Reading Challenge: Rowena's 2020 Goodreads Challenge

Review: Heart and Seoul by Jen Frederick

Posted May 10, 2021 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Heart and Seoul by Jen FrederickReviewer: Rowena
Heart and Seoul by Jen Frederick
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 11, 2021
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: First
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Women's Fiction
Pages: 352
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Rowena's 2020 Goodreads Challenge, Rowena's 2021 Review Pile Challenge
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three-half-stars

From USA Today bestselling author Jen Frederick comes a heart-wrenching yet hopeful romance that shows that the price of belonging is often steeper than expected.

As a Korean adoptee, Hara Wilson doesn’t need anyone telling her she looks different from her white parents. She knows. Every time Hara looks in the mirror, she’s reminded that she doesn’t look like anyone else in her family—not her loving mother, Ellen; not her jerk of a father, Pat; and certainly not like Pat’s new wife and new “real” son.

At the age of twenty-five, she thought she had come to terms with it all, but when her father suddenly dies, an offhand comment at his funeral triggers an identity crisis that has her running off to Seoul in search of her roots.

What Hara finds there has all the makings of a classic K-drama: a tall, mysterious stranger who greets her at the airport, spontaneous adventures across the city, and a mess of familial ties, along with a red string of destiny that winds its way around her heart and soul. Hara goes to Korea looking for answers, but what she gets instead is love—a forbidden love that will either welcome Hara home…or destroy her chance of finding one.

Heart and Seoul is about the emotional journey of Hara Wilson. Hara was abandoned when she was just a baby, outside of a police station in South Korea. She was adopted and raised by Pat and Ellen Wilson in Des Moines, Iowa. She grew up being the only Korean in a sea of white faces and she was uncomfortable being the only one that didn’t look like everyone else. Being teased about the way she looks, the way she smells and the Korean food her Mom tried to make for her made her want nothing to do with being Korean. So when you grow up rejecting your ethnicity, when it finally hits you in the face that no matter how far you run away from what you are, it doesn’t change a hot damn thing.

When she hears an offhand comment at her father’s funeral, Hara begins to question who she is and becomes curious about where she comes from so she books a trip to Seoul to find some answers for herself. What she finds over there is a whole lot more than she bargained for and her life is upended. The truth about her present, the truth about her past, and where she goes from here is enough to drive anyone crazy and it’s driving Hara crazy. Her entire life has been thrown for a loop and she spends the whole of this book trying to sort through how she feels about the truths uncovered and it hurt my heart more than once.

Getting to know Hara reminded me a lot of myself when I was younger. Growing up in the states, as a person of color, your culture is always weird and the food you eat, the way that your home is set up is always a discussion that made me feel uncomfortable with my white friends. So I understood Hara when she said that she rejected being Korean in Iowa. I did pretty much the same thing when I was in high school because it was easier to blend in when you liked the same things that everyone else did. I remember getting so embarrassed when my Mom and Dad would speak Samoan when they came to my school or if we were out and about. I just wanted them to blend in with everyone else around us and speak English. Like Hara, I finally wised up and decided that blending in and denying that I’m Samoan was not something I wanted to do anymore. I never hated being Samoan, I just hid it when around my non-Samoan friends. So I really connected with everything Hara went through in this story. My heart went out to her and I rooted for her to really come into her own.

The love interest in this one melted me a little and I pictured Park Seo Joon from What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim as Choi Yu Jun. I liked seeing him try to woo Hara and I really enjoyed seeing him try to get Hara to understand that no matter where she grew up or how little she knew about the Korean culture, she was still Korean. Nobody could take that away from her and their romance was just super cute and I enjoyed it.

I will say that while I did really enjoy the story and Hara’s journey, there were parts of this story that I felt weren’t needed and kind of dragged the story a bit. There was a lot going on with Hara’s trip and everything she was going through internally that a lot of the stuff that happened directly to her felt unnecessary. I was also not super thrilled with the ending. It felt too unresolved. I get that this was more of a women’s fiction story than a romance but I really just needed more of a solid resolution to everything that happened at the end. I’m wondering if there’s going to be a follow-up book to this one. I’m so on board for another one if that’s the plan.

