She is destined to kill a demon. He is sent to protect her. One of them is about to fail …
He spent centuries in the dark …
After 300 years spent in the underworld as a punishment, warrior Devon is called on by the gods for a chance to fix his mistake–and to win his redemption. But there’s a catch: the gods won’t tell him details about his mission. He’s supposed to suffer while trying to figure out what he did wrong in the past, and fix it in the present.
All Kenna ever wanted was to be the owner of her own life and destiny. But for now all she can do is run away from the evil wanting to claim her powers.
... until she came …
When Devon becomes unintentionally entangled in his new neighbor’s life, he can’t help but feel he’s closer to his purpose. Every moment he spends with Kenna makes him confused, and every time he touches her, glimpses of the past, of his failed mission, come back to haunt him.
… and showed him the light.
Darkness is closing in, and with Kenna’s help, Devon needs to put the pieces of the puzzle together before he fails his mission again and evil consumes the world.
Only this time, he’s sure he won’t be the only one damned.
Review
I feel so happy after reading this book.
Devon is a Warrior. He was once human, but now he is one immortal being who protects the world. He’s just back in earth after spending 300 years in hell as punishment for failing his last mission. The gods send him back to make things right this time, but they decided it was an amazing idea to erase all his memories and sent him only with a ring as a clue of his mission…
Kenna has been running for a long time. She and Cecilia escaped Slater, but he keeps trying to get them back. He wants Kenna because she can control darkness.
After a while without being found, Cecilia feel confident enough for establishing against Kenna’s will. She ends accepting, but decided to not let anyone close to them, knowing they would be eventually found again.
The problem is, before even noticing, she is on charge of two little kids and has a best friend. And her neighbour, Devon, seems to love being in her house too…
I found super interesting the format of this story. We are constantly travelling between past and present, and switching between POVs of Kenna, Kianna, Past Devon and Present Devon. Sometimes on first person, and others on third. Even more amazing is that this is never confusing.
We get to see how the story is repeating itself. Just, not exactly… For example, Kianna usually bakes and everyone loves it, while Kenna (who I think is somehow Future Kianna) doesn’t know how to cook and almost burns her kitchen trying.
Truth be told, I knew I had to read this book since the moment I saw that cover. I just can’t stop looking at it. And adding the name… I just knew this was for me. Luckily I got an ARC from Juliana.
By the way, snaps for me, I read the synopsis before reading the book.
I was SO right, I’m in love with this book. It’s about destined love, but they don’t get along at the beginnig… just my cup of tea.
The story is super simple and cute at the beginning. But we know something will go wrong, and can feel Devon is going straight to repeat his mistake, even if we not know what it was. I did suffer a lot near the end.
I’m also nicely surprised that I couldn’t predict what would happen. I had a thousand theories and failed miserably with most.
So, in brief, I fully recommend this book. It’s a standalone full of sweet love, not only romantic, but of family and friends. Action and humor too. It even has a Ball! Both in past and present 🤩. Also, Kianna and Kenna are both strong and powerful women, but absolutely different mostly for their era. And Devon, well he’s just perfect 🤷🏻♀️.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
When 80% of the population is gifted with touch magic, it’s best to keep your hands—and your lips—to yourself. Especially if you’re an ungifted serf like I am.
The problem is, the most dangerous guy at Gifted Fae Academy is the one I want to touch more than anything, even as I draw the attention of the school’s most gorgeous Apprentice Fae.
When my entry exam leads to the revelation that I may not be as Ungifted as I previously believed… well… surviving until graduation might prove harder than I thought—particularly when a certain fatal touch may be worth the risk.
Review
This is the story about Reina and Kaito. Two classmates that used to be friends, and now hate each other.
They live in a world where most people have Gifts, these are special abilities. If you were Ungifted you were called a Serf. If you had a Gift but it was not impressive, then you were a Common. But if your Gift was interesting enough, you were called an Elite and admitted in the Gifted Fae Academy, where you could train to become a Fae and defend the world (These Fae are not fairy, they are more like superheroes).
Reina’s lifelong dream has been to enter the academy, even thought her gift hadn’t manifested. But being a Serf meant you were meant to be bullied by the Gifted, and as Reina used to defend others she was a perfect target. Fortunately she had her best friend Kaito, who always won the beating in her place. This until he found his gift, and went from friend to bully…
We go from Reina’s POV to Kaito’s each chapter. This way we get to hate Kaito slightly less, but I still hate him 🤣. The only reason I could tolerate him, or even worst, Reina’s tolerance to him, was because for some reason I pictured him as Henry Golding in the movie Last Christmas, so I just can’t fully hate him 🤷♀️.
“Last Christmas” movie, I loved it but my heart still hurts 💔.
After the constant bullying from Kaito got them in real trouble at school, they decide to go to GFA and find a way to get accepted. Which was easier than expected as they met Oden Gates, an incredibly handsome a famoues apprentice of Fae, and leader of the Elite of the Elite in the acaemy, “The Noble Four”, who assured them Reina acually had a Gift, and it was amazing.
F4 from Boys Over Flowers, may be a coincidence but I just saw this scene in the book 😂
Unfortunately for Reina, he didn’t tell her what the Gift actually was. So she was back in a school where she was considered as a Serf, while Kaito was back again at the top of the Elite.
I think Academy books are my favorite, because I was completely caught in this book in no time. I loved the descriptions, the emotions are real and the characters likeable, except for Miranda, whose only likeable part is her hair. Oden is probably my favorite so far. The world building was amazing too, and I found it pretty original. Like, there’s a “wifi girl” 🤣.
” Oh, you have a heat gift?” I asked. She shook her head. “Hot pot.” She pointed to a silver pot that had a black base and a wire that was plugged in beside her laptop.
It’s interesting that this is somehow a light read, but plays with an interesting idea about good and bad.
“Who decides who’s bad? I mean, what gives one person the right to kill and not another, and who has the power to make the choice?”
My only critic is their age. We are told they are Sophomores, and I believe that means they are around 15-16 years old. And I just think they are too sexualized for the age, they act more like 17-18 years old for me, but this may be because I’m old 🤷♀️.
He lifted an eyebrow with a devious smile that was so alluring, if my virginity had been an object, I would have tossed it at him.
I can’t say I didn’t see the end coming, there was something quite obvious for me, but at the same time, the interesting part is how do we get there. That said, this book ends in a cliffhanger, but the saga is complete so it’s safe to read 😂. I totally recommend it as it’s a fast and entertaining read.
PS: It reminds me a lot to BOF now that I think about it.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Seventeen-year-old Docia Gutierrez willingly trades what’s left of her life for that of another: a boy who told her lies, and a love that doesn’t exist.
Now she is paying for sins she can’t even grasp, while being brutalized by a broken heart and a bargain she’s only beginning to understand—left to rot in a harsh otherworld of nightmares and ruin. In her darkest moments, Docia wishes for an end that is already upon her—and it’s in one of those moments, he finds her.
