 Author: Jennette McCurdy Pages: 320 Overall: 5/5 Takeaways: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 5/5 *caveat it’s not a happy cheers and more of a drink your feelings kind of vibe Pairing: Have the Champagne This is a limoncello mimosa and frankly is not for the faint of heart. It will hit you like a truck, but it’s perfect for a Summer spritz kind of vibe. Ingredients -1oz limoncello -Around 6oz sparkling wine Instructions -A few hours before drinking make sure you chill both the limoncello and the sparkling wine, this drink is not tasty warm and ice dilutes the taste -Into a chilled champagne flute add in limoncello then top with sparkling wine of your choice -Enjoy Responsibly  I am way behind actually reading this book and I will be the first to admit that. Before it’s official publication I was so excited to read it as I’d seen a lot of the press McCurdy was doing ramping up to her release date and it seemed like she had written a fantastic book. Thankfully that was true regardless of when I read it, but oh boy was it so much more than I thought it would be. I had grown up watching ICarly so I was familiar with McCurdy from that and after the show ended she had all but fallen off the face of the Earth which was puzzling given ICarly’s success and this book details a little bit of that and so much more. I think the most powerful part of this book, similar to They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, is the title is not a lie. I do truly believe McCurdy is glad that her mom died. Not in a malicious way, but after listening to this title and Jennette herself detailing the abuses of her mother, I can’t entirely say that I disagree. I think the most poignant moment was when her mother told her that a way to stay skinny was caloric restriction. It was quite hard to read a parent teaching their child how to have an eating disorder and it’s something that this author still struggles with and hearing the way that her eating disorder was so micromanaged by her mother makes me nauseous.
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 Author: E. Lockhart Pages: 242 Overall: 5/5 Setting: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Keep it Classy This is for sure something the Sinclair family would drink in one of their many houses on the island. You cannot convince me otherwise. It’s not super boozy but anything in a champagne flute is an obvious win. Fair warning there are 2 ways to make this cocktail. I would have done the former, but there’s the lighter way and the boozier way. Take that as you will. Ingredients -Sparkling Lemonade - 1 1/2oz Empress Gin (it has the coloring otherwise everything is the same color) -For more boozy lemonade -Prosecco Instructions -Add sparkling lemonade to a glass. If you're doing it boozy add 2 oz lemonade and add prosecco leaving enough room for gin in flute -Using a stirring spoon carefully layer the gin on top diffusing the liquid so they layer -Enjoy responsibly  “This island of ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.”
Take a Shot: Cady comes from a wealthy family. And not just any kind of wealthy family, the kind of old Succession type money. Every summer the Sinclair daughters bring their families to the island to spend time together and with patriarch Harris Sinclair. That is until a disaster Cady can’t remember causes her to have horrible headaches and other physical imparities after she was found in the water near one of the homes a previous summer. This summer she gets to go back and finally see her friends, the Liars and maybe get some answers as to what happened. “You do not wish you were dead. Don’t say that.” Setting Something about a nice Hamptons style Martha’s VIneyard style house island deal really sells me. I think it’s overall very intriguing concept of their isolation on the island for the majority of the story which I think only highlights the important aspect of the story and plot. Characters Cady is an annoying and unreliable narrator and that’s the point. I don’t love stories with this type of trope, but I find I’m not mad about this one and its execution. I actually quite enjoyed it tbh. The set up of Cady being unreliable is incredibly important to the plot. I also love the other characters. I think they are all done in a great way. I like the dichotomy we get to see wight all the characters during their time on the island and as the story progresses how they feel the more they are together. I also believe that the parents are often forgotten characters, but I think they are actually some of the most interesting characters. More on this in the spoiler section cause this is spoiler free. Plots and Themes This book is still one of my favorite twists in a book from this era. I did not anticipate the twist and in retrospect I should have the first read, but forgive me as I was literally 14. 