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Book Review: Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

Aug 20, 2018

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

Pages: 400
Publish date: July 5th, 2018
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
ISBN: 9780552573764
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it?

Lada’s rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won’t rest until everyone knows that her country’s borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed’s peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince.

But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister’s indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before–including her relationships–can Lada truly build the country she wants.

Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.

Bright We Burn:

This has to be one of my favourite series of all time. I love everything about it. It’s intense, brutal and keeps you on edge the whole time. Both Lada and Radu go against the norms of protagonists in YA and that just takes this trilogy to a whole different level.

After the events of Now I Rise, Lada is leading at Wallachia and will stop at nothing to make it crime free. She won’t stop until everyone knows that she is now ruling and it’s her land. Back in Constantinople, Mehmed is now ruling as Sultan and Ruda is called back to be with him. But Ruda is not only dealing with the downfall of Constantinople but the sacrifices that he had to make. When Lada sends back some of Mehmed’s men, dead, Mehmed knows he has to deal with her and who better than sending her own brother. Lada has spent years fighting for what she believes in and she won’t be easily stopped.

I don’t think I will ever stop talking about this trilogy. It’s just so fantastic, I can’t even begin to explain. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Bright We Burn. I know how things went down in history, but I wasn’t so sure how things would go in this book. death, destruction, and sacrifices I was prepared for, tearing me apart I was not.

Lada is such an interesting protagonist. The female version of Vlad the Impaler, she has no mercy and will stop at nothing to show that her gender doesn’t matter. Throughout the previous two books, we slowly get to see how horrific Lada could be, but everything went up ten notches in Bright We Burn. Lada is fierce and strong from the start, but as the novel goes on we do get to see that she is vulnerable and a lot of that comes down to both Mehmed and Ruda. They are both her downfall. While she isn’t fazed by killing, she lacks experience in other areas and that really shone through in Bright We Burn. I am just so fascinated by Lada as a character overall. Lada’s unique, brutal and is perfectly written.

There are a lot of things that happen in Bright We Burn involving Lada and it really made from an interesting book. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I think that Kiersten White’s characterisation and arc of Lada is so balance and just works so damn well.

Ruda, my sugar plum. He is just too precious that I can’t control it. Ruda has grown a lot from And I Darken, he has not only learned a lot of about himself, but also those that he loves. I think that Ruda gets to really shine in Bright We Burn. He not only gets to lead in a way but also gets to know himself a little more. In saying that, as much as a love Ruda, his blind love and devotion for Mehmed, is his downfall. He will do anything for him because Ruda believes that there is a small chance that Mehmed might love him too. And while we get to see things in the previous two books, it really takes a turn in Bright We Burn.

There is one scene between Ruda and Lada that broke my heart. She is one tough person, but I could feel all the pain she was going through because of Ruda and his loyally to Mehmed and not his blood.

Mehmed, all I can say is that I hate him. I don’t think I have disliked a character so much in a book that I love. He is deceiving, manipulative and just wants and needs to get his way. He’s like a small child, that throws a tantrum when their parents don’t buy them a toy. He can’t make up his mind and wants everything and anything, no matter who he hurts in the process.

Bright We Burn is fantastic. There were things that happened that just blew me the hell away. I didn’t know what to think or what to do. I kept second guessing everything that happened and didn’t know who to trust. Lada and Ruda have a lot of family struggles in Bright We Burn and it really did hurt me. One of Lada’s plot lines, gosh it was done so well and made me burst with excitement. I loved the way that Bright We Burn flowed. There were some seriously intense moments where your heart would be jumping. But then there were these beautiful moments that made me want to cry. In saying all this, there was also a lot of death in Bright We Burn and some really did hurt. Here is a photo of what I was like at the end of the book…

I just finished Bright We Burn. Holy F-. @kierstenwhite you are brilliant, but you killed me. It hurt so much that this happened… pic.twitter.com/m0kpIhGLAj

— Angel 😇 (@angel_reads) July 24, 2018

Overall, if you haven’t picked up this trilogy please do. Bright We Burn by Kiersten White is intense, brutal and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book left me a mess but in the best possible way. This gender twist, historical fiction explores family, finding yourself and war. It explores new life, being strong and finding your place. Lada and Radu and some of the most intriguing, captivating and alluring protagonist I have ever read and they will never leave me. It’s about war and betrayal, oh all the betrayal and will leave you gobsmacked right at the end. This books is dark, don’t forget that Lada is the female Vlad the Impaler. There is so much more to say, but this fierce and brutal novel is waiting for you.

