A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Book review aka second book syndrome who? * with spoilers!*

May 17, 2021May 2, 2021 Karla1 Comment

Hello lovelies!

I was so nervous to start this one because I didn’t enjoy From blood and Ash as much as I wanted to. But let me tell you…this book!! was!! everything!!

Title: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (From Blood and Ash #2)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis: A Betrayal… Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice… Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.(Goodreads)

5 stars: Persephone – Queen of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring. Persephone is my favourite goddess because she is full of contradictions – she represents both strength as queen of the underworld and a softness as a floral maiden. She teaches me how it’s okay to be both. If Persephone appears, that means that the book was one of the best books I’ve ever read, that it holds a particular place in my heart and that it is now part of my favourite books ever.

This book is well worth the hype and more!!
I guess because the series is so loved, I went in with too many expectations and I didn’t feel the spark and excitement for From Blood and Ash as much as I would have wanted to (even if I really enjoyed it!!) But this book??? PHENOMENAL .

I think once we went past all the lies and betrayal we had more time to focus on the characters and the way their dynamic evolved. It was nice to see the chemistry between Poppy and Hawke come back full force while also going forward in the story and delving more into their world.

The world building in this one was amazing and we learned so so much. I love how curious Poppy is as it allows the reader to also find more about the customs and rituals of their world. I liked all the descriptions and the little nods to our world. With Atlantia having running water and roads or even having a clock telling the time; it was nice. I’m not usually a fan of description but it think it was beautifully done here; it was just enough to properly set the world and universe and colours which allowed me to draw up vivid images in my head. It was very clear. That is due to the excellent writing style of the author. They take their time with slower moments like when they share a meal or just do mundane stuff but it never feels boring or gratuitous and I found myself to be as captivated and entertained with the slower moments than with the action-packed ones. The storytelling was fluid and seamlessly followed a certain logic that kept me interested. I like how the author distills the tiniest details to keep us wanting more.

I love how much development we had from the beginning to the end in every aspect.
Of course as I said, the first book didn’t convince me of their possible romance; I think there were too many obstacles and everything seemed fake. But in this one? I believed every single word exchanged between Poppy and Hawke. It all felt real and that happened because the characters acknowledged everything that was in the past and decided to go forward. Poppy and Hawke’s chemistry is insane and I live for their banter. I laughed out loud several times. You could just see the love and attraction between them and I loved the steamy scenes. They are incredibly well-written and left me hot and bothered. It just made so much sense that they are heartmates. and I can’t wait to explore that aspect in the next books.
There was also a lot of development in terms of Atlantia and how much we strayed from the first narrative we were given. So many moments were eye-opening and I soaked up every tiny piece of information. I loved the explanations of the rituals and how things worked in Atlantia. Can I live there?? It seems like such a beautiful place. I like all the history of the place, the gods and the different bloodlines. I hope that in the future we get to encounter more of these bloodlines and learn more about the wolven who I’m fascinated with.
That leads me to my last point which is all the other characters. I think all of the characters are well fleshed out and have their own voice. Kieran is my hero and I love him! I live for his sarcasm. I like all the other wolven (except Alastir; there’s something wrong with him) . I think their group dynamic is hilarious and I like how they tease each other. I care so much about them that when they go into battle in makes me scared for them. That’s saying something.

The last chapters of the book were magnificent me and I flew through them! WOW. I am currently reading book 3 and enjoying it just as much!!

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne – Book Review aka the best enemies to lovers romance 💕

May 8, 2021May 6, 2021 Karla4 Comments

Hello lovelies!

Today we gather because I finally managed to write a review for The Hating Game by Sally Thorne also known as “the best enemies to lovers romance”. There, I said it.

Title: The Hating Game

Author: Sally Thorne

Synopsis: Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
2) A person’s undoing
3) Joshua Templeman

Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual. Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking. If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth-shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong. Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game. (Goodreads)

Pheme: The goddess of fame, gossip and renown – This goddess will be invoked when a book has received a lot of attention and is praised by critics and the book community. She will be featured whether the book lived up to my expectations or not.

One of the best enemies to lovers romances I have ever read.

I love the enemies to lovers trope and I have to say this is one of the best books I have read with the trope. This is enemies to lovers perfection. Both aspects of the enemies and lovers part were well written and it made for great character development and plot. It felt like I was slowly peeling different layers to discover the subtle, intimate, soft and cute moments. I still don’t know how the author dealt with the trope so well. I am in awe.

Lucy was a great main character. I loved being inside her head. She is incredibly funny in that sarcastic self-deprecating kind of way. And her repartee is impeccable. I found myself laughing out loud from her banter with Josh. And I mean out loud. I also loved seeing Lucy’s growth; how she learned to stand up for herself in every aspect. The scene she stood up to a certain character and said “Anthony, it’s been real” was iconic.

This book worked because Lucy and Josh’s chemistry was off the charts. I mean I needed to take a break after reading about their first kiss in the elevator. From their stares to their steamy scenes I was hooked and enthralled. Every single one of their interactions was mesmerizing and I could just see the love between them. There really is a thin line between love and hate.

“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I’ve had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations.
Love and hate are visceral. Your stomach twists at the thought of that person. The heart in your chest beats heavy and bright, nearly visible through your flesh and clothes. Your appetite and sleep are schredded. Every interaction spikes your blood with adrenaline, and you’re in the brink of fight or flight. Your body is barely under your control. You’re consumed, and it scares you.
Both love and hate are mirror versions of the same game – and you háve to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. Trust me, I should know.”

I adored (yes, adored) seeing her play games with Josh. I was LIVING for their games. It made us see the “enemies” aspect of the book so well and it was even better when they were rivals. But as the story went along it was nice to see their dynamic change and the truth about their feelings unraveling. From the nicknames “SHORTCAKE”, to the intimate gestures and the little revelations along the way. What really made this book amazing is the little details like the specific colour Robin’s egg blue, the colour of her red lipstick called Flamethrower and so many others which made me get lost in the story completely. Josh was one of the best romantic leads and the fact that he loved lucy from day one killed me. I love him.
I liked every single line and if I had another copy of this book, there would be highlighter and tabs almost on every single page. These two shared an intimacy that is so rare and I soaked up every single moment. The last chapter killed me. Enemies to lovers perfection I tell you.
This chaotic review doesn’t do the book justice.

Uncategorized

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller – Book review aka give me all the morally grey female characters!!

March 13, 2021April 2, 2021 Karla12 Comments

Hello lovelies!

I decided to read this book after reading: April Lee @ Booked Till Midnight‘s review and let me tell you she has impeccable taste. Here’s my review.

Title: The Shadows Between Us

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Synopsis: Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

4 stars: Aphrodite – Goddess of love and beauty. That means that I really liked the book, whether it was the writing style, plot or characters. It means it was an amazing book that I would completely recommend for the beautiful piece of art it is. However the book is not a Persephone because something keeps it from making it one of my favourite book ever.

Iris– Goddess of rainbows. Nothing new here, we all know that rainbows represent the LGBTQ+ community so this Goddess will be featured whenever a queer relationship or character appears.

I haven’t been feeling too well this week and this was the perfect dose of escapism. I’m usually wary of fantasy standalones because the story and characters are sometimes underdeveloped and even though some things could have been dealt with in more pages this was an overall satisfying book.

I have a soft spot for morally gray female characters and Alessandra Stathos just joined the list of my favorites. I love love love her ambition. She’s cunning, manipulative and ruthless and the beat part is that’s she’s unapologetic about it. But she also learns to care for her new friends and the ones she loves and that was beautiful. I really appreciate how multi dimensional she felt. She wasn’t just cunning or just loving but a great mix of both. That’s how women should be written. I love how sex positive and confident she was. She knows her skills and assists and she isn’t afraid to use them. This could have been a “I’m not like other girls character” but she strayed from that default by learning to care about her friends, by seeing women as friends rather than rivals. I loved her cunning brain.

I mean, the book opens with:

“They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart.
And they never will.”

How could you not like her?

