ARC Book Review Archives

Book Review: Caution to the Wind by Giana Darling

Nov 28, 2023

Caution to the Wind (The Fallen Men, #7) by Giana Darling

Pages:
Publish date: 28 November, 2023
Publisher: –
ISBN: 9781774440223
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

I fell in love with my best friend’s dad when I was seventeen.

He seemed like some kind of heathen god, big enough to kill a man with his bare hands, tattooed with bright, bold images, and weathered by time and a short stint in prison.

Blind to the consequences, I made a mistake that ran him out of town and ruined his life.

Now, he’s back after all these years––hating me more than the day he left.

What he doesn’t know is that I’ve been working to atone for my sins.

I’ve infiltrated the Vancouver Triad that killed his wife.

Always my protector, he decides it’s not safe for me to be in this alone, so he resolves to get me out of the Triad and out of his hair for good.

Caution to the Wind :

There are major trigger and content warnings for this book and series. I’ve included a list at the bottom of this review, but this is a dark series, that includes dark themes.

I received an e-arc of Caution to the Wind (The Fallen Men, #7) by Giana Darling in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings. This review will contain some spoilers from the rest of the series.

While you can read these books as standalones, I highly recommend that you read them in order. All these stories connect and sometimes stories intertwine.

So, I am not going to lie, it was quite a big wait for this book, but let me tell you. It was so worth it. I didn’t know what to expect from Caution to the Wind (The Fallen Men, #7) by Giana Darling. I’ve really like this dark MC series, I’ve given most of the books 4 starts, so I knew I was going to like it. I didn’t know I was going to love it and now it’s maybe my favourite book in the series. This one honestly took me by surprise, and I am not mad about it.

Photo by Alexey Malakhov on Unsplash

Caution to the Wind is really told in two parts. The first part follows Mei while she is still young, still in school. Where Mei and Henning Axelsen are there for each other, and they both go through some pretty dark parts. The past is where everything falls apart. The second part is where we left the Fallen Men in Dead Man Walking.

I’m normally not a massive fan of books that jump a lot of time. Mostly I don’t love being in the past. I get bored and just want to get to where everything hits the fan. But Giana did such a fantastic job here. From the moment that the book opens, it was all hell. I wasn’t prepared for that start at all, but it absolutely grabbed my attention. It was a fantastic way of showing who not only Mei and Henning were before, but how they became who they are now. If I thought the past was heavy, well the now isn’t much better. Mei is so young at the start of the book, but the events that she goes through change her, and put her on a path that is dangerous and at times she is helpless.

It’s been years since Mei and now Axe-Man had seen each other. He doesn’t want to see Mei; he doesn’t want her around and he absolutely doesn’t want her around his daughter and her best friend Cleo. But Cleo has just been something unimageable and she just wants her best friend there. Axe-Man and Mei’s first encounter after so many years is harsh and makes my heart hurt. But they are thrown together throughout the book, they need to work together if anything is going to happen. But there is just so much pain between the two of them. Axe-Man doesn’t want to hear any of it, and Mei feels like she deserves it.

Mei is a whole new character to us, we don’t know anything about her before this book starts, and it’s hard to know the real her for a good part of the book. In the past, she is young, she is in pain, and she is letting her emotions take over. Then in the now, we know that we don’t know everything. And for me, it isn’t until we do, that I know feel like we know the real Mei. She is fighting and fits in with the Fallen so well. Even if they are quite harsh with her. She is so alone and that made me hurt so much. She would honestly do anything and everything for Axe-Man and Cleo, and she does. Even if it hurts her.

Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

Even though Axe-Man has been here from the start, I feel like we don’t know a whole lot about him. We find out things here and there throughout the series. But it’s here that we get to see who he is. And for the most part, he is just hurt. And that leads to hate. He like Mei, would do anything for those that he loves. And Cleo is at the top of that list. After Dead Man Walking, he feels like he has failed. And I honestly think that plays a lot into this book and how he feels about Mei.

Caution to the Wind is a book that isn’t easy to read. From the physical abuse that happens throughout the book, to the mental struggles that both Mei and Axe-Man go through. They have both hurt each other, but with Axe-Man not wanting to talk, there is just more and more pain. The romance in this one was slow and long. It’s been quite a few years between them parting and when they see each other again, there is just so much hate. So much hurt. It takes them quite some time to both forgive the other and let go of the strain that they have. This isn’t a simple hate-to-love romance. There are so many layers, and it’s a slow peel. Caution to the Wind explores the length of what people would do for love, even if it means tearing their own hearts in the process. I found that there wasn’t a lot of romance for a lot of the book, and more pure lust and hate. But if you dig deep, it is love that drives it.

