The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black Review

This is a spoiler-free review! A list of trigger warnings can be found here.

I am finally getting around to starting this series after staring at these books on my shelf, and I am so glad that I did. From the title alone, you know that Cardan is going to be cruel, but I never imagined the things that he does, especially to Jude. It's absolutely insane and you cannot help but be on the edge of your seat, dying to get to the next page. My jaw dropped so many times at the things he, Valerian, and Nicasia would do to Jude, and while Locke was with them, he shows his true colors as the story goes on.

Being mortal in a land where no one else dies must be unfathomable, yet we see Jude live in a state where she has one foot in each door. She was robbed of her life in the mortal world, yet yearns for Faerie after living there for ten years. Jude longs for the life she once lived but never got to experience, yet her internal conflict remains that she cannot leave a magical world that she has grown accustomed to.

Dain and Locke both exude this energy that just draws you to them -- in Dain's case, you have a mistrust towards him but cannot help but be intrigued, and with Locke, his initial impression he gives is simply a cover for his other side -- or is it? Cardan's blatant antics and borderline torture of Jude and other members of the Gentry are presented upfront the minute we are introduced to his character, but I found myself rooting for any interaction that he would get with Jude.

I was giggling and kicking my feet at any time when Locke showed up in the beginning of the book -- the way he shares these raw moments with Jude melts my heart, and I could not read the pages any faster if I could. But in Faerie, not everything is as it seems, so my suspicions reminded as the story went on. I demand justice for Cardan's tail -- there should have been more scenes of it swaying around rather than just being mentioned. I do not care what the book community has to say about it, it deserves more!

Madoc continues to disappoint me from beginning to end, as being a horrendous person and father comes so easily to him. Taryn, Jude's twin sister, has me wanting to shove my hands into the pages and shake her by the shoulders, so that she may gain some common sense. You can understand her hesitation when Jude instigates fights with Cardan and the rest of his little gaggle of friends, but over the course of the story, she only becomes more irritating and illogical.

The Cruel Prince is full of political intrigue, sprinkled with some romance subplots that do not overshadow what this book is meant to focus on -- the line of succession and the cruelness of our dear Prince Cardan. The action was great and truly had me turning the pages as fast as I could, with complex characters who have -- you guessed it -- tragic backstories. Maybe it is because I have not dived into a fantasy series in a while, but the rush this book gave me was something I have not had in a long time. 

The series of emotions I went through during the last few chapters was exhilarating, and I will definitely be continuing with the series. I would recommend this series to fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker. Let it be known, this book is less enemies to lovers and more about political intrigue, but captivates you in a way that you will find yourself involved in political espionage.

You can add The Cruel Prince and the rest of the series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

The Deal (Off-Campus, #1) by Elle Kennedy Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Chase on my blog, here. Trigger warnings include mentions of sexual assault and domestic abuse. You do not have to read the Off-Campus series before the Briar U series, but it does include characters and relationships that may be spoiled for you.

Hannah and Garrett are polar opposites in every way that matters -- she's a musician, he's a hockey player. She's getting A's on her exams, he's totally flunking ethics. When Garrett is in desperate need of a tutor to be able to play on the team, he sets his sights on Hannah after seeing her A on the midterm. The deal is simple -- Hannah helps Garrett do well on his makeup exam, and Garrett helps Hannah make Justin interested in her. If you loved Nathan and Haley in One Tree Hill, this pairing is for you.

They both bicker with each other until they are out of breath, and since I am a sucker for a little enemies to lovers, I found myself somewhat swept up in the story. This is definitely an easy read, and it will go by quick for anyone who just wants to see the happy ending play out. Kennedy includes a multitude of song and TV show references in this book, and for someone who is not a fan of books including them, I just pretended they were not there.

We are presented with a lovely little fake dating-esque trope, which definitely has its ups and downs as Hannah and Garrett become closer to one another and start to learn things from each other. It is cute to see the way that Garrett teases and flirts with Hannah, and how Hannah is always quick to respond back to him with the same energy. They both slowly start revealing more about themselves to each other, and with their pasts both having hardships, it really makes their bond stronger.

Garrett and Hannah's chemistry is definitely felt throughout the book -- even when it starts out as just teasing and playful banter, their flirting and day-to-day conversations elevate their budding relationship. Justin's character kind of just floats around the book, making some quick appearances every now and again, as does Garrett's father. They are annoying little pests that won't seem to go away, always coming back for more and ruining the scene.

