Mad World by Hannah McBride ARC review

I'm Madison.

I spent the last seventeen years in a trailer with my mom as she rolled from one addiction to the next. All I wanted was to survive high school and get out of this place. Finding out I had a long lost twin sister on the other side of the country seemed like something out of a movie.

Too bad I didn't realize it was a horror movie.

Now I'm Madelaine.

We were only supposed to switch lives for a summer. But then the unthinkable happened and now I have the chance to be my twin for the rest of my life. I get the fancy house, the rich father, and the elite school.

But all of those things come with a price I don't think I can afford.

Maybe taking over my dead twin sister's life isn't as easy as I thought it would be.

Mad World is the first book in a new series by Hannah McBride . It contains dark themes (including bullying, drugs, and mentions of past/implied assault) that may be triggering for some readers.

 

Mad world is a one of a kind, rollercoaster of emotions book.

After reading the prologue I was suspicious of every character intention, every word and action was to me, something to analyze. I was sure I was going to be able to figure out who that person was, I wasn´t going to be led astray, no sir… I WAS WRONG. Very wrong.

On Mad world no one is as it seems and every situation can spiral out of control in an instant. Hannah McBride has always been an amazing talented writer but this time, she out did herself. Mad world is her best book yet. I can see this story going places that scare me and at the same time excite me.

I loved the enemies to lovers/bully romance type of relationship the characters have. The characters interactions, the friendships everything was designed to suck you into the world in a way I’ve never felt before. Ryan is a very complex character, I didn´t know if I loved or hated him half of the time. Bex is my ultimate friendship goals, loyal to the core and that relationship that’s cooking OMG freaking hawt.
I even had to confess that for the first time ever I peeked at the last page to figure out who was the person on the prologue. What did I learned???  Nothing!!!!! I was going crazy, my anxiety levels where through the roof.

The ending killed me in so many ways I have no clue how I’m going to survive until next spring for the next instalment. I had to read the book 2 times and still my heart was broken by the end.

This series contains a lot of hard topics, surrounded by a story that needed to be told, wrapped by a dose of perfect world building and the incredible writing style of the author. There´s romance, action, drama, suspense, mystery and even a little bit of comedy sprinkled around and it creates a truly magical first book for what I’m sure is going to be a perfect contemporary series.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my voluntary and honest review.

Hannah McBride has been many things in her life - a manager, a clinical research coordinator, a dreamer, a makeup brand ambassador, an event coordinator, a blogger, and more. But at heart, she's always been a writer, and in 2020 she decided to make it official with her first release, SANCTUM.

Things that Hannah loves include: horror movies, makeup, glitter, and her opossum,Tink.

website: 

https://hannahmcbrideauthor.com/

Twitter: Ideally_Hannah

ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas SERIES REVIEW

 A Court of Thorns and Roses

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

A Court of Mist and Fury

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

FEYRE WILL BRING VENGEANCE.

She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.

THE THRILLING THIRD BOOK IN #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FANTASY SERIES FROM SARAH J. MAAS.

I love this series and I felt the need to reread this story, so I caved and here we are.

The first time I read this series I was team Tamlin all the way until under the mountain. I couldn't wrap my mind around how he didn't tried to help her once.

Rhys on the other hand was intriguing since the start. Yes he was bad but he never did truly bad things to Feyre. I didn't understand why I felt such a fascination with this character until this reread.

Rhys is present in this series before we even get to meet him. Feyre always looked to the night sky for comfort and I started to associate it with Rhys unconsciously.

I started to truly see the difference between Tamlin and Rhys on the second book. Tamlin didn't care for Feyre's wellbeing while Rhys did everything he could to help her push through her trauma. She never seek one for comfort while she leaned on the other.

I realized that I started to fall for Rhys right along with Feyre, while he still was an enemy. The story was crafted perfectly.

Knowing how everything ended, gave me the opportunity to see things I didn't saw at first. How wrong Tam was for her, how wicked Ianthe truly was since the beginning. The why of Nesta's attitude. So many things I didn't picked up on the first time.

