#BookReview: The ​Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout @lexilikestoread

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

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.

#BookReview: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout @lexilikestoread

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

A Betrayal…

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice...

Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…

But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

#BookReview: Girl Abroad by @ElleKennedy

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy brings her signature angst, drama, and humour to a new standalone romance.

When nineteen-year-old Abbey Bly gets the opportunity to study abroad for a year in London, it's the perfect chance to finally slip out from under the thumb of her beloved but overbearing retired rock star father. She's ready to be free, to discover herself - but first off, to meet the girls she's rooming with. That is, until she arrives at her gorgeous new flat to discover those roommates are actually all boys. Charming, funny, insufferably attractive boys. And off-limits, with a rule against fraternizing between housemates after unwanted drama with the previous girl.

Abbey has never considered herself a rulebreaker. But soon, she's lying to her father about her living situation and falling for not one, but two men she can't have: her rugby-player roommate and a broody musician with a girlfriend. Not to mention, her research for school has gotten her tangled in a deeply hidden scandal of a high nobility family, surrounding her in secrets on all sides.

If there's any hope of Abbey finding love, answers, or a future in London, she'll have to decide which rules - and hearts - might be worth breaking . . .

#BookReview: Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff

Synopsis: Culinary student Lexi Berman, 24, has one goal: to make her late mother proud by becoming an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. And she isn’t going to let anything–or anyone–get in the way. But when she meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who charms her with show tunes, she makes a rare exception to her no-dating rule. After a steamy weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his demo, and Lexi never expects to see him again. And she definitely doesn’t expect him to become an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s almost certainly about her famous blueberry pancake recipe.

As Jake’s star rises and the world speculates about the subject of his song, Lexi keeps the affair to herself. After all, she’s finally found her footing at her new restaurant job, and even has a prospective romance with her coworker. But when a distraught Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night, her carefully-laid plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat faster than a bowl of Lexi's matzah ball soup. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, withstanding cruel internet comments, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career. As Jake’s upcoming tour approaches, and rumors swirl about him and another pop star, Lexi has to decide if holding onto her meticulously-planned future is worth walking away from what could be the perfect recipe for love.

Set both in the chaos of fame and the high stakes world of New York City restaurants, this novel sprinkles in a second chance at love and a dollop of celebrity drama to create a romantic romp that will make even the most jaded reader smile.

#BookReview: Damaged Goods (All Saints High #4) by L.J. Shen

Synopsis: Underneath the goody two-shoes persona is damaged goods…but can the bad boy across the street save her?

Bailey Followhill is the perfect daughter. Sweet. Charitable. Pretty. Control freak. Not a hair out of place, not an inch out of line, she is everything her troublemaking sister Daria isn't. But when her A game turns out to be a lukewarm C- at Juilliard, Bailey's picture-ready life starts fraying faster than the worn satin ribbons of her pointe shoes. She's becoming a piece of gossip. The Troubled Child. A drug abuser. No longer the girl her best friend once knew.

Lev Cole is so golden, he's got the Midas Touch. Prized quarterback. Football captain. Hottest guy in SoCal. A textbook cliché. But with a girlfriend he doesn't love and a career path he doesn't value, Lev is coasting.
The only two things he cares about, Bailey and becoming a pilot, are out of reach.

But Lev is done being satisfied with the life others have chosen for him. He wants to pick his own cards. To demolish the seamless kingdom of lies his family stitched together on the ruins his mother left behind.

The question is, can he save his best friend and his dream before too much damage is done?

