10/30/15

Pirate Princess by Catherine Banks Review!


As the daughter of the Pirate King, Tilia Swanson has an unusual upbringing learning skills that aren’t often available for women. As the heir apparent for the Kingdom of Crilan, her skills set her apart as she is trained by the best in the land and taught to harness her magic. However, piracy is in her blood, and draws danger to Tilia in the way that treasure draws pirates. Some treasures are more valuable than others. Will this lesson be learned in time or will the betrayal of those around her be her undoing?
This is the first book in a new YA Fantasy trilogy.
 
     A pirate princess with deadly skills with a dagger, rival pirates, dashing pirate captains, and life threatening adventures. What could go wrong?
     I was so excited when Catherine asked me to review her book, Pirate Princess for her because I love her books. For this book, the title instantly had my attention, as well as the cover. I usually don't like covers with faces on them, but with the sword and ship on the cover too it all comes together to create a mysterious atmosphere that screams a fun adventure. THERE WAS ALSO A MAP. I love bookish maps, and when a book has a map in the beginning of it, a fun and exciting journey is bound to be in store.
     I was hooked onto this story from the first paragraph, no lie. I immediately dove into Tilia's world, and there was no looking back after that. Just from the first chapter I became emotionally invested in Tilia, and her father, the king of pirates, due to their heartfelt farewell in the beginning. I wanted to know what would happen to Tilia and how she would fair with her aunt, the queen of Crilan. I have to say that the women in this novel were BADASS. The queen herself was a firecracker, a master swordsman, a powerful Mage, and she readily charged into battle along with her husband and the rest of the soldiers. Women were seen as equal in this novel, which is rare for the era it was set in, and I freaking loved it. I also loved Talia's character.
     I loved how fiery and quick-witted she was. Talia was a character that made me laugh a lot as the story went on. She was also an amazing fighter. She didn’t take crap from anyone, and she scared most of the men around her, which I happened to love. She was full of surprises, and she was strong, which was obvious. However, she also had a soft side which wasn’t so obvious at first. I really loved getting to see things from her POV for sure. Honestly, all the characters in this book were amazing. They were fun, fiery, sarcastic, thoughtful, and so protective of Talia.
     Speaking of being protective, I loved how overprotective everyone was of Talia too even though she was more than capable of protecting herself. It was funny seeing her uncle and father get mad over possible suitors, and Finn, her pirate suitor, who had my heart doing all kinds of crazy things. Finn was the smoothest of all smooth talkers, and he had the confidence to back it up. He was a fierce pirate captain and he was protective of Talia as well. I loved how he and Talia interacted. Their first meeting was hilarious, and I knew then that together sparks would fly and they would take the kingdoms by storm, all the while stealing kisses and being awesome.
     And I was right to assume that they would take the kingdoms by storm. This book was FULL of action and fun adventures. I couldn't put it down because I was so engrossed in it, and I would have finished it in a day, but I had to sleep. This was the kind of book that you lose yourself in. I entered the world of Crilan, Pirates, magic, kingdoms, badass women, and fight scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat. We got to see Talia explore the ocean with Finn, fight angry pirates and kings, protect those she loved, and sacrifice everything to save them. This is a book that will satisfy everyone who loves a story that can captivate you and hold onto your attention until long after you've finished it.
     I cannot express to you how much I loved this book to be honest. Pirate Princess had everything I love a book to have in it. It had a badass heroine who frightened most people with her skills, a protective family that was hilarious and crazy all at one, a pirate father who instilled fear into everyone with just his name, a jealous pirate captain who threatened everyone who touched what was his, and adventures that kept my attention locked onto every page of the book. If THAT doesn't prompt you to read this book then I don't know what will. HOWEVER, I will mention that my fellow Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas fans will freaking adore this book. Talia and Aelin are so similar in attitude and demeanor that they would definitely be best friends if they ever met in real life. So there is that. Basically, this is the kind of book where I will get multiple copies of it just because I love it so much, and I've only done that with The Fault in Our Stars and Sarah J. Maas' books so you KNOW it's good.
      I've read Cathrine's Artemis Lupine series and her other novel, Daughter of Lions, and loved them all, and Pirate Princess was no different! I give it five out of five stars and a place on my favorites list!