Then there’s the story. I rather liked the quick pace; I was actually surprised by how much I liked it. I don’t mind when things are slow in fantasy because I understand that the author has to build a new world but the author managed to do that in a few sentences and explanations here and there. It surprisingly worked! I liked all the intrigues at the court and the big reveal to them ruder mystery. That was a nice and unexpected subplot.

And then there’s the love story. It was so great to read about the two main characters falling in love as they spread lies and tried to avoid doing just that. Kallias was looking for a friend and Alessandra for a king she could murder to become the queen. It was so nice to see how their vision of each other shifted; they were magic on screen.

Overall this is a nice story about ambition, love and friendship. It wasn’t groundbreaking but a lovely story all the same. I will be reading more form this author!

Book Review

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen – Book Review

January 18, 2021January 15, 2021 Karla7 Comments

Hello lovelies!

I asked for audiobooks recommendations a week ago and someone requested I try The Bridge Kingdom! Here’s my review of the book!

Title: The Bridge Kingdom

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

What if you fell in love with the one person you’d sworn to destroy?

Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil – and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara’s homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.

But as she infiltrates her new home – a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas – and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?

First let me say that the audiobook format for this book was fantastic! I loved the voices for the main characters and it really brought the story to life! I just had a little problem with the places, I couldn’t visualize the bridge and I don’t know if there’s a map in the physical copy but I wish I had one just to see how crucial the bridge was to tying all the lands and seeing its importance. That’s a minor problem and nothing a little digging on the internet won’t fix (fan art, I’m coming for you.).

Other than that I absolutely loved the plot of this book! It was simple enough: Laura, a spy, is tasked to marry Aren, the king of Ithicana (I’m not sure about the spelling) and discover the secret of the Bridge Kingdom so her father can conquer it. The author carried it out wonderfully. I loved the attention to detail and the way the author painted the land and customs so vividly; I could see it in my mind. The pace was perfect and the story kept me entertained throughout the whole book. I was constantly thinking “what’s next??” and the author managed to alternate between calm,quiet moments as well as action-packed and suspense-filled ones.

Now, I love romance more than anything and oh how I loved this one.

I knew the romance aspect would be tricky because Laura was a spy and her role was to deceive. She had been told things about Aren and didn’t trust him and Aren himself was weary of his new seemingly naive wife. I was curious to see how both managed to work above the lies and the author delivered. It was wonderful to read about Aren and Laura slowly opening themselves up to each other and truly seeing the other for who they were. Nothing I love more than the fake marriage trope! Also they had unbelievable chemistry and I was blushing at so ma,y things they said about each other. I’m still smiling about them.

There were also a lot of secrets and intrigues and I liked how everything was tied together and made sense. It was so well-carried out here. All of the characters were interesting and brought something to the story. I’m dying to know more about Laura’s sisters and their training, I also loved the people in Aren’s “court’. They were caring and willing to sacrifice everything for their loved ones. *sighs*.

The story had many twists and turns and I had to take a break multiple times because my heart was hurting. I immediately picked up the second book (it’s a duology) and I’m enjoying it too! Can’t wait to see how it all ends.

Have you heard of this? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

Karla xx

Book Mail · Book Review

Blogmas Day #23 – Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd – Book review. Aka the best Christmas book ever!

December 23, 2020 Karla8 Comments

Hello lovelies!

Welcome to day 23 of blogmas! I’m going to talk about the latest book I gave 5 stars to: Faking Under the Mistletoe by Sara Shepherd!

