Jade's attempt to read 50 books!

[Jade.]

Book 40: Broken Bonds
3 stars

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.

Alright, so, the story is creative, but the writing was not that great, unfortunately. I had to read a few sentences a couple of times to understand what's going on. And I lost my count on how much the word 'f*ck or f*cking' has been mentioned. It slightly got on my nerves.

The characters are alright. Some are interesting, some not at all. But mostly, everyone is horny so... yeah.

The ending was predictable but not bad at all.

I am not entirely sure if I want to read the next book in this series.

[Jade.]

Book 41: Lightlark
5 stars

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

This book is such an intense rollercoaster. So many taut moments where I am on the edge of the seat, my eyes glued to the pages.

The games, the betrayal, the different powers and realms, the romance, the suspense. Everything was magnificent. Why did I not read this book sooner?

It's official. I am obsessed with books about trials/games. They are so much fun!

I am definitely going to read the second book! I want to know more about the realms and the incredible characters.

[Jade.]

Book 42: Thorns Among Shadows: A Rapunzel Retelling
3 stars

This retelling is more a combination of Rapunzel and Brave. Meira has red hair, is courageous, and uses a bow and arrows as a weapon. Like Merida from Brave. And the prince she's going to save is a prisoner in a high tower. Like Rapunzel from Tangled.

I instantly bought this book on my Kindle cause I love fairytale retellings. Especially Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty.

The storyline was so fast-paced. It seemed just rushed. I do not like the romance in this retelling. Maybe because I am a fan of slow-burn romance, the romance in the book was insta-love.

Overall, it was a cute short story.

[Jade.]

Book 43: Court of Ice and Ash
5 stars

𝐇𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐦. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐊𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚, 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.

I am still recovering. This book has been such a whirlwind! It was so fast-paced and action-packed. The romance was the absolute best. Legion Gray is the 'touch her and you die' man, and that's hot. Why can't men like him exist in real life? I mean, my expectations are high thanks to him.

L.J. Andrews has become one of my favorite authors. Her writing is sublime! I did not want to go to work or sleep. I just wanted to devour this book!

[Jade.]

Book 44: Lore Olympus: Volume Six
5 stars

[Jade.]

Book 45: The Coven
4 stars

𝐃𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

There is one thing that I can't stand... cliffhangers! How rude of you, Harper L. Woods to end this book with a cliffhanger.

The first 200 pages are so-so. You learn a lot about the main characters, Willow and Gray. The world-building is so detailed and really pulls you in the story.

But then the last pages... I was so astonished! I did not expect that plot twist at all. Mind blown!

I will definitely read the second book! I want to know what is going to happen next.

[Jade.]

Book 46: Fourth Wing
5 stars

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

I just finished this gem. My mind and soul are currently a mess. I can't think properly. I'm still processing everything.

Wauw... I completely understand the hype around this book. But one thing I did not like was the cliffhanger. The suspense is killing me.

Violet, my sweetness, you are such a freaking badass! I am so proud of you! Look at the courageous women you have become! She is definitely one of my favorite protagonists.

And Xaden... I couldn't shake this feeling that he is such an untrustworthy man. But he is fine as hell.

And the fierce dragons! My favorite part of this book. Tairn is such a brazen dragon. He is so hilarious. He made me laugh many times. Now, I want a dragon.

I cried when one of my favorite characters died. He was so brave and a fantastic friend. It was so heartbreaking.

I think this gem might be my favorite read of 2024. I already bought Iron Flame. I can't wait to devour the sequel!

[Jade.]

Book 47: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
3 stars

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬--𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞.

To be honest, I almost wanted to DNF this book. It was so slow-paced. It was a bit boring. Halfway through the story, I wondered when will there be some action, some suspense? I expected more, I guess.

The last 100 pages were wonderful, though. The ending was bittersweet. It was beautifully written.

[Jade.]

Book 48: Under One Roof
3 stars

𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧? 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡. 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝. 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 . . . 𝐦𝐞𝐧. 𝐍𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

This was a cute, quick read with a bit of spice. Just the 'having sex without condom' part made me cringe. Always be safe!

[Jade.]

Book 49: Stuck with You
3 stars

𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐩. 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐩.

I loved this one more than Under One Roof. Sadie is hilarious! This was a fun, spicy novella! I loved how Sadie described Erik as Thor. I think Ali Hazelwood is a fan of tall men. Almost every page has the word 'huge' or 'big' in it.

[Jade.]

Book 50: The Shadows Between Us
4 stars

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥.

This book captured my heart. It was so very well-written. This book has been sitting on my shelves for YEARS. Why did it take me this long to pick this book up?

The main characters, Alessandra and Kallias (aka the shadow king), are such a powerful duo. Their chemistry is undeniable. I have giggled, laughed, gasped, and pressed a pillow to my face to avoid screaming. They were splendid. It was interesting to know more about Kallias' curse, the shadows surrounding him.

The plot twist at the end of the book wasn't actually that surprising. I kinda had the feeling that this was going to happen.

I also loved the bonus content! The author wrote some handwritten annotations, sharing her inspirations and insights.

[Jade.]

Book 51: Ruthless Vows
4 stars

𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞.

I did not want to sleep. I wanted to binge-read this stunning book.

It was so heartwarming to see Iris and Attie being reunited with Marisol. I teared up a bit. I love the unbreakable friendships in this book!

No one can separate our love birds, Roman and Iris. What they have is true love. They would do anything to keep each other safe. The letters they sent to each other through the magical typewriters are so beautiful. I always look forward to the letters! It's one of my favorite parts of this book.

It was such an action-packed story filled with romance, friendship, betrayal, and magic! I loved every word, every page. The ending was bittersweet. I can't believe that this is the end. I will miss Iris and Roman dearly.

[Jade.]

Book 52: The Kiss of Deception
2 stars

𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐲.

It took me forever to finish this book. The book could have been way shorter. It was sometimes too descriptive.

The characters were a bit bland to me. I am also not a fan of insta-love or love triangles.

There was no suspense, just a bit of action. I expected more of this book.

I guess this book isn't my cup of tea.

[Jade.]

Book 53: Metal Slinger
5 stars

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧.

I've seen reviews mentioning a plot twist and a cliffhanger. So, my heart started to beat faster once I got over 90% in the book.

I just did not expect that kind of betrayal! The way I gasped. I was in shock.

The magic in this book was so intriguing. The world-building was exquisite. And the characters were so well-thought. I loved the male main character! Acker's such a magnificent man! I loved everything about this character. He's the 'touch her and you die' kind of man! I devoured this beautiful book.

Hurry up, Rachel! I want to read the sequel RIGHT NOW!

[Lisa]

I really love your setup and review style, Jade. Hoping to see more of it in 2025. Looking forward to seeing what you'll be reading in the new year 😊 .

Anything in particular you're excited about?