I confess that I had my eye on this ever since it was announced, and Alessandra Torre just blew me away with this wonderful Book. Hidden Seams has a magnificent original story that I devoured in less than 5 hours because I couldn’t let it go without getting to the end. The book is really well written and shows us the glamorous world of fashion and its downsides, it has a web of lies but is also quirky and fun with tons of awkward situations and sarcasm. Is it to early to say it’s on my top 3 of 2018? I think not!

I’m in love. I’m in fucking love with this woman. She has the blood of a Horace, the temperament of a lion, and the sexual proclivities of every fantasy I’ve ever had.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.

Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating - yet irresistible - Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her - and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Oh man, did anyone else got Phantom of the Opera vibes from this? Cause I did. Totally not complaining though. I loved it. Frostblood is a super cute/delightful book about fighting your inner power and mastering it to kick some ass. Sign me up for that!

I really enjoyed the way Elly Blake wrote this book. She skipped all the exhaustive descriptions that books like these often have, and turned everything into one concise book that goes straight to the point. When she included a fighting scene or a scene where Ruby or Arcus were using their powers she described it so vividly that I could see it play out in my head clearly. We had little moments of heavy sarcasm and teasing between Ruby and Arcus, or then just Ruby with someone else, that made me laugh like a fool. These little jokes in between the story were Awesome and super funny! The story line is not very intricate and full of history, but it has treason, a secret at the end and a slow building romance with tons of tension.

He made a disgusted sound. “If we all had names to suit us, you’d be called Thorn in My Backside. Or Plague of the Gods.”

I prickled at his scathing tone. “And you’d be Miserable Blockhead.”

 “Is that the best you can do?”

“Give me time. I’m half frozen.”

Ruby is a protagonist that already knows what type of power she has, she’s a Fireblood, so throughout the book we see her constantly trying real hard to improve her power and learn how to control it. I really liked her. I liked that she always had a smartass answer on the tip of her tongue, even when she was dying (which happened every two seconds). She was super unpredictable and courageous as hell.

Arcus – the guy with the incredible well-hidden secret that was super obvious, but at the same time it wasn’t – was the perfect leading guy. He's a FrostBlood BTW. He was nasty and infuriating at the beginning but then he blossomed – he probably wouldn’t enjoy this word – into a guy that trusted Ruby enough to tell her about his past. He became this protecting, hot, mysterious joker that I absolutely fell in love with.

“Let me go,” I gasped between coughs.

“Kindly remove your talons from my arms,” said a deep voice. His hands lifted, shaking off my curled fingers. 

The romance between them two took it’s time.  Looks between training sessions, a kiss here and there… And it was filled with tension so much that I just wanted to knock their heads together and say: KISS AND DATE ALREADY!

I have nothing negative to say about Frostblood, in fact I have Fireblood right next to me ready to be read. If you like YA stories with amazing secondary characters, secrets and romance this one is for you! Elly Blake did a stupend job. 

I feel totally played right now. I Just finished The Cruel Prince and the first thing that comes to my mind is that The Cruel Prince is not so cruel, Jude is. And if that is not one hell of a plot twist I don’t know what is! And i loved every second of it...

Bold, that’s what I need to be. Like I own the place. Like I am the general’s daughter. Like I can really pull this off.

What a clever story this was. I am truly impressed by the cleverness of the author in coming up with a story that can not only change in a blink of an eye but is also so very cunning that you never know who to trust. The Cruel Prince just entered in my top 2018 favorites and it’s staying there for good. The writing is super detailed but sharp and cunning, the chapters can be either 10 pages long or just one. It’s a book full of surprises. It’s filled with deceit and revenge, cute boys that like to push people around and two brothers hungry for power. 

Jude, the protagonist, as human is powerless, but as the book goes on she starts to see that her human side can be an advantage. For she can lie. And they can’t. For she was raised by a master of swords, so nobody can best her in a fight. She has all this advantages that she doesn’t realize but will end up using. She was great, asides from a curve ball at the end (WHERE SHE WAS INCREDIBLY SMART), she was a character I loved reading about and understood her motivations and goals. I was ready to support her to the very end. Go, Jude!

