Too Much Going On

 Fall I Want by Lyra Parish 

Fake dating? Love it! Insta-love? Hate it. Prophecies? Fine. Billionaire? Absolutely. This started out so cute; like giggling and kicking my feet cute. But it got so repetitive. And the insta-love just doesn't work for me. Autumn had dreams about her perfect man her whole adult life. And then in walks the physical embodiment of Mr. Dreamy himself. Their first meeting is bad, but neither can get the other out of their head. And then they keep running into each other and it gets much better. So much better that they get engaged after two weeks. You are both in your 30s. You need to have a bit more sense than that. And, after one day of being engaged you fly to Vegas, fly your families to Vegas, to get married and change your minds at the last minute and fly home to get married there. Luckily, his sister Harper has the gift of Sight, and saw this all happening and had the chapel ready for the venue change. (Just typing this out I realize how ridiculous it sounds). Both of their exes have tried to make scenes in the two weeks they were fake dating. Like a week later his dad gets remarried. Also, his ex-best friend is now his step-brother. And she introduces Nicholas (the new brother in law) to her bestie (Julie) but it's not an introduction as they already know each other. So, that how the book ends. This was a bit much. It didn't seem like it was I was reading it, but putting it down, I realize just how much was going on is a cute little fall rom-com. I'm not sure if I'm going to read any more by this author, especially if it's more insta-love. While that's not my top 3 most hated tropes, I'm not a fan either.  

And We Are Back to Bad

 Last Chance Rebel by Maisey Yates 

The previous book was so good and I was so happy that I decided to stick it out with this series and then this was just not it. I didn't like the premise. It didn't have a trope that I hate. It just gave me the ick. Rebecca was in an accident when she was 11 that left her very visibly scarred. Gage West was the cause of said accident. So, when he came back into town she decides he is the one man she wants. And he agrees. That was a weird way to deal with you trauma. Frankly, her brother Jonathan was the only person that had a logical response to them. This did solidify for us that Nathan West is a grade A asshole, if you didn't already know that from how he treated his illegitimate son. The writing isn't bad. And the books that are good are really enjoyable so I don't want to give up on this series, but the ones that are bad are just really not good at all.   

Egyptian Fantasy

 The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem 

This. Was. So. Good. I'm obsessed. It had everything. Action, adventure, backstabbing, betrayal, yearning, passion, growth, longing, friendship. I laughed, I was shocked, I giggled and kicked my feet, I yelled at the characters for being ridiculous. The audiobook narrators did a fantastic job. Sylvia is the presumed heir to the Jesad throne. Arin is the heir to Nizahl throne. He picks her to be his champion in the trials, believing her to be Jasad but not knowing who exactly she is. Then, he trains her to not only survive the trials but to win. His best friend and most trusted guard hates her and brutally attacks her during a training session so he fires him. Arin's father listens to said guard and during the second challenge she is forced to kill a man from her past, to prove she is not from Jasad but she can't so he kills himself so she doesn't get exposed. Meanwhile, Sylvia and Arin are constantly together, constantly flirting. He tells her how his ability to detect magic works, about the curse that was put on him as a child but couldn't be completed which left him able to detect and drain magic. She lets him help her try to figure out how to use her magic, which is bound by invisible cuffs. Also, there are two separate factions of Jasad's who are trying to capture her so during the third task Arin sets a trap, and it works - mostly. The more aggressive faction actually turned the challenge into poison and Sylvia is the only one that woke up, thereby making her the victor. But, Arin was able to capture all of the attackers. Then, at the banquet, her friends, who were in glamors, were brought in and all hell breaks lose. She offers to exchange herself for them, and that's where she finally reveals her true identity. See, she had been fighting herself the entire time, but now she understands who and what she really is and who and what she is willing to fight for. Her claiming herself causes the cuffs to fall off and Arin is the only one who notices the cuffs. He is both impressed and devastated because he loves her and he has to pretend like he didn't know she was a Jasad all along. She gets captured by the other group that has been hunting her. The book ends with Arin's POV about how he's going to find her. This. Was. So. Good. I can't wait to find out how it ends!

