Review of The Skylighter by Becky Wallace

Title/Author: The Skylighter (The Keepers' Chronicles) by Becky Wallace
Publisher/Date published: Margaret K. McElderry Books, March 22nd 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks! And also bought myself a shiny finished copy.

Goodreads summary: As the last of the royal line, Johanna is the only person who can heal a magical breach in the wall that separates her kingdom of Santarem from the land of the Keepers, legendary men and women who wield elemental magic. The barrier protects Santarem from those Keepers who might try to take power over mere humans... Keepers who are determined to stop Johanna and seize the wall’s power for themselves.

And they’re not the only ones. As the duchys of Santarem descend into war over the throne, Johanna relies more than ever on the advice of her handsome companion, Lord Rafael DeSilva. But Rafi is a duke too, and his people come first. As their friendship progresses into the beginnings of a tender relationship, Johanna must wonder: is Rafi looking out for her happiness, or does he want the throne for himself?

With war on the horizon, Johanna and Rafi dodge treacherous dukes and Keeper assassins as they race to through the countryside, determined to strengthen the wall before it’s too late... even if it means sacrificing their happiness for the sake of their world.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

So I ADORED The Storyspinner and while I didn't love The Skylighter with the same passion, I did very much enjoy it and thought it was a solid ending to this series.

In The Skylighter, we continue the journey that Rafi and Johanna started to get to the wall and restore the power, they team up with Jacaré and there are several things going on all over Santarem, so my attention as a reader was a bit divided. There's a lot of switching back and forth between different points of view and while I liked not only seeing things from one side, it was at times a little too much for me, because some of the chapters were pretty short and I just wanted to get sucked into this person's side of the story and then it would switch already. But we did get to see what everyone was up to, and even with that, Becky Wallace still managed to surprise me with some of the twists.

While The Storyspinner was filled with my ship being shippy, in The Skyligher Rafi and Johanna are at a weird place and while I was still so much rooting for them to be together, it was slightly less swoony. They keep pulling together, pushing away and it's just a rollercoaster. I do very much love them together though, they're both awesome and manage to draw the best out of each other. And I also liked that they're doing everything they can to make sure they can actually be together, BUT there's a limit to what they will do to accomplish this, there are things that are more important.

I loved getting a little bit more of Johanna's parents' backstory and would have liked to see even more of this and to get a little bit more background for the Keeper's powers, cause I feel like there's a whole lot more left to explore in this world, so I'm kinda sad that it's only two books. But I've come across a Q&A that says that there might be more books set in Santarem, SO YAY FOR THAT, PLEASE WRITE MORE!

One thing that kinda bugged me: [Show][Hide]
There's all this mystery about the collars and how exactly they work and what's it's about the beryllium that's making them able to control people through them and it's never fully revealed what this is about and there's all this about not being able to get it off and then random people can just take them off someone else? I mean huh?? Did I miss something here?

But overall, I thought this was such a really incredible series that I very much enjoyed and would love to read back to back at some point, just to get fully in the feels without having to try to remember the details from the previous book because they're still fresh. Rafi and Johanna have a special place in my heart and I'd love to see what happens AFTER the events in The Skylighter, so please Becky Wallace, write me some more books?

My rating: 4,5 stars

Mini-Reviews (14): These Vicious Masks, Night Study, Spinning Thorns

So sometimes I fail at writing reviews for the books I've read, and 2016 has me failing spectacularly (as did 2015). And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf (cause it's humungous, it's not even funny anymore).

Title/Author: These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks #1) by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas
Publisher/Date published: Swoon Reads, February 9t 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

So obviously I'd pick up a novel that's described as Jane Austen meets X-men. I mean, holy wow, two of my favourite things! And I was not disappointed, I really enjoyed These Vicious Masks!
The heroine is spunky and definitely has no idea what this thing is they call 'giving up'. She's hindered by society's expectations, and more specifically her mother's expectations (wow, that woman annoyed me), but she manages to get around this beautifully. I loved the idea of people having a specific super power and how it's sometimes not even all that clear to the person themselves what that super power is exactly. I loved how loyal Evelyn is to her sister Rose and how she's just willing to do everything she can to save her. And that she has two handsome gentlemen with her doesn't hurt. There's lots of lovely banter that made me smile and not so much of a love triangle that it bugged me, it felt pretty natural.
And OMG THAT ENDING!! I need the next book right now!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: Night Study (Soulfinders #2) by Maria V. Snyder
Publisher/Date published: Mira, January 26th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley and also bought myself a shiny copy of it!

As you may know, Maria V. Snyder = <3 basically. I haven't read a book by her that I didn't enjoy and Yelena and Valek hold a very special place in my heart, along with all the other characters in this world. And just when I thought she couldn't top what she'd did with them before, Night Study comes along and may just be my favourite out of all these books! It's Yelena and Valek as I love them best, and finally getting Valek's whole backstory and diving a little bit deeper into the mystery of his immunity to magic and I just LOVED it! I was so feeling for both of them through everything that happens in Night Study! I'm trying really hard not to say anything that might be a spoiler, but I just would love for everyone to pick up this series, starting with the original Study Trilogy and then just continue on and be immersed in all this awesomeness! I both dread and can't wait for the next book, because it will be the last! My rating: 5+ stars

Title/Author: Spinning Thorns by Anna Sheehan
Publisher/Date published: Gollancz, December 10th 2015
How I got this book: bought a shiny copy

So I was the only one of my book club to enjoy this. And I really did, it's far from perfect and I did struggle a bit to get into it, but then I was feeling it and second half was much better than the first in my opinion. I liked this twist on Sleeping Beauty, seeing what happened to our original Sleeping Beauty as she becomes the queen and has children of her own, mainly I just liked Willow. She's not much of a traditional princess, she's interested in magic, even though she's not really allowed to be and she's a bit too trusting at first and because of this and because of the unfairness of punishing a whole clan for the deeds of one fairy, things are getting set into motion.
It's a bit dark and there's a lot of build-up and also there's a really annoying sister and her fiancé who are like Barbie and Ken annoyingly 'perfect'.
But I really liked the story and the thing that grows between Willow and the unnamed fairy and I was rooting for the romance and towards the end had many feels about this.

My rating: 3,5 stars

Mini-Reviews (13): How Willa Got Her Groove Back, The Shadow Queen, Reign of Shadows

So sometimes I fail at writing reviews for the books I've read, and 2016 has me failing spectacularly (as did 2015). And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf (cause it's humungous, it's not even funny).