Fallen Angel, Fox, knows all about paying for crimes you didn’t commit—they say—he’s the Patron Saint of them. It’s a title he wishes he could shake, just like his gray wings and half-moon eyes. It marks him for what he is and what he isn’t, just like every other cold truth.
Fox isn’t dark or light, nor is he hopeless—not yet—but after an eternity of chasing atonement, he is jaded, and now he’s Docia’s only chance out of the otherworld. The road in and out of hell is paved with good intentions, but at the end of that road, Docia must choose who or what she wants more than life itself.
Review
One thing you need to know about me is that I don’t read synopsis before starting a book (of course I read them when I decide to add it to my TBR list, but I always forget them). This means I never truly know what a book is about until I’ve read a little of it, so I tend to be completely lost in the firsts pages. Should I change this? Yes. But I keep forgetting to do it 🤷♀️.
This lack of knowledge about the book made it quite hard for me at the beginning to understand what was going on. But it was my problem, not the book’s. Anyway, this made it even more interesting.
Docia is dead… Or at least sort of. She was tricked by her boyfriend to give her life in exchange of his. Even worse, it seems she wasn’t the first one.
Since her death she has been locked in a sort of coffin and only taken out once in a while to be psychologically tortured by a winged “woman” she named Red.
Perhaps the only real battleground was in my mind. That, of course, was a war I’d lost some time ago, long before I landed myself here in the place of someone else.
Red enjoys playing with her and making her relive the moment of her death again and again. She could read feelings, all the “black-winged devils” could.
“Thoughts lie, Docia, hearts don’t.”
When Docia couldn’t resist anymore, a new devil appears and takes her out of her prison. Fox is not like the others and seems to have saved her from Red, but she still can’t trust him, he could be even worse.
He appeared like a monochrome portrait in his striking shades of gray, all shaded and washed out. He looked like despair, and that was like looking in a mirror.
The thing is now she’s in the middle of a new game where she doesn’t know the rules, and she already knows death is not the worst that could happen.
Docia’s story is told by herself in past tense. She even adds a lot of comments like “I didn’t notice it back then, but…”. This makes me picture her as an old woman telling her story to her grandsons 😂.
Docia jumps between what she “lived” in hell and memories of her real life, bad memories. She seems to have a lot of regrets. I actually enjoyed more her experience in the otherworld, because it seems she was a good girl when she was alive, but she was in love with her best friend, and he ended up being a complete asshole. I truly hate people that make fun of another for being good, but is even worse when you fail or even betray a friend just for looking good in front somebody else.
Some people talked about first loves as being the one that stuck with you. The one you told your grandkids about in a joking way while flashing old photographs and scars. No one ever mentioned what could happen to you when that kind of love died.
Red is an interesting character, evil but interesting. I didn’t expect she to be as important as she will clearly be to the story. Also, I understand there’s nothing Docia can do about it, but it’s so frustrating that they can read her thoughts. They laugh at everything she thinks.
I haven’t read Inferno by Dante, but I believe the hell in this book is based on that one. Docia even mentions a book about places the author called circles. Another interesting thing about this book is that before each chapter there’s a quote of a different book.
I’m confused about my opinion. I really enjoyed it but… We accompany Docia in her “challenge” in hell and understand just what she gets to understand, which is basically nothing 🤣.
I was allowed to swallow my pride if it kept me from discovering whether or not I could die twice. For sure, I’d be the one to manage it.
Descriptions and world-building are amazing, and the characters are nice. We only get to deeply know Docia, but she’s a nice lead. She is absolutely broken, but she doesn’t complain. She is mad at herself but just assumed her situation and try to make the best of it. It’s really easy to fell identified with her.
Where was the girl who decided she wanted to go away to college? Where was the girl who believed she could do anything? Be anyone? Where was the girl I’d become when everyone thought I would become nothing at all?
Fox is a fallen angel that doesn’t fit in hell. He tries to make Docia understand he’s a monster, but doesn’t seem like one. He’s full of secrets and pains. I actually felt really bad for him.
“Because,” he said, his voice as bright as the rest of him then, “there’s light in me yet.”
Basically I feel empty because it ends as abruptly as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie part 1, but I truly recommend this book anyway.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Callie’s city is dying. To save it, she must achieve the impossible. As a sorceress in a city where magic is illegal and could result in dire circumstances, she knows the risks. However, she is cautiously optimistic that stealing a sacred artifact from the Lord Aron’s castle will restore magic to the city.
Aiden is a former member of the Dragon Guard turned mercenary who is tasked with finding Callie, but his mission is thwarted when he learns she’s already been captured.
Callie’s mission to save her city will not be easy and Aiden is the only one who can help her complete her goal. It’s a race against time as dark forces close in and threaten to stop them in their tracks.
Review
I’m not really fan of Dystopian stories. They were so trendy in the times of the Hunger Games that I got tired of them. But I got caught immediately with this one.
Unfortunately that wasn’t enough. I think the idea was really good, I just didn’t like how it came out.
This is a standalone in the same world of a new series called The Andovia Chronicles. I will definitely read that one because the world sounds pretty interesting, but we don’t get enough in this book.
This book follows Callie, a young woman that is trying to save her people along with her brothers. For this matter they had to steal a valuable orb from the leader, and now all the guards are on their trail.
Aiden is hired by a mysterious man to capture Callie before the guards. And as they had already captured her when he arrives, he’s forced to help her for getting back the orb.
As I said, this story caught my attention immediately. It was a nice and fast reading (It has just 44 pages). But since Callie and Aiden met, things got too confusing. I’m not sure if it was just me or there were lots of mistakes. I actually read an ARC of this book, so I hope most of them were fixed for the release.
As a short story is still nice to spend the time, but it disappointed me a lot. An original idea, but I felt it led nowhere.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Dragons are real… and I’m connected to them by blood.
I’m Braxton Storm, and I know nothing about my father’s past. With him gone, a frail mom, and a weird disease attacking my body, my life hasn’t exactly been easy. Still, I’m just another guy dealt a bad hand, right? Normal. Except, Dragons invade my dreams with such vivid detail, it feels like I’m one of them.
When a gorgeous yet strange girl appears in my coffee shop, I’m strongly drawn to her, but a girlfriend is the last thing I need. As I struggle to keep my illness at bay, I am thrown into full-blown visions of a world that’s not my own… and a daunting man in a demon mask. What the hell is happening to me?
Being a Skyborne doesn’t come without a cost, and my family has paid greatly.
I, Princess Evanna, am the only one left to protect my people from the evil threatening to destroy us. Fulfilling my aunt’s last wish, I travel to the human realm in search of the Harbinger of Justice—our only hope. Instead, I stumble upon a guy, sexy as sin, whose smile shakes me to my core.
I’m drawn to Braxton as fiercely as he is to me, but helping him means exposing my Dragons and my true identity to the humans… Not helping him, will mean his death.
Soon, we discover our destinies are entwined by a bigger force—one that cannot be stopped—and Braxton and I might be the key to keeping each other’s worlds from crumbling to pieces.
