Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge

Book Review

Title: Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge

Author: Lisa Jensen

Rating: ★★★★

Date Released: July 10,2018

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Page Count: 352

Meet the Author: Blog, Facebook

Buy the Book: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Add to Gooreads

Synopsis:

Filled with magic and fierce emotion, Lisa Jensen's multilayered novel will make you question all you think you know about beauty, beastliness, and happily ever after.

They say Château Beaumont is cursed. But servant-girl Lucie can’t believe such foolishness about handsome Jean-Loup Christian Henri LeNoir, Chevalier de Beaumont, master of the estate. But when the chevalier's cruelty is revealed, Lucie vows to see him suffer. A wisewoman grants her wish, with a spell that transforms Jean-Loup into monstrous-looking Beast, reflecting the monster he is inside. But Beast is nothing like the chevalier. Jean-Loup would never patiently tend his roses; Jean-Loup would never attempt poetry; Jean-Loup would never express remorse for the wrong done to Lucie. Gradually, Lucie realizes that Beast is an entirely different creature from the handsome chevalier, with a heart more human than Jean-Loup’s ever was. Lucie dares to hope that noble Beast has permanently replaced the cruel Jean-Loup — until an innocent beauty arrives at Beast’s château with the power to break the spell.

My Thoughts:

I was sent an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I feel like in the past one and a half years a ton of Beauty and the Beast retellings have been released and I have made it a goal to read every single one. why? because it is my all-time favorite fairy tale and I never get tired of reading different takes on it. I do have to say that this is one of the darkest retellings I have read so far, it concentrates more on the monstrous aspect of the tale. There are some triggers that I feel I should warn some readers about one is a rape scene, it isn't extremely graphic, but it doesn't shy away either. There is also a suicide attempt. 

This tale is told by Lucie a chamber maiden who has been sent to the Chateau by her mother after her father’s death. Lucie is soon entranced by the Chateaus owners’ beauty, but she soon finds out that he is truly evil and vows that she would see him suffer until the end of his days. Soon enough an enchantress grants Lucie’s wish and turns Jean-Loup into a hideous beast, showing the world how ugly he is in the inside by his appearance. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, I did cry and had to put the book down for a few after the rape scene, but I decided to keep going and I'm glad that I did. This is a book that if I go into too many details I will spoil, but I will say that the Beast and Jean-Loup are polar opposites and after reading a while I did not even remember Jean-Loup. Lucie was a very hard character to connect with and it took me a while to like her, I felt like all she concentrated for a good part of the book was her revenge, but as the book progressed her growth started to be more apparent, she began to see that she was more than what happened to her, she started to gain confidence in herself and began to make her way into my heart. What I really liked about this novel was the different direction the author took the beloved fairy tale and how she truly made it her own, also the ending, which of course I will not go into details about, but will say that it was not something I saw coming! I loved the note the author included at the end, which explained why she decided to write this dark tale the way she did. I will say that this book is not for everyone, but I do recommend it and if you do decide to pick it up I really really suggest you finish it, it is worth it. 

SandraTheBookWorm

Roseblood

Book Review

Title: Roseblood

Author: A.G. Howard

Rating: ★★★

Date Published: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Page Count: 432

Follow Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Insta

Buy Book: Amazon, B&N, BAM!

Add on Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this modern day spin on Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera. 

At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn—an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself, but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known

My Thoughts:

I received an Ecopy from NetGalley and Abrams in exchange for an honest review. 

When I saw that my favorite author was releasing a new novel, I was beyond excited; when I read it was a Phantom of the Opera retelling my excitement was at an all time high. A.G. Howard has a way of taking a story and making it completely unique and her own. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for me to get invested in the story.  I gave this novel three stars because it just did not meet my expectations, I love Howard, I loved her Splintered series and I was hoping to love this novel as much as I do that series, but it just did not do it for me.

In this retelling the main character is not the Phantom, it is Rune who is the Christine in our story, she has the beautiful gift of music, but as of late it has become more of a curse, she has no idea where her “gift” came from or why she has it. I enjoyed reading about Rune, she had amazing character growth throughout the novel, I liked learning where her gift came from and seeing her take control of it.  

Thorn is our love interest and the reason I kept going, I wanted to know everything about his broken and mysterious past! Unfortunately, there wasn’t as many chapters with him as I would have liked, but the ones he was in would suck me in and had me turning the page wanting more.

The main reason I didn’t give this novel more stars was because it was a very slow, it took me a month to get trough it and it usually takes me a week to finish a novel that size. The story did not catch my attention until more than halfway in, that’s when the story got very fast paced. I think Howard concentrated a lot in the character growth and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it did make for a very slow-paced novel.  

