Short and Simple: The Heir by Kiera Cass

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The Heir - Kiera Cass

Honestly, going into this book, I had low expectations. I had little idea of what I was getting into when I expected this series to be a trilogy- not that I'm complaining. But it was such a great guilty pleasure- the romance was really sweet! I did not expect this to be a deep book with a ton of dystopia and it definitely wasn't but it delivered on what we all expect from this series- cuteness, romance, and drama. I love a lot of the guys but the only thing that really irritated me was Eadlyn. SHE IS SUCH A SPOILED BRAT. I understand that Kiera Cass was probably trying to portray her as flawed and over the course of the next two books, she's going to have Eadlyn undergo a character development that will make her manageable but for now, I couldn't STAND her until the very end of the book. I have an addiction to Bachelor/Bachelorette and this definitely filled that void. I'm eager for the sequel just because now the guys have my heart much like Kaitlyn Bristowe's contestants this season have mine. xx Jennifer

Review of P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

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P.S. I Still Love You - Jenny Han

I can't decide between 3 to 4 stars, so I gave it 3 based on the ending.

It honestly pains me to give it that low of a rating. I had such HIGH expectations for this book because To All the Boys I've Loved Before killed me. It was SO good and I went in all Team Peter.

Oh, how things changed.

The book missed its little sparkle that is Jenny Han's signature. I feel like a lot of really cute moments were glossed over and not really treasured- whether it be with Kitty, Peter, or John. I wish she could have expanded more on those moments. Don't even get me started on that ending. The resolution was WAY too quick and I was left extremely dissatisfied- more on that later.

The writing was nice although I felt at times, Lara Jean sounded like a middle schooler until Jenny Han brought up she was a junior. As a junior going on senior, I can confidently say that we do not talk like that. But that was only for the first half of the book; then she began talking like a normal teenager. I related to Lara Jean A LOT in terms of her idealistic goals (for the retirement home, for parties) and her love for love. As a teenager, I would say most of us are in love with love and I definitely pine for a lot of guys like she does. I loved the sweet moments between her and Kitty and her family. And Stormy. And John.

That brings on the love square. It was the basis of the entire story and I was SO FRUSTRATED. Yes, Peter and Lara Jean were totally cute together. But I think their relationship was kinda veering off track due to Lara Jean's jealousy of Gene and the fact that it was TOTALLY justified! I know many say that it's just a trademark of Peter (his confident, arrogant self that many adore) but it irked me the wrong way how much he cared for Gene and put her before Lara Jean. It felt so unfair. And in the end... SPOILER: (when she pinned the blame on herself for being jealous, I was so MAD! She shouldn't have had to apologize. I wish Peter acknowledged his part in it) END OF SPOILER I got even more put off by the ripped-off poem and his taking back the necklace. I wasn't pleased with Peter and felt like he wasn't putting enough into the relationship... As for John, I immediately shipped Lara Jean with John. They have so much in common (unlike she and Peter a lot of the time) and both liked each other. What more not to like? He treats her so well and prioritizes her. And makes time for her. I just wish we got to see more John. I am upset that Jenny Han used John like a plot device even though I took him so seriously. UGH I WISH JOHN HAD A CHANCE. :(

That ending still has me upset and scratching my head. I just wish the ending was different. :/

xx Jennifer

Review of Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

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Heir of Fire - Sarah J. Maas

Honestly, if I could, I would shower a billion stars on this book. It was THAT good. HoF is definitely up there now in my favorite books, if not my absolute favorite.

I genuinely think Sarah J. Maas' writing gets better with each book she writes. I started Throne of Glass enjoying it while finding it quite similar to the other books in YA these days. Crown of Midnight delightedly surprised me as more elements of fantasy were woven into the story and it concentrated less on the romance and more of the world of TOG. And now, Heir of Fire. It was near perfection- everything I would want in a book.

THE FANTASY. This aspect of the book I definitely enjoyed very much. It was mainly in Celaena's and Manon's perspectives, thus the two that I most eagerly devoured. I just found all the tales fascinating and while more details kept piling up, it never became convoluted because each twist made sense- fit like a missing puzzle piece. The foreign creatures- the wyverns, the skinwalkers, and the Valg- were just so fascinating and added to the intrigue of the story as well as being formidable enemies of Celaena.

THE WORLD. Maas did so much worldbuilding in this book. With each book in the series, the world is opened tenfold more. I think that was what ToG lacked- the story only focused on just the court of Adarlan. It lacked... authenticity (for lack of a better word) for such an issue to only be focused within a castle was unrealistic and in this book, you could truly see the far reaches of the issue and how complex the King's plans were. You could see all of the lands and people that were affected and the obstacles Celaena must face to conquer back her land and annihilate the King. I admit, all of the different lands and territories confused the heck out of me but it totally fit. I look forward to more.