This was A Lot

 Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

This book is the reason why I don't borrow physical books from the library during the school year. It took me two whole entire months to read this book. And I'm not sure how I feel about it now that I'm done. This book was A LOT. Like a lot a lot. It was dark and intense and there were times I had to put it down and turn on something light and happy to clear my mind. Gabriel is a half-vampire (his mother is human and his father was a vampire). He is inducted into the order of the Silver Saints and his job is to kill vampires. He falls in love with Astrid, the bastard daughter of the king who was sent to the same holy church as him, only she is to be a nun. She eventually becomes Prioress of the abbey there, but they are also in a relationship and when it is discovered that she is pregnant they are kicked out and excommunicated from the church. Gabriel is the best fighter the Order has ever seen and the most prolific killer. So, when they excommunicate him he loses faith in the order but not in God. Then, one of the sons of the five lines of the vampires shows up to get revenge on Gabriel because he killed his sister and he gets his revenge by killing Gabe's wife and daughter, but not killing them killing them; he turns them into vampires (potentially). So Gabe has to kill them and bury them. He sets out on a quest for vengeance, and he has no more faith in God so his silver tattoos no longer protect him. Along the way he runs into his old friend Chloe, a priest, a bard, a huntress and her lion, and a thief. One by one they are killed until it's just Gabe and the thief, Dior. Turns out, Dior is the key to killing the vampires because her blood can heal, but it can also kill the vampires. Chloe didn't die, we just thought she did when she fell into a river, but really she just got separated and they get reunited. They end up back where it all started, the church. Gabe's old mentor tries to kill him when Gabe finds out that they are going to sacrifice Dior and he won't let them. But Gabe is saved by a vampire and he rescues Dior; that vampire is his baby sister who he thought was dead this whole time. The book ends with Gabe trying to kill the vampire that he has been recounting this story to, but being unsuccessful and getting locked in the cell. The story was compelling and engaging. But so long. I think I'm interested in what happens next, but I don't know if I actually enjoyed the book.  

Second in the Historical Romance Series

 The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George 

This had the problem that I thought it was going to have, which was living up to book 1. I enjoyed it, but book 1 was so good that this was going to struggle and it did. Violet is the star now and with news that August has finally been married she thinks that her parents will be happy and let her get married to Teddy like she has planned. She thought wrong. They want to marry her to an Viscount, who she hated. Enter Christian Lee. He has a better title and the man her parents are considering her marrying, but he doesn't have land with mineral rights that he can include in the marriage discussions so they reject his offer. She overhears her parents plotting about the horrible man and she decides to run away and plans for it to happen at a lecture. He just happens to be there with her carriage and offers to give her a lift. They travel together. They start falling for each other. Now, when they have to decide to head toward the boarding house where she is going or to Scotland where he is going, she's asleep so he goes to Scotland. They end up in an accident and she gets hurt badly. He pretends they are newlyweds so they can stay with the local doctor and his wife and she can get care. When she wakes up he proposes for real and she accepts. Then they solidify their union. Then her brother shows up and confronts them and Lee tells her what his plan was. She leaves him and goes home with her brother. Obviously, they reunite and have a small wedding and a cold marriage. Then, she realizes she's pregnant. Meanwhile, he is working to prove to her that he does love her and is using his title to try to bring about change to women. She forgives him and they move in together and are happy. It was good, but not as good as the first. But I am still enjoying the series and cannot wait for their brother's book!  

Better in Audio

 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Here's the thing, I love Fleetwood Mac but I HATED Daisy Jones and the Six. HATED. IT. So much so that I vowed to never read another book by Taylor Jenkins Reid again. The style wasn't for me. But I heard so many good things about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, WITHOUT hearing who the author was, that I added it to my TBR. I had no idea what the book was about (I was expecting a murder mystery if we're being honest). So, I pushed play on the audiobook and when the narrator said the author I said "oh, shit" because I was CONVINCED I was going to hate it. I was so wrong. I think my issue with Daisy Jones was that I read it instead of listened to it, because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have liked Evelyn Hugo had I read it. This format was the same as Daisy Jones: an interview; I don't like that format. But hearing it worked so well. I was enthralled from the beginning with this book. Evelyn Hugo is a compilation of multiple Old Hollywood starlets. You can see Elizebeth Taylor very obviously in the husband aspect and Rita Hayworth in the name portion. I liked how we saw Monique grow as a person because of her association with Evelyn; she really came into her own. The revelations about Monique's dad, I saw coming, but was surprised at how and when Evelyn decided to share them. As soon as she said Harry had a car accident and his lover was with him; I knew. That she kept the reveal until the end of her personal narrative was both well done and hurtful. The only thing we didn't get any closure on was the result of Monique's book; how much did she sell it for? I wanted to know what happened to her career after the fact, which I know is not relevant to the overall story of Evelyn Hugo, but Evelyn herself made it a part of her history. I will not return to and give Daisy Jones another chance, she's already ruined for me. But I will consider listening to other books by this author now that I know that they work so well in audio format.  

