Hook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters #2) by Tessa Bailey ~ Review

Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair & honest review.

In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man...

King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he's a guaranteed good time--in bed and out--and that's exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She's immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his... personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox's spare bedroom. She knows he's a notorious ladies' man, but they're definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport's resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker's eye... yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can't deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she's walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and... and... man overboard! He's fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he's all in, she'll choose him instead? 

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

After reading It Happened One Summer, I was pretty much salivating for this book. So I ran over to NG, put in my request and anxiously waited approval. (Lucky for me, I read The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood during this time, so the wait wasn't too agonizing.) Then I finally got approved, sent it to my Kindle, and proceeded to binge read the heck out of this beauty. And it was really good!

In and of itself, Hook, Line, and Sinker is a swoon-worthy romance. Fox and Hannah are a perfectly matched couple. They understand each other on a special level. They start as friends and grow so close they can't help but take notice of their chemistry. It was built up so well, and I truly enjoyed it.

That said, this book also has the pressure of following up It Happened One Summer, which I was obsessed with. I'm still in love with it. So I can't help but compare the two, and I personally preferred book 1.

But with THAT said, I still had an amazing time reading this one. Like I said, the romance was lovely. And now please allow me to declare my undying affection for Hannah and Fox. Both of which have their own hang-ups, but watching them grow and work through them was a delight.

And it must be said that Fox is so head over heels for Hannah the entire way through this story and I LOVED it. Did he mess up? Of course. But his remorse was instant every time, and he always put in the effort to make it right and learn to be better. I respect that a whole heck of a lot, and it was so refreshing.

Overall, Hook, Line, and Sinker was a lovely, fun friends-to-lovers romance that I can already tell I'm going to love more and more with each re-read. Because I WILL be re-reading it. And even though I personally preferred It Happened One Summer, I am positive there are going to be readers who prefer this one because it IS a great novel. I definitely recommend picking it up no matter what, because Fox and Hannah are more than worth a shot!

4 stars - A beautiful friends-to-lovers romance that had me laughing from the very first chapter.

A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh & Fire #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ Review

Source: e-ARC provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.

However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.

Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

To be entirely honest, I am head over heels for the Blood and Ash series. So when I got to the end of The Crown of Gilded Bones and realized that the next book in that world would not be B&A book 4, but instead a prequel/companion that would explain backstory and introduce new characters and a storyline that would intertwine with the B&A series...it was exciting but also stressful because it meant a longer wait for The War of Two Queens. That said, I did end up very much interested in A Shadow in the Ember and now I'm pulled into two JLA fantasy series...which I can't even be mad about because they're so good.

Jennifer L. Armentrout is so skilled at creating characters. Just like in the Blood & Ash series, I got so invested in every character of ASITE very quickly. The main character, Sera, was a spunky badass from the get go, and I only loved her more as the story progressed. The love interest, Ash...or whatever we will end up calling him, was intriguing the entire way through. And there are of course many side characters that leave their mark and I can't wait to see again. 

As for the plot, I would say it definitely does a great job in its own right to gain interest and carry the story forward. I understand that this is a prequel and connected to another series, but it truly does stand very well on its own. It definitely held my interest.

The romance...gave me many feelings. There's a fair amount of steam. But there's also a lot of building of chemistry and rapport between Sera and Ash. They're such a fun couple, and while there is a lot going against them, I am looking forward to seeing things hopefully work out for them sooner rather than later. I loved them together. And their difficulties really tore at me as I read. So basically, I'm just super invested in this couple.

This is definitely the type of story that is immersive--from world building to characters to the twists and turns and everything...and I truly enjoyed it.

That said, there were two things that held this back from being a 5-star read for me:

1. Though this does stand alone very well and you don't need to read the Blood & Ash series to read this, I HAVE read the Blood & Ash books and at this point I liked those better. I liked ASITE a lot, probably to the point where I could say I loved it, but I am pretty much obsessed with Poppy, Cas, and Kieran, so I have to take that into consideration when I rate this. I can't rate this the same 5 stars I did A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire and The Crown of Gilded Bones. 