Title: Faking Under the Mistletoe

Author: Ashley Shepherd

Synopsis: Olivia Langley is the human embodiment of Christmas cheer, and she has absolutely no problem spreading it around for all to hear.Christmas sweaters? She has twenty. Christmas cookies? She’ll take three dozen. Christmas movies? Yeah, she’s seen them all. So it’s no surprise when she’s put in charge of Loveridge & McGowan’s holiday festivities. Secret Santas? Yep. Ice skating? Of course. Holiday trivia? Duh. Christmas-themed bar crawl? That’s one big jingle bell hell yes. Kissing her boss at a Christmas tree lighting in front of his ex-girlfriend? Well… it is the season of giving. And Olivia does not come with a gift receipt. No exchanges. No returns. No refunds. All sales are final. In an effort to ungrinch the grinchiest man she’s ever met, Olivia enlists herself, Santa’s Executive Helper, to scheme up a plan that includes sleigh rides, snow days, and one too many mistletoe kisses, which certainly gets Asher’s tinsel in a tangle. She’s pretty sure that she sleighed this whole fake dating thing. Well… until she realizes there’s nothing fake about her feelings for Asher, and suddenly tangled tinsel, unsolicited Christmas trees, and celebrity heartthrobs are the least of her worries. (Goodreads).

Iris– Goddess of rainbows. Nothing new here, we all know that rainbows represent the LGBTQ+ community so this Goddess will be featured whenever a queer relationship or character appears. Here: secondary characters (married lesbians with a child, gay grandmother?)

Medusa – Gorgon. She is mostly known for being a monster, but before she was a monster, she was a beautiful mortal woman with beautiful hair who has been sexually assaulted by Poseidon in a temple dedicated to Athena. As a punishment she was transformed into a monster. This goddess will be featured whenever sexual assault is mentioned in a book. It will also be a trigger warning. CW: mentions of sexual assault.

This book was the best Christmas book ever. It’s the Love Actually of Christmas books. I read it in a day and almost pulled an all-nighter for it (I still went to sleep at 4am). I couldn’t put it down. I nearly turned down watching a Christmas movie to keep on reading (I still watched the Princess Switch and it was cute).

There are so many things that I loved about the book.

The writing style was superb. I mean there were cute and funny pop culture references, the banter was incredibly witty and the characters are all fleshed-out and endearing. What more could this girl need? There were so many moments in the plot that could have been caricatural and cliché especially since the main character, Olivia thinks she’s in a Hallmark movie, but it went way beyond that. Usually, in the fake dating trope, when the couple tries to make an ex jealous, the ex is usually caricatural and two-dimensional. Here, the author chose another route and actually decided to show women supporting each other, being kind and have a healthy relationship with one another. It felt like a breath of fresh air. The women stood together and helped each other, especially when there was a situation of sexual assault and I nearly cried. The whole talk about men taking advantage of women, treating them like sexual objects was so refreshing and I wanted to hug the characters and clap. This book was so much deeper and more profound than I thought it would be and it nearly brought me to tears because of some things that were said and done.

The chemistry between Asher and Olivia is incredible. The banter, the banter, the banter!! It was amazing. It showed how much the love interests were in sync and it was delectable. This book confirmed that I love the fake dating trope – that moment when the characters realize that this is not pretend and that they’re falling in love for real? Yes, yes yes.

Olivia was a true delight; I would kill to have a friend like her. Her confidence is so inspiring and I wish I were like her. She has a lot of things going against her and she faces so many bad things but she lets herself feel them. She’s still a positive person and tries to see what’s beneath appearances. She gave me so much hope.

Asher was really unique. He made me laugh so much. He is brave, demanding and weird but he knows what he wants and he is so loving and attentive. I loved reading about all the small gestures he did quietly and secretly. It made my heart stop.

The other characters were all relevent and I grew attached to them all.

I loved the first person narrative oh so much.The writing style is very fluid and makes the story easy to follow. I think that’s why I couldn’t put it down because everything was coherent and moved perfectly. The dialogue was fantastic and all of the characters had their own distinguishable voice and it gave the story authenticity. I almost wish I hadn’t read it so fast because it was so good and I don’t know what I should do with my life now. This book is perfect if you’re looking for a funny, cute and deep Christmas story!

Have you read this? What are some of your favourite Christmas movies/ Tv shows?

Let me know in the comments!

Karla xx

blogmas · Book Review

Blogmas Day #3 – Caraval by Stephanie Garber – (mini) book review!

December 3, 2020December 1, 2020 Karla5 Comments

Hello lovelies!

I haven’t posted a review in a while so here you go for my review for Caraval by Stephanie Garber.

