September Wrap Up | 2019

Hello bookworms! I’m Nia and today I’m going to be talking about the books that I read in September.

September was a normal reading month for me. I was in a reading slump after reading so many books in August, and had more things to do, so I read less books than I wanted or expected, but still it wasn’t a bad month, so I’m happy about that.

As always, I’ll be leaving links to my reviews if they are already published as well as synopsis of each book I’ll mention.

Without any further ado, let’s begin with my September wrap up!

If We Were Villains | M.L. Rio

★★★★★

I’ll be posting a review of this book soon, so stay tuned if you want to know my thoughts about it.

Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail – for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he’s released, he’s greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.

As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

The Never Tilting World | Rin Chupeco

★★★

I was so excited to read this book because it checked so many boxes, and I had such high hopes I was going to enjoy it, and though I enjoyed certain parts about the story and the characters, I had some issues that made me not enjoy the book as much as I was expecting to.

First of all, I think the overall plot was super interesting and unique, and I liked how everything was done and set up. It was one of those books where you got to explore the world and the characters as you kept continuing with the story, which is something that I deeply appreciated, and everything we learnt in this first installment left me wanting for more.

I adored the world building and the magic. I think that it was done in a very intriguing way that made the reader want to keep reading, and though there’s still plenty to know about that world, for a first installment I think the balance between plot, characters and world and magic was actually pretty well done, and I hadn’t got a feeling that there was something missing.

The thing that made me not enjoy The Never Tilting World as I was hoping to was the pacing. It was such a slow book, and after reading more of Rin Chupeco’s works I know for sure that all of her books have this slow burning factor to their stories, but I think in this book in particular it didn’t work as well as in her other novels. I struggled a lot at focusing on the book, and getting into the story, and that happened every time I had to pick up the book again. I felt not much was happening until the last third of the story, which was a bit of a bummer because I was really enjoying the world and the direction the plot would take.

When it comes to the characters, I had a love-hate relationship with them. I really enjoyed seeing their storylines come together and seeing them grow and evolve, but I think not all of their POVs were interesting, and I could have done with one or two perspectives less, because I felt they didn’t add much to the story and were a bit repetitive and not much happened during those chapters. However, I did like the dynamics between those characters with the rest of their group.

I think the ending was one of my favorite parts, because after a lot of chapters were not much was actually happening and not many answers or revelations were done, there came a point in the book where I felt the story was flowing very nicely, and finally I got a glimpse of everything that was going on and was going to happen, as well as some action packed scenes that kept me at the edge of my seat.

Overall, I think The Never Tilting World was a solid story, but my issues with the pacing affected the way I saw and enjoyed the book, and though I totally think those things will improve in the sequel, sadly I was a bit disappointed by this first installment.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.

Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.

While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal.

But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.

The Near Witch | V. E. Schwab

★★★★

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

All the Things We Do in the Dark | Saundra Mitchell

★★

I was super intrigued about this book, and even though lately I haven’t been reading a lot of YA contemporary books, I love me a good dark contemporary, but unfortunately even though I had such high expectations I didn’t end up liking All the Things We Do in The Dark as much as I thought I would.

First of all, I deeply respected the author for writing about something that hit so close to her and I don’t really have an opinion of that. I think there was nothing wrong with the story and more a this wasn’t the book for me kind of situation, because I could see how this book would be a hit for so many people, but I just didn’t click with it.

One of the main issues that I had with this novel was that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing. Though it was descriptive and flowy, there was something about it that made me disconnect with the characters and the book, thus why I struggled a lot to continue reading it and not put it down. The way the author portrayed the characters and describe them was a bit juvenile and childish, and I think that had something to do with her writing and less with the characters themselves.

Also, I just didn’t like our protagonist. Despite the novel being told in first person so the reader could relate and understand the main character more, I just simply couldn’t. I didn’t particularly like her storyline and her personality, and I think that the relationship she had with her love interest/friend was so odd and strange. The way everything was done made me disconnect with the characters and the plot till the point when I didn’t care what happened to any of them.

I also struggled with the pacing of the story and the plot. I don’t know, but even though it was such a short book I think there were a lot of things that didn’t add much to the story and could have been cut out.

