Melissa de la CruzRezensionen

This story jumped right into action in the first chapter, with MJ trying to escape capture by insurgents from the fairy realm. Since she has been living in the human world, we are able to experience the wonder of Biringan through MJ's eyes. She only has a matter of weeks to prepare for her coronation, so I enjoyed watching MJ transition from being a normal high school student to the leader of an island nation. This book has a sense of mystery to it, as MJ suspects that her father was actually murdered. It kept me wondering who MJ could and couldn't trust. There's also a bit of romance weaved in, although it's less than I thought there might be. The Encanto's Daughter is the first book in a duology, so I thought it did a good job resolving the issues presented in this book, while leaving a bit of a cliffhanger in the Epilogue to build anticipation for the next book. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the story continuing.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and BookishFirst for the free ARC copy of The Encanto's Daughter! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

{My thoughts} – I always seemingly enjoy it when a book series follows in close relation to the previous book. I think that when they pick up right after the previous books have ended that it helps to give the reader the ability to find their place in the story and allows them to be pulled back in. This book did just that. It picked up right where Frozen had left off and it drug the reader right into the heart of an incredible battle between Nat and the RSA. During the battle there was a bunch of POV switching between the chapters, Nat and then Wes and it helped to keep the reader up to current information in regards to both of them as to what had happened since the last book had left off and what was happening in the present time of the book.

While Nat is fighting her battle she is also seeing glimpses of Wes and where he is and what he is doing and he is able to see the same. It throws them both off guard but also gives them relief to know that each of them are alright although they look like they are in some pretty tough situations. They still get to hold onto the hope that they will again see each other. They had promised each other that they would at the end of Frozen. Nat had to stay behind at the Blue to help protect it with her Drakon and Wes went back to New Vegas to try and find his sister, but after everything was said and done they’d said they’d be together and so that’s a hope that they are going to hold onto for as long as they can.

When the current fight ends Nat’s drakon has to go under ground to heal from it’s wounds and that causes Nat and the drakon to be distant to one another. In that time Nat starts to hear voices and she doesn’t know what to make of it. It is one voice in particular and she believes it is her friend. Her friend that was suppose to be safe with Wes. The more she hears the voice the more she wants to run to it where ever it may be. Her teacher Faix is with her and he hears the voice too. Together they set out to try and find where the voice is. They find it on an RSA ship and while they are there they run into Wes. This is a turning point for them both because Nat is forced to see that Wes is working for the RSA again and it confuses her because the last she knew it was against everything he believed in.

The whole time they have been separated Wes had been looking for his sister and Shakes his friend had found out where she was. Wes and Shakes went to try and save her but they were captured and it turned out that they were then forced to work for the RSA to ensure the safety of his sister and their friends.

This whole book then becomes and adventure to finding and saving Wes’s sister and their other friends that had been taken by the RSA. It just takes a bit for Wes to help Nat understand what was happening and why it had to have happened the way that it happened.

There was so much action and so much adventure in this book that it kept me pulled in until the very last page. It made me glad that I had the third book to read already because I don’t think I could have handled waiting for another book to come out. I was honestly very skeptical about starting this book because I had not been impressed with Frozen. This book impressed me beyond measure. It sucked me in from the beginning and it didn’t spit me back out until the very end. I am certain that even if you had your doubts with reading Frozen that this book will change your mind about the series like it had changed mine!

{My thoughts} – Nat is an interesting character. She breaks out of some prison she was being held in against her will in the beginning of the book and then she ends up working as a black jack dealer in a place called New Vegas. She had gotten this far by following a voice in her head. A voice that rarely was quiet and a voice that new what it wanted.

Wes is cocky but kinda on the cute side guy. He knows what he wants and he has moral. He won’t do something that will cause harm to another unless he can’t prevent it, but if he has no choice harm will occur. He also doesn’t like to leave any of his pals behind in danger which makes him a great traveling companion.