Title: Caraval (Caraval #1)

Author: Stephanie Garber

Summary: Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. (Goodreads)

3 stars: Apollo – God of archery, music and dance, the Sun and light, poetry, and more. I really like Apollo and what he represents. That means that I really enjoyed the book and my experience reading it. That means the book is worthy of Apollo.

I was very hesitant to pick up this book because of all the mixed reviews I had seen from reviewers I trust (I’m so easily influenced sadly). However, I was still very curious about the series and I liked how the title sounded like “Carnival” so I decided to purchase the audiobook.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this series. The world-building was great and it was perfect for the audiobook format. I really liked both the semi-spooky atmosphere mixed with the constant anticipation of “what’s next?’ of the game; I liked all the riddles and enigma surrounding the game and I got exactly what I came for. There were so many twists that I did not see coming and I had to stop listening at some point and take a deep breath.

Some of the book’s strongest assets is the relationship between the characters, starting with relationship between Scarlett and Donatella. I love family dynamics in books and I loved seeing their love for each other and how far they were willing to protect each other. It was so beautiful to read about and their love was so pure and selfless. We tend to focus on romantic relationships and it was nice to see a different kind of love, just as powerful. But still let it be know that I was pleasantly surprised with the romance!! I did NOT expect to be this involved by the romance and I found myself rooting for the characters. They have undeniable chemistry and I’m currently reading the third book in the series and the chemistry is just as strong.

The character development was well-done too. I think all the characters were a bit caricatural at the beginning: the naive sister, the bold one, the charming bad boy etc. But as the story progressed, the characters evolved and I think they all changed for the better. It wasn’t forced and it was very subtle which I greatly enjoyed.

However, there were too many confusing parts and things that didn’t always make sense to me. I had a lot of unanswered questions when I finished reading (which are still not developed in the third book) and it kept me from giving the book a higher rating. I also just expected…more. I feel like the Caraval aspect could have been pushed further; there were so many interesting parts which were underdeveloped.

Overall it was a nice enjoyable read and if you’re hesitant about picking up this book, you totally should!

CW: child abuse (violent parent), mentions of suicide.

Karla xx

Book Review

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Mini review!

October 17, 2020October 16, 2020 Karla6 Comments

Hello lovelies!

I read this book a while ago and I think it was a good prequel! I’m going to be honest here and say that I don’t ever remember reading a prequel – because that’s just not what I’m into. I thought I had little care for the vents which precede a beloved book. Boy, was I wrong. My sister and I are huge fans of the Hunger Games series and when we saw that it was centered on President Snow when he was a student at the Academy we were…less than excited. However I was as fascinated as ever by “The Games” and very curious about its early stages; it was only the 10th Edition of the Hunger Games and the aftermath of war between the districts and the Capitol was still very much visible; starting with the once prestigious Snow family’s newfound poverty.

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ( The Hunger Games #0)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Synopsis: It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes. (Goodreads)

It was nice to see how Coriolanus navigated the fact that he had to hide his poverty and maintain his image and prestige. I liked how Suzanne Collins did not try to redeem him but instead showed how truly ruthless and power-hungry he already was at that age.
All the politics, the lies and the intrigue were fascinating and I really enjoyed the first two parts of the books, especially when the Games started. The new Games in this were not as elaborate as they become later on but they were still deliciously wicked. I also liked how we got an explanation of the whole thought process that went into creating The Games. The whole mentor-tribute dynamic was very well-thought and I think Lucy Gray Baird, – Snow’s tribute and lover, was the star of the book. I don’t know why, but I felt lukewarm about the romance. I understand how necessary it was, but knowing Snow, I knew something was wrong.

In the third and last part of the book, because Coriolanus Snow slowly became future “President Snow” and I both hated and loved that. And that’s what is genius about this book. We don’t like Snow. Even from a young age he is selfish and thinks about his own interests, even with Lucy Gray. But that’s a good thing; that’s what makes him a great villain. I loved to hate him.
I liked all the references to Katniss and the way Lucy Gray Baird made us think of her: her fierceness, her love of mockingjays -even the song “Hanging Tree! And the fact that she came from district 12. There are mentions of a “previous victor from District 12” in the trilogy and all evidence seems to show that she is the one mentioned. No wonder Snow hated Katniss so much. The ending of the book frustrated me but I think it was still good as it is a prequel about an infinitely complex and diverse character.

