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Review of Linked by Rachel Rener

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Synopsis:
A lot can change in a week.

Seven days ago, I was just Talia – an art school drop-out with an affinity for tattoos, a hopeless crush on my boss, and a knack for finding trouble.

Now, I’m a gold-blooded, magic-harnessing, Runemaster-in-training.

The good news is, all of that has resulted in one hell of a promotion. Instead of sweeping floors, I’m sweeping swarms of venomous squatters out of castles. I’ve been enrolled in accelerated, hands-on rune lessons – super handy for those, like me, who are death-adverse. Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my incu-boss’s upgraded benefits “package,” which has been particularly generous.

Sadly, promotions aren’t just about the perks. There are increased responsibilities as well: amassing a magical army alongside the newfound fae king, repairing centuries-old divisions among the Seelies and Unseelies, and vanquishing a completely unhinged demon lord whose ego may have gotten the teensiest bit damaged when I became the first woman with a pulse to ever spurn his advances (oh, and nearly kill him too).

But hey, when you’re the most coveted tattoo artist in two realms, it’s all in a day’s work.

Review:
This book entirely dragged for me. I quite liked the action, learning more about familiars and magic, having Dee Dee and “Lambchop” around, but there were whole sections that I had to completely skim. While the plot was great, the intimacy has been steadily becoming a bigger point in the books, and I’m sorry to say but I didn’t find the prose very well done. The very first book in the series would have likely been considered a 2 on the spicy scale, and it was well written and sweet, but the steamy scenes have been growing book by book. This particular book used some language and descriptions that I found altogether off from the feel/vibe of the earlier scenes as well as the nature of one being an incubus. That being said, the plot was alright when it got back on track. The “big reveal” of WHO Zayn’s father is seemed quite obvious to me from the first book.

Star rating: ✯✯✯

Review of Jinxed by Rachel Rener

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Synopsis:
I keep telling myself things could be worse.

Okay, so my mom’s been harboring some hefty family secrets. Big deal.

And, yeah, maybe there are still two or three teensy details about Zayn that I don’t know – his backstory, his private life, or his real name, for starters.

Oh, and let’s not forget that there’s a bloodthirsty, power-hungry, magical mob boss who’s due to appear at any moment. No biggie.

So long as there are no more family bombshells, incubus-related heartbreaks, or unexpected, terrifying journeys into the Fae Realm, I’ll be completely fine. Because, as I’ve already reminded myself at least twelve times since breakfast, there’s no way things could possibly get worse.

…Right?

Review:
This book has so many revelations within it and honestly, I was wondering how Talia kept it together. There were a few times I was surprised she didn’t spit out that she was hungry, or had asthma, but perhaps she was merely trying to keep herself from falling apart. I absolutely loved Biscuit’s role in this story, and how he’s become a strong little… Biscuit… in his own right. It was interesting to see how Zayn acted with Talia despite both of their feelings being quite evident. His compliment of her light touch, and his belief in her abilities in chapter two was very sweet.

The “bad” guys in this become very easy to dislike but at times you find yourself somewhat empathizing with them. I am quite looking forward to continuing with this series and figuring out exactly what happens. If the series wasn’t already completely out I would have gone MAD with the cliffhanger ending, so be ready for that!

As Biscuit would say, to all my readers/review readers out there, Luvya!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Inked by Rachel Rener

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Synopsis:
When Zayn, your smoking hot boss, tells you never to touch the cache of deluxe tattoo ink locked away in his office, you listen to him… until the day you run out of your own ink, your squirming client is on the verge of peeing his pants, and your boss is nowhere to be found. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn’t expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of Zayn’s office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?

Now – through (mostly) no fault of my own – we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: there’s no cell service in the fae realm.

Review:
From the beginning I was wondering if I’d really find this that appealing; it’s about tattoos, and I’m not a tattoo girl, but as I read about Talia going through a tattoo with Roy, I found myself more and more intrigued. The descriptions were absolutely breathtaking and beyond perfection. At the very beginning it did seem a big slow paced, but once the action picked up the book became impossible to put down. There were so many little unexpected twists and turns of how, exactly, Zayn and Talia find themselves in the situation that one has to keep reading just to find out exactly how it all comes together and it all ends.

This book did an amazing job of using all sort of different types of fae and a hierarchy of mages that I hadn’t seen before and felt, like Talia, quite frazzled trying to keep up which made me feel even more invested in watching her learn more and hope that she can figure out what’s going on and help. All of the creatures seemed very true to the nature as depicted by how they are in this universe, and I absolutely loved how the tie in with Talia’s mother occurs. There were several times that the damsel in distress card appeared, but it was never in the typical way that she became helpless and I quite enjoyed how that played into her own psyche. While I am not Jewish, I do believe that there was quite a great use of both Yiddish and much about being of that religion worked in, and I thought it was really well done and neat.

I absolutely love Zayn and Talia’s interactions and relationship and I believe you, too, will come to love them and Biscuit! (P.S. Biscuit is my favourite!!!)

