Paper Cuts

Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

2018-04-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: April 10, 2018
Author info: Website | Twitter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 416
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided for review through Netgalley
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…
and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

I haven't read Amanda Foody's Daughter of the Burning City, but if it's anything close to as fun as Ace of Shades, I'm here for it. I picked this up sort of on a whim, curious but without a lot of expectations, and it blew me away!

Enne is fresh off the boat in New Reynes, and it's obvious. Searching for her mother, who came to the city but who Enne hasn't heard from in months, she's willing to do just about anything to find her. Enter Levi, one of the city's street lords, who is beholden to others for more than he can afford. Enne's mother told her to seek out Levi should she need help, but Levi is in more trouble than he can handle already--yet Enne offers a way out. The two team up against what feels like the entire city to find her mother and save Levi.

And while that sounds like there's enough going on, it feels as if the city of New Reynes itself is a character. Foody draws the it as a sinister place, where one wrong step could be the last you take, any corner could hide danger. It's a palpable kind of feeling--and it's the kind I love. The city has more secrets than anyone, and it's a lot of fun to see what comes next.

There's an easy comparison here to Six of Crows, but I think it's important to differentiate this from it. While the feel of a gritty city is much like Ketterdam, that's where the similarities really cease. Levi is far from Kaz. He's a lot more open and while he does keep to himself in a lot of aspects, he's not someone who is keeping everyone in the dark. He doesn't have the same kind of damage that Kaz does. And Ace of Shades is far from the heist story of SoC!

While I wish the romance had been less frustrating (So many close calls--just kiss already, y'all! This could just be me...), I couldn't put Ace of Shades down. From the first couple of pages, I was hooked, taking a book I casually gave a try into something I took every minute I could to read. So, if this sounds like your thing, read it!

About the author:

Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from Villanova University, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she works as a tax accountant in Philadelphia, PA, surrounded by her many siblings and many books.

ACE OF SHADES is the first novel of THE SHADOW GAME series, releasing April 10, 2018. Her debut, DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY, released in July 2017.

Review: Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

2018-04-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: March 27, 2018
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 391
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

Emergency Contact was the book I didn't know I needed--and it came to me at the perfect time. I'd lost a bit of my reading zeal, sticking more to graphic novels and manga because nothing was catching my attention. One day, an ARC of Emergency Contact showed up at work and I read the back. I was instantly intrigued, took it home, and started reading that night. I WAS HOOKED, and completely fell in love with Penny and Sam.

There's so much I could gush about, but the heart of book--the relationship between Penny and Sam--is just so strong. As they grow closer, they open up and find their own strengths, but also they learn how to lean on the other. They see how they don't have to take the world on all by themselves, that they can have one person to rely on. I loved loved loved seeing the two of them grow--though at the same time I also wanted to give each of them a big hug.

The other standout to me was the characterization, not just of Penny and Sam, but of every character. Every single person we meet really feels fully realized, where you can anticipate their reactions. Penny's mom, well-intentioned as she is, is especially memorable, because you see so much heart coming from her, but her actions often feel thoughtless.

As someone who doesn't read a ton of contemporaries, it takes a lot for one to become something that I'll push on others, one that I'll remember for months and years to come, and Emergency Contact is definitely one I'll recommend for a long time. It's gives you all the warm fuzzies and sweet, cute moments, but it also deftly deals with a lot of serious topics in a smart, competent, and meaningful manner. Give me more like this, world, please!

Review: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

2018-04-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: March 6, 2018
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 342
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

Lira collects human prince's hearts, one for every year--until the day she prematurely takes a heart against her brutal sea queen mother's blessing. When she is transformed into a human, her mother gives her until Winter Solstice to bring the famed siren hunter Prince Elian's heart back or be fated to remain human. This all sounds great, right?

However, once we hit this point, my interest started to flag. Because, unbelievably, Lira pops up in the right place to land herself on Elian's ship and into a tentative place with him and his crew. She barters herself into their trust with promises that she can help him eliminate the plague of sirens to humans, despite every tell-tale sign that she is one (ability to speak their language and eerie knowledge of them seem like clues). Elian, portrayed as the infallible captain of his crew--always two steps ahead of them, and not letting them in on the secrets, despite established loyalty--falls to Lira's spell easily, forming a tentative alliance and later, of course, a romance. It's just all what we've come to expect, and there was little in the storyline that excited or surprised me.

I did enjoy Lira's growing appreciation for humanity and simmering anger at her mother converging, as it created a much more interesting inner turmoil, rather than the kind of boring outward parts. I'm glad Elian's crew felt such loyalty to him and at least they were smart enough to be suspicious of Lira!

For me, To Kill a Kingdom was a promisingly bloody idea and package that failed to enthrall. I know this is one that's gone around with raves, but unfortunately, it didn't hold my interest. (It is a seriously beautiful physical book, though--look at the endpapers, if you can!)

About the author:

Alexandra Christo decided to write books when she was four and her teacher told her she couldn't be a fairy. She has a BA in Creative Writing and works as a copywriter in London, both of which make her sound more grown up than she feels. When she's not busy making up stories, she can be found buying far too many cushions and organizing food crawls all over the city.

Where Have I Been?

2018-04-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Surprise! It's me! Thought you might never see me again, didn't you? Weeell, that's not the case.

Where have I been?

The same place, honestly. Life's been just the same, I've just been lazy--I think.

The more I think about it the less that feels right to say, though. I looked at my last post, and I remember where I was at the time. My niece was due any day, I'd just started working as receiving manager, and school was kicking my butt a little.

To update all of that:

My niece was born October 11th and is literally the cutest baby in the world. I will not be taking arguments on that. It's a fact. On the right was her on Easter...

School isn't kicking my butt much this semester, but I am down to my last two semesters after this one! I just signed up for classes and am both really excited and more than a little freaked out. It feels a lot like it did when I was finishing up undergrad and have this kind of precipice coming toward me. I've got some time, but it feels more important than it did the last time around. I mean, I've only spent how many thousands of my parents and my own dollars on my (soon to be!) two degrees and I don't feel as if I've got much to show for it, you know? No pressure!

As for work, well, that's complicated. My store manager's father, who she went on leave in September to take care of, passed away in January, and she came back. But then our actual receiving manager (whose job I had been filling while she was promoted up because the SM was gone) put in her notice, which had me thinking maybe I'd get that job... Only to have that position, as well as a couple of other full time positions, go away for the company. So now I'm in this fun limbo where I'm back to my old job of kid's lead, but I'm acting as receiving manager. And not only am I acting as receiving manager (and not receiving any additional pay), but I'm also doing all of the kid's lead work. I'm doing what was previously two full-time jobs in one 40-hour workweek--AND getting paid what I've always been paid. To say I'm getting fed up is an understatement.

And I think work is why I haven't pushed myself back here sooner. I go to work and feel like I have to push myself for 8 hours a day every day, trying to somehow keep up with the amount of work two of us used to keep up with without asking for help. The people at my store are actually wonderful, though. The management staff is really supportive and tries to help me as much as possible, but our company is just pushing, pushing, pushing and we're going to break at some point. So, be nice to the booksellers when you're in Barnes & Noble! We're STRESSED.

However, I have had to keep a sort of blog for one of the classes I'm in this semester, and it's really reminded me of how much I loved blogging. When I'm writing posts for that, I'm wishing they were for this--and that's the impetus I needed.

Now, to get away from all of the serious stuff, I'm gonna share some of what I've been enjoying the last six months!

First and foremost on that is anime. Like, as a whole. I'd previously loved some Studio Ghibli movies, but my best friend finally convinced me to watch a show and I've been obsessed ever since! I've had so much fun finding shows and really figuring out what kinds of things I like. It's a whole new world and there's just so much to watch that I don't know what to watch first!

As an extension of that, I started reading manga and graphic novels as well. With manga, I've stuck mostly to ones from shows I've watched and need more from, but I've picked up individual ones here and there. I really can't afford to buy a bunch, so I'm stuck using what my library has--which is not extensive AT ALL. As for graphic novels, I've only dipped my toe in there too, but the series that got me started was Saga. I decided to give it a try and was obsessed from then on. I've read them all and don't want to wait for more!

Otherwise, here are some of the books I've loved since I've been gone:

You'll probably see a review of Emergency Contact, since I just read that. And somehow that's... it? When I say I've been reading manga, it's probably 2/3 or even 3/4 of the 40 or so books I've read so far this year?

Anyway, I'd love to hear what's going on with y'all! I see some maintenance I need to do on here, and hopefully I can get myself on a posting schedule. Also, I'm planning to be at ALA in New Orleans in June--anybody else going??

September Recap

2017-10-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well... Oops? August and September just kind of molded into one month and I never recapped August. When I realized, it was too late, so I just didn't. I guess part of that is because it coincided with A LOT going on and I didn't have time! I think that's the trend of the last month... And likely the months to come.

What books did I get?

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

Warcross by Marie Lu

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

All my purchases, all signed! That's the approach I'm taking to buying books right now, because I need not to be spending so much money. Either I've read the book and adored it, or it's by someone I love!

The Hunting Accident by David L. Carlson, illustrated by Landis Blair
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Winner Take All by Laurie Devore
I Stop Somewhere by T.E. Carter
Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena
Dreamer by L.E. Delano
As She Fades by Abbi Glines

And these are the pretties I've gotten for review in the mail! The Hunting Accident is a graphic novel, which isn't my normal kind of thing, but I gave it a try and really enjoyed it! I'm really excited for the rest of these, too. :)

Honestly, I just had to show off this set. We got this at work and I literally screamed and grabbed it off the dolly after the UPS guy brought it in. I think I freaked him out. I carried it around for a while, hugging it to my chest. It's my precious and I'm never gonna break it up.