THE STORY. was. overwhelming. So much happened in those 560+ pages. THOSE TWISTS AND TURNS. Each character went through so much and honestly I don't know how half of them managed to survive the book. I think I would have died 10 pages in (I doubt even that long.) I really appreciated that Sarah wasn't afraid to throw her main characters in hell. It seemed more real to me, to see them face such adversity- it makes the triumph all the more greater in the end. It was a really powerful, emotional story that delivered a powerful message of strength and acceptance. Oh, and I cried about four times. four. THE END THOUGH. MORE ON THAT LATER.

THE WRITING. It was absolutely beautiful. I haven't read such amazing writing in a long while. Everything was original and flowed together perfectly. It was really beautiful. I don't know how many times I have to repeat that to get it across. Like, I would read and just stare in awe at the writing. She shifted between different POV's seamlessly and you could really see each unique personality.

THE CHARACTERS. After CoM, I was concerned because there were too few characters to carry a rich, developed sequel. Luckily, she introduced a crapload of new characters and I loved every. single. one.

Celaena: HER GROWTH. She developed so much as she learned to accept her Fae side. I feel like she went in as a bratty, arrogant girl and came out a mature, confident woman. She learned so much more about herself and grew into Aelin. Her friendship and bond with Rowan really strengthened that. I do wish she didn't blame herself SO MUCH for the death of her loved ones throughout the book- I understand it was necessary for the plot but it seemed to drag on and on. But of course, that's Celaena's nature to care. I'm just grateful that by the end, she possessed more self-control. AND IS READY TO TAKE DOWN THE KING OF ADARLAN. AND MAEVE.

Rowan: After finishing CoM, I read the reviews of HoF and everyone was Team Rowan. I went into HoF very hesitant because I was all for Team Chaol but I knew inside I would convert. And I did. So hard. His soul just complements Aelin's perfectly- even his power of ice and wind fits! He knows when and how to reel her in and he just understands her past struggles perfectly because he's gone through similar ones. I was kind of hesitant because he was centuries old but their maturity seemed on par with each other by the end. They just FIT. They are so comfortable together- there are no secrets and they trust each other completely. He knocked it out of the water. #TeamRowan

Chaol: I still love him. He really struggled to see where his priorities were. And it was completely understandable. He spent his entire life loyal to the King just to see the world flip upside down; he definitely needed time to think and grow in order to make such a big decision. And I really respect his decision to send Celaena away to protect her. And I even further respect his final decision at the end of the book. Throughout the book, I really doubted that he could ever end up with Celaena because of his inability to accept her for her and I still do doubt it but his decision spoke volumes and I do definitely see the potential for their relationship to grow again. Or just as easily to end in friendship. I'm just really satisfied with his character arc and I'm excited to see where he goes. Also, #bromancegoals (w/ Dorian) - they really pulled through in the end :')

Dorian: Oh, how I tired of him in CoM!! Having him have Sorscha there to depend on was so great because he stopped whining (haha, I'm joking... sorta)!! He really matured and became a true king in the end. It hurt to see the rift between Chaol and him for three fourths of the book but I think it really allowed him to concentrate on what mattered. His final sacrifice for Chaol just broke me. Boy to man. I am NOT excited to see what's in store for him in the next book... He had to deal with so much at the end and then that final *thing* happened. I'm shaking my head right now. And also, I just don't ship him with Celaena- I just don't see it. Maybe I will in the future... But I think they are great friends and allies. (Also I don't get the hate on Sorscha- she did nothing wrong... she was really supportive of him and his decisions and so trustworthy!)

Manon: AH SHE IS SO FEISTY. She honestly scared me when I first met on her but she really grew on me. I am confident she has a soul- she showed a lot of bravery in saving her rival. She and Abraxos are #goals. I mean she is apparently an enemy but honestly I think she will band with Aelin after witnessing the king's atrocities... I mean Sarah J. Maas hinted at her empathy. I have hope. But for now, I'll leave it at that she is such a badass. I need MORE.

Aedion: UGH HE'S SO LOYAL. I LOVE HIM. His fealty of Aelin is really amazing that it endured this long. He really has a lot of depth to him and I am so eager to know more about him. His sacrifice for Chaol/Dorian/Celaena AHH. Is it okay to also ship him with Celaena? Because I see it. I really do.

THE ROMANCE: Honestly not a lot of it in this book. I was hoping for more but I think in the end, the book deserved to not be overwrought with it in order for the fantasy to shine. I ship her with Rowan and Aedion so much but my heart breaks for Chaol because he was my #1 bae and I think he'll be really wrecked when/if she ends things with him officially.

This is Jennifer signing off now. xx