The smut is this book is exactly what you would expect from a 2015 Wattpad-type romance. Some of it is more spicy than other scenes, and with a lot of "fade to black" in the beginning in the book, it's not surprising that the rest of the book's scenes appear more mature. Most of them do not even last over five pages, and they go by so quickly you may not even realize they were there.

I need to know who wears a knee-length dress to a frat party. Seriously, this is not a rhetorical question, I really need to know who would ever decide that was a good choice in outfit for the night. Jeans would have been a much better option, because even if this was taking place in 2015, no one was wearing a dress to a college party. Most of the outfits described in the book are outdated, but if you just pretend that they are wearing something else, it will go over much better.

This book is definitely for fans of sports romance books, and I would recommend this to fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. There are some moments in this book that are questionable, regarding how the author has the characters talk about women and the constant slut-shaming -- I have no idea why she kept going back to this topic over and over again. Overall, it was a very quick read that was meant to just get me ready to read a new book.

You can add The Deal and the rest of the Off Campus series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2) by Colleen Hoover Review

This review contains spoilers for It Starts with Us. A list of trigger warnings for the first book in this duology, It Ends with Us, can be found here. You can read my review of It Ends with Us on my blog, here.

I read It Ends with Us five years ago, and I never thought there would be a book to follow it -- I was pretty reluctant at first when It Starts with Us was announced. Personally, I feel like too many people went into It Ends with Us thinking it was a romance book, when it is NOT. It needs to be explicitly clear that in no way, shape, or form is that book romantic in any way. It deals with domestic abuse and a number of other incredibly delicate topics, and somehow BookTok turned it into their book of worship.

I was genuinely more concerned about those stolen croutons in chapter one than I was about anything else -- when Ryle would come up on the page, it took everything within me not to skip over his presence. He is a horrendous human being, and I still cannot fathom why he is so heavily involved in this book, especially with how Allysa and Marshall are just letting him be in their lives when they have first-hand knowledge of what he did to Lily. It's actually insane to me that they even let him into their home, where they have their own child, and have him there as if he is not an abusive POS.

Marshall is slightly better than Allysa -- he acknowledges the pain and abuse that Ryle did to Lily, and verbally expresses that he hates what he has done to her, and that he is glad she was able to get out of the marriage. However, he is still walking a very thin line of enabling an abuser, so he is the doghouse with the rest of them when I was over halfway done reading. He definitely got better by the end of the book, and same with Allysa -- I am glad that they came to their senses and finally recognized Ryle for the nightmare that he is.

I just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy my evening... when all of a sudden I hear this agitating, grading voice. This was me every single time Ryle had the audacity to open his mouth or even look in Lily's direction. He really was screaming on a rooftop because of the middle name Lily chose for her daughter -- get a life!! I spent the entire book wishing that Ryle would get taken out by a bus or that he would just up and disappear, never to be heard from again. He continuously becomes more and more of a pest the further the book goes on -- threatening Lily, nearly assaulting her in her own home, physically assaulting Atlas at his place of work... the list goes on and on.

The addition of Josh was nice for Atlas -- finally seeing him have a family member that is not a complete and utter disgrace was refreshing. I did think that it was pretty obvious from the beginning that the person breaking into his restaurants would end up being his brother, especially when it was mentioned that it was a teenager. Character development for Atlas did not really have anywhere else to go, so with the introduction of Josh, it made it seem that Josh was there to show that he was a mature adult. Which was not at all surprising -- he owns two restaurants, he kind of has to be mature.

Hoover seriously needs to drop all of the buzzwords that are dating her writing -- I cannot believe I actually had to read the words "TikTok" and "Boomeniall" with my own two eyes. I am begging her to stop. And just when I thought I could clear those Ellen letters from my memory, she brings them back in full force. I understand that those letters are important to Lily's character, but we seriously could have let her find a new outlet in life, rather than write to Ellen.

I finished this book with more of a "meh" feeling than I wanted to have. I am glad that Lily and Atlas got the happy ending that they deserved, but the entire story leading up to it felt rushed and haphazardly thrown together in order to appease the BookTok fans who only just discovered her books in the past year. As you read, you know exactly what is coming, so there are no surprises that you would expect reading one of Hoover's books, and fell a little flat.

You can add It Starts with Us and the rest of Colleen Hoover's books on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Last (Copperslane, #1) by Garnet Christie Review

This is a spoiler-free review. A list of trigger warnings is available on Goodreads in the book summary.