What did I post?

Not a darn thing in September, though these are what I posted in August...

July Recap
Blog Tour: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco {Playlist + Giveaway}

I know.

What did I read?

A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
Kate & Jesse by Erin Bowman (novella)
Warcross by Marie Lu
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
The Hunting Accident by David L. Carlson
A Daring Arrangement by Joanna Shupe

Favorite of the month: I LOVED Warcross and An Enchantment of Ravens, but I have to mention how much I liked Vengeance Road, Crooked Kingdom, and The Last Magician! I read some good stuff in August and September!

(I'm too lazy to link all of those...)

What will I read?

I don't think I'm going to continue with this, because I don't do well with TBRs. I've been thinking I would try and pare down on the books I've had living on my shelves, though. I think there are probably lots I wouldn't keep after I read them, but I'm afraid I'll love them so I don't want to get rid of them without reading them first. I'm gonna try, so we'll see!

What am I doing?

Well, the beginning of September I went to Disney World! I don't know if y'all remember, but last time I caught a virus and more than half of my (rather short) trip was a bust, because I spent it puking. This time I didn't get sick, but a hurricane did cut our trip a little short. We left a day early to avoid it, but that didn't bother me too much. I still got to do everything I wanted to do! We visited Pandora and I was so happy I'd avoided looking at much about it, because it's completely fabulous. Flights of Passage is awe-inspiring. I got to see Happily Ever After, the new fireworks show, for the first time (again, something I avoided looking at much about) and I cried the whole time. Which is completely normal for me.

Other than that, it's been all about work, school, and my niece--who should be here any day now! At work, we've had an upheaval, with my store manager going on leave to take care of her father and one of our head cashiers being diagnosed with cancer, all too close to the holidays. I've been temporarily promoted to receiving manager, with someone else largely taking care of kids, so it's been interesting! I do like making more money, though! This new semester of school seems to be taking a lot longer to do homework than others. I'm also writing for a local magazine, so life's feeling really full right now.

And with that, like I said, my first niece should be here any day! She's due on the 15th, but the doctor has told my sister-in-law that it'll be earlier, likely by the 12th, but she's big enough to come anytime. Which is crazy, but we're ecstatic! We'll see how that adds into my busyness, huh?

I've been really remiss with this blog, and it breaks my heart when I think about it. I really think I need to make a decision with it, either commit to it fully or shutter it. I know which way I'm leaning, because it hurts my heart to give up the blog, so I need to recommit myself, even though I know it won't be how a lot of people blog, because there's simply not enough time for me, without giving up sleep--which I shouldn't do, or I'll be a grump!

Blog Tour: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco {Playlist + Giveaway}

2017-08-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Y'all, I am over the moon excited to be kicking off the blog tour for Hunting Prince Dracula, hosted by the Knights of Whitechapel! If I haven't spouted my love of Stalking Jack the Ripper to you in the last year, I probably simply haven't seen you. Lucky little me has already read Hunting Prince Dracula (literally dropped everything to reread SJtR really quickly and leap into HPD!), and it's seriously wonderful. Everything you loved in Kerri's first book is there again, but with higher stakes (stakes, get it?), an even more gothic, dramatic setting, and even more romance. This is one you're going to need to pick up as soon as you can.

In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

PRAISE FOR HUNTING PRINCE DRACULA

“There are plenty of suspects and red herrings as well as tense escalations….A scenic, twisty mystery.”

―Kirkus Reviews

“Readers of the previous mystery will be thrilled to have more of this likable duo. [A] delightful romp into an 1888 Gothic mystery with a hint of romance.”

―School Library Connection

Add Hunting Prince Dracula to your Goodreads shelves!

Pre-Order the Book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Book Depository | Book People

Hudson Booksellers | Kepler’s Books | Target

Personally, I'm ordering from one of Kerri's tour stops to get my book signed and personalized. Her stops are listed here!

AND, if you pre-order and submit your proof of order, you can receive an exclusive story from Thomas' POV! Check out details here--it's international!

About the author:

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.

Her first novel in this series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history.

And now for my playlist! Last year, for the Stalking Jack the Ripper tour, I put together a playlist for that book (linked, if you're interested!), so I was really excited to work on another playlist for its sequel! Often, I only pick music that I would listen to while reading, all orchestral, because I love to play music that enhances the mood and tone of a book, but oftentimes people singing distracts me. This time, I went a little further and picked music that I think, in some moments of the book, reflects how the characters are thinking. I still, however, wanted to maintain the mood. So everything here is a little subdued and dark, which should make it a perfect accompaniment to reading Hunting Prince Dracula!

And it's not a complete tour stop without a giveaway, huh? Here we are!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
So there it is! I hope y'all are already getting excited for the book (I know I am!) and will follow the tour. We've got some really great posts coming up in the next month! Here's the link, if you're so inclined--I'll be following along myself! And keep an eye out here for my review of HPD in the next month as well! (Spoiler: It'll be gushing.)

July Recap

2017-08-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Can y'all believe July is over?? I feel like I just did the June recap (maybe that's because I didn't post too much in between, though...)

What books did I get?

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier

Dream On by Kerstin Gier

Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

Again, I'm proud of myself because I only bought two books! I got Three Dark Crowns and Once and For All at work because they were on sale already and I had coupons I could stack, so it was too good a deal to pass up! Nearly everything else, except for The Epic Crush of Genie Lo and Genuine Fraud, are all from trades. And I'm pleased as punch with my trades!

What did I post?

June Recap
Best of 2017... So Far
Review: Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra
Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

So... Not great. But last month's posts were all for blog tours, which obviously I'd made a commitment to and had to do, but all of these were instigated by me! So that's better, and I'm gonna take it. :)

What did I read?

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
Want by Cindy Pon
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourn
Rebels Rising by Shanna Swendson
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
Lady Bridget's Diary by Maya Rodale
Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt

Favorite of the month: I looooooooved Flame in the Mist, but I also have to give a shout out to Lord of Darkness for being the first book in the Maiden Lane series that I loved. I've enjoyed the series well enough up to that point--but I loved Lord of Darkness! (I loved Flame more though.)

Currently reading: A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare

What will I read?

Can we talk about how I'm the WORST at sticking to a TBR? I read like two books from last month's. I'm such a mood reader, though, so if I force myself to read something I'm not in the mood for I don't enjoy it as much! I can tell, too, because of how I react. I didn't put any historical romance on this pile, but I've got lots of egalleys, so if that mood strikes (as it has been!), I can pull from those. Hopefully with a wide enough selection to pull from, I can manage to make a little progress!

What am I doing?

Well, this month has been largely uneventful! I've just been working. I guess work is a little better than it was. The no tasks thing has loosened a lot, so I can actually get stuff done--though I've barely kept my head above water, I'm just treading, at this point. Maybe eventually I'll get ahead.

I'm a month away from my next Disney trip! I am pumped--because I'm determined not to get sick this time, and have lots of time there! I'm in full Disney obsession mode, reading all about the news in the parks and watching the movies. YAY.

I've got...even more bookish candles on their way. Oops. I'm working on a post about them for once I get everything in and get to burn them all! I'm not allowed to order any more for a while, I'd say. I've got two orders in the mail right now--and that's it for now! (I'm trying, I swear.)

I also just turned in my first story writing for a local magazine! My best friend's family actually publishes several about the casinos and goings on around us, and she'd been begging them to let me write for them, so she called in a favor, and I wrote a story! More to add to my about-to-be bulging schedule, once school starts.

Well, that's it, at least that I can think of! What has been going on with y'all? Anything exciting coming up? :)

Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

2017-07-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: April 11, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 336
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided for review through Edelweiss
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back.

There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

I fell in love with Becky Albertalli and her books immediately when I read Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda earlier this year. The book is just infused with charm and joy, and it was such a treat to read--so needless to say, I was pumped to know she had a second book coming out so soon after my first experience. And The Upside of Unrequited is sure to please any Becky fan--or any fan (casual or serious) of contemporary young adult fiction.

Who can't relate to a bunch of crushes you don't tell anyone about? (I, at least, can!) And Molly is such a fun, easily relatable girl in all ways. She feels awkward about her chubbiness at times, but she also loves herself! She voices all the kinds of fears I think teenage girls feel, and she's just the kind of character I'd have loved to read about at that age.

And I loved, loved, LOVED her romance with Reid! They're so comfortable with each other, friends first, and once Molly makes up her mind in that direction, so fun. That's one of my few complaints, actually. Molly is so indecisive, and I kind of hated that another love interest was even around. Like, we didn't need another guy to substantiate the romance? I would've just liked to have alllll the Molly and Reid, honestly.

While I didn't run around like a crazy person after reading this from the adorable (like I did with Simon, but that's a rarity!), The Upside of Unrequited is still wholly adorable and absolutely worth all your time! For many teenagers, I think there's a lot they could take away that would make them feel understood--and that's actually more important than being adorable in the long run. Gimme alllll the Becky Albertalli, please!

About the author:

Becky Albertalli is the author of the acclaimed novels Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat. A former clinical psychologist who specialized in working with children and teens, Becky lives with her family in Atlanta. You can visit her online at www.beckyalbertalli.com.

Review: Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra

2017-07-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: January 3, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Razorbill Canada
Pages: 272
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided for review through Netgalley
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

There are things I cannot say in any voice.

