Book Review: The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen

A close friend recommended this series. She did warn me that the first book ended on a cliffhanger, and that she didn't like the second book as much, but encouraged me to read it.

From the first chapter, I was really hooked. It had everything: murder (seemingly), political gain, and a badass female main character.

Lara and a bunch of her sisters were raised in relatively solitary confinement. They were taken from the harem as small children and trained in the art of combat, politics, and seduction. They were also raised to believe that the kingdom of Ithicana was ruled by a demon.

When we first meet Lara, she knows something the rest of her sisters don't: her father doesn't intend for any of them except one (his chosen) to leave the compound alive. Because Lara uncovered this, she "poisoned" her sisters. She put them to sleep, making it look like she'd killed them so she could take on the responsibility of taking down the king of the "Bridge Kingdom."

That's a pretty intense start, but I was totally in.

Because I really don't want to spoil any more of the story, I will keep the rest of this brief. Jensen created a lush and fantastic world. While there wasn't magic like I normally like in my fantasies, there was plenty of scheming, romance, and fun games. Aren, the king of Ithicana, is a well written male character. One thing that's hard in romance is to have a well-rounded protagonist and a well-rounded love interest. Jensen did this very well.

I have already started the sequel--The Traitor Queen--and a third novel comes out this year. Based on her writing style, I fully intend on reading everything in Jensen's back list!

Thanks, Abbie

Book Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

This has been one of the more popular books out in the world this year. A friend gifted this to me, saying that she was on her third read of the book. Knowing that this was originally written as Reylo fanfiction, I dove in.

I wasn't sure what to think of this one going into it. I'd seen some people who loved it and others who absolutely hated it. I reserved judgement until I got further into it.

It was difficult for me to put aside the Reylo aspect at first. Not necessarily that I couldn't separate it, but I was curious to know how it was translated from the fanfiction to its final form.

Once I got past that, I was able to enjoy the romance. Some of it was cringey, as I'd been warned, but I tried to keep in mind that this is a story set between scientists in academia. It had a very common trope I see in contemporary romance: fake dating. Initially, I thought the reasoning behind the fake dating was a little... forced. I'm not sure that it was solid enough to be a believable plot, but I went with it.

As is the case in a lot of romance that I read, I felt like the love interest wasn't fully formed. He was intriguing, sure, but I felt like we didn't get enough about him for me to completely buy into her falling in love with him. I did enjoy the cringey moments where she had to rub sunscreen all over him, but I didn't feel like I was totally invested in the romance between them.

Some of the overall plot was a little predictable, but I didn't hate it.

Overall, I did like it, but it wasn't one that I would rave about. If you're looking for a formulaic contemporary romance, you might enjoy this one!

Thanks, Abbie

Book Review: The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

This one has been on my TBR for a really long time. I finally got the chance to read it. I'd seen reviewers raving about the LGBTQ+ representation, so I definitely wanted to check it out.

It hooked me from the start. The story opens with the main character witnessing his fiance being stabbed by a seemingly harmless woman.

What a way to start a story.

I loved that it started in the middle of the drama. It definitely hooked me from the start. I had a lot of questions about what happened in the past between Wyatt and Emyr. From the beginning, we learn Wyatt is not only trans, but a witch. I love a good urban fantasy. Emyr is a fae, and Wyatt's betrothed, and has come to bring him back to their home territory.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It had amazing LGBTQ+ representation. You had gay characters, trans characters, non-binary characters. To see these characters written by someone who is a part of the community was great.

This story has political fae intrigue, magic, and mysteries. All elements that I really enjoy. Not to mention my favorite trope: JUST. ONE. BED. Yep. Here for it.

Probably my favorite thing was the relationship Wyatt had with his best friend. I have never seen a friendship portrayed so closely to mine with my best friend. It really made me feel super happy and gave me inspiration about how to write it into my own works.

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this novel. It was resolved, but left just open enough for a sequel, which comes out in 2022.

Thanks, Abbie