kjacksbookshelf's reviews
172 reviews

The first thing I messaged some friends after I finished this book was, “I don’t think there was a single thing about this book I didn’t like.” I think I knew at 60% that this was a 5 star read. Julie Soto’s debut novel was a story that made me laugh, squeal, and want to weep. Ama and Elliot were so sincere from page one. Both molded from their childhoods and pushed into careers they love, but also make them confront their own fears and reservations. Ama is wild and loud and free and Elliot is grounded, and quiet, and closed off and they are so real on page. If you love books filled with angst that’s sugary sweet like a donut and longing and love in the quiet moments, I can’t recommend this one enough. (I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t get curious when I saw someone say Elliot gives of Roy Kent vibes, and y’all HE DOES)

Ama is a wedding planner who, when landing the wedding that will make her career she learns that she has to do it with the one man she’s been avoiding these past few years, Elliot Bloom.

This is book 2 in the series and the first where we’re in Lena’s head. Albeit closed off head. Lena has had to close herself off to protect herself and is a bit too stubborn for her own good. Then enter Finn, the ex pack enforcer from Ireland who is determined to figure out what makes Lena’s brain tick. 

Lena and Finn’s dance around each other was fun and frustrating at the same time. We get to expound on the relationships of book one but instead of it being from Cade’s tunnel vision Lena has been paying attention for a lot longer. 

I enjoyed this book once I understood Lena and why she was the way she is and I can’t wait for book two!

I was lucky enough to to get this ARC of Blaze about 2 days after I finished Haze, and I didn’t have to suffer a long wait. Not that Sarah was going to leave us with one anyways. Blaze is book 2 in Finn and Lena’s story and book 3 in the Ardelean Bloodline series. (Don’t skip straight to Finn and Lena’s story, there’s much needed info and plot in Cade and Thalia’s.) 

This book picks up literally right where Haze left off with Finn still trying to get Lena to see the bigger picture of them and Lena being closed off due to past traumas, but now everything Lena has fought for in her life, all of the dreams she had worked towards have all crashed around her. With nothing else to protect Lena takes matters into her own hands, and she does so at the risk of Finn’s wrath and punishment, if you catch my drift. 

The best part about this book in my opinion was finally seeing Lena ease into herself and go after what she want’s and realizing her family is still going to love her. I struggled to like Lena at first, but once you push through that wall Lena is one of the most endearing characters in the series so far. Finn has always put his entire self out there for Lena, but it really felt in this one we get to see Lena put herself out there for Finn. 

All in all Sarah is crafting a fun and gripping world of shifters that I personally struggle to find often, and the stories she’s telling of this family finding who they are and who helps them feel like themselves. 

To no one’s surprise I’ll be picking up book 4 as soon as I can get my greedy hands on it.

Okay I slept on it. Full disclosure I love books about dragons that are also romance books. I don’t want a side character dragon I want books with dragons at the center and that’s what this series gives me. With that being said this review is going to aim to be spoiler FREE and just my thoughts on the book and what is happening with the plot without discussing the plot. 

Personally I enjoyed this book, the first half was a bunch of emotional turmoil dealing with the fall out from book 1. It was a nice reminder as well that these are basically college kids dropped in situations their own parents don’t or didn’t know how to handle. Violet is still just 21, and while I was 21 and drunkenly using the bathroom in a 7-11, she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. But I digress, I think Iron Flame suffers a bit from the sophomore slump we see in a lot of fantasy series, where the first book is meant to hook you into this world and the second really start to hammer down the pathways of the plot, drive up the steaks, and weave the attachments we have to these characters even deeper. This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the book, just that it’s A LOT of groundwork being laid for the next three and so it’s a ton of info. 

I fully expect to go back to this book once the series is completed and look at it as one of my favorites, similar to Catching Fire. 

Either way I’m still thrilled for more dragons.

I feel like this book was like a book of small rising actions that lead up to a big one to take us to the climax of the series which will be book 3. I kept trying to figure out what the plot of this book was but each problem would resolve and lead to another situation. Either way this book was enjoyable and it was fun to see Zoe and Azazel actually be together and see how Zoe is fitting in or rather not fitting in in hell. 

You definitely can’t skip this one and I’m ABSOLUTELY ready for book 3 in the Spring!

This was literally hot garbage and a cash grab from a sub-par author AT BEST.