A VERY LATE MAY '20 WRAP

Time for another wrap up!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe during this global pandemic. Please wear your masks and practice social distancing. Also, if you have a minute, please take a look at this link for resources on how you can help the BLM movement and other issues around the world: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Okay, my public service announcements are over.

I've been working on a summer college class and have been back at work so that is why this is so late. I am going to attempt to get back into blogging more soon.

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first book I read was Belle Revolte by Linsey Miller. Belle Revolte is about two very different women who swap lives in order to live out their dreams. One of the women is Emilie des Marais, a noble lady who wants to serve her country as a physician however, society dictates that a noble woman can't perform that kind of gruesome work. The other woman is Annette Boucher who is poor and overworked by her family. She also wants to be trained in magic so when Emilie offers Annette the chance to go learn magic and escape her family, she takes it. However, when their nation instigates a terrible war, the two come together to help the rebellion unearth the truth before it's too late. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year however, it didn't meet all of my expectations. I loved the diverse cast of characters and the whole premise is so interesting as well as the magic system. However, I thought the plot dragged until the last fourth and I couldn't keep up with all the characters and their separate plot-lines which seemed to just be thrown at us without too much explanation. I ended up rating this 3.5 Crowns. 

The second book I read Havenfall by Sara Holland. This one is definitely going to make it onto my favorite books of 2020 list. Havenfall follows Maddie who wants to inherit her uncle's inn (where four magical worlds connect) however one of the worlds has been blocked off because it's full of monsters who murder people. The other three however, are open and the people from those worlds all come to the inn to make alliances and trade goods. The main character dreams of inheriting the job of running the inn which is why this summer she has come to talk to her uncle about it. However, everything goes wrong and this summer the door of Solaria (the world full of monsters) opens and everyone goes into lockdown because monsters are roaming and everyone wonders who's to blame for the opening of the door. This is such a good book and is a new favorite of mine. The worlds are well thought out, the characters are strongly developed and the plot is fast-paced and intriguing. I rated this one 5 Crowns. 

The third book I read was Night Spinner by Addie Thorley. This is a Hunchback of Notre Dame retelling Enebish who used to be one of the best warriors in the Sky King's army as well as a Night Spinner (someone who has the power to bend night). However, one day she lost control and slaughtered a merchant caravan and her best-friend and surrogate sister, Ghoa, had to maim her in order to get her under control. Now she's known as Enebish the Destroyer and has been branded a traitor. She lives in hiding in a monastery, a moonstone placed into her chest in order to sever her connection with her magic and she leads a simple life, taking care of the King's eagles. But, one day Ghoa arrives to visit and gives her a job to take the eagles to a celebration of the King's along with her best friend, Serik, who is also a monk at the monastery. She's supposed to deliver the eagles and then immediately return to the monastery however, she finds herself in trouble and then a group of rebels interfere and Enebish gets caught up in the rebels plan to overthrow the King. This is such a fast-paced book with political intrigue, morally grey characters and a warrior girl who is tired of living in the shadows. I rated this one 4 Crowns. 

The fourth book I read was Star Wars Queen's Shadow by E.K. Johnston. This is about Padme Amidala's rise to Senator of Naboo and is set after The Phantom Menace but before Attack of the Clones. I loved seeing more of Padme and her handmaidens as well as getting to learn a lot more about the politics of Naboo and the Galaxy. Queen's Shadow is also full of girl power and female friendships which we don't get to see in the movies. I rated this one 4 Crowns. 

The fifth book I read was The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett. This has a lot of elements from Sleeping Beauty and Anastasia which I loved. It's about Ekata who is getting ready to move away from her murderous family however, one night her parents and twelve siblings all fall under a sleeping curse. Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother's warrior bride, and a ton of challengers from her own ministry and beyond. Ekata has never wanted the crown or paid attention to politics so navigating her new title is a challenge. But, if she and her kingdom are to survive she has to seize her family's power and learn how to wield it. This book is very plot driven, has two queer main characters and has a ton of politics. I loved this one and ended up rating it 4 Crowns. 

