Andie
First, let me tell you I recommend reading the prequel Cruel Kiss before reading this one. However, you don't need to read the rest of the books of this series to jump into Cruel Kiss and Cruel King. I've been anticipating Gavin and Whitley's story since meeting them in Cruel Truth! Couldn't believe it when I finally got it on my Kindle!
I've loved Whitley from day one, so I knew I would love her through her story. Gavin could go either way, even though I always enjoyed his bromance with Court and his friendship with Camden. Fortunately, this story made me love Whitley even more and I fell in love with Gavin too!
Whitley and Gavin have been friends for a long time, they had an interesting dynamic even helping each other out to hook up with other people. After certain events, some of which were included in Cruel Kiss, Whitley left New York to work in LA and stayed there for a few years. The story in Cruel King picks up when Whitley comes back to New York and it was so fun following the events that led these two to fake an engagement!
Gavin always had feelings for Whitley, but he let her do her thing trying not to scare her, afraid she would run away. But he took all the opportunities he could to be closer and deepen their relationship. So, after Whitley finally came back to the city, he decided to ask her for help as his fake girlfriend/fiancé to make her fall for him too. Whitley had a difficult past, so falling in love was scary for her especially because she thought she sucked as a girlfriend. It was interesting how both of them were similar in some ways and so different in other aspects. That only made the dynamic between them funnier, steamier, and so freaking enjoyable.
Gavin was the sweetest! I loved how he loved Whitley just as she was through it all. Whitley will remain one of my favorite romance heroines, I truly understood her fear of being vulnerable and in love. Everything made perfect sense considering her upbringing, and her personality and I knew that things needed to reach a pivotal point.
However, my favorite book is still Cruel Desire (Court and Anna are my favorite couple! And Court remains my favorite character in this universe). The backstory between Gavin and Whitley could've played a larger role in this book. The reader is told about what happened after the events of Cruel Kiss (the prequel), but we never see it. A flashback of the circumstances that led Whitley to leave for LA could've been included.
Anyway, I enjoyed Cruel King a lot. Highly entertaining, and very steamy, with so many funny moments, perfect banter, and a splendid epilogue.
Recommend it if you're looking for an easy, steamy read set in the Upper East Side world with great characters, a mix of emotional and funny moments, amazing banter, and the fake dating trope.
I enjoyed the story, but the pacing wasn't the best and that impacted my enjoyment. There were a lot of time jumps during the time they were filming the TV show, and I feel like the pining was cut short because of that. It also meant that there was a lot of telling instead of showing as a result of the time jumps.
I loved the chemistry and banter between the characters, and the body positivity was amazing! I had lots of fun reading the texts between the cast too. I wasn't a fan of Maria's actions when Peter got a job offer to film in another location. They're actors... I don't know what she expected, and her irrational behavior got on my nerves. By that point, it felt like they were two very different people. Not sure if their relationship would work IRL.
Overall, I liked it but sadly didn't love it.
4.5 stars
I get why this is a controversial book, but it worked for me.
The darkness made sense considering everything Pip went through (and was still going through).
I loved this story, the over-the-top storyline, the emotions, the characters, and the mystery.
The mystery was easily guessed, but everything afterward made it worth it.
I'm obsessed with the last line! Loved it!
Cyrus Malcolm is a hot, sexy, chill superstar. He got a superhero role in a series of movies, and he gained a lot of fans because of that. There's a necessity to strengthen his security, so he needs to get a few new bodyguards as soon as possible.
Beth moved to LA because she got her dream job. She's getting her first assignment working as a security specialist for an A-lister whose identity she doesn't know yet. However, the night before she's going to start her dream job, she needs to do a favor for a friend and impersonate her friend on a blind date. Can you guess who ends up being her date?
After a hilarious first date, and a mistaken identity, Beth and Cyrus are in a team meeting realizing they'll be working very close together because Cyrus is the mysterious client, and Beth is one of his undercover bodyguards.
I loved how Cyrus and Beth's story started. Their first date was hilarious! So funny! Their chemistry was instant, and the banter... PERFECTION! I adored Cyrus, he knew what he wanted, and he fought so hard for Beth's heart. He was impulsive at times for sure, but he was so sweet and caring. So swoon-worthy! Beth was a strong character too. She was very invested in her job, so it was easy to find her relatable when she tried to stay professional because she wanted to be the best at her job. Getting involved with her first client was not the best idea. But Cyrus was mining her resistance every step of the way, just by being herself.
