Author: Jen (Page 28 of 209)

I ♥ Paranormal, Dystopian, Romance, YA, NA & some Fantasy and Science Fiction. I ♥ not being able to knock that darn smirk off my face, crying my eyes out or feeling every emotion under the sun with characters. I ♥ cheesecake, wakeboarding, snowboarding, being a mommy & wife, dancing, singing and being a beach bum addict!
Find me on: Goodreads

GIVEAWAY: A Cowboy Country Christmas by Jennie Marts

October 11, 2023 / Jen / 0 Comments

My raving review for this book is coming soon! I LOVED it so much! Until then, check out what this beautiful, heartfelt story is about. And you can enter into a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy ♥.

A Cowboy Country Christmas
Jennie Marts
(Creedence Horse Rescue, #6)
Publication date: October 10th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

There’s no better time than Christmas to open your heart

Holt Callahan used to love the holidays, but getting dumped on Christmas Eve would turn anyone into a Grinch. Now he hates Christmas and all the holly jolly shenanigans that go with it. When he moves back to his cousin’s ranch in Creedence, Colorado, the last thing he expects is to come face to face with the one who got away and all her holiday cheer.

Lainey McBride is all about Christmas, and despite running her family’s ranch festivities while her grandfather is in rehab, she hasn’t lost her holiday spirit, no matter how many things don’t go according to plan. But the holidays have their own way of healing, and a Christmas in Creedence just might be the merry magic that brings these two broken hearts back together again.

“This feel-good fare is guaranteed to get romance fans in the holiday mood.” –Publishers Weekly for A Cowboy Country Christmas

Praise for Jennie Marts’s cowboy romances:

“Full of hope, humor, and undeniable swoon.”—A.J. Pine, USA Today bestselling author, for How to Cowboy

“Funny, complicated, and irresistible. Sometimes a cowboy isn’t perfect but you got to love him anyway.”—Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author, for Caught Up in a Cowboy

“Deliciously steamy but still sweet, with a secret at its heart.”—Joanne Kennedy for Wish Upon a Cowboy

“The definition of a swoon-worthy, must-read romance.”—Sara Richardson for Never Enough Cowboy

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt:

Lainey sucked in a breath as she reached to pet the dog’s side. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t you keep her? She’s obviously already attached to you.”

“She just likes me because I feed her. But look at her. She’s too friendly not to be someone’s pet.” After getting over her initial skittishness of the night before, the dog had been cuddly and affectionate, either following after them if they walked around the bunkhouse or rolling over for belly rubs if she was sitting next to them. “Some family is probably missing her.”

“Maybe.”

“I need to at least call the Humane Society and the sheriff’s office to see if someone’s looking for her.”

“Okay, but if no one claims her, then she’s for sure your dog. And you should totally name her something Christmas-themed, since this is the time of year when you found her. How about Holly? Or Mistletoe? Or how about Carol?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “What a great idea. Then I can always be reminded of this holiday I’m such a huge fan of. And also, if I were keeping her, there’s no way in hell I’d name my dog Carol. Or Mistletoe. Unless you want me to just turn in my man card right now.”

Her eyes went dreamy as she stroked a finger along his sizable bicep. “As if. And no, I’m quite partial to your man parts. I mean your manly parts. Wait, I mean your manliness.” She dropped her head into her hands. “Pretend I did not say that.”

“Too late. You already said you loved my man parts.”

“I said partial to…and anyway, we were talking about the dog. And thinking of ideas of what to name her.”

“You were thinking of what to name her. But I’d rather go back to talking about what you love about my—”

She held up her hand to cut him off. “What about Jingle or Snickerdoodle for a name?”

“For my man parts? I don’t think they’d take too kindly to being called Snickerdoodle, but Jingle Balls does have a certain holiday ring to it.”

She let out one of her hearty laughs, the kind that came from her belly and snuck out as a surprise. The kind that made his manly heart melt like butter on a hot biscuit. “We are not going to start talking about your Christmas balls again,” she said, still laughing. “How about Eggnog or Snowy? For the dog.”

