April Wrap Up

Hello everyone! I know it's been quite a while since I've posted, but this year has just been a terrible year for me so far and I just lost all motivation to blog and read. But today marks the first day of my two week holiday from work and I'm planning to get quite a lot of reviews written and scheduled - because I have A LOT to catch up on.

Anyways, in April I met Cassandra Clare - which wasn't as great as I'd been expecting. I'm not going to get into it, but she lives up to her reputation. I also saw 3 movies in the cinema this month: The Boy - good, not scary, but did have a unexpected twist at the end; Eye in the Sky - amazing. Totally and utterly amazing; The Jungle Book - considering I never really liked The Jungle Book as a child, the live action version is really good. 

Book-wise, I managed to read 9 books in April. I'm pretty happy with that considering I got off to a very slow start and couldn't get into anything.

My favourite book of the month would have to be Undecided by Julianna Keyes. I was debating between this and TPWF, but ultimately, I liked the relationship more in Undecided, so it came out on top.

So, on Thursday I'm heading back to London for a couple of days, so hopefully I'll managed to get some posts written before I go. And I'll be spending the rest of my two weeks off relaxing. 

So, that's my April wrap up! Let me know in the comments what you're favourite book you read in April was!

The Fable of Us by Nicole Williams

The Fable of Us by Nicole Williams
Series: No
Publisher: Nicole Williams
Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Source: Bought

Her heart can’t be destroyed by the same person twice. At least that’s what Clara Abbot finds herself hoping when she runs into Boone Cavanaugh less than an hour after returning to Charleston.

As kids, Clara and Boone had been each other’s firsts, and no one or nothing could stand in the way of their forever. But all kids have to grow up sometime. The troubled son of the town drunk winding up with the firstborn daughter of the local royalty was a happy ending even the most imaginative of fairy tales couldn’t make believable.

Their fable came to an end as most do: tragically. Boone might have done the leaving, but it was Clara who got away and made a new life for herself in California. But after seven years of dodging her hometown, she’s only back in Charleston for seven days to celebrate her sister’s wedding. She won’t let her overbearing family or her run-in with Boone rattle her—though rattling her is obviously Boone’s primary objective.

Boone is her past and her past is behind her, a mere speck in the rearview. So why does she feel it coming back every time she looks at him? Why does she see it every time he looks back?

Just when Clara’s life can’t possibly get more complicated, the ground shifts, and she discovers just how far her family was willing to go to keep the wrong boy out of her life. Was it really Boone who left her? Or was it Clara who left him?

The truth will be hard to face. Especially when she discovers most of her life has been built on lies.

The Fable of Us was a huge disappointment. I've read two of Nicole Williams series - Lost & Found and Crash - both of which I loved, so when I heard she had a new book coming out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! But unfortunately, this book turned out to be a major disappointment.

The Fable of Us follows Clara and Boone. Clara escaped from Charleston years ago and had no intention of returning. But as her sister is getting married, Clara has to step into her past once again and is dreading every second of it. And as soon as she turns up in Charleston, she runs into her old sweetheart Boone. Things with Boone were left on a bad note, and he clearly dislikes Clara. But Clara offers him a deal he can't resist - pretend to be her plus one for the wedding and she'll give him $10,000. 

I didn't like Clara or Boone, or any of the characters in the book really. Clara comes across all high and mighty, thinking she's better than her family because she's the only 'normal' one. Boone is just a complete ass. Both of them are terrible people and they both have awful families, Clara's is definitely the worst, and there's nothing redeeming about any of them.

Clara and Boone's relationship basically fell apart due to them being told things by other people, believing said things and never actually speaking to one another about anything. It was completely frustrating hearing about their past and what happened between them, and I honestly couldn't believe how stupid they both were for not even speaking to each other. It was ridiculous.

Overall, The Fable of Us was a major disappointment, and I'm actually pretty sad about writing this review because I was so convinced I was going to love this book. But unfortunately not.

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae
Series: No
Publisher: 
Publication Date: March 1st 2016
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)

Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.

Beyond the Red had so much potential and the storyline sounded like it was going to be amazing, but unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it.

Beyond the Red follows Kora - the alien queen - and Eros - a half blood rebel soldier. Kora is the first female ruler of her territory, but her people are calling for her twin brother to be the one on the trhone. Kora is determined to prove to her people that she is the best person to rule. Eros is a solider who is hated by both aliens and humans due to being a half blood. When Eros is captured, Kora gives him two options: either become her bodyguard, or be executed. 