{Part One} – Nat figures out that she needs to get to a place called New Crete. When she gets there she should be able to use a map, which she had acquired from her ex-boss Joe to lead her to The Blue. The Blue is rumored to be the perfect place where none of the bad stuff has effected nature and all. She finds a runner to take her and that runner is Wes. While they are attempting to leave the Strip in order to get over the fence into what is known as the Garbage Pile they are caught outside after curfew by patrol. They have two choices: Surrender or fight. They chose to fight and ended this part with a nice bang.

{Part Two} – I didn’t enjoy reading this part as much as the first. I felt cheated. The first part ended with so much action. I assumed it would carry into the second, but no, that’s not what happened. Instead we were given lots of flirting parts between Wes and Nat. Yes, they kept the story and adventure going but it wasn’t holding onto my interest well. Instead I had to push forward hoping for it to get better.

{Part Three} – Sadly, this portion only slightly reached my expectations. We had more flirting and Nat finally showed her true colors. Their ship got some what ruined, but it wasn’t action packed enough to pull me back in. We also learned more about Nat’s back story and that Wes has a twin sister. It would also lead one to assume that all the flirting is eventually going to lead to some romance. Still, however, I am still not impressed with the book at this point.

{Part Four} – This part was a bit more entertaining. We got to learn more about the night that Wes’s sister went missing. We learned more about Nat and who she was before she landed in New Vegas. We also were introduced to some miner excitement.

{Part Five} – I am happy to say that this portion for the most part redeemed the book for me. It brought back the action and the adventure and sucked me right back into it’s pages. The only thing I think is that some of this action should have happened much early and been strewn throughout the book and not just in the first and last part. The action to me is what was making the book readable and pulling me into it’s story line.

{My thoughts} – Once again we get the pleasure of the current book picking up where the last one had left off. So much happened in the last book. I suppose we can do a slight recount of the important things. We learned what really happened the night that Wes’s sister Eliza had been taken from their home all those years ago. We learned who Elia really was and that Wes and Nat were a lot more alike then we had originally thought.

Nat is going through a rough time trying to get her drakon back from Eliza. Eliza took the drakon and now Nat is having problems trying to hold onto the bond that she and her drakon have learned to depend on. Without the bound they she does not have the drakon sight and without that she feels lost, she is even more lost without her drakon’s thoughts in her head telling her what to do or reassuring her when things get iffy.

In the last book Wes and Nat and the crew were all thrown into a place where they were to be hunted by normal people. They were to be slaughtered. They were to be destroyed because they were different. They survived it all only to be attacked by Wes’s sister and then some old pals that they thought were dead. They survived it all only to watch all those that they had recued be executed before their very eyes. All that to them while out on the boat in the water appeared to be for nothing.

Wes and his crew weren’t left with much choice they had to go back into the city they were fleeing in order to hope for survival from the attack. They had to try and save as many of the marked as they could and try and stop them all from dying. They had to do something. They had no choice but to risk it all and hope for a good ending. While they were there Wes kept hearing things in his head and he kept pushing it away, eventually he gave in and they learned it was the Queen from The Blue. She portaled to where they were in an attempt to save them but not all of them, she said Nat wasn’t welcome. That Nat wasn’t a protector, that she was a pretender and that she wasn’t allowed back into The Blue.

Of course that didn’t go over well with Wes and he fought against the Queen and the Queen’s magic and he prevailed but at a cost. The Blue was left vulnerable and was being attacked by the RSA and the Queen was no where to be found. Wes had to go outside the portal to find her and drag her back and when he did she refused to help. Since the Queen wouldn’t help the only way to defeat the enemy was for Nat to call upon her darakonfire and she did, again it was at a cost. What happens next?

