REVIEW: "The Bridge Kingdom" by Danielle L. Jensen (Fantasy, Romance)

THE BRIDGE KINGDOM by Danielle L. Jensen
	Publisher: CLA Genre: Fantasy, Romance Publication Date: August 13th, 2019 Series: The Bridge Kingdom, #1 Standalone: No, Cliffhanger
Categories/Tropes:
Arranged Marriage, Assassin, Royalty
Other Books By This Author:
#2 #3 #4
Description from Publisher:
A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king. Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save… and which kingdom she’ll destroy. Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
A Favorite Quote: (No Spoilers!)
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
From the moment Lara's sisters went down, this book had my attention. The political intrigue here was really very well done, and at no time did I find myself confused about the different kingdoms and their distinct differences. I would have expected to, but this world really was built well and I found myself easily understanding Aren's position as kind, and what a betrayal by Lara would mean for the entire world. Not gonna lie, I got pretty irritated with how brainwashed Lara was, and how long it took for her to start waking up. It was important to remind myself that her entire life has been spent being fed a particular truth, and just how incredibly difficult it would be to have everything you have ever known be flipped on it's head. In light of that, I gave Lara some grace. She was otherwise a strong, compassionate woman, and I thoroughly enjoyed how that unfolded from the first chapter to the last. Aren, King of Ithicania, was also a fantastic male protagonist. The amount of respect he showed everyone around him won me over easily, as did his snark and sincerity. There was a moment where he felt disappointment at the fact that Lara wasn't his equal and instead a subservient princess that cemented to me that I was going to like him. He wasn't an annoying alpha, but didn't lack in strength and commanding respect. There was excellent chemistry between the two of them from the moment they are face to face. This is a slow burn, which I love, and they circle one another for quite awhile before you have no choice but to root for them. I always try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, but will say that that last act had me wincing as I knew what was coming, my heart wrenched at the inevitable, and then pretty satisfied at the lead-up to the cliffhanger ending. This book will make you laugh at times, cheer at others, fan yourself a bit, and otherwise enjoy exploring the battles, strategy, and secrets.
My Source: I borrowed this via Kindle Unlimited to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Danielle L. Jensen is the USA Today bestselling author of the Malediction series, the Dark Shores series, and the Bridge Kingdom series, as well as the forthcoming A Fate Inked in Blood. She lives in Calgary, Alberta with her family and guinea pigs.

REVIEW: "So That Got Weird" by Amelia Kingston (New Adult, Romance)

SO, THAT GOT WEIRD by Amelia Kingston
	Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance Publication Date: December 24th 2019 Series: So Far, So Good, #1 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Sex Lessons, Introverted Female, Borrowed Time, Finding Yourself, Heavy Subjects (Family), Virgin & Player
Other Books by Amelia Kingston
So Far, So Good, #2 So Far, So Good, #3
Description from Publisher:
A painfully awkward love story. Incomprehensibly awkward Elizabeth Wilde is desperate for love. Connection. Intimacy. After a lifetime of romantic failures, the twenty-one-year-old gamer realizes she needs help. Professional help. She needs… A sex tutor. The devastatingly hot jock Austin Jacobs is just the man for the job. As the reigning campus sex god, he has the playboy act down pat. But underneath those six-pack abs beats a broken heart. He doesn’t trust people and he sure as hell doesn’t believe in love. The odd couple strike a deal. Four weeks of ‘tutoring’ for five thousand dollars. When Austin coaxes Elizabeth out from behind her computer screen, the attraction they feel is undeniable. They’re both a little broken, but somehow their jagged edges fit. And when their world comes tumbling down on top of them, they each have to decide if this weird thing called love is worth fighting for. Reader advisory: This book includes references to inadequate parenting, parental death, a parent with addiction. There are also scenes including the use of performance drugs.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This gripped me. Like, read it all in one sitting and stayed up all night, gripped me. I immediately liked Elizabeth, with all of her naive awkwardness. She was the perfect "duckling" to become a swan. Her transformation over the course of this was really a pleasure. Austin was another strong character, and I adored him from his first smirk. His humor, vulnerability, and how much he CARED made him a really wonderful character. Suffice it to say, these two together were an amazing push and pull, tear apart and build up and up and up that had me laughing, crying, and cheering. And that's not even acknowledging their chemistry!! They were intense and light, and I loved them together. The best way I have heard love described was "You make each other better," and that felt true for this couple. There was a lot to unpack here, much more than just Elizabeth being a virgin and Austin a stud. Imperfect blood relatives were a heavy theme, blended with "the family you choose" beautifully. Supporting characters were present without taking any of the focus off of Austin or Elizabeth. I really loved how this wasn't a step-by-step "lessons" book, as the virgin student trope often is. The fact that their relationship naturally progressed, as though Elizabeth wasn't awkward or inexperienced, felt much more like a genuine situation, and sold her transformation and their sincere interest in one-another that much more.
My Source: I bought this to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Amelia Kingston
Amelia Kingston is many things, the most interesting of which are probably California girl, writer, traveler, and dog mom. She survives on chocolate, coffee, wine, and sarcasm. Not necessarily in that order. BR> She’s been blessed with a patient husband who’s embraced her nomad ways and traveled with her to over 30 countries across 5 continents (I’m coming for you next, Antarctica!). She’s also been cursed with an impatient (although admittedly adorable) terrier who pouts when her dinner is 5 minutes late. She writes about strong, stubborn, flawed women and the men who can't help but love them. Her irreverent books aim to be silly and fun with the occasional storm cloud to remind us to appreciate the sunny days. As a hopeless romantic, her favorite stories are the ones that remind us all that while love is rarely perfect, it’s always worth chasing.