Air Awakens by Elise Kova

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages:330
Series: Air Awakens #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…

The Solaris Empire is on conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all- the Crown Prince Aldrik- she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

Review:

At first this was slow for me. I wasn’t interested in it but I was buddy reading with a friend so I put in the effort. By midway did it start to pick up for me.

Vhalla is a normal library apprentice who loves to read. One night she is called along with the other apprentices to the library in search of remedies for clerics to help heal the Crowned Prince from poison.

What Vhalla didn’t realize is that she produced little forms of magic when writing. Helping save the prince, the Tower notices her as an unawakened sorcerer.

Vhalla is torn between going to the tower or eradicating her powers and staying the simple life she has been living since she was eleven.

I found Vhalla to be a wonderful character. Prince Aldrik, I’m on the fence about. I don’t know how I feel for him. He’s moods change to much for my liking. He starts to open up little by little to Vhalla then something happens and he’s closed off again. So confusing.

I tend to stay way from most YA fantasy because most seem to just be the same thing but this was quite refreshing. Really original. Can’t wait to start the second book.

Hard Core by Madison Faye

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 166
Series: Dirty Bad Things #1
Genre: Smut, Military Hero
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

She’s sweet, pure, and untouched, and she’s about to lose her innocence on camera. To me.

Trust me, I’m no porn star, even if I do have the equipment of one. But when the Moretti crime family comes calling to collect on a debt I owe, they want it in trade.

You see, there’s big money in dirty movies, and the more real the better. Me? I’m already filthy, damaged goods from my time in Afghanistan.

But then I meet Rose, my”so-star”, and my whole world shatters.

She owes the Moretti’s too, but she’s too good for all of this. Too sweet, too beautiful-too innocent for this shit. And I’ll be damned if I let them steal that away from her.

It’s wrong that she’s here, but it’s also wrong that she wants me to “teach her” things. It’s worse that I want to.

But one taste of her lips, and I’m hooked. One touch of her soft skin, and I know Rose is going to be mine. Not the camera’s. Mine.

The virgin with the debt, the ex-marine with the dick, and a porno for the mob.

Welcome to Vegas, baby.

Review:

I think Madison Faye is going to be up on my top list of smut authors. I did like this, I didn’t love it. The story line was excellent but the characters lacked something for me.

It was the hero. He came off as bland. Like any other hero in books. Nothing stood out to me about him.

While the mob story line kept me wanting more, the couple didn’t. I will read the next one because it came to me as an ARC. I know I am reading it late. Unfortunately I am reading a lot of ARCs late. I need to catch up.