To our Cruel Prince that got played at the end…. I hated you. At the beginning that is. After a couple of chapters I fell madly in love with this character, that is so cruel but also so caring. Prince Cardan was a great surprise. He went from being this nasty bully to a somewhat decent person, to be an ass again. I’m not even mad, that’s impressive.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest, with black hair as iridescent as a raven’s wing and cheekbones sharp enough to cut out a girl’s heart. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

I loved the descriptions about the faerie world, the gowns, the balls and the unique kind that they are. It was what made me really enjoy the book as much as I did.  Holly Black did an amazing job including us into this different new world that lives side by side with our own. Each description was more enchanting than the other. The folk had hair the color of every tone possible. Blue, pink, green moss and even white. Their features changed from pointy ears to large mouths and eyes of charcoal black. But all of them in their opulence were so beautiful. They contributed to a world building so well done that all I can do is congratulate the author.

"You know the charms. Salt our food and you destroy any ensorcellment on it. Turn your stockings inside out and you will never find yourself led astray. Keep your pockets full of dried rowan berries and your mind won’t be influenced.”

Cruel Prince did not disappoint whatsoever, and I’ll be keeping my eye for more books by Holly Black because her writing style is super entertaining and crazy unpredictable. 2018 is so far a great year of books! 

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

Review:

Love, Life and the List is a book about self-discovery and transformation. It’s a cute book that’s going to steal your breath away and warm your heart. The story is funny, quirky, charming and all kinds of romantic, perfect if you’re looking for a warm summer read in this cold days.  

I freed my mouth and laughed, even though the “just friends” part was not by choice. I had, in fact, professed my love to Cooper Wells exactly one year ago that very month. It had been more than obvious by his reaction that the feelings were not reciprocated. So I had to play it off like some joke. Some joke he had been more than willing to go along with. And I let him, because I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. He was the best friend in the world.

Abby was a pleasant surprise as a protagonist. I liked her sarcasm and how she was quick on her feet when she needed to give a smartass answer or even a funny one. I laughed a lot thanks to her. I also though it was well built her relationship with her grandfather. They bickered the whole book, but you could feel the love. I liked how her art was described and the whole creative process she went through, and it was a learning experience for me seeing her overcome her fears because of that list. I might just make one for myself because it really helped her and her art.

Cooper was a big teddy bear, I admit. He was introduced as this playful guy with a constant smile on his face, that was clueless about how Abby felt about him. NOT. He was a little snake in a hot guy’s body. Because he played with Abby’s feelings the whole book. But he manages to redeem himself in the end and I forgave him, but just because he’s cute and he cried.

And as the illegal sky rockets lit up the sky with their loud bangs of color, I noticed Cooper looking at me. He averted his gaze. Maybe things could change.

The couple itself was super cute. They were best friends up until the last ten pages of the book and I should totally be mad at that. But I’m not. It worked. We got to know them as friends first and see how they interact with each other and THEN we saw them as a couple. But I must admit, for a couple of seconds I was afraid they weren’t going to make it. But they did, and they have a happy ending. Don’t worry people!

The only thing I expected more out of this book is the secondary characters. Even though the main story is not about them, the secondary characters make or break a book. I have to highlight her Grandfather though, because he was a terrific character. I felt like I read about people that were supposed to be important but only showed up for two pages at the end. Cooper’s parents also didn’t really like Abby and it was explained why, but it didn’t convince me at all because that specific subject was almost never addressed or dealt with. It was brushed under the carpet. I would also have liked to read more about Abby’s dad and even her mom and Elliot. All of this, in my opinion could have been addressed with more detail because it’s important things that matter to the protagonists but are missing.

But overall, it was a simple yet sweet book that takes you back to your first crush and your first heartbreak. It’s cute and quirky and oh so adorable. The characters are well written and well thought out. Kasie West wrote a delightful book. 

4/5 Stars

Lilith is a whore. She has accepted that for a long time now. She's the highest paid prostitute in New Orleans. She’s beautiful and talented and she caught the eye of two men that will do anything to have her. Mob boss Nico Santelli and community center owner Soti Christos have not given up on Lilith. Each has his own very specific, very opposing, plans for her, and neither will rest until it becomes a reality.

I could re-read this book two or three more times and I’d still be in awe. I am completely and utterly amazed at how good this story is. The book itself is set in New Orleans, wonderful city, and the story is really well written. Willow Aster wrote a masterpiece right here.

“I know we don’t know each other well, but … we’ve covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It feels like our souls are old friends. My heart recognizes yours.” He leans his forehead on mine.

