Bellamy and The Brute (Bellamy and the Brute, #1) by Alicia Michaels (Goodreads Author) - Review

Four stars for Alicia Michaels who gave an an excellent retelling of Beauty and the Beast!

Bellamy and the Brute is a superb new take on a classic tale we all know and love! A modern day romance with a murderous and paranormal twist!

Bellamy and the Brute tells the story of Bellamy McGuire and her life changing summer. Bellamy decided to take a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family. However, Bellamy had no idea that when she took this job she would end up dealing with a cold and calloused Tate Baldwin as well as two visitors who aren't exactly among the living. Fasten your seat belts because this "tale as old as time" has a few skeletons in the closet.

On that note, let me just start with the wonderful plot that Alicia Michaels presents us with. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical about this story at first. There have been several modern day retellings of Beauty and the Beast. I was wondering if there were any fresh ideas left. Well, Alicia Michaels blew me away with two amazing twists in the story. She starts us off in the beginning of the story with a mystery that hooks you. She reels you in with the question that everyone asks in the beginning: "What will Tate "The Beast" Baldwin look like? That question was on my mind the moment I opened the book. However, it not before she completely surprises you with some paranormal activity that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Then, once she has you completely addicted, she calms things down with a romance that any young woman wishes she had. The romance between Bellamy and Tate was nothing short of BEAUTIFUL!

Speaking of beautiful, lets talk about these characters. Bellamy was a wonderful heroine, however she wasn't quite the "beauty" I was expecting. It's not a bad thing though! Trust me! She has a few self-confidence issues, but she is strong, smart, and beautiful. Tate is exactly the kind of beast that you would look for in a modern retelling of BATB. From the moment you meet Tate, he is cold, bitter, and shut off completely from the rest of the world. Tate is the guy that you would love to hate but just can't do it. He has his moments, and you really want to slap him. I swear the boy blows hot a cold. He gives you a bit of whiplash. Once you get to see his heart though, you love everything about him. Lincoln, our not-so-charming "Gaston" makes most creeps out there seem angelic. It's easy to hate Lincoln because of his "I'm all that" attitude and hot-headed temper. Tate's little brother and sister, Max and Emma, are just the cutest things! Max tries too hard to be an adult for his age, and Emma is the typical adorable little girl who wishes to be a princess. You can't help but love them both.

If there were any flaws to the story, I would say that, first, it didn't quite have the grand and spectacular ending that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, it was a great way to end the book, but it was slow getting to it and a bit spread out, so it left you wanting. Second, I was not so much a fan of the violence between Tate and Lincoln. I understood why it had to be that way in the end of the book, but their first encounter seemed rather unnecessary to me.

Overall, I give Bellamy and the Brute four stars! I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a rare gem to read!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2037537762

Recreated (Reawakened, #2) by Colleen Houck (Goodreads Author)- Book Review

Okay, so I have to save this book from all the negativity! Because it's an amazing book!

***There are a few tiny spoilers***

In the first book, Reawakened, Lily meets Amon and goes on a quest with him to help him find his brothers so they can perform a ceremony to keep the god of chaos, Seth, at bay for another 1000 years.

In Recreated, Lily now sets out on a quest to save Amon after having dreams about him suffering, realizing that he is still alive.

First thing I will say: This book is heavier! I won't lie! The first book was fun and exciting and adventurous! This book is exciting and adventurous, but the Netherworld is not supposed to be fun and games. However, how many guys do you know of that would go through hell, literally, just to be with the one they loved? Amon was willing to suffer in agony in the Netherworld until Lily lived out her life just so he could be there when she passed! If that isn't love, I don't know what is! He gave up his duty and risked the world, literally, just to be with Lily!

I like the character development in this story! You get a bit more insight into Amon's brothers, Asten and Ahmose, though of the two, it mostly focuses on Asten. I hate that I love Asten, because cockiness aside, he is a wonderful man! He is serious when he needs to be, and he has a heart so full of love, and he just wants someone to love him back. You get to see that he hides behind his cocky behavior because he is lonely. I just hated that he had to start falling for Lily. I mean, we all knew that this was coming lol :) There couldn't be three brothers and no competition!

The writing in this was wonderful! Colleen did a wonderful (and scarily) good job of describing the Netherworld. When you can picture the Netherworld that well, it makes you cringe and panic lol! That is how you know the author is doing a good job!

I love how Colleen added in those humorous moments! I don't want to say too much, but if you read Colleen's sneak peak on her website before it came out, then you will know what I am talking about! Let's just say Lily became quite the seductress and wasn't even aware of it! When you have the gods swooning at your feet, you know something is up lol!