I can't wait for the next book and see how Nesta's story is going to unravel.

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. To find out more, visit sarahjmaas.com or follow @therealsjmaas on Instagram.

Website

Broken by ℍ𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒𝕙 𝕄𝕔𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖 Book Review

 

A beta in denial

Rhodes DeWitt has always known he was a lost cause. The Blackwater beta embraces the bad boy label with open arms, praying that the girl next door will never know that the one thing he wants is the one girl he can’t have.

A heart that’s breaking

After spending years in love with the boy next door, Larkin Dawes is ready to move on. Her head knows this is for the best. Her heart hasn’t quite gotten the memo.

The storm of the century

Trapped and isolated together as a blizzard rages around them, Rhodes will finally have to decide if he’s going to watch Larkin move on with or without him. 

I fell in love with Larkin and Rhodes since Sanctum.

The bond they had went beyond friendship and everyone knew it but them.

It was hilarious watching them dance around each other.In Broken we finally see them come together.

Larkin has come a long way since the events on Sanctum, she's coping as best as she can but she misses her best friend whom she's been in love with for years.

Rhodes is in love with his best friend but feels she deserves better, his life hasn't been an easy one and he refuses to drag her down with him.

I absolutely loved this book is steamy and super sexy. Rhodes and Larkin are explosive together and I can't wait to see how everything goes for them when the next book on the Blackwater pack series comes out.

Hannah McBride has been many things in her life - a manager, a clinical research coordinator, a dreamer, a makeup brand ambassador, an event coordinator, a blogger, and more. But at heart, she's always been a writer, and in 2020 she decided to make it official with her first release, SANCTUM.

           Website

                   Twitter

Of Thorns and Beauty by 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐃. 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐞 BOOK REVIEW

"You think you know the tale as old as time, but you’ve already got it wrong.

There never was a beauty and a beast, only a girl who was both.

And that girl was me."

Zaina will never be free.

She's forced into an arranged marriage to a Viking King in a castle full of secrets. But she carries secrets of her own, and the scars of her haunted past.

Handed off from one monster to another, she has no choice but to do her best to survive and protect her sisters.

Even if it costs her everything.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling you won’t want to miss, where nothing is what it seems and time is running out.

 

If you guys know anything about me as a reader is that I hate cliffhangers that being said I knew well in advance this book had one so here we go...

I absolutely adored Einar and Zaina their differences made a unique couple and their interactions spirited as they may be where witty and funny. I loved the slow burn romance and spend most of the time hoping for a kiss.

I spent quite a lot of time trying to figure out who was who on this beautiful retelling of the beauty and the beast. Keep in mind that I used the word retelling as loosely as possible, there are a couple of hints here and there but for the most part Of Thorns and Beauty is a different story all together.

There were a couple of instances when I got so mad at Zaina she could’ve spill the beans at any point and Einar blessed his heart would have helped her fight her demons.

The only reason I didn’t give this book a 5 rating, is because sometimes it felt a little rushed and the chapters where super short giving the impression that this was supposed to be a bigger book but somewhere along the way the authors decided to make it a series.

That being said the story is amazing, the characters are well rounded with pretty defined background stories. The whole ambience of the book is dark and chilly so the sprinkles of warmth throughout makes them even more special. I truly enjoyed how the authors took inspiration from Beauty and the Beast and the way they transformed the story.

Of Thorns and Beauty is a perfect first book for a series and I would definitively read the next one because I really want to know where the story goes.

I was given this ARC for free in exchange for my voluntary and honest review.

Elle Madison is a faerie disguising herself as an author in the human world.

When she isn't wrestling her children, she's busy baking cookies for her husband and becoming a regular at every taco shop she comes across.

After hours, when she puts the kiddos to bed, you can usually find Elle working on creating new fantastical worlds, reading about them or playing Stardew Valley like the child she is.

