Category: Reviews

Reviews

ARC Review: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Liz Brooks

One True Loves

GoodReads Summary:

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

My Review:

So I know this isn’t a YA novel, but when I read the synopsis I knew I had to have this book. Once I got it, back in February, I put off reading it. I think subconsciously, I wasn’t ready for the heartbreak and loss this book would bring… and it brought it hard and fast.

From the summary, you already know Emma had a husband who died. She eventually moved on, fell in love, and is engaged when news  comes that Jesse, her husband, is alive. It’s quite a shock. And that is really what this novel is about- how to come to terms with your past and your future, recognizing the person you have become. 

Moving through the novel, we experience Emma’s first true love, Jesse. Their relationship is a whirlwind romance. They are high school sweethearts, attend the same college, travel around the world together. You can see that their love could be a forever kind of love. But there comes a moment when Emma questions her future- kids, settling down, etc. And she is not sure of Jesse’s opinion. But in the end it doesn’t matter because he “dies”.

Emma eventually moved back to her home town and is able to move on with her life. Then she meets Sam Kemp. He is her second chance at love and she takes it. They have built a wonder life together, so when Emma gets the call that Jesse is alive, she is thrown for a loop. She now has the opportunity to go back to her travel life with hr first love. But when Jesse does officially come back, it’s different, he’s different, they are different.

When Jesse comes back into the picture, it broke my heart to see Sam believe that Emma would go straight back into her old life, forgetting about him. But Sam was gracious enough to understand that Emma needed sometime to work through her feelings and he gave her that (please go listen to Crash and Burn by Savage Garden– this is Sam and Emma’s song). And I got so mad at Jesse for assuming Emma would drop everything to be back with him, that he thought she shouldn’t have moved on with her life. He was very selfish and didn’t help Emma’s confusion.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does a wonderful job at showing the turmoil a person goes through when they lose someone they love. The book is fast paced, moving through Emma’s life quickly but also showing the most important parts of it. And the transition, that weird gray part of a person’s life right after tragedy strikes, is the most compelling piece of the novel. Reid hits the nail on the head of how the body and mind handles death and destruction. Her words are like a complicated musical, moving from moment to moment, heartache to heartache (please start singing Pat Benatar- love is a battlefield). These in between chapters flow and sway, a slow blooming crescendo to a new life, a new person.

The novel also shows that while tragedy and death do happen, you can move on, you can love again. Heartbreak is not forever.

Everyone should read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5

I received this ARC from Washington Square Press and Edelweiss. Receiving this ARC for free doesn’t sway my review.

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Reviews, Special Review

ARC Review: Recoil by Joanne Macgregor

Liz Brooks

Recoil

Goodreads Summary:

When a skilled gamer gets recruited as a sniper in the war against a terrorist-produced pandemic, she discovers there’s more than one enemy and more than one war. The Game is real.

Three years after a series of terrorist attacks flooded the US with a lethal plague, society has changed radically.

Sixteen year-old Jinxy James spends her days trapped at home – immersed in virtual reality, worrying about the plague and longing for freedom. Then she wins a war simulation game and is recruited into a top-secret organisation where talented teenagers are trained to become agents in the war on terror. Eager to escape her mother’s over-protectiveness and to serve her country, Jinxy enlists and becomes an expert sniper of infected mutant rats.

She’s immediately drawn to Quinn O’Riley, a charming and subversive intelligence analyst who knows more about the new order of government and society than he is telling. Then a shocking revelation forces Jinxy to make an impossible decision, and she risks losing everything.

Recoil is the first book in a Young Adult dystopian romance trilogy, and makes great reading for lovers of Rick Yancey (The Fifth Wave), Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games), and Veronica Roth (Divergent).

My Review:

Recoil is the most recent work by Joanne Macgregor. It takes place in modern day United States, three years after a terrorist attack used biological chemicals to unleash a plague. The story is very realistic dystopian fiction. It’s full of elements that terrorist attacks cause- hyper-awareness of foreign residents, larger defense industry, mass media reporting on threats, politician comments about terrorists.