Final Grade

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

three-half-stars


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Review: Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

Posted January 6, 2021 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Magic Triumphs by Ilona AndrewsReviewer: Rowena
Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #10
Also in this series: Magic Shifts, Magic Shifts, Magic Binds, Magic Bites, Magic Strikes, Iron and Magic, Magic Triumphs, Magic Bites, Magic Bleeds , Magic Burns, Magic Strikes , Magic Slays , Gunmetal Magic , Magic Rises , Magic Strikes, Magic Mourns, Magic Bleeds, Magic Dreams, Magic Slays, Gunmetal Magic, Magic Gifts, Magic Rises, Magic Tests, Magic Stars, Magic Shifts, Magic Steals, Magic Breaks, Magic Breaks, Iron and Magic, Magic Binds, Magic Triumphs, Magic Claims
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: First
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 328
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Rowena's 2020 Goodreads Challenge
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-half-stars

Mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear in this epic, can't-miss entry in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling urban-fantasy series.

Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows her time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world.

Magic Triumphs is the final chapter of the Kate Daniels series and it was so good that I had a moment after I finished where I let myself be sad that I’m done with these books. I’m so glad that we’re not done with the world though. I’m looking forward to reading the Iron Covenant series and the Aurelia Ryder series. There’s still so much to look forward to and man does that make me happy.

So this book is one helluva book. This was a really emotional read for me. I cried a lot. Lots of stuff happened and seeing Kate struggle to keep it together while bringing everyone together was a lot. She needed everyone to come together to defeat Roland and by some miracle she made it happen. Friends, family, enemies, they all came together to fight for Atlanta, and Kate was right there in the center of it all. Goodness, seeing Kate in this book and remembering Kate from the beginning of this series is pretty incredible. When we first met her, she was so closed off to relationships and people in general but to see her in this last book, you wouldn’t have guessed it. She is the driving force for so many people and she’s loved by so many people that only Kate could unite an entire city against a common enemy. Only Kate can make people set aside their differences and their issues to fight together.

There were so many characters that have come such a long way from the beginning of this series. Curran, Derek, Julie, hell even Gastek and Mahon. Goodness, Derek, and Julie were babies when we first met them and now they’ve grown and they’re fighting the bad guys along with the people that raised them. Julie is a big sister and Derek is a man who is loyal and ready to take on the world.

I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over again in my reviews of the books in this series but I promise they’re true in every case. This book was filled with everything that makes a story great. The growth of the characters that we have all come to know and love is fantastic and the humor is present at every turn, despite the seriousness of their situation. Ilona Andrews writes incredible stories of good vs. evil and this is one of my top favorites of all the books that I’ve read by them. This book has is an emotional finale that will be hard to beat. I loved everything about this book and I highly recommend it. Read Iron and Magic first though because that story leads into this one. It’s another good one so it’s worth the wait to read this one.

Final Grade

4.5 out of 5

Kate Daniels

The Iron Covenant

four-half-stars


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Joint Review: To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke

Posted December 31, 2020 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Joint Review: To Dream Again by Laura Lee GuhrkeReviewer: Holly and Rowena
To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: February 1, 1995
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 342
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2020 Goodreads Challenge, Holly's 2020 Historical Challenge, Rowena's 2020 Goodreads Challenge
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three-half-stars

Beautiful widow Mara Elliot has only one goal—to save her London factory from the creditors. A no-nonsense woman of business, Mara has no patience with impractical schemes and risky ideas. But when she is forced into accepting handsome inventor Nathaniel Chase as her business partner, Mara has no choice but to go along with his reckless plans, plans which put everything she’s worked for at risk.

