ARC Review: Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray

Crescent City meets Fourth Wing in this fast-paced and romantic debut, in which a teenage girl must survive ruthless werewolves, a glittering court, and deadly politics to exact revenge on the monsters who destroyed her.

After a vicious werewolf attack on the night of her seventeenth birthday party, Vanessa Hart loses everything she loves in a split second. Her best friend, her father, and even her home.

Bitten and imprisoned without explanation, Vanessa endures an agonizing transformation into the very beast that maimed her, and her captors make it clear she cannot escape: she will either swear her life to the Wolf Queen’s Court, or she will die.

With no other choice, Vanessa joins their enchanted Castle Severi—where flowering vines grow through the walls, gifts are bestowed by the stars, and a claw can break through skin as easily as silk—but she hasn’t forgotten what they stole from her.

Vanessa still seeks vengeance, scheming in the shadows even as she finds herself mesmerized by the golden prince Sinclair Severi, who threatens to steal her heart though he is promised to her nemesis. And by his brooding, disgraced cousin, Calix, whose smoldering gaze hides even darker secrets. Immersed in the magic of their whimsical yet cruel society, Vanessa soon learns not all is as it seems.

The Court is at war, and she may simply be a pawn in its lethal game.

For Fans of:
Forbidden Romance
Enemies to Lovers
Werewolves
Paranormal Romance

Title: Bitten

Author: Jordan Stephanie Gray

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette Audio

Expected Publication Date: September 30, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette Audio, NetGalley, and Edelweiss for providing me with an early copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I will be honest and say I had cover envy with this book and that's what initially drew me to look at it. I mean, it's an absolutely gorgeous cover. And purple is my favorite color, so I took a chance. And it's been a long time since I've read a truly good urban fantasy wolf story. Though the blurb for this makes it sound more like a fairytale. Everything these days seems to be witches or vampires. But I love me some werewolves so I was ready for a good story. Plus, it just sounded super intriguing and the audio had five different narrators! Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed by this book nor did it live up to what I truly thought it would be. I tried so hard to like it, and pushed through, but in the end I was just disappointed by the entire thing.

Let's start with the narrators. Truly, I thought the book would be in several points of view given how many narrators there were, but that didn't happen. Instead, the book employed what I would normally call duet narration (narrators speaking the parts of the different characters and in this case, several characters), but this was not the case. The story is told from the POV of the main character, Vanessa Hart. And all the other narrators jump in and play their part. While this sounds like it would work (I've listened to lots of full cast audio which I have loved), it just didn't work for me with this book. Not only do I have no idea who narrated what part, I didn't even find much variation in the actual narrators. All the men and women sounded pretty much the same to me. Add to that some sound effects for flashbacks and it was just a jumbled mess. The narrators themselves were not terrible, but, again, it's hard to know who was who given the nature of the single POV of the book.

I tried my hardest to put aside my dislike of how the narration was done and flipped back and forth between Kindle and audio version to give myself a break from the voices in the hopes I would enjoy the story more. This didn't really make a difference for me in how I felt about the book, though.

The book starts out with a bang, jumping right into an action scene, which in and of itself was intense and fun. The main character finds herself bitten and more of less kidnapped to a hidden castle where she lives out her days transforming and learning what it's like to be part of a pack and a royal werewolf court. Unfortunately, you don't get any background on the main character because of this. I have no idea who she is, what she was truly like before, and why she is reacting the way she is during the story.  This stunted her growth and development and it was hard to know if she was changing or had always been the way she was. Add to this a plethora of side characters who are also not well developed and you just have a story that falls flat. I really didn't feel any of the chemistry, connection, or even animosity I was being told I should feel during the story.

