Blackwater Pack Book 1.5: Broken by Hannah McBride

Blackwater Pack Book 1.5

A beta in denial

Rhodes DeWitt has always known he was a lost cause. The Blackwater beta embraces the bad boy label with open arms, praying that the girl next door will never know that the one thing he wants is the one girl he can’t have.

A heart that’s breaking

After spending years in love with the boy next door, Larkin Dawes is ready to move on. Her head knows this is for the best. Her heart hasn’t quite gotten the memo.

The storm of the century

Trapped and isolated together as a blizzard rages around them, Rhodes will finally have to decide if he’s going to watch Larkin move on with or without him.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53330706-broken

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Loved this story! After reading Sanctum I could not wait to get a story about Rhodes and Larkin. If anyone deserved a happy ending story it was those two. In Broken, Rhodes and Larkin are home for winter break. It's becoming harder for Rhodes to stay away from Larkin but he truly believes that he is doing this for her. And that she would be better off without him. Meanwhile, Larkin realizes that trying to move on from Rhodes is simply not working. She tried to go out on a date, but at the end of the day it was Rhodes that she wanted to be there. Luckily for them a blizzard and being home alone is just what the two of them need. With Larkin's parents away and Rhodes's father finally trying rehab (again), it is just the two of them. A perfect time to finally have a conversation that has been a long time coming. This story was just so great all around. With both of their points of view we got to see what was going on with Rhodes and Larkin. Rhodes's family is a mess. His dad was never the same after Rhodes's mom abandoned them. Instead he just drank and gave up. And the bright spot in Rhodes's life was always Larkin. Larkin has been in love for years. He is her best friend and she will do whatever if it means never losing his friendship. They truly are a great couple together. Definitely a satisfying story after meeting them in Sanctum and it got me very excited for Prey! 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Crave Series Book 2: Crush by Tracy Wolff

Crave Book 2

Everything feels off—especially me. I’ve returned to Katmere Academy, but I’m haunted by fragments of days I have no recollection of living and struggling to understand who, or what, I really am.

Just when I start to feel safe again, Hudson is back with a vengeance. He insists there are secrets I don’t know about, threatening to drive a wedge between Jaxon and me forever. But far worse enemies are at our doorstep.

The Circle is caught in a power play and the Vampire Court is trying to drag me out of my world and into theirs. The only thing Hudson and Jaxon agree on is that leaving Katmere would mean my certain death.

And not only am I fighting for my life, but now everyone else’s is at stake—unless we can defeat an unspeakable evil. All I know is that saving the people I love is going to require sacrifice.

Maybe more than I’m able to give.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52778479-crush

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Wow. So much to unpack after reading that book. So much happened. And so many questions are still running through my head. Gonna try and do this review with the least amount of spoilers possible, but I will still mark the review with spoilers because even though key things are revealed early, I don't want to not warn anyone. Gonna be tricky cause dang this was a lot. So Grace returns to Katmere and when I say returns, I mean she finds a way to turn back into her human form after being a gargoyle. But there are some unexpected things for Grace. The first being that she has been gone for months and she has no memory of her time being gone. She still thinks it was two days since the incident with Lia. So the girl has lost some time. And the other thing everyone is wondering, what happened to Hudson? And (sorry spoiler!) turns out Hudson is now stuck in her head. Yep, he is just chilling there talking to Grace. And she is the only one who could hear and see him. So the story really centers around finding a way to get Hudson out of her head. And together with Jaxon and her friends, they have a plan that involves finding some magical objects. The objects aren't easy to obtain and that is just one layer of the story. Another big thing that goes on is Grace trying to figure out her gargoyle side. That was definitely neat to see the the author play with gargoyle mythology. But one of the most intriguing threads to this story is Hudson. In the last book we knew him as the villain. But as one of my favorite quotes goes, there are three sides to every story. Two sides and the truth that lies somewhere in the middle. And as Grace and Hudson interact with one another, you can't help but wonder what his side is. 

So, I will admit I had a lot of ups and downs with this book. Getting a little annoyed at some things but was still intrigued. Ugh, there are just a couple of things I wasn't a fan of but by the end and maybe the next book can change my mind about these things. This I definitely won't spoil. I had some theories as I was reading the story and some proved right. But I was still left with a ton of questions. And of course, there is yet another bit of a cliffhanger. Overall, I really did like the book. I mean I finished the 700 page monster in barely two days. I appreciate it being super long and that there are going to be two more books. I really need to know how certain things will play out. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!