Review
One thing I had discovered through everything I endured, was that the bad patches didn’t last forever, no matter how hard they seemed. Happiness was real, attainable, but the good times were the shortest of all. A series of grains of sand, if you will. Little moments that when put together created amazing things. However, they were easily missed if you focused on the darkness. So when you found a shimmering, golden grain of sand among the hard, dark rocks, you needed to grasp it and enjoy it for what it was.
Braxton was nineteen years-old. He lived in a rented room in a house where he found a new kind of family. He has lived there for three years, since he understood he couldn’t take care of his mother anymore.
His father had died in a fire when he was nine years-old. The shock destroyed his mother’s mind, and she got delusional, unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. She was being well cared in a private center.
Braxton worked in a coffee shop. Usually taking extra turns for covering his mother’s treatment and his own room.
Even though his life had been pretty hard, he was a wonderful man, and was happy at his house and job. Everyone around him loved him.
“No matter how hard life has been for you, you’ve grown into a decent young man, Brax. Just keep going, okay? No matter what happens.” “Thank you, Sarah. I will.”
Unfortunately Braxton had a rare disease that is getting worse, and there was no cure to it.
His life shudders since the moment Evanna entered the coffee shop.
Damn it. I really didn’t need this right now. I had too much to worry about as it was, including my illness and my mother’s mental health, to add a crazy girlfriend to the mix. Wait. Who the hell says she is going to be my girlfriend?! Arrg!
Evanna is the Skyborne princess. With just twenty years, she had been forced to take the care of all her kingdom, after her parents and aunt died in the hands of Raithian. The same monster man that was threatening her people now.
Her aunt’s last wish was for Evie to look for The Harbinger of Justice and beg him for help. Even though he abandoned his people ages ago.
“You can save our people, Evie, our world, but you can’t do it alone. You need him, whether you like it or not… Find him.”
Evie has to eat all her pride and search for him. But it gets even harder than expected because the world he lives now (the Earth) is completely different to hers. She came with two young dragons, with amazing personalities I must say, but they obviously couldn’t accompany her through the city.
“But most importantly, DO NOT breath fire on anything or anyone. It is not funny, and the people here don’t have the means to heal like we do in our world. Understood?”
Braxton and Evie are attracted to each other like magnets since they first saw each other. But they could never be together as Evie eventually had to go back to “New Zealand”, and Brax had to figure out how to live when his illness made it harder day by day.
I got the luck of hearing the prologue read by Steph herself a while ago. It was fun that now, when I started the book I heard it again in my head.
Braxton is amazing. No matter how many problems he can have, he’s always trying to help others. His lifestyle made me think about the movie Pay It Forward. Gladly, he was paid the same way by his environment.
Somehow, I knew in my core that Braxton was a guardian. A shield. The one who cared too much about everyone around him, often when he shouldn’t. Likely to protect others, even at his own expense.
Evanna doesn’t stay behind. She’s amazing too. Trying to save all her world, coming to a world where she couldn’t understand a thing. Even being in a disadvantageous position, she tries to help people. She’s such a strong woman, even if she’s afraid that everyone else may believe otherwise.
I didn’t think I would ever understand this world, and in all honesty, I didn’t want to. The last thing I wished was to find excuses that made it okay to let someone go hungry and without a roof over their heads.
I knew her description remembered me of someone, but it wasn’t until I read this book was somewhat inspired by How To Train Your Dragon that I noticed Evie is the exact image of Astrid. Maybe with longer hair 💁♀️.
I would even dare to say Brax is the muscular version of Hippo 🤔. They are just a little less Vikings.
The fact that Evie didn’t understand this world led her to some amusing confusions like thinking the coffee shop was a dungeon for worshiping Brax 😂.
Just like my previous visits, there was a line of disciples waiting to speak to him, which told me the Harbinger held power in this world too.
This line was for buying coffee, he was at the register 🤣
There are some interesting secondary characters too. My own favorite being totally Josh, Brax’s co-worker and boyfriend, I mean, friend… But really, he flirts more with him than Evie, even in front of Rebecca, his girlfriend. But he’s truly the best friend one could have. He also understands women perfectly…
“All I’m saying is, all women are a little crazy.” Josh lifted his hands in surrender. “No, I’m not judging or anything. It’s just who they are, and honestly, I love it. We might as well appreciate it and enjoy the wild ride.”
This book has descriptive sex scenes. I don’t mind this but what I do not like is when a character gets “hard” all the time. Like, “I’m dying but I saw her and got hard”. I really dislike this, fortunately it was just once.
As usual Stephany’s books, this has lots of romance and humor. This is my favorite thing, I laughed so hard most part of the book. But it doesn’t make it less “serious”. The story is complicated and so are the characters. There’s also a lot of pain in the story. And the world building is wonderful as usual.
I took an eager sip. One too ambitious and hot for my mouth. The beverage lodged in my throat, and I was helpless but to spit it out or burn my tongue. Braxton blinked, coffee sprayed all over his face and chest. “Careful, it’s hot,” he mumbles the warning he hadn’t had a chance to utter.
This book is told changing POVs from Braxton and Evanna, without problems of confusion. One thing I love is that, being in the main characters head, we get to “hear” a lot of hilarious monologues.
Content, I felt the urge too and stood, walking outside the small cave to a bush nearby. Reaching for it, I made sure it was actually a plant. The last thing I needed was to pee on a creature as tall as a high-rise that could have me for dinner.
The only reason I’ll give this book 4 and not 5 stars, is because I felt we still know nothing. We got some information in this book, but got way more questions than answers. At least is just part one and, for the amount of releases Steph has done this year, she probably writes like a book daily 😂, we will probably get book 2 soon enough. This is particularly good because the book ends in a cliffhanger (I’m getting used to them, I resigned myself to the pain 😅)
PS: Team Evax forever (or Braxanna).
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Freya and her army are rising up… They have no shame, and they will kill whoever gets in their way.
With an evil army wreaking havoc on her town, Andie needs to find the second Key, and quick. To do so, she must harness her powers and make the treacherous journey to Murias. Navigating the enchanted but perilous place becomes quite the challenge for her and her friends, with new adversaries and allies around every corner.
Confusion wars within Andie as she finds herself torn between feelings for the arrogant shifter, or the sweet and kind warlock who seems to always be there when she needs him.
Soon it becomes all too clear that she will have to make the hardest decision of her life and acquire the second Key at the same time.
Continue the journey.
Review
“Just remember, no matter what you might go through, shine bright for all to see. You are our light. You will guide us home.”
Hunter is alive, but he’s changed. Freya did something to him and now he is on her side. This means that his mission is to kill Andie.
Celeste, Aine and Coeus are trying to find a cure but without success. Andie is desperate for helping Hunter. But after seeing him, she understands that she can’t do anything immediately, and needs to focus on finding the second Key.
Trying to take Hunter off her mind, she asks for permission to snoop on the Oak. She is allowed with the warning that some objects may be dangerous. The tree has 20 floors inside. I bet you know what happened. She activated one object by accident.
