The Fourth Wing (The Empyrean,#1)

 

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 CONTAINS SPOILERS

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. 

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. 

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. 

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die 

 

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Where do I begin? 

This is the book that I have been hearing about for months. I couldn’t help myself and was curious about what all the hype was about. I put the book on hold but had to wait for a while because of the waitlist. Within the first few chapters of The Fourth Wing , my first question was: How did I not read this sooner? I love fantasy books, and I have read multiple fantasies throughout the years. The Fourth Wing was unlike any other books that I have read before. I love books that deal with dragons, and I have read a few in the past. Right now, this is my favorite. There was so much happening in the story, and not one dull moment. I’m glad that I decided to read this book before classes started. Multiple times, I read late into the night, and when I wasn’t reading, I was wondering what was going to happen next. 

I loved the bond that Violet had with her dragons. I was rooting for her from the start, and despite what everyone was saying, she kept on going. However, even I was surprised that she bonded to two dragons, but I know why they bonded with her. You can’t help but love Violet. I loved her from the beginning; she was fierce and brave, despite what everyone else thought of her. I’m eager to see what happens with her next, especially after that ending. I’m so glad that I decided to check this book out, a story that I cannot get out of my head. The Fourth Wing has all my emotions out of control, and I am not sure what I should be feeling right now. I do know that I wish that the second book was out so that I can see what happens. 

I was sure that Violet was going to end up with Dain. I wondered if he wasn’t controlling that maybe she would end up with him. At first, I thought that it was cute how he was trying to protect her, but then it became an obsession. I felt that Dain didn’t have any faith in her, that she would make it through this. I think that he was the most surprised when she bonded with two dragons. After what happened in the last few chapters, I think there is no going back to the friendship that they once had. Xaden, now that’s another story. He was the one character that I knew I shouldn’t like, but I couldn’t help myself. There was something about him. Violet would not admit to this, but there was something between the two of them from the beginning. Xaden cared for her more than he was willing to admit. He had many chances to kill her, but he never did. There was so much tension between the two of them, I was waiting for the two of them to see it. 

That ending. How am I supposed to wait until November to see what happens? I never saw that coming. The Fourth Wing is a breathtaking, most addictive fantasy I have read. I would highly recommend this to any fantasy fans, especially if you love dragons.

The Five Star Weekend.

 

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After tragedy strikes, Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages in her life to spend an unforgettable weekend on Nantucket. 

 
Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper. 

So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie. 

The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it hap- pens, has many secrets.

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I love books that deal with friendships. The Five Star Weekend is what it was, a story about friendships and grief. I knew that Elin Hilderbrand became one of my favorites through the years of reading her books. Hilderbrand has a way of hooking the reader to fall in love with the story and the characters. Anytime that I read her books, I feel connected with the characters, even the ones that I do not like. I thought that it was such a unique idea to invite her closest friends from various stages of her life to spend the weekend on Nantucket. Hollis needed this, needed to have her friends nearby after what happened to her husband. Like the others, it was risky inviting Gigi whom she met online and did not know that much about. It surprised me that Gigi accepted Holli’s invitation, especially after I found out about her secret. 

I enjoyed reading the book from each of friend’s points of view, a way to get to know each character better. When I read each character, it felt like I was reading different stories every time. Tatum, Brooke, Dru-Ann, and Gigi are all different, and at the same time; unique. I wondered how the four of them would get along, especially since Tatum and Dru-Ann had their issues with one another. Most of all, I wondered if they would have a good relationship with Gigi, who was the outcast of the other three. However, they take a liking to Gigi, but I knew if they found out what she did, they would not have the same feelings. I had a bad feeling that at some point Hollis would find out what happened, and if she did; would be the end of their friendship. All through the book, I was waiting for it to happen. 

I had The Five Star Weekend on hold for a few weeks, but it was worth the wait. All the girls went through so many emotions, and I could feel every one of them. One character that I had mixed emotions with was Hollis’s daughter, Caroline. I did not like how she treated her mother; it was as if she blamed her mother for what happened to her father. Caroline acted like she was the only one that lost somebody. I hoped that when Hollis asked her to film the event, they could find a way to fix their relationship. I love Nantucket, and after reading The Five Star Weekend I want to visit it even more. I could not get enough of this story, and there was a part of me that wished that it would never end. Even if you have not read any Elin Hilderbrand novels, I would highly recommend this one.

The President's Wife.

 

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review* 

 

 

 

Socialite Edith Bolling has been in no hurry to find a new husband since she was widowed, preferring to fill her days with good friends and travel. But the enchanting courting of President Woodrow Wilson wins Edith over and she becomes the First Lady of the United States. The position is uncomfortable for the fiercely independent Edith, but she's determined to rise to the challenges of her new marriage—from the bloodthirsty press to the shadows of the first World War. 