Jinxy starts out naive, playing a game that eventually leads to recruitment with the military. She takes the words of the media, politicians, and her unit commander Sarge for face value- believes they have the people’s best interests at heart. At 16, it makes sense that she would trust those older than her. It isn’t until Jinxy meets Quinn that she starts to question her missions, especially when he finds out she is a sniper. Jinxy understands why she needs to shoot the infected rats, but when she is required to shoot other animals, and eventually is given more classified missions, she has a difficult time, trying to reconcile herself and her values with the values of her unit and the military. Macgregor does an excellent job of showing Jinxy’s progression from being naive to doubting herself and her missions to taking matters into her own hands, making her own educated decisions.

Quinn is a fascinating character. He is also super hot with an Irish accent (swoon). He does what is required of him, but also has his own secrets that are kept from Jinxy. He helps Jinxy open her eyes and understand that her missions are not what she is being told. There is a strong attraction between them, but her missions separate them- pit on against the other. I will say I had a difficult time with the start  of their relationship. It just sort of happens and I couldn’t figure out what drew them to each other. But by the end Macgregor had me rooting for their relationship. And the way the book ends, I just need to know what happens next.

There is a quote in the book- “We’ve repatriated hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of foreign residents, refugees, and workers. We’ve insulated ourselves, sealed our boarders against immigrants and imports and competition… And as a nation we’ve channeled billions into a defense industry that was sitting idle after the last wars fizzled out.” It is scary how closely it describes our current country. We have a presidential candidate who wants to build a wall on the US/Mexican boarder to keep illegal immigrants out; we have alienated anyone who looks middle eastern and have grouped all those who practice Islam into the terrorist stereo type. This novel is so realistic I can see something like this possibly happening.

If you enjoy dystopian settings, this is a great start to a fascinating realistic series.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’d like to thank Joanne Macgregor for providing me with an ARC. Receiving this ARC for free does not influence my opinion in any way.

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Reviews

ARC Review: Summer of Sloan by Erin L. Schneider

Liz Brooks

Summer of Sloane

GoodReads Summary:

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

Review:

I really enjoyed reading Summer of Sloane. It’s en excellent light summer read, but still deals with real life situations that, sadly, happen more frequently then we would like to think.

I was impressed with the main character Sloane. Her maturity in handling the situation between her best friend and boyfriend is remarkable. Yes it is a terrible situation, one in which the most mature of adults doesn’t handle well. So Sloane takes off to Hawaii for the summer where she learns a lot about herself, how much she can and can’t handle, and truths that she didn’t see.

While in Hawaii, Sloane meets hunky Finn who helps her just have fun. He doesn’t press her with questions of what happened; he is patient and kind, waiting for Sloane to confide in him. The romance between them is a spark that ignites from the moment they meet. They don’t set any expectations- just each others company, seeing where the summer leads.

By the end of the novel, Sloane has mature a great deal more and is able to come to terms with events taking place between many different characters. This shows a great deal of insight into Sloane and her understanding of the world.

Rating:

Reviews

Book Review: The Crown by Kiera Cass

Liz Brooks

The Crown (The Selection #5)

GoodReads Summary:

In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

My Review:

I have to say that I really The Selection Series and was excited to have an extension of that series with new characters. The Heir was pleasing and engaging; The Crown was nothing less than clever.

The Crown picks up right where The Heir left off. Eadlyn has narrowed the Selection down to the Elite- six guys remaining including country favorites Hale and Kile. As the novel moves, you watch Eadlyn go on dates with the guys all while handling being Queen Regent due to her mother’s heart attack and her father’s need to be at America’s side.

I was rooting the entire time for one particular male in the Selection, but as I finished the  book it became clear that someone else has Eadlyn’s heart… it was painfully obvious. But I will say the choice she made is one of the heart; I will never say that her decision was wrong.

