Della

Hours of Darkness started off as a very classic High School drama, reminding me heavily of the 2004 Mean Girls movie. I thought the whole book was going to be that classic coming-of-age High School drama, so I was surprised to find that Hours of Darkness took a drastically 'dark' turn. Lauren Daniels goes through immense trauma in this book. She also begins learning how to cope with all that has happened to her. I believe the book should have ended around Chapter 13. The ending felt rushed, and could have been the introduction to the second book instead, though it does lead quite nicely into the second book where she will be dealing with the memories of all that happened in High School, and a devastating loss from the end of book 1, all while navigating Adulthood on her own in Hours of Light.

I cannot get enough of this series! The Dark Magic Series has captivating characters, an amazing magic system, and an incredible plot. Red Lands and Black Flames focused on family and interpersonal relationships, while also delving in fantasy politics and warfare that is so prevalent in the fantasy genre. Red Lands and Black Flames is a well executed sequel to the fantastic book that is The Butcher and The Bard. It expanded on the world and characters while adding so much more. The ending to Red Lands and Black Flames had me crying and absolutely shocked! I cannot wait for the third book in the Dark Magic Series to come out!

Creation of a Fated Thief is a heartwarming Novella that further expands on characters and storylines from previous novellas, enriching the world of Thaumoria, while also introducing new characters for the readers to fall in love with. This Novella encapsulates the idea of Found Family and the apprehension that comes with finding yourself if a new environment unlike any you've known before. I adored the characters in this Novella and cannot wait to see more of them in the upcoming books. I also loved getting to see more of characters from previous novellas as it really ties them together, building up an amazing world for the reader to delve into.

The Butcher and the Bard was like the epitome of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign as a book. The story was fun and adventurous, perfectly encapsulating the best parts of the fantasy genre. Each new location our two main characters came to was more interesting than the last, and I absolutely adored the main characters. They had subtle banter and chemistry that led to the romance in the Butcher and the Bard slowly building up throughout the story. The magic system is very intriguing, and I feel like every question answered about the magic system caused 3 more! I am very excited for the rest of the Dark magic series, especially after the ending!! The Butcher and the Bard ends on a very heavy and exciting cliffhanger.

The Phoenix King is a Fantasy story with Science Fiction elements that add a lot to the world building. I really liked all three of the main characters from whose perspectives we got to see throughout The Phoenix King. They were each very unique in their motivations and how far they were willing to go for what they wanted. I also loved the magic, and how it's grounded in religion. The idea of the prophet was especially interesting to me. I spent the whole book trying to guess who was the prophet! The end of The Phoenix King was amazing, and I'm excited to see where the story goes from here. I also can't wait to see more of Elena and Yassen!

Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is a fast-paced, fun filled Romantic Comedy meets Paranormal Crime Solving Mystery. I enjoyed the Plot and Characters immensely! I really liked Riley's clairvoyance and am excited to see more of her abilities in the rest of the series. However, it took me well over 50% of the book to get over the writing. The comedy in Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door heavily relies on Slapstick and Gag jokes, which, if that's your thing, great! For me, it made the writing feel juvenile though. On top of the way the comedy was written, there's the fact that this book contained a lot of excess. There was an abundance of descriptions that dragged the scenes out and added little to nothing to the overall story.

This was a fantastic ending to the Innisfail Cycle Series, and a beautiful setup to what I believe may be more stories set in Innisfail. The Children of Danu has some of the most well written battles I have ever read. This book had me on the edge of my seat, made me laugh, and made me cry. I loved all of the characters and found myself overjoyed and heartbroken over the fates of these beloved characters. The Innisfail Cycle has given me a newfound appreciation for High Fantasy, and has me desperately awaiting more books by L.M. Riviere.

The Southernmost Star had a lot more Scheming than The Sons of Mil did, making it hard to follow at times. The Southernmost Star was centered around Politics, Bloodlines, and Religion. There are graphic descriptions of violence, much like the first book, though this book explores darker themes than The Sons of Mil did. I read The Southernmost Star in one day,  I could not put this book down. I felt the constant need to keep reading and find out what would happen next,  and was constantly shocked by the story. For some of the characters it was incredibly difficult to figure out if I loved them or hated them. Sometimes, it was both simultaneously.

