‘Vernal’ (The Royal Protector Academy #1) by Randi Cooley Wilson

4.5 supernatural stars!

Gargoyle Princess Serena St. Michael is the last of her regal bloodline and destined to live within the confines of royalty.  Though she has her father wrapped around her finger and wants for nothing, her future is not her own.  Duty requires that she study and train with the other gargoyle protectors, and that she must eventually marry to create a new alliance to maintain peace between various supernatural races.  This plan does not sit well with the rebellious and free spirited 20-year-old princess.

In the third and final year of her training at the Royal Protector Academy, her family has secretly assigned her a new and additional personal protector/bodyguard, in anticipation of an assassination attempt from a source of evil long-ago wronged by the St. Michael’s.  However, the family never expected that Serena and her new guard would fall for each other.  Tristan Gallagher has a shady past and secrets of his own.  He’s also gorgeous and off-limits.  How could Serena possibly not be attracted? 

Tristan has various connections in the supernatural world, and responsibilities of his own to uphold, but he cannot deny the strong pull he feels towards Serena.  As much as he tries to convince himself that ensuring her safety is simply his current assignment, he can’t help but feel deeply for her.  Tristan knows, better than anyone, that he is bad news for Serena and would only end up hurting her, that he cannot claim her, mate with her, or keep her once the assignment ends.  But heck if he doesn’t want to, with every fiber of his being.

The Royal Protector Academy feels like a college atmosphere, with the gargoyle students adding witty banter to the already sarcasm-laced dialog.  Despite the seriousness of their purpose, and the impending threat of attack, the tone among classmates is light and fun.

Author Randi Cooley Wilson has successfully managed to combine many different types of supernatural beings into one coherent NA love story.  Perfect for fans of Laura Thalassa’s ‘The Unearthly’ series and anyone who enjoys a good NA paranormal romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vernal will be available on June 24th!

‘The Watchmaker's Daughter’ (Glass and Steele #1) by C.J. Archer

5 stars!  Amazing story!

Set in 1890 London, ‘The Watchmaker's Daughter’ is the first entry of a new series by the skillful wordsmith C.J. Archer. 

Handsome American Matthew Glass is visiting London, desperately seeking the watchmaker who created a timepiece that is near and dear to him.  The watch is breaking, and if he is unable to find its maker in time, it could be big trouble for Mr. Glass.

‘The Watchmaker’s Daughter’ begins with one of Matthew’s numerous visits to watchmaker shops in London, however, ownership of this specific shop has just changed hands.  Eddie Hardacre had convinced Miss India Steele into accepting his marriage proposal, and successfully tricked Mr. Steele into bequeathing the shop to Eddie.  Two weeks prior to the opening scene, Mr. Steele had finally succumbed to his illness and passed away, unintentionally leaving India to be dumped by Eddie, broke, and also homeless.  India arrived at her family’s former shop to let Eddie have a piece of her mind, only to run into Mr. Glass as he makes inquiries about his own watch.

Inspired by India’s feistiness and knowledge of London watchmakers, Glass convinces Steele to work with him in his search for his watch’s maker, and to move into his London house for the duration of their collaboration.  India has her reservations against strange men, after her former fiance Eddie, however, her current situation put her in a desperate situation of needing both a place to live and an income.  Her mind is put somewhat at ease when she meets Matt’s female cousin, also residing in the home, and eventually, his Aunt as well.

With ‘The Watchmaker’s Daughter,’ author C.J. Archer has cleverly crafted a steady plot and several complex characters.  Matthew Glass keeps both India and readers in suspense over his secrets throughout most of the book.  His friends help to keep the tone light, and if you’re familiar with Archer’s ‘Ministries of Curiosities’ series, you’ll understand; none of Archer’s background characters are dull, and her main characters are full of mystery and surprises.  As a leading lady, India Steele is independent and has a mind of her own, not to be controlled by the many men in her life foolish enough to attempt it.

Though Glass and Steele do occasionally flirt, this is not purely a romance novel.  It is part romance, part mystery, part magic; all of which a joy to read.

Thanks to talented author, C.J. Archer, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Watchmaker’s Daughter’ will be available on June 28th!

‘Dust in the Desert’ (Flipped Fairy Tales) by Starla Huchton

5 stars!

Starla Huchton has done it again!  'Dust in the Desert' is a beautiful re-imagining of 'Aladdin,' complete with Huchton's trademark swapped genders.  This time, a female street-rat must face a brainwashed sultana and evil sorceress buzzing in her ear, all while the sultana's son, the prince, gets caught up in the cross fire.  Huchton changes more than just genders, and the tale is truly heartwarming.

Strongly recommended for fans of fairy-tale retellings.

'Dust in the Desert' is currently available on Kindle Unlimited!

‘The Facefaker's Game’ by Chandler Birch

4 stars!

Debut author Chandler Birch has created a rich and imaginative alternative world with various types of magic.  Well thought out and easily understood, ‘The Facefaker’s Game’ is a delightful new world in which to slip away from reality for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Facefaker's Game’ will be available on Amazon November 1, 2016.

‘Amber Frost’ by Suzi Davis

3.5 stars

‘Amber Frost’ begins with the perfect and beautiful 18-year-old Grace Lynn Stevenson.  Readers learn about her high profile and high society family, and the demands upon her to keep up appearances and manage a perfect image at all times.  The book’s opening is a wonderfully descriptive narrative of Grace’s private moment in Art class at a prestigious and private high school in Canada.  And then fellow student, Sebastian, draws Grace out of her private thoughts and her life begins to change forever.