Title/Author: How Willa Got Her Groove Back (Creative HeArts #2) by Emily McKay
Publisher/Date published: Entangled Publishing, February 22nd 2016
How I got this book: received if from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

So I hadn't figured out before starting this that it was not only the second in a series, but that each character in the series basically has ther own little mini-series, so at the end I was like WAIT WHAT? This is not how it ends right?? And it's not, there's only a bit of a wait before the next part of Willa and Finn's story.
In this part of their story we mainly see what a mess Willa's dad is making of everything and how much he's not being there for his daughter and how much this upsets Willa. There's the of a potential romance between Willa and Finn, but not much of it there yet and while I enjoyed How Willa Got Her Groove Back, it was a bit disappointed not to have more fuzzy feelings for the romance just yet. I'm probably picking up the next instalment, but I would have liked it better if it had just been one books, cause it's only 240 pages and could have easily fitted in a bit more and just have it out all at once.

My rating: 3 stars

Title/Author: The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1) by C.J. Redwine
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, February 16th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

I REALLY liked The Shadow Queen! I'm always in when it comes to fairytale retellings and this one of Snow White did not disappoint me in the slightest! I loved the backstory and OMG SO CREEPY with the apples! That's just plain awful. Come to think of it, I haven't had an apple since reading this book *shudders*. I loved the worldbuilding and the magic system and how and when it has a cost and why there's a difference to it. I also really liked Lorelai, she's a strong kickass girl who just needed that final push to get her to challenge Irina and now she's determined to take her down, even if it costs her her life. She's been training for years to get her full set of skills and it never feels like she's just naturally good at everything she does.
Also, I really liked the BOY. Kol is just awesome. And I love that he and his friends can turn into dragons, because dragons are the best thing ever. I loved seeing them both struggle with this attraction growing between them and I was really rooting for them to get together.
That ending is just OMG WHAT NO! And I NEED the next book. Like now.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, February 9th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

Reign of Shadows was a bit of a disappointment for me, because I'm used to LOVING Sophie Jordan's books and this one didn't quite work for me. It wasn't really bad, but I had just expected a bit more. Mostly, I was a bit bored while reading it, cause I feel like not a lot happens and found myself wondering where this story was even going? I mean, obviously if she's the hidden princess we need to get some action at some point, yes? Well, it didn't quite happen for me.
I did very much like the twist at the start of the novel, which I won't give away, because that part was awesome and I hadn't figured it out in the slightest. I did kinda wonder at all the skills that Luna has, seeing as she's been living in the tower with overprotective guardians her whole life.
The romance was just doing nothing for me, and that's one of the things that really bugged me, cause I LOVE Sophie Jordan's historical romances and I know that she can give me all the swoons, but with this it just sorta fell flat.
Towards the end things started to get set in motion, and there's a cute furry sidekick getting mixed into the story, but there was just too much build-up for me.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Review of Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

Title/Author: Assassin's Heart (Assassin's Heart #1) by Sarah Ahiers
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, February 2nd 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

Goodreads summary: In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible — and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct — and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

There's just something about books about assassins that always manages to draw my attention. I'm kinda wondering what this says about me...

I've been reading a lot of 'meh' books lately and have DNF-ed quite a bit, so I was REALLY hoping Assassin's Heart would not have the instant sigh factor that some of my recent reads have had. And it didn't! I was sucked in from the start and I totally love that!

We meet Lea just before the murder of her whole family (as described in the summary) and see how she operates and we also see a bit of her relationship with Val. And I really liked seeing this glimpse into what Lea's life was like before the plot of Assassin's Heart starts rolling. And knowing that it'll all go downhill very fast gives it a bittersweet vibe from the get-go.

I really liked Lea. I mean, she's definitely a kickass character in the literal sense of the word, but she's also smart and determined and even though I'm a bit like, girl shouldn't you think a bit more before running off and doing whatever, she makes it work. I did really want someone to shake some sense into her when she's all like 'I'll murder ALL the Da Via's for what they did' and there are like 50 of them and she's by herself. Yeah. Odds and all that. BUT she has a plan and is also open to adjusting it a bit, so I could work with this.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and I loved that Lea's views about how 'normal' the system is that they have in Lovera with it being legal to kill people for money are being challenged a bit. I mean, the whole idea behind this and the mythology is delightfully complicated and I loved getting a bit deeper into the how and why of things. I cannot imagine the whole Family before family thing, but it's maffia-esque and while I don't really understand it, I can accept it for what it is.

The plot is pretty fast paced and towards the end things start snowballing almost out of control, but OBVIOUSLY Lea has a plan and after the bomb that was dropped plotwise in the last couple of chapters, I'm REALLY wondering what will happen next! I felt like this was a very solid start to the series!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

Title/Author: Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley
Publisher/Date published: Amulet Books, January 5th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley, thanks!

Goodreads summary: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings have always been inseparable. After all, nothing can bond four siblings quite like life in an isolated parsonage out on the moors. Their vivid imaginations lend them escape from their strict upbringing, actually transporting them into their created worlds: the glittering Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy Gondal. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as their characters — the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna — refuse to let them go.

So I already knew that I loved Lena Coakley's writing, because I ADORED Witchlanders and as it had been over 4 years since I read that particular gem, I was beyond excited to get my hands on another one of her books, never mind that it's not the sequel to Witchlanders that my heart yearns for. I also feel very honored that Lena Coakley reached out to me to be a part of the blog tour for Worlds of Ink and Shadow, I'll have a guest post by this lovely lady up on Friday!

And guys, I totally loved Worlds of Ink and Shadow! It's not high fantasy goodness, but it is a crossover between historical fiction and fantasy and I was really feeling it! And it's definitely not a bad thing that it's centered around the Brontë siblings, I mean, Charlotte Brontë holds a special place in my heart for having written Jane Eyre, which is one of my favourite stories ever and very much due a reread. It was just so interesting! I love that it's based on things the siblings have written in their younger years, because now I can imagine things actually went down like they did in Worlds of Ink and Shadow and pretend the world is an even more magical place than it already is when I have all these stories to immerse myself in.

Characterwise, I have a soft spot for Emily. Which is kind of surprising to me, as I didn't really like Wuthering Heights, but it does make me reconsider rereading it. I loved how she's passionate and how she doesn't shy away from danger and by being herself makes this wonderful man fall in love with her.

