deny, hurting for Vaughn as she dealt with W - who was a total creep - and when the trolls on social media said horrible things about her and celebrating with both of them as they fell in love and learned from each other about what really mattered. 

Overall, if you love hate-to-love romances with a dash of humor and characters that will ruin you (in a good way), When It's Real is a contemporary young adult novel that you'll definitely want to toss in your beach bags and take with you this summer because you won't want to put it down! 

My Rating:

4.5 of 5 Stars!

When It's Real is available today, May 30, 2017, from Harlequin Teen! Grab your copy now:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Add to Goodreads

Book Review: Divine by Leanne Rathbone

Divine (The Revelations Series Book 2) by Leanne Rathbone

Divine
The Revelations Series
Leanne Rathbone
May 20, 2017
YA Paranormal / Fantasy
eBook

Blurb:

What do you do when you discover that your entire life has been a lie, that you were living solely to serve the purpose of another?

Seventeen year old Grace Ayre is heartbroken. She's still reeling from the devastating loss of two people whom she loved and the realization that her life has never really been her own.

Lies and deceptions are all she's ever known but now the truth is out. The world she thought she knew is only half the story, and the more she hears from the other side, the more she realizes she is nothing more than a clueless little girl. She must reach her eighteenth birthday in order to fulfill a prophecy and end a war that has raged since the dawn of time. There's just one problem...the Guardians are standing in her way. As a band of despicable assassins without conscience, they will stop at nothing to end Grace's life and prevent the prophecy from being realized.

If she thought falling hard for a demon was her biggest problem then she was sadly mistaken.

Turning eighteen has never been so important. Join Grace as she continues her journey of discovery in Divine: Book Two of The Revelations Series.

My Review:

I was really eager to read Divine after reading and loving Grace last year. Admittedly, it's been a long year filled with a lot of other books but the beginning of Divine confused me. The last I remembered Tyler was the only fatality of Grace's showdown with the Guardians at the church. And I didn't think she was with Dan. So when the story begins and Grace is living in a flat with Dan with bits and pieces of her memory gone I actually thought maybe I was losing things. So I reflected back and no, I'm not crazy - we left off with Grace very much in love with Nate. 

As Grace's memories begin to resurface she struggles with the feeling that Dan isn't who she really wants - but it isn't until she runs into a stranger that seems crushed that she doesn't remember him that things finally start to unravel and the truth begins to shine through, clearing things up for me as a reader. 

It was easy to get caught up in the story as Grace learns more about herself and the prophecy, as well as the truth of Lucifer, God, and the Guardians and the need to find out what's going to happen next keeps the reader engaged. Will the Guardian's strike again? Where is her mother, do they have her? Will Grace be able to control her power? 

At the same time, although I understand that it was hard for Grace to come to terms with her future and people wanting her dead, her naivety kind of annoyed me at times. And the way the story was written, where the author uses "?!" quite a bit at the end of sentences sounded like the character was a bit ditsy. It also lost a little something with me that Grace got so wrapped up with sleeping with Nate once they'd started - it was like a kid with a shiny new toy. 

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story - it still reminds me of Lauren Kate's Fallen series which I read and loved as a teenager and I think the story overall is a cool idea which I know that readers will love. I just didn't quite love Divine as much as the first book. 

Would I read the final book in the trilogy? Yes, because I want to know how it all wraps up.

To summarize, Things I liked about Divine:
- Hearing more about Dan and Nate's past and getting to see him in a different light because I admit, I didn't like Dan in Grace.
- Grace learning more about the prophecy and the roll she'll play in the battle between Lucifer and God.
- The action in the story. 

Things I didn't like about Divine:
- Grace's naivete.
- The over-usage of exclamation points and "?!"
- (Slightly) the beginning of the book because it confused me from where it left off in book one.

My Rating:

3.75 of 5 Stars!

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #73

Today's "WIR"-Wednesday is completely dependent on today's mail. I finished reading When It's Real by Erin Watt yesterday (more on that review later this month) and I don't want to start a new book because by tonight I am fully planning to dive into...