I keep telling myself that I need to stop listening to TikTok for book recommendations and yet here we are again. In a shocking turn of events, it only took one small blurb to pop up on my feed for me to start reading.

Bianca and Brett Walker do not get along. After seeing him in a compromising position at a party, Bianca steers clear of Brett, but can't help but take a peak at him every now and again. Bianca writes romance novels that are not necessarily flying off the shelves, but she has close friends that care about her. Brett is basically a frat boy turned businessman on an ego trip that thinks he can say and do whatever he wants without fear of consequence. They're a match made in heaven.

Bianca's friends, Lizzie and Cora, are constantly trying to set her up with someone and always gossiping about the latest drama in town, even if it is in front of Brett. We see a lot of back and forth arguing between Bianca and Brett, especially when it comes to their own personalities and what they each think of each other without actually knowing each other. There is arguing at parties, outside of restaurants, and on short getaways to a cabin.

Both have difficult pasts littered with personal tragedies, which end up making them realize that they are not all that different from one another. Halfway through the book, we start to see them come around and act more kindly, and even reveal some things about their pasts that were guessed by each other when they originally met and were butting heads.

We get to see a little into the lives of Lizzie and Cora, with their own personal difficulties and stories accompanying Brett and Bianca's ever-growing relationship. Their friend group seems to be brutally honest with each other, and at times it feels more brutal than truth, but they have each other's backs at the end of the day and are always looking out for each other.

Brett and Bianca's relationship definitely takes time to even come close to something more than friends with benefits, but they eventually find a groove and go with it, and we see them open up to each other very quickly once that happens. The smut is pretty decent and really only starts showing up halfway through the book.

I personally felt as though we came to a resolution too quickly and that Bianca's progress was somewhat skipped over in the end -- it would have been nice to see her work through her personal barriers as we got to see Brett do, but we only had a small glance at that for her. This is a quick read that would be great as a filler read in between longer books. I think that the author did a great job at establishing both of their personalities and hardships while also setting up for the next book. I would recommend this to fans of quick romances and are looking to get into a new series that follows a different character each book.

You can add Last on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Dead of Wynter (Frost Industries, #2) by Montana Fyre Review

This review does not contain spoilers for Dead of Wynter. A list of trigger warnings can be found on Goodreads and in the beginning of the book. You can read my review of the first installment, When it Raynes, on my blog, here.

TikTok... you have done it again. Right when I thought I was going to go on a mafia romance break, a video just had to pop up on my feed and here we are, continuing with the series. Dead of Wynter picks up right where When it Raynes left off, but we are now following Wynter, Rayne's sister, and Everett, the man who broke her heart years ago. You can feel the tension as soon as they come face to face with each other after years of being apart, and the dual POV really emphasizes how much pain they have been in without each other.

Things start off rocky between Wynter and Everett, but with the chapters short and moving quickly, we are shown their ever-evolving relationship. Even when Wynter was slamming the door in his face, Everett knows that he will never leave her again. She reveals some pretty vulnerable things about herself to him and why she reacts the way that she does, causing Everett to question how he was blind to the situation.

They have surprisingly great communication with each other, and are able to talk about a lot of traumatizing and vulnerable events that they have been through. The plot is definitely more structured than the first book, and flows at a rate that is still fast-paced, but still allowing for plot and character development to be well thought out. The BDSM aspects of their relationship require a lot of thought and slow progress as they become familiar with each other after eight years. Fyre does a great job on the smut scenes, and incorporates communication and vulnerability very well.

Still recovering from what the Russo family has done to them in the first book, the Frost family continues to be targeted and put in danger as Wynter and Everett's story continues to develop. They are all at risk, and with a potential mole in their organization, everyone is on edge and Everett refuses to leave Wynter's side.

Much like the first book, there is a decent amount of mafia politics that play a vital role in how close Wynter and Everett become, and we see the consequences of actions by both the Russo family and the Frost family on everyone's lives. A lot goes into play in keeping the girls safe and making sure that no one is hurt, and that means that Everett has to do things that he is not proud of.

We end with yet another wild cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more. The second installment of Frost Industries is even better than the first -- we get to see the familial relationships expand and see more to the rivalry between families, all while learning more about Wynter and Everett's past. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and dark mafia romance readers.

