Category Archives: The Must Reads

These are the books that I think are a must read.

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Review: The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Inheritance
Author: Aimee Carter
Series: Goddess Test series
Pages: 283 pages paperback, 289 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

After the cliffhanger ending of Goddess Interrupted, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. I wanted to know how Carter would end this lovely series. Despite a couple hang-ups, The Goddess Inheritance was a fantastic book and a perfect way to end the series.

It felt like this was more of a plot-driven novel than a character-driven one. I have no problem with that, but I would have liked a little more Kate and Henry interaction and relationship development. There was a bit of a disconnect between how they said they felt and how they acted. While I can understand some of it, I still feel like there could have been more between them.

I am sure some people will look at how often Kate cries and think she’s weaker in this novel than in the others. I don’t believe that’s true. Crying doesn’t always make you weak, nor is it a sign of weakness. Sometimes, crying means you care so much, there’s no other way for you to express it. And that is why I still think Kate is a strong character. She stands up for herself and what she believes is right. If in doing that, she needs to cry occasionally, then I can’t fault her for it.

The addition of Milo, Kate and Henry’s son, was fantastic. It gave Henry and Kate something more to fight for. It was no longer just them and the counsel they had to think of when making decisions. Now they had a baby to figure into the equation, too. It made them both stop and think each and every plan through to make sure it was the right path to choose.

The one other thing that didn’t feel quite right was the climax of the novel. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it and reading it made me anxious, but as soon as it happened, I felt like there was a lot of build up and tension and right at the pivotal moment…it fizzled a little bit. The scene still worked, but I had felt like there was going to be something more, and yet it wasn’t there.

Overall, The Goddess Inheritance was an action-packed conclusion to the story of Kate and Henry. The ending is sweet and loving and leaves the future wide open for their family’s happiness. It was a great end to a great series.

If The Goddess Inheritance sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Title: Wicked Kiss
Author: Michelle Rowen
Series: Nightwatchers series
Pages: 448 pages paperback, 336 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

Here’s the thing. Wicked Kiss has a lot of my usual annoyances when it comes to Young Adult novels. There’s insta-love, secrets everywhere, lack of communication…it’s all there. And yet, Rowen was able to write all of that so amazingly well that none of it bothered me, at all. I was completely in love with this book.

It starts off not long after Dark Kiss ends. Sam still hungers for Bishop, the angels and demons are still working together to get rid of the greys in Trinity, and they are searching for Sam’s soul. An angel with a secret agenda falls and becomes part of the group. It’s then discovered that the greys are changing–they either wither completely away, or they become super-greys.

Sam is just as strong as she was in the first book. She doesn’t let anyone walk over her or tell her what to do. She is constantly trying to figure out things on her own, not succumbing to any “damsel in distress” moments. She fights her hunger, fights against the soulless being everyone is waiting for her to become.

Bishop was wonderful. This might sound strange, but I love that Rowen wrote their relationship filled with questions. Are they attracted to each other only because Sam took part of his soul, or is it something more? It made the insta-love work for me. It made it questionable until the end.

The plot was fascinating. Not only does the storyline from Dark Kiss bleed over, but it has its own plot to flesh through. At first I thought it might have been too much to fit into one novel, and man, near the end I had no idea how Rowen was going to be able to finish, but every word was completely worth staying up until 3am for.

Wicked Kiss is a superb novel that has a little bit of everything. Rowen has a real talent for making my heart bleed for these characters and I can’t wait to read more from her. Her Nightwatchers series is a definite must read.

If Wicked Kiss sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Essence by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Essence
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Pledge series
Pages: 352 pages
Rating: ★★★★★

I’ve been struggling with how to start this review. I enjoyed this book so much that when I try to think of words to describe it, I can’t. It got my heart racing in the best way.

The book starts up with Charlie adjusting to being queen. There are protocols and rules and knowledge she must learn right away. There are people who don’t like the New Equality and want the old class system back. They aren’t afraid to make that abundantly clear. She is summoned to a meeting of all the queens and on her way there, her life is at risk.

A lot of this novel is a mental battle. There really aren’t any big fight scenes in the action sense, but there is a major battle going on. Charlie is fighting everything in order to remain the same person. She’s fighting Sabara’s essence as she tries to take over Charlie’s body. She’s fighting those that oppose her New Equality changes. She’s fighting the doubts everyone, including her, has about her rule at the moment.

