Twice Bitten, by Belle Harper | Book Review

Hello hello my little friendo’s! Welcome back to Adele Is Reading.

How are you doing today?

Today I’m bringing my book review of Twice Bitten, by Belle Harper, to the blog!

Twice Bitten is the first book in the New Moon trilogy.

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Troubled Past, soft Sex Scenes.

For seventeen years Alexis “Lexi” Turner has been running. From foster homes, creeps on the street and the law.

Lexi is a survivor, she has spent her whole life moving from one abusive foster home to the next, until she decided to take charge of her own life. Living in abandoned buildings, couch surfing and working at a strip clubs are huge improvement on what she had before.

All she needs is enough money to feed herself, finish high school and hopefully go to college.
She has a plan.
That is until she is caught and sent to live with a strange foster family up-state, —her new high school isn’t much better.

Rafferty King was forced like Lexi to this new foster home, but he fits in better. And that’s saying something for a total misfit. Hot as hell and getting into fights, while ignoring her existence. Whatever.

Then there are the twins Ranger and Maverick, also known as “The joker and The Loner.” They know who she is and give her the new girl treatment she is all too familiar with.

And how can a history teacher look that hot, there should be rules against that kind of thing. But there is something about Galen Donovani, that has Lexi feeling safe when he is near.
While everyone else avoids him.

What the hell is going on in the state of Washington. And why are there so many wolves roaming at Port Willow High!

17+ RH shifter and vampires. 

From GoodReads [x]:

“REVERSE HAREM” IS, LITERALLY, THE OPPOSITE OF “HAREM”, WITH A GROUP OF MALES CENTERING ROUND A SINGULAR FEMALE, USUALLY WITH THREE OR MORE MALES. QUITE OFTEN FOUND UNDER THE ROMANCE GENRE.

The Raven and the Dove, by Kaitlyn Davis | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Welcome back to the ol’ blog. Today I have my advanced readers copy (ARC) book review of

The Raven and the Dove, by Kaitlyn Davis.

A huge Thank You to Netgalley, for allowing me to read The Raven and the Dove in exchange for an honest review.
This in no way has impacted my review. 

Trigger Warning: Blood, Blood mention, Torture, Torture mention.

Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!

A princess longing to be free…

On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon.

A bastard aching to belong…

Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him.

Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart…

Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her.

Three shocking betrayals. Two star-crossed lovers. One unforgettable journey. If you like fierce heroines, brooding heroes, forbidden romance, and action-packed magical adventures with twists you’ll never see coming, don’t miss The Raven and the Dove!

Release Date: March 9, 2020.

The Raven and the Dove has a strong prologue. The prologue didn’t even begin to warn me of the entirety of chaos that makes up The Raven and the Dove. It’s a great way to start the story–if only it wasn’t completely misleading.

Sky in the Deep, by Adrienne Young | Book Review

Hello, friends. Today I have my book review of

Sky in the Deep, by Adrienne Young.

TW: Blood, Gore, murder mention, Murder, Torture, Torture mention, Slavery mention, Slavery

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

Part Wonder Woman, part Vikings—and all heart.

Hearing about Sky in the Deep made me excited about Eelyn’s story…but I had trepidation about reading Sky in the Deep since I’d never read from Adrienne Young. I didn’t know what to expect from her writing.

Sky in the Deep is a fast paced story which is good; it kept me reading the book.

Ambushed, by Jada Fisher | Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my book review of

Ambushed, by Jada Fisher.

Ambushed is the fourth book in The Brindle Dragon series.

Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping mention, Attempted Kidnapping.

The forces of evil are growing stronger and the only thing standing in their way is an ill-prepared young lady, her group of similarly under-trained friends, and a small dragon with unique powers.
An epic dragon riding adventure from Jada Fisher, author of the popular Dragon Oracle series.

Eist has recovered from her last brush with death and Fior is finally learning to fly. Everything should be peachy now, right? Unfortunately, the forces of evil are growing stronger and there may be nothing standing in their way. Can Eist and her friends steer clear or will they be ambushed before they are ready?

