Hey ya'll 👋👋👋
I'm so excited to get to share my review of BRAVE, the 3rd book in Jen's Wicked trilogy.
I need to give a huge thanks to Jen and her amazing team fro getting the ARC to this beauty sent out. I can't thank ya'll enough for all that you do.
Jen is one of my favorite authors, like one of those authors you don't even need to read the book description to anything she writes anymore. Because you just know you'll love whatever it is she's putting out there. And I mean that. I've read almost all her books, and those range from fun paranormal romance YA, to steamy adult romance suspense's, and everything in between.
I've gotten to meet Jen several times over the years too, and let me just tell you. She is an awesome person to get to take a minute and talk with. She's one of the most personable authors I've met. And her and the guys that are on some of the covers of her books are the best. I've seen them all going out of their way to make sure reader's books get signed. Even when that meant sitting at a table all day with a line a few hundred people deep signing books for everyone. And even going into time after a signing was finished, to make sure no one gets left out (Hello Apollycon lines haha)
But seriously ya'll. She's just an amazing writer and person, and you will adore her books
It’s more than that, though. Something dark and insidious is spreading throughout Ivy, more powerful than she could ever imagine... and it’s coming between her and the man she’s fallen deeply in love with, elite Order member Ren Owens.
Ren would do anything to keep Ivy safe. Anything. But when he makes a life altering choice for her, the fallout of his act has far reaching consequences that threaten to tear their lives apart.
If Ivy is going to have any hope of surviving this, she must put aside the hurt and betrayal she feels, and work with not only those she loves, but with an enemy she would rather kill than ever trust. War is coming, and it soon becomes clear that what Ivy and Ren thought they knew about the Order, themselves, and even their enemies, has been nothing but a cluster of dangerous, deadly lies.
Ivy knows she must be more than just brave to save those she loves--and, ultimately, to save herself.
Because behind every evil fae Prince, there’s a Queen….
I honestly don't even know where to start with this book. I've been waiting a year to finally see how this awesome series was going to end... And let's just say Jen did not disappoint in the least.
We got the whole Wicked crew back for this one plus some fun new faces. And just as much butt kicking and excitement as the previous two books.
At the end of TORN we were left wondering what was going to happen to our fae fighting crew as their world flipped upside down and familiar faces betrayed them. And BRAVE picks right back up there.
But something that this book played with a lot in my opinion is self identity.
We learn a lot about Ivy, and a few of the characters actually in this book. And I liked the way Jen toyed with them struggling to find where exactly they fit in this new world of theirs and what that meant for their future. We see especially Ivy dealing with this the most. She struggles hard accepting parts of who she is. And while that did get annoying at times, I think it was good to show that even the strongest people struggle sometimes. But they can overcome those struggles and become someone they want to be. Maybe just not the way they thought they would.
And speaking of Ivy, let's delve a little deeper into her character for a minute.
I think Jen gave us the most vulnerable Ivy in this book. For once she's unsure of who she is or what she's doing. She's been given information in the previous books that flip her world for her, and in turn make her question a lot about not only herself. But if what she's doing as a hunter is the right thing. She sees there's more gray in the world she assumed was just black and white.
I don't want to give anything away if you haven't read the other books in the series yet. So if I seem like I'm being a bit vague, that's why.
But while Ivy is going through all this re-self discovery (If that's not a word it is now haha) we still see her as this amazing fighter, willing to defend her friends and loved ones even if it kills her.
It takes some time to get that side of Ivy back out, but it's there. We also for the first time, get to see the scared vulnerable side to her. And I think that adds some dimension to her character. Even if it was kinda infuriating at times. Because believe me. There were a few times I just wanted to reach in and strangle that girl haha.
But really, I think we saw the most growth from her in this book (in more ways than you think)
And that was something I really enjoyed. Plus seeing her go all fae hunter on those wicked ones was pretty awesome too hehe.
So let's move on to Ren real fast
😻😻😻
This man*Swoon
I freaking floved Ren so much in this book. He's always been a sweetheart. And fierce and loyal to a fault when it comes to the people he cares about and his duty as an Order member.
But we see that even more so in this book. Ren literally would risk his life for Ivy if it meant keeping her safe instead, and man... Where can I find someone as dedicated as that? I can't even get a guy to hold a door open when I walk into a store HA!
But seriously, he is just such an adorable character. You know, for someone who kills mythical beings for a living haha.
And I seriously respect the level of love and affection he has for Ivy, even when she pushes him away. He's just one of those characters that refuses to give up. And you just wanna hug him when his heart gets bruised and battered.
Plus we get to see bad a** Ren again. That boy can kick some BUTT!! Plus he's got just enough sarcasm, especially when Tink is involved to keep me snorting.
And speaking of the little Brownie.
freaking Tink was the MVP of this book. Oh-em-gee!
I loved that little... err... big? dude in this book.
He''s always been one of my favorite characters Jen's created (Because we all know her side characters are the freaking bomb)
Tink is sarcastic, snappy, a bit crazy, and funny as heck with his Amazon obsession.
And ya'll!! His interaction with a new character to the series had me rolling. Tink was pretty funny with them, and this new character I speak of was pretty awesome in general themselves.
You'll just have to read this one to find out who I'm talking about. Because you'll definitely know as soon as you meet them hehe.
And oh man.... We finally find out the secret of the troll dolls!!!!
I think it was the most bizarre and funny thing I've ever read. So If you're wanting some hilarity and just plain what the heckery. Be sure to grab this book and read all the way to the end. It's so beyond worth it.
I literally had to set my kindle down for a minute and compose myself after so I could keep reading haha.
Overall. This book was just great. It had so much going on in it. And left you on the edge, flipping pages as fast as you could so you could see how it was all going to end. It had a little of everything. The romance, the hilarity, the action, the Tink...
And while I think WICKED is still my favorite book in the series. I really enjoyed this one at a close second.
It wrapped things up so nicely, but still left you wondering about some things concerning other characters*Wink Wink.
I can tell you without a doubt, I would read this book and the whole series over and over again though. And I'm sure I will here soon. I can't stay away from the beautiful world Jen set in NOLA.
She gives such gorgeous descriptions of the area and has me itching to go finally see it for myself (even if I don't get hot Order members and Brownies like Ivy does haha)
And let me just touch on world building in general here for a sec. Something Jen does an amazing job with, is that. She creates these fantastical creatures and characters and sets them in places so well, that I would expect to see a fae in New Orleans, or an alien walking down the strip in Las Vegas.
She has this way of just transporting you to the setting of her books. And she does that every time in this series. Especially in this book, where we get a little more fae magic working it's way in the city.
And I love a book and author that can do that for me. I love that when I put the book down, I feel like I could have been watching a movie instead of reading. That an author was able to describe things so well and so fully, that I could fall away from the real world for a bit and fall so wholly into their story.
So just in case you didn't pick up on it. I really did love BRAVE.
And I give it without a doubt...
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