23 year old Ashlyn would catch it now, but I deeply appreciated it when I originally read it and it’s my selling point when convincing other people to read this book. I still think about it nearly 10 years later and that’s how you know the book was done well. Overall I love this book and would put it into the same category as In Five Years which is also another one of my favorite. Short and sweet but rotten on the inside trying to keep its secrets hidden that it has to tell you in less than 400 pages. Huge kudos to the author. I recently picked up b ook two that was recently published and it spurred the reread and i’m incredibly happy that I did end up picking it up and reading it this summer in the park. “It’s clear you want everyone to feel sorry for you. And we would, I would, but you have no idea how lucky you are.” Reasons to Raise a Glass - PLOT TWIST, rotten rich and spoiled Too Strong - I’d love to see this in a non YA context to be honest. It’s not really a critique just a desire to have the adult version of this book and wish it could go more along those lines given the adult content. Like a reboot. Maybe book 2 is that way so stay tuned “Be sad, be sorry - but don’t shoulder it.” Warning spoilers ahead if you read more. Proceed at your own risk!  Author: Emily A. Duncan Pages: 385 Overall: 4/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 3/5 Cheers Factor: 3.5/5 Pairing: Redrum I like this drink firstly because it has a kicker that you don’t expect and that’t the dark rum hence why I names it redrum. I also thought it was cheeky as it’s quite literally a red drink with rum. Also I think Nadya is woefully unprepared and naive for the world she steps into and doesn’t realize the danger she’s in until itr’s too late almost as though she’s looking at everything backwards in a mirror. Ingredients -1 ½ oz dark rum -1 handful of blackberries -¼ lime wedge -mint sprigs -ginger beer -ice "A boy made king of monsters for a kingdom of the damned." Instructions -Combine blackberries and lime wedge and mint in a glass and muddle -Add rum and dry shake to combine (without ice) -Double strain into glass -Top with ginger beer and add ice -Garnish with optional lime wheels -Enjoy responsibly "A future that could not - would not - be stopped. A future that had already been set into motion."  Take a Shot: Nadezhda is a cleric. Or better said a person who is touched by the gods. She has a direct line to them and their powers when they grant them to her. The clerics have been hunted for their abilities by the Tranavians because of the war as well as their hatred of the gods. The Kalyazi need Nadya to fight their war against the heretical Tranavians. However, everything changes when the monastery Nadya is living at is raided by Tranavian soldiers and one among them is different. He is the Crown Prince Serefin Meleski. In fleeing she ends up teaming up with a ragtag band of young people with drastically different motivations and goals. With friendship, love and the safety of two countries at war on the line they will all soon feel the pressure of their individual missions.
"I would not want to be the cause of your pain, even if it may be inevitable." Setting I really like the whole Eastern Europe/Slavic region kind of setting. I think buy and large it’s a very underused setting in fantasy novels to really have something emulate the real world. I get Shadow and Bone vibes from the setting which I really appreciated. "If something happens tomorrow...I want you to know you are the only good thing that has ever happened to me." Characters This is by far a book about the characters. I feel it’s the biggest strength of the book aside from the writing and the writing is really good when the characters are speaking and naturally the characters benefit from this. I think despite other factors I’m severely invested in the characters in a way that I would not have expected given my thoughts around the other factors of this novel. I love the multiple perspectives and I think it’s a unique way to tell the story of the characters meant to be more elusive to tell them more minimally. A very distinct writing choice that works very well for the characters. "The understanding I had in mind was one that kept you safer than this, towy dzimyka." Plots and Themes This for me is the weakest part of the novel. I have to admit that half the time I’m a little lost. I understand broad strokes what is happening and that’s about it. It feels at times a little disjointed and important things are skipped over when the perspectives change. I think this is reminiscent oddly in parts to the Selection, but reduced in a way that feels like The Red Queen series. I love the Selection and actually do quite enjoy The Red Queen, but the stark difference between the two is the lack of continuity and disjointed overall feel of a relationship and complicated royal setting which is why I am throwing this one in line more so with the latter. For the most part the plot is bearable and at times understandable. I'm just not sure the execution is done well enough to do the characters justice. "Some gods require blood." Overall I said it in my characters section, but truly I believe this is one of the few series where I’m Immensely invested in the characters without really knowing what is happening. It’s a true strength of the book and again the writing is impeccable. I would recommend this book strictly because of those things. Reasons to raise a glass- a true dark love interest (like actually irredeemable but not in the way that you actually wouldn’t want the characters to be together IRL), the writing *chefs kiss* Too Strong- The plot is confusing and hard to follow, no urgency, lack of consequences that drive the story Warning! Spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Shelby Mahurin Pages: 536 Overall: 3.8/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 3.5/5 Plot and Themes: 3.5/5 Cheers Factor: 3.5/5 Pairing: Healing Elixir In the book Coco, a dames rouges, is constantly having to help out our cast of characters by combining her blood with honey to help heal them of some ailment. While thankfully this cocktail is not that it’s sure to heal something. “There are none so dead as those who will not hear.” Ingredients -2oz tequila -1oz pomegranate juice -1oz lime juice -1/2oz triple sec/cointreau -Ice Instructions -Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice -Strain into a chilled glass over ice -Enjoy responsibly  “A beautiful witch, cloaked in guis of damsel, soon lured the man down the path to hell.”