He grimaced. “How about not?”

He was acting grumpy, but he was really having fun with her. Too much fun. She was so easy to be with, and not just to be with, but to be himself with. He was only this comfortable with a few select people. Although his comfortableness with her was also interspersed with moments of fluttering heartbeats and a racing pulse whenever their hands touched, or her shoulder brushed his, or if he caught a whiff of her delicious scent. Her nearness could send jittery nerves spiraling through his stomach that made him feel like a love-crazed teenager, which probably shaved several points off that man card they were just discussing.

She tapped her fingers to her lips. “Okay, I’ll stop with the too cutesy. But I really still like the idea of a Christmas name. Just give me a second. I know I can think of a good one. Hmm. I suppose Cindy Lou Who is out?”

He shrugged. “Not if I can shorten it and just call her Lou.”

About Jennie Marts:

Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”

She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.

Her books include the contemporary western romance Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/ cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister family in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances.

Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter

Giveaway:

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BOOK REVIEW: The Total Knockout (Southern U O’Brien Brothers) by Cookie O’Gorman

October 9, 2023 / Jen / 6 Comments

The Total Knockout by Cookie O'Gorman
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Maisie Hawthorne doesn't do boyfriends.

Or girlfriends. Or relationships. Burned in the past, the scrappy bartender knows better than to trust a pretty face. Dex O'Brien is gorgeous (with or without the scar). Pierced, tatted, annoyingly attractive. She knew he was trouble even before she saw him fight. Her mind told her to stay away—but her heart wouldn't listen.

Dex O'Brien doesn't do love.

Not the romantic kind anyway. Sure, he loves his family, would defend them with his dying breath. And yeah, he loves baseball and fighting too. But falling in love? No thanks. Too messy. Dex couldn't care less, especially about the bookish bartender with the smart mouth and beautiful eyes.

She needs money to pay the bills. He needs a tutor to keep playing ball—even if he'll never admit it.

When the Southern U Wolves recruit Maisie to tutor Dex, tempers flare and sparks fly.

This new adult sports romance features two scarred souls, one hot-and-hilarious case of enemies-to-lovers, and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.

The #1 lesson they'll both learn?

Love is the total knockout you never see coming.

Review:

The Total Knockout was a sports romance that was impossible to put down! This story was laugh out loud hilarious, will pull on your emotions and make you fall in love. With a fun and flirty vibe, this book was so entertaining! If you love romance that is sweet with a little bit of spice, a dash of enemies to lovers, and a story line that will have you smiling from that first page to the last, then you need this book in your life! You definitely don’t have to read the previous ones in this series to enjoy The Total Knockout, but I can’t recommend the rest of this series about the O’Brien brothers enough!

“If you’re trying to book-shame me,” she said, “it won’t work. I read what I like. Doesn’t matter what you or anyone else has to say about it.”
“No shame,” I said. “If I was gonna waste my time reading, I’d probably reach for the R-rated book porn too.”
Her jaw dropped.

Dex O’Brien was struggling in college and was at risk of being pulled from the baseball team because of his grades. When his coach told him that he had no choice about seeing a tutor, that tutor ended up being Maisie Hawthorne. From the beginning they had a rocky start. Dex thought he could scare her off and Maisie needed the money so she wasn’t going anywhere. It was impossible not to laugh and smile when they were together! So when you add Dex’s siblings Finn and Emmy into the mix, who adored Maisie, whelp it was a ton of fun!

“So, are you going to keep staring or teach me something?”
Maisie blinked then looked down, a flush of embarrassment rising to her cheeks.
“Right,” she said, “sorry, I just didn’t know you could do that.”
“Do what?” I asked.
“Smile.”

