Crown of Coral and Pearl By: Mara Rutherford

Firstly, the cover is lovely as is the title. I was intrigued right away and then even more so when I read the description. And I am truly glad I read this one! I was hooked immediately by the characters and the setting. The dynamic between the sisters was wonderfully done and you could really feel their love for each other. The setting was beautifully described, the sun, the heat, the saltiness of the ocean. It was all perfect. It doesn’t take long for the story to really pick up, either, and once it did it was impossible to put down. The story takes a darker turn, but it is well worth the read. Nor is an amazing and strong main character and I liked her a lot. The only thing about this book was that I found the ending to be rather abrupt and felt it could have been fleshed out a bit more, but otherwise this was just a great read! Highly recommend.

A Sky Without Stars By: Jessica Brody/Joanne Rendell

This book hooked me right off the bet. This is apparently a sci-fi retelling of Les Miserables, which I will admit I have not read. Either way, this book was interesting all on its own. Great characters that were well fleshed out, the world building was excellent and the action was great. I enjoyed the sci-fi and french elements that really fleshed out the story and the world in which it takes place. Not to mention, the cover looks amazing! I truly do recommend this book if you’re looking for some exciting and adventurous. It is a long book, but you won’t notice that at all!

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Enchanted Sonata By: Heather Dixon Wallwork

Not going to lie, the cover of this book drew me in immediately. Along with the pretty title. This was a sweet and magical book. The characters were lovely and well developed. The world-building was unique and intriguing. This was an enjoyable, fun, and cozy read, with magic and romance. I would recommend this book!

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Missing of Claiedelune By: Christelle Dabos

Brilliant! I have to thank the owner of my local bookstore for pointing out the first book in the series, A Winter’s Promise. If not for that, who knows how long it would have taken me to discover this series. I did read some mixed reviews, which to be honest, makes me want to read a book even more. Some people love it, some people hate it. That usually means I’m going to be one of the people that loves it. And did I ever! The pure imagination that went into this book is astounding. I loved every minute I was reading this book. The story has so many twists and turns, mysteries, twists, its awesome. The characters are very well written and I adore the heroine, Ophelia. I liked her immediately. Her apparent mousiness and clumsiness, her actual complete strength of character. She did what needed to be done, no matter what. Love her! So happy I got to read this book. The only downside is that I have to wait forever for the third one to be translated and released here. But I guarantee I will be purchasing it on release day.

This book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

A Dangerous Collaboration By: Deanna Raybourn

I’ve been a fan of Deanna Raybourn since her Lady Julia Gray series. She is a fantastic storyteller and this was no disappointment. I devoured this latest Victoria Speedwell mystery, I think it was my favorite so far. The mystery was intriguing, complete with a creepy castle, terrible weather, seances and romance. The chemistry between the characters was brilliantly done. I loved every minute of this book and the only sad thing is, now I have to wait even longer for the next one! I think I will read anything Deanna Raybourn writes and love it.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Jane Eyre – Manga Classics

Jane Eyre is one of my favorite stories. I also love manga, so this was exciting for me. I absolutely loved it. Everything was completely true to the story and it was so well done. The artwork was beautiful and expressive and made the story flow perfectly. This was a great new way to enjoy a favorite classic. Every important part of the story was there, perfectly encapsulated in the manga format. It was easy to get used to reading it right to left and I was swept along in the story and drawings. I will definitely be reading more manga classics, this was a fun, fresh take on a classic.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Seraphina By: Rachel Hartman

 

When I picked up this book, I really had no idea what to expect. Part of me thought it would be just another lame dragon book, but luckily I was proven wrong. There was very extensive world building, which I noticed right off the bat. It really added to the overall story line and I quite enjoyed it. The characters were very well developed and I loved Seraphina. She is a strong, brave female character, but she isn’t perfect or whiny. The romance was subtle but sweet and developed nicely with the rest of the story. I really like what Rachel Hartman did with dragons in this story, I found it to be quite unique and thoroughly planned out. Overall, this book was a nice relaxing read without being boring and I look forward to the next one!

Winter By: Marissa Meyer

To say that I was excited about this book would be an understatement. And then to find out how long it was? So happy! And of course, it didn’t let me down. I jumped headfirst into this book and it didn’t let me go. I absolutely love the characters Marissa Meyer created in this series. They are flawed and they are full of life. The story was so well plotted with all of the fairy tales coming together perfectly. It was all so wonderfully done and I enjoyed every minute of it. So if you haven’t read the series at all. It begins with Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and then Winter. So go read them. If you haven’t, you’re really going to miss out. Who doesn’t love fairy tale recreations? Especially with a sci-fi twist? Hop to it! You won’t regret it!

Queen of Shadows By: Sarah J. Maas

All I can say about this is wow. Definitely the best book in the series thus far. This book drew me in immediately and didn’t let me go. Still hasn’t really. Everything developed so wonderfully, characters, plot, everything. Despite its length, this book felt too short. I really want to know what happens next. I really enjoy the different POVs in this series as well. It makes it much easier to get to know each character and see their development. I love Aelin because she seems like a character that could be real. I feel like I spent half of the time loving her and her decisions and the other half being frustrated with her. Anyway, loveloveloved this book and can’t wait for the next. Plus, awesome cover.

The Paris Winter By: Imogen Robertson

I’m not going to lie, the title and cover of this book drew my initial interest. The story involves a poor young artist in the city of Paris in the 1800’s. There is mystery, tragedy, art, romance and did I mention it takes place in Paris in the 1800’s? ‘Cause it does. And it was good. The writing was elegant, detailed and lovely. The protagonist is a young lady by the name of Maude Heighton and she is wonderful. She is tough, but kindhearted and I love that she is a fighter.  The twist, while expected was still surprising, if that makes any sense. Basically, you know something horrible is coming, but you don’t know when, what, or how. The story was brilliantly constructed and I loved every minute of it. If you are looking for a darker novel full of intrigue, mystery and very great characters, read this. Loved it!

 

Description from Amazon:

There is but one Paris.
Vincent Van Gogh Maud Heighton came to Lafond’s famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris, she quickly realizes, is no place for a light purse. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling decadence of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, she stumbles upon an opportunity when Christian Morel engages her as a live-in companion to his beautiful young sister, Sylvie. Maud is overjoyed by her good fortune. With a clean room, hot meals, and an umbrella to keep her dry, she is able to hold her head high as she strolls the streets of Montmartre. No longer hostage to poverty and hunger, Maud can at last devote herself to her art. But all is not as it seems. Christian and Sylvie, Maud soon discovers, are not quite the darlings they pretend to be. Sylvie has a secret addiction to opium and Christian has an ominous air of intrigue. As this dark and powerful tale progresses, Maud is drawn further into the Morels’ world of elegant deception. Their secrets become hers, and soon she is caught in a scheme of betrayal and revenge that will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light.