London, 1872. Seventeen-year-old heiress Leonora Somerville is preparing to be presented to upper-class society—again. She’s strikingly beautiful and going to be very rich, but Leo has a problem money can’t solve. A curious speech disorder causes her to stutter but allows her to imitate other people’s voices flawlessly. Servants and ladies alike call her “Mad Miss Mimic” behind her back…and watch as Leo unintentionally scares off one potential husband after another.

London is also a city gripped by opium fever. Leo’s brother-in-law, Dr. Dewhurst, and his new business partner, Francis Thornfax, are front-runners in the race to patent an injectable formula of the drug. Friendly, forthright, and devastatingly handsome, Thornfax seems immune to the gossip about Leo’s “madness.” But their courtship is endangered from the start. The mysterious Black Glove opium gang is setting off explosions across the city. The street urchins Dr. Dewhurst treats are dying of overdoses. And then there is Tom Rampling, the working-class boy Leo can’t seem to get off her mind.

As the violence closes in around her, Leo must find the links among the Black Glove’s attacks, Tom’s criminal past, the doctor’s dangerous cure, and Thornfax’s political ambitions. But first she must find her voice.

Weeeeeell. I was so excited to see that Mad Miss Mimic was going to be released in the US, after falling in love with the cover and the premise prior to its release in Canada. I quickly requested it on Netgalley and read it. And it's taken me this long to write a review. So.

I suppose there's nothing overtly wrong with Mad Miss Mimic. When I finished (after rather laboriously making my way through), I was left mostly with boredom and sadness that I'd been so bored. Leo is a character who mostly just lets things happen around her, and gets lucky in the things that happen. Her speech impediment is a huge part of who she is, and that's done well, but a disability does not a book make.

Not only all of that, but it's pretty obvious who our bad guy is going to be and the climax is not all that climactic. It's like there's a lot of interesting things, yet nothing has the punch it needs. Everything just left me feeling meh, and pretty sad I'd spent the hours to read the book, short as it is.

And, finally, I hate a lot of the ending. Any kind of power Leo has gained for herself is lost in the wallowing she does just before the ending, and it becomes so...simple. Somehow everything is made right (including Leo's speech impediment) and it's just not compelling.

Honestly, my advice is to skip this one. It's got so much that pushes my "love" buttons, but it just doesn't pay off. There are plenty more YA historical fiction novels you could read otherwise, and most would be a better use of your time. I'm sad to say it, but it's true.

About the author:

Sarah Henstra is the author of Mad Miss Mimic (Razorbill, 2015), an historical novel for young adults. She is a professor of English literature at Ryerson University, where she teaches courses in Gothic Horror, Fairy Tales & Fantasies, Psychoanalysis & Literature, and Creative Writing. She grew up on the wild, wet coast of British Columbia, but now she lives in Toronto, Ontario with her two sons.

Best of 2017... So Far

2017-07-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Six months of the year are over, so it's time for me to count down my top books of 2017 so far! This is one of my favorite posts to do every year, because it's a lot of fun to look over what I've read this year so far and see what I've loved. So far, I've read over 60 books this year, so I've got a few to pick from--and, especially in the last month or so, I've been reading some good books. This is gonna be hard!

So, in no particular order, my favorite books of the year so far:

So these are my favorites! I've given each five stars. I really wanted to keep it to ten, but I couldn't actually bear to cut one of these, so I went with eleven. Don't even let me think of the end of the year, when I really try to keep it to ten.

I didn't include ACOWAR, even though I loved it, largely because it was the end of the series and I didn't love it as much as ACOMAF. It's a similar story with Devil in Spring, simply because it couldn't live up to Devil in Winter!

Three sequels, two contemporaries, and even something non-fiction! I'm actually surprised at my own variety, because I am such a fantasy reader.

So, what are your favorite reads of the year so far? Let me know, or if you've written a post, link me to it! :)

June Recap

2017-07-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hiiii! I'm heeeeeere! I really thought I'd get better with the posting in June, but I failed. I've got a bunch of reviews nearly done, so hopefully I can get some out this month. I swear.

What books did I get?

A Million Junes by Emily Henry
Time and Time Again: A Collection by Tamara Ireland Stone
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
The Knowing by Sharon Cameron

Give me a high five--I only bought two books! (That's because I bought a lot of candles...) This is the kind of month-long haul I like, because I definitely read more books than I got! Improvement! I got Mask of Shadows, What to Say Next, and The Best Kind of Magic for review (also an improvement!), and Lair of Dreams and The Knowing from trades! I'm especially excited to have The Knowing, because that keeps my Sharon Cameron ARC collection up to date, and I'm super curious to see how she's continuing the story.

Egalleys for review:

Just Another Viscount in Love by Vivienne Lorret
Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

A Daring Arrangement by Joanna Shupe
Pacifica by Kristen Simmons

What did I post?

May Recap

Blog Tour: The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn {Review + Giveaway}
Blog Tour: What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum {Review}
Blog Tour: The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean {Review + Excerpt}

I thought I'd get more posts in, but I failed. Blog tours keeping me accountable, y'all.

What did I read?

The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn
Duke of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
What To Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass (audiobook reread)
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

Currently reading: I actually just finished a book, so I'm rather undecided. I'm thinking of Want by Cindy Pon. Any other suggestions?
Favorite of the month: SIX OF CROWS. Oh my lord, this book.

What will I read?

I did such a bad job keeping to my TBR for last month (I read a grand total of two books from the fifteen I put on there), so I went with low expectations for myself. I know I'll get to Crooked Kingdom because I adored SoC so much, so there's that! At least a higher percentage than last month.

What am I doing?

Well, y'all know I was taking a summer class for grad school, and it seriously kicked my butt. It was a lot of reading entire books and then writing little essays on them. Then, in the course of about a week, I had three huge projects due. Each took me at least eight hours to complete, with a least one of them taking more like twelve. Needless to say, finishing was a relief.

Also, if you're familiar with the blog, it's looking a little different, no? I logged on the other day to get some posts written, only to find that all the images hosted with the person I bought my template from were over their usage, so none were showing up any more. So, I went ahead and got a new one! It looks pretty similar to what I had before, just a bit different. I'm still working out some kinks with it, but I think I'll ultimately be happy with it!

And I talked a lot about work last month. The cafe shifts are gone, because they hired several more people who are all trained up, so that's nice. However now, the company is mandating that we have "no task" hours every day, so times where we can't do anything but help customers. Problem is, we're short on hours, so we're behind on pretty much everything. It's one of those things where you just have to shrug your shoulders and get whatever you can done--which I am not good at. I'm handling it so far, but we'll see.

I'm still obsessed with bookish candles, though! I haven't gotten anymore, but I have a couple of orders on the way... I love them and I want them for everything!

Anyway, farewell! Cheers to a wonderful July!

Blog Tour: The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3) by Sarah MacLean {Review + Excerpt}

2017-06-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

The one woman he will never forget…

Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one.

The one man she will never forgive…

After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist.

A love that neither can deny…

The duke has a single summer to woo his wife and convince her that, despite their broken past, he can give her forever, making every day...

From the beginning, I was so excited to read The Day of the Duchess. Almost all romance novels focus on the start and flourishing of a relationship, so after being introduced to Haven and Sera in such an interesting manner in The Rogue Not Taken (if you don't recall or haven't read it, Sera's sister, Sophie, shoves Haven into a fountain after finding him cheating on his pregnant wife), I knew the road to their happiness might not be a terribly happy one, but it would be worth the experience--and it was!

Certainly, making Haven into a sympathetic character was hard. All we've seen of him is his cheating and his pushing Seraphina away, but as we see moments from his point of view, while his actions are still not the best decisions, we can see more of his motivation. And what's more, his journey to understanding of Sera's feelings is wonderful. It's endearing to see him trying so hard to win her back, to see him truly fight for her, but it's even better to see him realize why he hasn't convinced her to be with him and make a change for her.

And Seraphina! Even through all of her heartbreak, she is made of steel, fighting through the pain to make a life for herself. In situations when other people would give up, let themselves go with the flow and let life take them down, she pushes back. But, what's even better is how much of the Soiled S's we're treated to! The sisters are truly one of the best parts of this series, and their loyalty to and love for one another is a joy over and over again.

I think what's most striking about this book, though, is how it covers how different people deal with grief. Even though the event is far enough past, the grief plays a huge part in forming who Sera and Haven have become and how their relationship reforms. Their emotional arc is more than a little heartbreaking, but it's also completely wonderful.

I've really enjoyed the Scandal & Scoundrel series so far, but The Day of the Duchess is by far my favorite of the series! It's a story with real emotional heft, yet there are also plenty of funny (courtesy of the wonderful Talbot sisters, mostly) and sweet moments.

About the author:

New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages, and winner of back-to-back RITA Awards for best historical romance from the Romance Writers of America.

Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. She is the author of a monthly column celebrating the best of the genre for the Washington Post. Her work in support of romance and the women who read it earned her a place on Jezebel.com's Sheroes list of 2014 and led Entertainment Weekly to call her "gracefully furious." A graduate of Smith College & Harvard University, Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Find Sarah online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Chapter 1
DESERTED DUKE DISAVOWED!
August 19, 1836
House of Lords, Parliament

She’d left him two years, seven months ago, exactly.

Malcolm Marcus Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven looked to the tiny wooden calendar wheels inlaid into the blotter on his desk in his private office above the House of Lords.

