Shadow Princess (Zodiac Academy #4)Synopsis:
After the events of the Lunar Eclipse, Tory and Darcy must learn to deal with the darkness which shadows their lives.
With a secret binding them to Darius and Orion, they must find a way to all work together for the greater good. But some things are easier said than done...
A review of feels. 
Annddd *SCENE*
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The Awakening (Zodiac Academy #1)Synopsis:
You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.
If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.
Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.
Air. Fire. Water. Earth.
No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far.
As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.
Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.
We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.
We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.
Today's horoscope: totally screwed.
I took a slow breath as I tried to process it all. “So what do you think me and Tory are, sir?” I asked, nervous of the answer.
He drummed his fingers on the desk then swallowed the last of his drink. “Trouble,” he muttered and I stiffened.
I think it goes without saying that I’ve lost my mind because this is exactly everything I avoid in a book or series when I have said head on shoulders correctly. That’s not to say I never WOULD have read this back in the day, perhaps when I didn’t know any better, but this is so far out of my realm right now that even I am shocked that I chose to go this route. 
I won’t lie and say I’m feeling normal again-because I’m not-but I will say that I am desperate for some normalcy and sometimes digging deep and finding something that works for you in that particular moment in time is of paramount importance for personal defense and mental health. Do I condone this sort of bullying? I mean, no. Do I find this realistic whatsoever? No. Is the writing everything I cringe about on a daily basis and avoid at all costs? Yes and No. Does that make this any less entertaining or addicting? Hell no. And here we are, me knee deep in the series and complete and utter trash for it.
He leaned an inch closer to me and the space between us burned hot with raw energy for a moment and I suddenly felt like I was caught in a hunter’s snare. The worst thing of all was that I didn’t even want to break free. He had me and in that second we both knew it.
I will admit I’m a writing snob and I do like certain types of writing more than others-I generally avoid the more childish narrative (this is borderline, to be fair, as I don’t find it childish as much as having horrid sayings, but that’s a slippery slope as only I know writing styles that bother me). When I saw this pop up, though, I immediately decided I needed to read it. I think I have passed on it 100x because, as I said-Snob. But sometimes….ya just gotta let the reigns go-And I’m having literally the best time binge reading and it’s helping me get through these rather rough days as of late.
“Do you have a pirate fetish or something?” I blurted, eyeing the coins and gold with confusion.
“What?” he asked, his scowl somehow defying the laws of physics and finding a way to deepen.
“Well you’re half naked in a bed full of coins so either you’re doing something with them or putting them somewhere… inaccessible while fully dressed or I missed the memo about your enrolment in Captain Silver’s new fleet.”
^^DYING at the way these two GOAD these monsters.
I LIVE FOR IT >.<
It also helps-mind you-that I asked my bestie who the endgame ships are (I MUST KNOW OR I RAGE) so I could focus on the subtle nuances, the way certain characters interacted so I could lap it up instead of doing the age old ‘ah man, I wish I had known all this so I could have immersed more and now I have to re-read it’. We never re-read it. Never. Not hardly, anyway. Such is life and it’s an absolute fucking tragedy.
“You really don’t know anything do you?” he asked. “This is how my kind regenerate our power; from gold.”
“Oh.” I frowned at the coins again as I processed that. “So are you Order of pirate then? Do you transform into a one legged man with an eyepatch, a hankering for rum and a pet parrot?”
^So much joy.
THAT BEING SAID-I am LIVING for the moments between x and y because they are horrendous but oh so steamy (yes I am almost done with book two, so I can almost look past the murderous vibes (don’t judge me)) 
and moments between y and z because they clearly were meant to be, okay, and he’s not quite as abhorrent-though I am loving his absolute childish snark and off-handed way of barking orders at people.
And this is so important. I am finding more and more that for the nourishment of my health I need a good monthly or bi-monthly dose of sticky, ooey-gooey, passionate, and sickly-sweet trash. I don’t know where this came from-and so suddenly-but I blame covid wholeheartedly as that DRAGGED me out of my two year YA fantasy/fantasy win streak and threw me into a two month long contemporary streak and then, inevitably, led me to Crave (which I have avoided for years) (talk about a childish book , and yet, I loved it, too until I SAW MY GUY I FELL FOR GOT FUCKED OVER DIE A FIERY BURNING DEATH YES THIS IS WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO ABOVE I DO NOT GO IN BLIND FOR THIS REASON EVER DO YOU SEE WHY)…and now to this abomination of absolute fucking obsession that I did not want nor did I prepare for but I’ve chosen to embrace it. I think it’s going well.