Bottomline: The book was as wonderful as it was confusing.

Now, can we get a Prequel about Haymitch, please and thank you?

Book Review

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas – Book review. I couldn’t write a proper review so here, have thoughts!

September 8, 2020 Karla3 Comments

Hello lovelies!

I’m back with another review in the Throne of Glass series! I was really disappointed with the first two books in the series, especially the first one and I am happy to say that all of you were right and that the series gets better. I gave five stars to Queen of Shadows because I was blown away by it. I still can’t wrap my head around this book so here, have thoughts!

Title: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis: Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

5 stars: Persephone – Queen of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring. Persephone is my favourite goddess because she is full of contradictions – she represents both strength as queen of the underworld and a softness as a floral maiden. She teaches me how it’s okay to be both. If Persephone appears, that means that thd book was one of the best books I’ve ever read, that it holds a particular place in my heart and that it is now part of my favourite books ever.

Seeing Aelin and Rowan coming to terms with their feelings KILLED ME. I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE HEART.
I LOVE ALL THE NEW CHARACTERS – LYSANDRA, ELIDE AND NESRYN ARE SO BRAVE. They are role models for resilience and kindness.
Manon’s character development is 10/10. I love her to death.
Seeing Aelin’s court learning to trust and support each other warmed my poor heart.
Whenever one of them was in danger and the others came for them was…I was in tears.
The big reveal that Perrington is *spoiler*. GASP.
Kaltain’s character arc honestly broke my heart and I’m so glad she went out the way she did.
Arobynn’s death was *chef’s kiss*. Lysandra did NOT pull back.
When Aelin washed Rowan’s hair I died. I love when couples do domestic things.
When Rowan also rubbed oil on him…I died. We love a supportive king.
I loved how each and every single character is so perfectly fleshed out. They all have their quirks and particularities and I love their chaotic dynamic;
Evangeline and Lysandra deserve the world. They all do.
I nearly cried when Aelin and Aedion found each other. It was so wholesome and soothed my heart.

Dorian broke my heart and I really hope he will heal from his wounds.
I also can’t wait to see how Dorian and Manon’s dynamic will evolve.
When Aelin and Rowan kissed. Lord.
The banter between the characters is pure gold.
I loved how well the action and high risk scenes were written, My heart stopped multiple times.
She is back in Terrasen. I thought I’d never see the day.
This is the best book in the series so far and now I understand the hype and I feel like a fool because I didn’t understand how people shipped Aelin and Rowan or why everyone loved Manon so much. I’m ashamed at my own poor taste.

Have you read this book or series? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

Karla x

BLM resources

Book Review

Take A Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert – Book review

August 27, 2020March 11, 2021 Karla8 Comments

Hello lovelies!

This book was *clenches fists* so cute. This is exactly the type of romance which leads you to have unattainable expectations for your own love life.

Title: Take A Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters #2)

Author: Talia Hibbert

Synopsis (Goodreads): Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits. When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse? Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his… um, thighs.

Persephone: 5 stars. If Persephone appears, that means that the book was one of the best books I’ve ever read, that it holds a particular place in my heart and that it is now part of my favourite books ever.

Pheme: The goddess of fame, gossip and renown – This goddess is mentionned when a book has received a lot of attention and is praised by critics and the book community. She will be featured whether the book lived up to my expectations or not.

Iris– Goddess of rainbows. Nothing new here, we all know that rainbows represent the LGBTQ+ community so this Goddess will be featured whenever a queer relationship or character appears.

Athena– Goddess of wisdom, poetry, art, and the strategic side of war. I will feature the goddess whenever there is a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour) because they are a symbol of resilience, strength and wisdom to me. I also want to put forth African folkore, myths and gods and since Athena is the goddess of poetry and art I thought it was fitting.

