Searching For Good Books/ UPDATE

So it's been.. honestly I have no idea how long. You know the feeling where you make an account on goodreads or blogspot then you ditch it and by the time you get back you can't even remember what your password is? Yeah.. it's been that long.

Not that anybody reads these posts, but I've been gone a long while. Sadly, I've been gone from the world of books even longer. I can't even say I'm glad to be back at a point in my life where I'm free to hide in my room all day and read all the books I want. The only thing I do know is that I've been craving for titles involving the Greek gods and goddesses, specifically, Hades and Persephone.

Now, if you're new to world of Hades/Persephone fiction, but do know about the popular myth, you probably think I'm some weirdo with a fetish for some sort of harsh, wild, erotica. However, ever since I was a kid, I've had a strangely intense fascination for the story between the two immortals. I've always felt there was so much more between them, that maybe they actually really loved each other and wanted to be together.

Fortunately, plenty of authors have explored that concept for me and have written beautiful books which I have indulged in one too many times. However, I've realized I've started to run out of said books and am now facing the problem of where to find more amazing Persephone/Hades books.

Maybe next time I'll do a list on the best books depicting their love story. For now, I'm off to find good reads.

Book Review: Eternal Eden by Nicole Williams (Eden #1)

Hey there!

I first read Eternal Eden roughly 6 months ago and since then I've re-read it and the rest of the Eden series several times- that's saying a lot for someone who doesn't usually re-read books.

You can watch me do a quickie review of the book on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M49dTdZWs4

Here's the link to my shorter review on goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/966211144?book_show_action=false


General Plot:

Eternal Eden revolves around two star-crossed lovers Brynn and William. From the moment he laid eyes on her, William knew that Brynn was the one for him and he'd be willing to do just about anything for her.

Brynn, on the other hand, is a self-deprecating teenager who just wants to move on from the tragedy that killed both her parents. She doesn't need hot guys playing games with her or mean girls painting a target on her back. But she just can't seem to get enough of the hot, charming William, who for some unfathomable reason has taken a liking to her.

Just as the two begin to act upon their obvious connection, fate decides to intervene.


Thoughts:

Warning, when I first started reviewing books on goodreads, I came to a realization- my brain turns to scrambled egg whenever I begin to review a book I really, really, really enjoyed. For me, all the emotions and thoughts I feel just can't seem to stay collected. It's like trying to pick goldfish out of the water with two cupped hands- they always swim away.

With that in mind, I'm dearly sorry because what you're about to read is my best attempt at getting my thoughts out as coherently as possible.


I LOVED THIS BOOK... thought not at first. I kid you not- my initial thoughts upon reading the first few chapters were- oh gosh this seems like twilight all over again, and to this day I still see an uncanny resemblance between this book and twilight, but when I get over that, I really do enjoy this book.

Brynn

She constantly frustrated me because she was absolutely impossible, stubborn, and self-deprecating. The thing is, she was all those in ways that I, and I'm sure most girls are. I found her actions extremely relatable and when I asked myself, I agreed I'd have acted exactly the way she had during the events that she faced.

Honestly, I think she was the perfect person's perspective to read from because you very easily immerse yourself with her thoughts and actions that you almost think of them to be your own.
(Oh gosh does that even make sense?)

William

I don't need a popular, sexy, rich man- I just need someone to love me they way William loves Brynn. I know it's sounds ridiculous, but after reading about this swoon-worthy man, I'd settle for no less of a man.

I'll make this short and simple- William is everything you could ever want in a lover and more- he's the type of guy who'd love you no matter how ugly or nasty you'd become. He's the type of guy who'd travel the ends of the earth barefoot if you asked him to.

Seriously, if you've ever been hesitant to read Eternal Eden, I will tell you right now, abandon your doubts because I read this book over and over again just. for. william.


I absolutely loved everything -William's family , the fight scenes, the post-fight scenes, the drama- everything. I'll explain more in the spoilers section below.


I trust your decision if you decide to proceed but I promise you, it's better to read Eternal Eden without having spoiled the book- it'll make all the sweet moments even sweeter.

Spoiling the Book for You

Okay I'm going to start off with the spoiler that isn't the biggest, but is definitely my absolute favorite reveal of the book:

William has the ability to the deaths of mortals before they happen. It's an ability he'd hated for years, up until he started having visions not of death, but of his future lover. Yup- you guess it- Brynn! He'd loved her WELL before she was even born! Throughout his immortal life- he'd searched and searched for his true love who was lost in space and time (literally).