Don’t forget to check out my reviews on And I Darken and Now I Rise. But I must warn you, that I love these two books, just as much.

Book Review: Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby

Aug 14, 2018

Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tayna Eby

Pages: 451
Publish date: August 14, 2018
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
ASIN: B07D9X3HW9
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – iBooks

Liam

The moment Sadie Matthews walks through the daycare center door, I feel my world tilt in her direction. Again. I fell for her when I was fourteen, and I’m still not over her. Problem: she still thinks of me as a teen she used to babysit. But I’ve learned a few things about pleasing a woman in the last fifteen years. I can’t wait to show her how good it could be. I need to move quickly before I lose her again. This is more than a game to me, but I still plan to win.

Sadie

I’ve just survived the worst year of my life. As a single mom of twin toddlers, I don’t have time for a man. I barely have time to finish a thought. Who knew that Liam McAllister would grow up to be so devastating? He’s everything my husband was not: tall, built, and willing to have a tea party with my girls.

I can’t possibly get involved with him. He’s too young for me. Too handsome. But he’s so persuasive…

Boy Toy:

I received an e-arc of Boy Toy from the authors in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I didn’t know how I was feeling before I started reading Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby. I hadn’t been a massive fan of the previous two book in this series; Man Hands and Man Card. I enjoyed them, but I didn’t particularly love them. But as soon as I started reading Boy Toy, a lot of things changed.

Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby follows recently divorced mother of twin daughters Sadie as she tries to re-navigate her life as a single woman. So it’s a surprise when she drops her kids off at daycare and sees someone she used to babysit. And he definitely isn’t a boy anymore. Liam hasn’t seen Sadie in nearly fifteen years, and when he sees her walk, it’s like he is teen again and his crush has risen straight to the surface. Sadie doesn’t think she is ready to jump into a new relationship and Liam isn’t going to be around forever, but hey who says you can’t have fun.

Boy Toy was a massive surprise for me. As I said before I wasn’t a massive fan of this duo’s previous books in this series. And I am not sure what it was exactly, but I was able to connect with the protagonist a lot better in this one. Sadie and Luke were both very raw characters and so in turn so was the romance. It was still sexy, but there was this innocence about it, like first love or falling in love for the first.

I really enjoyed Sadie as a protagonist in Boy Toy. She was witty and charming and I loved seeing her try new things again. After a really heartbreaking and somewhat loveless marriage, it was really nice to see Sadie, not only fall for someone again but also love herself. Throughout the previous two novels we really get to see Sadie at some of her worse and in Boy Toy, we finally see her at her best. I adored the interactions with her daughters and from the get-go, the reader is able to see that she will do anything for them.

Liam, ah what an amazing human being this man is. From the start the reader is able to see Liam interest in Sadie, he doesn’t really hide it well and gosh it made up for a few laughs. I also adored his Liam’s want and need to care for the kids at the daycare. Especially Sadie’s little girls. Liam’s kindness, love, and thoughtfulness shines throughout the whole book and adds depth to an already interesting character. He would do anything for Sadie and her girls and gosh that just hit me right in the heart.

I loved seeing how nervous both Sadie and Liam were going forward, but also how much they wanted to. Sadie’s previous marriage really took a toll on her self-esteem and throughout Boy Toy, Liam is able to break down the walls and make Sadie love herself again. I think that was such an important part of their relationship and really stood out to be. Sadie also has time, believing that she has failed as a mother. And Liam is able to show that Sadie is totally the opposite and excels at what she does and her love for her twins beats nothing.

