Author: Arielle (Page 5 of 35)

BOOK REVIEW: Aurora’s End (The Aurora Cycle #2) by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

BOOK REVIEW: Aurora’s End (The Aurora Cycle #2) by Amie Kaufman, Jay KristoffAurora's End (The Aurora Cycle #3)
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The squad you love is out of time. Prepare for the thrilling finale in the epic, best-selling Aurora Cycle series about a band of unlikely heroes who just might be the galaxy's last hope for survival.

Is this the end?
What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.
Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast.
When we last saw Squad 312, they working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.
But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the te4am has one last chance to rewrite thirs. Maybe two. It's complicated.
Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem
Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.
Actually saving the galaxy, though?
Now that will take a miracle.

Review

Squad 312 forever.

This series and these characters will live in my mind and in my heart for the rest of my life. The only reason I didn’t read it IMMEDIATELY after it came out was because I had wanted to re-read Aurora Burning and have everything FRESH in my mind. I remembered how it ended, I remembered screaming at my Kindle and thinking it was going to put me into premature labor (lol jk) but remembering the last few pages are a lot different than being fully re-immersed into that world and I am SO glad I waited to start this one.

The first thing you need to know about this book, like the tagline says, is that it’s…ABOUT TIME. Sure, yeah, you could easily take that as “it’s about time we are getting our hands on this damn book because I have been DYING from that cliffhanger from book 2” BUT it is straight up ABOUT TIME. And right when I found that out, I was in. I was ALLLLLLLLLLL in. Time travel has always been my jam. Trying to figure out if time is a loop, if it’s fixed, if we have to worry about a multiverse of dimensions….it’s all a mindfuck that I welcome eagerly. The next bit will feature mild spoilers so proceed with caution.

Our heroes are split into three groups here. Fin, Scarlett, and Zila have been blasted into the past and are forced to live the same day with a woman from that time (Nari) over and over and OVER.

Tyler starts with Saedii post-battle and then after something triggers a very intense and alarming vision, continues on to warn the Aurora Academy that the Ra’haam are coming for them.

Auri, Kal, and Caersan are blasted into a VERY bleak future and need to rush to fix the Weapon or order to prevent the very Ra’haam infested future they were sent to. When I say it’s dark–I mean it. These chapters hurt the most BY FAR.

Even though the squad had been split up, it honestly didn’t feel that way. They were all trying their best to get back to one another to what they keep trying to do best–save the world. They are all constantly on each other’s minds and there is no doubt the lengths each would go in order to be reunited. Plot wise I think that’s just about all I can talk about with giving away HUGE spoilers that had me screaming, crying, laughing…basically experiencing the full range of human emotion.

I was reminded throughout this entire book, but especially at the end, that this series and these characters are so special because of their love for one another. They are each other’s CHOSEN and found family and not even centuries of time and zillions of lightyears is going to change that. Without going into any detail their love for one another saved each other and the entire galaxy and that is what is going to stick with me the most.

Squad 312, it has been a pleasure and an honor. You are all crazy and amazing and I thank you each for your service to the galaxy and to us readers. You’ll forever have a crazed fan in me.

Huge thanks to Knopf Books For Young Readers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

BOOK REVIEW: Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart) by Stephanie Garber

BOOK REVIEW: Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart) by Stephanie GarberOnce Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart #1)
by Stephanie Garber
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

How far would you go for happily ever after?

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings...until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy….

Review

Evangeline had to look down at the damp cobbles to make sure her feet were still on the ground and that she hadn’t taken flight, for parts of her were soaring. Stepping into the North didn’t just feel like the start of something, it felt like the start of everything.

The ONLY thing I regret about my currently and seemingly never-fading obsession with Dramione fanfiction is that I have been putting off reading so many great YA titles that have released in the last few months. I feel like I was trying to talk myself into reading this (and Chelsea demanding that I read this) for WEEKSSSSSS. Which is such a crime. SUCH A CRIME. While it did take me a little bit to actually get my brain into the right mindset (solely just remembering what kind of a world all of this is set in AND getting acclimated to the Magnificent North) once I was able to focus I devoured the rest of this book. I just love that every single one of Garber’s books to date have such a deliciously whimsical feel to them while also showing us different pockets of darkness here and there. It’s almost like she hands each reader a pair of rose-tinted glasses to read with only for a lens to crack part-way through and have to be taken off. BOOM. The Fates are back and people are dying or being hunted and prophecies are unearthed and deals are being made.