Elle enjoys watching the sunset, trying new wines, the occasional raccoon or two, and being with people who make her laugh.

Robin D. Mahle started out as a pen name I shared with my husband for The World Apart Series, but since then, I've absconded with it to delve into the wonderful world of fairy tale retellings and fantasy romances with my partner in crime, Elle Madison.

When I'm not writing, you can find me spending time with my seven hundred cats and drinking wine by the barrel.

A Court of Silver Flames REVIEW

 

Sarah J. Maas's sexy, richly imagined series continues with the journey of Feyre's fiery sister, Nesta.

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.

It’s finally here OMG I have it in my hands I feel I’ve waited forever for this story and after I read it my heart is full. I cried and laughed so hard that the roaring in my head stopped and recognized a kindred spirit on the person behind this words.

Favorite part: The training

Favorite character: The House

Best scenes: The Blood Rite

Smut level 15/10 my boy Cassian knows what he’s doing

Fav. Quote:

 “You were trying to show me. Show others. Who you are, down deep. What haunts you. You were trying to show them all those dark, broken pieces because the priestess and Emerie, and I… were the same as you.”

I really liked Nesta before, now I love her. I am a Nesta and her journey to self-recovery truly resonates within me. Sometimes it’s easier to fight against that which surrounds you than fight yourself.  I’ve been there and I think that’s the reason I connect with her so much.  I know how hard and how much work it takes.

Nesta feels too much and doesn’t know how to cope with everything she’s feeling. She´s like a wounded dog that bites out of pain and fear of being harmed again. She’s broken and there’s no putting the pieces back together so she reinvents herself.

Cassian is perfect in every sense of the word, he knows when to push and when to hold, no matter his feelings for Nesta he lets her hit rock bottom and work her way up. He´s her anchor but knows that he can’t do anything to help her, she needs to help herself. His I will help you pick your pieces but you need to stich yourself back together is what’s pushes her to be better. No judgment just an unmovable force at her side.

I loved that we could spend some time with the rest of the court and know a little about what’s going on at the other courts. I didn´t like Rhys as much in this book, I get the Drama but he was too different to the all-powerful high lord I am used to.

Azriel is getting more interesting by the second and I feel we finally meet his lady. I hope I´m right cause I adore Gwyn, nothing really happens between them but there’s this vibe I can’t forget.  I really don´t think Elain is going to be endgame in fact I think something more is going to happen with her she is too nice to be real. So I’m calling it, she´s either going to die or turn evil, No goodie two shoes has ever lived that way in a Maas world.

I don’t want to give much away but let’s just say that this book is filled with action both heart stopping and heartwarming. There are old and new players in the game trying to ruing everything the court of dreams has work for and there’s no way the gang it’s going to let it all slide. There´s politics, new beginnings and new life.

This is a book worth reading with very hard topics but with beautiful stories about rebirth and self-discovery.

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Court of Thorns and Roses and the Crescent City series, as well as the Throne of Glass series. Her books are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and dog.

https://sarahjmaas.com/

https://www.instagram.com/therealsjmaas/

https://www.facebook.com/theworldofsarahjmaas

War Storm by 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭 REVIEW

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.

Was it all worth it?

Author 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭

Kindle

Series: 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣

I really enjoyed the ending of this series.

As a whole the series was very dark, what the main characters go through was traumatizing so even though I wished for a HEA I knew it wasn't going to be.

That being said the ending felt like a natural progression of events.

Evangeline's POV was the one I enjoyed the most. She finally stood up for herself and fought for her right to be whoever she wished to be and for who she wanted to be with. As much as I hated her on the first book she became my favorite character by the end of the series.

Mare is a great character too, true to herself and her beliefs, she's willing to make Sacrifices for the greater good. She's been hurt, betrayed, imprisoned but none of that pushed her away of her goal.

Maven I feel sorry for. He never had a chance. Yes he was evil and did awful things, but his mind wasn't his own almost since birth. He could have been a great man or maybe he was part monster from the start. The truth is he never got a chance to figure himself out and when he did it was too late.