This book is also billed as YA. The main character has just turned 17. While I know teens do have sexual encounters and know more about sex than we often think they do, this was in no way closed door. or fade to black. Which is what I am used to when I read YA. Yes, we see kissing, maybe a little groping, but this was beyond that. There was at least one scene that was fairly explicit and spicy. I would rather see the main character a year or two older and this be billed as NA. Plus, the love triangle was just a mess. I'm all for a good why choose, I really am, but I need to have a sense of connection with the characters and reasons why they go in this direction. This book did not give me that. There was zero chemistry build up. Vanessa suddenly is just attracted to these two characters and that's it. Add to this the fact that the two love interests treat Vanessa like garbage and it just didn't work.

The writing, ugh. It was super juvenile. Now, I get that it's billed as YA, but it almost felt as if it wasn't fully edited. So much telling and almost zero showing. And all the adjectives , unnecessary descriptions, and metaphors that were used often made zero sense. It seemed like the author was trying to build something lush but it just came out as cringy.

Finally, the world building is so lacking. I have no real idea of the history of this book. Yes, there is a prologue chapter that gives you some indication of why things are the way they are, but other than that, I didn't understand more than what the eye color meant. Speaking of, the main character has an eye color that is totally unique, but we never learn why. And she is no different than any of the other wolves in the story. Perhaps this may be addressed in the future books but the author should at least give some clue as to what her special eye color means. And because the world building was so poor, the pacing was super slow. I needed more of the royal court politics and the history of the court. The author chooses the "that's how things are" approach and that just does not work for me when reading a fantasy book. It left me with a story that lacked depth.

Unfortunately, this book just was not for me and I won't be moving on in the series. I do see a few good reviews and I encourage people to read a bunch of decide for themselves if they would like to give this one a try.

1.5 stars rounded to 2

Author:

Jordan Stephanie Gray is a long-time daydreamer and writer of the fantastical and romantic and freelance editor to bestselling authors. In her free time, she can be found curled up with her pugs in her lap, rereading her favorite novels while teasing her middle schooler about how much kissing is in her own books (a lot). She invites you to visit her at authorjordangray.com and to follow her on instagram @authorjordangray.

Jordan Stephanie Gray is the author of the young adult paranormal romantasy, Bitten, and the adult mermaid romantasy, The Wicked Sea.

When she isn’t lounging by the pool and typing away at her computer, she is likely cuddling her pugs in sunny Florida.

 

ARC Review: Disciples of Chaos (Seven Faceless Saints #2) by M.K. Lobb

In this thrilling sequel to Seven Faceless Saints, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco, Roz and Damian must face their destiny as the world crumbles around them.

Damian Venturi isn't aware of it yet. But as small shifts start to crack the foundations of the Ombrazian power structure after the Rebellion's attack, cracks are beginning to show in Damian's own facade. Uncontrollable anger is bubbling to the surface and can't always be pushed down. Can he keep everyone safe, even from himself?

Rossana Lacertosa should feel victorious. She accomplished everything she set out to do, and more. The Rebellion's attack set countless prisoners free and brought attention to the unfairness in the Palazzo's structure. And Damian is back by her side where he belongs. Yet the war with Brechaat rages on and government officials are hellbent on keeping the status quo.

Then an Ombrazian general arrives from the front lines, and orders dozens of arrests, shipping Roz and Damian's friends up north. Determined to free those who matter most, Roz and Damian set their sights on Brechaat. But their journey is dogged by strange magic, and Damian shifts further from the boy he used to be.

The complications of love, magic, faith, and war will keep readers eagerly turning the pages as they head towards the gripping conclusion in the Seven Faceless Saints duology.

Title: Disciples of Chaos (Seven Faceless Saints #2)

Author: M.K. Lobb

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Expected Publication Date: 2/20/2024

Review:

I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Children for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and given an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Picking up right where Seven Faceless Saints left off, Damian and Rosanna suffered at the hands of a disciple of Chaos and won. Now they face a new power that has come to usurp. Escaping their captivity, they run towards their enemy only to find the enemy may not be truly who they think it is.

This review will be very vague as I don't want to spoil the first book.

I expected so much from this book. I loved the first installment in this duology. The theme of the saints and their hold on society was so interesting and the ending took a turn that kept me wanting for more. I knew something odd was up with Damian and I knew Roz was going to do her best to find out what it was.

