Author: Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

30ish mom, wife, nurse, avid reader, gamer, and Swiftie. Want to join my Taylor Swift Readathon? It's called Books Beside Your Bed and the link is in my linktree! https://linktr.ee/Enchanted.to.read.you
ARC, fantasy, ya

My First Arc Box. WHAT?!?!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Okay, so here I am. Just got home from the longest.day.ever. I notice a package by the front door. I don’t think anything of it, I’m supposed to get my Keurig descaler today so it will quit exploding my pods and I can drink coffee again. Imagine my surprise when I see THIS at the door!

Okay, this piques my interest. I knew I hadn’t ordered anything. That I could remember, anyway. So honestly, I figured it was something my mom was getting and having delivered to my house. I was just going to open and pretend like I didn’t know it was for me. (Sorry, mom!)

So, imagine my surprise when I open it and SEE MY NAME! (And yes, you can see my descaler that I did get in the background rofl.) So I immediately take a pic and start freaking out and opening the rest!

In this amazing box I got Crave by Tracy Wolff, a Crave travel mug (for that coffee I’ll now get to drink), a to-do (or to-kill?) list, temporary tattoos, hot cocoa, and caramel marshmallows! Now, let me tell you about this book that I am going to dive right into!

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait

– Goodreads

I cannot wait to read this! It’s been a good, long while since I’ve read about vamps, but my body is ready! I mean, who doesn’t love a sexy vampire?

Crave is released into the world on April 7, 2020. I’ll be starting this tonight and posting my review as soon as I finish.

Add Crave to your TBR here!

Preorder Crave from Entanged: Teen or Amazon!

A very big, special thanks to Entangled: Teen, Megan Beatie for this arc box. I am honestly so honored and so excited! Can’t wait to let you guys know what I think!

Have you heard the buzz about Crave? Are you adding it to your TBR? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, fantasy, LGBT, ownvoices, Romance, ya

Year of the Asian Reading Challenge 2020

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

So, as I was perusing through twitter one day, I saw this reading challenge. The banner above is so adorable. I also want to read more diverse books. I think all my January books were by cis, white authors. So. I thought this was a perfect challenge for me! There are so many books by Asian authors I want to read!

Here are the guidelines taken from The Quiet Pond, who is one of the hosts!

The aim of this challenge is to read as many books written by Asian authors as you can! These books can be backlist titles (i.e. released in 2019 or earlier), new releases, and ARCs. We welcome books of any genre, any format, and any length. Check out the levels we have made for this challenge (I drew them too!) and set your sights on a level you want to achieve.

In order for a book to count, you must start and finish it within 2020; the challenge will end on the 31st of December of this year. (This means that books started in 2019 and finished in 2020 do not count!) Likewise, any books started in 2020 and finished in 2021 do not count either.

We want this to be a relaxing and, above all else, fun challenge, so you can join in at any time in the year! The sign-up form will remain open until 2020 ends.

Follow us on Twitter (@YearOfTheAsian) for announcements, surprises, and more bookish fun. The official hashtag for this reading challenge is #YARC2020.

I chose the Phillipine Tarsier badge, which is reading 1-10 books by Asian authors. If I read more, I can always move on to the next badge!

Here are the 10 books I plan on reading this year:

2020 Releases:

  1. The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz
  2. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
  3. The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
  4. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

Backlist Titles:

  1. Stronger than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan
  2. Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
  3. I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn
  4. Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
  5. Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan
  6. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Have you read any of these? Are you doing the challenge? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, dystopian, fantasy, Romance

Down the TBR Part 12!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Another week of trimming the TBR! This meme is hosted by Zezee with Books. Here’s the rules:

The rules for Down the TBR Hole:
  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

So, today we are starting at 1940. I just added the 7 arcs I got approved for this week. Oops. On first glance, there are definitely some I might consider keeping. There’s actually some fantasy and maybe some YA in here!

Three Fates by Nora Roberts

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Three people try to find a stolen statue. Eh.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Captivated and Entranced by Nora Roberts

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two love stories. One about a screenplay writer and a witch. The second about a detective and a PI. Ok I’m into it.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

Three Brides, No Groom by Debbie Macomber

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Chick lit about three women at their 15-year reunion.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Fair Folk by Marvin Kaye

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Book of short stories about Fey. I like it.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep!

