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Review: The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen

Title: The Tutor’s Daughter
Author: Juile Klassen
Pages: 412 pages paperback, 416 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

I’ve been a fan of Klassen for a couple years. She’s able to write Regency romance extremely well. Despite a slow start, The Tutor’s Daughter fits right in with the style and sweetness of Klassen’s previous novels.

Emma Smallwood and her father travel to Cornwall set to tutor the two younger brothers of students Mr. Smallwood once had at his school. They hardly get off on the right foot, arriving somewhat unexpectedly. Emma had been friends with Phillip Weston and tormented by his older brother Henry when they were boys at her father’s school, and she’s both anxious and nervous to see how living in the same home goes.

Right from the beginning, it’s easy to tell there are a couple secrets being kept. Odd things keep happening and no one seems to have the right explanation for them. I will say I guessed one of the secrets early on, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

The first third of the novel moved a little too slowly for my tastes, but the last third definitely helped make up for that. There’s action and accusations and it’s wonderful.

Klassen once again proves her fantastic ability to write a 19th century English romance. The language she uses is perfect, and she’s able to paint the world as it was. The Tutor’s Daughter has just the right amount of mystery and romance, plus it doesn’t over do it when it comes to the religious discussions. I know this genre isn’t for everyone, but for lovers of Regency romances, Klassen is an author to add to your bookshelves.

If The Tutor’s Daughter sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Title: Boundless
Author: Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly series
Pages: 438 pages hardcover, 448 paperback, 320 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

I’ve been looking forward to reading Boundless for a while. I was nervous and excited and anxious to start it as soon as I got my hands on it. I knew once I started reading, I wouldn’t be able to stop until I had read every last word.

Boundless starts off the fall of Clara’s first year at Stanford. She feels a little alone, even though Angela and Christian are there with her. Angela begins to drift away from her and Christian wants more than she can give. She misses her mom, her Jackson friends, and Tucker. On top of that, she’s trying to balance being a typical college freshman with being an angel. Every choice she makes can alter the lives of those around her.

While I’ve been a huge fan of Tucker for the last two books, I did warm up to Christian. I could see why Clara struggled so much between her feelings for the two. It was a black and white choice. An author has to be amazing in order to make me love both guys in a love triangle, but Hand easily does it. I knew either choice Clara made would be bittersweet.

As for the other important part of any novel, the plot, it was just amazing. It had me anxious, waiting for someone to pop out and say the figurative “Boo!” I was completely engrossed, barely paying attention to anything in the real world. It kept me engaged and interested.

Boundless is the satisfying end to a fantastic paranormal series, definitely one of the best I’ve read. It has strong messages about life and love, and even with the paranormal aspect, it speaks true to life. Finishing a book is always bittersweet, but Boundless ends with hope lighting the future. Amazing book, amazing series, amazing read.

If Boundless sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Title: Shades of Earth
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe series
Pages: 369 pages hardcover, 383 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

I’m a pretty picky science fiction reader. It’s rare for me to stumble across a single science fiction novel I fully enjoy. Beth Revis has given me an entire series that I love.

I’m not going to lie. I was a little worried about the world Revis had created outside of Godspeed. I didn’t want a series I loved to end like a bad Sci-Fi movie. Revis proved that all of my worries and concerns were unnecessary. She wrote the best ending this series could possibly have.

Once everyone lands on the surface of the new Earth and wake up the Frozen, the new colony is not only fighting each other, but they are fighting their new home. Every single thing they come across is an unknown. There are things on this new planet no one has ever seen before and it could be perfectly safe or completely deadly. This would be a difficult situation for any group of people, but when there is a major lack of trust between the two main groups of the colony, it will be even worse.

In spite of everything put in front of them, I loved the moments Amy and Elder got to have together. Their happiness and love is a great thing to read in a Young Adult novel. They trust each other, and while there are a few moments of miscommunication, for the most part, they talk to each other. They know things won’t always be easy, but they’d rather face the tough times together than apart.

I can honestly say I had no idea where the plot was going. I never knew what was about to happen next. I was constantly holding my breath, waiting for the next big thing to happen. It was the best feeling I can have when I read a book. Half the fun is in the surprise, and it’s even more fun when the planet is basically a character in its own right.

Shades of Earth is a brilliant end to a suspenseful series. I loved following the journey Amy and Elder took, from the early unfreezing of Amy to their new home on Centauri-Earth. I will certainly miss reading about their lives, but this was the perfect way to end it. The entire series is a must-read.

If Shades of Earth sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through the Ever Night
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky series
Pages: 352 pages hardcover, 341 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

Wow.

That is what I continuously repeated as I read Through the Ever Night. There really aren’t words for how amazing this book is. It’s not a middle novel full of filler. The characters grow, as do their relationships. The plot progresses, twisting and twirling you along with it.

Aria and Perry are what relationships should be. Of course they would rather lock themselves away, forget their problems, and just be themselves. But they know that’s not how the world works. They spend as much together as they can, but they don’t fall to pieces when the other isn’t by their side. They are strong individually, but even better together.

The story moves along quite a bit and just when you think you know where it’s going, Rossi changes it up. My heart was beating fast and I alternated between trying to read faster and having to close the book to calm myself down.

It’s not often I can become so fully engrossed in a novel that I feel like I’m actually in that world. Rossi’s words wrap around me and pull me right in. I would read anything she puts in front of me.

I fell in love with Under the Never Sky. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I love Through the Ever Night more. This series in one of the most brilliant series I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and I am dying to get my hands on the finale. This is a must-read series.

If Through the Ever Night sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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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:
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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:
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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:
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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:
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Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Indigo Awakening by Jordan Dane

Title: Indigo Awakening
Author: Jordan Dane
Series: The Hunted series
Pages: 304 pages
Rating: ★★★

I was pretty intrigued by the premise of Indigo Awakening. A group hunting down a secret group of children because they’re different. It could have been really interesting. Instead, the novel felt a little off until the very end. It was a little disappointing to say the least.

Lucas Darby is different. He’s been locked away because of his differences, but he’s escaped and is on his own. His sister Rayne ignores his pleas to not look for him and in the process meets Gabe. Lucas and Gabe are different than normal teens. They’re gifted and that makes them targets of a fanatical church.

First of all, there were too many points of view. I can understand wanting to tell the story from all angles, but instead of giving me the full story, I felt like I was just skimming the surface. I didn’t feel that connection with the characters because as soon as a connection started, the point of view changed and I was back to square one.

My other issue relates to the differing points of view. Because I felt like I was just skimming the surface, it felt like there was a lot of story and questions brought up, but then those questions were pushed aside for more story and questions. I can understand wanting to leave some things unanswered, but I feel like in order to keep myself interested, I need some answers. Indigo Awakening kept bringing things up, but rarely ever dealt with them.

The ending of the book saved it from falling into the “pass on this book” category. The last few scenes didn’t quite make up for the rest of the book, but they definitely helped save it. There are a few answers and a bit of resolution. That part was nice.

Overall, Indigo Awakening didn’t wow me. It was an okay novel, but I was expecting a little bit more. I’m sure this kind of novel appeals to some, but for me, it just didn’t work.

If Indigo Awakening sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to HarlequinTeen 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:
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