Overall, I wasn’t the biggest fan of All the Things We Do in The Dark. I had such high expectations and I honestly thought I was going to really enjoy the book, given the fact that I’ve loved similar stories, but I guess that it wasn’t for me.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.

Something happened to Ava. The curving scar on her face is proof. Ava would rather keep that something hidden—buried deep in her heart and her soul.

But in the woods on the outskirts of town, the traces of someone else’s secrets lie frozen, awaiting Ava’s discovery—and what Ava finds threatens to topple the carefully constructed wall of normalcy that she’s spent years building around her.

Secrets leave scars. But when the secret in question is not your own—do you ignore the truth and walk away? Or do you uncover it from its shallow grave and let it reopen old wounds—wounds that have finally begun to heal?

The Last Magician | Lisa Maxwell

★★★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

Stop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.

In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

Beyond the Black Door | A. M. Strickland

★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

Kamai was warned never to open the black door, but she didn’t listen …

Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkers―like Kamai and her mother―can journey into other people’s souls while they sleep.

But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. It follows her into every soul, and her mother has told her to never, ever open it.

When Kamai touches the door, it is warm and beating, like it has a pulse. When she puts her ear to it, she hears her own name whispered from the other side. And when tragedy strikes, Kamai does the unthinkable: she opens the door.

A.M. Strickland’s imaginative dark fantasy features court intrigue and romance, a main character coming to terms with her asexuality, and twists and turns as a seductive mystery unfolds that endangers not just Kamai’s own soul, but the entire kingdom …

Songs from the Deep | Kelly Powell

★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

The sea holds many secrets.

Moira Alexander has always been fascinated by the deadly sirens who lurk along the shores of her island town. Even though their haunting songs can lure anyone to a swift and watery grave, she gets as close to them as she can, playing her violin on the edge of the enchanted sea. When a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he’s one of the sirens’ victims. Moira isn’t so sure.

Certain that someone has framed the boy’s death as a siren attack, Moira convinces her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper Jude Osric, to help her find the real killer, rekindling their friendship in the process. With townspeople itching to hunt the sirens down, and their own secrets threatening to unravel their fragile new alliance, Moira and Jude must race against time to stop the killer before it’s too late—for humans and sirens alike.

Broken Knight | L. J. Shen

★★

Luna Rexroth is everyone’s favorite wallflower.

Sweet.
Caring.
Charitable.
Quiet.
Fake.
Underneath the meek, tomboy exterior everyone loves (yet pities) is a girl who knows exactly what, and who, she wants—namely, the boy from the treehouse who taught her how to curse in sign language.
Who taught her how to laugh.
To live.
To love.
Knight Cole is everyone’s favorite football hero.
Gorgeous.
Athletic.
Rugged.
Popular.
Liar.

This daredevil hell-raiser could knock you up with his gaze alone, but he only has eyes for the girl across the street: Luna.

But Luna is not who she used to be. She doesn’t need his protection anymore.
When life throws a curveball at All Saints’ golden boy, he’s forced to realize not all knights are heroes.

Sometimes, the greatest love stories flourish in tragedy.

The Body Painter | Pepper Winters

★

“Must be slim, able to stand for long periods of time, and be impervious to the cold.”

The headline caught my attention.

“Hours are negotiable, pay is minimal, clothing absolutely forbidden.

“The second line piqued my curiosity.

“Able to hold your bladder and tongue, refrain from opinions or suggestions, and be the perfect living canvas.“

The third made me scowl.

“Other attributes required: non-ticklish, contortionist, and obedient. Must also enjoy being studied while naked in a crowd.”

The fourth made me shudder.

“Call or email ‘YOUR SKIN, HIS CANVAS’ if interested in applying.”

The final made my heart race. I should’ve kept scrolling past the advertisement. I should’ve applied for the boring receptionist job at minimum wage. I should’ve clicked on any other job where I got to keep my clothes on. But I didn’t. I applied. My interview is tomorrow…

The Harp of Kinhs | Juliet Marillier

★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan’s burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. She and her brother train there to compete for places, and find themselves joining a mission while still candidates. Their unusual blend of skills makes them ideal for this particular job, which requires going undercover as traveling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.

