Girls of Paper and Fire: Natasha Ngan

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 <3

Love Kat 

Lucas (A Preston Brother novel): Jay McLean

In a sprint, every millisecond counts.  
When you’re waiting for love, those milliseconds can feel like eons.  

High school senior Lucas Preston has it all: star of the track team, a scholarship waiting for him, an apartment to himself and a revolving door of girlfriends. He also has an older sister, five younger brothers and a father who relies on him to make sure those brothers don’t kill each other.  
His saving grace? Lois “Laney” Sanders, a girl he started to fall in like with when he was just eleven. 
A girl who became his best friend, his confidant, his courage.  

It took only sixteen clicks and eight seconds for Lucas to realize that his like for Laney had turned into love.   
Eight life-changing seconds.  
It’s also the exact length of time it took to lose her.
(Goodreads)

Okay, so... I got this book free through bookbub. And holy shit dude. This was a wild ride from start to finish, I honestly thought this was going to be your usual high school romance book. Girl loves best friend, *best friend* doesn't notice her until she either dates someone else, or takes off her glasses and she becomes the hot girl.
Well this story was like that... until it wasn't. The book starts really cute, it flips between the past and present. And is in both Lucas and Lois's point of views (which I absolutely loved).
Anyways... Everything changes when literally in the first fifty pages Luke and Laney have sex! LIKE BRUH, THAT WAS FAST O^O
Totally did not expect that to happen so fast, I legit thought they were going to get together and everything was going to be all happily ever after. EXCEPT IT WASN'T! this is so shocking because it legit almost never happens in the books I normally read... so for this to happen, it was such a shock and I loved it.
*cough* I totally forgot that Luke was actually still dating his then girlfriend Grace oh shit dude well this obviously broke Lois's trust.... And instead of wallowing (which she did like any normal person), and waiting around for Luke to get back to his senses and NOTICE HER, she started dating Cooper. Not right away, they became friends and were so stinking cute I loved it. 

I admit I loved Cooper in the beginning because he was just so darn charismatic, and he was really good for Lois. He helped her stop being so meek and waiting for things to happen. And he helped her love herself more. He was someone she needed at this point in her life. And I am loving this. I loved seeing Lucas pinning for Laney, to see him wait for her to realize that he was the one for her. Her happily ever after. Her one true love. I'm telling you it was so stinking sweet. I loved this dynamic
But then things started to changed, Laney really started to pull back from everyone she loved. And her relationship with Cooper started to go south. He was forbidding her from talking to Luke, and to any other dude. He was always around. And she started making excuses for him and his behavior. I was seriously thinking "bitch get rid of him you don't need that kind of man 

Well, things get weird and then Lucas and Lois FINALLY started dating. It was amazing, it seemed like they both needed each other to kind of heal from everything that had been happening. AND THEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS
At their senior prom Luke and Laney obviously went together, when out of nowhere Cooper shows up asking to talk to Laney. Next thing you know you hear gun shots, Lucas runs to find his two brothers and then looks for Laney. And he finds her, outside bleeding because Cooper FUCKING SHOT HER FOUR TIMES!!! I AM SHOOKETH I CRY
Lucas beats the hell out of Cooper things get really shitty for a while, Luke gets arrested for assault EVEN THOUGH COOPER SHOT! LANEY! LIKE! WHAT. THE. HELL. I have a lot of feelings about this 
We later learn that Cooper had been severely abusing Laney, like hospital stay abuse. And this broke my heart. I cried, I cried for poor Laney who had to suffer through this. For other men and women who go through this. 

Anyways,  everything ends happily ever after and I cried. It was adorable.
And I loved this book so much. And I am so happy I read this

This totally isn't a review type thing... it's more of a rant but whateves 

Well, until next time readers <3 

Love Kat