There is a lot going on in terms of plot, we have all the tension and history between Mei and Axe-Man that we are uncovering, as well as some new evils that have come to town. Both have connections to the past for Mei and Axe-Man. I didn’t feel that this was as intense as some of the other books in terms of these themes. I mean there are still some dark things that happen, but after the last book. This one was a little tamer. I liked that we got to see both Mei and Axe-Man work together, but also try and find things on their own. Mei was badass and I loved it. While all the other females in the Fallen Men series are some of my favourites, there was something about Mei that just stood out.

Taking about the Fallen Men, I loved that I was back in this world. I have missed it. We were able to catch up with the characters that we love and care for. But we also get to see them from an outsider’s perception. Other than the first book, most of the female leads have had some sort of connection to the club. But Mei knows nothing about them. And at first, their reception isn’t warm – at all. And I kinda hated it. I have grown to love my Fallen woman, and I know that it was coming from a place of love. But Mei, Mei is alone and this group of women, this family didn’t want her there at first. Cleo is dealing with a lot and while she does stand up for her, it’s hard. I just wanted these badass women to love and welcome another badass woman. However, as the Caution to the Wind goes on, Mei breaks down their walls and they come to trust and even really like her.

Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

Overall, I think Caution to the Wind could be one of my favourites in the Fallen Men series. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been so long since I’ve had a new book in this world. Or because I simply loved reading it. It’s dark and mysterious adding to that being hot and heavy. As soon as I picked this one up, I didn’t want to put it down. Caution to the Wind made me enjoy time jumps and spending quite some time in the past.

Caution to the Wind has many highs and lows. It follows Mei and Axe-Man on a long journey from hurt and betrayal, to forgiveness and love. It’s forbidden, and dark and will keep you reading until the end. It’s full of love, pain, anger and so much angst. Caution to the Wind is a story that is raw and powerful and hits you right in the middle with everything at once. This age-gap romance is perfect for anyone who has loved the rest of the series and for those who want something dark in their lives.

Tropes and Themes: Age-Gap, MC, Forbidden Romance, Best Friends Dad, Dark Themes

⚠️ Trigger Warnings Include; Violent Death On Page, Graphic Violence, Kidnapping, Gun Violence, Torture, Death of Loved Ones, Illness of Loved Ones, Graphic Sex.

Have you read Caution to the Wind by Giana Darling yet? What did you think of it? Have you read any of the other books in this series? What is a book that you have read recently that you loved and took you by surprise? Let’s chat!

You can check out the rest of my reviews of The Fallen Men series and other Giana Darling if you would like.

Book Review: One Small Thing by Erin Watt

Nov 11, 2018

One Small Thing by Erin Watt

Pages: 384
Publish date: June 28, 2018
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
ISBN: 9781848457430
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems a small thing, just for her.

Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…

Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.

Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.

One Small Thing:

I received an arc copy of One Small Thing by Erin Watt from Harlequin Teen Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I have been many ups and downs with Erin Watt books. There are some that I really enjoyed and some that I struggled to even read. But I thought I should give this one a go, and while I didn’t love it, I also didn’t hate it. There were aspects of One Small Thing that I thought was down really well and others, I really didn’t like. I really enjoyed When It’s Real, but then didn’t love the Paper Princess series.

One Small Thing follows protagonist Beth as she begins her senior year. She wanted to have the time of her life, she wanted to be herself. But things haven’t been the same since her sister died. So when Beth sneaks out one night for a party, she never expected to meet Chase. But Chase isn’t who he seems. He has his own secrets that will haunt him forever. Now there is secret romance brewing, Beth must make a chose that would tear everything apart.

It’s been a couple of days since I read One Small Thing, and I am still not sure how I feel about Beth. For the most part, I really enjoyed her. Beth had been through a lot. Her sister has died, her parents are interesting and she always felt like she was in the shadows.

Throughout the novel, Beth tries to stand up for herself not only to her parents but also her friendship group. And this doesn’t always go to plan. There were times throughout the novel that Beth was called selfish, and I don’t believe that she was. Sure she isn’t the best person ever, but I felt that the things she was doing, weren’t even that bad. In saying that I felt that Beth let other people thoughts on her get in the way of who she truly was. As the novel goes she does learn to fight these thoughts. But it took over a lot of the book as well.

Chase, another protagonist that I am not too sure how I feel about. We don’t know too much about him when he is first introduced. And then when the reader does find out who he is, let’s just say it hard to like him. But as One Small Thing, the reader is able to see a different side of him and as the mystery goes on we start to feel more sympathy with him. Chase made a horrible mistake, one that he can never take back. And the reader really sees him struggling throughout the novel. There were times where Chase said and did things that I didn’t agree with making it harder to like him.

