Romance

Review: Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat

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Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat

Title: Captive Prince (Captive Prince Trilogy, 1)
Author: C. S. Pacat
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Berkley (23rd April 2015)
Blurb:

FROM THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON C. S. PACAT COMES THE FIRST IN HER CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED TRILOGY – WITH A BONUS STORY.

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.

Beautiful, manipulative, and deadly, his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal polical web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.

For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else . . .

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

CAPTIVE PRINCE by C. S. Pacat is book one of the Captive Prince Trilogy. In it we are introduced to Prince Damen and Prince Laurent, who are heirs to the thrones of rival kingdoms. Damen is sent to serve Prince Laurent as a pleasure slave when his half-brother seizes power and becomes King of Akielos. Stuck in a place where discovery will mean his death, Damen struggles to fit into the Veretian Court.

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Review: Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh

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Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Redemption (A Rock Kiss Novel, 3)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: TKA Distribution (18th September 2015)
Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh comes the next contemporary romance in the Rock Kiss series . . .

Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness . . . until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.

Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he’d rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It’s his saving gace, but it doesn’t silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours’ sleep and his bad boy reputation.

When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new “it” couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting – needing – to give Kit this, even if he can’t give her everything, Noah agress to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, to beautiful . . . and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

ROCK REDEMPTION by Nalini Singh is the third book in her fantastic Rock Kiss Novel series. In this book Nalini returns to Schoolboy Choir, this time with Noah St. John taking centre stage. Kit Devigny loved Noah once, until he broke her heart. Kit is in the running for a role of a lifetime, but media scandal ties her to Noah. Forcing them to play the happy couple, if she wants a chance of getting the part. Pretty soon fantasy is becoming dangerously close to reality.

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Review: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

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Title: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: Contemporary, GLBT, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (7th April 2015)
Blurb:

Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is – and what he’s looking for.

But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated.

Because, for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

SIMON vs. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli is a standalone young adult novel that tells the story of sixteen-year-old Simon Spier. When the book starts Simon is exchanging emails anonymously with someone named Blue, who he forms a connection with. After he forgets to log out of his email account at school these emails fall into the wrong hands and life gets complicated for Simon.

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Review: Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake

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Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake

Title: Mortal Gods (The Goddess War, 2)
Author: Kendare Blake
Genre: Mythology, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Tor Teen (8th September 2015)
Blurb:

ARES, GOD OF WAR, is leading the other dying gods into battle. Which is just fine with Athena. She’s ready to wage a war of her own, and she’s never liked him anyway. If Athena is lucky, the winning gods will have their immortality restored. If not, at least she’ll have killed a bloody lot of them, and she and Hermes can die in peace.

Cassandra Weaver is a weapon of fate. The girl who kills gods. But all she wants is for the god she loved and lost to return to life. If she can’t have that, then the other gods will burn, starting with his murderer, Aphrodite.

The alliance between Cassandra and Athena is fragile. Cassandra suspects Athena lacks the will to truly kill her own family. And Athena fears that Cassandra’s hate will get them all killed.

The war takes them across the globe, searching for lost gods, old enemies, and Achilles, the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. As the struggle escalates, Athena and Cassandra must find a way to work together. Because if they can’t, fates far worse than death await.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

MORTAL GODS by Kendare Blake is the second book in The Goddess War trilogy. The book continues the stories of Cassandra and Athena from ANTIGODDESS (review). The old Greek gods are slowly dying; fading ignobly in agony. Cassandra and Athena face the oncoming battles with a fragile alliance stretched between them. And Cassandra is the girl who kills gods.

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Review: Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow by Rainbow Rowell

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Scorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Macmillan (8th October 2015)
Blurb:

SIMON SNOW ID THE WORST CHOSEN ONE WHO’S EVER BEEN CHOSEN.

