Under Crimson Blades by Anna Hawke

Synopsis:

It’s scary what a smile can hide.

Remmus conceals his horrific past behind a veil of charm, loyalty, and strength. When his unique expertise lands him at the center of a dangerous mission, he is forced to partner with a werewolf beta who despises him. Remmus has never met a more captivating woman, but his future is far from secure. As his mind begins to unravel, the secret he harbors risks ruining him forever.

Poisoned by betrayal, Ava has loathed Raeths for centuries. She detests Remmus’ presence in her den, but the Raeth intrigues her wolf. As hatred slowly dissolves into desire, Ava will either live for today or let the past dictate her destiny.

Together, they must discover a way to tear down their enemy from within and secure a victory for the immortal world. When fate ties them together, the truth will either set them free—or destroy them both.

My Review: 5 Stars

A Raeth and a Werewolf. Both with traumatic pasts. Both searching for something, anything to free them from the horrors of their childhoods. Both trying to regain all that they've lost. Both desperately needing the love of each other before it's too late. 

Speechless. I am speechless. Where do I even start to tell you all about the journey of Remmus and Ava? Broken. Wrecked. Shattered. Betrayal. Pain. Tears. Traumatic. Unconditional love. Forgiveness. Laughter. Redemption. Family. Trust. Strength. Heartachingly beautiful. Those words. All those words are just part of what made their journey unforgettable and worth every single tear I shed for them. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, this journey was definitely not an easy one to get through. 

Remmus and Ava will forever hold a special place in my heart. My heart literally broke into a million pieces for them, and was slowly put back together, bit by bit, as amends were made, and their love grew. After all these two have been through, they desperately needed a HEA, and the icing on the cake was they found it with each other.

I have been procrastinating this series because the closer I get to the end, the worse it's going to be. I've known this for months now. It has taken me 11 weeks to even pick up this book. But once I picked it up, there was no going back. I was hooked. Am I going to pick up the next book in the series right away? I have no clue. I'm still reeling from all things Remmus and Ava. 

Ms. Hawke is extremely talented when it comes to writing. I am in awe of the worlds she can create and the unique twists and turns she throws into her books. Even though I know she's going to rip my heart out, shatter it into a million pieces, stomp on it for good measure, and do a little happy dance at my pain, she's still a favorite of mine. If you haven't read any of her books, I highly recommend you give them a try! You won't regret it. 

And of course I can't forget my casting. *dreamy sigh* I just adore these two! 

Without Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Peel

Synopsis:

Can their love conquer pride and prejudice?

Ever since I first read Pride and Prejudice at twelve years old, I’ve dreamed of being Elizabeth Bennet. That dream is now about to come true. I, Monroe Wilde, the woman some could argue isn’t exactly Elizabeth Bennet material, have been chosen to play the beloved heroine for one week at Pride and Prejudice Park, a destination experience for Jane Austen devotees. To make this dream even more amazing and surreal, my best friend, the Duke of Blackthorne, Alastair Fitzroy, has volunteered to play my Mr. Darcy.

If this wasn’t fantastic enough, it appears my broody and ridiculously attractive best friend, who I’ve done my best not to fall in love with, wants to be my real-life Mr. Darcy as well. But there are some gigantic obstacles standing in our way. For starters—I’m not exactly duchess material, and we run in very different circles. Dating me would most certainly make him a social pariah. But the biggest problem of all is that, well . . . I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but somehow after a horrible mishap at the park, I find myself more than just pretending to be Elizabeth Bennet—I land smack dab in the middle of the actual Pride and Prejudice story.

So since I’m here and unsure whether it’s a dream or if Pride and Prejudice really is heaven, I figure I’ll just help move things along and make sure everyone gets a happy ending, even Mr. Collins. But leave it to me to mess up the quintessential love story of all time. What happens if I can’t get Mr. Darcy to fall in love with Elizabeth? Will I ever get back to Alastair? Will I ever become the Elizabeth I so wish to be? And I have to wonder: can my world exist without Pride and Prejudice?

My Review: 5 Stars!

Have you ever just needed a day to yourself? A day where you ignore everything and everyone around you and do something you want to do? That's exactly how I felt when I woke up this morning. So what did I do? I grabbed this baby, ignored the world around me, and dove head first into all things Monroe and Fitz. 

