Book Review - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses
By: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Publication Date: 5th May 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Page Count: 416 (paperback)
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young New Adult
Source: Bought

Rating: 5.5 (Um. Meh)

The breathtaking start to a seductive high-fantasy from New York Times bestselling author of Throne of Glass series. 

Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price. 

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

~This review may consist of spoilers~

I haven't reviewed for like 4 months because of how hectic this year was but I couldn't not review this book. Honest this book was more of a letdown for me and it was far from my expectations but Sarah J. Maas so ehhh.

Characters

My current favorite characters are actually Rhysland and Lucien. Rhysland was a love that I only found at the end of the book. I found that his character development was actually the best and I fell in love with his vulnerable sides. Lucien for me was a love at first sight situation. On the whole I felt that they were the ones with the best development (even as side characters). The main characters for me was a lil bit of a letdown because I just couldn't get attached to them.

Relationships

Romantic Relationships

I didn't like the main ship aka TamlinxFeyre at first. I felt that the connection and chemistry was there but it wasn't developed enough. At the end I felt that Feyre became a character that relied far too much on Tamlin and her love for him and I didn't like that because I personally like strong female characters and at the end she sort of became just Tamlin's lover. sigh.

Family Relationships

On the other hand, I really enjoyed the relationship between Nesta and Feyre. I found their relationship very real and the love they had for each other was portrayed in a very unique way with that love-hate extreme relationship. It was one of my favorite parts of the story :)

Writing

As usual, I have no complains about Sarah J. Maas' style of writing. I love the way she writes (always have, always will) though this time I think because she had to incorporate so much into one book she made the book flow far too fast. However, her attention to detail and the flow of her writing was still the best of the best.

Plot

I was originally very excited by the book and the premise of it but as I read it I found it very cliché-ish and it became a bit of a letdown for me sighs. I expected as much adventure and headstrong will as in the Throne of Glass series but there just wasn't enough. At the same time, it felt like the pace was too fast so I am very conflicted with my feelings regarding this book.

Final Verdict:

I like this book but I also don't, which makes me very confused. Sarah J. Maas is one of my favorite fantasy writers so I will always read her books. However, this book just didn't feel up to standard probably because of the number of aspects she tried to add in and that's why it felt like a bit of a letdown. I did have the parts that I enjoyed but on the whole it was a book that I just felt ehhhh about. 

*All pictures and graphics do not belong to me. I take no credit for any of it.

** All opinions are mine and are in no way influenced by anyone or anything.

Blog Tour (Book Review) - Perfect Couple by Jennifer Echols (Hosted by IFB Tours)

Perfect Couple
By: Jennifer Echols
Series: Superlatives #2
Publication Date: 13th January 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 336 (paperback)
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Review Copy from IFB Tours
Buy: Amazon

Rating: 7.5 - 8 (great - excellent)

In this second book in The Superlatives trilogy from Endless Summer author Jennifer Echols, Harper and Brody think they're an unlikely match but the senior class says they belong together.

As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents' bitter divorce left her wondering what a loving relationship looks like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody "Perfect Couple That Never Was" her friends have been pushing her to ask Brody out.

Brody doesn't lack female admirers, but Harper can't see herself with him. He's confused about the match too. Yet they find themselves drawn together first by curiosity about why the class paired them, then by an undeniable bond.

The trouble is, though they're attracted to each other, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating well. If they're the perfect couple, this shouldn't be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But they feel so changed from making the effort, they can't forget each other. What if this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes were taken from the ARC and may be subject to change.
Firstly I would like to thank Simon Pulse, Shane @ Itching for Books Tours and Jennifer Echols for allowing me to read the book early and for letting me be part of this amazing tour! I literally jumped for joy when I saw the email!

Fun, Flirtatious, Fabulous. The only three words I need to describe this book. Literally.

But oh well let's just write the full review. Haha! Anyways, I REALLY loved Biggest Flirts so much and I was super excited for Perfect Couple! Boy, was I not disappointed! 