I enjoyed the world building a bit more in this book. In the first book I felt like i was missing some important background with that. But this book really dove into the saints and the stories that went along with Chaos and Patience and why things were set the way they were.

This book took the turn I thought it might. The predictability came to me once the ending of the first book happened. I just wasn't sure how it would move forward. And then when I started reading I saw it would and wondered how the author would handle it. In the end, I just didn't feel satisfied with it. It felt like it was missing something important.

In all honesty, I found the pacing in this book to be very slow compared to the first book, which I flew through. It took me over a month to read this as I just didn't feel the pull I had with the first. 

The romance wasn't really where I wanted it to be. I was loving the connection Damian and Roz built throughout the first book. I was hoping that connection would continue in this book. But it didn't. I do understand that was part of Damian's transformation, him pulling away and beginning to be something else, but it just didn't seen organic. I actually came to loathe Damian, but perhaps that is what the author was going for.

The action was good in this book. And I like the journey the characters took along the way. We met some new and interesting characters and of course saw those we knew from book one.

I do love the author's writing and the fact that she chose to continue the dual POV in this book. It really gave great insight into the characters and their inner turmoils. Though it wasn't truly a dual POV since we did see Milos and Kieran speak in their chapters, but most of the focus was on Roz and Damian.

But overall I just wasn't as satisfied with this one. Specifically the ending. I understand there needed to be a sacrifice, though I thought the author would somehow come up with a way to turn it. I just didn't understand the need to have the twist happen and then all of a sudden it goes from not so happy to sort of happy. That just left me wanting a better wrap up.

M. K. Lobb is a fantasy writer with a love of all things dark— be it literature, humour, or general aesthetic. She grew up in small-town Canada and now lives by the lake with her partner and their cats. When not reading or writing, she can be found at the gym or contemplating the harsh realities of existence.

Her debut novel, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS, releases Feb 7, 2023 from Little, Brown. The sequel, DISCIPLES OF CHAOS, is to follow in 2024.

 

ARC Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

 

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

Published:

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Review:

I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review.

This is my first Holly Black book. She is an author that has been suggested to me a number of times and I finally dove into this one to see what she is all about. I was not disappointed in the least. 

Not only is this book unique, but the writing is fantastic. It flows right off the page. I didn't want to put it down. I'm not usually a huge fan of third person, but it worked so well for this story. It worked to show you several points of view from all different characters, adding to the world building and background you need to understand the entire story. The writing reminded me of Cassandra Clare, whom I love. Lots of detail, lots of painting the scene so you see it entirely in your mind without having to create anything for yourself. I love that. 

The twists and turns this book took were great. I will say I figured out the final twist earlier on than the book let you in on it, but it did not stop me from continuing to read so I could see the final outcome of the story.

I do like paranormal and this puts a nice twist on that. Modern day paranormal is always more interesting as there are so many more intricate plot holes the author needs to be aware of and Black covered them without a hitch.

The characters were nice, not my favorite. I love Gavriel. I love his craziness. Tana was more calm than I would have liked her to be in some situations, but she does explain later how she had gone from a scared, shy girl to one who was "different" at 13. She doesn't explain the difference but it's inferred in her mannerisms and how she reacts to situations that would otherwise cause people to die from fear. 

There is much gore in the book (a la Ann Rice if you will). I'm ok with that. It is a vampire book, after all, and if one does not expect gore from such a book, then they are not reading the right vampire novels.

I love how the author truly meshes a dystopian world with the paranormal. Think World War Z. 

Overall, I'm really glad I picked this up. It was a quicker read than I expected. I would absolutely read more from this author and intend to.

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.

ARC Review: Defy the Stars (Constellation #1) by Claudia Gray

She's a soldier - Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she's a rebel.

He's a machine - Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel's advanced programming has begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he's an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they're not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they're forced to question everything they'd been taught was true.

Fast-paced, romantic, and captivating, Defy The Stars is a story about what it means to be human, about deciding what you truly believe in, and about finding your place in a dangerous world.

