For
close to a decade, twenty-five-year-old Felicity Lonsdale has
masqueraded as a dowager almost twice her age—selling caterpillars to
butterfly consortium's—enabling her to hide an ill-fated past while
raising her late brother’s daughters. Together, the three live on an
isolated Irish estate bequeathed by a dying earl. When the earl’s
estranged son arrives to claim his inheritance by threatening to expose
Felicity’s true identity, she longs to pack up her nieces and run. But a
ghostly secret within the castle’s turret holds her captive.
Nick
Thornton—a Roma viscount’s heir—is also captive. After a tryst with an
investor’s wife nearly destroyed his family’s holiday resort, Nick
forsook everything to elope with her. However, a tragic mistake at his
hand led to her and his baby’s deaths. Refusing to turn to the family he
shamed, Nick travels to seek the countess who once co-wrote a romance
with his sister. There’s rumor of a special butterfly in her keep—a
transparent-winged species with ties to the afterlife. Nick hopes to
contact his dead wife and child, for only their forgiveness can free
him.
Upon his arrival to Felicity’s estate, Nick offers to help
her defeat the earl’s son, on the condition she allow Nick to
investigate her glass butterflies. Felicity agrees, though fears the
closer he gets to the ghosts of his past, the closer he’ll come to
uncovering her own. As Nick spends time with Felicity and her nieces, he
realizes the mystery enshrouding this fragile countess and her castle
is more intriguing than the ghosts he originally came to find. And
perhaps putting his dead to rest and helping her do the same will be his
true path to redemption.
(Goodreads)
This is book three of the "Haunted Hearts Legacy" and it was considerably better than the second one. Let me begin by saying this is the third to a series of stand alone books, that can totally be read by themselves. But you get the full story by reading them in order.
This one is about Nick, and I like him more than his brother. Nick is a womanizer, a scoundrel, the shame of his family or so he thinks. Obviously Nick has a dark past, a dark and depressing past and he is now chasing ghosts... Butterfly ghosts (??? it's a whole thing). Which leads us to Felicity, the ruler? leader? owner? Master of this ghostly estate. Felicity also has a dark past, a dark and devastating past, her only light in this grim world are her two nieces. And the boy who saved her from death. Who's obviously Nick though he doesn't remember her
And thus starts their romance! With Nick breaking into her greenhouse in search of her ghost butterflies and Felicity literally ripping his knee open. Fun!
Honestly Felicity annoyed the ever living hell out of me, her back and forth emotions regarding Nick. When he LITERALLY told her MULTIPLE times that he was going to take care of her and the girls and that he loved her. He would not only tell her this, but he would show her. Actions speak louder than words and yet she continued to lie to him time and again.
Until they got married. They got married and she was still lying to him
But what's a true Gothic Romance without ghosts. Well her brother, yes, her brother is MOSTLY dead. And with the help of his eldest daughter and the butterflies is trying to help out around the greenhouse and communicate with Felicity. Felicity is having nothing of this nonsense and instead isolates her nieces more go figure
Nick throughout this all suffering over the guilt of his deceased wife and child. He's falling for Felicity and has started to love her nieces as children of his own. Honestly Nick is pretty damn princely throughout this all. He's the textbook tall, dark, and handsome. He believes the eldest niece oops totally cannot remember her name for the life of me in regards to the butterflies and her father. Since he too has experience with ghosts... well... his parents. *cough* Anyways, Nick is doing everything he can to prove his love to Felicity, his devotion to her girls.
And it only works when she saves the youngest one from drowning in the bog how clique... I love it But even then, Felicity manages to screw it up.
But in the end love conquers all! Nick makes up his estranged family, he is happily married to Felicity. Felicity makes peace with her past and the scars it left on her both figurative and literal Her dear old brother awakes from his coma, is pinning after Emilia slightly cringes a lot
And everyone lives happily ever after, Nick's family visit the estate.
And by some amazing miracle, Felicity gets pregnant and all is well.
Honestly I love the clique of a Gothic Romance being a goth myself, I can't help but swoon and I love how Ms. Howard delivers the story in her own way.
Until next time readers <3Love Kat
Greece in the age of
heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court
of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths
should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend,
and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine
their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of
Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that
Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his
friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that
the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Profoundly
moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan
War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and
an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal
fame and the human heart.