Well Met Series Book 2: Well Played by Jen DeLuca

Well Met Book 2

Another laugh-out-loud romantic comedy featuring kilted musicians, Renaissance Faire tavern wenches, and an unlikely love story.

Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it's been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she'll even find The One.

When Stacey imagined "The One," it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she's not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey's shock, it isn't Dex—she's been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50089191-well-played

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I love this series. It is just so fun! Well Played follows Stacey as she gets into an internet relationship with whom she thinks the person on the other side is her summer Renaissance hookup, Dex. Little does she know, that the man on the other side of the email and texts is Dex's cousin Daniel. After a drunken message to Dex through social media, she is super surprised after that horrible mistake that she gets a reply. And the tender words that come in the reply is the total opposite of the Dex she knows. But perhaps this is a different side to him. As the year goes on and she gets ready for Will Creek Ren Faire to start up again, she finds herself falling for pen pal a little more each day. And by accident she finds out that the man she has been taking is Daniel! Who she knows but never really talked to him much the last few summers. As she confronts him she realizes that she is glad it is Daniel that she fell for. And when Ren Faire begins they fall into a happy relationship. But where can it go? At the end of Faire Daniel will be back on the road and Stacey will still be in Willow Creek. She struggles with the idea of leaving home though she has always wanted to. But can she leave her family behind? The reason she stayed so long in Willow Creek in the first place? I loved this story. It was so fun to get to know Stacey. And of course seeing Emily and Simon and everything leading up to their amazing wedding! This book had plenty of laughs and of course twists and turns. I couldn't put the book down. Great story! Can't wait for the next one!

Him Series Book 2.5: Epic by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Him Novella Book 2.5

They're back! Epic is a novella about your favorite hockey duo!

Jamie and Wes are having a blast living and working in Toronto. Until a scout for another team swoops in to make one of them an offer that might complicate the life they've built together.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51148636-epic

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Loved this little novella about our favorite couple WESMIE! In this short novella, Jamie gets the offer to play back up goalie for a team in Canada. Though it is a bit tempting, he still wants to coach. And he really wants to be Head Coach one day to these kids. Surprises in that department but what is even more surprising is when Jamie flies with Wes and the team for a game in California and because he is listed as a back up goalie for the NHL he gets pulled in to play! Such a fun twist and it's always nice to see more about Wes and Jamie after their books. You don't want to miss this sweet novella!

 

WAGS Book 2: Stay by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

WAGS Book 2

Can you fall in love with someone you've never even met?

Hailey Taylor Emery has a hunch that her favorite client at Fetch--an anonymous virtual assistant service--is actually hockey star Matt Eriksson.

Although it's against the rules for her to check his file, she's 95% sure she spends at least part of each day texting with her lifelong crush and catering to his every need. Still nursing a wounded heart thanks to her recent breakup, Hailey is perfectly content with some harmless online flirting...until she has to meet her client. Face to face. Cue: utter panic.

Matt Eriksson is no stranger to heartbreak. He's still not over the destruction of his marriage, and it sucks to be the only guy on the team who knows the truth--that hockey and long-term relationships are a toxic mix. He barely sees his kids, and dealing with his ex makes him feel insane. The only person in his life who seems to understand is someone who won't show her pretty face.

But it's nothing that a pair of fourth row hockey seats can't fix. Hailey can't resist the offer. Matt can't resist Hailey. Good thing he doesn't have to. Fire up the kiss cam!

Warning: Contains rabid hockey fans, misunderstood dick pics, hockey players at the opera and exploding ovaries.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34080660-stay

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

So glad Matt got his own story and happily ever after! Poor guy has been through a lot in the last few books and totally deserved his own happy ending. When Matt isn't in the rink playing hockey is is dealing with the aftermath of his divorce and the issues is ex is causing that is keeping him from seeing his kids. Nothing is easy and he just wants something that makes him feel less insane. Hailey runs a company that is basically a delivery service for anyone and at any time. You need something? They'll find it for you. Hailey has had a suspicion that one anonymous client is none other than Matt Eriksson, the hockey star for Toronto. And when a request comes in from Matt that she needs to do personally it gives them a chance to cross paths in real life rather than just the exchange of messages. They are great for one another. Both dealing with divorce and how that killed their confidences, they learn together what it means to date again and fall in love with someone who will appreciate you. Loved this story! Both are such great characters and of course there are a ton of cameos from our favorite characters from this world/series. 