So no, I do NOT care that the girls embrace others than they are meant to be with and NO I do not care that there are murderous moments without actual murder and NO I do not care that there is bullying I JUST WANT TO LIVE IN IT and thus is why I needed to know things ahead of time because now? Now I get to sit back and relax and enjoy this drama. I am cool as an icy demented cucumber. 
And, I must say, though it’s not the level of fantasy writing I generally enjoy or strive to find, I don’t find it all that bad-I actually kind of enjoy the writing style and I don’t even get turned off by the cheesy horrendous catch phrases because it’s not horribly written in the least surrounding them. See? I can be civil and I can be fair. I can see reason. Where Crave had a definite ‘juvenile’ written feel, though extremely enjoyable, this series seems to have a higher level of footing, in my opinion. I do so love my toxic sludge, sometimes.
What’s the worst that can happen in a library anyway?
Tell that to the guy who was killed by Colonel Mustard with the candlestick.
So. Thus is my crazy life and this series is breathing life into it. I can’t say if I will love them all…but for now, they are my life force and they are addicting as all get out. I have a feeling that if these stay even A LITTLE close to the momentum they’re at now, I may very well be a fangirl by the end of the month. You’ve been warned.
FRIEND SCALE:
aRiElLe-You know.
Cassie-I don’t think so. Not because you couldn’t love it, but don’t think you like toxic or bullying. I do lol
Anna-You don’t like Toxic but man I’d laugh at your reactions.
Jen-Probably lol I’d say if you knew ahead of time you’d like this as much as me.
The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash #4)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads
Synopsis:
War is only the beginning…
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book four in her Blood and Ash series.
From the desperation of golden crowns…
Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.
And born of mortal flesh…
Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.
A great primal power rises…
Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.
As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.
Review:
A War of Two Queens was a stunning continuation of The Blood and Ash Series! Within the pages swirled hope, love, friendship, death, trials and so much more. And while this story is within the From Blood and Ash Series, the ties into A Shadow in the Ember intensified my emotions even more. It is a must read before you dive into this book! With tears, laughter, heartache and joy mingled together, this book was impossible to put down. If you’re a fan of this series, fantasy, JLA or romance, you definitely need these books in your life!
Together.
Always.
And forever.
From the very first page, my heart was in my throat. I was elated that we got chapters in Castel’s pov, but it hurt at the same time. The pain and suffering we watched him go through gutted me to the core. I wanted more than retribution, I wanted to watch those who hurt him burn a slow and painful death. The Blood Queen had to be stopped! And while Poppy had the draken and wolven behind her, she needed to solidify the Altlanians to join her battle. To take down the Blood Queen and free her King. The paths Cas and Poppy took throughout this story were an action packed, emotional ride!
If I screamed, if I gave in to all the pain and rage, the sound of desperation and anguish would become wrath and fury. The scream choking me, the power building inside me, tasted of death.
And a small part of me wanted to let it out.
I loved watching Poppy became even more confident in herself and her decisions. I wanted to stand up and cheer for her. She was so strong and someone to look up to. Yet at the same time, her hurt bled from the pages. The trials she had to go through and the heart wrenching lessons she learned continually pulled on my emotions. And Poppy’s heart wasn’t whole. She ached for Cas. For knowing the horror that he must be going through. But through it all, thank the gods she had Kieran. I loved how he stood by her in her time of need. I loved that he had her back without any hesitation. Kieran was a beautiful soul and the truest of friends. It was so easy to love him.
“Two hearts. We’re two hearts.” I brushed my lips over her brow, closing my eyes. “One soul. We’ll find each other again. We always will—”
Cas is my top favorite book boyfriend. The things he would do for love and those he cared for?! He was everything. I felt all of his emotions right along with him, but for parts of the story, I didn’t even know what to feel at times. Rage, sorrow, loss? I didn’t even know. It all blurred together. But even when he was backed into a corner, I knew Cas would persevere. Just like he always did. No matter how dire the situation. And with Cas there was also elation, hope and so much love that warmed me from the inside out. I couldn’t wait until I could see him joking around with Poppy again. For them to touch. For the passion to burn between them. I needed them back together and whole.
His hand tightened in my loose braid of hair. “He is still yours. You are still his.”
Tears stung my throat, my eyes. “Always,” I whispered hoarsely.
Even through the heartache and pain, we were given so many moments that made us laugh and smile. They helped heal my heart and allowed me to breathe. Reaver, Delano, Netta, and so many more added to that. The friendships that wove throughout this story were breathtaking and real. It added the lightness that was desperately needed in the moments of darkness. And I for one can’t wait to see where some of them go! Although I have to say that Reaver was definitely one of my top favorites. He could be such a grump and it almost seemed like he could antagonize others without any effort at all lol, but I absolutely loved him!
I knew what I would feel if I let my senses stretch. Horror. Horror so potent, I would never be able to wash it away.
