Tag Archives: review

Review: The ​Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted in 4 hearts by

The ​Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Blood and Ash #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 20th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

She’s been the victim and the survivor…

Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers.

The enemy and the warrior…

Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy’s head.

A lover and heartmate…

But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.

And now she will become Queen…

We’re now three books into this epic fantasy romance series! I’ve enjoyed each book in the Blood and Ash series so far, and this third book was no different. I had extremely high expectations, especially after reading that ending from A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, and Jennifer L. Armentrout didn’t disappoint. We’ve got all the action, steam, reveals, and more in this newest installment and I already can’t wait for the next one!

It’s hard to talk about this book now that we’re midway through the series without spoiling anything, but I’ll try. It’s finally revealed that Poppy is more that she – or anyone else – ever thought she was, and now she has to navigate this new role alongside her new husband, Cas. In TCOGB, we learn more about Poppy, her powers, Cas’ family, the Ascended, the war between the two kingdoms, the gods…. there’s A Lot. And in the midst of this is our favorite power couple who are now married(!!!) and being all cute and hot as husband and wife. For the Kieran fans, you will be very happy to know he’s constantly by their side.

I wish I could shout about what happened at the end of this book because SO MUCH IS GOING ON, but I will just say I’m so freaking excited for everyone to read TCOGB. It’s another fantastic installment in this fantasy romance series that I just can’t get enough of!


lacey

Reading Order: Blood and Ash series

#1 ~ From Blood and Ash: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Crown of Gilded Bones: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Early Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 11th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read, a sparkling new novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

After absolutely loving Beach Read, I couldn’t wait for more romances from Emily Henry! When I heard People We Meet on Vacation had the friends to lovers trope, I knew it would be perfect for me. One of my favorite tropes combined with Emily Henry’s style of writing and humor? SOLD. And to no one’s surprise, I fell head over heels for People We Meet on Vacation. Once again, another Emily Henry book is going on my ‘best of the year’ list!

Poppy and Alex have been best friends since they first met during freshman orientation at college. They couldn’t be more opposite – Poppy is wild, impulsive, has wanderlust, and travels the world for a living. Alex is a homebody: he’s stable, level-headed, is living in the same town he grew up in, and works at the high school he attended. They have nothing in common, but they connect, and every summer since they met, they’ve gone on vacation together.

I’m usually not a fan of unrequited love… unless both sides are feeling it. Which is exactly what Alex and Poppy go through. They both love each other but put the sake of their friendship ahead of that love, which makes that friendship work, until two years ago when everything was ruined. They haven’t spoken to each other in those two years, but now Poppy has one last chance, one last vacation, to save their relationship and maybe, possibly take it to the next level.

Poppy and Alex are ADORABLE. I had so much fun reading about them, especially during the ‘before’ chapters that would take place during each vacation they went on. If you’re not a fan of alternating chapters and switching timelines, this book might not be for you, but the way Emily Henry set it up was perfect for me. I was legitimately smiling and giggling during their hilarious conversations. Poppy’s quirky sense of humor and Alex’s deadpan meshed so well together. And I even loved their vacations too, both the good ones and the bad. Just a fair warning, this book will make you want to travel.

I loved this friends to lovers romance. It had the perfect amount the humor and angst. I can only hope Emily Henry continues to write more contemporary romances because I’ve become an even bigger fan since Beach Read!


lacey

Other Books by Emily Henry

Beach Read: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Review: Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 13th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.

Dazzle (n): Brightness that blinds someone temporarily.

Position Vacant: Two ancient old women residing at Providence Retirement Villa seek male assistant for casual exploitation and good-natured humiliation. Duties include boutique shopping, fast-food fetching, and sincerely rendered flattery. Good looks a bonus—but we aren’t picky.

An advertisement has been placed (again!) by the wealthy and eccentric Parloni Sisters. The salary is generous and the employers are 90 years old, so how hard could the job be? Well, none have lasted longer than a week. Most boys leave in tears.