Take a Shot: After saving Lou from her mother Reid and the rest of the gang are on the run not only from the witches, but also from the Chasseurs. Grappling with the revelation of Lou’s parentage, killing the Archbishop and discovering his own lineage, Reid is well and truly struggling. Considering they have nowhere to go they reach out to Coco’s coven the dames rouges in hopes of making it back to Belterra to maybe get to witness the funeral for the Archbishop as well as gain alliances that may help them in going up against Morganne. “The snake and her bird. The bird and his snake, they take and they break and they ache and they ache.” Setting I was a little bored in the Hollow I won’t lie. I found it intriguing when they joined the circus performers and went along their way and was happy when they returned to Belterra. Overall the setting is not the main part of this book. It’s safe to say that here we get to see a lot of medieval settings which are definitely ones I like hence my high opinion of it, but there really wasn’t much to write home about. “There are few choices in life that can’t be unmade.” Characters Madame Labelle takes the cake for this book. She’s truly such a great character and I like her more than I like the rest of our cast. I also love the introduction of Claude Devereuax. He’s a great character and plays a large part in the end. I have to say I also adore sweet Ansel and think he’s a great character that shows the age range of our characters amongst what exactly is happening in congruence to how people handle certain events. I also really love Beau and think he’s a great little guy. However, my love of these characters does not entirely extend to either Reid or Lou in this installment. After truly loving them in the first novel I figured I would like them just as much in this next one but alas I do not. That’s part of the reason why i have given such a low rating because they are our supposed protagonists and I liked every side character more than them. “When a person brings you more hurt than happiness, you’re allowed to let them go.” Plots and Themes This book could have been 100 pages shorter. I appreciate the grief constant itilized in the story but can’t quite seems to feel overly pulled in by it. It felt overdone throughout the book and became almost an annoying crutch for the plot and I didn’t enjoy that very much. I have to say I really only liked the ending of the book from about the funeral to the end. I thought the action was good and obviously was full of twists and turns and surprise deaths which I did appreciate, but it kind of fell a little dead on it’s entire delivery given the beginning half of the book nearly lost me. “You are a snake. Shed your skin if it no longer suits you.” Overall I liked the book truly but not enough to really sell it too much for me. I think it kind of hit a second book slump that I was anticipating wouldn’t happen. I did enjoy the cliffhanger at the end and will be finishing the series, but can’t say I wasn’t disappointed with this installment. I sadly am not in a rush to finish the series even with the cliffhanger. Reasons to Raise a Glass: SIDE CHARACTERS - like seriously they are really good Too Strong: Reid needed to get over himself, Lou needed to know when to be a little less stubborn “Sometimes it hurts to remember the dead as who they were rather than who we want them to be.” Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Julia Quinn Pages: 354 Overall: 5/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Say You love Me I think this drink is sweet and innocent and just the way that young love should be. I think it feels representative of the love that our protagonists eventually share in the novel and how it’s naive, precious and innocent before it becomes all consuming and a whirlwind affair that is true love and romance. Ingredients -2oz Gin -1 1/2oz lemon juice -1/2oz raspberry syrup -½ cup equal parts water and sugar with half a cult of raspberries bring to boil until fully combined strain out solids and voila raspberry simple -egg white -ice Instructions -Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice -Shake well -Strain into Coupe glass or glass of choice -Enjoy responsibly  Take a Shot: Anthony Bridgerton is the eldest of the Bridgerton siblings making him Viscount Bridgerton as his father died many years ago. Anthony took his fathers death quite hard and was barely able to watch his mother and her grief over the loss of the love of her life. Henceforth, Anthony has sworn off finding love in marriage and he’s now wanting to choose a suitable woman that checks his boxes so that he may fulfill his duty as Viscount by marrying and starting a family and dying young just like his father. However, love may just be right around the corner in the most unlikely of places.