She got lucky and the object not only didn’t kill her, but it ended up giving her a clue of where to find the second Key, Dagda’s Cauldron.
Once I was done and as I pulled my jeans back up, a protrusion in my pocket brushed against my hand, and I reached in to pull it out. I was developing a bad habit of putting stuff in pockets and forgetting about them. Shaking my head at myself, I glanced down to see what treasure I had this time.
After Freya starts appearing more in the city, and she with the Fomori even start scaring the humans. Andie must hurry to her mission.
This time without Hunter. But Teagan, Killian, Charlie and Emric join her again. Presley too, her friend who turned out to be a White Tiger Shifter. Yep, everyone around her had secrets.
Here we are back to no one listening to me. Fine. I’d just wait and see how far their stupid plan got them. Personally, I thought my idea was better.
And talking about secrets. Teagan may have made a big mistake.
As the mission wasn’t hard enough, Andie finds out that Teagan had feelings for her. But she has a crush on Hunter (I told you I smelled a love triangle and Teagan was doomed 😅).
He was right, but this conversation and my exhaustion were starting to wear on me. Tired Andie is not always nice Andie, and the moment the words left my mouth. I instantly regretted it. “Teagan, I’m sorry. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. We’ve got more important things to worry about right now”.
This second book caught me way more than the first one. I still think that Andie is a little… Not so smart sometimes, but the place of the annoying damsel in distress was taken by Pres. No offense intended, I loved her. She’s too funny.
“Why do all the really deadly creatures look so cute?” Presley questioned behind me. “For that reason. Had you not been told of the danger; you may very well have gone right up to one and given it a smooch,” Emric replied dryly. “Sometimes the deadliest things come in familiar packages.”
Andie still complains all the time though. But I understand it. It seems to be her way to release stress. I spent half of the book laughing at the things that she knew she shouldn’t do but didn’t care and did it anyway.
I’d been in this same situation one too many times. This almost dying stuff had to stop!
Andie’s premonitions get more constants and terrible. I felt I knew all along everything that would happen. But not the outcome and that was what forced me to read even faster. Until I got to the cliffhanger at the end.
So far this story seems to me like an incredible mix of a lot of books that I’ve read. The Hunger Games, for example. I couldn’t avoid feeling the similarities between what happened to Hunter and what happened to Peeta. It also gives me the same feeling that Unwritten by Tara Gilboy.
I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it as a fast and fun read. But with a nice and interesting background story. Everytime I’m more and more sure that J.C. put everything that came to her mind into the book and honestly, I love it.
I even turned Emric into a peanut butter sandwich when I intended to turn him into a zebra. Yeah, I know, poor Emric, but really, he was fine and actually got a kick out of it until I finally turned him back, and he had peanut butter all in his fur.
PS: Freya is too sadistic. She really is sick.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Bloodthirsty creatures. A vindictive Queen of Elves… And a fierce teenage girl, willing to take them all on.
Andie didn’t expect to be orphaned. Now she has no parents, no Nan, no one but Anne, the weird social worker who carries on conversations with old books and empty purses.
Anne takes her to a small town in Texas to live with her new guardian, Celeste, an eccentric figure among many who seem to know something that Andie doesn’t. One evening, the woods behind Celeste’s house spirit Andie away, and she discovers a secret so incredible that she can scarcely believe it. Her destiny is to find the four Keys that will save the Tuatha de Danann from annihilation.
Worlds collide when two of her new friends from school, the sweet, helpful Teagan and the rude bad boy Hunter, join her on her journey to reach the mysterious place known only as Finias in search of the first Key, The Sword of Light.
As they flee the wicked Fomorians and battle with the Queen of Elves, Andie and the boys forge new alliances and make more adversaries. Will Andie and her friends rise to the challenge, or is the magical realm as good as gone already?
Review
“One is always watching out for who they love, even if they are no longer around…”
Andie was a nerd (I’ve always considered one myself, but she beat me with the beanie 🤣 which by the way I hated but now I love). She didn’t have real friends because people in her school just used one another.
A lot of the time, I found that reading books was better than being around most people.
I couldn’t agree more with Andie.
She was raised by her grandmother since she was two years old, when her mother died and her father disappeared. Now, with sixteen her Nan passed away, and she is “adopted” by Celeste, an old friend of Nan’s that Andie had never heard of.
She smiled warmly and seemed genuinely happy that I was there. It seemed strange that someone would willingly open their home to a sixteen-year old teenager who they’d never met before. For all she knew, I could be a serial killer or a thief who would rob her blind.
Celeste does her best to help her feel comfortable. And in the new school she meets some nice people like Teagan. Although she also meets some weirdos like Hunter.
After following a weird boy into the woods near her new house, Andie finds a sort of library inside a giant tree where she meets Balwyn, a Brownie, and Erin, a fairy. Since this moment her life turns upside down as she finds out every mythical creature is real. In fact, her grandma and mother were Fae, and her father was a Warlock. She was supposed to be the one destined to find the “Four Keys” and save the world with the help of the powers that would wake up inside her.
Bending closer, I placed my hands on the rough bark and saw that the warm light spilled out from a hole in the tree. What the heck? Leaning close, I peered through it. Gasping, I backed away. Okay… I must have hit my head really hard, and right now I’m knocked out, and this is all a dream, I rationalized. There was no way what I saw through that hole could be real! Ribbing my eyes, I held my breath and looked through it again.
At least she would have help. Her new friend Teagan ends up being a Warlock and her stalker Hunter was a Were Shifter. Now the three of them, together with Charlie, the “parrot” and Emric, the Phooka. I’ll stop a second here…
Andie’s team have to find the first key, The Sword of Light before Freya does it. Freya is the Elf Queen who became evil and joined the Fomori, horrible creatures. Together they are trying to destroy what is left from the Fae world, and probably the human world as collateral damage.
I’m kinda upset with the fact that Andie was a nerd in all her glory and after she begins her mission she loses her glasses and beanie. I honestly couldn’t imagine her as a heroine but I got mad when the book agreed with me (I’m weird, I know). Still, I would have liked the change. Although glasses are not too compatible with adventures… just look at Harry Potter.
There was too much information at the beginning. But the book is narrated by Andie, and she received the information like this so it kinda makes sense.
What took a lot of me at the beginning was Andie. She was clumsy and useless, a damsel in distress that literally almost died in their first day of mission. Granted, if I was sent in a mission like this I would probably be in the same place. I didn’t feel identified with her at the beginning, but turns out we are more alike than I would like to admit. This is how a girl that is sent to save the world should actually be. An absolute failure that learns on the way.
Guess I’m going to have to wing it like before. If I died, so be it, but at least I tried.
Still, I don’t know how can you save the world when you almost die climbing a mountain or murdered by a flower…
Anyway I learned to love her. Except at the times she decided to run away from the group: “I’m in a dangerous mission, let’s run alone to the forest. What could go wrong?”
Also, I smell a love triangle. And even though right now I love Hunter, I’m scared because I always choose the sweet best friend that stays alone.
