The Heir and The Spare (Untitled #1) by Emily Albright

Published by: Merit Press

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Rating: ****

American Evie Gray has finally achieved her dream. To be able to attend Oxford just like her mother did before she tragically died. But there is more to the story. Directed throughout her life by mysterious envelopes written by her mother, Evie finds herself in the same school, and friendship circle as the spare heir to the British throne, Edmund. The two dance around the city of London and surrounding cities as they try to figure out what exactly Evie's mother wants, and whether there is such a thing as fairytales.

My first impressions of this book were quite dismissive. It felt too cringeworthy, especially after the Kate and Wills story but now that I have read this, I can honestly say that it definitely isn't as bad as I thought.

Starting with Evie's brief moving into her student digs at Oxford, she is immediately befriended by fellow students and meets the mysterious Edmund (who looks familiar but not). The book quickly introduces the reader to all of what they need to know about everyone whilst setting up the romance pretty quickly (and rather solidly.)

The Heir and The Spare can be purchased from Amazon now.

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic, Contemporary

Rating: ****

Eden's story is split into the four parts of her high school life. It's something that describes the proper process of life on the day she was raped, and the effects that have on her afterward. Yes, rape does sometimes cause the victim to act out as a method of coping, no it should not be taken lightly and Eden's fictional story can be considered a warning of how other people watching her downfall should not act.

The Way I Used to Be is a typical contemporary YA novel. It follows the basic codes of having the issue presented and how the protagonist must work their way around said issue to change and become a better person. However, Eden is no ordinary protagonist. Instead, her behavior spirals out of control as she sheds her band geek skin to become dangerous and a fan of unhealthy behavior. I feel that Amber Smith has written a book that is applicable to almost anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, harassment and even rape due to the way the young teenage minds have to fight and resort to changing their behavior in order to cope with the sheer trauma they have endured. It isn't fun and it can't be fun to watch. 

What is alarming, though, is the fact that Eden's parents just class it as generic teenage hormones, something that it could be considered to be, but not if one considers the fact Eden is openly asking for help despite not wanting to say anything.

The Way I Used to Be is available to buy from Amazon now.

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1) by Anne Blankman

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1) by Anne Blankman

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Genre: Historical Romance, Young Adult

Tagline: To uncover the truth, she must deny her past...

The novel develops as Gretchen matures and realises somethings aren't right but paired with her best friend Eva Braun, she tries to manouver her way through love, family problems and whether her father truly died a hero or was he betrayed by his own people.
The book was absolutely brilliant and if I said anymore, then I think I would ruin the book for everyone. I honestly loved the book and the sequel is on my to-read list.

Prisoner of Night and Fog wasn't the kind of book I would normally pick up. However I loved it. From page one, the reader is hooked into the world of protagonist Gretchen Müller whose "uncle" is Adolf Hitler. Yup. That little fact alone made me want to read it, as not many World War Two based novels make this situation sound interesting but Blankman did and it's fantastic!

Yet there's this boy. One that she rescues from her brother and his vicious ways, and one that pops up every so often as he tries to give her information about her father's death. But Gretchen has a choice to make. Does she want to give up her life as a plaything of Hitler, or would she choose the opposite, to be with a Jewish man?

The book can be found on Goodreads Here and be purchased in the UK here or in the US here

A Wicked Thing (A Wicked Thing #1) by Rhiannon Thomas

A Wicked Thing (A Wicked Thing #1) by Rhiannon Thomas

I know I love retellings of fairy tales but I found this one quite confusing. The idea of the book is fantastic, I loved that Thomas had started a what happened after she woke up. However I was annoyed more at the story itself. Of course she'd be a weak character due to confusion of who to trust and waking up with no friends and family etc. 

The ending however was much better than I thought.

Inspire (The Muse #1) by Cora Carmack

Inspire (The Muse #1) by Cora Carmack

I am still fangirling over this!

Discovering Cora Carmack had a mythology novel coming out was a treat, but after discovering it was a series and a bloody fantastic story was even better! As a keen mythology nerd I was pleasantly surprised to read how accurate and wonderful this story was. I wish I'd written it for christ's sake! However I think there is such a thing as too much sex. Yes I am a prude but at times I did think can they not, I was really enjoying the moment previous to that. But with all that aside I genuinely didn't mind the separating of pov and enjoyed reading most of Wilder (Okay I didn't like a few bits but that happens) and I just can't wait for the sequel to arrive.

Ashbourne (Ashbourne #1) by Kat Lilynette

Ashbourne (Ashbourne #1) by Kat Lilynette

So this book surprised me. It started off so badly that I didn't know what to think. There were moments I wanted to put it down, ignore it for a few months and start anew but I'm glad I persisted with it. It wasn't all that bad, okay so the forbidden romance thing which seems to grow in popularity is getting old but the author didn't portray so boring as many do. It was a bit of fresh air but I can't say for sure that I'll continue the series.

Locked (Locked#1) by Eva Morgan

Locked (Locked#1) by Eva Morgan

So this was a book that has made it on my all time favourite books ever list. I'm not even joking, I LOVED this book!