Charlie is not weak. She fights with all she has to make things right for her people. She stands up to people when she’s fighting for something. She knows she must fight to keep Sabara hidden deep inside her mind, where she can’t control Charlie. The few times Sabara was able to take control were Charlie’s moments of weakness.

There’s not as much Max in this book, but when he’s there, he’s amazing. He doesn’t try to control Charlie. He lets her be queen. He just does whatever he can to love her and make her safe. Derting made sure that even though there wasn’t a lot of Max, the times he was there were perfect.

The ending was a perfect way to wrap up the second book while laying the foundation for the third. There’s enough closure to make people happy, but there’s a lot left hanging that needs to be sorted out. I’m on edge with anticipation and can’t wait for the conclusion of this fantastic series.

If The Essence sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: The Forgotten Queen by D.L. Bogdan

Title: The Forgotten Queen
Author: D. L. Bogdan
Pages: 318 pages paperback, 384 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

One of my favorite things about reading historical fiction is getting to discover something or someone from the past. In the case of The Forgotten Queen, I get to do both.

Margaret is the older sister of King Henry VIII. She is married to James, King of Scotland in order to hopefully bring peace between the two countries. She’s told from the very beginning that peace is her job as queen. She holds on to that tightly, even when things get tough.

Margaret knows from an early age that her choices are not truly her own. Because she is a woman, her marriage is a bargaining tool. She can never rule in her own right, and her opinions on anything other than dresses are generally not looked upon as valuable. She fights back in her own way, choosing her second and third husbands and trying to do what is right for Scotland through her son.

Bogdan wrote a perfectly flawed character. Margaret is in love with the idea of love and that clouds her judgment at times. She loves a little too much, but that is both a strength and a weakness. She makes decisions having the best intentions at heart, even though she doesn’t always think her actions through. I loved reading a character, even one based on fact, that is a completely human character. It makes her come alive.

The true sign, to me, of a great historical fiction novel, is one that makes me want to learn more after the last page has been read. The Forgotten Queen was one of those books. As soon as I had finished reading, I was looking up more information. I had known of Margaret before reading, but after finishing the novel, I feel like I know her a little bit more.

This is definitely a book for anyone interested in the other members of the Tudor family. There were a couple times when the tone of the novel felt a little off, but that doesn’t get in the way of enjoying the story. This look into the life of Margaret is a wonderful read and a great historical fiction novel.

If The Forgotten Queen sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Bloodletter’s Daughter by Linda Lafferty

Title: The Bloodletter’s Daughter
Author: Linda Lafferty
Pages: 512 pages hardcover, 513 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

I had never heard of Marketa Pichlerova before reading this book. And to be honest, if I didn’t look up the real history behind this book, I probably would have thought it too dramatic to be true. That’s why I think I loved this book so much. The basic story behind it is true. Marketa was real. The main parts of this story are things that actually happened. And man, is it a story.

Marketa is a bathmaiden, which is basically saying she will be a classy prostitute. She longs to study and practice medicine, even though she is a woman and can’t have that dream. She works in her mother’s bathhouse and occasionally assists her father in his bloodletting procedures. I felt so much for her. Because her mother is a bathmaiden, that’s really all she can hope for in her future. She was born with the ultimate curse–being a woman. She just wants to do more than what is expected of her. She wants to follow her dreams and learn more of medicine and be able to practice.

When she finally gets her first “patient” in the son of the king, I can see why her better judgment becomes clouded. She’s finally getting the chance to do what she wants, even if she doesn’t get the credit. She gets to use her knowledge of the human body to help someone, even if the man she is helping is too far gone to really feel any benefits.

I feel bad for Don Julius, in a way. Granted, I don’t feel bad enough for me to find him redeeming in any way, but not everything is his fault. Yes, he is mad and insane, but those around him indulge him instead of really trying to help him. Fear of falling out of the king’s good graces leads Julius’ companions to turn a blind eye to his behavior instead of stopping it. It is in that way I feel bad for him. Who knows how things would have turned out had Julius been treated the way he deserved instead of being treated with kid gloves.

The story itself is amazing. It reads like a soap opera, but is based in fact. That is what I find fascinating. Those few years the book described really happened. It’s hard to wrap my head around it and I really want to know more.