The overall story felt rushed and was lacking in detail. It felt like Marid Illea was a side plot randomly thrown in. I wish there was more between Eadlyn and the guy she picked to be her husband, because while I did see it coming, it felt rushed as well. The epilogue left me wanting more. It too felt rushed and was much too short for my liking. I wanted a glimpse at Eadlyn’s wedding day or something of her and her husband.

While I do have issues, I still really enjoyed the story, so much so I finished the book in a few hours. That is why I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Because, honestly, I would read it again…

Rating: 4 out of 5

Adult Fantasy, Reviews, Special Review, ya romance

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Liz Brooks

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)

Goodreads Summary:

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court–but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms–and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future–and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

My Review:

A Court of Mist and Fury is passionate, heart-breaking, breath-taking, deeply-emotional, illustrative, immortal.

A Court of Mist and Fury is Sarah J. Maas’ follow-up to her A Court of Thorns and Roses. I adored the first novel in this series and the second blew my mind to pieces. Maas’ world building is enchanting. Every aspect is so detailed. It makes settling into the story that much easier.

At the start of the novel Feyre is heart breaking; she has such a difficult time accepting her actions Under the Mountain- living with killing innocent fae. In this rescued world, Feyre has to now handle being Tamlin’s consort, planning a wedding, parties, holidays. But, having faced and defeated Amarantha, Feyre is not the same person. For one, she is an immortal now. For two, she wants to help rebuild the Spring Court and Prythian. But she wasn’t the only one to out broken and battered. Tamlin is having his own nightmares and they revolve around losing Feyre again. So when Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court, comes to claim the bargain he and Feyre made, Tamlin loses it.

But that bargain between Feyre and Rhysand may be the only thing to save Feyre.

I loved, loved, loved the Night Court. It is so well built and protected. Within the Night Court, there are two separate courts- The Court of Nightmares and the Court of Dreams. Each is spectacular in their own right. Each is very different from other courts. And I unquestionably savored getting to know Rhysand and his inner circle- Cassian, Amren, Mor, and Azriel. They are the complete opposite of Lucien- Tamlin’s lap dog.

The relationship between Feyre and Rhysand is one of passion and power, but also one of respect and equality. When Feyre visits the Night Court, Rhysand doesn’t hold her captive, like Tamlin tried to do. Rhysand understands what Feyre needs to heal her heart and soul. And he doesn’t hold back. When she wants to help, he allows her, trains her, shows her that she is not a pet or pawn to be used willfully.

“No one was my master- but I might master of everything, if I wished. If I dared.”

This story captured my heart and soul. I couldn’t have asked for anything better and there is nothing I would rewrite. RATING: 6 OUT OF 5.

P.S. If you haven’t been to Target to read the exclusive story, go and read. It makes the story that much more juicy… and explains some things between two characters I now ship so hard.

***SPOILERS***

I do want to talk in depth about somethings. So if you haven’t read the novel, please don’t read below this.

***SPOILERS***

I had no clue that Rhysand and Feyre were mates and it blew my mind when the Suriel stated so. I could feel the passion building between them, the teasing and taunting, and I waited for the dam to break. (And if I am being honest, which I am, I shipped them so hard from the moment Rhys saved Feyre during the wedding to Tamlin- who wouldn’t fall in love with him). It took 75% of the book to do this. And when it did- WHOA. I know this book is advertised as Young Adult, but it definitely boarders on New Adult with the descriptive sexual scenes.

I also came to hate Tamlin by the end of the novel. And for good reason. He did nothing to help her while Under the Mountain. Rhys is completely correct, when Tamlin had the chance to help Feyre, he just kissed her in the shadows; he sat and Amarantha’s side idel, while Rhys had been her whore for 50 years and was doing everything in his power to get Feyre out. Knowing that they are mates makes the bargain even better now, while he couldn’t tell Feyre he loved her, he showed her in helping her win. Maas did an unbelievable job making me hate Tamlin more than I already did before Feyre was rescued at the beginning.