You can add Dead of Wynter and the rest of the Frost Industries series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen Review + BLOG TOUR

Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen

Welcome to my stop on the Operation Prom Date Tour, brought to you by Entangled Teen, Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, and Crush Books! I would first like to thank Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for including me in the tour and providing me with a copy of the novel in exchange for a review! Crush Books always has such cute novels, and this was no exception! I absolutely loved this novel and everything about it - the characters were adorable and I loved the relationships that developed throughout the story. Kate, our protagonist, enlists the help of her friend Cooper in order to snag football star Mick Pecker as her prom date - what could go wrong? I fell in love with Kate and Cooper and their plan, but loved their friendship even more. They had such a pure relationship and worked so well together, and I was so happy with the ending of the novel. The novel read so well and smooth, and all of the TV and book references throughout the novel was so nice to see as a fellow fangirl. Our protagonist's initial crush, Mick, first appears to be the classic high school football player trope, but surprises us at the end of the novel and slowly throughout the story. I really enjoyed how Kate's past friendships with others were repaired, and the author did a fantastic job of piecing everything together. I have always been a fan of cute Rom-Com novels, and Crush Books seems to always deliver. I highly recommend this novel to fans of The Bad Boy Bargain and Life After Juliet.

Operation Prom Date (Tactics in Dating #1)

by Cindi Madsen

Publication Date: March 13, 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush

Kate ships tons of fictional couples, but IRL her OTP is her and Mick, the hot quarterback she’s crushed on since, like, forever. With only one semester left of senior year, it’s now or never if she wants to land him in time for prom. Since she’s flirtationally challenged, she enlists Cooper Callihan, the guy who turned popular seemingly overnight but who used to be a good friend.

Cooper lives and breathes rowing, but his partner just broke his wrist. When he remembers Kate’s good with a set of oars, he strikes a deal: help him train, and he’ll make sure her crush notices her. Only he didn’t know how addicting spending time with her would be. Or how the more successful the Operation is, the more jealousy he experiences. 

The mission has been set. The troops have their marching orders. But what if the target is the wrong guy all along?

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains stargazing, accidental swimming, and poker swindling. This kissing practice will melt your ereader…and give you a new couple to ship.

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Giveaway Info:

Kate Hamilton's OTP Prize Pack, including two Funko Pops: The Green Arrow and Felicity*

*NOTE: A $20 Amazon gift card will be substituted in the place of the prize pack if the winner is international.

a Rafflecoptergiveaway

Watch Me (Phoenix, #1) by Stacey Kennedy Review

This is a spoiler-free review for Watch Me. A list of trigger warnings can be found here.

After going through a traumatic experience, we see Zoey, one year later, at Phoenix on a mission with a plan to finally put the past behind her and show the boys that changed her life that she was not broken. Rhys, the owner of Phoenix, finds out pretty quickly that Zoey was not at the club just for pleasure, but for something more.

I really enjoyed the dynamic that Zoey and her roommates had with Rhys and his friends -- it provided a solid foundation for plot while not overtaking the smut that people came to read. There was an equal balance of actual story progress with smut that added to both of their character development, in a way. Zoey's backstory and her continuous work to make herself whole again is exemplified by her relationship with Rhys and what he introduces her to at Phoenix.

Even though I think that the relationship between Zoey and Rhys was moving at a speed that is not typical for romances to happen, circumstances in the book definitely made it possible. We see they experience lots of grief, obstacles, and entering new territory -- especially Zoey -- when it comes to loving someone. There definitely could have been an additional fifty pages detailing more about their relationship and even a time jump at one point to make their relationship feel a touch more realistic.

Zoey's friends, Hazel and Elise, are some of the most supportive book friends that I have come across, and they are really there for Zoey whenever she is struggling or needs to talk to someone. Much like them, Rhys's friends, Archer, Hunt, and Kieran, provide him with a strong friend group while being involved in some of his business affairs.

I do wish that there were more scenes at Phoenix -- I was expecting to see more smut than plot, and it ended up being the other way around. Now don't get me wrong, both the plot and the smut was pretty good, but it felt like it fell a little short on the erotica side of this being an erotica book. However, I will say that even though the ending came a tad fast in my opinion, the author did a great job throughout the book showing us both sides to Zoey and Rhys, with their own personal struggles and with their combined development as a couple.

Much like the Salacious Players Club series, you can read these books individually or in order -- but if you plan on reading all of them, do it in order so you don't get some minor spoilers about other characters. A quick read that has both substance and smut, this book is for fans of Eyes on Me by Sara Cate and those looking for something to fill a Fifty Shades of Grey-hole in their heart.

You can add Watch Me and the rest of the series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!