As much as I love reading about the world of Caraval and now the North, I’m not sure I would survive there, lol. I’m way too trusting and in real life take way too much at face value. Evangeline though…I think she’ll do just fine. She befriended a Fate or two and was really on her way to taking control of her destiny towards the end of this book. It took me a little bit to figure out if I actually was going to like her at first but…she really isn’t all that helpless. No, she’s just a normal girl who would do anything for those she loves and that is truly special. I will say I spent the entire book mistrusting Marisol and still am not convinced she’s entirely an innocent. Jacks….oh where do I even begin? I think that it’s pretty important to, at the very least, re-read all of the scenes he’s in from Legendary and Finale. I had ENTIRELY forgotten all of the glimpses we were given of him in those books and they truly make a difference. I forgot how much he DID feel for Tella and how that obviously would have MAJORLY impacted him from the first time he met Evangeline to the next. Poor boy. Lot of little moment that add up between them in this one. I have some theories and hope for book two and I can’t wait to see what does and doesn’t come true!

BOOK REVIEW: Boyfriend (Moo U #0) by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEW: Boyfriend (Moo U #0) by Sarina BowenBoyfriend (Moo U #0)
by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A new hockey player to steal your heart this fall...

The dreamiest player on the Moo U hockey team hangs a flyer on the bulletin board, and I am spellbound:

Rent a boyfriend for the holiday. For $25, I will be your Thanksgiving date. I will talk hockey with your dad. I will bring your mother flowers. I will be polite, and wear a nicely ironed shirt…

Everyone knows it’s a bad idea to introduce your long-time crush to your messed-up family. But I really do need a date for Thanksgiving, even if I’m not willing to say why. So I tear his phone number off of that flyer… and accidentally entangle our star defenseman in a ruse that neither of us can easily unwind.

Who knew that Weston's family was even nuttier than mine? He needs a date, too, for the most uncomfortable holiday engagement party ever thrown.

There will be hors d'oeuvre. There will be faked PDA. And there will be pro-level awkwardness…

Boyfriend is a full-length book for Weston and Abbi!


Review

It should come as a surprise to ABSOLUTELY NO ONE that I absolutely loved this book. I was lucky enough to read every other Moo U book as an eARC and when I saw that the Queen of True North herself was going to be making an addition to the series???? Well, I was ecstatic.

You see, The Year We Fell Down was my first foray into the world of hockey romances and I have not looked back since. ALL of Bowen’s characters feel like home and family to me. Whether it be the entire town of Colebury, the Brooklyn Bruisers organization, or even Moo U. I know that if I’m going to be immersed into one of these stories, I WILL be leaving them fully satisfied.

And how come someone not? Abbi is a relatable, hard working college student just trying to work long enough to get a fat bonus at work to help with her rent. Weston is a pretty typical college jock– charismatic, hilarious, but also kind and willing to go the extra mile to make sure a person in need of a Thanksgiving date, has one LOL. Fake dating man. Who doesn’t love fake dating?

The best part about this book, in my own humble opinion, is that they start out purely as acquaintances from both of their time spent at the Biscuit, to partners in crime as a fake couple trying to deal with their respective families during the holidays, to friends, to so much more than that. They laid the best foundation they possibly could have for themselves, ESPECIALLY for someone like Weston who had seen first hand how messy a relationship and ship ensuing divorce could be. Then both just naturally fell in love and there wasn’t anything either of them could do to stop it. Serious love talk aside though, this book also had me howling with laughter as is typical of a Bowen book. She has some of the best banter and dialogue in romances that I’ve ever read. Top of the line stuff. HIGHLYYYY recommend.

Huge thanks to Sarina Bowen and Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. ♥

BOOK REVIEW: Afterglow (Busy Bean #10) by Aria Wyatt

BOOK REVIEW: Afterglow (Busy Bean #10) by Aria WyattAfterglow (Busy Bean #10)
by Aria Wyatt
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

I’m a numbers girl.

Or at least I thought I was, until my formula fell apart. Back home in Vermont, with my dream on hiatus, I’m working at the Busy Bean and taking online classes. As long as I keep my focus, I’ll be back in New York City next semester. Hopefully.

When Declan O’Shaughnessy storms into the café, all muscles and tattoos, wielding his sexy Irish brogue like a weapon, the only equation I can solve is one that lands me in his bed. Even more dangerous, is my growing affection for his cherub-faced little boy.

But Declan has complications of his own. He’s cagey, but I’ll win him over.

Yeah, about that focus… mine is all on him. Can we have a harmless fling without getting hurt?

Review

“You good with a tongue bath?”
Wait, what?
 I stop short and blink a few times. “Excuse me?”
“Jaysus.”
 He claps a hand to his forehead. “Moira. She’ll probably lick you to death.” His cheeks and neck flush deep crimson as I burst out laughing.


