#advance reader's copy

[libertyreads]

Book Review #9 of 2024--

Cursed Cruise by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren. Rating: 3.5 stars.

Read from February 7th to 9th.

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to the publishers over at Random House Children's and NetGalley for allowing me access to the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Cursed Cruise is the second book in the Horror Hotel series. In this one, we follow our Ghost Gang as they board the Queen Anne in an attempt to learn more about its haunting and possibly get picked up for a TV show pilot. But things start going wrong the moment their resident psychic, Chrissy, boards. With a hundred deaths to her name, what if Queen Anne isn't just haunted? What if she's cursed? Cursed Cruise comes out on March 19th and is available for pre-order now.

There is so much I love about this group of ghost hunters. In this one, they've just graduated from high school and are set to film aboard the most haunted ship to sail the seas. I loved seeing the interactions between Emma and Kiki. Their relationship still feels so new and having them try to tip toe around their chaperone (AKA Kiki's mother) while also wanting to be accepted as a couple by her was sweet. The dynamic between Chrissy and Chase was good but not the romantic subplot I was really there for. I liked the mystery in this one. I kind of loved that we got a couple of mysteries for the price of one.

I would have loved so much more detail about those mysteries though. And that's a complaint I think I also had with the first one. The world and characters and their shenanigans are so much fun but this book is just so short. I think it's good at maintaining the YA age range and not being one of those YA books that's really an Adult book marketed as YA so maybe the length of the book factors into that feeling. It was more plot heavy than anything else which I don't love but it's also something you have to have if you're going to be in the Mystery/Thriller genre. I think if you had given me another 50 to 75 pages to dive into the meat of everything this would be a solid 4 or more star rating from me.

Overall, this was such a fun and quick read for me. I've been struggling with my reading time for the past few months since I transferred for work and that has meant a longer commute plus longer hours. And yet this was something that felt so easy to make the time for. A fast paced mystery ride that just keeps you invested.

[vkelleyart]

Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) just dropped on NetGalley for WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON!

The Erewhon Team and I put ourselves through the gauntlet to make sure these ARCs included finished illustrations (which is why I’ve been so sparse on Tumblr of late, though I promise I will catch up here soon!), and I cannot wait for readers to meet Benny, Río, and Morgan’s Menagerie! I am rooting for everyone who applies for an ARC to get one, and hope those who snag one will love this book as much as I loved writing it. 💙🧜🏼‍♂️🇵🇷🌊🎟️🗽🎡

NetGalley members can request an ARC as an early reviewer at the link below:

[duckprintspress]

Become an Advance Reader for Duck Prints Press!

Reviews are essential for showing prospective readers that we’re publishing awesome books that they want to buy and read. We’re looking to recruit an active group of people who post reviews of our work, and to do that we need your help! For the first time, we’re offering Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of one of our projects: Aether Beyond the Binary, our most recent anthology, featuring 17 stories of characters outside the gender binary exploring modern-esque aetherpunk worlds.

How it works: You see this post. You think, oh, I love reading! I love leaving reviews! I want to join the Duck Prints Press Reviewer Program! Then, you go and read the rules for our Reviewer Program. And, if everything there sounds like something you can do, you fill out the form, and – we’ll be in touch! Even better: this program isn’t only for Aether Beyond the Binary, and isn’t only for “advance” titles. Our reviewers are encouraged to claim titles that are currently released, too, to help build up a robust collection of reviews of Duck Prints Press titles!

Requirements:

You must be over 18 years old.

You must be prepared to post reviews on Goodreads and/or Storygraph.

You must also post the review on the appropriate listing on the Duck Prints Press webstore (for advance titles, you’ll have to wait ’til we list them there).

Upon acceptance to the program, you must join the Duck Prints Press Book Lover’s Server.

Reviews must be at least 100 words long must and engage with the actual content of the work being reviewed.

Reviews must be left within 6 months of claiming a title, or you will be removed from the program.

What isn’t Required:

That the reviews be positive. Reviews are for readers. We require that reviews be honest to your own experience of the work, not that they be glowing.