And you know what, Lena Coakley perfectly captured my feeling of 'No they're not JUST characters in a book' in a much more refined way. She made these historical figures come to life, but she also had the characters in their stories literally come to life and it just resonates with me that characters and stories are not just there in the books, we carry them with us wherever we go and I now feel fully justified in my frustration when a series (mostly TV, TV shows getting cancelled is a sad, sad thing) is discontinued and then we'll NEVER KNOW what happens next for the characters! It's just not a very good option.

Basically, I found myself again loving Lena Coakley's writing style and the way she has with words. I'm wishing for a lot more books from her in the future!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Title/Author: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Fire, January 5th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley,thanks!

Goodreads summary: 10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

I'm always excited to spotlight another Dutchy, but I basically never get the chance author-wise, so I'm very happy to say that I was impressed with Marieke Nijkamp's debut!

This is obviously a tough subject and it could have easily turned tasteless or a sort of slasher movie turned book, but in my opinion it didn't. Yes, it is harsh, but to me it really felt like this is how it could have happened and I think it shows that Marieke Nijkamp did her research in the subject of school shootings. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to live through something like this and am always horrified when I hear another tragedy has struck a school somewhere in the world. I don't think we've ever had a school shooting in Holland and it does make me question gun laws, but I'm not really looking to get into a political debate on my blog.

We see the events from different POVs and every one of them is terrifying and heartbreaking in their own right. I mean, what makes school shooting even more horrifying for me is that it's not some random person opening fire in a random place, but you actually know this person and he or she has gone to school with you and it might be your friend or part of your family or even someone that you used to date and that is just insanely terrifying. I mean, obviously any and all attacks made on people are awful, but something like this is also personal and that adds that extra layer of nightmare.

I could seriously not stop reading this and it really didn't do me any favours in terms of getting a good night's sleep. I found myself thinking about This is Where It Ends during the day and wanting to find time to read it because I needed to know what happened next because I was just very much invested in these people and the whole school and it was heartbreaking and horrible and all these lives that are destroyed, I still have no words.

I'd recommend reading this when you really have the time to read a chunk of it because you will want to keep reading and for me it really packed a punch.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of The Sleeping King by Cindy Dees

Title/Author: The Sleeping King (untitled series #1) by Cindy Dees
Publisher/Date published: Macmillan-Tor/Forge, September 8th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: The Sleeping King is the start of a new fantasy series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Cindy Dees.

Dees has won a Golden Heart Award, two RITAs for Category Suspense and Adventure and has also twice snared RT's Series Romantic Suspense of the Year. She is a great storyteller, and the adventures in her more than fifty novels are often inspired by her own life. Dees is an Air Force vet-the youngest female pilot in Air Force history-and fought in the first Gulf War. She's had amazing adventures, and she's used her experiences to tell some kickass stories.

But as much as she loves romances, Cindy's other passion has been fantasy gaming. For almost twenty years she's been involved with Dragon Crest, one of the original live action role-playing games. She's the story content creator on the game, and wanted to do an epic fantasy based on it, with the blessing and input of Dragon Crest founder Bill Flippin.

The Sleeping King is the first in an epic fantasy series, featuring the best of the genre: near immortal imperial overlords, a prophecy of a sleeping elven king who's said to be the savior of the races... and two young people who are set on a path to save the day

So live action role-playing games have fascinated me for a time now, mainly because I've never actually participated in one and it sounds like a whole lot of fun, but also like a huge investment of both time and also costumes and such (some of my friends LARP and they have the most amazing props). Which is why the mention of this being the base for this epic fantasy immediately drew my attention!

I have to be honest, I was a bit daunted by the size of The Sleeping King (it's a whole whopping 496 pages), but the writing drew me in from the start, so my worries were soon non-existant. And I really loved the voices of both Will and Raina, who are our two main heroes. Obviously, there's a whole band of characters to get to know and I really liked that there's a quest. I mean, they actually really have a purpose in setting everything in motion, and while to sorta fall into it in the beginning, they definitely man up to the challenge so to speak.

There's a whole lot of worldbuilding going on and I was immediately intrigued, so the amount of information that is given didn't bother me in the slightest, cause I'd love to know even more of this world. I will however say that the story was a bit slow to really take off in the beginning and I'm still kinda wondering where all the different players tie in and how their storylines will come together, but I'm sure that will be further explained in the next book. And I do get that our two heroes need a backstory, but I very much liked it when they fell in with the same band and the story could take off.

The Sleeping King is my kind of epic fantasy, there's a quest and lots of travelling and there's so much scheming going on and just characters for me to love and root for! The romance that plays a minor part was a little too sweet for my liking, but it did develop sorta naturally, so I can get behind it, but it's not my favourite ever. I am however REALLY curious to find out what happens next for Will and Raina and everyone! I'm definitely hooked on this world and the people in it.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly

Title/Author: Seriously Wicked (Seriously #1) by Tina Connolly
Publisher/Date published: Tor Teen, May 5th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose — and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch... will that mean she’s wicked too?

I'm always looking for that next book about witches that will make my heart happy, but a lot of times, they seem to fall flat for me. Luckily, Seriously Wicked does not fall into this category!

There were so many characters for me to like, Cam is smart and strong and sassy and I totally loved her! She's got a sense of humor that I very much appreciate. And it was really fun to read from the daughter of the 'wicked witch''s point of view. I mean, she's SO determined not to be a witch herself and that she doesn't have magic, even though we can all guess that's not exactly true from the start. But she does it with a flair and dodges her mother's somewhat less than orthodox teaching methods the best she can. It was really entertaining!

I actually also liked her mother in all her witchy plotting and creative ways of punishing Cam. And Cam's best friend (who I can't remember the name of at the moment, sorry!) is a true best friend and accepts Cam for who she is and genuinely wants to help her even when there's a whole lot of crazy going on that I could have imagined might make her think she's in over her head. But she stick by Cam and I totally loved her for it.
Also, there's Devon, the love interest who's just really cute. And a sassy demon that I couldn't help have LOLs over, cause demons can only come out once in a while and are therefore still stuck in the Elvis Presley time period with the pelvis shaking and everything.
And a very friendly dragon that I adored!

Basically, this book was just such a breath of fresh air with its lightness and FUN, combined with a plot that was creative and whimsical and just a whole lot of awesome. I LOVED Tina Connolly's storytelling and am very determined to start reading more of her work! I think I have Ironskin sitting on my shelf somewhere, so that shouldn't be problem :)

Guys, this book was super cute and fun and full of witchy goodness! And I just found out it's actually the first book in a series. This could have easily worked as a standalone, but I'm very interested to see what will come next for Cam and everyone!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey

Title/Author: The Girl At Midnight (The Girl At Midnight #1) by Melissa Grey
Publisher/Date published: Delacorte Press, April 28th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants... and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

So there have been some mixed opinions about this one in the blogosphere and I'll just tell you up front that I fall in the category of people who actually really liked it. But I also have to admit that I haven't read Daughter of Smoke and Bone yet *hides*, the book everyone is comparing it to and saying that DOSAB was better. I have no comparison, but I did very much enjoy The Girl At Midnight!

