White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another terrific book/series by Jennifer L. Armentrout I listened to Narration by Saskia Maarleveld.
Layla is half human and half demon and a warden living with wardens who keep her in a cocoon and at a distance except for Zayne who has been protecting her since she came to live with them as a child. When she meets Roth, a student in her school, he tells her who she really is and how betrayed she feels --the Wardens knew much more about her than she did... and as Layla learns more and more about her heritage, more and more demons come after her. She must keep Roth a secret as they try to find a book that will help them stop a demon uprising. I am jumping into the next book, Stone Cold Touch, and can't wait for the awesome narration by Saskia Maarleveld!

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A Wicked and Beautiful Garden by Katie McGarry

A Wicked and Beautiful Garden by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A new and exciting series by Katie McGarry introduces Cassie and Orion--once lovers, Cassie has believed Orion died 9 years ago. With much determination, she had built a new life as a midwife. As a child her grandmother gave her a wonderful loving life which consisted of tales about faeries and the beauty of what nature holds. I can't wait for the next book in the series this fall!

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Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book!!! Cerys is one of my fave heroines! She is a gardener's daughter who has lost her mother, her friend the prince and a a guard friend. They all live in Aloriya which has lush vegetation, everyone gets along just don't go near the forest. Which is what they did 7 years ago when ancients took the prince, guard and her mother. This world just kept getting better and better with Poston's world building, the magic, curses, and faeries. Cerys has a pet fox she loves even though she constantly vows to change him into a hat. But fox also has a big part to play in this tale and oh did I love him---he was funny, a coward, yet both Cerys and fox are drawn to each other more and more as the story unfolds. I could not stop turning the pages; there were so many delicious twists and turns which I have come to love from Poston's books!

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House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another winner and beginning of what looks to be another awesome series!!! I loved fierce Bryce, half Fae and human and her friends Danika and the Wolf Pack. I could not put this book down and read it in 2 days, falling in love with Bryce's world, friends and family and the tumultuous journey she and Hunt embark on to find answers and reek justice. The suspense and romance tingle, but the horror of what these characters fight for is sometimes tough against powers that will crush them; but Bryce, Hunt, her cousin, her mother and Randall create the even tougher backbone Bryce needs to vindicate her friend Danika to the world of the Fae, vampires, wolves, shifters, Angels, Wraiths, and so many other creatures making up Crescent City. A must read.

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The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really DID NOT like the first two books in this series; Jude, the unrelenting meanness, anger, and hopelessness were awful...BUT I wanted to see how The Queen of Nothing would end (Would Jude continue to disappoint me?) but I remained hopeful as I listened to this last book in the series and I was rewarded!!! Teens will love the way Holly Black sows this last book, the plot and its characters together! I was surprised and happy with so many of the characters and their development- I especially liked new character, Grima Mog (since I listened I don't know if I spelled this correctly), who Jude is to "take care of" and stop her from killing and eating humans. She is fierce but her fight with Jude leaves her a little in awe and wonder of Jude...her surprising return later is the best! This time, I rooted for Jude and Cardan to find one another, rather than kill or hate each other to death. The reader finds out so much more about Cardan's curse. Black was flawless in this endeavor! The plot kept me listening all the time to awesome narrator Caitlin Kelly! Her voices were superlative, engaging and downright fun. So I have been floored and happy with Holly Black in this last book of the series and will continue to read her wonderful books. I was seduced by this book and teens will be too!

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The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black

The Wicked King by Holly Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I do not like this series at all...I find it all too evil - there is no redeeming character, readers will not find any kind of empathetic themes...that said, I will definitely be reading the final book in this series, hoping that Holly Black will give teens a finale that provides hope and sympathy rather than lies, faerie evil, and hopelessness. I have enjoyed all Holly Black books but this series is too dark.

