About the Book:
When Amelia Anderson’s best friend gets married and she finds herself the last single girl left in a room filled with couples, she wonders if it’s time to start dating again.
Enter the Dating Plan. Her helpful friends devise a plan to get her back out there and really, what could go wrong? They have a colour-coded binder to guide them, after all!
What ensues, however, is a string of dates so disastrous, it’s enough to have Amelia vowing to remain single forever.
The only bright side in this dismal dating experiment? Jake Johnson, her ex-boyfriend’s older brother, who keeps coming to her rescue. Making her feel safe, protected…special.
Jake has always been that guy for her. The one who represented everything she was scared to want, so she settled for what she thought she deserved. And now he’s back in her life and is stirring up all these feelings that she’s struggling to ignore. Amelia can’t forget that he’s off-limits for her.
But if that is true, why does it feel that in a sea of all these Mr Wrongs, he may actually be her Mr Right?
My Thoughts:
A dating plan, caring friends and one very curious and every present ex-boyfriend’s brother. What could go wrong with this formula?
Belinda Mary once again brings to us a wonderfully light-hearted romantic comedy, complete with mis steps, funny moments and a swoon worthy romance. I read this book as a part of the author’s ARC team and fell in love with it from the start. This was the kind of book that I read from start to finish in one go, with no stops on the way.
Amelia and Jake brought so much to this story, each with their own quirky thoughts and interesting personalities, with some help from friends we’ve known and loved and feel happy to meet again (this will make sense for those who have read Belinda Mary’s previous books)!
This is a wonderful read, fun and full of laughter, the right kind of book to come out of a reading slump or just to fall in love! Take a chance with our two wonderful MCs as they find love and happiness after a series of disasters of course!
About the Book:
Orphan. Slave. Drug dealer.
As a Demon-Owned human, in an Afterworld that literally has Hell and Heaven on Earth, I’m the lowest a being can be. My life is one of drudgery, degradation—and mortal danger. And that’s before I started dealing Angelescence. Unlike anything in existence, it’s a drug only I can produce, and everyone would kill for.
With decommission and execution closing in, I’m desperate to buy out my and my best friend’s Indentures. But upping my operations only gets me arrested, and my terrifying captor drags me to the Celestial Court—on a leash—to stand trial. My sentence?
Conscription to Celestial Academy.
As the most powerful nephilim in history, Godric is Heaven’s most ruthless soldier and assassin. And he’s been assigned with discovering the root of my unprecedented ability to capture Angel Essence.
We both hate our forced proximity—and each other. Especially since we’re seething with explosive emotions and cravings that neither of us ever thought to experience, and can’t possibly afford. Anything between us isn’t only forbidden, it’s disastrous. Potentially for all of existence.
But being embroiled in our passionate war becomes the least of our worries as he unearths even more terrible mysteries within me. Meanwhile, lethal trials loom at mid-term, and a devastating internal war as well as another Apocalypse are brewing…
…and I’m at the center of it all.
Are you a fan of Crescent City, The Mortal instruments and Zodiac Academy? Ever wished you found a book that merged their elements and magic?
Look no more! You have found your next book obsession!
One click now and dive into this binge-worthy, new-adult contemporary fantasy world, brimming with unforgettable characters, soul-searing enemies-to-lovers romance, agonizing slow-burn passion, edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense—and apocalyptic stakes.
You will never want to leave.
The series is intended for mature readers 18 and above, for violence, language and explicit scenes.
Wen’s epic trials in the world of Celestials and Supernaturals continue in NULL, book 2 in the AFTERWORLD series.
My Thoughts:
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and here is my honest review.
I love reading fantasy fiction and the premise of this book drew me in. I liked the idea of supernaturals, angels, demons, magic all put together. The book started rather abruptly and it took me some time to understand what was happening. The setting of the book is a dystopian world that could do with a little more description, especially how this world came to be and the hierarchy of the people (both supernatural and human).
I did not easily connect with Wen, though I like that she was looking out for Sarah, her best friend and the one she considered family. I was not a huge fan of her snark nor did I enjoy reading about Godric as much as I would have liked. However, Lorcan, Jinny and some of the others more than made up for this.
