Peanut Butter Nutella Cupcake

Hey guys, did you miss my food blogs? Yeah, me too. I don’t even remember when my last foodie post was. But hey, my love for food never faltered, as you can see from my Instagram.

So you ask, what inspired me to write after all this time? That would be because of the Netflix show I’m currently obsessing, Sugar Rush. It’s a baking reality show where contestants are timed while making cupcakes, confections, and cakes. Yum! 

It left me craving for... sweet cupcakes! Nomnom! And I know just the perfect place to get them! The selection in Cupcakes by Sonja is just so aesthetically appealing and delicious! Back in the day, I wrote about  Red Velvet Vixen, Vanilla Sunshine, and Chocolate Surprise cupcakes. They were as unforgettable as the one I had last weekend. 

Presenting... Peanut Butter Nutella Cupcake: 

Peanut Butter Nutella cupcake! 

It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t? What caught my attention is the creatively swirled frosting on top. I think it’s silky buttercream with some dark chocolate and Nutella hints. 

Oooh~ Yummy silky frosting

If you think the frosting is delicious, there’s more! The cake part is bursting  all throughout with peanut butter flavor. Plus, there’s a Nutella surprise in the center! I didn’t expect it so I ate all the way through without thinking of taking a good photo. So yeah, sorry for this barbaric picture, guys. Hahaha~

Just look at all the gorgeous Nutella center! 

Yummy! The peanut butter, Nutella, and a little bit of dark chocolate make a great combination! It blends well on the palate. It’s enjoyable to eat, too. It feels exactly like my childhood again! 

For a sweet tooth like me, this is just lovely. It’s cloyingly sweet towards the end, though. But yeah... this makes it just perfect for satisfying my cupcake cravings. Let’s see what flavor we’ll have next!

[Game Review] Blood Bound (Choices)

I have always been a story devourer. From books to Netflix, I eat ‘em all. One of my current obsessions is the mobile game Choices. I started playing this about a year ago. Choices is about choosing your response to the story, and the events will proceed depending on your decision. 

The books need keys to open a chapter. The ingame currency that you would need to unlock specific scenes are called Diamonds. You can wait for free keys, which refreshes every two hours. Free Diamonds are given for every chapter finished or you can watch an ad. If you have extra moolah, you can always buy keys and diamonds via credit card.

The first Choices book that I finished was The Freshman, a heartwarming tale of a girl entering college and her crazy adventures. But that’s a story for another time. For now, I’ll talk about Blood Bound, a vampire-romance story. And don't worry, it's spoiler-free! 

Cover art is awesome!

I know, I know... it’s kinda cliché. But I’m amazed at how the writers at Choices reimagined the legend of vampires. Set in New York city, it is a mix of both the modern and old times. It’s a new concept of clans and vampire evolution. And here’s the thing, thank God there are no werewolves!

Rating: 4/5 stars 


Characters: 

My main character is a young adult girl discovering the big city. Another feature that I like is the customization of your digital self. I chose to be a long-haired girl, a look perfect for the corporate world.

My main character's name is derived from mine.

There are a lot of love interests, depending on your preference. I chose the handsome CEO. Hihihi~ So my own kind of story is Twilight and Fifty Shades mash up. *wink wink*

The CEO, Adrian Raines. Handsome. :)

The supporting characters and villains can’t be customised, however. But you’ll love them all the same. 

It's girl power with Kamilah!

Oh! The dresses and hairstyles are beautiful! It was very tempting to buy. But yeah... expensive. 

Nice dress but expensive. :(

Plot:

The world building was good. It explained the existence of vampires per episode. So there’s mystery all throughout as you go into the story. That, and the suspenseful plot leaves you wanting for more. It’s so thrilling and action-packed! I want to talk more but there will be spoilers. So *zips mouth*. 

The romantic scenes are so kilig! Even the free ones which come with the book itself. However, if you want to build a strong romantic relationship and some steamy scenes, you have to buy it with diamonds. Awwww~



Writing, Art Style, and Music:

The narrations and character lines are written like a script. Some are serious and others are funny. But one thing’s for sure. The writers did an amazing job of getting me to cry or fear for my character’s life. It’s like I’m really into the book and living the story myself. 

The art and music are something I always look forward to. Choices is a book with visuals. Like, literally! The settings, the character expressions... they’re all in tune with the mood. The music, too, is the one best factor of Choices. And together, they all work together in giving an immersive story for you to enjoy. 


Conclusion: 

Blood Bound made me swoon over vampires again. It is a well-written story with a balance of action and romance. But the downside is it's expensive. However beautiful the dresses, bonus chapters, and romantic scenes... buying them with Diamonds can be costly. The game can be more expensive than real books. So if ever you buy Diamonds (like me), make sure you spend it wisely. 

[Book Review] Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Hi guys! For this post, I’m writing a book review. It’s my first time doing this and I’m very excited to share my thoughts with you. 

I recently joined Bookstagramers PH and it's the best decision I made! I feel that I truly belong in this group where we share our love for books. 

Bookstagramers PH has chosen Furyborn to be the book of the month for June. Shout out to my BGPH family for introducing me to this book! And it has such a beautiful cover! I love the play of red, gold, and black. :D

Furyborn is written by Claire Legrand. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world…or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.  

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world–and of each other.

I’m very much excited to join in @bookstagramers_ph Book of the Month. This is the first time that I will be reading a book by Claire Legrand. Loving the title and the cover! It speaks of royalty and revenge to me~ 😃⚔️👸🏻 . 👸🏻 QOTD: Physical books or ebooks? 👸🏻 I prefer physical copies. They don’t strain the eyes after a long read. They’re also more IG-worthy. However, I’m running out of space in my room so I also go for ebooks. 🚀 👸🏻 #BGPHJuneChallenge2018 day 3 : #junebookofthemonth #allthebooksjune18 day 3 : book and sweet treat #junebookstagram18 day 3 : Black and gold . 👸🏻 #bgphfamily #Furyborn #clairelegrand #book #ebook #bookish #booklove #booknerd #booknerdigans #bookstagram #bookstagramersph #fantasy #allthebooksjune #chocolate

A post shared by Angel Mariel (@myangelmariel) on Jun 3, 2018 at 4:02am PDT

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

Plot:

Furyborn feels like reading two books in one. I had a hard time switching my mind between our protagonists. The thousand-year timeline difference makes it unique. However, the first few chapters were dragging. If not for being BOTM, I would’ve quit early on. But I continued and I’m glad that I did. Because at 50%, I couldn’t put it down. 

Characters:

The author made lovable characters with beautiful names: Rielle, Eliana, Corien, Audric. The internal conflicts are genius, as well. One character is evil but tries to be good. The other is good but does evil things. One is too kind, another is deceptive. It’s those attitudes that propel the story forward into a web of conflicts and twists.

Writing style:

It took me some time before I adjusted to the style of Claire Legrand. The storytelling is on point. She tells it as it should. What I find lacking is the way the book should make feel. I didn’t cry or laugh or hated a character. The story is just is. 

Conclusion:

I’m giving this book 3 stars. The story and its world is an awesome read. However, there were dragging bits and it failed to emotionally move me as a reader. But overall, I’m still interested in how the story would continue from here. And I do hope that the next book would be better.