Origin Series Book 3: The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Origin Book 3

The thrills, drama, and intrigue continue in the third installment of the Origin series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout.

He is the darkest star.

You are the burning shadow.

And together, you will bring about the brightest night.

Less than a year ago, Evelyn Dasher was a normal girl, living an unremarkable life.

Now, she's on the run, under the protection of the beautiful, deadly inhuman Luc. She's been betrayed by those who were closest to her. And she's learned truths about herself that she never saw coming--things she once knew, and was made to forget. Truths with devastating consequences. She's caught in the eye of the storm.

She is the eye of the storm.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247265-the-brightest-night

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Holy llamas, that book was insane. Seriously. Insane. So many plot twists. And a cliffhanger ending or really endings, simply because way too much happened at once. Wow! Definitely a favorite of the series so far. So this book picks up literally where the last one ended. With the knowledge that Jason Dasher is actually alive. So many questions swirl around Evie and Luc with revelation but at least they now know the truth and what exactly they are facing. This books spends most of the time with Evie learning more about her abilities. It's time to test them and figure out a way to have control over them. That way if the Cassio Wave is ever used again, she has a better chance of remembering who she is and who are the friends and who are the enemies. There are a ton of cool revelations with discovering the extent of her abilities. Some of the other things I loved about this book was more Luc and Evie together, bringing back familiar and beloved characters, the birth of a very special Origin, and so much more. And of course this book had quite the amount of plot twists that blew my mind and I wouldn't dare of spoiling. And the ending... AH! I am still wrapping my mind around it. And I thought the last cliffhanger was bad. I need the next book STAT! Loved, loved this book. No surprises when it comes to this author and this series in particular. Cannot wait for more!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 4: The Dragon's Charge by Jessie Donovan

Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 4

Brad Harper has known that the human bar owner, Natasha Jenkins, is his true mate since he first met her by chance on a night out with friends. However, after his first mate ran off with a human, he’s held a grudge. He only took the job in the bar as a favor to his clan leader. But when both Natasha’s bar and her life are in jeopardy, he has no choice but to protect her. The only question is if he can resist her.

Natasha Jenkins likes setting goals and achieving them. It’s how she was able to set up a successful bar in Reno and be her own boss. However, when some troublemakers show up and soon start harassing her clientele, hoping to put her out of business, she struggles with what to do. Then there’s a threat to her life and she finds herself swept into the unknown world of dragon-shifters. One dragonman in particular seems to both hate her and want to protect her at any cost.

When Natasha has no choice to but to have a fake marriage, she soon learns more about the dragonman who used to work for her. And just when she thinks maybe she can craft a new life plan, trouble shows up again. Except this time, it could destroy everything she holds dear once and for all.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53903562-the-dragon-s-charge

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I love these dragon-shifters book. So much fun jumping back into this world. And I was excited to read the next Tahoe Dragon Mates book. So this book follows Brad and Tasha, who we briefly met in the last Tahoe Dragons books. After helping Ashley and Wes in the previous book, it seems that the danger those two faced has shifted a bit to Tasha. When there is an attempt to attack Tasha at her bar, Brad steps in just in time to stop them from hurting Tasha. But now they realized that she is the next target of the League. The organization of humans who hate dragon-shifters. The only way to truly to protect Tasha is to being her to StoneRiver, Brad's clan. But that's exactly what Brad has been avoiding: getting closer to Tasha. Because it turns out she is his true mate. And after being hurt by a human not too long ago, he doesn't want to put his trust in another. Not even for his true mate. But being forced together has led to both realizing there is more to the other than they originally thought. And why push away the chance for true happiness? Tasha and Brad are great characters and I loved getting to see another American dragon clan. The world just keeps getting bigger and I'm here for it!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Roommate Romps Book 1: Loathe Thy Neighbor by Teagan Hunter

Roommate Romps Book 1

Don’t fall for your enemy…especially when he’s your new roommate.

Dean Evans is the worst.

Not only does the devil in disguise steal my pie on a regular basis, he also lives in the apartment right. Next. Door.

I see him all the time. At the mailboxes. In the elevator.

Every single morning.

It’s exhausting because he’s exhausting.

Now, after setting his apartment on fire, he’s my roommate…and he’s the worst at that too.

I don’t know what possessed me to let him stay with me. Pity, perhaps?

I do know that I won’t be falling for his charm.

Or that panty-dropping smirk.

His quick wit.

That body he works so hard for.

Nope. Not falling for any of it…least of all him.