Nathaniel knows success doesn’t come to those who play it safe. Mara’s factory is the perfect place to transform his innovative ideas into reality, but his new business partner isn’t cooperating. The provoking beauty questions his judgment at every turn and fights his plans every step of the way, but she also sparks his desire like no woman he’s ever met before. Can Nathaniel convince her to trust him and follow his dream, or will he have to give up everything he’s ever wanted in order to win her heart?

To Dream Again is the story of Nathaniel Chase and Mara Elliott. Nathaniel and Mara become partners in a toy business that Nathaniel is funding. Mara’s late husband was supposed to go into business with Nathaniel but he died and left behind a loan that the bank called. Mara, who had been running her husband’s business for the last four years cannot pay the loan so Nathaniel comes onto the scene, pays the loan, and starts changing the direction of the business that Mara has been managing.

Nathaniel and Mara have a long road ahead of them filled with business drama, family drama, and chemistry that is heating the both of them right up.

Rowena: I didn’t realize that this book was as long as it actually is when I was reading it. I enjoyed this one but I didn’t LOVE it. There were times when I wanted to strangle Mara, times I wanted to kick Nathaniel in the nuts but I did enjoy their romance.

What about you, thoughts?

Holly: It felt like this book too ages to read, and now I know why. It’s a pretty hefty read. Like you, I liked it, but I didn’t love it. In the early parts of the book Nathaniel drove me crazy, but Mara got on my nerves later in the book.

I enjoyed their romance, too. I really liked how Nathaniel worked hard to get Mara to rise above her fears. Some of the best parts of the book were when he forced her to get out of her own head.

Rowena: Yes! I really liked seeing Nathaniel try to make things work with Mara, first professionally but also personally. I liked seeing him grow into his feelings for her too. Their feelings for each other came about organically so it felt natural and I enjoyed it. I liked that Nathaniel had Mara’s back at work and that they eventually became a true partnership. It took Mara a little bit to get there but when she finally does, I was glad.

I also really liked seeing the two of them together with Billy. The first time that Mara made Nathaniel take him to the showers, I laughed out loud.

Holly: I really liked that Nathaniel wanted the controlling percentage of the company, but he treated Mara like a partner. He looped her in on decisions and didn’t try to undermine her. That was nice.

That made me laugh, too. I loved all the scenes with Billy. He was a scrappy kid, but he had a big heart.

What was your favorite part of the book?

Rowena: A couple things come to mind. I really liked when Nathaniel took Mara and Billy kite flying. It was so obvious that Mara needed something outside of her work to keep her occupied. It was also super obvious that Billy needed something to smile about since his life was hard and with him being so young, I loved that Nathaniel and Mara were able to be there for him. It was a great day and I loved seeing Nathaniel and Mara’s playful side.

But I also liked the scene when Billy is fighting with his bully and Mara holds herself back from going to help him. She came so far from when she first met Billy and she was getting on my nerves so when we finally get here and she supports Billy by staying away, I was happy.

I also really liked when Nathaniel built the fire escape for her. What about you?

So there’s a lot to like in this book. The characters really grow into their own, but even with all of that, the story moved a little slow in places. This one gets 3.75 out of 5 from me. What about you?

Holly: I really loved that Nathaniel built the fire escape. He really paid attention to Mara and knew what she needed without her asking. I also loved when Mara stood back while Billy defended himself. She definitely came a long way.

There was a lot to like in this book. Mara’s plight as a woman in that time period hurt my heart, and at times I got frustrated with both of them, but overall it was a good story. I’m giving it 3.5 out of 5.

