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amanda_reads13's reviews
462 reviews
Blood Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
So this book is basically the same as book 4... It's getting so repetitive, at this point it's almost comical.
Brex and Warwick attempt a prison breakbut are captured and brought to Istvan's labs where they are tested on. They find out that he is using fae essence to make super soldiers. They manage to escape the lab only to be caught and thrown back into prison. In prison theya re subjected to the same torture: forced labour, the hole, and the ring. Fortunately, a perfectly timed explosion allows them to escape again. Istvan manages to get the nectar and when Brex finds out Istvan killed her father she uses it to kill pretty much everyone around her. We end with Brex taking off and Warwick determined to track her down.
I think there is so much potential in this series, but the characters are so under developed and the plot is frustratingly repetitive. This easily could have been a 3 book series, 4 if there was more focus on character development. I don't really care about these characters because I have no emotional tie to them. There needs to be more depth to the story, it is all very surface level at this point.
I've gotten this far, so I will read book 6, I just really hope it gets a bit better.
Brex and Warwick attempt a prison break
I think there is so much potential in this series, but the characters are so under developed and the plot is frustratingly repetitive. This easily could have been a 3 book series, 4 if there was more focus on character development. I don't really care about these characters because I have no emotional tie to them. There needs to be more depth to the story, it is all very surface level at this point.
I've gotten this far, so I will read book 6, I just really hope it gets a bit better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Evie is just her current alias. She has been many people since working for Mr. Smith. But her current assignment starts to go sideways when someone impersonating her real identity shows up.
Evie has been working for Mr. Smith for years, being used and manipulated into doing his dirty work. She very smart, but it seems like he has always been one step ahead of her. She seems a bit naive, but she is incredibly cunning and resourcful. We learn thatEvie has been planning Mr. Smith's takedown for years with her small team, Devon and Amy. As Mr. Smith tries to take Evie down, they are secretly discovering his secrets and true identity.
I had an idea of where this was heading, butI thought Ryan was going to be Mr. Smith, not the UPS guy! It makes sense that he would always want to be close and keep a close eye on her.
I felt that the ending was a bit cheesy, butit is interesting that she becomes Ms. Smith and takes over.
Evie has been working for Mr. Smith for years, being used and manipulated into doing his dirty work. She very smart, but it seems like he has always been one step ahead of her. She seems a bit naive, but she is incredibly cunning and resourcful. We learn that
I had an idea of where this was heading, but
I felt that the ending was a bit cheesy, but
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Grace arrives at her airbnb on a ranch in Wyoming to find an a secluded and peaceful location with a very handsome host. But her idyllic vacation starts to take a turn as some major red flags are popping up.
I really like the idea of starting out the book as a romance and slowly leading it into more of a suspense/thriller plot. Although I didn't completely predict all of the ending, I did predict a lot of it.
Grace ends up at a secluded ranch with no cell service, working wifi, and a broken down car. At first all seems ok as she beings to get to know Calvin. Calvin quickly becomes obsessed with Grace and we see him do anything he can to keep her close.
I liked that we got the dual povs so we could understand what was going on in both their minds. But we find out that both narrators are liars and unreliable. Calvin is secretly a serial killer who is killing his female airbnb guests and mounting their heads like taxidermy. We also found out that he killed his ex girlfriend when she told him she was moving away. So he purposeful crashed his car and blamed her death on his brother.
But he's not the only one who has a secret. Grace is an alias of Avery's. She is also a serial killer who kills her airbnb hosts. So while Calvin thinks he is in control going to be able to kidnap Grace, she has secretly drugged his coffee and ends up with the upper hand. She ends up stabbing him and setting his house on fire. Then going home to her husband and children like nothing happened. Turned out we have 2 pyachopaths.
Tropes: secret identity
I really like the idea of starting out the book as a romance and slowly leading it into more of a suspense/thriller plot. Although I didn't completely predict all of the ending, I did predict a lot of it.
Grace ends up at a secluded ranch with no cell service, working wifi, and a broken down car. At first all seems ok as she beings to get to know Calvin. Calvin quickly becomes obsessed with Grace and we see him do anything he can to keep her close.
I liked that we got the dual povs so we could understand what was going on in both their minds. But we find out that
But he's not the only one who has a secret.