That’s what his roomate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here – it’s their last year at Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story, and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story – but far, far more monsters.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

CARRY ON: THE RISE AND FALL OF SIMON SNOW by Rainbow Rowell is a standalone novel, which is linked to her young adult novel FANGIRL (review). CARRY ON tells the final part of the Simon Snow series which readers of FANGIRL will be familiar with, as the Simon Snow series is the fandom that Cath, the main character of the novel, is immersed in. Rowell gives readers a glimpse into the world they’ve only heard about through Cath, and her love of it.

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Review: Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

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Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Hard (A Rock Kiss Novel, 2)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Publisher: TKA Distribution (10th March 2015)
Blurb:

In New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s newest contemporary romance, passion ignites between a gorgeous, sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past . . .

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO – a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake – clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

ROCK HARD by Nalini Singh is the second book in her self-published series Rock Kiss. This book tells the story of Charlotte Baird, Molly’s best friend, and her boss Gabriel Bishop – who Charlotte refers to as T-Rex. ROCK HARD takes place almost simultaneously with ROCK ADDICTION (review), though ROCK HARD starts a little later.

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Review: In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin

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In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin (UK edition)

Title: In the Age of Love and Chocolate (The Birthright trilogy, 3)
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books (31st July 2014)
Blurb:

Anya Balanchine is a teenager with the responsibilities of a grown woman.

Now eighteen, her life has been more bitter than sweet. She has lost her mafia-boss father, her mother and her grandmother, and spent the better part of her high-school years in trouble with the law. Perhaps hardest of all, her decision to open a nightclub with her old nemesis, Charles Delacroix, has cost Anya her relationship with his son, Win.

Against the odds, the nightclub becomes an enormous success and Anya feels she’s finally on her way. Until a terrible misjudgement leaves her fighting for her life . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

IN THE AGE OF LOVE AND CHOCOLATE brings to a conclusion Gabrielle Zevin’s The Birthright trilogy. Anya Balanchine has made some tough decisions, and gone through some very difficult circumstances, but her journey isn’t over yet. In this concluding book, Anya has to decide what she wants for her future.

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Review: My True Love Gave To Me Edited by Stephanie Perkins

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My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins (UK edition)

Title: My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Winter Romances
Editor: Stephanie Perkins
Authors: Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de la Peña, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Kiersten White
Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Romance, Short Story, Young Adult
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books (9th October 2014)
Blurb:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .

This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME is a collection of Young Adult short stories edited by Stephanie Perkins. All twelve of the short stories are set during the Christmas period. Each story varies in length, some of the stories read like a contemporary story, whilst others are more fantastic.

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Review: Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

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Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Courtship (A Rock Kiss Novella, 1.5)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, New Adult
Publisher: TKA Distribution (30th September 2014)
Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s new contemporary romance novella is pure hard rock and scorching heat…

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band’s publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn’t date clients–or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she’s not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn’t know is that David is a one-woman man…and he’s madly in love with her. David’s determined to prove he’s worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea’s about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

ROCK COURTSHIP is the first novella in the ROCK KISS series by Nalini Singh. It is a companion story to the first book in the series ROCK ADDICTION (my 4 star review), and it tells the story of Thea and David. David has been interested in Thea for a while, but first she had a boyfriend and wasn’t interested in anyone else and then he broke her heart. David has been patient, but maybe now it’s time for him to make a move.

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Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

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Isla and the Happily Ever After Book Cover

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Usborne (14th August 2014)
Blurb:

The café is boiling. The atmosphere is clouded with bittersweet coffee. Three years of desire rip through my body and burst from my lips: “Josh!” His head jolts up. For a long time, a very long time, he just stares at me. And then…he blinks. “Isla?”

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on brooding artist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And, after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer break, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to face uncertainty about their futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Set against the stunning backdrops of New York, Paris and Barcelona, this is a gorgeous, heart-wrenching and irresistible story of true love, and the perfect conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER brings Stephanie Perkins trilogy of interweaving stories to its conclusion. First we meet Anna in ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS (review), and then we meet Lola in LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR (review), and now, finally, we are introduced to Isla in ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. We have already met Isla briefly in ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, but now she gets her own story. Isla has had a crush on Josh for a long time; now in her senior year, after a chance encounter, she might finally have a chance. But will she get her happily-ever-after?

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