Title: The Awakening

Series: Zodiac Academy #1

Author: Caroline Peckham

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

If you’re one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it’s in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we’re a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.

Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn’t get the memo. Which means we’re totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn’t made us any friends so far.

As the rarest Elementals ever known, we’re already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we’ve ever seen. It doesn’t help that they’re the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.

Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They’ve only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they’ll stop at nothing to succeed.

We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.

We can’t expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we’ve been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.

Today’s horoscope: totally screwed.

Ok. I am now obsessed!

Darcy and Tory grew up in the mortal world and they find they are something more. Fae. But not only fae. The lost Vega Heirs, twins, next in line for the throne. But they have competition in the shape of 4 guys, the Celestial Heirs, and they are not happy the girls are back!

I loved Tory, she’s outspoken and wont take anything from anyone although she gets trouble handed to her on the daily. I especially loved her inner monologue…….’There was no way in hell I’d be ending up in his bed tonight. I was at least sixty-seven percent certain of that.’

Darcy has more of a played down personality than Tory. She doesn’t jump into things and tries to placate situations. I really loved her vulnerable nature.

Now Orion……I really hope there is teacher/student romance here!

There were quite a few spelling errors but that didn’t take my enjoyment away and I will be reading the next book! 

It was dark, it was bully and it was delish.

Hello March!!!

Hope March is great for you!

“Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn.”
― Lewis Grizzard

By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake into itself again.” ―Neil Gaiman

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hiya, hope everyone is ok?

Not much to report really apart from it’s been a school holiday this week, I’ve had a stinking cold and we had 2 storms that were pretty bad, one after the other which was a bit scary!

I found myself with a new obsession, Zodiac Academy! So instead of reading the arcs I wanted to read early, I binged this series! I was addicted!

What I’ve Read

Zodiac Academy Series
Ruthless Fae 2
The Reckoning 3
Shadow Princess 4
Cursed Fates 5
Fated Throne 6

Reviews coming soon!

---

Bookish Arrivals

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

---

In case you missed it…..

Review – The Love Hypothesis
Feature– Romancing the Red Hot and Resiliant
Review – Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
Feature – Books I want releasing in March
Unboxing – Fairyloot
Unboxing – Illumicrate

---

Coming up in the next 2 weeks…..

Reviews – Zodiac Academy series
Feature – New-to-me authors – February
Mini review – The Poppy War
Review – Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

---

What have you read lately?

My final February romance post and we have romancing the resiliant today!

Poppy from the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L Armentrout is the embodiment of resiliant! She has gone through so much in a short time and she has come out stronger…..with even more to come!

Poppy and Hawke/Casteel make my life. My actual life. Look at these and tell me they don’t make yours!

‘With my sword and with my life, I vow to keep you safe, Penellaphe. From this moment until the last moment, I am yours.’

‘Promise me you won’t forget this, Poppy. That no matter what happens tomorrow, the next day, next week, you won’t forget this, forget that this was real.’

‘He was the first thing I’d ever truly chosen for myself.’

‘You need to understand that I will do anything and everything for my wife. No risk is too great, nor is anything too sacred. Because she is my everything. There is nothing greater than her, and I do mean nothing.’

My promise to myself that I’d really cutback on my book buying this year has slightly fallen round my ears as I grabbed 3 books in January as well as my book box subscriptions!

Two were books I’d already read but the paperbacks were on sale so thought it would be rude not to! But in the end I have failed my promise, and miserably too!!!!

So for March I’m going on the conservative side of 2 books! One I have already preordered (ebook) and the other I *think* I’ll get in a book box!

The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L Armentrout

---

Gallant by VE Schwab

---

What books are you looking forward to?

January – Monsters Within

Monsters are real and they live inside us… but whether you keep that monster locked within or whether you unleash it is entirely up to you.

Items inspired by The Last Hours, These Hollow Vows, Scythe, This Savage Song and our featured book of the month.

🖤 James Herondale Trinket Dish designed by @arz28
🖤 Scythe Enamel Pin designed by @azura.arts
🖤 Aaron Metalmark inspired by the book of the month, designed by @arz28
🖤 These Hollow Vows Tea Towel designed by @stellabookishart
🖤 August Flynn Pin (This Savage Song) designed by @lizzart.zardonics
🖤 Tarot cards: Cassius  and Sevro from Red Rising

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

Exclusive cover ✔
Stencil sprayed edges ✔
Endpaper artwork by @arz28 ✔
Foil embossing by @arz28 ✔
Signed  ✔

January 2022 theme is: Royal Secrets!

Featured fandoms this month are We Hunt the Flame, The Prison Healer, Priory of the Orange Tree and The Never Tilting World!

💛 We Hunt the Flame Puzzle with artwork by @lesyablackbird designed by @chattynora
💛 Under the Orange Tree socks designed by @pinapali inspired by Priory of the Orange Tree
💛 You’re a Survivor Phone Holder inspired by Prison Healer designed by @no0nedesigns
💛 Night and Day Spinning Pendant with artwork by @flutterandfern inspired by The Never-Tilting World
💛 The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman (A SECOND BOOK!!!!!)

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

✔Redesigned, naked hardback cover
✔Foiling details
✔Digitally printed edges
✔Signed

Title: Deceitful

Series: Rules of Deception #1

Author: C Reilly

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, a young woman with special powers might be the only person able to stop him. As part of a secret branch of the FBI, Tessa is sent on a mission to impersonate Madison, a local teen and the last victim of the brutal attacker, to find the killer before he strikes again.

As if absorbing the DNA of someone else and pretending to be them wasn’t hard enough, Alec, the guy she’s been in love with for years, is joining her on the dangerous mission. Tessa knows she can’t let her feelings for him get in the way, especially as her crush seems hopeless. Not only is Alec her self-defence teacher but he’s also taken. If only the attraction between them would stop complicating everything!


Will Tessa find the killer before another person falls victim to him? Or will she lose herself in a life she’s always longed for but never had?

Supernatural mystery is a new genre for me to read but I knew the author wouldn’t let me down!

Here we have Tessa, an agent for the FEA (Forces with Extraordinary Abilities), and is sent on a mission to impersonate Madison, a victim of a serial killer to help catch him. But she has an added complication…her coach from the FEA who has been sent with her, Alec, she has a major crush on him!

What I loved:
* The supernatural elements, the Variation power,
* The story/plot, was totally engaged,
* Devon,
* Seeing Tessa grow in her own skin, well not her actual own, but you know!
* Alec and Tessa,
* The fact I was in the edge of my seat reading this with all the guesses flinging everywhere!

So really there wasn’t anything I didn’t like!

If you love a mystery read then you need to read this. Renegade, which is book 2, will be released in May 22.

Title: Capturing the Devil

Series: Stalking Jack The Ripper #4

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World’s Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they’ve heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another.

Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end—together and in love—or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?

‘Lucifer had once been an angel too’

I’m not sure if this makes me a whiny baby but I refuse to read book 3 because I’ve heard what happens!

So far, Audrey Rose isn’t up there on my list of favourite heroines, she actually gets right on my wick! I’m here for 2 reasons, Thomas Cresswell and the criminal investigations!  So I didn’t go mad and throw things, I skipped book 3. Something I have never done in my life!

Anyway onto Capturing!

I really enjoyed this listen, the narrator is absolutely fabulous!

I admit that I did warm up to Audrey a bit in this book as she seemed to have grown into more of an adult! Thomas was still amazing however!

So here we have loose ends tied up and we get to meet the devil!

Really did enjoy this book although I think Hunting Prince Dracula was my fave of the series.