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REVIEW – Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill Shalvis

REVIEW – Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill ShalvisChasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4)
by Jill Shalvis
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Meet cute...

Run for the hills—temporarily. That’s Colbie Albright’s plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie’s so over it that she’s under it. She’s also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she’s pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won’t be a stranger for long.

Make merry...

Spence’s commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn’t have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot—chemistry he’s got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she’s gorgeous and a great listener…just because she “gets” Spence immediately doesn’t mean he won’t be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

…and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock’s ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime.

Review:

Chasing Christmas Eve was such a charming story!  While it can read as a standalone, it did leave me wanting to go back and see how the coupled friends ended up together.  Especially since this is my first Jill Shalvis book and I was a little obsessed with another couple Elle and Archer.  So while I had a lot of names to learn, I’m so glad that they all came easily and that each of them were unique and stood out.  And when I closed the book, I was left with the same feeling after I watch a Hallmark movie.  It was just so adorable, not too much drama, I quickly liked all the characters, and the HEA was just what I was looking for.  This was such a feel good book.

“So you’re saying…you’re going to disappoint me?”
He felt his smile fade. “I have no doubt.”
She stared at him for another beat and  then nodded. “Good to know.”

Colbie Albright and Spence Baldwin were such a great match.  They’re both famous in their own ways, neither of them want to be in the spotlight, and they also both have some family drama.  They were kindred spirits in my eyes.  Yet neither one of them wants to let the other one know exactly who they are.  So it was fun watching them work towards a friendship, when they had so much attraction and chemistry between the two of them.  And while I’m one of those that loves some drama, it was actually refreshing that there truly wasn’t that much of it in Chasing Christmas Eve.  What I found in it’s place was this amazing dynamic of friendships between the people that lived or worked near Spence.

He was watching her. “So if there was a Santa Claus, what would you ask him for?” he asked.
You, she nearly said. She’d want him for Christmas and no take-backs. “I’d like my book to write itself,” she said instead.
He smiled.

My favorite thing about Spence’s world was all of the beautiful friendships that existed.  His group of friends created their own family within one another.  And it warmed my heart watching all of their interactions.   Especially with girls night out….. oh my gosh, it was hilarious and left me wanting to go back to the previous books and read the instance that they talked about.  Especially after witnessing what happened just in this book!  But I loved how the friendships helped show who Spence was, and I loved watching Colbie interact with all of them too.  It gave such a homey and more personal feel to the book.

“Colbie.”
His voice.  Low.  Sexy.  Perfect.  Was she really going to be able to walk away?  And even if she managed that, how was she going to move on and forget?

So if you adore books with a Harmark feel, a group of great friends, and a love story without a lot of drama, then you should give Chasing Christmas Eve a try.  There’s a few cheesy lines sprinkled in the first half of the book, but I’m definitely looking forward to trying more books by this author!

*ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review*

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon IndieBound Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million iBooks GooglePlay

 

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill

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Our Most Anticipated Releases For October

We love talking about books that we can’t wait to read! And that includes the ones that haven’t been released yet. So on the first day of every month we’ll share with you the books coming out that month that we’re the most excited about. There’s a link to Goodreads in case you want to add them to your tbr too! So here are the books we are counting down until they are released in October.

Releases 10/03 – Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

GoodreadsAmazon

Love grows such strange things.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

 

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Releases 10/10 – Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

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Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
   
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 

 
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Releases 10/10 – All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater

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Here is a thing everyone wants:

A miracle.

Here is a thing everyone fears:

What it takes to get one.

Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado, is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of watchful desert stars.

At the heart of this place you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo.

They are all looking for a miracle. But the miracles of Bicho Raro are never quite what you expect.

 
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Releases 10/10 – Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress #1) by Julie C. Dao

GoodreadsAmazon

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her.

Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and  exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins–sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute. 

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Releases 10/17 – The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz

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Set against the fascinating and moody backdrop of a mysterious boarding school, this intricately crafted novel is filled with magical realism, gothic settings, and the perfect hint of romance.

Seventeen-year-old Penny is a lead dancer at the Grande Teatro, a finishing school where she and eleven other young women are training to become the finest ballerinas in Italy. Tucked deep in the woods, the school is overseen by the mysterious and handsome young Master, who keeps the girls ensconced in the estate – and in the only life Penny has ever known.

But when flashes of memories – memories of a life very different from the one she thinks she’s been leading – start to appear, Penny begins to question the Grande Teatro and the motivations of Master. With a kind and attractive kitchen boy, Cricket, at her side, Penny vows to escape the confines of her school and the strict rules that dictate every step she takes. But at every turn, Master finds a way to stop her, and Penny must uncover the secrets of her past before it’s too late.

 
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Releases 10/20 – The Night Realm (Spell Weaver #1) by Annette Marie

Goodreads Not Yet Available on Amazon

Clio is good at all sorts of things. As a nymph, she’s great at outdoorsy nature stuff. As a nymph living in exile, she’s got the “blending in with humans” thing down pat. As a nymph living in exile because she has the rare ability to mimic magic, she’s had to pick up some unique survival skills.

But stealing from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld? Not so much.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what she has to do to earn a ticket back home. Conning her way into the night realm may have gone pretty well, but now she’s got a new problem. His name is Lyre and he’s a sinfully alluring incubus, a dangerously skilled spell weaver, and the only thing standing between her and stealing some damn magic.

Maneuvering around him without blowing her cover shouldn’t be that difficult, but chaos has been dogging her every step, monsters hide behind beautiful faces, and Lyre keeps saving her neck even though they’re enemies. Kind of enemies? Either way, her mission is getting complicated fast, and in the Underworld, even one mistake could prove fatal.

 

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Releases 10/26 – Shattered Stars (Broken Skies #3) by Theresa Kay

Goodreads Not Yet Available on Amazon

Unexpected allies. Unexpected betrayals. Unexpected abilities.

The last thing Jax Mitchell ever wanted was to be a weapon. Her abilities are unpredictable at best, but with her twin lost, there’s no one else with enough power to take on Jastren and his mental manipulations. She doesn’t have to do it alone, though. Not only can she rely on the unwavering support of Lir, Rym, and her human friends, she also ends up with help from a surprising source.

Meanwhile, her twin brother Jace—his body controlled by Jastren, and the shattered pieces of his mind locked inside—has become a monster. The struggle to hold on to what’s left of his humanity has left him weak and more confused than ever before. Every thought, every impulse, and every memory has the potential to destroy him—and everyone else around him.

The futures of both the humans and the E’rikon are on the line, but as ulterior motives and political machinations are revealed, it becomes clear that the betrayals aren’t restricted to only one species. Can Jax and Lir get everyone to work together in time to prevent the two species from destroying each other? Can Jace find some measure of redemption for all he has done? And will Jax be able to harness her powers… without losing herself in the process?

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Releases 10/31 – Wolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1) by Christina Bauer

GoodreadsAmazon

Seventeen-year-old Bryar Rose has a problem. She’s descended from one of the three magical races—shifters, fairies, or witches. That makes her one of the Magicorum, and Magicorum always follow a fairy tale life template. In Bryar’s case, that template should be Sleeping Beauty.

“Should” being the key word.

Trouble is, Bryar is nowhere near the sleeping beauty life template. Not even close. She doesn’t like birds or woodland creatures. She can’t sing. And she certainly can’t stand Prince Philpot, the so-called “His Highness of Hedge Funds” that her aunties want her to marry. Even worse, Bryar’s having recurring dreams of a bad boy hottie and is obsessed with finding papyri from ancient Egypt. What’s up with that?

All Bryar wants is to attend a regular high school with normal humans and forget all about shifters, fairies, witches, and the curse that Colonel Mallory the Magnificent placed on her. And she might be able to do just that–if only she can just keep her head down until her eighteenth birthday when the spell that’s ruined her life goes buh-bye.

