Ruby Red

Blurb: Gwyneth Shepherd’s sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon–the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.                                                       [I must admit the blurb/summary doesn’t do the book much justice]

Review:

Ruby Red is the first book in the Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier and my first experience with her as an author, therefore I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Of course it’s been sat on my TBR pile for a while as in the past it has featured on numerous Bookstagram and Booktube pages… this weekend I finally picked it up for myself and I have to say I LOVED IT.

Set in London, United Kingdom; Ruby Red follows Gwyneth as she begins her journey towards becoming the Ruby Time Traveler. Ruby Red is the journey in which she embarks to find out more about her abilities as well as the mission she is placed on with Gideon from the Count. I really enjoyed the context of Ruby Red as the theme of Time Travel allows us to be transported into both Past and Present therefore we can experience 18th Century England and 21st Century England within the same chapter. The Past sequences were one of my favorites as I love the descriptive detail of the delicate dresses and the setting in comparison to Modern London. The incorporation of the 17th and 18th Century in London reminded me of The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.

As a whole Ruby Red was a pleasant and easy reading experience, I found it myself engaging with the novel on an emotional level as a reader as I felt jealously and anger as Gwyneth herself would express them. Furthermore the book posed a great deal of questions to myself such as ‘Why would Gwyneth’s mother lie?’ and in turn whether or not it was to keep a secret or to keep her safe. Overall the burning question for me was ‘What the heck is happening?!’ which leads me onto my next point of how unpredictable I found this novel. Of course from Gwyneth’s dizzy spells in the beginning I knew she would become the Time Traveler, that much is predictable.But that’s ok, because that’s not a big reveal, its the premise of the story outlined in the blurb. What was unpredictable was what would happen next, of course the past has already been written but both Gideon and Gwyneth can’t be sure on how it played out exactly therefore every experience is new for them just as it is for us reading it unfolding.

Finally I just need to comment on a character which I could not stand which was Charlotte, I understand that she was meant to be the Time Traveler however I found her very elitist. She thinks she is better than Gwyneth due to her higher education in history, fencing and her overall etiquette yet she was given a different start at life. Gwyneth was left to have a standard education because her family never thought she could be the one with the gene. I felt no sympathy towards Charlotte because of the sense of snobbery I got throughout from her.

Overall Kerstin Gier’s writing style is easy to get into which makes the book flow easily, the book itself is written in first person narrative through the point of view of Gwyneth’s character therefore we are able to experience her most personal thoughts and feelings towards becoming the Time Traveler and how she is coping with the changes it makes to her life.

Ruby Red ends on a somewhat cliffhanger, the trilogy is one continuous story therefore I need to get my hands on Sapphire Blue in order to see what happens next and how the story unfolds…Have you read Ruby Red? Leave me a comment letting me know your thoughts!

Goodreads – Book Link |   Goodreads- Author Page |  Paperback – Ruby Red  | Precious Stone Trilogy BOXSET |  Hardback – Ruby Red

 

 

Rebel Belle

Title: Rebel Belle | Author: Rachel Hawkins | Genre: Young Adult Fantasy | Rating: 4.5 Stars

Blurb

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper’s destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can’t get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she’s charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper’s least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David’s own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

Review

Rebel Belle has been one of those books on my TBR pile waiting for me to hurry up and choose it and I’m so glad I finally got round to reading it. This wasn’t my first experience with Rachel Hawkin’s work as I had read Hex Hall prior to this and I really enjoyed it therefore I knew I would have little to no problems getting into Rachel Hawkin’s form and writing style.

The only issue I felt which gives the book a 4.5 star rating for me is I found bits rather predictable, I could tell from an early stage that Harper and David would end up having feelings for one another and her relationship with Ryan was doomed. Although it didn’t stop me from rooting for Ryan as I felt him and Harper still had some chemistry together. As a whole I felt so much hate towards Mary Beth as she began to get close to him whilst sharing little looks and moments together, all the while I was mentally shouting ‘no, he’s with Harper back off’.