WAGS Book 1: Good Boy by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

WAGS Book 1

Hosting her brother’s wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning’s life. Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody - absolutely nobody! - can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.

Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor, and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.

But Jess has more pressing issues to deal with than sexy-times with a giant man-child. Such as: Will the ceremony start on time, even though someone got grandma drunk? Does glitter ever belong at a wedding? And is it wrong to murder the best man?

Caution: May cause accidental aspiration of tea or coffee. Do not read in a public place where loud laughter is inappropriate. Contains hot but hilarious hockey players, puppy cuddling and a snarky pair of underwear.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30747137-good-boy

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

Cheezus! If that word wasn't added to your vocabulary by the end of this book, you are a liar! I loved this book. Spin-off from the Him series that features Jamie and Wes. Good Boy follows Blake Riley, neighbor and teammate of Wes, and Jess Canning, Jamie's sister. The book starts with Jamie and Wes's wedding that Jess has been planning for the last several months after deciding that she wanted to be a party planner. By the time the wedding comes, she decides that once again that career is not for her. But she also realized that she has to see Blake again who she had hooked up with when she visited Jamie a few months before when he was sick. Her mind tells her that she cannot have a repeat but her body has other plans. And Blake too for that matter. Blake wants another night with Jess. Once wasn't enough and he believes the chemistry between them is too strong to ignore. Jumping to a few months later, Jess's new plan for a career is to be a nurse, so off to nursing school she goes! And she swears that this time will be different. She's thought long and hard about this one and believes in her gut that this is the right path. And that path takes her to Toronto. Toronto where Jamie and Wes live and of course Blake. As Jess works hard at school, Blake is determined to prove to Jess that they could be more than just friends. But what starts off as a casual hook up here and there turns more for Blake. And Blake hasn't let himself think of a girlfriend since the disaster that was 5 years earlier. But for Jess, he knows it is worth it. It's just making her realize that they can be great at something more. This book was of course great especially because Blake has got to be one of the most hilarious characters ever. You never know what it gonna fly out of his mouth but he loud and friendly and just an overall great guy. It was so fun reading his story and having him find his happily ever after. Great story and I can't wait to read the next one!

Him Series Book 2: Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Him Series Book 2

Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves—Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29475332-us

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Another Jamie and Wes story! A few months after the last book Jamie and Wes are living their new lives in Toronto. Wes is having a kick ass career on the ice and Jamie is loving his new coaching job. But it isn't so easy hiding their relationship from the world. Wes wants to keep his rookie season only in the spotlight for hockey. Not for anything outside of it. He's afraid of the consequences of having is private life aired not only for him but for Jamie. Jamie thought he could manage keeping things quiet but every day it proves a little bit harder. His love for Wes is stronger than ever but he doesn't want to hide his love for him. Jamie and Wes struggle to maintain their happiness with crazy schedules and the stress of laying low. But then after an unfortunate turn that gives them no choice, they have to navigate these new waters. And surprisingly to Wes, it doesn't go nearly as bad as he imagined. Though there are always some challenges that are out of their hands. Loved this follow up story! So great and now I need to read the rest of the stories that spin off from these. Plus the follow up novella. Can't wait!

Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Him Series Book 1

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend... and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25686927-him

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Jamie and Wes were friends for years, only getting a chance to see one another at hockey camp for six weeks during the summer. That is until Wes stopped answering Jamie and Jamie has no idea why. Years later, their paths cross when both of their teams make it to the playoffs for their college teams. Jamie wants answers to how he lost his best friend. While Wes wants forgiveness for feeling like a jerk that last summer and the years after for ignoring Jamie. Turns out, a bet between the two led to a hook up where Wes feels like he pushed the boundaries of their friendship. He had realized he was gay and that he was most definitely falling for Jamie. And a drunk hookup is now what you do with your straight best friend. After clearing a little of the air during playoffs, Jamie is gone before they can reconnect. So Wes goes forward with a crazy idea. He'll go back to the camp they first met at and coach alongside Jamie for the summer before the two of them start their NHL careers. And the summer turns out to be more than either expected. Jamie is learning more about himself this summer and Wes is at the center. And Wes knows that falling even more in love with your best friend is a bad idea if they have no future. Jamie and Wes are such great characters and their love story is so great! You can't help rooting for these two the more you read about them. Great story!

Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison

 

From USA Bestseller Natasha Madison comes a brand new Hockey series The Only One.

Ralph

Being traded to Dallas was a dream come true. I had everything I wanted, my game had never been better, and my wife was due to have our baby any day now.

What could go wrong?

Everything.

I was now raising our baby on my own. After hockey practice and games, I didn't have time to sleep, let alone make sure my social media was up to par.

I never thought I'd get a second chance at love.

Candace

When my hotshot brother was drafted in the NHL, he didn't have time to do his social media, so I took over for him. Little did I know it would become my career.

My plate was full with over fifty NHL players, and I wasn't taking on any new clients.

Yet when he showed up on my doorstep with the cutest little girl in the whole world, I couldn't say no.

I was just helping, but it turned into more than that. He's the man I've been waiting for.

All it takes is one touch, one night, one chance, and only one kiss.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53413978-only-one-kiss

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Candace has one rule as a woman who's business is to run NHL players' social media accounts: Don't date your clients. She has never broken the rule nor was she ever tempted. That is until she meets Ralph. Ralph is struggling to balance the life of a NHL hockey player and raising his six-month year old daughter. He's almost got it down pact and he would do anything for his baby girl. She is all he has and all he needs. But when he meets Candace it is the first time he questions if perhaps there is room for one more woman in his life. They try to keep everything professional and perhaps even just the status of friends. But that quickly comes crumbling down by the chemistry between the two. Can Ralph give Candace his heart? And can Candace take a chance on someone who might be worth breaking her rules for? It's definitely a nice romance story. But I could immediately tell it was set in a bigger universe with lots of books before it and what I learned there are more after it. You of course don't need to read them, but I am super curious about some of the other characters we are introduced to and what their stories are. Overall, a pretty good story!

Blackwater Pack Book 1: Sanctum by Hannah McBride

Blackwater Pack Book 1

A survivor on the run

Barely escaping with her life, Skye Markham and her mother flee their sadistic pack and seek sanctuary within Blackwater. Against all odds, Skye tries to create a new life for herself. A life she thought only existed in dreams is now within reach.

An alpha with a pack to protect

Remy Holt has spent years guarding his pack - his family - from threats as the next alpha in line. When the Blackwater pack decides to help the Markhams, Skye becomes one of his own … In more ways than one, if his wolf has anything to say about it.

A bond unlike any other

As Skye and Remy’s lives collide, the shifter world starts to implode. Missing shifters, a dying population, and pack wars are causing their sanctuary to crumble around them. Skye thought she was finally safe … but maybe there’s no such thing.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54763095-sanctum

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I will admit that the beginning of this book was a bit tough. I had to put it down for a while and then pick it back up. There was a warning in the beginning that this book was a tougher YA and for those that are seventeen and older and I agreed. This book touched a lot of tough subjects and was not afraid to give some details. But I'm glad I stuck with the book because it ended up being really great and I'm definitely excited to read more of the series. 

With that said, this book follow Skye, a female wold shifter who is in a sadistic pack before her and her mom make an escape. And when I say sadistic, I mean sadistic. It was a horror show (insert all those tough themes). And when things are going to taken and even worse turn, Skye's mom's best friend helps Skye and her mom get out. They reach the Blackwater Pack, where Skye's mom's best friend had family. They take them in and immediately Skye is floored by the differences between packs. For now they are safe. Then Skye is flown to Montana where the teenagers attend school. There she meets kids from her pack and finds herself making friends for the very first time. Skye slowly starts to find herself and heal from the trauma of her past. But the biggest surprise comes from Remy. The Blackwater Alpha at the school. The school packs each have their own Alpha to keep order and who are likely to be the future alphas of their packs. The instant connection between Remy and Skye is there and even more surprising is the bond that clicks between them. For the first time Skye feels safe. And possibly even happy. But her past has let her go just yet and there are missing shifters from packs from all over. Something is happening and soon it will be up to Skye and her friends to find out what it is. 