The Passage by Justin Cronin

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Government experiments. Kidnapped kids. I don’t think it’s for me.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: My husband was excited to see this on the list. One of the few books he’s read and he loved it. About rogues and assassins.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep. I’ll give it a chance even though it’s epic fantasy, which usually isn’t my deal.

A Dance of Blades by David Dalglish

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Book 2 of A Dance of Cloaks. I’ll leave it in case I like the first.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

The High Druid of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I mean, this sounds good. High fantasy kind of scares me – it’s usually too involved and too many people to keep up with. But I’ll give this one a try.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

Madman by Tracy Groot

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: The synopsis confuses me, so I’m going to say this is a no go.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: The MC takes a slave to sacrifice to the fire god to then get inhuman powers. I am going to pass.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

We are ending at 1935. I kept 5 and deleted 5, so not too terribly bad. I actually deleted the YA, which surprised me. I also kept more of the high fantasy than I thought I would. They just sound SO GOOD.

What do you think? Did I make any wrong decisions? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, blog tour, contemporary, fantasy, Romance, ya

Stacking the Shelves!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Happy weekend, guys! This was a crazy week. I didn’t get to do near enough on the blog! We were short someone at work, with a record number of patients. Needless to say, I could barely stay up to read, let alone blog! Thankfully it’s the weekend. I plan to finish my current read, We are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo, play DnD, and just relax!

So this meme is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. Here’s what they have to say about it:


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

This week I was approved for seven arcs on Netgalley! I went to Barnes and Noble, but didn’t buy any book! A travesty, I know. I just couldn’t decide. So here are the arcs I have added to my forever long TBR shelf this week:

Let’s start with the one I’m most excited about. The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke.

The cover is gorge and immediately drew me in. Then I read the synopsis:

“An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.“

I think I squealed when I got the acceptance email. No shame.

Next was The Stone of Sorrow by Brooke Carter.

“In a land of myth and ice, seventeen-year-old Runa Unnursdóttir is not the runecaster her clan has been hoping for.”

I love a good comeback story. Plus I love the girl’s hair and cloak. Cause who doesn’t want an amazing cloak?!

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles. Again, another gorgeous cover. Like, I need her dress.

“Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.“

I mean, how amazing does that sound?!

Music from Another World by Robin Talley.

“A master of award-winning queer historical fiction, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley once again brings to life with heart and vivid detail an emotionally captivating story about the lives of two teen girls living in an age when just being yourself was an incredible act of bravery.“

I got chosen for a blog tour for this novel and I am so excited! Tour date TBA!

We Didn’t Ask for This by Adi Alsaid

“Central International School’s annual lock-in is legendary. Bonds are made. Contests are fought. Stories are forged that will be passed down from student to student for years to come. Every year, lock-in night changes lives. This year, it might just change the world.“

I got chosen for a blog tour for this title too! I can’t wait to dive in! Tour date TBA!

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass by Adan Jerreat-Poole

“Even teenage assassins have dreams.“

We all know how I feel about an assassin book! Plus this cover. Omg. Swoon. I think this is the one I’m second most excited about!

The Bad Boy’s Forever by Blair Holden

“Tessa O’Connell is a girl with an unbreakable spirit and a strength that will get her through anything and this strength is one she needs now more than ever before. Through the two big chapters of her life, her goal remains to be fearless and make the best of all the opportunities that come her way.“

Oops. I didn’t realize this was book 3? So I’ll have to read book 1 and 2 first. But it sounds great and I love supporting wattpad authors!

So those are my seven new books this week! I hope to get to them soon. THey all sound amazing and I’m working really hard to get caught up on arcs!

Have you heard of any of these? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time..

adult, ARC, mystery, three star book, thriller

The Girls Weekend ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Their reunion just became a crime scene . . .

June Moody, a thirty-something English professor, just wants to get away from her recent breakup and reunite with girlfriends over summer break. Her old friend and longtime nemesis, Sadie MacTavish, a mega-successful author, invites June and her college friends to a baby shower at her sprawling estate in the San Juan Islands. June is less than thrilled to spend time with Sadie–and her husband, June’s former crush–but agrees to go.