I’m not crying, you are.
Hunter is the typical bad guy with a sarcastic character but who has a golden heart. And I love golden hearts…
“Watch out, Andie. Lizard to your left,” Hunter called form behind me, causing me to jump a foot in the air and scramble away. Hunter cracked up, and I stopped running to turn and look at him. He was still laughing, and there weren’t any lizards where I had been.
Teagan has a golden heart that is not hidden. If this is a love triangle he’s so doomed already 🤣
He reached forward, grabbing the backpack off my shoulder, casually slinging it over his as if it weighed next to nothing. Stunned by this gesture, I stared. He seemed to think nothing of it and turned to head down the hall. Chivalry wasn’t dead!
The book has a basic scheme. A girl destined to save the world. A bad guy who is good. And a guy too good to be true. Clichés? Yes. As I always say, do I care? Nope. It works perfectly fine for me.
It was a nice, light and fast read. It would be suitable for any age except for the gore, like… Freya is pretty sick. But is not unbearable. It ends in a cliffhanger of those that make you want to trow the book away. Fortunately I have the second book so my Kindle survived.
PS: After doing this review I’m even more impressed with the book because I was sure a lot of creatures were J.C. inventions when in reality they are from different mythologies. RESPECT.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Hunting Wolf Shifters is the family business… and I want nothing to do with it.
You’d think that with living in a small town, my life would be normal. Think again. There is nothing simple about the predators that hide in the Blue Mountains, attacking unsuspecting humans and tearing the to pieces. It’s the very reason my dad and four brothers are paid the big bucks.
Yet, to my family, there is no difference between a supernatural beast and the innocent animals that lie in the forest. The head trophies in our walls are proof of that. So, I help the vet in town save all kind of species, staying as far away from my family’s brutal killing as possible.
Until an unexpected encounter with a mysterious, min-numblingly sexy stranger sends my world into a whirlwind, and I en up being used as the most terrifying piece of my dad’s hunt…
Wolf Shifter bait.
Review
“One look, one touch, one smile was all it took…”
Aria hated her life. She was used to doing what her father ordered and making life easier for her four brothers. Her mother had passed away when she was little, and since then her life has turned into torture.
Her only intention was to leave that place as soon as she could. The only person who was nice to her was an old woman named Miss Baker, who spent all day gossiping around town.
Dragging my eyes to the bakery, I sighed. “I’m going to get some coffee while I wait for Billy Joe. Would you like something, Miss Baker?” “Many things, dear. I’d like many things, but the key to life is patience. Fate gives us only what we need, when we need it. The rest shall come when it might.” “Huh?” My face scrunched up at her answer. Why were old people so weird?
Taking advantage of her love for animals, Aria would occasionally work with the town vet.
“You are not an animal,” I replied, amused. “This is a vet’s office, so the table is only for pets.” He shrugged. “I found my way back to you all on my own, I ate a treat from your hand, and you call me Pretty Boy. I hardly see the difference.”
That also made her feel better about herself, as she came from a family of hunters charged with protecting the city from monsters such as Wolf Shifters, but they enjoyed killing any animal and demonstrated it by keeping their heads on the walls. Aria had the horrible feeling that her mother had been killed by those creatures.
Her life was pretty monotonous until she met a handsome boy who saved her from being crushed by a box in the best Edward Cullen style when saving Bella from the truck.
Living in a misogynistic family, Aria couldn’t be least interested in meeting a boy. But she fell for “Pretty Boy” the moment she saw him for the first time. Especially for his “animal attraction”.
Tilting my head up, I found I was crushed against a guy’s body. Not just any guy, the muscular newcomer. Holy mother of fiddlesticks. He was freaking hot. Like a sexy volcanic eruption, sensual lava flowing all over and scorching every inch it caressed, kind of HOT. He was simmering hot. Like smoldering butter on low heat, spreading its tangy, sweet, and creamy deliciousness over the soft and eager pancake laying under it, wanting to be licked—crap, I wasn’t sure if he was getting me excited or hungry, but it was up there.
The problem is, Pretty Boy is overly mysterious, overbearing, and doesn’t even want to tell her his real name. Worse still is that he dares to declare her his, and that she is incapable of refusing.
“Did that make me a floozy? Probably, but now I knew why those women enjoyed it so much. Dear Lord…
I totally agree with Aria that all her neurons failed since she met “Pretty Boy”. But I also understand her perfectly, because I also loved him from his first appearance 😅.
Okay, it was not fair for that stranger to be hot, sexy, and sweet with dogs too. The trifecta.
It’s such a short story that I can’t say more without spoilers. But I enjoyed it too much. And I discovered an interesting similarity of Wolf Shifters with Vampires 🤔.
Despite being short, we get to understand Aria and her life well, as well as Pretty Boy’s. In addition to being a romance in my favorite style, it is a novel that reminds you that family is not necessarily the one that has a blood bond with you.
This book is part of Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
The hardest stone protects the most precious gems…
Someone is killing dwarves.
Sabine is new to the city of Razadon, a mecca of stone and dwarven magic.
When a clan leader is murdered in a strange ritual, suspicion falls on the most likely culprits and those newest to the city—Sabine and her companions.
The blood of the ancients can fracture even the strongest stone…
The seals of the Dragon Portal are growing weaker, and Sabine’s running out of time to acquire the remaining artifacts before their world is engulfed in flames.
It’s a race against the clock to find out who’s responsible for the murder and save her friend’s life. But deep within the heart of the mountain, there are some who will do anything to keep Sabine from learning the truth.
Even if it means sacrificing her in the process.
Review
“All hail Queen Sabin’theoria of the Unseelie, daughter and heir of Queen Mali’theoria, and blood descendant of Lachlina, the One True Goddess, and Vestior, Harbinger of Nightmares.”
After their adventure with the Merfolk. Sabine, Malek and their other companions are back on the ship on their way to Dwarven, city of the Dwarves.
The closer they get, the greater becomes the feeling that something is wrong. When they are attacked by a strange storm, part of the crew die or lose control of their actions, including Bane and Malek. Thanks to their connection with Sabine and her new power granted by the pearl of the Merfolk, they manage to reach safely the city of the dwarves, Razadon.
This new display of Sabine’s magic, without being covered by her protectors, results in indicating to the Wild Hunt her exact location, so they have no choice but to hide in Razadon.
Between the corruption permeating the air, the goddess threatening to control her bond with Malek and Bane, and the knowledge assassins were hunting her, this entire situation had the potential to go wrong very quickly.
The problem is that the storm was created by corrupt magic, which enrages the goddess Lachlina, who forces Sabine to search for the origin and end it. Furthermore, this magic seems to affect Bane more than the others, driving him into a demonic frenzy in which he slays the dwarves that attack him. This makes him a prisoner, and he is sentenced to death.
The crew is sent away from the city because of the dangers that exist in it. So Sabine, Malek, and Blossom must take it upon themselves to save Bane. Now with the help of Rika, a human “seer” whom Sabine agreed to rescue in Karga and who is now half butterfly (you will understand by reading it 😉).
