Boyfriend for Hire

 

 

I’m the guy you call when you need to impress your overbearing family, your boss, or your ex. Yeah, I’m a male escort, but not just any escort, I’m the escort. The one with a mile-long waiting list and a pristine reputation that’s very well-deserved.

I’m the guy who’ll make you feel beautiful, desired, and worshipped . . . all for a steep price. I’m hired to make you shine, and I always deliver.

I’ll be whatever you want me to be for one night—except my true self. This is just a job, a role I play to earn a paycheck.

But I’m not the guy who falls for a client. Not once in six years.

And then I meet Elle. Her friend has hired me to escort her to a wedding, but Elle doesn’t know we’re just pretending.

There’s a fire between us I never expected. A connection I haven’t felt in so long. One kiss, and I’m losing all control.

But what will happen when she finds out who I really am?

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

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A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than three dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 2.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than 70 times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

She lives in Texas with her husband and two sons.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

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War Storm

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

Published: may 15th, 2018

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating:

Summary: Victory comes at a price.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.

So I loved the series and I thought they were really good audiobooks. So obviously I read this las tone in an audiobook and it was fantastic! I liked the narrators, and I thought they added depth to these characters.

Mare will always be my favorite character because she has so many faults and knows it and does her best to help others and save her world. I loved her love for her family and her best friend Kilorn. She never ever abandoned him , did her best to keep him safe, and they were so close throughout the series. They might not have had anything romantically, but they remained friends and always stuck by each other. I appreciated him, because when Mare mentioned she didn’t care for him as a lover, he didn’t pressure her about it. He left her alone to do his own thing, but he never forced her to change her mind or try to guilt her into it. In a way he respected her choice and I loved that about him.

And Mare’s love for her parents was a favorite as well. They were so present in her life, and were there for her so much and were involved in everything as well! They love her so much and I enjoyed seeing them. And Mare with her sister and brothers were sweet too!

I was hooked trying to see where Mare and Cal would go, especially after what happened at the end of the third book. Seeing them struggle to control their feelings was interesting, and it as even more interesting seeing Evangeline do her best to get them back together, That was unexpected. I do wish we had more conclusive ending with them. I mean I understood where Mare was coming from, but the way it was present left me feeling it wasn’t really resolved. Seeing Cal grow as a character was impressive. I felt bad for him mainly because, in order to follow his grandmother’s wishes, he has to be king. And he can’t make his own choices about a lot of things, especially on who he loves and marries. He sacrificed a lot for her and it was depressing to see that he was suffering for it. I think what made me sad with Cal was the aftermath of a certain character’s death. He was pretty broken up about it and it was heartbreaking seeing g him struggle and mourn that loss that he tried so hard to fix in the end. And again I was a bit upset that his ending with Mare wasn’t really solid because I wanted to see a more final ending for them both.

I’ve mentioned Evangeline before in this review already but I want to bring her up again and say her character was really a big surprise for me. But I think that made me like her in the end. And her love story was great as well! But like Cal was suffering, you knew Evangeline was suffering as well with what happened at the end of book 4, and how she deals with those repercussions.

But I hate her mother and father so badly, her brother was hit or miss but ultimately I appreciated her love and protectiveness for her brother. But her mother and father were horrible people, I hated them so much! And reading more about them in War Storm made me hate them even more!

Also Iris was vicious. I didn’t think her character had much depth to her at first, but reading more about her in this novel allowed me to get a better idea of her. She was cunning and her mother and sister were just as bad. Victoria Aveyard makes really unique characters and worlds. I’m really bummed that this series is over but I enjoyed the amazing ride I was brought on and I cannot wait to see what Victoria brings to the table in the future!

Have you read this series or this book? What did you think??

The Bourbon Kings Trilogy

The Bourbon Kings, The Angel’s Share, The Devil’s Cut by J. R. Ward

Published: July 28th, 2015 (The Bourbon Kings)

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Rating:  (for all 3)

Summary for The Bourbon Kings: For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive. 

So I’ve never read a book by J R Ward, and reading this trilogy definitely fixed that for me. As as hoped me what I was missing by not reading her work before. I was absolute trash for this trilogy and I finished it in the son of a few weeks.