There might be a fine line between love and hate, but I know exactly where I stand.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54398537-loathe-thy-neighbor?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=li8GEuUkAs&rank=1

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My Review: 3.5/5 Stars 

River can't stand her next door neighbor, Dean. His music is too loud and he steals River's cherry pie from the diner every single Sunday. But despite the hate that flows between them, really it is just a front for the chemistry and the attraction that is between them. It's obvious. So obvious that everyone in their lives are just shouting at them to get together and be done with it. Too bad neither of them see it. Yeah they know they are attracted to the other but feelings? Has to be just hate right? Wrong. After Dean's apartment catches fire, River finds herself volunteering to let him stay with her. The war is on between the two but it doesn't take too long before they little by little get to know the other. Then comes the epic kiss that leads them to believe a friends with benefits situation has to be the way to go. The only rule is that it ends when Dean's apartment is fixed. As they get closer, feelings start forming but neither wants to admit it to the other. So sure that the other doesn't care. A short romance that definitely has you laughing at their antics and of course yelling that these two need to get together already. 

RoomHate by Penelope Ward

Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be a dream come true, right?

Not when it’s Justin… the only person I’d ever loved… who now hates me.

When my grandmother died and left me half of the house on Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she helped raise.

The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart I broke years ago.

The same teenager who’s now a man with a hard body and a hardass personality to match.

I hadn’t seen him in years, and now we’re living together because neither one of us is willing to give up the house.

The worst part? He didn’t come alone.

I’d soon realize there’s a thin line between love and hate. I could see through that smug smile. Beneath it all…the boy is still there. So is our connection.

The problem is…now that I can’t have Justin, I’ve never wanted him more.

Author's note – RoomHate is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27083865-roomhate?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=i4Bb1EVUSY&rank=2

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My Review: 3.5/5 

When Amelia learns that she inherited her nana's house, she never expected that she would be splitting custody with the boy she loved when she was a teenager and the one who's heart she broke. Years later, she knows that running away was the wrong move. But she was fifteen and didn't know any better. And now they have to face one another. And the reunion is worse than she imagined. Justin is clearly still very angry at her and even worse, he has a girlfriend that has come to the house for the summer too. So I will say this book wasn't as predictable as it could have been. Seriously. There were lots of plot twists where I literally said, "No! Stop! That did NOT just happen." Yep. This book kept me on my toes and I couldn't put it down. Though my rating is on the lower side, it was mostly because I didn't care too much for Amelia's and Justin's personality at times. Mostly Amelia because it is her point of view. I kept wanting to shout at her, which we all have books like that where we want to shake the main characters. But overall it was a good story. It is a long journey for Amelia and Justin to find their way back to one another. It rough and real. And it took work. Their happy ending was well deserved after everything they have been through. And the reason I kept reading was because not only the plot twists but because I was rooting for them to figure it out. Pretty good story overall! 

Fable by Adrienne Young

Fable Book 1

For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men. Fable takes you on a spectacular journey filled with romance, intrigue, and adventure.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44012880-fable

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I love a good pirate story. Throw in a kick ass heroine, an awesome crew, high-stakes, and of course a search for treasure then you got yourself a solid story. This story follows Fable, who was left on an island four years earlier by her father who is the most powerful trader in the Narrows. Believing he would be protecting her, he deserts her. But now before making her a deal, survive and find your way off this island to get back to me and I will give you what you belongs to you. So for years Fable has done that just that. She learned to survive powerful and dangerous people. She used the skills her mother taught her to save up and get passage off this island. Fable is almost there but a turn of events has her pleading with West and his crew to take her on their ship. She may not have enough money, but if she stays there she will surely die. And to her shock, West lets her on board. But there is more to West and his crew than she realizes. As they head to Ceros, Fable begins to feel at home with the crew. Yet, she knows that she has to face her father. And when she does, it isn't the exact welcome she expected. I loved this book. It was such a fun book to read. And there were plenty of twists and turns that kept me on my toes as I read it. It's a dangerous world and I was drawn in to find out how Fable, West, and their crew would survive. And that ending! I need the next book ASAP! 

Skyhunter by Marie Lu

Skyhunter Book 1

A broken world.

An overwhelming evil.

A team of warriors ready to strike back.

Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara.

A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts.

But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara's capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding?

Only one thing is clear: Talin is ready to fight to the death alongside her fellow Strikers for the only homeland she has left... with or without the boy who might just be the weapon to save—or destroy—them all.

Loyalty is life.

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu is back with an adrenaline-laced novel about the lengths one warrior will go to fight for freedom and those she loves.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53174067-skyhunter

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My Review: 4/5 Stars 

Marie Lu is definitely a favorite author of mine. I read I believe all of her series except one. And I was so excited to read her newest book. Overall, it was a great story and I look forward to book two. But I will admit that it was a bit slow for me. It took me a while to get into it. And it wasn't until more than half way did it truly pick up the pace and then I flew through it. Which I think was a little understandable considering the world she created. Sometimes you need to really establish that. And with that said, I have a feeling book two will be a lot faster pace (at least I hope so!). 