For a story full of betrayal, political unrest and attempted assassinations, I found it extremely boring and also very predictable. I really wanted to enjoy this because it sounded so good, but I just couldn't get into the story and I ended up skimming through most of it. Not only was it boring, I was getting completely sick of Kora and Eros. Every time they were together - and I mean every. single. time - their thoughts were just full of how they want to kiss, but oh no they shouldn't because they just can't and I really didn't care! It was tiring reading about how they just couldn't possibly kiss each other and it all got a bit repetitive. And that was most of their thoughts about each other for the whole damn book. Also, Eros's storyline was extremely predictable and I'd guessed what was going to happen with him pretty early on.

Overall, Beyond the Red just wasn't for me. I found it boring and repetitive, and I just didn't enjoy it, no matter how much I wanted to. There hasn't been anything mentioned about a sequel yet, but if there is one, I don't think I'll be continuing with the series.

February Wrap Up

Hello everyone! How was your February? Mines was pretty uneventful. It started to get a bit busier at work, and I also had a week off which was nice. I also went to the cinema quite a bit with my fiancé. We saw: Dirty Grandpa (which was funny. Also shirtless Zac Efron <3); Deadpool (which I LOVED! Ryan Reynolds is just amazing, and I ended up seeing it twice); Zoolander 2 (funny, but pretty bad); Grimsby (didn't like this one, I'm not a big Sasha Baron Cohen fan) and The Forest (it was jumpy, but not great. Natalie Dormer was good though). Bookwise, this month I managed to read 12 books and 5 of them were re-reads!

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes ★★★★★
12. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (re-read) ★★★★★
13. After by Anna Todd ★
14. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (re-read) ★★★★★
15. The Fable of Us by Nicole Williams ★
16. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor ★★★★
7. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (re-read) ★★★★★
8. Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas ★★★ 
9. Beyond the Red by Ava Jae ★★
10. Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry ★★★★
11. Faking It by Cora Carmack (re-read) ★★★★★
12. The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout (re-read) ★★★★★

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was definitely my favourite book of the month. It's one of the books Brittany recommended to me for our challenge and I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I also hated Brittany slightly after I finished reading it because I just couldn't stop sobbing. It was so damn heartbreaking, but such an amazing story.

So, in March I'm hoping to read around 10 books. I'm in the middle of three books just now: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor; The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout and When We Collided by Emery Lord.

So that was my February wrap up! Let me know what you're favourite book of the month was and what you're most looking forward to reading in March!

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

November 9 by Colleen Hoover
Series: No
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Audio
Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Source: Bought (Audible)
Narrator: Zachary Webber & Angela Goethals

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?

Colleen Hoover's books never fail to completely destroy me, and November 9 was no exception. It follows Fallon and Ben who meet the day before Fallon is due to move to New York. They  connect and spend Fallon's last day in L.A. together and before they part they decided to meet up on the same day every year and give each other tasks to push each other.

This book actually sounded like the most adorable book ever. A slow burn romance with the characters only having contact one day per year, giving they time to experience new things and grow as characters. 

I adored Fallon. She's feisty and determined, but lacks confidence due to a fire that she was trapped in when she was younger which left her covered in burns and ruined her acting career. She took a major hit to her confidence, and I adored seeing her becoming comfortable in her own skin and gaining the confidence to put herself out there again. 

Ben is a completely different story. He's basically an enigma for most of the book. We never really hear much about Ben's past, and he's pretty secretive about his personal life. But Ben is the sweetest guy ever. He's adorable and charming, and he really helps Fallon come out of her shell. He was just such an amazing character.

And then came the biggest plot twist Colleen Hoover has ever written that completely and utterly destroyed me. I had no idea how I was supposed to feel after the twist or what I was supposed to do. It's the most horrific and heartbreaking twist ever, and I had no idea what was going to happen between Ben and Fallon after the reveal.

November 9 is probably the most cruel book Colleen Hoover has ever written. But it's beautiful and heartbreaking, and I loved every minute of it.

Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas

Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas
Series: A Wicked Thing #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 23rd 2016
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)

Asleep for a hundred years, awoken by a kiss, Aurora’s life was supposed to be a fairytale. But since discovering that loyalty to the crown and loyalty to her country are two very different things, Aurora knows she can only dream of happily ever after. Once the enchanted princess, savior of her people, she is now branded a traitor.

