The Heir (Selection #4)

                Hello happy readers!  So the cake I mentioned previously never happened.  Well the cake part happened but I didn’t decorate it really because the party was canceled so yeah I just did a basic frosting layer and brought the bad boy to work today, nothing picture worthy.  That said yesterday I also was happy to continue on in a series I’ve been working though this year finally, The Heir (Selection #4) by Kiera Cass.  I reviewed the other books The Selection, TheElite, and The One already so check back there if you’d like.  Overall I really enjoyed the series as a whole and was excited to know what would happen next. 

Rating:  3.5 Stars

                America entered the selection and ended up finding a happily ever after with Prince Maxon after some difficulties through the process.  Now years later their oldest of four kids and only daughter, heir to the crown Princess Eadlyn  has been putting off the prospect of marriage as long as possible.  She has no interest in a man or partner in her job she wants to do it independent and alone.  Still as things in the country heat up it is time to have a selection for her, thirty-five men competing for her heart even if she protests against it.  As the process goes on and she gets to know these men she finds that maybe she doesn’t want to be alone all that much and the idea of love for her may be a possibility.

                Okay so my rating would seem like I didn’t care for this book but that’s not the case I did enjoy it.  I didn’t like it as much as the original books and I think that has to do with Eadlyn.  I wasn’t her biggest fan in the start she was to me a hypocrite, rude, and a spoiled brat at most times both complaining that she will be queen and forced under pressure and reassuring herself she’s the most powerful person around.  Now as the story progressed I did see softer sides to her and understand her characters motivations for many of her actions which did earn her points but it did take some time.

                The male suitors I felt we didn’t know as much about.  There are a few stand outs for sure but the others I can’t even remember their names.  That is to be expected with 35 males but still.  Eadlyn didn’t seem to care so I couldn’t tell the difference between them.  Also while I liked the idea of it being female run this time and run by her rather than her fighting against the kings selections as Maxon had to do it may be seeing it from the selectees side rather than a member of the selection but the guys didn’t seem to have to work.  Like they had to try and stay in her good graces and not insult her and try to be memorable in a positive way sure but where the girls were tested on different chores and such the guys weren’t accept the one time.  We don’t know what the guys are doing in their down time but it seems like they are just hanging out until she decides she wants to see or eliminate someone which is cool but since this is flipping the script I’d like to see them have to compete.

                I did enjoy the idea of seeing things from the opposite side, of the one searching.  Also the side of being the female in charge.  I was also a little thrown by some of the things happing in the world and some of the things America and Maxon had gone/were going through.  The dismantling of the castes and everything else that happened as we left off.  Also checking on some of the favorites like Aspen and Lucy, Marlee and Carter, and others.  I also liked the relationship between the siblings.  I really like Ahren, Eadlyn’s twin brother, he was so sweet and romantic.  I liked their connection and that was one part that kind of won Eadlyn over to me.  I didn’t always approve of her actions but I understood her motivations.  Kaden and Osteen are so cute as well, Osteen and his wildness and Kaden I admit to thinking he might be the best possible heir in my opinion. 

                Overall I enjoyed the story and it really turned around for me towards the end as I got to open up to Eadlyn and feel with her.  She is still rough around the edges but she is softening some and growing and learning and that is what we can expect.  I’m excited to read the last and final book soon so I can know what happens and how it ends but also see where Eadlyn ends up emotionally.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and feels on this one in the comments below.  Did you enjoy the new swap on the selection? 

                Until next time…

The One (Selection #3)

                Hello happy readers!  So quick heads up there is still a giveaway open for the SIGNED copy of The Last Star by Rick Yancey until 6/6 here so don’t forget to enter!  Now back to matters, you may have noticed that I’ve been working my way through the Selection series by Kiera Cass.  I have finished the original trilogy now and the bind-up of novellas and now plan to finish the newest two books in the series.  Today I’m going to be reviewing The One (Selection #3) and Happily Ever After the novella bind-up so there will be spoilers for the first two books just be warned. 

Rating: 5 Stars

                So when we left off we found out that the founder wasn't as awesome as we first thought, rather vindictive to his own family really.  He created the caste systems and after a bout of misunderstanding, anger, and hurt feelings America pitched dismantling the castes as her 'per project' on air to all the country to see.  As one can imagine the king was not pleased.  She was almost sent home but a raid by the rebels forced America and Maxon into a safe room together for the night where they could get some things cleared up between them and give Maxon a good story for his father to let her stay.  Things aren't that easy though because now she has broken Maxon's trust and he wants her to earn it back.  Things both inside and outside the palace are heating up as America gets closer to being the one, something she never thought she could want and now as she is close to losing it, him really, she will have to stop sitting back and waiting and fight for what she wants.

                This series I marathoned pretty closely back to back mostly listening in audiobook form.  I only ever got upset with America in this one finally for a few of her 'agh' moments.  At the time I remember remarking that I was so irritated with her at one point near the front but as time has let things sit I realize it was less annoyance at her and more my desire for things to go my way quickly in the story.  America did some things I wasn't thrilled about sure but the same personality traits I liked in the first two books are what got me upset in this one.  She is the same character who is coming to terms with her past and her present and understanding what it is she wants and who she wants to be.  That said I also had a few moments of annoyance with Maxon as well but that is par for the course when mix-up and misunderstandings keep popping up and interfering with what you want to happen.