But that plan gets turned upside down when Bryar Rose meets Knox, the bad boy who’s literally from her dreams. Knox is a powerful werewolf, and his presence in her life changes everything, and not just because he makes her knees turn into Jell-O. If Bryar can’t figure out who—or what—she really is, it might cost both her and Knox their lives… as well as jeopardize the very nature of magic itself.

 
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So these are the books we can’t wait to be released this month! Are you excited about any of these releases too? Or is there a book we missed that we should definitely check out? Let us know. ♥

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Monthly Wrap-Up – September

Life:

September flew by in a blur with our lives consumed with soccer and swimming!  I’m so happy to say that both of them are loving soccer!  And my oldest is now brave enough to go off the high dive at the swim center.  So now we get to watch both of our kiddos do synchronized jumping off the high and low diving boards, it’s hilarious and entertaining to watch!

And the end of September marks my favorite food season!  Summer is my favorite season, but fall has all the food filled with yummy pumpkin and pumpkin spice.  And in case you didn’t know, I’m obsessed with it.  Here’s a picture I posted on Twitter showing my latest shopping trip at Trader Joes, you can see it here.   And that’s only the beginning since I pulled out all my recipes for what I’m going to bake/make.  Now my husband is not a pumpkin fan.  But each year I’m slowly converting him, even if he’s rolling his eyes the whole time.  The best thing is I caught him two nights ago having a late night bowl of Pumpkin O’s (like Cheerios) muahahaha.

During our Monthly Wrap-Up we’ll take a look at what has happened around here in the last month.  That’ll include what we read, any other posts we may have had, giveaways still going and books that I’ve added to my ever-growing TBR.

♥ Enjoy!

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What We Read:

5 Stars:
Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel
Ninja Girl by Cookie O’Gorman
The Great Pursuit (Eurona Duology #2) by Wendy Higgins

3.5 Stars:
Thunderstruck by Brenda Drake
The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi

3 Stars:
The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz

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Favorite Books of the Month:

Here’s the thing, I can’t choose between a Paranormal book and a Contemporary book.  They’re worlds apart and encompass so many different elements, so here are the two best books of the month –

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel (Jen’s Choice)
The creatures and curses were not only unique, but an eerie combination that at times terrified me.  There were so many moments of subtle humor that had me laughing out loud and kept a smile on my face.  And when you add to that characters that won my heart, well Black Bird of the Gallows easily became one of my favorite books from this year!

 

Ninja Girl by Cookie O’Gorman (Jen’s Choice)
If you adore YA romance that makes you smile, laugh and leaves you feeling oh so happy, then I highly recommend Ninja Girl!  And Adorkable too, if you haven’t read that one yet.

 
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Other Posts:

Our Most Anticipated Releases For September
TOP TEN TUESDAY – Books We Loved Before We Started Writing Reviews
TOP TEN TUESDAY – What’s On Our Fall TBR
BLOGIVERSARY + GIVEAWAYS – Our Favorite Female Leads
BLOGIVERSARY + GIVEAWAY – Our Darkest BBFs
BLOGIVERSARY + GIVEAWAY – Our Most Tortured BBFs

 

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Giveaways:

COVER REVEAL + GIVEAWAY – Brave (A Wicked Saga #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

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Added To My TBR:

Here are some of the books I added to my TBR in September.  I’ve realized that I always tend to add more books to my TBR than I’m able to read in a month lol.  And just a heads up – I don’t include books that don’t have a cover yet.

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Did you read any of the same books we did?  Or did we share the same favorite book?  If not, what was your favorite?  Or have you read any of the books I just added to my TBR?

Here’s hoping you all had a wonderful September and cheers to October being just as fabulous!

**Linked this post to the August Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction**

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BOOK REVIEW – Ninja Girl by Cookie O’Gorman

BOOK REVIEW – Ninja Girl by Cookie O’GormanNinja Girl by Cookie O'Gorman
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Snow-Soon Lee kicks ass--literally. She teaches at her family-owned martial arts gym, The Academy, and cares more about training to be the next Bruce Lee than hooking up. In fact, Snow's never even been kissed. But when Girls Night rolls around, Snow decides to prove to her friends (and herself) that she's not just some boring tomboy. Impulsively, she kisses a hot stranger and even manages to escape his two security guards.