Great book. Like I said earlier, a lot of tough themes here, but it was handled very, very well. The book had so much to it and I'm looking forward to reading more about this world and all these great characters we were introduced to. Can't wait for more!

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Inheritance Games Book 1

A Cinderella story with deadly stakes and thrilling twists, perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52439531-the-inheritance-games

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the queen of writing mystery thrillers in YA. Seriously. Every book I have read by her has never let me down. Once you pick up her books, you can't put them down until you get to the end. You have to solve the mystery that plagues the characters. You have to see if you can see it before them. And I don't think I ever have. At least not until that last moment where something clicks just as the main characters sees it too. Just brilliant. This has to be one of, if not, my favorite book by her. And I'm so glad there is a book two. So this book follows Avery who has a simple plan for her future. Get through high school, get a scholarship to college, and get out. Stay invisible and not drawn attention to yourself. Just survive. But then her life changes when Grayson Hawthorne tracks her down. Apparently she was named in his grandfather, Tobias's, will. She has no idea who Tobias is or why he would name her in his will, but with little choice she goes with her half-sister/guardian to Texas to find out. She soon learns that not only were Tobias's daughters not the one to inherit his massive billion dollar fortune, his favored four grandsons weren't either. After leaving practically nothing to any of his family, he leaves everything—billions—to Avery. Avery's life changes in the most impossible of ways but she soon learns something interesting about Tobias. He has a knack for puzzles and riddles. Something he taught his grandsons. Drawn to discovering why Tobias picked her, Avery finds herself working to solve the puzzle and clues Tobias left behind. And she doesn't do it alone. With shaky trust, she finds herself working side by side with more than one Hawthorne brother. The puzzles were super intriguing and the book was definitely a thriller. With the possibility of someone wanting to kill Avery and the race to solve the puzzles this book was anything but boring. I loved it. And by the end we have another mystery to solve and I cannot wait to read the next one! If you love puzzles and just so many great mysteries threaded into one book, then you definitely want to check this book out. Can't wait for more!

A Storm Runner Novel Book 3: The Shadow Crosser by J.C. Cervantes

Storm Runner Book 3

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents J.C. Cervantes' epic finale to the Storm Runner trilogy, a tale of mystery, magic, and mayhem featuring gods from both Maya and Aztec mythology.

Zane Obispo has been looking forward to his training at the Shaman Institute for Higher Order Magic, and not only because it means he'll be reunited with his best friend, Brooks. Anything would be better than how he has spent the last three months: searching for the remaining godborns with a nasty demon who can sniff them out (literally). But when Zane tracks down the last kid on his list, he's in for a surprise: the ""one"" is actually a pair of twins, and they're trying to prevent a mysterious object from falling into the wrong hands.

After a shocking betrayal, Zane finds himself at SHIHOM sooner than expected. Even more shocking is the news that the Maya gods have gone missing. The bat god, Camazotz, and Ixkik' (aka Blood Moon) have taken them out of commission . . . and the godborns are their next target. The only thing the villains need now? The object that the twins possess.

Zane knows the godborns aren't strong enough yet to stand up to Zotz, Ixkik', and their army. There might be a way to save the gods, but it involves locating a magical calendar that can see across time and space . . . not to mention traveling more than thirty years into the past.

In The Shadow Crosser, Zane and his friends embark on their most treacherous mission yet--a mission that, with one blunder, could change history as we know it, and worse, destroy the universe.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49293602-the-shadow-crosser

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

A fantastic conclusion to this trilogy! I loved this series since I picked up book one and the third book did not disappoint. Zane and his friends are back and now it is time to defeat Camazotz and Ixkik once and for all. His mission to gather the godborns is just about complete. Though tracking down the last one, which turns out to be twins, is tricky, he makes it out of there in one piece. But their plans are quickly derailed when after the godborns are claimed by parents, the gods are taken! As Zane and his friends find a solution to try and find the missing gods they find out there are a lot more twists and turns they could ever imagine. And the biggest twist of all is where the gods are exactly. Nothing is ever easy for Zane. And this is his biggest and most dangerous mission yet. Like I said earlier, I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. There were a lot of plot twists that kept me on my toes. And the ending was great too. Especially that it left it with the possibility of more books from this world. Which I learned it looks like we are getting two more books, but from Ren's point of view as she tackles an issue that was brought up at the end of this book. So excited! I loved reading these stories and learning more about the Mayan gods. Definitely a neat branch of mythology. Can't wait to read more from this author! 

