Review of THE DUKE OF SNOW AND APPLES by Elizabeth Vail

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Frederick Snow, first footman, is the perfect servant: efficient, hardworking, and completely bereft of emotion. Unbeknownst to his employers, he’s the lost Duke of Snowmont, on the run from a suspicious stepfather and a powerful magic he can only control by burying his passions beneath his frosty demeanor. He's managed to hide behind his carefully ordered life until an impertinent miss arrives and challenges everything he thought he wanted.

If Charlotte Erlwood wants to land a wealthy, titled husband at her great aunt’s house party, she has to stop losing her temper – especially with inordinately handsome footmen. Perhaps if she recruits Frederick for her matrimonial schemes, she'll be able to direct her attention toward suitable single noblemen and away from inappropriate dalliances. But Frederick’s frigid control is no match for Charlotte’s irrepressible spirit, and her passionate kiss could summon the darker side of his magic...or wake his heart from its frozen sleep.

The way I read it ~

The Duke of Snow and Apples wasn't a terrible read but..... it wasn't spectacular. 

The concept of the Fey/Magic meshed into the historical romantic setting was new to me. I haven't read another book like it. Maybe it was this strangeness that made it difficult for me to overlook the good things about it. 

These 'good things' are few. I enjoyed the plot, though at one point I think it began to go downhill for me. As I said, not terrible, not spectacular but strange...... I never like to reveal too much of the plot. I'd rather readers experience the book for themselves without too much biased options going in.

The good thing about this story was its potential. I could see it going somewhere. The story, plot-wise was good and the myriad of characters made the story colorful and interesting. The witty banter was enjoyably (I love witty banter!). I did feel the passion between the two main characters (Frederick and Charlotte) when they both realized that the attraction was there, lying in wait. But I felt their circumstance (him being the 'help' and her being a lady of some fortune)in the story held little possibility of any kind of relationship between them. Other than the way it turned out in the end of course, which felt utterly predictable. And yet at the same time it ended the way it should. Strange, I know. Granted I loved all that 'love from a distance', though, it frustrated me a little...

Or maybe alot....

The magical aspect was intriguing (I love intrigue!) Frederick's 'powers' was a unique touch. I've never read anything like it. And yes, it did confuse me sometimes and I had to grapple with its concept a bit. Maybe because it was all so new to me. Which is good. But was also bad. I think that made it hard for me to enjoy certain things. Like their chemistry, which wasn't necessarily lacking but was over shadowed by the things I didn't like. (plot predictability mainly).

I may read this again in the future, so I can settle some of the uncertainty.



******************************************************
Received from Publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

RATED JUST RIGHT: 3 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?

The way I read it ~

This was a delightful read.

I enjoyed learning about Parisian life.I felt like I'd gone there myself. The descriptions captivated my imagination and served to only add to the overall experience. What I truly loved was the tender love story. I sort of felt it budding from the very beginning and basically just waited for the characters to catch up. It felt drawn out at some points, like the author was pushing them together in tiny increments and Anna and St Clair (Étienne, a name too sexy for this review)  just wouldn't have it and therefore there was much confusion, lack of proper communication and misread feelings and intentions. I was really exhausting! But I loved it. 

Stephanie Perkins' style of writing was clean and the way she wrote from Anna's point of view was witty, sarcastic and fun. I adored St Clair ( but he got on my nerves. I can forgive him though, because he truly is a keeper with a heart of gold (and a cute British accent) Anna was absolutely right. What girl doesn't love a cute British accent?

Was there comedy in there? The 'Toph/Bridge band scene' was hilarious to me. And Anna's reactions had me giggling every single time. 

I will definitely recommend to those looking for lighthearted, flirtatiously funny, endearingly romantic read. After all, it happens in Paris.

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of THE BITTER KINGDOM (Fire & Thorns #3) by Rae Carson

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Elisa is a fugitive.

Her enemies have stolen the man she loves, and they await her at the gate of darkness. Her country is on the brink of civil war, with her own soldiers ordered to kill her on sight.

Her Royal Majesty, Queen Lucero-Elisa né Riqueza de Vega, bearer of the Godstone, will lead her three loyal companions deep into the enemy's kingdom, a land of ice and snow and brutal magic, to rescue Hector and win back her throne. Her power grows with every step, and the shocking secrets she will uncover on this, her final journey, could change the course of history.

But that is not all. She has a larger destiny. She must become the champion the world has been waiting for.

Even of those who hate her most.


The way I read it ~


This is me at 1am, after reading all day and experiencing one of the best journeys in storytelling everrrrrrrrrr .



And yes, I could not fall asleep afterward. Who could sleep after such awesomeness?

Okay.... enough gushing. Review time.

The Bitter Kingdom made me happy!



(well maybe just a little more gushing)

The Crown of Embers (Part 2) leaves you with an ending that truly stumps you, leaves you in a broken mess and running out to buy the third book if you had not already.

I loved the progression of this book. It never felt rushed, it was never bogged down my unnecessary details and descriptions. I got a clear and precise picture of all that was happening which left me room to enjoy what I was reading. This was a perfect piece of fiction, for me at least. I don't know about the rest of the world. But this girl right here thought this story was perfect. 

And the true beauty of it all was that it wasn't a perfect story. Confused? Well, the perfection came in the form of exquisite writing skills by Rae Carson and her ability to craft the right words and weave them together. But by no means did everything go right in this story. Where would be the fun? 

I enjoyed the scope of Elisa's journey this time. You clearly pity her in the beginning of (The Girl of Fire and Thorns), as she was just finding herself and in this book her personality had developed, taken some hits, been put through the ringer. This time she was rude, sarcastic and a little bossy. But she was a Queen and I did not feel the arrogance she sometimes displayed was overdone. There was a wonderful supporting cast of characters that gave tiny bits of enjoyment and plausibility to what was going on in the plot and personally to Elisa. It seemed to me they were all selected specifically by the author to portray these roles which is a weird concept for book characters but they all worked. Their personalities were completely different but they each supported the whole story. Sometimes like not knowing too much about a character and discovering little quirks on your own and deciding for yourself if you should trust them or not. It was never always apparent who would be friend or foe at given points. This made it all the more exciting.

The Bitter Kingdom answered a lot of the questions the second book brought pertaining to the history of this world and Elisa's part in it. She became so much stronger than even I anticipated (which I LOVED) She had real womanly problems along with her power struggle and to see her accept her faults and face her insecurities made her all the more enjoyable. It made her realistic.

And I must mention the romance. Some of you might gag. But it positively had my heart doing crazy flip-flops and twisty turns. I loved it all. And it was not the annoyingly shallow - puppy kind of love. This was 'Intense, real world, real situation, fighting for our lives, heartburn, can't sleep, can't live without you' kind of love. It wasn't all honky dory. It was never clear of it would ever work out. I was rooting for it since the last book and Thank the heavens!!! it finally went somewhere. 

I LOVE HECTOR!!! Hector was just deliciousness wrapped in armor with a title.

I love when the hero appears out of nowhere; unassuming but with grace and tact and sarcasm. I have to admit. I did not see him coming at all. There wasn't even a 'hint, hint' in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. None. Nada. Or maybe there was and I rolled right past it.

But there he was, loving Elisa from a distance.



Their romance was never easy, probably not until the very end. So many obstacles they had to face and overcome, I felt for them. And I will say Hector stepped up to the plate magnificently. Thank you Rae Carson for a hero that admits he's man enough to bow to his queen.



Yes, he tickled my fancy and my lady parts swooned.




This book goes down as one of my all time favorites. 

It is unforgettable.

RATED TOO SWEET - 5 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo