Book Reviews – Page 5 – Have Coffee Need Books

Blog Tour, Book Reviews, Coming of Age, Dystopian, YA Fiction

Book Review: The Hive Queen by Robin Kirk

The Hive Queen by Robing Kirk

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 31,20 | 1 Comment

Title: The Hive Queen (The Bond Trilogy #2)
Author: Robin Kirk
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so pleased to have Fir’s story! What a story he has to tell!

Robin Kirk’s second book in The Bond Series, The Hive Queen, picks up with the Living Wood’s escape from Bounty. Fir and his nineteen brothers are heading east to the Master’s land. They’ve heard from the wildmen that he has a cure for the virus and that it’s a place for males–where men aren’t in the service of mothers.

Fir is against unbeatable odds from the start. He is full of self-doubt while trying to lead, and it tears him apart when anything goes sideways. And everything is going sideways. I liked that Robin Kirk builds Fir with such vivid internal struggle. It makes you understand his motivations and his actions better for it. It also helps that she highlights some of the Living Wood so you can see that his brothers pull him in all directions and muddle the pot often when he’s trying to do the right thing.

Blog Tour, Book Reviews, Coming of Age, Dystopian, YA Fiction

Book Review: The Bond by Robin Kirk

The Bond by Robin Kirk

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 31,20 | 0 Comment

Title: The Bond (The Bond Trilogy #1)
Author: Robin Kirk
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love these Dystopian/Sci-fi stories where I’m in a world where women control EVERYTHING. This sounds like it would be all good or super bad.

The Bond by Robin Kirk isn’t questionable at all; it’s all good.

Dinitra 584 KxA is a student struggling to pass her courses at the Collegium. It’s graduation day, and she has a dismal compendium with one weak merit. Truth be told, she spends most of the time she should be working on her studies drawing or painting. As she has to make and mix her paints–that takes up a lot of time. That’s how she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, with two Legion’s Commanders questioning her for her artwork.

Oh, this book is sheer brilliance and so twisty-turny. I had no idea where we were going. Robin Kirk lead me around by the proverbial ear, and I read like an addict because the story is pure joy. Well, not joy like it makes you happy because much of it makes your heart a little sore but joy in that it’s a damn good book.

Book Reviews, Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, YA Fiction

Book Review: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf by Janie Marie

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 25,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? (The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy)
Author: Janie Marie
Genre: Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, Young Adult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Prefacing this review by saying I didn’t read Gods & Monsters. And having read this book, It’s unfortunate that I have not done so!

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? is a crazy good read!

Oh emm gee!

I thoroughly enjoyed this baby, and Janie Marie wasn’t on my radar before, but I’m one-clicking her previous trilogy as I write this review. I can totally multitask like a boss!

Kylie Hood is a sad story. She’s Little Red Riding Hood meets Cinderella but for the fact that in her real life, her wicked steps are out to wickedly maim, or possibly kill her, if they could get away with it. Worse yet, her Prince is just a crap jock who wants her to do his homework. But her world turns around when Logan Grimm drags her into his fairy-tale, where he might be the Big Bad Wolf looking to save her from the wilds outside.

I adored Logan from the word ‘go.’ Cheers to Janie Marie because her wounded bad boy was a quiet redeemer from the start–probably a carryover from that other series I DID NOT READ! I’m going to get on that right away.

Academy Romance, Book Reviews, Fantasy Fiction, LGBTQ+, New Release, Paranormal Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Book Review: Uriel’s Lariat by Sarah Biglow & Molly Zenk

Uriel's Lariat by Sarah Biglow and Molly Zenk

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 22,20 | 0 Comment

Uriel's Lariat by Sarah Biglow & Molly Zenk — Uriel’s Lariat by Sarah Biglow & Molly Zenk

Title: Uriel’s Lariat (Celestial Academy #3)
Author: Sarah Biglow and Molly Zenk
Genre: Paranormal Academy Romance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lilith and Chris are at the center of a new mystery!

AND… Zuri and Miry come to the point where the curiosity finally hunts the cat!

Uriel’s Lariat centers around the mystery of who is burning the fallen to death. Zuri and Miry have their sights set on Lilith and Chris because they have the most to gain by more destruction.

Book Reviews, Historical Romance

Book Review: Misleading a Duke by A.S. Fenichel

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 21,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Misleading a Duke (Wallflowers of West Lane)
Author: A.S. Fenichel
Genre: Historical Romance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Wallflowers of West Lane get up to no good at Geb Arafa’s homes all the time. It’s like they use his houses for scandal and nothing more. Poor Geb! Now Nick and Faith are in trouble in Misleading a Duke at an Arafa property. And trust me, it’s worth your time to find out why!