Tropes: secret identity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Bad Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Listen, I get the terror of reliving your nightmare, but this series is so repetitive, I can't handle it anymore. It's literally the same situation played out over and over. Brex is literally caught in a loop of being kidnapped and thrown in prison over and over again. Only this time she is throw in the prison created by the fae but run by the humans.
The humans have now become enemy #1. The have been creating a pill to turn humans into super soldiers and have been killing fae to get their essence. They want to rule the world and force fae into hiding or kill them all.
We find out thatKillian is actually alive and survived the explosion. He, suprise suprise, kidnaps Brex again. There is a hint that Caden may be turning against his father and working to try to get help from the other faction of rebels.
The ending did leave us on a crazy cliffhanger, this is probably the only reason I will read the next one.Brex ends up in the ring with Scorpion and Hanna.
The humans have now become enemy #1. The have been creating a pill to turn humans into super soldiers and have been killing fae to get their essence. They want to rule the world and force fae into hiding or kill them all.
We find out that
The ending did leave us on a crazy cliffhanger, this is probably the only reason I will read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Dead Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
We pick up afraid Brex is kidnapped.
So much, yet so little happens in this book. I felt like it was very repetitive and the whole Brex/Warwick tension is getting frustrating, and not in a good way. It's been played out at this point, we get it, they have literal explosive chemistry, let's move on to the plot now.
Towards the end, we do find out a few interesting tidbits that move the story along.We find out that her mom was secretly fighting in the war on the opposite side as her father. Seems like she was possibly a druid and was forced to fight. She gave birth to Brex on the battlefield at the same time as the queen was killed. This released an insane amount of magic, which killed a lot of people, including Brex's mom and aunt. BUT it also infused itself in Brex and the placenta, which is what the nectar is. So it is possible that Brex is actually part Druid, which could explain why she can control the dead spirits, create a protective light around her, etc...
I still don't understand why Brex just agrees to work with every person who kidnaps her... Literally every time.
I am interested to see how Hanna and Caden being in their possession comes into play. Who attacked the compound? We're they looking for Hanna and Caden or just out to kill?
We had a whole storyline where the journal was stolen by the Hounds and theinjured hound ended up being Rose's abusive husband. It seems like it could be important in the future.
As always Opie and Bitzy were hilarious.
So much, yet so little happens in this book. I felt like it was very repetitive and the whole Brex/Warwick tension is getting frustrating, and not in a good way. It's been played out at this point, we get it, they have literal explosive chemistry, let's move on to the plot now.
Towards the end, we do find out a few interesting tidbits that move the story along.
I still don't understand why Brex just agrees to work with every person who kidnaps her... Literally every time.
I am interested to see how Hanna and Caden being in their possession comes into play. Who attacked the compound? We're they looking for Hanna and Caden or just out to kill?
We had a whole storyline where the journal was stolen by the Hounds and the
As always Opie and Bitzy were hilarious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Wild Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
After being betrayed by Warwick, Brexley is now in the hands of the Fae King.
Brexley changed hands so many times in this book that it became a bit difficult to follow at times. Who was she being held by now? What do they want from her?
Warwick continues to save her after trading her from something. Though we don't really know what he traded her for, we get a glimpsewhen Brexley calls for his help and he is with a woman and young boy. She assumes it is his family, yet we do not know.
We find out thatthe humans are manufacturing a drug to make humans into super soldiers. It works for a while, but after a few days the drug literally melts their brain. This happened to every test subject, except Brexley. So that makes us wonder, why is she so different from the other humans?
At points of this book we get some major info dumps. At one point sheis taken to the resistance by Warwick and finds out her "uncle" is alive and the head of the resistance. We find out that he was secretly in love with a fae and faked his own death to protect everyone. He figured out that the fae weren't the bad guys in this situation and he started the resistance against the humans. We also find out that Link, is actually Ling, his partner.
Later on, we find out thather father's brother, who is a a fugitive, is the leader of another resistance group and is working with the blue haired deamon she met in prison.
I found the plot line with Ash and the book to be really interesting.She somehow reached back in time through the book and saved not only Warwick, but Scorpion too. Here we learn a bit more about their connection. But we are still left with so many unanswered questions.
Brexley makes a lot of really dumb decisions. As a highly trained soldier, she should be able to protect herself, yet, she always needs Warwick to come and save her.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, slow burn
Brexley changed hands so many times in this book that it became a bit difficult to follow at times. Who was she being held by now? What do they want from her?