With questions answered that made me scream I knew it out loud, there were others that made me second guess everything I knew. The twists and turns in this book were heart-stopping! I never knew what would happen next or who would be safe. I was kept on the edge of my seat trying my best to keep my emotions in check. But it never worked. Tears silently streaked down my face. And other times I couldn’t stifle the gasp or sobs this story invoked from me. Thankfully there were happy tears mixed in their also. But hold on, because there were so many emotions within these pages!
My Queen. My soul. My savior. Poppy.
The War of Two Queens consumed my every waking thought and this story easily became an instant favorite. The series continued to unfold in a way that was not only intricate but had me beyond fascinated! And the characters easily owned my heart. I was so happy to see that the ending left us at a spot where we could somewhat relax, yet I’m beyond ecstatic to pick up that next book! I absolutely loved this book and this series. I can’t recommend them enough!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
***Coming back on release day to share some of my favorite quotes and one thought I had. There are LOTS of spoilers so please don’t click unless you have read this book***
Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers) & iBooks (click on titles)
 From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash Series) #1 Review: Jen |
 A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash Series) #2 Review: Jen |
 The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash Series) #3 Review: Jen |
 A Shadow in the Ember Ash (Flesh and Fire Series) #1 Review: Jen |
 The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash Series) #4 Review: Jen |
 A Light in the Flame (Flesh and Fire Series ) #2 Review: Jen |
 A Soul of Ash and Blood (Blood and Ash Series) #5 Review: Jen |
 A Fire in the Flesh (Flesh and Fire Series) #3 Review: Jen |
 Visions of Flesh and Blood (Blood and Ash Series) #5.5 Review: Jen |
My Summer in Seoul by Rachel Van Dyken
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads
Synopsis:
It’s not all K-dramas and happily ever afters.
Intern with Korea’s number one record label? Yes, please.
Find out there’s a huge scandal I need to help “manage”… not so much.
Add in the fact that I don’t recognize the “superstars” of the label and think they’re interns…
And my dream job quickly becomes more of a nightmare.But I’m in Seoul, the one place that is beginning to feel more and more like home...
Except it isn’t home, and the drama surrounding the biggest K-pop group in the world, SWT, is consuming my every moment.
Spoiler alert. They hate me.
Everything I do is wrong: wrong clothes, wrong honorifics, wrong manners.
Till the leader of SWT takes pity on me.
But pity is dangerous when it comes from someone as beautiful as him.Every SWT member is gorgeous, perfect, and cultivated to be an idol… lethal to a girl’s heart.
And sanity.
But fame plus a perfect face and voice don’t equal an easy life. As their comeback nears, the stakes rise higher.
Suicide watch…
Angry fans…
Threats…All I want to do is survive.
But the price for survival might mean losing my heart.
And like a character in a K-drama, I’m not sure if there will be an actual happily ever after…
Or simply a lesson learned.
Review:
My Summer in Seoul was brimming with emotion and swept me away. I had absolutely no clue what I was getting into, since I don’t know anything about K-pop. But that didn’t even matter. At the heart of this story was friendship, love, trials and trust. And each aspect was so emotional and powerful. So if you’re a fan of enemies to lovers or romance stories with someone famous, then you definitely need this book in your life!
Rachel Van Dyken always has the amazing talent of putting me directly into someone else’s shoes and feeling every single thing they do. So of course I loved Grace! She wanted to get into the music industry and her Uncle offered her a job to intern at his number one record label. In Korea. Grace jumped at the chance, but it definitely wasn’t what she thought it would be. Yes it involved coffee runs and other similar tasks. But she had to help oversee the largest K-pop group in the world. And she started her first moment with them, thinking they were interns. Whoops.
Lucas, Rae, Sookie, Jay and Kai were a formable team in SWT. But they hated Grace. She was loud, bubbly, wouldn’t stop talking, and had no clue what she was doing. Especially when it came to customs. Thankfully Rae, the leader, took pity on her. But it still wasn’t easy, especially with Lucas hating her the most. And while Grace tried her hardest again and again, it still was never enough.
Grace was motivated, persevered when others wouldn’t and had the hugest heart ever. And while she started figuring out how to handle the guys in SWT, Lucas still gave her all the hatred. It didn’t matter what she would do or how kind she was to him. He still hated her with a passion. And as someone who loves enemies to lovers, Grace and Lucas’ story was fabulous! It was a roller-coaster of emotions with the most fabulous angst! And while my heart broke for Grace countless times, it also started to break for Lucas too. Once we started to have chapters in his head too.