I absolutely loved Maisie and wanted to be friends with her! She was kind, patient, thoughtful and such a hard worker. She was putting herself through college while working at a bar, tutoring, and she did other jobs on the side. From the beginning we got to see how much she loved and cared for her younger sister, Lola. And I loved when Lola was around, because it felt like she would help pull Dex and Maisie closer together. Yet there seemed to be something going on with her past, since Maisie was jaded and swore off relationships. But even with her no relationship policy she couldn’t help be attracted to Dex. He was a pierced, tatted, bad boy who lived and breathed baseball and secretly had a heart of gold.

I raised a brow. “How do I look at her?”
“Like you just saw something you desperately want but can’t have.”
I swallowed.

Dex’s way with words had me falling head over heels in love with him. He was definitely cocky and didn’t shy away from saying what he thought. From the beginning he told Maisie that he thought she was pretty. Yet Dex didn’t want anything more than just fun. He didn’t do relationship either and didn’t believe that love was for him. I wondered if maybe his overconfidence was to cover his struggles in school and the comments people made about him physically? I don’t know. But regardless, there were times I had tears in my eyes for Dex. And as we spent more time with him, your heart will melt. The confessions he said. The way he made for sure that Maisie was safe and protected her without a second thought. To even how there was a little bit of jealousy in there at times too, sigh. Dex was the most fabulous of book boyfriends!

Dex scoffed. “Better lower those expectations, Hawthorne.”
“Never.”
“Why not?”
“Because I believe in you, O’Brien,” I said.
“You do?” he said.
“Yeah— but I also believe in ghosts, faeries, and shape shifters, so you shouldn’t feel too special.”
He chuckled at that then gestured to the bar.

This story alternated between Maisie and Dex, and I loved both of their thoughts! This is one of those books where it’s impossible to pick your favorite moment, because there were so many of them. Emmy throwing Maisie under the bus? I was dying laughing. The mirror scene? That was so hot! And so many more I don’t want to mention for fear of spoilers. On top of countless memorable scenes, Dex’s siblings, Emmy and Finn, were the best! If you are adore family in a story, you’re going to love this one! The way they messed with Dex was perfect! But back to Maisie and Dex….as they worked together and time passed, it was smile inducing watching their hate for one another fade. And it almost seemed like a friendship was forming between them. They showed up for one another. They cheered each other on in their own ways. And they realized that not only were they both scarred physically, but emotionally too. Through every moment though, there was always sparks and banter flying. And those sparks seemed to arc higher and higher the more time they spent together. It was one of those stories where I couldn’t wait to see where their explosion took them!

“There’s a lot of things I want,” he said then reached up to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. “What about you, Hawthorne? Anything you want right this second?”
I hesitated then shook my head.
“Liar,” he said quietly.

Romance lovers will fall passionately in love with The Total Knockout! If you love sports, new adult or a story that keeps you smiling and laughing then you need to put this one on your tbr! Now I’ll be patiently waiting for Cookie’s next release, her books always make me oh so happy every single time. And each one becomes an instant favorite!

Once the door closed, I looked back and found Rose smiling.
“I think that went well,” she said. “Definitely our most eventful book club meeting so far.”
“I second that,” June said. “So much drama.”
“And tension,” Rose added. “This air was practically vibrating.”
My brow furrowed. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Nothing,” they said in unison.
Finn shook his head, staring after his brother.

PS Is Emmy next or will it be Finn? I’m thinking Emmy after what happened in this book, eeps! I am so excited for more in this world!

As I kissed her all I could think was, this. This was it. This was what makes life worth living.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey

October 7, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Laurel Grant is playing house for the holidays—complete with a fake husband and kids—in this delightful, charming rom-com by Kerry Winfrey.

Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for Buckeye State of Mind, an Ohio tourism magazine and website. She most definitely does not run a farm . . . but one tiny misunderstanding leads her boss, Gilbert, to think she owns her twin sister Holly’s farm just outside of Columbus. Laurel only handles the social media for the farm, but she’s happy to keep her little white lie going if it means not getting fired—she cannot be jobless again.