Ambushed is the fourth book in the Brindle Dragon series which follows the story of a young girl and her most unusual dragon as they set out to defeat an evil they are just starting to understand.

It took me a little over a month to read Ambushed, because I found that binge-reading this series wasn’t the best idea (lolol, like I’m Just Figuring That Out). The basic thing in the story happens with every Brindle Dragon book that we read. And while it’s slightly funny that something happens to Eist every year she’s in the academy, it’s becoming kind of old. I’d like for something new to happen.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading Ambushed.

I give Ambushed, 3 stars.

Have you read anything by Jada Fisher? Did you enjoy what you read?

Thank you for stopping by!

See you soon, and Happy Reading!
Adele

MINOR SPOILERS – Kingdom of Ash and Briars, by Hannah West |Mini Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my book review of

Kingdom of Ash and Briars, by Hannah West.

Kingdom of Ash and Briars is the first book in The Nissera Chronicles. 

Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, Death.

My review of KOAAB has some minor spoilers in it. 

Bristal, an orphaned kitchen maid, lands in a gritty fairy tale gone wrong when she discovers she is an elicromancer with a knack for shape-shifting. An ancient breed of immortal magic beings, elicromancers have been winnowed down to merely two – now three – after centuries of bloody conflict in the realm. Their gifts are fraught with responsibility, and sixteen-year-old Bristal is torn between two paths. Should she vow to seek the good of the world, to protect and serve mortals? Or should she follow the strength of her power, even if it leads to unknown terrors? She draws on her ability to disguise herself as a man to infiltrate a prince’s band of soldiers, and masquerades as a fairy godmother to shield a cursed princess, but time is running out. As an army of dark creatures grows closer, Bristal faces a supernatural war. To save the kingdoms, Bristal must find the courage to show her true form.

Building on homages to Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jane Austen’s Emma and the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, Hannah West makes a spectacular debut.

Admittedly, I didn’t read too much into Kingdom of Ash and Briars—-speaking plainly, I didn’t read the synopsis other than figuring out that there was magic within the story..

The Lonely Dead, by April Henry | Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my book review of

The Lonely Dead, by April Henry.

Trigger Warnings: Murder mention, Attempted Murder, Drinking Mention, Schizophrenia mention.

A killer is on the loose, and only one girl has the power to find him. But in this genre-bending YA thriller, she must first manage to avoid becoming a target herself.

For Adele, the dead aren’t really dead. She can see them and even talk to them. But she’s spent years denying her gift. When she encounters her ex best friend Tori in a shallow grave in the woods and realizes that Tori is actually dead — that gift turns into a curse. Without an alibi, Adele becomes the prime suspect in Tori’s murder. She must work with Tori’s ghost to find the real killer. But what if the killer finds Adele first?

Master mystery-write April Henry adds a chilling paranormal twist to this incredibly suspenseful young adult novel.

I am so glad that I finally got to read The Lonely Dead! I’ve been meaning to read it for a while, and it was only somewhat recently that the library I frequent had it.

Last of Her Name, by Jessica Khoury | Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my review of

Last of Her Name, by Jessica Khoury.

Trigger Warning: Kidnapping, Attempted Murder

Sixteen years ago, rebellion swept the galaxy known as the Belt of Jewels. Every member of the royal family was murdered–down to their youngest child, Princess Anya–and the Union government rose in its place. But Stacia doesn’t think much about politics. She spends her days half-wild, rambling her father’s vineyard with her closest friends, Clio and Pol.

That all changes the day a Union ship appears in town, carrying the leader of the Belt himself, the Direktor Eminent. The Direktor claims that Princess Anya is alive, and that Stacia’s sleepy village is a den of empire loyalists, intent on hiding her. When Stacia is identified as the lost princess, her provincial home explodes into a nightmare.