“But love was the enemy of a dying man.” Setting I love the way that Quinn romanticizes Regency era London. Do not get me wrong I don’t think my ideal concept is using a chamber pot and having to use candlelight in order to do anything after dark. Truly Edison inventing the lightbulb is one invention I cherish in the modern day. That aside though I do love the way that we get to see the lives of these lovely and wealthy aristocratic characters at these lovely extravagant parties and balls. It makes the era seem like one you want to live in when in reality I would likely have been sleeping in a maid’s quarters instead of sleeping in a feather bed dreaming of the next masquerade. Characters I really do love the chance to get to see more of Anthony and being introduced to Kate. I like their enemies to lovers aspect we have going on. It’s a fun little vibe for them. I think the television adaptation took it and really ran with it, but I do appreciate that the book was a little more romantic in that it was quite clear they really did have feelings that were forming and we got to see them aside from just like huffing and puffing. “And there was Kate Sheffield. The bane of his existence. And the object of all his desires. All at once.” Plots and Themes I love a scandal and having to get married because of that. I think that was the best part of this book. Not to say that it hasn’t happened similarly in this series, but being caught by ones own mother is quite comedic and funny. It’s also nice that they aren’t particularly thrilled about being hitched to one another. I also loved the nuances that were there like Anthony comforting Kate during the thunderstorm. That was left out of the television adaptation for god knows what reason and it’s one of my favorite scenes of the entire book. I also really enjoyed that Edwina was quite literally not interested in the Viscount. In the show it seemed preposterous that sisters who are so close would have one not tell the other she’s in love with the man courting her sister and the other so blithely unaware of their feelings that they waited until they were at the altar to notice? But what do I know? “And it was stunning how he wanted to be the one to make her feel better.” Overall I really liked this book. I’ve said this about Bridgerton books before emphatically out loud and in reviews, but I love a good HEA (Happily Ever After) that you know is an HEA. There’s something really satisfying about reading a 300-400 page book and knowing what you are getting into. As someone who reads a lot of long series with twists and turns it was pleasantly surprising to find myself enjoying the predictability of the story lines. “And Anthony, who’d only just learned what it was to love, learned what it was to die inside. Reasons to Raise a Glass: Smut is good, Anthony is a good protagonist so is Kate, plays well with the series and is a great second novel proving Quinn can produce similar content without feeling repetitive Too Strong: Why are the main characters so silly and won’t admit they love one another? Personal preference it just bothers me Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Cassandra Clare Pages: 485 Overall: 3.8/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 3.5/5 Plot and Themes: 3.5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: The Plot Said What? This one is strong enough that if you have enough you forget that this book ends the way it does. If you haven’t read it…google exists, but just know I warned you so maybe have two of these first then come back. Ingredients 1.5 oz vodka 2 oz El Guapos Lemon Drop Mixer  Instructions -Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice -Shake well and strain into chilled glass -Enjoy responsibly "The descent into hell is easy."  Take a Shot