That you post the reviews to social media. Doing so is definitely a bonus, but you don’t have to.

That you associate yourself publicly with the review-leaving (beyond using a valid Goodreads and/or Storygraph account). As in, you don’t have to say, “I, (your name here), reviewed this book” or link your book website accounts with your existing social media presence or anything like that, nor do we request any demographic information beyond confirmation of your age.

That you purchase anything. Absolutely no purchase necessary!

What You Get:

A e-book copy (ePub and/or PDF) of the work you’re reviewing. We do not provide physical ARCs.

After you post your first review, you’ll get a coupon for 10% off a purchase from the Duck Prints Press webstore!

For every ten reviews you post, you can claim a freebie sticker from among our sticker offerings, if you want. (You’ll have to provide a snail mail address to get this, of course.)

A community of fun book-lovers to hang out with! (You can get that even without joining the ARC program, though – our Book Lover’s Discord is open to everyone.)

We’re accepting applicants for claiming Aether Beyond the Binary ARCs through April 10th, 2024. On the 11th, we’ll randomly select 25 of applicants to receive ARC copies of Aether Beyond the Binary. Everyone else will still be entirely welcome in the program and invited to start with a different, back-catalog book or story to review. We’ll make another pool of Aether Beyond the Binary ARCs available in May.

So… those are the basics. Interested? Go read the full rules, then apply to be a Duck Prints Press ARC reader TODAY!

[aj-barlowe]

ADVANCED READER COPIES AVAILABLE!

Do you like like free books?

Do you like to read & review books online?

Are you a fan of sad, gay stories with a hopeful outlook despite the horrors?

If you said yes, then you might be interested in signing up to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of my debut novel, A Series of Rooms!

- FULL SYNOPSIS WITH CONTENT WARNINGS

- ARC REQUEST FORM

Request form will be open through Sunday 10/6. Feel free to DM with any questions.

[ranticore]

I've set a tentative deadline of xmas for finishing my book but hopefully before then I can have a lil rough sample up so ppl have something to read while i spend the next months editing

[kiraleighart]

So I heard you like free transmasc psychological thrillers with unkillable bastards surviving hell and finding HEA

In 1997, New York City, a petty criminal named Alex Voss is about to die via bullet shot right between the eyes by his criminal employer: Boris. But was he really a petty criminal, or something even stranger? As all roads lead to death, he recounts his tragic life one last time; murder, sex, drugs, rock and roll, losing his mind and failing at being a true hero. There’s no escape from his tragic ending. At least, that’s how it’s meant to play out. As events fail to line up, is Alex’s mind breaking the fourth wall, has he finally succumbed to madness, or did a deus ex machina from the future save him from himself? It might just be all three, actually.

Hi Tumblr bookworms. I've been sitting on INDIGO VOSS for over a year and I think it's finally time.

If you'd like to champion indie trans literature, please signup for the ARC of INDIGO VOSS. Score an eBook, read, and give me your honest thoughts. Please note there are CWs on the landing page. This is a complex novel about hope against all odds and learning to transcend your damage. Good luck. 💜

Read INDIGO VOSS, Free

[topazadine]

It's ARC Time!

Orrinir Relickim's horse, Bannain, was a wedding present from his husband, Uileac Korviridi. The intemperate animal nearly ends his marriage, too. One swift kick to the ribs turns into a journey through magical medicine and the human heart, as Orrinir comes to better understand the man he swore to love.

There are only 50 spots available, so be sure to sign up quickly!

If ARCs are full, or you'd just like to read the book without the stress of a review hanging over your head, that's totally cool!

You can preorder Pride Before a Fall now to get your copy on the very first day of 2025.

Thank you in advance, readers! (see what I did there)

With your help, we can make Bannain a household name! Let's get everyone obsessed with this stupid piece of shit horse. And the rest of the gang too, of course.

[leechjuice]

looking for an intimate, bloody lesbian horromance to sink your eager teeth into this summer?

e-ARC applications for my debut novel, IN THE END, YOU KILL US BOTH are now OPEN, and will remain open until JULY 19TH.

full synopsis + cws can be found on the application page! due to graphic content, please do not apply to receive an e-ARC if you are under eighteen years old!

click here to apply!