Their romance was super slow-burn. Beth took her time to give in to their connection and attraction. It frustrated me at times because Cyrus had such a big heart! The snowstorm, forced proximity trope, took a while to reach. It was really fun anyway. When Beth accepted that she had feelings for Cyrus, and finally let him get close to her... these two were sweet, and fantastic together.
Even though Homecoming King, the first book in this series, remains my favorite, I had a lot of fun reading Drama King. It can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend both of these stories. Penny Reid never fails to make me fall for her characters. I loved the setting, the secondary characters, the slow-burn romance, and the chemistry between Cyrus and Beth. It was a sweet fun read! Can't wait to read the next book in this series.
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I forgot to rate this one.
3.5 stars
Really cool premise. The execution had flaws, it was particularly slow at the beginning, not very suspenseful, and a specific plot device didn't make much sense not listening to the whole tape? Seriously?.
However, it was entertaining, especially The Hydes' scenes, and it kept me interested.
Five Survive is a YA thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Red and five of her friends are traveling in an RV for Spring Break. However, disagreements arise when things don't go as planned, and road trips always have hiccups. It's not surprising that they get lost on the way to the beach, and then the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. What's surprising is that a sniper is hunting them and their secrets...
I read this in one day. I couldn't put it down, because I needed to know what was going on. The story was super fast-paced and the claustrophobic setting was cleverly written. My stomach was in knots the whole time I was reading. The characters were interesting, and everyone had secrets that they didn't want to reveal which made everything so much more intriguing. Most of them were unlikable, but even so, it was easy to root for the survival of the majority of them. The tension was high as soon as the RV broke down, and when survival mode hit... It felt like anything could happen.
Holly Jackson's writing and plot devices usually work for me, so it wasn't surprising that I devoured this book in one sitting and enjoyed it a lot. Jackson did a great job keeping me guessing, and the setting was perfect to keep my anxiety high. Even though there were a twist or two that I figure out early on, there were some that I didn't see coming. However, particularly one of the revelations was over the top. It didn't affect my enjoyment, because I was already expecting a crazy twist, and the puzzle pieces fit. It did bother me that one specific aspect concerning the main character wasn't explained, and was only used to add a level of uncertainty to a couple of events.
Overall, a thrilling, suspenseful, entertaining, action-packed, fast-paced YA story with shocking secrets and claustrophobic, tense moments.
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4.5 stars
I had so much fun reading this one! The cast of characters was fantastic! I also enjoyed the quest.
At first, I wasn't exactly enjoying it, even though I was intrigued by it. But after the first few pages, I fell in love with the story and the characters.
Entertaining, with dark elements, a great cast of characters, and an interesting quest. Super enjoyable.
3.5 stars - rating based on enjoyment
I enjoyed this one less than the first book in this duology, mostly because Brie gave whiplash during this one. Her feelings regarding Sebastian and her inner monologue about herself were mostly annoying and contradictory, throughout the story.
Finn and Misha were my favorite characters in this one. There were some interesting elements regarding the bond between Fae that I enjoyed. The world opened up significantly in this one. It was heavily Acotar and Throne of Glass inspired.
Entertaining and enjoyable, but it had its flaws and left some character arcs behind.
Princess and the Player is the second book in the Strangers in Love series, but it can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the first book yet, and I didn't feel like I had missed any piece of the story.
Francesca and Tuck meet in a unique, fun way. Francesca ended her engagement after catching her fiancée in a compromising situation, and Tuck isn't interested in a serious relationship. Their attraction is instant, hence the decision to share a one-night stand. Their chemistry is off the charts, so that night is much more than either of them hoped. However, they walk away from each other that same night just like they agreed. Fortunately, a few weeks later they bump into each other and realize they live in the same building, and their chemistry is even hotter after one night...
I enjoyed the first half of Tuck and Fran's story a lot. Tuck's emotional struggle with his past, his parents, and even his genes was so well written. I loved how flawed and real that side of him was. Fran also had a complex past and it influenced how she handled what was happening in her life and her relationship with Tuck. Trust didn't come easy for these two. It made perfect sense considering what both of them went through. Regardless, that lack of trust went on for too long. Francesca keeping the pregnancy from Tuck for that long exasperated me. The story also had a lot going on at the same time. Fran had to deal with the surprise pregnancy, a new job, a friend's decision that had an emotional impact on her, and a huge discovery she ended up making about her family, Tuck was struggling with his career, his feelings for Fran, talking about creating a nonprofit, dealing with stuff about his mom... It was just too much going on. It came to a point when it was mostly “tell” than show, and things felt rushed in the end. Fortunately, I still liked how things wrapped up.
