5 stars and a huge amount of book hangover These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan!
Synopsis:
Beyond the castle gates, the sun rises and the birds sing, but the Golden Palace is draped in a veil of night. My night. My darkness. My power.
After Abriella's sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn't get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself entangled in a dangerous web of her own making—loving two fae princes and trusting neither—things are not quite as clear as she once thought.
As civil war wages in the Unseelie Court, Brie struggles to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she barely knows herself anymore? With each path pointing to even more heartache, Brie must find the inner strength to forge her own way forward.
In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don't lie and that Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm—whether she likes it or not.
"This is a throne of the night, of the misfits and the lost. This is the throne for all those who had to endure the darkness to find the stars. This is my throne, and it'd been waiting for me."
This was exquisite. It was everything I wanted and needed it to be. When I was approved for this ARC via NetGalley, I literally squeed out loud. I could not believe my luck. These Twisted Bonds was my most anticipated sequel for the year and it did not disappoint. I was craving a book about fae and this book made me crave even more. The author created a beautiful, rich world and has continued that throughout the second one. I felt I could picture every new character and setting. If the author wanted to write a novella or a spin-off novel about one of the other characters (*cough cough Misha cough cough*) I would be first in line!
When I was thinking about what to make for These Twisted Bonds, I immediately knew I wanted to do a stuffed cupcake. At one point in the book, Brie is given a glass of sparkling pink wine, described as bubbly and sweet. I considered making a prosecco cupcake with a light and fruity filling in the middle, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted something with more of a kick, something a little sultrier. There's an abundance of sexual tension in this book and I wanted to create something representing it. I made a vanilla cupcake filled with caramelized peaches and a rich, smoky, bourbon caramel. I took some of the caramel and swirled it into the frosting as well. I adapted Jane Patisserie's (Instagram: @janespatisserie) basic cupcake recipe from her cookbook (highly recommend it!) to create just these 3 cupcakes. The bourbon caramel came from Gimme Some Oven (https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/bourbon-caramel-sauce/#tasty-recipes-61312 Instagram: @gimmesomeoven) and was surprisingly easy to follow and outrageously delicious. The bourbon caramel was so good that my husband was eating it by the spoonful. I could picture Brie, watching Finn from across a fire under a sky full of stars, staring, as he takes a bit and slowly licks the caramel off his lips as Brie desperately tries to control herself. While I could maybe be convinced that Finn wouldn't realize what he was doing, Misha would be off to the side doing the same darn thing and knowing exactly the reaction he was causing. Have I mentioned Misha was my favorite edition to book two? :)
I wrote this months ago and couldn't figure out what else to add to it, so I didn't post it. And since then I haven't really posted anything. I think I've gotten overwhelmed with trying to seem insightful or witty, but forgot that 1) no one but me reads this, haha and 2) I started this for myself in lockdown as an outlet. I've started full-time teaching again and it's been rough. New country. New rules/curriculums. Stressful teammates. A split (young) grade level. It's been a lot. I'm hoping to get back at this, for me, soon, but if by chance you've stumbled across this...thanks for reading. This book was truly incredible and my cupcakes were legit haha.
Thanks for stopping by!
-Kim
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