Title: All the Rage
Author: Courtney Summers
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary, Social Issues
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: April 14th 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: ARC received from publisher for Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review

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The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out,All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?


Courtney Summers is an author that I will forever read, no matter what age I am or what subject she decides to conquer. Courtney has a way of writing real and damaged characters that I relate to on a level that I have never experienced before. All the Rage is a very hard book to read. I am not going to sugar coat the topics in this book because they are horrible. Rape, bullying and guilt are prominent in every page you read and I will tell you know it was hard to read. But in the best way possible. These kinds of book need to be on shelves and read by as many people as possible.

All the Rage follows a young girl named Romy who was once part of the crowd, until one night with the Sheriffs son ruins her reputation and her life as she knows it. That night changes her life forever. Now she is outcast as a liar and the people she used to be able to turn to torment her on a daily basis. But one night changes the dynamic again, when a girl goes missing after a party and the entire town seems to blame her. Like I said this book is INTENSE.

I loved Romy's character because she was so incredibly real. With every turn of the page I felt more and more anxiety for her and what she was going through. I wanted to go through the page and just give her a hug because I think she needed one so badly. She needed someone to believe her for once and to see through the facade she was putting on. My heart literally ached whiled reading this book because the depiction of bullying was so realistic. Many people that have never been bullied don't realized how all encompassing it can become and how much it can run your life. And I am so glad that Courtney does this with every book that she writes.

All the Rage is a book that NEEDS to be read. The characters, the situations and the actions are things that need to be written and Courtney is doing that, and I am so grateful for her because it gives a voice to those that don't think they have one. I am not going to say much more about the book itself because the more I say the more you will know going in, and I think for this type of book you need to go in blind. It will make your reading experience that much more intense and that is what this book is about. This not a fast read. It will make you cringe and gasp in places and for me, I had to put it down many times. But please read this book. Kids need to know that these types of book exist because it will help them realize that they are not alone. These types of book matter, and I guess to end this review I need to thanks Courtney Summers for being brave enough to write these types of characters and for being one of the most amazing authors I have ever read.

Title: Shutter
Author: Courtney Alameda
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Horror
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: February 3rd 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Purchase
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Horror has a new name: introducing Courtney Alameda.

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.

When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying.

Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.



I am usually not one for horror...of any kind. But when I saw the reviews come in for Shutter I knew I had to read it for myself, and let me tell you I will never look at a mirror or armoir the same again. This book is one of the most graphic YA horror books I have read in a very long time and it is definately not for the faint of heart.

Shutter follow a young girl named Micheline who is a decendant of Van Helsing and is tasked with capturing ghosts and other supernatural creatures. What I think I liked the most about this book was how different it seemed. She doesn't capture the ghosts ghostbusters style, or even ghost whisperer style. She uses a camera flash. I though this was brilliant and it made for great reading. I can't really say too much else about the plot because there are so many twist and turns that I would just be giving away the book. But I will say this. I loved Micheline. She was badass! I loved that she was so secure in herself that she would do whatever it took to fix the situation they were in, even when no one else thought she could. I also loved the way she interacted with the other characters in the book. Ryder, the love interest was sweet but ultimately a little boring overall. I loved Jude because he was hilarious and full of sarcasm. He brought much needed humor to this otherwise very grim story. Then there is Oliver. He was s sweet and I loved that he was a brainiac that knew almost anything. It was a great dynamic throught the book. Everything worked.

The writing is superb in this book. The author does a great job blending scienticifc and historical facts with those of the plot and it makes for a very interesting read. I will say that at times, it was hard to follow with all the different lingo that was used, but after a while I just got used to it. When the author was described as the new face of horror, they were ot wrong. She is brillaint at teh gore and the disgusting and I seriously cannot wait for more from her.

Title: I'll Meet You There
Author: Heather Demetrios
Series: Standalone
Gnere: YA Contemporary
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.



I honestly don't know if I can write this review in the way that I want because I don't think I have the words to express how amazing I thought this book was. I'll Meet You There was a book I gravitated towards because of the cover, I mean come on it is GORGEOUS right? So I knew I had to read it. But what I don't think I expected was the impact this book had one me while I read it.

There is something about a story that you can relate to even though your life situation is nothing like the one you are reading about. And this book did that for me. I mean I do not live in a trailer park, My mom is NOTHING like Skylar's, who by the way made me so angry in parts of this book. Once you read it you will understand. My life is nothing compares to Skylars yet I related to her, I related to her dreaming of more than her small town life, I related to her worry that when she will will everything fall apart. Everything that was going on in her life made SENSE to me. And I think that is the main reason I gave this book a perfect score. Because not many books can comepletely and uttery make sense to me. And this one did.