Holly: 3.5 out of 5
Rowena: 3.75 out of 5

three-half-stars


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Featured Review: Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

Posted October 15, 2020 by Rowena in Reviews | 3 Comments

Featured Review: Iron and Magic by Ilona AndrewsReviewer: Casee, Holly, and Rowena
Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews
Series: The Iron Covenant #1, Kate Daniels #9.5
Also in this series: Iron and Magic, Magic Shifts, Magic Shifts, Magic Binds, Magic Bites, Magic Strikes, Magic Triumphs, Magic Bites, Magic Bleeds , Magic Burns, Magic Strikes , Magic Slays , Gunmetal Magic , Magic Rises , Magic Strikes, Magic Mourns, Magic Bleeds, Magic Dreams, Magic Slays, Gunmetal Magic, Magic Gifts, Magic Rises, Magic Tests, Magic Stars, Magic Shifts, Magic Steals, Magic Breaks, Magic Breaks, Magic Binds, Magic Triumphs , Magic Triumphs, Magic Claims
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: June 18, 2018
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 394
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Casee's 2020 Goodreads Challenge, Holly's 2020 Goodreads Challenge, Rowena's 2020 Goodreads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars

No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…

But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.

Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming.

Fast.

Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she's trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.

Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?
As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.”

Hugh and Elara may do both.

Iron & Magic by Ilona Andrews is book 9.5 in the Kate Daniels series, and follows Hugh D’Ambray, Kate’s sort of step-brother and the anti-hero of the series. Roland, Kate’s father and father-figure to Hugh, has banished Hugh for his part in not bringing Kate to his side. Now Hugh is adrift. Without Roland’s magic there’s a gaping hole inside him. But his Iron Dogs need him, so he makes a deal with a devil…in exchange for a place to live, he’ll marry the White Witch and provide protection for her people.

Holly: I’ve been anxious for you two to finish this series already. I can’t even tell you how excited I am for you to have read this book.

Rowena: I’d say that that first 30-40% of the book dragged a little, and that’s why I was so over their bickering and fighting but things really kicked into gear for me when the Pack shows up to pick up the shapeshifter family. Oh man, Ascanio!! It was so good to see familiar faces and Ascanio always makes me smile so I was happy to see him.

Casee: I don’t know why but this isn’t one of my favorites. There were things I liked more than disliked. Actually, I didn’t really dislike anything. I was over it by the time I finished the book. The narration wasn’t great and the story just dragged for me. I think it would have been different if I would have read the thing.

Holly: I thought the first quarter-half of the book moved slow as well, but like Rowena, it picked up for me when the Pack showed up. Actually, even before then. When Elara and Hugh started working together for their people, that’s when it picked up for me.

Tell me, what did you think of Hugh as a hero?

Casee: I never really thought of Hugh as “bad”. I never really thought about him as a hero either. If anything, he’s most definitely an anti-hero.

Rowena: Hugh used to get on my damn nerves because of his interactions with Kate but I never hated him. I saw him as an anti-hero and am pleased that he got his own book so that we can see more of what makes him, him. I’m glad that we got to know him better in this book and I really enjoyed this one.

Holly: Hugh annoyed me, too, but I could never hate him. I especially loved him in Magic Rises. I really came to like him in this book. When he plays the good ‘ol boy, I cracked up. He was a right bastard in the beginning of this book, though. I didn’t hate him, but I wanted to smack the crap out of him a couple times.

Rowena: Hugh is a dick but holy cow, I like him. When that Senator came to bother Elara and Hugh put on that show for him and those mercenaries? My bloodthirsty ass jumped for joy. I also surprised myself because I didn’t know that I liked that kind of punishment. You learn something new every day, I guess. LOL.

Casee: One part of the book that sticks out for me is when Hugh confronted Roland. I thought it showed how far Hugh came as a hero/man. He even said that he’d never let Roland do anything to Kate’s child, which was surprising. I do want to learn more about Elara and her power. She’s one scary bitch. Who didn’t take any shit from anyone and was beloved by her people.

Rowena: Was Hugh “redeemed” for all of the shit that he did to Kate and everyone else in the previous books? What do you guys think? For me, it’s a little complicated but I’m glad that I know what drove him and that he feels the way that he does about his previous actions. I felt like Elara was right, he isn’t the same guy that we knew from before and I’m glad for that but I’m still mad about Aunt B, about Curran’s injuries, and about all of Magic Rises. I’m choosing to blame that all on Roland though.

