Waiting on Wednesday #133 - The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

The Forever Song
(Blood of Eden #3)
by Julie Kagawa
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Publication Date: April 15th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 9780373211128



Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone. (Goodreads)

Can I just say that I am SOOOOOO excited to finally see a cover for this book?
I feel like I've been waiting forever on it.
But besides the cover, I can't wait to get my hands on this book.
Especially after the massive cliffhanger ending in The Eternity Cure.
I can't wait to dive back into this series!

What are you Waiting for this week???

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: Three by Kristen Simmons

Three
(Article 5, #3)
by Kristen Simmons
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Publication Date: February 11th 2014
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780765329608
Genre: Young Adult | Dystopian
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Kristen Simmons' fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series continues in Three.

Ember Miller and Chase Jennings are ready to stop running. After weeks spent in hiding as two of the Bureau of Reformation’s most wanted criminals, they have finally arrived at the safe house, where they hope to live a safe and quiet existence.

And all that’s left is smoking ruins.

Devastated by the demolition of their last hope, Ember and Chase follow the only thing left to them—tracks leading away from the wreckage. The only sign that there may have been survivors.

With their high profile, they know they can’t stay out in the open for long. They take shelter in the wilderness and amidst the ruins of abandoned cities as they follow the tracks down the coast, eventually finding refugees from the destroyed safe house. Among them is someone from Chase’s past—someone he never thought he’d see again.

Banding together, they search for a place to hide, aiming for a settlement a few of them have heard about…a settlement that is rumored to house the nebulous organization known as Three. The very group that has provided Ember with a tiny ray of hope ever since she was first forced on the run.

Three is responsible for the huge network of underground safe houses and resistance groups across the country. And they may offer Ember her only chance at telling the world her story.

At fighting back. (Goodreads)

‘Three’ is the third and final novel in the ‘Article 5' series by Kristen Simmons. I have really, really enjoyed this series from the very beginning, and I absolutely hate to see it end.

First off, I have to admit that I was terrified to read this final novel. (There is a certain book that I read recently that has ruined me for series endings.) I didn’t know what to expect, and I was afraid to see what was going to happen to these characters that I love so much.

Chase and Ember are such excellent characters. I have loved them since the very first book. Watching them grow as characters, as well as watching their relationship grow, has been such a great experience. I love that these two characters were always true to themselves and to each other. And they fought for what they believed in, even when they weren’t on a ‘side’. I love this about them. I love them period.

It’s not only these two characters that I love; there are so many secondary characters in the book that you can’t help but love. The characters that we’ve followed from the very beginning - like Sean and Rebecca - on to the characters that we are just introduced to in this novel -like Jesse- you will care for them all in some way or another. Simmons has written all of their stories so well that you will be completely captivated by them all. 

The dystopian storyline for this series it so very creative; I absolutely love it. It’s very realistic and something that I could definitely see happening if a twisted government were in command. The tension and suspense in this novel was nerve racking. It was killing me at times waiting to see what was going to happen to these characters and to see how the series was finally going to come to an end. I felt that the ending of the book was very well done.  While there were some things that I hated to see happen, they did and I must move on from that. I felt that wonderful sense of closure when I finished the last pages, and I love that feeling when I finish a really great series.

I also love that my hometown – Chattanooga – is included in the novel! (Even if it is just for a page or two, it’s there!) I had to fangirl a bit when I saw that. So when you read the novel and you see Chattanooga, remember me!

Overall; I cannot think of a better ending to this series. Kristen Simmons, you nailed it! If you haven’t check out the Article 5 series yet, I definitely recommend that you do so. The series definitely will not disappoint. Now that I’ve read the book, I will be patiently waiting for my finished copy to arrive to add it to my collection. This is definitely a series that I will read again!

Happy Reading!


Books in this Series:



Article 5  |  Breaking Point  |  Three

Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue
(Under the Never Sky #3)
by Veronica Rossi
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Publication Date: January 28th 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780062072092
Genre: Young Adult | Dystopia | Sci-Fi
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close. (Goodreads)

Into the Still Blue was an excellent ending to the ‘Under the Never Sky’ trilogy.  I have really enjoyed reading this series and I hate to see it end. I’m going to be completely honest; this book made me a nervous wreck. I didn’t know what to expect or what was going to happen in this final book, and I was both dreading and excited to see what was going to happen. The book definitely did not disappoint, and was a really great ending to this series.