Cal is meh, he can't think for himself even if his life depends on it. Unsure to the bone and just going through the motions, doing whatever he's told to do. He kinda smartened up at the end.

I loved the pace of the book, it truly felt like a ticking time bomb, each chapter getting us closer to the final showdown. The battle scenes are amazing I enjoyed them immensely.

I know there's a little novella that gives us a better insight on what happens with Cal and Mare after everything, but it isn't necessary.

I know there's no way those two are going to stay apart too long. They are just going to cleanse, regroup and heal.

Loved this series, it had some ups and downs along the way but as a whole its amazing.

I'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN and my next series, REALM BREAKER, will be out in May 2021.

The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.

Website: https://victoriaaveyard.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriaaveyard

goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/victoria_aveyard

King´s Cage by 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭 REVIEW

In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl's spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

Author 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭
Kindle
Series: 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣

I can't for the life of me do this review without spoilers. So if you haven't read this book, consider yourself warned.
°•🅢🅟🅞🅘🅛🅔🅡🅢•°

I didn't hate this book, it's just that for me, it wasn't as good as the others.

We spend the vast majority of the book with Mare. She's trapped and can't do a thing to escape.

The book is very very slow, mare is always walking somewhere or in her cell either reading our throwing a tantrum or thinking something.

There are some things that happen purely for shock value, like the assassination attempt, nany or that guy that can see the future that appears from maybe like 3 pages to save Mare's life and disappear again.

Mare is interrogated once and then left alone, she isn't tortured. Maven sends her clothes, books to read, etc. Yes she can't go anywhere but it makes for a whole book of her just sitting around doing nothing.

This book has changes in POV and that's what saved it for me.

Once Mare is rescued the book picks up a bit. There's war and family time, training and plotting.

Cal and Mare as a pair do nothing for me and I didn't understand the shock at the end. We've been told from book 1 he was born to be a king, we know he isn't truly a part of the red guard, he hates killing silvers. So what's the point in trying to make us believe he's madly in love through smut. I already knew he would choose to be a king. There was no surprise there.

At least Maven has a motivation he's crazy as hell. But Cal has none.

I loved the battle, that was amazingly choreographed and I'm liking Evangeline very very much. I enjoyed Cameron's POV too.

But that was it. This book was way to slow. Hope the next one is better.

I'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN and my next series, REALM BREAKER, will be out in May 2021.

The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.

Website: https://victoriaaveyard.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriaaveyard

goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/victoria_aveyard

Glass Sword by 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭 REVIEW

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Is the enemy of my enemy always my friend?

Author 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭
Kindle
Series: 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣

This book was awesome, it picks off exactly where the last book ended. Cal and Mare barely escaped the arena thanks to the Scarlet Guard. Now they are on the run from a cruel and psychotic king and a manipulative queen.

Glass Sword is action packed, I truly enjoyed the pacing of it. It game breathing room to prepare for what was to come.There's heartbreak, loss and betrayal and some shocking moments.

It feels like a crossover between X-men and the Hunger Games. Mare has changed a lot from the first book. She's not as naive, she's fiercer and stronger but she's also lost herself in the process, She's darker too. She feels there's no one to trust and the weight of it all is crushing her.

Cal is dealing with loss and betrayal he's out of his element and doesn't have a clue how to get afloat. He becomes a crutch of a sort for Mare.

There's a super ultra slow burning romance, completely in the background of the story. This book is a harrowing journey, a solid sequel that takes our characters to dark places while trying to save as many people as the can.

The lines between red and silver get somewhat muddled, pushing Mare to make some brutal decisions.

The ending was somewhat predictable but still beautifully accomplished.

I can't wait to start the next one.

I'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN and my next series, REALM BREAKER, will be out in May 2021.

The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.

Website: https://victoriaaveyard.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriaaveyard

goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/victoria_aveyard