The sixth book I read was Dangerous by Shannon Hale. I have owned this book for over three years and have never picked it up until now. This is about Maisie Danger Brown who's always wanted to be an astronaut so when she wins a contest to go to a space camp she is ecstatic. However, she gets a lot more than she bargained for and is involved in a frightening plot that goes after her and her newfound friends and is already changing life on Earth as we know it. I thought I would end up enjoying this one a lot more than I did. I didn't enjoy the romance too much which seemed to take up way too much of the plot. I also didn't really like the side characters who weren't that fleshed out. I did however, love the plot and premise which was super exciting and fast-paced and had me questioning everything. I also loved the disability representation (Maisie was born without one of her hands) and she's also half-Latina. I ended up rating it 3 Crowns. 

AUDIOBOOKS READ

NONE

ARC'S READ

 

The first ARC I read was Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen. This is the second book in the Dark Shores series and I received a complimentary eARC for the blog tour. Dark Skies is about Lydia who was first introduced in book one as Teriana's best friend and we follow her as she escapes from an arranged marriage and meets our other main character, Killian, a new bodyguard to a princess. I did a full review of this one so I won't say too much about it but I really enjoyed it and loved learning more about the world and the new characters. I ended up rating this 4.5 Crowns. 

The second ARC I read was Kitra by Gideon Marcus. This was a very short eARC that's set in the distant future about a group of friends fixing an old ship and having an adventure in space. This mainly focuses on the relationships between the friends and it is super wholesome and a fun quick read. I rated this one 3 Crowns. 

The third ARC I read was Star Wars Queen's Peril by E.K. Johnston. Padme Amidala is one of my all time favorite Star Wars characters and I never felt like she got enough backstory or attention in the prequels so I was super excited to read this one. Part of this is set before the first prequel movie, The Phantom Menace, and part of it runs parallel to that movie. I loved how much girl power was in this book and how much more we learned about Padme's past as the Queen of Naboo. I rated this one 4 Crowns. 

The fourth ARC I read was The Redpoint Crux by Morgan Shamy. This is a Phantom of the Opera retelling and I was so excited for it, because I've never read a Phantom retelling before. This is about Red who is the Christine Daae character. After she is kicked off the USA Climbing Team, she is determined to find her focus and makes a risky decision that almost gets her killed. After an accident, she is saved by her "Angel of Music".  She returns home and finds out that her coach and boyfriend is quitting and so she is forced to head back to Nova Scotia. When she arrives, unwanted memories begin to surface of a botched ballet career, the horrific death of her father and the mental break of her brother. The theater and her past are too much for her even though it also reunited her with her brother. She is determined to get enough money to head back to the States until the man who killed her father begins another killing spree and she gets the aid of her mysterious masked savior. This is a wonderfully mysterious and atmospheric retelling and I ended up rating it 3.5 Crowns. 

REVIEWS IN MAY: 

Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen Book Review + Blog Tour

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

April '20 Wrap-Up

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:

NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S: 

Killian from Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen

Temujin from Night Spinner by Addie Thorley

Serik from Night Spinner by Addie Thorley

NEW FAVORITE FEMALES: 

Lydia from Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen

Annette from Belle Revolte by Lindsay Miller

Emilie from Belle Revolte by Lindsay Miller

Maddie from Havenfall by Sara Holland

Enebish from Night Spinner by Addie Thorley

Padme Amidala from Queen's Shadow by E.K. Johnston

Sabe from Queen's Shadow by E.K. Johnston

Ekata from The Winter's Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Inkar from from The Winter's Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

NEW FAVORITE BOOK RELATIONSHIPS: 

Lydia and Killian from Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen

Inkar and Ekata from from The Winter's Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

 

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

NONE

WHAT BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

 

There's so many more but these are the main ones! 

NEW BLOG FINDS

NONE

SONGS ON REPEAT

King - Zayde Wolf

Would You Come Home - Tyler Blackburn

Love Again - Dua Lipa

Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

Bad Memory - K.Flay 

Myself and Me - Halocene

Mamma Mia Here We Go Again Album

Bullet With Butterfly Wings - Tommee Profitt

X - Jonas Brothers ft. KAROL G.

Begging for Thread - BANKS

Take it Off - Kesha 

Alors on danse - Stromae 

Close Your Eyes - Kim Petras

 BOOKS I WANT TO READ NEXT MONTH

The graphics at the top belong to me. The background pictures for them, however do not.

APRIL '20 WRAP-UP

Time for another wrap up!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe during this global pandemic.

