Serpent and Dove: Shelby Mahurin

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all. 
(Goodreads)

Alright! So I honestly had no idea what I was getting into when I first read this book. My friend told me to read it, saying it is absolutely amazing. One of the best books she had read in a long time... Therefore I had to read it. AND I LOVED IT 

SO! This book is full of tropes, so many goddamn tropes. I was living. Enemies to lovers? And then they were roommates? THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED?! Marriage of convenience? Pining?
I'm telling you, this book has them all. Also, enemies to lovers are seriously my favorite trope, so of course, I was going to love this book.  

Now, where do I begin? This book has an exciting start. And I personally didn't like the beginning, and I struggled so hard to get into the book... Funny because afterward, I could NOT put the book down.

The book begins with Lou dressed as a man looking for something; we don't know what, but we know it's essential. The next thing we know, she gets caught by none other than our good sir Reid, and he notices she's a girl because her mustache falls off. Classic.

Things happen, and somehow, miraculously, Reid and Lou end up getting married in a marriage of convenience. Lou's freaking out because she's a witch, and Reid is devastated because he's now married to a woman he doesn't know. AND he was semi courting another girl who was "perfect."

This is where the meat of the story begins. THE ROMANCE BEGINS! He finds her beautiful, reluctantly. She is blatantly staring at this hot man, and now they're fake married... what could go wrong? A lot, actually. The moment Lou and Reid start talking like adults and sharing feelings is when my soul left my body and went to heaven. It's honestly pretty cute the way they fell in love, and the cliques just keep coming. 

Honestly, looking back, this book isn't the best. It's mediocre at best. Plot-wise the book is sound; it has a stable middle and end. But that's about it. The characters are meh. The interpersonal struggles are okay but not new. The conflict is what kept me going, I mean... Mother wants to kill daughter for power? Love it. 

Overall, I loved the book when I first read it, but having reread the book just kind of took away from the original sparkle. 

Until next time readers <3

Love Kat

The Shadowglass: Rin Chupeco

Tea is a bone witch with the dark magic needed to raise the dead. She has used this magic to breathe life into those she has loved and lost…and those who would join her army against the deceitful royals. But Tea's quest to conjure a shadowglass—to achieve immortality for the one person she loves most in the world—threatens to consume her heart.

Tea's black heartsglass only grows darker with each new betrayal. And when she is left with new blood on her hands, Tea must answer to a power greater than the elder asha or even her conscience...
(Goodreads)

This has seriously been one of my most highly anticipated books of the year, and boy was it better than I expected. 
I bought it as soon as it came out, and oh my gosh look at that cover <3 
Anyways, this book begins where the other one left off. Tea's story is coming to a close and her past and present are starting to intertwine. Everything that she told the Bard is now a direct cause to what's happening in the present. It's magnificent and dizzying all at the same time. And it's super confusing because we still only get the bare minimum, just like everyone else. Everything is starting to fall into place. Everything that Tea has sacrificed will finally have meaning. 
Unlike the previous two books, this one has a sense of urgency. This urgency that makes the book feel like we are running against the clock. Our time is running out, and it was she was able to convey this so well in her writing. I couldn't stop reading! All the dots were finally connecting and I felt my heart break for all the misunderstandings.
The romance between Tea and Kalen is just so sweet, seriously his death was devastating, heart wrenching. 
Honestly I just have so many feelings about this book that you just need to read this book to fully understand the beauty that is The Bone Witch series.


This story, at its core, is about love. The platonic love between a sister and her brother. This love so unconditional, to do anything for her fallen brother. To change the course of the world and its history for her brother. To bring him back from the dead so that he may have the happily ever after she believes, no, the one she knows he deserves, even at the cost of her only life. Is what makes this book magnificent. Magnificent and heart wrenching. It's enchanting and I am so thoroughly grateful that I bought this book on a whim. 
Until next time readers <3

Love Kat 

The Bone Witch: Rin Chupeco

Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there's anything I've learned from him in the years since, it's that the dead hide truths as well as the living.