I really liked Echo, I mean, she has the snark that makes me smile, makes Lord of the Rings references and is generally a bookworm and a very talented thief. I'm pretty much in. And she has a soft spot for pretty boys, which I can understand as she's a 17-year-old girl and most 17-year-old girls like pretty boys (except for the ones who like pretty girls, but you get my point). I mean, sure, she's a bit distracted at times by said pretty boys, but I can't in all honesty say that I wouldn't be. Also: lots of awesome problemsolving and kicking ass.

You may have heard about the love triangle. That wasn't my favourite thing either. I mean, right from the start we know that Echo has a boyfriend, Rowan, and I thought they had a solid basis for a romance, having been friends since they were 7. And they genuinely seem to care about each other, so I was actually a bit surprised when Echo started having feelings for the next pretty face that came along, Caius. I mean, Caius is awesome, don't get me wrong, but I felt the whole way it was set up was pretty unfair to Rowan, who doesn't get much screen-time and also doesn't really get a "I'm sorry, it's not you, it's me" speech before Echo starts something with Caius.

I did very much enjoy everything else about The Girl at Midnight though. I loved Melissa Grey's storytelling and the Avicen and the Drakhari and the whole thing around the Firebird! And OMG, how much did I love Dorian and Jasper and YES I SHIP IT OK? Jasper has a whole lot of funny of his own and a lot of heart underneath the snark. I also really liked the friendship between Ivy and Echo, which seemed a true friendship and not just there so there'd be the obligated female friendship thing.

I constantly found myself wanting to pick up The Girl at Midnight while I was doing other things and wanting to know what would happen next and that to me is the sign of a good book :) Can't wait for the sequel!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby

Title/Author: Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, April 21st 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all.

Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas — a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it — especially since he has no idea how they're connected — but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost... and all that remains at stake.

So I'm not really someone who reads books dealing with grief. They scare me. Also, I deal with illness and loss a lot in my line of work, so I tend to avoid it outside of it. But this is Jessi Kirby and I cannot stop raving about Golden, so I desperately needed to read this!

And I thought it was beautiful. Obviously most of us will be able to see the romance coming from MILES away, even from reading the summary, but it is kinda beautiful in that it happens slowly and they first tentatively become friends and then it moves onto something more and I could definitely root for them and while it may be a huge cliché that she falls for the guy who received her boyfriend's heart and all, it was very nicely done and I didn't find myself rolling my eyes at it, which I kinda expected I'd maybe do a little. I didn't totally swoon, but I could get behind this quiet little lovestory. I also could fully understand Colton's anger towards the end, I mean, holy wow, I would have been VERY upset as well.

I really liked both Quinn and Colton and I loved seeing how she's slowly trying to allow herself to be open to the possibility of something new after the devastating loss of her boyfriend. And how she tried to keep her distance from Colton, but couldn't really and the beauty that is her relationship with her family! I loved her sister and her grandmother, they were amazing!
As for her searching for the recipient of Trent's heart, I can sorta understand it, but invading someone's privacy like that is just a big no-no. I mean, wow, that's some serious cyberstalking.
I also liked that Colton wasn't ready to immediately tell Quinn everything, because he doesn't know that she knows, and tries to keep his illness hidden. It seems so much more real teen boy than being totally upfront about his medical history.

One thing I missed from the book was a bit more about Trent and his and Quinn's relationship. I mean, he was SO important to her, I kinda wanted to learn a bit more about him. We only get the tiniest snippest and that was just not very satisfying to me. I get that the book isn't really about him, it deals with the aftermath of losing someone you love and how you cope with that, but I would have liked to know a little more about this boy who was such a big part of Quinn's life.

Things We Know By Heart is probably not a book for everyone, but I thought it was a beautiful story about loss and trying to find closure and allowing yourself to start something new. And I totally love Jessi Kirby's writing, so this was very much a winner for me.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Mini-Reviews (8): Tease, All Lined Up, The Falconer

So ever since June of 2014 I've been failing at writing reviews for the books I read. I know. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf.

Title/Author: Tease (The Ivy Chronicles #2) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: William Morrow, May 27th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

So I have to admit that I wasn't all that impressed with Tease, whereas I usually shout my love of all things Sophie Jordan and romance for everyone to hear. She is le awesome normally. And while Tease wasn't bad, it wasn't really all there for me either.

Both Emerson and Shaw are ok, they're ok together and there are some swoons, but mainly I was not really in the falling in love moments with them. Emerson has kept up this facade with guys for FOREVER and now Shaw comes along, knows her for all of two seconds and then sees right through it? I mean, really? But I liked that he called her out on her shit and wanted the real her.

My rating: 3 stars

Title/Author: All Lined Up (Rusk University #1) by Cora Carmack
Publisher/Date published: William Morrow, May 13th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

So this romance has a whole lot of overprotective daddy and while I appreciate dads who care about their daughters, it seemed a bit overly trying to keep his little girl just that: little. Obviously she's all grown and in college and might just need her father, but to support her and not to be overbearing.

But aside from this, I thought that Dallas and Carson actually handled it pretty well, I respect that he's not looking to give up his place on the team for just any girl. I like a man with ambition. And I could definitely understand Dallas' hesitance to start something with another guy on the team, because she's been used to butter up to her father the coach one too many times.
Also, aside from his overprotectiveness, I did like Dallas' father, he's floundering a bit, not knowing how to talk to Dallas and together they're figuring out how to be a family, which was lovely to see.
Carson and Dallas were good together, as with Tease, I didn't really fall in love along with them, but they seemed good together and I liked it.

My rating: 3 stars

Title/Author: The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May
Publisher/Date published: Chronicle Books, May 4th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

This was actually one of our book club reads and it was SO GOOD! I think this is one of the only books that we unanimously enjoyed. With some people having stronger feelings about it than others. But that's ok.

I LOVED Aileana! OMG, she's awesome! I mean, she goes out every night and fights faeries and she's an inventor. Seriously, how much more of an ass-kicking main character do you want? And she has a very good reason for it: vengeance for her mother who was killed by a faery. Now remember that faeries are not cute and cuddly, but mostly vicious and murderous and all of those nice things.