August the nineteenth, 1836. The last day of the parliamentary session, filled with pomp and idle. And lingering memory. He spun the wheel with the six embossed upon it. Five. Four. He took a deep breath.

Get out. He heard his own words, cold and angry with betrayal, echoing with quiet menace. Don’t ever return.

He touched the wheel again. August became July. May. March.

January the nineteenth, 1834. The day she left.

His fingers moved without thought, finding comfort in the familiar click of the wheels.

April the seventeenth, 1833.

The way I feel about you . . . Her words now—soft and full of temptation. I’ve never felt anything like this.

He hadn’t, either. As though light and breath and hope had flooded the room, filling all the dark spaces. Filling his lungs and heart. And all because of her.

Until he’d discovered the truth. The truth, which had mattered so much until it hadn’t mattered at all.

Where had she gone?

The clock in the corner of the room ticked and tocked, counting the seconds until Haven was due in his seat in the hallowed main chamber of the House of Lords, where men of higher purpose and passion had sat before him for generations. His fingers played the little calendar like a virtuoso, as though they’d done this dance a hundred times before. A thousand.

And they had.

March the first, 1833. The day they met.

So, they let simply anyone become a duke, do they? No deference. Teasing and charm and pure, unadulterated beauty.

If you think dukes are bad, imagine what they accept from duchesses?

That smile. As though she’d never met another man. As though she’d never wanted to. He’d been hers the moment he’d seen that smile. Before that. Imagine, indeed.

And then it had fallen apart. He’d lost everything, and then lost her. Or perhaps it had been the reverse. Or perhaps it was all the same.

Would there ever be a time when he stopped thinking of her? Ever a date that did not remind him of her? Of the time that had stretched like an eternity since she’d left?

Where had she gone?

The clock struck eleven, heavy chimes sounding in the room, echoed by a dozen others sounding down the long, oaken corridor beyond, summoning men of longstanding name to the duty that had been theirs before they drew breath.

Haven spun the calendar wheels with force, leaving them as they lay. November the thirty-seventh, 3842. A fine date—one on which he had absolutely no chance of thinking of her.

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Blog Tour: What To Say Next by Julie Buxbaum {Review|

2017-06-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: July 11, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.

DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

I adored Julie Buxbaum's YA debut, Tell Me Three Things, so when I was offered the opportunity to be on another blog tour for her second YA novel, What to Say Next, of course I jumped! And while this book is rather a different read, it's just as delightful as her first.

Kit is reeling from the sudden death of her beloved father in a car accident. She doesn't feel like herself. She doesn't feel like pretending to be the person she was before the accident. On the thirtieth day after, she can't take anymore, so she sits with David Drucker, thinking he will let her be in peace. David is perhaps the class oddball; he navigates the halls with headphones, and he doesn't speak to much of anyone, keeping his thoughts and observations in a notebook. As the two form a friendship, their worlds are rocked--in more way than one.

There's so much to love in this book! I have to start with the friendship between Kit and David. There were times I wanted to holler at Kit because she didn't understand David--but I can't say I would have either, I just had the luxury of being in his head. But as they become friends, Kit begins to understand David and how he works, and David starts to understand the nuances of Kit. There's a lot in the synopsis about the two "solving the mystery" of Kit's dad's accident, but it really doesn't play much into the story, except in one or two moments. To me, most of the story is Kit coming to terms with her dad's death and David coming out of his shell.

However, the true highlight of What to Say Next is David. I'm about the farthest person from an expert on Autism, but being in his head seems quite authentic from my limited knowledge. (I'd love to know from someone with experience!) He's not diagnosed, but he's definitely on the spectrum somewhere. He's sweet, brutally honest, and completely genuine. Being in his head is truly fascinating, and something that made the book memorable and even more of a joy to read.

Well, did I like What to Say Next? I feel as if it might be obvious that I loved it! Not only is it a touching story to read, but Buxbaum weaves in a lot of nuance and emotion that can often be lost in your typical YA contemporary romance. Read both of her books now!

About the author:

Julie Buxbaum is the New York Times best selling author of Tell Me Three Things, her young adult debut, and the critically acclaimed novels The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Julie’s writing has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. She is a former lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two young children, and an immortal goldfish. Visit Julie online at www.juliebuxbaum.com and follow @juliebux on Twitter.

Blog Tour: The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband (Rokesbys #2) by Julia Quinn {Review + Giveaway}

2017-06-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

While you were sleeping...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife

When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...

Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

I've been dying for The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband for ages. Two reasons: First, Julia Quinn has never let me down. She's never not delivered an adorable book. Second, who could resist the While You Were Sleeping angle in historical romance? And of course, Julia Quinn didn't fail me--nor did the premise!

As much as I love my historical romances set in England, it was a lot of fun to read a story set in the US, especially during the American Revolution. It's interesting to see this time from the British perspective since, being an American, we're always given stories from our side. However, the revolution itself doesn't play into the story much, aside from location. It's almost more that a war of some kind is going on, but it's not all that specific to this war. Still fun, just not integral.

What I think is so fun about Edward and Cecelia's relationship is that they actually know each other a bit before the events of the book--though they've never met in person. In letters exchanged with her brother, Cecelia and Edward have written short notes back and forth, getting information secondhand though Thomas. The content of these notes is revealed over the course of the book, and it's fun to see the original base of their relationship while they're falling in love.

The only less than fun part is Cecelia's guilt over lying to Edward. Her actions are...understandable, at the very least, but it doesn't make the situation any less awkward. Over and over again, I just wanted her to tell him! On the flip side, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. I don't want to say what happens, but I finished the book grinning like a total fool.

If you're a fan of Julia Quinn already, it should be a no brainer to pick up The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband! If not, (first, WHY?) how could you say not to a sweet romance that takes off from a beloved romantic comedy? It's the best of both worlds!

About the author:

Julia Quinn is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five novels for Avon Books, and one of only sixteen authors ever to be inducted in the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.

My Example

Manhattan Island
July 1779

His head hurt.

Correction, his head really hurt.

It was hard to tell, though, just what sort of pain it was. He might have been shot through the head with a musket ball. That seemed plausible, given his current location in New York (or was it Connecticut?) and his current occupation as a captain in His Majesty’s army.

There was a war going on, in case one hadn’t noticed.

But this particular pounding—the one that felt more like someone was bashing his skull with a cannon (not a cannonball, mind you, but an actual cannon) seemed to indicate that he had been attacked with a blunter instrument than a bullet.

An anvil, perhaps. Dropped from a second-story window.

But if one cared to look on the bright side, a pain such as this did seem to indicate that he wasn’t dead, which was also a plausible fate, given all the same facts that had led him to believe he might have been shot.

That war he’d mentioned... people did die.

With alarming regularity.

So he wasn’t dead. That was good. But he also wasn’t sure where he was, precisely. The obvious next step would be to open his eyes, but his eyelids were translucent enough for him to realize that it was the middle of the day, and while he did like to look on the metaphorical bright side, he was fairly certain that the literal one would prove blinding.

So he kept his eyes closed.

But he listened.

He wasn’t alone. He couldn’t make out any actual conversation, but a low buzz of words and activity filtered through the air. People were moving about, setting objects on tables, maybe pulling a chair across the floor.

Someone was moaning in pain

Most of the voices were male, but there was at least one lady nearby. She was close enough that he could hear her breathing. She made little noises as she went about her business, which he soon realized included tucking blankets around him and touching his forehead with the back of her hand.

He liked these little noises, the tiny little mmms and sighs she probably had no idea she was making. And she smelled nice, a bit like lemons, a bit like soap.

And a bit like hard work.

He knew that smell. He’d worn it himself, albeit usually only briefly until it turned into a full-fledged stink.

On her, though, it was more than pleasant. Perhaps a little earthy. And he wondered who she was, to be tending to him so diligently.

“How is he today?”

Edward held himself still. This male voice was new, and he wasn’t sure he wanted anyone to know he was awake yet.

Although he wasn’t sure why he felt this hesitancy.

“The same,” came the woman’s reply.

“I am concerned. If he doesn’t wake up soon...”

“I know,” the woman said. There was a touch of irritation in her voice, which Edward found curious.

“Have you been able to get him to take broth?”

“Just a few spoonfuls. I was afraid he would choke if I attempted any more than that.”

The man made a vague noise of approval. “Remind me how long he has been like this?”

“A week, sir. Four days before I arrived, and three since.”

A week. Edward thought about this. A week meant it must be... March? April?

No, maybe it was only February. And this was probably New York, not Connecticut.

But that still didn’t explain why his head hurt so bloody much. Clearly he’d been in some sort of an accident. Or had he been attacked?

“There has been no change at all?” the man asked, even though the lady had just said as much.

But she must have had far more patience than Edward, because she replied in a quiet, clear voice, “No, sir. None.”

The man made a noise that wasn’t quite a grunt. Edward found it impossible to interpret.

“Er...” The woman cleared her throat. “Have you any news of my brother?”
Her brother? Who was her brother?

“I am afraid not, Mrs. Rokesby.”

Mrs. Rokesby?

“It has been nearly two months,” she said quietly.

Mrs. Rokesby? Edward really wanted them to get back to that point. There was only one Rokesby in North America as far as he knew, and that was him. So if she was Mrs. Rokesby...

“I think,” the male voice said, “that your energies would be better spent tending to your husband.”

Husband?

“I assure you,” she said, and there was that touch of irritation again, “that I have been caring for him most faithfully.”

Husband? They were calling him her husband? Was he married? He couldn’t be married. How could he be married and not remember it?

