ARC received through Goodreads Firstreads. 
 Can someone please get me a plane ticket to Sicily? Like, now, please? Seriously, I have the weirdest, unexplainable desire to travel to the Mediterranean after finishing this book! 
 It's not very often that a book comes along and literally takes over my life. I'm pretty picky about what I read, so finding a book that makes me forget that I have friends, overdue college papers, let alone a life, is pretty rare for me. 
 Arcadia Awakens is such a new and refreshing concept that I fell head over heels for. The love story is very Romeo and Juliet but with the added twist of rival mafia families and...shapeshifters? Yes. Shapeshifters. Given the situation, the whole concept has the potential to be possibly weird and bizarre, but Kai Meyers executes it so perfectly that it comes off as believable and enchanting. 
 If not for the main character, Rosa, this book would have fallen flat. Rosa is a breath of fresh air. She's a strong and flawed heroine who doesn't take shit from anybody. On top of that, when presented with a charming and attractive boy, her life doesn't immediately stop just for him. I was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. A big hurrah for no insta-love! 
 The story itself was addicting. In just a few hours, I had managed to plow through half the book. Even when I had to step away for just a few minutes, I would find myself unexplainably drawn back into the captivating world of the Arcadian. 
 Arcadia Awakens is my new obsession. It's the perfect mix of complex and likeable characters, a believable love story, and an unputdownable plot. 
 And what a set up for a sequel! Book two can't come soon enough.