The party gets off to a shaky start when old grudges resurface, but when they wake the next morning, they find something worse: Sadie is missing, the house is in shambles, and bloodstains mar the staircase. None of them has any memory of the night before; they wonder if they were drugged. Everyone’s a suspect. Since June had a secret rendezvous with Sadie’s husband, she has plenty of reason to suspect herself. Apparently, so do the cops.

A Celtic knot of suspense and surprise, this brooding, atmospheric novel will keep you guessing as each twist reveals a new possibility. It will remind you of friendships hidden in the depths of your own past, and make you wonder how well you really know the people you’ve loved the longest.

– Goodreads

What to say about The Girls Weekend? It was a solid three star. Nothing bad, but nothing grand either. It was a typical mystery/thriller.

June gets talked into going to a girls weekend with her four best friends from college. She only talks to one of them nowadays. Once there, she starts having fun, until the second night. Everyone wakes up with no memory of what happened and one of their friends is missing.

I never guess who did it. Ever. I am the literal worst. But I guessed it in this book! About 30ish percent in I was like, yeah, this one did it. I don’t know how I feel about guessing it. I’m kind of like, yay, I actually got one! But then I wonder how good it actually was if I could guess the killer. Of course there were clues to lead you astray, red herrings, all that sort of thing. But I found it pretty obvious.

June and the other cast of characters were all good. I liked who I was supposed to and disliked who I was supposed to. My favorite was Kimi, though. She seemed super fun! I want to hang out with her.

What brought it to a three star for me was the ending. I felt like it could have ended a chapter or two earlier. It was basically just what happened in the aftermath, but it wasn’t anything interesting! I was pretty disappointed.

If you’re a thriller fan, you’ll probably like this one. I will definitely recommend it to my thriller reading friends!

What do you think about The Girls Weekend? Is it going on your tbr?

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Sci-Fi, two star book, ya

Second Star ARC Review!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Title: Second Star
Author: JM Sullivan
Publisher: Bleeding Ink Publishing
Publish Date: March 5, 2019
Book Form: E-ARC
Pages: 352
Genre: Sci-Fi, Retelling
Dates Read: Jan 12 – Feb 9
Rating: ★★.75

Thank you to Netgalley and Bleeding Ink Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Wendy Darling worked her entire life to rise through the ranks of the prestigious Londonierre Brigade. Now as a Captain, she has everything she’s always wanted, including a ship and crew of her own. But when the Brigade receives a strange transmission from the legendary James Hooke, lost a hundred years earlier in uncharted space and presumed dead, Wendy is willing to risk it all to rescue her hero. She races to the planet known only as Neverland; her mission to find the long-lost crew and bring them home.

But there is more to Neverland than meets the eye, and more to Hooke than what was written in history books. When Wendy crash lands on the ominous planet, she quickly discovers Neverland’s dark secret; a malevolent being known as The Shadow that’s looking for a host body to escape its eternal prison. To fulfill her mission, Wendy must decide whether to trust the dashing Hooke or the mysterious Fleet mechanic who goes by the name of Pan–and she has to decide quickly…

Before the darkness consumes them all.

– Goodreads

I wanted to love Second Star. I really did. It came highly recommended from my friend Sarah. We have pretty much the same taste in books so I figured I would love it, too. I finally decided on a 2.75 star rating. I kept going back and forth between a 2.5-3 star rating. I’ll tell you why.

I spent a lot of the book confused. There were SO MANY characters. I couldn’t keep up with who was with what crew, what they did, let alone their names. And it was all important! But I guess I just didn’t care enough to go back and look?

I actually liked Wendy. I found her pov to be pretty interesting. She was strong and commanding and I loved that strong female presence! On the other hand, I hated Peter’s pov. I just couldn’t connect with him. I felt his parts just drug on forever.

The villain wasn’t a strong presence to me either. I felt it was just kind of thrown in. It was meant to be a big climax at the ending of the book, but I just didn’t feel the fear or worry for the characters I was supposed to.

There was some good in the book! I liked the little romance we got between Wendy and Peter. I thought it was sweet and it was a nice slow burn. The ending was also pretty interesting. It’s what really saved the book for me.