This past month I did quite a bit of reading and writing. I participated in the O.W.L.S. Magical Readathon this month and all the books I read were for those prompts. I also ended up doing CampNaNoWriMo and continued working on my novel!

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first book I read was Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves. This was one of the books that I read for the O.W.L.S. Readathon and is one that I've had on my shelf for a long time. This is a historical fiction/fantasy novel set in 19th century Hungary where Anna, the main protagonist, lives in a society where your worth is dependent on your magical ability. A powerful group known as the Luminate, which her family is a part of, announce whether children have magical abilities or not and they often do so in forms of debut parties. Anna is deemed barren by this group however she ends up ruining her sister's magical debutante party, by ruining her spells, causing the Luminate to become interested in her. It turns out that Anna has some rare power where everyone else's spells break or backfire around her. Determined to clear Anna's sister's name and help Anna escape the radar of the Luminates, Anna's parents send her to Hungary with her grandmother. Rebellion is spreading across Hungary and while Anna is there, she must decide whether to help change the world with her abilities or cling to the life she's always wanted. This was my biggest disappointment of the month. Anna and the rest of the characters all felt very under-developed and the romance suffered from the insta-love trope. I also thought the pacing was very slow and everything was shoved into the last quarter of the book. However, I did really enjoy the world-building and the setting. I ended up rating this 2.5 Crowns.

The second book I read was Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore. This is set in 1879 about Annabelle Archer who has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the women's suffrage movement and her job is to recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her main target is Sebastian Devereux, the Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain's politics at the Queen's command. However, this turns out to be a challenge as she tries not to give in to the powerful attraction for the man who opposes everything she stands for. I really enjoyed this one as it was hilarious and witty. I rated it 4 Crowns. 

The third book I read was Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton. This was a very hard book for me to rate and collect my thoughts on because even though I didn't like some aspects of it, I ended up loving other parts. Heart of Thorns is about a girl named Mia who is getting ready to marry a man that has been chosen for her by her father. She has considered running away from it but she also has a sick sister who she can't bear to leave behind. Her father is a renowned hunter of Gwyrach, who are women believed to be witches as they are rumored to be able to stop a man's heart just by laying their hands on his skin. They are also said to have powers to control other people. In this world, all women have to wear gloves just in case they might be a Gwyrach. Mia decides to go through with her wedding but on her wedding day, she and her promised prince survive a murder attempt and the two go on an adventure to find out about her past, her mother who was killed when she was young, and the corrupt world that they live in. The world was very unique which is what I liked the most about the book and I really liked the two main characters however, there were too many tropes, it was very violent and the plot moved very slowly until the last 80% where all the action was dropped onto us. I ended up rating this book 3 Crowns. 

The fourth book I read was Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of Labyrinth Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan. This is a graphic novel adaptation of the fourth Percy Jackson book and it is pretty faithful. I rated it 5 Crowns. 

The fifth book I read was The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne. This was another book that was a disappointment for me. From the summary it seemed like it would be a fun Selection inspired story but set in space which I was all about, however the writing suffered from telling instead of showing and it made it hard for me to connect to the characters or the plot. The Stars We Steal is about eighteen-year-old Princess Leo who is heir to a European spaceship though her family is slipping into financial ruin. It is currently engagement season and her father is determined to marry her off to a wealthy bachelor. When Leo's childhood friend and first love, Elliot, returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. He's the biggest catch of the season and he is determined to make Leo's life miserable. However, she finds herself re-falling in love with him even if he seems to want nothing to do with her. I wanted to like this book more and I really wanted to like Leo but she ended up being snobbish, whiny and privileged. I did however like a lot of the side characters and the overall concept. I ended up rating this 2.5 Crowns. 

The sixth book I read was Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda. This is about a girl named Kira who has been training under her grandfather to become a priestess at the Shinto shrine which is connected to her family. For her entire life, she's been able to see yokai who are supernatural beings that are demons, spirits and monsters but live among them disguised as humans. One night, her family's shrine is attacked and her grandfather is killed. Kira is determined to find out why this has happened so with the help of the shrine's protector, a kitsune named Shiro, they set off to figure out how to slay a powerful demon. I really enjoyed Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda so I knew that I had to read this one and I am so happy that it lived up to my expectations. I loved Kira and Shiro and the plot was fast-paced and kept my attention. I rated it 4 Crowns. 