Lucas was struggling. The music industry of K-pop was beyond intense and brutal. Fans controlled how high they climbed and how low they crashed with a scandal. So as we started to learn more about Lucas, he earned my empathy. Even if he could be a total asshole lol. That’s because I loved how Lucas felt deeply. I loved how passionate he was about music. And I even loved how he messed with Grace at times. But most of all, I loved when Lucas did something that allowed Grace to see more of him. Lucas was drowning at times, and I kept hoping Grace could help him. Somehow.
The way Grace and Lucas developed eeps, I loved it! They made my heart pound faster! And I’m not saying any more about them besides read this book! On top of Grace and Lucas was an industry that was all consuming. Intense isn’t even a strong enough word for it. And we also got to know Rae, Sookie, Jay and Kai. Oh you guys. They slowly found a way into my heart and I didn’t ever want to say goodbye to them. I’d be sooo happy if each of them got their own story! Please ♥.
My Summer in Seoul was an enemy to lovers tale that romances lovers will passionately fall in love with! This story played out like I was watching a tv show unfold on Netflix, it was impossible to put down! And while there was a lot of drama and emotion throughout this story, I laughed a ton too. The bears?! Oh I can’t even! So yes, I loved this book and can’t recommend it enough!
PS What I gasped over? I was just as mad, right along with Grace! Even though I guessed it. Still. Poor Grace ♥.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Attraction (Hypothesis #1)Synopsis:
One week.
Private beach.
Invisible girl.
Jerk-faced bully.
What’s the worst that could happen?Kaitlyn Parker has no problem being the invisible girl, which is why she finds herself hiding in various cabinets and closets all over her college campus. Despite her best efforts, she can’t escape the notice of Martin Sandeke—bad boy, jerkface bully, and the universe’s hottest, wealthiest, and most unobtainable bachelor—who also happens to be Kaitlyn’s chemistry lab partner.
Kaitlyn might be the only girl who isn’t interested in exploiting his stunning rower’s build, chiseled features, and family's billionaire fortune. Kaitlyn wants Martin for his brain, specifically to tabulate findings of trace elements in surface water.
When Kaitlyn saves Martin from a nefarious plot, Martin uses the opportunity to push Kaitlyn out of her comfort zone: spring break, one week, house parties, bathing suits, and suntan lotion. Can she overcome her aversion to being noticed? Will he be able grow beyond his self-centered nature? Or, despite their obvious chemistry, will Martin be the one to drive Kaitlyn into the science cabinet of obscurity for good?
Review:
The Hypothesis Series sucked me in and before I knew it, I had binged all three books about Martin and Katy. While I did have some hiccups here and there, I didn’t really care because this story was so much fun and kept me entertained. The first book in this series, Attraction, was emotional, quirky and so easy to devour. If you love unconventional girls, Alpha males and lots of angst, then this is the series to add to your tbr!
Kaitlyn Parker, aka Katy, was lab partners with Martin Sandeke. Martin was tall, gorgeous, smart, athletic, and his family were billionaires. He truly had it all going for him. And while Katy’s family was well known too, she definitely felt like they were in very different leagues. You see, while Martin was popular, outgoing annnnnnnd a total douche, Katy was quiet, timid and liked to hide in closets. So while Katie was hiding in a closet (see, told you LOL), she overheard a plot to take Martin down. With her kind heart, she warned him and it set her on a path that would completely change her world.
Katy was beyond quirky and cracked me up! Did she have some growing up and learning how to interact with others to do? Uh yeah! But she was so endearing, that I loved watching her journey. Sometimes her mouth would open and oh my gosh I’d die laughing. BUT at the same point I just wanted to hug her because you could tell that her upbringing was extremely different than those around her. She could be so over the top, almost kind of like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, but by the second book you get to see how much she grew. And by the third book, besides her keyword burner, she had changed so much. I’m glad I was patient with her because she slowly but surely matured and evolved as this trilogy unfolded.
Martin was such an unknown. He could be extremely demanding and spoiler alert, that doesn’t change at all in the next two books. But at the same time, he also had this soft side to him that made me melt. And my heart hurt for how he was raised. With his charming, seductive and captivating ways I found myself falling for Martin. So when he invited Katy to take a trip with him to a tropical island, for spring break, I was so excited. With a beautiful setting and lots of time together, I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough!
Attraction was filled with lots of angst, and as someone who can easily be consumed watching it all unfold, I loved every minute of it! With side characters that leaped from the pages, two main characters I was fascinated with, tons of chemistry and a romantic tropical setting, this book was an absolute blast! And spoiler alert….Book 2 is where all the heat is at….just sayin lol.
PS This ends on a cliffhanger and mid scene, so you definitely want to have Heat available, for when you read this book!
Jen    |
Chelsea |
Arielle |
Cassie |
| Jen |
Chelsea |
| Arielle |
Cassie |
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