2. I did enjoy the entirety of A Shadow in the Ember...but I really started to love it toward the end. And then it ended. And I get it, building the world and starting a new series and having it all at a crescendo toward the end, but that left most of the book in the "liked" territory and not enough in the "loved" territory. That said, this is a common problem for me with fantasy series and I have a very strong feeling that I am going to fall hard in love with this series as it continues. That is what happened with the Blood & Ash series, after all--I rated book 1 4.5 stars, then the other two after that were 5 stars. So take this one with a grain of salt.

All this is to say that I had a great time reading A Shadow in the Ember. It's an intriguing introduction to a series set in an immersive world that Jennifer L. Armentrout skillfully built full of captivating characters. The fact that it's a prequel to another awesome series is just a cherry on top. And now I can't wait for the next book in THIS series. So that's two JLA fantasy series that have me in their grips...and honestly, I'm fine with that. The more books to love, the better :)

4 stars - An intriguing series starter full of captivating characters...I cannot wait for the next one!

Focused (Ward Sisters #1) by Karla Sorensen ~ Review

Focused (Ward Sisters #1) by Karla Sorensen

Source: KindleUnlimited.

If you've ever seen your teenage crush ten years later, and he turns out to be a complete jerk, then you know how Molly Ward feels.

The last time she saw Noah Griffin was the regrettable day that she decided to climb into his bedroom window and turn her unrequited crush into something more.

That day was bad enough, but things are about to get worse.

Noah has become one of the best football players in the country, and he’s just landed on Molly’s front step.

As a new addition to the Washington Wolves roster, Noah's presence is the key to Molly’s promotion in the front office.

The problem is, Noah wants nothing to do with Molly, and his surly attitude is making her job very difficult.

But he's got another thing coming if he thinks Molly will be intimidated by one grumpy football player, no matter how much he hates being around her.

Once these two go head to head, their mutual dislike explodes into undeniable chemistry. But with what they have at stake, they just might detonate everything else along with it.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

Lately I've been trying to fill my reading time with anything that will hold my attention as I wait for the new Mariana Zapata book. Therefore, I was naturally looking for something that would scratch that kind of itch when I picked what to read. And I remembered a friend saying that Focused gave her The Wall of Winnipeg and Me vibes, so I gave it a chance. And you know, I'm glad I did. Because I really enjoyed this book.

In regards to the Winnipeg vibes, I could totally see it. The main male character, Noah, is a super focused defensive football player. So focused that he lives, breathes, and sleeps football. 100% football all the time. Watching film, working out, at practice, focused. And because of this it takes him a little longer to realize the chemistry and feelings brewing between himself and the main female character, Molly.

As a whole, there was a whole lot I liked about Focused. I enjoyed Molly and Noah, and since the book is dual POV this is always nice. I also liked the side characters--Molly's family, Noah's grandmother, the people from the show that hung around all the time. I also liked that there wasn't really a time in the book where I felt like things were too slow. It didn't drag even a little. 

And of course, the biggest thing I loved about Focused was the romance. It was a more medium burn--not instant but not drawn out enough to really be considered a slow burn for me either. But it was sweet to see them grow comfortable with each other after their initial unpleasantness. And I ADORED how much Noah cared for Molly. It took him a little bit to get there, but once he was there? It was the best. Thinking about it now makes me so happy, it was that good. 

My only criticism for Focused would be that we didn't get to know much about Noah and Molly's past. This is a second chance (already a hard sell for me), but we don't know all the much about their first chance other than it was a mistake. We know they were neighbors, and we know ~the incident~ but I'd have liked to know more. I think it could have given them more depth. 

Overall, Focused was a sports romance well worth the read. A delightful medium burn with a dash of enemies to lovers and a grumpy hero that was easy to grow to love. I'd only planned to read this book and then move onto something else, but I've already started book 2 in the Ward Sisters series because I couldn't help myself!

4 stars - A delightful sports romance with a loveable grumpy hero!

Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4) by Kristen Ashley

In Isabella Austin Evangelista’s life miracles never happen… she knows she’s destined to be the princess who’s stuck in the middle of a fairytale where there will be no happily ever after.

