Review of Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Hi friends,

I am excited to share a book review with you today. I have mentioned before that I'm an avid reader I usually go for easy frivolous YA fiction. I love that they are easy to read, and suck you right into their new, different, completely made up worlds. I enjoy dystopian themes and I really enjoy fantasy worlds with Fae, Fairies, vampires, witches and werewolves. I've read several books by Sarah J Maas and I have enjoyed each of them. She does a great job of creating new worlds and sucking you right in. Her female characters are strong and sassy and don't put up with anything. For my birthday a few weeks ago, I made sure my husband picked up her latest book. This is the first in a series and is said to be her first adult fiction series. There is more adult language and more adult situations than in her young adult fiction books, so if that is not for you this might not be a great read for you. Ok, let's get to it!

Here's the blurb from Goodreads: "Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars, but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love."

That Goodreads blurb really sums it up and this fantastic story did not disappoint. Sarah J Maas created an incredible world where humans, Fae, Werewolves, Angels, Witches and Vampires all live cooperatively. They live in a modern world and are governed by an Archangel.

The main characters start off rough around the edges and beautifully transition into these better versions of themselves. The way the characters transition to their best selves feels natural and smooth. You grow with them. It reminded me of real life and how we are molded and shaped by our experiences. I absolutely loved the character development in this book.

The story is intense and full of action and plot twists, murder and crime solving. It was so hard to put it down; I couldn't get enough. Throughout my reading I would think I had figured something out (and I did figure out a couple surprises) but there were plenty of twists and turns that shocked me to my core as I read.

I don't know how SJM will top this book as a first in the series, but I for one can't wait to read more. I am so glad I didn't wait to dive into House of Earth and Blood, and I don't think you will regret this read. Hurry up Sarah J Mass I want more!

What are you reading right now? I'm always on the hunt for a new book and would love your recommendations.

Fruit Slush Day

Friends,

We are having record breaking heat here in Texas. We moved here last July and were thrown right into the heat (and humidity!!!) of a Texas summer, everyone assured me that it doesn't get bad until July. Well I'm here to tell you that yesterday it was H-O-T! My husband informed me that the news said that it had not been that hot on yesterday’s date since 2008. I was so glad we already had celebrating fruit slush day on the calendar today so that I could get my kids to help me whip up some refreshing frozen treats.

There is nothing better than a nice icy cold treat on a hot summer day. These fruit slushes are easy to whip up. I didn't even use a recipe, shock! We made strawberry mango smoothies. I took some frozen strawberries, some frozen mango pulp, ice, a little water and a little squeeze of honey for a tiny bit of sweetness. I whirled them up in my trusty Oster blender and that was it. Easy!

This is our last official week of school, well distance learning. Normally I would be so excited to kick off lazy summer days but since we've had so much down time lately it doesn't feel like it's going to be much different. At least I won't have to be the homeschool warden anymore. I am hopeful that we will be able to head down for day trips to the Gulf of Mexico to relax on the beach, and also hoping our neighborhood pools will still open this summer. National fruit slush day seems like a great way to kick off summer Here's to making lots more memories that we will cherish for a lifetime, no matter the circumstances.

Easy Weeknight Sweet Potato Curry

Friends,

I don't know about you, but I have a love hate relationship with cooking. Actually, let me rephrase that. I have a love hate relationship with cooking dinner. I LOVE to cook. I love to try new recipes, I'm really good at following other peoples recipes but not brave enough to try my own. I love to make food that looks beautiful. I have been having so much fun playing with my sourdough starter and trying new recipes and learning how to work with natural yeast.

I enjoy cooking, but most nights my kids take the joy out of it. Complaints from at least one of them if not both. I am the type of mom that doesn't plan the menu solely around what my kids will eat. I try to encourage them to try new things. This usually ends in me frustrated and them going to bed hungry, but sometimes I see the fruit of my labor. My older son has been notoriously picky his whole life, but something magical happened over the last year and he started trying new things more willingly and is realizing that so many things he said he hated are actually really good if you just give it a try.

Because of this history of pickiness with my kids I was shocked and thrilled that they willingly devour this delightful meal. This sweet potato curry is so delicious. The spices blend perfectly, and it is packed full of nutrition and goodness. I first discovered this recipe when I was looking for something yummy to feed some friends who were coming over for lunch. I picked it because I knew I would love it and I did not think my kids would ever touch something like this. One day shortly after that lunch I was craving it and had all the ingredients on hand, so I decided to whip it up for my family. To my surprise my boys gobbled it up and we have made it a few times since.

I love how the instant pot makes this such an easy weeknight meal It takes a little time to chop all the veggies and then it's a quick 2 minutes on manual in the instant pot. I start my instant pot and then start my rice cooker and it ends up ready at the exact same time.

I also love that it's meatless. We are not a meatless family, but I prefer to only eat meat a couple times a week. This is such a filling, comforting option for those meatless nights. I cannot take credit for this delightful meal, I found the recipe here at Ela Vegan. It is so incredibly delicious; you will not regret trying this recipe.

Let me know if you give it a try leave a comment!