There was so much going on in this book that I was pulled into it from start to finish. There was so much adventure and battle and conflict and resolve. It all went hand and hand with each other so nicely. I enjoyed reading it and learning all the new things that there was to learn. I enjoyed the twists and the turns of the story. I some what wish that it hadn’t have come to end, that this wasn’t the end of the series. I feel that that could be more to the story and with the way the book ended there was definitely and opening left where the authors could have continued the story or started a new spin off series maybe, I don’t know for sure, I am sad to see it end though. I managed to fall in love with the characters and when that happens and the series ends it leaves you with a feeling of loss and right now I am feeling that feeling, I know it’s over but honestly I don’t want to accept that it is.

{My thoughts} – Once again we get the pleasure of the current book picking up where the last one had left off. So much happened in the last book. I suppose we can do a slight recount of the important things. We learned what really happened the night that Wes’s sister Eliza had been taken from their home all those years ago. We learned who Elia really was and that Wes and Nat were a lot more alike then we had originally thought.

Nat is going through a rough time trying to get her drakon back from Eliza. Eliza took the drakon and now Nat is having problems trying to hold onto the bond that she and her drakon have learned to depend on. Without the bound they she does not have the drakon sight and without that she feels lost, she is even more lost without her drakon’s thoughts in her head telling her what to do or reassuring her when things get iffy.

In the last book Wes and Nat and the crew were all thrown into a place where they were to be hunted by normal people. They were to be slaughtered. They were to be destroyed because they were different. They survived it all only to be attacked by Wes’s sister and then some old pals that they thought were dead. They survived it all only to watch all those that they had recued be executed before their very eyes. All that to them while out on the boat in the water appeared to be for nothing.

Wes and his crew weren’t left with much choice they had to go back into the city they were fleeing in order to hope for survival from the attack. They had to try and save as many of the marked as they could and try and stop them all from dying. They had to do something. They had no choice but to risk it all and hope for a good ending. While they were there Wes kept hearing things in his head and he kept pushing it away, eventually he gave in and they learned it was the Queen from The Blue. She portaled to where they were in an attempt to save them but not all of them, she said Nat wasn’t welcome. That Nat wasn’t a protector, that she was a pretender and that she wasn’t allowed back into The Blue.

Of course that didn’t go over well with Wes and he fought against the Queen and the Queen’s magic and he prevailed but at a cost. The Blue was left vulnerable and was being attacked by the RSA and the Queen was no where to be found. Wes had to go outside the portal to find her and drag her back and when he did she refused to help. Since the Queen wouldn’t help the only way to defeat the enemy was for Nat to call upon her darakonfire and she did, again it was at a cost. What happens next?

There was so much going on in this book that I was pulled into it from start to finish. There was so much adventure and battle and conflict and resolve. It all went hand and hand with each other so nicely. I enjoyed reading it and learning all the new things that there was to learn. I enjoyed the twists and the turns of the story. I some what wish that it hadn’t have come to end, that this wasn’t the end of the series. I feel that that could be more to the story and with the way the book ended there was definitely and opening left where the authors could have continued the story or started a new spin off series maybe, I don’t know for sure, I am sad to see it end though. I managed to fall in love with the characters and when that happens and the series ends it leaves you with a feeling of loss and right now I am feeling that feeling, I know it’s over but honestly I don’t want to accept that it is.

{My thoughts} – I always seemingly enjoy it when a book series follows in close relation to the previous book. I think that when they pick up right after the previous books have ended that it helps to give the reader the ability to find their place in the story and allows them to be pulled back in. This book did just that. It picked up right where Frozen had left off and it drug the reader right into the heart of an incredible battle between Nat and the RSA. During the battle there was a bunch of POV switching between the chapters, Nat and then Wes and it helped to keep the reader up to current information in regards to both of them as to what had happened since the last book had left off and what was happening in the present time of the book.

While Nat is fighting her battle she is also seeing glimpses of Wes and where he is and what he is doing and he is able to see the same. It throws them both off guard but also gives them relief to know that each of them are alright although they look like they are in some pretty tough situations. They still get to hold onto the hope that they will again see each other. They had promised each other that they would at the end of Frozen. Nat had to stay behind at the Blue to help protect it with her Drakon and Wes went back to New Vegas to try and find his sister, but after everything was said and done they’d said they’d be together and so that’s a hope that they are going to hold onto for as long as they can.

