Title: Chain of Iron

Series: The Last Hours #2

Author: Cassandra Clare

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

Back with Cordelia, Lucie, The Merry Thieves and more goings on in the next Shadowhunter book! And it was absolutely superb!

But…..my heart! It was agony. But the sort of angsty, blissful agony. You know?

Lucie, Jesse.
Cordelia, James, Matthew.

‘How do I live in this moment forever, and not let it go?’

Cordelia Carstairs is a woman that I love. All that is thrown at her and she takes it all in her stride. She is so strong and she is the first of the authors female characters that I truly love. That has to count for something doesn’t it??!!!

James and Matthew. Omg. I cannot choose. I cannot!

I know this is a jumble but I’ve literally just finished reading and I cannot string a coherent thought, or sentence, together!

I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next book! All I know is that James better hop foot it to Paris immediately!

Title: Iron Flower

Series: Black Witch Chronicles #2

Author: Laurie Forest

Elloren Gardner and her friends were only seeking to right a few wrongs, but their actions have propelled them straight into the ranks of the realm-wide Resistance against Gardnerian encroachment. As the Resistance struggles against the harsh rulings of High Priest Marcus Vogel and the Mage Council, Elloren begins to realize that none of the people she cares about will be safe if Gardneria seizes control of the Western Realm.

With tensions heating up in Verpacia, more and more Gardnerian soldiers continue to descend upon the university…led by none other than Lukas Grey, now commander of the newly rebuilt Fourth Division base. Though Elloren tries to keep him at arm’s length, Lukas is determined to wandfast to her, convinced that she has inherited her grandmother’s magic—the prophesied power of the Black Witch. As his very nearness seems to awaken a destructive power inside her, Elloren finds it more and more difficult to believe that she’s truly powerless, as her uncle always claimed.

Caught between her growing feelings for the rebellious Yvan Guriel and the seductive power offered by Lukas Grey, Elloren must find a way to stay true to what she knows is right and protect everyone she loves…even if that means protecting them from herself.

It’s all heating up for Elloren and her crew! It was equally heartbreaking and heart-warming at the same time! I’m getting so obsessed with this series!

Honestly there were some stuff in here that was hard to stomach. The majority of Gardnerian’s are total bigots and I hated everything about them!

Now characters!! I didn’t love Elloren in the first book but in this book I did, she’s grown and she has grown on me!

Diana and Rafe make my life. I love them and if they are not endgame I will cry big, fat tears!

Yvan and Lukas…..gaaaah, as in the first book I still love both love interests. Why is this happening to me? Whhhhhhhy?

So the story….I don’t really want to say anything about the plot but it was full of action, scheming and beautiful friendships.

That bombshell near to the end! I literally cannot get enough so I’m moving onto the next book!

Title: Famous in a Small Town

Author: Kylie Scott

What chance does a small-town girl have with a world-famous rock star?

Two years after his wife’s death, rock star Garrett Hayes hasn’t moved on. But he has moved out of L.A. Where better to escape his past than a small town in the Northern California mountains? If only he could get the townsfolk of Wildwood to leave him the hell alone.

Ani Bennet returned to her hometown for some much-needed serenity. The last thing she needs is a grumpy, too hot for his own good, rich and famous rock star living next door—and rent-free in her brain.

She set her fangirl tendencies aside and deleted his photo off her cell when they became neighbors. But when Garrett asks for help, she can’t say no. The problem is, spending time together is making those fangirl feelings resurface—and bringing them to a whole new level.

What chance does a small-town girl have with world-famous rock star? It’s time for Ani to set her fears aside and find out.

This was so cute! It’s been a while since I read a cute romance and I really enjoyed it!

Ani has a new neighbour who seems familiar…and he is. Garrett is a rockstar whose life had taken a downturn and he just wants a quiet life…….

Ani was the first thing I loved….I mean…’At night, I tended to think about books, bad memories, and ex-boyfriends.’  Amen sister!!!!!!