Crime Series #3

 All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell 

This was another strong mystery. The time frame was interesting; it was much longer, more spread out which made it feel more accurate to the actual pace of an investigation. This involved a serial killer who targeted couples. They were killed in the off season then discovered by hunters months later so that the bodies had either decomposed so much or been scavenged too much to determine a cause of death. The killer was meticulous and didn't leave any usable evidence. But, Kay and Moreno were determined and eventually got a break. Moreno is really growing on me; Mark is not. But I know that there has to be a love interest, so Mark is here to stay. I was surprised that Abby was killed; she wasn't part of the killers plan. I'm not a huge fan of the FBI character, the profiler. Finding out that the DNA didn't match because the killer had a bone marrow transplant was interesting, and using the brain matter to match was cool science. I like that this series is still so different from one case to the next and I will continue to read it.  

Finally a Good One in the Series

 Tough Luck Hero by Maisey Yates 

Up to this point the novellas have been the best part of this series. I'm glad I decided not to give up because this book was great. From the jump, it was spectacular. It starts with Lydia waking up, naked, in a hotel room. Colton is with her. Then she looks out the window and sees they are in Vegas. Then she notices the ring on her finger. That's right. This book starts with a drunken Vegas wedding. Colton was left at the alter, gets drunk with one of the bridesmaids, flies her to Vegas, and marries her. But, they can't get divorced or annulled because Lydia is running for Mayor. Which means this now has two of my favorite tropes: fake relationship and forces proximity. They decided to stay married until after the election, and Colton now has to be her army candy at campaign events. And she has to move into his house. And they have chemistry. Lydia has an awkward encounter with Natalie, his ex-fiancee, at the coffee shop and turns out Natalie was jealous of Lydia because she was convinced that Colton was interested in her because of their chemistry. Also, Natalie left him at the alter because she cheated on him, but she was still hoping to talk to him and that they could get back together. But, then the relationship turns very real for Colton; Lydia is fighting it. On election night his father has a stroke and everyone heads to the hospital. Jack shows up and the long lost brother, Gage, shows up. Lydia leaves. When Colton notices he goes home too after telling everyone that they are adults and they can manage without him. He and Lydia have their confrontation and work it out. Fast forward to a year later; she is trying to surprise him but can't; she's pregnant. This was so much better than the previous book. The introduction was stronger. The tropes were better. All around, it was a better book.  

New Historical Romance Series

 The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George 

The only reason this book is not 5 stars is because of how it started. Otherwise, I ate this up. Giggling. Kicking my feet. Jaw hanging open looking a fool. Grinning so hard my face hurt. I loved this book. It starts with Camille, a New York heiress, being married off to an older Duke so her new money family can get some "respectability" from the old money families. Enter August and her younger sister Violet. They are convinced that their parents would never do something like that; August works for her family business and is valued for her insights! They go to London to visit Camille and she convinces August to go with her to see a bare knuckle boxing match. Enter The Hellion. Nobody knows who he is, but he is hot. He's doing well and August gets pushed into the ring and the Hellion saves her. He asks her for a kiss for luck, and she gives it to him. Then the fight continues and the other guy has a knife in his boot and stabs him in the leg. Enter Evan, the Duke. He is in dire straights and has a meeting with his solicitor and his mother and they both agree that he has to marry. His mother proposes Violet Crenshaw and agrees, thinking that it's the woman from the fight. They go to a dinner and when he meets the family, turns out his "intended" isn't who he thought it was. Afterwards, his mother asks him what the thought of Violet and he flat out tells her he wants August instead and she's just like okey dokey. Mommy dearest doesn't care who he marries as long as she is rich! A few days later there is a ball. Evan never goes to balls, but he goes to this one and seeks out August. August knows that if he dances with Violet that will mean him declaring his intentions for her so she asks him not to dance with her. He doesn't. He waltz's with August then leaves. This sends everyone into a tizzy. August is confused as to why everyone is looking at her and one of her friends has to spell it out for her. Then, he convinces her to bring her family to one of his estates for a week so she can see what their marriage would really mean. And they start to fall for each other. Then, he finds out that he doesn't actually have to get married, that his father bought a mine in Montana and his old solicitor was pretending to be working for him and was stealing from him, but he has millions. So, he calls off the wedding because he thinks that's what she wants. But, they are both miserable and they get talk it out and get back together. This book had everything and frankly I'm a little afraid to read book two because I enjoyed this one so much, that I don't know if the second can live up to this!   