Whilst I felt hate towards Mary Beth [she’s not even that big a character within the book] I understand that other’s aren’t a fan of Harper’s character however I think she is simply misunderstood. She has all these extra activities because she wants to be successful but she expects so much from herself and her friends & family expect her to act and behave a certain way that there is a lot of pressure dangling on her shoulders. Rebel Belle is ultimately Harper’s journey to finding her true self whilst facing the task of keeping herself and David safe, throughout this she also is acknowledging aspects of her old life she needs to change.

Rebel Belle has been my reintroduction into Young Adult Fantasy Novels and i’m excited to read more from this series to see what happens next, I forgot how much love I felt for YA books. There’s no denying the bucket full of emotions Rebel Belle makes you feel as a reader, from heart stopping action to drama and sadness. Not to mention the emotions you experience from the character’s relationships and the tension between David and Harper.

I particularly loved this story because it shows a Hard Working Grade A student having her life flipped upside down and having to learn to become a protector. Harper must learn how to fight and ultimately kill those who wish to harm her and David. It’s the complete opposite to what she is usually like and of course a strong female heroine is always a plus.

Rebel Belle is a book which offers action, romance, comedy and depth. I mention depth because Rachel Hawkin’s provides such complex characters and situations and she makes sure to offer intimate details of their background and past experiences or she provides a history on the hidden mysteries of the dystopian world in which this is based. The novel is written in first person in the perspective of Harper therefore we experience her thoughts and feelings throughout the crazy events of the book.

Have you read Rebel Belle?

Let me know in the comments what you thought of it, I would love to discuss your reading experiences with it!

Useful Links

Goodreads – Rebel Belle Book Page | Goodreads – Author Page – Rachel Hawkins |  Rebel Belle – Paperback | Rebel Belle – Hardback

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour

Title: Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson | Genre: Young Adult | Rating: 4.5 stars

Blurb: Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it’s Amy’s responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn’t ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip – and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar – especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory – but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

Review: 

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour was my first experience with Morgan Matson as an author and I found her writing style easy to get into; having no trouble becoming immersed in the story. The book just missed out on a 5 star rating for me due to the ending, whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the story I felt disappointed with the ending and hoped for more. I realize a story must end somewhere however I was hoping that we would experience Amy’s conversation with her mum once she returned home or an insight into how herself and Roger’s relationship would work. It felt somewhat like a cliffhanger for me. Of course this means the ending is ambiguous.

Following along with the form of the book, I particularly enjoyed how Morgan included little snippets of journal entries and music playlists as it added another element of dialogue to the book whilst making it unique and interesting. Amy and Rogers Epic Detour is written in first person narrative through the character of Amy therefore we don’t experience Roger’s personal thoughts and feelings although I wouldn’t say this really took much from the reading experience as we could work out his body language and emotions through Amy’s interactions and descriptions of him.

In terms of characters, I really enjoyed Amy and Roger. I loved how their personalities complimented each other even in the first few chapters when they knew nothing about one another. From that early stage the connection and tension shared between them was evident. As well as this I found myself sympathetic to Amy, this book is focused on Amy and Roger’s journey which is ultimately to self discovery; Amy must admit to herself that the accident she experienced months before was not her fault and find her way back to normality and Roger must let go of his old relationships. Both are on a journey to move forward.

I’m actually sad that I’ve now finished this book, I was really engaged reading it as it was truly enjoyable and often made me laugh. There is a-lot of depth behind Amy and Roger’s characters and the story has a romantic element which plays alongside their deeper issues such as the loss of a parent. It was a lovely read which I think any fan of romance novels regardless of it being Young Adult and featuring 2 young characters would enjoy.

