#THE CAPTAIN’S CHOICE BY WREN TAYLOR

[betterbooksandthings]

"Ahoy! Welcome aboard. On this ship, all pirate romance books end with a pirate sailing into the proverbial sunset with their love. Taught sails, sturdy planks, and an oh-so-dangerous ocean await. Get ready because you are in for a nautical treat.

Pirate romance books have long brought solace to readers who want to find love at sea with dangerous, daring, and heroic rogues. Pirates are the bandits of the sea. Even a privateer sanctioned by the government to be a pirate gets a pass in romance. After all, they have all the appeal of a pirate and the ability to operate in society if they want to."

[pink-earmuffs]

MULTI BOOK POST ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS - ebook edition “A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel. Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life. Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.” I bought this one and read it for fun because the summary seems like something I’d be into and I really genuinely was surprised by how much I did like it. I’ll be honest here, some parts of this didn’t work for me and some did but the good outweighs the bad here. I sort of feel like the point of the novel was to get the two leads together but that being said I liked that it didn’t actually feel forced like most novels in the genre and that was a great thing. For all the plot I feel like while the romance worked Isobel was a strong heroine and I liked that she was the focus point of the novel. Over all a good read, great world building, and I’m interested to see what else the author does. _____________________________________________ RILEY COLLINS (DANGEROUS YEAR) - arc via netgalley READ: 9/5-7/17; RELEASED: 9/26/17 3/5 “As the daughter of an American ambassador, seventeen-year-old Riley Collins has grown up in some of the world's most dangerous cities. She may have learned the art of politics from her dad, but it's the lessons in survival taught by his security chief that she's taken to heart. When Riley is caught up in a violent incident, the State Department steps in, offering an all-expense paid senior year at Harrington Academy, one of the most elite boarding schools in Connecticut. The catch: she must use her tactical skills to keep her eye on heiress Hayden Frasier, the daughter of a tech billionaire intent on changing the world. Immersed in American materialism and social media for the first time, it's culture shock for Riley. Hayden resents her new roommate, and Riley learns nothing is ever private when there's a cellphone around. She discovers allies in Von Alder, the cute class flirt; Sam Hudson, whose status as Hayden's ex-boyfriend puts him on the forbidden list; and Captain Grace Taylor, Harrington's tough new head of security, and the only one who knows Riley's true purpose at Harrington. Disturbing signs begin to appear that Riley's assignment wasn't the walk in the park she'd been promised. She learns the death of Hayden's former roommate might not have been an accident after all, and she spars with classmate Quinn, whose attempts at social sabotage causes Riley to take drastic measures. As Riley's relationship with Hayden thaws into her first opportunity at true friendship, the danger around her roommate heats up. Riley must fight for her life and Hayden's - and the security of a nation - as those around her reveal themselves to be true friends, or the ultimate betrayers.” Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy in exchange for an honest review. I thought this was a cute novel to open a series with and it’s an inventive premise so I have to be honest. While it is inventive and different it follows too many typical YA cliches (the love interest bit, some of the unexplained things that weren’t explained to the reader - unless they get explained in the next book, the main character not having enough faults) but that being said the relationships and pacing (despite the main characters insta-great at everything mode sometimes) were well done and the cliffhanger does make me want to continue onto the next novel. _____________________________________________ ADAM - arc via netgalley READ: 9/4-5/17; RELEASED: 9/19/17 2/5 “When the unearthing of the Ark of the Covenant results in the discovery of the bones of an angel, a government program seeks out descendants of the divine being. Scientists confirm the existence of Nephilim, descendants of the Divine Bloodline who exhibit unique supernatural abilities. These individuals soon find themselves at odds with society. Sisters Piper and Wren knew they were different, but after the discovery, the two have evidence to explain their maturing abilities. But the government has the power to condemn and crucify Nephilim, locking them into ADAM compounds across the globe. The sisters are next, and Piper and Wren will need to act quickly to avoid being captured. In order to survive the two must embrace the stigma and master the very gifts that God has bestowed (or cursed) upon them. Mysterious forces who have been plotting these events for decades shift the balance of power, and soon all parties involved will need to pick a side.” Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy in exchange for an honest review. For all the great things the summary gave you I was disappointed in this. I don’t know if it was the writing or the plot but nothing clicked about this for me like I was hoping which is sad because I was hoping to like it. _____________________________________________ THUNDERSTRUCK - arc via netgalley READ: 9/1-3/17; RELEASED: on ebook/paperback 3/5 “Stevie Moon is famous...at least to the subscribers on her comic review vlog. At school, she’s as plain as the gray painted walls in the cafeteria. So when Blake, the hot new guy at school, shows an interest in her, she knows trouble when she sees it. Been there. And never doing it again. As the son of the god Thor, Blake Foster's been given an important mission—to recover the Norse god Heimdall’s sacred and powerful horn before someone uses it to herald in the destruction of the entire universe. But while Blake is great in a fight, the battlefield that is a high school’s social scene is another matter. Blake knows his only choice is to team up with the adorable Stevie, but she's not willing to give him even the time of day. He'll need to woo the girl and find the horn if he hopes to win this war. Who better to tackle Stevie's defenses than the demi-god of thunder?” Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this one. On the surface it was light and fluffy but also had the makings of a typical YA novel and I thought the touches from Norse Mythology were different, if not, unique to anything I’ve read in the genre. I liked the set up and the way it was used but I can’t help but think the universe should have been fleshed out more and a little less emphasis on romance but over all this was a quick, fun, read that’s enjoyable.