Booksprout – Have Coffee Need Books

Academy Romance, Book Reviews, YA Fantasy, YA Reverse Harem, YA Romance

Book Review: Stone and Secret by Evangeline Anderson

Stone and Secret by Evangeline Anderson

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On May 09,21 | 0 Comment

Title: Stone and Secret (Nocturne Academy #3)
Author: Evangeline Anderson
Genre: Fantasy YA
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stone and Secret is my first Nocturne Academy novel, and I am ashamed I’ve not read the series already!

Emma Plunkett is the white bread of young ladies. She’s the average of unforgettable, you just saw her, and you don’t remember it. She’s trying her best to survive the meanest of Nocturne Academy because even white bread has to deal with mold. Emma’s mold? That would be Morganna Starchild, beast of a Fae, mean girl gone wild.

Emma thinks she’s pulled the short straw when lined up to be lab partners with one of the most unfortunate looking students in school, Bran O’Connor. It seems like one more thing for which Morganna to snipe at her, but she quickly finds herself seeing more in Bran than what is on the surface. This is good because soon, she finds herself needing some help getting out of a sitch that is skin deep.

Book Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Enemies to Lovers Romance, New Adult Fiction

Book Review: Enemy Dearest by Winter Renshaw

Enemy Dearest by Winter Renshaw

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On January 22,21 | 0 Comment

Title: Enemy Dearest (Monreaux Brothers #1)
Author: Winter Renshaw
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Rose girl by any other name is still a Rose, and if you are a Monreaux that might as well be the dirt below one’s feet. August Monreaux recognizes Sheridan Rose as the naked venus floating in his pool on a hot-as-hell summer night, but why she is there is anyone’s clue. He knows, and she apparently is aware of too, that Monreauxes and Roses don’t mingle. Enemy Dearest is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, and Meredith Hills plays the part of Verona.

I enjoyed this story! There is a fair amount of rawness to Winter Renshaw’s storytelling that feels like she’s giving her character’s open-heart surgery. They don’t get to love easily; they really have to work for it. I can appreciate any story where the characters are put through their paces.

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.

Academy Romance, Book It, Book Reviews, Fae Romance, New Release, Reverse Harem

Book Review: Ruin by Lacey Carter Andersen

Ruin by Lacey Carter Andersen

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On September 12,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Ruin (Royal Fae Academy #2)
Author: Lacey Carter Andersen
Genre: Reverse Harem, Academy Romance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Now, this is what I wanted from Ravage. Lacey Carter Andersen shines with her newest Royal Fae Academy novel, Ruin!

Ruin advances Rayne’s murder mystery, explores further the super-secret-search, and expands upon the evergrowing threat. Now Esmeray and ALL her men are in danger. It’s too late to go back, and stopping is out of the question.

Book It, Book Reviews, Fantasy Fiction, New Release, Urban Fantasy

Book Review: Faust University by M. Dalto Layne Bynum

Faust University by M Dalto and Laynie Bynum

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

Title: Faust University
Author: M. Dalto and Laynie Bynum
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Faust University is an assemblage of so many Academy Reads; I don’t know where to start comparing. The book, tongue firmly in cheek, compares it’s invite process to Harry Potter; we can knock that one out. Then I was stuck thinking of Magicians by Lev Grossman, Wonderland Academy by Melanie Karsak, Celestial Academy by Sarah Biglow and Molly Zenk, and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead as I read it. There were many times Faust Academy picked up on other Paranormal Academy novels before it. Still, when something works, it works for a reason, and the plot of Faust Academy has a lot of real estate. While I was often distracted by the similarities to previous novels I read, I enjoyed the narrative.

Eve gets an invite to a private university, and like magic, she is whisked away to this strange place. Upon arriving, she finds it bizarre and secretive, and even more discussions of sorcery are taking place, summoning and beast mastering, to name a few. She has an instant connection with her new friend, and all goes awry when the two find they have an even more substantial relationship.