Now Sabine, who has become the new Unseelie queen, needs to prove her power against the dwarves to maintain the alliance, as she tries to overcome their political entanglements to rescue Bane. All while searching for the cause of the corruption before the goddess Lachlina loses her patience and does it on her own.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that for some reason I thought it was a trilogy. Then, through Amazon, I found out there were 4. And it turns out that at the beginning of this book I come across this…
There are 6 books planned in the saga and I don’t even know if they are all. This would really be wonderful if it weren’t because I hate waiting 😑. But hey, back to the book.
Sabine is not ready to become queen. However, there is nothing she can do about it. She is forced to do everything in her power to prove to others that she will be a trustworthy queen and thus not lose her allies. Even if her confidence is just a performance.
“We’ve secured at least four votes, possibly five. The others can bend, or they can break. If they want to play games, I intend to win.”
Fortunately, she has Malek by her side, a dragon who has been several times in the city of the dwarves thanks to his facade as a merchant and ship captain. Sabine finds in him the strength to keep up appearances, as well as important advice on how to negotiate with them. Unfortunately Malek is hiding something. He hasn’t told the whole truth about the portal to Sabine and knows he could lose her when she finds out.
“The one woman I end up falling for is the one person who holds the power to either save our people or damn them for eternity. If I have to lose her in the process of saving them, I’ll do it. I’ll hate every second of it, but I’ll do it.”
In addition, Sabine is clear that her relationship with Malek cannot last, as her people will never accept a dragon with their queen. However, she cannot find the strength to get away from him.
She reached for him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. There was no use denying it. She’d fallen in love with a dragon. They’d known each other for such a short amount of time, but it didn’t matter. The obstacles they’d faced had shown her who he truly was, and that was the man she’d come to adore.
Another very interesting thing is that it is becoming increasingly clear that the Huntsman, leader of the Wild Hunt, has some interest in Sabine and in helping her instead of killing her. Although we do not know why.
I can’t say much about Bane and Rika without spoilers. But I love both characters. Bane is the demon that has an oath with Sabine, although she mentions on many occasions that demons are not the same as other races in terms of emotions, it is very clear that he really cares about Sabine. He also seems to have a special relationship with Rika.
This young seer is only 15 years old, and she was forced to leave her home and her grandmother to survive. Sabine feels completely identified with her, so she does her best to support her. Rika’s abilities have not been fully developed, but she already proves to be a valuable ally, who immediately grew fond of everyone, but especially Bane and Blossom.
Blossom is once again in charge of delivering abundant amounts of humor. But it is increasingly showing how important she is as an ally and friend.
One thing I really like about this series is that they don’t end in cliff-hangers. The end of this book is a little more terrible than the previous ones, but it still doesn’t leave you totally hanging. It makes me think of Percy Jackson. I haven’t read the books (😅) but in the movies, each one focuses on a particular mission / story, with a base story that ties them together. In the style of Harry Potter the first 4 years.
In this case we are touring the kingdoms hand in hand with Sabine. Each book mainly focuses on one kingdom (at least it seems so 😅). In the first they were in the realm of humans, in the second in that of the Merfolk and now in that of the dwarves. It is no longer a spoiler that the main story corresponds to the search for the artifacts used by the gods to close the portal of the dragons and prevent a new war in the world. But this book focuses on the object guarded in the kingdom of the dwarves, and therefore in this race and its relationship with Sabine.
Obviously there is a new drawing, I would be offended if the others don’t have it 😂. This time we have Sabine and Blossom next to the dwarf crystals. They are getting more and more beautiful 😍.
I still recommend 100% this series. Especially for those who love pure fantasy and fairies, and dragons, and dwarfs, and a thousand other creatures. It is one of the most magical sagas that I have read.
PS: A very interesting discovery is that, of the original races, only dwarfs can grow facial hair. Officially I want to be a Fae 🤣.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
A priceless treasure is hidden within the ocean’s depths…
Sabine barely managed to escape from Akros with her life.
But the ocean isn’t safe for someone whose power stems from the forests.
When their ship is attacked on the high seas and one of Sabine’s companions is taken hostage, only an agreement forged by blood and magic may save her friend’s life.
The pearl of the sea is also the key to the gods’ revenge…
With the dragon portal failing and the gods’ magic threatening to destroy their world, Sabine must choose between following her heart or upholding a sacred oath.
The cost of ending a centuries-old feud may be higher than anyone expected.
All magic demands a sacrifice–even if it’s hers.
Review
“By blood and magic and by the rights of both, what once was solely ours shall be no longer. By will and might, we merge our purposes and intents. As I will it, so mote it be.”
Do you know that feeling of watching a movie in your head when reading? It usually takes me a few chapters in a book to get to that point, in some it never gets as “clear”. This time it was as if I had pressed “Play” the moment I opened the book, even without remembering much of the previous one.
Sabine, Malek and their companions left Akros on Malek’s ship, heading for the Dwarven city.
In the middle of the ocean they are attacked by the Merfolk, aquatic creatures similar to faeries (like mermaids). Who capture much of the crew, including Esme and Levin, Sabine and Malek’s best friends respectively.
Her magic was ancient in origin, for the Fae were the first children of the gods. Her power was the same as what originally shaped this world, creating forests and lakes where none previously existed. While the Merfolk were the caretakers of the sea, the Fae would always be the victors in commanding the heavens and earth to obey.
Sabine manages to make a deal with the Merfolk to rescue her friends, which consists of finding Pearl, a Merfolk who disappeared in the desert in her human form.
As if this mission was not complex enough, things in Karga, the city where they disembark, are upside down. Annually they carry out a “burning festival” in which the city is completely closed and a purge of all demonic magic is carried out. This year they have advanced the date and it has become even more dangerous as they now have a magic detector.
Tired and having used much of their magic, Sabine, Malek and Blossom must find a way to complete their mission, without dying in the attempt. But, above all, without falling in love (Although they should already give up on this, they already fell in love 🤣).
Her hand started vibrating, and she laughed in delight. “Are you purring?” Bane snorted and walked away, circling the dragon and studying him from all sides. “A dragon who purrs. Fearsome, indeed.”
And of course, the Wild Hunt is still trying to murder Sabine …
I completely fell in love with the first book in this series. I can’t understand how I missed the release of the second installment, but here we are.
Honestly I had almost no memories of the first part. I just remembered how much I liked it. Thank god Jamie does an excellent job putting up little reminders that allow you to follow the story without rereading. Except for Sabine’s connection to the goddess Lachlina. I really didn’t remember this and had to reread the end of the first one 😑.
Like the first book, the story grabs you from the beginning and you start to have a million questions, which are answered veeeery slowly.
We get to know Sabine so much better and I love her. This time we get to know a little more about her past, along with the real reason for her escape from Faerie. She has a horrible past, but she never allowed that to define her. She is different from all other Fae, she does not feel superior to any race, and she cares about everyone. Which is ironic because she is probably the most powerful of them.