The Sons of Mil was a fantastic book and a great setup for the series as a whole. It was difficult to get into The Sons of Mil at the start due to the large amount of characters and descriptions,  but that is found in nearly any High Fantasy so it was not much of a deterrent. Especially considering the fact that there is a glossary at the end of the book! I also struggled throughout the first half due to the use of Gaelic spelling throughout the book, I eventually got used to it and could read it smoothly. Though it may be more difficult for readers who haven't seen Gaelic spellings before or who aren't used to the English language as a whole. The Sons of Mil does include graphic descriptions of violence, so it is not for the feint of heart in that regard. As for the story as a whole! The plot was deeply complex, including multiple points of views each with their own scheming that unraveled throughout the story. The main perspective, with Ben Maeden, was easily my favorite as I loved the characters and their growth throughout the story. I also loved the romance in this book. It is definitely a slow burn, the most well-done, natural feeling slow burn I have ever read, in fact. The Sons of Mil took me longer to read than I am used to, but it was such a good read. I can't wait to continue the story with the second book!

 I am so excited for the next book in the Heir of Earth and Sky series. I desperately want to see Cate learn more about herself and the world she has found herself in. I adored the character relationships and found myself multiple times unsure of who would be a friend, and who would be a foe. I am hopeful that Cate will be able to build more stable alliances and find her place as the series progresses. This story did drag a little at the start, asking more questions than it was answering, but once the pace picked up I couldn't get enough! I loved the world building and am excited to see more of Terra and Caelum as well as the magic of this world. Overall, this is a really good book, and sets up beautifully for the next book, with questions being answered, and even more being asked! 

 Keeper of Scarlet Petals was an AMAZING story! The magic system in this book was easily one of the most unique magic systems I have ever come across, and I am really interested to see more of Jasmine and Asher learning about how this magic works.

The concept of the Keepers, the Xolani, and the Starvein was very compelling, and frankly the explanation of Keepers in Chapter One or Two had me hooked from the start!

As for characters? I am absolutely obsessed with Jasmine and Asher's banter! I really like both Riker and Qien and have high hopes that they are big parts of the Keeper of Scarlet Petals series as a whole, as I love when stories have really compelling mentor figures! Pina and Lydia are extremely fun characters with such distinct personalities that it's hard not to love them.

I loved this book, and look forward to see what happens next in the series! 

This has easily been one of the best books I have ever read. In The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper we see a glimpse into a full life. This book touches on so many raw human emotions and experiences. I cried a few times throughout this book, and I'm going to check out more works by Phaedra Patrick. They write people and their experiences so realistically. This novel was like listening to my great grandparents tell me stories of their lives, something I desperately needed.

This Taylor Swift inspired, second chance, popstar romance was absolutely spectacular.  The FMC and MMC had the best banter, and I loved the dual pov. I am frankly obsessed with the ending to this book! The Breakup Tour has me raving, I've already recommended it to several of my friends. It was such a fun and quick romance read. I cannot recommend it enough, especially for fans of Taylor Swift or similar artists.

This book had fast pacing and can easily be read on its own while still setting up unanswered questions for the sequel. The plot was simple, but interesting. I loved all the characters, and the connection between the FMC and MMC was amazing! Honestly, I just really adored the MMC the entire book. He's got cool powers, is very respectful, and is head over heels for the FMC.

Once again another AMAZING novella by A.M.Eno I don't know how they do it, but I find myself loving the characters they write after just 8 short chapters! Dawn of a Ruinous Love may be short, but it contains a love story between two extremely interesting characters who I hope are explored more in the Novels! A.M.Eno was able to fit multiple in-depth events that explored the character's chemistry together, their personalities, their desires, and their backstories. All of this while continuing to build up the world of Thaumoria! My only complaint is that Dawn of a Ruinous Love wasn't LONGER, but it's a Novella, so I knew what I was getting into. I can't wait for more of this amazing series.

 I received an ARC copy of When You Return.