Who was this woman?

Edward’s heart began to pound. What the devil was happening to him?

“Did he just make a noise?” the man asked.

“I... I don’t think so.”

She moved then, quickly. Hands touched him, his cheek, then his chest, and even through her obvious concern, there was something soothing in her motions, something undeniably right.

“Edward?” she asked, taking his hand. She stroked it several times, her fingers brushing lightly over his skin. “Can you hear me?”

He ought to respond. She was worried. What kind of gentleman did not act to relieve a lady’s distress?

“I fear he may be lost to us,” the man said, with far less gentleness than Edward thought appropriate.

“He still breathes,” the woman said in a steely voice.

The man said nothing, but his expression must have been one of pity, because she said it again, more loudly this time.

“He still breathes.”

“Mrs. Rokesby...”

Edward felt her hand tighten around his. Then she placed her other on top, her fingers resting lightly on his knuckles. It was the smallest sort of embrace, but Edward felt it down to his soul.

“He still breathes, Colonel,” she said with quiet resolve. “And while he does, I will be here. I may not be able to help Thomas, but—”

Thomas. Thomas Harcourt. That was the connection. This must be his sister. Cecilia. He knew her well.

Or not. He’d never actually met the lady, he felt like he knew her. She wrote to her brother with a diligence that was unmatched in the regiment. Thomas received twice as much mail as Edward, and Edward had four siblings to Thomas’s one.

Cecilia Harcourt. What on earth was she doing in North America? She was supposed to be in Derbyshire, in that little town Thomas had been so eager to leave. The one with the hot springs. Matlock. No, Matlock Bath.

Edward had never been, but he thought it sounded charming. Not the way Thomas described it, of course; he liked the bustle of city life and couldn’t wait to take a commission and depart his village. But Cecilia was different. In her letters, the small Derbyshire town came alive, and Edward almost felt that he would recognize her neighbors if he ever went to visit.

She was witty. Lord, she was witty. Thomas used to laugh so much at her missives that Edward finally made him read them out loud.

Then one day, when Thomas was penning his response, Edward interrupted so many times that Thomas finally shoved out his chair and held forth his quill.

“You write to her,” he’d said.

So he did.

Not on his own, of course. Edward could never have written to her directly. It would have been the worst sort of impropriety, and he would not have insulted her in such a manner. But he took to scribbling a few lines at the end of Thomas’s letters, and whenever she replied, she had a few lines for him.

Thomas carried a miniature of her, and even though he said it was several years old, Edward had found himself staring at it, studying the small portrait of the young woman, wondering if her hair really was that remarkable golden color, or if she really did smile that way, lips closed and mysterious.

Somehow he thought not. She did not strike him as a woman with secrets. Her smile would be sunny and free. Edward had even thought he’d like to meet her once this godforsaken war was over. He’d never said anything to Thomas, though.

That would have been strange.

Now Cecilia was here. In the colonies. Which made absolutely no sense, but then again, what did? Edward’s head was injured, and Thomas seemed to be missing, and...

Edward thought hard.

...and he seemed to have married Cecilia Harcourt.

He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the green-eyed woman peering down at him. “Cecilia?”

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May Recap

2017-06-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Again, I'm not doing as well blogging as I'd like. HOWEVER, I'm improving! I'm just going to take things a step at a time. Just keep getting better. I'm finding balance in work/school/blogging--just in time to be done with school for a bit! I'll finish this summer class on the 20th, and finally have some time off, which I am very much looking forward to. I've done SO MUCH reading for this class, which is fun, but it keeps me from my review books and fun books, which is less fun.

What books did I get?

This is a lot of books, but I only bought one of them! (I'm actually missing a couple, but they were for class: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen, Undertow by Michael Buckley, and A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. I bought them, but they don't count!)

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco

Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary by Martha Brockenbrough

Finding You by Lydia Albano

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

The Millionaire Rogue by Jessica Peterson

The Duke Can Go to the Devil by Erin Knightley

Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

How the Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell

My American Duchess by Eloisa James

Lady Bridget's Diary by Maya Rodale

And only one of those was bought! I got my ACOWAR from Books of Wonder so it could be signed and personalized like all my other SJM books! All the Macmillan books, Ramona Blue, and Hunting Prince Dracula were for review. I about died when I opened the package with HPD because, seriously, it's the only ARC I've wanted for months! And I've already read (and ADORED) it. :)

Then, the wonderful Alyssa surprised me with a giant package of historical romance! We'd talked about her sending me some books a while back, but I thought we'd talk about it again before it happened, and then one day this package was at my house! It was such a sweet surprise, and I'm so pumped about everything she sent me. I LOVE the UK editions, especially!

What did I post?

I'm getting a little bit better, I swear! I'm letting myself ramp up with no pressure, and it's working. June should look even better, especially once my class ends!

April Recap
Review: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron
Review: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
Blog Tour: Refuge for Masterminds by Kathleen Baldwin {Fun Fact + Excerpt + Giveaway}

I will point out that everything but the recap was in the second half of the month, so see? Getting better... Slowly.

What did I read?

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han
Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
Undertow by Michael Buckley
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (reread!)
Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Currently reading: The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband (Rokesbys #2) by Julia Quinn

Favorite of the month: Hunting Prince Dracula! I read a couple of really good books this month (ACOWAR, Always and Forever Lara Jean, Midwinterblood, I'm looking at y'all!) but HPD really lived up to the excitement I'd built for it in my mind--even after rereading SJTR first!--and only made me even more desperate for the third book. (ACOWAR was the biggest contender, but, as much as I enjoyed it, I still love ACOMAF more.)

What will I read?

You can tell it's summer because I picked almost all contemporaries and historical romance! I love reading fun and light stuff in the summer--plus a bunch of these are review copies coming out in July or August. And after loving Alex, Approximately, I know I HAVE to get to The Anatomical Shape of a Heart ASAP. Plus, I'm going to relieve Alyssa and try and catch up on the Maiden Lane books! That's every one that I haven't read that I own in the pile.

I believe I've only got one more book to read for this class, so once that's out of the way, my reading should start to pick up--and once class is over on the 20th, I should be able to start flying through some books! I can't wait for no homework!

What am I doing?

Well, on the no spending money thing, I'm doing pretty well! We're doing employee appreciation at work this week, where we get extra discounts, but I've not bought anything, and there's actually nothing I'm really pining for! Usually I buy a lot of books I've loved and want finished copies of during employee appreciation, but it's something I'm just going to table this time around. I need to be able to afford school and Disney more than I need more books, Maybe if I can get rid of the piles on my floor? (HA!)

Otherwise, life is school and work. I've been working a lot of weird shifts because our cafe is shorthanded (and I started in cafe when I first started working at B&N), so I've been over there a lot. Like three days a week a lot. I was mad about it at first, but I've kind of made my peace for this time around. This is mostly because people have been helping me and the kid's department out in the meantime, so I'm not swamped in work on the day or two I actually get in the department. I'm also getting tips, which I'm earmarking for bookish candles because that's my new obsession! Basically, in the cafe, you're paid your hourly wage, but while you can't keep out a tip jar or anything, you can take tips that are offered. On good days, you can make $10 in tips--which is just free money on top of your actual wages! So, mine is going in the bank so I can buy candles, which is also helping me be less salty about the cafe shifts.

I have realized that I managed to miss my blogoversary! I've been blogging for 6 years, y'all. I didn't think about it till maybe 10 pm on the night of the 29th, which is the day. Oops! I'll mull it over and see if I want to do anything for it, but it did happen! I literally had to double check to make sure it was 6 years, because it felt like too long! I can barely believe it--but the post dates don't lie!

And that's it! I feel like I had a lot to say this time around... Maybe it's just the paragraph about work. We've had some turmoil and movement in the store, so it's been kind of weird time. If you had heard me at the beginning of the month, I'd have had a lot more to say, but I've chilled with it a lot--and the shifts are getting better at this point. The most recent schedule doesn't have me in cafe at all, so the end may just be in sight. Fingers crossed!

Also, if you have bookish candle shops you love (and/or scents!), let me know! I've bought from Novelly Yours and Wick & Fable and generally been pleased, but I'd love to hear some recommendations for other shops! (Especially if you're not a rep for them? Instagram has lots of raves and pictures, but I can't fully trust a rep... You know?)

Blog Tour: Refuge for Masterminds (Stranje House #3) by Kathleen Baldwin {Fun Fact + Excerpt + Giveaway}

2017-05-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm super excited to have the blog tour for Refuge for Masterminds, which is OUT NOW, stopping by today! I've only read the first book in this series so far, but it was such fun, and I'm definitely going to be catching up as soon as I can. Today I get to share a fun fact from Kathleen, an excerpt, and a giveaway! Read on, y'all! :)

About the book:

The stakes in this game of spies are life and death.

Lady Jane Moore has a secret. A secret that must be kept buried. If anyone discovered the truth, her life at Stranje House would crumble. And with Napoleon Bonaparte threatening to invade England, everyone at Stranje House is already in mortal danger.

There’s a traitor in the house. Someone is sneaking information to Napoleon’s spies, Lady Daneska and Ghost. Jane is determined to find out who it is before suspicions rip apart the bonds of friendship at Stranje House. Her desperate hunt for the traitor ensnares a brash young American inventor, Alexander Sinclair, Robert Fulton’s nephew, into an ambush that puts his life in danger. Sinclair is the most maddening young man in all of Christendom, a sharp-tongued rascal with boorish manners, but Lady Jane cannot bear the thought of the golden-haired genius being harmed.