When the current fight ends Nat’s drakon has to go under ground to heal from it’s wounds and that causes Nat and the drakon to be distant to one another. In that time Nat starts to hear voices and she doesn’t know what to make of it. It is one voice in particular and she believes it is her friend. Her friend that was suppose to be safe with Wes. The more she hears the voice the more she wants to run to it where ever it may be. Her teacher Faix is with her and he hears the voice too. Together they set out to try and find where the voice is. They find it on an RSA ship and while they are there they run into Wes. This is a turning point for them both because Nat is forced to see that Wes is working for the RSA again and it confuses her because the last she knew it was against everything he believed in.

The whole time they have been separated Wes had been looking for his sister and Shakes his friend had found out where she was. Wes and Shakes went to try and save her but they were captured and it turned out that they were then forced to work for the RSA to ensure the safety of his sister and their friends.

This whole book then becomes and adventure to finding and saving Wes’s sister and their other friends that had been taken by the RSA. It just takes a bit for Wes to help Nat understand what was happening and why it had to have happened the way that it happened.

There was so much action and so much adventure in this book that it kept me pulled in until the very last page. It made me glad that I had the third book to read already because I don’t think I could have handled waiting for another book to come out. I was honestly very skeptical about starting this book because I had not been impressed with Frozen. This book impressed me beyond measure. It sucked me in from the beginning and it didn’t spit me back out until the very end. I am certain that even if you had your doubts with reading Frozen that this book will change your mind about the series like it had changed mine!

I liked it, but holy crap, is it ever twitchy and jumpy. Like, we're talking meth addict who just chugged a Red Bull and down 5 of those giant pixie sticks level.

Schuyler (seriously?) is your standard "odd girl out" at a preppy New York school for rich people. And she's also a vampire. The back of the book just flat out tells you this; but it isn't revealed until about halfway through. And even that isn't handled very well. There's no dramatic buildup, just standard high school things, until BAM! Schoolmate gets murdered. More standard teen crap, BAM! Schuyler gets a random letter, goes to this fancy society event, and the hostess pretty much goes "You may have noticed some changes in your body this is because pub-- I mean, vampires. So, you're all vampires now, go have Edward Cullen adventures and things. You can't die. So have fun with that." And then we're treated to more generic teen drama, and then again, BAM! Turns out you can die, the vampires are getting killed by horrifying scary monster thing. And all of this is still covered in the blurb, and we're about 3/4 of the way through the book.

The rest of the story just goes on like this. A steady rhythm of Gossip Girl-esque teen drama, interspersed with random, out of the blue plot twists. It's like it has the book equivalent of heart palpitations. The characters also all act like this. Just random changes of hearts, revelations and all sorts of crazy crap. Seriously, my opening simile about the meth addict is probably the best way I can describe this book.

Be that as it may, still leaps and bounds ahead of Twilight. I'll probably pick up the next book in the series soon.

HO HO HO...ly Cow. I can't believe I didn't DNF this one.

This modern-day, gender-swapped version of the classic has about as much charm as Alvin & the Chipmunks singing "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" -- on repeat.

NOTHING about this story makes sense:
- Our 29 year old female protagonist (Darcy Fitzwilliam) is continually hounded by friends and family for not being married. Um, hello! This is 2017, not 1950.
- Darcy is supposed to be a mega multimillionarie hedge fund manager, but acts like a total ditz. No one could reach that level of professional success at such a young age and be so much of a mess.
- Darcy's act of valor to aid the Bennett twins is baffling (as the Bennett twins' behavior is abhorrent)
- The book contains silly editing mistakes. For example, the text referrs to Darcy going shopping at Bloomingdales while she's back home in Ohio. There are no Bloomingdales in Ohio (which an editor should have caught).

I could go on, but I need some eggnog to recover from this mess.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started this on audible but the narrators were so confusing I will have to physically read at a later time.