The romance in One Small Thing is very complicated and my favourite thing about the novel. Their first meeting isn’t planned and things move pretty quickly. Then they meet again and everything changes. Things are intense between Beth and Chase, once they realise who each other is and that makes everything more complicated. The reader is able to understand why Chase wants to stay away. He is not only dealing with his own demons, but also of those around him. But doesn’t want to let him go that easily and holds on to him the best that she can.

In saying that Beth also hides Chase from the ones that she loves, for good reasons I might add. But that does put a strain between the two. The romance was fast paced at times, but I liked what Erin Watt did with the romance. It was slowed down by the focus on why they couldn’t be together.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Beth’s parents throughout One Small Thing. At first, I understood why they did feel protective over her, but then some of the things that they did. One of the main reason why I didn’t like Beth’s parents were when they held her back. They weren’t going to let her attend the schools she wanted to, or have the jobs that she loved. They were holding her back from the things that grounded her, that she held onto. And instead gave her more reason to ‘rebel’ or dislike them. I also didn’t like we really didn’t get any conclusion on the relationship with Beth and her parents. There was a little hint in the last couple of chapters, but I felt that it was brushed over, especially with how rocky their relationship was during One Small Thing.

The notion of friends is also a big part of One Small Thing by Erin Watt. And Beth has crap friends. I basically didn’t like any of them and thought that they only cared about themselves and no one else. There was a lot of bullying involved in One Small Thing that really rubbed me the wrong way and frustrated me to no end. There were a few incidents throughout the book that made me love not being back in High School, teenages can just be horrible.

One Small Thing is very fast paced and things move very quickly not only between characters, but also the timeline. In saying that it was hard to keep up and work out where they were in the year at times. I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. And the intensity of the novel was high at times because of the fast-paced storyline. However, I did guess a lot of plot points that do happen, but that doesn’t make the story any less enjoyable.

Overall, One Small Thing by Erin Watt is a good read. It was fun at times but is also very emotional. One Small Thing explores the notions of forgiving, coming of age and family. It delves deep into the lives of teens that shows both the horrors and breathtaking moments of becoming an adult. I do wish that there was more depth to the lead characters of Beth and Chase. Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading their story. There are many ups and downs to this novel and if you want a quick read that is a little different then this is for you.

Have you read One Small Thing by Erin Watt? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read anything else by Erin Watt? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Sep 25, 2016

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Pages: 405
Publish date: September 22nd
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1509804552
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Three sisters. One crown. A fight to the death.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose . . . it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

Three Dark Crowns:

I received an arc of Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I loved Three Dark Crowns. I was swept away in the world of magic, betrayal and living up to what you were born to do. It’s wicked, sinister and dark, this fantasy book had me locked in from the get-go.

Three Dark Crowns follows a set of triplets: Mirabella, Katharine and Arsinoe as they ready themselves to fight to the death. Because on the island of Fennbirn only one can be queen. Each can control a different sort of magic that is just as important as the other, the night that they turn sixteen it all begins and in the end, only one will survive.

While the three sisters were together for a little while, they were torn apart and raised on different parts of the island, by different people. It shows that sometimes the way that you are brought up, can define who you are, not by the blood that runs through you.

Mirabella has the power of the elements, able to create storms with the snap of her fingers, however, she was my less favourite sister. There was a lot of decisions that she made throughout the book that just ticked me the wrong way. I found her at times to be selfish, there was little hints that she cared for her sister but, something happened in the middle of the book and I couldn’t deal with it.

Katharine is a poisoner, it is said that can consume any poison and not die. I think Katharine was my favourite sister, I was always wanted to be in her perspective. Her view on the world, the way that she was brought up was interesting. She was quite naive at times, but you were able to see her grow

Arsinoe is a naturalist, and it’s said that she can control the bloom of flowers and the fiercest of beasts. She was my second favourite, she was a timid little thing at times and I felt that she need someone to hug. Arsinoe also had a strong bond with a certain character, that stood out.

Each sister had their own personalities and have wonderful character arcs. Each sister grew in some way or another throughout Three Dark Crowns and it was fantastic to see. The reader is able to see each sister find out something about themselves. Each sister also has different motives and wants, again it all comes down to how each were brought up.

The romance was probably my least favourite element of Three Dark Crowns. Instalove, cheating, more instalove. I dislike nearly every single romantic element of the book. I basically shipped no one.

One of my favourite things about Three Dark Crowns was the world. Blake created a world that fascinated me. The reader is able to immerse right into it, and it was so beautifully done. I did want to know more about the history of the magic in the world, but overall the world building was lovely.

There was a lot going on plot-wise because we are in three different perspectives and each sister has different things going on in their lives. There were times that were quite slow, especially around the middle. However, it did pick up.

Overall, Three Dark Crowns is dark and sinister. You don’t know who to trust or what is going to happen next.There were a couple of problems here and there, but overall, I really enjoyed it. The reader is left on their feet through the book, and even when it ends, you are left standing on the edge of a cliff.