**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Blinding Night is the first in a new adult mythology romance series by**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Blinding Night is the first in a new adult mythology romance series by the same name from author Chantal Gadoury. I fell in love with this novel. I started reading it casually here and there for a few minutes at a time while I was waiting for some appointments. This casual reading quickly became longer and longer periods of me being completely glued to my kindle. Eventually it turned into me totally ignoring the people I was with because I was so engrossed in the story. I am hoping that book two comes out soon because I am full on addicted to the characters and the story now. Blinding Night is a fantastic novel and I can't wait for more from this series.
Summer "Sunny" is spending her summer in Greece with her mom and dad, while the work on an archaeology dig. Blinding Night tells the story that is totally made up of little girl daydreams. A mysterious stranger appears and tells you that you are a long lost princess...I mean long lost Greek goddess. (which is even better than princess!) Sunny is great. She has a healthy dose of skepticism, which I really appreciate. She is a reincarnation of Persephone. I love that Blinding Night is a mythology based story, but with a twist. I loved the whole reincarnation element that Chantal Gadoury incorporates. But my true love here is the mythology. I am so obsessed with stories featuring Hades and the underworld. I really can't get enough of them. With so many versions of the underworld out there in books and movies, it is always my favorite part of the story to see how the author is going to depict everything. And Chantal Gadoury's underworld and players does not disappoint. I love Darce (Hades) and Morpheus the most, but I am also super excited to see more from Thantos and some of the others as well. I really, really loved Morpheus. He was my favorite character in Blinding Night. I felt like he truly saw Summer for Summer, and not just for a vessel for Persephone.
I loved seeing the past reincarnations of Persephone as well. I feel like there are still many more secrets for us to uncover in the next (hopefully several) novels, but there were some twists and turns that took me by surprise in Blinding Night.
Blinding Night is a book that really had it all for me- great characters, awesome and engaging plot, a fantastic romance and overall a story that left me wanting the next novel ASAP. Like right now, in fact. Fans of greek mythology cannot miss this series. It is a must read. It is one of my favorite books of 2018. When does book two come out again? Because I need it in my life.
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Apollo is Mine is the first book in the Harem of the Gods series by Mi**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Apollo is Mine is the first book in the Harem of the Gods series by Mila Young. This is the first book I have read from Mila, but it certainly won't be my last. I think you guys all know by now that I am a sucker for anything greek mythology related. And when you combine that with my love for a swoony romance, well, you pretty much have a Michelle approved hit on your hands. Which is exactly what I found reading Apollo is Mine. I loved this novel and I am already itching for the next book in the series.
The set up of the series is super interesting to me. This book is set in modern times. Zeus has given Elyse Lowe and her whole family line some of the Gods abilities. They are given those abilities to help fight monsters and demons on earth. Elyse is the last remaining member of her family, so the task of fighting all of these monsters now falls on her shoulders. That is such a huge responsibility, I can't even fathom it. But Elyse does not back down from anyone or anything (a bit of her hubris perhaps?) but she is a warrior through and through. Zeus appoints Heracles to be her trainer. Honestly, he is the one t character that surprised me the most. We meet lots of Gods in this story and I expected to like all of them, but I really expected to love Heracles. I mean, he is the one that was in Elyse's corner first. But he was kind of disappointing to me. I felt a huge disconnect from him. But luckily, he is the only character that I felt that disconnect from.
We get to meet Hades, Apollo, Ares and Zeus (momentarily) in Apollo is Mine. And actually, I have listed them in my order of preference. I seriously love Mila Young's Hades. He is so intense and he really matches Elyse well. I also love Apollo, but that's not surprising because he is an easier character to love. I didnt' really get to know Ares much in this one, so my opinion on him is still to come, but I am the most interested in seeing more Hades in the next book. (And Poseidon)
The coolest part of this novel is the Death storyline. I can't wait to see how that plays into the larger plot of the series. Bottom line- if you are a fan of Greek mythology and of a sexy romance featuring a kick butt warrior heroine and lots of Greek Gods (literally) then this is going to be great series for you to check out. I loved the first book and I am super excited to read book two!
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**You can see my review of books 1, 2 & 3 here: The Hooker and the Hermit**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**You can see my review of books 1, 2 & 3 here: The Hooker and the Hermit (5 stars) The Player and the Pixie (5 stars) The Cad and the Co-Ed (5 stars)
The Varlet and the Voyeur is the fourth book in the Rugby series by Penny Reid and LH Cosway. I am just going to say it...The rugby series is my favorite sports romance series of all time! Which should come as no surprise to any of you because I think by now you know I have a not so mild obsession with everything Penny Reid (and now LH Cosway) writes. Each of the books in the rugby series can be read as standalones and they each follow a a different character, but trust me when I tell you this, you are going to want to read all of the books in this series. So you might as well read them in order. They are all so stupendously wonderful, and they each follow a different member of the rugby team. Please don't make me pick my favorite because I might have a melt down (but if you twist my arm...it's still Sean. I just love him.)
The Varlet and the Voyeur is Will and Josey's story. The fact that Will is made out to be some kind of pervert is downright laughable because he is the most adorable wholesome, good hearted guy out there. I loved him. And Josey totally cracked me up. She is a sweetheart too, but the girl does not know when to stop talking. It was kind of hilarious. And what I liked the most is that Will totally appreciated her for exactly who she was. He might not have known it, but he was kind of smitten with her from the first moment she opened her mouth. And I loved it! Stoic Will and Chatty Josey are such a cute couple, and watching their story unfold was so much fun in signature Penny Reid/LH Cosway style. I knew from the very first chapter that I was going to enjoy this book every bit as much as the first three books in the series. We get to see some of my favorite characters from the first three books, but Teh Varlet and the Voyeur was still very much Josey and Will's story.
I am just going to come right out and say it- you can't beat a Penny Reid romance. Her signature humor, sexiness and character development are unmatched. She knows how to write characters that you want to read about, and she knows how to write romances that you just can't get enough of. and the author duo of LH Cosway and Penny Reid is a huge hit in my opinion. The Rugby series is my favorite. They never let me down. The characters are engaging, the romance is some of the best there ever was, the writing is witty and so much fun and the story is so good you will not be able to put it down. Penny Reid has written some of my very favorite romance series. Of all time people. She is one of my favorite authors Of.ALL.TIME! If you are not reading her books, you are doing yourself a disservice. Show yourself some love and read the Rugby series.
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net** Bring Me Their Hearts is the first book in a new young adult fantasy t**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net** Bring Me Their Hearts is the first book in a new young adult fantasy trilogy by Sara Wolf. I loved this book. It was one of those books that started off decent, and then just kept getting better and better until I was completely and utterly entranced by it at the end. Bring Me Their Hearts was such a fantastic book. I'm not sure why I was surprised..I absolutely LOVED Sara Wolf's lovely vicious series, and this was equally delicious in a different way. Bring Me Their Hearts is a darker fantasy series that has a fantastic romance woven into a really cool plotline. It is the story of Zera, who is a heartless. A heartless is someone who has lost their heart to a witch. And as long as the witch holds their heart, they are under the control of said witch.
Zera is such a fascinating character. I loved her. She sees herself a monster (for a variety of reasons), but her shades of morality make her super interesting. That and her mouth. She has sass for days! In fact, the only thing sharper than her heartless teeth is her tongue. She is not afraid to give a verbal lashing to anyone, which is one of the things I loved about her. There was a pretty devastating war between the witches/heartless and the people years ago, which has led to a switch of religions and a huge hatred and fear of witches. Another war is brewing, and the witches want the prince on their side...as a heartless. Zera is sent in to complete the mission. I don't want to give away more than that, but though this plot may sound simple and like it has been done before, the themes of magic and the old gods are going to play a much larger role in this story. I just know it. There is enough foreshadowing in Bring Me Their Hearts to know that certain characters have some secrets that are going to play out in big ways in the next two books. And I am so here for the journey.
I'm not going to lie, the ending of this book slayed me. I can't say I didn't see it coming, but it was a blow nonetheless. I want answers and I want more right now! This is going to be a painful wait for book two because I really loved this book so much! Lucian and Zera are fantastic together, and I really loved Malachite. Heck, I even grew to love Lady Y'shennrias. Sara Wolf has a way of weaving a hauntingly addicting story. I flippin love her books, and Bring Me Their Hearts is no exception. I fell for this book hardcore. It is one of my favorite reads of 2018. The only downside is that I have to wait to get the second book. I want it now!
Bottom line: Fans of dark fantasies, with a healthy dose of sass and romance will absolutely love Bring Me Their Hearts. This was an excellent, excellent novel!
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Supervillain and Me is the first book in the young adult superhero**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Supervillain and Me is the first book in the young adult superhero fantasy by Danielle Banas, called the Morriston Superheroes series. I missed yesterday's top ten tuesday post, which was top ten books of 2018...so far. But if I had gotten my post up, this book would have for sure made this list! I loved The Supervillain and Me so, so much! I am going to come right out and say that I am a pretty big fan for superheroes and super powers. I love all things X-men, Avengers and pretty much any marvel or DC comic hero/villain. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that as soon as I saw the cover and summary for The Supervillain and Me, I was fangirling for it right from the get-go. That being said, I still had no idea just how much I would fall in love with this story and these characters. Danielle Banas knocked it out of the park with The Supervillain and Me!
