BSG 2020, 5 Stars, Favorite, Review

A Five Minute Life by Emma Scott

Oh, be still my heart.

What a beautiful, stunning novel. Mesmerizing from the moment Jimmy and Thea lock eyes. With every reset and every conversation and every moment of music and pain and joy, this book stole my heart.

Told mostly from Jim’s point of view with just enough of Thea’s point of view, I’ve got goosebumps and tears after reading this.

Jim is one of the greatest men I’ve ever read. the sincerity and sweetness etched in this man is staggering. With every moment of his unwavering dedication to bringing Thea life, he just seals the deal to being truly wonderful. I loved Jim’s evolution as a character, from a man who’s never been loved or wanted, abused and made fun of for his stutter, this quiet completely unaware of how wonderfully good and kind and worth love he is person, to a man fighting for a woman others had given up on to find life and joy in the minutes. Swoon worthy. Truly.

Thea is a joy, an absolute unforgettable joy. I loved her character so much and it broke my heart as she wandered lost in her own mind. Her point of view was gorgeous and completely on point. These two are. . .so beautiful.

A Five Minute Life is one of the most gorgeous unforgettable stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I stayed up until after 2am desperate to find out if Thea would remember, would Jim follow through with his promise, would these two beautiful wonderful characters get their HEA?

I recommend this book wholeheartedly, may you find love and joy and heartbreak.

Goodreads | Amazon

BSG 2020, 5 Stars, Favorite, Review, Series Love

Ruthless Gods by Emily A Duncan

Emily A Duncan’s Ruthless Gods is gorgeous gothic goodness, drenched in blood, and dripping in melancholic beauty. I adored this novel from the very first sentence to that brutal heart stopping epilogue.

I don’t know if Duncan sold her soul to a deity that blessed her with her gift for writing, but wow, she has an incredible talent. Lyrical, bloody, stunning, heart-breaking, savage, all-consuming. She’s a genius world-crafter with a stunning gift for penning words.

Ruthless Gods is the follow up to Wicked Saints, which was one of my favorite books last year, so much so that I have three copies of the book. I know, excessive, whatever. I love this series. I was heartbroken over the ending for book one and the end of book two just shattered me.

The characters of this diabolical tale are stellar. Nadya, Serefin and my absolute love, Malachiasz, are everything. It is so unendingly intriguing to be pulled apart and spliced back together by the flaws and motivations of these three. Told from their points of views, with some side characters that steal the show, it’s wonderful. Purely wonderful.

This is a dark YA novel, it’s entrancing, magical, bloody, stunning, creative, wonderfully addictive awesomeness. I can’t recommend the series enough, and this beautiful gem, Ruthless Gods just upped the ante. I can’t wait to see where Duncan takes the story next, will these beautifully doomed relationships survive or will I be left on the floor weeping with the conclusion in book three. I don’t know, I’m here for it though.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read an ARC and review this beautiful novel.

FIVE GLORIOUSLY BLOODY STARS

“. . .he always made her feel like there were stars in her blood.”

BSG 2020, 5 Stars, Fantasy, Favorite, Review, SJM

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

How do I pen a love letter to the epic awesomeness that I just read? Without a single doubt, House of Earth and Blood was my most anticipated novel of 2020. I have been waiting like an addict for her next fix. When it downloaded on my Kindle at 8pm the night before release – I freaked. Somewhere around 12 hours of reading later. . .’cuz this book is massive. . .

All that was left of me was that this book was and is EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING.

Sarah J Maas is a queen. A writing wizard. As a reader I am incredibly, tremendously proud to be a die-hard reader of hers, I am proud of her as a writer. This is her best book to date and honestly, I believe she has nowhere to go but up, up, up. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

This book, y’all. This. Book. It killed me. Gutted me. I laughed, I screamed – literally, I cried – ugly sobbing, I happy danced. When I finished this epically massive tome, I felt like I had been run over by a bus. . .but in the good way. I felt ALL the feelings and enjoyed every single moment of it.

House of Earth and Blood enthralled me from the moment it began to that epically intriguing epilogue. Stunning. Full to the brim of twists and turns, I had NO IDEA where SJ Maas was going with 90% of the story. Every revelation, every character, the relationships, the world building, everything – stuns and surprises.

I’m not going to go into the premise of the story, go read the synopsis – better yet, just go read the book. I don’t want to spoil this story on any level. I do want to talk a bit about the characters though.

Bryce. Danika. Connor. Ruhn. Hunt. ALL THE CHARACTERS.

Okay, never mind. I can’t even articulate my love for these characters. I’m overwhelmed with my love for these wonderful characters that SJM has penned onto paper and into the immortal world that is book world.

So many characters, so much happening, so much awesomeness.

If you are looking for a fantastic fantasy with a dollop of romance, friendship that will break your heart and then fix all the pieces, love that makes you sob ugly tears of utter pain and joy, world building with so much more to come, an unpredictable rollercoaster storyline, characters that defy the odds and pack a punch. . .read this book.

My favorite book of the year and it’s only March. One of my favorite books period. I can’t wait to see what happens next, I am so here for it.

Thank you sooooooo sooooooo soooooo much Sarah J Maas for this beautiful stunning creation. Thank you.

“Through love, all is possible.”

xx, BSG

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas launches her brand-new CRESCENT CITY series with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.