Once upon a time, Prentice Cameron loved Isabella Austin until he discovered she was a spoiled, rich girl who spent her summers toying with his heart.

Life led Prentice to his own fairytale, the love of the full-of-life Fiona Sawyer. That being so, that fairytale was torn away when Fiona died of a brain tumor leaving Prentice with a house to keep clean, piles of laundry to be done, a business to run and two children who were getting tired of takeaway.

But Isabella comes back to Prentice’s tiny fishing town and she sweeps into his children’s lives like a beautiful, well-dressed fairy godmother who bakes exquisite chocolate cakes and gives the perfect manicure to six year old girls. Then Prentice finds out Isabella’s soul destroying secrets, secrets that explain why she left him so many years ago.

Fiona, stuck in her village and forced to haunt her family and watch Prentice and Isabella’s crazy dance, finds the impossible happening. She’s cheering for Bella and Prentice to rekindle their love. Then she finds out why she’s caught in her heartbreaking haunting and discovers she must embrace her magic and keep Bella safe or Bella’s fairytale will never come true.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

After reading Still Standing, I was still in a KA mood. So I took a look at my quickly dwindling list of KA books I haven't read yet and Fairytale Come Alive caught my eye. I've read the first two books in the Ghosts and Reincarnation series and started the third, though I did put book 3 on hold until I work my way back to it. Regardless, I did like the books I've read in the series so far. Not my favorite KA, but not my least fav either. And Fairytale Come Alive ended up being my favorite of the series so far. 

Second chance romances are not my favorite trope by a long shot (actually, it's among my least favorite tropes), but man...KA can rock a second chance like no other. This was one of those books that hit the perfect spot so that it hurt so good. In the time between when the two MCs were last together, the hero went on to love someone else, get married, and have two children--and then lost his wife when she past away. That's a lot to happen in the time in between, especially because it led to a lot of lingering feelings muddying the waters.

But I cannot stress enough how WELL DONE it was here. It was respectful to the hero's late wife while still making it very clear that the heroine is the love of his life. And the growth of their relationship? As misunderstandings were righted and they discovered their somewhat-dormant feelings for one another? Lovely.

I also adored the heroine's bond with the hero's children. They were good, sweet kids, and I'm glad they all had each other. And speaking of being glad to have them--their FRIENDS. Especially Isabella's. The best.

The only thing I didn't quite love was the epilogue. Since it's the very end of the book I obviously can't be specific here for the sake of spoilers, but I didn't like how the ghost/spirit interacted in the end. It was just a little bit too much for my personal liking. 

All that said, Fairytale Come Alive was a lovely second chance romance that hurt so good. It was also my favorite in the Ghosts and Reincarnation series so far, so I definitely recommend giving this one a shot even if you didn't love the books that came before it--the romance it so worth it!

4 stars - A second chance romance that hurt so good!

Still Standing (Wild West MC #1) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased

Still Standing (Wild West MC #1) by Kristen Ashley

When Clara Delany walks into the Aces High Motorcycle Club’s hangout, she’s hit rock bottom. She’s hiding her car from the repo man, she has less than two dollars in her bank account and the only employment she can get is delivering messages for a criminal.

All because of a man. Therefore, she’s sworn off them.

And then she meets West “Buck” Hardy, president of the Aces High MC.

Buck also meets her, and the minute he does, he makes it clear (to everyone but Clara) that they’re starting something. Since Clara doesn’t get that message, she decides to leave Buck and sort out her life in order to come back to him clean.

She’s not gone but hours before life hits Clara with another blow. Which means Buck and his boys have to ride in and save the day. After that, Buck makes no bones about where they stand.

But does he?

Welcome to the first novel in the Wild West MC series which will tell the stories of the brothers of the Aces High MC, the Resurrection MC, and the Chaos MC…and the women who love them.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Even though Kristen Ashley is one of my favorite authors, I'm a little behind on her recent releases. The last one I read was Dream Maker and while I enjoyed it, it didn't quiiiite hit the spot the way I wanted a KA book to do, so I've been shy of her releases since then (which includes the ebook releases of her fantasy series that originally released through audible). But something about Still Standing made me want to give it a shot, and now I'm glad I did because it was pretty darn good.