Now let’s talk about those read dates. I picked up and put down this book from Jan 12 till Feb 9. It took me forever. I just couldn’t get into it. I think it’s part of why I slumped so hard last month. It was an arc, so I didn’t want to dnf. But now I’m done, proud of myself for finishing and I’m moving on to the next!

Like I said, I gave it a 2.75 star review. The ending saved it from being a 2.5 star, but I didn’t like it enough to be a 3 star. I give a lot of books 3 stars, and it wasn’t on the same calibur as those books.

Have you read Second Star? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, Romance

Down the TBR Part 11!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Last week we made it through 100 books! I’m so excited to start the next 100 and dwindle down my TBR as much as possible. Lord knows I have a ton of current books to add!

First thoughts. Uhm. There are 7 Christmas books. What the hell?! Like, why? And the other three are Nora Roberts. So there’s not going to be a lot of diversity, unfortunately. This may be my second week in a row of deleting all 10! We’re staring at 1942. Let’s see where we end.

A Creed County Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christmas love story set in 1910 in the Montana wilderness. This is a book for my mom.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

The Christmas Brides by Linda Lael Miller

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This has A Creed County Christmas plus another story. 2-in-1.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Adult romance. Not sparking my interest.
  • Keep or delete: Delete.

Christmas in Apple Ridge by Cindy Woodsmall

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Three Amish Christmas novellas.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Lakeshore Chrsitmas by Susan Wiggs

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: A ‘prim’ librarian and troubled child star fall in love while putting on a Christmas Pageant.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Love Finds You on Christmas Morning by Debby Mayne and Trish Perry

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two stories about two ladies who get proposed to in the same house on Christmas 85 years apart.
  • Keep or delete: Delete.

The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: An Angel finds a poor candlemaker and he needs to decide who in town needs a Christmas Miracle.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two couples pushed together during a snow storm to find the true meaning of Christmas.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Northern Lights by Nora Roberts

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Cop starts a new life in Alaska only to find there’s a murderer on the loose!
  • Keep or delete: Keep!

The MacKade Brothers: Rafe and Jared by Nora Roberts

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two love stories about two brothers. A bad boy and a lawyer.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

We are ending at 1933! I kept the one book about a murderer. I do love me some murder.

I’m again confused by all the Christmas books. I mean, I have kept one or two for this holiday season’s tbr, but none of these struck my fancy.

I’ll see yall again next week as we get through another 10!

Have you read any of these? Did I make the wrong decision? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Five Star Book, review, ya

Top 5 Saturday

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

It’s finally the weekend! This week wasn’t as long as last week was, but man was it rough.

I found Top 5 Saturday over at Devouring Books. This is a meme where you rate your top 5 anything! Series to read, standalones to read, most looked forward to releases.

So today I will give you my top 5 releases I’m looking forward to in February!

  1. Ink In the Blood by Kim Smejkal

I was so sad I didn’t get this arc. Not even gonna lie. When I read the synopsis I knew I had to have it. It comes out Feb 11!

“A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.” – Goodreads

2. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Read my review here!

When Tricia hinted at this novel and called it a Slytherin love story last year, I knew it was for me. This releases Feb 25!

“Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.” – Goodreads

3. The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz

I received a beautiful physical ARC of this book and I am SO EXCITED! I love books about assassins (for inspo for my dnd character) so I can’t wait to dive in! The Queen’s Assassin came out Feb 4!

“Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.” – Goodreads

4. Belle Recolte by Linsey Miller

I have been so hyped for this book! I am a sucker for nurses/doctors as MCs, especially if they are female! You can read this now! Belle Revolte dropped on Feb 4!

“Emilie des Marais is more at home holding scalpels than embroidery needles and is desperate to escape her noble roots to serve her country as a physician. But society dictates a noble lady cannot perform such gruesome wor.” – Goodreads

5. All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

First, this cover! It’s what drew me in and made me want it right then and there! Plus there are mermaids and magic. YES. PLEASE. All the Stars and Teeth became available to read on Feb 4!

“Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, Adalyn Grace’s All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.” – Goodreads

There are my top 5 February Releases! Three are already out so you can pick them up right now!

Have you read any of these? Are you looking forward to them? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

adult, ARC, mystery, thriller

First Impression Friday!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Another week and another first impression. This week I am tacking a thriller arc:

“June Moody, a thirty-something English professor, just wants to get away from her recent breakup and reunite with girlfriends over summer break. Her old friend and longtime nemesis, Sadie MacTavish, a mega-successful author, invites June and her college friends to a baby shower at her sprawling estate in the San Juan Islands. June is less than thrilled to spend time with Sadie–and her husband, June’s former crush–but agrees to go.

The party gets off to a shaky start when old grudges resurface, but when they wake the next morning, they find something worse: Sadie is missing, the house is in shambles, and bloodstains mar the staircase. None of them has any memory of the night before; they wonder if they were drugged. Everyone’s a suspect. Since June had a secret rendezvous with Sadie’s husband, she has plenty of reason to suspect herself. Apparently, so do the cops.

A Celtic knot of suspense and surprise, this brooding, atmospheric novel will keep you guessing as each twist reveals a new possibility. It will remind you of friendships hidden in the depths of your own past, and make you wonder how well you really know the people you’ve loved the longest.”

So I read the first chapter of this book. Again, it had a great first line. I’m hitting the jackpot with these lately!

“Like most clusterfucks these days, it starts with a group text.”

I mean, I laughed out loud. It was great. You then see June talking to her best friend about this girl’s weekend with her old college friends. You can tell she doesn’t want to go, but won’t really get into why. I am already intrigued about what happened and why she has distanced herself from three of her four closest friends. There’s not really much in the first chapter except the text and phone call.

I feel like this will be maybe a three star book? I think it will be good, but as you can see, the first chapter is really just a phone call and didn’t give me a lot to go on. I think the ending will probably surprise me, I won’t figure out the bad guy. But I hope I like it!

Have you read this yet? What are your thoughts?

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Five Star Book, review, Romance, ya

The Shadows Between Us ARC Review!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel and Friends for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

– Goodreads

Tricia hinted at this novel back in 2019 when Words & Whimsy had the pleasure of chatting with her. I knew then and there I needed it. I was so excited to get this ARC. I was even more excited when I read the first line:

“They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart.
And they never will.”

Omg, guys. That first line, for me, ranks up there with the first line for Nevernight. I was instantly pulled in and wanted to put everything on hold to read this book, Work, sleep, cleaning. I didn’t want any of it. I just had to know about Alessandra’s journey. I read every moment I could. In the elevator, walking to my office, while on hold making appointments. I could not put this novel down.

Alessandra’s goal in simple. Make the king fall in love with her, like so many men have done. Marry the king. Kill the king and take the country as her own. Simple, right? It was, at first. Until these nasty things called feelings got involved.

I loved seeing how Alessandra and Kallias’ story and relationship progressed. I love an enemies to lovers story and this delivered! There were even sexy bits! There was also a tiny bit of a love triange.

Alessandra is not a character you root for. Quite honestly, she’s pretty evil. But you are shown enough vulnerability and kindness to make you fall for her. She even comments on her kindness and how it is out of character. She really reminds me of my dnd character which is part of the reason I think I love her so much. She firmly believes she is the best, smartest person in the room and no one can make her think differently. She’ll also kill you without a second thought.

“I try for a humble tone, but since I’ve no idea what that sounds like, I’m not so sure I manage it.”

Kallias is not so nice, himself. He sees women paraded in front of him day in and day out so he can choose one he likes to marry and have an heir. The only girl he is interested in is the one who will pay him no mind. Make fun of him, even! Who does that to a king?

Their relationship progressed in the best way. First Kallias sees her only as a friend, a confidant. But slowly he sees how cunning and ruthless Alessandra is. He then realizes she is meant to be his queen and he will do anything to have her.

There were small issues throughout the book that Kallias and Alessandra solved together. The ending was so surprising to me! I didn’t see the twist coming and I loved it!

I am so glad I was fortunate enough to be able to read an ARC of this book. I loved it so much. If you want in on the fun you can preorder here:

| Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million |

Also checkout the preorder incentive here if you ordered a hardback copy!

Are you planning on picking up The Shadows Between Us? If you do I want to know your thoughts!

Until next time…