The Bloodletter’s Daughter is a fascinating read that transports you back in time and throws you right into the middle of the town. The story is brilliantly written and makes it nearly impossible to put the book down. This is a must-read book.

If The Bloodletter’s Daughter sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Title: Hooked
Author: Liz Fichera
Series: Hooked series
Rating: ★★★★

I was pretty excited to read this book. It had an interesting twist on the usual high school love story and I couldn’t wait to see just how Fichera had the story unfold.

The book opens right away with Fred joining the team. For Fred, this golf team means the opportunity to do what she loves and possibly got a college scholarship. A college scholarship would mean the chance to do something more than waitressing with her life.

At first, Ryan is annoyed that his best friend Seth’s golf team spot is given to Fred, no tryout needed. He doesn’t see it as fair and doesn’t see how she could be good enough to compete with the boys. After their first tournament, his opinion starts to change, even though Seth is still set on making her life miserable. It doesn’t help when Ryan starts to have more than friendly feelings towards her. Not only does Seth see this as a betrayal, but Ryan’s maybe girlfriend, Gwyneth, isn’t too fond of his feelings either. Pretty soon, Seth and Gwyneth start to bully and antagonize Fred in retaliation.

The romance between Ryan and Fred has a slow build. At first, Ryan came barely stand to look at her. After their first tournament, he starts to respect her and that builds into a tentative friendship. From there, a sweet little love starts to grow. It’s a sweet romance and it just makes you smile and feel good.

The one thing I wish was different about this book is Fred’s reaction to the bullying. I wanted her to stand up for herself just a little bit more. She didn’t have to be confrontational, but there were some moments when I wish she would have said or done something more.

Overall, Hooked is a great book and it’s definitely one I’d recommend. The golfing twist keeps it fresh, but the love keeps you happy.

If Hooked sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

Title: The Edge of Never
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Series: The Edge of Never series
Rating: ★★★★★

I love books that make me cry because of how good they are. Books that really reach in, grab your heart, and twist it every time they can. The Edge of Never is one of those books.

Camryn is stuck in her life. She had dreams and plans, but things fell apart. Instead of getting away from people’s expectations and traveling the world with her boyfriend, she works at a department store, hasn’t gone to college, and has to be practically forced by her best friend to even try and put herself out there. So when she’s finally reached the end of her rope, she buys a bus ticket to anywhere, just to leave.

It’s on her bus ride across the country where she meets Andrew. He’s using the bus ride to prolong the trip to Wyoming to see his dying father. From the beginning, it’s easy to tell this trip isn’t going to be what either of them thought it would be.

Cam’s depression is something that I can understand. She’s at a point in life where she just wants to feel something. Anger, sadness, happiness…she doesn’t care which, she just wants to feel. Being with Andrew makes her feel again, both the good and the bad things.

I’m glad they didn’t have that “insta-love” because that wouldn’t have felt real. Both Andrew and Cam needed to work through things before they could get to place where a relationship is something that wouldn’t be destructive. The easy-going feeling of their first interactions really sets up the rest of their relationship. For them, laughter is what helps heal their wounds.

For as happy as the novel made me feel, there was always a storm cloud waiting in the background. I was waiting for it to hit because I knew it would be the heart-twisting moment. And boy, did it hit hard.

The Edge of Never is a book that you can’t put down. Your heart will be in your throat the entire time. It makes you think about life, love, and finding a way to live your life for the moment instead of focusing on what has happened in the past or what is coming in the future. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

If The Edge of Never sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Body Finder series
Rating: ★★★★

The Body Finder is a book that has been on my radar for a while, but I was always a little worried about reading it. The book description was unique and I was worried it would fall flat and I’d be left feeling a little let down.

The Body Finder does none of this. It is just as good as the description sounds. Both aspects of the novel, the suspense and the romance, are developed well and blend together. It never felt like one was taking a hit so the other could flourish.

This was a page turner. The serial killer parts of the novel were fantastic. There’s a lot of mystery there, and it’s done well. It gives the entire book a creepy feel. I was afraid to look over my shoulder; it felt like the creepiness had oozed of the novel and was standing right behind me. I love it when a book can make me feel that way.

The relationship between Jay and Violet was wonderful. This is the kind of “insta-love” I’m okay with. It’s insta-love in the scope of the novel, but not in the characters’ lives. Sure, Jay and Violet realized their feels early on in the novel, but they had a foundation of friendship to build upon and that’s what made it work. Their relationship works perfectly to balance out the serial killer roaming around town.

