Tag: books

Book Reviews, Products I love!!

Book Review: The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe

Megan Nicole

The Dark One, Vicious Lost Boys Book 2
Overall: 4/5
Steam: 4/5 Check your triggers, while there is emotion involved in the acts its not a “love story”
Reading Rate: 5/5 These are short, action-packed installments that can be read in a day or two.
After reading The Never King I was hooked on this twisted Peter Pan inspired story. I love that all the characters are truly bad, and it makes it difficult to really root for one person or group. While I did predict the cliffhanger ending…. I truly have no idea how things are going to turn out.
– Things definitely got steamier in this second installment.
– I love that all the characters are dark and slightly unhinged
– The nods to Peter pan and really entertaining, it so fun to see the twists on classic characters. I cannot wait to meet Croc!

Synopsis:

I spent most of my life feeling dead inside — until I met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

It wasn’t until Pan and Neverland that I finally felt alive.

But things are not all full of magic and sunlight on the island. There’s something darker and more sinister haunting the forest.

And worse, the fae queen and Captain Hook are ready to fight for control of Neverland and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Including using the one thing Pan never thought he wanted or needed — me. I’m a descendant of the Darling family and now I belong to him and the Lost Boys.

War is brewing — can the Never King get his shadow back and assume his rightful throne? And if he does, where will I fit?

Or will all of Neverland be in jeopardy right along with my dark, twisted heart?

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Book Review: Founded on Temptation by Kat Singleton

Megan Nicole

Book 2 in the Mixtape series

Overall: **** I will say that this book as a complete standalone I would only rate at a 3 but as a companion to Book 1 Founded on Goodbye it really enhances the story.

Romance: *** Less romance and more hook up style than FOG. Although you do get to relive a lot of the feels from book 1 through the storyline.

Reading Rate: ***** I think I finished this book in less than 24 hours. Short and sweet read.

Genre: Hook up Romance

After reading Founded on Goodbye earlier this year I was so excited to find out we were getting more about the characters in this world.

What I liked:

  • I loved to see the glimpses of what was happening with Nora and Nash from other points of view. Even though this book was not meant for them to be the main characters they still stole the show for me.
  • The characters were so fun to get to know, Sebastian just runs away with you.
  • The HOOK UPS!!!
  • Kat also primed us for the next book/couple in the series throughout and I am already ready to dive right in!
  • Also I still cannot get over how amazing these covers are!!

What I struggled with:

  • This book is really not set up to be a standalone as it is the same timeline as FOG and really just fills in the gaps of what was happening with Riley and Sebastian while the bigger Nash and Nora story were going on. Make sure you read FOG first, or even better it would be really fun to read them together to put the full timeline in place.
  • There is a trope done in this book that is a HUGE pet peeve for me ruined a lot of my fun, but I didn’t hold it against the books star count because I know a lot of people love it.
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Book Review: Founded on Goodbye by Kat Singleton

Megan Nicole

Overall: ****/5.

Genre: NA Contemporary Rock Star Romance 

Romance: ****/5

Steam: ***/5

Reading Rate: *****/5 I finished the book in a single day

Recommend if you liked: Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas 

The story hits the ground running with Nora accepting a “deal with the devil” so to speak to move her career forward and try to outrun her own demons.

Pros:

  • Fast paced and engaging story, there was never a dull moment
  • I loved the premise of the dancer and the musician, I wish I could hear some of Nash’s music in real life
  • Even though I knew whatwas coming from Page 1 of the book my heart still want not ready! This was for sure a “hurts so good” book
  • The story for being short and fast managed to have some great side characters
  • The bedroom scenes were more romantic than steamy but I didn’t mind it at all, it fit perfectly with the vibe of the book and I wouldn’t change it at all.