So I guess you didn't miss the part where I mentioned the terms "mortals" and "immortals". Put simply, people are born into the earth as mortals unless they are changed by a highly skilled group of immortals to become one of them. No they do not drink blood, no they do not burn or *cringe* sparkle in the sunlight.

Anyways, our very own dear William has been an immortal for a very long time, Brynn, however, was a mortal up until she drowns herself and William saves her. The thing is, he saved her on his own- something practically unheard of in the immortal world, and that causes quite the scandal as it becomes common knowledge that he risked his very own life to save a mortal.

So all worlds have their rulers/governing heads and in the part of the Immortal world that William works for, that head is John Townsend. However, it turns our that William is a spy working for the goodies who are against John's cruel, corrupt rule and he absolutely loathes him, even more so when he notices that John has taken a fancy in Brynn.

The Immortal world has a lot of rules, one of the strictest rules, punishable by death, is that you cannot have intimate affairs with any other unless you have been betrothed (unless the weirdo government assigns you an immortal you spend the rest of your existence with), so William and Brynn have to keep their relationship secret. (There's no hiding from the rule however, because an immortal's eye will change color once they've been intimate). Unfortunately, John arranges for Brynn to become his betrothed and on the morning after their engagement, William sneaks up to Brynn's room to escape the manor of together but are caught by John in a compromising position.

John not only discovered their affair but found out about William's betrayal as a spy- outraged, he decides to hurt him the only way he can, by killing Brynn.

Thankfully Brynn, having the ability to kill by touch, kills her would-be executioners- much to the surprise of, well everyone. She, William, and Patrick (one of William's brothers) escape the manor and enjoy their time together- for now.



Thank you for taking the time out to read this review- I'll be posting the review and book vlog of the second Eden installment very soon!

Book Review: When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

Hi guys!

I read this incredible Beauty and the Beast retelling a couple days ago and just posted my review on goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1135744628

and you can watch me awkwardly stutter and ramble on about the book on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RFUjyDG5d0


General Plot:


When Beauty Tamed the Beast is basically a beautifully written adult-version of the classic fairy tale it's based on. Linnet, our beautiful heroine, is a stubborn, fiercely strong-willed woman caught in the middle of a scandal after being romantically involved with a prince known for his use-them-then-leave-them ways. Her family, desperate to resolve the issue, sends her off to marry a doctor infamously known as "the beast" due to his horrid temper which is the result of an accident that left him crippled for life.

When the two meet, sparks fly and there's no denying the obvious attraction between them. A huge plot twist shoves it way in the book and in between our two love-struck characters, but it isn't nearly frustrating as it is beautiful to read.


Thoughts:

This book was ah-may-zing! Honestly, I usually pay no mind to Beauty and the Beast retellings but this one caught my eye after being shelved with a favorite book of mine. I was quite impressed with the author's ability to write a retelling that didn't involve beastly figures or scifi aliens, and I love how she twisted the story around and SPOILER turned Linnet into the disfigured beast in place of the usual male character. I loved the author's writing style, which is highly reminiscent of Jane Austen's books, and this has surprisingly become one of my favorite comedies of all time.


Spoiling the Book for You

In my book vlog I go on and on about the plot, so if you'd like to know more and hear a slightly more detailed version, you can go ahead an click that.

The "plot twist" I was talking about is the part where Linnets contracts Scarlet Fever and becomes horribly disfigured. Thankfully, the doctor (Piers) knows his trade well, cures her, and she returns to her normal gorgeous self and they run off into the sunset and make gorgeous babies together, the end.

I may talk about it, or rather write about it like it's nothing, but the scene where Piers mourns over the ill Linnet is incredibly moving and might be one of my very book moments of all time. His devastation and his obvious feelings for her were just overwhelming.

Oh and Piers forgives his dad for causing his accident and the latter and Piers' mom reconcile and their moment is very touching and quite beautiful to read as well.


If you read the spoilers, I hope you won't be put off reading When Beauty Tamed the Beast. I swear to you, you are missing out on oh so much if you do not pick that book up and give it an hour, and honey, I swear an hour is all you'll need because you just will not be able to put that book down.

So enjoy a warm cup of tea, snuggle into couch and wrap yourself in a cozy blankie and enjoy that book for crying out loud. It's insanely beautiful.