(Goodreads)
Let me begin by saying that I was so thoroughly excited to read this book. Considering I absolutely loved Circe, and all the amazing reviews I've heard of this book. I was excited. I was ecstatic to finally get the chance to read it since I had to wait months to get it from the library
To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. I was slightly angry about how much I didn't like this book. And I really really wanted to like it. I was angry, and frustrated, and just plain sad in regards to this book.
From the beginning! This book actually is not in the point of view of Achilles not until the end at least. This book is in Patroclus I literally had no idea how to say his name..... Like at all point of view, which was an interesting take. I was kind of okay with it... Except that it was seriously just so melancholy that it seriously made the book feel sad... THE WHOLE TIME
Patroclus is a pathetic character for the longest time, he's weak and sad and overal pretty annoying. And Achilles? He's there too... But only just. He's not nearly as important as you'd think, not until their romance blooms.
Oh? Did I mention this book is HECKING gay?? Because, my god, it is so gay and there's even gay sex... it was interesting and completely true to the times.
Anyways... When you think of Achilles what do you think of? I don't know about you, but I always think about the Trojan War. And you'd think that this book would be about that, would consist of a considerable amount of the Trojan War. Well you would be wrong. Because literally the Trojan War was at the every end of book, maybe the last hundred pages? Possibly? Which, for me, was so disappointing. The whole beginning of the book is about Paroclus's shame, his love for Achilles, his fear of his mother.
I honestly was extremely disappointed, especially considering how much people raved about the book. But alas, this book was not for me, but who knows, maybe whoever reads this blog will actually enjoy the book. And if you do, awesome! If not... Joining me in complaining about
Until next time readers <3 Love Kat
Each year, eight
beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the
highest honor they could hope for...and the most cruel.
But this year, there's a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she's made of fire.
In
this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and
most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her
father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by
royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time
it's Lei they're after--the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the
king's interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but
stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm
that befit being a king's consort. But Lei isn't content to watch her
fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable--she falls in love.
Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that
threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed
country girl at heart, must decide just how far she's willing to go for
justice and revenge.
(Goodreads)
WARNING THIS BOOK CONTAINS SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND THEMES
*nothing too graphic or descriptive, but can still be triggering for certain people.
I fully admit to buying this book because it was pretty. Like? Look at that cover, its gorgeous. Yes the story itself sounding interesting, but I was more captivated by the cover. It had the premise of a regular old book, until it didn't. I fully admit that I went into reading this book thinking I wouldn't like it. But that sentiment quickly left within a few pages in.
The story starts with Lei, a girl in the lowest class, who works for a demon who's like family. She lost her mom in a raid years prior. The only thing that stands out is her golden eyes, eyes that shouldn't belong to a human. So the story at its base seemed very familiar to me and I thought it was going to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling.... Boy was I wrong
Everything changes when Lei makes it to the castle and things start progressing in a different way.
Let me explain, there are subtle changes to Lei's character in regards to girls and women around her. And me, being a hetero-normative female.... this threw me off. When they officially meet the Demon King, it officially puts everything into perspective. The way she reacts to Wren, how intrigued by her she is. And this is around the time I start thinking... is she a lesbian?? And then I moved on.
When the girls met the Demon King, it was an unsettling experience. Lei's reaction was both fascination and fear. It was unsettling, because on the surface all the girls... Except Lei slight horror and Wren's indifference, are in love or so it seems
Everything changes when Lei finally gets the letter, that it's her turn to pleasure the king. Obviously everyone is excited and jealous. And this was also around the time that everything started feeling more real.
What happens when she gets the King's palace is weird..... and then horrifying. To say that I was crying... would be an understatement. Luckily, Lei fought back and was not raped this time
Her romance with Wren is healing, and it is the most beautiful and pure love one could possibly find.
When.... Lei does get raped by the King. I felt my heartbreak, and I couldn't stop crying. The emotional trauma of what she endured was horrifying.
The end of the book was amazing! They kicked ass! They escaped! They FELL IN LOVE!
AND THEN THE KING DIDN'T DIE!!! I am so angry and I cannot wait for the next book
Until next time readers <3Love Kat
