Story: This story really packed so much into it. I’m still amazed and impressed that the author told so much in the amount of pages they did. It showed present day and parts of the past. I’d have loved to see more of the past and maybe even some parts later on in present day. I’m not complaining or saying that the book didn’t give enough details. It was amazing. I’m just a nosey person and I’m not done being in the lives of the characters in this book.
Characters: I could relate to both Hailey and Walker. They have both been through so much. They came out of it and kept going. The things they went through would always be there. The pain. The struggles. The hurt. It shaped them into who they grew up to be, but it didn’t define them. I would have loved to see more points of view from Jake. I’d actually like to see his story period! He’s such a great guy!
Critiques: I only have one. The blurb. It’s written in a way that makes me think that we will only see Hailey’s point of view. We get multiple points of view. This is probably just a “me” critique. It doesn’t really affect the story. It’s just off to me.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. It was so beautiful. I really felt so emotional in many ways. I have never wanted to walk into the book to hug characters like I did with this one. I’ve also never felt as inspired and hopeful about a couple before either. Walker and Hailey are just beautiful. They are beautiful separately too. There’s one part I’d of liked to see an actual ending to and not just a reference, but that’s just a personal preference. The cover is gorgeous too!
Story: Totally thought this was a Peter Pan retelling when I first got it. The cover is gorgeous. I was enamored with it. I don’t exactly know why it reminded me of Peter Pan. It just did. I really did enjoy the story though. It was a very imaginative tale. I also loved the little graphics in the book here and there. I’m not sure if this is going to be a series, but there’s a second book at least. I’m really looking forward to reading it.
Characters: I can’t remember the character names right now. It was a group of four siblings. There were also some mystical characters as well. Some were sassy. Some were serious. All were dedicated to getting their quest done. It was hard not to feel a connection to all of them in some way. I wanted to root for the kiddos every step of the way!
Critiques: None
Final Thoughts: I may have been wrong about the book. That happens pretty often. I’m okay with it though. I really enjoyed where the story went. I passed this book along to somebody else I knew would enjoy it as much as I did. I also bought an ebook copy of it and will buy the ebook copy of the sequel as well. I really look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Twelve strangers. Six marriages. One year in Esperance.
Amryn has many reasons to hate the empire. Her latest is her forced marriage to General Carver Vincetti, better known as the Butcher. If he learns even one of her secrets, he will kill her. And Amryn has many secrets. Not only is she an empath with forbidden magic, she’s also a newly recruited rebel intent on destroying the empire—starting at Esperance.
Carver knows the rebels have infiltrated the remote temple of Esperance. His job is to hunt them down before they can wreck the emperor’s new peace. Despite the demons that haunt him, Carver is intent on his mission—but he’s not prepared for Amryn. From her fiery red hair to her surprising wit, his new wife has captured his attention. The attraction that flares between them is undeniable. Now he just has to determine if she’s the enemy.
When the newly married couples become targets in a violent game, Esperance becomes more dangerous than anyone anticipated. Carver and Amryn are about to discover that no one is exactly who they appear to be—especially each other.
Esperance is book one in a New Adult fantasy romance series by Amazon bestselling author Heather Frost. If you love enemies-to-lovers romance, surprising twists, and an action-packed story you can’t put down, you’ll love Esperance!
Heather Frost is a #1 Amazon bestselling YA author who loves epic stories with breath-stealing romance. She is the author of the Seers trilogy and the Fate of Eyrinthia series. Her books have been Whitney Award Finalists and Swoony Award Finalists. She has a BS in Creative Writing and a minor in Folklore, which means she got to read fairy tales and call it homework. When she’s not writing, Heather likes to read, travel, and re-watch Lord of the Rings. She lives in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering mountains in northern Utah. To learn more about Heather and her books, visit her website: http://www.HeatherFrost.com
Interview With Carter
Hello Carver, thanks for stopping by! Would you mind telling us a little about yourself?
Hello, I’m Carver Vincetti. I’m a general in the Craethen Empire’s military, and I’ve recently returned from the front in our war with Harvari. You may have heard that I was wounded, but I’m fine now. Completely. I’m ready to serve the emperor in this new capacity at Esperance.
That’s right—you’re about to get married to a stranger. Can you tell us a little about that?
Of course. The emperor decided that peace in the empire could be strengthened by arranging marriages between the eligible elite in all the kingdoms. Each kingdom offered a candidate, and the emperor paired everyone up. Now we’ve all come to the remote temple of Esperance to get married and live for a year, without distractions or outside biases.
And you really don’t know who you will be marrying? Even though you are a favorite of the emperor’s?