Be sure to pre-order Pirate Princess if you are looking for an adventure that never ends so that you can experience pirates and badass women on November 2nd!

Preorder links:


Check out Catherine’s social media accounts, website, and blog! She is a fun author to follow.

10/9/15

Truly, Madly, Famously ( Famous In Love #2) by Rebecca Serle Review!



In this romantic sequel to Famous in Love, new Hollywood "It Girl" Paige must navigate love with her co-stars, both on and off screen and all in the public eye.
Lights, camera, love!
After being plucked from obscurity, Hollywood's newest starlet, Paige Townsen, has a hit film to her name and Rainer Devon on her arm. But being half of the world's most famous couple comes with a price, and soon Paige finds herself dodging photographers; hiding her feelings for her other costar, Jordan Wilder; and navigating tabloid scandals that threaten to tear her and Rainer apart-and end her career as quickly as it began.
Rebecca Serle's sequel to Famous in Love is filled with the kind of celebrity drama and swoon-worthy romance fit for the silver screen.

            First of all, I want to thank Little Brown and Company and PMK˚BMC for sending me Truly, Madly, Famously for review. I adored Famous In Love, the first book in this series, and I was so happy to be asked to review the second book! If you want to read my review of Famous In Love then follow this link Famous in Love Review.
            Anyway, I read Famous In Love as soon as it came out a year ago, and although I didn't have the chance to reread it, as soon as I started reading Truly, Madly, Famously it was like no time had passed at all. The beginning of the novel easily slipped back into Paige's story and it was easy to pick up where it had left off.
            I talked about how much I liked Paige's character in my review of Famous in Love, and my love for her only grew stronger! In this book, she struggled with the weight of the world constantly watching her every move, and I wanted to hug her throughout the whole book because she needed it. However, in this book, she gets even stronger and more resolved in her dedication to acting, and it was an emotional ride for sure. She also struggled with her relationship between Rainer and Jordan, and that had my heart hurting a LOT. Their love triangle was brutal and an emotional rollercoaster ride. Sometimes I didn't even know which way was up. There were quite a few moments that my heart ached and I got teary eyed because her relationship between them was heartbreaking and frustrating. Madly, Truly, Famously definitely did NOT lack in emotional scenes and an interesting plot. In the end, Paige did what was best for her, and I can't tell you how happy I was about it. I may have squealed. Don't judge me.
            Along with the emotional side of Paige's story, I also enjoyed the little life lessons that Serle threw into the book. As Paige struggled with her fame, she felt like she was losing herself and forgetting who she was. Then a friend of hers in the story tells her that she needs to stop worrying about what's going to happen in the future and think about the present. There was some great advice given in Truly, Madly, Famously that you wouldn't expect to find in a fictional novel, but fiction can teach lessons and give advice just like any other book. I have to say that some of the advice given to Paige in the book really hit home with me and made me think about my own life. Its books like these that broaden my views on life and give me a different perspective. That's one reason I love this book so much.
            I really loved this book. So much so that I stayed up until 2 AM reading it. I was so fascinated by Paige's journey and how her relationships would play out that I couldn't stop reading. It also didn't hurt that I got to see more behind the scenes of actors and actresses lives and how their fame changes how they live. That's what makes this book so special! Truly, Madly, Famously was full of emotion, drama, big decisions, and energy that pushed me to keep turning page after page to find out where Paige would end up. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a drama filled book with love triangles, shocking surprises, and love so sweet that you can't help but say "awh". I give Truly, Madly, Famously five out of five stars!

Be sure to get your copy of Truly, Madly, Famously on October 13th  when it is released!

P.S. If you haven't read the first book, Famous In Love, check out my review of it here, Review, and see if you would want to read it!