The story did pick up about one-third in and started to get more interesting. This helped to read on and soon things started to make sense. Even though I was not a huge fan of Wen, I was interested in her story and origins. I wanted to know what would happen and the ending was a twist I didn’t see coming. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, NULL, and I hope that I get more answers to the background and characters.
Book Blurb:
A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.
Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?
My Thoughts:
Let me tell you a Funny Story about Daphne and Miles! This is a refreshing new romance that follows Daphne and Miles, brought together by the fact that their respective exe’s are engaged to each other. Wow! That is a lot to say and think about, the circumstances aren’t ideal, but jealousy and to some extent betrayal, can bring people together in the most unexpected of ways!
Thus begins the Funny Story! Daphne and Miles set out to prove that they are okay without their respective exes and end up spending more time with each other while figuring it out. This is a summer romance that has tropes of opposites attract, roommates (forced proximity to some extent), and friends to lovers. I loved reading this book which was a light, fun and breezy read, another perfect summer romance!
A quick read, I finished the book in one sitting and absolutely loved the banter between the MC’s. There is a little of everything and a whole lot of drama that is just fun to read! This is a wonderful summer read, perfect for fans of light romance and endings which just seem right!
This was a BOTM read for May 2024 with #obsessedbuddyreads!
About the Book:
Christina Lauren, returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.
Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.
Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.
But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.
My Thoughts:
I read this book as a part of a buddy read and devoured it in a day!
When Anna finds out that she is still legally married to Liam, his request for help is something that she did not expect. Now complicit in a web of white lies, the two main characters have to find a way to convince Liam’s family that they are in love and happily married all this while.
The two main characters will grow on you, their moments together and of getting to know one another are delightful. I enjoyed reading about all the characters and the family dynamics that are brought out on this little island.
What starts off as a small lie, ends up in each character owning their truth and finding their way and even themselves. Though the story focuses on Anna and Liam, the other characters play important roles in the events that unfold in paradise!
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, filled with crazy moments and banter among the characters that just stayed with the reader until the very end! This is a perfect summer read and the kind of light read that makes one smile always.
Actually Yours (All Yours series Book 1)
Publication Date: 28 June 2024
BLURB:
When Amelia Anderson’s best friend gets married and she finds herself the last single girl left in a room filled with couples, she wonders if it’s time to start dating again.
Enter the Dating Plan. Her helpful friends devise a plan to get her back out there and really, what could go wrong? They have a colour-coded binder to guide them, after all!
What ensues, however, is a string of dates so disastrous, it’s enough to have Amelia vowing to remain single forever.
The only bright side in this dismal dating experiment? Jake Johnson, her ex-boyfriend’s older brother, who keeps coming to her rescue. Making her feel safe, protected…special.
Jake has always been that guy for her. The one who represented everything she was scared to want, so she settled for what she thought she deserved. And now he’s back in her life and is stirring up all these feelings that she’s struggling to ignore. Amelia can’t forget that he’s off-limits for her.
But if that is true, why does it feel that in a sea of all these Mr Wrongs, he may actually be her Mr Right?
About the Book:
The fourth and final book in the bestselling Blood of a Fae series…
“I see forever with you by my side. Because long after these scars have faded away to nothing, I’ll still be standing beside you. You and I? We’re eternal.”
Beware the dread curse of Three…
In the aftermath of the war between Pendrath and its neighbors, peace has finally come to Camelot. But for Morgan Le Fay and her friends, the calm is short-lived. A storm grows on the horizon. As a terrible evil that has been waiting hundreds of years begins to sweep through the land, Morgan and Draven must race to the aid of their allies, leaving their youngest and most vulnerable new family member in the care of trusted friends.
The sword, the spear, the grail’s mystery…
As the tide of war takes them across kingdoms and into greater peril, Morgan and Draven embark on a quest to destroy the three objects of untold power–the grail, the sword, and the spear. Together, the pair will find answers to questions lost in the mists of time. Answers to questions so terrible, they never even thought to ask.