Well . . . can you keep a secret? The emperor learned that some rebels may have infiltrated the temple—they might even be some of the candidates that were sent here to be married. So, the emperor asked me to investigate everyone at Esperance, and make sure this venture succeeds. As part of that, I asked the emperor if I could marry Amryn Lukis. I’ve never met her, and I don’t know anything about her, but she’s from Ferradin, and that was one of the last kingdoms to be brought into the empire. There are some lingering anti-empire sentiments there, which means Amryn might very well be an enemy to watch.
“Keep your friends close but your enemies closer”, then?
Yeah, something like that.
How did you feel when you learned about your impending arranged marriage?
Honestly? I was a little wary. Hesitant, even. I always wanted to get married and have a family, but I’ve been fighting a war for years, and marriage has been the last thing on my mind. But I’m happy to serve the emperor however I can, so I will marry Amryn Lukis.
Where did you grow up?
In Westmont, near the coast. I may be biased, but I think it’s the most beautiful place in the empire.
You’re from a large family. Do you enjoy having so many siblings?
Saints, yes. I was lucky enough to grow up in a home filled with family, laughter, and love. I’m the oldest brother, though I do have an older sister. And I’m by far the favorite uncle to my niece and nephew, though some of my brothers might disagree.
Did you always want to be a general?
Going into the military was always my dream; it’s a family tradition that I’m very proud of. My father is High General of Craethen, and I’ve always admired him and wanted to be like him.
Who is your best friend?
Argent Vayne. He’s the future emperor, but he’ll always be the boy who told me it would be a great idea to jump off the royal stables roof when we were little. All jokes aside, I think he’ll make an incredible emperor one day, and I’m honored to have him as my friend.
What is most important to you?
My family. I would do anything for them.
What quality do you most value?
Loyalty.
If your mother had to describe you in three words, what would they be?
Oh no. *Chuckles* Well, as a child, she probably would have labeled me as reckless, irreverent, and vexing. Today . . . well, she might actually say the same. But I’d like to think I’ve grown over the years. I calculate risks before I take them. I joke, but I can be serious. As for being vexing . . . I’m definitely still that.
My Review:
I will have a more detailed review later, but I can’t help but to tell you how much I loved this book. I knew going into it that I would love it though. This author is so talented. She has a way with words that just draw you in and keep you hooked. If you haven’t already read them, I’d also recommend her Fate of Eyrinthi series. It’s so beautiful. I can’t wait to read more of it. I’ve read all three and the two novellas. I’m not going to lie. This book is different than that series. That’s not a bad thing though. I loved it and can’t wait to read it again. I can’t wait to read more books in this series. I’ll be buying a physical copy when I can.
Story: I was both leery and curious about this book. I decided to dive into it anyway. I’m glad I did. This was a really hearty book. It did contain some spicy scenes. They flowed nicely with the story. I really loved the overall message of the story. It’s really heart wrenching. It’s also beautiful and inspiring. I think what I love the most is that it covers a topic that nobody really likes to talk about. It talks about how some military people are treated after they are no longer in service. I do feel the need to say that this covers a bit heavier topics than most people would probably be comfortable with. It also has abusive conversations. Especially between the mother and the daughter.
Characters: I am so inspired by Jaye. She is a librarian for a private school. She is also such an amazing person. She puts up with so much and she just keeps on being her amazing self. I absolutely love it. She finds a homeless man going through her trash and decides to show him kindness she feels he deserves. Everything changes from there.
Critiques: None
Final Thoughts: I’m not going to say that this was a favorite book for me. I most likely won’t be reading it again. However, I really did enjoy the story. I fully believe it will make a wonderful and heartwarming movie one day. The message is so powerful. I was definitely brought through many feels while reading this book. I’m definitely glad that this book came into my world. I fully recommend it.
Story: This is the fourth book that I’ve read by this author. I’ve enjoyed every single one of them. She has managed to give each story a unique spin while still keeping the character complexity of the other stories! I was so excited to find out that this book was for Luca. He’s Sienna’s brother from another book. She’s a firecracker! From what I can see, there will be two more books in this particular series coming out next month. I am looking forward to reading both of them!
Characters: I was so excited to get to know Luca better. I didn’t really see him as a “book boyfriend”. I just really thought he was a great guy by the way he treated his sisters. I was so right about him. He’s just such an amazing guy and getting to know him in this book was amazing. He winds up meeting Elise. She’s an amazing lady. She was a teacher. She had amazing friends! I really adored Jax. I couldn’t get enough of his bubbly personality and want to read more about him!
Critiques: None
Final Thoughts: This author has a fantastic writing style. I absolutely love her books. She finds a way to put a unique spin on everything she writes. I’m looking forward to reading other books that she has written. This book has just the same amount of sweet and spice as all of her other books that I have read have. She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I fully recommend this book and all of her others.
If you could change your life by trusting in a stranger… would you?