I read this book years after it was popular and having done so, I'm surprised it was made into a tv series. The characters were very flat and I couldn't connect with any of them until the end. The women did not seem like family or to particularly care about each other. The pacing was extremely slow in most of the book and then everything conveniently came together and wrapped up quickly. I won't continue reading the series.

I really enjoyed Jo and Laurie, a retelling of Little Women. I went into this book having no bias about what should happen since I have not read or seen Little Women. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.
The writing took a bit to get used to since it seemed a little clunky and I eventually got used to it.
Oh, Jo. She was so stubborn. At times I just wanted to knock some sense into her and tell her to quit letting fears control her. Yet at the same time, I really enjoyed seeing her toss them aside and take control.
So overall, I would recommend this book to the dreamers who hoped for Jo & Laurie and those, like me, who just want a taste of Little Women.

Rating: 4.5/5
Language: d*** used frequently throughout
Romance: a non-detailed kiss
Spiritual: N/A
Violence: N/A

*I received a copy of this novel for review purposes. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

Quotes:

"You know, Miss March, that's the second time a beautiful woman with your name has hit me with a fan tonight," Laurie said lightly. "So I suppose I am either doing something very right or something very wrong."

"Happiness is a trait not much desired in one's ancestors, I've found." With a nearly imperceptible sigh, he leaned forward to scratch a fingernail lightly against the portrait of a pale-skinned burgher in an enormous white ruff. "The more miserable the better, in fact. Something about money not being able to buy happiness, and all that." "The Marches must tbe the happiest family you've ever met, then," Meg said wryly. He laughed, his melancholy entirely forgotten. "Positively giddy."

The Kasie West one was the only one worth reading and the only reason I read this.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the author for promotional purposes.

I’ve been a reader and fan of Melissa de la Cruz since middle school. Her books are always so fun and engaging, and this one was no exception.

First off, there’s so much Filipino representation in this book. I loved it. The book captures so much of Filipino culture and family life. As a Filipino American, I found it very relatable (especially in regards to how stubborn Filipino mothers can be). I’m so happy Melissa de la Cruz has started incorporating more of her Filipino heritage into her books. Representation does matter!

The story was well done. The Filipino stages of courtship was an entertaining premise. I liked how the story came full circle (sorry if this is vague, I’m trying to remain spoiler free). It was so cute and just made for an adorable love story.

Since this is a romance, there’s naturally some sex/sexy scenes. I loved how sex was handled. The main character, Dalisay, is a virgin, but everything was so sex positive.

Lastly, the characters were all so lovable. I particularly loved Dalisay’s lola (grandmother). I also had no complaints with the love interest, Evan.

Overall, this was such a joy to read! If you’re looking for a feel-good contemporary romance, check this one out.

2.5 cute and fast read. Not a fan of short stories. Some felt a little to young for my reading and some felt like it was written for an older audience but in the ya genre.

Slow start, seeming like way to much being stuffed in at once; however, once you get into the story - the plot and characters draw you in.

You get to a point where you want to know what is coming next and don't want to stop reading. While the story is not my favorite from this author, I find myself rooting for some characters and hating others.

I like that while it is a historical romance of sorts, the women aren't weak and make their choices based on their wants. I like that the women have their smarts about them.

4 stars because itnwas well written and kept me interested. Great storyline and fun read.

This is a fairly magic-less version of Snow White, Lady Sophie, with a stepmother that is actually not really a bad guy and a lot of the tension in the story is more about grief and complex period politics. there's also the teen angst of a girl whose mother she misses and has been replaced by a younger woman who seems to be hogging the spotlight. so there's some jealousy there.
The orphans and the story of her learning the real life of peasants felt somewhat tacked in and just felt a little lacking.
its not a bad read but nothing stood out for me. probably a little too mundane for my tastes.

How was this SO messy?! I felt like I was reading five different stories at one point, but no, it was just one big lump of bad writing trying to form something cohesive. The only aspects I enjoyed were the Selina Ivy vibes and the diversity of the characters. Everything else was poorly written and predictable in the most basic way.