And aside for Aileana there are even more characters to love: Derrick, who is ADORABLE, Aileana's friends and KIARAN!! KIARAN. I SO ship it. I mean, he trains her in the ways of killing faeries and they have this amazing banter and just YES GIVE ME MORE! I was unsure about him at first, but he grew on me and then OMG THE ENDING!! I just cannot, it was fantastic and horrible and THE WAIT IS KILLING ME.

So. Yeah. I have pretty strong feelings about this one and would love nothing better than to dive right back into this world and FINALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT BECAUSE THE ENDING!!!!
Also: YAY finally a fae book that I didn't dislike!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

Title/Author: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, April 21st 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything — how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me — and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Reading this book was a bit of a rush, I was SO in the zone that I didn't even really mind that it took them an extra hour to finish up doing work on my car.

It's kinda hard for me to review 99 Days though, because I'm a little conflicted. On one hand I really liked Katie Cotugno's writing and was totally sucked into the lives of Molly, Gabe and Patrick, but on the other hand I was also really cringing at what was happening in this novel and I think that the awesome writing in the end tipped the scale in favor of my very much enjoying 99 Days.

Molly is a flawed character, she cheated on her boyfriend Patrick five minutes after he broke up with her, so technically it's not cheating, but still. And it's with his BROTHER. I mean, yeah, that's basically not ok. BUT I'm all for not judging someone until you know the full story and even though Patrick being a douche isn't an excuse for cheating on him, I can get how it happened. I'm not saying that makes it ok, but I could understand what made her do it. And then Molly spends the summer in her hometown after being gone all year and I was just so with her in her struggle with her feelings for both boys, even though I had a clear favourite, because let's face it, Patrick didn't do much of anything for me and the further we got into the story, the more I thought he was a douche.

I loved Molly's friendship with Imogen and Tess, even though something really bad happens that Imogen labels as 'against Ovary Code', which basically makes me love Imogen even more. Molly burned a lot of bridges when she just up and left home and it has an impact on her friendship with Imogen, which is only logical and I liked seeing them mend this over the summer.
Also, I thought there was a really important subject adressed in 99 Days: slut shaming. Molly gets a boatload of crap about cheating on Patrick and then some. And Gabe just cruises by, and nobody wants to egg his house or key his car and he doesn't get alienated by everyone. It's not fair and this double standard happens all the time and speaking up about it is way overdue.

Also, let me gush a bit about Gabe. Gabe is awesome. So obviously he's not perfect either, cause he slept with his brother's girlfriend, BUT he's just nice and easygoing and accepts Molly for who she is and is very supportive. And also, he sounds totally hot. And I loved how he gets insecure and vulnerable around Molly cause he truly cares for her. It was really sweet.

So Molly and Patrick work some of their shit out over the summer and it's definitely NOT pretty and about halfway through I got this sense of doom of things going down and OMG, I was right and it was AWFUL and I could just not stop reading! Molly really messes up and though I'm again not ok with this, I cannot help but understand how she gets into this situation. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to start making better decisions! But also, I wanted to hug her after and tell her it would be ok in the end and I wished she would have talked about this with Imogen sooner, cause that's what friends are for.

There is no sugarcoating what goes down in 99 Days, and it's definitely not all pretty, but it felt real and I am blown away by the awesomeness that is Katie Cotugno's writing and how she made me root for characters that I didn't necessarily always LIKE. So yeah, I though this was definitely worth reading.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of The Elusive Lord Everhart by Vivienne Lorret

Title/Author: The Elusive Lord Everhart (Rakes of Fallow Hall #1) by Vivienne Lorret
Publisher/Date published: Avon Impulse, March 24th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Gabriel Ludlow, Viscount Everhart, will never marry, and thus is sure to win the bachelors' wager amongst his friends. Assuming, of course, that his deepest secret — a certain letter containing a marriage proposal made in a moment of passion — doesn't surface. After all, without Calliope Croft to tempt him, there's no danger of losing. Or of falling in love.

Calliope wants revenge. Five years ago, an anonymous love letter stole her heart and ultimately broke it. Now Casanova has struck again, and Calliope vows to unmask the scoundrel, stopping him from breaking any more hearts. Yet, time and again, Gabriel distracts her from her task, until she can no longer deny that something about him calls to her...

Gabriel was a fool to ignore the depth of his feelings for Calliope, but the threat that kept him from her five years ago remains. Now he must choose between two paths: break her heart all over again or finally succumb to loving her... at the risk of losing everything.

Guys, I was truly ready for a cute, swoony romance and that's precisely what I got from The Elusive Lord Everhart!

The Elusive Lord Everhart was just complicated enough that it was interesting to read, but not so complicated that it took away from the overall romance and the feelings and I actually loved that the hero knew his heart before the heroine did. You do have to take some things that go down with a bit of a romance-believer's heart, because there are some pretty big coincidences. But I didn't care, because it was beautifully executed and awesome.

I really liked both Calliope and Gabriel, these are two intelligent, passionate people and they fit perfectly together. And I totally loved how Calliope was reading Gabriel all wrong and had actually been doing that for LONG time and he's genuinely confused by how she thinks he doesn't like her and awww, it was just adorable! There are sparks and illicit meetings and KISSING! The kissing was awesome! I loved when they finally got to the kissing, because the build-up was so good!

So there's some drama that's both in the past and still very present in the future and OMG I just wanted to shake Gabriel and tell him to tell Calliope because I think EVERYONE could see coming that it would not end very well if he didn't. Also, I was having this sense of something still being off because of his injury and it not being revealed how exactly he got this injury and I can definitely imagine Calliope jumping to the conclusion she did when she finds out, because yeah, I would too probably.

But the important thing here is that with all their flaws and their less than great decision making at times, I was still really rooting for Calliope and Gabriel as a couple. They had this beautiful tension and I was just there in the moment with them and yeah, this made for a very happy afternoon of reading!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Mini-Reviews (6) On the Fence, The Stepsister's Tale, Lady Windermere's Lover

So ever since June of 2014 I've been failing at writing reviews for the books I read. I know. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf.

Title/Author: On the Fence by Kasie West
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, July 1st 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

I LOVE Kasie West's writing! She knows how to build an interesting story AND make me swoon over the romance! On the Fence was SO cute, while also dealing with loss and a one-parent family. And I really enjoyed reading about Charlie's family, the siblings really care about each other, I LOVED her brothers! And I loved her dad for trying to also do the girly thing with advice from his 'co-worker' and sometimes failing epicly, but still, he gets bonus points for trying!