Warwick continues to save her after trading her from something. Though we don't really know what he traded her for, we get a glimpse
We find out that
At points of this book we get some major info dumps. At one point she
Later on, we find out that
I found the plot line with Ash and the book to be really interesting.
Brexley makes a lot of really dumb decisions. As a highly trained soldier, she should be able to protect herself, yet, she always needs Warwick to come and save her.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, slow burn
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Savage Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Brexley has grown up rich and privileged in a very divided world. There are the ruling fae, the wealthy humans, and then everyone else who must survive the savage lands.
Brexley is at the top of her class at the HDF academy. She is strong, fast, and can take down men twice her size. Unfortunately, her restless leads to recklessness as she convinces her best friend Caden to rob Fae trains. It is on one of these raids that she is shot and caught by the fae. Somehow she survives, but she gets thrown into the Halalhaz, the most notorious prison. She must learn to survive in the House of Death.
I really enjoyed the dystopian world created in this book. This book had me hooked. I am desperate to learn more about Warwick!
Brexley is known for her stealth and strength, but she gets pummelled in prison. It is the one inconsistency that really bothered me. The excuse is that she is caught off guard, but her training should kick in. It's like she lost all of her knowledge about how to protect herself in a second.
The tesnsion between Brexley and Warwick is palpable! My guess is thatthey are mates. They seem to be able to get into one another minds and feel each other's presence.
I feel like Warwick will redeem himself after hetraded Brexley for his freedom. He seem to understand that there is some kind of connection tethering him to Brexley
Her relationship with Caden leads me to believe that there will be a love triangle element in the book. She desperately wants to be with Caden because he is a safe choice, but we all know that this type of character never gets the girl. I am interested to see how his character develops in future books.
Opie stole the show for me. Can we just have a full book of Opie's antics, because he is hilarious.
Tropes: prison, enemies to ???
Brexley is at the top of her class at the HDF academy. She is strong, fast, and can take down men twice her size. Unfortunately, her restless leads to recklessness as she convinces her best friend Caden to rob Fae trains. It is on one of these raids that she is shot and caught by the fae. Somehow she survives, but she gets thrown into the Halalhaz, the most notorious prison. She must learn to survive in the House of Death.
I really enjoyed the dystopian world created in this book. This book had me hooked. I am desperate to learn more about Warwick!
Brexley is known for her stealth and strength, but she gets pummelled in prison. It is the one inconsistency that really bothered me. The excuse is that she is caught off guard, but her training should kick in. It's like she lost all of her knowledge about how to protect herself in a second.
The tesnsion between Brexley and Warwick is palpable! My guess is that
I feel like Warwick will redeem himself after he
Her relationship with Caden leads me to believe that there will be a love triangle element in the book. She desperately wants to be with Caden because he is a safe choice, but we all know that this type of character never gets the girl. I am interested to see how his character develops in future books.
Opie stole the show for me. Can we just have a full book of Opie's antics, because he is hilarious.
Tropes: prison, enemies to ???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
False Start by Kandi Steiner
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Kyle and Madelyn we high school sweethearts and haven't seen each other for years. Now, a chance on counter has brought them back together.
Honestly, I didn't love this one. I needed more. I think my issue is that so much of the story happens off of the page, that I don't get the depth and connection I was looking for. I would have loved to see flashbacks and more of their past together. We just get little snippets.
Kyle has obviously matured, but his character is almost unrealistic. He is too perfect. Does this man have a single flaw? He can't be this perfect.
Madelyn has had it rough, she is a single mom and her ex was a controlling and abusive asshole. He still controls her life because they share a son. She is such a strong and determined woman, but I found that Kyle sweeps in and does everything she couldn't. She has been working so hard to escape and be strong, I wish that was not swept away by Kyle being her White Knight.
But I adore this friend group and love how they took Madelyn in. I loved seeing where all the couples were and how their relationships have progressed.
Tropes: second chance, surprise pregnancy
Honestly, I didn't love this one. I needed more. I think my issue is that so much of the story happens off of the page, that I don't get the depth and connection I was looking for. I would have loved to see flashbacks and more of their past together. We just get little snippets.
Kyle has obviously matured, but his character is almost unrealistic. He is too perfect. Does this man have a single flaw? He can't be this perfect.