And finally- the end. I was stunned. The revelation that Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court was shocking. The fact that no one new, that Hybern only removed the left glove, she was able to pretend to break their bond and go back to the Spring Court to bring Tamlin and the King of Hybern down is marvelous. Also shocking, was Elain being Lucien’s mate; now he has a higher stake in the war. He knows Feyre is lying about the bond, but at this point, he isn’t willing to risk Elain’s life- even if she is immortal now. And the fact that Elain and Nesta are immortal now changes a lot. My Nesta-Cassian ship can sail, sail, sail.

I could really gush forever about this book, but I’ll stop here. If you want to chat about spoilery things, let me know in the comments and we can email- booksinmybed@gmail.com, or find and DM on twitter- Liz_Anne_B.

Predictions for the third book:

  1. My Nesta-Cassian ship will sail
  2. Lucien will betray Tamlin to save and be with Elain
  3. There will be a war
  4. While I didn’t talk about the priestess above, Ianthe will die
  5. Tamlin will either die or be put in the Prythian version of jail
  6. Hybern will die
  7. Amren will be released
  8. I am worried that Cassian, Mor, or Azriel will die
  9. Rhys and Feyre will have children (in an epilogue probably- hopefully)

Rating: 6 out of 5

Reviews

ARC Review: Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Bake

Liz Brooks

Suffer Love

GoodReads Summary:

Hadley St. Clair’s life changed the day she came home to a front door covered in slips of paper, each of them revealing the ugly truth about her father. Now as her family falls apart in the wake of his year-long affair, Hadley wants everyone-her dad most of all-to leave her alone.

Then she meets Sam Bennett, a cute new boy who inexplicably “feels like home” to Hadley. Hadley and Sam’s connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret about his family that could ruin everything.

Funny and passionate, Suffer Love is a story about first love, family dysfunction, and the fickle hand of fate.

My Review:

I started and finished Suffer Love in less than a day. I couldn’t put it down. Ashley Herring Blake’s take on first love and family dysfunction is the realest I’ve read in a while. She held nothing back and gave Hadley and Sam everything.

From the start Sam and Hadley are twisted character’s, unable to feel emotion, unable to care about things they used to love, moving day to day, like a plastic bag in the wind, aimlessly. When they are assigned an English project together, their lives take interesting twists and turns, drawing them together in their already unintended intertwined universes. The feelings they have they try to deny until  they literally say “fuck it”.

People handle tragedy and loss different. Suffer Love shows these difference and presents it in a realistic way. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. When someone breaks your trust, like Hadley’s father did, it’s hard to get that back, and to trust other people. And learning to trust someone takes time.

The relationship between Hadley, her parents, Sam, his sister Livy, and his parents is written so well. When tragedy strikes a family, and this case, self-inflicted tragedy, it’s hard to move past and start fresh. Hadley hates that her father is trying to move forward, while her mom is stuck on repeat. She can’t forgive her father and can’t move past his betrayal. Sam’s mother blames him for the affair falling apart. She is trying to move forward with her life, but having Sam around brings back terrible memories. It’s a vicious circle of blaming the kids- the parent’s have a difficult time accepting their circumstances, or they don’t accept it at all, like Sam’s mother.

I truly loved reading this novel, the story of Sam and Hadley. I can empathize with their family dysfunction, trust issues, and love issues. They move through their relationship like they would in real life, which makes the story that much easier to read and relate to. Ashley Herring Blake did a remarkable job bringing Sam and Hadley’s story together.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group for the opportunity to read Suffer Love. Receipt of this ARC does not effect my review.

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Reviews, YA Fantasy

ARC Review: The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Liz Brooks

The Square Root of Summer

GoodReads Summary:

This is what it means to love someone. This is what it means to grieve someone. It’s a little bit like a black hole. It’s a little bit like infinity.