SandraTheBookWorm

Poets Pass

Book Review

Title: Poets Pass

Author: Hillary Devisser

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: February 8, 2018

Genre: Romance

Follow the Author: Facebook, Website, Insta, Twitter

Buy the Book: Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

Dr. Avery O'Gara is a psychiatrist who doesn't trust men any further than she can throw them. She prefers her boundaries high and her trysts without emotional ties. She likes her privacy and values her independence above all else. Avery's home in the country is her sanctuary, her escape from the emotional overload of her job. Her sense of peace is destroyed, beginning with the appearance of muddy boot prints outside her window. 

Recently divorced, Officer Jake Marcovic needs a change of scenery. He leaves Chicago and his manipulative ex-wife behind for family and a much slower pace of living. Relocating back to his rural roots, he sees women as money-hungry opportunists and avoids commitment like the plague. His focus is on establishing himself in his once-familiar community and enjoying the women who appreciate a man in uniform. 

When high walls are built up to protect hearts, what happens when they come crashing down?

My Thoughts:

I was sent an arc by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Poets Pass, I wasn't aware that it was the third book in a series, but that did not affect my reading experience since it read as a standalone. I'm excited to read the previous two books and see what they are all about. This novel was so much more than just a romance, it had drama. action, and suspense there was some chapters that had me at the edge of my seat, I could not put it down! The author kept me intrigued with all the twists and turns. 

Avery had a rough start at life, her mother cared more about pleasing men than taking her of her; when she turned fifteen she decided to run away and live with her grandmother. The things Avery went through have made her put walls up and mostly keep to herself. She doesn't trust men, she prefers to have flings with no emotions involved. I really liked Avery, she was a very strong, independent woman that held up her on, but the author also made sure to show her flaws and fears in the raw moments, that made her relatable! Avery's character growth is slow, but done very well she goes from not feeling comfortable around anyone to being able to share her past with her new friends.

Officer Jake just went through a messy divorce, he has left Chicago. his crazy ex-wife, and moved back to his hometown. Jake was such a hunk, I really liked reading how he slowly put his walls down and allowed himself to show his emotions! The relationship he has with his mom, sister and family is admirable; I love families that get along, without the drama. I really liked how he was protective, but knew when to back off and let Avery take care of herself.

I really hope there is another book in this series, I really want to read more about a certain pair. one thing that kept me from giving it five stars was that there were so many characters at times that when they were brought up again, I could not remember who was who. Other than that the novel was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a romance! 

SandraTheBookWorm

The Tower

Book Review

Title: The Tower

Author: Nicole Campbell

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: June 21st, 2017

Publisher: Self-published

Genre: YA Contemporary/Paranormal

Page Count:  345

Follow Author: website, Insta, FB, Twitter

Buy Book: Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

"On our sixteenth birthdays, our kind is gifted with awesome powers. Except no, not really because this isn’t Narnia, or Hogwarts, or whatever other mythical realm where witches supposedly live. This is Elizabethtown, Illinois, and much to the chagrin of the local chapter of Susie-Homemakers, we live here."

All witches understand that the universe is a scary sort of powerful on a good day. On a bad day? Well, that’s when The Tower card shows its face during a reading. As summer draws to a close before the beginning of junior year, Rowyn Black is tired of seeing that card stare up at her from the table. Rowyn, Reed, and Rosalyn have made it through just about every dramatic storm their sarcasm could weather during their seventeen year friendship, and it would be nice to have a quiet semester. Rowyn hopes that the only thing The Tower foretells is the frightening sight of the school parking lot come the first day- full of more jacked-up trucks and cut off shorts than a Luke Bryan video. True to its nature, however, the universe doesn’t care much for hopes and wishes, and when the promise of The Tower comes crashing down, they might fall right along with it.


My Thoughts:

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book had my emotions all over the place, I laughed, swooned, got mad, cried, ugly cried and then cried some more! I absolutely loved this book and every character in it! It was not what I was expecting, it was better! Nicole has become one of my favorite authors and has loved to make me cry, but I am not mad because this book was so real and raw! It dealt with friendship, loss, grieve, first love, depression, and family relationships; it tackles so many things that we go through when we lose a loved one and the author did it so well, she did not try to sugar coat it one bit.