I don't know where to begin to tell you how much I adored Monroe and Fitz. From their first meeting, their "Ta-da!" moment, I was hooked and knew this book was going to be one I would treasure for years to come. One that I know I'll be reading over and over again. 

I'm usually not a fan of friends to lovers, but Monroe and Fitz are something special. Their connection, their bond, their love for each other, had me feeling all the feels and rooting for them to get their HEA. Their story had every thing I have come to crave and love in the books I read. I couldn't decide if I wanted to devour their book as quickly as possible, or read it as slow as I could to savor every moment they shared together. Their journey is beautiful and full of heart. I loved every minute I spent with Monroe and Fitz. It was perfection in my opinion.

You guys know how much I adore the side characters and this book was full of them. From Monroe's P&P family, to their real families, I fell in love with them all. They were the perfect addition to an already amazing story. Now someone please tell me that I'm not the only one who needs Anna and Kingston's story. Intrigued is an understatement when it comes to these two. I'm crossing all the thangs that Ms. Peel gives us their HEA. 

There's a reason why Ms. Peel is one of my favorite authors and this book is a perfect example. I can always count on her to make me laugh out loud, get teary-eyed, and let out little dreamy sighs while reading her books. I'm in awe of her talent and cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next! 

As for my casting... I adore these two! What do you think?!

My Vigilante Valentine by Jess Mastorakos

Synopsis:

When my oh-so-handsome coffee shop regular turns out to be The Blade—the city’s most infamous vigilante—I do the most logical thing appoint myself as his partner in crime-fighting.

Sure, Jax isn’t exactly thrilled. He’s the type who insists he doesn’t need a team, prefers to brood alone, and thinks opening up is a tactical error.

But guess who came up with the genius plan to pose as a couple to lure out a Valentine’s Day villain? Me.

And okay, maybe the dating ruse was a means to an end, but the more time I spend with Jax, the harder it is not to fall for this adorably stoic antihero.

I mean, come on. His love language is grumpy acts of service (like saving a life and then glaring about it), and he’d do anything to protect the people of this city—and me.

But even though he makes my heart race with just a look, he seems to be more interested in cleaning up the streets than kissing me for real.

It’s fine. I can do this.

I can work with The Blade without getting drawn in by Jax’s devastating good looks.

I can be the faithful sidekick and pretend I’m not wishing for so much more.

Right?

After all, I’m supposed to be helping him catch criminals, not feelings.

My Review: 5 Stars

Calling all lovers of grumpy/sunshine and Arrow! Is that you?! Well... do I have just the book to add to your TBR! And I would add it to the top because this book is perfect for people like us! *dreamy sigh*

Y'all. Luna needs to be my best friend! She had me literally laughing out loud from the very beginning ("I'm obsessed.") and had me wondering what in the world she was going to come up with next. I loved her way of thinking and how she wasn't afraid to live her life. She danced to the beat of her own drum and you just can't help but to love her!

Just ask Jax. He tried. He really, really tried. But y'all. This is Luna we're talking about here! She doesn't take no for an answer and dragged him into all her craziness. He may have balked at it but I think that, deep down inside, he loved every single minute of it. He, too, couldn't wait to see what in the world she would do next. 

Luna and Jax were absolutely perfect for each other. They are complete opposites but totally work together. It's clear from the very beginning that there will never be a dull moment in their relationship. She'll definitely keep that man on his toes. But honestly? I think that's one of the things he loves the most about her. Gah! I just can't with how much I adore these two! 

Now lets take a moment to discuss the off the charts chemistry and swoony kisses. YOWZERS! It was hot, hot, hot! I may or may not have turned into a big ol' pile of ooey gooey goodness. This girl had all the heart eyes and dreamy sighs for all things Luna and Jax. I seriously did not want this book to end! 

I have to say that I was SOOOOO happy to hear that Ms. Mastorakos plans on writing more of the adventures of Luna and Jax! I may or may not have squealed and did a little happy dance around my room when this was announced. I have no clue what she has planned but I'm hoping Chris will get his own book. He definitely needs a HEA of his own. But whether he does or doesn't, I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series! I already know it's going to be amazing! 

As for my casting... I really wanted to use Emily Bett Rickards and Stephen Amell (IYKYK), but alas. They just didn't fit for Luna and Jax. Now these two on the other hand? Perfection in my opinion! What do you think?