Lane and Lizzy were my OTP from page 1. I loved seeing their romance blossom in the course of three books. It was also amazing seeing what a really good relationship was like compared to all the others that were developing in the story. They had their ups and downs in the book one and three, but they always stuck by each other in their good times and bad. You could really see that Lane appreciated her comfort and strength in moments where he really needed it. He was expected to be strong as the face of the family after everything went down as well as with what was happening with Miss Aurora, but he wasn’t afraid to take comfort in his love with Lizzy. I always wanted more from them because they were my favorite couple, their POV’s were my favorite, and I just wanted the best for them and their ending. BTW, their storyline in the end was the sweetest it could have been, and I’m sad the series ended where it did because I wanted to read more about them and their future because things were just getting started!

Edward was another interesting character as well. It was sad seeing him the way he was after the incident in South America, and how mentally and physically deteriorated he was throughout the time of this novel. Seeing Sutton and how she really cared about him was a nice change to his timeline as well because I was so sad that nothing seemed to be going his way so it was nice seeing this relationship with Sutton develop as the novels went on. I love them together, she’s honestly perfect for him. But seeing Edward with his work Shelby really made me laugh. She definitely got him out of his funk before things went down. She took no shit from him and really took care of him with everything and it was such a positive part in his story. I adore Shelby and her tough love.

I don’t really know what to feel about max because he honestly wasn’t around much. I mean he was the typical bad boy with his tattoos and the motorcycle. His story wasn’t really touched upon but I liked the mystery surrounding him. I mean there were flashbacks showing what a troublemaker he is but yeah I kind of wish we got more with him, but at the same time I liked the other characters more than him in a way so I wasn’t too put off about that.

Now onto Gin, oh my gosh she was a hot mess but I think that’s what I liked about her. She had the best change out of anyone in the story. You read about her in book 1, and you almost don’t recognize her at the end of book 3. She really opened her heart and mind and was willing to do what she could for her child. She gave up so much in the end for her and it really was so nice and sweet. She even pulled a stunt on her husband all for the sake of her kid. And Gin and Samuel T were just crazy…like woah! But at the same time they were so good for each other, even if it didn’t look like it…but he was the only one who could take her crap. I’m happy they got the ending they deserved.

I think my favorite character outside the couples was Miss Aurora! She was smart, sweet, strong, and so full of love for Lane and the others. I adored reading about her from Lane’s POV because he just adored her so much. And I liked seeing her treat him with so much love. You could see the positive impact she had on the characters through the way they spoke of her and thought of her. I think just overall this book was filled with an amazing cast of characters, and really addicting storyline, and just really intense love stories.

I cannot wait to check out J R Ward’s other novels, which after reading this series I will be doing sooner rather than later! Highly recommend this series! It was so good!! I didn’t want to put it down!

Plus the narrator for the audiobooks was really good! I liked him! He did a good job!

Have you read this series yet? What were your thoughts?

The Wicked King

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Published: January 8th, 2019

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Rating:

Summary: Jude has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were biddable. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a faerie world.

So I am really enjoying this series a lot! Honestly! I feel like the whole dark atmosphere is really doing it for me! I have a love/hate relationship with the characters which I think is why I enjoy them so much. The characters are horrible people/creatures but that is what makes them so unique and investing.

And I love seeing the progress of things between Cardan and June, and how things come to play towards the middle and the end. Like its a crazy ride I tell you! I hated (and loved) where the book ended mainly because I was getting so into it and I was sitting on the edge of my seat and now have to wait a full year for the next one! But Holly Black is a master storyteller and she just gets you so hooked that when the book ends you’re not ready!

I don’t want to say much about the storyline or the characters because if this is the second book, but wow I just think Holly once again created a world of unique characters. They have so much depth to them and they are really not what they seem at first. They really do keep you on your toes! There are layer upon layers to them and I feel like there is so much I don’t know about them that has yet to be revealed.

Also let me just say that that ending was insane! I was not expecting that at all and it just blew me away! Like it was really unexpected!

I was shook!