[hrngraystrs]

THIS BOOK IS CHANGING ME IN WAYS I CANNOT EXPLAIN.

[bibliomars]

'Queer as Folklore' by Sacha Coward

With a clever title and an engaging tone of voice, queer historian Sacha Coward expertly intertwines ancient folklore with contemporary pop culture, creating a web of associations that will resonate with most contemporary queer people in Western countries. From mermaids to aliens, new and old legends come together to explore why queer people seem to have an innate tendency to be drawn to the fantastical from a young age. Although this book is heavily written through a Western lens, other folklore is mentioned and explored with respect for the cultures they belong to, taking the reader on a breathtaking journey through time, places, and myths.

Coward is a talented writer and meticulous historian, and that shines through his work. With each word he writes, the reader is both transported in time and invited into an ongoing conversation with the author. Reading this book feels like being in that one fun class you look forward to every week, with the engaging teacher who values input and talks about history as though it's a story, giving flesh and voice to ancient humans and making them feel so much closer to us. I had the pleasure of attending the ‘Queer as Folklore’ book release event in London, which really solidified my review of the book. It was an enriching experience, and hearing the voices of other queer people, researchers, and storytellers building up momentum to the main conversation culminated in a memorable and well-spent evening.

This is a book I highly recommend to lovers of history and the fantastical, or to anyone who fancies an engaging and fun non-fiction read to get them out of a reading slump!

Thank you Unbound for providing an ARC for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[remusfinglupin]

Book haul from my town’s independent bookstore ☀️📖

[eggcatsreads]

𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙚 by Michael Nayak is a sci-fi thriller with a biological threat that plagues a research base in Antarctica - where death might not be the worst thing that can happen at the end of the world. 

A huge thank you to Angry Robot Books for this ARC as this book has been on my radar since it was announced, and I'm so honored to have been given an early copy. I cannot wait to dive in and see if I survive the journey!

[earlronove]

Are you interested in an ARC of my cool sci-fi space adventure with runaways and vampires, WHEREVER THE STARS CALL? Well, I got you covered, just Fill out the form below! Copies will go out August 6th.

🚀 https://forms.gle/EY5VprbWujKStNLg7 🚀

See you, space vampires!

[scifrey]

Okay, so remember how I've been Ded Of Editing this last year and just absolutely consumed by bookish stuff?

The bookish stuff is now out in the world.

TIME AND TIDE

Releases November 2024.

Exciting news: the eGalley is up on NetGalley and Edelweiss! This means, with the promise of an honest review, you could potentially read the book right now. However, if you're not interested in an ARC, you can preorder your Copy Here.

*

Historical fiction with a touch of time travel, for fans of Diana Gabaldon, Alexis Hall, and Olivia Waite’s Feminine Pursuits series, where a modern bisexual woman is thrown into Regency England and must figure out how to survive, while she falls in love with a woman who will become a famous author.

Just a twenty-first century gal with nineteenth-century problems…

When Sam’s plane crashes catastrophically over the Atlantic, it defies all odds for Sam to be the sole survivor. But it seems impossible that she’s rescued by a warship in 1805. With a dashing sea captain as her guide, she begins to find her footing in a world she’d only seen in movies.

Then Sam is betrayed. At the mercy of the men and morals of the time, and without the means to survive on her own, she’s left with no choice but to throw herself on the charity of the captain's sisters. She resigns herself to a quiet life of forever hiding her true self. What she doesn't expect is that her new landlady is Margaret Goodenough—the world-famous author whose yet-to-be-completed novel will contain the first lesbian kiss in the history of British Literature, and a clever woman. Clever enough to know her new companion has a secret.

As the two women grow ever closer, Sam must tread the tenuous line between finding her own happiness in a place where she doesn’t think she’ll ever fit in, and possibly (accidentally) changing the course of history.

[thegildedfantasy]

This Fatal Kiss in a nutshell. A witch and his two unhinged demons.

[power-chords]

Adam saw the State of the Nightstand and started laughing and when he’s right, he’s right: