November Wrap-Up

Hello! I know I'm ten days late but...better late than never!! I want to start putting my wrap-ups on my blog and updating monthly. Just because I don't always have time to write reviews for all of the books I read. So, every month I will post the books I have finished that month, along with a rating out of five stars and a quick recap.

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

☆☆☆☆☆ I absolutely loved this book! Historical romance has quickly become one of my new favorite fluffy reads in between intense fantasy or emotionally impacting books haha. This story was set in England during the beginning of the woman's suffrage movement and it just made the story that much better for me. Annabelle was such a strong character, who I found myself relating to and rooting for! Sebastian was your typical grump, alpha male... but I didn't mind it. The rivals to lovers, the angst, the slow burn, AH! I was here for it all.

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore

☆☆☆☆ After reading the first one I had to start the second--I'm an expert binge reader for those of you who don't know. This continues where Bringing Down the Duke left off, except now we are following the fearless leader of the woman's suffrage movement; Lucie. At first I didn't really like her character, but she really grew on me in this one. Her journey of struggling with internal desires while also not wanting to put her cause in jeopardy is something I admired about her. Her and Tristan though, OMG!! The sexual tension right from the beginning was INTENSE!! You all know how I feel about morally grey men with tragic back stories, and Tristan was no different. I liked his character more than Lucie I think, his internal struggles were something I could relate to more. The layers of his character slowly being reveled was something so enjoyable and wholesome. The ending was EVERYTHING.

Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

☆ I got this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was so disappointing. The plot was extremely heavy; with SO much info-dumping and words and phrases I couldn't understand. I wish there had been a glossary or guide of some sort for words and phrases that I believe were Italian. There were too many characters and subplots introduced in a small amount of time that made it hard to understand and keep up. There were just so many concepts thrown at you, on top pf complicated names, and secondary characters that were introduced in a manner that did not flow naturally to the story or the plot. Although it was enjoyable, because I do appreciate myself a good undercover/heist trope. The layer of political intrigue and societal expectations was very realistic and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I was quickly overwhelmed and just could not move past the utter volume of information. I will not be continuing with this series, but I wish it all the very best!

Priceless by Miranda Silver

☆☆☆ Okay so one of my best friends (Marina I'm talking to you) has been trying to get me to read this for a WHILE. LMAO. This was my first smut first, plot second book. As much as I love romance and steamy scenes, I've never really been a fan of NA or contemporary fiction. I often find myself cringing, whether from the writing style, male demeanor, or just overall language used-- but this one actually wasn't bad. I actually enjoyed it and I thought Christina and Patrick were really cute!! I was engaged the whole story and honestly didn't expect some of the plot twists. Although Christina annoyed me a lot... especially making up excuses for her HORRIBLE "best friend" and being such a push-over, I liked it! I would even consider more of Miranda Silver's novels!

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen

☆☆☆☆☆ This book. Wow. It was a RIDE. I loved every single second, page, sentence, word. The world was so well-developed in a way that just was so fluid and easy to grasp. The map at the beginning of the book is just gorgeous and really just sets the tone for the whole story. Lara is such a BADASS and one of my favorite heroines, her fighting and survival skills were unparalleled. Aren was so soft, yet protective and proud of his country, a truly noble King. The adventure in this book and the fantastical elements are what really set it apart for me. The pacing was SO well done. It wasn't predictable in any way, and although it was very tropey, Jensen executed them all perfectly! The last 60 pages or so had my heart bumping and anxiety at an ALL time high!

The Traitor Queen by Danielle Jensen

☆☆☆☆ I quickly picked up the second book because the cliff hanger the first one left the reader on, WHEW. This is another fast-paced adventure with Lara finding and recruiting her sisters to break Aren out from under the guard of their father. The scheming, the sisterly bonds, the revenge. I AM HERE FOR IT. My eyes were absolutely glued to this book and I finished it in one sitting. The dynamic between all the sisters and some of the original characters from the first book was both intense and hilarious. Aren and Lara really have my whole ass heart. I love them so much and watching them both struggle to first overcome but then accept their feelings... UGH. Lara having to internally deal with and accept her role in Aren and Ithicana's downfall. While simultaneously risking everything to try and make things right was so beautifully done. Aren trying desperately to fight his feelings because he knew they could never be together after what she did...IT WAS TORTURE. I really had no idea where the ending would take us, and I was extremely happy with it. I still think about the portcullis scene... The only reason I couldn't give a full five stars was because the ending felt very abrupt and I wish there was an epilogue or something that had followed.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

☆☆☆☆ I received an ARC for this book from the lovely Alexandra Bracken!! I was so excited for this read just because I love anything mythology related and both the cover and synopsis really spoke to me. The tone of this story and its aesthetic really stood out to me while reading. The world-building is phenomenal, and Alexandra makes it so clear and easy to understand and follow. With Greek mythology, and Greek names and events, it can become overwhelming and confusing. This was not the case with Lore. Not only was her writing precise and easy to follow-- while also thickening the plot and provoking thought-- she also included a glossary for the different lines and their descendants and a glossary at the end with a "cast of characters". I love how she portrayed Athena and the women in Greek mythology in general. They weren't overshadowed. The characters were all lovely and the childhood friends to lovers was done exceptionally!! I'm very excited for this book to hit shelves in January.