Happy weekend! I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving this week had too much food to eat and a wonderful time visiting with friends or family. I made it home from visiting my dad in West Virginia and attending Indies Invade Philly last weekend just in time to bake pies and cook. We had a wonderful day just being together after I was gone the last two weeks. My youngest daughter (25) even had three of her friends join our dinner. She tells me that we are the "cool" parents. I don't know about that, but I do enjoy having a table full of people to celebrate the holidays.
I have had Hannah McBride's Blackwater pack series on my list for over a year. I added it last year before Indies Invade Philly because I knew I would meet her there. Unfortunately, I did not get to them then. I knew they were a series that I would want to binge right through because Remy and Skye don't get their HEA until book 3. Readers who know me know that it is tough for me to commit to a series because of my ARC commitments. It is rare that I have the time and opportunity to read multiple books by the same author in a row. Thankfully, the stars aligned and I was able to read book one of the series before the signing last weekend.
You can read my review of Sanctum (Blackwater pack #1) on last week's post here: https://bookloverjudylynn.blogspot.com/2022/11/book-reviews-from-week-of-november-13th.html .
I was thrilled to get enough time, even travelling this week, to get through book 3 of the series and get to Remy and Skye's HEA. I am dying to read the next book in the series. I have to pause for a little bit though because ARCs have arrived. I will be reading ARCs this week, most of them releasing before next weekend. Prepare yourself for new release reviews on next week's post.
This series is younger than I usually read. I didn't want to label them Young Adult though because of the very mature themes in this series. Though the characters are high school seniors, they deal with life with a maturity older than their years. In some ways it reminded me of the TV series Gossip Girl. Even though they are high school students, they act like college age or older characters. There are some dark themes and violence in this series. Readers who have triggers should check the trigger warnings before reading. I fell hard and fast for the characters in this series. The secondary characters are important and just as well developed as Remy and Skye. These are not fast reads. They are a commitment. Book #1.5 is a novella at just over 200 pages. The other books are between 488-590 pages each. To say I am loving this series would be a huge understatement. If you are ready for a wild ride, dive on in. This series needs to be read in order because of the underlying suspense plots, etc. The entire series is free to read in Kindle Unlimited.
Since this is a Hannah McBride week, let me include a little information on the author.
Hannah McBride has been many things in her life - a manager, a clinical research coordinator, a dreamer, a makeup brand ambassador, an event coordinator, a blogger, and more. But at heart, she's always been a writer, and in 2020 she decided to make it official with her first release, SANCTUM.
Things that Hannah loves include: horror movies, makeup, glitter, and her puppies, Lucy & JoJo.
Website:
https://hannahmcbrideauthor.com/fbclid=IwAR1kE_7GSwCi0UOkMPWPpF3IowsNQqgnOW6TFpi9vQtv3Tj4RVOH54HIqtQ
Amazon Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Hannah-McBride/e/B089YVBZ98/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20263760.Hannah_McBride
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/hannah-mcbride
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HannahMcBrideAuthor
Instagram:
Twitter:
Now, On to the reviews...
Broken (Blackwater Pack #1.5) by Hannah McBride
#Paranormal #Shifter #FriendsToLovers #NewAdult
5 STARS
This novella is part of the Blackwater Pack series and is set between books one and two. It follows Rhodes and Larkin as they overcome miscommunication and misunderstanding to be be together as seniors in high school. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.
I adored Rhodes and Larkin in book one. I was so excited to see that this novella followed them. I also really liked the dual POV since book one was a single POV. Larkin has grown so much since book one, and I love how her character is evolving. Rhodes is a wonderful hero who has to go through some things in this book. I appreciated and understood how his character handles things in this book. Unlike book one, there are some explicit and steamy scenes in this novella. Because Larkin and Rhodes have known each other since they were children, the progression of their relationship is fast and hot.
This was an enjoyable read and I can't wait to read more of the series.
TW: Parental alcoholism and neglect of H, grief of parent of H, remembrance of past assault by h.
Prey (Blackwater Pack #2) by Hannah McBride
#Paranormal #Shifter #NewAdult #RomanticSuspense #FatedMates
5 STARS
This is book two in the Blackwater Pack trilogy. This series needs to be read in order. The story continues in book 3. It is written in first person from primarily Skye's POV.
Skye and Remy take their mate bond to the next level in this book, though it does take a while. There are some steamy moments leading up to that. Set over the course of a couple of months with most detail over about two weeks of that time, there is a lot happening in this book. Skye and Remy learn to trust and rely on each other through trial and error. Their bond increases with some interesting events. They attend the Council Summit and secrets are exposed. Meanwhile, more girls are taken and the mystery of what is happening starts to be revealed.
Filled with love, betrayal, danger, secrets, and lies; this was a book I could not put down. I am very thankful I already had the next book on my kindle and was able to roll right into the story.
TW: (from author) This book contains dark themes (including depictions of past bullying, violence, and sexual assault) that may be mature or triggering for some readers.
Legacy (Blackwater pack #3) by Hannah McBride
#Paranormal #NewAdult #RomanticSuspense #FatedMates #Shifter
4 STARS
Book three in the Blackwater Pack series gives readers a HEA for Remy and Skye. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV. Books in this series need to be read in order.
Skye and Remy continue to grow their bond as they go to war, form alliances, and adapt to new realities. Though they are teenagers, they and their group of friends work together. Facing difficult decisions daily, they work to stop the evil infiltrating packs around the globe.
There is a lot to this book and this series. The author has created a magnificent world. The characters are strong, determined, tough, and likable. Even in their vulnerable moments, you feel their survival instincts. This extends to many secondary characters that make up both blood and found family for Remy and Skye. Many of the characters are wiser than their ages would indicate.
The story itself is layered. There is a lot going on. There are a few twists, and they both face their share of danger. I loved seeing both of them embrace their strengths and become leaders in the face of adversity. They have some steamy moments, and I adore how they are together both physically and emotionally. I had a difficult time putting the book down. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the characters and their story. I felt this way about the whole series. Though Remy and Skye get their HEA (thanks in part to an epilogue set ten years into the future), there are some elements of the story left unresolved. I am sure they will continue to be addressed in future books. I am certainly looking forward to reading more about the Blackwater Pack.
You might wonder why I didn't give this book 5 stars. The reason is that there are way too many proofreading, editing, and typo errors for a book of this caliber. I read a lot of ARCs. I get them knowing they still have at least one more round with a proofreader before publication. I expect some errors in them. This was not an ARC. This book was published in April of 2021 and it has more errors than I have seen in any ARC I have ever read. It made my eye twitch. It was like professional proofreading was bypassed completely. This would have been a 3 star read due to the errors if not for the engrossing story and the characters I fell in love with. On the other hand, if those same errors were addressed, this would easily be a 5 star read.
TW: (from author) This book contains dark themes (including depictions of past bullying, violence, and sexual assault) that may be mature or triggering for some readers.
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