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb:

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Why I Chose This As My Next Read:

Um, do I really need to explain this? It is my most anticipated read of the spring, possibly the year, and I've been dying to get my hands on it since I finished reading ACOMAF last May. This is a long time coming and I can't wait to dive in. I even put off reading The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins because I didn't want to be in the middle of a long book when I got ACOWAR. Will it live up to the hype? I hope so! Please - nobody spoil anything for me! 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #70

You know how sometimes life can get busy and get in the way of you reading a really good book? That's what happened to me last week and unfortunately I didn't finish reading Cora Carmack's Roar until just last night. Which means I am just now beginning The Great Pursuit. So this "WIR"-Wednesday, I will briefly remind you of both what The Great Pursuit is about and the book it followed, The Great Hunt and do a little bit of a "Waiting On Wednesday" to make this post a little more interesting. 

The Great Pursuit (Eurona Duology #2) by Wendy Higgins

Blurb:

One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continues.

The kingdom of Lochlanach has traded the great beast that once terrorized the realm of Eurona for something far more dangerous: the ire of powerful Lashed woman Rosaria Rocato. Rosaria demands that Eurona overturn the laws prohibiting magic, or an innocent will be killed each day.

Despite the king’s resistance, Princess Aerity believes they must make peace with the Lashed, and though she’s accepted a betrothal to the man who took down the beast, she cannot help thinking about Paxton, the Lashed man who stole her heart and disappeared.

Aerity soon discovers that Paxton has joined Rosaria’s army in the war against her family. Though her feelings for him are still strong, her duty to her kingdom and her family is stronger—especially when her parents are kidnapped and she has to step up to the throne and once again put aside what’s best for her in order to do what’s best for her people. Paxton and Princess Aerity must fight to see what is more powerful: their love or the impending war between the magical Lashed and the non-magic humans.

Current Progress:

Page 12 of 496 (2%)

The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology #1) by Wendy Higgins

Blurb:

When a monstrous beast attacks in Eurona, desperate measures must be taken. The king sends a proclamation to the best and bravest hunters: whoever kills the creature will win the hand of his daughter Princess Aerity as a reward. The princess recognizes her duty but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger—she was meant to marry for love—until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. And while there’s no denying the fiery chemistry between them, Princess Aerity feels that Paxton’s mysteriousness is foreboding, maybe even dangerous.

Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He is determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast—but the princess continues to surprise him, and the secrets he’s buried begin to surface against his wishes.

What I Loved About This Book:

The Great Hunt was the first High Fantasy novel that I've read (unless you count Suzanne Selfor's The Sweetest Spell) and I fell instantly in love with the genre. Wendy Higgins wrote an amazing novel, based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale The Singing Bone, that is filled with romance, action, adventure, and danger. I've read so many fantasy novels since this one and yet The Great Hunt still shines as one of my favorites. I'm hoping that The Great Pursuit will live up to my love for book one and bring me the satisfying conclusion I'm looking for. 

You can order signed, personalized copies of The Great Hunt, The Great Pursuit, and Wendy's other books until April 17th, on Good Choice Reading's Virtual Signing! Learn more here.

This Wednesday, I'm also waiting on an e-ARC of my friend, Leanne Rathbone's upcoming novel, DIVINE. Scroll down for my WAITING ON WEDNESDAY...

Divine (The Revelations Series #2) by Leanne Rathbone

Blurb:

What do you do when you discover that your entire life has been a lie, that you were living solely to serve the purpose of another?

Seventeen year old Grace Ayre is heartbroken. She's still reeling from the devastating loss of two people whom she loved and the realisation that her life has never really been her own.

Lies and deceptions are all she's ever known but now the truth is out. The world she thought she knew is only half the story, and the more she hears from the other side, the more she realises she is nothing more than a clueless little girl. She must reach her eighteenth birthday in order to fulfil a prophecy and end a war that has raged since the dawn of time. There's just one problem...the Guardians are standing in her way. As a band of despicable assassins without conscience, they will stop at nothing to end Grace's life and prevent the prophecy from being realised.

If she thought falling hard for a demon was her biggest problem then she was sadly mistaken.

Turning eighteen has never been so important. Join Grace as she continues her journey of discovery in Divine: Book Two of The Revelations Series.

Why I'm Waiting:

Leanne is an amazing author. I devoured Grace (Revelations Series #1) in a day because I really couldn't put it down! When she asked if I would be interested in reading and reviewing Divine I jumped at the chance because I'm excited to see what's going to happen next. This is truly a series and an author to look out for!

Preorder Divine here | Grab a copy of Grace here

Book Review, Release Day Blitz, & Giveaway: Just An Illusion - the B Side by D. Kelly

Just an Illusion - the B Side (Illusion Series #2) by D. Kelly

Blurb:

Three life-altering months …

That’s how long it’s been since Amelia Greyson joined the Just an Illusion Tour with Bastards and Dangerous. She’s made new friends, embraced her past, and even found love.

  

Back on the road …

Following a tragic situation, Amelia is determined to hit the road, put her life in order, and finish the book she was hired to write. Mel’s not the only one affected by what happened; the men of BAD are all trying to move forward, not wanting the past to ruin the remainder of their farewell tour.

Brother vs Brother …

Tensions are high on the Weston brothers’ bus. As each brother settles into their role in Amelia’s life, secrets threaten to rip their relationship to shreds. Can Noah and Sawyer find a way to save the brotherly bond they share? Or will the woman of their dreams end up tearing them apart for good?  

My Review:

Just An Illusion - the B Side picks up from Side A's cliffhanging end. Who got shot at the end of Side A? Are Amelia "Mel" Greyson and Noah Weston alive? Or has Mel lost another person she loves?

        As Mel and Noah recover from the shooting their relationship will be tested by Noah's increasing desire for marriage and children, the constant watchful eye of the paparazzi, crazy fans, and Noah's twin Sawyer's feelings for Mel.

       Is their relationship built to last? Or will some outside force tear them apart? Will Sawyer be able to get over Mel? Or will his feelings for his brother's girlfriend ruin his relationship with his brother forever?

      I both liked and disliked Just An Illusion - The B Side. I'm still not Team Noah - he's just too perfect in my opinion - and I don't mean that in a good way. I loved the storylines of the more minor characters more than reading about Mel and Noah's relationship because it felt, mostly toward the end, a little too sickening. Maybe it's just that I see so much more potential for Mel with Sawyer that I just can't get behind the Noah thing.

     I will say that Just an Illusion - the B Side was easy to get caught up in. The pages fly by as the reader tries to figure out what will happen next. On the flip side, I could have done with more happening in this book - it just seemed like everything moved too smoothly without much conflict. Almost like the author was waiting for the shocking cliffhanger at the end to speed things up.

     After that ending, I'm dying to see how the trilogy will wrap up. Overall, this was a quick, mostly enjoyable read and I'm glad I read it.

           My Rating: 

        4 of 5 Stars!

***

BONUS: RELEASE DAY BLITZ & GIVEAWAY

 

Just An Illusion - The B Side (Illusion Series - Book 2)

Cover Design: Regina Wamba / Mae I Design and Photography

Release Date: March 30, 2017

 

Synopsis

Three life-altering months … 

 That’s how long it’s been since Amelia Greyson joined the Just an Illusion Tour with Bastards and Dangerous. She’s made new friends, embraced her past, and even found love. 

Back on the road … 

 Following a tragic situation, Amelia is determined to hit the road, put her life in order, and finish the book she was hired to write. Mel’s not the only one affected by what happened; the men of BAD are all trying to move forward, not wanting the past to ruin the remainder of their farewell tour. 

Brother vs Brother … 

 Tensions are high on the Weston brothers’ bus. As each brother settles into their role in Amelia’s life, secrets threaten to rip their relationship to shreds. Can Noah and Sawyer find a way to save the brotherly bond they share? Or will the woman of their dreams end up tearing them apart for good?    

Add to Goodreads

   

Giveaway

$20 Amazon Gift Card

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b1257f8d12/?

       

Available Now

Just an Illusion - The A Side (Illusion Series - Book 1)

                                 Synopsis

One night changed her life…   

 Bestselling author Amelia Greyson has grown up in the music industry and isn’t the slightest bit fazed by fame or celebrities. However, when she attends a Bastards and Dangerous concert with her best friend Belle, her world shifts on its axis. 

   Double trouble…   

 Sawyer and Noah Weston are the front men of BAD. They’re fraternal twins and sexy as sin. When they hear the author of The O Factor is in their green room, they’re intrigued. She’s just the person they need to write their farewell story. The brothers offer Amelia the opportunity of a lifetime, which she reluctantly accepts.  