Clary Fray is a mundane living a mundane life, but is she? One night when out at a club she witnesses something only she can see which in turn opens her up to a world of Shadow Hunters, Demons, Warlocks and Vampires. Clary quickly finds herself immersed in the world when her mother is kidnapped and rumors are swirling of Valentine’s return and it turns out her mom might be more connected to Valentine than many thought. "I've always needed you more than you needed me." Setting I think it’s very fun to have a fantasy book that’s grounded in real life. They drive cars, have cell phones, take taxis, go to clubs, etc. I think it’s a fun way to be in a fantasy world that makes you feel as though it might actually be real life instead of a fully developed world. I also like that it takes place in New York, it’s cliche but I still enjoy when stories are set there especially fantasy stories. Characters I really like the characters, but their character development is just somewhat lacking in my opinion. I think it’s hard to feel really connected to a character when they don’t feel as well rounded as you want. The hardest part being they are quite close to being stellar characters it’s almost as though they needed some more depth and I would have truly loved them. It’s possible we clearly get that in the remainder of the 6 book series, but you have to hook someone book one by really showcasing your characters for who they are especially given that we aren’t world building as much given so much can be grounded in reality. Plots and Themes It’s a really overdone trope to have the main character thrust into a fantasy world they know nothing about. Take for example Harry Potter where he has no idea he is a wizard then is literally shipped off to Hogwarts only to find himself in the middle of a war? Yeah well same thing here Clary has no idea about the world only to realize there’s an impending war and she’s finding herself at the center of it. I understand the trop and don’t have an issue with it, but it’s been done before and happens a lot. I’m also going to mention that I hate a very specific plot point. I’m not even going to write the word here, but you can google it and it will likely be easy to find. I just don’t really see the point in that kind of addition in a mainstream novel. I don’t really like it even in fan fiction, but I believe it should stay in that genre if it’s going to be in literature even at all and I will avoid it like the plague. "Half of your attention is better than all of anyone else's." Overall I do like this series, but it’s not my favorite from this era. It’s a good enough first book that hooks you into the story and makes you want to read more, but it’s an overall very YA novel series from the 2010’s so take that for what it’s worth. Reasons to Raise a Glass: There’s a movie adaptation with Lily Collins (it does lowkey suck, but I just love her if you couldn’t already tell), nostalgic for 2010’s YA lit Too Strong: YUCKY PLOT POINT (I will never not die on this hill that’s all) Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Julia Quinn Pages: 384 Overall: 4/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot and Themes: 4/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Tea in the Drawing Room Ingredients 2 oz gin 1 English breakfast tea bag ½ oz Lemon juice ½ oz Simple syrup Club soda Ice Instructions -Take gin and pour into glass and steep english breakfast tea bag in it -Let steep for half an hour -Combine infused gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and ice into a shaker -Strain into chilled glass -Top with club soda -Enjoy responsibly  “Simon caught her gaze, his eyes burning hot and intense into hers. A warning bell sounded in his mind. He wanted her.”