I struggled between a 3 star and a 4 star for this review. I loved the characters and story of When You Return, but I feel like they could've been better. A lot of plot points in the book felt underdeveloped or like the plot moved too quickly. When You Return could have greatly benefitted from slower pacing, or a higher page count.

What is in When You Return is done beautifully though! Isabella Ayubi creates a really compelling setting and some really fun characters. The FMC has her perspective on Good and Evil challenged, and the MMC has a really interesting power. After the results of the ending of When You Return I'm excited to see where the story is taken next. 

Before I get into the review I want to say that if you cannot handle graphic violence or graphic sexual content, this is not the book for you. If you don't like sexual content in your books, this book is not for you. I personally, couldn't care either way and found the plot and characters to be extremely well-developed.

Cardinal Sins is a “Why Choose” story so there are multiple love interests. I really like how all of the love interests were thoroughly developed and had a lot of backstory. I also appreciate that they were certainly not perfect people, they all had flaws in one way or another which made them more interesting to learn about. I really like the FMC and I really hope she grows to be more independent in the next book, which it looks like she might. As for the over-arching plot, I cannot get enough of it! I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to see what will happen next with the FMC and the Criminal Organizations she has found herself surrounded by.

I really enjoyed Reached. The plague in this book was a really interesting thing to read about Post-2020. I loved the development of a cure and, honestly, just all the medical things. It could've been more detailed, but it wasn't something I expected from this book, so it didn't bother me that it wasn't.  I didn't care much for the romances in this story towards the end. I cared more about the FMC and her family, as well as the politics of a revolution.

Crossed deviated from the tried and true false utopia set up in Matched. I really like the canyon as it was an interesting and unique choice for the setting of a decent chunk of Crossed. Getting to see both the main characters' pov's also made it more interesting than had it stayed a singular pov story. All in all, this book was a good transitional book between Matched and Reached!

There wasn't anything that made this book bad or great. It is firmly a good book.  It's a run of this mill dystopian with heavy emphasis on Choice and Romance.  I really enjoy the Matching System and the Tablet System which are the two most unique aspects of this story. The characters are interesting but nothing to out of the ordinary.  It's a good quick read.

Family of Liars was a lot easier to get into than We Were Liars was. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and getting to learn more about the sisters was really interesting. The fairytale metaphors made little sense to me, but every other aspect of the story was very engaging. The ending was not as sad at the ending to We Were Liars, but it was very interesting and surprised me. Despite Family of Liars being a prequel, it should 100% be read AFTER We Were Liars as the first few pages alone spoil the ending to We Were Liars!

I really struggled to get into this book. I had to switch from an audiobook to my kindle, because I was too confused by the way the book is written to understand what was going on when listening to it.  It gets interesting around half way through the book,  but it continues to be quite confusing until the end when things start to make a little more sense. The ending is the only reason this was not a 2 star review though. The ending was very interesting, I was completely surprised, and it made me cry! If you don't like sad endings, this may not be the book for you. If you LOVE sad endings, definitely read this book,  I was heartbroken.

Palace of Lies was such a fun book, and a lovely ending to the Palace Chronicles Triology. I loved getting to learn more about Desmia and see her grow as a person as she learns more about the world outside the castle. The ending was especially fun, as I had no idea what was going to happen next! My only wish is that the Palace Chronicles had been a longer series. I love the characters and think it would have been fun to have more books about the lives of all the different princesses.

I was hopeful that Palace of Mirrors would be a direct sequel. It is more of a spinoff in the same world. We do see more of Ella and her story, but she is no longer the main focus. I really enjoyed the main character,  Cecilia,  and her best friend Harper. They were very fun characters that were written realistically and felt accurate to their ages. This story has an amazing twist towards the end that had me eagerly reading to find out what would happen next!

I love this book so much! I read it first at a very young age and reread it many times over the years. I'm rereading it as an adult for the first time, and it's still as good, if not better, than I remember. Knowing how that it is just book 1 in a trilogy has me so excited to read the rest of the books! My only issue with this book is that Ella is 15 and that the love interest is around 20. However, Ella is hardly written as a 15 year old girl, and her age is only mentioned once, so I just pretend she's older than the book states.