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater & Illustrated by Morgan Beem

Twins Alec and Walker Holland have a reputation around town. One is quiet and the other is the life of any party, but they are inseparable. For their last summer before college, the two leave the city to live with their rural cousins, where they find that the swamp holds far darker depths than they could have imagined.

While Walker carves their names into the new social scene, Alec recedes into a summer school laboratory, because he brought something from home on their trip—it’s an experiment that will soon consume him. This season, both brothers must confront truths, ancient and familial, and as their lives diverge, tensions increase and dormant memories claw to the surface.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50901698-swamp-thing

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My Review 3.5/5 Stars 

A new origin story for Swamp Thing, this story follows twins, Alec and Walker Holland. Complete opposites but the brotherly connection and love for one another absolute. Both are willing to do whatever for the other and will never abandon the other. After catching Alec and Walker catch their father cheating on their mom, they leave to spend the summer with their cousins. Alec isn't great with people. He doesn't understand them much, but he does understand plants and loves to do research. But when his plants are destroyed when they arrive at the swamp, he is devastated but determined to start over and see if he can fix the damage. His experiments are basically trying to capture the memories of plants. And the more experiments done, the weirder things get. I really enjoyed this graphic novel. Especially that it wasn't too long ago that I watched the new DC show, Swamp Thing. Though very different from this novel, it was nice to see a different interpretation of these characters from the original comics. Great story!

The Eldest Curses Book 2: The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

The Eldest Curses Book 2

From #1 New York Times bestselling authors Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu comes the second book in the Eldest Curses series and a thrilling new adventure for High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, for whom a death-defying mission into the heart of evil is not just a job, it’s also a romantic getaway. The Lost Book of the White is a Shadowhunters novel.

Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway.

Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter.

Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too.

Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead. Can they stop the threat to the world? Will they make it back home before their kid completely wears out Alec’s mom?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34605974-the-lost-book-of-the-white

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

A story that follows Alec and Magnus is always a good story. And this one was even more special considering what it involved and the time it took place. It is set not long after Simon completes the Shadowhunter Academy, which means Magnus and Alec are raising Max. Alec and Magnus are facing the warlock they let go in the previous Eldest Curses book. What makes this one a tad better than the last one (to me at least) is a few things: Max, the whole New York Shadowhunter crew is back together for another save the world mission, my love that is Jem Carstairs, and of course many other things. 

So in this story Shinyun is back and things have changed since the last time we saw her. She serves a Prince of Hell, kidnapped Ragnor Fell and made it so he is forced to work with her, and steals the Book of White from Alec and Magnus's home. And of course stabs Magnus with some sketchy magic before she departs. Now it is up to them and the whole New York crew to chase after the warlock and figure out how to save Magnus before the magic eventually kills him. 

Man, I love the Shadowhunter world. I love diving back into these stories. And it is always weird to go back in the past when you know the last book that came out was set a few years later. Everything eventually connects. Little hints are dropped here and there. And I love that we do go back because there was a five year difference between the last book in the Mortal Instruments series and the Dark Artifices series. Plus, this one is particular takes place only a few months after Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. So we got to see how Simon is truly adjusting after that ordeal. And of course, how Alec and Magnus are dealing with the beginning of parenthood. Yeah, there was a lot. Lot to love though. This particular story was great. Lots of action and new characters and enemies are introduced. It just expanded the world a little bit more and this world is so huge. It's nice to truly get everything out of it as possible. Great book. Can't wait for the next one that will tie up this storyline. 

The Bridge Kingdom Series Book 2: The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

The Bridge Kingdom Book 2

A queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched Ithicana be conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter.

And it is bait she fully intends to take.