Because of the recent BBC adaptation and updated version of Sherlock Holmes, a lot of authors are writing about this modern and perhaps socially awkward Sherlock Holmes but never had I had the honour of reading about a young Sherlock who was growing up as this genius. I loved how Morgan inserted his witty and deductive skills. kept him as annoying and lovable as he is whilst ensuring the readers are captivated by a beautiful story. However the protagonist isn't Sherlock, it's a young Irene Adler who I found was portrayed a lot different than her appearance in the TV show and the books. I found this Adler to be rather ordinary BUT fantastic as an opposite to Sherlock. She was on par with him, able to make him see the error of his ways, to confuse him but also managed to bring a side of Sherlock that I hope to see again very soon in the sequel!

Rowan Slone novels (book 1 and 2) by Tracy Hewitt Meyer

Rowan Slone novels (book 1 and 2) by Tracy Hewitt Meyer 

Seven years ago, an innocent act by Rowan Slone turned her life into a nightmare. Since the age of ten she's lived with the burden of her baby brother's death. Now she is seventeen and all she wants to do is graduate high school, go to college, and escape the loveless family she has endured all these years—the same family that holds her responsible for his death. But no one holds her responsible more than herself.

When long-time crush Mike Anderson invites her to the Prom, suddenly her future looks brighter. Rowan's younger sister, Trina, however, is determined to ruin her new-found happiness, no matter the cost. And when Rowan discovers her mother’s long-held secret, she finds herself teetering on the edge of an abyss. Can Rowan find the strength to move toward the future or is she doomed to dwell in the past?

So this series. I've sat around trying to gasp at words to describe these books so far. I liked them, there's that but they lacked a few things or something didn't add up. The main plot was good though, I enjoyed her story and how she's come out stronger through it all as most authors who write about social issues do, but I do wish they'd see their plotholes.

For instance, in the second novel Rowan's boyfriend that keeps coming and a-going, we know he's breaking up with her. Why does she even stick out that long? He's a tool. It took the last three chapters of the first book to establish a relationship. I can't even deal with that.

Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro

Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro

Well. 

I love Ishiguro's writing style. He just writes beautifully and his work makes me happy. Nocturnes was five stories of different characters and different tales that contain music and as it says nightfall. 

The most memorable story was about a young gentleman who played guitar and sees his mother's idol in Italy. He speaks to him, gushes about his later mother and meets the man's wife. You later discover they're separating and the idol asks the gentleman to perform one of his songs with him and it's really emotional. I wept a little as it hit me and yeah. 

My second story that stayed with me was the tale in which a middle aged man was mistreated by his friends, a couple. They continue to misuse him and even treat him like an invalid. The worst part he lets them. I found the part in where he pretends a dog gets in was highly strange but I found myself chuckling at his misfortune. I also felt terrible for chuckling. 

Maybe that's how Ishiguro positions us? I haven't a clue but it was a beautiful book, the other three stories were great, they didn't stick with me like these but I have to give you something to read in the book. 

The Katerina trilogy by Robin Bridges

The Katerina trilogy by Robin Bridges

I loved this series. I was drawn into it with the Russian politics and large families mainly because of my love of Anastasia and the mystery surrounding the Tsar and his family. 

This book did not disappoint! Every minute of it I was hooked. I loved the necromancing and the splitting of the court to dark and light especially the would they, won't they match of Katerina and George. I wept a little at the end. Just one tear. But yeah I can't say anything that would summarise my experience of this trilogy other than just read it.

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Pawn by Aimee Carter

So this book caught my attention with it's cover. For some reason I was reall drawn to it and the blurb. It's a fairly simple book to read. There's a girl who's masked to resemble the prime minister's recently "deceased" daughter and she's caught in the midst of a rebellion and the law. What she chooses is her choice, I found it a straightforward read. It was almost refreshing if compared to the drama filled sci-fi/dystopian books I'd tried reading this week. 

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart

It's been so long since I read an E.Lockhart book that I floundered for so long about if I should get this or not. Louise ended up buying it and then told me to start reading it...So I did after a few months. Yes I am late jumping onto the bandwagon but bloody hell this book blew my mind. It was so unsuspecting, it comes across as a summer holiday for rich kids gone wrong in that Jenny Han secret way. But the last two chapters decieve you and pull the wool from your eyes when you discover the big secret and my is it good!

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I had mixed feelings whilst reading this book. It was quite good, I enjoyed it mostly but at some parts I was severely confused, lost and felt some aspects were unrealistic. Stupid to say that in a fiction book but it wasn't how I'd see a post-apocalyptic world where we now have powers etc. I don't know, I will probably try to finish the series someday but for now it's a mixed emotion review

The book series that doesn't stop growing!

There's always that one series you and your book bff love to hate and for Louise and I that's the Selection series by Kiera Cass.

My reviews love it, I did love it but now I love to bash it! Yes I am talking about outgrowing that series that you start as a naive teenager and end it as an adult or something like that. Nah the series just makes me tick.