Take a Shot: Daphne is not the diamond in the start of her **third season being out** and is always seen as the friend. That is until a handsome Duke shows up in London who is also friends with her brother. He and Daphne devise a plan to pretend to have an attachment and as the best laid plans always go…they go awry. “If Anthony isn’t a rake, I pity the woman who meets the man who is.” Setting I love a period piece. I will never not like a period piece and will always feel fondy of them. That being said I read this after the lovely television adaptation by the incredible Shonda Rhimes so I love the setting in fiction. In reality it was a lot smellier and far less glamorous that we make it seem on the big screen. Nonetheless regency era London still sounds like fun if you were one of the ton and got to live in lavish mansion style homes with endless balls to attend in the lavish homes of your friends. Characters I really love Daphne and the Duke. I have to admit I liked their characters equally to the television adaptation which is hard to do. I think their slight variances in their story make them likeable in different ways. I think the books are obviously better because I love the character development we get when we see in both Daphne and Simon’s heads and getting to watch the events of their relationship unfold from their respective perspectives. Plot and Themes I think this book is a perfect example of a mass market paperback that is successful. I found such utte renjoyment out of a simple plot, that did have some unexpected turns, that was quick and easy. There is something to be said about reading a 300 some odd page book and getting a lovely bow on top at the end. I’ve made many a tik tok about this but it’s so rewarding. We get minimal investment, 300 pages, for a happy ending. That’s not to say an 8 book series across multiple thousand pages is not amazing but it’s so wonderful to just read a nice book with a nice easy plot. Overall I really liked this book. It was easy to read and easy to get invested in. It was also easy to read a chapter and put it down then pick it back up a day or two later. While that is contradictory to my reading goal for the year, it’s nice to not feel so pulled in by a book that I can’t breathe without reading it. I think a balance of a book like this one with one like House of Sky and Breath is vital and this one was necessary to break up my routine. “I just don’t know whether to thank you or throttle you.” Too Strong - I know a lot of people take issue with Daphne taking advantage of the Duke and I don’t disagree. I negatievley support non consensual relationships, however, I do recognize that it was a different era and truthfully Daphne’s lack of knowledge about a lot of things can be seen as equally as bad. Sending a woman into a marriage not knowing what to expect is so dangerous because who is to say her husband is to be righteous and honorable in the interaction. I think in this story it is easy to see that as the sole transgression, but I think overall as it is a period piece we must all reflect on the progress that has been made not only for women, but for consent in all forms as well. Reasons to Raise a Glass- I love seeing inside the heads of our characters. It takes what we see on the silver screen and in my opinion amplifies it and expands upon it in ways that only literature can.  Author: Sarah J Maas Pages: 805 Overall: 4.5/5 Setting: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 4.5/5 Cheers Factor: 4.5/5 Pairing: Give Me Relief I feel like the name of this cocktail feels like how I wanted the characters to feel. The drink is refreshing and pleasant and absolutely calming. The cucumber mixed with the botanicals of the gin are great. But truly I wanted the characters to have some sense of relief and knowing Sarah we would get nothing of the sort for our band of characters and in her style she did indeed deliver. "And every horror, every nightmare...all of it had been worth it for her." Ingredients -2 oz empress gin -½ oz simple syrup -cucumber slices -mint sprigs -soda water -ice Instructions -Put 4-5 cucumber slices in a glass with simple syrup and a few mint leaves and muddle -Add in gin and stir with stirring spoon -To a rocks glass put ice and add optional garnish of cucumber slices to ice -Strain gin into glass and top with soda water -Add optional mint sprig garnish -Enjoy responsibly  Take a Shot: After the shocking events of book one we catch back up with our cast of characters as they attempt to return to a normal life, however they are destined for anything but when a new Archangel is set to take control of Lunathion and Bryce ends up betrothed to a distant cousin. Things are never boring for our frat pack plus Bryce and Hunt and they certainly will continue to surprise.