 Three hearts…   

 Noah is sweet and considerate, working hard to make Amelia feel at home on the road. Unfortunately, the closer they get, the more obnoxious Sawyer becomes. Sawyer is arrogant and distant and he wants Amelia, even though she’s not his for the taking. Only during stolen moments does Sawyer show her who he really is.   Can Amelia maintain a safe distance from Sawyer and keep her heart intact? Or will she shatter Noah’s heart by giving hers to his brother instead?   

 *Mature Content- This book contains situations not intended for persons under the age of 18. Including, but not limited to - open door sex, cursing, alcohol and/or drug use, and possible triggers.*    

Add to Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nmHCCr

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2mEPqAU

iBooks: http://apple.co/2lU6aFL

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2nmABl6

       

About the Author

Dee Kelly was born and raised in Southern California. She is the author of The Acceptance Series and the upcoming Illusion Series. Dee has loved writing since she was a child and used to enjoy spinning stories to her childhood friends and seeing their reactions. Dee is a mom, a wife, a dog lover and a margarita enthusiast. She also loves chocolate, caramel, Starbucks, and sarcasm. Dee would love it if you could hit that yellow favorite button under her picture on this page. When you mark an Amazon favorite they will email you when the author has a new book release.

Connect with Dee

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2ngwyK4

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2mCW4Gk

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2lU7EzG

Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2mkiDPb

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2nmHTVX

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2nxf9ZI

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2n2aiTW

 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #65

I am so in love with the book I'm reading this "WIR"-Wednesday. It's an engrossing YA Fantasy with bits of history woven in that's coming out later this month. I'm reading...

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary. 

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romani, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far: 

I read an excerpt of the first chapter of Blood Rose Rebellion on the publisher's website and was instantly hooked so I was so excited when I received an ARC. This book is highly addictive and I don't want to put it down! I really like Anna as a main character and I'm eager to see how the book ends. 

The Great Pursuit Release Day Blitz

I am so excited that THE GREAT PURSUIT by Wendy Higgins is available now and that I get to share the news! I loved The Great Hunt and The Great Pursuit is one of my most anticipated reads this spring! 

If you haven’t yet heard about this amazing high fantasy novel by one of my favorite authors Wendy Higgins, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for some amazing prizes! So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

***

Title: THE GREAT PURSUIT (Eurona Duology #2)

Author: Wendy Higgins

Pub. Date: March 7, 2017

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 512

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads

In The Great Pursuit, the dramatic sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Great Hunt, Wendy Higgins delivers another thrilling fantasy filled with dangerous enemies, political intrigue, searing romance, and a princess who is willing to do everything to protect her kingdom. 

One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continues.

The kingdom of Lochlanach has traded the great beast that once terrorized the realm of Eurona for something far more dangerous: the ire of powerful Lashed woman Rosaria Rocato. Rosaria demands that Eurona overturn the laws prohibiting magic, or an innocent will be killed each day.

Despite the king’s resistance, Princess Aerity believes they must make peace with the Lashed, and though she’s accepted a betrothal to the man who took down the beast, she cannot help thinking about Paxton, the Lashed man who stole her heart and disappeared.

Aerity soon discovers that Paxton has joined Rosaria’s army in the war against her family. Though her feelings for him are still strong, her duty to her kingdom and her family is stronger—especially when her parents are kidnapped and she has to step up to the throne and once again put aside what’s best for her in order to do what’s best for her people. Paxton and Princess Aerity must fight to see what is more powerful: their love or the impending war between the magical Lashed and the non-magic humans.

Grab the eBook 1 THE GREAT HUNT for just $1.99!

Amazon, B&N, iBooks

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

A new beast roamed the kingdom of Lochlanach, killing at will. A second unnatural monster created by the hands of Rozaria Rocato, granddaughter of the most infamous and hated Lashed One of all time. Princess Aerity Lochson’s mind was a blur of piled-up worries as she rushed from High Hall of the castle, away from the frightened commoners and guests who’d come for her betrothal ceremony, and toward the office of her father, King Charles. She turned at the sound of heavy footsteps behind her and found both her childhood friend Lieutenant Harrison Gillfin and her betrothed, Lord Lief Alvi, following. Lord Alvi looked every bit the hero—his broad stature striking, with elk furs about his shoulders and a black kilt to his knees above leather boots. His blue eyes were filled with bright passion and hunger, but those emotions were not for her. They were for the beast. The new hunt.