Academy Romance, Book It, Book Reviews, Fae Romance, New Release, Reverse Harem, Urban Fantasy

Book Review: Ravage by Lacey Carter Andersen

Ravage by Lacey Carter Andersen

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On September 04,20 | 0 Comment

Ravage by Lacey Carter Anderson — Ravage by Lacey Carter Andersen

Title: Ravage (Royal Fae Academy #1)
Author: Lacey Carter Andersen
Genre: Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There is being a badass and just being a bad character, and in Ravage, Esmeray is often a poorly written character who has crossed that fine line.

Revere introduces us to Esmeray and her mates: Bron Drake, Lucian Silver, and Dwade Luther…

–Dwade is still a nonsense name in my book and far from sexy. Should we Dwade into the swamp? Dwading in lakes is far better. See, that is what comes to mind when I hear Dwade. /tangent–

…And we learn about the sexy, no-no-relationship situation the three men are keeping from Rayne and Esmeray; no one knows that Esmeray is their mate. But now Rayne has been murdered, and Esmeray is at the Royal Fae Academy, and keeping the sexy Dark Fae from doing what comes naturally to her without spilling their guts is proving impossible to Bron, Lucian, and Dwade.

Book It, Book Reviews, New Release, Sports Romance

Book Review: Internship with the Devil by Jaqueline Snow

Internship with the Devil by Jaqueline Snow

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On September 03,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Internship with the Devil (Shut Up and Kiss Me #1)
Author: Jaqueline Snowe
Genre: Sports Romance
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you yearn for slow-burn romances, then Internship with the Devil is the book for you.

Grace Turner needs an internship to finish her degree, but she can’t believe her bad luck when she finds that the good looking, bad-spirited, former football player, with a chip on his shoulder, Brock Anderson, is her boss. Worse, he’s pigeon-holed her as incompetent on-sight.

One of the things Jaqueline Snow does in this book is to focus on relationship growth and character development. While this is good in a lot of ways, I found that it bogged down the pacing. Even though the interactions were snappy and sassy, the relationship status was monotonous. I needed something more than this forward constant. Maybe, I’m not a slow-burn romance girl, but late-late pay-off feels like a tease instead of a reward.

Book It, Book Reviews, New Release

Book Review: Cry Wolf by Romy Lockhart

Cry Wolf by Romy Lockhart

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

Title: Cry Wolf (Claimed by Wolves #1)
Author: Romy Lockhart
Genre: Reverse Harem, Paranormal, Rom-Com
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I thought this was a stand-alone, boohoo! I just signed up for a series; I don’t know how I feel about being drafted into that despite really liking Cry Wolf. Why do all of you authors write series!? Here is some feedback, sometimes we need a one and done.

That said, this book is super good. I love the characters. Maggie O’Brien is a liar–she didn’t start that way, but she was pinned to be one and ran with it. When she makes up a fib that she has a husband and three show up, she can’t even back peddle because no one will believe the woman who tells tall tales when she starts contradicting herself. And to be fair, these men feel like they are hers anyway, so why shouldn’t she keep them?

Oh, Maggie! She’s a hoot! I love reading books where the heroes can be a bit of an everyday Joe in bed, and Lukas gets to play that guy at first. Hurrah! Thank you, Romy Lockhart for writing a real guy.

Book It, Book Reviews, New Release

Book Review: Ruin by Rebecca L. Garcia

Ruin by Rebecca L. Garcia

ByMs Ali Cat: Ali Crean | On August 28,20 | 0 Comment

Title: Ruin (The Fate of Crowns #0.5)
Author: Rebecca L. Garcia
Genre: Fantasy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruin took a while to get started, it was exposition burdened in the beginning, and it made for tough reading. However, once it picked up the pace, it was more enjoyable to read, and the story became exciting to follow.

Evangeline is a cursed princess practicing dark magic to gain more power from her necromancer master. She wishes to see that her disregarding and vengeful family pays for all their cruelty towards her. But all her scheming with her nefarious master is becoming eviler and eviler, and her ruin is near.