Is Jane enough of a mastermind to save Alexander, her friends at Stranje House, and possibly England itself?

Fans of Gail Carriger, Patricia Wrede, and Caroline Stevermer will love this Regency-era alternate history filled with spunky heroines, handsome young lords, and dastardly villains.

Fun Fact #3

I am kind of a history nerd. I am crazy about doing research.

I know, I know, what kind of lunatic loves that? I mean no one enjoys doing research papers in school, do they?

Oh, wait, yes, I do, I do! Waving hand.

My little researcher’s heart goes absolutely crazy over authenticity. It’s an obsession. Nay, a sickness really.

Anyway, to make certain I had the details of Ghost’s ship correct in REFUGE FOR MASTERMINDS, I needed to go aboard an honest to goodness ship from the Regency era. So, a friend and I went to a maritime museum in San Diego. We clambered down narrow stairwells into the cargo hold, the crew’s quarters (a bunch of hammocks in the hold), passenger berths, the captain’s quarters, the artillery deck, and even the kitchen.

I now know what it feels like to be aboard an old ship, and I’m grateful it was only for an hour.

You guys, ships are so tiny! I have no idea how the sailors and passengers could live like that for months at a time.

Super squishy.

Excerpt from
Chapter 15
Clocks and Cobras

(Wherein Alexander Sinclair, the boorish American Inventor, has come to Lady Jane for a dance lesson)

The Grand Salon at Haversmythe house is an elegant soft blue with lavish white moldings. Queen Anne chairs, upholstered in a matching blue velvet, are arranged along the walls. Two enormous chandeliers hang from the ceiling. One is lit for this evening, and it glitters with fifteen brightly glowing candles. The floor is smooth and waxed to a brilliant shine. But the most notable feature, is how perfectly this room sets off Mr. Sinclair’s features.

He is clad in his new Corinthian black coat and navy blue breeches. I will not remark on how his hair glows in the candlelight, nor how the blue walls are a perfect foil for his angelic features. The effect is somewhat marred by the fact that he is smiling at me like a roguish pickpocket.

He bows over my hand and one might almost think him a gentleman. I run through all the things I should like him to say.

I’m yours to command, Lady Jane.

You look perfectly stunning in that gown, my lady.

My dearest Jane, I’ve been counting each torturous minute until this moment.

To all these compliments, I plan to offer a ladylike laugh, and playfully scold him the way Lady Jersey would. I will say, mind your tongue Alexander Sinclair, and then smile coyly.

He rises from his bow, and I perform a slow languid curtsy.

“All right, Lady Jane, what are you up to?” He stares down his nose at me. Which, by the way, looks as if it was broken at one time or another. There is a decided knot in the fine lines of the bone. “I see cogs turning in that dangerous little head of yours.”

Dangerous. Not pretty. Of all the things he could’ve called my head, lovely, or even clever, he chooses to say dangerous. What’s worse, I am completely innocent of plotting at the moment. I was merely enjoying looking at him.

“I’m not up to anything.” I cross my arms. “Why should I be?”

“Because you always are.” He says this with a modicum of respect, as if it is not entirely an insult, even though it is. “Craftier than a mongoose chasing a cobra, you are. I never know what to expect.”

A mongoose?

Suddenly, I want to punch him. My fists are balled and I have half a mind to actually do the deed, except that would not be ladylike, and fortunately for him Captain Grey and Miss Stranje are approaching, otherwise I might fling caution to the wind and smack him properly, right there on his angelic cheek.

Mongoose, indeed.

Miss Stranje greets Mr. Sinclair, and says, “Lady Jane, we will leave you and the others to instruct Mr. Sinclair on the finer points of our English country dances. Mind you, the gentlemen have an early morning tomorrow. So, you only have an hour and a half before they must take their leave.”

Mr. Sinclair bows to her and holds out his arm to me. “I am ready for your instruction, my lady.”

“I’m surprised you would trust a mongoose.”

“With my life, your majesty.” He adds a jaunty smile. But his flippant remark, with my life, jolts me back to the cold cruel fact that his life may indeed rely on whether or not I can catch the cobra.

My fists uncurl.

Buy Refuge for Masterminds: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Previous books in the series:

Buy A School for Unusual Girls: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Buy Exile for Dreamers: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

About the author:

Kathleen Baldwin loves adventure in books and in real life. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert, was stalked by a mountain lion, lost an argument with a rattlesnake, spent way too long in college, fell in love and married her very own hero.

A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS, the first book in the alternate history series for teens, was awarded Spirit of Texas in 2016, is a Junior Library Guild selection, and Kansas NEA Reading Circle gave it a starred review in their 2016 “Best of the Best” for High Schools. Ian Bryce, producer of Spiderman, Saving Private Ryan, and other notable films optioned the series for film.

REFUGE FOR MASTERMINDS, Book 3 in the Stranje House series, releases May 23rd.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot calls this romantic Regency adventure, "completely original and totally engrossing."

Find Kathleen online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

2017-05-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: March 28, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 416
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided through Edelweiss
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

I'm kind of two minds about Blood Rose Rebellion. In some ways, I really enjoyed the world Eves created, where the aristocracy partially maintains their power because of their magical abilities, and liked seeing Anna come to understand the world around her. At the same time, though, I was frustrated with Anna a lot of the time, I've seen reviews that mention inaccuracies--though that's obviously not something I can speak on personally--and there were things that just didn't feel right.

First, the good. The setting is just the kind of thing I love! Not only do we start in London, but Anna visits Hungary with her grandmother, a country we don't see a lot of in YA, and it makes for a different feel, and a culture that's enjoyable to learn more about. There's also a lot that's interesting about the magic of the world, with a lot of questions to be answered later on after the events of this book. I'll be curious to see the repercussions to come in the next book. I like when folklore and fairy tales come into play in a world with magic, so all the creatures from the Binding were one of my favorite parts.

On the other hand, Anna is more than a little bit frustrating. I found her to be naive and too changeable. She didn't commit to her decisions, and she's very self-centered, unable to see how her actions will affect others until she's faced with the consequences. And while I liked the eventual romance, it weirds me out that Anna kissed at least three guys in this book. Two seems sufficient, doesn't it?

Even so, enough interesting background was set up that I'm curious for what's to come. I have hope that Anna can grow from what she's experienced, and, hey, maybe she'll only kiss one guy! So, perhaps while I can't recommend it without reservation, Blood Rose Rebellion is an interesting read and a series I will continue.

About the author:

Rosalyn Eves grew up in the Rocky Mountains, dividing her time between reading books and bossing her siblings into performing her dramatic scripts. As an adult, the telling and reading of stories is still one of her favorite things to do. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her chemistry professor husband and three children, watching British period pieces, or hiking through the splendid landscape of southern Utah, where she lives. She dislikes housework on principle. Her first book, BLOOD ROSE REBELLION, comes out Spring 2017 from Knopf.

Review: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

2017-05-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: September 13, 2016
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 403
Format: ARC
Source: Traded
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes.

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.

In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.

But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.

It's no secret that I looooooooove Sharon Cameron's books. I'm still obsessed with Rook, and it's been...awhile...since I read it. So, when friends told me The Forgetting was her best book so far, I was excited, and a little scared. Honestly, I don't know how something could compare to Rook for me, so The Forgetting isn't her best book in my mind--however, it is excellent.

In Nadia's world, what isn't written down didn't happen. The Forgetting happens every twelve years, so people rely on their books to tell them about their pasts. But Nadia remembers. She's only experienced one Forgetting, but she knows what happened before, and the knowing is a danger to her and her family. She wants to know why they forget and why they have walls, just what they are hiding from.

Finding out these whys and whats alongside Nadia is a treat. Being in her head is fascinating, because Nadia is racing against the clock, fighting for the people she loves. She knows her world could emerge completely different after the Forgetting, and she's unwilling to let that happen. And the answers we get? COOL. It's not something you expect, and even once we know, there's more! You'll be guessing all the way through.

And it's not a Sharon Cameron book if I didn't love the romance! Gray is a bit of a mystery at first, but as he and Nadia get to know one another, their romance is a pleasure to read.

Don't take my saying The Forgetting is not my new favorite Sharon Cameron book as a negative! (I'm really thinking it's more genre-related than anything. I can't resist a retelling of a classic, especially one set in a world than feels like it's from the past but it's really the future!) That doesn't discount that The Forgetting is a truly excellent science fiction novel that'll keep you guessing till the end.

About the author:

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages. She lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee.

April Recap

2017-05-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I did slightly better this month! Not well, but better. I'm gonna take the win. I'm still reading quite a bit, though, so I'm going to be happy enough with this.

What books did I get?

I did okay with this, but I always manage to download too many egalleys. Without fail.

If I Only Had a Duke by Lenora Bell
Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (signed and personalized!)
Rebels Rising by Shanna Swendson

Not the greatest job not buying books, but not terrible either. Hopefully next month will be better. Only thing I didn't buy was Rebel, which I traded for--and about DIED in excitement to get. My collection is perfect. Flora & Ulysses is for my class this summer. And I desperately wanted to go to the launch for Defy the Stars, but timing didn't work out. I did, however, order a signed copy from the event and picked it up, which made it a little better.

As for the egalleys, this may include a couple I got in March, because I didn't feature any in the last recap, but I can't remember exactly when I got all of them.

What did I post?

This is the same number of I posts from my last recap. However, the last recap was for two months! Double the posts!

March Recap (And a Little Bit of February?)