My review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for supplying me with a copy of this book on my Kindle to read and review.

I love sci fi. I always find it fun and entertaining. Plus, the idea of being able to be in the future, in space, is just fascinating to me. So this book really was right up my street with that.

The two points of view used by the author really offer unique insight into the universe she creates. Namoni is the human POV. She's emotional, super smart, and ready to die for her world. And most of all she's super brave. Willing to take whatever chances are needed to ensure she can keep her people safe. Abel, a mech, is just a machine. Though a sophisticated one, he's not suppose to be able to feel and have his own point of view. And yet, he does.  But you can still tell Abel is more machine than human in the way he analyzes things and how technical he is. The contrast between their two characters is fun. 

I did find the story line a bit slow. It was nice to see them travel through space, meet different people, find friends, make enemies, and work their way back to where they started. But I felt like some parts were a bit more drawn out than they needed to be.

The ending is well rounded but leaves room for future books (of which there are two). I'm not sure I feel the need to move on to the next story, But one never knows how I'll feel about reading just a bit more sci fi!

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.

I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.

 

ARC Review: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

 

Blurb:

If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Published: 6/6/15
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

My Review:

I want to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

I'm always thrilled when a book about mental health is put out on the market. There are so many stigmas that go along with mental health issues, especially in the teen population, and I like to see authors delving into those subjects to shed light on the fact they exist.

Samantha has OCD. She has thoughts that invade her mind and a hard time controlling them and not acting on impulse. She has learned to deal with the thoughts through behavioral therapy but sometimes that does not seem to be enough.

Sam's group of friends do not know about her condition. And she wants to keep it that way as she feels they would not understand and may cast her out for it. Sam spends much of this book under the stress of trying to appear "perfect" because she feels without The Eights would be more harmful to her. So she keeps her secrets.

Until one day she finds an outlet: poetry.

This book had a Colleen Hoover Slammed vibe to me. The poetry group Sam finds helps her to find words to deal with her condition. This, along with her therapy she has been having for years, and her swimming, awaken in her a feeling of power and control.

Of course a YA book would not be a true contemporary without a hint of romance. Sam meets AJ through poets corner. But they have a past she can't seem to remember. When it is revealed, she is set on apologizing and winning back his trust. Of course she does more than that. I will be honest, I didn't truly need the romance in this book. I think it would have worked as a great friendship and have had the same effect. I liked AJ, but I do think he was quick to forgive and then fall for the girl that hurt him.

Overall, this was a quick read with a lot of growth and development that happened with Sam. She learns how to become her true self and also how to have more of a balance in her life not always needing to show only her perfect side to the friends she's had for years.

I will say the pace was a bit slow. I feel like Sam spent a lot of time brooding which did not lend well to show us how her condition was truly affecting her life. 

My favorite relationship was with her and her therapist. I did love how the author made that a forefront in the book and how the connection she had with is represented in a healthy light (rather than the stigma so many seem to think it is).

Coming from a healthcare background, I'm happy to see this author delve into such an issue and show the true nature of what it is like to live with a mental health disorder and how hard it is to deal with, especially as a teenager.

TAMARA IRELAND STONE spent nearly two decades in the technology industry before she began writing middle grade and young adult fiction. She feels lucky to say she's had two careers she's loved.

Her New York Times bestseller, EVERY LAST WORD, won the Cybils Young Adult Fiction Award, the Georgia Peach Book Award, and was a YALSA Teens' Top Ten pick; LITTLE DO WE KNOW won the NCIBA Golden Poppy Award for Young Adult Fiction; and her debut novel, TIME BETWEEN US, has been published in over twenty languages. The first book in her middle-grade series, CLICK'D, was a Sunshine State Young Readers Award pick, a Kids' Indie Next pick, a Cybils Award Nominee, and an NCIBA Golden Poppy nominee.

Tamara is a proud nerd, vinyl collector, and movie lover. She burns everything she cooks.

She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.