I feel much the same about the characters in the book now as I did about them when I first started the series. I have really enjoyed watching Aria grow SO much through the series, from being a dweller to becoming an outsider and finally finding her place right where she belongs, beside Perry. Perry also grew so much throughout the series. When we first meet him he is a wild child, and over time we watch him mature and come into his role as Blood Lord to his tribe. And Roar… there is just so much I can say about him; he is just such a wonderful character. I love his friendship with Perry, but even more his friendship with Aria. They are all just really great characters all around. I have really enjoyed going on this adventure with them.

It’s not only the main characters that were so special to me, but even the secondary characters are great as well. I love Cinder, bless his heart. I couldn’t help but love the kid. Molly, Willow, Reef and his Six, Brooke… I could go on and on about the characters that I grew to love throughout this series. But I think you should check out the books yourself so that you can see exactly what I’m talking about when you meet them. 

There was a lot of tension and suspense throughout the book. There were quite a few moments that had me gripping my chair, anxious to see what would happen next.  I really had to wonder if anyone was going to make it out alive, so much was happening. I thought the end of the book was very well done. All of the loose strings seemed to be tied together, and while there were a few things that I didn’t want to happen that did, I thought the ending was very realistic for the series. I hate to see it all end! 

Overall; as I mentioned, this book was a wonderful ending to this fantastic series. If you haven’t had the chance to check this series out yet, I definitely recommend that you do so! The books make for very enjoyable reads.

Books in this Series:


Under the Never Sky   |   Through the Ever Night   |   Into the Still Blue

Waiting on Wednesday #132 - Maybe One Day & Love Letters to the Dead

Maybe One Day
by Melissa Kantor
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Publication Date: February 18th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780062279200



Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Critically acclaimed author Melissa Kantor masterfully captures the joy of friendship, the agony of loss, and the unique experience of being a teenager in this poignant new novel about a girl grappling with her best friend's life-threatening illness.

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. (Goodreads)

Love Letters to the Dead
by Ava Dellaira
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Publication Date: April 1st 2014
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 9780374346676



Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path. (Goodreads)

Do both of these books sound amazing, or what?
They also both have really awesome covers.
Luckily I managed to snag an e-ARC for both of these.
I can't wait to get started on them!

What are you Waiting for this week???

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated
(Alienated #1)
by Melissa Landers
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Publication Date: February 4th 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781423170280
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Aliens
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet. (Goodreads)

I was super excited to read Alienated, as I had heard SO many great things about the book. I haven’t only read a few books about Aliens at this point, so I was looking forward to seeing what the author had in store for me. This book definitely did not disappoint.

Cara Sweeney and her family are one of the first on Earth to host an L’eihr exchange student, Aelyx. In exchange, Cara is pretty much guaranteed a scholarship to the college of her choice, along with firsthand ‘alien’ information for her blog to help with her upcoming career as a journalist. Hosting Aelyx for a few months should be easy, right? Unfortunately things don’t go exactly as planned for Cara when people in her community form a group, HALO, to protest against the exchange students and the alliance that they propose.

The two main characters in the story are absolutely wonderful.  Cara was such an intelligent, sarcastic young lady. She took her role as host to Aelyx very seriously, even when it meant losing her friends and being shunned by everyone in her school and town.  Aelyx was extremely fascinating and mysterious. I love all of the information we discover about him throughout the book, and even in the end, I wanted to know so much more about him and where he is from. I love that Cara grows on Aelyx and he basically becomes a completely different person than we meet in the beginning of the book. These characters are also so great together. The story is told from both Cara and Aelyx’s points of view.  I loved this because it allows us to see inside of both characters minds.

The storyline for the book is super creative. Just imagine if there were other planets in the universe that wanted to exist with ours? How would our people react? I’m sure there would be a lot that would react the same way that the characters in the novel did. I found the book to be very well paced, it definitely hooked my attention and I was able to fly through the pages very quickly. There was a bit of suspense in the book as well, especially near the end which had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. Now that I’ve read this book, I would really love to explore more books with aliens as the main characters. I’m definitely hooked.

Overall; this book was an excellent read! I definitely recommend you checking it out as soon as you possibly can. I will be anxiously waiting to get my hands on the next book, Invaded, in February 2015!

Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty
by Rosamund Hodge
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Publication Date: January 28th 2014
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780062224736
Genre: Young Adult | Retelling | Fantasy
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love. (Goodreads)

Cruel Beauty by debut author Rosamund Hodge is a retelling of one of my most favorite fairytales, Beauty and the Beast. I have really started to enjoy retellings more and more; I love to see an author spin a completely different story out of another story that I know so well. This book did not disappoint.

Nyx Triskelion has been training since birth to kill the evil ruler of her kingdom to avenge her mother’s death and to save her people. Every day she puts a smile on her face and accepts the fate that has been laid out for her future. She is probably going to die, but she’s going to do her best to take down the evil Ignifex with her. That is, until she starts to fall in love with him. Now it’s up to Nyx to decide if she wants to kill the man she loves, or do what she has been trained to do and save her people.

Nyx was a very interesting character. When we first meet her, she is full of pure hatred. Most of this hatred is aimed towards her family. How could her father give her up to this monster of a ruler to save the kingdom? Why her? How was this right? We see this hatred eat at Nyx throughout a good part of the book. Nyx was definitely a kick-butt young lady. She knows exactly what she needs to do and she sets out to do it, even if it means risking her own life. Then one day things change, thanks to Ignifex. She fell in love with him, even when she didn’t want to, and through him she saw things completely different than they actually were. Ignifex was a bit of a mystery to me. Even after the book was over, I still had questions about him. They are the perfect couple, as Ignifex put it, both vicious and cruel. It was definitely interesting to watch their relationship grow.

The storyline for the book was really interesting. I love the retelling of Beauty and the Beast, even if we don’t see a lot of it. It’s definitely there. The book had a lot of Greek Mythology to it, but a lot of it was stories that I had never heard of before. This was both confusing and refreshing to me.  It was a bit hard to keep up with everything some times, but it was neat to get to learn new stories. I was still able to fly through the pages, despite the bit of confusion that I had.

Can I also add that the cover for the novel is Gorgeous?? Kudos to whoever designed it, it’s absolutely stunning.

Overall; I found this book to be a very interesting read. It was not at all what I was expecting, but fascinating nonetheless. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

Review: Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited
(Uninvited #1)
by Sophie Jordan
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Publication Date: January 28th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780062233653
Genre: Young Adult / Dystopian
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann. (Goodreads)

Imagine living in a world where your DNA could tell if you would be a killer or not. That is the world in which Davy Hamilton lives.  Davy is a smart, talented, and privileged young lady with a very bright future ahead of her. But when she tests positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, otherwise known as the killing gene, she loses everything she has ever know and loved, including her friends, her boyfriend, and the promising future that was waiting on her.

When we first meet Davy in the beginning of the novel, she is very young and naïve. Throughout the novel we see her become more hardened to the world. What other choice does she have, really? I felt so bad for Davy’s whole situation, and for everything that she was being put through. With some of the ‘carriers’, you could tell that they were bad people. But Davy wasn’t a bad person at all, and it was a bit heartbreaking to see her lose everything that she loved so quickly. She was treated like a monster, instead of just a girl. I found her reactions to everything that happened to be very realistic. I think I would have reacted the very same way. It just wasn’t right!

Some of the things that happened to Davy throughout the book were insanely frustrating to me. Some of the reasons that the Agency did some of the things that they did were completely ridiculous. However, the way that the people reacted to the ‘carriers’ of the gene was very realistic. I was surprised to see just how quickly all of Davy’s friends turned on her. I could see this happening in real life and see people reacting in the ridiculous ways that they did in the story. Granted, some reactions were appropriate, but others where just people being overly paranoid of people that are different in the world.

There were a few secondary characters in the story that I really enjoyed. There was Sean, who was the big bad guy, and also the love interest in the story. There was also Gil, computer nerd extraordinaire, and Sabine, who Davy meets later in the book. All of these characters are carriers of the kill gene, which is what ended up throwing them all together, but none of them seemed like a monster to me at all. I really enjoyed all of these characters.

The relationship between Davy and Sean started off slowly and built into something more.  It seems that Davy felt a bit more for Sean in the beginning that he did for her.  The only thing that bothered me about the relationship was that Sean was always doing something to protect her; he didn’t really let her fight her battles herself. That did get a bit annoying after a while, to me and to Davy, it seems, as well. The romance didn’t really seem to be a huge part of the book, but maybe that’s because it really didn’t start to grow until the second half of the book.