#BookReview: Angry God (All Saints High #3) by L.J. Shen

Synopsis: He's been told that good girls like bad boys…and he's as bad as they come. They call Vaughn Spencer an angry god, but to Lenora Astalis, he is nothing but a heartless prince. His parents rule this town, its police, every citizen and boutique on Main Street―and all Lenora owns is the grudge against him for the time he almost killed her. Not to mention that between hooking up with a different girl every weekend, breaking hearts and noses and rules alike, Vaughn still finds the time to give Lenora hell during their senior year. She fights back tooth and nail…but she never expects him to chase her across the ocean for an art program after graduation. Now, here they are, living together in a dark, looming castle on the outskirts of London. He's a fellow intern. A prodigal sculptor. A dangerous genius. Everyone says that Carlisle Castle is haunted, and Lenora thinks they're right. After all, the castle now hides Lenora and Vaughn's most ghastly secrets, and their paths begin to intertwine in ways they never could have imagined. Vaughn thinks he can kill the ghosts of his past, but he doesn't realize he's slaying Lenora's heart along the way―and some wounds never heal. She may know his secret…but now he knows her weakness.

#BookReview: Broken Knight (All Saints High #2) by L.J. Shen

Synopsis: Not all love stories are written the same way. 

Theirs has torn chapters, missing paragraphs, and a bittersweet ending. 

Luna Rexroth is everyone's favorite wallflower. 

Sweet. Caring. Charitable. Quiet. 

But it's not real. Underneath the meek tomboy exterior is a girl who knows exactly what―and who―she wants. Namely, the boy from the treehouse who taught her how to curse in sign language. 

Who taught her to laugh and to love, shielding her from the world when her mother abandoned her.

Except Luna is not the young, defenseless girl she used to be. And she doesn't need his protection anymore. 

Knight Cole is everyone's favorite football hero.

Gorgeous. Athletic. Rugged. Popular. 

But that's not real, either. 

Beneath the daredevil, hell-raising mask, he's fighting his own silent battles. And while it might seem like he could knock a girl up with his gaze alone, he's only ever had eyes for the girl across the street: Luna. 

When life throws a curveball at All Saints' golden boy, he's forced to realize not all knights are heroes, and sometimes, the only way love can flourish is if two people learn to grow apart before they can grow back together. 

But by the time they both learn that lesson, their forever might be too broken to repair.

#BookReview: Pretty Reckless (All Saints High #1) by L.J. Shen

Synopsis: They say revenge is a dish best served cold… 

Penn Scully has had four years to stew on what Daria Followhill did to him, and now his heart is completely iced over. 

He took her first kiss, and she took away the only person he ever loved. 

He asked her to save the rest of her firsts for him, and she walked all over his heart in stiletto heels and left it bleeding out on a bright summer day. 

Now, everything has changed. 

When circumstances leave Penn homeless in his senior year, the Followhills take him in as their latest shiny project. That means, for the time being, he's Daria's housemate, living right across the hall. 

And once he sees her again, he's determined to make this spoiled princess pay for ruining the only good thing in his life. 

But Daria is used to being misunderstood. Being slammed for every snarky comment, cynical eye roll, and foot she puts in the way of the people who hurt her. 

Being the girl everyone wants to see cry, and keeping her tears hidden. Penn wanted her firsts, but she wants to be his last everything. 

The problem is, once they see past each other's cutting barbs and wounded hearts, the truths they uncover might just start something new altogether.

#BookReview: The Summer Girl (Avalon Bay #3) by @ElleKennedy @StMartinsPress

Synopsis: College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday… and maybe find herself a summer fling.

On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy.

Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he’s always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she’s not the girl you play games with. Cassie is gorgeous, hilarious, and, frankly, the coolest person he’s ever met. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone… only to realize he made a huge mistake. Soon, his attraction to Cassie becomes impossible to ignore. He wants that fling now. Big-time.

And maybe even something more.

As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they’re about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets—and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.

Elle Kennedy's next spicy and emotional romance in the blockbuster Avalon Bay series.

#BookTour: Sky of Thorns by Fleur DeVillainy @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours

We're celebrating the release of Fleur DeVillainy's Sky of Thorns! Read on for more details and add this beauty to your TBR!