The seventh book I read was The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. I have had this book on my shelf for awhile and all I knew about it was that it's about a ship that can travel through time and I am so glad that I went into it without any expectations. This is about Nix who has spent her entire life aboard Temptation, her father's ship which can travel to any time and any place whether it be real or imagined as long as he has a map for it. Her father is currently obsessed with obtaining a map to 1868 Honolulu which can take him back to Nix's mother. However, getting it and traveling there could erase Nix's existence. I loved the characters who were all interesting, the dialogue had so much witty banter, and of course the settings were all amazing and vibrant. I plan to write a full review of this one. I rated it 4 Crowns. 

AUDIOBOOKS READ

NONE

ARC'S READ

The one ARC I read was The Marriage Game by Sara Desai. I received a physical ARC from Berkley Publishing. This is about Layla Patel who returns home to her family in San Francisco after she loses her job as a recruitment consultant and breaks up with her boyfriend. Her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, offers her the office upstairs so she can start her own business. He also creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a husband and sets up dates, however, she doesn't know until the first man comes knocking on her door. Another problem comes in the form of Sam Mehta who is the CEO of a corporate downsizing company and has his life carefully ordered. He finds a new office above Layla's parents restaurant but the communication goes wrong and he's forced to share his space with Layla, her family and a parade of suitors, disrupting his ordered life. I ended up loving this book. It is hilarious, witty and dramatic. The characters are both very likable and watching them face off is very entertaining. I rated this one 5 Crowns. 

REVIEWS IN APRIL: 

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim Book Review

The Never-Tilting World by Rin Chupeco Book Review

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

2020 O.W.L.S. Magical Readathon Introduction + TBR

March '20 Wrap-Up

My Favorite Books of 2019

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:

NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S: 

Sebastian from Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Quin from Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

Sam from The Marriage Game by Sara Desi

Shiro from Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda

Kashmir from The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

NEW FAVORITE FEMALES: 

Annabelle from Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Mia from Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

Layla from The Marriage Game by Sara Desi

Kira from Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda

Nix from The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

NEW FAVORITE BOOK RELATIONSHIPS: 

Annabelle and Sebastian from Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Mia and Quin from Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

Sam and Layla from The Marriage Game by Sara Desi

Kira and Shiro from Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda

Nix and Kashmir from The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

WHAT BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

There's so many more but these are the main ones! 

NEW BLOG FINDS

NONE

SONGS ON REPEAT

Why Do You Love Me - Charlotte Lawrence

Kings & Queens - Ava Max

King - Zayde Wolf

Torn - Ava Max

El Tejano - Lauv ft. Sofia Reyes

Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester

Twisted - MISSO

Kill the Lights - Britney Spears

Gunpowder and Lead - Miranda Lambert

Break My Heart - Dua Lipa

No Time to Die - Billie Eilish 

Addicted - Kelly Clarkson 

Love and War - Fluerie 

Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

React - The Pussycat Dolls

E.V.O.L. - MARINA 

Okay - Chase Atlantic 

Dynasty - MIIA 

Bad Memory - K.Flay 

Myself and Me - Halocene

 BOOKS I WANT TO READ NEXT MONTH

The graphics at the top belong to me. The background pictures for them, however do not.

Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen Book Review + Blog Tour

Thank you to The Fantastic Flying Book Club and the publishers for letting me be a part of this tour. I received an eARC of Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen as part of this blog tour but all the opinions are my own and this is a spoiler free review.

You can find the rest of the tour schedule on the FFBC website and here. Make sure to check out the other posts on the blog tour!

Dark Skies
Written by Danielle L. Jensen

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Publisher: TorTeen

Release Date: May 5, 2020

Pages: 464
Source: eARC from Publisher

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 13 and up!

Summary:

A RUNAWAY WITH A HIDDEN PAST
Lydia is a scholar, but books are her downfall when she meddles in the plots of the most powerful man in the Celendor Empire. Her life in danger, she flees west to the far side of the Endless Seas and finds herself entangled in a foreign war where her burgeoning powers are sought by both sides.

A COMMANDER IN DISGRACE
Killian is Marked by the God of War, but his gifts fail him when the realm under the dominion of the Corrupter invades Mudamora. Disgraced, he swears his sword to the kingdom’s only hope: the crown princess. But the choice sees him caught up in a web of political intrigue that will put his oath – and his heart – to the test.