Erevan has a problem. He grew up on the unforgiving streets of Bogudos and has the scars to prove it. His friend, however, is stuck in jail because of his mistake. But when a suspicious courier offers him a chance to fix things, should he lift his sword and journey across treacherous lands to aid her cause?
Meanwhile, Aireyal has been accepted into the wealthiest and most prestigious magical school in all the land. There’s just one problem. She can’t do magic. But that’s far from the only secret within the walls of Darr-Kamo. And what she discovers might just change the world.
Swordsman & Sorcerer Scholar & Spiritualist
All four have enemies. And all four need help to get what they want. But help is never free.
Review Quotes and Praise
“An intricate and enjoyable adventure with a striking cast.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Avery’s buoyant, character-driven debut… brings a fresh class consciousness to high fantasy.” —Publishers Weekly’s BookLife Reviews
“The systems of magic are elaborate, immersive, and vibrant.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews
“Readers will find…thought-provoking insights about growth…and a vivid adventure.” —Midwest Book Review
“Exquisite Worldbuilding.” —Indies Today “A YA Fantasy that checks all the main boxes a fantasy lover would be thrilled to see in one book!” —Reedsy
I really enjoyed this book very much. From the cover, to the story, to the cute chapter graphics that started every chapter. It was an addicting read. It’s told in multiple points of view. I wanted to see them all succeed in their own way! I want to read more books by this author! Fully recommend this incredible book. It’s full of adventure, drama, chaos, and excitement!
Story: I finished this book ten days ago. I’ve been behind on reviews, but I also really wanted to process this one. I really enjoyed this book very much. If I could give it a hundred stars I would. It’s intense. It’s attention-grabbing. It’s everything. That ending though. It’s really stuck with me. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I promise you it won’t be my last.
Characters: So the story follows Abby who’s house sitting for her sister who’s moved into a beautiful home in a small town. It’s a disaster from the moment she gets out of her ride share. I found it really hard not to empathize with her through the entire story. There were other characters I really adored. Including the author and the book store owner. There were characters I didn’t like. Especially the ex and the narcissist.
Critiques: None
Final Thoughts: I think the ending of this book is going to stick with me for a very long time. I will be reading this book again in the future. If I could, I’d buy all the books in this series in paperback. There’s three out right now, but I have a feeling we will see many more. At least I hope we will. I fully recommend this book!
I came into this book thinking it would be this big to do about how amazing Bezos is. I was fully expecting it to talk about his accomplishments and what have you. It wasn’t though. It talks about great business strategies and gives great examples. I really felt like I learned a lot I actually bought a copy to highlight and take notes the next time I read it. I got my mother a copy too. It makes me feel like I could plan things and achieve great things.
Story: This book both made me happy and drove me absolutely insane. If you want a fast paced read, this isn’t the book for you. That’s not a complaint. I just wanted to point out that it’s a very drawn out story. It takes place through many years. There’s some heat packed through the story as well. There were parts that I would have liked to have a bit more explanation to. They were kind of just explained in a glossed over paragraph or two. That’s a personal thing and not a statement on the book itself.
Characters: Our main characters are Amelie and Levi. Amelie’s brother and her parents are secondary characters that are close to being main characters. I had a love hate relationship with both Amelie and Levi. I could relate and empathize with both of them, but there were times that they just drove me insane. I wanted to shake them many times through the book. The brother also got on my nerves as well. He was “supportive” of his sister. As long as she didn’t do anything he was uncomfortable with. I’ll leave it at that to keep from getting into spoilers.
Critiques: None really. Most of my criticisms are basically personal and not because of the book itself.
Final Thoughts: I really did enjoy this book very much. There were parts of the book that really felt so inspiring! I rooted on the characters during those time periods. There were also periods of time where I just wanted to scream at them. Especially when I felt they were being impossible! I’m still glad I read it. I can’t wait to read other books by this author.
Story: I really enjoyed this book very much. We have four very different characters who are experiencing completely different dangers and troubles. I’m not really sure if this book is going to be a series or not. I’m really hoping it is though. I’m not ready to let this world and these characters go. Especially the scholar. The artwork sprinkled through the book was amazing as well. I’d love to see this book get turned into a movie and a graphic novel.
Characters: All four of them were really amazing in their own way. It was hard not to want to root for them every step of the way. There were some other characters that were likeable as well. I’m horrible with names, so I’m not going to attempt to name them out of fear of confusing them. There were even characters in the book that I didn’t like at first but wound up growing on me.
Critiques: None
Final Thoughts: I seriously want there to be other books in this world. Even if it doesn’t become an actual series. I’d even take back stories about each character from the book. I’d also love to see this book as a graphic novel or movie. This author has a lot of talent. I can’t wait to see what else they come up with! Fully recommend!
Stars Books & Tea 