Sky of Thorns (The Vandeleur Trilogy #1) Publication Date: December 5, 2023 Genre: Fantasy Romance 🦄 Romantic Epic fantasy 🌹 Enemies to lovers 🦄 Morally gray MMC 🌹 Slow Burn Spice 🦄 Unicorn Shifter FMC 

 The people of Kallistar believed the land was in peace… but darkness stirs in the North… On the eve of the autumn solstice, unicorn shifter Sybil Vandeleur is kidnapped and stolen away to the Kingdom of Shadowvale, charged with treason against the crown. Only, she has never committed any crimes. Aramis Adrastos, crown prince of Shadowvale, is told otherwise. Tasked by his father to capture the leader of a rebel group, he corners the woman planning to infiltrate the palace and take down the kingdom from the inside. But as soon as he lays eyes on her, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. She incites his anger, fills him with longing, and makes him question everything he believes in. Her very presence tempts him to betrayal. Chained in a dungeon, at the mercy of an evil queen, Sybil’s only hope for salvation lies with the prince who was raised to loathe her, just for being a shifter. In a world strained from rebellion and rife with injustice, two adversaries fight to overcome their prejudices and face the true enemy before them. From author Fleur DeVillainy, comes a captivating, magical book that blends romance and adventure into a tantalizing read. 

#BookReview: Curse of the Soul Collector by Cara Blaine

Synopsis: When a prince appears on a witch's doorstep, lost and injured, she lets him into her home...

But she is determined that her heart will remain tightly locked, and he will never have the key.

In a kingdom where magic evokes both awe and fear, Alma’s rare magical affinity causes the witch hunters to descend on her family, forcing her to abandon all she knows. For a decade, Alma conceals herself, estranged from a world that misconstrues her powers.

Prince Lorenzo grapples with the duties and expectations of his position, including the expectation that he marry a princess. In an attempt to appease his royal parents, he embarks on a rescue that strands him in haunted woods, injured and alone.

Fate or misfortune guides Lorenzo to Alma's sanctuary, where a fragile bond blooms between the prince and the wary witch. Yet, societal strictures and Alma's self-imposed barriers threaten to sunder them. Their hearts yearn to travel a forbidden path, but it is not to be. Lorenzo's inevitable departure and Alma's subsequent capture shatter their tentative hopes, as well as Alma’s heart.

While Alma grapples with her grief as well as her magic, she also must face her long held guilt about the death of her parents. Amid deceit and disloyalty, Lorenzo confronts the ultimate dilemma: duty versus true love.



Content Warning Note: This book is for the intended audience of NA (New Adult). It does contain:
explicit s3x
overtly threatened S/A
knife torture
bound prisoner

#BookReview: The Eternal Trade by Leigh Walker

Synopsis: I knew his true nature, but little did I know that my own feelings for him would prove even more dangerous.

The deal is simple. Enter the Trade. Save the prince. But can I truly reclaim what I have lost? 

Devastated by the loss of her mother and sister, eighteen-year-old Victoria sees little purpose in life. But when she discovers a mysterious letter among her belongings, she is transported through a time portal to the Kingdom, a dangerous land cloaked in darkness.

Forced into an engagement with Dominic, a prince whose alluring looks and unwavering loyalty belie his vampiric nature, Victoria must learn to navigate a world of blood and deceit.

As she delves deeper into the Kingdom's mysteries, Victoria realizes that her arrival may not have been by chance. Despite having no memory of it, she has visited the Kingdom many times before.

Victoria knows that the prince and his family pose a threat. But Dominic also holds the key to her secret past and, more importantly, her future...if only she can survive long enough to uncover it.

Book 1 of 3 in the completed Kingdom of Eternal Night trilogy.

#BookReview: Rise of Midnight (Rise of Midnight #1) by Sara A. Freites

Synopsis:  "I just wanted my normal life back, but the vampires and demons of my city had other plans for me..."

