Book Review: The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang

Wow, let's talk a little about high fantasy books, not my favorite genre of books to read but once in a while I read a book and I really enjoy and then it becomes a series and then I'm stuck in reading the whole series.  And no, it's not because I'm mandatory to read the whole series, it's because I NEED too, once I start I just cannot stop, I'm too deep with the characters, somethings not with the main one but others, as you will see.  But I just need to find out what's going to happen and God forbid if the author kills my favorite character, then MAYBE, MAYBE I'll NOT read the rest of the series.  Or maybe I will and see who else is going to die.  See what I mean, too committed. These authors are mean...just mean.  Okay, now I'm ready for the review...let's do this.

The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang

In the aftermath of the Third Poppy War, shaman and warrior Rin is on the run: haunted by the atrocity she committed to end the war, addicted to opium, and hiding from the murderous commands of her vengeful god, the fiery Phoenix. Her only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold out Nikan to their enemies.

With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.

But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance.









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After reading The Poppy War I really couldn't wait to read this book, but man I wasn't expecting this whole mess of a book.  That's all I can call it.  Do I still like it? Heck yes I did.  First of all, that magic system in this world is nothing like we have ever seem and it keeps getting better, last book the magic blew my mind, but in this one?  It was another level, we got to see a lot more of it and a lot more different magic for sure.  I freaking love it.

And one of the other things that keeps bringing me back to this world is the war and fighting scenes.  No, I don't like war in real life, 100% against it, wish it didn't exist!!! But in this book and world, man, the way they plan it and discuss it? And the whole thing happening, it keeps me in the edge of my seat, literally jumping.  I for sure would not know who to even start writing something like that...so well written.

World building, that's another well written part in this book, every time the characters are moving from one place to another the descriptions are amazingly written, I always feel like I can image how everything is, even the broken down places and ruins.  SO good.

Characters, I really think Kuang does an amazing job with her characters, so much so that I have fallen in love not with Rin but others.  Is it bad that I felt like she was driving me crazy in this book, for most part she was only thinking of herself first than anyone else or anything else and what the heck, that drove me crazy.  Where is the Rin from the first book, the one I fell in love with?  I wanted that little girl that fought and fought to be on top and fight for everyone else.  She was lost in this book and I sure hope she finds herself in the next one.  And that she realizes there are others that cares about her and she needs to care for them too.

Alright, I'm not giving anything away, why?  Because this is the second book of a fantasy series and you need to read the first book, first of all and second when it comes to fantasy you really can't ruin and book, you need to dive in and just discover it all yourself.


4 out of 5 stars.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: Christmas Knight by Pam Binder

Let's do this and review another Christmas book?  Yeah, let's go...

Christmas Knight by Pam Binder

Colin Edward Penrose, a knight from fifteenth-century Glastonbury, England, must solve the riddle of his family's curse and marry a woman out of time—or lose his ancestral home. With a matchmaker's help, he meets a woman to whom he feels an instant attraction, but he knows the curse makes falling in love dangerous for her.

Madeline Murphy, defense attorney in a prestigious law firm, needs a date for her family's Christmas Eve party. In desperation, she turns to a matchmaker for her knight in shining armor. The man supplied exceeds her wildest fantasy but vanishes without a trace.

A year later she needs a date for her mother's wedding, and she asks the same matchmaker. One problem: In order to find her mystery man, she must travel through time. 

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Alright, I admit, I watched the Netflix Christmas Knight and then I saw this book and saw that it had time travel and come one can you blame me?  I just had to have it and give a try.  Was it the same as the Netflix movie?  Of course not, but did I still enjoy it?  Of course I did.  But did I want it to be more like the movie?  Yeah, I admit that I did.  But overall it was a cute story and I'm glad that I came across it and read it.

So, it all comes down to these matchmakers in our regular time that can time travel and they have been wanting to try to break the fifteenth century Penrose's family curse and they really think they got it now.  So to go to the fifteenth century Glastonbury, England and get Colin, a Knight and bring him to a date on Christmas eve, our time with Madeline, a defense attorney.  They meet for the briefest minute and makes an impact on each other but they both disappear out of each others life. A year later, when Madeline needs a date for her mothers wedding she asks the matchmaker again, but somehow the matchmake does a little more than provide a wedding date.  She ends up traveling back to time and a lot more happens.