Witches

Mystery

Based on the premise, this book sounded very exciting and unique to me. The potential for the promised world building made me want to read this gorgeous book. However, this book just fell flat for me and here's why:

1) I was expecting a young adult book based on the point of view character's age, but as I was reading I mistakenly thought I was reading middle grade

2) The plot was everywhere and no where simultaneously; it started off as a fantasy thriller, then moved to a royal school story, then romance, then a murder mystery, and felt more of a surface tale in which the magical system aspects were assumed and events happened conveniently

3) I felt the romance was not authentic and too insta-love with no chemistry

4) MJ needed to find her talent to become queen, but never did anything to try to find it and when the last seconds were ticking away, she just happened to find her talent just in time

5) The murder mystery didn't have enough red herrings/false leads

6) The characters lacked depth and all felt like cardboard cutouts, giving me nothing about them to care about and cheer them on

Overall, middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy may like this book. The ending leaves a small cliff hanger telling me there will be a sequel and makes me curious what feature book two will focus on--the romance, the mystery?

This book was frustrating because it doesn’t seem to know what it is; it starts with a thriller vibe then gives us a school tale briefly before pivoting to a murder mystery. There’s also a romance happening; it’s not convincing though. Normally I love de la Cruz’s work but I didn’t enjoy this, except for this bit near the end where I laughed out loud at how absurd events became.

Many thanks to Penguin Random House who sent me an ARC to review.

one of my co-workers is reading this series and she recommended this to me. I love Vampire/Paranormal reads this was just really slow for me

Witches of East End blew me away. It's a paranormal mystery of sorts that includes just the right amount of romance - enough to make the reader root for certain couples, but not too much as to distract from the overall plot. Melissa de la Cruz has crossed over to writing for adults beautifully here and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what's next for the Beauchamps and the rest of the East End residents.

this book was just a series filler in my opinion. it continued nicely but i could have done OK without it either way.

It has been over a year since Rio and Schuyler and Oliver have been on the run nearly as long. It would seem as though she has made her choice, but just as she makes a daring move to secure her and Oliver's safety, she is thrown into the very thing she fears the most and into the arms of the one she can hardly bare to live without. Being her mother's unncorrupted daughter has made Schuyler the Blue Bloods last hope, but despite the fact that she has embraced her task, she has managed to run from the biggest similarity that she and her mother share, until now. Is her mother right? Are there some loves worth dying for?

Bliss has been in a lost state, struggling just to remember her name. She can't account for over a year of her life, and there is a Visitor living inside her, taking over whenever he pleases. As Bliss fights to regain control of her mind, body and future, she uncovers the truth of who she is and in the process uncovers a scheme that could undo everyone and everything she has left but how do you fight something that lives in you? Will she be strong enough to stop the Visitor, before its too late?

Mimi has trapsed acrossed the globe, searching for the watcher with her venator team, lead by the very one who nearly caused her death, Kingsley Martin. But everytime they think they've finally caught up, they are left wanting. Is it the year of adventure and near death experiences that has caused Mimi to reevaluated her life, or has she only just found someone that allows her to be as she truly is? Is it just meaningless nothing, and impulse of this life, of this time, or has Kingsley been there, every cycle, pushing her and possibly loving her and worse, her loving him back?

This story is growing up with each installment, which I really like to see. I struggle with a series that stays at one level or meaning and understanding. It seems to keep the readers in a stationary spot for a while, especially students like mine who only read 2-3 books a year. Therefore, a series that grows with the reader is a big hit in my eyes- both for the reading ability and the maturation of the reader.This story does get a lot darker than the rest of the series. The clothes, shoes, and designer handbags fall to the wayside as plots, plans, murders, and Lucifer himself take the foreground. In a way, I like this progression. This is the fourth book, so it wasn't sudden, but it wasn't too slow, either. My only problem with this series is that each installment ends on a cliffhanger.