And keep it going she must when Gilbert, recently dumped by his wife, invites himself over for the farm’s big Christmas Eve Eve dinner (as advertised on Meadow Rise Farm’s Instagram, thanks to Laurel herself). Laurel immediately goes into panic mode to figure out how she can trick Gilbert into thinking she’s basically the Martha Stewart of rural Ohio and keep her job in the process.

Laurel and Holly come up with the perfect plan—all Laurel has to do is pretend to own the farm for one dinner. But Laurel shows up at the farm to find an unwelcome guest is waiting: Max Beckett, her nemesis since Holly’s wedding. The annoyingly attractive man she hates will be posing as Laurel’s husband just for the evening, but when a snowstorm traps them all for the entire weekend, Laurel is going to have to figure out how to survive with her job and dignity intact. Whatever the case, this promises to be the most eventful Christmas in ages. . . .

Review:

Faking Christmas was a fake dating romance that had a sprinkling of enemies to lovers. If you’re looking for a holiday book that is set on a farm, with snow falling in the background, yummy food filling the pages, and adorable kids that add so much heart to a story, then this book is for you!

“Did you come out here to yell at me about how I’m doing everything wrong?”
“No, I came out here to help you, but I don’t know why I bothered.”

Laurel never corrected her boss’ assumption about living on a farm, which ultimately led to her also being married and having kids. She desperately wanted to keep her job, so she lied about living her twin sister’s life. So when her boss mistook her words again as an invitation for Christmas eve eve dinner, how could she back paddle from that when her boss was a crying, blubbering mess?! Thankfully with the help of her sister’s family and her brother-in-law’s best friend Max Beckett as her pretend husband, she was going to try her best to live out her lie for one night. And I couldn’t wait to watch everything unfold!

I know this is a game he’s playing, one that I asked him to play, but what am I supposed to think when he’s saying these words? That I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen? What the hell?

Laurel told us all the reasons she hated Max, but I loved Max from the moment we met him! He tried his best pretending to be her husband, his past will break your heart, I loved watching how helpful he was, and kindness radiated out of him. Yet he wasn’t a fan of Christmas, which I could overlook. All the while, Laurel was rude and short with him. The hate she held on to stemmed from words Max spoke years ago. And while I usually don’t mind the miscommunication trope, I did struggle here. Max wanted to talk about the issue between them, yet Laurel shut him down time and again. So while I adored Max, I struggled with Laurel. I never connected with her and had issues with her lying and how she treated situations and people around her. The romance between them was slow burn and ended with happiness for all ♥.

I try to avoid looking at Max, focusing on the food or the twins, but when I can’t stop myself from glancing at him, I catch him looking right at me. And when he gives me a smile—one of the big ones, one of the smiles I never thought would be directed toward me— I can’t help smiling back.

With Christmas music playing and festivities in the air, the book had so much Christmas spirit! My absolute favorite moment was the speech at the end which had me laughing way too hard! I will be trying another book from this author, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s a better fit for me. So if you pick this one up, good luck trying not to be caught humming or singing Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’ long after you close this book! The twins loved that song!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this publisher, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart

September 25, 2023 / Jen / 4 Comments

Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Fate doesn’t play fair in this hilarious and sexy comedy of errors from the author of Planes, Trains, and All the Feels.

If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine.

Imagine her horror when it turns out that Alex is also the hot-shot new boss her dad can’t stop complaining about—the Forbes 30-under-30 company fixer of his nightmares. Worse, their respective best friends are dating. Mia and Alex are constantly thrown together, whether it’s for corporate volunteer hours at the animal rescue, squaring off at the company picnic, or literally trapped in an escape room. It’s one nightmare after another...no matter how sexy the company is.

Mia’s life is now a romantic-comedy of errors, complete with her kinda, sorta, accidentally sleeping with the enemy. And she’s not sure which is worse: that Alex could ruin her dad’s career, or that she might actually like him.