The Supervillain and Me is set in a world where some people develop powers. The supers then tend to become a superhero for their city. The Supervillain and Me is set in the town of Morriston. Morriston currently has two supers- The Red Comet and Fish Boy. Go ahead and guess which one is the city favorite? (just kidding, Morriston loves both of them) And then we have Abby, our main character. Nope, she doesn't have powers but she is the sister to the Red Comet. I thought this was a cool way of making her super hero adjacent, without actually giving her super powers. But then a new super shows up on the scene- the Iron Phantom, except he is no hero. He is Morriston's very first super villain. And that is all I am going to tell you about the set up of this story, because you just have read it for yourself and watch it all unfold. But now let's talk about the characters and the reasons why I loved The Supervillain and Me so darn much!
I loved every single character in this book. Abby is great. Her best friend, AKA the Red Comet super fangirl is a hoot and a really great friend. And of course I totally loved the romance between Abby and Iron Phantom. The romance was very front and center and so much fun, and totally swoony. If you like your superhero books with a heavy dose of romance, The Supervillain and Me is the perfect book for you. I will say that I knew who the Iron Phantom was pretty early on, but I still loved every second of this book. I loved that so many of the characters were in high school. (It is a young adult book, after all!) Danielle Banas did a fantastic job fleshing out her characters and friendships and relationships. And her writing was funny and conversational and flowed perfectly the whole time. There was not a single instance where I found the plot dragging on. The Supervillain and Me was a fast paced book that I honestly never wanted to end. I am so happy this is going to be a series, and after that ending I am super interested to see what is going to happen in book 2.
Overall, The Supervillain and Me was a fun action filled super hero romance that I totally ate up. If you like superheroes, young adult books in a high school setting and a freakin' fantastic swoony romance, The Supervillain and Me is going to be your new favorite super hero book. It is my new favorite super hero series! I dare you to read this book and not become an Iron Phantom (or Red Comet...or even Fish Boy) fangirl. Danielle Banas did such a fantastic job with The Supervillain and Me. It is one of my favorite books in 2018 and Iron Phantom is one of my favorite book boyfriends of 2018! You need to read this book.
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Power of Five is the first book in the new adult fantasy romance serie**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Power of Five is the first book in the new adult fantasy romance series by the same name by an author that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Alex Lidell has written some amazing young adult action/adventure series, but Power of Five is by far my favorite of hers! Guys, this book sent me into a spiraling book hangover. So much so, after reading 3 other books that I thought would help me move past my obsession of Power of Five, I had to go back and re-read Power of Five a mere 3 days after I binge read it the first time. I am so in love with all of the characters. Power of Five is by far my favorite read of 2018. I am talking top of the top!
Power of Five is a fae fantasy and it is the story of a group of four elite fae warriors, who have been searching for years for the fifth member that will complete their warrior quint. They are all shock to find it is a human girl named Lera. Lera and the four warriors- River, Coal, Tye, and Shade, set off on an adventure through the fae realm to try and sever the bond that links all members of the Quint together. But of course, across this journey they get to know Lera and it is so so good. I don't want to say much more except that I am completely addicted to each and every one of the five characters. I can't pick a favorite, I just love the way they are all so different and they all complement each other.
There are plenty of secrets and magic galore and tons of sexy, awesome fae warrior goodness and other intangibles that just make Power of Five the best book I have read in such a long time. There are multiple love interests in this series, but if you are unsure of how that will play out, just read the book! I promise you will be a convert and you will immediately fall in love with Lera, River, Coal, Tye, and Shade. I especially love Coal and River.
Fans of new adult fantasy romances do not want to miss this series because it will soon join your favorites shelf. All of Alex's series are well written, well though out and well executed, but the Power of Five series has become my favorite of all time. I am already itching to get my hands on the second book. I need it in my life right now! Right now! And if you guys would be interested, I am already coming up with a post featuring the members of the quint and breaking down their personalities. I cannot get enough of this book! Everyone needs to read it immediately. (It is free on Kindle unlimited, so if you are a KU member, go grab this book this instant!)
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net** Mistake of Magic is the second book in the new adult fantasy romance P**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net** Mistake of Magic is the second book in the new adult fantasy romance Power of Five series by Alex Lidell. You all know how much I LOVED POwer of Five. It sent me into a spiraling book hangover. So much so, after reading 3 other books that I thought would help me move past my obsession of Power of Five, I had to go back and re-read Power of Five a mere 3 days after I binge read it the first time. I am so in love with all of the characters. So when Mistake of Magic was being edited, I was a big ole pile of impatient-ness. And when I did get my hands on it, I was so excited that I went back and re-read book one...again. Yes, that makes 3 times this year. I can't remember the last time I read a book 3 times in one year. And let me tell you, Mistake of Magic did not disappoint. The Power of Five series continues to be one of my favorite series of all time.
