*Series Recommendation* - AIR AWAKENS SERIES by Elise Kova

Publisher: Silver Wings Press

Published: Box set 12/8/2016

Genre: YA Fantasy

Source: Bought

Rating: 5

Blurb:
The complete, five book Air Awakens series from USA TODAY bestselling author Elise Kova. 

Air Awakens, #1 bestselling YA Fantasy, described as, "Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Harry Potter meets Throne of Glass." 

AIR AWAKENS, BOOK ONE 

A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond... 

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war. 

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all--the Crown Prince Aldrik--she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she's known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she's always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla's indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined. 

FIRE FALLING, BOOK TWO 

Soldier... Sorcerer... Savior... Who is Vhalla Yarl? 

Vhalla Yarl marches to war as property of the Solaris Empire. The Emperor counts on her to bring victory, the Senate counts on her death, and the only thing Vhalla can count on is the fight of her life. As she grapples with the ghosts of her past, new challenges in the present threaten to shatter the remnants of her fragile sanity. Will she maintain her humanity? Or will she truly become the Empire's monster? 

EARTH'S END, BOOK THREE 

A woman awoken in air, a soldier forged by fire, a weapon risen from blood. 

Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest. The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance. 

WATER'S WRATH, BOOK FOUR 

Librarian turned sorcerer. Sorcerer turned hero. Hero turned puppet. 

The Solaris Empire found victory in the North and, at the cost of her heart and her innocence, Vhalla Yarl has earned her freedom. But the true fight is only beginning as the secret forces that have been lurking in the shadows, tugging at the strings of Vhalla's fate, finally come to light. Nowhere is safe, and Vhalla must tread carefully or else she'll fall into the waiting arms of her greatest foe. Or former lover. 

CRYSTAL CROWNED, BOOK FIVE 

Long live Solaris. 

One bloodthirsty ruler has been overthrown by another, casting the shadow of death over the Solaris Empire. Vhalla Yarl stands upon the stage of fate, prepared to do battle one final time. Fragile alliances will be tested and new bonds will be formed as the world is reshaped. She fights as the champion of peace, but when the night is darkest will she be able to pay the price of a new dawn?

Review:
“You were not born to be their leader, you were chosen. And that has far greater weight.”

There are books you like. Books that you may think are okay. Books you absolutely loathe. And then there are books that you more than love. Ones that make you so breathless you don't ever care to have that sweet air back. You want to know why? Because this is what we as readers live for! The type of books that inspire us that anything is possible if you just believe in yourself. 

Valla is just a regular girl apprenticing to be a librarian. She likes her quiet but simple life. What starts the beginning of ultimately what will become her end, Vhalla discovers that she's more than ordinary girl. She meets the enigmatic crown prince, Aldrik. There in starts the beautiful foundation of war, betrayal, love, death, and finding oneself in a world pushing for you to hide. 

"Together, they were unstoppable. Bound, Joined, madly in love, there were no longer any boundaries that could limit them. They were a single force of nature."

When I tell you should read this series, I mean it! It may be YA fantasy but it has everything. The books are going up there with some of my other favorite series and I'm happy to say that author has found herself a fan for life. That's how serious I am! The characters are so very dear to me. I cried when they cried. I felt helpless when they did. I loved as they did. 

I honestly don't know how I can possibly read another book anytime soon  because the writing, the plot, the characters; everything was beyond perfect. In one book, I practically highlighted the entirety of it. Every word has meaning and I know I took everything to heart. Don't waste your time trying to find the next "big" book. This is the next big book and I more than recommend!

"His eyes caught hers, and time slowed. Two obsidian orbs—ablaze—saw straight into her soul. She inhaled and saw his breath heave at the same time. His hand extended into the air, her feet picked up and she reached for him. Vhalla’s fingers curled about his, and Aldrik pulled her to him."

Buy the Books:

AMAZON

AMAZON UK

About the Author:
Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master's in Business Administration before crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with readers on social media.