The next book feels so far away! I can’t even deal with it! Honestly if you’re looking for a series about dark fae and magic, read this series! Even if you’re not, just read it! I promise you won’t regret it! Its amazing! The audiobook of the Cruel Prince is fantastic as well so if you feel the need to read it that way, check them out! The narrator is really good! Highly recommend them both!

Have you read this series?? What were your thoughts??

Falling For the Cowboy

 

 

Never trust a man who wears nothing more than a cowboy hat and ripped jeans who asks if you’d like to save a horse and ride a . . . well, you get the picture.

That should’ve been enough for me to walk away.

I’ve been warned on several occasions about southern men—with their sexy accents, charming manners, and the ability to easily get any woman in bed—which is something I’ll be avoiding.

Being a professional photographer has many perks—traveling around the world, calling all the shots, and working with subject matter that isn’t bad to look at—but Colton Langston with his washboard abs and baby blue eyes, could care less about my current project. He’s trouble, I know it, and he’s determined to make me work for every single photo. When I’m forced into riding lessons, I get way more than I ever bargained for, and by the time my trip is over, I’m in too deep.

Being with him was thrilling, but falling for him was unpredictable.
And ignoring him will be impossible.

 

AVAILABLE NOW

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REVIEW: 3/5 Stars

          So I read Taming Him which is the first book in The Bishop Brothers series by these authors, and I loved it and picking up this book in the stand-alone series by the same authors, I thought I would absolutely love it. And yeah I was kind of disappointed. I liked the characters, and I enjoyed their romance and the direction it went and everything. But I just think the writing wasn’t the best it could have been honestly. The writing was cheesy at times, it didn’t feel mature in other points. I just didn’t like the writing for this novel, and while I devoured the book, I mainly devoured it for the characters and honestly wanting to know what happens to them in the end seeing their romance play out. I think again the writing was just off for me and I didn’t really feel like it sold it for me. But overall the storyline was interesting and I wanted to see more of the characters, but mainly they kept me coming back to see things through. I did like how the conflict wasn’t really full of drama, just them trying to do what they thought was best for themselves and each other.

            I liked that the climax in this book wasn’t something full of drama and more about them following what they love. I mean overall the book was okay, but honestly not something I’ll ever read over. I do think the Bishop Brothers series is much better than this series honestly, but I do enjoy the characters in this one! I liked that Presley was a bookstagramer because it made me relate to her a lot! I liked that she was involved in the book community. That was a funny aspect of this novel, but I liked that she was able to get Colton involved in her work! That was super sweet and cute! But overall I just think this novel wasn’t as great as I had hoped it would be, and I think I might just finish the Bishop Brothers series instead, because honestly that was way more interesting. I might see the other books in this stand-alone series and see if I feel that way about them all, or if it was just this one.
I just think that overall this book had great characters, had a great romance, and such a really good storyline; but in the end the writing just wasn’t there for me sadly.

 

 

 

 

Brooke Cumberland & Lyra Parish are a duo of romance authors who teamed up to write under the USA Today Bestselling pseudonym, Kennedy Fox. They share a love of You’ve Got Mail and The Holiday. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day, they decided to collaborate and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make your lady bits tingle and your heart melt. If you enjoy romance stories with sexy, tattooed alpha males and smart, independent women, then a Kennedy Fox book is for you!

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Only a Breath Apart Blog Tour Stop

 

Would you dare to defy destiny? Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people’s opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love” (Wendy Higgins), ONLY A BREATH APART is a young adult contemporary novel from critically acclaimed Katie McGarry. “Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful” (Tammara Webber), order your copy of ONLY A BREATH APART now!

 

About ONLY A BREATH APART:

They say your destiny is carved in stone. But some destinies are meant to be broken.

The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.

A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she’s psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

 

REVIEW:

So I basically read this in one sitting. I mean I started it the day before, and then I just sat and read it all day the next day. I didn’t wanna put it down, and I would just read it everywhere I went. I just couldn’t find it in me to stop reading. I haven’t read a Katie McGarry book since her last blog tour for Say You’ll Remember Me, and wow reading her work just threw me back in! She writes such interesting characters that are always full of  secrets, and they just blow you away and you fall in love with them. I loved Scarlett and I felt so bad for her and my heart broke when bad things would happen to her! And I loved the chemistry between her and Jesse.