Cons:

  • I loved Nash but found myself mentally shouting at Nora the whole book.  She could have easily put a stop to the main issue early on, but I guess there would not have been a story if she handled it responsibly
  • Then ending of the story felt a bit rushed to me, I really wanted to see more of a redemption story for both characters.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, I would 100% read more of this word and will definitely be reading more of Kat Singleton’s works in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kat Singleton for a copy of Founded on Goodbye in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis:

His songs were better when he had a broken heart.

That sentence would change my life after my dream job was dished to me on a shiny, silver platter. 

All I had to do? 

Hurt Nash Pierce enough to get him writing good music again. 

The pop icon’s songs were no longer the phenomena they used to be. His team needed another breakthrough album—like the first he’d penned, using his heartbreak as fuel. 

The plan was simple: I’d go on tour with him as a backup dancer…and make him fall in love with me. I was hired to inspire—to become embedded into every lyric he wrote. Then, I was to set fire to it all—to destroy every feeling we hoped he’d develop for me.

It seemed simple enough. Easy, even.

I didn’t expect to be consumed myself—to see so much in the man displayed in the tabloids. I didn’t foresee falling for him. It didn’t occur to me that, while attempting to break his heart, I might just shatter my own.

Most of all, I never thought I’d fight so hard to hold on to a relationship that had always been founded on goodbye.

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Blog Tour: Gild by Raven Kennedy

Megan Nicole

Today I’m excited to participate in the Bookstagram & Creative Tour for Gild by Raven Kennedy hosted by MTMC Tours! By bestselling author Raven Kennedy, comes the first book in a stunning new fantasy series where the myth of King Midas is reimagined. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page. Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout!

Title: Gild
Series: The Plated Prisoner #1. Author: Raven Kennedy. Publication Date: December, 2020
Genres: Adult Fantasy

Purchase a copy: Amazon | Book Depository | Indiebound | Blackwell’s
Add on Goodreads!

Synopsis: The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.

The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.

Please Note: This book contains explicit content and darker elements, including mature language, violence, and non-consensual sex. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. This is book one in a series.

——–

INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!

Enter the Rafflecopter below to win 1 of 10 digital copies of Gild.
Ends on May 22nd, 2021. Winners will be announced in the rafflecopter & contacted via email by MTMC Tours.


Rafflecopter link:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2aeeb25b83/?

INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!

Head over to my Instagram account where 10 additional digital copies are up for grabs. Ends on May 22nd, 2021. Winners will be announced on @mtmctours’ Instagram account.

——-
About Raven Kennedy:

Raven Kennedy writes in a range of genres, including fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, dark romance, and romcoms.

Whether she makes you laugh or cry, she loves creating worlds and making characters you can root for.

She is a California girl born and raised, drinker of tea, and lover of dark chocolate. When she’s not writing, she can be found binge watching The Office and The Great British Baking Show, or with her nose stuck in a book.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

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Blog Tour: The Green Door by Heather Heather Kindt

Megan Nicole
Happy Release day to Heather Kindt and The Green Door!!!!
The Green Door is the first book in Heather Kindt’s young adult fantasy series. If you like strong female leads, adventure, snarky attitudes, and sexy sirens, then you’ll love the first installment in the Eternal Artifacts series.
COVER REVEAL: The Green Door by Heather Kindt
The game was supposed to be easy… enter the door, find the object, collect the prize money.

But nothing is ever that easy for Meg Covington. Her dad keeps a roof over her head, but college is out of the question. Her best friend, Brek, will leave for school, and she’ll be trapped in her hometown—that is until Meg discovers the flyer for Rosenbaum’s game hanging in the entryway of the record store.

Within the basement of the mansion lies the white passage, a hallway lined with colorful doors. When each door turns out to be a portal to another world, things get complicated quickly. If they find the object within the world, Meg will take her first step towards freedom. But is it really just a game, or a one-way ticket to something much more dangerous? 