Website

http://www.elisekova.com

Twitter

EliseKova

Review: POISON'S KISS by Breeana Shields

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: January 10, 2017

Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy

Source: Print ARC

Rating: 2.5

Blurb:
A teenage assassin kills with a single kiss until she is ordered to kill the one boy she loves. This commercial YA fantasy is romantic and addictive like-- a poison kiss-- and will thrill fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard.

Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It's a miserable life, but being a visha kanya, a poison maiden, is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.

This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Review:

Marinda can kill a boy with just the touch of her lips. She's what you call a poison maiden; an assassin. And there's nothing in the world she hates more than the job of killing boys she's told to kill. Not knowing what they did to deserve such a punishment. She doesn't ask questions and does what she's supposed to instead. Even if it makes her feel guilty. Marinda is doing this for her younger brother, Mani, who is sickly. This is how she serves the Raja and this is her foreseeable future. 

That is until she meets Deven - a boy whose as mysterious as his counterpart, Miranda. Everything chances the moment she's ordered to kiss Deven, marking him to doom. But Marinda knows him and he can't possibly be bad enough to kill with a kiss. Marinda then starts questioning everything. And that's where everything starts to get good. 

Or so I thought. While the book has a great premise, it was too slow for my liking. It was slow throughout the book and in the end and it wasn't until the very end where it actually piqued my interest. Even though it has a low rating, I still want to read the second book so that way I can see what happens. If it weren't for that ending, I don't know if I would have been able to continue with the next book.

Now I know i gave the book a low star rating but that doesn't mean I absolutely hated the book. I still would like to continue and see where the author goes with everything.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Breeana Shields graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in English. Her debut young adult fantasy, POISON'S KISS, will be released from Random House in 2017, with a sequel to follow in 2018. When she’s not writing, Breeana loves reading, playing board games and spending time with her husband, three children and an extremely spoiled miniature poodle. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where it drizzles, rains or pours nine months of the year, but then transforms into paradise during the other three. She’s willing to make the trade-off.

Review - THE YOUNG WIVES CLUB by Julie Pennell

Publisher: Atria

Published: February 14, 2017

Genre: Women's Fiction

Source: E-ARC

Rating: 4

Blurb:
In Toulouse, Louisiana finding your one true love happens sometime around high school. If you’re lucky, he might be the man you thought he was. But as four friends are about to find out, not every girl has luck on her side in this charming debut novel perfect for fans of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Desperate Housewives. 

Laura Landry’s quarterback husband was her ticket out of Toulouse. But when a devastating football injury sidelines him, they’re forced to move back to the small town she was so desperate to leave. As Brian starts drinking instead of rehabbing his knee, Laura must reevaluate what her future looks like…and if it includes her husband.

For years, Madison Blanchette has been waiting for bad-boy musician Cash Romero to commit to her. When wealthy George Dubois asks her out, she figures she may as well wait in style. Life with George means weekend trips to New Orleans, gourmet meals, and expensive gifts. At first she loves how George’s affection sparks Cash’s jealousy, but when George proposes to Madison, she finds herself torn between two men…

All Claire Thibodeaux wants is to be the perfect wife and mother. If she can do everything right she won’t end up like her mom, a divorced, single parent trying to make ends meet. But when Claire’s husband Gavin, a well-respected local pastor, starts spending late nights at work and less time in their bed, she can’t help but fear that history is about to repeat itself…

Gabrielle Vaughn never thought she’d end up with someone like her fiancé. The son of a prominent congressman, Tony Ford is completely out of her league—which is why she lied to him about everything from having a college degree to the dark truth about her family. She knows she has to come clean, but how do you tell the love of your life that your entire relationship is a lie?

As these young wives come together to help each other through life, love, and heartbreak, they discover that there are no easy answers when it comes to matters of the heart.