 Have you read Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour? Let me know your thoughts in the comments 🙂 

Useful Links

Goodreads – Amy and Rogers Epic Detour | Goodreads – Author Page – Morgan Matson

Book Depository – Hardback Edition | Book Depository – Paperback Edition Personal Website – Morgan Matson.com

 

 

Demon Princess

Title: Demon Princess by Kassandra Lynn 

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Rating: 4.5

*ARC received in exchange for an Honest Review via Netgalley*

Summary: Goodreads Summary

With her father gone and her brother missing, Demon Princess Adriana has to assume the throne, temporarily becoming the Demon King. The procession is underway, and the princess is nervous yet determined … until the unthinkable happens and she is summoned! Somehow, Aldric, a mage-in-training has summoned the princess into the human kingdom. Now trapped, Adriana must hide her identity and escape before she loses her life in the hands of her mortal enemies.

Review:

Demon Princess was an pleasant experience, Kassandra Lynn uses concise while still descriptive language throughout her novel therefore making it easy to slip into her fantasy world without it being drawn out. I have rated Demon Princess 4.5 stars; as I found myself fully immersed into the novel but I felt rather disappointed in the sense their isn’t much mention of Adriana’s father and brother. The novel focuses on her being summoned and then follows her on her journey to escape or break the seal. I had expectations to find out more about what happened to her family as it was mentioned in the blurb therefore this is still a mystery; however Demon Princess is the first in a new series therefore I expect the mystery will unravel within the next few books.

Another element which led to my 4.5 star rating was I wish their was an element of the novel which incorporated another view point/perspective so we could of seen how the Demon Community reacted or were coping when Adriana suddenly disappeared. Although the novel is focused on Adriana’s character and is narrated in first person by her.

Despite this I did thoroughly enjoy Demon Princess, in fact it somewhat  reminded me of The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare; in terms of it’s regency stylized content. Kassandra Lynn has created a world in which Adriana wears costumes similar to this period, long dresses to cover her legs and no trousers. They also use gold and silver coins. I loved this particular aspect of Demon Princess because it sets it slightly apart from similar Young Adult Fantasies whilst incorporating the ideals of society that women and men shouldn’t be in such close proximity therefore making the tension between the Adriana and Keldrin more pronounced as they each feel nervous with their first experiences around each other.

In terms of theme; Demon Princess is a fantasy novel, set in a dystopian world. Kassandra Lynn features an array of different elements within her novel from fantasy, magical, romance and a sense of mystery. Despite it’s fantasy content Kassandra Lynn successfully keeps her story rather realistic with touching upon the hierarchy of this society in a number of ways; within the fantasy element the Savior Bloods believe that Demons are beneath them and are truly nothing but creatures which is almost similar to how Adriana is treated by the Princess Salvene who believes her to be beneath her.

Finally; looking at the novel as a whole the cover itself is one of the reason’s I felt particularly intrigued to read this novel. I adore the cover; the blue color is exquisitely eye catching and the girl featured gives a sense of the outfits and a broad idea of what our main female protagonist looks like. It is very eye-catching as well as being able to fit in with other Young Adult Fantasy Novels which may attract more readers to check it out if they see similarities to their favourite novels.

Be sure to check out Demon Princess if you are a fan of Fantasy, Magic and Dystopian novels!

Like Demon Princess by Kassandra Lynn? Check out The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare…

 

 

Lock & Key – Sarah Dessen

 Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen is the first Sarah Dessen Novel I have ever read and yes I am kicking myself profusely for not trying out her work sooner. However I am so glad I bit the bullet and started with Lock & Key.

Lock & Key follows the story of a teenage girl Ruby who for months now has been living on her own in the yellow house, her mother had abandoned her and would probably never return. Now Ruby is going to live with her older sister Cora who she hasn’t seen in 10 years and Cora’s husband Jamie. Lock and Key follows the journey of Ruby as she goes from fending for herself, barley getting by in life with no water or heat to a new private school, a fancy luxurious house, a prospect of a college life and people who are are there for her and want to take care of her.

Lock & Key features real life issues from Ruby’s abandonment by her mother to Abuse. Alongside these meaningful issues we have a romantic element of Ruby and Nate the new next door neighbour, thus begins our boy meets girl story. The question I found myself pondering throughout the novel was will Ruby drop her wary nature and her defenses long enough to let Nate in so a relationship could bloom?

