The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young Book Review

 

Title: The Last Legacy
Author: Adrienne Young
Publish Date: September 7th, 2021
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Huge thank you to Raincoast books for providing me with an ARC for review!

New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with The Last Legacy, a captivating standalone about family and blood ties, reinventing yourself, and controlling your own destiny.

When a letter from her uncle Henrik arrives on Bryn Roth's eighteenth birthday, summoning her back to Bastian, Bryn is eager to prove herself and finally take her place in her long-lost family.

Henrik has plans for Bryn, but she must win everyone’s trust if she wants to hold any power in the delicate architecture of the family. It doesn’t take long for her to see that the Roths are entangled in shadows. Despite their growing influence in upscale Bastian, their hands are still in the kind of dirty business that got Bryn’s parents killed years ago. With a forbidden romance to contend with and dangerous work ahead, the cost of being accepted into the Roths may be more than Bryn can pay.

Penelope's Review

So this is actually my first Adrienne Young book (*gasp* I know.. blasphemy right lol?) and I just want to say how excited I am to read everything else she has written because this was great! This was not what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but I absolutely loved the unique plotline and fantastic character depth.

From what I understand, this book world was introduced in Fable and Namesake and this is basically a deeper look into the Roth family (I believe they were part of this duology and now we get a closer look at their lifestyle). As I haven't read Fable and Namesake I can't comment (yet) on how this book compares to the two, but as a standalone novel I definitely enjoyed it. 

I really like this author's writing style - it seems to flow so well, and I can really feel the emotion behind the words. I loved our main character, Bryn. She is quietly fierce and determined and has a good head on her shoulders. Ezra was also amazing but I wished there was MORE from him. I wanted to see him more, I wanted to hear him more - I wanted to be able to fall even more in love with him! While I did enjoy the romance between the two, I think it could have been developed more. 

Overall, I enjoyed the feel of this book, I liked the concepts behind it, and I'm excited to get started on Young's Fable duology. Looking forward to exploring more of this author's work. 

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

Book Blogger Hop

 

This is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer! Hop over to their page to grab a button and join in the fun!

This Week's Question:

What do you use for a bookmark? A real one or something else? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

I usually use an actual bookmark but if I've lost mine or forgotten it, I will pick up anything available! A piece of paper, a sock lol. Anything can be a bookmark!

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman Book Review

 

Title: All of Us Villains
Author: Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
Publish Date: November 9th, 2021
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Huge thank you to Raincoast Books for the ARC for review!

The blockbuster co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, All of Us Villains begins a dark tale of ambition and magick...

You Fell In Love With The Victors of The Hunger Games.

Now Prepare To Meet The Villains of The Blood Veil.

After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into worldwide spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters flock to its spellshops and ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.

In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet--a chance to rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

Penelope's Review

THE HUNGER GAMES BUT WITH VILLAINS?! AND MAGIC?! OMG I cannot explain my excitement when I saw this book! And I wasn't disappointed!

This book is chock full of cool, unique characters and a super neat take on magic. The world building was incredible - I felt like I was in the game with these characters, feeling their emotions, and experiencing their environment. This is the first book I have read by either of these authors, but if this is their writing style then I'm very excited to see what else they have! 

While this book wasn't exactly what I expected going in, I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. The only thing I would say is that the characters weren't really villains. I thought maybe there would be more backstabbing, evil deeds, etc. but I'm not super upset about this given how much I liked the characters. That being said, things seemed to be taking a turn near the end there, so I'm interested to see what's going to happen in the next book!

Overall, I thought this book was full of adventure, intrigue, awesome magic, and an awesome plot. I liked the pace of the book, and have no complaints about the structure of the game. Looking forward to the next installment!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

 

The Wonder of Love by Meara Platt Book Review

 

Title: The Wonder of Love
Author: Meara Platt
Publish Date: August 19th, 2021
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy for review!

She was in danger. He meant to protect her. But could he protect his heart?

More Regency fun as The Book of Love brings together two reluctant hearts.