Warming to her new role, Edith is soon indispensable to her husband's presidency. She replaces the staff that Woodrow finds distracting and discusses policy with him daily. Throughout the war, she encrypts top- secret messages and despite lacking formal education becomes an important adviser. When peace talks begin in Europe, she attends at Woodrow's side. But just as the critical fight to ratify the treaty to end the war and create a League of Nations in order to prevent another, Woodrow's always-delicate health takes a dramatic turn for the worse. In her determination to preserve both his progress and his reputation, Edith all but assumes the presidency herself. 

Now, Edith must contend with the demands of a tumultuous country, the secrets of Woodrow's true condition, and the potentially devastating consequences of her failure. At once sweeping and intimate, The President's Wife is an astonishing portrait of a courageous First Lady and the sacrifices she made to protect her husband and her country at all costs. 

 

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I love historical fiction, and as many of you are aware; it is my favorite genre to read. When I came across The President’s Wife I couldn’t help but be curious about the book; the title capturing my attention. I learned so much more by reading the book and found myself doing research once I finished the book. What Edith and President Woodrow Wilson had was true love, and I enjoyed reading how the two of them met, how they fell in love. I did feel that the two of them fell in love too fast. It would have been better if Woodrow and Edith got to know each other more. When he proposed, I wondered if she would say yes, if she loved him as much as he did. However, everything that Edith did for Woodrow when he fell ill, I had no doubt in my mind about how much she loved him. 

In my opinion, Edith was one of the most developed characters in the book. Through reading the book, you can tell how much she changed by becoming the president’s wife. However, you have adapted to change once you become the first lady. I always wondered how it feels to be the First Lady. Once I read The President’s Wife , I had a much better understanding of that role. There was so much information in that book, and being a history fan, I loved reading and learning more about that part of history. However, there were a few parts that were a little hard to read, and I felt like it was dragging on, but it didn’t last for long. Edith is a strong woman; for what she had done for the president. I can’t assume it’s easy to make such important decisions that she had to make, during his absence. 

I would recommend this book to any historical fiction fans.

Plan A.

 

 

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review* 

 

 

 

A sixteen-year-old girl’s road trip across the country to get an abortion becomes a transformative journey of vulnerability, strength, and above all, choice. From the acclaimed author of A Heart in a Body in the World , this is both an achingly tender love story and a bold, badly needed battle cry about bodily autonomy and the experiences that connect us. 

Ivy can’t entirely believe it when the plus sign appears on the test. She didn’t even know it was possible from . . . what happened. But it is, and now she is, and instead of spending the summer working at the local drugstore and swooning over her boyfriend, Lorenzo, suddenly she’s planning a cross-country road trip to her grandmother’s house on the West Coast, where she can legally obtain an abortion.
Escaping her small Texas town and the judgment of her friends and neighbors, Ivy hits the road with Lorenzo, who, determined to make the best of their “abortion road trip love story,” has transformed the journey into a whirlwind tour of the all the way from Paris, Texas, to Rome, Oregon . . . and every rest-stop diner and corny roadside attraction along the way. 

And while Ivy can’t run from the incessant pressure of others’ opinions about her body or from her own expectations and insecurities, she discovers a new world of healing and hope. As the women she encounters share their stories, she chips away at the stigma, silence, and shame surrounding reproductive rights while those collective experiences guide her to her own rightful destination. 

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  I love this author. Despite what her books do to my emotions at times, there is a reason that I have loved this author for years. Every time that I read a new book of hers, I wonder what she is going to write about next. I saw Plan A on Netgalley and I had to request it and was very happy when I got approved for early copy. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book, knowing that I was going fall in love again. I was right. Plan A is a hard book to not fall in love with, it’s real, it’s what happens in real life, and I’m sure a lot of women can relate to. I never had this experience or have deal with a traumatic experience like Ivy. However, while reading Ivy’s story, I felt as if I experienced everything that she experiences, her emotions were so vivid, i felt all the emotions that she experienced: anger, sadness, fear, hope. 

Plan A was one of the most emotional books that I have read, I haven’t read a book like this in a while. The emotions that went through Ivy during her journey, they were real. I have a feeling that few teenagers would be able to relate to what Ivy was feeling, especially when others tried to stop her, try to convince her that abortion is not a way. I don’t think Ivy would been as strong as she was if it wasn’t for the support system that she had: her mother, her brother and Lorenzo. Besides her grandma, they understood, and they didn’t try talk to her out of it, they let her make the decision. I loved how close her and her brother were, not many books that I have read where there is close relationship between brother and sister. I loved the bond between the two of them. 

Lorenzo. How can you not love him? He did so much for Ivy. If that’s not love, then what is? I loved the relationship between the two of them. Lorenzo was so supportive to Ivy through it all, even though I knew that it couldn’t be easy for him. I loved how he tried to make this ‘road trip’ fun even if that’s not what the road trip was about. I loved going on all the roadside attractions along with Ivy and Lorenzo, meeting all her relatives. There were times when this book had me crying because of all the emotions. Like Lorenzo and her family, all I wanted was for Ivy to be happy. My feeling are destroyed right now, and yet I can’t get the story out of my mind. Plan A is a story that needed to be told. A story that is worth reading.