Review:

Some Kind of Blunderful was an opposites attract romance that was laugh out loud hilarious! With the most fabulous banter, this smile inducing book was so much fun! And I loved that the writing was seamless and so easy to devour. After finishing this book, I went and added Livy Hart’s other books to my tbr. This book was easily my top favorite steamy romantic comedy for 2023!

Our laughter falls away all at once. My thumbs slide over the warm flesh of her healing palms, landing in the center. I trace circles over her skin, waiting to see if she’ll pull away. One of us should.”

Mia Madden was trying her best to get back into the dating world, after being left at the alter by her high school sweetheart. I was so happy she had her bestie Josie in her life, she had her back and was so positive. When Mia found herself going on a date with Alex, who she met through a dating app, she definitely needed her bestie’s support. Mia’s date with Alex was a horrific, awkward disaster. From their first few moments together, I couldn’t help laughing out loud. They were the polar opposites from each other and were fumbling towards being the worst date ever. Yet after they parted ways, they would soon discover that wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other. Not only were their best friends dating, but Alex was the new boss Josie’s father loathed and ranted about. As the pages unfolded, we got to watch as they couldn’t seem to escape from each other.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Mia. Look at you. Your bar for men needs to be in fucking space.”
My heart vaults into my throat.

Alex had the cards stacked against him. Not only did he get the job Mia’s dad wanted, but he came across as a shark. I wasn’t sure I would like him, yet it wasn’t long until I was proved wrong. As Alex blundered around Mia, Fancy Nancy disaster lol, I felt bad for him. Especially since he seemed so alone, except for his best friend Ezra. Since we also got this story from Alex’s point of view, it was impossible not to fall in love with him. As we watched him spend more time around Mia, he couldn’t seem to escape thoughts of her afterwards. And it wasn’t that far into the story that I was already saying out loud oh my gosh I love him so much! Alex was thoughtful, kind, patient, protective and had a way with words that were sigh worthy. I loved that he knew what he wanted in life, but Mia definitely was struggling in that area.

I believe every last promise his eyes are making me right now, and he hasn’t even kissed me yet. I’m already antsy at the faintest of touches outside my clothes.

Mia was so easy to adore and someone you would want to be friends with. I loved her oversharing. I absolutory loved her close knit family and the time she spent with her sisters! So as the story progressed, my heart felt for Mia. Disliking Alex was what she should do, in solidarity of her dad’s feelings. Yet the more time she spent around the man, the more she saw into who he was. It was impossible for her not to having conflicted feelings when Alex was concerned. She saw a fun, caring side of Alex that others didn’t. And she also couldn’t ignore the sexual tension that was like electricity between the two of them.

My eyes fall shut as my hand drifts down her spine. I may be confused as to what comes next for us, but not about the fact that I want her . That part is out of my control, and it’s terrifying.

This story had so many memorable scenes, and I fell in love with Mia and Alex each step of the way. One of the things I loved most about them was that they acted like adults and were able to realize the mistakes they made, and own up to them. Plus their banter was phenomenal! I couldn’t stop smiling when they were together! So as their story went from sexual tension to more, their moments together were hot and so steamy! Yet, it was hard to not be nervous for them. What would happen when her dad found out that Mia wasn’t feeling hate towards Alex anymore? Or that their relationship had moved to more? The only thing I’m going to say about this is that I loved seeing how Mia’s family could struggle but still love each other at the end of the day. It was such a beautiful and healthy portrayal of families that made me so happy.

I think about what he told me on the boat, his gaze cast down . I’ve never been anything to anyone, let alone everything to someone.

“You’re something to me, Alex.”

Some Kind of Blunderful brimmed with humor and romance! If you’re looking for an adult romance story to read, definitely pick this one up! This story made me fall in love and cry twice. I closed this book with a smile on my face and I can’t wait to see what Livy releases next!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Flight by R.V. Wilbur

September 20, 2023 / Jen / 0 Comments

Flight by R.V. Wilbur
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
As an invisible battle rages…
The Balance preventing the world from falling into the hands of either good or evil has fallen, plunging the world into chaos. Ripped from their home behind an unseen Veil, the forces of both Darkness and Light find themselves exiled to earth—free to rise up and claim it as their own.

