King of Always by Juno Heart

Black Blood Fae

Prince of Never * King of Always

Publish Date: August 24th, 2020
Format: ebook
Series: Black Blood Fae
Author: Juno Heart
Author’s Goodreads
My Review on Goodreads

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Introduction

Taking place after the first book, King of Always brings another romance from the land of Faery. Isla, a baker with a stubborn and independent personality, has decided to take a vacation in the land of Faery. Raff is the current crown prince and is seeking his fated mate. In the last book, he is so carefree and friendly, but now, the curse runs through him. He has become colder, meaner. When Raff and Isla meet, it's obvious they are meant to be together, but Raff isn't exactly likable all the time, and Isla doesn't like being ordered around by anyone. To top it all off, they are in the land of Faery, a dangerous place for humans, no matter how independent they are. 

Relationship

I really enjoyed reading about their relationship dynamics. Can you imagine having a smouldering hot crown prince with fire magic trying to woo you? Poor Isla, though. She doesn't want to stay in Faery. She wants to be a baker and she has dreams she wants to fulfill in the human world. Plus, she wants to marry for love! But there's something unique about Isla and her baking and her link to fire that can't be ignored.

Final Verdict

I definitely recommend this book to people who like happily-ever-after romances, enemies-to-lovers, and faeries. It was just as addictive as the first book, and we get to see Lara and Ever again as well. Also, this book makes me want to bake. I have been told I make a mean apple pie. So, snuggle up with some baked goods and enjoy this fabulous book! 

 

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross

Publish Date: June 23, 2015
Format Reviewed: Hardback
Series: Tangled Webs
Author: Lee Bross
Author’s Goodreads
My Review on Goodreads

Introduction

In 1725 London, secrets are currency, and everyone who is anyone has some secrets they don't want to lose. Enter Lady A, the 16-year-old-girl who collects and exchanges secrets from clients for her nefarious boss, Bones. To keep her safe is Nic, standing nearby, while she threatens surly men in ballrooms. It's all pretense, because when they go home to their dilapidated rooms, they are orphans, starving and hungry. Arista - the girl behind the mask of Lady A - has bigger dreams of escaping, maybe, even to India. If Bones discovers her traitorous thoughts, he'd end her, but she has learned a thing or two about secrets and shady deals, and she may stand a chance. 

Setting

You don't see 1725 London very often in YA books. This has just enough details in setting to get by, but not enough to write an essay about it. Also, balls are pretty, outside is gross because it is full of the...not rich people. 

Also, who's teaching these street kids how to read? Just wondering.

Hey, a real person from history is in this book too. The video below is a bit of a spoiler, but this person did exist in real life, so readers may already know the real-life counterpart. 

Main Character

I see the main criticism in this book is Arista. She's apparently the best extorter of secrets London has ever seen, and she makes stupid decisions. Yes. She's 16. It's a rite of passage to think with your heart rather than your head. You also think you have everything under control when everything is actually on fire. And...Bones was the one pulling the strings and feeding the rumours of how dangerous she was. It's pretense and a show, and it's the life she has lived for quite some time. 

Instalove 

Yes, it does happen here. However, this is a (in no particular order) historical fiction YA romance. I admit, I was intrigued, as there is also a love triangle (which I also don't usually like). But Grae is a saint with all his patience, which makes it incredibly unbelievable. No one is that good. 

Book Aesthetic 

Thought I'd mention that this book does have these lovely lace decal pages. I thought it was a nice touch on the aesthetics of the book, especially with the bold use of black pages. So it's more than just plain text on pages, which was nice. 

Final Verdict

I found this to be an entertaining romp of 18th-century London. I didn't care for the beginning because of the irritating dumps of her history that should have been written in better. It was a fast read, so that's a bonus for some readers. Goodreads says this is a series, but this was published in 2015 and I don't see the sequel. Either way, this book wraps up nicely as a stand-alone. I recommend this to teens who want a historical fiction YA with lots of romance, with a bit of thriller elements (but not too much).  

Prince of Never by Juno Heart

Black Blood Fae

Prince of Never * King of Always

Publish Date: December 10th, 2019
Format: ebook
Series: Black Blood Fae
Author: Juno Heart
Author’s Goodreads
My Review on Goodreads

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Introduction

A fae prince is cursed with a poison in his body that makes him cruel and will eventually kill him. To end the curse, he has to either find his fated mate and marry her, or murder her. A human girl with a talent for singing is brought to his land. When he finds her he initially believes she is a troll, but no matter, he takes her to court as his possession. Things look fairly grim for the girl, but her mother painted these lands for years, so Lara knows not to trust fae beauty and to find a way home as soon as possible.

Fairy Romance

Hi, I'm new to the fairy romance genre. I'll give you the rundown: fae/fairies aren't Tinkerbell, they are full magical creatures that live in another realm. They can do magic. Usually connected to nature (like the weather, fire, etc.). They cannot lie. They are cunning and not to be trusted, because they will take advantage of you, simple mortal.   

Also, they are smouldering hot. And they know it.

Characters/Love Interest

I think this book qualifies as an Enemies to Lovers story. The way the male protagonist, Ever, was so bloody cruel to the heroine, Lara, was pretty irredeemable. But, that's the thing about this story. We find out that the prince is cursed. Not only will this curse kill him, which is pretty depressing, but this curse basically sucks out all the joy from him. He took pleasure in hurting others because of the curse, not because he's (necessarily) a bad person.

Lara was a great person as well. Stuck in the land of faerie where she is a pawn, prisoner, and plaything, she still uses her brain to get what she wants and gets things done. I appreciated that she didn't usually go with the flow for anything, she dared to manipulate the masters of manipulation when she could. Could have done with less constant questioning, though it was realistic. 

Final Verdict

I honestly couldn't put it down; I was so into it. Thankfully it was on my phone, so I could brush my teeth, cook dinner, etc., and keep reading. Characters are a little older, so I would technically classify it as New Adult, but more mature teens would like it. It gets steamy "behind the scene" and she's keenly aware of the situation when he puts her ahead of him on his horse. The ending is HEA (Happily Ever After), even says so in the Goodreads, but it's bittersweet if you think about it. Read it and find out why. I highly recommend this book.