Their mission: to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone mysteriously missing. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the candidate will not be accepted and the people could revolt. Faced with plotting courtiers and tight-lipped druids, an insightful storyteller, and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realizes an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the kingdom. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision and is faced with a heartbreaking choice. . .

Traitor to the Throne | Alwyn Hamilton

★★★.5

Rebel by chance. Traitor by choice.

Gunslinger Amani al’Hiza fled her dead-end hometown on the back of a mythical horse with the mysterious foreigner Jin, seeking only her own freedom. Now she’s fighting to liberate the entire desert nation of Miraji from a bloodthirsty sultan who slew his own father to capture the throne.

When Amani finds herself thrust into the epicenter of the regime—the Sultan’s palace—she’s determined to bring the tyrant down. Desperate to uncover the Sultan’s secrets by spying on his court, she tries to forget that Jin disappeared just as she was getting closest to him, and that she’s a prisoner of the enemy. But the longer she remains, the more she questions whether the Sultan is really the villain she’s been told he is, and who’s the real traitor to her sun-bleached, magic-filled homeland.

Forget everything you thought you knew about Miraji, about the rebellion, about Djinn and Jin and the Blue-Eyed Bandit. In Traitor to the Throne, the only certainty is that everything will change.

Clipped Wings | Helena Hunting

★★★.5

An emotional love story that follows the touch-and-go relationship of Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

As Hayden and Tenley navigate their newfound but slightly unstable relationship, they want to trust each other, but Hayden is hiding a dark and shameful past that he doesn’t ever want Tenley to find out about. And Tenley has secrets of her own that could make Hayden run away forever. When Tenley asks Hayden to put a beautifully elaborate tattoo across her back, the two form what they thought was an unshakeable bond. But when Tenley’s past shows up on her doorstep, will Hayden stand by her side…or run?

Find me Their Bones | Sara Wolf

★★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

No one can save her.

In order to protect Prince Lucien d’Malvane’s heart, Zera had to betray him. Now, he hates the sight of her. Trapped in Cavanos as a prisoner of the king, she awaits the inevitable moment her witch severs their magical connection and finally ends her life.

But fate isn’t ready to give her up just yet.

With freedom coming from the most unlikely of sources, Zera is given a second chance at life as a Heartless. But it comes with a terrible price. As the king mobilizes his army to march against the witches, Zera must tame an elusive and deadly valkerax trapped in the tunnels underneath the city if she wants to regain her humanity.

Winning over a bloodthirsty valkerax? Hard. Winning back her friends before war breaks out? A little harder.

But a Heartless winning back Prince Lucien’s heart?

The hardest thing she’s ever done.

Sisters of Shadow and Light | Sarah B. Larson

★★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

Zuhra and Inara have grown up in the Citadel of the Paladins, an abandoned fortress where legendary, magical warriors once lived before disappearing from the world—including their Paladin father the night Inara was born.

On that same night, a massive, magical hedge grew and imprisoned them within the citadel. Inara inherited their father’s Paladin power; her eyes glow blue and she is able to make plants grow at unbelievable rates, but she has been trapped in her own mind because of a “roar” that drowns everything else out—leaving Zuhra virtually alone with their emotionally broken human mother.

For fifteen years they have lived, trapped in the citadel, with little contact from the outside world…until the day a stranger passes through the hedge, and everything changes.

Inked Armor | Helena Hunting

★★.5

In this follow-up to Clipped Wings, the emotional love story continues between Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

In the wake of losing Tenley Page, tattooist Hayden Stryker’s tumultuous past is haunting him. Plagued by nightmares about the murder of his parents, Hayden reaches out again to Tenley. Having run from the man she doesn’t believe she deserves, Tenley finally lays her guilt to rest. Despite their intense physical attraction, Hayden and Tenley struggle to repair their fragile emotional connection. As Hayden gets closer to the truth, he must find a way to reconcile his guilt over his parents’ death in order to keep the woman who finally cracked his armor, and found her way into his heart.

Pennies | Pepper Winters

★★★.5

“I’m not the hero in this story, girl. You’d do best to remember that.”