Rowyn, Reed and Rosalyn families are in the same circle so, these three have known each other since they were in diapers, they have learned spells together, and now they're all in high school trying to figure life out together! I really liked all these characters, but my favorite must be Reed, I know, I know, I am adding another book boyfriend to my ever-growing list. I absolutely loved everything about him how he treated his friends, the way he joked, how he put Row before himself. Rosalyn was another one of my favorites she was so bubbly, and it was impossible to now feel bubbly reading her chapters. I really liked Rowyn, but I really did feel like shaking her around in some chapters, but at the same time I knew exactly where her emotions where coming from, learning to cope with loss is not easy especially when you are a teenager, she went through such amazing character growth and towards the end I absolutely fell in love with her characters flaws and all. 

The author tackled the topic of grieve so well, like I said above she left nothing out! The emotions the characters were feeling, and the way they were acting was so raw and real. She also talked about how the characters got bullied because they were different, I really enjoyed how the author dealt with those situations.  The author also when into depth about the catchers beliefs, I learned so much about paganism what they believe in, the holidays they celebrate, how they learn about spells and so much more! I absolutely adored this novel and miss the characters so much. If you are looking for a good contemporary look no further this is the book for you and even if you are not looking for a contemporary, I highly recommend it to anyone!

SandraTheBookWorm

The Witches of Hant Hollow

Book Review

Title: The Witches of Hant Hollow

Author: D.F. Jones

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: October 14, 2017

Publisher: Jones Media

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Page Count: 264

Follow the Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Instagram

Buy Book: Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

Wickedly thrilling fast-paced tale of a family of witches power struggles over light and dark magic, and how one mortal man gets caught in the crosshairs of the feud causing upheaval in not only Jasmine's love life but rife within the American Mage Alliance.

Will Jasmine save Jonathan at the risk of losing the one she love most?

My Thoughts:

I was sent an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I've read every single one of author D.F. Jones books, and I have enjoyed every single one! So, when she asked me if I wanted to read her new novel, I immediately said yes, and just like the rest it did not disappoint.

This novel is the perfect read for this month! It has all the paranormal elements you look for in a good October read witches, vampires, wolfs and so much more. The novel revolves around the witches and their power struggle over dark and light magic, our main witches name is Jasmine and oh, how I loved her character! She was so sweet, but she was also a rebel that took crap from no one, especially her dear grandmother who may I add was one crazy witch; I also loved how selfless she was. Jonathan is the poor mortal and love interest, I absolutely adored him! He was quite the southern gentleman and any girl would be lucky to have him by her side.

This book is very fast paced and grips you from the first chapter! I really enjoyed how Jones tackled the prejudice that witches had against mortals and vice versa, as the book progresses Jones shows us how those prejudices evolve for the better and how they come together to help each other. The novels plot thickens several times and it had me at the edge of my seat. I love romance in my novels and Jones made sure to provide us with plenty of it, and even though some holes were blown on my ship, I still loved the ending. The only thing I wish had been done a little different was how rapidly the characters fell in love, I’m just a sucker for a slow burn romance. Other than that, this novel was a great paranormal read, and has me hoping for a sequel because I just need more of these characters.

SandraTheBookWorm

Trapped in Silver

Book Review

Title: Trapped in Silver

Author: Emily Snowden

Rating:  ★★★★★

Date Published: February 7, 2017

Publisher: OfTomes Publishing

Genre: YA Fantasy

Follow the Author: website, Twitter, Instagram

Buy it! Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Add to Goodreads!

Synopsis:

To seventeen-year-old Ava, wild woodcats, hungry stragglers, and simple-minded townsfolk are the evils she’s grown accustomed to. But when Ethan, an unusual man with eyes of smoke and fire opal, enters her world she quickly understands that there are worse things out there than drunken men and carnivorous forest creatures. She’s a specialised liar and a hell of a fighter, but against a group of animalistic men called Berserkers she struggles to survive the encounter as the desperate swing of a dagger is all it takes to change her life for good.
Half-dead and hunted by the Berserker’s leader when he forms a monstrous obsession with her, Ava escapes his pursuit in an unfamiliar land full of impossible creatures, unlikely allies, and the man she doesn’t know whether to kiss or kill.
But after dreadful news of her missing brother surfaces, Ava becomes more involved in the centuries-long war and begins to unravel the reasons behind her relentless nightmares, discovering truths long-buried in a violent history of love, loss and betrayal. 

My Thoughts:

I was sent an Ecopy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This novel sunk its claws into me with the first sentence and didn’t let me go until the very end. I absolutely loved this book, it had a couple of flaws, but I easily got past them because the story line was phenomenal! I felt like I could not devour it fast enough. Trapped in Silver is a paranormal fantasy novel, it brings demons, vampires and several other creatures that go bump in the night.

