Author: Amy Engel

Synopsis:

*** SPOILERS FOR 1ST BOOK***

Beyond the fence. I am still alive. Barely.

My name is Ivy Westfall. I am sixteen years old and a traitor. Three months ago, I was forced to marry the president's son, Bishop Lattimer—as all daughters of the losing side of the war are sold off in marriage to the sons of the winners. But I was different. I had a mission-to kill Bishop.

Instead, I fell in love with him.

Now I am an outcast, left to survive the brutal savagery of the lands outside of civilization. Yet even out here, there is hope. There is life beyond the fence. But I can't outrun my past. For my actions have set off a treasonous chain of events in Westfall that will change all of our fates—especially Bishop's.

And this time, it is not enough to just survive...

*** SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK OF IVY***

Review:

The Revolution of Ivy was such an entertaining Dystopian that I quickly devoured!  I enjoyed where the story went and how everything was fabulously wrapped up!  But while I was flipping through the pages, I desperately wanted Bishop back in the picture.  And I wanted even more for Ivy and him to get their happily ever after.  But I definitely questioned whether that was a possibility.  Not because Bishop didn’t come back, since we’re told in the synopsis that he does, but because I was unsure whether Ivy could get her shit together so they could unite as one. Ivy was definitely my biggest struggle in this book.  But everything else, eeks, it was so much fun!

Too weak and too angry. I hold my good arm out from my side, beckoning into the hot, still air. “Come on,” I yell. “You want me? Come and get me.”

Ivy was thrown out.  Bishop thought she was trying to murder him, and her family let her take the fall.  She was truly all alone.  The situations Ivy found herself in, right after she was thrown outside of the fence, oh my gosh, I was panicky for her.  I kept thinking, okay, that’s enough for now.  And then bam, something else would knock Ivy’s world off kilter and I questioned whether she could survive what was happening to her.  Ivy proved that she was tough as nails.  Her endurance and need to survive was impressive!

I know now that I can survive out here. The question is whether I have the strength to really live.

Ohhh survival.  It’s such a hard subject, since not everything is black and white.  I really, really struggled with some of Ivy’s choices.  She did what she had to do to survive.  Or at least what she believed she had to do to survive.  And oh man, that was such a hard pill to swallow at times.  I definitely got angry with Ivy, actually livid is a better choice of word.  I wanted to make her reconsider some of the choices she made.  And while she did come around, it took longer than I wish it did.

Bishop’s jaw tightens, but he only sounds incredibly tired when he says, “I just want to be with you. Walk next to you, Ivy, wherever you’re headed. That’s all.”

Let me say, I was so ecstatic when Bishop came back.  His faith and devotion to Ivy was beautiful.  His understanding of how she worked and what she needed was breathtaking.  Bishop was everything that was good in their world.  Yes he made mistakes, yes he suffered from some of his decisions, but his heart was so pure and in such the right place.  But, I have no clue how he tolerated Ivy during the time that she treated him like garbage.  She was horrid to him, and there was Bishop, waiting for Ivy to come around and love  him.  I found myself mad at Ivy again, for how she treated Bishop.  And I don’t want to go into all of the details, cause spoilers, but just know that because of a past boyfriend, I got Ivy.  I understood the way she was.  And I was able to forgive her because of that understanding.  But I don’t know if everyone else will be as understanding to Ivy as I was.

My voice already sounds more my own. Stronger. I point to the knife in Ash’s hand. “I need one of those. And lessons on how to use it.”

Not everything was all doom and gloom in Ivy’s new life or her attitude (haha) because she met two characters I absolutely loved, Caleb and Ash.  I liked them the moment I met them, even if Caleb was being a grumpy the first time we met him.  What developed between the three of them was so natural and it made me love every single scene that Caleb and Ash were in.  They added so much depth to the story!

I can live with blood on my hands.

