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    Amber

    Amber

    9.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

    Tabletop Game

    The kingdom has taken over a coastal region and given the land to new barons who quickly realized...

The Selection
The Selection
Kiera Cass | 2012 | Children
9
7.9 (48 Ratings)
Book Rating
141 of 230
Kindle
The Selection ( Book 1)
By Kiera Cass
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.


I absolutely loved it!! I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book. The world building and social standings were well written. The characters are all interesting. The story is so good it kept me wanting to read more. This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be reading more! A real Cinderella feel!
  
F
Firebird
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
159 of 230
Kindle
Firebird
By Alice La Roux
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

Being a King isn't easy.

When a rebel group threatens the family business, Golden Apple Incorporated, Seraphina King must step up to the plate. Her father keeps her on a tight leash, a prized possession locked away in a gilded cage. In desperation he grants her the freedom to find those who want to harm them, but nothing is as it seems. People are going missing, women are turning up dead and then there’s her renegade stalker. The maverick with the emerald green eyes who always seems to be in the middle of things. Sera doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe.

What happens when the golden apple is rotten?

This was a decent read although I was seriously frustrated at how short it is which gave it a little bit of a rushed feel. Although I have to say I really really enjoyed it. I liked the story and the characters I just wish we had more I know this was extended from a novella but it just still wasn’t long or feels enough! I’ve gone between a 3 and 4 but it could have been a 5 with more depth. I do like her writing style.
  
The Ostin Rebel (Isle of Ostin #4)
The Ostin Rebel (Isle of Ostin #4)
Michelle Dare | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE OSTIN REBEL is the fourth and final book in the Isle of Ostin series and we finish with Everest and Ledger. Everest longs to be free physically, whilst Ledger just wants to be free from his memories. Neither is easy.

This was a great book to finish on, and I was glad Ledger got his HEA. After being tortured for five years, he definitely deserved it. It is full of dark moments but lighthearted times are there - usually courtesy of Arbor, but also, sometimes, Everest. They are both similar although Everest isn't quite as bad!

I loved Roland getting his but I think I may have a bit of Arbor in me as I felt it was all over too quickly. Still, I'm glad the way it went down with the final blow being struck as it was. I'm also glad it wasn't Ledger! For someone with his crippling anxiety and PTSD, that really would have made it fiction!

A great series that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 8th, 2023
  
The Belles: The Belles Book 1
The Belles: The Belles Book 1
Dhonielle Clayton | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist of this novel is Camellia, she is one of few Belles, who has the ability to make people beautiful by altering their bodies, from hair colour to bone structure. Being favourite is the ultimate goal of all Belles. They get recognition and exceptional treatment from the government. When Camellia arrives at the palace, one of her main tasks is to treat royals, and especially, to help princess Sophia, who is an absolute nightmare…

I really enjoyed, how the author picked the characters for this book. She offered a very wide variety to choose from, levelling the balance between positive and negative ones. All the characters have a unique set of characteristics that make this book very diverse and colourful. My favourite character was, of course, Camellia, as a reader I really got to know her personality, her thoughts and wishes, and I think she is a really nice girl, however, she is too weak to be a lead rebel, she needs more fire in her. My least favourite was, of course, Sophia, she is psychotic and an absolute nutter.

The narrative is told from Camellia’s perspective, and I did miss the input from other characters. I think it would’ve been more exciting if there would’ve been Sophia’s thoughts as well. It was a quite slow burner for me, to be honest, the transition between chapters was not very smooth and it did lack pace and adventure. The Belles sometimes felt like plastic surgeons or beauticians, I would’ve liked to see more magic or some unexpected powers. It kind of felt like an introduction to something, because not many things were happening throughout this book. In this novel author is praising women, the country is run by women, and some of the characters are even indulged in lesbian relationships. 🙂

The setting of this novel was absolutely amazing. The author wrote down the surroundings so detailed, that my imagination was working overtime. I would absolutely love to see this book on screen, I think the characters, dresses, atmosphere, all the things and buildings would look amazing in the Netflix series. It sounds so magical and absolutely stunning when you read it. The chapters were pretty short, and the language used was easy to read. I could feel this french breeze from time to time as well, especially with some of the product or food names… The ending was very exciting, and after reading this book, I hope that the second part will bring more adventure and that Camellia will deserve to be the rebel of this series.

So, to conclude, it is an interesting story, filled with very unique characters, and if you like books about beauty and evil princesses, I think you might quite enjoy this read.