Book Review: The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale, #2) by Melanie Dickerson

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Thomas Nelson

Published: 17th May 2016

Pages: 320

Genre: YA, Historical Romance, Fairy Tale

Main Characters: Avelina, Lord Thornbeck
Date Read: 20th February - 6th March 2017

Rating Given:

Synopsis:

What happens when a margrave realizes he’s fallen in love with a servant?The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.
Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.
Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost?

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't really like this cover and I don't really know why it just  doesn't sit right for me. I do like that you can tell the genre of the book just by looking at the cover.

With this book I was in two minds whether I enjoyed it or not especially in the beginning as it was so slow but then by the end I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next. I did find it rather predictable as I just knew where it was going to go so I would've liked it a bit more if something happened that I wasn't expecting. The relationship between the two main characters I liked in some parts as there was times when they where great together and brought out the best in each other but then on the other hand they also bought out the worse in each other. I did love the ending it was really sweet and had a little humour interweaved in there as well which I think was missing from most of the book.

Most of the characters took a while to warm towards but each of them had there strong points. I feel Avelina was the better character out of the two main characters as she was more likable from the beginning, she did lie a lot but I guess in the end I understood why she did that. Lord Thornbeck was hard to like in the beginning but once we got to see his softer side I found myself liking him. Magdalen was a really sweet character but I felt as though she was too good to be true no one can be that nice.

Overall, I was expecting a lot from this book after falling in love with one of Melanie Dickerson's novel's however this one fell a little flat.

Book Review: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

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Format: Hardback

Publishers: Delacorte Press

Published: 23rd July 2013

Pages: 391

Genre: YA, Historical Romance, Retelling

Main Characters: Isra, Gem
Date Read: 8th January - 6th February 2017

Rating Given:

Synopsis:

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...
In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.
Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.
As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

I have joined a challenge on Goodreads called Book Jar where I put in titles in a jar and read whichever book I pull out. When I pulled out this book I was pleased as I've had this sitting on my shelf for a while now, however I was a little disappointed when reading it as it wasn't as good as what I thought I would've.

I love this cover it's stunning and I especially love the colours that have been used although I feel like this particular cover wasn't in keeping with the story as it seems like a sci-fi novel but for me the book didn't feel that much of a sci-fi book.

This was a hard book to review as it was as if it was a tale of two halves as I couldn't get into pretty much most of the book but the last quarter of the book was gripping and I really enjoyed it. I think the reason why I couldn't get into most of this book was because it was so slow with hardly any action, I was pretty much bored throughout. With this being a Beauty and the Beast retelling I was expecting to fall in love with the characters and their romance, however I just couldn't warm to them or their romance until the very end. I really thought there would be more focus on the romance side of the story but it just seemed glossed over and then rushed once it got going. Towards the end when it really started to pick up was when there was more action going on with me on the edge of my seat. The ending was really sweet and in the end I found I was glad were things left off.

As I said above I wasn't overly keen on any of the characters but most of them had their moments when I liked them I just never had that 'I love these characters' moment.

Overall, I was expecting a lot more from this book than what I got but the end part of the story did improve things quite a bit but I just wish it was all as good as the ending.

Book Review: The Secret Fire (The Alchemist Chronicles, #1) by C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Atom

Published: 3rd September 2015

Pages: 424

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy 

Main Characters: Taylor, Sacha
Date Read: 23rd July - 1st August 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:French teen Sacha Winters can't die. He can throw himself off a roof, be stabbed, even shot, and he will always survive. Until the day when history and ancient enmities dictate that he must die. Worse still, his death will trigger something awful. Something deadly. And that day is closing in.
Taylor Montclair is a normal English girl, hanging out with her friends and studying for exams, until she starts shorting out the lights with her brain. She’s also the only person on earth who can save Sacha.
There’s only one problem: the two of them have never met. They live hundreds of miles apart and powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart.
They have eight weeks to find each other.
Will they survive long enough to save the world?

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This cover is a bit different to the covers I've seen around at the moment so for me this one stands out because it's different. I love the colours used in this cover especially the fire looking part of it as my eye is drawn straight to the title of book, plus with the use of fire it's in keeping with the story.

I wasn't quite sure I was going to like this one when I first started this book as things was happening in the first chapter that annoyed me but after I got over that it really started to get better and better. At certain moments I was hooked so much so I didn't want to put it down. It was about halfway through when for me it stalled a bit but again once I got over that bit it was back to it's thrilling stuff again. There wasn't very much romance involved in the story but there was a bit of attraction there so I can see there's bound to be more to come in the future books. Even though there wasn't really any romance involved with the two main characters I did love their friendship and how they grew closer and closer with each other. I loved the whole paranormal side of the story as it was a little different to the normal paranormal books that I've read before. I felt the ending was good as it was left open for the rest of the series but it wasn't a huge cliff-hanger which makes a refreshing change.

I liked the characters but I do think they grew into stronger characters the further I went into the book. Taylor started of a little bit too perfect for my liking but by the end that didn't feel like the case which made her a bit more likeable and realistic. In the first chapter I didn't think I was going to like Sacha but after that little blip I really started to warm up to him.

Overall, this was a good start to this series and I'm very excited to see where things are going to go next.