The story is fast paced, and it has just enough things happening that makes sure we are never bored. It combines romance, betrayals, obsession and passion in one wonderful book.

The characters and how they were written was exceptional. All of them had their strong motivations and different personalities. I liked very single one. Even the Bad guys. Especially the bad guys. And with them I laughed, cried and felt like slapping them as well.

Lili is the leading lady here. Since young she was forced by her mother to work as a prostitute and now she just accepted her life. I really connected with her. Everyone thinks she’s just a girl, but she is such a strong character. She started this book with a broken heart and because of that she doesn’t believe a man could love her for herself, so I really liked that throughout the book and as she fell in love, we could see that changing. She grew so much throughout the story and became tougher and stronger and much surer of herself. I absolutely Loved her.

“I love you,” he whispers again. 

“How can you love someone who will never be whole?” I choke out.

Soti Christos was her knight in shinning armor. Usually I am not drawn to characters that are too understanding and passive. But Soti was something else. Without him, Lili would never have made it out of that world. He was super supportive but still ready to kick some ass if anyone dared to mess with his Lili. Their connection as well was out of this world. I wasn’t simply a sexual connection but something much profound. He’s book boyfriend material for sure.

To the bad guys in this book I must say that you were brilliant. All of them. Lili’s mother and Nico were perfect villains. Both made me want to throw them against the wall and slap some sense into them. And they made the story more intense. I could never tell what they were going to do next so i was always on the edge of my seat. 

To wrap things up, if you haven’t picked up this book, DO IT NOW. It’s not only amazing with the author’s excellent world building but it’s really romantic and so tragic. I loved every page. 

5/5 Stars

Dru was ready to walk down the aisle, but when she found her soon to be husband with another woman, she decided it was time for a change. Therefore, she hoped in a plane and hauled herself to Alaska. There, she meets captivating Badd Brother called Sebastian. One thing leads to another and they both start falling for each other. Then, add to the mix another seven volatile brothers that are coming into town, and you got the recipe for disaster.

Badd Motherf*cker with that title alone I expected a hot-as-sin book. Instead I got a cute, funny book that was super-fast paced and easy to read, but really unrealistic. The whole story spanned out in a really short time frame. And in that time frame we had a lot going on. The leading couple fell in love, Dru figured out the meaning to her life and we were introduced to 8 different brothers. All with different personalities and all intense as hell. All of this in a relatively small book. I felt like it should have had more time to dig into the stories and into the main characters.

A badass female is just what I like in a book and I didn’t dislike Dru at all, but I felt like she didn’t have the strength that the author tried to portray. For such a badass girl, she spent half the book crying. I get that she was cheated on but have some respect for yourself girl. For a girl that could kick a guy twice her size, I expected more. Overall, I liked her, and she was fun to read about, but she wasn’t a complex character at all.

I don’t really know what to say about Sebastian. He has that alpha male vibe going on, with the tattoos and the hard personality, which I always appreciate. He was a good main character but with more realness he could have been even better. I mean, who the heck offers a stranger, after being insulted by her, bed and breakfast? Seriously, he should have kicked her out. It was unreal for me, but he was still funny and went all caveman at times. 

I liked that the author introduced the eight brothers in very distinct parts of the book, otherwise I would not have told them apart as well as I did. I also appreciated that we could clearly see all the different personalities in all of them. That’s bonus points!

Overall the book was good. It’s a lightweight book to read if you’re in need of some quick romance that is too good to be true or If you like eight Alpha males all stuck in a tiny house together. The important thing is that I had fun and I laughed whilst reading this. I liked it. And I will be reading the next one. 

3.5/5

The Artist’s Trilogy and Dirty Angels by Karina Halle were awesome, easily two of the most intense books I’ve ever read. So, the bar was raised high for Bad at Love. And Karina Halle gave us another intense book, a lot less dark but still freaking amazeballs!!!

So here I am, by the fireplace with this book in hand and feeling super happy. Bad at love is all that it’s cranked up to be, funny, super romantic, cheesy and genuine. It’s easy to read and it’s going to leave you with a smile on your face.

This man is no longer just my friend. He’s no longer my Laz in that sense. He’s a man that I’m giving my heart over to, whether he knows it or not, whether I want to or not. There’s no reasoning, no deciding. It’s done .

He’s a man who’s going to ruin me. And for once, I just want to be ruined .

 Ravaged .