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of To Carve a Fae Heart by Tessonja Odette

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Synopsis:
Every young woman dreams of marrying a king.
Everyone except for me.
Because the king I am to wed has razor sharp fangs and a thirst for blood.

All my life I knew I’d come of age during the Hundred Year Reaping. According to the ridiculous treaty, two human girls are sent to the faelands as brides for the fearsome fae king and his devilish younger brother.

Not me. I was supposed to be safe. Two girls were chosen from my village already. But when they are executed for offending the king, my sister and I are sent in their place.

What a mess. Then again, maybe it’s not so bad. The younger brother I’m paired with doesn’t seem as monstrous as I’d expected. He’s delightfully handsome too. But nothing compares to the chilling, dangerous beauty of the fae king. And when my sister flees the castle and her terrifying husband-to-be, I’m left to marry him instead.

If I go through with this, I might not survive my wedding night. If I don’t, no one is safe, neither human nor fae. An ancient war will return, bringing devastation we haven’t seen in a thousand years. Can I sacrifice myself for the good of my people? Or will a dangerous desire be the death of me first?

If I don’t lose my heart, the king will certainly lose his. I’ll carve it out with an iron blade if I have to.

To Carve a Fae Heart is an enemies-to-lovers fantasy, perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince, ACOTAR, and Kingdom of the Wicked. If you like snarky fae, brooding royals, sizzling romance, and fierce heroines, you’ll love this breathtaking fae fantasy.

*NOTE: This series is Upper YA/NA and contains sexual situations, moderate steam, and some violence.

To Carve a Fae Heart is the first book in The Fair Isle Trilogy, set in the same world as the Entangled with Fae series. To Carve a Fae Heart takes place twenty years before the Entangled with Fae books. Journey back to Faerwyvae or start your adventure for the first time with this epic fantasy tale!

Review:
This book had me from the very first line. I absolutely adore that Tessonja Odette’s heroines/protagonists have lives, aspirations, goals, and not everything in their heads disappears the instant there is a chance of romance. This book is a perfect mesh of faerie tales and the duality of what you see from the outside of someone versus what they may be harbouring within. I absolutely loved how Evelyn is always at war between her head and her heart, there were a few times that she seemed to do things that she absolutely should have known better than. While I believe the couples have great tension, I do wish a certain royal explained better why he felt as he did. Sure, I can deduce that much, but clearly Evelyn couldn’t, so it would have been nice to have it spelled out.

Quite enjoy her differences between Seelie and Unseelie courts, and the explanation of the different powers different creatures have. Evelyn seemed to take up the sayings of the fae quite quickly, whereas as someone raised human, you would think she would have kept those instead, but that could be because of how immersed she quickly had to become in the fae. Evelyn’s narration is quirky, amusing, and fun and this book was entirely impossible to set down. Highly recommend, and have already finished the second book before writing this review (oops!)

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of From Tormented Tides by Val E. Lane

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Synopsis:
Unravel the past. Break the curse. Pass midterms.
And don’t fall in love with dead pirates…

Katrina Delmar has no idea that Milo, the charming guy she meets at a college party, was supposed to have died at sea 300 years ago. She only knows that she’s drawn to him right away. But she’s also caught the attention of his crewmate, Bellamy, whose mysterious allure is hard to resist.

Falling for undead pirates is the least of her worries when there seems to be something sinister lurking beneath the surface. And when the ruthless captain of the ship discovers Katrina may hold the key to breaking the crew’s curse, he’s hellbent on taking it from her at whatever cost.

With time running out, Katrina must learn who she can trust and unlock the mysteries of the past before she and those she loves are pulled under by a curse of her own.

FTT is a Contemporary Pirate Fantasy with a slow burn romance. Suitable for most upper YA readers.
Please note some elements contained in this book include: Mentions of Suicide, Attempted Suicide, Alcoholism, Nightmares/Hallucinations, Drowning, Very brief implied SA threat, Violence, Death of a loved one, Brief torture, Case of a violent murder

Review:
I was quite excited for this because it had come up SO OFTEN when I was scrolling tiktok! I was glad that I put this off so I was starting it right around Halloween. I did quite enjoy this book, however, it did seem like it was really geared more towards being a YA book, not even a new adult one. There was some mention of how Trina and her roommate were still getting used to being on their own and didn’t have a lot of complex food/couldn’t cook, but it was almost an aside. If you have watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer or watched The Vampire Diaries it seemed very similar in dynamic and feel, except somehow the character is a college Freshman. That being said, there are multiple mentions of missing class, dazing off, but no stakes/repercussions for doing so.

Aside from the very YA feel, the book itself had quite a neat story. The pirates and interlocking back story were well thought out and put together, and I did quite enjoy our main characters. Unfortunately, as we learn more of the past, the little “love triangle” begins to seem far more forced just to have it in, and out of character for the male, though there also isn’t really any sort of connection seen from the female side either. While there is a decent ending, I personally felt like it was expected/contrite. There wasn’t ever the real feeling of danger throughout the book, and I think the overall “mystery” was very obvious from the beginning (or at least once one went into a certain antique shop). All in all, I did like it, but it was far more along the lines of a light YA novel than the potential slow burn romantic fantasy it is pitched as.


Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

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A Court of Wings and Ruin
A Court of Thorns and Roses book 3
By Sarah J. Maas

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Historical
Number of Pages: 720

Date Started: December 30, 2017
Date Finished: January 4, 2018

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
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.

Review:
I thought that showing what happens to one’s psyche during war was well done. There were changes that Feyre didn’t expect, feelings and sights that one cannot simply forget about.

Unfortunately, this book had slow pacing, and while that may be true with getting ready for a war, it made it quite hard to read because it didn’t flow nearly as well together as the first two in the series–it was a completely different type of story/vibe, and it threw me.

Definitely still saying this book isn’t really Young Adult, but New Adult given the copious amounts of intimacy.

There were a few times that I teared up during this one. The ending was decent, and I do want to read the continued stories in the series. I do hope, however, that the characters do not continue to dull simply because they are now at peace. A lot of fire and passion was lost in this book, and while it might be due to worries and time constraints from the war, I hope to see that fire return in any future showings.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series, as well as A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.

Review of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses book 1
By Sarah J. Maas

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Historical
Number of Pages: 432

Date Started: December 27, 2017
Date Finished: December 28, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
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 over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin–and his world–forever.

Review:
My copy of this book was a gift to me from a dear friend, Maria Picone. She’s awesome, and if you have the chance, feel free to check out her website here.

It took me a bit to get into this story, but once I was finished with the first chapter, I found it impossible to put down. During the first chapter, I worried. I worried that Feyre was going to be a Katniss. There’s something for everyone in this novel, and from the beginning I understood that this particular novel is, while not marketed as, a retelling of my favourite fairy tale of all time (which if you haven’t figured it out by now, shame on you!) but moreso, this novel in no way needed to rely on the original story it likely originated from, completely able to stand on its own. If Maria hadn’t recommended this to me after reading it, I’d really have to reconsider how well she knows me.

In so many stories there is an insta-romance, but with Feyre and Tamlin, it happened so slowly and gradually that it took me by surprise when Feyre realized her feelings had changed. I found myself thinking back on their interactions, on why they might have developed feelings for each other, and was pleasantly pleased with what had transpired. While Feyre and Tamlin are the main protagonists, I did enjoy the various other characters as well, and their relationships with Feyre. While Feyre is important, I liked that not everyone treated her nicely/with respect.

This book is listed as Young Adult but I’d say it’s more New Adult.

Such a depth and difference from any other fairy tale retelling I’ve read, having the faerie politic background, festivities, and interests not usually integral to most fairy tales, that it was impossible to not love this novel.

I regret waiting so long to read this amazing book, but when someone gives you a book, it has power. It has the power to either bring you closer together, or wonder if you know each other as well as you thought. This one was the perfect mark, and I can’t wait to devour the rest in the series. Thank you, Maria!

Oh, and as for the riddle… my original guess was wrong.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series, as well as A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.

Review of Happily Ever After by Kelly Oram

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Happily Ever After
Cinder & Ella book 2
By Kelly Oram

Star Rating: 
Genre: YA, NA (New Adult)
Number of Pages: 454

Date Started: April 17, 2017
Date Finished: April 18, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
The end of one story is often the beginning of another. Hollywood heartthrob Brian Oliver and his Cinderella princess Ellamara Rodriguez have finally found love outside the digital world. But leaving their anonymity behind creates a whole new set of obstacles for the nation’s new favorite sweethearts. With the stress of Brian’s fame, Ella’s disapproving family, and the pressures of a new relationship weighing down on them, the It Couple quickly begins to wonder if they can hold on to their newfound joy, or if maybe happily ever after is only a fairy tale.

Review:
Bought this book as soon as I finished the first. I was so excited that Cinder & Ella’s story got to continue, and that we would see more growth, and that everything wasn’t simply perfect because they finally were together again.

I love that Ella doesn’t find suddenly having the ability to do and be whatever she wants the fairy tale ending. She wants to find something to DO, something she can enjoy and still make money doing (something we can all relate to). She wants to make sure she is capable of taking care of herself, doing things without always having Brian there instead of relying on him for everything. What a fabulous role model. Her personal issues with her appearance, given, she is far more scarred than most, will resonate with most teenagers and young adults. It takes a while to find confidence in one’s self and how to dress, what one wants to be. It’s even harder reinventing oneself, but totally possible.

This novel, like the first, completely gripped me from the beginning and I love it. The relationships, while sometimes harsh, are quite realistic. Seeing that no matter how rich and famous one is doesn’t mean that everything in their life is perfect is a great message for young people who might believe that life would be perfect if only….

I would absolutely love a novella with Ella’s next planned fairy tale–mentioned to Brian towards the end.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She’s obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.