Sebastian has lost his memory, but begins to remember bits and pieces as he gets closer to Grace.  All he knows, at the start of their friendship, is that he has a magic-like ability to get what he wants if he only wishes for it.  He can remain young and healthy if he continues to wish it.  As memories unfold, he remembers just how many hundreds of years he has been wishing to be young and healthy, and the two re-discover a shared ancient past.

While ‘Amber Frost’ was not the most well-written YA novel I’ve read this year, it was indeed a good read.  

‘Withering Rose’ (Once Upon a Curse #2) by Kaitlyn Davis

3.5 stars

Aptly named, ‘Withering Rose,’ is a tale about a girl named Omorose whose magic sometimes forces its way out of her, costing her a bit of time off her life expectancy with each outburst.  Set in the same universe as Kaitlyn Davis’ ‘Gathering Frost’ retelling of Sleeping Beauty, ‘Withering Rose’ tells the re-imagined tale of Beauty and the Beast. 

Omorose and her father are left stranded in the ‘real world’ as a result of the same earthquake that affected members of the Fairytale kingdom in ‘Gathering Frost.’  For ten years, she has carefully hidden her magic from those who would cause her harm if they knew, but when we meet Omorose, she has had enough.  She leaves the relative safety of a military base and flees to the Beast’s kingdom, seeking other magic wielders and freedom from hiding.

Beauty and her Beast, here named Cole, enjoy a slow building friendship which turns to romance.  Characters from ‘Gathering Frost’ appear in ‘Withering Rose’ and set us up for the third entry in this series, expected in 2017.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

‘Eerie’ by C.M. McCoy

4 stars!

Angels, Envoys, Demons, and magic…

‘Eerie’ begins as a charming tale of sisters Holly and Hailey, working in their Uncle’s Irish Pub and making plans to attend college together once Hailey graduates high school in a few months.  They work through everything together (missing their parents and Hailey’s awkward high school experiences) in a loving, sisterly way.

When their lives are turned completely upside-down, Hailey learns that the college in Alaska she planned to attend with Holly is for studying the paranormal.  The university has some Hogwarts-like aspects, but is a darker and more mature place.  Along with cute bookworms that swell up from drinking too much tea and professional-grade hairstyling ghosts in the mirror, Hailey also meets Asher, a 3,000-year-old Envoy who has fallen in love with her from time spent together in her dreams.  She discovers that Asher is not only real, but he and his fellow Envoys have been stuck on earth for centuries and her death might be the key to allow them to return home.

On the other side of the love triangle is a young man with all the answers, all the jokes, all the friends, and potentially all the girls.  Though the rational part of Hailey understands the difficulty in trusting either of these suitors, who sometimes treat her badly, her emotions usually override logic and she falls for them both.

‘Eerie’ is an interesting collection of angels, demons, soul-less, and other supernatural beings.  Some students have abilities, some characters seem to possess magic, though it is never labeled as such.  For a 400-page book with a dark setting and serious story, there sure are a lot of laughs to be had in this paranormal romance.

Thanks to author C.M. McCoy for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

'The Glittering Court' by Richelle Mead

5 glittering stars!

With 'The Glittering Court', author Richelle Mead skillfully transitions between several vastly different locations throughout her fictional world of Adoria, allowing readers to enjoy the main characters' thoughts and behaviors in varying settings.  Though the tale clearly begins with fancy dresses, finishing school, and competitive attempts to land a successful husband overseas, there is more to this gem than meets the eye.  Our main character travels from upper class mobility in long-established Elizabethan London-type Osfrid to its colonies overseas, reminiscent of the American frontier.  Plot twists abound!

We begin in the aristocratic Osfrid, at the home of Elizabeth Whitmore, Duchess of Rothford, whose family estate has lost money in recent years.  Desperate for a way out of a severely boring arranged marriage to a cousin, Elizabeth jumps at the chance to impersonate her maid, Adelaide Bailey, as a member of The Glittering Court's finishing school.  She has high hopes of landing a more successful and interesting husband across the sea, in the new colonies of Adoria.

Along the way, Adelaide makes friends with her roommates Mira and Tasmin.  Each girl is resourceful, independent, and interesting in their own way, just like Adelaide.  I look forward to reading their stories as Richelle continues the series.

Throughout most of this book, only the recruiter Cedric Thorn knows of her true identity and her motives.  They grow as close as their status and the situation allows, as Elizabeth-as-Adelaide secures the top position as the Diamond at the head of the Glittering Court, and attends the parties and social events that come with being courted.  Over time, they fight their passion for each other a little less.  Their slow-building romance proceeds at just the right pace and is quite enjoyable.

Would recommend ‘The Glittering Court' to any YA reader.

Snag your copy on Amazon, or check out your local library!

'The Neverland Wars' by Audrey Greathouse

2.5 stars, B+ for effort

Author Audrey Greathouse hits upon all the classic 'Peter Pan' points; fairies, flying children, shadows, pirates, Indians, mermaids, and a secret hideout involving a tree stump. Though the addition of real-world magic and an interesting back-story for the teenage main character, Gwen, brings a uniqueness to this retelling; its effect wares off after the first few chapters. The majority of this tale doesn't flow as well as the beginning, and it seems the author checked off a box concerning pirates and moved onto the crocodile. Once the crocodile portion was complete, it was checked off, and the story moved onto Indians. All in all, not a bad retelling, but I was hopeful for a better story, considering the additional plot points.

Be warned: 'Neverland Wars' ends on a cliffhanger and absolutely nothing is wrapped up.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

'The Last Necromancer' (The Ministry of Curiosities, #1) by C.J. Archer

5 stars!

Captivating and full of surprises, 'The Last Necromancer' is a wonderful spin on Frankenstein set in Victorian London, containing conspiracy, romance, and supernatural ability.