Mundie Moms

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

THE HEART OF BETRAYAL by Mary E. Pearson / Book Review



By: Mary E. Pearson
Published by: Henry Holt & Co.
Released on: July 7th, 2015
SeriesThe Remnant Chronicles #2
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It!
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N 
Add it to Goodreads
Source: arc from publisher to review / purchased book

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save Lia's life, her erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There's Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be savages. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.


A fantastic sequel! Picking up right were Kiss of Deception left off, Mary E. Pearson doesn't waste any time throwing readers right back into Lia's story. This storyline had everything I had hoped it would and then some! I couldn't get enough of this book. While this book may seem impossible to read in one sitting, it wasn't. Once I started it, there was no stopping until I was done. Having the story told from Lia, Rafe, Kaden and another character's point of view was a perfect for this book.

I didn't think I could love Lia anymore than I already did, but this girl continues to prove why she's one of my all time favorite heroines. She has grown into a force to be reckoned with, and has proved she's definitely a leader who can hold her own. She's strong, courageous, and intelligent. She knows how to keep her wits about her, and proves she can handle everything that's thrown at her. I already knew she could take care of herself, but this time Lia's life and those she loves, depends on how well she can play the political game Venda's leader, Komizar, is playing. She's tougher and more cunning than ever. 

Secrets, lies, and hidden agendas are all at the heart of this story. I love that this sequel has a lot of twists, betrayal, political games, and the right amount of stolen moments between Lia and Rafe. Rafe isn't the only one who wants Lia's attention. Set in the brutal kingdom of Venda, we're introduced to some new characters, including a leader who runs things with an iron fist and plenty of fear. I liked that Pearson allows readers to get to know more about the people of Venda through Lia's observation them, and their customs, as well as  her befriending some of the characters. Though this is a barbaric kingdom, there's still some good hidden within. 


One of the things I love about Pearson's writing, is how she continues to surprise me, not just with the plot twists, but with her characters as well. I've realized that what I knew about the characters from kiss of Deception, was just scratching the surface of who they are becoming. There's so much more to them than I first thought, as well as with the new characters we meet in this book. Each proves just how resilient they really are, good or bad. Some characters are not what I thought they were, and I was surprised by some choices that were made. I loved not being able to predict what any of the characters were going to do. 

The perfect follow up for Kiss of Deception, this book has left me wishing book 3 was already in my hands. That ending was a killer! I need to know what happens next!! If you haven't yet picked up the first book in this series, Kiss of Deception, read my glowing review for it here! Trust me, you'll want to read it!

Ten Books That Made Us Laugh / Top Ten Tuesday #57



Hello & welcome to this week's Top Ten Tuesday! This week's topic is Books That Made Us Laugh / We Thought Were Humorous. My previous Top Ten Tuesday post was, Books That Should Be On Your List If You Like Fantasy. 


I love today's topic. There are some really memorable laugh out loud moments in YA books. While there are a number of books that have some great laugh out loud moments, this list contains books that gave us a fair share of moments we still talk about. Authors like Ally Carter, and Rachel Hawkins each have books that have had us laughing out loud numerous times while reading their books. Then there are authors like Cassandra Clare, who has characters that have plenty of snarky moments that make me laugh... Will, Jace, and Magnus *cough, cough*.

Check out our list of 'Books That Make Us Laugh': 

  1. The Heist Society series / The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter
  2. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
  3. Anna and the French Kiss / Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins 
  4. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
  5. Any of Jennifer Armentrout's YA series
  6. My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
  7. On The Fence by Kasie West
  8. Austenland by Shannon Hale (the movie is hysterical)
  9. Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman
  10. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
If you haven't read any of these books, you're missing out! I'd love to know, which books were on your list? Please leave me a comment with your link so I can come check out your post. Happy Reading!

OUT TODAY - New YA Releases For Tuesday 4/19/16

Check out the newest YA books hitting bookstore shelves! Happy release day to these new YA titles:

TITLES RELEASED YESTERDAY, on 4/18/16

Which new releases are you looking forward to picking up? Check out which other YA titles are releasing this month, here

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