This book just gave me so many feelings!

Like my heart was breaking for Scarlett and Jesse, and I just wanted everything to be okay for them! I got so sucked into the plot and their romance, I didn’t want it to end.

But I love the ending moments, like where Scarlett and Jesse ended up and how they decided to help themselves for the future. I appreciated that. Scarlett had her dreams, and Jesse had his, and they both were working towards making that happen, and were so  supportive of each other.

I also liked their relationships with other people, and how they worked on their relationships better. Scarlett had issues not only included in her family, and she really worked to sort of fix them towards the end. And I adored her and her sister together. I wish we saw more of them in good situations.

And I think besides Jesse and Scarlett, Glory was a favorite character of mine. She was funny, and I think a positive influence on their lives in a way. She helped them and did what she could for them, and in a way sheltered them when she needed to.

I honestly need to finish up reading her books, because I always fall in love with her words and everything! I highly suggest you check her work out! She creates amazing stories! I think besides Nowhere But Here this is my favorite one!

 

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“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.”
―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

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Katie McGarry Bio:

Katie is the author of the PUSHING THE LIMITS series, THUNDER ROAD series, SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, and the upcoming YA novel, ONLY A BREATH APART. Her novels have received starred reviews, critical acclaim and have won multiple awards including being a multiple Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for YA Fiction, multiple RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award Finalist for Best YA Fiction, including a win in the category, and she was a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick.

 

 

 

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The Duke I Once Knew

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Award-winning author Olivia Drake begins her new Unlikely Duchesses series with THE
DUKE I ONCE KNEW (St. Martin’s Paperbacks; December 31, 2018). With compelling
characters and skillful plot twists, Drake’s latest novel will take your breath away.
First love is always the sweetest…
For years, Abigail Linton devoted herself to caring for her parents and her siblings’ children.
Now, eager to create a life of her own, Abby seizes upon a position as a governess on a
neighboring estate. Unfortunately, her absentee employer is Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of
Rothwell, the notorious rake who once broke her youthful heart. But since he hasn’t set foot on his estate for fifteen years, Abby assumes she’ll never have to lay eyes on him ever again.
Then, from out of nowhere, Max appears. He is stunned to come face to face with the girl
next door he fell for years ago—before he went away, and she stopped writing to him …
even though Abby swears that he is the one who left her without a word. Could it be that
this spirited, witty spinster has won Max’s heart all over again—and that they may have a second chance at love?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Olivia Drake is the author of the Cinderella Sisterhood series (Seducing the Heiress, Never Trust a Rogue, Scandal of the Year, If the Slipper Fits, Stroke of Midnight, Abducted by the Prince, Bella and the Beast, His Wicked Wish, and The Scandalous Flirt). She has been a member of Romance Writers of America since 1981, and her novels have won the Golden Heart Award, Best Historical Romantic Suspense and Best Regency Historical from Romantic Times. She has also won the prestigious RITA award. She currently resides in Houston, TX.
Buy this book: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250174376
Author website: http://oliviadrake.com/
Author Twitter: @OliviaDrake1
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Olivia-Drake-186133368670/
SMP Romance Twitter: @SMPRomance or @heroesnhearts
SMP Romance Website: https://heroesandheartbreakers.com/

 

Excerpt

The sounds of cooing and kissing mortified her. Good heavens, would they never stop? Anyone might walk into the library! They ought to have the decency to take their amorous activities upstairs to a bedchamber.

But, of course, Rothwell did not possess a shred of de- cency. It made her cringe to recall that she herself had once fallen prey to his allure.

She risked another look over the edge of the table. Her eyes goggled.

The duke was delving beneath the hem of his par-amour’s gown, sliding his hand up her ankle and out of sight. The ladybird squirmed and squealed in a frisky at- tempt at evasion. He leaned down and silenced her play- ful protests with a masterful kiss.

Abby sank back down again. Her pulse pounded and a blush heated her inside and out. She oughtn’t be so scan- dalized. Rothwell had a reputation as a notorious rake. Over the years, she had heard many a tale whispered among the neighbors of his disgraceful doings. Yet it was one thing to listen to idle gossip and quite another to actu- ally witness him in the throes of depravity.

