Hello, internet land! Today I bring you an author interview with Becca Mionis! This post is a part of her book tour for her newest novel, The Last Celestials, coming out February 14th! The Last Celestials is a space romance filled with drama, tension, and lots of swoon-worthy moments!
One thing that might be surprising is that I read a lot of romance novels. I don’t talk about it here because this is more of a YA book blog. When I saw that Jack Edwards reviewed all the books he read in 2020 in one sentence each, I knew I had to try as well. Because I read a lot of books that I don’t end up reviewing, I thought it’d be a good idea to dedicate a post on my (brief) thoughts for each book I’ve read so far in 2021. However, that post would be insanely long, so I decided to split them up by month. Today, I’ll be reviewing all the books I read in January, and in a few weeks I’ll review February’s books, and so on and so forth.
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✧ This review is spoiler-free! ✧
“When life becomes difficult. the only source of strength we have is love. Love of others, love of self, love of life in its entirety.”
Renee Ahdieh, The Beautiful
Title: The Beautiful
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Series: The Beautiful, #1
Published: Oct. 8, 2019
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Reader
Category: young adult
Genre: fantasy, paranormal, romance
Pages: 448
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
Goodreads page
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In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as Le Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sèbastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of Le Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sèbastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
Continue reading✧ This (short) review is spoiler-free! ✧
“Never.”
“Never come for me.”
“Never look for me.”
“If you do, I will take everything from you.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Brightest Night
Title: The Brightest Night
Series: Origin, #3
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: October 20, 2020
Publisher: Tor Teen
Category: young adult
Genre: fantasy, aliens, romance
Pages: 512
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
Goodreads page
“All magic came with a price, some prices were just higher than others.”
A Dance with Fire by Aleera Anaya Ceres
Title: A Dance with Fire
Series: Fae Elementals, #1
Author: Aleera Anaya Ceres
Published: September 21, 2020
Publisher: self-published
Category: new adult
Genres: romance, fantasy, fae
Pages: 502
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page
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Shula Azzarh is Fae…
…in a world where it’s illegal to be.
Working at Piriguini’s Circus keeps her hidden in plain sight, but when a vicious accident exposes the truth of what she is, her safe game of hiding comes to an end. Taken by the emperor’s soldiers, Shula is forced into the hands of a mysterious Brotherhood, a group of humans hell-bent on eradicating her race completely.
The Fae Resistance needs her. Their healer hates her. And the Emperor of Illyk will stop at nothing to possess her. The secrets of the empire run deeper than she knows, and Shula will have to rely on the magic she’s suppressed for years to save herself from the emperor’s malicious plans.
Because Shula is an Elemental.
And her fire might be the only thing that can make or break their world.
Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black will love the first installment in this new, action packed, adult fantasy series!
This is a High Fantasy Fae series intended for readers 18 and over as it contains adult M/F romance, sexually explicit scenes, cursing, and dark themes.
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
Continue reading✧ This review is spoiler-free! ✧
“Love is the most powerful magic. Above all else, remember that. It will always guide you where you need to go.”
Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Wicked
Title: Kingdom of the Wicked
Series: Kingdom of the Wicked, #1
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Published: Oct. 27, 2020
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Category: YA
Genre: fantasy, magic, witches
Pages: 372
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Goodreads page
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Two sisters.
One brutal murder.
A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…
And an intoxicating romance.
Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.
Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
Continue readingI don’t know about you, but it’s been a hot minute since I’ve read the ACOTAR series. In honor of the newest book, A Court of Silver Flame, coming out next week, I thought I’d summarize what has happened in the last three books (and one short story) for anyone who needs a refresher before book 4. I’m going to yada yada a lot of the series, but that being said…
THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS FOR A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, A COURT OF MIST AND FURY, A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN, AND A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT!
You have been warned.
Continue readingRomance and no romance book recommendations
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and people usually have one of two reactions. Either you get excited thinking about it or you just rolled your eyes at me. Either way, I have book recommendations for whether you’re a romantic at heart (like myself) or not.
Continue reading✧ This review is spoiler-free! ✧
“You know,” she’d said, “they say people are like snowflakes, each one unique, but I think they’re more like skies. Some are cloudy, some are stormy, some are clear, but no two are ever quite the same.”
V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
Published: October 6, 2020
Publisher: Tor Books
Category: adult
Genre: historical, contemporary, fantasy, romance
Pages: 442
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5 stars)
Goodreads page
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A life no one will remember. A story you will never forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
Continue reading“Having a heart is terrible, but you need one anyway.”
Holly Black, How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
Title: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
Series: The Folk of the Air, #3.5
Author: Holly Black
Published: Nov. 24, 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Category: young adult
Genre: fantasy
Pages: 200
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page
This short review is spoiler free!
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An illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy, that started with The Cruel Prince, from award-winning author Holly Black.
An irresistible return to the captivating world of Elfhame.
Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.
Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone. #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.
This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
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