He had killed the first creature, thereby earning her hand in marriage. The thought twisted Aerity’s stomach with discomfort and turned her mind to the man who’d disappeared weeks before when the beast was killed—the Lashed man who’d taken her heart with him and would likely never return. She clenched her jaw. This was no time to think of Paxton Seabolt or her drowned desires. The kingdom was suffering again—rendering everything she’d sacrificed to have been in vain.

Her eyes shifted from Lord Alvi’s to Harrison’s and found a fierce, protective comfort there. Harrison stood tall, lean, and capable. Never faltering. The thought of her noble friend fighting yet another beast filled her with sharp fear. So many lives had already been lost, including Harrison’s cousin Breckon, who’d been the true love of Aerity’s cousin Wyneth. Half a year was all it had taken to trample the dreams and futures of so many.

Aerity gave the men a nod to follow her. She lifted her long white skirts and moved quickly down the tapestry-lined hallway to her father’s office. Guards and soldiers ran past, shouting orders, fully armed with bows, swords, and lines of throwing daggers strapped across their uniformed tunics.

She opened the door without knocking. No fewer than twenty faces shot toward her. She recognized the burgundy red hair of her mother, along with her aunts and uncles, military elite, and royal advisers. Her father invited them in with a quick flick of his fingers.

When the door closed he asked her, “What is the state of things in High Hall?”

“The people seemed to have calmed for the moment, Father,” Aerity said. “And supper is being served.”

“Your daughter gave a rousing speech,” Lord Alvi pro- claimed in his rumbling voice. “She is to thank for the calm.” Aerity’s face flushed with heat at the unexpected compliment. Then he put a heavy hand on her shoulder and pulled her close. Aerity fought the urge to shrug away. For the sake of the kingdom, she had made a commitment to become his bride, and she would follow through regardless of what her heart wanted, and regardless of the fact that she was certain feelings had grown between Lief and Wyneth.
“Did she?” The king’s eyes softened with pride, and her mother, Queen Leighlane, smiled at Aerity and Lief, no doubt thinking what a lovely couple they were. If she only knew.

Behind them Harrison cleared his throat. “Are we to begin hunting the creature, Your Majesty?”

King Charles nodded, his face lined with anxiety. “Aye. But most of the hunters have dispersed.” Or been killed, Aerity thought with sorrow, remembering the men who’d come from all over Eurona and even a huntress who’d lost her life.

“I can have a message sent to Tiern Seabolt,” Harrison said. “I’m certain he would return with haste.”

Aerity’s abdomen tightened. Tiern was Paxton’s younger brother. He’d nearly been killed by the first beast and had been saved by Paxton’s Lashed magic. It was the very reason Pax had fled the kingdom—using magic was illegal, even to heal. Aerity didn’t want Tiern to hunt again. She didn’t want Paxton’s sacrifice to have been a waste.

“And his older brother?” the king asked.

“Nay.” Harrison paused. “He disappeared after the hunt. We don’t know his whereabouts.”

“Must you call Tiern back?” Aerity asked. When her father’s eyebrows drew together she emended, “He’s . . . so young.”

“He’s the same age as you, Daughter,” the king reminded her. “Seventeen. A man who’s already proven himself in the hunt.” Aerity pressed her lips together and nodded. She could not keep Tiern safe any more than she could force Harrison to stay out of harm’s reach. Their heroic hearts would urge them forward.

“Can we send word to the Zandalee?” Aerity’s uncle Lord Wavecrest asked.

The king shook his head. “I’m afraid not this time. The letter from the Rocato woman stated that her creatures have now been released in all the lands of Eurona. The Zandalee will be needed to fight in their own drylands of Zorfina.”

A fearful silence fell over the room. Each kingdom was on its own with its own beasts to battle now. Lochlanach was a quaint kingdom of fishermen and crop villagers, farmers, that had enjoyed many years of peace. The people had risen together to fight the first beast, but how much more could the king expect from them? It was too much. To imagine this kind of horror inflicted on innocent people all over Eurona sickened Aerity.

“Perhaps another proclamation?” Lord Wavecrest suggested carefully. At this proposal from Aerity’s uncle, the men in the room glanced around at one another, and the hairs rose on the princess’s arms. The queen caught her daughter’s eyes, and they both went still.