In case you are new to this series, Power of Five series is a fae fantasy and it is the story of a group of four elite fae warriors, who have been searching for years for the fifth member that will complete their warrior quint. They are all shock to find it is a human girl named Lera. Mistake of Magic takes place right after the events of Power of Five. Lera and her fae are forced to undergo the trials that all quints must face in order to become a warrior unit. We also get to explore more about the magic that binds Lera's quint together and the uniqueness of their bond. I love unraveling the secrets of this world. And of course, I love seeing Lera with all of her guys. Mistake of Magic was every bit as yummy and wonderful as the first book. Plus, fans of a competition element will love reading about the trials. And they will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat. We get to see 2 trials in this book, and oh boy! I was sweating them!
We really got know each of the characters so much better in this book. And now that I have read two books worth of Coal, River, Shade and Tye I want to share some of my thoughts on each of them. Starting with Tye. Tye is the carefree flirt of the group. I love that Tye is always trying to cheer Lera up, but in this book we also got to see a glimpse of another side to Tye and I am loving it. I agree with Lera- Tye is a bit of a mystery to me. I need to figure him out! Shade. I love Shade but he did annoy me a bit in this book. Something he did irked me, and yes, I know it wasn't totally him. (Email me if you have read this series, so I can discuss it with you!) River. Oh River, I love you so. I loved that we got to see so much more of River in Mistake of Magic, and it just made me love him even more. His connection with Lera is something really special. I am looking forward to more of River in the next book. And then there is Coal, my favorite member of the quint. Coal and Lera have a super special extra layer of connection and I want so much more of that in the next book. We got to see a ton of Coal in Mistake of Magic and I lapped it all up greedily! He is so stoic and stern, and you can just tell there is so much simmering beneath the surface with him. I just have such a special place in my heart for River and Coal. I love them all, but I really really love Coal and River.
Fans of new adult fantasy romances do not want to miss this series because it will soon join your favorites shelf. As a reminder, there are multiple love interests in this series, but if you are unsure of how that will play out, just read the book! I promise you will be a convert and you will immediately fall in love with Lera, River, Coal, Tye, and Shade. I cannot get enough of this book! Everyone needs to read it immediately. (It is free on Kindle unlimited, so if you are a KU member, go grab this book this instant!) One of my favorite reads of 2018 and one of my favorite series of all time!
Bound to You is a young adult paranormal romance by Alyssa Brandon. Bo**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Bound to You is a young adult paranormal romance by Alyssa Brandon. Bound to You is the first book in a new series about Werewolves (at least I hope so!). Now, let's just get this out of the way up front. I have been pretty burnt out on wolves for a while now. I have always enjoyed a good werewolf story, but after seeing countless dozen iterations of the same thing, I got a little bored. So I haven't really read too many young adult novels featuring werewolves in the past couple of years. Sure, there have been some of my favorite series in the past have been about werewolves, but I have not found any novels in the past 2 or 3 years that have grabbed my attention. In fact, almost all I have read were either DNF or under 3 stars. Until Bound to You. Holy cow, I loved this book. I really loved this book. I read it in one sitting and I stayed up until about 3 am reading Bound to You. On a work night. A work night people! That is unheard of for me. But this book was so flippin' good, I just had to keep going. It cast a spell over me. And I am so happy to say, it is the best werewolf paranormal romance I have read in years!
I love a story featuring a mate, especially a reluctant mate. It provides for the best kind of slow burn romance. Bound to You is told in dual narrative between Megan and James, with a heavier emphasis on Megan's point of view. Megan is super excited to have finally found her mate, and James is ...less excited. James is a warrior werewolf and he leads a very different life than Megan is used to. Honestly, the whole idea of Warrior werewolves and wraiths was a really welcome, and really interesting addition to the storyline. In fact, it is because of this storyline that I am hoping we get to see more books in this series. I feel like there is still so much more to explore in that aspect of the world. I really enjoyed Alyssa Brandon's take on the werewolf. She really did a great job fleshing out the community and the customs and the duties, especially of the warrior class.
And then she did a fantastic job incorporating a really swoony romance. The romance is upper YA, maybe even New Adult, so I would be aware of that for younger readers. I loved the romance. The tension between Megan and James was both front and center to the storyline and secondary to other plot aspects when it needed to be, but it was fantastic. It is a big part of what kept me flipping pages late into the night. I cannot recommended this book enough. Whether you are a big fan of werewolf romances or if you are a little over the idea- give Bound to You a try. It is one of my favorite reads of 2018 and hands down the best werewolf paranormal romance I have read in years. I can't wait for more from author Alyssa Brandon.
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