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she’s hurtled through wormholes to her past:

To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn’t even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie’s past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone’s heart is about to be broken.

My Review:

Harriet Reuter Hapgood’s The Square Root of Summer is a mathematical, imaginative, descriptive take on time-travel, love, and fate.

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is spending her summer before senior year at home with an inattentive father, exuberant brother, a ginger kitten, and a boy- Thomas- who moved to Canada when he was 12. Her previous school year was all grey and muted due to the passing of her Grandfather- Grey- and the ignorance of a boy- Jason. She barely functions, going to school, completing her work, going home- she doesn’t have any friends.But with the reappearance of Jason and Thomas, she is forced to remember her life last summer and memories of her and Thomas.

Something weird happens during the last week of school, she is thrown back in time to previous memories. But she starts to lose time in the present. Since she is a smart student, basically a genius, she analyzes these breaks in time through the lens of different theoretical quantum physics. Through her analysis, you experience Gotties heartbreak, loss, and understanding.

Hapgood’s use of expressive language is genius. It brings the passages to life and readers have a great understanding  of what Gottie is feeling in those moments. “‘Let’s try to focus on reality…’ Good luck with that. It’s the last week of term, and the atmosphere is as fizzy as carbon dioxide.” I mean who can’t picture the air around them fizzing with soda. Using this descriptive language, Hapgood is able to weave complex mathematical theories into a story, where at it’s heart, is about family, friendships, acceptance, and love.

Gottie H. Oppenheimer (love her last name) is a sweet character going through some tough life challenges. Specifically, her grandfather’s death, her understanding of her relationship with Jason the previous summer, the appearance of an old childhood friend and why they never wrote to each other. Over the past year, Gottie has forgotten herself, become invisible. She isn’t who she was and Thomas’ appearance is really questioning who Gottie is and what she wants. By going through these wormholes, Gottie is seeing herself- who she used to be, what people meant to her, what she meant to people, and how she wants to get back to being herself. But in order to come out of  the grey, into the sun, Gottie has to face herself and her past.

I absolutely adored this book and wanted to get my hands on it from the moment I read the synopsis. I love stories about time-travel, self-discovery, and romance. This is the first book I’ve read where the time-travel is explained through theoretical quantum physics and mathematical equations. And, what makes this book exceptional, it was easy to understand and comprehend.

“Take Risks. Live Boldly. Say Yes.”

Rating: 5 out of 5

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Receiving this ARC for free does not sway my review.

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Reviews, YA Fantasy

Book Review: The Rose and The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Liz Brooks

The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn, #2)

GoodReads Summary:

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid’s empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn’t yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

My Review:

Veronica and I reviewed The Wrath and The Dawn together not too long ago, but she is currently busy with life so it will just me today. Though you will probably hear from her in June regarding the book.

Renee Ahdieh’s The Rose and The Dagger is a wondrous follow up to The Wrath and The Dawn. It’s full of magic, mystery, and love. It reads like a complex piece of music, words flowing around each other, bringing together an epic love story.

The novel starts right where the first left off. Shahrzad has left Khorasan to project her city, her people, her king. But she doesn’t know whom to trust or where to turn for help. She does know that the only thing to prevent this wrenched war is to break the curse. Khalid is love sick and tired, but ventures out to help rebuild his city. The relationships Shazi and Khalid have with others are strained and one wrong move could send them toppling over the edge. But if they can focus on their love for each other and the love for their families, they might find a way back to each other.

I spent this entire novel with my heart clenched. The love that Khalid and Shahrzad share is one for the ages- an epic love story that will live forever. You can see it drive these characters and their choices. And it was admirable to see others who were so unaccepting of their love, come to terms with it.

This novel was from mulitple POVs again, which always drives a story to make it stronger. I loved getting to know Irsa- Shahrzad‘s younger sister, seeing into the mind of Omar al-Sadiq- how he viewed his people, his wife, and his friends. The friends between the character’s were tested, while some broke, others held steadfast. And the twists throughout the novel were never seen until the curtain was drawn aside.