So this book follows Talin. She is Striker for her nation, Mara. And she is such an interesting character. First off, she can't speak. Her voice was damaged as a child when her and her mother were attacked by the Federation and mix in some emotional trauma, she just can't find her voice. So she uses a sign language to communicate. Which works out well for her, because as a solider for this nation she run to, they need to communicate in a sign language when it battle. Mara is the last nation standing from the Federation. It is only a matter of time before it is overrun by the Federation and the horrible monsters they created called Ghosts. But Talin refuses to give up just yet. Especially when a prisoner is brought to Mara. Talin senses there is something important about him and risks her neck to stand up and say they shouldn't execute him. With that, he becomes her responsibility and she knows she is expected to fail. But her gamble pays off. There is something special about Red. And soon they form this very unique bond. And with it comes the answer to saving their home. It's a mission where if they fail, their nation falls. 

So like I said earlier, the book was a little slow in the beginning for me personally. But I ended up loving the direction it took and that ending was fantastic. So of course, I have to know more! Marie Lu writes such great dystopian worlds and I know this one is going to be another great one to add to her collection.

The Lives of Saints

Grishaverse

Enter the world of the Grishaverse and Shadow and Bone, soon to be a Netflix original series!

Dive into the epic world of international bestselling author Leigh Bardugo with this beautifully illustrated replica of The Lives of Saints, the Istorii Sankt’ya, featuring tales of saints drawn from the beloved novels and beyond. Out of the pages of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, from the hands of Alina Starkov to yours, the Istorii Sankt’ya is a magical keepsake from the Grishaverse.

These tales include miracles and martyrdoms from familiar saints like Sankta Lizabeta of the Roses and Sankt Ilya in Chains, to the strange and obscure stories of Sankta Ursula, Sankta Maradi, and the Starless Saint.

This beautiful collection includes stunning full-color illustrations of each story.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54205369-the-lives-of-saints

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

A beautifully illustrated book, The Lives of Saints dives into the Grishaverse and explores the Saints that you read so much about in each of the books. This was a great guide that got into each of their stories. Next time I decide to read all of the series, I will be sure to have this book next to me. It will be nice to get a reminder on who is who. The Saints are so important in the Grishaverse. They are a big part of that world and it was nice to have a sort of guide of them to understand how they shape that universe. The illustrations were beautiful and stories all so different and interesting. Definitely a lot of fun to read and explore!

The Trials of Apollo Book 5: The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan

The Trials of Apollo Book 5

At last, the breathtaking, action-packed finale of the #1 bestselling Trials of Apollo series is here! Will the Greek god Apollo, cast down to earth in the pathetic moral form of a teenager named Lester Papadopoulos, finally regain his place on Mount Olympus? Lester's demigod friends at Camp Jupiter just helped him survive attacks from bloodthirsty ghouls, an evil Roman king and his army of the undead, and the lethal emperors Caligula and Commodus. Now the former god and his demigod master Meg must follow a prophecy uncovered by Ella the harpy. Lester's final challenge will be at the Tower of Nero, back in New York. Will Meg have a last showdown with her father? Will this helpless form of Apollo have to face his arch nemesis, Python? Who will be on hand at Camp Half-Blood to assist? These questions and more will be answered in this book that all demigods are eagerly awaiting.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48717744-the-tower-of-nero

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

What a fantastic end to an amazing series. This series was such a rollercoaster. It brought back so many amazing characters throughout the entire Percy Jackson world. I laughed (a lot). I cried (a lot). It was such a great series and this last book really did a wonderful job. After all the hardships Apollo has gone through he in in the endgame now. Apollo has learned so much during his time as a mortal. Lessons were learned and his character arc was fantastic. Few battles are left. It is time to defeat Nero and then his greatest enemy, Python. And it won't be easy. Apollo and Meg make it back to New York and gain a new ally. They see old friends and make it back to camp, ready to figure out a plan to take down Nero. Nico and Will (love them so much) and Rachel play an important role in this last quest. It was a very satisfying story and ending to this series. And the ending itself was a great way to wrap up everything we have come to love about this demigod world. You won't be disappointed in this final story. Love, love, loved it. 

Also!!! I see what you did there Rick at the end. Not gonna let it go. I need my Nico and Will book, please and thank you!! :) You may be done writing series in this world, but I'm pretty sure you won't mind writing some standalones!! Cause seriously, I need it badly!