Claimed.

The story is about two best friends, Laz and Marina. A poet and a beekeeper. From the start they both share a strong physical attraction but choose to only be friends. After a while, they both realize that they suck in the dating world. Laz is jumping from one girlfriend to another, and Marina just can’t get past the third date. So, what’s the sensible thing to do? Date each other.

I admit I immediately connected with Marina. She’s a goof ball and soooo awkward at times. I loved her passion for Bees and how when she got nervous she kept on rambling about them non-stop. Seriously, I’ve learnt more about bees in this book than in my entire life.  And I adored that about her. It made her truly captivating. I also liked that I saw myself in her all the time! She’s so relatable.

“Why on earth are you comparing me to Taylor Swift ?”

 A small smile creeps across her lips. “Because you’re both a fan of using relationships and break-ups for creative material .”

 Ouch .

The same thing went for Laz, but instead of awkward he was super cheesy. He had tons of bee related jokes and they were really bad jokes, but I found myself so entertained by that.

Both were incredibly well-built characters. But this is no surprise coming from Karina because she’s the best. They were both vulnerable enough that we got to know them well. We saw their fears and their passions in life and we saw them overcoming all of that together. Even though to overcome it they fucked up countless times. And the story is told by their POV’s, so you get as much Marina as you get Laz! Both as individuals are amazing, but when you put them together. Oh, man. It’s perfection.

This . My woman . My person . My future . My everything .

I super recommend this book. It’s a relatively small book that made me feel super well while I was reading it. The story is real and raw, and it shows you the ups and downs of dating your best friend and finding true Love in the meantime. Karina Halle doesn’t cut corners and wrote characters that we all see ourselves in. If you haven’t read this book yet, please do! 

I’m so glad I found this book I really am. It’s not only entertaining and super awkward at times (which I loved) but it has a captivating romance that gives you plenty of butterflies!

She trusted him that completely. And no one else. She’d never given that to anyone else. But he had that from the beginning.

The story brings us Eliza that just moved into a new town and happened to have a one-night stand with a super-hot, super-nice, super-rich and super-friendly guy called Johnny. One thing leads to the other and they both start having feelings for each other. But there is a catch, Johnny already gave his heart out to another woman and now it’s up to Eliza to get it back.

If this synopsis doesn’t lure you in, I don’t know what will. Reading this, I already knew it was going to be a rocky road until the main couple ended together. And so, it was! Johnny and Eliza went trough a crazy rollercoaster the entire book. There was always something or someone coming up that kept them for being together. And I, as a romance junkie, was going crazy! But they were so sweet. Their romance was so pure, and it wasn’t instant at all. They took their time getting to know each other and getting to know their backgrounds, and life story. I loved every bit of it. The romance happened very naturally which I always appreciate! So, you can read and feel the affection between them growing.

Eliza was the most awkward character ever, but she was so genuine and likeable. I loved her! She has extremely long monologues, though. But she never gets boring, in fact when she rambles and rambles for pages at a time, it made me laugh and cry, but it never bored me. She’s unique let’s say. Her personality makes her talk all the time about completely random things… . She’s an adorable dork. Her background story was super interesting as well. 

I started it and waved at him and didn’t worry that I looked like a dork. I was his dork. Johnny Gamble’s dork. His sex kitten. His woman. So I could wave like a dork if I wanted to.

I must say it took me a while to like Johnny. I though that because he had another woman in his heart he wouldn’t even let Eliza have a chance. But no, the big boy was strong enough to open his heart to her. And the way the author wrote about him, made him into a true gentleman. He was kind and smart and hardworking. And hot. HOT! SO HOT!

“That’s the guy I am. Yours . Simple. That’s it. And you’re mine. Mine , Iz. And we take care of each other. And we look after those in our hearts and lives. So the Forrester Girls Club has a new member, baby. And he’s got a dick"

The secondary characters were also so well written. They let the couple be the main focus but when they were needed they only complemented the storyline. And all of them had distinct personalities that were so much fun. You had, the sassy friend, the hot brother, the stupid ex, the tortured sister and so much more.

The book itself is quite long but I didn’t feel like it was hard to read at all. In fact, I was surprised by how fast I read it because I couldn’t put it down.  The writing is concise and straight to the point. The story is sweet and romantic with the right amount of danger. Kristen Ashley did a wonderful job!

Paperback, 256 pages