I really loved the whole plot for the book. Imagine if this happened in real life? Oh goodness, it would be a nightmare! But it made for an extremely fascinating topic for this book, one that I would love to read more on. The book is filled with so much tension. A couple of times I was actually tensed up, holding my breath, waiting to see what was going to happen. Because of this, I sort of expected a big cliffhanger type ending.  I found the ending a bit anticlimactic; I definitely expected a bit more.

Overall; while I did have a few issues with this book, I did find it to be a very enjoyable read. I’m really interested in reading the next book in the series just to see what’s going to happen next.

Waiting on Wednesday #131 - City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire
(The Mortal Instruments #6)
by Cassandra Clare
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
ISBN: 9781442416895



Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series! (Goodreads)

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Is anyone else SO EXCITED to FINALLY see the cover for this book?!
It seems like I've been waiting for it forever.
And I'm sure I'm going to see it on almost everyone's WoW post this week.
*Giggle*
Can't wait to finally read this!!

What are you Waiting on this week??


**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Debuts I'm Excited For

January 14 2014 :
Top Ten 2014 Debuts I'm Excited For

1. Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam
2. The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings
3. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
4. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

5. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
6. Alienated by Melissa Landers
7. Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira



8. End Times by Anna Schumacher
9. All That Glows by Ryan Graudin

10. Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell


That's my Top Ten list of Debut's I'm excited for!

What's on your Top Ten list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

 

Review: Diamonds & Deceit by Leila Rasheed

Diamonds & Deceit
(At Somerton, #2)
by Leila Rasheed
Website | Twitter

Publication Date: January 7th 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781423171188
Genre: Young Adult | Historical Fiction
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

One house, two worlds...book two in our sumptuous and enticing YA series about the servants and gentry at Somerton Court.

A house divided...

London is a whirl of balls and teas, alliances and rivalries. Rose has never felt more out of place. With the Season in full swing, she can't help but still feel a servant dressed up in diamonds and silk. Then Rose meets Alexander Ross, a young Scottish duke. Rose has heard the rumors about Ross's sordid past just like everyone else has. Yet he alone treats her as a friend. Rose knows better than to give her heart to an aristocrat with such a reputation, but it may be too late.

Ada should be happy. She is engaged to a handsome man who shares her political passions and has promised to support her education. So why does she feel hollow inside? Even if she hated Lord Fintan, she would have no choice but to go through with the marriage. Every day a new credit collector knocks on the door of their London flat, demanding payment for her cousin William's expenditures. Her father's heir seems determined to bring her family to ruin, and only a brilliant marriage can save Somerton Court and the Averleys' reputation.

Meanwhile, at Somerton, Sebastian is out of his mind with worry for his former valet Oliver, who refuses to plead innocent to the murder charges against him--for a death caused by Sebastian himself. Sebastian will do whatever he can to help the boy he loves, but his indiscretion is dangerous fodder for a reporter with sharp eyes and dishonorable intentions.

The colorful cast of the At Somerton series returns in this enthralling sequel about class and fortune, trust and betrayal, love and revenge. (Goodreads)

I had the pleasure of reading both ‘Cinders & Sapphires’ and ‘Diamonds & Deceit’ back to back, and let me tell you, I enjoyed this series immensely! These books really made me think of Downton Abbey while I was reading them. I guess you could say this is a YA version of Downton Abbey! Either way I say it, these books both make for a really great read.

The story is told from many different viewpoints; too many to even mention them all. These characters that the author created are very well written and quite a few face wide range of issues throughout the series. What I really loved while reading ‘Diamonds & Deceit’ was watching the characters grow, especially the three main sisters; Ada, Georgiana and Rose. We see Ada trying to overcome a love that would never work out, Rose coming into her new position as a lady, and especially Georgiana learning to run a household all on her own. We also watch Ada and Rose as they come out in society for their first ‘Season’. It was all so interesting to read. These three sisters were such great characters, as were many of the secondary characters. They were all excellent!

I love the setting and the time period for the story. I guess it is because I haven’t read too many books from that era, and I can see the time period is becoming very popular for books and movies now.  I find it all to be extremely fascinating! ‘Diamonds & Deceit’ ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m assuming that there will be another book in the series. (I have yet to find information to confirm this, but I am extremely hopeful!) I would really love to dive into this world again and again with even more books.

Overall; I am completely fascinated by this series. I just can’t get enough! If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, I definitely suggest you check this series out. It’s well worth the read. Check it out and see for yourself!

Happy Reading!

Books in this series:

Cinders & Sapphires | Diamonds & Deceit