The best thing about this book is definitely Danika Brown. Yes full government name here because she deserves all the respect she can get. She is unapologetically herself, she’s confident and she doesn’t take crap from anyone. I love how caring and supportive she is towards her loved ones and how she has learnt to love herself and accepted the fact that she deserves the best in a romantic relationship. She’s a bisexual icon and a witch and I have never wanted to befriend a character so much in my life.

Then there’s Zaf Ansari, the cutest cinnamon roll ever hidden in the body of a grumpy and brooding man. Zaf has been through traumatic and heavy events in his life and he is still caring and is very in touch with his emotions. I loved that. Toxic masculinity? Never heard of it! That is very healthy and necessary in romance. I admire his caring and understanding self and I want to give him a big hug even if he would probably hate it.

Then there’s Dani and Zaf. Put the two together and you have one of the sweetest, steamiest and funniest romances ever. It was wonderful seeing them both falling in love and hiding it to the other for different reasons. The fake dating trope was magnificent in this book and I burst out laughing more times than I could count. I loved all the lingering glances and the small intimate gestures. I appreciated the emotional support they both provided and the healthy discussions they had. And the steamy scenes. Good lord. I have to say that this book was a lot more graphic and smut heavy than what I usually read but it really befitted the characters and the whole “friends with benefits” trope the story had going on. I had a great time reading it. *wink wink*.

This book was a quick read, a true page-turner and the author flawlessly dealt with grief and commitment issues. It was beautiful.

“The thing about mental health was, you couldn’t take a course of antibiotics and be magically healed. Some people’s brains just thought too much or felt too much or hurt too much, and you had to stay on top of that.”

Overall this is a great romance and I cannot recommend it enough!

Let me know what you think!

Karla xx

BLM resources

Uncategorized

Beach Read by Emily Henry – Book Review

August 22, 2020 Karla9 Comments

Hello lovelies!

This is my latest 5 stars read. I have tried to write this review for hours. I started from the minute I put the book down but I don’t know how to convey my feelings. I am overflowing with love. This is the best romance I’ve read in a while. This is coming from a person that only reads books with romance in it.

Title: Beach Read

Author: Emily Henry

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.They’re polar opposites.In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really

Persephone: 5 stars. One of the best books I’ve ever read; it holds a particular place in my heart and it is now part of my favourite books ever.

Pheme: Hyped book.

The best thing about this book was THE CHEMISTRY. It was out of this world. From their very *first* encounter, I was hooked. I really really liked their banter and I found myself smiling from ear to ear at times.

The steamy scenes were incredibly well-written; I could feel the sexual tension and lust rippling off of the two and I adored that. I also liked how romantic their interactions were when they were trying to hide their feelings. The fact that they went on “not dates” was really clever because they were behaving as a couple without knowing it. I swooned whenever they were doing “research” (and no that’s not a code for sex.). I also like all the little details which made the romance believable like passing notes and hugging. That melted my already soft heart.

What is great about this book is that it not only focused on the romance. It deals with heavy subjects such as grief and child abuse. These themes were really important in terms of character development and I really liked the dialogue around it. I loved how the character found themselves with the other’s help . They each had their own demons and it was so nice to see them both being so honest and open with each other which was very healthy. I really dislike the miscommunication trope and it was SO NICE to see them talk about their traumas and feelings. I loved how patient and supportive they both were! Man, I really cannot get over how healthy and respectful their relationship was.

All of the characters were all very well fleshed out and I liked the friendship and family dynamics. This is a book about what it means to love someone be it your aunt, your wife or your father.

I also liked the “writing a book” aspect. The author tackled the subject of writer’s block and the writing process and, as a reader, it was a nice experience.

One of my favorite parts was when the author validated the romance genre. I’m sick of gender-based categories and how anything preceded with “women” is frowned down upon. That’s why I liked the bet because it allowed the reader to delve deeper into literary fiction as well as romance and the elements and research that go into writing these genres. I hate that “Happy endings” are a factor that deter some people from reading those. The world is really glum and scary and I think it is very comforting to have those beautiful stories in our lives. That’s what the book is about. I love books that make me want to live my life and fall in love.

Did you read this book? Did you enjoy it?

Let me know in the comments! Karla