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles...and make a powerful choice.
(Goodreads)

So let me just say this story is very good. It is unique and intriguing, it had good characters. BUT! The book did not answer enough questions, the author did not give us me enough details to fully understand what is going on.
The book technically started at the end, and jumps back and forth between the present and the past (this being Tea's memories). I normally don't like books like this for the sole purpose that I personally feel like they have too much lacking in the story. They try to hard to fill the gaps with the present parts, and I feel like you are playing catch up with the "past" part. But this book did a really good job of keeping me intrigued. Even though it frustrated me to no end that we didn't get enough information. I crave it, the information I knew I was going to get in next the chapter. This helped me to continue reading.
I honestly really liked the book, it did frustrate me, but it is a very well written book. The ending absolutely killed me! Like?!?! WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION THAT KALEN IS DEAD, AND TEA IS IN LOVE WITH HIM?!?!?!?! WHAT DO I DO?? LIKE THE LEGIT FLY INTO THE NIGHT TO GO DESTROY THE KINGDOM
My god I am dying. I... I... I am so flipping confused and I have to wait until my book ships to me to finally maybe get more info, to finally understand WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??
I have serious questions, like why her brother abandoned her, why she is exiled, what did she do? Is Mykaela dead? I have so many questions
So for now, I will be dead until I get the next book

See you in the after life guys <3

Love Kat 

Stirring Up Trouble: Juli Alexander

What’s worse than lusting after my best friend’s on again off again boyfriend? How about my dad dating his mother, and my mom redesigning his bedroom for her show? With fate interfering so cruelly, can you really blame me for putting my magic potions to not-so-good use?

I’m Zoe Miller, a fifteen-year-old witch with only one power-—a talent for potions. I have my life all mapped out. I plan to be a doctor and develop drugs to cure disease. We already have potions to help all kinds of symptoms, but none of them will get by the Food and Drug Administration. I mean, the government bureaucrats are not going to okay the ingestion of bat wings or unicorn horns. Luckily, fat-free margarine has already been found to be an adequate substitute for dead man’s toe. So, I really hold out hope that I can make things work. Looking for edible substitutions to use in the potions is my passion.
(Goodreads) 

I remember reading it a while back (June 17 2012 to be exact)  and I thought that it was super good, and very interesting, but the second time around... Meh. It could have been a lot better, and at times it was childish. I know that she's, like, 15 and all. But I mean come on! It was ridiculous at times, I mean she wouldn't stand up for her self when it came to her friend (that was not a good friend, she was absolutely horrible) she just kept making up excuses as to why she couldn't stand up to her.

Trouble's Brewing By: Juli Alexander

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has managed to turn her crush into a boyfriend without using any magic at all. But can it really work with Jake when Zoe’s father is dating Jake’s mother? Talk about a dysfunctional family.

After the Frog Fiasco, the Council is watching Zoe’s every move but studying under renowned Potions Master, Martin Finnegan, fulfills a lifelong dream of Zoe’s, even if the ninety-five-year-old man looks like a teenager. Zoe can’t juggle friends, school, potions, and dating without letting something slide, and Trouble’s Brewing as her tutor is forced to reveal deeply hidden truths about her experiments and those of her ancestors.
(Goodreads)

Meh, I thought it was better. At least I hoped, but alas, it didn't turn out as good as I hoped. Zoe is now so flipping annoying. THE. ENTIRE. TIME. Ok, so I understand, she wants everyone to be happy. Especially her mom, but the way she shows it is just so dumb. "Oh she can't like my teacher, I'll just zap up a potion and hope it works." Absolutely annoying, and the whole not-standing-up-to-your-friend gets old really fast. And then there was the ending. The ending was just so abrupt, they go to a dance and kiss. The End. HOLD IT!! Was that it. I put myself through that for nothing? Really... There was absolutely no closure to this book it just went on, and then suddenly ended. I think it might have been better if I had read it when I was younger, it seems to appeal to a younger audience. Meh