Review:

This is what reading is all about. The type of book that makes you feel and one that makes you think. The Young Wives Club is just the type of book that has all of that and more. The girls of the book were so damn relate-able and so damn awesome that I could cry tears of joy. I was able to relate to each and every one of them in some kind of way. In the end, the book teaches us a very important lesson; follow your dreams, do you, and don't let anyone try to tell you how to live your life. Empowerment. If I could describe the book in one word, it would be empowerment. 

We follow the individual stories of four friends as they go through life, love, love lost, betrayal, lies, and eventually finding ones self. I won't go into each one of the girls stories but each and every one of them show us how life sometimes has a different plan in store for each and every one of us. They struggled but found a way to come or on top and do what they thought best for themselves. Men. We all love men. But they aren't what makes us who we are. And I think the book showed us that as women, we have so much more potential if we just believe in ourselves. 

I love that. And I love this story so much. Sure, some of the story lines left me a little disappointed (I'm looking at you Cash) but overall, I fell in love. I want another book like this but for now I guess I'll settle with reading more books from the author. Fall in love me and get this wonderful book! 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy the Books:

Amazon

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Julie Pennell grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, where she ate her weight in crawfish, used the word “y’all” a lot, and wrote a weekly Teen Scene column for the local paper. After graduating with a degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech University, she moved to New York City to work at Seventeen magazine and later Alloy Entertainment as a digital editor. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and is a regular online contributor to Teen Vogue, TODAY, and The Nest, among other publications. The Young Wives Club is her first novel.

Blog Tour Review ft Giveaway - TRAVELER by L.E. DeLano

Traveler by L.E. DeLano

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Publication: February 7, 2017 by Swoon Reads

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities. But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles…Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it… this Jessa is going to live.

Review:

Hm. I want so bad to say I loved this one but I can't. It was okay and that ending was actually sort of heartbreaking. I think it's because I didn't expect it but it breaks my heart all the same. The concept of the story is an interesting and new. I liked the idea of people being able to travel in different realities; also that in this book the different realities totally exist. It's an awesome thought. But I think at time I got confused and bored. 

Obviously not bored enough to put the book down. But I was expecting something different. The relationship between Finn and Jessa was cute but I didn't feel that fiery need for them to be together. And if truth be told I liked Finn a whole lot more than her. Especially his other self in a different reality. I would go into all the semantics of the world but I feel like you'll probably enjoy it more if you read about it. Like I said before, it's an interesting concept. 

Even though I thought this was okay, I do still expect to read the next book. Seeing as how it left off, I just can't let a book go open ended. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Purchase

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play

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About the Author

L.E. DeLano is a YA novelist rep’d by Barry Goldblatt Literary, author of the upcoming Traveler (Swoon Reads/MacMillan 2017) and lifelong writer.

Probably best known under her alternate moniker, Ellie DeLano, she has blogged for both Woman’s Day and Mom’s Magazine, and runs her own blog on parenting and autism at SingleMomtism.com.

She lives in Pennsylvania with two very adventurous kids and two very ridiculous cats. In her spare time, she writes (of course) and binge-watches way too much Netflix.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

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Giveaway

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Review- SEEKING MR. Wrong by Natalie Charles

SEEKING MR. WRONG

Natalie Charles

February 13, 2017

Pocket Star EBook

9781501164545

$1.99

Romance

“Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Charles (The Coffee Girl) offers up a delightful and entertaining romance with some spice on the side.”

—Library Journal

About the book:

Lettie Osbourne has lived her whole life by the book. Sweet, predictable, and certainly not living life on the edge, she’s always been content to make a living as a kindergarten teacher who writes adorable children’s books on the side. After her fiancé leaves her, Lettie decides she is perfectly content to accept her fate as mother to her beloved dog Odin and favorite auntie to her niece and nephew. But then everything changes.

When Lettie’s publisher decides to sell only erotica, her editor convinces her to turn up the heat and throw some spice into her vanilla life. Lettie sets out to find the perfect man to inspire her writing...and finds him in her school’s vice principal, Eric Clayman. As Lettie and Eric grow closer and her writing gets steamier, she’s left wondering: is Eric Mr. Wrong? Or Mr. Right?

