Fireblood by Elly Blake
Series: Frostblood #2
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: September 12, 2017
Pages: 416
Format: ARC | Source: borrowed
Genres: young adult, fantasy
Rating: 

Against all odds, Ruby has defeated the villainous Frost King and melted his throne of ice. But the bloodthirsty Minax that was trapped inside is now haunting her kingdom and everyone she loves. The answers to its demise may lie to the south in Sudesia, the land of the Firebloods, and a country that holds the secrets to Ruby’s powers and past….

Despite warnings from her beloved Arcus, Ruby accompanies a roguish Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia, where she must master her control of fire in a series of trials to gain the trust of the suspicious Fireblood queen. Only then can she hope to access the knowledge that could defeat the rampaging Minax–which grows closer every moment. But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, how can Ruby decide whom to trust? The fate of both kingdoms is now in her hands.

I’ve been looking forward to this sequel ever since I finished Frostblood last December and it did not disappoint! It was very twisty- some I saw coming, some I didn’t. Fireblood reads like a second book in a fantasy series in many ways, but that’s not a bad thing. There’s the journey to a new land, the discovering of secrets, and the introduction of a new character that contributes to a bit of a love triangle. Now I don’t mind a good triangle, and I think this one is both believable, realistic, and satisfactory. There’s story drama, but not a ton of romance drama. I also really liked Ruby and Kai’s dynamic- you should know by now that I can’t resist friction and banter 😉 Arcus is still my guy though, and I’m glad we got to see him more in this book than I expected. I didn’t find the Fireblood trials as interesting as I hoped but I really liked the fights and training, and the mythology continues to be a strong point. It’s really fun fantasy and kept me turning the pages. Counting the days til Nightblood!

Illegal Contact by Santino Hassell
Series: The Barons #1
Published by: InterMix
Pub Date: August 15, 2017
Pages: 251
Format: e-book | Source: purchased
Genres: new adult, contemporary, sports romance, LGBT
Rating:

The rules of the game don’t apply off the field in this first Barons novel. 

New York Barons tight end Gavin Brawley is suspended from the team and on house arrest after a video of him brawling goes viral. Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field—which doesn’t help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he’s been successful professionally, he’s never been lucky when it comes to love.

Noah Monroe is a recent college grad looking for a job—any job—to pay off his mounting student debt. Working as Gavin’s personal assistant/babysitter seems like easy money. But Noah isn’t prepared for the electrifying tension between him and the football player. He’s not sure if he’d rather argue with Gavin or tackle him to the floor. But both men know the score, and neither is sure what will happen once Gavin’s timeout is over…

I flew through this book in one sitting! I almost exclusively read sports romances if I’m reading New Adult- it’s my favorite subgenre for a bunch of reasons. This one might be a new favorite! I can’t resist hate-to-love plots and I absolutely loved Noah and Gavin. Gavin was kind of a jerk for most of the book but he’d have these moments that let you see beneath his thick skin and you could tell by his actions (if not his words) how much he liked Noah. And “Sexy Clark Kent” haha- I loved Noah’s personality (despite his flaws) and how sarcastic he was- their banter was the best part. I also love when the MC and LI learn so much about each other’s habits but don’t realize it until someone else points it out 😀 And they really did make such a complimentary couple. Sexy cuteness overload! As far as secondary characters, my favorites were Marcus and Jasmine- they were awesome BFFS to Gavin and Noah respectively and I hope we see all of this crew in the companion book. My kind of NA series!

Have you read either of these books yet? Are they on your TBR? Let me know what you’re planning to read this month!