Amazon link:
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The Sisters Grimm Book Review

Megan Nicole

The Sisters Grimm by Manna van Praag Book ReviewThe Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag

  • Overall: ***
  • Romance:**
  • Reading Rate: *
  • Pages: 448
  • Publication date:March 31, 2020
  • Publisher: Harper Voyager
  • Purchase on Amazon HERE
  • Recommend if you liked: Serpent & Dove

I was sooo thrilled when I was approved for an advanced copy of this book and just knew it was going to be a 5 start read for me.

This is a dark and heartbreaking story mixing the struggles of mortal life with a fantasy twist that makes you question the lines of good and evil. The author did a great job of getting you intimately acquainted with all the main characters and the nature of Everwhere. I do wish there was more background on the world and reasoning behind the setup of the Sisters and Soldiers. The lack of information really made it challenging to root for a side as you really did not understand the consequences of their choices.

I struggled with the format of the book, it bounces between multiple timelines and points of view, some of the entries were only a paragraph long before hopping to the next POV so it was very distracting and hard to stay immersed. Normally if I am sucked into a book it only takes me days to read while this book took me several weeks and I really had to push through to finish.  I also struggled with the level of sadness in the book, it seemed that each girl only encountered more loss and there was not a lot of positive outlook, even in the end. The synopsis leads you to think this story is much “fluffier” than it truly is.

Synopsis

Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . .

As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has electricity at her fingertips. Bea (air) can fly.

To realize their full potential, the blood sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. On their eighteenth birthday, they will be subjected to a gladiatorial fight with their father’s soldiers. If they survive, they will face their father who will let them live only if they turn dark. Which would be fair, if only the sisters knew what was coming.

So, they have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for a copy of Sisters Grimm in exchange for my honest review.

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Queen of Nothing by Holly Black Book Review

Megan Nicole

The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) *There are potential spoilers in this review*

Overall: ***

Romance: ***

Reading Rate: ***

Publisher: Little Brown

Pages: 308

Release Date: November 19, 2019

Purchase on Amazon here

I hate to be super negative on here, but guys I was so so disappointed. I thought the first two books in the series were good (not blown away) and the way the ended was left at Wicked King had me so ready to read this final installment. As soon as I got my hands on the book I was nervous about how thin it was… but it started out on a high note with a dual and then the arrival of Taryn needing help due to Locke being dead.

I was all ramped up to see Jude back in Fairy so soon in the story, but it all went downhill from there. I expected to binge read the book like I did the first two, but I found myself losing interest and it took me over a week to get through, which is unusual for a book so short.  I felt like the closing of the story was completely rushed and then ending of the last book was totally written off by it being a joke from Cardan, and that as Queen Jude could have pardoned herself at any time and come back. By the time the last quarter of the book came around it was almost predictable, which throwing me for a loop was something I admired about this series.

I did appreciate the ending being wrapped up nicely with really no questions left hanging… I would like for there to have been a bit more betrayal and less happiness at the end for the “wicked” characters though.

Maybe it was just the final book curse, what did you think? Tell me below in the comments.

 

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Ruthless Gods Book Review

Megan Nicole

Ruthless Gods Emily DuncanRuthless Gods by Emily Duncan, Book 2 of the Something Dark and Holy trilogy

Overall: ****

Romance: ***

Reading Rate: ***

Release Date: April 7, 2020

Pages: 432

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Purchase on Amazon here

I recommend if you liked: The Bear and the Nightingale, Shadow & Bone Trilogy, Throne of Glass

*Spoilers for Wicked Saints- click here to check out my spoiler free review of book 1.

This book hurt so good! As soon as I put down Wicked Saints I needed the sequel right away…. And now I need the final book soooo bad!!! Ruthless Gods picks up shortly after Wicked Saints left off with the Nadya dealing with the silence of her Gods, Malachiasz missing after his betrayal, and Serefin trying to deal with his new status as king as well as being God touched.  If you enjoyed Wicked Saints you will love this journey as our main characters and also some new faces try to fix the cracks they made in the world… but will their quest to right their wrongs for each of their countries right the wrongs, or break the world entirely.