I really liked the slowly building romance and how Braden and Charlie have a real history and a foundation for their relationship. They've known each other for ages and I loved the glances and the insecurity and misunderstandings and just the tension! And boys being dumb boys and just all of it! I really cannot recommend Kasie West's books enough, they are amazing!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett
Publisher/Date published: Harlequin Teen, June 24th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

I was intrigued by the premise of Cinderella told from the perspective of one of the stepsisters. I mean, history is written down by the victors right? And in the original tale, the stepsisters are definitely NOT the winners. And while I appreciated the concept, the execution could have been better. I almost DNF-ed this several times, mostly because the beginning was SO slow! Seriously, if it hadn't been for hours spent on a train while travelling through Morocco, I probably would have put this down. It really takes forever to take off, and everything was bleak and there was not even the least sense of hope and Ella was ANNOYING and weird and OMG I did not need 100 pages of them being hungry (I don't know if it was 100 pages, but it felt like it).

But then the story started to really come together and things started happening aside from them scavenging for food and it was VERY interesting! And I actually liked the second part of the novel, and there's a pretty cute romance, but I really cannot get over the slowness of the first half of the book. I'm glad I stuck with it for the later part, but I think it will turn a lot of people off.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Title/Author: Lady Windermere's Lover (The Wild Quartet #3) by Miranda Neville
Publisher/Date published: Avon, June 24th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

I hate to say it, but I really did not much like this book. And that's mostly because the hero, Damian, is an ass and then the heroine, Cynthia just takes his crap.
So Damian is pissed that he's being forced to marry a commoner to get back the property that he foolishly gambled away as a youth. Ok. Fine. But that's no reason to treat Cynthia, his wife, the way he did! Constantly demeaning her and just being insulting and snobbish and UGH! I really wanted to slap him. And she falls for him ANYWAY because he's 'so handsome'. SERIOUSLY??? I wanted to shake her to wake up and recognize his assness.

Then he leaves her for a year and in that year she decides to flirt with his best friend, who she kisses once and he doesn't believe that they haven't been having an affair all year long when she tells him. But because she's beautiful now he decides to seduce her (WTF?) anyway. There's also this vendetta he has against his best friend that's basically him blaming Julian for something his stupid drunk self did when he was younger. I mean, SERIOUSLY?? I'm not even sure why I finished this, I get annoyed again writing this review.

My rating: 1,5 star (half star extra for cute kitten that's in it)

Mini-Reviews (4): Just Like the Movies, The Queen of the Tearling, Through to You

Title/Author: Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Publisher/Date published: Walker Books for Young Readers, July 22nd 2014
How I got this book: bought it

I really enjoyed Just Like the Movies! It was nice to see the developing friendship between Marijke and Lily, with some bumps in the road. I did very much like how they worked together and the shenanigans they get up to were fun and overall this was just a really cute read. Obviously some of their ideas were a bit misguided, but I can lovingly roll my eyes at that, and it's all in the name of love, right?
This was pretty much a perfect read for Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon, it was light and fluffy and just really cute!

My rating: 4 stars

Title/Author: The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1) by Erika Johansen
Publisher/Date published: Harper, July 8th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

The Queen of the Tearling is a book that has been getting mixed reviews, but I really liked it, though I can understand it not being for everybody. I really liked that Kelsea was raised far away from everything and actually has a reason to have all these skills that allow her to take care of herself, as opposed to the MC living a pampered life and still somehow being able to survive in the wild. I liked her and her determination to be a good queen.
I was a bit unsure of the exact setting at first, it feels medieval, but they also have J.K. Rowling's books on the shelves, so I'm guessing some distant future in which we've gone a bit back technology-wise? I don't know, but I liked it.

There's lots of intrigue and I still have a LOT of questions about how everything works with the magic system and who the Fetch is and how he's going to play his part in everything, cause he is one intriguing character! There's the possibility of a romance, but it's not there yet in the Queen of the Tearling and while I do enjoy a good romance, I actually liked that, because it could have easily been out of place.
I'm really excited to be reading the sequel soonish, cause I can't wait to find out what happens next with Kelsea and everyone!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: Through to You by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher/Date published: Simon Pulse, July 8th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

I usually really like Lauren Barnholdt's novels, but this one just didn't work for me. I really did not like Penn, the boy I was supposed to swoon over, who is basically just arrogant and annoying and rude and also very insensitive. I was actually rooting for Harper to go and find some other boy to fall in love with, because the way Penn was treating her was just wrong and every girl deserves better than that. If he's so in to her, he should get his act together and actually show that he cares about her. And I get that he doesn't want to get his hopes up about seeing another doctor about his baseball injury, but SERIOUSLY dude, stop being an ungrateful ass, ok?
So Penn didn't work for me, but neither did Harper. I did think that she deserved better, but she wasn't a very interesting character either and to just forgive him every time he put on his jerkface just does not make me like her.

I'm sad to say that I really didn't like Through to You very much and would recommend Sometimes It Happens or Fake me a Match instead.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Mini-Reviews (3): Snow Like Ashes, A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin, I Adored a Lord

So ever since June of 2014 I've been failing at writing reviews for the books I read. I know. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf.

Title/Author: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, October 14th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Plot in one sentence: The Kingdom of Winter's magic has been stolen and Meira and a smal group of remaining Winterians are trying to get it and the kingdom back.

This is one of those times that I kick myself for not reviewing a book right after I finish reading it, because I loved Snow Like Ashes, but as it's been 4 months, I can't seem to find the right words to convey to you just how much. It could also be the effect of having just worked out for the second time this week after ages of vegging on the couch.

Anyway: I did really enjoy Snow Like Ashes, I felt it was a very strong start to this series and I'm hoping to see even more action in the sequel! I liked Meira, our main character. She struggles with the boundaries the leader of her group places on her, because she's just so ready to fight for her kingdom. She's fierce and determined and I liked it.
I also really liked the worldbuilding with the different traits for different kingdoms and OMG, the bad guys from Spring were scary! I mean, seriously, they totally gave me the creeps.

There's a love triangle, but it didn't really bother me, as one part of the love triangle didn't really feel like he was competing and yeah, I like Theron better. I could see the twist coming, but I didn't mind and I could see how Meira didn't see it.
There are a lot of complicated relationships and high stakes and I'm still trying to figure out the magic system, but Ice Like Fire, the second book in this series is definitely one of my most wanted books for this year!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: A Good Debutante's Guide To Ruin (The Debutante File #1) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon, July 29th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley and bought my own copy
Plot in one sentence:: A duke gets his step-sister that he hasn't seen for 10 years dumped on him and things the best way to get rid of her is to marry her off, obviously sparks fly between them.