Still Standing was rather reminiscent of earlier KA books--it especially reminded me of Motorcycle Man in particular--which I loved. I was also glad that we got a whole new cast of characters. This was a book that was NEW but had enough KA stamps on it that it was just what I wanted it to be, and man it hit the spot.

I was a fan of these characters we're introduced to. The main characters, of course, Clara and Buck. Clara's sweet and kind and very much a KA heroine who's somewhat clueless but still sassy, though not over-the-top stubborn either. Buck is the leader of an MC, so he's rough around the edges a lot of the time--but also caring and sweet and it was easy to love him. 

I feel like we only got a taste of the rest of the characters, but I'm looking forward to seeing them again in future books. The rest of the MC, that got along so well with Clara, and Buck's kids, and Tia, and even Detective Rayne Scott. There's so much room for more, new stories.

While I mostly loved this book, there was one big snag in reading that brought it down from being a perfect 5-star for me. I'm not going to say EXACTLY what it was, due to not wanting to spoil, but I'll just say that there was a big misunderstanding carried through most of the book that I haaaated. Luckily it was only a misunderstanding, so I can look back on the whole story fondly now, but it really brought down the first reading experience to have that hanging over everything the whole time.

Overall, Still Standing was a solid addition to Kristen Ashley's extensive catalogue. I enjoyed the characters, and loved the romance. Buck's a great hero (oh, the sweet things he did for Clara!), and Clara's a strong heroine (the way she got on with the kids!). If you're unsure about giving this one a try, I definitely say take the plunge. It'll be worth it.

4 stars - Glad I gave this one a shot!

Marrying My Billionaire Boss by Nadia Lee ~ Review

Source: Downloaded through KindleUnlimited.

Marrying My Billionaire Boss by Nadia Lee

A bachelor auction, a wedding we don't remember, and a baby we don't recall making. FML.

I had a plan: move to LA, get a job, find the love of my life. Live happily ever after.

I was on track for this when being assistant to gorgeous billionaire philanthropist Nate Sterling suddenly gets a whole lot more complicated. It's a dream job…until he asks me to save him from a fur-bikini-wearing, totally psycho ex-girlfriend who is determined to win him at a charity bachelor auction.

All I have to do is outbid her at the auction. Easy, right? But nobody told me Nate and I had to go on an extravagant Las Vegas date afterward. Everything goes off as planned…until Nate and I wake up the next day, hung-over, wearing identical golden wedding bands and with no memory of what happened the night before.

Cue major hyperventilation.

But it's okay. Nothing that a quick marriage dissolution can't solve… Until the pregnancy test stick comes back with two pink lines.

Marrying My Billionaire Boss is a standalone romantic comedy with a sexy billionaire, his sassy assistant, a bachelor auction, a Vegas wedding and a surprise baby. Oh, and the most hilarious and sweet proposal scene ever. No cheating, no cliffhanger. Just lots of heat, heart and humor. Grab it today!

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

I've had this one downloaded through KindleUnlimited for a while and finally picked it up this past week. It looked like a fun one with some tropes that are totally up my alley--plus I kept running across an ad for it on Facebook and the teaser snippet caught my attention every time. And the book definitely delivered on what I wanted--a fun, light read that would hold my interest. 

There's a lot that was great about Marrying My Billionaire Boss, but here's a few of my favorite aspects:

- The tropes. The accidental we-got-drunk-and-married-say-what?? I'm always looking for books with this trope that don't dabble with things that are hard no's for me. This one was WONDERFUL. The male mc, Nate, already adored the female mc, Evie, beforehand so he didn't fall into the same denial pattern that's prevalent in books with this trope. (She did, but that doesn't bother me quite as much.) There's also a surprise pregnancy which I also enjoy but again it can be tough finding books that make it fully work for me. This one totally did.

- The main characters. I liked Evie, so that was nice. But I was a huge fan of Nate. I appreciated that he was a jerk to Evie exactly 0 times in this book. Even when they have their typical romance dark moment, he's nothing but kind to her. 