Holly: I don’t know that I’d say Hugh was redeemed, exactly, but having a reason for why he did what he did makes things easier to swallow, I guess. It helps that the reason why was a good one, a believable one.

Rowena: There were also times when the strategy meetings and just meetings, in general, bored me. Like, there were too many long, technical explanations that I was like, do we really need all of this? But overall, this one was fun. I spent a lot of time saying, “What the fuck?” because seriously, what is Elara? I felt the exact same way that Bale did in that tunnel. Freaked the fuck out.

Holly: I agree the pacing of this one was slower than most of Andrews’ books. I understand we needed to see a lot of Hugh and the way his mind worked in order for us to move past what he did to Kate, but still. It was hard to stay focused at parts.

Casee: I found Elara to be a strong heroine. While the fighting got old, when it came down to it, Elara and Hugh had each other’s back.

Holly: I am looking forward to the next book. Do you two intend to read it?

Casee: Yes, I plan on reading it.

Rowena: I definitely plan on reading the next book. I like Hugh and Elara. I like, and am interested in getting to know the other Iron Dogs too. Do you guys know if it’s going to be another Hugh and Elara book? Since this book was in third person, I wasn’t sure. What is the next book about? Are we going to delve into what the heck kind of people Hugh aligned himself with because in that final battle when they gathered together and started chanted, I was like, WTF is going on here? And then when, was it Savannah? When she went freaking crazy with her power?

I’d say that through about half of this book, I looked like this:

Thank goodness for Ilona Andrews because these books really kicked my reading slump to the curb. Two books in 4 days? Yes, please. More of this, please.

Holly: I can’t even begin to tell you how effing excited I am that you’re reading again? SO.Freaking.Excited.

Rowena: curtsies I’m back, bitches. Yay, me.

Overall though, I enjoyed this one. The last half of the book made up for the slow start and I’m glad that I stuck with it because Hugh and Elara ended up being a lot of fun together. I loved the way that they had each other’s back, even until the very end. I am mighty curious about what made Roland run the way that he did from Elara. Also, I hoped we would see Deirdre in the end. I really wanted to see her again but oh well. I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars. What about you guys?

Holly: I believe there are 3 books planned about Elara and Hugh. Ilona Andrews said in a blog post earlier this year they had put it on hold because the tone is really dark and a main character dies, and they’re just not in the right head-space to delve into that right now. I have to assume we’ll learn more about Elara and her powers, and hopefully more about the Iron Dogs, too.

The last half was definitely better than the first, but overall, I enjoyed it. I would give it 4 out of 5. I can’t wait for you two to read Magic Triumphs now. <3

Casee: Hugh was so interesting when he was trying to kill/“date” Kate. I don’t know why (actually it was probably the narrator), but I just lost interest in Hugh. That doesn’t mean that I’m not going to read the next book though.

I really enjoyed Elara. She saved the book for me. Her & the Iron Dogs. I give this a 3 out of 5.

Final Grades

Casee: 3 out of 5
Holly: 4 out of 5
Rowena: 4 out of 5

The Iron Covenant

Kate Daniels

three-half-stars


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Joint Review: Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

Posted June 24, 2020 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Joint Review: Magic Breaks by Ilona AndrewsReviewer: Holly and Rowena
Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #7
Also in this series: Magic Shifts, Magic Shifts, Magic Binds, Magic Bites, Magic Strikes, Iron and Magic, Magic Triumphs, Magic Bites, Magic Bleeds , Magic Burns, Magic Strikes , Magic Slays , Gunmetal Magic , Magic Rises , Magic Strikes, Magic Mourns, Magic Bleeds, Magic Dreams, Magic Slays, Gunmetal Magic, Magic Gifts, Magic Rises, Magic Tests, Magic Stars, Magic Shifts, Magic Steals, Magic Breaks, Iron and Magic, Magic Binds, Magic Triumphs , Magic Triumphs, Magic Claims
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: First
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 402
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Rowena's 2020 Goodreads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
five-stars
Series Rating: four-half-stars

No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…

As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews is the 7th book in the Kate Daniels series. Kate has more responsibilities than ever now that she’s mated to the Beast Lord of Atlanta. While Curran is away Kate has to play Beast Lady to the Pack and deal with all their nonsense, plus keep her PI business afloat and prepare for dear old dad to come calling. Things are never dull in Kate’s world….