Ruthie Midona will work in Providence’s front office, and be at the Parloni’s beck and call, forever. That’s sort of her life plan. If Ruthie can run the place in her almost-retired bosses’ absence, with no hijinks/hiccups, she has a shot at becoming the new manager. She might also be able to defend her safe little world from Prescott Development, the new buyer of the prime site. Maybe after all that, she can find a cute guy to date. All she needs to do is stay serious—and that’s what she does best.

Until, one day, someone dazzling blows into town.

Teddy Prescott devotes his life to sleeping, tattooing, and avoiding seriousness. When Teddy needs a place to crash, he makes a deal with his developer dad. Teddy can stay in one of Providence’s on-site maintenance cottages—right next door to an unimpressed Ruthie—but only if he works there and starts to grow up.

Ruthie knows how this sweetly selfish rich boy can earn his keep—and be out of her hair in under a week. After all, there is a position vacant…

This was so perfectly charming, quirky, and adorable. Basically, everything I wanted in a Sally Thorne romance. I went into this with high expectations after loving The Hating Game and actually enjoying 99 Percent Mine, and I’m happy to say Sally Thorne didn’t let me down! My heart was just so HAPPY reading this lovely story. I’m already putting Second First Impressions on my ‘best of 2021’ list!

The thing I loved most about SFI was how unique it was. It’s set in a retirement home, the heroine works there as a manager (she’s 25 going on 80, which, relatable), there are two 90-year-old residents/menaces in need of an assistant to torture, and the hero is a dorky, tattoo-artist airhead in need of some lessons in responsibility, so he takes the position.

Ruthie is like a grandma in a 25-year-old’s body who’s trying to come out of her shell of anxiety and monotony. She’s sweet but shy and doesn’t know her full potential. I loved seeing her learn more about what she wants out of life and seeing her grow to love herself. Teddy is a precious sweetheart (dare I say teddy bear) who, even though he has some growing up to do, worships the ground Ruthie walks on. And honestly, what more could I ask for from a hero? There are all these little moments and little things that Teddy does that show how hard he falls for Ruthie, how much he respects and cherishes her. Even though this book is told only from the heroine’s POV, we get to see all of that so clearly and I LOVE when an author is capable of illustrating a hero this way.

This romance is just so wholesome, funny, and precious – it was exactly the heartfelt and feel-good romance I was looking for from Sally Thorne. I know it’s hard not to compare this to THG or even 99% Mine, but I truly feel like a lot of people would enjoy SFI whether or not they loved her previous books. I literally finished it with a smile on my face. I loved it!


lacey

Other Books by Sally Thorne

The Hating Game: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
99 Percent Mine: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Review: The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe
Series: Fifth Avenue Rebels #1
Publication Date: March 9th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

High society reprobate.
An unconventional heiress.
Childhood friends.

Is it too late…
Knickerbocker scoundrel Harrison Archer returns to New York to discover that his deceased father has bankrupted his estranged family. To save them from ruin, he’s forced to quickly find and marry an heiress. For a matchmaker, Harrison turns to the one woman he wishes he could marry: his childhood friend and true love, Maddie, who once broke his heart and is now engaged to a duke.

For true love?
When her best friend Harrison left for Paris without a word, Maddie Webster took refuge in her infatuation with tennis. Now Harrison is back and needs her help in finding a bride. Begrudgingly, Maddie arranges a house party in Newport with a guest list of eligible heiresses. But watching Harrison flirt with potential brides is more than she can bear.

When Harrison and Maddie reunite, the passion between them ignites. But with their marriages to others looming, time is running out. Is their fate inescapable . . .or can love set them free?

I am such a big Joanna Shupe fan so when I heard she would be releasing a brand new series called the Fifth Avenue Rebels series, I knew I had to read it! And then the gorgeous cover was revealed and I needed the book even more. I sadly didn’t love this one as much as my favorite series of hers, the Uptown Girls series, but I was enjoyable for the most part.

