May 2018

Synopsis

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…
and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

Review

WARNING: violence and pedophilia

I’ve been interested in this book ever since I first heard of it, so I jumped at the chance to be a stop on its blog tour. When I first discovered it, I was so intrigued. It seemed like it had a really unique plot, and I was not disappointed. I began reading this as soon as it arrived in the post (with a cute little badge, too!) and devoured it in a matter of days.

Like I said, I wasn’t disappointed with the plot. I loved reading about it, and thought it to be different to anything I had read before. There were a few plot holes and times where I wanted to know more, but there was no elaboration, but these weren’t a big deal and didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.

One of the main things I loved about this book was the representation. Enne’s missing mother was gender-fluid, and one of the main characters, Levi, was black and bisexual. He was also one of my favourite characters, he’s the type that puts on a tough front, but is caring and sweet underneath. Plus I found his relationship with Enne interesting. Although I could definitely see it coming, it was still nice to read about, and boy, was there some sexual tension! Enne wasn’t my favourite character, but I still liked her and can definitely appreciate her character development throughout the book.

I really love the authors writing style, too. I haven’t actually read her debut novel, Daughter of the Burning City (although it has been recommended, and I will get around to it) but if the writing is as good as it is in this book, I’m sure I’ll like it. The only thing that I did find a bit weird was the use of the word “mucking.” It wasn’t a nuisance for me personally, but it did leave me a bit confused.

Overall, I really enjoyed Ace of Shades and cannot wait for book 2! I give it 4 stars.

-Books&Belle xx

I’d like to thank Harper Collins for sending me a copy of Ace of Shades in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis

“He was reckless. He was exciting. He was Theo.
And he was a breath of fresh air in my otherwise extremely dull life”

What if the missing person is your missing piece?

Rose has always played by the rules – now it’s time to break them.

Life’s easier when you stay away from other people. Rose Valentine knows that. But some people are impossible to ignore. Take Theo Lockhart. He’s handsome, funny and beyond intriguing. He’s a mystery; one that Rose dreams of solving.

Then one night the mystery deepens. Theo turns up on Rose’s doorstep, desperate to hide out at her house. He’s keeping secrets, and Rose has a million questions. Not least – why did he choose to run to her?

If Rose lets him in, she’ll be going against everything she holds true. It’s reckless, risky – and definitely not in the rulebook. But Theo makes Rose long to break the rules After a whirlwind week of brat-pack movies, midnight snacks and non-stop chat, where do Rose and Theo go from here?

Review

So, the first thing that I want to say about this book is that I adore the cover. The image is so cute, and I think the style and colour of the font is lovely. It’s definitely one that looks good on my shelf! But as they say, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. This one, however, is as good as the front cover is. So maybe judging by the cover isn’t always inaccurate!

Before I go on, I want to mention that the author is still in school, so to have a book published at such a young age is an amazing achievement, and deserves a massive round of applause. Cotton’s writing style is nice and easy to read, and makes for a lovely story. There were points in the book that were very sweet, but it also dealt with more serious issues that perhaps deserve a little more attention, such as abusive family members.

The characters, Rose and Theo, were likeable. To be honest, Rose did annoy me at parts as she seemed a little immature (I’m not 100% sure of her age, however) but that does improve as the book progresses. Theo, on the other hand, I really liked. But I do wish we had got to know him more before he turns up at Roses’s house. Other than that, I think they were really well-written characters!

The plot was good to read too. I read this in sections, but I felt like I sped through it so fast! It was definitely a cute, quick read and I’m glad I read it. Overall, I think Nowhere Else But Here is definitely worth a read, and I can’t wait to see what else the author comes up with.

I give this book 4 stars.

Can I also mention the cute socks that came with the book?! I love them.