THE CHATEAU by Tiffany Reisz

The Chateau

(The Original Sinners #9)

by 

Tiffany Reisz 

As the Jack-of-All-Wicked-Trades for a secretive French military intelligence agency, 24-year-old Lieutenant Kingsley Boissonneault has done it all—spied, lied, and killed under orders. But his latest assignment is quite out of the ordinary. His commanding officer's nephew has disappeared inside a sex cult, and Kingsley has been tasked with bringing him home to safety. 

The cult’s holy book is Story of O, the infamous French novel of extreme sado-masochism. Their château is a looking-glass world where women reign and men are their willing slaves. Or are they willing? It’s Kingsley’s mission to find out.

Once inside the château, however, Kingsley quickly falls under the erotic spell cast by the enigmatic Madame, a woman of wisdom, power, and beauty. She offers Kingsley the one thing he’s always wanted. But the price? Giving up forever the only person he’s ever loved.

What I thought:

This was the first book I've read in the Original Sinners series and it definitely won't be the last. Kingsley. Sigh. I love how complex Reisz's characters are. I love how she weaves a story together. 

This is billed as a stand-alone, and it does, however, I did feel like the ending was a little rushed. I felt it lacked something, but I think that was because I didn't have the backstory from previous titles to fall back on. Otherwise a nuanced, fast-paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed.   

If you enjoy BDSM, complex relationships and even more complex characters, this story is for you! 

Rating: **** (4.25 stars)

*I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. It in no way influenced my review.

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RATING SCALE: 

 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 

 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 

 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 

 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.

 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.

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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recs in my comments. Comments make me smile. :) 

You can find me on twitter: @ChellyPike and find more reviews here: https://chellywrites.blogspot.com.

Happy reading,

Chelly

THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST by Holly Black

The Darkest Part of the Forest

by 

Holly Black 

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough? 

What I thought: 

Yes! This story is marvelous. Enchanting. Delightful. It did not go how I initially expected and that only made it better. No spoils, but I highly recommend this book. I love Holly Black. She never disappoints. 

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

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RATING SCALE: 

 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 

 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 

 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 

 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.

 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.

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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recs in my comments. Comments make me smile. :) 

Oh, yeah, and find me on twitter: @ChellyPike and find more reviews here: https://chellywrites.blogspot.com.

Happy Reading,

Chelly

DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST / LICKS/ I DO NOT TRUST YOU

The Darkest Part of the Forest

by 

Holly Black 

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough? 

What I thought: 

Yes! This story is marvelous. Enchanting. Delightful. It did not go how I initially expected and that only made it better. No spoils, but I highly recommend this book. I love Holly Black. She never disappoints. 

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

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Licks

(One Wild Wish #3)

by 

Kelly Siskind

36 hours is a short spell when racing the clock.
2,160 minutes is an eternity for old friends to fall in love… 

August Cruz is the only man I’ve ever loved. 
He’s the one who got away. 
He’s the one I totally screwed over. 

Now he’s standing on my doorstep, nine years later, but he’s not the only thing that turns up. My mother’s lost diary is in my hands, and it might lead me to my father. A possibility I wished for one year ago, at my last birthday. 

I have 36 hours to fulfill that wish. 
I have 36 hours to drag August on a wild scavenger hunt. 
I have 36 hours to protect my heart before I lose him again...because there's something he's not telling me. 

What I thought: 

So this story is built around my least favorite romance obstacle... and I still really enjoyed it. Kelly Siskind just has a way with romance. Terrific tension and oh so steamy. A definite read for romance fans. I can't wait to see what she writes next. 

Rating: **** (3.75 stars)

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I Do Not Trust You

by 

Laura J. Burns and 

Melinda Metz 

Memphis "M" Engle is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she's awesome.

Ashwin Sood is a little too posh for her tastes, a member of an ancient cult (which she’s pretty sure counts for more than one strike against him), and has just informed Memphis that her father who she thought was dead isn’t and needs her help.

From the catacombs of Paris to lost temples in the sacred forests, together they crisscross the globe, searching for the pieces of the one thing that might save her father. But the closer they come to saving him—and the more they fall for one another—the closer they get to destroying the world. 

What I thought: 

This story had so much potential, but where it was strong in premise, I found that it failed in execution. 

There were two POVs, but the characters' voices were so similar that I couldn't keep track of which character was on stage. And I couldn't connect with either one of them. I'm all for unlikable girls, but M's character wasn't developed enough for me to feel anything for her.

The writing was flat. Lots of telling and none of the scenes were really fleshed out. The best parts of the story were the scenes with Mike (but don't even get me started on that whole revelation because I found it cringe-worthy) and the mythology aspects. 

But the mythology wasn't enough to keep it interesting. There were no twists, no turns. Every obstacle was easily surmounted with an A + B = C formulaic plan. Mostly I think I was disappointed that this was marketed as a thriller, and it wasn't thrilling. But the most annoying part were the villains. Over-the-top cliche villains with no depth. 

So this story wasn't for me, but plenty of other people liked it. If you like mythology and want to learn a little bit about many other cultures, specifically their holy places, maybe this is for you. 

Rating: ** (1.75 stars)

*I received a complimentary ARC of this title from St. Martin's Press. It in no way influenced my review.

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RATING SCALE: 

 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 

 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 

 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 

 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.

 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.

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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recs in my comments. Comments make me smile. :) 

Oh, yeah, and find me on twitter: @ChellyPike

Happy Reading,

Chelly