I love the friends to lovers trope and was incredibly excited about the matchmaking plot in The Heiress Hunt. Harrison and Maddie were childhood best friends, and Harrison was in unrequited love with Maddie. He left her and left for Paris without another word to live a life of debauchery. But now he’s back and needs an heiress to marry to save his family from ruin.

I was engaged with this book at the beginning. I loved the setup and I always enjoy Joanna Shupe’s writing. But the more I read, the more I wished… more from it. The story wasn’t fleshed out enough, I wasn’t a big fan of Harrison or Maddie, and I was disappointed we didn’t get to see more of the tennis aspect of Maddie’s character. There’s a mystery I didn’t care enough about and the ending just wrapped up too easily and neatly for me.

As sad as I am that I didn’t love this new Joanna Shupe more, I’m still looking forward to what she has in store for us next. She’s my go-to for steamy historical romances, and in that department, The Heiress Hunt definitely didn’t disappoint.


lacey

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Review: The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne
Series: Devil You Know #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 9th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

​The Devil in Her Bed is the final book in the stunning Devil You Know trilogy by USA Today bestselling author Kerrigan Byrne!

He lives in secret service to the Crown—a man of duty, deception, and an undeniable attraction to a woman who threatens to tear his whole world apart.

They call him the Devil of Dorset. He stands alone, a man of undeniable power. Moving in and out of shadows, back alleys and ballrooms, he is unstoppable and one of the Crown’s most dangerous weapons. However, when he sets his sights on the undeniably beautiful Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish, he doesn’t realize that he has met a match like no other.

TRUE LOVE WEARS NO DISGUISE

Francesca is a countess by day and stalks her prey—those responsible for the death of her family—by night. What she does not expect is to be thrown into the path of the devil himself, the Earl of Devlin. She has secrets of her own and he seems determined to lay them bare. Can her heart survive finding the love of her life and losing him when all is revealed?

I am just a little bit devastated I didn’t love this one. I had such high hopes for Francesca ever since she was introduced in book 1, and I loved the setup for her romance in book 2. You can probably guess who the mysterious “Devil of Dorset” is from the ending of All Scot and Bothered. I have one main reason why I was disappointed by this (which I’ll get into below), but I will say that even though it’s my least favorite of the series, I was still hooked onto the pages. Kerrigan Byrne always writes sexy, exciting, almost suspenseful historical romances with fantastic heroines and antiheroes, and The Devil In Her Bed hit the spot regarding that.

Francesca is the last of the 3 Red Rogues to get her story and she’s always been the most mysterious one. She lives her life as a Countess, but it turns out her true goal in life is to get revenge against the people who killed her family and the people her family worked for. Francesca has a secret past full of murder and deceit, and she’s so much more than she seems. She’s a fierce, strong, intelligent heroine I loved pretty much from the start. And one of my favorite parts about this series is the wonderful female friendship between Francesca, Cecelia, and Alexandra, so I was happy to get even more of that brilliant friendship in this book.

Our hero goes by so many names that I don’t even know what to call him without slightly spoiling things, lol. His identity isn’t that much of a secret if you’ve kept up with the series, and the prologue gives you a good sense of who he is anyway. He’s still an intriguing character – he’s dark, tortured by his past, and works as a spy for the government. All of those things should’ve made me love him, but the main reason I couldn’t get into the romance as much as I wanted to was that this hero thinks Francesca is someone else for almost the entire book. So it was hard for me to buy that he loved Francesca for her, rather than for someone else. I don’t blame him for thinking she’s someone else because of her hidden identity, but he kept going on and on about being in love with this person from his past that I just wasn’t sold enough on him loving the real Francesca.

I’m sad the ending to this series didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but I’ll still be reading anything Kerrigan Byrne writes. I love her storytelling and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!


Reading Order: Devil You Know series

#1 ~ How to Love a Duke in Ten Days: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ All Scot and Bothered: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Devil in Her Bed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.