The Love story. Now this book is so much more than Skylar and Josh. These two characters are some of the best characters I have read. Each have their own issues, Skylar with her home life, and Josh being in the Military and being injured. All of these things separately are horrible enough, but when you put these two characters together something amazing happened. I cant really explain it in words but their relationship was complicated, sweet, gentle and yet hard to read at times. I loved every second of their story and I really want to know more about them, I just wish the book had been longer!

What else can I say about this book? It was utter perfection. I have nothing bad to say about it. I read it in one sitting and MIGHT have cried at the end, but lets not tell anyone that part. I loved every page and every word. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who loved contemporary. This is the book you've been waiting for...trust me you do not want to miss this one.

Waiting on Wenessday is a weekly post that features one or more books that I am really looking forward to reading. This week I am featuring a book that is not too far away release date wise but I a, still SUPER EXCITED about it!!!

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Fairest has been on my TBR list ever since Marissa announced it last year. This book, although will be very different from the others in the series, will be just as amazing because we get to see the side of someone you normally do not see. The evil queen, and I am so excited about that! I know that this book will be a great addition to the series and will make it seem like less time before Winter comes out!

What do you think? Excited for this one?

~Siobhan 

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

I am so happy to have Melissa from Raincoast Books here on the blog today. She was kind enough to put together a list of the best books she has read in 2014! Let see what she has to say!



I have such trouble with the end of the year lists, because I find it so hard to choose
my favourite books of the year! To make it more manageable for myself, I've chosen my 5
favourite YA books of this year (and I cheated a little on one, it's not actually YA. But
I had to include it because I love it so much!)

characters' personalities through text messages, and this book had me laughing out loud

at my desk. Definitely one of my favourites of the year!

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

lucky enough to have already read the sequel to this book, The Winner's Crime, which in

my opinion, was just as brilliant as the first. I have to warn you, though: the wait for

the next book in the trilogy is painful!

My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

read some short stories. Naturally, I chose to read this holiday anthology edited by

Stephanie Perkins, which has 12 short stories from some fabulous YA authors. And it was

such a good decision! This anthology has a story for everyone. Plus, I'm a little

holiday-crazy (my work colleagues called me Santa this morning...), making this an

obvious choice for one of my favourite YA books this year.

Going Over by Beth Kephart

and are instantly engaging. Kephart has absolutely beautiful prose, almost lyrical in its

delivery, and I would highly recommend reading this one.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

desperate to see how the series will end! 

Thanks so much!




I want to thank Melissa SO MUCH for being on the blog today and for sharing her top 5 reads of 2014! Any of these are your list? Let me know!!

~Siobhan 

Title: Trial by Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy #1
Genre: YA Paranormal, Witches
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: eARC received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Purchase
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This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.


I love Josephine Angelini because she has a way of creating a world so amazing, and characters that intrigue us as readers and I could not wait to get into this new series. And the fact that it has to do with witchcraft made me want to read EVEN MORE!

What I think I liked about this book was the way it was written. It started off as a contemporary and I loved that because it gave us a chance to get to know certain characters without having to explain the surrounding world and have it be a distraction. being about to get to know Lily in today's world made me fall for her way before her world gets turned upside down. Lily was a very different character in the beginning than she was at the end, and watching her go through that growth was amazing.

The world building in this novel was extraordinary, I think what I liked the most about the world in this novel was the fact that it was the same city, but different times in history. Salem is known for Witchcraft and so it makes sense that this book had a lot to do with that topic, and knowing me and my interest in the subject, I was in. What I think I liked the most about this book was its combination of genres. It begins as a contemporary, then leads into time travel because our main character goes back in time to when Salem was run by witches, and then there is the paranormal with magic and the like. All of these different genres were combined to make one of the best books I have read this year.

Characters were very important in this book because they were paralleled in each world and that made for some interesting interactions. On one hand we meet one character that we hate, but then we meet them in another world and they are completely different. Waiting Lily navigate this aspect of the book was great because it showed her growth as a character and how she stopped making assumptions based in that persons "past." Every character in this book had a purpose whether they were in the past or present they had a direct impact on the story and on Lily herself.

There was a subtle love story in this book but it was intense as any I have ever read. There were certain scenes where I had to put the book down because they were so steamy! Not in a overtly sexual way, but just in the sexual tension kind of way and I loved that. I loved their relationship and I cannot wait to see where it goes because the way this book ended makes me want the second book right now!