—spoilers—
Nicholas, Duke of Breckenridge, and Lady Faith have been dancing around their betrothal since it became known that Faith’s mother was the one that had romanced Nick via letters rather than Faith. Worse yet, Faith spent months trying to investigate his intentions and figure out his secrets, much to his chagrin because Nick has things to hide–since he’s a spy for the Crown.
—end spoilers—

Misleading A Duke is a much better story than The Earl Not Taken, and the plot is on point. I have no complaints about pacing or characterization. I love Faith. I think Nick is great–wait, I do have a whinge–Nick says sweetheart, A LOT!. Like a lot-a lot. But this book is two stars better than the last one. I very much enjoyed it.

So now Poppy and Faith are spoken for, Mercy is next! Yay!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Book Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Corporate Romance, Friends to Lovers Romance

Book Review: Twisted Love by Piper Lawson

Twisted Love by Piper Lawson

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 15,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Twisted Love (Modern Romance #3)
Author: Piper Lawson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Piper Lawson, and this book is classic Piper Lawson.

Daisy and Ben are besties. They met in college, and they have had one another’s backs since way back in the day. Their friendship is like the US Postal creed sorta, neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these two Fortnite players on a Friday night. But what these two don’t know and their friends suspect–is about to come to light when they play boyfriend and girlfriend for a month. These two want one another.

I really loved this one. Twisted Love was pretty typical, but the characters were great. The corporate world-building was fascinating. I especially loved how Piper Lawson showed that it was a small elite world of movers and shakers. And Ben’s mom is a hoot–a tragic hoot but a hoot all the same.

I highly recommend this for anyone how enjoys Lauren Blakely.

Book Reviews, Fantasy Romance, NA Romance, Paranormal Romance

Book Review: Court of Command by Milana Jacks

Court of Command by Milana Jacks

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 14,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Court of Command (Age of Angels #1)
Author: Milana Jacks
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, New Adult Romance
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Court of Command wasn’t what I had expected. After the Omegaverse aliens, a post-apocalyptic angelic world? Nope. Did it work for me? A little. I wasn’t all in, I wanted to be, but I wasn’t.

Julia is an anomaly and not in a good way. She remembers everything of before. Those marked by Lucifer have these memories–technically dispatching Julia to hell is the go-to, but her soul has touched another’s, and he’s not ready to let her go yet. Archangel Michael doesn’t want Lucifer to win his mate.

Book Reviews, NA Romance, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Book Review: Demon Born by C.L. Coffey

Demon Born by CL Coffey

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 09,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Demon Born (Hellfire Academy #1)
Author: C.L. Coffey
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy,
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OMG, and by that, I mean Oh. My. Gabriel. I love when authors blaspheme and make the divine sexy and delicious. Good job C.L. Coffey, you sinner.

Kennedy is plucking her way through every goodness-challenged day. Phoenix is only the last stop in a long line of cities she and her mom have lived in, on the run from her mom’s monster plagued schizo-mind. It’s hot there, she has two jobs, and people suck.

But wait, there is more, a guy with a sword has just shown up. He has sexy green eyes and a psychotic need to off her. The dude attacked her on her way home, and she got hit by a car—a rough day at the office.

Book Reviews, Coming of Age, Social Justice, YA Fiction

Book Review: Our Friendship Matters by Kimberley B. Jones

Our Friendship Matters by Kimberley B. Jones

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 05,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Our Friendship Matters
Author: Kimberley B. Jones
Genre: YA Coming of Age, Social Justice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Our Friendship Matters is one of those coming of age books that should be in every school library.

Sasha is a black girl from a middle-class St Louis suburb. Her dad is a lawyer, her mom is a doctor, and they send her to the hoighty-toighty Chester Christian Academy. Sasha’s best friend is filthy rich, Leah is a stuck-up white girl with a mean streak a mile wide, but Sasha adores her and puts up with her because that’s what you do until the shark turns on you.

Some of the sly statements in this book:
Money is opportunity.
Money is resources.
Money gives you the ability to look the other way.
Money allows you the option to remain ignorant.
Money means you can celebrate frivolity during a revolution.
Money means you can drive away from a nightmare–but it might follow you in your dreams.

Academy Romance, Book Reviews, Bully Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies to Lovers Romance, High School Romance, NA Bully Romance, NA Romance

Book Review: Rowdy Boy by Clarissa Wild

Rowdy Boy by Clarissa Wild

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On October 02,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Rowdy Boy (Black Mountain Academy)
Author: Clarissa Wild
Genre: Bully Romance
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh, man, I don’t know where to start here. This book’s plot is a solid bully romance, and their chemistry is rather good. However, this story’s beginning is a bit of a duck’s butt of weirdness in how it portrays “push and pull.” As a matter of fact, early Cole Travis comes across as a petty pre-pubescent rather than a sexy rock-god.

Monica has had a crappy experience with a crappy excuse for a human being. She’s scarred but trying to heal, and her new school has her latest crappy experience–a new bully. Just in time for the last crappy-excuse for a human to become a memory, another one is on her radar, but this one is hot, and she’s fascinated. Cole Travis is everywhere, and if she’s not looking at him, he’s looking at her.