“Which do you fight for?"
"Actually, I'm here by mistake." 
"Mistake?" 
"Yes. Sort of. Well, it's a long story. And now ... I'm here” 
― Kiera Cass, The Selection

Okay so this is a small quote I found to support myself here. America, the protagonist, enters what we know as the bachelorette and the prize is to marry a prince! It already sounds so wonderful and we've all seen a episode of the bachelorette or beauty and the geek right? So you can guess the amount of bitchiness that would go on in such a competition. The girls in this are all set apart by class structures. It's really just Hunger Games in the fight to win and survive except if they get sent home, they're still alive and booted to a higher class so it's a win-win situation. However there's a message in the books that I don't believe in. Since when is it okay for a boy, a man to say I love you to a girl, to make her think she's going ot be his best friend and eventually make her queen of their fictional land and then turn around and treat her like rubbish by leading on another girl all because she used to love another guy. It's a stupid and horrible message for girls everywhere and it makes us girls seem like we're just silly little barbie dolls all ready to be seen and not be heard.

Recently the series just published the supposedly last book in the series which was titled The One. As you can guess, it was meant to be the last of the series where we'd finally discover who will marry the prince and live happily ever after but it still contains trivial parts that made me laugh and regret pre-ordering the book. Now I've just discovered she's publishing not one but two more books in the series and that makes me sad. I just want it to be over and I can't not read these sequels, I need them in order to carry on laughing and joking about the series with my book bff

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

After reading If I Stay I had to read the sequel. I had to find out what happened to Mia and Adam and what had become of her since that accident.

I was amazed and a little skeptic to read it from Adam's point of view, especially when you really fall for his character in If I Stay because how could you resist him? But still he's such a great character and I enjoyed seeing the accident through his eyes and the aftermath of it. I was super shocked to see what had happened to Mia but it made sense, Gayle Forman really made it connect to the first whilst still making it  a brilliant sequel. If someone asked me which I prefer the most, I would say both. They're equally attention grabbing and beautiful books that made me cry and laugh and wish for what Adam and Mia have.

Unmarked (Legion #2) by Kami Garcia

Unmarked (Legion #2) by Kami Garcia

I received this book in exchange for a honest review and I have to say I LOVED it! Louise lent it me and hasn't read it to my dismay, maybe that's because I have her copy but still. I devoured the first and that was awesome, review to come soon. But mixing things up here by saying the second is far more better than the first. There's a bit that makes it seem like it would suffer from second book syndrome (That's where the second book is a bit yucky but still makes sense) but it still maintains that strength and I really think you should all read it.

Publishes September 30th through Little Brown Book publishers

Also here's the Goodreads link for it: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12371865-unmarked

The Lunar Chronicles...

So after my recent trip to Barrow-In-Furness, I was lent a pile of books and in that pile was Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I've always expressed a hesitation of reading this series because a cyborg cinderella retelling was never something that appealed to me. I normally hate retellings of storys I love but somehow I managed to fall for this book. It was just wonderful to read and I was quite attached to the characters.

The second novel Scarlet is based upon Red Riding Hood and I REALLY loved this one!! This was the book where the reader really falls for the main guy. And Wolf really is to die for. He's a man of mixed reviews though so if a badboy-slash-rugged and handsome man is your thing, then Wolf is beautiful. Him and Scarlet continue the first book, though they flicker back and forth to Cinder which is done quite wonderfully. Most authors do this a bit good-bad, mainly bad but I was happy that it was something that still appealed to me.

Cress, the third book in the series wasn't the best book. I admit I enjoyed it but I found her a raher babyish character, something you'll discover why in the book. But again the series remained strong and good things happened!

So this is why you should all go read this series

So I read a really good book the other day and I wholly recommed it to everyone

A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier

It was a fine night to die.

Okay so this book was something I had had my eye on for a few months. The blurb makes it sound so Book Thief-esque (A book I truly loved) and so I waited for it to be published. 

The reading started on my lunch break at work, just after I finished the Grisha trilogy (FANTASTIC SERIES!) and I needed something to read which made me chance upon this on my ebook. Oh was I glad to find this, I was instantly hooked and even guessed a few possible plot twists (which some came true). But I had it finished by the middle of my train journey home, it was that good! 

However I would push this as a book for historical fiction fans or fans of similar books like Michael Morpurgo's War Horse or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas etc. That pre/post ww1 and ww2 theme is quite a strong link between these books but I do strongly suggest you read these!

Falling For Autumn (Falling For Autumn #1) by Heather Topham Wood

Falling for Autumn by Heather Topham Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

parts of it didn't add up, as in the fact that she was a victim of sexual assault but she openly pursues Blake. it was a tad weird. But the novel was easy enough

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Wake (Watersong #1) by Amanda Hocking

Wake by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

um what did I just read?

the book was annoyingly split into
two people; gemma and Harper, both annoyed me a lot. Harper is a whiner. that's all she is, a whiner who is trying to be all controlling and eugh to gemma who just wants to be a fish (swimmer). This story was completely confusing with the shift in character focus and the actual plot twists

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