"Team Survive at All Costs - that was her team. She didn't care if that made her a coward." Setting I love Crescent City. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I love it. I also really loved the additions we get to see of Tharion’s lodgings and his court as well as some of the other locales we get to visit like the submarine type ship that our band of characters gets to travel on. ""You'd be surprised what people will stomach when they find their families threatened." Characters I absolutely love that we get more of the side characters. I knew it was going to happen similar to Throne of Glass, but was so incredibly excited to get more of Flynn, Declan, Ruhn, Tharion and Ithan. I also loved the new characters we got to meet like The Hellhound, The Harpy, The Hind and the rest of their crew. It was nice to get their introductions and to also see them interact in the same space as many of the characters we became accustomed to in the last book. "Wherever you're headed when this life is over, Quinlan, that's where I want to be, too." Plot and Themes I thought the book was a little slow at points I won’t lie. It took me a beat to really get into it. I did love the new storyline we got and the deeper we get into the Asteri and their story it was truly illuminating. I also loved the introduction of Cormac and all his motivations that bled into those of our main characters. It was very well woven to bring all the characters together in true SJM fashion. She is a master of melding plots and themes together and I cannot speak highly enough about the way she does all this and it is something to be admired and studied in order to replicate to the best of one’s abilities so that all books may feel as clever as her plots. "The dead have little reason to lie." Overall I did indeed feel shocked at the end even though I had been spoiled prior to reading it. I really loved this book and loved all the new antics our crew got up to. I won’t say this is my favorite series of Sarah’s but I can say that if recency bias says anything it’s my favorite for the moment by way of both books in the series have both thoroughly enticed me. I recommend this series to anyone I come across and will continue to do so. Too Strong: Some slow pacing Reasons to Raise a Glass: RUHN. FUCKING. DANAAN. That’s all. I mean Hunt too, and Flynn but mainly RUHN. FUCKING. DANAAN. "Males will always try to control the females who scare them. Marriage and breeding are their go-to methods." Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Sarah J Maas Pages: 803 Overall: 4.8/5 Setting: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 4.5/5 Cheers Factor: 5/5 Pairing: Light it Up This drink will make you want to light it up both on the dance floor, in the club and then light it up alone so you can cry when you read this book. That’s not even me spoiling it because my friend who NEVER cries while reading sobbed at the end of this book and I sobbed when I read it and then when I listened to the audio book a week later. "Danika had died, and she was alone, and Bryce couldn't breath." Ingredients -2 oz tequila -3-4 cubes of watermelon -½ oz watermelon cranberry juice -1 oz lime juice -prosecco -lime slices -ice Instructions -Put watermelon and watermelon cranberry juice in a blender and blend thoroughly -Strain into stirring glass and add tequila and lemon juice and ice -Prepare wine glass with ice and garnish with optional lime slices -Stir thoroughly and strain into wine glass -Top with prosecco -Enjoy responsibly "Her goal was to protect you. Always. Even from yourself."  Take a shot: Bryce Quinlan despite being half human half fae has the perfect life full of working hard and partying harder. Well had a perfect life until a demon murdered her closest friends and she was left to pick up the pieces two years later when it seems the demon may be killing again. In true Sarah J Maas style we get to see Bryce try to put the pieces together with more than one pieces of arm candy winged and not.
"Let someone in, give them the power to hurt you, and they do exactly that, in the end." Setting I love the way that Crescent City really feels like the real world. I love the old buildings with the new feel. I like the inclusion of modern technology like “electricity” the internet, cell phones and everything in between. It makes this novel a really interesting one she has written given her settings are normally far less real world and find themselves wholly rooted in fantasy, but truly I loved the new vibe. Characters GODS SPARE ME HUNT ATHALAR. Now I know it’s an SJM book so I’m trying to not get too attached to Hunt Athalar, but I think he has to be end game. Sarah otherwise would seem a bit cliche given her previous two series and the main love interest switches that happen so often. But seriously I think if a winged angel sat by me on the couch with a backward hat and wanted to watch football/soccer (sunball is never explained but I’m leaning toward the former), I think I would fizzle into a puddle. I also love the adult language. This book feels very mature and it’s meant to be that way and I appreciate it given I can’t tell you how much I wanted Aelin to be able to curse in ToG. Now we get Bryce and Hunt who get to do it with reckless abandon and it feels very comparable to ACOSF with the character maturity which is great. Plots and Themes This is the only part I had a slight gripe about. The beginning is very interesting. The ending is incredible and