Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

"Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.”

Fallen Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes is the first book in a six-book series. It takes place in the world of Mytica and follows four characters who play very important roles in the kingdoms. The story starts after the death of a peasant in the hands of a royal triggered the events that altered the course of three nations and into war. Through war, death, betrayals and hatred, our 4 heroes have to find out who they really are and what they are going to do with that knowledge. In the end, it all comes down to the four crystals that wield unlimited power that can corrupt anyone, and the difficult journey to find them.What remains unanswered is who deserves them the most. 

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Here is the plot of the book:

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

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I believe this book is good for someone is about to start reading fantasy books, especially for young adults. It is kind of a Game of Thrones mix with a Mortal Instruments twists. It is definitely a great first book in a series! The world building in this book was satisfying but not the best of the best. This is also Rhodes is first book and I have to give her credit for it being her first book. There were some times in the book were the scenes could have been written better because it seemed easy to 'complete the mission'. Overall, it was an enjoyable world building.

Now to break down the four main characters:

“You must continue to believe with all your heart. Sometimes belief is all if takes to make something real.”

Cleo

Cleo kind of plays the main female character in the book. She is a princess from the kingdom of Auranos. She was considered to be spoiled, ignorant, and naive. But she is the opposite of what a princess mostly mirrored to be. She is sweet, kind, fierce, and determined. Cleo, at the beginning, wasn't supposed to be the next heir of Auranos. Cleo was stubborn and rebellious when it comes to things she doesn't agree with. She is also described to be a small girl with long blonde hair. Her skin is fair and she has blue-green eyes. She often wore bold dresses and eye-catching jewelry.  Cleo is one of my favorite characters, I would probably rank her as my second favorite character. There were some actions Cleo made that made me place her second in my list. 

Lucia

Lucia, oh Lucia. She is the Princess of Limeros and the 'sister' of Magnus. Lucia, I believe, is like a secondary character. Lucia is described as being pale, flawless skin and long black hair. She has blue eyes and full lips. She is basically the winter to Cleo's summer. She is kind, friendly, quiet, intelligent, and loyal. She loves her parents, even though her mother is hard on her. I did not like her at all...she seemed so fake to me and i just couldn't deal with her. She is the kind of character who felt too good to be written.

Jonas

Jonas...yep, he is in the same category as Lucia. He has deeply tanned, flawless skin from spending time outside. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is described as being handsome, but to me it seems like he is kind of like the 'average' boy in Mytica. He is very stubborn, rebellious, and holds grudges when it comes to Auranian royals. He becomes a part of the rebellion against the Auranos kingdom. Jonas didn't really grow on me in this book. I had a problem of how he treated Cleo, even though it was not her fault about what happened.

Magnus

Yes, save the best for last! Magnus is imposingly tall, with pale skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes. He is considered to be extremely handsome like his father but his beautiful face is marred by a horrific scar that runs down from his ear to his mouth. Magnus has dark, conflicted feelings. Although he is loyal to his cruel father, he also harbors a deep unmistaken hatred for him. The prince of a falling kingdom, the son of the King of Blood. He was never respected by his father, who thought kindness is a weakness. Magnus is my favorite character in this series! He reminds me of a YA version of Anakin Skywalker, who is my favorite character as well.

“Then his heart, now broken into a thousand pieces, slowly began to turn to ice.”

I had mixed feelings for this book at the beginning but as I continued, it grew on me. 

“You're the same as you were yesterday and the day before. Nothing has changed. Not really. Forget what troubles you. Regret nothing, but learn from any mistakes you make. Tomorrow will be a brighter day, I promise.”

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  ☆

Adventure woven with elemental magic, fantasy lands, illicit romances, legends of goddesses, heartless rulers, deaths and courage. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves Fantasy!

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Work in Progress by Staci Hart

"Dance with me, Mrs. Bane."

Oh what a dance it was...

Hello everyone! Now, I have been very busy over the past few days. I just adopted a new puppy and teaching him potty training has become stressful! Anyways, I did put some time to read some books this past week and one of them was Work in Progress by Staci Hart. I was provided an ARC by the author (THANK YOU!) and let's just say...I have a lot of things to say. 

But first here is the synopsis:

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Her fake husband is a Work In Progress…

Work in Progress, an all-new romantic comedy from Staci Hart, is available now!

  

I never thought my first kiss would be on my wedding day.

But here I stand, clutching a bouquet of pale pink roses behind the doors of a Las Vegas chapel, and at the end of the aisle is the absolute last man I imagined would be waiting for me.