Holly: I’ve been dying for you to finally make your way to this book. Magic Breaks is my favorite book of the series. It’s so awesome.

Did you love it? Let’s discuss.

Rowena: For some reason, my favorite book remains Magic Strikes. That book was just so much fun for me and even though Kate and her gang were going through some pretty stressful shit, I freaking loved the entire book. That’s not to say that I didn’t love the crap out of this book too. I love seeing Kate really come into her powers more and more with each passing book. Kate was put in a really tough spot with the pack while Curran was gone but just like I knew she would, she handled her shit and kept her wits about her to take care of everything, and everyone.

Holly: I love Magic Strikes, too, but man did my heart hurt reading it. This was focused more on the action, I think. It was interesting how Curran was gone for most of the book. They’re a great team, but I like that Kate handles things without him, too.

Rowena: I could feel how anxious she was trying to find Curran but holy shit, at the end??? When she goes to claim Robert and Christopher? I about jumped up and did a happy dance twerk for her at 2 in the morning. I freaking loved it! Kate Daniels is a freaking dawg and good luck to anyone trying to cross her…including her Dad. Man, this was a damn good book.

Holly: The way she rescued Robert and Christopher had me jumping up and down. She’s such a badass.

Rowena: Yeah, when Curran finally gets back, it felt like that scene in Lord of the Rings where Gandalf rides to the rescue with his army to save the day…only Kate didn’t really need him to save the day but boy did I feel the relief from her when she sees him and is so damn glad that he’s safe and alive. This book was filled to the brim with action, with emotion and just everything that I’ve come to love in a Kate Daniels book. Ilona Andrews is my favorite.

Holly: Yeah, her relief was palpable, but she absolutely did not need to be rescued. I love that theirs is a true partnership. They’re equals. They support each other and help each other problem solve, but never does it feel like they’re anything but true partners.

Rowena: I do agree that Curran and Kate have a true partnership because they get on each other’s nerves and I love that we see them bicker and fight with each other. Their relationship is far from perfect but they still love the hell out of each other.

Holly: I love how nuanced all these characters are. Take Jennifer, for example. She’s the alpha of Clan Wolf, and she’s a shithead. She does everything she can to make Kate’s life hell. But she’s also a grieving widow and sister, so while I never liked her or forgave her, she had more depth than some cardboard villain.

Rowena: Same. There are characters that I absolutely adore but there are also characters that I tolerate and Jennifer is one of them. Her character does have depth and I certainly appreciate Andrews efforts in writing each of their characters because they all have a certain level of depth to them whether they’ve been on the scene since the beginning or the newer characters. I just enjoy the hell out of this series as a whole and this book was fantastic. I am so looking forward to seeing what’s next for Kate Daniels and her crew but I am not looking forward to finishing this series. I’m not ready to say goodbye to any of them.

Holly: This is such a great book because it clears up a lot of little threads from previous books, but it also opened up more for the future. I’m really excited for you to continue on.

Rowena: From beginning to end, this book wrapped me up tight and didn’t let go and even though there were times when I was annoyed with the pack, with what was thrown at Kate at every turn, I still enjoyed the hell out of this one and definitely recommend. This one gets 4.75 out of 5 stars from me. What about you?

Holly: I was definitely invested in this book. It gets better every single time I read it. I love Kate, Curran and all their friends and family. I give it 4.75 out of 5.

Final Grades

Holly: 4.75 out of 5
Rowena: 4.75 out of 5

Kate Daniels

five-stars


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