Review: Gilded Cage by Vic James

Review: Hunted by Meagan Spooner

I'm calling this a win for me, but I'm trying to do better!

What did I read?

Again, not embarrassing!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Perfect (Flawed #2) by Cecelia Ahern

When the Marquess Falls (Hellions of Havisham #3.5) by Lorraine Heath

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

How the Duke Was Won (Disgraceful Dukes #1) by Lenora Bell

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

If I Only Had a Duke (Disgraceful Dukes #2) by Lenora Bell

See? I've been reading more than I thought I would, and have quite the backlog of books to review.

Currently reading: When Dimple Met Rishi (though I'll be done by the time this posts!)

Favorite of the month: I think I have to go with Alex, Approximately! I LOVED The Upside of Unrequited, but not as much as Simon, and I loved Born a Crime, but it's so different from my normal stuff, so I guess I'm counting it differently. I dunno. Why do I have to love so many books that I read?

What will I read?

I'm planning on reading heavily from my physical books this month, since I focused on ebooks last month. I didn't do the best with that, but that's okay. If you've seen my TBRs from before, you'll see a few holdovers. I'm really trying to get to them!

What am I doing?

Well, I've finished my second semester of grad school! I haven't gotten my final grade back yet, but it looks like I'll have a 99 in one class and pass the other--which is a pass/fail pre-requisite--so I'm pleased! I also got to write a giant annotated bibliography on Disney attractions, which was a lot of fun.

I turned 25! I'm still a little salty about it, and kept asking if I could just turn 24 again, but no one told me I could.

I will be starting summer classes pretty soon, but I'm only taking one. I'll have class through the middle of June and be freeeeee for a little while! I'm taking a class called Materials for Youth, so it shouldn't be too difficult--but it will be work intensive. Looks like we have pretty big assignments that involve reading a book due every 4 or 5 days, so I may...not be the best here. We'll see, I guess.

I'm also trying--again--not to spend money! I need to put it down in writing, and remind myself that I'm saving for school and Disney. Yes, I'm going to Disney World again in September. I might have a problem, but that's alright.

That's it! I'm crossing my fingers I'll be able to get more posts up this month, but we'll see! School has to come first, you know? (I do have at least one blog tour stop scheduled, so that'll happen for sure!)

Review: Hunted by Meagan Spooner

2017-04-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: March 14, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 384
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided for review through Edelweiss
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

Though I love the Starbound series Meagan writes with Amie Kaufman, I haven't read any of her solo books, so I didn't quite know what to expect coming into Hunted. However, I'd seen a few friends raving and Beauty and the Beast is my favorite, so I was excited to try Meagan's adaptation. I'm even more excited to say that I loved it!

Hunted reminded me of one of my favorite author's Beauty and the Beast retellings: Robin McKinley. She has two: Beauty and Rose Daughter. I love them because they're lyrical, dark (more so in the case of Rose Daughter), and compelling. Hunted evokes a lot of the same moodiness, and it works more in the vein of the traditional fairy tales, hitting more complicated notes and emotions, giving the reader more to interpret and less to be told. While I don't always prefer my retellings this way, I do find the ones that strike those chords to be more resonant and stay with me longer.

Yeva is just the kind of girl we can get behind. She wants more from her life than what she's been offered, but she recognizes her duty to her family. She's actually happier in many ways when her father loses his fortune and her family is forced to live in a hunting cabin in the middle of nowhere. Her being different isn't as noticeable, and she can hunt. Her desire to hunt the Beast is understandable, and when she finally understands him and begins to soften, it makes sense.

However, Hunted isn't going to read like I think many people want from a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It's not overly romantic, there's no dancing, and our Beast is often more beastly that we're used to in our recent retellings. For me, this works, but I don't think it will work for everyone. Hunted reads more like an adult high fantasy in a lot of ways, so it's not going to appeal to every YA reader.

From the beginning of Hunted, I was entranced by the gorgeous writing and new yet familiar take on my favorite fairy tale. I was rewarded with a thoroughly beautiful story that reminded me of some of my favorite books, and a new hope that Meagan Spooner will write more books like this! (I'm happy with her sci-fi, but more fantasy, please?)

About the author:

Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She’s traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and there’s a bit of every trip in every story she writes.

She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there’s no telling how long she’ll stay there.

In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.

Review: Gilded Cage by Vic James

2017-04-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Release date: February 14, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

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?

As soon as I read the synopsis for Gilded Cage, I was excited. Even as it sounded a bit like all the dystopian books that came out a few years ago, I loved the idea of it being set in an alternate modern day England. However, I quickly became, honestly, kind of bored with the book.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what doesn't work, but I think the biggest thing is that almost nothing really hits you. There's a lot packed into the book. A lot of characters. A lot of points of view. A lot of things that could be really interesting, but that aren't developed enough to give them the punch they need. Part of the problem is that we're switching point of view every chapter, and we're following stories in a couple of different places. Just when moments start to gain real momentum, the chapter ends and we're shifted to another part of the story. By the time we get back to that character, the momentum is gone. You have to play catch up.

This is worst with Luke's chapters. His involvement with the rebellion quickly becomes the most interesting storyline, but his is the only point of view involved that we get. While I see why the other POVs are involved, I could have done with a book that follows only Luke and probably been happier reading. Otherwise, I think the only other character that interested me was Silyen. Because his motives are completely inscrutable, you don't know what he's going to do. Maybe give me Luke and Silyen?

The romance is also a little upsetting. Abi is a slave. Jenner, even without any powers, is her master. Romance here is just a no. It gives me the icks and I don't like it. It also feels a lot like instalove; even though a lot of time passes that I'm sure they spend a lot of time together, we see very little of it, so their "attraction" feels baseless.

I'm sad not to have liked Gilded Cage because I was so excited by the premise. I'll probably give a look to the sequel when it comes out later this year, because I'm curious, but my interest may not go any farther. I read the whole book, but it was hard to get through for me, honestly.

About the author:

Vic lives in London’s Notting Hill, but her life is more action-adventure than rom-com.

She studied History and English at Merton College, Oxford where Tolkien was once professor. Relocating to Rome, she completed her doctorate in the Vatican Secret Archives (they’re nothing like The Da Vinci Code), then spent five years living in Tokyo where she learned Japanese and worked as a journalist. She now writes full time.

Vic has scuba-dived on Easter Island, camped at Everest Base Camp, voyaged on one of the last mailboats to St Helena, hang-glided across Rio de Janeiro, and swum the Hellespont from Europe to Asia. But there’s little she loves more than lying in bed till midday with a good book and a supply of her favourite biscuits.

March Recap (and a Little of February?)

2017-04-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Weeeeeell, I fell off the face of the earth again! I may not be doing the best with the whole working/school/blogging thing... I do try, but I find it hard at times to muster enthusiasm for getting on the computer and typing things up, especially after I've just finished an assignment. I'm reading, yet I'm not reviewing. So this should be an interesting recap!

What books did I get?

Considering this is two months, I feel no shame! I actually did buy a couple more Saturday, but that was the 1st of April, so that'll go in next month's. Muahahahaha.

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

Vanguard by Ann Aguirre

Love Is Both Wave and Particle by Paul Cody

Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourn

The End of Our Story by Meg Haston

Mutant Mantis Lunch Ladies by Bruce Hale

These are my review books! And all but one came in February, I believe. I have a coworker I'll be passing Mutant Mantis Lunch Ladies to, because she has a son who I think would enjoy it, and it's just not my style.

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

This is ALL I purchased, y'all! I had the benefit of a Disney trip looming, so I could hold myself back in buying books. I've literally already bought this many books in the month of April, so the next recap won't show such restraint.

Also, my copies of Caraval and A Million Worlds With You are from the Stephanie Garber signing in New Orleans I went to on Valentine's Day! She was so sweet and charming, and it was a really fun signing. I happened to see Claudia Gray tweet about being at the signing, so I brought a couple of her books I hadn't had signed yet and actually bought this last one at the bookstore, was totally creepy, and asked her to sign them for me! She was SO nice and seemed happy to do so. I was kind of sad that the only copy they had had been signed already, but I got it personalized, so that's okay. :)

Denton Little's Deathdate by Lance Rubin

Denton Little's Still Not Dead by Lance Rubin

And finally, books I won! I so rarely win things, so I was excited, and I've been interested in these books from the get-go. Plus, I won them from Becky! :D

What did I post?

This is going to be amusing, since this is representative of two months...

January Recap

Starfall Launch Blitz + Giveaway

Review: How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore

I said I did badly in my January recap, but I think this one wins.

What did I read?

This is less embarrassing!

The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman

Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

The Danger of Desire by Sabrina Jeffries

Gilded Cage by Vic James

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray

Starfall by Melissa Landers

Hunted by Meagan Spooner

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

The Truth Above Love and Dukes by Laura Lee Guhrke

Currently reading: Perfect by Cecelia Ahern

Favorite of February: Tie between Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Devil in Spring, but I also really loved The Dark Days Pact!

Favorite of March: Hunted

What will I read?

I didn't put together a picture for my TBR this month, because I'm planning on getting through a bunch of eARCs, if possible. Once my copy of Rebels Rising comes, I'll read that for sure, but otherwise, I'm going to focus on digital books because there are SO many backed up. Here are a few I'd like to get to, though:

What am I doing?

School and work. School and work. School and work. That's pretty much it! In February, we did take our trip to Disney World that I'd been so looking forward to. However, I got sick the second day we were there and it really put a damper on the trip. I kept going but... I definitely puked a lot.