And here she was, trapped. What was she to do?

If she made her presence known, the duke would find out that Miss Abigail Linton was the new governess. She could not be absolutely certain that he had forgotten her. And if he did remember, he surely would dismiss her on the spot, for he wanted nothing to do with her.

Her spirits fell into a fit of the dismals. That would mark the end of her little adventure out into the world. Oh, she could apply for a position elsewhere, but who would hire her if she’d been summarily discharged from her previous post? She would be forced to return to her brother’s house and resume her predictable life as the maiden aunt, grow- ing withered and gray, shuttled between relatives, with no real say in her future.

THE DUKE I ONCE KNEW 35

The very thought was suffocating.

Nevertheless, she could not continue to crouch here while the two lovers were smooching and whispering. What if their intimate activities escalated? What if they did the deed right here, right now?

The horrid prospect spurred Abby to action. She must try to sneak out of the library unobserved. It was her only hope.

Dropping to her hands and knees, she crept along the carpet, weaving a path between the tables. Her long skirts hampered her progress, forcing her to inch along at a snail’space. Rothwell’s black boots were visible through a forest of chair legs. At least he was too distracted to notice her, judging by the amorous sounds emanating from across the room. To be safe, she made a wide berth around the couple.

Feverish plans raced through her head. If only she could reach the door and slip out, then all might be well. Per- haps she could convince Lady Gwendolyn not to mention the new governess to her brother. And what of Lady Hes- ter? Was there a chance that she could be persuaded to bide her tongue, too? Should Abby confess the truth and en- list her help? Was it possible to stay out of sight until he

departed the Court?
Sweet heaven, how long did he intend to stay?
In the midst of her meditations, she couldn’t help over-

hearing the syrupy drivel of their tête-à-tête.
“Your Grace, you are too bold! Such a naughty boy you

are!”
“I left boyhood behind long ago. Shall I demonstrate?” “Mm, no. You mustn’t . . . ah, yes. Yes!”
Abby grimaced under a tide of acute embarrassment.

As she crawled closer to the door, she glared in the di- rection of the lovers. She could just see Rothwell’s legs pressed against a froth of cream skirts. Blast him and his

36 OLIVIA DRAKE

debauchery! He was the worst of rogues, the king of scoundrels. A more wicked man had never been born—! Too caught up in remonstrations to watch where she was going, Abby bumped her hip hard against a mahog- any pedestal. A little squeak escaped before she could clap her hand to her mouth. At the same instant, a faint clank-

ing noise drew her attention upward.
The globe atop the pedestal wobbled precariously. As

she watched in horror, the sphere toppled from its perch and clunked onto the floor, where it rolled straight past the chairs and tables to land at Rothwell’s heels.

“What the devil—!”

Frozen in concealment, Abby watched wide-eyed through the maze of table legs as his boots shifted around. A large male hand flashed down to stop the spinning of the globe. Any faint hope that he might assume it had fallen of its own accord vanished in a millisecond.

Rothwell strode forward, his footfalls sharp and deci- sive. He came straight to her. To her great consternation, she found herself gazing at the polished black leather of his boots only a few inches away.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “What are you doing inhere?”

Abby raised her chin only slightly, keeping her face averted. It was best that he didn’t gaze fully at her—or hear the normal pitch of her voice lest it trigger his memory.“I’m just a servant,” she whispered, “tending to my duties.”

“Speak up! Why did you not make your presence known at once?”

His dictatorial tone shredded her better judgment. “Iwas trying to leave discreetly,” she flared. “It didn’t strike me as wise to interrupt your tryst.” She paused, then added in a more servile tone, “I do beg your pardon, Your Grace.”

She felt his gaze boring down like a physical force that

THE DUKE I ONCE KNEW 37

threatened to smother her. She wanted badly to look up, to glare into his face and tell him in no uncertain terms exactly what she thought of him.

But that would be highly imprudent.

With lightning swiftness, he clamped his hands around her upper arms and hauled Abby to her feet. She found herself staring up into a pair of wintry gray eyes set in a face of unabashed masculinity. Although a dissipated life had hardened his expression and etched faint lines on either side of his mouth, he was more disturbingly hand- some than ever. He also seemed taller and tougher, his chest broader and his shoulders wider.