The other secondary characters, Violet’s friends, are also well-written. They aren’t placeholders; they actually act and behave like friends. Maybe it’s just the novels I pick to read, but this trait seems to be a little lacking in a lot of Young Adult titles today.

The Body Finder is a fantastic novel. It has just the right mix of creep and love to keep me turning the pages, anxious to find out who the killer is, but to also read more swoon-worthy moments. This is a series I’ll definitely be sticking with. I can’t wait to read more.

If The Body Finder sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Title: Breaking Beautiful
Author: Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Rating: ★★★★

Breaking Beautiful has one of the most heartbreaking characters I’ve ever read and it has nothing to do with the accident that took her boyfriend’s life.

Going in, I knew this story would be tough. To see the contrast between the life everyone thinks Allie has and the one she’s truly living is astonishing. To the world, Allie is the perfectly happy, spoiled girlfriend. Trip gives her everything she could possibly need, acts the part of loving boyfriend. Sure, she has some enemies in town because Trip dumped the popular girl in favor of Allie, but that’s a minor problem. What everyone doesn’t know is what happens behind the scenes, what Allie is too ashamed to face.

Trip’s abuse has left Allie paranoid and broken. She doesn’t think of herself as worth anything because that’s what Trip beat into her. It’s all her fault and if she would only change, then everything could be perfect. That’s the mindset Allie has, even after the accident. She’s broken in nearly every way she can be.

This book could have easily become depressing, but it didn’t. Even as you read about how hurt Allie is, her strength comes through. She is still going on with her life, trying to find a new way to live. She hides away at times, but that’s only because she doesn’t know how to be Allie; she doesn’t know if just being Allie is good enough.

Blake. I loved Blake. He knew enough about Allie to try and find her whenever she’d lose herself to her own thoughts. He plays the tough, bad guy, but he’s got a couple soft spots. Both he and Allie have skeletons in their closets when they start their relationship, but they work together to make it work. Blake finds a way to give back to Allie the pieces of her life she needs and shows her it’s okay to let other pieces go.

Breaking Beautiful is a heartbreaking story while being heartwarming at the same time. It shows that you can make it through the toughest times and come out stronger on the other side. It says that it’s okay to become lost sometimes; you can find a way out. I’m incredibly glad I decided to read Breaking Beautiful and it’s definitely a must read, if you ask me.

If Breaking Beautiful sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

I stopped reading Days of Blood and Starlight about halfway through. I didn’t want to read anymore. Every word I read meant I was one word closer to the end of the novel and I never wanted that to happen. And so I stopped reading. But then I started to hate myself a little bit because I wanted to read so badly. So I picked it back up and started to read.

<Days of Blood and Starlight is a book that doesn’t hide away from the ugliness of war. If Daughter of Smoke and Bone was about the relationship between Karou and Akiva, Days of Blood and Starlight is about the war that is tearing their world apart. It doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war. It throws them right in your face and makes you confront them.

In Daughter, there’s only a hint of the war that has been going on. Yes, it is mentioned, but Daughter mainly focuses on Akiva and Karou and their romance. It tugs on your heart in a sweet way. Days tugs on your heart frantically, trying to make you see the horrors of war. War doesn’t affect only those fighting, but it affects every single living thing. It only gets worse when those leading the charge stop fighting for what they view as right and start fighting for revenge. It is then that all the rules go out the window and nothing becomes sacred anymore.

Karou is everything I want in a strong heroine. She has her flaws and weaknesses, but she knows that. She uses her strengths to overcome and start working towards finding a better way for her people to live. She sacrifices what she has to and asks for help when she needs it. She knows when a battle is worth fighting and when it is smarter to concede the point and wait for the right moment to spring her attack. She is powerful, but not perfect, and that makes her the perfect character to read.

Akiva also shows his strength when it is needed. He knows the war in his world is tearing it apart more than putting it together and he wants to change that. Not for Karou, not for himself, but because he knows that this war is destruction and there is a better way for peace; one that doesn’t involve one side being obliterated.

<Days of Blood and Starlight is one of those extremely rare sequels that manages to not only match the first novel in its strength, but surpass it. It is dark, gritty, and raw, but it makes you think. It is easily one of the best books of the year. Days of Blood and Starlight is a must read over and over and over again kind of book.