And that ending...... Colleen, you're killing me! That cliffhanger was EPIC!!!! I physically ached after reading that, and I have been waiting so impatiently for the next book to come out!

Overall, I give this book 5 stars! I didn't love it as much as Reawakened, but I loved the adventure, the romance, and the angst! A must-read!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2038542699

Caraval (Caraval, #1) by Stephanie Garber (Goodreads Author)- Book Review

Have you ever read a book that was so incredible it seemed like every book after that would pale in comparison? After reading Caraval, I fear the other books I read for a while will disappoint!

Caraval was AMAZING! Pure magic! Absolutely stunning! These words just don't seem like adequate descriptions! When I say that I couldn't put this book down, I mean I literally couldn't put this book down! I am going to have one serious book hangover after this!

Stephanie Garber takes you on a magical adventure with Caraval that makes a part of you wish you didn't have to leave. I had tears in my eyes when I finished the book because I didn't want it to be over! I stepped into a world far more wondrous than I could ever come up with in my own imagination! Garber's writing and attention to detail was exquisite! The words just jumped off the page, and you could picture everything. From the beautiful gowns and top hats to all the magical shops and places to see, Caraval entices you and leaves you wanting more.

Garber's characters far exceeded my expectations! Scarlett was a wonder to behold! I loved how she started out fearful, afraid to live life (though I admit there were times I wanted to strangle her and tell her to live a little), and became this brave, confident woman who was ready to take on the world!

Tella was the biggest surprise, though, I admit! Tella was this vivacious, spunky gal, who was ready to grab life by the horns no matter the danger! It amazed me that Scarlett and Tella were sisters, because Scarlett was to cautious while Tella had a tendency to throw caution to the wind. Though you don't see a whole lot of Tella in this story, she makes a BIG impact!

Julian... (Sighs Romantically).... he is one amazing guy! Gorgeous, courageous, romantic.... Trust me, you would love to hate him! On more than one occasion, I wanted to smack him silly! I swear you can see the smug smile he gives so freely and it annoys the hell out of you! But you do learn to love it, and him! He was always there to help and protect and so much more! <3 <3 <3

That plot twist at the end was something I didn't see coming, although I should have! That was something I never expected, but it was incredible! It's like the Hunger Games meets the Victorian Era :)

Overall, I give this book 5 stars! Caraval was everything I hoped it would be and more! <3

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2037589238

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell (Goodreads Author) - Book Review

I'm totally hooked on Unhooked! No pun intended!

I can understand why it is described as the "Neverland of your nightmares." This dark and thrilling adventure left me on the edge of my seat the whole time! Lisa Maxwell did a fantastic job with this book! It was gripping, exciting, and I couldn't put it down!

Let me just start with how amazing the writing was! Lisa Maxwell did such a good job with setting the mood of the story! Right from the off, you could almost literally feel the eerie gloom of London. It was forboding, which let you know right from the off that this story was far from the sweet fairytale that we all know and love!

The characters are amazing! Completely different from what you would expect! I have to say that even though I love the original Peter Pan, I am officially a fan of Hook now! Who we all know as Captain Hook, Rowan is the gorgeous, young rogue pirate that you would love to hate, but just can't! The Captain Hook we know is an old, vengeful man trying to bring down Peter Pan, and tends to make himself look like a laughingstock. However, this Hook will reel you in and never let you go (not that you would want to go anywhere anyways lol)!

Trust me when I say that you will hate Peter! Take everything you know about Peter and toss it out the window! Peter is like a siren, and we all know what trouble sirens can be! Enough said!

Tinker Bell is two-faced! There is nothing sweet about that one!

There isn't much to say about Olivia other than there wasn't much too much depth to her character, which is too bad. I would have liked to have seen more depth with Olivia, to really get to know her.

As far as the plot of the story goes, it was very well thought out, but again, it's VERY dark. There are very few moments of pleasantness and light. Much like the summary says, Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped on their first night in London by the monsters Gwen's mother had been trying to protect her from. She gets taken to Neverland, quickly finding out that the real Neverland is a place where nightmares are reality. I did have to pace myself on this because, even though I couldn't put the book down, I did have to stop for bits at a time and find a happy place. It tends to make you feel a bit down.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars. While it was a completely awesome story, I wish it wasn't quite so dark. Definitely a must read, though!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2035450575

Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga, #1) by Colleen Houck (Goodreads Author) - Book Review

So, this review is new, but let me say that I have read this book many, many times because it is one of the best books I have ever read!

For anyone interested in a epic adventure with romance that every girl wishes they had, this is the book for you.

