A read and listen book review consist of time spent both reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook.  

I admit that I'm one of the Rhys character fan girls, so I jumped on this book the day it was released and finished it pretty quickly. Was I happy with the book? Generally yes. ​Was it perfect? No. Read on to find out if  A Court of Wings and Ruin lived up to the hype. 

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​Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens /Recorded Books
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Format: Kindle, Audio MP3
Pages: 699 | Audio Length: 25 hours 8 mins
Narrator:​ Amanda Leigh Cobb​
Source: Kindle, Audible
Genre: Fantasy,  YA, New Adult
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis:  A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin. I was the nightmare.

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.

This book had lots of buzz leading into it's release date. Being that I just fell in love with this world in book two, I had high expectations. This installment was essentially a war story. The art of subterfuge and war.  The secondary story-line revolved around family and love.  It's a complex tale and I think that Maas did a good job with this installment. 

​A read and listen book review consist of time spent both reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook. I personally think that this is the best way to read books when you're short on time!  

Read on to find out why the first installment of this YA retelling earned a three bookmark rating.  Before I get into the review, full disclosure, at the time that I'm writing this review, I've already finished book two. The hype is true, book two is so much better than the first book, so just keep that in mind.

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens /Recorded Books
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Format: Kindle, Audio MP3
Pages: 626 | Audio Length: 22 hours 16 mins
Narrator:​ Jennifer Ikeda
Source: Kindle, Audible
Genre: Fantasy,  YA, New Adult
Review Date: February 13, 2017
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis:​ Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

A read and listen book review consist of time spent both reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook. I personally think that this is the best way to read books when you're short on time!  

Read on to find out why the first installment of this YA retelling earned a three bookmark rating.  Before I get into the review, full disclosure, at the time that I'm writing this review, I've already finished book two. The hype is true, book two is so much better than the first book, so just keep that in mind.

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens /Recorded Books
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Format: Kindle, Audio MP3
Pages: 416 | Audio Length: 16 hours 7 mins
Narrator:​ Jennifer Ikeda
Source: Kindle, Audible
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, YA, New Adult
Review Date: February 6, 2017
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Synopsis: ​When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. 

I'd heard lots about this title and it's been on my TBR list since it was first published in 2015. It probably would have sat on my list for much longer if it wasn't for book club! This was one of my many book club reads, so of course I wanted to read it to discuss it, and boy am I happy that I did. I did some research on the future of this series and it looks like six books are planned so far, so I'm excited to see how this story transforms as the books go on.

While I didn't fall in love with the first installment of this series, I liked it well enough.  The first half of the book was pretty slow and it took a bit for things to get going. Initially it was a pretty dry and predictable retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Then suddenly around the 60% mark or so, things got very interesting and I was fully vested in finding out what was going to happen with Tamlin and Feyre.  Balancing the slow start with a good ending settled my rating at a solid three bookmarks.  

Torn was a strong follow up to Wicked. Read on to find out why I recommend A Wicked Saga for Jennifer Armentrout fans.  Haven't started the trilogy yet? Click here to read my review of Wicked (book 1) first. 

Publisher: Self Published (Amazon)
Release Date: July 19, 2016
Format: Kindle ebook
Pages: 299 pages 
Source: Amazon
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, New Adult
Review Date: January 23, 2017
Rating: 4 bookmarks


​Synopsis: ​Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same. 

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her. 

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him? 

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself. 

Even though I thought that Wicked was a good read, I was dragging my feet on reading Torn. Why? I don't know. Maybe fear of the sophomore slump. Thankfully, I was worried for nothing. I enjoyed Torn even more than Wicked.  The second installment delivered lots of action and drama for the readers.

​​The characters, especially Ivy, were more developed. They've grown in maturity and in regards to their relationships to each other.  Our leading couple, Ivy and Ren, have a whole new adult relationship blooming. Ren is still just as sexy as ever. but he's chosen a side and now going into book three, his choice will have us on the end of our seats waiting to see what's in store for the pair. Ivy's been through a lot in this book. I have much respect for how she came out of the traumatic situation of being held hostage to the Fae Prince...it's always a traumatizing ordeal in fiction when a crazy Fae Prince wants to force you to have his offspring.  Even Tink has grown a lot in this installment, literally and figuratively.  While Tink is still the same, a lot has changed about him. I like him even better, even though he's a sneaky character. When it comes to Ivy and Ren, he's the best third wheel they could have. 

I'm back with a review of The Beautiful Ashes, by Jeaniene Frost, one of my favorite authors. Read on to see what I think of  her take on a new adult novel!

Publisher:  Harlequin | Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Release Date: August 26, 2014 
Format: MP3 Audio
Pages: 384  (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 8.5 hours
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert​
Source: Audible
Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Review Date: April 20, 2016
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate. 

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her. 

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

​First off let me say I just seriously adore The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. Cat and Bones are one of those couples that you really never forget after you read about them. Knowing how much I adored that series, I was excited to pick up this new adult series and check out the differences.  I knew going in that it would have a younger feel then The Night Huntress Series so I really tried to put aside any assumptions and expectations and try to go into this ready for anything. It helped that it had been quite a while since I last listened to any book in the Night Huntress World.

Hey Bookish Friends!

​I can hardly believe that's been a month since my last post! Clearly I took a little vacation.  It's great to be back and I have TONS of post planned in the upcoming months. I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and are ready to jump into 2016 with some awesome reads.

Publisher: Self Published (Amazon)
Release Date: December 8, 2014
Format: Kindle ebook
Pages: 300 pages 
Source: Amazon
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, New Adult
Review Date: December 28, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

​Wicked is set against the backdrop of present day New Orleans. The perfect locale for creatures, in this case we're dealing with the Fae. Lot's of Fae. To save the humans from being consumed by them, the Order a group of humans trained in killing the Fae, are fighting them off everyday. Our main characters, Ren and Ivy are apart of this secret society and they are pulled into the drama of finding and protecting doors into the other world where the Fae are plotting to come and take over the world by storm.  That's a quick and dirty on the plot, so let's jump in the the meat of the story, the characters.

Ren, Ren, Ren. If only he was real and not a character...women all across New Orleans would be chasing him down. It's been a long while since I've liked a male character so much. He's got that balance of a dose manly testosterone, sensitivity, and strength. Yep, that trifecta that makes all women swoon. It's hard for a lot of authors to balance a strong man without making the woman appear weak, needy, or controlled, but Armentrout is very good at it.

Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Format: ebook
Pages: 337
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Romance, New Adult
Review Date: May 19, 2013
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.


Disclaimer: I received this ebook courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'd heard so many good things that I was nervous about it being all hype. There's this tragic thing called a "sophomore slump", and thank goodness this was a far far cry from that!  While not perfect, One Tiny Lie delivered. I knew that the story would be from Livie's POV instead of Kacey's and that it wasn't exactly a continuation of Ten Tiny Breaths, instead a story in a different time from a different POV. Each of the stories in this series focus on different characters that we were initially introduced to in Ten Tiny Breaths. I knew it would be a little different so I kept an open mind going into it. 

There are a few points in the story that cross with something that happened in the previous book, whether it's from the epilogue or somewhere else in Ten Tiny Breaths, those connections really add to the back story.  On the flip side, the way that Tucker writes this installment, you can read this as a stand alone as well. For those of us who read the previous book, it's a bonus seeing the characters who started it all, but it's not mandatory.