Willow Farthingale never meant to punch Taunton’s magistrate, Shayne Brayden, in the nose. And she certainly did not set the fire that destroyed the coaching inn’s carriage house the very morning she was to leave for London and her society debut. But she might have seen who did, and now the handsome magistrate is not letting her out of his protection until the culprits are safely rounded up. Well, if he’s going to hold her in town under his watchful eye, then she may as well use the time productively and test out those love recipes in The Book of Love on him.

Shayne Brayden knew the fiery-haired Willow was trouble the moment he set eyes on her, but if she had seen the villains who set the carriage house fire, then it was possible they’d also seen her. He did not care how irritating she was, or how desperately he wanted to kiss her, he was going to do his duty and protect her.

But how was he to protect his heart, especially when she was toting that book on love around, and its ‘recipes’ seemed to be working on him?

Penelope's Review

This book seemed to start rather abruptly. There wasn't much of an introduction, just sort of an immediate presentation of the two main characters as the love interests. The book of love was, obviously, central to the theme of the book. But I have to say it was talked about SO much that it almost seemed to.. retract from the story a bit? Like I felt it took attention off the budding romance between Shayne and Willow when it was supposed to be helping it along. 

Now all that being said, this was definitely a fun, quick read. There was some drama but not between the two main characters in the sense of betrayals, cheating, etc. The drama came from some villains from the previous book stirring the pot again. I liked Shayne's character, he seemed to undergo quite a bit of growth which was nice to see. Willow seemed a lot younger than her character was meant to be but as the book went on she did seem to mature. I liked the two as main characters overall.

I will definitely read more in this series, but I just don't think this was my favorite one overall. That being said, I encourage you to give it a try and form your own opinion!

Rating: 3/5 Devils!

The Highlander's Pirate Lass by Heather McCollum Book Review

 

Title: The Highlander's Pirate Lass
Author: Heather McCollum
Publish Date: August 23, 2021
Publisher: Entangled: Scandalous
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

Eliza Wentworth is no lady. After the notorious pirate Jandeau murdered her family, she vowed to spend the rest of her life at sea, saving others. She’d rather be firing cannons than embroidering pillows—or worse, bowing to the demands of a husband. But when she’s stranded on an island off the coast of Scotland, now she is the one in need of help. And, annoyingly, that help comes not only from a man, but a man she struggles to resist.

Highlander Beck Macquarie has never met a woman like Eliza. He hasn’t met many women, period, thanks to the blasted curse set upon Wolf Isle decades ago. To save the clan, he needs a wife and bairns, and rough-around-the edges Eliza is anything but wife material. She has no intention of staying once she’s able to set sail again. He should let her go. But the desire between them is impossible to ignore.

When she asks Beck to teach her the ways of the bedroom while she bides her time on his island, he can’t say no. As they learn more about each other, though, past trauma and secrets resurface. Now, Eliza must choose between the freedom and comfort of the only life she’s ever known and sacrificing it all to save the people she loves…including Beck.

Penelope's Review

This is the second book in The Brothers of Wolfe Isle series and follows Beck and Eliza. While I definitely enjoyed this book, I have to say it wasn't my favorite Highlander romance. Let's delve into the details!

So Beck is one of the Macquarie brothers and as such, is forced to endure the consequences of the curse placed on his clan. All of the Macquarie brothers have to discover what love is, get married, and have kids! No bastards allowed or the island will never be re-populated. Beck is such a great character - he's sweet and passionate, but he's not ready to settle down yet! When he meets Eliza Wentworth, he finds his attraction to her impossible to ignore. 

Eliza is a terror on the sea and has earned her badass reputation after overcoming incredible hardships. She has no filter, saying exactly what's on her mind. I found her "unladylike" commentary hilarious most of the time. I enjoyed the connections formed between Beck and Eliza, but wasn't totally in love with their relationship. It had some good points, but also some meh points. I didn't find myself grasping onto every word they said to each other and hoping that it would all work out for the two of them. It was likeable, but not loveable.

The storyline itself had some interesting elements. The pirate element was a unique take for a historical romance, and I enjoyed it. The book moved along at a steady pace, and I was able to finish it pretty quickly. I definitely liked it, but it just wasn't my favorite McCollum book. I encourage you guys to give it a try though and form your own opinions!

Rating: 3.5 Devils!