Thomas Bane.

Bestselling author. Notorious bad boy. Savagely handsome, dark as sin, chiseled as stone. And somehow, my soon-to-be husband.

Marry him, and I’ll land my dream job. Save him, and I’ll walk away with everything I’ve ever wanted. All I have to do is remember it’s all for show. None of it is real, no matter how real it feels.

But first, I have to survive the kiss.

And with lips like his, my heart doesn’t stand a chance.

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Now, to the review!

Like I stated before, I was generously given an ARC (advanced reader's copy) by the author and i am very thankful for it. That being said I do have some thoughts about this book.

"Say something! You are a mess, Amelia Hall. You have to tell him who you are."

Let me start off by saying Amelia Hall is my Spirit Sister. I love her so much and I just want to protect her from the world. From the moment I met her in Piece of Work, I knew I was going to be bonded to her. She is a bookwork, introvert, she suffers through anxiety which some of us have. So when Staci announced that the next book in the RLC was going to be about her, I was excited and worried. I was worried on what kind of guy Amelia was going to get paired up with. I needed to protect my bunny at all cost, people!

"You know, I've caught myself watching you hands, thinking how sexy they are...They're so small, so delicate. Sometimes, I wonder what they'd look like...full."

Thomas Bane, you little devil! Tommy had one of the truest, noblest hearts of any male lead I have read about. Surprising, I know! Tommy was so serious about his ethics, his morals, that it pushed him too far into trouble in the past. Which is so understandable, especially in the world we live in now. Doing the right things can sometimes lead to consequences you never expected to face. But when he is paired up with Amelia...shit is about to go down!

He and Amelia had very similarly matched priorities and ethical codes, so not only were they well matched, but Tommy responded well to Amelia's help since they were so well and equal. He was funny, cracking plenty of chuckle-worthy one-liners, and kind, so selfless in his courtship of Amelia, and just overall everything you'd want in a male lead. I loved that he was an author, loved how well constructed his character was from the inside out. Just watching their relationship progress through the book just took my heart. They were a perfectly matched couple who needed to be written and who better than Staci to write them.

It was awesome seeing the other characters and their boys. My loves, Val and Sam, were beautiful as always and Rin with Court, powerful but sweet. We also did get to meet Theo Bane, Tommy's twin brother, plus his mother, Sarah, who is an angel from above. Then the bitches who tried to ruing people's happiness...BYE!

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  ☆

Overall, the book was beautiful. I wouldn't say it's my favorite book written by Staci Hart (That goes to A Thousand Letters). But if you are a fan of friendship, a bit of grovel, and just plain out romance and its beauty, then this would be a good read for you. Plus, I can't wait for the next one...Katherine, girl, I'm ready for your roller coaster!

"Hello, Theodore. It's nice to meet you."

Rather than pump it in a shake, he flipped it over and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Nice to meet you, Katherine."

BITCH!!

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The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders

“Chemistry was a terrible thing, sometimes it simply sparked between the wrong people” 

This is the first book I ever read that was written by Natasha Anders and I enjoyed reading it. This book had the traits I love to read in any romance; grovel, second-chance, and a strong heroine.

I found out about this book when I was looking for another book that had angst and grovel scenes because I am a sucker for those. It wasn't very expensive so I went ahead and bought it. I didn't read what the book was about so I went in blind. Boy, was I in for a story!

Alessandro de Lucci and Theresa de Lucci have been married for over a year. All Sandro wants from his wife is a son, and after a year of wanting nothing more than her husband's love, all Theresa wants now is a divorce. However after a year of being cold and heartless to his wife, Sandro realizes that he is not quite ready to let her go.

This book was amazing and heart breaking. Theresa, or cara like Sandro calls her,  goes from a weak little mouse to a woman who is finally able to take charge of her life. I loved watching her finally take a stand and not letting 'sweet' words from Sandro and she didn't fall for his efforts. What she wants first, is out of her cold and loveless marriage.

“I'm your husband...”

“No. You are not my husband,” she interrupted in a voice thickened with hatred and tears. “You have never been my husband. A husband loves, honours and cherishes! A husband is a lover and a champion... Look into the next room if you want to see what a real husband is, because you are no such thing!”

Sandro on the other hand was a confusing character for me. I wanted to hate him, I wanted to slap him. At one point in the book, I was rooting for him. I tried to understand where he was coming from. He was so mean to her, always insulting her by his actions and often going out with other dates.
However, upon discovering that his reasons for resenting her are not quite what he thought them to be, Sandro doesn't want to let his wife go.

