Soul-Ripping Romance Tag

Morning, my darklings!

Gasp! I’m doing a romance tag. Really? Two years ago, I would have given you a hard no on that. But my reading habits have drastically evolved. And I am a better reader for it.

My evil and better twin, Jess, from Fiction No Chaser, tagged me. Damn you for making me do a hard tag. But I love you. You need to check out her post and blog. 😉 You’d think that five couples would easy to pick. They aren’t. It took me several days to finish this post. So good luck!

• Thank the person who tagged you and create a pingback to the original author – Nel at Reactionary Tales.
• Share at least 5 (but more are welcome) romances that tugged your heartstrings. They can be from books, movies, TV shows, manga; anything you can think of! They can be examples of sad tears, angry tears, happy tears or a combination of all three.
• Nominate 5 (or more) people to share their emotional traumas
• (Note: Try not to spoil the story for your readers in case they would like to check out these romances on their own)

Review | Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Published by: Feiwel and Friends

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Page Count: 400

Rating: 5/5

Source: Purchase

Goodreads | Indigo | Amazon CAN | Amazon US | Book Depository

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Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

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“I’m sure I’ll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.”

Cyborgs, the plague, moon people (I’m freaking out right now!), an adorable romance, and deadly politics perfectly entwine to create a memorable start to an equally unforgettable series. And I’m about to have a fangirl attack.

Give me a second to process my emotions, especially my regret for not reading this series sooner. But if I don’t let out my giddiness, I may explode. I’ve avoided science fiction series for years. Why? I had too many high expectations and didn’t want to be let down. But with this glorious book, I feel it has restored my love of science fiction. So if you have any recommendations, here is your moment to nerd out with me.

Cinder has awoken something my inner nerd has been craving lately. Yes, cheesy as it may seem, this book has. I understand I came to the fandom late, but I can’t help but become an instant fan. I don’t usually reread books, but I want to crack open that cover again. So get ready for a review with fangirling cranked to high.

Living in a new world where she has little to no rights, Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, somehow doesn’t let her miserable life prevent her from dreaming. And I respect that strength. She uses sarcasm as a way of coping with and living in this society. Not many people know that I come from poverty. So I instantly connected with her. And throughout this page-turner, I relished seeing her growth by standing up to her guardian. The budding relationship with Kai, the prince, had me turning the pages quicker than I could read it. I loved their brief interactions, and I need more in the sequels. Their banter had me snorting with laughter.

Marissa magically threads together different arcs in her story. Not every YA will perfect political intrigue. Some authors will dabble in it, but others don’t succeed. But she does. I enjoyed the politics. It is a growing threat in the background, and that effect creates suspense, which I loved. And in some way, she also merges an atmospheric future with a well-loved fairy tale. Her storytelling kept me enthralled for the entire time I read Cinder. I forget the last time I read a book in just twenty-four hours.

I feel like I missed out on waiting for the next installments. And I wish I were a part of that experience. But I don’t regret reading this beautifully crafted sci-fi. This futuristic story adds just enough sarcasm, intriguing storylines, and a new twist on retellings. So don’t be a fool like me. Read this book. Now.

Top Ten Tuesday | My Most Loved OTPs

Hey, book lovers!

This post is my first Top Ten (Five) Tuesday, which moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. I don’t always celebrate Valentine’s Day, but I thought this year I’d make it bookish. So to mark this joyous day, I’ve chosen my top five OTP couples.

 

Feyre and Rhysand (Feysand) from A Court of Thorns and Roses

“I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have… The wait was worth it. “

Who doesn’t love this couple? Okay, probably several since there are still Feylin shippers. Both Feyre and Rhys give me a reason to find my mate (cheesy, I don’t care). They are why I keep coming back from to this series. Their overall character development just brings shivers to me. She saves the man she loves only to find that he is truly a beast. But another man who tricks the world into believing he is the monster is the one who saves her. This beautiful retelling will be on the top of my reread list. I can’t get enough of them.

 

Nesta and Cassian (Nessian) from A Court of Thorns and Roses

“I have no regrets in my life, but this. That we did not have time. That I did not have time with you, Nesta. I will find you in the next world—the next life. And we will have that time. I promise.”

I say, IF SARAH DOESN’T SAIL THIS SHIP, I’LL RIOT. I am Nessian trash, and I’ll go down with this ship. I don’t care if I’m irrational. If they aren’t mates, I’ll be equally as salty. You don’t heavily hint at Queen Bitch™ being with glorious Man Bun™ for nothing! Even Feyre ships this couple. Nesta infuriates Cassian, who then settles her down but also accepts, then understands her. I love them, and I called it in ACOMAF.

They truly deserve their time in their own book, and this Nessian’s number one shipper needs that book.

 

Inej and Kaz from Six of Crows

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”

At the beginning, I wasn’t sure Kaz was good enough for my knife queen. But then I fell in love with Dirty Hands, and I couldn’t see anyone else with her. The Bastard of the Barrel won me over. He is one character who I adore and cherish. In some cases, he reminds me of me, so I understand his fears and his constant need to show the world he can’t be conquered. And Inej has suffered for years, yet she crawled out of her nightmare to find him. I need more stories about them, Leigh.

 

Laia and Elias from An Ember in the Ashes

“You are my temple,” I murmur as I kneel beside her. “You are my priest. You are my prayer. You are my release.”

Aw, this couple melts my heart. Both of these cinnamon buns live in a cruel and brutal world determined to destroy everything good in their lives. Yet they found, then fought their way back to each other. The ending of A Torch against the Night may put a kink in their potential relationship, so I don’t know what’s in store for them.

 

Farley and Shade from Red Queen

“You’re a special kind of stupid.”

I wish this ship would have matured, but unfortunately, we get only a few snippets of it. And it breaks my damn heart. Shade is one of my favourite characters in the Red Queen series, and his story just gutted me when I finished this book. And Farley surprised me when she finally opens up and lets Shade in. Sometimes some couples aren’t meant to last.