So Sophie Jordan is one of my favourite historical romance authors. I LOVE her books and always know that she'll bring the tension and the sexy. I enjoyed A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin a bit less than her other books, but that still amounts to a whole lot of liking it!

I liked Rosalie, obviously she is a bit naive, but I mean, in that time period I think they kept the girls naive on purpose. I liked that she's not just taking everything Declan tries to arrange and goes along with it, she's all about discovering for herself what she wants out of love. Going to Sodom, a private club where people go to live out sexual fantasies might not really be the best place to find it, but in the name of educating oneself it's not the worst choice she could have made. And of course the gentleman that gets picked by the hostess of said private club to share her first kiss is Declan.
And I have to say that I also really liked Declan, he's got a sense of responsibility and is just fully male and I can't help myself over that. The fact that they're stepbrother and -sister never bothered me, because they're not actually related by blood and haven't grown up together, so it's not like they're truly siblings.

I do very much dislike Rosalie's mother, she's hateful and selfish and just plain nasty. I really think people like that should be forbidden from ever having children. Seriously.
But overall, I did very much enjoy A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin, but it wasn't edge of my seat reading like I normally get from Sophie Jordan.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: I Adored a Lord (The Prince Catchers #2) by Katharine Ashe
Publisher/Date published: Avon, July 29th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Plot in one sentence: Lots of scheming in order to get a prince's hand in marriage, only what if you fall for his half-brother instead?

A lot of times I don't really care for the plot that revolves around figuring out who murdered someone, I do like playing Clue, but I like my romance a little less tempered by large amounts of blood and corpses. But Katharine Ashe really managed to fit both in and make me enjoy it! I really enjoy her writing style and have only once not enjoyed one of her novels, which as it happens was the first book in this series, so I was really happy that I Adored a Lord worked for me!

Ravenna and Vitor (what even are those names) are both very likable main characters, they work together, they have great chemistry and I just lol-ed at the way they met in the barn for the first time. I loved that Ravenna has such a love of animals and her relationship with her employers was heart-warming.
Basically, this was just cute, fun and full of that tension I love, so I'd recommend picking it up if you like the genre!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

Title/Author: The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
Publisher/Date published: Harper Teen, February 10th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

Guys, I don't read a lot of books primarily dealing with death, suicide or illness. I get a lot of that in the field I work in and when I read, I mostly just want to get lost in a world that is nothing like the things I see every day. But because Cynthia Hand is amazing and I absolutely loved her Unearthly series, I was intrigued and picked up The Last Time We Say Goodbye. And I remembered why I love Cynthia Hand's writing so much!

Yes, The Last Time We Say Goodbye deals with the aftermath of a suicide. Lex's brother Ty killed himself and we see her dealing and everyone around her dealing (or not dealing) with it. Suicide is a hard subject to write about in my opinion and I just want to give kudos to Cynthia Hand for letting me truly feel everything without it being only dark and angsty. Am I making sense? Obviously this is not a book full of bright and shiny things, and there's so much sadness, but it's not depressing. And in the end there's also a sense of hope for the future. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to write this book when you've actually lost a brother because he committed suicide and while this isn't autobiographical, I'm guessing it wasn't easy to relive that period in her life.

The way every person deals with Ty's suicide is different, but it felt so real to me. So Lex can't cry anymore, there's something blocking her and she has these moments when she feels a big gaping hole in her chest and I could imagine it being like this. But there's also guilt and blaming of other people and also anger towards Ty. And while anger towards a person who is deceased isn't the way society likes us to deal with things, it's just as valid an emotion as all the others. I mean, I get it, I get Lex at one point telling him he's selfish for killing himself.

I think Cynthia Hand showed the full extent of what a family member committing suicide does to you, it's not just family life, but relationships with friends and just the way people see you that changes cause Lex is suddenly 'the girl who's brother killed himself'. I would have loved for her to be able to rely on her parents while she was grieving, but her dad was barely there before it happened and she's actually more of a grown up at the moment than her mom, so there's not a lot of help from that department. I'm actually still really worried about Lex's mom and how she'll cope in the future.

So no, this is not one of my comfortable, fluffy reads, it's hard and sad and also really beautiful because Cynthia Hand knows how to write about this subject and make me feel all of it witout it getting that depressing feeling that I dread when picking up this type of book. There's just a beautiful sadness and an ending that left me feeling hopeful for Lex and I'd love to check back in in a couple of years and find out how she's doing. The Last Time We Say Goodbye also makes me want to hug my brother extra hard.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Mini-Reviews (2) The Book of Ivy, The Halcyon Bird, Even In Paradise

So ever since June of 2014 I've been failing at writing reviews for the books I read. I know. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf.

Title/Author: The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel
Publisher/Date published: Entangled: Teen, November 11th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Plot in one sentence: Girl being manipulated by her father to kill the boy she's forced to marry who is the son of the winning family governing the nation, but wait, maybe he's not that bad.

Ok, so this one was just a bit bland to me, a lot of it felt like a whole lot of other dystopians and it didn't stand out to me enough to be special. I mean, I liked the developing relationship between Ivy and Bishop, but Bishop was a little bit too perfect for me and while thing started to get interesting towards the end, I wasn't really invested in this story. Also, I REALLY hated Ivy's father and sister, keeping things from her and just generally being manipulative bastards. And OMG Ivy, please grow a spine in the rest of the series, because holy wow, you could see it wasn't the right thing to do and still you went along with it? UGH.

My rating: 2 stars

Title/Author: The Halcyon Bird (The Demon Catchers of Milan #2) by Kat Beyer
Publisher/Date published: EgmontUSA, November 11th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Plot in one sentence: Sequel to the Demon Catchers of Milan in which Mia and her family battle more demons, namely the one that possessed her.

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES**

I liked diving back into this world that has a lot of Italian culture and family and demon catching badasses in it, and I really did love Mia's family because they're awesome. I had just expected a little more of this sequel, cause I remember really enjoying the first book. I was a bit frustrated with Mia's crush on her cousin and was relieved when a new love interest appeared on the horizon, even though she was majorly clueless about this, which was a bit annoying at times. But they were cute together.
Mia's demon majorly creeped me out, but with all the family's badassery, I was wondering why they still hadn't found a way to beat this demon for good. Or at least for the next fifty years or so. I mean, he's been killing other people in the family and just been a general nuisance, so why not destroy/banish/whatever him for good?
Anyway, I did really like this, but it didn't have that spark that the first book had.

