prettylittlewriter

Synopsis
‘Six magicians. Two rivalries. One researcher. And a man who can walk through dreams. All must pick a side: do they wish to preserve the world—or destroy it? In this electric sequel to the viral sensation, The Atlas Six, the society of Alexandrians is revealed for what it is: a secret society with raw, world-changing power, headed by a man whose plans to change life as we know it are already under way. But the cost of knowledge is steep, and as the price of power demands each character choose a side, which alliances will hold and which will see their enmity deepen?’

This is a brilliant dark academia novel, with action packed chapters and some very interesting characters!

I will admit, at times I was quite confused as to what was going on. There were moments when something major happened, and then the it skirted on to something else, leaving you hanging and desperate to find out what had just happened, and why. Obviously this is not an entirely bad thing, as it makes you read on!

Most of the characters were delved into more, my favourites being Nico & Tristan (also surprisingly Parisa!) and finding out a bit more about their past and personalities, really helped bring you into the novel and made you feel for those characters. The only character I didn’t really care for within this 2^nd book is Reina, as I felt she didn’t really have much of a role to play in this book (however, I’m thinking this is because she’ll play a big part in the 3^rd book!).

Dalton also had a fairly large role to play in this book, with his and Parisa’s relationship at the forefront, and keeping secrets from Atlas. I think his character may be evolving into something dangerous, and that might also be a big part of book 3.

Libby was lost in 1989 for most of this book (hello Taylor Swift fans!) so it was interesting to see how she dealt with being in this almost ‘new’ world on her own, making friendships and relationships with new people (one of which was a character also in the ‘now’).

Time passed very quickly within this novel (did a whole year pass? I’m not sure) so often you’d find that we’d skipped ahead a month or two and something entirely different to what you’d just read was happening. I think Blake has done this with the intention of keeping the book a little shorter, as otherwise it could have been 700+ pages long!

I think the baddies within this novel were good, with Tristan and Nico often banding together to fight them off, especially whilst they’re out trying to find Libby.

We are also briefly introduced to Tristan’s father, which I’m hoping is explored more in book 3, as those dynamics are VERY interesting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, not quite enough for 5 stars (mainly because the jargon confused me and sometimes the skipping ahead was annoying), but I’d really recommend it to anyone that enjoys Dark Academia, and science fiction!

Thanks again to Black Crow PR for letting me take part in the blog tour!

4/5 stars

 Synopsis
'Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.'

This was a brilliant read! My first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, and it did not disappoint! 

My first initial feelings were heartache for Nina, and optimism for Mick and June's relationship (until he turned into a scumbag). I didn't really care for Jay that much, apart from the shit he went through as a child (dad leaving and mum dying) he seemed to have it pretty easy. I was hopeful that Hud would get a happy ending, he seemed like a very kind and empathetic character, so I hoped the best for him. And Kit was a badass, and although I guessed what her secret was from very early on, it was a great reveal, and a powerful way to take her story, 

I loved the writing style of going between each character and their memories, including going back in time to Mick & June's relationship, and watching that pan out. Some of my favourite chapters were from June's perspective. She really had it rough, I felt absolutely terrible for her. Mick was THE WORST husband and father, and I couldn't have cared less if he hadn't been included in the rest of the novel past breaking June's heart and abandoning his kids.

Nina was such a brilliant character, overlooked and walk over throughout her entire life, and it wasn't until she had a heart-to-heart with her best friend that she realised that things didn't have to be that way. I really felt for her, and wanted her to be okay. 

With TJR's latest novel Carrie Soto is Back recently being released, it was cool to see her character first within this story, and intrigues me to read her other novels to discover which other characters might also have been included! 

If you love a good family drama, then I highly recommend this novel!

5/5 stars

 Synopsis
'When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.'

This one was a heartbreaker. 

My second Colleen Hoover novel, and I felt all the feels. 

Tate is a brilliant character, strong-willed, brave and empathetic, I was so desperate to have everything work out for her, her love for Miles from the start was the stuff of dreams.

Miles. Poor Miles. I knew early on what must have happened for him to shut himself off from love forever, which made it all the more painful to read. He was the perfect son, perfect boyfriend, and at such a young age in his relationship with Rachel, Colleen has written a brilliant love interest in him. 

The relationship between Tate and Miles was saw raw, so real and so ugly, that you desperately wanted them to have a happy ending.

I also loved how it was split between the two narrators, Tate's POV and Miles' POV, both past and present.

I can't really discuss much more about this story without spoiling it, but I will say that if you love romance novels with a hell of a lot of heartache and drama, then you will love this.

Oh, and the smut was spot-on!

5/5 stars

 Synopsis
'Everyone knows that Colin Bridgerton is the most charming man in London. Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for...well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret...and fears she doesn't know him at all.

Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same - especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide...is she his biggest threat - or his promise of a happy ending?'

However, it wasn't as enjoyable as I'd hoped! 

Colin was quite a selfish character, his mouth usually running away with him and often offending Penelope. He also had a very short temper, overreacting at the slightest inconvenience which is not something I expected from him, with his character on the show being the sensitive and chilled brother. 
However, I will say that he cared so much for Penelope, even before he realised he loved her more than a friend, and he was always acting as her knight in shining armour. 

Penelope was just as I expected; sweet, kind and incredibly empathetic. Her friendship with Lady Danbury was lovely, and I was very pleased to see that this friendship helped her become more comfortable with who she was, and brought her out of her shell around other people. 

I did enjoy the level of smut within this one, there was definitely more than the third novel; it was quite steamy! 

The storyline itself was brilliant with Penelope as Lady Whistledown at risk of being revealed, and her and Colin's quest to prevent it from happening!

Overall I did enjoy the book, just not as much as I'd hoped, and Colin's character did make me a little mad at times!

3.5/5 stars