- Nate's family. Especially Barron. Good people who truly care. I loved when the family was together and when Barron showed up. Made for even more fun times.  

- How easy this book was to read. It was light. It was relatively predictable. I could enjoy the ride of the story without worrying about one character being an ass or another one doing something unforgivable or so on and so forth.

The only thing that makes this book a 4-star read instead of 5 is that it fell...just short...of being fantastic. It could have been so much more satisfying. Instead of forcing the conflict with Evie and *** (not saying because spoiler) toward the end, I wish the story had leaned more into its best aspects. I wish there'd been more of them as a couple. More of them as a couple, about to have a baby. More of them with Nate's family. If there'd been more of the best stuff, the book could have been so much more satisfying. 

Overall, Marrying My Billionaire Boss was a fun read full of tropes I loved. It was easy to fly through, and the couple together was everything I wanted. 

4 stars - A cute romance with some great tropes!

Violet (Spell Library #1) by Mia Harlan ~ Review

Source: KindleUnlimited.

Violet (Spell Library #1) by Mia Harlan

Can I tell you a secret?

I'm a chameleon shifter...

...and I've spent the past year posing as my 80-year-old best friend.

No one can ever know what I really look like! Not even my three hot, fated mates:
- The sweetest bear shifter
- A seductive vampire mage
- And a hot troll cop who vows to protect me

If I can't keep my feelings for them hidden, my true identity will be discovered and I'll end up dead—or worse!

Violet is a paranormal reverse harem romance. It’s part of the Silver Springs shared universe.

Read this fun, quirky paranormal reverse harem romance today.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

I passed approximately nine million ads for this book on Facebook and every single time, the cover caught my eye. How could it not? We don't see elderly women on the covers of romance novels every day. Especially reverse harem romance novels. Finally, the nine million and one time I saw the ad, I downloaded the sample because I was curious. And then I downloaded the whole book through KU because I was interested--and it ended up being super fun!

The best thing this book has going for it is the premise. I love it. She's on the run/in hiding and is disguising herself as her elderly friend in a small town. A small town where she works as the librarian. And where she just so happens to meet her three mates. Who all think she's an old woman. It's awesome! So much potential! And for the most part, the book did good with executing it in a way I enjoyed.

The second best thing about Violet was the characters. Violet herself was interesting and funny, though a bit stubborn. All three of her mates were wonderful. And the pure sweetness of them all?? Hi, I'm here for it. And back to the characters--I liked Violet's friends, and her mates' family, and the other members of the town we met. 

Another great thing about Violet was that it didn't take itself too seriously. It's a book that's here to be fun and entertaining and sweet and that's what it delivers. It's not going to be shocking or a tearjerker or anything super intense. But you'll laugh and smile while reading it, and I loved it.

That said, the book wasn't perfect or a favorite. Mostly because I really, really wish there had been more character and relationship development. I highly enjoyed what we got, but imagine how much better Violet could have been if it'd been longer and we got to know the characters better and there was more time for all their relationships to develop? As it is now, it's kind of like bam-bam-bam, things happen-happen-happen. Which is nice for pacing I guess, but I wanted to get even more invested. I can't do that if we have two seconds to realize the characters are really mates and then oh no, he's storming out because *reasons*, and then something bad happens at work and then and then and then... This is a personal preference, obviously. I'm more character and relationship driven as a reader.

Overall, Violet was a fun reverse harem read with an interesting premise. It was easy to fly through, and I had a great time reading it. I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick, light RH read with some paranormal flare and small town charm.

4 stars - A fun & charming RH read!

Intercepted (Playbook #1) by Alexa Martin ~ Review

Source: Apollycon 2019 swag bag.

Intercepted (Playbook #1) by Alexa Martin

Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there's a new player on the horizon, and he's in a league of his own...

Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She's definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There's just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.

Gavin fights to show Marlee he's nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team's wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee's return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.

Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin's relationship to survive the season.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

Intercepted has been on my radar since it released, but it has been especially on my tbr since I ended up with my own copy at Apollycon 2019. So in typically Jess fashion, it took me...oh, a year to pick it up. But I'm glad I finally did because I really ended up enjoying this one!

I loved the main characters. Marlee is awesome. She's kind and mature, but has her doses of snark both when she needs them and for humor. And Gavin is a sweetheart. From the beginning it is clear he's a great guy, and he never lets us down on that--though he does get a bit misguided. And the two of them together? I was so very HERE FOR IT.

As for the storyline, I really appreciated how Intercepted played out. There was of course the couple getting together--you know, as one does in a romance. And that was great. But then there was also a fair amount of time where they were together just living their couple life, and I LOVED that. I loved how the timeline of their story encompassed both getting together and their relationship growing pains. That's not something guaranteed in most romances, and I truly enjoyed seeing it here.

I also greatly appreciated Marlee's personal growth throughout the novel. Not only do we get to see Marlee and Gavin as a couple take off, but we get to see Marlee make decisions that are best for her as she strives to ensure she has a life that is happy and doesn't simply depend on a person. Especially since this IS a romance, so we got that along with the of course happiness of the couple in the long run. I just love that Marlee's independence is included along the way.

There were only two things that weren't my favorite about Intercepted:
- The hashtags throughout. I just never got into them as part of Marlee's mental narrative. They seemed out of place, and left me feeling pretty meh overall.
- I'm not exactly sold on the decision that spurred the final conflict. Like I said above, Gavin got a bit misguided but it's odd that he went from being so in tune with what Marlee wanted and then all of a sudden thought something so different--and without talking to Marlee about it, no less. The whole thing seemed kind of out of character.

All that said, overall, Intercepted was a super good sports romance with characters I loved and a romance I absolutely adored. I was 100% here for Marlee and Gavin and their story, and I definitely recommend picking this one up if you haven't yet! It's fun, quick, and the start to what I'm sure is going to be an awesome series. Now I just need to read book 2... :)

4 stars - A fun read with characters to love & a romance I adored!

The Queen by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ Review

From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the next installment in her Wicked series.
The King must have his Queen....

Bestowed the forbidden Summer’s Kiss by the King of the Summer fae, Brighton Jussier is no longer just human. What she is, what she will become, no one knows for sure, but that isn’t her biggest concern at the moment. Now Caden, the King, refuses to let her go, even at the cost of his Court. When the doorway to the Otherworld is breached, both Brighton and Caden must do the unthinkable—not just to survive themselves, but also to save mankind from the evil that threatens the world.

Goodreads

Amazon

This novella picks up right where The King left off.  Literally with Brighton's reaction to her medical condition after her unpleasant visit with Aric.  Yeah, I was glad to see that ancient go in the last book.

I have felt all along that these novella should have just been one book.  This story reads like the ending of a book completely.  The climax was hit in the last novella and now we have a lot of clean-up to do.  Add to that some withholding of information and a threat that still needs to be flushed out and you have this book.  Not that I was unhappy about it, at all.  I loved all the time that was spent working on Caden and Brighton's relationship.  They needed to have an in-depth conversation which kept being put off.  Bunches of messes that kept dumping on them later and there was finally resolution.  And I thoroughly enjoyed the time with them.

Caden is just about perfect.  He chose Brighton.  And he loves her so much.  He is just adorable.  I never ever thought I would love Caden at the end of the Wicked series.  Like never!  But I fell hard and now total team Caden.  

Brighton went through a lot of growth through this mini series of novellas.  She's lived through a lot in her short life.  But I was proud of her the whole way.  I wasn't happy about a certain secret she kept from the King but I understood her reason.  I was also not happy with something that did not come spilling out of Caden's mouth as soon as they were alone.  Yeah, they both had sharing issues.  

Reading this book was just so enjoyable.  I could see where things were going but I just was so happy they were going there.  There was one big shock that shall remain nameless but this journey was so entertaining.  Lots of Tink time.  Lots of "awww" comments from Caden.  Lots of "tell them" moments from me.  Yeah, I just enjoyed it.

This one wraps up the novella series but leaves things open for more stories should the author decide to go on with the world of the Fae hanging out in New Orleans.  Since I have enjoyed everything about this series, I'm fine if she decides to give us more stories from this world.  Never say never.

Make time to read it!