OKAYYY I 100% KNEW going into this that Declan was Irish. Yes. I did know that. BUT WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW was that he was going to exceed each and every one of my expectations as being one of the sexiest characters I’ve EVER READ ABOUT IN ALL OF MY LIFE. His dirty talk–unparalleled. I wanted to add a few quotes but nahhh I think I’ll let you all read them in real time. His dominance in the bedroom–perfect level. LOL In all seriousness though, it was a beautiful thing to see him come alive once Solana came into this life. Sure, he had been living his life just fine before she came along, but after the first time he saw her at the Bean, he lit UP. She was the perfect amount of sunshine to help him grow in a better person, a better partner, and possibly even better father (though he was doing his damn best already).

He suddenly pulls back. Gasping, he drags both hands through his sopping wet hair. “We should stop before I lose my fuckin’ mind.”
“We can’t stop.”
 I’m breathing just as hard, drenched in every sense of the word. “I need you to help me lose my mind.”


That five stars though, isn’t just because Declan is the sexiest man in the entire world (fictional or not). No, it’s so much more than that. This book hit me in the feels on so many different levels. I loved that while Solana (I ALSO LOVE HER TO DEATH) is a literal ray of sunshine, she also has some deep depths of darkness to walk through. The amount of pain and tragedy that she’s already been through in her young life and the fact that she can still be the beautifully kind person that she is, really speaks to her character.

That’s what made the two of them together so special. The two had such explosive chemistry, Solana helped Declan be a better person, Declan protected and cared and LISTENED to Solana, the two eventually spill their guts to one another and fight for one another. They just fit so perfectly.

Honestly you guys, I’m just going to say it. This is my TOP, TOP favorite book in ALL of The World of True North series. I just really am going to need everyone to run and go read the entire series BUT ESPECIALLY this one. I could honestly gush all day. There is not a single part of this book that I didn’t like and you better believe that once there is an audio of this I will be SPRINTING to buy it so I can listen to Declan’s sexy Irish brogue in my ear holes. *shivers*

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

BOOK REVIEW: Footnote (Busy Bean #9) by Alexa Gregory

BOOK REVIEW: Footnote (Busy Bean #9) by Alexa GregoryFootnote (Busy Bean #9)
by Alexa Gregory
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A moving second-chance romance where hope can turn history into a footnote.

Sasha Covey needs a rewrite. Or a really big eraser. Her past doesn’t belong in the life she’s trying to rebuild. Her future—and her recovery—depend on a fresh start. Moving to Colebury seems like the perfect test until Penley Brooks waltzes into the Busy Bean. The handsome veterinarian is just as charming as when she fell for him a decade ago. Memories come flooding back, and their connection is as potent as ever.

Trouble is, Sasha has good reason to keep her distance. Her recovery is still new, and the single dad has wounds of his own. After years of being an afterthought, Penley’s goals are finally within reach. As much as she aches to reconnect, Sasha won’t stand in the way of his dreams.

Somehow, that all melts away whenever she’s with Penley. Together, dreaming is a little easier.

But dreams don’t always survive in the real world. Not when the past comes knocking.

Footnote is a standalone small-town romance set in the World of True North.

Review

I always love a good second chance romance, especially when the couple knew each other and had a deep connection when they were younger. At the very beginning of this book, we catch a glimpse of young Penley and Sasha. His dad was dating her mom and they lived together for a short period of time. It was clear that the two had a strong bond, especially when Penley opted to stay in with Sasha to watch movies instead of attending a Halloween party with his girlfriend.

Flash forward a bunch of years and Sasha deferred a year of school to deal with some health issues, (she has dealt with bulimia for some time) is now in recovery and living back in Colebury with her mom and another Step, and working at Busy Bean. As luck and a slight change in routine would have it, Penley walks in to get his daily coffee during of her shifts and BAM. It’s almost like no time had passed.

Only it did. Penley now is divorced with a six year old boy and Sasha has been really through the ringer lately dealing with her illness and the dark space she had been in before her best friend’s family helped her get out of it. Regardless of all that, the two can’t stay away from one another and it’s very evident that the strong connection they once shared NEVER went away.

I really did love how these two interacted. Like they just couldn’t help but be close and touch even while they were dealing with their own issues at different times. I think the only reason I didn’t rate this higher is because there were parts of this that were emotionally hard to read. I am SO glad that so many different illnesses and disabilities are now being portrayed in romances because, well, that’s real-fucking-life. Sometimes though, when I want to read a romance it’s because I want pure, uncomplicated fluff that isn’t going to hurt me lol. Do I know it’s unrealistic in the highest sense? Yes. But I still want it anyway. Despite that though, this truly was a great story and I was so happy when these two finally got their HEA together.


Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

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