Blood calls to blood, the dark shall rise,
Forged by the gods under sacred skies.
For the love between these bonded mates is not just an everlasting one forged in blood.
You might even call it divine.
My Thoughts:
This is the final book in the series and honestly, I did not want the story to end. I couldn’t imagine a world without Morgan, Draven, the Exmoors and everyone else in their circle.
“There is darkness in all of our souls. But there is also light. Just because the darkness threatens doesn’t mean the light won’t win out in the end.”
The author makes realistic, though heart-breaking, decisions when it comes to character deaths which play important roles in the plot advancement as well as development of the central characters. Their grief, trauma, heart-break, love for one another all drive their actions as well as the need to save the people of Camelot and it’s neighboring places.
This book sets the stage for Morgan’s final quest to destroy the grail, the sword and the spear through which she discovers truths not only about herself, but her family and her origins. As she moves to confront this truth, it’s a race against time to save the people she loves. The finale though slightly predictable, is very well executed and provides the much needed closure to this beautiful series!
We all need the kind of love Morgan and Draven have. This can be felt from this one quote: “Be everything you truly are. That’s all I’ll ever ask of you, my silver one.”
With this concludes my journey through Blood of a Fae, a series that I highly recommend for fans of retellings of legends with magic, romance and adventure all wrapped up in one!
About the Book:
Divided by Oceans but Eternally Bonded
Morgan Pendragon has another name now: Morgan Le Fay. As her true heritage slowly emerges from the mists of the past, Morgan renounces one possible future as the new ruler of the fierce Siabra fae and the wife of the Prince of Claws and vanishes through a portal–returning to Camelot and the Rose Court where her friends and younger brother lie in mortal peril from Arthur’s cruel wiles.
But back in the Court of Claws, Kairos Draven won’t allow his beloved to disappear from his life so easily. His bond with Morgan goes beyond blood, love, life, and even time itself and neither one of them can relinquish its power or its pull.
Yet Morgan is no ordinary woman. Not only is she beginning to manifest remarkable abilities, but the powers of the gods themselves run through her veins, bestowing her with an unimaginable power and an unthinkable claim over all of Aercanum and beyond…
A claim which some will stop at nothing to put a halt to.
My Thoughts:
This series had me hooked, rendering me wholly unable to stop reading.
Empress of Fae is the third installment in the Blood of a Fae series and this book really kicked up several notches in the heart hammering department. We follow Morgan as she rushes to save one brother and confront the other. Faced with the decision to claim her right as the Queen of the Siabra kingdom, Morgan flees, showing her need to be there for people but not to rule them.
She leaves Draven behind as she returns to Camelot, trying to find ways to get back into Arthur’s good graces, long enough to defeat him. She finds unexpected friends and allies among the people as well as a number of foes. As Draven, determined as ever, struggles to find his way to her, with a number of his trusted people who also now believe in Morgan, the reader is in for a bumpy ride.
The author packs no punches and ensures that the reader is pulled right into the middle of the story, perhaps even imagining themselves to be one among the characters as the events unfold. This book is much more heart-breaking and fast paced, with a lot of things happening all at once, thus setting the stage for the grand finale in the next book!
Once again, I must reiterate that I loved this series and each book in the series as well as each character. They are dear to me and I cannot imagine not having met them through these books!
About the Book:
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
My Thoughts:
I read this book as part of the April BOTM read with obssessedbuddyreads!
I absolutely loved reading this book. It was fun and just the perfect summer read! The story follows Emma and Justin as they navigate their respective love lives which exist but do not exist. Somehow, the both of them always end up with people who after breaking up with them, find their soulmate in the next person they meet or date. Determined to turn this around, Emma, with encouragement from her best friend, reaches out to Justin through his reddit threads and together they hatch a plan to defeat the curse.
I love how this story had it’s ups and downs, but the characters were deep with issues lying under the surface. The author did not just gloss over them, but actually took time out to address some of the issues. Emma has abandonment issues and a fear of never being enough thanks to her mother and Justin is dealing with the after effects of his mother’s decisions as well as taking care of three younger siblings.