Aurora is determined to free her home from the king’s tyrannical rule, even if it means traveling across the sea to the kingdom of the handsome and devious Prince Finnegan—someone who seems to know far more about her magic than he should. However, Finnegan’s kingdom has perils of its own, and any help he gives Aurora will come at a price.

As Aurora and Finnegan work together to harness her power—something so fiery and dangerous that is as likely to destroy those close to Aurora as it is to save them—she begins to unravel the mysteries surrounding the curse that was placed on her over a century before…and uncover the truth about the destiny she was always meant to fulfill.

Kingdom of Ashes picks up with Aurora on the run. She's escaped from court and left a huge mess in her wake. After the events that led up to Aurora fleeing, she's even more determined to find a way to save her Kingdom from the evil King. Aurora meets up with Nettle again, and the two of them journey to Vanhelm to get the help of Prince Finnegan. 

I liked Aurora a bit more in this one. She's not stuck in a position where she has no power anymore, so she's more determined to do whatever she can to save her Kingdom. She comes across a lot stronger than she did in the first book. She's still naive and makes some foolish decisions, but I did like her.

Aurora's love interests get slashed from 3 to 1 in this book, which I liked - I hated Aurora's indecision in the first book. Aurora spends a lot more time with Finnegan, and I adored the two of them together. Their banter is still my favourite thing about them. Finnegan is charming and flirty, and likes to tease Aurora. They're perfect for each other, in my opinion.

I liked to see Aurora learning more about herself and her powers. Her link with the dragons that destroyed parts of Finnegan's kingdom was intriguing and I enjoyed learning more about it.

There were, however, parts of the story that I did find slightly boring and I did find myself skimming parts of the book. But most of the time, I did enjoy the story.

The last few chapters were full of action and Aurora fought for her Kingdom, but again, there's still so much left unresolved and Aurora still has a lot left to learn and uncover about herself. Overall, Kingdom of Ashes was a great follow up to A Wicked Thing and I'm looking forward to the next book - if there is one - to find out more about Aurora and hopefully see more of Aurora and Finnegan together.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen #2
Publisher: Orion
Publication Date: February 11th 2016
Source: Received from publisher (Netgalley)

If there's one thing Mare Barrow knows, it's that she's different.

Mare's blood is red - the colour of common folk - but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from the prince and friend who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by the Silver king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red and Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

Red Queen was one of my favourite books of last year and I've been eagerly anticipating the sequel ever since! So I was super excited to get the chance to read it early and I spent a whole day doing just that and avoiding everything else I should have been doing. Glass Sword was an amazing sequel and yet again, Victoria Aveyard has left me dying for the next book!

So, Glass Sword picks up right after Red Queen. Mare and Cal have escaped from the Silver King and have joined up with The Scarlet Guard. The Scarlet Guard are intent on taking down the Silver King and everything he stands for. Mare comes up with a plan to rescue more 'newbloods' (people with Red blood and Silver abilities) like herself and build and army to fight the King.

Holy crap this book man! This book! As soon as I finished Red Queen last year I've was dying to get my hands on the sequel and it was totally worth the wait! Glass Sword was jam-packed full of action and kept me on my toes! 

Mare is still so damn amazing! I love her. She's strong and determined, and she'll do whatever she has to to save her people, no matter what the consequences are. I also loved getting to see more of Mare's family! I adored seeing Gisa again and seeing how she's adjusting to her hand injury. She's blossoming and still trying her hardest to make beautiful things. I also really enjoyed getting to see Mare's relationship with her brother Shade. Mare has spent the past few years thinking her brother had been killed, but he's been alive all along and working with The Scarlet Guard. So it was really nice to see them together again because they were so close.

Calis not entirely sure what side he's fighting for in Glass Sword. He can't bring himself to kill his own blood, no matter what they do to him or anyone else. He still feels like he should be loyal to his people, even if they are hunting him. I really don't like Kilorn. He was acting like a 5 year old. He's in the middle of a war and throws a hissy fit when he can't go on expeditions. GROW. UP.

Story wise, the book was just action, action, action! We were always following Mare on trips to find other 'newbloods' or running from The Silver King, there was never a chance to catch my breath! I was always on edge!

And then yet again Victoria Aveyard DESTROYED ME with that damn ending! WHY MUST YOU TORTURE ME?! But anyways, now I'm even more excited for book 3!