Just The Nicest Couple.

 

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Two couples, two close friends, one missing husband…

 
Jake Hayes is missing. This much is certain. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friend’s house after their heated fight the night before. But then a day goes by. Two days. Five. And Jake is still nowhere to be found. 

Lily Scott, Nina’s friend and coworker, thinks she may have been the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered. 

Queen of suspense Mary Kubica delivers a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat thriller filled with delicious lies and shocking betrayals, and shows how even the deepest secrets will always find a way to the surface.

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There is so much to be said about this book. I’m still figuring out the best way to describe everything that I have read. I knew that Just The Nicest Couple would be intense book to read, based on the synopsis of the book. I have read Local Woman Missing last year and loved it, and when found out she has new book coming out, I put it on hold. Based on the amount of wait list, I was curious about the book, about why it was this popular. I have read few mysteries through the years, some better than others. I haven’t read anything like Just The Nicest Couple , and I can tell why this book is popular. There was tension, in every page, every chapter that had you on the edge of your seat constantly. It got to the point where I had force myself to put the book down, otherwise I would be up all night. Up until the last few chapters, I wondered if the truth was finally going to be recovered. I did not see the ending coming. 

I wondered about the title, but the fact that it told stories of two couples, making more sense. The cover is haunting, looking at the cover you know that something bad is going to happen, or has happened. When Lily was introduced, I knew that she was hiding something, just the way that she was acting. I figured maybe she saw what had happened to Jake, but what she told him. Christian, he loved Lily, despite how far he had gone, to make sure that nobody would figure out what she has done. However, I had a feeling that there was something else that Lily wasn’t telling Christian, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. I wondered how long it would take Lily’s friend Nina to put two and two and figure out what Lily done, and what would happen to Lily once it was discovered. I was on edge of my seat most of the book. 

Being told from Christian and Nina’s point of view, made the book much more interesting to read. The two of them were such different people, that had different emotions. I loved Local Woman Missing but loved this one even more, it’s one of the best murder mysteries that I have read this year. I am eager to see what adventures Mary Kubica will take us on next.

The Royals Next Door.

 

 

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 CONTAINS SPOILERS

 

Piper Evans: elementary school teacher by day--avid romance reader and anonymous podcaster by night. She lives a quiet, reclusive life, taking care of her mother, who struggles with mental illness, avoiding her regrettable ex, who bartends in town, and trying to make inroads in the tight-knit island community that still sees her, five years in, as an outsider. 

And she's happy with how things are--really--until British royals rent the property next to hers and their brooding bodyguard decides she's a security threat. Piper quickly realizes that one person's fairy tale is an ordinary woman's nightmare as a media frenzy takes over the island and each run-in with Harrison Cole is hotter and more confusing than the last. But beneath Harrison's no-nonsense exterior lies a soft heart, one that could tempt a woman who's sworn off attachments into believing in white knights. 

But when Piper finds herself smack in the middle of a royal scandal that rocks the island she'll need more than Harrison's strong arms to shield her--she'll have to do a little rescuing herself. With careers, hearts, and friendships on the line, Piper and Harrison will have to decide what they're willing to give up for a chance at their own happily ever after. 

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I love books that deal with royalty, and I have read few differed versions through the years. While I was at library, getting new library card since we moved, I came across Royals Next Door. How can the title like that not catch your attention? I picked up the book and read the synopsis of the book, and right then I knew that I was going to check the book out, wanting to see what was going to happen. The Royals Next Door keeps your attention from the first page, however there are few parts in the book that are slow or feel as if they are dragging on too long. It doesn’t take long to get captured by the story, and the characters. I knew that the moment the Royals move in next door, that Piper’s life is about to change in a big way. Every chapter has me wondering what will happen next and wonder what would happen to Piper and Harrison once they leave. 

I felt the tension between Harrison and Piper from the moment that the two of them met. I wondered if that’s why the two of them got on each other never, because they tried to deny the attraction between the two of them. I think that everyone was aware how the two of them felt about each other before they did. Despite denying it at first, I could tell how much Harrison felt about Piper, by the way that he tried protecting her when others started giving her a hard time. Once they did admit the feelings for each other, I wondered if their relationship would last. Harrison and Piper tried to keep it private, but I knew that they would discovered, and I wondered how the others would feel about their relationship. All through the book, I hoped that the two of them would find a way to stay together. 

Piper is strong, and I couldn’t help but love her. She went through so much once the Royals moved in next door, plus having take care of her mother. I loved how Harrison was with Piper’s mom and how he accepted her right away, I believe that is one of reasons that Piper fell in love with him. My favorite part was how Piper stood up for herself when she went ‘under review’ with school board for her behavior. It’s clear how much she loved her job, and how she tried to protect it, and herself. There were few slow parts in the book, but in general it’s a book I finished in one sitting, unable to put it down. Highly recommended to any romance, chick-lit fans.