I gave Perfect Couple a 7.5 - 8 rating because of how much I loved it. If you've followed this blog for a while, you would know how I hardly give high ratings because I am very particular about books. Giving an 8 rating for a contemporary was practically unheard of!

From the start I had superbly high expectations for this book and I am so ecstatic that my expectations were met. In my opinion, the relationship between Harper and Brody was  perfect because it was awkward and unstable and funny and imperfect just like what a real life romance was. I mean, they got together because of a freaking vote for goodness sake! What's more BOTH of them had bfs/gfs already! AND THEY WERE LITERAL OPPOSITES! 

What's more Echols being an experienced and knowing author gave the story the right amount of romance build up and made it all so flirtatious and fun to read! 

The only thing I was unsure of was that the book was honestly just a tad too fast-paced for me. I think this was the only reason I hesitated between 7.5 and 8. I understood that for a contemporary novel this would always be the case but I did feel that things zoomed past a little too fast. 

However, asides from being a pretty short read, for a contemporary romance, I think that this had just the right amount of romance for a day when you just want to kick back and read a hell of a relatable romance. I do think that perhaps some scenes would be more suited for older readers though!

Also, I was super happy that Jennifer included old characters such as Will and Tia and we got to see them be so cute together! BTW, Sawyer is my bae and I claim DIPS! I can't wait to see more of Sawyer in Most Likely to Succeed! <3

Perfect Couple is filled with so much love and joy and laughter that you will just keep wanting more after you've put it down! It will keep you thinking about Harper and Brody for days to come and hope for Sawyer and Kaye's romance to come sooner! This book WILL NOT disappoint! 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a young-adult romance with fun, sass, a kick-ass female and a hell of a hottie. The book comes out on the 13th of January 2015 and if you do not pick this book up, you will utterly regret it! Go read it and find out more about the unforgettable love that is Harper and Brody's! <3

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Favorite Quotes

Hey guys! These are some of my favorite quotes for the book!!!! Honestly I loved every line but... 

1. 

     "You look hot, Harper." Will said.

      Tia told him, "There's Thanks for being nice to my friends,' and then there's 'You can stop being nice to my friends now."

2.

      "You're an artistic," [Brody] said. "It seems like you could just paint the world the way you wanted it, and then you wouldn't have to worry about catching it just right."

      "The world is beautiful exactly like it is," I said. "You just have to know how to frame it, and bring it into focus."

3.

      "All in favor?" I asked. "Aye -- and my opinion is the only one that counts. I am on deadline with this shit."

4. 

      Sawyer rolled his eyes. "If you want to know what people are saying about you, they're saying you're hot."

      "Really?" I asked skeptically.

      "Yes."

      "I felt like I needed to wear glasses so my face would have something in it. It just looks kind of blank to me, not pretty."

      "We all have issues," Sawyer said, almost unkindly.

      I nodded.

      "But that is the most fucked-up thing I've ever heard. You thought you weren't pretty, so you wore glasses? That's pathological."

5.

      "And Tia," Kaye said.

      Of course. The free spirit. The sexy chick who didn't give a damn what anybody thought. My complete opposite. The girl Brody had a crush on in middle school.

That's it from me! Now to end off, here's a little teaser ;)

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About the Author:

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

*All pictures and graphics do not belong to me. I take no credit for any of it.

** All opinions are mine and are in no way influenced by anyone or anything.

Waiting on Wednesday #26 - The Wicked WIll Rise by Danielle Paige

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted on Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection by me is:

The Wicked Will Rise
Dorothy Must Die #2

Author: Danielle Paige

Publication Date: 30th March 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins

Page Count: 432 Pages
(Hardcover)

Summary from Goodreads: 

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestsellingDorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

My Thoughts regarding this book:
I absolutely loved Dorothy Must Die! I gave it a 4 star rating back when I used the old rating system. You can view that review here for all the reasons that I loved the first book and thus why I absolutely need this books like NOW! :)

--- Do comment down below and let me know of your WoW! ---