Overall, Boy Toy was such a fun, entertaining read. This rom-com has it all, romance, laughs, and best of all family. I just fell in love with the characters and their lives and couldn’t put the book down for a second. Boy Toy explores the notion of second chances, loving yourself and being a family. It’s about sacrifice and learning to take what life throws at you. If you are looking for a fun, entertaining but also heart pulling read, then this one is for you.

Book Review: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by Kylie Scott

Aug 8, 2018

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by Kylie Scott

Pages: 316
Publish date: August 7, 2018
Publisher: –
ASIN: B07D8FNYY9
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – iBooks

Returning home for her father’s wedding was never going to be easy for Adele. If being sent away at eighteen hadn’t been bad enough, the mess she left behind when she made a pass at her dad’s business partner sure was.

Fifteen years older than her, Pete had been her crush for as long as she could remember. But she’d misread the situation—confusing friendliness for undying love. Awkward. Add her father to the misunderstanding, and Pete had been left with a broken nose and a business on the edge of ruin. The man had to be just as glad as everyone else when she left town.

Seven years on, things are different. Adele is no longer a kid, but a fully grown adult more than capable of getting through the wedding and being polite. But all it takes is seeing him again to bring back all those old feelings.

Sometimes first loves are the truest.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time:

I received an e-arc of It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by Kylie Scott in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve been a fan of Kylie Scott over the last couple of years. She writes romances that I fall in love with and plots that keep me engaged. So when I heard she was bringing out a new book, I couldn’t wait. And while I didn’t love It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, I did still really enjoy it.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time follows, Adele as she arrives back home to her father after seven years. She didn’t just leave her father behind, but a mess that isn’t easily fixed. When Adele was eighteen she fell in love with one of her father’s co-workers. But he didn’t feel the same. Heartbroken and embarrassed Adele left town, but now she is back.

I really enjoyed the premise of this one, it sounded intriguing something I don’t really read much of. I am not a massive fan of age gap stories. Maybe it’s because I haven’t read one that I have really loved yet. In saying that I didn’t hate the romance in It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, I just didn’t like the situations that occurred.

I quite enjoyed Adele as a protagonist. She was engaging and kept me hooked to the novel the whole time. The reader is able to see that Adele still hasn’t truly gotten over getting her heart broken. At first, I found it annoying. But as the novel went on and we got to see how close with Pete she actually was, it all made sense. I enjoyed Adele’s character development throughout the novel. And because there are also flashbacks, it’s like double development.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Pete in It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. There were so many things that he said and did that just didn’t sit right with me at all. I wasn’t a massive fan of how he treated Adele throughout the novel and that was something I couldn’t really go with. It wasn’t until the last couple of chapters that I liked him. Throughout the novel, he had a few shining moments but then he said something and bang right back to the bottom again.

Because of my dislike of Pete, I didn’t love the romance. It just broke me every time that Adele put her heart on the line and then Pete just stomped on it. However, I did like the use of the age gap in It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. The reader is able to see that Adele does really care for Pete and it wasn’t just some teenage crush that she had. And when Pete was at his best, the reader is able to see that he too cares for Adele.

I really enjoyed the theme of family in It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. It really added to the depth of the novel and just made me like the novel even more. Adele’s father and his new wife were totally adorable and I liked that there wasn’t really any hard feelings between Adele and her step mum. It’s rare that you see good relationships between stepfamilies. I liked that Adele’s father was protective, but also let Adele be when she needed it.

Like always I really enjoyed Kylie Scott’s writing and setting. She really knows how to capture a place and that adds depth to the story. I loved that the setting was also Australia. Kylie work’s really great with building characters and letting them take over the pages, which I loved. However, I did think that at times things that happened we really unnecessary and just took away from the story as a whole.

Overall, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by Kylie Scott was a pretty good read. And while I didn’t love it, I still really enjoyed it and was able to read it in a couple of hours. It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time explores the notion of first love, family and falling in love again. It explores expanding families, age gaps and starting away. If you are looking for a different romance read then this one is for you.

About the Author

Kylie Scott is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

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