“I told you before, I don’t want out of this marriage. And if you give me nothing but daughters for the next twenty years, I would consider myself blessed.” 

Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders is a definitely a must! There are many tear jerking moments, steamy moments, and just so much more in this book than what the blurb hints to. It was so good that I read the whole thing in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down! If you are a fan of any angsty, grovel, or just the hero working hard for the heroine, this book is for you!

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Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lux: Beginnings 

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.”

If you have never read a Jennifer L. Armentrout book...what are you doing with your life?

ANYWAYS, if you've never read one of her books, this is a good one to start with. I had heard about this series a while back but never picked it up and gave it a chance. Until one night at three in the morning my brain said, "hey, you should totally read this book." I listened and didn't get much sleep that night. Was it worth it?

Hell...yeah!

Now, this review is going to be different since this specific edition of the book is two books in one. The first book of the series is Obsidian and the second one is Onyx. I will review the first one and I will place a spoiler warning when I start reviewing the second one, just in case some of you have just only read the first one.

Like I stated earlier, I wasn't that into this series at first because I was in a different reading whirl when I first heard of this series. I did have the books but just didn't feel like reading them. But oh boy, do I wish I had read them a while back. The first book was published back in 2012, so the world was just getting out of the Twilight craze that was going on.

I kind of went blind when I started this book, so when I heard about what Daemon and his family were, I was like... wait...like E.T. But no, they are not like cute E.T. Armentrout makes her own version and I like the way she did it. She took a well-known species and made it her own without being exaggerating like some authors.

The plot of this book was fantastically executed and along the way, I just fell in love with the characters. Katy Swartz is an amazing Heroine. She is sassy and edgy, no one could boss her around and tell her what to do unless she wanted it to be done. Plus, she was a book blogger and I couldn't help but grin at her little hobby.

Dee Black was an interesting character but I didn't really get as attached to her as other readers. I mean she appeared when she had to and wasn't there when she wasn't needed. She served her purpose as a secondary character but she isn't a character I would enjoy reading in a spin-off or something. Just my two cents.

“I always liked you. From the moment you first flipped me off.” 

Daemon Black, though...*sigh*. From the moment homeboy opened the door to his house, shirtless, I was done for. He was arrogant, sarcastic, but at the same time he was loving, caring, gentle, and just worrisome over those he loved. His conversations with Katy were the best because he tries to not give-a-shit about anyone but he cares so much for her. Don't think I didn't see it, Daemon!

“My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face.”

The relationship between Katy and Daemon is just...UGH! The chemistry from these two from the start where just it for me. I miss reading these kind of couples in YA book because nowadays it's just straight insta-love or a Romeo and Juliet setting. Daemon pushed Katy (Kitten as he called her, away) so many times because he was trying to protect her. But Katy's responses to his actions were justified and so angsty. Ugh, I love it. There were moments where he'd let his feelings show and it was just beautiful. And then there were the moments that he was purposely being absolutely frustrating, but those moments were quite beautiful too. In fact, I think any moment that involved Daemon and Katy were beautiful. 

This book was beautiful and I loved every second of reading it. I have already read the whole series but am currently scanning through the other books to refresh my memory on certain areas. This book, however, is sealed in my memory.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Spoiler Warning

Onyx

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Hopefully who ever is reading this has seen the spoiler warning at the top and won't blame me for ruining the series for them but...you have been warned.

Now...wtf, Armentrout. You really going to make me go through all these feel in 366 pages. Like, really, do you not care about my heart and my feelings?

This book was an amazing sequel which is rare because usually the second book of the series is the worst in a series/trilogy. I was so happy to be reunited with my babies and see how they were doing when I first read this. Even with some new characters in the mix, I couldn't like my OTP behind.

“I could always give you a teaser. You bookish people love teasers, don't you?” 

And Daemon. Where on Earth do I even begin to describe Daemon Black! He's just... amazing. He was so sarcastic and sassy, and so infuriatingly arrogant. Most of the things that came out his mouth had me dying laughing and other times wanting to pull my hair out of my scalp. We got to see him finally grovel and beg for Katy's attention. The part near the end when Katy was trapped and Daemon was literally begging Will to let her go. It was just breaking my heart to see how much Daemon truly cared for her and made me swoon!

“If there is anything, there is us. 

You and me. No one else.” 

Katy in the book, I have to give her points because I know I would have acted the same way! She rejected Daemon many times because of the way he treated her in the beginning. She didn't believe anything he said and she had every right to. When she began to get involved with Blake, I couldn't help but giggle. Daemon had to fight for her attention instead of her just giving it to him for free. 