My rating: 3,5 stars

Title/Author: Even In Paradise by Chelsey Philpot
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, October 14th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Plot in one sentence: Rich family has secrets and MC Charlie gets into a relationship with both siblings from said family.

I really, REALLY liked Even In Paradise. It made me pause and think about friendship and life and lot's of other things. But mostly friendship and how it is so true that sometimes when you are friends with someone, it's sort of like falling in love and then you also fall in love with their family and that is exactly what happens to Charlie, and I could SO relate.
I mean, the Buchanans are beautiful people, they're sparkly and shiny and have all the things that Charlie doesn't have and I can understand her being drawn to them. To Julia and to Sebastian, who might be a bit of a douche at times, but who really grew on me. And how can you not love their younger sister Oops? She was awesome.

From the start you know this isn't going to end well and there's this sense of foreboding overshadowing the whole novel. And I LOVED that! I was wondering how everything was going to go down and the twists and turns were amazing! Chelsey Philpot really knows how to write beautiful words that suck you in. This is a story that will stay with me for a while.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd

Title/Author: A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter #3) by Megan Shepherd
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, January 27th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet — along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward — has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation — and her own intended role in it — forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST 2 BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

So I was a bit hesitant about starting A Cold Legacy, cause I didn't really enjoy Her Dark Curiosity all that much, but I'm happy to say that this was definitely a WHOLE lot better! I mean, seriously, while I didn't feel the urge to keep on reading with Her Dark Curiosity, A Cold Legacy definitely brought that 'don't-put-me-down' feeling that I love while reading!

So Her Dark Curiosity ended with the gang running away from London so as not to get caught because they'd murdered 3 influential men, and Edward had poisoned himself because he wanted to kill the Beast and took a whole load of cyanide, which has no antidote, so it should have killed him in seconds, right? RIGHT? But as there are a whole lot of medical miracles in this series, it doesn't and everyone arrives at Elizabeth's mansion in the middle of nowhere. And there they meet a whole new set of interesting characters and remember this is based on Frankenstein, so there's something brought back from the dead walking around and OMG IT IS SO CREEPY!! Seriously, I don't want to give away just who/what is the undead object, but I WAS FREAKING OUT BECAUSE HOLY WOW I CANNOT HANDLE THE CREEPINESS OF IT! There was this sense of dread and doom and just inevitable disaster and I LOVED it!

And seriously, I LOVE that Juliet is a scientist and with Elizabeth we have another no-nonsense female scientist and just YES! One thing that bugged me was that there were some inconsistencies with what I know about science, mainly that dead people don't bleed. Seriously, they just don't. Because if blood isn't being pumped around anymore, it stops flowing and when blood stops flowing, it clots. So if you've been dead for a while, you really just don't bleed anymore and it bugged me that they did in this book. Also, there's no point in giving a dead person an injection with medicine, cause again with the no blood flowing, it's not going anywhere and thus not doing anything. But that's just the medical professional in me talking and I felt that this was a mistake that could have easily been caught and edited out.

But aside from this detail, I was REALLY enjoying A Cold Legacy! I loved how there kept being twists and turns and things got even more complicated and Juliet really needed to look into her soul to decide what direction she was going to go with all of it and there was such character growth and she was just a lot easier to relate to than in Her Dark Curiosity. She was treading a fine line between scientist and mad scientist and it was an egde of your seat experience to watch.

So I obviously don't want to spoil anything about the end, but I'm happy with it. It gave me closure and it fit the series as a whole and I just couldn't put it down till it was finished, it was SO good!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston

Title/Author: Once Every Never (Never #1) by Lesley Livingston
Publisher/Date published: Penguin, July 14th 2011
How I got this book: received it as a gift from the lovely Karin, thank you so much!! :D
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Clarinet Reid is a pretty typical teenager.

On the surface.

She's smart, but a bit of a slacker; outgoing, but just a little insecure; not exactly a mischief-maker, but trouble tends to find her wherever she goes.

Also? She unwittingly carries a centuries-old Druid Blood Curse running through her veins.

Now, with a single thoughtless act, what started off as the Summer Vacation in Dullsville suddenly spirals into a deadly race to find a stolen artifact, avert an explosive catastrophe, save a Celtic warrior princess, right a dreadful wrong that happened centuries before Clare was even born, and if there's still time, literally, maybe even get a date.

This is the kind of adventure that happens to a girl once every, never.

Guys, I totally adored Once Every Never and it's killing me that I can't get my hands on the sequel Every Never After!!! I was so lucky that I won Karin's giveaway and she let me pick this one, but now I'm DYING for the next book!!

I loved Clare, but I cannot get over the awful thing that is her full name: Clarinet. I mean, really? REALLY? Who names their daughter Clarinet?? That's just not.. I mean, SERIOUSLY? Ok, I just had to get that out of my system.
Clare is a lovely girl who travels to London with her best friend and meets again the boy who she thought was a nerd, but has in 5 years actually grown into his skin and is REALLY hot now! So I thought it was a bit superficial that's she into him now when she wouldn't give him a second glance the last time they met, but oh well, I was probably this superficial as well when I was 17. But she's a true friend and I feel that she grows as a person throughout this novel and everything that she experiences both in the past and in her own time.

And guys, I especially loved the friendship between Clare and Ali! I mean, these two are true friends and not frenemies, they genuinely look out for each other and are teasing each other, but you can feel the love shine through. And Ali is really smart, which is awesome! So I'm so excited that the next book will have her being the MC, now if only I could get it somewhere...

And the boy! Here's a swoony, smart, HOT nerd! I love that Lesley Livingston let Milo keep all of his nerdy qualities, but just had his looks be more droolworthy than they were 5 years ago. I like the moments when he takes charge. I also loved that he's just such an amazingly good guy! He's ready at a moment's notice to help out his cousin and her friend and I just have hardcore mushy feelings for Milo. He's my kind of guy.

So it was fun and at times heartbreaking to see Clare go back in time and discover what exactly was going on and how something that I thought got a lot of attention at the start (and I was wondering why) was actually relevant to the story. I did think that the 'villain' was a bit silly and he could have definitely been developed better. I could absolutely see this being turned into one of those feel-good movies!

I love that Once Every Never led me to a historical figure I know very little about: Boudicca, and I'm excited to do some research and find out more about her! Reading Once Every Never was a lot of fun with a sweet romance!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Made me crave: spinach salad with avocado