The Hidden Library by Heather Lyons

The Hidden Library (The Collectors’ Society #2)
Heather Lyons
Published: 26th February, 2015
Cerulean Books
Genre: Fairy Tale, Romance
Age: Adult
From: InkSlinger PR

Summary:

Sometimes, the rabbit hole is deeper than expected…

Alice Reeve and Finn Van Brunt have tumbled into a life of secrets. Some secrets they share, such as their employment by the clandestine organization known as The Collectors’ Society. Other secrets they carry within them, fighting to keep buried the things that could change everything they think they know.

On the hunt for an elusive villain who is hell-bent on destroying legacies, Alice, Finn, and the rest of the Society are desperate to unravel the mysteries surrounding them. But the farther they spiral down this rabbit hole, the deeper they fall into secrets that will test their loyalties and pit them against enemies both new and old.

Secrets, they come to find, can reveal the deadliest of truths.

What I liked: Alice is back and her adventures with The Collectors’ Society are bigger than before. While we have the members from the Society’s HQ featured first and foremost, characters from the first book make a reappearance as well as a couple new ones that we haven’t yet met. Alice has to face old foes and new ones as she tries to stop S. Todd and save the Timelines from the villains before it’s too late. The White King is back! I think that was my favorite part because I love his role in the story, and more than once his situation had me in tears, once of his scenes was really touching and made me cry rather hard because of what he gives up. Finn played a new part, he has his own POV in this book! I was so excited to see how he worked and thought and I really felt like I got to know him better throughout the book because of this, especially as we learned more about his past from before he was part of The Society. Wendy’s part in this book really stunned me and the romantic tension in the book had me back in forth so hard and I between the two guys and I felt bad for Alice and what she must be going through. Basically though this book tore out my heart and stomped on it a few several times. I loved the first book, it was amazing and kept me guessing throughout the book but this book kicked it up three notches and completely blew me away. I had no idea what was going to end up happening to any of the characters, and the ending had me wanting the third book right then.

What I didn’t like: I didn’t have book three right after finishing that cliffhanger from hell. And the romance between Finn and Alice seemed much more toned down than before. While their scenes were still sweet and such, the romantic tension was more obvious and more emotional to me when it was between Alice and The White King. I wanted tension that palpable between Alice and Finn, and while they had a few moments here and there it was more obvious between Alice and The White King

Overall Review: Going into The Hidden Library I was both eager and skeptical about how well this would follow up to The Collectors’ Society and if it could even begin to get a similar reaction out of me. There was no reason for me to worry, this book picks up right after the end of The Collectors’ Society and while the story builds up in the beginning the wait for the tension to thicken significantly is completely worth it! The characters grow as the story progresses, and though it’s most significant in Alice and Finn since we follow them both, we also see other characters come even more to life as we see them in situations and learn more about them. With the way this book ended with such a strong cliffhanger that has me worried about a certain character I can’t help but need the next book! I can’t wait to see how things shape up for Alice and her friends in the next book with how everything ended in this book! Characters will surprise you, and there are a few things that were only hinted at but never outright stated that I had a slight inkling are going to be revealed in the third book, and I can’t wait to see if my conclusions were wrong or in the same vein as knowing what had actually happened!

Recommend?: Yes yes yes! I so highly recommend that you read this series because it is amazing! Heather Lyons has truly set the bar upon which I want my retellings of Wonderland to be based upon!

Goodreads: 4.9/5 Amazon: 4.9/5 Barnes&Noble: 5/5

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My Rating: 4.9/5

Rated Materials:
Cover: 5
Idea: 4.9
Story: 4.9
Characters: 4.8

Don’t miss the first book!

The Collectors’ Society (The Collectors’ Society #1)
Heather Lyons
Published: 23rd October, 2014
Cerulean Books
Genre: Fairy Tale, Romance
Age: Adult
From: InkSlinger PR | Personal Collection

Summary:

From the author of the Fate series and The Deep End of the Sea comes a fantastical romantic adventure that has Alice tumbling down the strangest rabbit hole yet.

After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though. Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth.

It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?

*This is the first book in the Collectors’ Society series.

Goodreads: 4.4/5 Amazon: 4.8/5 Barnes&Noble: 5/5

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About the Author

Heather Lyons writes epic, heartfelt love stories and has always had a thing for words. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

Links:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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