You’re not like the rest of the Fae,” Blossom said and patted Sabine’s hair. “That’s why we follow you, Sabine. You’re different.”
I find it very sad that Sabine, with Malek, knows for the first time what it is for someone to love you without expecting anything in return. The fact that Malek doesn’t want her magic puzzles her and makes her fall even more for him.
Sabine nodded. She managed a weak smile and brushed away her tears. “I’m sorry. I normally don’t fall apart like this.” Malek arched his brow. “In the short time we’ve known each other, you’ve proven to be one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. Most would have given up after experiencing a fraction of the challenges you’ve faced.” He chuckled. “I don’t think anyone would begrudge you a few tears, and if so, to hell with them. I’d like to see them try to walk in your footsteps.”
I love Malek because he is very strong and overprotective, yet he knows that he cannot protect Sabine against her will, and he respects that. I find it very funny that they spend the whole book saying “damn, I will fall in love with him / her” when it is clear that they are totally damned already 😂. They are an adorable couple, but with impressive sexual tension even just by looking at each other. We know that Sabine is a Fae and Malek a dragon, and both races are mortal enemies. However, Sabine begins to trust Malek and their relationship evolves into more than just attraction.
However, the best character ever is definitely Blossom. The little pixie who proves to be a loyal friend and hilarious companion, as well as an ally full of surprising resources.
Blossom flew toward them, her wings sending a smattering of pixie dust everywhere. It seemed to happen more often when she was overly excited.
I want Blossom to send pixie dust all over my room 🤩
My only critic is that I felt some very repetitive phrases, like that they were falling in love, or Malek putting Sabine’s hair behind her ear. But this is just for criticizing something.
Again we have a beautiful drawing at the beginning of each chapter. This time Blossom managed to appear in the picture with Sabine 😅. By the way, I don’t know how I didn’t realize before that the image is of Sabine, it didn’t even occur to me until I read a comment from Jamie 🤦♀️.
And … again I overdid this post but it’s worth it. I highly recommend this series. One thing I really like is that these books don’t end in cliff-hangers. Each one is a part of an incredible story with a medieval air and full of magic.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Throne of Glass meets Minecraft in this fun YA romantic fantasy.
One prince wants her out. Another wants her as a pawn. Someone wants her dead.
Zora wants to win the cup and tell them all to screw themselves.
Yes, 17-year-old Zora cheated her way into the Royal Games, but it was for a very good reason. Her ex-boyfriend thought she couldn’t attain glory on her own. Just because she was a girl. And he was the real cheater. So she took his place.
Now she’s competing for the legendary Blood Cup, representing the Dark Valley. It’s her chance to prove her worth and bring glory for her people. If she wins, of course.
But winning is far from easy. The younger prince thinks she’s a fragile damsel who doesn’t belong in the competition. Determined to eliminate her at all costs, he’s stacking the challenges against her. Zora hates him, hates him, hates him, and will do anything to prove him wrong.
The older prince is helping her, but the cost is getting Zora entangled in dangerous flirting games. Flirting, the last thing she wanted.
And then there’s someone trying to kill her.
The Cup and the Prince is a light and fun YA fantasy with romance, action, and intrigue, for readers 15 and older. It’s book 1 in the series Kingdom of Curses and Shadows.
Review
But this story is getting messy, so we’ll get back to the beginning. Four hundred years before… Too early? Let’s go back four hours then, when Zora was still bright-eyed and oblivious.
That beginning is epic 😂. I really like Day Leitao’s books, so when I found out she was writing a new series I had to read it. Although I felt a little scared when I learned that it was inspired by Minecraft…
I honestly find it incredibly cool to pull out a complete story inspired by the idea that monsters can appear in dark places.
Zora is a 17-year-old girl who has lived all her life in the Dark Valley, a place where monsters spawn in every small space of shadows, so all the citizens are in charge of keeping lamps lit and locating things ensuring that they do not create spaces without light.
Given this lifestyle and the fact that accidents cannot be avoided, everyone in the valley needs to know how to defend themselves against the shadows, even children. Zora is a teacher and is in charge of teaching them both to survive, to read and, above all, to always keep hope.
“What do we do?” “WE SHINE OUR LIGHT,” both replied. “What if shadows come?” “WE FIGHT, WE FIGHT, WE FIGHT.” “What if fear shows up?” “WE ALWAYS TRUST OUR MIGHT.” “And what do we do meanwhile?” “WE HOPE, BELIEVE, AND TRY.”
Zora’s “war” shout
Zora had a boyfriend, Seth, who was a reverend jerk and was just using her. Seth had been selected as the valley champion who would go to represent them in the Royal Games competition. Fortunately, Zora discovered his deception just the night before Seth left town.
“You’re a girl and all, so you can’t do things yourself, but you can be my inspiration.”
I’m so kicking this idiot’s ass to a dark spot where he can be eaten by a shadow wolf
After this betrayal, Zora decides that she does not need love or hope. And she takes Seth’s place in the competition as revenge.
Then she checked the lamps in the house to make sure they had enough oil for the night. If a shadow creature spawned inside his house and killed him, what was the point of all that? You can’t humiliate dead people… …Her idea was to write, “Dear Seth, when I find glory, please know that none of it is yours.” But then she remembered he couldn’t read.
He’s such an idiot that is even hard to humiliate him 🤦
One small detail is that she has no idea what the competition is all about. Also, she managed to anger Griffin, the youngest prince, as soon as she arrived.
Well, if she won the cup instead of him, she’d be the one with the mocking face. Simple solution. Complex execution.
Being the only woman in the competition should put her at a disadvantage, but at least it meant finding some unexpected allies, including Prince Larzen, who offered his help in exchange for her taking part in the courtship.
Well, duh. He was a guy and probably thought women were naturally born with makeup and hair done.
Things were going relatively well, until Zora discovers Griffin’s big secret and someone starts trying to assassinate her. Now Zora is caught in the middle of the competition itself, but also the problems between the three princes. Plus the king’s fiancee, Alegra.
Be careful, be careful. It was all people told her. As if the responsibility for not getting murdered were hers.
I was a little scared when I started reading this book because I saw a pretty bad review. I’m very glad I didn’t listen to it because my only critic to this book is the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger, and I only complain because I suffer a lot when the next part has not yet come out.
But really, it blew my mind.
For starters, I loved Zora. She is very brave, super intelligent and life in the Valley has given her many resources. However, she is not indestructible and knows it. She suffers more than one collapse in the book and I love that, because it makes her feel so much more real.
Tears were running from her eyes again. If they could fix anything, Zora would have no problems.
It reminds me a lot of The Hunger Games, apart from the competition itself. This is done to entertain the subjects of the kingdom. It also made me think of Mulan. Although she does not disguise herself as a man, she must prove her worth in front of them, in addition to wanting to win to honor her people.
Perhaps the heart had a special place for one hated person, just like it had a special place for love, although she swore to leave that empty or fill it with love for humanity, for her valley.
