I hope everyone is having a nice weekend! This is the first Easter I’m not working in a few years so I’m looking forward to spending time with my family. I’ve kept on track with my reading goals for March and I’m excited heading into next month! April is going to be a month of reading mostly ARCs for me; I have a lot of ARCs that I’ve put off reading for a few months and their release dates are starting to creep up on me 🙈 

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Book Reviews

DAUGHTER OF THE SIREN QUEEN: Daughter of the Pirate King was such a fun read last year, and this sequel was high on my anticipated releases. I’m loving this new trend in the Young Adult genre of books featuring all female (well, mostly) pirate crews. Alosa is a ruthless heroine not afraid to get her hands dirty, and I was glad to see her relationship with Riden develop. I definitely recommend this series if you’re looking for a fast-paced book full of action and nautical goodness.  ★★★★

THE HAZEL WOOD: I guess the one word I would use to describe my experience reading this would be disappointed. The premise sounds really cool and intriguing, and I was totally digging on the vibe of the story which was eerie and dark, but the execution was done poorly. A big issue was the pacing. The plot and action didn’t start to pick up until the very end of the book and it almost felt like a whole different story at that point.My other problem with was the main character, Alice. She comes off as rude, selfish, pretentious and was an utterly unlikable character. I’m not sure if I will bother to read the sequel, but I would love to pick up Tales From the Hinterland when it’s released to read more of those fairytales!  ★★  [review]

THIS HEART OF MINE: A very compelling, touching story focused on family, friendship, grief, love, and life. Some people felt confused by the strange mix of genres, YA Contemporary + Mystery, but I thought it was intriguing and was executed perfectly. I also really loved both the protagonists, Leah and Matt. The romance that develops between is so freaking adorable. I was unsure about the romance aspect going into this when I read the synopsis, but I was really happy about the way it was portrayed. It’s easy to see that this book means a lot to the author by the love and care infused into the writing. If you’re looking for a light, fun, uplifting read, I would recommend reading This Heart of Mine!  ★★★★  [review]

ORPHAN MONSTER SPY: I love historical fiction and books set during WWII so this sounded exactly like the kind of book I would want to read. The plot was well done and intriguing, and I was interested in the characters – especially Sarah – but I feel like a lot of things were just glossed over in the story. Parts of Sarah’s history were briefly mentioned and then never brought up again, which left me with a lot of questions by the end of the book. The story starts out fast-paced, slows down for a good chunk of the book, and then picks back up again. Orphan Monster Spy is an engaging story, but I think the book moved almost a little too fast at times and left a lot of loose ends and questions after the ending for me to be fully captivated by it. ARC provided by the publisher through Penguin First to Read.  ★★★  [review]

THE WICKED DEEP: So many conflicting feelings from just one book.  I was over halfway done with this, completely enamored by everything in the story, and then something happened that unfortunately evaporated most of my good feelings. The good: great writing, an atmospheric setting, really interesting plot. The (very) bad: the way the romance and the ending of the story were wrapped up.  ★★★  [review]

SONG OF BLOOD & STONE: There were parts about the book that I liked, and there were parts about it that I didn’t like. The intriguing synopsis is what first piqued my interest, and as I began reading, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is actually a New Adult novel in the Fantasy Romance genre, not a Young Adult Fantasy. The story was not entirely unique, however, and loosely followed the same formula as many other fantasy books. I also spent a majority of the time confused about the setting and the world-building. Had there been either a really unique and gripping plot, or stronger world-building, I would have enjoyed the story a bit more. ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.  ★★★  [review]

HONOR AMONG THIEVES: Space adventure books are one of my favorites, and while I’m happy that they’re becoming a more prevalent genre, that also means a lot of them of starting to follow the same basic plot. Honor Among Thieves breaks the mold as a unique, engaging book unlike anything I’ve ever read. The entire concept of the book, from the Leviathan and Nadim to the Honors program, was completely fascinating. The authors have created a story that will capture your attention and refuse to let it go. It’s a fantastic story full of adventure, action, and thrills. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel. If anyone is looking for a great Sci-Fi story, I would definitely recommend!  ★★★★½  [review]

PRINCESS OF THORNS: I’m mad at everyone who never told me this book existed. Standalone fantasy books are rare, but good standalone fantasy books are even rarer. This book contained some of my favorite tropes: mistaken identity, a girl pretending to be boy, a charming, arrogant prince, a long journey together, and a slow burn hate-to-love romance. The banter between Niklaas and Aurora was some of the best I’ve read in a long time. Both Niklaas and Aurora started out as slightly annoying characters, but they developed greatly over the course of the book and I loved how the story ended. I want more standalone Young Adult Fantasy books like this.  ★★★★

THE LAST NAMSARA: Looking for an awesome fantasy with dragons? Look no further. Asha was a totally kickass heroine and I loved every second of reading this book. The world-building is fantastic and the writing is very impressive for a debut author. I was really excited about reading the sequel until I found out it was actually going to be a companion novel. I’m still looking forward to it, but I’m a bit upset I don’t get to read more of Asha and her story, which was left unfinished.  ★★★★

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE: If you’re nervous about picking this up because of all the hype like I was, don’t be. It’s well worth every ounce of hype and praise it has received. This book was a thrilling fantasy full of adventure, expert writing, and a cast of superb characters. It was very easy to be drawn into the story from the beginning due to a combination of Tomi Adeyemi’s excellent writing and the compelling characters she has created. There’s no doubt that the second book will be one of my most anticipated for next year.  ★★★★★  [review]

OVER RAGING TIDES: This had the recipe to be a great book: a ship full of lady buccaneers, an entertaining plot, competent writing, interesting characters, and fun dialogue. Unfortunately, in a year full of many other Young Adult female pirate books, this just didn’t stand out that much. The main issue is that the book is severely undeveloped. The plot is too fast-paced, there is hardly any world-building, the characters don’t have any time for growth, and the ending is very abrupt. Overall, it was not an unlikable book, but it was definitely premature and lacking. ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.  ★★½  [review]

ROYALS: I had so much fun reading this. Royals is a light-hearted, funny, easy read that’s sure to entertain. I connected with Daisy from the start, and loved her sassy, headstrong personality. I also found myself a bit jealous of her situation: I mean, who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by a group of young, attractive, amusing members of the Scottish aristocracy? If you like light, fun, entertaining reads then Royals is a book for you! ARC provided by Penguin First to Read.  ★★★½  [review]

GARDEN OF THORNS: This was a perfectly enjoyable book, and while it wasn’t the greatest of fantasy books, there was really nothing that I didn’t like about it. The writing was good, the characters were diverse and intriguing, and the world-building was different and unique, drawing inspiration from East Asia. I’m sure I’ll read the sequel when it releases because I’m very curious about these characters and how their story will end.  ★★★

NOT IF I SAVE YOU FIRST: The premise sounded so good, but I was unimpressed by this book. I think part of the problem was that it’s somewhere between a Middle Grade and a Young Adult novel, and so it was a bit too juvenile for me. There was hardly anything to the plot, the characters had no depth, and the dialogue was cringe-worthy at times. ★★

OTHER

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