One stolen kiss…

Ash Stryker's senior year sucks. His politician father pulled him out of Chariot High, separating him from his championship-winning soccer team. Now he's stuck at a prissy private school with no friends, no team and no chance of being scouted. On top of that, thanks to the death threats his dad's received, Ash has a security tail aka professional babysitters. When the mystery girl from the movies shows up at his school, rappelling from the rafters, Ash knows one thing: he won't let her get away again.

One interesting job proposition…

After a seemingly random attack, Ash's mother surprises everyone. She hires Snow to be Ash's personal bodyguard until after the election. But can Snow's kick-ass skills hold up against the rising threats to Ash's family? More importantly, can Ash convince his ninja girl to screw ethics and kiss him again?

Opposites attract in this YA romance where a smooth talker meets his match in the tough girl who (literally) sweeps him off his feet. Moral of the story:

Sometimes even bad boys need a bodyguard.

Review:

Ninja Girl was the most adorable story ever.  Seriously, I can’t get over how cute it was!  I picked this book up because I fell madly in love with Adorkable, this author’s first release.  And now I’ve fallen just as hard for her second release, Ninja Girl.  So if you adore ya romance that makes you smile, laugh and leaves you feeling oh so happy, then I highly recommend Ninja Girl!  And Adorkable too, if you haven’t read that one yet.

“Alright, alright,” I shrugged. “You caught me. I’m here for you.”
“Me?” she said in surprise. God, she was cute when she was confused. “Why?”
I couldn’t resist. Leaning in close, my gaze locked on her, I plucked the eyelash from her cheek and blew it off my finger, loving the way her eyes widened. “I just wanted to see you, ninja girl. That so hard to believe?”

Now you have to know, I had already fallen for Ash Stryker in Adorkable.  So I was over the moon happy to hear that he was going to get his own book!  But things have changed since Adorkable ended.  Ash had to move to a new school.  And this one didn’t have a soccer team, soccer’s his passion in life fyi.  As if that wasn’t enough, his father had been receiving threats to get him to drop out of the Senate race.  So security guards had been hired to protect them.  And down the road, Snow would be one of them.

Turning, I said, “Listen, I’m sorry, okay? What happened at the movies was a mistake.”
“So, you’re saying you accidentally jumped into my lap and your lips just fell onto mine? Sounds like the best mistake ever.”

Snow-Swoon Lee met Ash for the first time at the movie theater, when he was with two of his security guards.  The other girls at the theater were making fun of her for being clueless about boys.  Snow knew she was inexperienced, but she wanted to show them she wasn’t as clueless as they thought she was.  So Snow literally dropped in, stole a kiss from Ash, and escaped from his security guards.  It was so fierce and brave, I loved it!  Her confidence over what she could physically do was amazing and made me so proud of her.  It was so easy to like Snow right away.

He looked up suddenly. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“You do?” I asked. “Good Lord, why?”
In answer, he simply shook his head. “Anything that involves you guarding my body can’t be all bad now, can it?”

From that one interaction, leads to more.  And after an attack, Snow got hired to guard and protect Ash at school.  And thanks to getting to alternate between the two of them, we got to hear how much Ash was interested in Snow.  He was determined to kiss her again, but with Snow taking her job seriously it wasn’t going to be easy.   So I kept wondering how Ash was going to get Snow to cave.

“You know, you’re kind of arrogant,” I said.
“And you’re kind of beautiful.” Ash smiled and nodded to the bar while I tried to recover. Who said things like that?

Thankfully Ash was beyond cocky and confident.  He knew exactly what he wanted, and that was Snow.  And Ash wasn’t afraid to let it be known.  So his attempts at even just talking with Snow had me cracking up while also sighing at the same time.  Ash was seductive while also being hilarious without even trying. And I quickly got caught up in his spell!  Granted he made mistakes at times, but I loved that he wasn’t perfect.  It made me love him and his faults that much more.