The last proclamation had offered Aerity’s hand in marriage to whoever killed the beast. The only thing left to give was the second princess, Aerity’s fifteen-year-old sister, Vixie. Her father stared down at his desk.

“No.” Aerity stepped forward, out of Lord Alvi’s embrace, her body trembling. “You cannot offer Vixie’s hand.”

The king’s hazel eyes, filled with regret, rose to hers. “I have nothing left to give.” With Vixie’s hand would come her dowry of lands. Using Vixie as a prize would surely smother her soul. Aerity wouldn’t stand for it.

“And why should you oppose it?” her uncle Preston asked haughtily. “The first proclamation provided you with a fine match. It can do the same for Vixie.”

Aerity stilled, forcing back the torrent of words that flooded her mind: unfair, poor match, confinement, no joy, no love. She was to endure those things for her kingdom, but the thought of Vixie losing her freedom to choose her future . . . it gutted Aerity. She knew how it appeared to the world—that she’d landed a handsome, noble, brave lord—but the heart didn’t care about appearances. It wanted who it wanted.

“And then what?” Aerity asked. “Who shall we offer for the next beast, and the one after that? Your own Wyneth? Or perhaps six-year-old Merity?”

Lord Wavecrest scowled.

“Enough, Aerity,” Queen Leighlane said quietly. Aerity met her mother’s eyes and felt an understanding there. No one knew better than the two of them how this would crush Vixie’s spirit. These men couldn’t possibly understand.

“Vixie’s nearly sixteen,” Lord Wavecrest pressed. Aerity wanted to claw out his eyes and force him to stop speaking.

“A proclamation offering Vixie’s hand will be my very last resort,” King Charles said, standing taller. “It is my hope that the people will rise of their own free will to protect their families and lands as they did in the last hunt. I will not hinder them with further curfews.”

Lord Wavecrest shook his head and crossed his arms. Aerity breathed a temporary sigh of relief.

“Sire, we should address the other part of the Rocato woman’s letter.” This was from the king’s oldest adviser, Duke Gulfton. This duke had been the closest adviser to Aerity’s grandfather King Leon. His views on the Lashed were legendarily conservative and strict, and he was a proponent of keeping the Lashed lists up to date. All persons with Lashed capabilities and their families were notated in the records and checked regularly for markings.
The stooped man wore a sea-green robe around his shoulders and a perpetual serious frown on his face. He leaned on his cane. “We cannot do as the Rocato woman demands. We cannot burn our records of Lashed Ones in these lands, or give them rein to take over our kingdom.”

A few of the other older men murmured their agreement.

Harrison stepped forward. “What if we made a copy of the list? Then it wouldn’t matter if one was destroyed.”

“I’ve got scribes copying pages as we speak,” the king responded. “But the Rocato woman has called for the records to be burned by sundown. The copy won’t be complete. There are thousands of names.”

Thousands of persons with Lashed blood in Lochlanach. Amazing, Aerity thought. Only a small percentage of those on the list actually had magic, though. Paxton’s family was not on the list. Aerity wondered how many others of magical blood had been able to elude the system.

“How will the madwoman know the difference?” Duke Gulfton asked. “Burn papers to appease her, then kill her and her monsters once and for all. End of story.”

“Here, here!” a few men shouted, as if it were that simple. As if they wouldn’t have done it by now if they could.

The king’s jaw was set. “I have a terrible feeling this woman has eyes and ears everywhere.”

The room quieted and a sense of unease spread as heads turned and everyone eyed the others present. Her father’s council was a small group of family and a mere handful of wise advisers, all landowners, who’d been loyal to the kingdom since her grandfather ruled. She couldn’t imagine this group being compromised.

“With all due respect, gentlemen,” Lord Alvi said to the room, “we will find every beast and even Rocato herself, but we cannot guarantee immediate success. The last hunt took two months.”

“Aye,” Harrison added. “And she’s threatening to kill seven men each week.”

“You’ll have to work faster this time,” Duke Gulfton told them.

The room tensed. During the last hunt they’d had a hundred men. They’d sought the monster nearly ten hours a night and spent the days scouting and preparing. The lands of Lochlanach stretched far and wide. Yet people like Duke Gulfton were expecting a miracle of the sea.

Queen Leighlane cleared her throat. “The fact of the matter is that we’re going to have to at least put on a show of honoring her wishes. We need to buy time as we plan.”