In the beginning this book was little more difficult to get through and did a lot more world building and filling in some of the knowledge gaps on the gods from books 1. I honestly feel I need to read the book again to really get everything, and I certainly will when the physical copies release! Several times a character’s section had me saying what on earth was happening and rereading entries several times. But all of that building (and Malachaisz/Nadya teasers) was well worth it in the last quarter of the book, and OMG what and ending and set up for what is sure to be an AMAZING final installment. Duncan did such a great job of stringing me along needing answers and holding out hope for my favorite characters redemption, I love it when an author keeps me guessing! I have no idea how I am going to handle to wait for  book 3 to find out how everything ends!

While book one seemed heavily inspired by the Grishaverse the author really changed things up and left that path for book 2. It almost had Bear and the Nightingale vibes with the mythology and creatures added in.

I am usually great at predicting how books are going to flow and Duncan steps up to say challenge accepted. I may get part of the idea but then she jumps right on over it an rips my heart out… and I love it so much!

Synopsis:

Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who–and what–he’s become.

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone…or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet—those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer.

In her dramatic follow-up to Wicked Saints, the first book in her Something Dark and Holy trilogy, Emily A. Duncan paints a Gothic, icy world where shadows whisper, and no one is who they seem, with a shocking ending that will leave you breathless.

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of Ruthless Gods in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Stalking Jack the Ripper Book Review

Megan Nicole

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – Book 1 of the Stalking Jack the Ripper Series

Overall: ***

Romance: **

Reading Rate: ***

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson 

Pages: 352

Purchase on Amazon here

These series has such an intense following, it always makes me nervous to dive in due to the hype. With the final book in the series releasing in September I wanted to get started reading. We are introduced to Audrey Rose as she assists her Uncle with an autopsy. This book is historically based so not only does Audrey Rose struggle to put together the mystery of Jack the Ripper but she also has to fight s society that does not support women’s activities outside of the home. The dynamic between Audrey Rose and Thomas is very Sherlock Holmes and makes for a fun cute read. It did take me a little bit to get into the book due to the world building at the beginning but it picked up as the story went.  

The story wrapped up nicely so I am in not rush to finished the rest of the series but I will continue it eventually. 

What I struggled with:

  • The historical element and Audrey’s limitations as a woman were hard for me to get past.
  • There was a lot of setup at the beginning of the story so it took me a little while to get into the book
  • I was able to predict a lot of the story line, although I admit there were still a few surprises left.

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget. 

 

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The Ten Thousand Doors of January Book Review

Megan Nicole

The Ten Thousand Doors of January Book ReviewThe Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Overall Rating: ***

Romance: **

Reading Rate: *

Purchase on Amazon here

The story is written like a mix of a family and a scientific documentary surrounding Doors to other worlds. As a young girl January finds a door to another world in a field while traveling with her caretaker Mr. Locke. Over the years January begins to shape up into a “proper young woman” and leave the fantasies behind, until her father goes missing and she discovers a book all about the Doors and the journey of a woman names Ade.

What I liked:

  • I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the ideas presented could really go a long way.
  • The story is based in late 1800s to early 1900s but does work in a fantasy element with the Doors and some unique characters. I think someone who enjoys historical fiction with a little fantasy would enjoy this story.
  • There were a few love story lines in this book, but just be aware its more telling you a past story than getting to watch a romance form.
  • While not related to the story the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous!!!

What I struggled with:

  • I had a very hard time getting into this book. I picked it up and put it down several times over a month or so and then finally forced myself to push through and finish. Had I not received an ARC for review I would have DNF’d. While I struggled I do think this was mostly due to personal preferences in the amount of action in my reading.
  • The first two thirds of the book were largely building backstory, and then January started to take action in her own life around the final third of the book. .

Synopsis:

In the early 1900s, a young woman searches for her place in the world after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut. 

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hook books for the opportunity to read The Ten thousand Doors of January in exchange my honest review.