The Crown (The Selection #5)- A Review

Hey, everyone! Two reviews in less than 24 hours. Who knew? Today, I'm reviewing The Crown which is book five (and the final installment) in The Selection series by Kiera Cass. I binged on these books last month thinking that The Crown was already out in stores. When I got closer to the end of the books I already had, and found out it wasn't being released until May 3rd, I was beyond mad at myself. I had to wait a few weeks on a cliffhanger to find out what the fate of Eadlyn, her family, and their kingdom would be. Needless to say, when Amazon dropped this puppy off at my house on release day, I couldn't wait to dive in, so, here we are! To read my compiled review on books #1-4 along with their novellas, you can go here.

I was very pleased once I had gotten to the last page in The Crown. I'm so glad Eadlyn finally matured beyond what she was in The Heir. Between books four and five, she blossomed and opened her eyes to her people and to a love like the one her parents shared.

I have to admit, after five books and four novellas, I got a bit teary saying goodbye to these characters. We parted on fantastic terms, but coming to the end was bittersweet.

I couldn't decide which man would be best suited to the future queen of Illéa out of the Elite in the Selection. I liked each individual of the final six for different reasons and at points, I wanted her to choose all of them because I hated seeing them go. Ean and Hale were charming and protective, Kile became the most unlikely of friends and companions, Fox was a gentleman, Gunner was a constant source of support, and Henri was too precious for words. Eric (aka Eikko), Henri's translator also served a level of importance. I adored each and every one of these boys and what they each brought to the table when it came to their queen.

However, when it became obvious where her heart was directing her, I wanted to scream at her to start breaking rules and tradition, otherwise there may not be a happily ever after. I'm glad other voices in her circle felt the same.

Having to choose between true love and duty or obligation was absolutely nerve-wracking. I devoured this book so I could get answers for my own sanity and know where both Eadlyn's future and the fate of Illéa would lie. What a ride it was! I was unsure about picking up this series in the beginning, but I'm not only glad that I did, but I'm thrilled I saw it through and got to experience such a charming story.

My Final Rating: four out of five stars

Love Letters to the Dead- A Review

Happy Saturday, bibliophiles! I hope you're all enjoying a lovely weekend discovering new worlds and new characters! I've been working on a few exciting projects that I plan to tell you about soon, but for now, I wanted to bring you my latest book review! Love Letters to the Dead is the debut novel from Ava Dellaira. I had noticed this book on a few of my B&N runs, but I finally decided to grab a copy on a binge haul. 

This was an interesting take on trying to deal with loss. I admit, I was drawn to the stunning cover, but the story was intriguing as well. 

Laurel has just lost her older sister, May, for reasons unknown to us, and relocated to another school. The unexpected passing of her much adored sibling left her family in tatters, and she's just trying to cope and find her way again. When her English teacher gives the students a project to write a letter to a dead person to turn in at the end of the class period, Laurel discovers an outlet for her thoughts. 

Amelia Earhart, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Elizabeth Bishop, Heath Ledger, Alan Young, and a few others appear as recipients for Laurel's story. Through her letters, she is not only able to connect with the deceased and put her soul down on paper, but she's also able to come to terms with the night her sister left, and feelings she wasn't ready to handle. 

While this is sold as a YA read, and readers get all the happenings of high school drama, we also understand how everyone deals differently with death. We meet friends of Laurel's and witness her day-to-day as she moves on, but we get the bigger story and her innermost thoughts, which, for me, was the focus of the story. 

I adored this story. I've dealt with a tremendous amount of loss in my own life (unfortunately), so I was able to relate to Laurel quite a bit. The writing was stunning and read a little like poetry, so even though I was reading about death, there was something naturally beautiful woven into the pages as well.

Anyone who has not only had to cope with loss, but unexpected loss, should go pick up this book. It also looks like Ava is working on the screenplay for the movie adaptation, so we'll be seeing more of Laurel in the future! 

My Final Rating: five out of five stars

Paper Princess (The Royals #1)- A Review

Hey there, bibliophiles! Happy Tuesday! Today, I'm bringing a review for a new book in a new series! Normally, I wait until the series is completed and just review the whole batch, but this just came out and I couldn't wait! It's Paper Princess by Erin Watt which is the pseudonym for authors Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick. Time to dive right in and tell you all about this story!

I wasn't quite sure what I was in for when I started this book, but I sure enjoyed the ride!

Ella is orphaned (mom died of cancer and dad also passed without meeting his child) and finds herself under the protective wing of her new guardian, Callum Royal. Callum was an old friend of her father's, and sees it as his duty to look out for Ella and make her a Royal in her own way. Being with Callum means being with his boys... All five of them (Gideon, Reed, Easton, Sebastian, and Sawyer). While she just wants to make it from high school to college, they want to make her life Hell on earth.

I wanted to smack all of these boys... Repeatedly. Of course they were just being males and making assumptions about a girl they didn't even know. I kept screaming for Ella to just run far away from them. Take whatever money she had saved from working and just go. Kudos to her for being the stronger one of the two of us and sticking with her plan to not let these guys break her. When she proves herself among them and their peers at school, she absolutely kicks ass and finally earns some respect. I was waiting for just that moment.

Easton was one of my favorites. I know he has demons, but I love the dynamic he and Ella had as pseudo step-siblings. I think they both need each other in that regard.

Reed, is a whole other animal. As much as I want to be mad at him, I just can't. He wasn't worthy of Ella in the beginning, but when he finally calls a truce with her and they work out their issues, he begins proving himself. As much as I still want to be fuming with him over how he and Ella left things in that Royal Mansion, I still can't, I think something fishy is in the air.... So I need book two asap so I can get to the bottom of it and all can be well again!

My Final Rating: four out of five stars