Other things I loved included:

– Smith – need his story!
– The nod to a certain blue alien series!
– Adam – though we heard next to nothing about him, I need more!
– Cézanne – ‘You made a grown man run away in fear. Impressive.’  She is a friend I need in my life!!!!
– Linda – fab.u.lous.
– The small town feel.

I would’ve loved a chapter from Garrett’s pov of when he first met Ani to see his internal reaction to her, maybe a little bonus in the future??!

Another hit from this author, she never fails to woo me!

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Freebie!

As books feature in most of the TTT posts I wanted to do something connected with books. I’ve done bookish candles before so today I thought I’d do BOOKISH ART!

Tric and Mia from Nevernight
Poppy and Hawke from FBAA
Cardan and Jude from Cruel Prince
Kal from Aurora Rising

Gabe from Empire of the Vampire
Shiori and Takkan from Six Crimson Cranes
Crescent City characters
Serpent and Dove characters
Nik from Illuminae Files
Spensa and Jorgen from Skyward

Do you collect bookish art?

Title: A River Enchanted

Series: Elements of Cadence #1

Author: Rebecca Ross

Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instill fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls.

As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.

Jack hasn’t been back to Cadence for 11 years, he never felt like he belonged but he has been summoned as evil is afoot!

Adaira, his childhood adversary is next in line to lead the clan and has irons in lots of fires!

We also have Sidra, a healer and her husband, Torin who is a land guard and the 4 of them have to solve the mystery of the missing girls. I must admit that Sidra and Torin were my faves!

I loved the atmosphere of the story, it was spooky but folky at the same time and had loads of Scottish charm. It’s also one of those books that has lots of possibilities so I had so many questions and theories flying about in my head!

However, whilst I loved the story and the characters, I found it a bit slow on places but that’s my only gripe.

The ending had me gasping with the revelations!

I grabbed this idea from Lucy (with permission!) from Bookworm Blogger! Go check out her blog!

I always hope that I read new-to-me authors every month and getting book box subscriptions really helps with that so thought it would be nice to look back and see what new authors I’d read this month.

I read 3 new-to-me authors in March!

Vanessa Len

Karen Marie Moning

Laurie Forest

Have you read any new to you authors this month?

Title: Darkfever

Series: Fever #1

Author: Karen Marie Moning

When MacKayla’s sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death, a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed – a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae.

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho…while at the same time, the ruthless V’lane – an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women – closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book – because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands.

‘My philosophy is pretty simple—any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven’t had many good days lately.’

I’m in a state of confusion.

Maaan Mac, our leading lady, was annoying. So absolutely annoying. But at the same time I was hooked and want to carry on reading this series! This hasn’t happened to me before, when one of the leads are annoying I normally can’t take anymore and stop….but here I can’t!

Jericho Barrons was a mystery to me. What was he? Why was he the way he was? Why did he hurt Mac when he first met her (I didn’t like that at all). I have so many questions!

Not only did Jericho intrigue me, the whole idea behind the story intrigues me. What’s in that book?!

A girl who can see Fae, a mystery (hot) man and what feels like the end of the world coming. Oh and a Fae Prince who can make you whip your clothes off before you know it!

‘April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden.’ ~ Marty Rubin

‘April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.’ ~ William Shakespeare (Sonnet XCVIII)

HAPPY APRIL!

Hope everyone has a great month!

Here we are with my first update! I thought quarterly updates would work best for me and would give me the push if I needed to catch up!

But I’ve actually done ok for the first quarter! I said I wanted to read 24 backlist books in 22 and I’ve read 12 so far (well technically more but see below!!)

1) Red Rising by Pierce Brown
2) Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson
3) Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
4) Daughters of Nri by Reni K Amayo
5) Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
6) Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
7) The Poppy War by RF Kuang
8) Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
9) Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham (technically its 7 books but I’ll count as 1 as only the first was on my tbr!!)
10) The Black Witch by Laurie Foster
11) Death by Laura Thalassa
12) Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Are you taking part in Beat the Backlist? How are you faring?