I have seen Beauty and the Beast a total of 5 times at this point, so I've spent my fair share of time seeing that. I really love the adaptation!

It's my birthday this month! I'm excited because I love my birthday, but I'm not excited about turning 25. I think I wanted to be somewhere else in life than I am by this point. But I'm okay with things, really, especially being in grad school.

That's it for now! I'm going to go actually schedule some reviews now, so we'll have some real content this month!

Review: How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore

2017-02-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

Release date: January 31, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter
Publisher: Imprint
Pages: 342
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Keep your enemies close, but your friends closer.

Olivia Clayton has mastered the art of tearing others down to stay on top. She and her best friend, Adrienne, rule their small southern town like all good mean girls do--through intimidation and manipulation.

After Olivia suffers a family tragedy and catches Adrienne sleeping with her boyfriend, Olivia is over it. She decides to make a change--but it's impossible to resist taking Adrienne down one last time. Up to her old tricks, Olivia convinces golden boy Whit DuRant to be her SAT tutor and her fake boyfriend. But when it starts to feel real, Whit gets caught up in Olivia and Adrienne's war.

Olivia may ruin everything she touches, but this time she won't go down without a fight--not if it means losing Whit.

And definitely not if it means losing what's left of herself.

You know, How to Break a Boy was an interesting read. I expected something different from what it was, certainly something lighter and more straightforward, but I can't say it's not worthwhile.

At times, How to Break a Boy is actually hard to read. There are moments when Olivia is making the worst choices I could imagine, and I just wanted to smack her. It's hard to read about a character who is so different and who you know is making the wrong decision, but who believes she's making the right one. It's not that she's unlikable, especially by the end of the book, but Olivia truly doesn't know who she is--and I think that's what makes it worthwhile.

By the end of the book, Olivia still doesn't know who she is, but she's working on it. She's done so much to hurt people, but she's figuring it out--and that's why I think How to Break a Boy is interesting. It's the story of a girl who realizes her life is far from what she thought it was, and she breaks down in that realization. It's kind of like watching a train wreck, because you can't look away yet it's hard to endure.

But I really liked the romance! Whit really is exactly what Olivia needs, and you hate to see him get hurt. Moments between them are hard to read as well, because I just wanted Olivia to really open up and just give up on her vendetta against Adrienne.

Problem is, I think there are people who won't like the "mean girl" aspect of it. Olivia and Adrienne are truly awful to others and one another. The book doesn't make excuses for them, but it's hard to imagine they--Adrienne especially--have a good understanding of just what they're doing.

How to Break a Boy is a fascinating read. It's one I don't think will be for everyone, but it's a great character study of Olivia, warts and all. I'll definitely be looking for more from Laurie Devore.

About the author:

Laurie Devore was born and raised in small town South Carolina and graduated from Clemson University. She now lives and works in Chicago, where she misses the charms and contradictions of the south every day. In her spare time, she reluctantly runs marathons, watches too much TV, and works a “y’all” into every conversation. How to Break a Boy is her first novel.

Starfall Launch Blitz + Giveaway

2017-02-09T11:00:00.000-06:00

Hi, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m so excited to launch STARFALL, the second and final book in my Starflight duology! This story picks up shortly after the first book ends, but now Cassia and Kane are the main characters, with Doran, Solara, and the rest of the Banshee crew pitching in to help take down an intergalactic mafia. (You know, just an ordinary day in space.) And while saying goodbye to characters is never easy, I think I gave the crew a proper sendoff with plenty of humor, heart, and action. I hope you love STARFALL as much as I do!

Haven’t read the first book? You’re in luck, because for a limited time, Starflight is on sale for 99 cents in all e-formats. Now you can binge read the entire duology in one sitting!

Praise for Starflight:

“Smart, action-packed and utterly addictive!” –New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman

“Starflight has the cinematic appeal, warp-speed action and unlikely heroes of Star Wars.” –Justine Magazine

“A lively tale of romance, space pirates, conspiracy, and made (as opposed to genetic) families.” –Booklist

“A great choice for fans of raw sci-fi action, reminiscent of the lawlessness presented in the television series Firefly.” –School Library Journal

If you love sci-fi adventure with a dash of romance, I hope you’ll pick up the Starflight duology today. Starflight and Starfall are both available in stores and online.

Buy STARFLIGHT:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository (free international shipping!)

Buy STARFALL:

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a Starflight duology swag pack, complete with bookmarks and two signed mini posters! The giveaway is open internationally. Due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com.

January Recap

2017-02-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hiiii! Back again with a recap! I had to wait till I was actually home with some actual light outside to get my pictures taken, so that's why this is late! Like I said last month, part of my hope for 2017 is that I'm going to get fewer books to keep--whether that be books I've bought or been given for review. I have so many books to read already, so I'm hoping to whittle down those piles, as well as actually keep up with the review books I do get.

I think I'm doing okay with that? I'm not buying much, for sure, but I've gotten my fair share of review books. Ooooops. So let's look at what I got!

What Books Did I Get?

Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull
The Beast Is An Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale
Sisters' Fate by Jessica Spotswood
Gilded Cage by Vic James
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

All but Sisters' Fate are from work. They've been sending some really good ARCs, and I snatch them up. I can defend that because I'm in charge of kids and teen, and I'm largely the only one who reads the stuff among the booksellers, anyway. So I get the gooooooods. I'm pretty excited to have Sisters' Fate because it finishes my collection of that series' ARCs! I have them all, though I haven't read this one yet. Hopefully it ends well!

But... I got more than I should have when it comes to eARCs...

See? I did bad. But... Maybe because a couple of these are really far away, I can feel less guilty?

What Did I Post?

December Recap
Review: Four Weddings and a Sixpence
Review: The Book Jumper
Blog Tour: Breathless by Beverly Jenkins

Yeah... I did bad.

What Did I Read?

The Book Jumper by Mechtild Glaser

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Currently reading: The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman

Favorite of January: Gemina

Y'all. I'm so proud of myself for sticking to my TBR! I only read one book that wasn't on the list, and that was because I was in the mood for historical romance, but not the Elizabeth Hoyt one I had left on the pile. I'm calling it a win!

What Will I Read?

I kept a couple of holdovers from my January TBR, because I'm still interested in getting to them this month! I made this TBR smaller, because I am planning on reading a few eARCs and ebooks this month. I've been dying to read Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, so I'm definitely going to make room for it, and I'm planning to read a couple of January and February eARCs. But also, Devil in Spring comes out at the end of the month, and I will be dropping everything to read that ASAP, so imagine that's on the TBR, because !!!!! I'm dying.

What Am I Doing?

Well, I'm behind on commenting and posting. I do have a small backlog of books I've read but not reviewed, so hopefully one day soon I'll get to it.

But school seems more demanding this semester? I had one assignment that made me go observe a librarian, so that's probably why, but hopefully I'll get into the groove and it'll get better. I just feel like I'm doing homework every spare moment of the past couple of weeks, but I don't really think that's true? I am finding that once I'm done with homework I don't want to read, so I didn't get as much reading done this month. I'd rather stare at the tv and watch my same shows over and over again.

I've been doing AMAZING with not spending money, y'all. I've bought groceries and paid bills, and that's pretty much it. I've bought food maybe three times? That's huge for me, and I hope to get better this month coming. I'll buy Devil in Spring and buy food and my copy of Caraval at the signing, but that's largely it. At least, aside from...

We're going to Disney World this month! I feel like I'm eating, sleeping, and breathing Disney right about now, but that's totally alright. That's probably why I'm not reading, truly, because any other free time is spent obsessing. My coworkers will probably be happy once this trip is done, because I'm talking about Disney almost 24/7. :)

Well that's it for this month! I'm still liking the recap format!

Paper Cuts

Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

About the author:

Review: Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

Review: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

About the author:

Where Have I Been?

Where have I been?

September Recap

What books did I get?

What did I post?

What did I read?

What will I read?

What am I doing?

Blog Tour: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco {Playlist + Giveaway}

About the author:

July Recap

What books did I get?

What did I post?

What did I read?

What will I read?

What am I doing?

Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

About the author:

Review: Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra

About the author:

Best of 2017... So Far

June Recap

What books did I get?

What did I post?

What did I read?

What will I read?

What am I doing?

Blog Tour: The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3) by Sarah MacLean {Review + Excerpt}

About the author:

Blog Tour: What To Say Next by Julie Buxbaum {Review|

About the author:

Blog Tour: The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband (Rokesbys #2) by Julia Quinn {Review + Giveaway}

About the author:

May Recap

What books did I get?

What did I post?

What did I read?

What will I read?

What am I doing?

Blog Tour: Refuge for Masterminds (Stranje House #3) by Kathleen Baldwin {Fun Fact + Excerpt + Giveaway}

About the book:

Fun Fact #3

Excerpt fromChapter 15Clocks and Cobras

Previous books in the series:

About the author:

Review: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

About the author:

Review: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

About the author:

April Recap

What books did I get?

What did I post?

What did I read?

What will I read?

What am I doing?

Review: Hunted by Meagan Spooner

About the author:

Review: Gilded Cage by Vic James

About the author:

March Recap (and a Little of February?)

What books did I get?

What did I post?

What did I read?

What will I read?

What am I doing?

Review: How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore

About the author:

Starfall Launch Blitz + Giveaway

January Recap

What Books Did I Get?

What Did I Post?

What Did I Read?

What Will I Read?

What Am I Doing?

Excerpt from
Chapter 15
Clocks and Cobras