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Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca

Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to @rajanilrocca (Rajani LaRocca), Yellow Jacket (an imprint of Bonnier Publishing USA) and #BookJunkies for allowing me to be an early reader of Midsummer’s Mayhem by awesome debut author, Rajani LaRocca, in exchange for an honest review. Wow, did I love this debut novel for middle grade children. Just let me gush about the beauty of LaRocca’s language – the descriptions of the foods (Indian, sweet, and salty) had me drooling; I wanted to eat (and bake) everything in this contemporary retelling mixing fantasy elements of fairies, friends, and the importance of family. The beauty of Mimi’s woods (the trees, herbs, and flowers) held me captive when I realized this was no ordinary forest. In addition, I loved strong, reasonable but mighty main character, Mimi and her passion for baking sweet treats. But Mimi feels outshined by everyone else in her family, has lost her best friend, and struggles with the baking contest she has entered. When new kid, Vik rescue’s Mimi in a tree; her summer turns into one of foodie love, a fast friendship, and many new adventures in her woods. With her siblings’ involvement in the summer play, Midsummer Night’s Dream, paralleling Mimi’s summer of mayhem, the reader is ensconced in Mimi’s world of sweet treats, family drama, and the magic of food and fairies. Food lovers, Shakespearean lure, and the diversity of Indian food, customs, and folklore will delight readers of all ages. You will also enjoy at the end; The Acknowledgements, Baking Terms and even recipes from the book; I am certainly going to be baking these mouth-watering treats! Highly recommended; get your copy in a store near you, June 2019.

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The Prince (A Wicked 3.5 novella) 1001 Dark Nights by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved prickly, tough Brighton who has mastered fighting the fae after her mother was murdered and she was tortured (Brighton keeps thinking if 0nly she had fought back then, could she have saved her mother) and now is part of The Order, a human who keeps an eye on the summer and winter fae. But behind all of this, Brighton is getting rid of all who attacked her and her mother, one by one. But when the Prince seems to be everywhere she is and trying to keep her from her task, things get really tense. What will happen as she and the Prince begin to work together to uncover the disappearance of foundlings? I can't wait for The King! I just wish I did not have to wait so long, a great series!

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The Cruel Prince (The Folk of Air #1) by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this audiobook as part of the Female Fantasy Phenom chat for #yearofYA Tuesday 1/30 at 8PM EST. I love Holly Black books, faerie especially (Darkest Part of the Forest and Tithe series)! I can honestly say, I was addicted to listening but I was sick to my stomach- I ached for Jude and her twin, mortals being raised in the world of faerie. The only character I really liked for who they were was Vivianne, the faerie oldest sister of Jude. She hates her fairie father, Madoc, for the heinous murder of their parents and forcing them to live in faerie. Even worse, Jude and Taryn, both want to belong to this world that hates mortals (Viv wants to leave this world, her world). Jude plots to have power over those who despise her kind, yearn to be a knight, spy for Prince Dane and is constantly disappointed and plotted against (all the while honing her skills at deception, murder, and intrigue. Her sister tries to be Jude's opposite in every way-blind into the background, and don't argue. I wish I liked Jude more, but Black keeps foiling every thing Jude does and she is constantly a pawn in a very dangerous world, meeting with failure and heartbreak- can she remain STRONG for the fight she has plotted with the Ghost, Bomb and her Court of Shadow spies?

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Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This 4th book in the Throne of Glass series DID NOT disappoint. Aelin, Rowan, and Aedion band together to fight the barbaric creatures the king has created to kill rebels, sympathizers, ANYONE. I loved Manan, Elide and her 13 witches- WOW!!! Chaol really changed throughout this book as he gave up the king and became a rebel after Dorian's love was beheaded and the king ensnared Dorian in the black collar (have to read the book). I always love the way Aelin thinks, plots, plans and her interactions with her others just keeps getting more and more deep, magical, and desperate as she strives to save her kingdom. I have already pre-ordered the 5th book, Empire of Storms on my kindle- look for it in September!

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Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Book 2 of Throne of Glass- riveting, revolting, drama continue as Celaena kills those the King give them, Chaol and Celaena's attraction grows and Dorian still cares for Celaena but gives up his feelings for her and, Princess Nehemia's friendship deepens with Celaena. I could not put this book down and I can't wait for Book 3! I am happy that I can read all these books at once, waiting for series to come out is very agonizing.

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