Of course the story is cliched and predictable in some ways, but this is sometimes just what is needed. A book mixed with both seriousness and fun and an all’s well that ends well vibe until the very end. I quite enjoyed this book and am glad to have read it along with some wonderful people in the community.
About the Book:
Bound to a man she hates more than she ever thought possible…
Everything Morgan Pendragon knows and loves is gone as she wakes in the dangerous court of the Siabra. The man she was falling in love with is dead, and in his place is a man she barely knows. Surrounded by liars and knives in the dark, all Morgan wants to do is run the other way but Kairos Draven is determined to keep her by his side.
As Morgan and Draven’s lives become even more irrevocably entwined, little do they know the sins of the past are coming for them both…
My Thoughts:
Court of Claws, the second book in the Blood of a Fae series, starts off where the first ends and plunges right in, bringing us the story from the side of the Siabra. The title refers to Draven’s title of Prince and his place back at the kingdom of the Siabra.
In this part of the story, the focus is once again on Morgan and Draven as they navigate the new bonds forged and the court of the Siabra. For Morgan, this is a whole new experience and considering her limited exposure to the fae, the Siabra court and people are a revelation. Their customs, culture and rules are ones she doesn’t understand or agree with.
It is wonderful to read and know more about Draven in this book, who he is, how he becomes an assassin, why he leaves the kingdom of the Siabra and so on. I loved reading about Morgan and Draven’s interactions and Morgan’s eventual acceptance of their bond. The main question that arises is whether what they have is real or just something made up and forced.
Morgan grows as a person and character in this book, becoming more strong and learning to accept and use her powers. I loved reading about Draven’s sister Rychel, Crimson and the others in the court. They are endearing and play such important roles in this book, bringing the story together.
A wonderful continuation, Court of Claws adds a new dimension to the series, setting in motion events that forge the path towards the final battles and a conclusion to the story in the upcoming books.
About the Book:
Sometimes destiny is written. Hers was concealed.
When Cate travels from Oregon to university in England, she expects her gravest dilemma to be finding coffee instead of tea, but she’s got bigger problems—much bigger. At Staton University, nothing is quite what it seems. Even her own identity. Unbeknownst to Cate, a prophecy deems her as destined to defeat a ruthless enemy in a magical land, placing a target squarely on her back. Now, someone on campus is stalking her, and a narrow escape sends her through a mysterious portal, assisted by two irresistible boys. Yet the fantastical new world is even more treacherous with rival kingdoms and imminent war. Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, but what’s a girl to do? A fresh start was all she wanted—a few new friends in the dorms with a trusty latte in hand—not war, an estranged biological father who is king, or a star-crossed love straight out of Romeo and Juliet (hopefully without the dying part). As the battle looms, Cate must solve the mystery of the prophecy and decide who in her circle is trustworthy before the place she now calls home is destroyed.
Don’t miss this new Young Adult Romantic Fantasy from debut author SK Horton that’s like Alice in Wonderland meets Love and Gelato. Featuring swoon-worthy romance, court intrigue, backstabbing villains and so much mor, it’s perfect for fans of Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood, Lauren Roberts’ Powerless, and lovers of all things romantasy!
My Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A huge thanks to BookSirens and the author for the advance copy!
Book Release Date: June 11, 2024
The story follows Cate as she travels to London to attend university. She hopes to settle down and make friends and have a typical university experience. Little does she know that not everything is as it seems and things are going to change for her, very quickly.
It took me some time to get into the story as it was confusing at the start. It was not very clear what the author wanted to show and how the characters fit into the story. The character development is slow and at times it felt as though they did not have any depth. However, as the story progresses, we come to know more about the characters, how they fit into the story and then it all makes sense.
AS Cate discovers her powers and tries to learn how to use them, she is also in the middle of an unexpected love triangle and hiding from her father (someone she did not know existed until then) for as long as she can manage. At times, her every thought is of her foster family and the love she has for them, which is something I really liked.
The story then progresses well and the plot, though a little predictable, is quite enjoyable to read. I enjoyed reading this book in the end and, though it is a one time read for me, I think it was worth it. I do look forward to reading more books by the author.