Broken Juliet (Starcrossed #2), by Leisa Rayven

Format: e-ARC, 336 pages

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Published: May 1, 2015

ISBN: 9781743532171

Genre: Women’s fiction, romance

Back cover blurb: Cassie swore she’d never forgive Ethan for breaking her heart when they were in acting school years ago. He was her one great love, and when he refused to love her back, a part of her died forever…or so she thought. Now she and Ethan are sharing a Broadway stage, and he’s determined to win her back. Finally he’s able to say all the things she needed to hear years ago…but can she believe him? Has he really changed, and what makes this time different from all his other broken promises?The answer lies somewhere in the past, and now the truth will come to light.

Will Cassie rediscover what it’s like to be trusting and open again-the way she was before Ethan? Or is it too late for these star-crossed lovers?

Don’t miss this mesmerizing final chapter in the Bad Romeo duet, the unforgettable love story that captured the hearts of over two million fans online.

My review: All the stars! Oh my goodness, this is good stuff! Carrying on immediately where Bad Romeo left off – and yes, you definitely should read that before starting this book – we finally see the two breakups which left Cassie a major bitch and Ethan broken and alone. Leisa Rayven writes beautifully, and I was totally engrossed in the dual timeline and both these characters’ lives. I didn’t much like Cassie by the end of the first book but here she is redeemed, and Ethan just seems to get swoonier. Together they are so hot. Just perfect. I highly recommend this and cannot wait for more from Ms Rayven. Her writing is so amazing I would read her shopping list.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

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A Thousand Pieces of You, by Claudia Gray

Format: audiobook, 9 hours 18 minutes, narrated by Tavia Gilbert

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: November 4, 2014

ISBN: 9780062376541

Genre: YA fiction, science fiction

Back cover blurb: Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

My review: OMG, this is so good! All my favourite things are here: Swoony boys, time travel, czarist Russia, geekiness and pop culture references, and so much UST! There are a few red herrings which had me questioning my assumptions about who the baddies were, but even though I was correct in my suspicions, the thrills are still fast-paced and there’s a scene right at the end that had me on the edge of my seat. And that cover is just gorgeous. I can’t wait for the next book out later this year.

My rating: 5/5

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Sea of Stars, by Amy A. Bartol (Kricket, book 2)

Format: Kindle Edition, 291 pages

Publisher: 47North

To be published: March 31, 2015

ISBN: 9781477828236

Genre: Fiction, science fiction/fantasy

Back cover blurb: Eighteen-year-old Kricket Hollowell was looking for her place in the world when she discovered that the universe was bigger—and more dangerous—than she had ever dreamed. Now, whisked across space to the planet Ethar, Kricket learns that her genetic ability to see the future makes her a sought-after commodity…and the catalyst for war between her star-crossed parents’ clans. According to Alameedan prophecy, one house will rise to power and the other will be completely wiped out, and Kricket’s precognition is believed to be the weapon that will tip the scales.

A target of both the Rafe and the Alameeda houses, Kricket finds protection—and a home—in the arms of Trey, her Etharian bodyguard-turned-boyfriend. But her visions of what’s to come disturb her deeply, especially since she must discover whether the gift of foresight will allow her to rewrite the future, or if her fate is as immovable as the stars.

My review: I practically inhaled this book! Sometimes second books in a series feel like placeholders, just marking time until the third and final installment, but not this one. Sea of Stars is just as gripping as Under Different Stars, with the action from the first book flowing straight into the second and never stopping for an instant.

Kricket comes into her own more as she finds herself separated from Trey and her other bodyguards and forced to contend not only with Kyon but also a new foe, Comantre baddie Giffen. Her ability to see the future comes in very handy, and there are some shocking revelations which have left me panting for the next book.

My favourite parts, though, were when Kricket and Trey were together. Their relationship develops considerably once they are reunited, and while the first book felt more like YA, this one is certainly more grown-up *fans self*. The secondary characters are again a joy, and there are some new ones I hope we see again.

Book 3, Darken the Stars, is due out later this year and I, for one, cannot wait! You must read this series!

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

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