Hundreds of years later…
Lacey Talanton has lived alone in the city of Anatoliene for years despite still running from her past in her dreams every night. When she unwittingly enters the Veil and thwarts an attack on the leader of the most notorious gang in the city, she finds herself caught at the center of the war between the Light and the Darkness in a world she never knew existed

But all is not as it seems…
The deeper Lacey immerses herself in the battle between the forces of Light and Darkness hiding in plain sight, the more her nightmares begin to awaken. As new revelations and a traitor in the midst threaten the love, family, and home she has found in Anatoliene, Lacey faces impossible choices with deadly consequences that force the question:

How long can you endure the fight when all you know is to take flight?

Review:

Peace did not exist here. Only nightmares. And it was getting worse.

Flight whisked me away to a world that I got lost in. I was not prepared for everything these characters made me feel. Or that ending. If you’re looking for a dystopian story that is laced with magical elements, then Flight is definitely your book!

“What happens if we don’t win?”
Silence stretched on for so long that she began to wonder if she had imagined his responsive grunt, or if maybe he had simply muttered in his sleep.
But then, finally, he spoke. “I don’t think the outcome matters. I have a feeling we’ll all find out that we’ve both won and lost before the end.”

Lacy was a woman who was struggling. She wasn’t happy with who she had become and her past was haunting her thoughts. It seemed like the only way she could muffle those voices and images was with alcohol and wild nights with her friend Becca. Living in a dystopian world 100 years after the devastation took place added to an eeriness that could be felt in the pages. There were only a handful of cities left on the continent, and it seemed like so many were just struggling to survive. And stay safe. Like Lacy who didn’t always feel safe. She had secrets that no one could know about. So when she witnessed a meeting of the Unseen, which should be impossible for a human, her whole world was flipped upside down. And she found herself in the middle of two warring gangs. The Darkness, Tzel, and the Lightness, Liorah.

“If you believe anything you’ve heard here tonight, believe me when I say there is only one thing that should be feared in this city. And that is you.”
Lacey stared at him a moment more, trying to process what that even meant before she shifted toward the door.

This book took some dark and twisty paths. Murdering their own wasn’t given a second thought. And doing whatever it took to take out the enemy wasn’t even blinked at. With life and death situations commonplace, there was a slow burn romance that helped balance this book perfectly. As the story unfolded, we met characters that I have so many thoughts on. Here are a few….

How good would it feel to stop being the victim? To be the villain for once?

Jackoby was the definition of morally gray. I was traumatized from that torture scene eeps. Yet Jackoby also showed us moments of compassion and his heart. So I had questions about his past and what he wanted. I always felt like we got pieces of him, since he was so complex.

Becca was Lacy’s friend, who helped her make interesting life choices. My feelings for her changed as we got to see more of who she was. But my lips are zipped about what those feelings are!

The housemates were a group of woman who loved and supported one another. I’m looking forward to getting to know each of them in the future books!

Finn was a book boyfriend many will fall for. I was always questioning what his thoughts were and desperately wanted to hear his voice. I loved watching him connect with Lacy, their relationship warmed my heart!

Finn glanced back at his cup, suddenly looking uncomfortable as a prickle of nervousness rose around him. “I thought they were the only family I needed in my life. And then I met you.”
Lacey’s eyes widened, and she felt her mouth gape open before jamming it shut.

There was a lot of world building in this story. I still don’t have a firm grasp on it and Lacy’s powers, but I’m hoping to in the future books. There was also lots of political intrigue for those who love that! So if you adore morally grey characters, dystopian worlds, slow burn romance, found family and the chosen one, you definitely need this book in your life! The storyline felt so unique and that ending left me excited for what is to come next!

There was no use in staying strong now. She would grieve. She would accept. And then she would get up. And she would keep going.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*