A KINGDOM UNDER SIEGE
With Mudamora falling beneath the armies of the Corrupter, Lydia and Killian strike a bargain to save those they love most—but it is a bargain with unintended and disastrous consequences. Truths are revealed, birthrights claimed, and loyalties questioned—all while a menace deadlier and more far-reaching than they realize sweeps across the world. 

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

One of my favorite books of 2019 ended up being Dark Shores, the first book in this series. So, when I saw that FFBC was doing a blog tour, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it.

Dark Skies is the sequel to Dark Shores, however it reads more like a companion novel than a sequel. This book runs parallel to the story in Dark Shores and we focus on two POVs: Lydia, who we previously met in book one, and Killian, a new character.

Lydia was introduced in book one as Teriana's best friend but we didn't get to see much of her. In this book we learn that she was adopted by a man who also happens to be a Senator and very influential in politics. Despite this, she is fairly sheltered and doesn't involve herself with the politics that her father is a part of. She is more of a scholar with a kind heart and the determination to do what needs to be done. She is also a survivor and picks herself back up even when it seems like all hope is gone. When she is thrown into a new world she is forced to survive and take care of herself and she ends up realizing how strong she really is.

Killian was a commander until armies from the Corrupter (the evil trying to invade and capture the continent) invade while he is in command. He ends up working for the Princess Malahi as her bodyguard which is a huge change for him. He's a character who always wants to make a difference and as he's caught up in politics, he is more inclined to help the people that will become affected by his and the Princess's actions.

The romance was very slow-burn though you can see how well the two compliment each other from their very first interactions. They both show a lot of growth throughout the book and you can see how different they are and how different their priorities and goals are by the end of the book.

The world-building is expanded upon in this second book. In this world there are Marked ones who are individuals who have been Marked by one of the six gods and they end up having the abilities/talents that the god who Marked them has. Most of this story takes place in Mudaire which is where the Marked ones have to turn themselves into the King so he can use them for his own gain. The world is dark, brutal and dangerous. We also get a lot more of the politics in this book which was very interesting and showed us that there really are no 'good guys' in this world and how every character has flaws and nothing is black and white.

Dark Skies is a solid second book in the series that introduces us to more characters, builds up the already complex world and has a fast-paced plot. I highly recommend this series and book to all Young Adult Fantasy lovers.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Crowns

MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2019

Hey guys! I realized that I never talked much about what I read in 2019 so today I am bringing you a list of my favorites. The books on this list are not exclusive to 2019 releases as I have many books that were published in previous years. These are all books that received five stars from me and are books that I loved. I do have a lot of other books that I really enjoyed but they are not going on this list. 

Let's get into it. 

BOOKS

1.  The Cruel Prince by Holly Black ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on January 2, 2018. This was a book that I had heard so much about but was a little bit worried to read. This is about Jude who was seven when her parents were killed and she and her two sisters were taken away to live in the High Court of Faerie a treacherous place for humans. Now, ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there but most fey despise humans. Especially, Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. And to win a place at the Court, she must defy him and then face the consequences. However, as she gets into the palace intrigues and deceptions and discovers her own capacity for trickery and when betrayal threatens to drown the Courts in violence, Jude will have to make a dangerous alliance to save her sisters and the land of Faerie. Fae books are some of my favorite YA books and I am always looking for new ones to add to my shelves. I loved the plot, the dangerous but interesting characters and the writing and I am excited to continue the series especially since I loved this one so much!

2.  Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on May 30, 2017. I have owned this book since it came out because I had never read a Swan Lake retelling before. This is about Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan (The Light Kingdom), who on her eighteenth birthday can finally access her full magical powers. The other kingdom, Dorjhalon (The Dark Kingdom)'s King is plotting to take control over both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn onto the throne a lot sooner than she ever expected. In order to defeat the Dark Kingdom, Evelayn will have to come into her ability to shape-shift and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir but everyone is not what they seem, and the balance between the kingdoms comes at a steep price. This was such an interesting spin on the Swan Lake story and I ended up loving the characters, and the plot which helped it earn a spot on this list. 