I wanted to love this book, but sadly that didn't happen. However, there were several things about this book I liked:
- Found family;
- Strong backstories and flawed characters;
- Tuck and Fran's walks in the park;
- The chemistry between them;
- Tuck's sports career;
- The first fast-paced half of the story;
- Jasper (Tuck's teammate and friend).
I still want to read the first book in this series and I'll surely read Jasper's story if he gets one.
ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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These stories are important. I'm glad they're told here and that I read them.
I was expecting a nonfiction book but this was a mix between a memoir, nonfiction, and fiction. I think the author referred to it as “creative nonfiction”. I really enjoyed the “reporting” part, not so much the creative parts.
I'm leaving this one unrated.
I think I read too many Hazelwoods novellas this year. Or my expectations were too high. IDK.
So, take this review with a grain of salt.
Honestly, I had fun listening to it but the repetitiveness ended up being too much. Too much tall/huge or small/tiny physical descriptions, over-the-top stuff happening that made me cringe (seriously, that ending...), and some of the dialogue was just cheesy. LOTB made me glad TLH only had one steamy scene. And I like steam in romance, so that says a lot on its own.
I still liked the science in it, the banter, and the slow burn. There were some funny characters and moments too.
I might need a break from Hazelwood's stories for a while.
Whoa. This one was a rollercoaster!
House of Curses is the third book in K.A. Linde's Royal Houses series. First of all, the second book in the series was released a year ago, so I'm thankful that Linde managed to insert a few recaps of certain events very cleverly at the beginning of this book. Secondly, I couldn't put my Kindle down as soon as I started reading it.
At the start of the book, Kerrigan and Fordham are dealing separately with different things in their lives. Fordham is trying to break his curse after being forced to leave Kerrigan behind to protect her, while Kerrigan is struggling with an unwanted wedding, dealing with her father and their house, and her new position in the Society. However, as if all of that wasn't enough, she's also being pushed into an unexpected election.
The pacing of this book was insane. A lot was unpacked, everything was happening with EVERYONE, and I was glued to my Kindle. I love all of the characters, so I wanted to read from everyone's POV at all times. However, this is my personal preference. I tend to enjoy multi-POV books. However, because of all the stuff happening with Kerrigan, and since Fordham was MIA for 50% of the book (but very much present in Kerrigan's thoughts, dreams, and visions), the book was better balanced in following different events and POVs during the first half. In the second half, we didn't get much time to follow what was going on with Clover, Hadrian, and Darby, for example. Even though we had a few other POVs, following the same pattern of the first part, the pacing increased even more and some of the characters didn't pop up as much as I wished. I wanted more Dozan and scenes in the Waster! I wouldn't mind if we had gotten more pages to explore the secondary characters and locations.
There were a few details that I didn't enjoy as much as I wanted. The identity of the main villain was a little obvious from a certain point, I wish it had kept the suspense going a little longer. I also didn't enjoy a certain detail regarding the romance between Kerrigan and Fordham (it's a Fae detail... if you know, you know). I don't think it was necessary at all. And this book features a trope I dislike in fantasy books, one that was used a lot in YA Fantasy. I'm not going to disclose it because it's a spoiler. However, it didn't bother me as much because this is not the final book in the series. I'm pretty sure that Linde is going to turn it on its head. Fingers crossed
As I said before, the cast of characters is very strong in this series. I won't say I loved all the POVs because I honestly didn't care about Harbor (Fordham's cousin). However, I really enjoyed Isa, a villain, and Wynter, Fordham's sister, POVs. Kerrigan was, once again, a great character to follow. She had a lot going on: bonding with her father, learning more about her spirit magic while practicing, studying magical artifacts, enduring March and the boatload of social mandatory events, dealing with the discrimination and the Red Masks, the anti-human and anti-half fae terrorist organization, etc. The political intrigue was at its peak in this installment of the series.
I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding Kerrigan's mother. I'm very intrigued about it! And don't even get me started about the ending! The cliffhanger was brutal! Can't wait to read the next one!
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading House of Curses. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fae fantasy romance, dragons, magic, political intrigue, fast-paced action, and interesting fantasy worlds.
Thank you to Wildfire Marketing for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 stars
This one was a wild, whimsical ride. I wanted more from it. The vibes, the atmosphere, and the world were pretty interesting. The mystery surrounding Caraval was great.
However, there's a lot that isn't explained, which IMO is intentional, and there's not much character development. I was still immersed in this strange world anyway.
I'll continue with the series.