I will not lie I UGLY cried. But the middle, while good, just felt a little long at points. Like I loved the sexual tension build up and the true relationship building between our love interests. It was actually one of my favorite parts of the book, but this circumstance to me felt like the plot warranted a more phsyical relationship than we got given the nature of how the relationship develops and we did not get that sadly. Overall I’ve read this book then subsequently bought the audio book to listen to it the week after. I cried at the same points, was anxious and nervous at the same points and that’s a sign. I truly think this is one of my favorite books by Maas and cannot wait for the rest of the series to unfold. I think she’s so talented and love the way that she reveals new information that it truly feels like a shock to the reader. I am forever in awe of the entirety of this woman’s work and this book was no exception. I even like the slow burn even though I like a good sexy time moment I found myself respecting it the more I think about it. Too Strong - The book is a little long at some parts and feels a little like it should move on, but it’s not that deterring. Reasons to Raise a Glass - HUNT. FUCKING. ATHALAR. He’s the new loml for book boyfriends and I now want a man obsessed with sunball to wear a backwards hat on my couch, Murder mystery, loss and death with purpose, great depression and PTSD traits and characteristics present with characters ina respectful, meaningful and realistic way "Momento Mori. Remember that you will die." Warning spoilers ahead if you read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: V.E. Shwab Pages: 444 Overall: 4/5 Setting: 3.8/5 Characters: 4.5/5 Plot and Themes: 4/5 Cheers Factor: 3.75/5 Pairing: Aged and Confused When making this my mom mistook the name of the infused brand for “Aged and Confused” as opposed to “Aged and Infused”. However, it felt like it matched Addie’s vibe and I also think it was one of those drinks that felt like it was different enough that it would fit Addie. Ingredients -2 oz apple, ginger and cardamom infused vodka from Aged & Infused -2 oz pear juice -Ginger beer -orange slice for garnish Directions -Combine all ingredients in a copper mug -Stir thoroughly and garnish with optional orange slice -Enjoy responsibly "What a luxury, to tell one's story. To be read, remembered."  "Take your echoes and pretend they are a voice."
Take a Shot: Addie LaRue is not like other girls. You’ll meet her and then forget she ever existed and your interaction will float into the wine with her. That’s because she made a deal with the devil back in the 1700’s when she was a young woman who wanted more than her life could offer. She wanted to see the world and he gave her the ability to do so. But then a sweet boy from a bookstore, he remembers, he remembers her and then her world doesn’t feel so small anymore. Setting Honestly the setting is the most boring part of the book. It’s really not all that life changing given our character has lived for hundreds of years and undoubtedly traveled to many cool places. But like we get a handful of locations and they feel lackluster. No granted, the story is our focus not the setting, but I can’t objectively say that the setting was all that great given other pars of the novel were quite good and opposite to this. Characters I love Luc. He gives me Darkling vibes even though I think the darkling is yucky. I could not get enough of him. I also loved sweet Henry. He’s nerdy and cute and sweet. I liked Addie for her sheer tenacity as a person. She’s fiery and strong despite having grown up in a time where women were not favored to be such. I did love the LGBTQ+ representation. The fluid love of both Henry and Addie was quite intriguing as well as refreshing to read. Sometimes I don’t ove the blatant LGBTQ+ storylines, but I really liked this one and the way that it was so subtle as a way of informing us to both of the characters. Truly a job well done. Plots and Themes I loved the twist. And no I won’t spoil it, but I thought it was really well done. Now did I feel as sad as some of my counterparts on the internet did? No, no I did not, but I did feel attached to them all individually. I thought they were all so entwined in the story that it felt really nice to feel so attached to them individually in their journeys. Overall, did I predict the ending? Yes. Was I mad about it? No. So I did feel satisfied with the ending and moved quite honestly. Overall I wouldn’t say this is the best book I read, but I have to give props to the way it was written. It’s truly so well done and absolutely stellar in the writing style. Story, plot and characters aside the writing makes the book so amazing. I would love to read more of her work because I was truly blown away and would recommend this book solely on this principle. Too Strong - Tall, dark and sexy man was the villain, for real (you can’t do this to me), Where was the cool settings?!?! Raise a Glass - THE. WRITING. GETS. YOU. "History is a thing designed in retrospect." Warning spoilers if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk. |
Cheers FactorEach book here at Cheers&Chapters is rated based off of certain categories that are genre specific, however every book will get a Cheers Factor. The Cheers Factor is how much we wanted to raise our glass while reading it. So get your glasses ready and cheers! Archives
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