I cannot say anything about Throne of Glass because I am an embarrassment to the reading community and I have not read it yet.
Yes, it’s me inside the box
The Dark Valley is very well-built. When I was reading I kept thinking of “mistakes” for things that would inevitably make a shadow like the sheets, however, it is explained that, in fact, they do not use them.
Now, it is true that there are TOO MANY “sexual” jokes in the style of a 14-year-old boy, but for me it was like listening to a friend telling bad jokes 🤣.
Griffin scoffed. “You’re assuming she’d want to come.” “Weird.” Larzen scratched his chin. “I thought that was what most girls wanted.” Alegra and Kiran laughed. Zora looked uncomfortable.
Finally… Are there clichés? Yes. Do I care? No 🤣. I love castles and balls in books, competitions too. Also, while you could say there are clichés, I feel like Day gave all of them an original turn. And fear not, there is no love square between princes and Zora 👌.
Final verdict: 5/5, I highly recommend it to have a good time.
PS: I went overboard with the quotes but there were some too good to leave out 😊.
Bye bye 💕
If you liked this post please like, share & comment
Ever since Riley Thomas, reluctant medium extraordinaire, accidentally released a malevolent spirit from a Ouija board when she was thirteen, she’s taken a hard pass on scary movies, haunted houses, and cemeteries. Twelve years later, when her best friend pressures her into spending a paranormal investigation weekend at the infamous Jordanville Ranch—former home of deceased serial killer Orin Jacobs—Riley’s still not ready to accept the fact that she can communicate with ghosts.
Shortly after their arrival at the ranch, the spirit of a little boy contacts Riley; a child who went missing—and was never found—in 1973.
In order to put the young boy’s spirit to rest, she has to come to grips with her ability. But how can she solve a mystery that happened a decade before she was born? Especially when someone who knows Orin’s secrets wants to keep the truth buried—no matter the cost.
Review
*Warning: The backstory is really dense. There are murders, rapes and it is quite descriptive in general. There are also some sex scenes but, if you can tolerate everything else, these should be nothing.*
Riley Thomas is a normal 25-year-old girl whose life has been reduced to watching television and working, after breaking up 6 months ago with the idiot of her ex-boyfriend.
Her best friend Jade has tried several times to perform interventions, but they have not worked. So this time she uses all her best friend resources and commits Riley to a weekend of paranormal investigation at the house where a serial killer lived, made famous after appearing on a paranormal show.
Riley is obsessed with crime stories, so she should be excited about the idea. But it is impossible for her to get excited knowing that the place is said to be haunted.
Riley’s rejection of everything paranormal is far from the common fear of ghosts, as Riley is a “reluctant medium.” She discovered her spiritual ability when she was 10 years old, but it was at 13 that the madness broke out. From that day on, Riley got as far away from the paranormal world as possible and dedicated herself to pretending her ability didn’t exist.
Pretending for the weekend shouldn’t be an impossible mission, but a little ghost named Pete ruins her plans. Now Riley must stop pretending and use everything she has learned from research on television and the internet to find out what happened to Pete.
For me this book deserves 11/5 stars. End of the review.
Yes, so much so.
This book is about a serial murderer, who kidnapped girls to make “contributions to medicine”, eventually one of his “patients” managed to escape, and he was caught and convicted for the murders. However, when Riley arrives at the ranch, she realizes that there are probably still a few loose ends in this case, and that she is the only one who can solve them thanks to the information she gets from beyond.
The story is mostly told from Riley’s perspective, but some chapters are from Orin’s perspective. These are the most scary, because he truly believes he did nothing wrong and even cares about his “patients.” Since he was a child, he was always very interested in how things work, the problem is that he was also interested in knowing how human beings work, and after being rejected from medical schools and even forensics (I don’t know why they didn’t put him in a psychiatric after these interviews 🤷♀️), he found a way to conduct his research on his own. He’s a very well-constructed character, but pretty gruesome for the same reason.
Reading that description, the book doesn’t seem recommendable, but it is. To begin with, I believed every single word in the book. The story is totally realistic (which makes it a lot more terrible), even in the paranormal scenes. Also, the characters. Riley really has no idea how to resolve her new situation and uses the internet a lot to do research. Luckily for her, she has the support of Jade, whose relationship really seems like sisters. And also of Michael, an excessively handsome 30-year-old man she meets on the weekend at the ranch. Honestly, it’s worth making that dreadful visit to the ranch to meet someone like Michael 😅. A “reformed idiot” in his own words, who is in charge of keeping Riley from falling apart, as well as being excessively funny, easing the tension in the worst moments in history. I loved this character, he has a million traumas from the past, but he’s looking to be a better person.
“What are you talking about?” He placed the back of his hand on her forehead. “You’re pale. Are you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a–oh. Oh! Shit. You saw a ghost.”
The synopsis of this book caught me immediately, but as after my experience with paranormal programs (they fascinate me but I stopped watching them because I couldn’t sleep afterwards 😅) I understood that I am a chicken, I read some reviews to make sure it did not give too much fear. The truth is it was useless because, although the book is not scary in itself, I still had nightmares 🤦♀️.
You could say that it is divided into 3 parts. The beginning and the visit to the ranch, the investigation and then the outcome.
In the beginning, when they arrive at the Jordanville Ranch is the moment that the most chills made me feel. But, once they return home, the investigation is conducted by Riley, as she begins a relationship with Michael. For me it was perfect, because after the nerves of the first chapters and given that the things that Riley discovers are each more frightening than the last, I do not know if I could have handle reading the book it had been otherwise. The relaxed moments on their dates, or Michael’s jokes that always break the tension, made me enjoy this book despite its dark background.
The ending is simply spectacular. The book begins by putting your nerves on edge, then allows you to relax a little and then moves at a dizzying pace toward the outcome. I haven’t read many thrillers, but it’s in the end where most stories fail and this one didn’t.
Another very interesting thing in this book is how harassment reports are handled. At one point in the book, Riley is harassed by a psychopath. I can’t tell you anything else to avoid spoilers, but the important thing is that he doesn’t do anything that would allow to have evidence against him. Riley says it and even a detective mentions it: These types of cases only get followed up once it is too late. Unfortunately this appears to be the case in fiction as well as in reality, and in all countries. I am glad that this is becoming more and more visible and I hope with all my heart that things change.
I talked too much but this book really surprised me. It’s the first time in a long time that I really couldn’t stop reading. It gave me the chills, I laughed out loud and cried too.
I don’t know what else I can tell you so that you run to read this book (but really, if you are too sensitive don’t read it, despite being excellent it is quite strong).
PD: This is Melissa’s debut book. I honestly couldn’t believe it. I could have sworn it was the book of a super experienced writer.
Hi! In this website we use own and third-party cookies to obtain statistical data on the navigation of our users and improve our content. By clicking "Accept" you consent the use of ALL this cookies.
This website uses cookies while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Sorry for the inconvenient
Hi!
We are in the middle of a change of look. The posts are still live but they look... weird.
Please stay tuned to see our new style.