“Jesus.” Blake rubbed his throat. “You have anger management problems. Its like a disease.”“There’s a cure and it’s called kicking your ass.” 

The rivalry between Daemon and Blake was everything. It was so funny how Daemon never wanted to say Blake's name so he called him so many names that start with 'B' just to get on Blake and Katy's nerves. The scene when Katy and Blake are on a date and then Daemon showed up and ruined it. And at the end when he said he had seen dolphins kiss hotter than Blake. I was laughing so hard I was crying for that entire scene. Daemon is seriously BY FAR one of the best characters in existence. 

This book was so amazing and I loved it so much.

“Look at the time." I tipped my chin toward the clock. "It's past midnight. It's January second. You lost."For several moments he stared at the clock like it was an Arum he was about to blast into the next county and then his eyes found mine. Daemon smiled. "No. I didn't lose. I still won.” 

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

So, that is my review for Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Tell me what you think about the book if you have read it and what were your favorite scenes in the first two books of the series. Let me know by commenting down below!

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November 9 by Colleen Hoover

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

“When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go. You can’t just walk away from it and expect it to linger until you’re ready for it.” 

A long time a go, I was just minding my own business trying to live my life. I took a day trip to Barnes and Nobles one day to look for something to read. While walking through the fiction aisle, I noticed Colleen Hoover's name in one section. At this time, I wasn't that familiar with her. I had only read Ugly Love and Slammed. She just released a book titled November 9, curiosity got me and I bought the book. I didn't end up reading the book until March of the next year.

BIGGEST. REGRET. IN. MY. LIFE.

Before I get into the review, here is basically a summary.

    November 9's summary is basically these two strangers cross paths in Los Angeles on November 9. Fallon O'Neil is about to move to New York to push her luck into the career of Broadway. On her last day in L.A she crosses paths, more like he slides, with Ben Kessler. They both leave such a great impression on each other that they make a deal. They will meet on November 9th for the next five years, same place, same time.
Seems simple, right?
But nope, nothing is simple when it comes to Colleen Hoover.
 Get ready for the emotional roller coaster


    The romance in this novel is something to swoon in. Ben and Fallon's love for each other is beautiful and painful. Throughout the story, I found myself feeling scared about what was going to happen to their relationship. I was dying especially since it was plot twist here, plot twist there. At the same time, this book made me smile, cry, angry, cry, laugh, oh and cry.

November 9 is the kind of book you need to read for yourself and figure out the emotions you start feeling. There so much in this book that I can't give away because it was so perfect and beautiful. The plot of the story was a brilliant idea and Colleen executed it so well

“If we’re going to kiss, it has to be book-worthy.” 

Now let me start by explaining to you who Ben Kessler is. He was a wonderful character who broke my heart and made me fall in love with him at the same time! He was sweet, thoughtful, attentive, cared so much for Fallon and he was a writer. What more can a girl want? He was everything that Fallon needed in her life. He was the air she needed to breath after everything she went through. He was such a flirt that I found myself blushing so many times because of the way he talked to her.

Fallon O'Neal was beautifully written. One thing I love about Colleen's female characters is how she finds them in such odd circumstances that you don't think about from the top of your head. But even if it's odd, you find them relatable in many ways. With Fallon, her estranged relationship with her father caused one of the most memorable days in her life which happened on...November 9.  She wants to go out and be herself but something physically is stopping her from achieving what she wants to do. Fallon is such a beautiful character that I know will stay with me forever.


This book does have one of my pet peeves which is Insta-Love but let me just say in Colleen's defense...she did it well. I found myself falling in love with Ben from the moment he appeared in the texts.

"What are you waiting for? He drags in a raspy breath. 'To wake up, I think.' He lowers his mouth and kisses my neck. 'I'm dreaming, right?'" 

DARN YOU COLLEEN HOOVER!
...but I still love you.

Rating: ★★★★★
This book is a must-read if you are a fan of Romance or/and Colleen Hoover. It is beautifully tragic and amazing. I could not have asked for a better book for my Birthday Month. I.AM.IN.LOVE. November 9 was nothing like I expected. This book made me go through an emotional roller coaster in less than 310 pages. I was in love, I was heartbroken, I was laughing, I was crying. Every emotion.  Colleen Hoover's writing is simple yet breathtaking. It never gets old and makes everything seems to get better every book she publishes.

“She “loved me” in quotations. She kissed me in bold. I TRIED TO KEEP HER in all caps. She left with an ellipsis . . .”

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