Nate’s life isn’t so far from Ruby’s, Sarah Dessen shows how what we see isn’t always the truth and it could be hiding something behind it, Nate is the kind, smiley boy who everyone loves. But he is hiding his own troubles at home.

Lock & Key was a 4.5/ 5 star read for me, I had no issues with engaging with Sarah Dessen’s writing and a Young Adult Romance novel was just what I needed to further inspire my reading bug. Lock & Key is a light easy read which I would highly recommend to anyone who loves, Romance, Young Adult books and Chick Lit. Although saying Lock & Key is a light easy read doesn’t mean that Sarah Dessen shy’s away from hard hitting subjects, this is one thing she brings forth in a number of ways. Dessen incorporates story lines featuring Abuse as well as the idea of Ruby’s mum being a less than capable parent, one which Ruby actually has to look after due to her mothers drinking habits. Dessen’s novels provide a realistic look at life through Ruby’s eyes.

One part of the my reading experience of Lock & Key that makes this lean towards my 4.5 rating is the ending. This is purely my own selfish reasons as I adored Nate and Ruby’s characters, I don’t want to spoil the ending for potential readers but I hoped for more.

Interested in trying out Lock & Key for yourself? Take a look at the following websites:

Goodreads – Lock & Key

Sarah Dessen’s Website. Lock & Key

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Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins is the first book in the Sweet Trilogy which is easily my favorite trilogy I have read this year.

The story follows Anna Whitt, a young southern girl born with a sixth sense of being able to see and and feel other peoples emotions. Adopted at a young age, Anna knows she is different but she doesn’t understand why, nor does she know that she isn’t alone. It isn’t until Anna turns 16 when she meets Kaiden Rowe, a terribly handsome drummer that she learns that there are others somewhat like her and thus begins Anna’s journey to find out her heritage.

Wendy Higgins has created a paranormal world which focuses on a group of teenagers who are sons and daughters of demons, there role in life is to be bad influences. Each teen has their own specialty in which they must work, this aspect of the novel is unlike anything else I have read before therefore to me it is very original as well as being a new and exciting concept.

Additionally to this Wendy Higgins takes on a contemporary writing style through the telling of her novel, one which is easy to consume yourself in and relate with. Although her world is paranormal focused she incorporates so many aspects that are surrounding our everyday world, she incorporates really hardcore subjects such as Sexual Abuse and Sex Trafficking therefore drawing attention to these matters.

I can’t help but give Sweet Evil a 5 star rating, I loved the concept of the novel and I couldn’t put it down. Finding a book I can easily get into, one which I find myself wanting to continue to read and not put down until i’ve finished is what I love about reading and Wendy Higgins brings so many aspects to Sweet Evil that it is a lovely addition to the Young Adult Genre, one which I would highly recommend. Furthermore I particularly enjoyed the Good Girl and Bad Boy relationship between Anna and Kaiden and the constant burning question of Will they or Won’t they we faced in each moment they shared together.

Sweet Evil is the first book in The Sweet Trilogy, which is ultimately a Good VS Evil, Angels VS Demons story. However along the way Higgins incorporates numerous elements to her story including Romance, Religion, Fantasy and Paranormal aspects. I personally fell in love with Kaiden and Anna’s relationship, at first I was a little wary of Anna’s character because I assumed she was going to be this boring religious character who wouldn’t venture from what she knows. But throughout the story as a character she opens up more and more coming to terms with what she is, how her life is going to change as well as how her future will pan out becoming a strong female heroine.

More over, one aspect of the book which I really liked was the Road Trip element, I really enjoyed Kaiden’s and Anna’s moments alone in the car, learning more about Kaiden’s life and Anna’s heritage through his thoughts as well as the way it blossomed their relationship… (the sexual tension is clearly strong).

I sincerely recommend reading Sweet Evil for yourself, in fact if you have read The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare then I believe you may like this book for yourself. They both incorporate so many of the same elements most notably the concept of demons in the world. If you would like to try out Sweet Evil please find the following links which will be useful to you:

Amazon – Sweet Evil

Good Reads – Sweet Evil

Book Depository – Sweet Evil

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