Once upon a time, I was an eighteen year old psychology student.
Now, I’m a man’s property.
Stolen and sold, I’ve been decorated in bruises since the day my world changed two years ago.
I suffer in silence, I crave freedom, but I never break.
I can’t.
Until he arrives.
Elder Prest, the only man to look at me and see me. The only man more ruthless than my owner.
He wants me for reasons I don’t understand.
He claims me for one night then leaves and never looks back.
Until he returns.
And life becomes much more complicated.

Dollars | Pepper Winters

★★★

“I should never have asked for a night with you. This would never have happened if I’d had more willpower.”

Once upon a time, I was a mute captive who wished for death. Now, I’m stowed away on a yacht. Saved and taken, the thief who stole me demands my voice, my past, my everything. I won’t give in. But Elder refuses to take no for an answer. He pushes and cajoles, slowly discovering who I am. Until I find out he plays the cello to escape his demons, all while his music conjures mine. He’s rich, I’m bankrupt. I’m mute by choice, he’s curious by nature. So many reasons why we can never work. But that doesn’t stop our connection, our passion. Until one night, he ruins everything. And our relationship becomes twisted and full of sin.

Sorcery of Thorns | Margaret Rogerson

★★★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Song of the Crimson Flower | Julie C. Dao

★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

Will love break the spell? After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician’s apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman’s daughter, regrets her actions. So when she finds Bao’s prized flute floating in his boat near her house, she takes it into her care, not knowing that his soul has been trapped inside it by an evil witch, who cursed Bao, telling him that only love will set him free. Though Bao now despises her, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Together, the two travel across the continent, finding themselves in the presence of greatness in the forms of the Great Forest’s Empress Jade and Commander Wei. They journey with Wei, getting tangled in the webs of war, blood magic, and romance along the way. Will Lan and Bao begin to break the spell that’s been placed upon them? Or will they be doomed to live out their lives with black magic running through their veins?

In this fantastical tale of darkness and love, some magical bonds are stronger than blood.

Fireborne | Rosaria Munda

★★★★

I have already posted a review of this book on this blog, so click here in case you want to know my thoughts about it.

Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.

Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely | Brigid Kemmerer

★★★★.5

A review of this book will be published soon on this blog, so stay tuned if you want to know my thoughts about it.

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Deadly Little Scandals | Jennifer Lynn Barnes

★★★★

I don’t know why, but Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ books are so freaking addicting and easy to get into that I had a feeling I was going to have no trouble whatsoever with this one. And after the events that happened in book one, I knew I had to pick it up.

Now, I feel that even though this one was a continuation of what happened after Little White Lies, the tone and the entire vibe of this sequel was pretty different. We had the same characters trying to solve a mystery, but the atmosphere I think was a lot darker, which is something that I adored.

It took me a couple of chapters to remember all the characters and events of the first book, because it’s been a year since I read it and my brain isn’t as functional as I want it to be, but once I passed that confusion I started to enjoy the plot more and more.

I’d say it took me a bit longer than expected to start getting into the story, because in the first quarter not much was going on, but as the plot started to develop, I had such a great time. The mystery was so interesting and really well written, and I was constantly at the edge of my seat guessing, making up theories and wanting to know what was going to happen next, and I was so pleasantly surprised by the different twists and turns the story had, and the revelations made towards the end, because I for sure wasn’t expecting THAT.

When it comes to the characters, it felt so nice to be back into that story and learnt more about them and seeing them interact. I really enjoyed some of the friendships formed in this book, because I loved those characters and they were so strong and powerful together, so it was great to see them be friends in Deadly Little Scandals.

However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance. I think that there was a lot going on with the characters and the mystery, and because of that the romance felt quite unimportant and lacking. There was no room for these characters to start a relationship, and because of that I found those parts a bit unnecessary.
Like I mentioned before, the ending was totally worth the read for me. I feel with mysteries I can look past certain things I wasn’t the biggest fan of if the ending is amazing, and in this case, I was constantly surprised by everything that was happening.