Title: Mortal Danger
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Immortal Game #1
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 372 pages
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source:  eARC received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Purchase
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Revenge is a dish best served cold.

In Ann Aguirre's Mortal Danger, Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn’t imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She’s not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he’s impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly . . . bad things are happening. It’s a head rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil’s bargains, she isn’t sure who—or what—she can trust. Not even her own mind.
 

This book was very high on my TBR list because the cover was amazing and I am a sucker for books set in a boarding school. So when I got the chance to review this book I was super excited. But sadly this book fell short for me because it was nothing like what I expected.

The beginning of the book started off on a weird foot when we watch as our main character, Edie try and kill herself by jumping off a bridge, but then Kian shows up, saves her and changes her life. What I think I had the most trouble with in this book was the fact that it was centered around beauty and how if you are not as pretty as someone else you will not be noticed kind of irked me. And the fact that Edie could not get her revenge on those that made fun of her until she was as pretty as them made me question her a character. I understood her motives but then again I did not like the way she handled it in the end.

There was a great mystery element to the boo which I loved and it involved students disappearing and ending up dead, and for me that was a large part of why i kept reading it because I wanted to know what was happening to these characters and if it was in any way connected to Edie and Kian. And Kian. In the beginning I thought Edies "love" for him was a little too much too fast and I kept rolling my eyes at them, but as the story moved forward it kind of grew on me and I liked them together even though it felt a little forced.

Overall I liked Mortal Danger but in the end I was left with more questions than answers and I couldn't really connect with the character because I didn't feel like they were genuine enough for me to connect with. Mortal Danger was an interesting read with many intriguing qualities but in the end it just wasn't for me.

Title: Some Boys
Author: Patty Blount
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary, Social Issues
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: eARC received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Purchase
Amazon | Indigo | TBD | Goodreads








Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send.


I loved this book from the moment I started reading it. This author had the ability to make me invested in two very different characters on opposite sides of a very serious social bullying situation. I have never had this while reading a book about bullying before. I usually take the side of the bullied, especially when it has to do with sexual assault. But in this story we not only see the effects this has on Grace but also the best friend of the boy who assaulted her; Ian. What I think I liked the most about this stpry was how real it felt. It makes sense for Ian to be wary of a girl who tried to ruin his best friends life, but it also makes sense for him to gradually realize that Grace was right and try to fix it.

I think the relationship between Ian and Grace was the best one I have ever read in a contemporary. These two character were relatble and real on their own, but when you put them together it just made sense. Their struggles together and apart were breathtaking to read because there was so much pain and distrust at the beginning and yet you felt a grain of sympathy from both characters and it was that sympathy that lead to them becoming weird and unconventional friends. Thier relationship was not linear in any sense, there were s many ups and downs that it made the read so enjoyable and so palpitating.

I cant say much about the stpry because it speaks for itself when you read it. You feel for these characters and what they are going through. You feel for Grace because you believe her and you know how she is being treated is wrong. You feel for Ian because you know he is a good guy torn between his friends and what is right. Grace was a such a strong character and a great role model for kids these days. She was pset and hated what others said about her but honestly she handled it like a champ and made the best of a bad situation. Ian was also a great character because he showed that not everyone is blinded by friendship and sometimes you have to do the right thing no matter who gets hurt.

This book was phenomenal in every sense of the word. It should be read by everyone and is a must read for contemporary lovers. Grace and Ian will bury themselves in your hearts and you will remember them long after you finish the book.

Title: Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: Hardcover, 306 pages
Release Date: July 15th 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: eARC received from publisher for Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review

Purchase
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Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.



I have never read a book by Miranda Kenneally, I have heard great things over the last few years from fellow bloggers, so when the opportunity to be apart of this blog tour came up, I could not pass up the opportunity to finally read one of her books!

The first thing I noticed about this book was Annie herself. I loved her from the very beginning of the book, she was easy to relate to, and I loved her dedication, especially to running. I found her to be a great narrator to this story because she was reliable and I loved her voice. She was sweet and kind and yet broken which was a very refreshing to read. I loved seeing her road to recovery and her growth as a character. I also really loved watching her relationship with Jeremiah grow because it felt so real. I loved the pace of their relationship, it was slow building, then went really fast, and then returned to normal. When I reading I couldn't help but relate to the issues they faced, even though I don't run cause seriously I would die haha

The only issue I had was with the death of her boyfriend and the reason behind all of her guilt. [Attention Spoilers Ahead] I was really interested in why Annie was so guilty over her boyfriend death and why she felt so compelled so complete the marathon for him. So when I found out that they had broken up before his death, I was a little more intrigued. But when I found out why I found myself questioning it. Her boyfriend proposed to her at the end of high school and Annie refused, he then got very angry and they broke up. I thought this was a crazy plot twist. For me, proposing after high school was kind of unimaginable because they are so young and I honestly never hear of it. So for me this part of the story was unbelievable. and hard for me to believe.

Overall Breathe Annie Breathe was a great read. It was fun and flirty and a fast paced read. This book was a great intro to Miranda's writing and I cannot wait to read from her in the future!

Title: The Truth About Alice
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary, Social Issues
Format: Hardcover, 199 pages
Release Date: June 3rd 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Source: eARC received from publisher in exchange for honest review

Purchase
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Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody.  Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester." After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice--and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life. But in this novel from Jennifer Mathieu, exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.


I might have surrendered too much to the hype monster on this one. There were many things that I really enjoyed about this book. The way it was written was a breath of fresh air because we don't actually "meet" Alice herself until the end of the book, so we actually get to see Alice through others eyes first. I found this extremely fascinating to read because seeing someone being bullied through eyes of the person bullying is quite revealing. I also loved the different angles we got because there were many different POVs, including a former friend, popular girl, Jock and "nerd". I loved all of these different views on the same situation, but because there were so many different voices, it also hindered my reading experience.

I was not a fan of two of the narrators and by coincidence they were the ones bullying Alice the most. I found them to be very superficial and their reasoning behind the bullying was very naive and young sounding. I am not a fan of characters that are mean for no reason, and I found that one of the character fit that mold quite well, so reading her chapters was quite cringe worthy. In the same note I also felt like I didn't connect with any of the characters on a personal level. I found them to be very two dimensional at times and that hindered my connection with them.

Usually when you read YA you get a love story, in any form, whether it be small and sweet or all encompassing. But in this book I loved that there was not an emphasis on love, it had more of a friendship vibe. although one of the narrators was in love with Alice, it never really went beyond that, and they became good friends instead and honestly I thought that was a great way to end the book. It felt more real for the characters involved.

Title: The Kiss of Deception
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 489 pages
Release Date: July 8th 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Source: eARC provided by Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Purchase
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In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.


This book was a surprise hit for me. I hadn't really heard much about it, but I was sucked in by the amazing cover and the synopsis. I am sucker for fantasy so I knew I needed to read this book. The Kiss of Deception is about a young girl who is forced into a marriage that she doesn't want, and therefore wants nothing to do with it. She runs away from her family and her kingdom and madness ensues. This book was full of rich detail and characters that I fell in love with from the very beginning.

I don't know if it was my mood while reading this book, or just the way it was written, but I found that the beginning lagged a bit, and I found myself waiting for the story to begin. After I got over the hump that was the beginning, I fell into this story and could not stop reading. I loved Lia more and more as the story ran on, I loved that she wanted nothing to do with her old life, and wanted to know what it felt like to be free of her kingdom and being a princess. I also loved reading her eagerness to have responsibilities that did not include looking nice and being diplomatic. I loved her character growth in this book as well. she started off a little winy, but really what do you expect of a girl who was given everything in life, but the more time she spent away from the kingdom the more she grew to love the small village she ran away too.

I loved that we got 3 POV's in this book, one was Lia of course, but there was also the Assassin and The Prince. We meet both of these characters through Lia as well, but she knows them as Rafe and Kade. What I think I liked the most about this book was that although we knew these two character, and we knew they were the Assassin and the Prince, we didn't know which one was which. Which made reading them that much more enjoyable. I wanted to know who was who, and I kept looking for clues as to who these characters really were and i have to say that i loved the way the author revealed it. It was great!

Now many people are saying there was a love triangle in the book and that it was too much too soon in this series. But although I agree that both of these boys had their moment in the sun with Lia and yes they both kiss her. I think there is a clear winner in Lia's eyes. I could tell with the way she talked and her actions that she clearly liked one more than the other (I will NOT say who!) and I think that doused my hatred for love triangles in this book. Since I knew that one was the favourite, and I totally support her choice btw, I was okay with these two boys fighting for her.

Everything about this book was amazing. The writing was brilliant and descriptive, the main characters were brilliantly written with depth and emotion that you loved to read on every page. The secondary characters were just as amazing and gave this book even more depth and character. They were what glued this world together and I loved reading them through Lia's eyes. I also loved that there were some fantasy elements in this book but they were not overwhelming, and I know that there will be more inclusion of fantasy in the next book, which I cannot wait to read!