At seventeen, Autumn Hayes is no different than any other high school student. But after a strange dream one night, some unwanted changes come her way—dark figures following her, unsettling stares, a tragedy hitting close to home…

Autumn soon finds herself held captive by a group of individuals calling themselves “vampires”. From them, she learns she's not who she's always thought and that she must play a key role in sending a powerful demon back to hell. 

Things get more complicated for Autumn and the vampires when they capture an alluring stranger named Blake. He’s not like the others, and he’s sparked their curiosity...especially Autumn’s. 

Now, Autumn must leave behind everything she’s ever known and accept her new fate—fighting to prevent a possible hell on Earth. 

But will she lose her humanity in the process?

#BookReview: These Wicked Stars by (The Nightfall Bazaar #1) by Catelyn Wilson

Synopsis: If you know what you want, you will never find it.

Hazel Blackthorn is an outcast, the bastard daughter of a nameless sailor and a disgraced mother. She will do anything to marry her secret fiancé, Linus, and escape her oppressive life. When Linus announces he must marry her cousin in order to save his family’s crumbling business, Hazel is heartbroken and her hope for the future crushed. But a kind old man offers her salvation: Travel to the mythical Bazaar that visits the island once every thirty years and return before the end of the festival with medicine he needs, and she will have all the riches in the world. Gripped by hope, Hazel accepts.

But in the Bazaar, a place where the gods themselves used to dwell, Hazel can trust nothing. In a world where you can buy time and purchase power, wicked merchants wield cruel magic. As she travels further into the Bazaar, searching for the medicine her benefactor desires, she becomes enmeshed in a game of cat and mouse with the all-powerful King of the Bazaar, a man with a silver-tongue and shadowy past. 

As time runs out and the Bazaar threatens to trap Hazel forever, she begins to unravel the mystery of the Bazaar and why the King wants her for himself. But Hazel must decide if her desire for her freedom is worth the cost the Bazaar demands--and if the love she thought she needed is the one she truly deserves.

#BookReview: Rival (Fall Away #2) by Penelope Douglas

Synopsis: From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Until You

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

#BookReview: Blood Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #3) by J. Bree

Synopsis: After three years on the run, I’m back in a Resistance camp, chained to a chair as the resident monster.
Everything I ran from, all of the villains of my past, they’re all here to take another bite out of me. But this time, I’m not alone.
With my Bonds desperately trying to reach me and new friendships I never expected, I start to believe that maybe I won't become the weapon they want me to be. Maybe I’ll be a monster of my own creation.
When loyalties are questioned and Bonds are tested, everything I thought I knew gets turned upside down. Who are my friends, and who are my enemies?
Are Bond ties stronger than blood?

*Blood Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.

#BookReview: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

Synopsis: True love requires a little research and development in a funny, heart-racing romance by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Paid Bridesmaid.

How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams—who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play.

All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after—if it weren’t for one hitch in the plan. There’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real.

Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco are really falling in love, who are they to argue with science?

This title will be released on February 1, 2023.

#BookReview: Underneath the Sycamore Tree by B. Celeste

Synopsis: Time is a luxury we don't all have...

Emery Matterson's life has been broken for a while. First, she lost her twin sister to an incurable autoimmune disease, then her father left, then her mother fell apart when Emery herself was diagnosed with the same disease that killed her sister. The only option for Emery seems to be to move in with the father she hasn’t seen in ten years, and start over.

Enter Kaiden Monroe, the brooding athlete who has baggage of his own. Kaiden makes Emery feel normal. Hated. Cared for. Loathed. And...loved. Somewhere along the way, Emery finds solace in the guy with the sad eyes.

But everything happens in stages. And nothing good ever lasts.

From fan-favorite author B. Celeste comes an raw, real, and unforgettable story of love and loss between two young people grappling with the harsh reality of invisible disease.

#BookReview: It Ends with Us by @colleenhoover

Synopsis: Before It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the “glorious and touching” (USA TODAY) #1 New York Times bestseller It Ends with Us. 

Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).