Overall, I don’t know if there are going to be more books in the series (hopefully it will), but I think I enjoyed Deadly Little Scandals a bit more than the first installment. I was such a great fan of the mystery and the way it played in the story, and we got to see characters I really enjoyed in Little White Lies become friends and interact more, which is something I wanted since I finished book one, so I was pretty pleased with that!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion of it whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.

“Think of the White Gloves like the Junior League-by way of Skull and Bones?”

Reluctant debutante Sawyer Taft joined Southern high society for one reason and one reason alone: to identify and locate her biological father. But the answers Sawyer found during her debutante year only left her with more questions and one potentially life-ruining secret. When her cousin Lily ropes her into pledging a mysterious, elite, and all-female secret society called the White Gloves, Sawyer soon discovers that someone in the group’s ranks may have the answers she’s looking for. Things are looking up… until Sawyer and the White Gloves make a disturbing discover near the family’s summer home–and uncover a twisted secret, decades in the making.

No one is quite who they seem to be.

Cruel  Prince | Ashley Jade

★★

Welcome to their kingdom…

I never thought I’d step foot in Royal Manor again. But four years later, here I am…back to finish my senior year at Royal Hearts Academy. And forced to face Jace Covington. My first friend. First crush. First kiss. The one I left behind.

Only-he isn’t the same boy I gave my heart to. This new Jace is as cruel as he is gorgeous. And he’s determined to make my life a living hell. Along with the rest of his glorified family and crew of tyrants.

They expect me to worship the ground they walk on like everyone else, but I’d rather eat dirt. If Jace Covington wants me gone… he’ll have to try harder. Because I’ve never been the kind of girl to play by the rules.

Dangerous Alliance | Jennieke Cohen

★★

I admit I was pretty intrigued by this book, because even though I haven’t read anything by Jane Austen, I love both adaptations I’ve seen about her books, so reading something related to her sounded absolutely fantastic, but unfortunately Dangerous Alliance didn’t work for me.

The thing about this book was that, though it had some interesting touches and a very fast paced plot, it was very generic and it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. Yes, the plot and the mystery were interesting, but there came a point where I felt the plot was a bit left behind and we were focusing more on the characters and the interactions between them.

I love me a good historical mystery, despite historical fiction not being a genre I usually reach for, but in this case the mystery wasn’t as engaging as I thought it would be. I don’t know if it was me that has read more of that genre and knows the big revelations before they are actually on page, but it was a bit lackluster for me. I was expecting to be mind blown, or at least surprised by the plot twists or revelations, but I just wasn’t, and that played against Dangerous Alliance.

When it comes to the characters, I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t found any of the ones introduced in the story that complex, and I had the feeling that they weren’t any different from other YA characters I’ve come across in the past. Their arcs weren’t super complex, either, and the interactions between them sometimes were a bit cringey.

Another thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the romance. I feel that whenever there’s a love triangle involved I get a little bit skeptical, because that trope tends to be a bit overdone and I find it quite boring (still, there have been some books that have love triangles that I have absolutely adored), but I think if it’s written well it could create an incredible dynamic between those characters. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and I just didn’t really enjoy the romance and the dynamics between those characters were a bit bland.

Overall, I think Dangerous Alliance had a very interesting premise, and despite historical fiction being not a genre I tend to reach for, I had such high expectations, but neither the plot nor the characters left a lasting impression on me, so sadly it just missed the mark.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.

Lady Victoria Aston has everything she could want: an older sister happily wed, the future of her family estate secure, and ample opportunity to while her time away in the fields around her home.

But now Vicky must marry—or find herself and her family destitute. Armed only with the wisdom she has gained from her beloved novels by Jane Austen, she enters society’s treacherous season.

Sadly, Miss Austen has little to say about Vicky’s exact circumstances: whether the roguish Mr. Carmichael is indeed a scoundrel, if her former best friend, Tom Sherborne, is out for her dowry or for her heart, or even how to fend off the attentions of the foppish Mr. Silby, he of the unfortunate fashion sensibility.

Most unfortunately of all, Vicky’s books are silent on the topic of the mysterious accidents cropping up around her…ones that could prevent her from surviving until her wedding day.

What books have you read lately and which has been your most and least favorite? Have you read any of these books I’ve mentioned above or do you have any on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

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