Pol smuggles her away to a hidden escape ship in the chaos, leaving Clio in the hands of the Union. With everything she knows threading away into stars, Stacia sets her heart on a single mission. She will find and rescue Clio, even with the whole galaxy on her trail.

A library hardcover copy of Last of Her Name by Jessica Khoury. Set against a space backdrop, with an unlit candle as a prop. 

To be honest, I had thoughts on Last of Her Name before I even sat down to read the book. I thought that there’d be an Anastasia moment in within Last of Her Name. And there was–just not how I thought it’d be. Which is totally cool! I didn’t mind it one bit.

I usually don’t read Science Fiction novels because, well, they tend to bore me with the mechanics of space travel and what-have-you. So while there was a bit of explaining done in Last of Her Name, it wasn’t done to the point where I was bored to tears. I genuinely liked learning about space-travel in this novel because of how simple the characters (honestly the author, lol) made it to be.

When I do read Science Fiction novels, I am quite judgy on the books. In fact, if Last of Her Name wasn’t as interesting as it was, I would have probably not finished Last of Her Name. Another thing that made me keep reading Last of Her Name was how fast the pace of the story is. There never seems to be a break for anyone in this novel. I loved that, actually. 

Honestly, Last of Her Name was a really cool Sci-Fi novel. Last of Her Name is super easy to read, and I loved the fact that the reader isn’t bombarded with useless information about space travel and whatnot.

What I also enjoyed about Last of Her Name was the plot twists, the character developments, and the romance. I also love love love that Last of Her Name is a stand alone novel. We get a great solid ending here people!

I give Last of Her Name, 4 stars.

Have you read Last of Her Name? What did you think of it? 

Last of Her Name was the first Jessica Khoury book that I read. I’m quite happy that I enjoyed Last of Her Name to be honest, haha.

Thank you for stopping by!

See you soon, and Happy Reading!
Adele

Foreign to You, by Jeremy Martin | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my review of Foreign to You by Jeremy Martin.

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Trigger warning: Species Hate, Bloody Violence, Death (of a secondary character), Gun Usage, Stabbings and Murder.

The harmony between humans and fianna, a species of shape-shifting deer, begins to wither as racial tensions and deeply rooted resentment turns violent.

Ruthless hunter Finn Hail and prophesied liberator Adelaide may be heroes to their own species, but they are enemies to each other. With war on the horizon, the reluctant pair must team up to find the most elusive of prey: the god of the Forest.

As enemies press in from all sides, true intentions begin to show. For Finn to save the boy he cares for most, he might need to aim his gun at the very god he seeks. And Adelaide, with her festering hatred for mankind, will have to determine if peace holds true salvation for her people.

Publication Date: February 11, 2019.

806, by Cynthia Weil | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Today I’m reviewing 806 by Cynthia Weil. 806 was published back in March of 2018, but I only recently acquired 806.

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Sibling 1 throws blenders and plays guitar. Sibling 2 is allergic to everything and is into magic. Sibling 3 is a varsity swimmer with a group of female fans. Enough said.

The only thing they have in common is their biological father, and the only thing they can agree on is that they all want to meet him.

With the help of a broken-down, “borrowed” Jeep, KT, Jesse, and Gabe make their way across the country evading police, trying their luck on the slots, and meeting a life-changing pig, all to track down Donor 806, their father. Any hope of success requires smarts, luck, and ingenuity. Good thing they have each other…even if they don’t see it that way.

Publication Date: March 23, 2018.

When I first read what 806 was about, I thought that the story could be interesting but I also thought that perhaps 806 just wasn’t for me.

[DNF+ SPOILERS] Thunderhead, by Neal Shusterman | Book Review

Hello friends! Today’s post is my review of Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. Thunderhead is the second book in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy. 

Enjoy!

There are minor spoilers in this review. 

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

The first page of the entire book, and part one, is eye-opening as well as concerning. Who the quote is by had me on the edge of my seat waiting for the other shoe to drop.