They end up meeting but to be together they have to go through a lot more that what they thought it was possible.  

Overall the story was quick, but still really enjoyable, don't expect history because you are not going to get it.  It's all about the romance and been Christmas time that's what you get.  The ending was a little rushed but that was to be expected to.  I enjoyed and recommend it for a quick and easy romantic read during this time of the year.

3.5 stars out of 5.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: A Blind Date for Christmas by Jo-Ann Carson

Its that time of the read where I read lots of holiday reads and let's review some of them.

A Blind Date for Christmas by Jo-Ann Carson

A Blind Date for Christmas
Who doesn’t want to find love in their stocking?

This is a story about two star-crossed lovers: Oscar Andersson a cursed barista who cannot find love, and Annabelle Gibson, the witch who intends to fix him.
In Mystic Keep, a small Pacific Northwest town where everything goes bump in the night, there is an enchanted coffee house called The Perfect Brew. Oscar and Annabelle lace every cup of coffee with magic to heal the hearts of their customers and help them make their dreams come true. But their lives are far from perfect.
Oscar Andersson has the Nordic good looks of a movie star. Not only is he a fifteen on a ten-point man-scale of hot; he’s also kind, thoughtful and generous. Oscar is the kind of man every mother dreams her daughter would marry, and every woman dreams of bedding. But he’s not available. It’s not that Oscar doesn’t want to find love, and it’s not that he hasn’t tried. He’s dated blondes, redheads, brunettes, witches, humans, and even gargoyles, but his attraction never turns into love. He’s a serial one-night stand.
Annabelle Gibson is a feisty, red-headed beauty, with a reputation for breaking hearts. While all sorts of men drool at her feet, she’s never found the right one. Oscar’s lukewarm response to her charms shocks her. She falls helplessly in love, and that’s when the trouble really starts. No matter what she does, she can’t get him to see her as anything but a friend.
Belle hatches a plan that can’t go wrong, or so she thinks. She gives a Christmas present he can’t refuse: three blind-dates. The third date will be with her. What could go wrong? By the time it’s her turn, she figures she’ll know what the hex is wrong with him. She'll fix him, and he'll be free to love her.
Meanwhile, Venomilia, the dark sorceress who cursed Oscar, watches them in her crystal ball, ready to step in if Belle comes close to breaking her spell.
This is a clean, sweet romance with a side of magic and mistletoe. A Blind Date for Christmas
Who doesn’t want to find love in their stocking?

This is a story about two star-crossed lovers: Oscar Andersson a cursed barista who cannot find love, and Annabelle Gibson, the witch who intends to fix him.
In Mystic Keep, a small Pacific Northwest town where everything goes bump in the night, there is an enchanted coffee house called The Perfect Brew. Oscar and Annabelle lace every cup of coffee with magic to heal the hearts of their customers and help them make their dreams come true. But their lives are far from perfect.
Oscar Andersson has the Nordic good looks of a movie star. Not only is he a fifteen on a ten-point man-scale of hot; he’s also kind, thoughtful and generous. Oscar is the kind of man every mother dreams her daughter would marry, and every woman dreams of bedding. But he’s not available. It’s not that Oscar doesn’t want to find love, and it’s not that he hasn’t tried. He’s dated blondes, redheads, brunettes, witches, humans, and even gargoyles, but his attraction never turns into love. He’s a serial one-night stand.
Annabelle Gibson is a feisty, red-headed beauty, with a reputation for breaking hearts. While all sorts of men drool at her feet, she’s never found the right one. Oscar’s lukewarm response to her charms shocks her. She falls helplessly in love, and that’s when the trouble really starts. No matter what she does, she can’t get him to see her as anything but a friend.
Belle hatches a plan that can’t go wrong, or so she thinks. She gives a Christmas present he can’t refuse: three blind-dates. The third date will be with her. What could go wrong? By the time it’s her turn, she figures she’ll know what the hex is wrong with him. She'll fix him, and he'll be free to love her.
Meanwhile, Venomilia, the dark sorceress who cursed Oscar, watches them in her crystal ball, ready to step in if Belle comes close to breaking her spell.
This is a clean, sweet romance with a side of magic and mistletoe. A Blind Date for Christmas
Who doesn’t want to find love in their stocking?