Our novel is told in somewhat dual perspective by somewhat I mean, it is mostly told from Ava’s, but we do get a couple of chapters from Ethan’s. Ava is such a strong female character, I really loved her sarcasm and boldness! I also really liked how flawed the author made her, she wasn’t the best fighter, but she held her own and kicked ass when she could; it made her seem more human and I really liked that. The only thing that bothered me a bit about her was how careless she could be at moments with her safety and otters. Ethan, what can I say about him, he is the arse I fell in love with, and can’t get enough of; to be completely honestly, I really wish we would have gotten more of him! I’m really intrigued by his backstory and just him in general. The main side characters were very likable and some were well let’s just say they’re not my favorite.

The world Sowden created was so well done, I could easily transport myself there and fight alongside Ava, Ethan, and the others! She made a dangerous place sound so beautiful and made me overlook all the dangers so much so that I would not mind living there; especially if I had those amazing characters by my side cough, cough Ethan. The twists the author added in there were good, but a bit predictable, I saw them coming, but that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. The love interest is there, but is a slow burn and I really enjoyed that, insta-love isn’t for me so, I like when an author allows characters to get to know each other before they confess their feelings. The ending blew my mind, I saw it coming, and it still blew me away! I’m so excited for the next installment in the series. If you are looking for a good October read this is it!! It has the monsters and the creepy factor is there. 

SandraTheBookWorm

Paintbrush

Book Review

Title: Paintbrush

Author: Hannah Bucchin

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: July 11, 2017

Publisher: Blaze Publishing

Genre: YA Contemporary

Follow the Author: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Buy the Book: Amazon

Add On Goodreads

Synopsis:

Mitchell Morrison and Josie Sedgwick have spent their whole lives at the Indian Paintbrush Community Village, a commune full of colorful characters tucked in the mountains of North Carolina, and they aren't particularly close--at least, not anymore. Josie wishes she could spend all of her time at Paintbrush planting tomatoes, hiking the trails, or throwing giant communal birthday parties, while Mitchell can’t wait to escape the bizarre spiritual sharing and noisy community dinners. Luckily for both of them, high school graduation is just around the corner.

But when Mitchell’s mother makes a scandalous announcement that rocks the close-knit Paintbrush community, and Josie’s younger sister starts to make some dangerously bad decisions, the two find themselves leaning on each other for support – and looking at each other in a whole new light. Their childhood friendship blossoms in to something more as they deal with their insane families, but as graduation approaches, so does life in the real world, forcing Josie and Mitchell to figure out what, exactly, their relationship is – and if it can survive their very different plans for the future.

My Thoughts:

I was sent an eArc by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

My summer has been filled with contemporary reads and I have loved it! Paintbrush was one of my summer reads and I fell in love with it! Josie and Mitchell have lived in the Paintbrush Community and known each other for as long as they can remember, but they could not be more different! Mitchell cannot wait to graduate so he can leave Paintbrush, and never comeback. Josie loves the community and feels like she needs to take care of her sisters since her mom likes to be more like a friend than a mother.

I really liked the idea of the Paintbrush Community, they were like a big family, even though they weren’t related they took care of each other like they were; I’m not going to lie though just like any family some of them were kind of a little out there. I have always like the friends turned to lovers’ trope because it shows how the relationship built up and how the characters fell in love! I really loved Mitchell, I completely understood his desire to leave Paintbrush to go to college and travel to different places, it’s something I have always wanted to do and I just found his character so relatable. Josie’s development trough out the story was very well done, I loved the way she cared for her mom and sisters, but I was so happy that she figured out that she needed to do what made HER happy. The author did an amazing job building the character relationships and adding the perfect amount of drama to keep me turning the page. The ending was perfect and I cannot wait to read more about these two characters and see where their stories go. 

SandraTheBookWorm

The Carver

Book Review

Title: The Carver

Author: Jacob Devlin

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: July 19, 2016

Publisher: Blaze Publishing

Genre: Fantasy

Page Count: 370

Follow the Author: Website, Twitter, Instagram

Buy the Book: Amazon, B&N, 

Add on Goodreads

Synopsis:

THE GIRL IN THE RED HOOD has been looking for her mother for six months, searching from the depths of New York’s subways to the heights of its skyscrapers . . . 

THE PRINCE looks like he’s from another time entirely, or maybe he’s just too good at his job at Ye Old Renaissance Faire . . . 

THE ACTRESS is lighting up Hollywood Boulevard with her spellbinding and strikingly convincing portrayal of a famous fairy. Her name may be big, but her secrets barely fit in one world . . . 

