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amandasbrews's Reviews (458)
A dark and offbeat fairy tale!? Honestly I absolutely needed this book in my life.
I'm in such a place in my reading journey that I want to read more mature, dark, deep, steamy, and/or unique books. But who doesn't love the fast paced feel of a YA novel or the classic charm of a fairy tale?! This book was able to deliver to both of those sides of me, and it was absolutely perfect.
This book was short and sweet but it took the classic fairy tale feel and really turned it on it's head and reminds readers that the simple children's heroes journey just MUST have a darker side that they are hiding from us to make it more digestable. How would it ever be possible for our main character to go off and meet a witch in the woods and defeat a beast who has been terrorizing the entire kingdom for years and not come out of it without any type of trauma?? We grow on our journey but we also gain scars. This book reminds us of that.
In classic fairy tale fashion, the lines of good and evil are clear, we have a big monster to slay, we question who is on what side, but in the end love conquers all. Even the traumas and the dark moments. Love always prevails.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm in such a place in my reading journey that I want to read more mature, dark, deep, steamy, and/or unique books. But who doesn't love the fast paced feel of a YA novel or the classic charm of a fairy tale?! This book was able to deliver to both of those sides of me, and it was absolutely perfect.
This book was short and sweet but it took the classic fairy tale feel and really turned it on it's head and reminds readers that the simple children's heroes journey just MUST have a darker side that they are hiding from us to make it more digestable. How would it ever be possible for our main character to go off and meet a witch in the woods and defeat a beast who has been terrorizing the entire kingdom for years and not come out of it without any type of trauma?? We grow on our journey but we also gain scars. This book reminds us of that.
In classic fairy tale fashion, the lines of good and evil are clear, we have a big monster to slay, we question who is on what side, but in the end love conquers all. Even the traumas and the dark moments. Love always prevails.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was exactly what I hoped it would be. It was advertised to me as a Contemporary Gothic Romance, and when I looked into the author I noticed how she also writes for a lucid dreaming magazine, which just makes a supernatural romance even more appealing to me!!!
This book had great mystery, I wanted to solve it alongside the characters. It has a respectful romance, even a little boy next door factor!!!
But the best factor to me was the way the author was able to capture in her writing style both very real moments and very lucid moments. At some points in the book, there were moments where the writing felt so concrete and solid, and moments where everything felt dreamy and you question whether they are really happening in the way we are perceiving them through the eyes of the main character, Sophia. To extend it even more there were moments, in characters dreams, where the narrative just became even more dreamy and dazed. I just loved how she was able to capture such a spectrum of real to dreamy in her writing. Which just completely mirrors the actual plot of the book. She did such a great job with that.
I also liked how all the characters were highly educated and having educated discussions throughout the entire book. Maria Isabel Pita works to capture and play with the interactions of religion, science, and supernatural phenomena, and while I don't think it was a complete slam dunk (which I think is nearly impossible when you're trying to mingle all of those things together) she did a very good job to have all of the ideas and theories play together to make this story.
I really enjoyed the book, it was easy to follow and the mystery was definitely interesting, and there were surprises throughout. This isn't the genre I normally read, but I just couldn't resist this one, and it definitely delivered what I was hoping for!
*I received a free copy via Voracious Readers Only
This book had great mystery, I wanted to solve it alongside the characters. It has a respectful romance, even a little boy next door factor!!!
But the best factor to me was the way the author was able to capture in her writing style both very real moments and very lucid moments. At some points in the book, there were moments where the writing felt so concrete and solid, and moments where everything felt dreamy and you question whether they are really happening in the way we are perceiving them through the eyes of the main character, Sophia. To extend it even more there were moments, in characters dreams, where the narrative just became even more dreamy and dazed. I just loved how she was able to capture such a spectrum of real to dreamy in her writing. Which just completely mirrors the actual plot of the book. She did such a great job with that.
I also liked how all the characters were highly educated and having educated discussions throughout the entire book. Maria Isabel Pita works to capture and play with the interactions of religion, science, and supernatural phenomena, and while I don't think it was a complete slam dunk (which I think is nearly impossible when you're trying to mingle all of those things together) she did a very good job to have all of the ideas and theories play together to make this story.
I really enjoyed the book, it was easy to follow and the mystery was definitely interesting, and there were surprises throughout. This isn't the genre I normally read, but I just couldn't resist this one, and it definitely delivered what I was hoping for!