So if you’re looking for a quick, fun dystopian to pick up, you may want to give this one a try!  The story itself was entertaining and that last quarter of the book was so fast paced, I loved it!  It made me even have tears in my eyes and I felt a plethora of emotions in my heart.  Oh, that ending was perfect!  But just realize that you may need to work on your patience with Ivy, even though she does grow throughout the story.  It just takes a while.  Or a little longer than a while.  But ultimately you’ll get to meet Bishop, sigh.  And he is definitely someone you will want to meet!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Book of Ivy #1 Review: Jen	The Revolution of Ivy #2 Review: Jen

Synopsis:

What would you kill for?

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president's son―my soon-to-be husband―and return the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he's not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Review:

Our story was written long ago, and it does not have a happy ending.

The Book of Ivy was so much fun, and I quickly devoured it in two sittings!  It’s just one of those books that you can step right into and easily enjoy it from the first page on.  The characters, the world building, the way the story progressed, it was all so effortless to connect with.  And yes, I’m definitely kicking myself for not picking up this book sooner!

Once I’m safely out of range, I realize this is the first time I’ve spent more than five minutes with him where I wasn’t thinking about the plan or what to do next. Which is exactly what my father and Callie want, for me to act natural, to make it seem real. I should be happy. But I remember Bishop’s laugh, his crinkly nose, the warmth in my cheeks, and can’t help feeling I’ve done something wrong.

The story starts off with us following Ivy, who is on her way to get married to a stranger.  And that stranger is the President’s son, Bishop.  Yet Ivy isn’t looking forward to a happily ever after with her new husband.  Instead, she is looking forward to helping out her family’s agenda, which involves murdering her new husband-to-be so her family can step back into power.  And in the beginning, I was all for that plan.  I hated how the President maintained their population by arranged marriage.  That at the age of 16-18 they were expected to get married and for the women to start popping out babies.  I understood the importance of keeping up their population of 10,000, since the U.S. had been decimated from war, floods, drought, famine etc.  But I also understood the importance of Ivy’s family taking back the power and changing the marriage laws along with a slew of other things.  So I was on board with Ivy murdering the President’s son, but then I met Bishop.

“Sometimes,” he says, voice raw, “I hate this place.” He twists his neck and looks at me, hands still hooked in the fence above his head.
“I know,” I say, barely a whisper. “Me, too.”

Leave it up to me to fall for the man who is supposed to get murdered.  I couldn’t help it, but I loved Bishop!  From the moment he squeezed her hand before the wedding ceremony, I was a goner.  Yup, I’m that easy lol.  If you follow my reviews, you know I’m one of those people who always looks for the tiniest of clues to show that someone is worthy of falling for.  And Bishop gave me so much hope.  He was thoughtful, compassionate, caring and was open with her at times.  And his actions and words slowly started to plant foreign thoughts in her head and mine.   Who could we trust?  Was Bishop being honest or was he tricking Ivy?  I struggled trying to figure out Bishop’s motives, but I definitely didn’t struggle falling head over heels in love with every single tiny beautiful thing Bishop did.

My head knows what a horrible idea this is, screaming at me to stop, that I’m taking things too far, but the rest of me has no such reservations. I have the fleeting thought that perhaps self-preservation isn’t my strongest character trait.

Bishop and Ivy slowly started to get to know each other, after they were married.  It wasn’t always smooth, and they definitely had their share of fights.   But underneath their fights and their uncertainty around each other was always something simmering.  They had the best slow burn romance that continued to burn hotter and hotter as each moment passed.  It was undeniable.  So regardless of whether they were making each other smile, or making each other’s blood boil, there was always that sexual tension.  And it was so, so, so good!

I’ve learned the hard way, we can’t choose who we love. Love chooses us. Love doesn’t care about what’s convenient or easy or planned. Love has its own agenda and all we can do is get out of its way.

While I guessed how a few things would go, one thing went in an entirely different direction than I thought it would!  But that’s probably because I didn’t always agree with Ivy’s decisions.  There were things I wanted her to say and do, or not do, yet she had her own agenda and her own plans.  So I’m nervously counting the seconds until I can pick up the final book and see how it all plays out.  If you’re looking for a Dystopian that is easy to get lost in and has a fabulous slow-burn romance, then I definitely recommend picking up The Book of Ivy!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Book of Ivy #1 Review: Jen	The Revolution of Ivy #2 Review: Jen