Madelyn has had it rough, she is a single mom and her ex was a controlling and abusive asshole. He still controls her life because they share a son. She is such a strong and determined woman, but I found that Kyle sweeps in and does everything she couldn't. She has been working so hard to escape and be strong, I wish that was not swept away by Kyle being her White Knight.
But I adore this friend group and love how they took Madelyn in. I loved seeing where all the couples were and how their relationships have progressed.
Tropes: second chance, surprise pregnancy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Next to Never by Penelope Douglas
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Quinn has grown up with an over protective dad and brothers. Now that she is 17, can she finally figure out what she wants?
I feel deceived. I thought this was going to be Quinn and Lucas' book... But it wasn't. This was basically her parents story.
This was presented in a weird and interesting way. Quinn gets a mystery package containing a book. She quickly realizes it is her parents story. Turns out that her mother wrote this book to share her story and lessons with Quinn. Super awkward for her to include the sex scenes for her daughter to read.
That said, her parents relationship was super toxic. Her father controlled her mother's life and when things didn't go as she expected it to, her mother became an alcoholic. They both spent years angry, depressed, and missing each other. Eventually, they found their way back to each other.
I really enjoyed getting know Quinn and the 2nd generation of kids. I am intrigued about their books!
Tropes: second chance
I feel deceived. I thought this was going to be Quinn and Lucas' book... But it wasn't. This was basically her parents story.
This was presented in a weird and interesting way. Quinn gets a mystery package containing a book. She quickly realizes it is her parents story. Turns out that her mother wrote this book to share her story and lessons with Quinn. Super awkward for her to include the sex scenes for her daughter to read.
That said, her parents relationship was super toxic. Her father controlled her mother's life and when things didn't go as she expected it to, her mother became an alcoholic. They both spent years angry, depressed, and missing each other. Eventually, they found their way back to each other.
I really enjoyed getting know Quinn and the 2nd generation of kids. I am intrigued about their books!
Tropes: second chance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Aflame by Penelope Douglas
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Two years after leaving to find himself, Jared returned home for the birth of his sister and finally faces Tate after breaking her heart.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. I was pissed that Douglas took away their happy ending from the first book, but after reading it, I get that I was kind of necessary. Both of these characters grew and matured so much during he time they were apart.
Tate grew into her own skin and became such a strong and determined woman. I love that she pushed back and didn't just allow Jared to walk back into her life without earning it.
Jared was lost, just following along with what he thought Tate wanted. He left her to find himself, but never really left her behind. She was always at the forefront of his mind. He has always been very cocky, but now he seems to be more comfortable in his skin. He doesn't try to control Tate like he used to and he is able to understand and empathize with what she went through when he left.
Their relationship really seems stronger after they reunited.
I liked that we got a dual POV plus some flashbacks. I would have liked to see a bit more of Jared journey during those two years.
I always love that the other characters are so intertwined in these books. I enjoyed seeing how their relationships have evolved and developed. I especially loved seeing how Madoc chose to support Tate knowing that she needed him more. He is still the goofy guy we love, but he is such a incredibly supportive and caring friend. Also, I like that we get more of a connection between Jared and his mom, this baby seems to have given him a reason to reconnect with his family.
Tropes: second chance
I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. I was pissed that Douglas took away their happy ending from the first book, but after reading it, I get that I was kind of necessary. Both of these characters grew and matured so much during he time they were apart.
Tate grew into her own skin and became such a strong and determined woman. I love that she pushed back and didn't just allow Jared to walk back into her life without earning it.
Jared was lost, just following along with what he thought Tate wanted. He left her to find himself, but never really left her behind. She was always at the forefront of his mind. He has always been very cocky, but now he seems to be more comfortable in his skin. He doesn't try to control Tate like he used to and he is able to understand and empathize with what she went through when he left.
Their relationship really seems stronger after they reunited.
I liked that we got a dual POV plus some flashbacks. I would have liked to see a bit more of Jared journey during those two years.
I always love that the other characters are so intertwined in these books. I enjoyed seeing how their relationships have evolved and developed. I especially loved seeing how Madoc chose to support Tate knowing that she needed him more. He is still the goofy guy we love, but he is such a incredibly supportive and caring friend. Also, I like that we get more of a connection between Jared and his mom, this baby seems to have given him a reason to reconnect with his family.
Tropes: second chance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief