Category: fantasy

adult, ARC, Erotica, fantasy, Historical Fiction, mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, ya

February 2020 Wrap Up

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

I felt a little better about this month! I read more than last month, which was nice. I think overall I enjoyed my books more, too. Let’s jump right in to what I read this month!

Ebooks Read

  1. Harmony by Addison Jane ★★★★
  2. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller ★★★★★
  3. Second Star by JM Sullivan ★★★
  4. The Girl’s Weekend by Jody Gehrman ★★★
  5. We Are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo ★★★
  6. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson ★★★★★
  7. Chasing Starlight by Teri Bailey Black ★★★
  8. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen ★★★

Audiobooks Read

  1. Human Errors by Nathan H Lents ★★★
  2. The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish ★★★★
  3. Buried Deep by Margot Hunt ★★★★
  4. My Lost Family by Danny Ben-Moshe ★★★

I had two favorite books this month – The Shadows Between Us and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder! They were my only 5 star reads and so totally different. The Shadows Between Us is a fantasy about two bad people falling in love and being bad together. It was great. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’s inspiration came from true crime podcasts and it totally had that feel!

My least favorite book was probably Second Star or Lock and Key. Second Star was a sci-fi Peter Pan retelling and I just didn’t really connect with anyone. Lock and Key was like a day-to-day in the life of a teenager and it just wasn’t very enticing to me.

Stats

  • Goodreads Goal: 21/165. I’m 5 books behind schedule now, which is one more than last month. However, I read more so I think if I can keep up the pace I can get back on track!
  • I read 3204 pages, almost double last month! I also listened to 12 hours, 45 minutes, which is only two hours less than last month. My average rating was 3.5.
  • I read 1 erotica, 2 fantasy, 1 historical fiction, 3 mystery, 3 nonfic, 1 romance and 1 sci-fi.
  • I read 6 YA, 4 adult, and 1 new adult! I read 6 ARCs this month which was way better than last month.

Yearly Goals Check In

I didn’t think about doing this last month, so we will start here!

  • Monthly goal of 15 books a month – I read 12, 3 more than last month. I’m slowly getting there!
  • TBR Goal – I’ve kept up my TBR posts and even did a bonus post! I want to read 20 books off my tbr. I think I am at 3. I probably need to pick up the pace on that. I also want to get my TBR below 1800. I’m at 1904 so we’re getting there!
  • Words & Whimsy – I’ve done one author chat so far this year and I’m already scheduled for a couple more! It was so fun and I remembered why I loved it so much!
  • Book Battle – I used a lot of arcs that have been released as recs this month so that was great! I think I only missed two days of my discussion this month so that’s better!
  • My Blog – I wanted to do more blog tours and I think I have 3 coming in March! I wanted to up my follower count to over 150. I’m already at 151 in two months! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! As of right now, I’m not going to up this. I”m just going to see where this year takes me. I also wanted to post at least every other day. Earlier this month I missed a few days, but I’ve been going good these last couple of weeks!
  • I wanted to keep up with my Owlcrate reading planner. That lasted all of a week. However, I have kept up with 3 book log spreadsheets, so I say that’s still a win! I also thought about getting back into bookstagram, but that’s on the back burner for now. I’m doing good just to keep up with what I got!

How many books did you read this month? What was your favorite and least favorite? How are you on your goodreads goal? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, three star book, ya

We Are Blood and Thunder ARC Review!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

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

In a sealed-off city, it begins with a hunt. A young woman, Lena, running for her life, convicted of being a mage and sentenced to death. Her only way to survive is to trust those she has been brought up to fear – those with magic.

On the other side of the locked gates is a masked lady, Constance, determined to find a way back in. She knows only too well how the people of Duke’s Forest loathe magic. Years ago she escaped before her powers were discovered. But now she won’t hide who she is any longer.

A powerful and terrifying storm cloud unites them. It descends over the dukedom and devastates much in its wake. But this is more than a thunderstorm. This is a spell, and the truth behind why it has been cast is more sinister than anyone can imagine … Only Lena and Constance hold the key to destroying the spell. Though neither of them realize it, they need each other. They are the blood and they have the thunder within.

– Goodreads

So many mixed feelings on We Are Blood and Thunder. Parts I loved, and parts I felt I would never get through. It did take me 9 days to read.

This was told in Dual POV – Lena and Constance. I liked Constance more. I could never tell if she was good or bad. I was questioning her thoughts and actions throughout the whole book, which I love.
Lena was more one-dimensional to me. She was just always very flat. She never showed a ton of emotion, and when she did (or tried) I didn’t believe it.
There was also a boy – Emris. He loved Constance once, and now loves Lena. It was a weird love triangle.

In the first 50% I loved Constance’s pov. I just wanted to keep reading her. At a little over the halfway mark Lena’s story picked up and gained some action. The last 20% or so was just hard for me to get through. I’m not sure exactly what it was. Everything was resolved. It just couldn’t keep my attention.

I also see on Goodreads this is book #1 in a series. I’m not sure what book #2 would entail – the story was very nicely wrapped up like a standalone. Maybe it will be in the same universe with different characters? I kind of hope so because I don’t know where else this trio could go.