Another elder, Duke Streamson, asked, “What are you proposing, Your Highness? Rocato is demanding that all Lashed be allowed to freely work magic.”

Magic that wasn’t all bad, Aerity thought. Magic that had saved Tiern and could save others. If only she could get them to embrace that.

“I have an idea.” Aerity’s brain whirred as all eyes turned to her. “What if we set up a public area just outside the royal lands and invited Lashed from throughout the kingdom to come, and any Unlashed who wishes to seek their healing can receive it?”

Duke Streamson made a choking sound. “Round up the people of Rocato to turn against us in one place? That’s precisely what she wants!”

Aerity rushed on. “I don’t believe all Lashed are ‘her people.’ The entire area would be heavily guarded so that if any Lashed got out of line, they could be dealt with immediately.” The old dukes scoffed at her.

One of the military advisers stepped forward. “Our numbers are not as large as they once were. Our troop sizes have been modest in the past fifty years. I’ve got to keep men patrolling the seas and borders, and we’ve lost many in the past months. I worry that a large-scale showing of the Lashed will bring crowds.”

The room broke out into fervent debate. Those who were against Aerity’s idea were adamant, passionate in their fears. Those in favor seemed on weak, shaky ground.

“Given permission to put their hands on innocent people, it could be a massacre!”

“What if the Lashed overwhelm our guards?”


“They’ll rise up throughout the lands!”


“. . . commoner revolts . . . war . . .”


Aerity felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Harrison, his light brown eyes showing the never-faltering respect he seemed to hold for her. She gave his hand a quick squeeze of gratitude before he released her. Aerity caught Lord Alvi watching the exchange with curiosity, so she turned her gaze forward again—she would let him think what he wanted.

“Enough!” King Charles’s voice silenced the room. “I will think on it. I must put safety first. I’m not ready to overturn our laws—” Aerity opened her mouth to argue that she wasn’t suggesting a complete overturn, but a one-time, enclosed, secure circumstance. Her father held up a hand to stop her. “This blasted parchment from Rozaria Rocato is bound to have our people in terror. If I take the stability of our rules away, it will cause chaos. Tonight on the lawn we will burn whatever pages my scribes have managed to copy, to keep Rozaria satisfied, but the original lists remain with us. I pray to the sea this works.”

He looked at the hunters. “Lord Alvi. Lieutenant Gillfin. Gather as many hunters as you can and begin hunting this new beast immediately.” They nodded and took their leave. Aerity watched them go, swallowing a dry lump in her throat. The king looked to his military advisers. “I want every soldier on duty, and round-the-clock patrolling of royal lands. I want Rozaria Rocato, dead or alive.” He turned to his top castle guard. “Send messengers to the other four lands to let them know of our new foe and to find out their circumstances.”

Without another word, the king swept from the room with Queen Leighlane and a line of advisers close behind.

Aerity felt the brush of velvet on her arm and peered

down at the old man beside her. It was Duke Gulfton, his eyes glistening. “I mean no disrespect, Princess, only a piece of advice. In times of fear and upheaval, absolute routine and stability in the law are called for. Any slight change can set the people off.”

“As I recall,” Aerity said steadily, “Mrs. Rathbrook healed your ailing heart last year.” Mrs. Rathbrook was the royal healer—the only Lashed allowed to work magic.

He grasped the top of his cane with both hands. “Aye.”

“Should we not allow the people of this land to benefit from magic as you have?”

He looked down at his hands, nodding solemnly. “Not all Lashed are as trustworthy as Mrs. Rathbrook. You saw the Rocato woman face-to-face. You know the evil of which she is capable.”

“I suppose everyone is capable of evil, Duke Gulfton. None of us is immune, Lashed or not. But I choose to believe the best in people until they show me otherwise.”

Duke Streamson, waiting in the doorway, cleared his throat. Duke Gulfton peered up at Aerity and patted her hand. “Once they show you otherwise, it is often too late. As a rule it is not safe to take such chances. Seas help Lochlanach in our time of need.”

As Duke Gulfton shuffled away, Aerity whispered in return. “Seas help us, indeed.”

About Wendy:

Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology The Great Hunt, and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue.

Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University. She is represented by Jill Corcoran of the Jill Corcoran Literary Agency.

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