Review:

I enjoyed watching our dear heroine, Lettie, find herself through writing erotica and falling for the "wrong man". I think the best thing about the reading experience is feeling everything the character does. I was able to laugh, feel sexy, and swoon over a wonderful man that was able to help ring Lettie out of her comfort zone. 

Lettie writes children's books and is a kindergarten school teacher. She plays by the rules and has good manners in everything she does. She also was left by her husband to be when he came out of the closet. Man, that's got to be rough! But through it all, Lettie has just been living a life that isn't perfect by any means, but one that is safe. Safe can be good...

After prompting from her best friend, Lettie let's loose and decides that her Mr. Wrong is going to be Eric, her boss. And I don't know about you but sleeping with the boss trope has always been a favorite of mine! I loved the sweet banter and sexual tension between the two. 

The story was sweet, perfect, and just in time for Valentine's Day. Romance is so wonderful. It's even more wonderful with a book by your side. And if you're looking for a good romantic book, you don't have to look too far!

*Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

About the author:

Natalie Charles believes she writes warm-hearted contemporary romance and women's fiction. Her mother believes she writes pornography. When she's not writing, Natalie can be found avoiding housework, baking, or engaging in eccentric do-it-yourself projects. She lives in a tiny town in Connecticut with her husband, their two young children, and a disobedient dog. Natalie loves connecting with readers! Visit her at www.nataliecharlesromance.com.

Review: THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Alexandra Burt

Blurb:
From the author of Remember Mia comes the tale of a young woman in search of her past, and the mother who will do anything to keep it hidden...


What if you were the worst crime your mother ever committed? 

Dahlia Waller's childhood memories consist of stuffy cars, seedy motels, and a rootless existence traveling the country with her eccentric mother. Now grown, she desperately wants to distance herself from that life. Yet one thing is stopping her from moving forward: she has questions. 

In order to understand her past, Dahlia must go back. Back to her mother in the stifling town of Aurora, Texas. Back into the past of a woman on the brink of madness. But after she discovers three grave-like mounds on a neighboring farm, she ll learn that in her mother s world of secrets, not all questions are meant to be answered... 

Review:
This one took me a little while to get into. While I thought it was good, the story had more of a slow burn plot line and at times it was tedious. The ending more than made up for it though. We follow multiple POVs throughout the book; Quinn, Dehlia, Aella, and Memphis. It's going to sound confusing hearing all their stories, but I promise it'll all make sense once the end is near. 

I wish I would have loved this as much as I did when I first picked it up. While it was slow start for me, I had the anticipation that it would get better and that I would be wowed - but that just wasn't the case. I wasn't ever wowed and instead the book dragged. At times when reading, I thought I could enjoy the complexity of the characters and the way their lives intertwined. The mystery came and went; but by that time I was only a little invested. 

Maybe if I was a bit more invested in the story I could see myself loving it. But in the end, it just fell flat. I wanted more. More action, maybe? It just wasn't enough. Too much tell and not enough show. Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 Buy Links:

Amazon
Amazon UK

About the Author:
Born in Fulda, Germany, a baroque town in the East Hesse Highlands, I spent my childhood accompanying my two older brothers on local countryside adventures, roaming abandoned farm houses, ancient beech woods cratered by WW2 bombings, and sandstone towers rumored to have housed witches waiting to be burned at the stakes. A gluttonous reader long before online bookstores, grocery store crime novels, and large book chains cropped up in every city, I made do with a small town library in the city hall building. After I exhausted the children's section, I moved on to crime fiction and serial killers.

While pursuing literary translations, I decided to tell my own stories. After three years of writing classes and gluttonous reading, my short fiction appeared in the Freedom Fiction Journal, All Things Girl, and MUSED Literary Review. 

I currently live in Central Texas with my husband, my daughter, and two Chocolate Labrador Retrievers.

I am currently working on my third novel. 

Website

http://www.alexandraburt.com/

Twitter

@alexandraburt