*I received a free copy via Voracious Readers Only
Kingdom of Embers was a nice simple read that was interesting enough for me to keep reading and finish.
I liked the story and I kept reading because I was eager to find out what would happen with Alena and her mother's rules and how being a hybrid would affect her. However the writing was a little boring and choppy. There were basically 3 settings for the whole book, and we jumped through each setting sometimes so fast it had me wondering if the interaction she had there was important or if it was just some filler text.
I didn't like how much texting was incorporated into the writing, but I get it. It's 2020 and everyone texts more than speaks. But do they have to in books? Maybe I'm just mad that texts were signified by all caps, which is never fun to read and always comes across as yelling.
Also I wish I liked Alena more. I like the idea of Alena more than I like her. I felt like she barely had interactions of significance and her interactions were so ... emotionless.
I don't know, I feel like this story is interesting and I feel like the story was good, but it wasn't executed in the best way.
I definitely want to know what happened to Ivy. I definitely want to know more about the history of the vampires and the witches. Especially between the people Alena grew up with and the book store vampires and witches. I definitely want to know what the heck the trinity is.
But was I having fun reading it? Not particularly. Do I want to sit through the next book to find out? I guess we will have to see.
* I received a free copy of this book from the author via voracious readers only
I liked the story and I kept reading because I was eager to find out what would happen with Alena and her mother's rules and how being a hybrid would affect her. However the writing was a little boring and choppy. There were basically 3 settings for the whole book, and we jumped through each setting sometimes so fast it had me wondering if the interaction she had there was important or if it was just some filler text.
I didn't like how much texting was incorporated into the writing, but I get it. It's 2020 and everyone texts more than speaks. But do they have to in books? Maybe I'm just mad that texts were signified by all caps, which is never fun to read and always comes across as yelling.
Also I wish I liked Alena more. I like the idea of Alena more than I like her. I felt like she barely had interactions of significance and her interactions were so ... emotionless.
I don't know, I feel like this story is interesting and I feel like the story was good, but it wasn't executed in the best way.
I definitely want to know what happened to Ivy. I definitely want to know more about the history of the vampires and the witches. Especially between the people Alena grew up with and the book store vampires and witches. I definitely want to know what the heck the trinity is.
But was I having fun reading it? Not particularly. Do I want to sit through the next book to find out? I guess we will have to see.
* I received a free copy of this book from the author via voracious readers only
It really felt like I should have liked this, but I really just... didn't. ):
3 journal loving, vestibule counting stars
Let's just say I don't think I would have enjoyed this book at all if it were any longer.
Let's just say I don't think I would have enjoyed this book at all if it were any longer.
I don't even know what to say. I absolutely loved the first book, but the second one was somehow even better.
The love between Hawke & Poppy is exactly what I love to read. The banter between them makes it so fun! I was absolutely riveted reading this entire book. When I wasn't reading it I found myself wanting to read it. I just couldn't get enough. I can't believe this book just came out less than 2 weeks ago because that means that I have to wait for the next book, and I want to just DIVE RIGHT IN.
JLA is doing SUCH a good job with this series by keeping it fun and exciting to read the entire time, but at the same exact time I know that more is unfolding to a more complex story that we do not fully understand yet. Every fun moment is setting up for the rest of the series. I don't feel like I have to invest energy into learning the background of this world, it just comes so naturally through the story that I can pick up the history & depth of the world without feeling like any part drags on with the background knowledge. Which just makes her world building in this series so impressive!!!
I got literal chills reading the ending of this. I don't even know how I'm going to survive until the next one comes out.
The love between Hawke & Poppy is exactly what I love to read. The banter between them makes it so fun! I was absolutely riveted reading this entire book. When I wasn't reading it I found myself wanting to read it. I just couldn't get enough. I can't believe this book just came out less than 2 weeks ago because that means that I have to wait for the next book, and I want to just DIVE RIGHT IN.
JLA is doing SUCH a good job with this series by keeping it fun and exciting to read the entire time, but at the same exact time I know that more is unfolding to a more complex story that we do not fully understand yet. Every fun moment is setting up for the rest of the series. I don't feel like I have to invest energy into learning the background of this world, it just comes so naturally through the story that I can pick up the history & depth of the world without feeling like any part drags on with the background knowledge. Which just makes her world building in this series so impressive!!!