This is a story about two star-crossed lovers: Oscar Andersson a cursed barista who cannot find love, and Annabelle Gibson, the witch who intends to fix him.
In Mystic Keep, a small Pacific Northwest town where everything goes bump in the night, there is an enchanted coffee house called The Perfect Brew. Oscar and Annabelle lace every cup of coffee with magic to heal the hearts of their customers and help them make their dreams come true. But their lives are far from perfect.
Oscar Andersson has the Nordic good looks of a movie star. Not only is he a fifteen on a ten-point man-scale of hot; he’s also kind, thoughtful and generous. Oscar is the kind of man every mother dreams her daughter would marry, and every woman dreams of bedding. But he’s not available. It’s not that Oscar doesn’t want to find love, and it’s not that he hasn’t tried. He’s dated blondes, redheads, brunettes, witches, humans, and even gargoyles, but his attraction never turns into love. He’s a serial one-night stand.
Annabelle Gibson is a feisty, red-headed beauty, with a reputation for breaking hearts. While all sorts of men drool at her feet, she’s never found the right one. Oscar’s lukewarm response to her charms shocks her. She falls helplessly in love, and that’s when the trouble really starts. No matter what she does, she can’t get him to see her as anything but a friend.
Belle hatches a plan that can’t go wrong, or so she thinks. She gives a Christmas present he can’t refuse: three blind-dates. The third date will be with her. What could go wrong? By the time it’s her turn, she figures she’ll know what the hex is wrong with him. She'll fix him, and he'll be free to love her.
Meanwhile, Venomilia, the dark sorceress who cursed Oscar, watches them in her crystal ball, ready to step in if Belle comes close to breaking her spell.
This is a clean, sweet romance with a side of magic and mistletoe. Who doesn’t want to find love in their stocking?

This is a story about two star-crossed lovers: Oscar Andersson a cursed barista who cannot find love, and Annabelle Gibson, the witch who intends to fix him.
In Mystic Keep, a small Pacific Northwest town where everything goes bump in the night, there is an enchanted coffee house called The Perfect Brew. Oscar and Annabelle lace every cup of coffee with magic to heal the hearts of their customers and help them make their dreams come true. But their lives are far from perfect.
Oscar Andersson has the Nordic good looks of a movie star. Not only is he a fifteen on a ten-point man-scale of hot; he’s also kind, thoughtful and generous. Oscar is the kind of man every mother dreams her daughter would marry, and every woman dreams of bedding. But he’s not available. It’s not that Oscar doesn’t want to find love, and it’s not that he hasn’t tried. He’s dated blondes, redheads, brunettes, witches, humans, and even gargoyles, but his attraction never turns into love. He’s a serial one-night stand.
Annabelle Gibson is a feisty, red-headed beauty, with a reputation for breaking hearts. While all sorts of men drool at her feet, she’s never found the right one. Oscar’s lukewarm response to her charms shocks her. She falls helplessly in love, and that’s when the trouble really starts. No matter what she does, she can’t get him to see her as anything but a friend.
Belle hatches a plan that can’t go wrong, or so she thinks. She gives a Christmas present he can’t refuse: three blind-dates. The third date will be with her. What could go wrong? By the time it’s her turn, she figures she’ll know what the hex is wrong with him. She'll fix him, and he'll be free to love her.
Meanwhile, Venomilia, the dark sorceress who cursed Oscar, watches them in her crystal ball, ready to step in if Belle comes close to breaking her spell.
This is a clean, sweet romance with a side of magic and mistletoe.

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This was a really quick read and quite fun too.  It happened during Christmas time and this one had some magic involved has the characters are witches which was something different.  

Oscar and Annabelle work at a café where they lace the coffees they make with some magic to warm the hearts of the people they serve and make their wishes to somehow to come true.

Oscar is hot and kind and has every woman falling at his feet but for some reason he is single, he only does one night stands and never, never goes out with the same woman again.

Annabelle is a beauty herself and she falls in love with Oscar right away and the more she is with him the more in love she is with him but Oscar?  He won't even look at her and go out with her. So Annabelle comes up with a plan, she gives Oscar a Christmas present and he cannot refuse, three blind dates.  The third date will be here.

But what she doesn't know is that Oscar has been cursed by a dark sorceress when is was just a teenager, will she be able to figure out and break the spell in time?

The story line was cute and it had lots of potential, but it happened so fast, I felt like I wanted more.  But overall?  It was a cute Christmas book to read, and I recommend it.

3 out of 5 starts.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: Releasing Keanu by Siobhan Davis

Ah, the Kennedy boys, man the more I read about these brothers the more I  am hooked.  I want more of them and I just wish these books never ended.  As you can guess, Siobhan is back with another Kennedy brother and man this one is so freaking amazing, let just get to it.

Releasing Keanu by Siobhan Davis

Keanu
Selena played me.
Confirming I wasted years loving someone who didn’t love me back.
It should be easy to move on, but since she dumped me, I can’t shake her from my thoughts, no matter how hard I try.
Dates and random hookups don’t help, because no one measures up to the girl I still love with my whole heart.
When she appears at my door, begging me for help, I can’t turn her away. My protective instincts kick in, and I grasp this second chance with both hands.
This time, I’m determined to open her eyes.
To help her realize she made a mistake throwing what we had away.
To prove our love is the real deal.

Selena
Keanu has it all wrong.
I let him go because I love him too much to continue holding him back.
And I’ve paid for it every day since.
I didn’t think it was possible to miss someone this much, but my entire being aches for him in a way that isn’t healthy.
It’s why I continue to keep my distance even though it’s killing me inside.
No one understands me the way he does, so, when my ugly past returns, threatening to undo years of progress, he’s the first person I run to.
If anyone can keep me safe, it’s the love of my life.
Maybe, this time, I’m strong enough to be the woman he deserves.
If my past doesn’t take me from him first.

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Keanu has always been the quite brother and I think that has made at least me wanting to know more about him, he was mysterious and quite and it always left me wondering what kind of man he was.  And let me tell you this book did NOT disappoint me at all, it left me wanting a Keanu for myself :)

Keanu and Selena have been together forever and when Selena decided to end things between them?  Keanu was devastated, and he did the opposite of he has always done, he started hooking up with lots of girls and partying and been someone that he has never been.  It was time to stop been that person and get back to his own person, specially because he can't forget about the one that owns his heart.

Selena knew letting Keanu go was not the right thing to do, but at the same time it was what she needed to find herself and get herself where she is now.  To get past from her past she needs to get better to be in a better place and she knew letting Keanu go so she could get there was the right thing to do.

But what Selena and Keanu didn't expect was for the past to come back and threaten Selena again and there isn't anyone that she trust more to take care of her than Keanu so when she shows up at his door unexpected and out of herself, Keanu doesn't even think twice, he knows how to take care of her and he will do anything to take care of the love of his life no matter the cost.

In this book, we see how protective the  Kennedy's are, but we also get to see how sweet and soft and romantic and patient a Kennedy can be and is and Keanu is this and everything else.  He is the prince charming that we all want, he is hot and sexy but sweet and calm, protective and so much more.  I am so in love with him and I be you will be too.  This is the love story of 2019.  It's not lovey dovey all the way, be prepared for some trigger points because our girl Selena has a very dark past and this girl is not your typical fisty, all fighting in your face girl but the more your read this book the more you get to know her and the more your feel and get to love her.  She is the kind of hero we all need to love and appreciate more.

A million starts for this book.  Siobhan did again, but man I don't know how she is going to top this one off...my heart is still melting for these two.

XOXO,

Nelia