I absolutely fell in love with this retelling, with Shazi and Khalid’s love, with their friendships. And while I wish there was more, I am satisfied with the way the story  ended.

“Love was something that did much to change a person. It brought joy as it brought suffering, and in turn brought about those moments that defined one’s character.” -Omar al-Sadiq

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Liz Brooks

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1)

GoodReads Summary:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love…

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

My Review:

I acquired The Winner’s Curse through a book trade with the wonderful Leah over at Southern Bred, Southern Read Book Blog. This series has been all over my twitter feed and my best friend told me to give it a try. I’ve gotten book recommendations from her before and have loved everything I’ve read. So when this came up for trade I was like sure, why not. Whelp, I finished it in one day- mostly due to the fact that I was a provisional judge for the Maryland Primary and had 15 hours of me sitting and waiting for people to vote.

I really enjoyed the story Rutkoski told through Arin and Kestrel. Characters weaved in and out of each other, like a carefully plotted dance. One knowing exactly where to step and when to step, the other following those steps, but not knowing where they ended, what would happen.

Starting out, Kestrel seemed like a very one dimensional character. She didn’t care about much, was rude to people, and tried not to think. But as the story progressed I watched her unfold into this very conflicted, complex person. She was, all at once, narcissistic and self-sacrificing. There were times when she could only think about herself; in other instances, she thought only of others. These moments a disbursed sporadically throughout the book and help contribute to her final decision at the end.

Arin, on the opposite side of the story, knew how to press Kestrel, get her to speak to him about subjects and information that would help him. And Kestrel, being the naive thing she is, freely spoke. Watching Arin’s plot unfold, while his heart grew to feel for Kestrel, was heartbreaking, because in the end, his decisions drove her away.

They played a game and neither won.

I can’t wait to read the next two in the series and see where Kestrel and Arin’s decisions take them. Though, I have a feeling it will only lead to more heartache.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Reviews, YA Dystopian

ARC Review: The Island by S. Usher Evans

Liz Brooks

The Island (Madion War Series, #1)

GoodReads Summary:

Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.

Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country’s independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.

When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian’s medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo’s survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.

Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?

The Island is the first in a new romance trilogy by S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series and Empath.

My Review:

The concept of this story is one I’ve seen on numerous occasions- enemies stranded together somewhere, forced to rely on each other for survival. It’s not a new concept and I don’t think S. Usher Evans really put a new spin on it.

Right from the start I did have a difficult time reading it. There are two POVs the story is told through and they switch off far too often for my liking- it happens many times within a chapter.

I did enjoy the plot. It is simple and easy to follow. Theo is a stubborn captain in the Raven military. Galian is the prince of Kylaen, a naive man, who is forced to join the military by his father. They both fight and crash on a deserted island, where they are forced to rely on each other. They both have stereo-typical views of the other, but because Galian is also a doctor, and through his mentor, he understands that Theo is more than an enemy. Over time they come to esteem one another.

Without spoiling, there are events that take place that confirm Theo’s thoughts about how Kylaenians treat Ravens. These events also open up Galian’s eyes and he can finally admit that Kylaen is not the best place, the war is being fought for unacceptable reasons, and the treatment of it’s people by his father, the king, is repugnant. He vows to protect Theo, if they are ever rescued, and to stand up to his father regarding the wear and the Kylaen prison Mael.

There is romance; the affection Galian and Theo feel is deep and they prove that nothing will keep them apart. But it’s also inadequate in my opinion. And I do think it is because of the POVs shifting to quickly, so often. Each time a major event takes place in the book, you see if from both sides… which I don’t necessarily need. There is a way to see two character from one person.

Overall, decent plot, but quite predictable and no new twists on this trope.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing for giving me the chance to read this ARC. Receiving this ARC for free does not influence my opinion.

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