She hated that he still had the power to make the breath catch in her throat. Worse, she hated that he had the au- thority to dismiss her with a snap of his arrogant fingers. As she racked her beleaguered brain for a way to convince him not to do so, something flickered in those icy eyes.

“Abby?”

 

The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published: January 2nd, 2018

Rating:

Summary: Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

So I’ve loved Holly Black’s work for a couple years and while I’ve read only a few of her novels, they’re really good and I enjoy them! And this book was up my alley from the start because it was about faeries! I love anything to do with faeries and magic! I enjoyed June, but it was obvious you weren’t supposed to like anybody!

And I didn’t!

I mean the only person I thought was likable was Oak! Lol!

But I did like Jude and Carden, even though he was pretty cruel and mean to Jude and her sister. Speaking of her sister Taryn, she was sneaky. I didn’t like her much but I could admit she was an interesting character and pretty sneaky. Honestly though I think that’s what made Taryn so interesting as a character. She definitely has me interested in her now. Seeing her in book two was interesting, and I cannot wait to see what she has up her sleeve in book three. That is what has me most interested!

He really added a much more interesting depth to his personality, but that also doesn’t mean I have to like his attitude. I think the person thought that I hated the most was Locke and Nicasia. Nacasia because she was just plain cruel to Jude and everyone else around her. But I hated that Locke strung Jude and her sister along and played with their relationship and emotions. He really enjoyed seeing them fight and argue over him, I think he got off on it, and I didn’t like that about him. It was also kinda sad that even though he did that to them, Taryn was willing to forgive him for it. She was so willing to forgive him and be accepted into this world that she double crossed her sister for it.

I think another interesting part in this novel is the relationship between Jude and Carden and how that develops over time. It’s not romantic, but it’s obvious that Carden has a shift in thew ay he sees Jude as a person. I thought that was the most interesting shift in this story. I think another part of the story that I enjoyed was the unique world of faerie. While there were High Courts and such they didn’t feel repetitive, and they weren’t something you saw in other novels as well. Like Nicasia is from the Undersea and that is a totally different world I haven’t seen before!

Also going back to Jude anther relationships with other people; I loved seeing Jude and her older sister Vivienne’s relationship grow; along side Jude and Taryn’s relationship fall apart. I thought it was nice thought that Jude had someone to go to with all that was happening to her in Faerie.

But overall I really enjoyed this novel! It was intense and full of secrets and interesting and I felt like I was always on edge trying to figure everything out and be surprised about everything! But I loved that and if you are really into fantasy novels, you’ll really love this novel and the word! Holly crafts beautiful novels and I highly recommend you check out her work!

Ten Thousand Skies Above You & A Million Worlds With You

Ten Thousand Skies Above You & A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray

Published: November 3rd, 2015/November 1st, 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating:

Summary: Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents’ invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

So I love this series! I have been hooked on this book series since book one! It’s been a wild and fun ride and now that I am finished with this series, I cannot believe I thought about giving these books up! I mean I thought they weren’t going to be my style and I am so glad to be proved wrong! I just never wanted to put these books down and so I am happy in the end that I got the chance to read them! If you love science fiction and adventures, you’ll love this series! 

I thought the time travel was so fun in this novel! And the idea of multiple people was fun too! If you jumped into one dimension you jumped into your body in that dimension! Gah! 

I didn’t feel like the second book lagged or anything, like you found out so many secrets in this book and it was insane to see them all come to play! Like many things were revealed and it was crazy. I know second books tend to be slower than the first and third, but I didn’t feel that with this book. I felt that this book was just as strong as the first and last! I’m glad that I didn’t have to wait to read the third book, because that cliffhanger was insane! Wow! Wow! WOW! 

I did feel bad for Theo with what Bad Theo did to him. It was sad what his other self made him do, and now he is suffering for that in his life. It was sad that Paul was suffering for doing what he could for Theo, and he ended up getting in trouble, so now Marguerite is stuck trying to save both her friends! But wow Marguerite is strong! She is able to handle a lot! Seeing her romance with Paul in multiple time-lines was amazing! If seeing her with Paul in Russia was intense, seeing her with other Pauls, especially monk Paul was great! I mean Russia Paul is my favorite romance! 