Fifteen-year-old Crescenzo never would have believed his father’s carvings were anything more than “stupid toys.” All he knows is a boring life in an ordinary Virginia suburb, from which his mother and his best friend have been missing for years. When his father disappears next, all Crescenzo has left is his goofy neighbor, Pietro, who believes he’s really Peter Pan and that Crescenzo is the son of Pinocchio. What’s more: Pietro insists that they can find their loved ones by looking to the strange collection of wooden figurines Crescenzo’s father left behind. 

With Pietro’s help, Crescenzo sets off on an adventure to unite the real life counterparts to his figurines. It’s enough of a shock that they’re actually real, but the night he meets the Girl in the Red Hood, dark truths burst from the past. Suddenly, Crescenzo is tangled in a nightmare where magic mirrors and evil queens rule, and where everyone he loves is running out of time.

My Thoughts:

I was provided with an Ecopy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If you have been following my blog or my bookstagram you know that I love a good fairy tale retelling and would read every single one if I could. When I read the synopsis for The Carver I knew I was going to be hooked; what intrigued me the most was that it was not a retelling of just one character, but instead the author brought several of our beloved fairy tale characters together and wrote a wonderful story. 

Crescenzo the son of Pinocchio is our main character. Enzo is like any teenager, moody and at first the way he treated his dad and Pietro aka as Peter Pan bothered me a bit, but as the story progressed his attitude got a lot better and he slowly began to win me. As for his companion Pietro, I liked him from the get go it just made sense for Peter Pan to grow up, but keep his innocence and goofiness. I really liked how he brought lightness to the story. The novel jumps from present time New York and back to the old world, which is the world were all the fairy tale characters live, the authors world building was wonderfully done, I could see myself there with the characters. The villain of the story took me by surprise and I absolutely loved it! I'm a sucker for the hero turned villain trope. I almost forgot about Rosana! What a blasphemy, since I absolutely love her! Rosana is Alice's daughter and such a strong willed doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do and always trusted her instinct character; I loved what she brought to the story and I'm just a sucker for anything related to Alice and Wonderland. 

This novel did remind me of the very popular show Once Upon a Time because of all the fairy tales characters coming together, but that is where the similarities end. The author made this story his own and I really enjoyed it. I cannot wait to dive into the sequel and see what new adventures Jacob will be taking us on. If you're in the mood for a different and refreshing fairy tale retelling then this is the book. 

SandraTheBookWorm

How One Attempts to Chase Gravity

Book Review

Title: How One Attempts to Chase Gravity

Author: Nicole Campbell

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: 

Follow the Author: Website, Instagram, FB, Twitter

Buy the Book: Amazon, B&N, iBooks

Add on Goodreads

Synopsis:

Ethan Fisher is college bound- surprising, even to him. Ethan knows he will run into Courtney eventually, and he is determined to have another chance to be the man she thought he was. If it is even possible for her to speak to him without throwing her coffee in his face. He’s willing to take his chances in hopes that the infatuation of their summer love can hold up in the real world. 

Courtney Ross feels like she just stepped out of a time machine. She thought going away to college involved some sort of "growing up," so why is she now being thrown into last year? She really doesn't know if she's ready to forgive and forget.

In this sequel- equally delicious as its predecessor- learn how this winding tale of love and heartbreak unfolds.

My Thoughts:

I was sent a novel by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

If you read my review for the first novel in this series you know that I absolutely loved it, and was completely devastated with the ending, but I forgave the author because I had the sequel; which I was able to start Immediately.  Just when I thought I couldn’t love Ethan any more I get the sequel written in his perspective and I fall for him even harder; his character growth was immense in this book and I loved every single second of it and the way he treats Courtney had me in the clouds! I loved Courtney so much, she has come a long way her character growth is the most noticeable; even though at some points in the books I did want to tell her to relax a bit and deal with things as they came, but that just wouldn’t be like Courtney.

I loved how the author made this novel show the real struggles that all couples have and showed us that both characters had flaws they had to work on, and how their love for each other was so great that they learned to see past their flaws and love each other more because of them. I have really come to love these characters, I don’t think I have ever read a book where I can relate with the characters so much or where I can see myself meeting them in real life and becoming best friends with them. The ending for this novel could not have been more perfect! I was in tears and just wanted to pull out all the characters and give them the biggest group hug.  Another thing that I love about these novels is that in the beginning of every chapter there is a song title and the author has made a playlist you can listen to as you read, it just takes the reading experience to a whole new level, it makes you feel closer to the story and the characters.

If you haven’t picked these novels up, I highly recommend them! I devoured both book in less than a week. It is the perfect summer read or if you are looking for a good contemporary read.

SandraTheBookWorm