Risking her life to the Tempest Seas, Lara returns to Ithicana with a plan not only to free its king, but for liberating the Bridge Kingdom from her father’s clutches using his own weapons: the sisters whose lives she spared. But not only is the palace inescapable, there are more players in the game than Lara ever realized, enemies and allies switching sides in the fight for crowns, kingdoms, and bridges. But her greatest adversary of all might be the very man she’s trying to free – the husband she betrayed.

With everything she loves in jeopardy, Lara must decide who – and what – she is fighting for: her kingdom, her husband, or herself. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51857964-the-traitor-queen

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Loved this book and I am loving this series! The Bridge Kingdom was so good and I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Traitor Queen. And it was just as great as I hoped it would be! After the craziness that was book one, we return with Lara trying to convince the country she betrayed to give her a chance to save their king, the man she loves. Lara understands that her mistakes may never be forgiven, but that doesn't mean she won't do everything in her power to make it right. And that starts with rescuing Aren from her father. Lara recruits the sisters she saved to help her. Meanwhile, Aren is hurting physically and emotionally at the hands of Lara's father. Taken as his prisoner, Aren is tortured by watching his people try to rescue him and fail. And his anger for Lara is stronger than ever because on top of her betrayal, he still loves her. A rescue mission and then soon the two of them work together to return to Ithicana and save it. It isn't an easy journey for either of them. Again, physically and emotionally. They still love one another but know they can't have a future. That the people of Ithicana will not accept a traitor queen. It will take quite a lot for them to even consider it after everything that has happened. And finding out if it was possible was such a great part of the story. Then there were the battles and the new characters we meet. This story was fantastic. I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait to read more from this series!
 

Serpent & Dove Series Book 2: Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent & Dove Series Book 2

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40550366-blood-honey

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My Review 5/5 Stars

I have no words for how that book ended. Too much happened and a cliffhanger like no other. This book took you on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride. The aftermath of the previous book has Lou and Reid struggling to cope with what happened. Lou has to deal with the fact that she almost died again by the hands of her mother and in response she is letting her magic control her rather her controlling it. Reid has to deal with the fact that he is in fact a witch. And the more he watches Lou be out of control with her magic, the less he wants anything to do with magic. Their love for one another is still strong, yet strained with all that is going on. Their latest plan takes them to other magic beings in order to form alliances. They have a limited time before Morganne’s next attack and they will need all the help they can get. Even if the help comes from their enemies. We meet some pretty amazing characters and others who are dangerous and pretty insane. This book was a fantastic follow up, but man that ending seriously hurt me in more ways than one. To say I was shocked was an understatement. And then the very end, I have no idea what will happen next. I can’t wait to find out, but the wait is gonna be brutal.

Blood and Ash Series Book 2: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Blood and Ash Book 2

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a new novel in her Blood and Ash series…

A Betrayal…

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice...

Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…

But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54319549-a-kingdom-of-flesh-and-fire

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Wow! Just lots of wow right now. I loved From Blood and Ash. Loved it. And I couldn't wait for book two. And I was seriously not disappointed. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire was everything I needed in the sequel and more. It picks immediately where book one ended. Yeah, seriously, right after. And we all know where that ended. And this story is really about Poppy figuring out what is next. Can she forgive Casteel? Will she hold on to her anger? Can she let it go? Is she going to run? Will she be free? Will she find her brother. Lots of anger that is the definition of Poppy. Angry at herself for not seeing the truth, angry at Hawke for lying. And even more angry at the fact that despite everything that happened she still has these feelings for him. It's a lot. Lots of stabbing and threatening to stab from her of course. We wouldn't expect anything less. But Poppy and Casteel reach an agreement of sorts at some point. One that has us the readers saying okay we'll see how this goes and how long will Poppy fight all her feelings. And as she becomes an emotional hurricane, there are other things going on. We get so much more information on Atlantia and the truth behind the Ascended. I loved the stories and myths tied in. This book had it all. The continuation of a great fantasy world, the adventure, and the epic romance that got kicked up a notch. The romantic journey Poppy and Cas take in this book is insane. Another thing I loved was the new characters and the ones we only got short glimpses of. Such a fun book with great characters. And okay that ending. WOW. I don't even know how to process and truly figure out what is going on but I cannot wait to find out in book three!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.