I got literal chills reading the ending of this. I don't even know how I'm going to survive until the next one comes out.
This book SURPRISED ME. Not because I dislike JLA's writing or anything, but because in the beginning of the book I was pretty skeptical. It starts out in almost a Handmaids Tale feel because Poppy is extremely sheltered, has extreme rules, wears a veil because no one is allowed to see her face, etc. And I didn't understand WHY her world was like that. Was this going to be another gross world where women are used for the gain of others? Because those books are just NOT FUN TO ME. But I kept reading because Poppy had that little bit of rebellion in her, and I latched onto that HARD until I finally understood the world a little more.
Once Hawke came in, I was SOLD. I almost DNF, but I'm SO GLAD I STUCK AROUND. I read some reviews that said the same so I just hung in there. But this book surprised me because the change from skeptical to absolutely in love was SUCH A SWING in emotions that I'm so impressed with it.
I LOVE Poppy.
I LOVE Hawke.
I love them both together.
Most of all I love their BANTER.
I understand why JLA kept the world a secret from us. Because it's being kept a secret from Poppy too. We discover along with her how her world works, as she simultaneously has her entire life changed by her mysterious guard.
This book was SO FUN. There were twists and turns at every corner, but there were hints to them coming so it kept you guessing the entire time. Some twists you will get right, some you will get wrong, and that's the best part. I jumped RIGHT into the newly released second book because I hadn't had enough of this story.
Merged review:
Honestly, I hate that I'm so obsessed with this series. But it's so good!!! A true guilty pleasure. This was JUST the treat to make me want to DIE and only come back once book 3 is out.
Once Hawke came in, I was SOLD. I almost DNF, but I'm SO GLAD I STUCK AROUND. I read some reviews that said the same so I just hung in there. But this book surprised me because the change from skeptical to absolutely in love was SUCH A SWING in emotions that I'm so impressed with it.
I LOVE Poppy.
I LOVE Hawke.
I love them both together.
Most of all I love their BANTER.
I understand why JLA kept the world a secret from us. Because it's being kept a secret from Poppy too. We discover along with her how her world works, as she simultaneously has her entire life changed by her mysterious guard.
This book was SO FUN. There were twists and turns at every corner, but there were hints to them coming so it kept you guessing the entire time. Some twists you will get right, some you will get wrong, and that's the best part. I jumped RIGHT into the newly released second book because I hadn't had enough of this story.
Merged review:
Honestly, I hate that I'm so obsessed with this series. But it's so good!!! A true guilty pleasure. This was JUST the treat to make me want to DIE and only come back once book 3 is out.
I finally finished. Finally. I was putting off finishing this book for so long because I just couldn't live with Mac and Barron's story being over.
I loved this series so much. It instantly became one of my favorite series ever in just one book. I devoured the first 4.5 books SO FAST. I just couldn't get enough.
Karen Marie Moning did such a good job developing this story. This series literally has it all: tall dark handsome and mysterious love interest, a mythical love triangle, a world of Fae (my guilty pleasure), a murder mystery, betrayal, amazing world building, astonishing character development, a rich history that you uncover as you read.... and so much more... it has everything!!!
At some moments, the characters felt so real that it felt like they had written themselves because they just wanted to come to be. There were twists and turns the entire time, and it was unraveled so well.
I could say so much more, but let's just leave it at this: it was a beautiful end to Mac & Barron's, and I'm left completely satisfied by finishing the book. What a blissful feeling.
I loved this series so much. It instantly became one of my favorite series ever in just one book. I devoured the first 4.5 books SO FAST. I just couldn't get enough.
Karen Marie Moning did such a good job developing this story. This series literally has it all: tall dark handsome and mysterious love interest, a mythical love triangle, a world of Fae (my guilty pleasure), a murder mystery, betrayal, amazing world building, astonishing character development, a rich history that you uncover as you read.... and so much more... it has everything!!!
At some moments, the characters felt so real that it felt like they had written themselves because they just wanted to come to be. There were twists and turns the entire time, and it was unraveled so well.
I could say so much more, but let's just leave it at this: it was a beautiful end to Mac & Barron's, and I'm left completely satisfied by finishing the book. What a blissful feeling.