Good afternoon everyone, hope everyone is having a great month! I finally got a chance to catch up on some ARCs, and wanted to share my thoughts on them 😊
Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford
RELEASE DATE: August 27, 2019
RATING: 4.5 stars
REVIEW:
In this fantasy realm, the ocean village of Varenian offers their most beautiful girl to be the next princess of Ilara. Nor always assumed her twin sister, Zadie, would be chosen, after a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar. After her sister is gravely injured though, Nor is sent in her place to become cold-hearted Prince Ceren's wife, and life in the palace is not what she pictured. Growing closer to a couple of unlikely allies in the castle, Nor learns of murders, betrayals, and a failing bloodline. Nor must follow her heart and find her strength, if she hopes to save herself, her sister, and all of Varenia, but doing so may not only cost her the crown, but her life.
This was such a magical and mysterious read. I liked the sister bond between Zadie and Nor, but Nor's bold personality I liked even more. She was not afraid to speak her mind, and truly showed how she cared about those close to her. Her relationship with Talin was romantic and I liked reading about their chemistry together. I am looking forward to seeing more of that couple in the next novel in the series. Prince Ceren was a villain for me from the first encounter with him. His devious smile and ruthless nature was dangerous, and it was exciting to read and wonder if he would learn Nor's secrets. He was a great villain to hate. The ocean village setting at times was a bit overwhelming to grasp as a reader, but the description of New Castle was well done. The subtle mystery - which developed into a large part of the story by the end, was also engaging and I think a lot of readers will enjoy.* Thank you Inkyard Press for sending an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review *
See review on Goodreads
The QB Bad Boy and Me by Tay Marley
RELEASE DATE: August 20, 2019
RATING: 4.5 stars
REVIEW:
This contemporary novel follows Dallas, a high school senior focused on getting out of her small Colorado town once graduation rolls around. Until then, she is stuck on the cheerleading squad, since the school has no dance team to help get into her dream university in California. Things take a turn when Drayton, high school quarterback, begins spending a bit more time with Dallas after hitting her car in the parking lot. As chemistry between the two flares, Dallas must learn what, and who, are important to her, otherwise they both will get burned.I absolutely adored this cute novel. Being an all-star cheerleader for 14 years and an avid NFL fan, the sports aspects in the story were amusing and relatable. I liked the simple high school setting, and found that the novel covered more topics and high school pressures than I expected for a cutesy romance novel, and it was a nice surprise. Dallas is a strong character and easily to feel for. Drayton's character, however, was more complex than I expected, and I really appreciated the depth in his back story. Their relationship had ups and downs, and I liked the variety of funny, serious, and romantic parts in the plot. While there were a couple predictable moments, I will definitely recommend to fans of romantic high school reads.
* Thank you Raincoast Books for sending an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review *
See review on Goodreads