Min sighed. “Snow-Soon Lee, I love you and your violent ways. You’re the best friend a girl could ask for.”
I hadn’t known how much I needed to hear those words until she said them. “Love you, too, Min.”

Besides Snow and Ash there were so many other wonderful things in the pages.  Such as previous characters, since we got to see Sally and Becks *jumps up and down*.  Also I adored the side characters.  Snow’s best friends Min-Hee and Bae Bae had so much depth.  And if that wasn’t enough, I was shocked to find that I had sweaty palms during some moments.  Wheeeeee that was fun!

Ash Stryker was dangerous, I decided. The small jolts in my stomach could easily turn into a wildfire. I’d have to lock down my shields if I didn’t want to get burned.

So yes I definitely recommend Ninja Girl, plus Adorkable if you haven’t read that yet!  Or if you’ve read Adorkable and loved Ash then there’s a good chance that you’ll fall madly in love with this book too!  Cookie O’Gorman has officially gone onto my favorite authors list, and I can’t wait to read all of her future releases!

P.S. I’m going to throw out a huge random guess that the next book is about Sadie.  Fingers crossed.

BOOK REVIEW: The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz

BOOK REVIEW: The Midnight Dance by Nikki KatzThe Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

When the music stops, the dance begins.

Seventeen-year-old Penny is a lead dancer at the Grande Teatro, a finishing school where she and eleven other young women are training to become the finest ballerinas in Italy. Tucked deep into the woods, the school is overseen by the mysterious and handsome young Master who keeps the girls ensconced in the estate – and in the only life Penny has never known.

But when flashes of memories, memories of a life very different from the one she thinks she’s been leading, start to appear, Penny begins to question the Grand Teatro and the motivations of the Master. With a kind and attractive kitchen boy, Cricket, at her side, Penny vows to escape the confines of her school and the strict rules that dictate every step she takes. But at every turn, the Master finds a way to stop her, and Penny must find a way to escape the school and uncover the secrets of her past before it’s too late.

I’m… not quite sure how to feel. On one hand, the writing was absolutely lovely, but I think the story was a bit of a miss for me personally, though that might be due to personal preferences! But let me say this first- this would make an incredible film! Can someone please make this into a movie? Thanksssss.

Penny is one of many dancers held up in the Master’s estate. At the beginning, she starts to realize her memories are off kilter and something is very wrong. Despite being drawn to the (very handsome) Master (the owner of the estate), Penny discovers he’s doing something to manipulate all the girls. (Sounds cool right?)

I was super into the first few chapters. The plot takes no time to dive you in deep, and I was totally into the whole Master concept. So much in fact, that I think it set my hopes too high for the end. I was expecting some majorly cool plot twists and while there were a few small ones, nothing really caught me off guard. So that’s probably my fault-my expectation levels with the whole mystery thing were sky high, so I was sad when there were no big surprises. I DID like the few small ones though. I also felt like there were quite a few loop holes, but it could be that I missed some important details.

The concept was strong, but the characterization fell a bit flat for me. The focus was much more on the present circumstances and mystery vs the character’s pasts or personalities, so I had a difficult time connecting to anyone, especially at the beginning. I get it, everything was supposed to be a mystery, but since the mystery aspect didn’t have many surprises, I just had a hard time with it.

The Master totally had ‘Darkling’ vibes, and I LOVED that bit, but he kinda disappointed me in the end. It was cool that we saw bits of his story in the past but it didn’t feel like strong enough motivation for him to become who he was. I’m SUPER particular about my villains though, so I doubt anyone else will feel the same.

Now I know that all sounds a bit negative, but trust me, those are all personal opinions that I doubt others will share. This book had MANY redeeming qualities. For instance, the setting was SO COOL and the writing (which I mentioned earlier) was absolutely lovely. While the mystery aspect was a bit of a let down for me personally, the story was still really cool and I really enjoyed several bits. I would definitely read another book by Nikki because she’s an extremely talented author.

So all in all, If you’re in the mood for a mystery/semi-thriller with hints of romance, check out this book!

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