                That said I was really excited to meet Georgia and August and learn more about the rebels and the country and where it stands overall.  There is much more going on than a simple selection and Maxon has more to worry about than choosing the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with and also with how he can save his people.  Neither task is made simple with interference by pretty much every outside force imaginable.  Violence erupts and we discover more and more that leaves everything in question.

                Overall as a series I really enjoyed the ride and the way things from all the books would come back into play or something I remembered thinking it was important coming back up later proving me right.  Lots of things happened.  Emotions run high and things are intense.  Overall while I found the series as a whole somewhat predictable I didn't find myself caring because it was still fun and while I knew what to expect how it got to those points were always interesting. 

                Now for Happily Ever After, the novella bind-up.  I dove into this directly because I knew it contained a story of where everyone was as well as scenes after The One.  I read the novellas totally out of order but that was okay.  I think my favorite, pun intended, might have been The Favorite followed by the after scenes and even the scenes from Celeste.  None of them are necessary to enjoy the series by any means they only add to them and give a better sense of some of the characters and I have to say The Queen may have been the most interesting one just to have that glimpse.  The Guard was my least favorite of the stories and it wasn't that I disliked it but more that I like Maxon more and even seeing Aspens side of some things didn't change much for me so it didn't really add much for me. 

                That's all for this I look forward to continuing on and finishing the last two books, the final one should be arriving via Amazon this week.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the first three books and how everything played out.  How everything ended?  Did you see it coming?  Were you rooting for it? Tell me in the comments below.

                Until next time…

The Selection (The Selection #1)

                Hello happy readers!  First let me say sorry for being a bad blogger the last week as I fell off schedule and such.  I had a couple of trips out of town and transitioned from night shift to day shift and it just left me all sorts of confused as to what day it was.  Plus while driving I can audiobook it but I can’t write reviews very well.  Just shows I need to get ahead in my reviews but I find myself wanting to keep reading over taking the time to type.  Anywho I’m somewhat adjusting to my new shift, though I don’t like day shift as it’s much too early for me, and should be on track again now.  That said on my trips I managed to finish a couple of audiobooks, the first of which I’m reviewing today, The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass.  Also side note there are currently 13 hours left (ends 5/12/16 @ midnight) in my open giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi and you can enter here.

Rating:  4.5 Stars

                The Selection is a story of thirty-five girls who are picked to be part of the Selection.  They will try to win the heart of the Prince, Maxon while living in the palace surrounded by the best of everything.  America didn’t want to be in the Selection, she entered at the request of others never expecting to be picked because she was in love with her secret boyfriend Aspen.  Secret because of the caste system they live in and him being below her.  Having her own ideas about what Maxon would be like she is thrown off guard when she meets him and all of her pre-conceived notions fall away.  While she questions her feelings for everything, Maxon, Aspen, the idea of the crown, and her world she must play the game and survive the politics, other girls, and the rebel attacks.

                This series has been out for a little while and I’ve had them on my shelf since 2014 at pre-YALLfest but had not picked them up yet.  I wanted to read the series this year for many reasons, one that they were waiting for me and I wanted to knock them out and two because the follow up was coming out so it seemed like a good time before I got spoiled.  If I’m honest one of the things that always made me pick up another book/series is that I’ve seen the MC America Singer on pretty much all of the lists for either annoying MC or some other such list and it made me nervous.  I have some issues with her through the books, as you have with almost any MC not doing what you think they should do but I didn’t get annoyed with her any more than any other character from other books.  So I would say go in without prejudices and just enjoy the story.

                That said I really liked it.  I don’t watch any of the dating shows currently but I did watch the first two or three seasons of the Bachelor.  This was described as a dystopian royal version of the Bachelor and I totally see it in some aspects.  There are thirty-five girls there in the hopes of being the chosen one, princess.  Our bachelor is Prince Maxon who has one chance to find a girl he will be spending the rest of his life both in marriage and ruling the country so it’s rather daunting.  I really liked him and his attitude towards the whole thing, he knows it’s unorthodox but he doesn’t have many options otherwise and this is how things are so he is making the best of it.  He also has good intentions which were endearing.  Wanting someone to love and someone to love him rather than his crown.  Oh and I knew early on I was Team Maxon, just saying.  Not finished with the series yet but I usually stick to my ships.

                America was also rather sweet.  She is in love and happy with things, content making the best of what she has.  I liked that.  Then when her heart is broken she is honest about it and wants to help everyone still.  Now as things go on she has some less than honest moments to say the least but I understand her confusion and mixed up emotions.  As I read I could understand how she would be confused about her feelings developing for Maxon.  She’s competing with several girls for his attention and affection, she didn’t plan on it being an issue because she didn’t think she would ever really be in the game so to find you have feelings for him and are in it not for your family but for him it could be hard to reconcile.  She makes plenty of mistakes but overall I enjoyed her character and how she looked after others from her family to her maids and fellow girls.  Side note one of my favorites is Marley! 

                This is romance heavy but there are also larger issues at play from the rebel attacks to everything happening within the palace and country itself.  There is a love triangle aspect to it which I know for some is an instant turn off but for me, the way it was put forth I can understand it.  Now as to the audiobook it was pretty much the perfect length to finish during my trip and the narrator was pleasing to listen to.  I’m still kind of new to audiobooks so maybe I’ll be pickier over time but I enjoyed it.  So much so I’ve already finished book two and 40% into book three so look for reviews from them to follow.  That’s all for today but I’d love to hear your thoughts and feels on this book/series.  Is anyone else only just now reading them too?  Which ship are you?

                Until next time…