3.  The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on March 7, 2017. This is the only book on this list that I didn't physically read. I listened to this entire book as an audiobook and I am so glad that I did as it really made it come alive.  This is about Tea who accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead and then learns that she is different from the other witches in her family. She is a bone witch which means that she is feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea ends up finding help and guidance from an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training. Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha (a witch who can wield elemental magic), however, dark forces are approaching and Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice. I loved Tea as a character and through this book we got to see her grow up and into her powers through the book which was so cool. I loved this audiobook so much as the narrators were really easy to listen to and brought the story to life. 

4.  The Hating Game by Sally Thorne ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on August 6, 2016. I never thought that I would have an Adult Rom-Com book on my favorites list but here we are. This is about Lucy and Josh who work together in an office and they say they hate each other. They play juvenile games and compete with each other constantly especially for a new promotion. However, after Lucy starts to get some unexpected kindness from Josh, she starts to wonder if beneath his cold and cruel behavior he is actually a nice guy, with the potential to break her heart. Lucy and Josh's hate-to-love romance was so fun and cute and I loved the banter so much! 

5.  Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on May 7, 2019. Pirate and ocean books are some of my favorite books in the YA genre and I am always looking for more. This is about Teriana who is the second mate on her ship with her people who are born of the seas and keep all of its secrets. However, when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, she breaks her people's mandate so her friend can escape. Meanwhile, Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, a legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East and he's been hiding a secret since childhood.  When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana's crew and threatens to reveal Marcus's secret unless they sail to conquer the Dark Shores. This forces Marcus and Teriana into an unwilling alliance to protect themselves and their families. I loved the strong characters, adventurous plotline and humor. 

6.  Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on May 7, 2019. I had previously read Royals by Rachel Hawkins and I loved it so I had to read this one and it was amazing! This is about Millie who applies for scholarships to boarding schools to get away from a devastating breakup/misunderstanding. When she gets into one of the world's most exclusive schools, located in Scotland, she discovers that her roommate, Flora, is the actual princess of Scotland and seems to be a total snob. However, soon they end up getting along better than she had hoped and Millie starts believing in happily ever afters again. This book was so cute and I love this whole series so much. 

7.  We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on May 14, 2019. I was very iffy about reading this book because it had so many bad reviews but I am I did as it is one of new favorite books. This is about Zafira, a Hunter who disguises herself as a man in order to hunt in the dark and cursed forest of the Arz in order to feed her village. Meanwhile, Nasir, known as the Prince of Death, is the son and loyal assassin of the King. As war and the forest of the Arz begin to creep upon the kingdom, Zafira is sent on a quest in order to retrieve a magical artifact that is rumored to restore magic to the kingdom. Nasir has also been sent to retrieve the artifact as well as to kill the Hunter. As an ancient evil has begun to stir, both of them realize that the artifact could be far more dangerous than either of them ever imagined. Everything about this book was done so fantastically well and even though many Fantasy plots include quests, magic and the like, this one managed to stand out. 

8.  The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on May 14, 2019. Another Adult Rom-Com made it onto this list? This is about Olive who believes she is unlucky in everything while her twin sister has things handed to her. When her sister and her new husband get food poisoning (along with the rest of the wedding party/guests), she insists that Olive goes on her all expenses paid honeymoon. Olive agrees but she is mad when she finds out she has to go with her sister's husband's brother, Ethan, aka the person that Olive has had a rivalry with since they met. They agree to go together as long as they don't see each other for most of the vacation, however Olive runs into her new boss while in Hawaii and has to pretend that Ethan is her husband which forces the two of them to spend time together. This was such a cute and hilarious romantic comedy and I love the fake dating trope!

9. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson ~ 5 Crowns

This was released on August 7, 2018. Mary E. Pearson wrote one of my favorite series: The Remnant Chronicles and since this is set in the same world as that series, I'm not surprised that I loved this one. This is about Kazi, who is a former street thief and a current member of Queen Lia of Venda's Rahtan who is sent to locate General Illarium, who is responsible for the deaths of some of Lia's family members. She goes to Hell's Mouth which is under control of the Ballenger family, and meets Jase, the new Patrei (aka leader) of the family. He is abducted and shackled to Kazi by labour traders and then the plot takes off. This one was more romance and character driven while the first series was more political heavy. 

What were some of your favorite books of 2019?