Cozy Fantasy

 Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire 

Despite this being a book about witches, the main character was so very relatable; the never feeling like you are enough, the desire to prove yourself, the uncomfortable family dynamics. Even if you aren't that person in your family, you know someone who fills that role. But, the book was not just angst, there was plenty of humor. And the yearning! So. Much. Yearning. And, in the midst of the yearning, Scarlett couldn't stop sticking her foot in her mouth. The secondhand embarrassment. Her mom was horrible to her. Nobody wanted to take Scarlett seriously but Nate. Nate was everything. Scarlett's jealously over Polly was valid. The only thing I didn't like was that it felt like we never figured out how the magicians were able to capture one of the Scarlett as a Starling birds. We know that they did, but how? Otherwise, this was so well done. Nate with his vigil and his trek to the bridge. But him never going all the way there for over a year was so frustrating! But, him never giving up hope. He always believed in her, more than anyone else. He was everything. And her being the one to fix everything was exactly what she needed to be able to heal herself. I really enjoyed this book and will be reading the rest of the series.  

YA Fantasy - The Sequel

 Shadow Coven by S. Isabelle

I'm not sure if this book was actually better than the first, or I was just paying more attention to the beginning of the book so I liked it more. It stared with a review of all of the characters and their powers/skill sets which was good since I didn't pay attention to that in the first book. This is the summer after book 1, and how the girls are dealing with it. Thalia goes home to deal with her past and realizes it wasn't what she thought it was. She gets drugged by one of the remaining siblings of the kid she killed and they realize they were both in the wrong, which is hard for the other girl to handle and they know they aren't done with each other. Thalia's mom kills her dad after Thalia discovers that her dad didn't always hate witches. Jailah has a meeting with the head of all witches and she should be excited but she's realizing that's not the life she wants anymore after Logan shows her a picture of blackthorn under the school. Jailah is working with her former tether to help her get her magic back and bucking the rules. Iris realizes that Matty isn't her tether, it's his sister. But, Matty is her rune keeper and also they are definitely in love but don't want to admit it to each other (Matty is willing to admit it, but Iris isn't ready). Logan is seeing the ghost of the wolf-boy and now she can control the wolves. Trent is really a witch but his mom hid his powers to protect him from Jailah's mom. A lot happened in this book, but it didn't feel finished. It seemed like there was going to be another book, but there is nothing on her website to indicate if or when another book is coming.  

Crime Series #2

 Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell 

The science of this was still interesting, but the stereotyping was a big issue and it's easy to say it was a product of it's time and that it didn't age well, but compassion never gets old. The mystery was intriguing and I was surprised about the killer. I was shocked that one suspect, who ended up not being the killer, ended up killing himself. How the killer was able to trick people into letting him in their house was clever; he worked for airport and would steal their bags, then would deliver it to their house when it was "found" and be admitted inside to drop it/them off. He almost got Kay that way, but she realized she gave her work address and was ready to fight back, plus Moreno was watching the house. I was disgusted by the secondary story surrounding Beryl; the contents of her book, that she was abused as a child and that the woman she was living with knew the man was abusing her but did nothing about it. That her slimy lawyer (publisher?) was trying to intimidate people to get his hands on the book so he could spin it any way he wanted to after her death. That whole plot was unnecessary and irrelevant to the murder mystery. There was a lot of extraneous material in this book, but the science and mystery were good.