The time it was a mutiny {23}

Posted November 28, 2020 by Stacee in Reviews | 4 Comments

Hi guys! Welcome to another edition of the mutiny.

What’s the mutiny you ask? Well, I have always said that I wasn’t going to become a review blog and yet, I’ve had this itch in the back of my head… so here we are. I’m waging a mutiny against myself and I’m going to do some mini reviews + feature upcoming reads I’m excited about.

For this specific edition, I’m going to share some of my favorite reads from November, so settle in!

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer — 4★ — I’ve been intrigued by Grey since the beginning of this series and I really enjoyed being in his head. Lia Mara was interesting and I found it easy to root for her right away. Together these two are challenging, appreciative, loyal and I loved reading them become friends to more. It’s definitely a second novel with most of the work being set up for the finale. This does have some action, but it’s more strategy and character growth. The last few chapters did have a lot of tension and went in a direction I wasn’t expecting. Overall, this has been a captivating series and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco — 4★ — I really liked Emilia. I’m here for an MC filled with vengeance and that’s what she (mostly) gave. Wrath was interesting and very closed off. I loved Nonna and the glimpses we got of the rest of the family. Be warned, there are a good amount of characters here. There are a ton of moving pieces and for me, it never quite settled. At times it seemed like I should have already known what was going on. I have several questions, few answers, and now a ridiculous wait for the next book (which will likely have an even worse cliffhanger ending.) It’s definitely an intriguing start to a series. Oh, and all of the food descriptions were A++++

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett — 5★ — I loved Josie. She’s a looking for stability and maybe a bit lost. Lucky is all crunchy exterior and a gooey inside. I loved reading these two together. Their history is great and it really made every interaction supercharged. I also loved all of the other Saint-Martin women. Plot wise, it was a bit more angsty than I was expecting. A lot of this story is about a family finding it’s way back to each other and the secrets that have kept them apart. It was fantastic reading so many strong women supporting, even if it didn’t seem that way at times. Be prepared for wanting to shake everyone into having a 5 minute conversation.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur — 5★ — I loved Elle. She’s charming and maybe a little scattered, but loyal af. Darcy is a bit stiff and proper (like her namesake), but she’s such a good person. Together there was loads of button pushing disguised as flirting until it was just straight up flirting and I couldn’t get enough. This story is so pure and heartfelt. I loved the enthusiasm, the binders (this will make sense upon reading), the stars, and the legit sparkle of this story. Yes, there’s a lot more inner monologue than I would have liked. Yes, I absolutely wanted to shake them for being ridiculous. Yes, the grand gesture was not particularly grand, but it’s one I’ll never ever forget.

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole — 5★ — I love love loved Shanti. She’s smart and driven and a little sassy. Sanyu is a little gruff and uncertain. Together they have instant intrigue and chemistry. There are a few other characters, but they seem a bit on the fringes. I loved the slow burn of their relationship and the growth of the kingdom. The conflict of the wedding added a slight angst, but nothing that was horrible. I could have done with a million more scenes between Shanti and Sanyu, but I’m being greedy.

The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman — 5★ — I loved Anya. She’s smart and can definitely hold her own. Seb has been a gruff delight since the beginning of the series and he didn’t disappoint. Together these two have instant chemistry, loads of irritation, and button pushing galore. I truly enjoyed reading them figure things out. There’s a good amount of tension and even though I knew there would be a HEA, it had me wondering about how we’d get to the outcome. My only complaint (if you could call it that) is that I really wanted an epilogue or a future-take of some sort as having the story end where it did was a little disappointing.