I gave this 3 stars because I honestly liked a lot of the book. There were nice action scenes, magic, fighting. There wasn’t much of a love story, even with the triangle. But the last 20% or so really kept me from giving this over 3 stars. I was just ready for it to be over.

Have you read We Are Blood and Thunder? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

adult, contemporary, fantasy, Humor, Romance, ya

Down the TBR Part 13!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

I’m so ready to trim the TBR again this week! The last two weeks I have added books to the tbr, so it really needs to get cleaned out. This meme is hosted by Zezee with Books. Here’s how it works:

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?

Here are this week’s books. At first glance, there’s a lot of Christmas. I feel like I will get rid of a good many. I’m starting the week at 1934.

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: YA fantasy, which is fun. I read some not great reviews. I love the cover, but I don’t think this one is for me.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another series in the Shannara Universe. I’ll keep for now, since I kept the others. If I don’t like them, I’ll come back and delete.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Series of paranormal romance short stories.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christian chick lit. I’ll pass
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 7 in the series. I think if I don’t like the first I probably won’t like the 7th.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

Sisterchicks on the Loose by Robin Jones Gunn

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another Christian Chick lit. Just not my cup of tea.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

The Christmas Blessing by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Ok, surprise. I’m keeping this one for this year’s Christmas! The MC is a doctor. I can’t not keep it.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

The Christmas Promise by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christmas story about promises to each other. This one isn’t as enticing as the one above.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This is about a woman who saves an elderly lady’s life, a man who is supposed to find her to reward her, and how they fall in love. Eh.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

The Christmas Note by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another elderly lady dies, and they find a note that reveals some family secrets.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

We are currently at 1927. I’m feeling frisky. Let’s do 10 more!

The Christmas Hope by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Ugh. About a social worker taking in a kid for Christmas. My heart. I gotta keep.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I didn’t keep the other Yada books, do I don’t think I’ll keep this one either.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble by Ann B Ross

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I deleted the other Miss Julia books. This is #14. I think I’ll delete this one too.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I deleted the other Sisterchick book above, so I’ll delete this one too. If I can’t read #1 I won’t be able to read #8 lol.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Sisterchicks Do the Hula by Robin Jones Gunn

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Same as above.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Angels at the Table by Debbie Macomber

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christmas book about angels bringing two people together to love.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Black Hills by Nora Roberts

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This sounds like it might be good, but I don’t know if it’s enough to keep. Especially since I haven’t read her other works.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Stars Collide by Janice Thompson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: About two actors who play a couple on screen but are actually a couple in real life.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

A Promising Man by Elizabeth Young

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Sounds like it could be a cute romance. I’ll bite.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

It All Began in Monte Carlo by Elizabeth Adler

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I saw it was suspense, and thought ok. I can do this. But honestly, there’s A LOT going on in the synopsis and I’m just not up for that.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

We are ending at 1919! Only 20 books and we are under 1900! Progress, people! So, my biggest surprise was A Promising Man. I didn’t think I’d keep any of the second set of 10.

Only 123 books to go and we are done with everything I added on June 27! I don’t know why I added so many that day. Like, I wish I could go back to me then and ask myself what I was doing. Cause it’s causing me some headaches now.

I may do a bonus post later on this week. I am so ready to be under 1900 on my tbr and to have a true tbr! But I’ll also probably add any arcs I request or receive, so that will skew the numbers a bit.

Anyway, did I make any wrong choices? What do you think about these books? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, fantasy, Historical Fiction, mystery, Romance, thriller, ya

Stacking the Shelves

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

I did this post last week and loved it so I decided to do it again! Maybe this will become a weekly post. Who knows?

This meme is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. Here’s how it works:

“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 got an amazing arc box! I also got five e-galleys from Netgalley. Let’s see what I got!

Crave by Tracy Wolff

“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.“

I’ve seen this advertised as the new and improved Twilight. Honestly, I can’t wait.

Open Fire by Amber Lough

“A dramatic page-turner that captures the devastating toll of war and the impact of women’s struggles and solidarity, through the lens of a little-known slice of history.“

Honestly, the cover freaks me out. This is set in 1917 Russia. A 17 year old girl goes to war – and finds she was very disillusioned.

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett

“In this coming-of-age romance perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, scandal and romance collide when an ambitious teen returns to her hometown only to have her plans interrupted after falling for the town’s “bad boy”—a.k.a. her childhood best friend.“

Honestly, I did not expect to get approved for this. I haven’t read Jenn’s romances yet, so I’m excited to finally try. I’ve heard great things.

The Mall by Megan McCafferty

“The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is psyched to spend the summer after graduation working at the Parkway Center Mall. In six weeks, she and her boyfriend head off to college in NYC to fulfill The Plan: higher education and happily ever after.
But you know what they say about the best laid plans…”

I was a 90’s kid. I can’t wait to go back!

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

“Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris’s criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution.“

Adventures. Thieves. Set in France. Fans of Six of Crows? This book was written for me.

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

“For fans of Sadie and Serial, this gripping thriller follows two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.“

Again, fans of Serial. That’s me! I love these books. Keep them coming YA authors!

Have you heard of any of these gems? Are you on the lookout for them? What are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

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..

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…

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…