Gilded Cage by Vic James

Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world. 

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price? 

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution. 

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

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★★★★☆

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I recieve a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Gilded Cage is a dark dystopian with seven alternating POVs and a solid ending that leaves you wanting mORE NOW LIKE RIGHT NOW. As someone who doesn't really like dystopians, I did have some trouble getting through the beginning and middle parts of this. That was really when the author was establishing the world and explaining the awful life these people lived.

Also in the beginning and throughout a majority of the book, really is Luke. Luke is the younger brother of Abi, and you can tell from the very beginning that his path is going to be dark and he is going to be a fairly intense character.

Wdajsdkw I don't know man. Pretty much, this whole book had the very dark and dystopian feel around it. Though I did find it slow in some parts, there were also other parts of the book where I felt like I couldn't put it down.

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Any Time, Any Place by Jennifer Probst

HGTV’s Property Brothers meets The Marriage Bargain in this second volume in the Billionaire Builders series, an all-new heart-wrenching and sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

When she was a teen, Raven Bella Stratton’s father was killed in a horrible car crash. The bigger shock was the discovery of a woman with him—Diana Pierce—and their two fully packed suitcases with airline tickets to Paris. Devastated by her father’s betrayal, Raven went to live with her aunt, never truly overcoming the traumatic event. When she discovers that the mysterious woman had a family with a husband and three boys, Raven vows to leave the memory of her father behind.

Until Dalton Pierce visits one night and suddenly her past challenges her future...

Leaving his life in California behind to run Pierce Construction with his two older brothers, Dalton Pierce has enjoyed returning home and studying his passion of woodworking. But when he visits the local bar with his brothers one evening, he’s immediately drawn to the smart-mouthed, badass, sexy bartender who sets his body on fire. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem as intrigued by him, and his multiple advances are met with rejection. When he offers to restore the bar back to its original glory, he begins to work with her on a daily basis, and falls harder. His plan of seduction slowly weaves a web around them both, until they are caught up in the spell. But Dalton doesn’t know the secret that can either destroy them both...or finally mend two broken hearts.

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★★★☆☆

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*Arc given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Any Time, Any Place starts off differently than other New Adult novels in the way that these characters already have a background together. That being said, this novel doesn't really have the insta-love that the New Adult genre is so notorious for. Raven keeps Dalton away due to their history, and is pretty much filled with resentment.

Though the lack of insta-love was super refreshing, I did find the pacing of everything to be slow and I would skim parts. I know those two things i said seem super contradictory, like "You like the lack of insta-love but it was too slow for you?!" but I stand by my statement. I'm totally okay with slow relationship building and watching as it all grows, but it just felt to me that barely anything was happening. It was constantly Raven battling her contradictory feelings for Dalton.

So, the fact that I was really bored a majority of the book did make it very difficult for me to get through it. Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters. Dalton was such a nice guy throughout everything even when Raven was showing rude distaste for him. And, I do understand Raven's side of the story and though I wouldn't have handled it in the same way, I acknowledge the fact that everyone deals with their problems differently.

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