What I LOVE about Tiger's Curse is that you start off with a seemingly common heroine with a rather common life- Kelsey. She seems shy, a bit self-conscious, and just wants to find her place in life. Little does she know that the job she receives from the temp agency would change her life forever. Colleen Houck gives you this ordinary girl and gives her and extraordinary experience!

The characters are extremely well written. You can't help but fall in love with the characters. Kelsey starts off as this ordinary, common girl and, as the book progresses, you see her become this strong, independent, vibrant young woman who isn't afraid to fight for what she wants.

Ren is by far the best book hero ever! You meet Ren and he is all calm and collected on the exterior, but inside he is burning- full of life and passion and a desire for love that can't be quenched. There is no better way to put say it-- he is that cool drink of water that gives life when you are drying up in the desert. He is smart, well spoken, patient, kind, and so much more.

Kishan is the "too cool for school" bad boy that everyone seems to love. Kishan is much like Ren in the sense that he too has both calm and passionate sides to him, however, Kishan displays his passion and desire, but keeps his deeper, vulnerable side buried deep.

Ren and Kishan are two brothers that make for some of the best characters because of their depth. Personally, I favor Ren because his ability to love is endless. He puts the ones he loves above his own wants and needs. Kishan, though not a bad guy at all, seems a bit more selfish while Ren is selfless. Overall though, they both have hearts of gold.

Colleen Houck takes you on a magical adventure that you, in your wildest dreams, couldn't even imagine. The writing and imagery is so amazing that you feel like you are really going to all of these amazing places. She uses Indian mythology to create a fascinating story and you learn so much along the way.

I give this book 5 stars because I have yet to read another book that comes this close to perfection.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/525406478

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands, #1) by Alwyn Hamilton (Goodreads Author) - Book Review

What an incredible story! A must read!

When I first saw the cover of the book, I was thinking of Aladdin and the whirlwind romance between Aladdin and Jasmine. However, this story gives Aladdin and Jasmine a run for their money.

The story is set in, what I like to call, the "Wild West of Arabia." It's about a girl named Amani who has big dreams of travel and adventure but is stuck in this rather small, dead-end town that offers her no future. Then she meets Jin and her whole world changes. Even though she is on the run with Jin, she finds that she has more freedom being a fugitive than she ever had when she wasn't a wanted criminal.

Who would have thought the desert would be such a fascinating place? Alwyn Hamilton's use of imagery offers us a world of wonder, making even the dry desert an oasis for the book lover's soul.

What's great about this story is that it's romantic, but the romance isn't overpowering. Though I am a huge fan of romantic stories, I like equal amounts of adventure and romance. Hamilton gives us equal amounts of both without leaving us wanting.

The only thing that I didn't care for (and this is just a subjective analysis) is that it seemed to start off slow. It did eventually take off and I couldn't put the book down, but it took getting past the first little section to really get into it.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars because it's a brilliant story that should not be missed!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1546680037

The Forbidden Wish (The Forbidden Wish, #1) by Jessica Khoury (Goodreads Author) - Book Review

So, I gotta say, this book was completely different than what I expected! In a good way!!

Let's just start off with the one con that I have with this book: the first half of the book failed to hold my attention. I liked the first chapter when Aladdin and Zahra meet, but after that, it just seemed really slow to me. I pushed through it though because I knew based on the summary it would get intense toward the end.

And it certainly did!!! The halfway point in the book marked a complete shift into dramatic scenarios, romantic interludes, and crazy adventure!

Aladdin was everything I expected him to be: a witty, conniving, bad boy wannabe with a pure heart. I loved his character because he is the reformed thief- all about solitude, the next big score, women, and drinking... and that's when Zahra comes in. What I love about this type of character is this: the ones that desire solitude are the ones that have the most love and passion to give.

Zahra was quite a spitfire! This I wasn't expecting from her. When I read the summary, I expected her to be a bit more tame and unassuming. She is just like Aladdin though, which is what makes them perfect for each other. Both are stubborn, feisty, and very goal oriented.

The romance between Aladdin and Zahra was hauntingly beautiful. During the first half of the book, these two were like two separate elements- fire and gunpowder. Separately, they do nothing, but when they finally meet, it creates an explosion! That was what their romance was like! Very warm and all consuming!

The writing style was quite capturing. I loved how Jessica Khoury constantly allowed us to see the story from Zahra's view and hear her thoughts to Habiba (Roshana). It made it so much more personal and easy to relate to her.

Overall, I give this story 4 stars. The first half of the book could have been a bit more engaging, but the second half made up for it! I definitely recommend reading this!