Book Review: Talon (Talon, #1) by Julie Kagawa

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Format: Paperback

Publishers: MIRA Ink

Published: 15th January 2015

Pages: 445

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy 

Main Characters: Ember, Garret
Date Read: 1st May - 1st June 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:‘There are a dozen soldiers hiding in that maze. All hunting you. All looking to kill you.’
To the outside world Ember Hill is an ordinary girl, but Ember has a deadly secret. A dragon hiding in human form, she is destined to fight the shadowy Order of St. George, a powerful society of dragonslayers.
St. George soldier Garret is determined to kill Ember and her kind. Until her bravery makes him question all he’s been taught about dragons.
Now a war is coming and Garret and Ember must choose their sides – fight to save their bond or fulfil their fate and destroy one another.
‘The first in a new series, Talon leaves readers perfectly balanced between satisfaction and anticipation’ – BookPage
‘Kagawa knows just how to end a first volume for maximum cliff-hanger drama’ – Booklist
‘A strong, promising start to the Talon Saga’ – Publishers Weekly

I received a copy from MIRA Ink in exchange for an honest review.

This cover is stunning it is so eye catching I just fell in love with it the moment I got my hands on my copy. The image of the cover is beautiful but let me tell you it still doesn't give the cover the justice that it deserves. The physical cover is matte and glossy in parts and then add to that the texture it gives off the look and feel of the dragons scales. There is nothing that I don't love about this cover.

I was a bit wary about reading this book as I haven't read one Julie Kagawa's books that I have loved yet but I was hopeful that this one would change that as it sounded so good however, it was another book of hers that I didn't love. Another thing that was putting me off reading this book was the length it was so long that it intimidated me. I was right to be intimidated as it was too long as a lot of the story dragged and not needed. The romance side of the story was a bit of a slow burner and I never quite got the connection between the characters but there was times when I thought they where cute together. I loved the dragon side of the story as I haven't read many books that have used them but this is different to the ones that I have read before and in some ways it was a good thing but other parts where too unbelievable. The ending was left on a huge cliff hanger that has left me wanting more.

I wasn't quite sure about most of the characters as a lot of them came across as untrustworthy. Ember was a sweet character for the most part but there was a couple of moments that she stood up for herself. Garret I wasn't too sure about for a lot of the book but because this book had alternating POV's it was a little easier to warm to him. Ember's brother Dante I liked for a part of the book but for the most part he wasn't as nice as what he came across. Riley, Embers other love interest I didn't really like but he did have his moments.

Overall, I was left disappointed as it just didn't live up to my expectations or the cover but because of the ending being left so open it has made me want to continue on with this series.

Book Review: The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, #2) by Rachel Harris

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Spencer Hill Press

Published: 5th April 2016

Pages: 297

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance

Main Characters: Peyton, Justin
Date Read: 24th May - 31st May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:One class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who's forever owned his heart. 
Justin Carter has a secret. He's not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy...and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she'd ever forgive him. 
Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she's done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she'll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first. 
For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate's given him a shot at redemption, he's determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton...well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite.

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like the cute feeling for the cover as it matches the story but that's all it is as there's nothing that stands out and a bit plain. I love the font of the title as that's the only part of the cover that does stand out.

I was so excited about reading this book as I had read and adored the first book however this one fell flat as it didn't really capture my attention from the get go. It did take a long while to get going and really the only thing that kept me going was the hope in which something would actually happen. This book went back and forth in time so that we could understand what happened to the two main characters but it did take pretty much most of the book until everything was out in the open. The romance was cute in the past but a bit annoying at times as it all came across as a bit too secretive. Once everything was out in the open I liked this book a lot more than I had done in the beginning although not to the high standards of the previous book. I was a little bit disappointed with the ending as I felt yes it was cute but there wasn't much closure for my liking.

I liked the characters to a point but they all had they're annoying moments. Peyton was a nice enough character but I don't feel as though she was the best character I've ever read about I think that maybe she wasn't developed as much as what she could've been. I wasn't too sure about Justin in the previous book but for the most part he was a likeable character but then there was some moments when I felt like he needed slapping.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book but it wasn't all bad it was just okay.

Book Review: Mortal Obligation (Dark Betrayal, #1) by Nichole Chase

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Indie

Published: 1st August 2011

Pages: 192

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance,

Main Characters: Ree, Paden, Roland
Date Read: 19th May - 24th May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out.Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.

I've been putting this one off for a while now although I don't know why as I love Nichole Chase's work.

I'm not a huge fan of this cover as although the girl in the cover reminds me of Ree the girl used looks fake she looks as though Photoshop was used a lot here. I do like the rest of the cover with the use of colours makes it stand out plus I like that it looks like the location used in the actual book.

Mortal Obligation is unique in that I haven't read a paranormal book like it which was a nice change but there was other parts of the story that was what every YA book involves. When I first started Mortal Obligation I was hooked and I couldn't wait to see what on earth was going to happen next, however, I felt it dragged a bit in the middle. I felt the romance side of the story was lacking and I didn't quite believe in the feelings plus I am a little sick of love triangles at the minute which this story has. Most of the story was getting to know about the powers that they all have and learning how to use them which I think was the reason why it dragged as it felt repetitive. The last quarter of the book was back to being hooked with some surprises that I never expected and then left open for the rest of the series which I am very much looking forward to reading.

I pretty much liked all of the characters, especially some of the secondary characters. Ree was an okay character as she was a strong person but with her being put on the sidelines it made her (understandably) whiney. Paden was a nice enough character as he was sweet and protective of Ree but he also kept changing his mind about whether he should be with Ree or not. Roland I liked as he came across better than Paden. Out of all the secondary characters Weylin was my favourite as he added much needed humour to the story.

Overall, not my favourite Nichole Chase book but that in no means that it wasn't an enjoyable read as for the most part I enjoyed it, it was just the dragging in the middle that brought it down.