Going into the third book, that one was also action packed! I had moments where I didn’t wanna read because I was nervous with how things were going to end but overall I’m glad I did read it! I loved following Marguerite and her journey to save herself and how many times she jumped was fun and seeing the other Marguerites were fun as well! I enjoyed them all! 

I do think that while I loved all the traveling, it did confuse me at times because they jumped to so many different places in a short amount of time! I would have to take a bit to orient myself in the certain dimension they jumped in. I did love every world they visited in this series, and obviously I have some that I love more *coughRussiacough* but yeah it was hard when some of the worlds were so similar I would have to remember which world was which. I was sad that we didn’t get to see more of certain worlds, like the Egypt world was really fascinating! I liked that one a lot! But sadly we didn’t really get to read much about it which was real bummer town. 

It was kind of sad seeing Paul going through the tough times after what happened to him in the second book. He kind of went through a phase where he was saying Marguerite was too good for him, and he wasn’t sure he was mentally stable enough to be with her. It was sad seeing him go through it and fight what he thought he was. 

I mean overall this series was really fun! I loved it! I am so sad it’s over and I wish we got more stories from these characters. The ending was tied up well, things were great, and I highly recommend this series for anyone interested in science fiction! This is a fun YA Sci-Fi novel! 

Have you read this series? What is your favorite Claudia Gray book? Which do you think I should read next? 

The Heir & The Crown

The Heir & The Crown by Kiera Cass

Published: May 5th, 2015/ May 3rd, 2016

Publisher: Harper Teen

Rating:

Summary: Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she’d put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess’s life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can’t escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn’t expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn’s heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she’s always thought.

Honestly I liked Princess Eadlyn at the end. I mean I love America more, but I thought Eadlyn was a good character for the most part! I think what made me annoyed at times with her though was that every few paragraphs it felt like she was like “I don’t need no man!” I mean that isn’t a bad thing, but it was obvious that the author was trying to be feminist, which isn’t bad I appreciated it but at the same time it was a bit over the top. I understood it the first time she said it, there wasn’t a need to say it every page, especially since Eadlyn doesn’t want to get married, and tries to foil her family’s plans.

I think what also bothered me was her attitude towards the guys; she was rude and mean to them at times when they didn’t really deserve it. They came at the wishes of her father, having been picked to join the Selection. I didn’t see the need to be the way she was with them, they were people too with feelings. She shouldn’t have blamed them for coming. A lot of the men were nice guys, like Kile, Henri, and Hale. But I did like how in the Crown, she got closer to a lot of them and they were really friendly to each other. I think that’s what I liked about both America’s story, and Eadlyn’s. That in the end the chosen in the Selection had really great friendships and were able to be kind to each other during their time together. Like Hale and the others learning Henri’s language to better speak to him and include him in their conversations; having a fun cooking night together, and such things like that.

Overall out of all the men I think my favorites were Henri, Hale, and Fox; because they were always kind and friendly with everyone.

I also think a great show of companionship was when America ended up in the hospital after what happened at the end of The Heir. All the boys came to sit outside America’s room, and offer their comfort and strength to the family.

And I think at the end of The Crown, the ending was pretty convenient  for this series. I mean I was happy with who she ended up with, but I also knew that in the end she would end up with who she fell in love with. It was pretty predictable. But I loved it all anyways, you know? I do wish we got more of the ending, it just kind of ended and I wish we would have seen more of Eadlyn and her choice later on.

Overall I loved the representation we saw in the men, and I thought the characters were interesting. I think while I liked America better, I did like Eadlyn’s selection choices better. There was definitely more diversity with the men, one was gay, one liked to sew, one had an interest in architecture, and one cooked etc! I loved them all! I liked the growth that Eadlyn did in the storyline of both books and that in the end she learned to become a better leader of her people, even before she chose her Selection choice.

Highly recommend you read this series if you’re looking for an easy, fun romance series. Start with The Selection before you get to this series following Eadlyn. It spoils everything from the other series!

Which character was your favorite?