#advance readers copy

[inkcurlsandknives]

ARC unboxing for SAINTS OF STORM AND SORROW! I can't tell you what a dream come true it is to see the story of my heart looking so much like a real book.

If you live in the UK you can request physical ARCs via the link in my bio. You can also contact me or Titan Books via social media. eARCs will go up on Netgalley and I will post links when it is available.

[merlina87]

Advance Reader Copies for my next book!

Hi lovely writeblr! My next book is to be released this June. How exciting and crazy that it's my 4th already!

It's a mlm romance with both characters in their 50s navigating reconnecting after 20 years and a bad breakup. It deals with things like neurodivergence, sexuality, coming out...

I'm looking for advance readers to get the word out! The ARCs will be ready in April/early May at the latest but if you're interested you can already sign up here: https://forms.gle/N4BkQTPNoUbDmBfV7

Please help me and share this as widely as you can!! All relevant info below the pics.

Blurb:

1973 –  When he signed up for that medical conference in Houston, Bill, hadn’t expected to run into Bobby. Fair to say they didn’t exactly part on good terms last time. Unable to stay away from each other, the two men reconnect, only for Bobby to leave in a hurry at the end of the conference, eager to protect his own heart.

Bill, freshly divorced from his second marriage, knows this is his only chance to get the love of his life back.

After so long, is Bill ready to finally admit his feelings, his sexuality, and to gather his courage to conquer his old lover and friend once more? A second chance romance with flashbacks to young love, addressing the struggles of coming out in an unwelcoming environment and building the life you really want.

Content Warnings

Explicit sexual content

Mentions of homophobia

Mentions of abusive family

Bullying (off page)

Mentions of WWII

This is a standalone novel. It spans out over several decades, from the 1930s to the 1970s and will therefore mention some historical events in those periods, as well as LGBTQ+ rights (or absence thereof).

If you have any questions about specific trigger warnings feel free to message me.

[tychodorian]

Hey you! Are you a nerd like me and enjoy reading LitRPG, LGBTQ+ books, and fantasy? Do you want to get your hands on a book before anyone else? I'm looking for ARC readers for my book King of Dust.

All information, including the book's length, deadlines, and content warnings are on the form.

You can fill out this form here to get your hands on the book on February 19th.

[teenageread]

Review: The Queen and the Knave

Synopsis:

London, 1866

Móirín Donnelly has spent the last five years working in the shadows for the Dread Penny Society, but spending so much of her life in secret is taking a toll on her soul—and her heart.

When members of the Dread Penny Society begin disappearing, Móirín turns to Detective Constable Fitzgerald Parkington for help. The two have developed a friendly rapport, and Móirín feels like she can trust him, though perhaps not with all of her secrets.

Fitzgerald Parkington has a sixth sense when it comes to hunting down criminals, which is why he’s recently been transferred to the Detective Department at Scotland Yard. But when red tape keeps him from tracking down the criminal mastermind known as “The Tempest,” he must rely on the one woman who has unexpectedly captured his heart—the bold and fiery Irish lass, Móirín Donnelly.

As the Tempest’s deadly reach threatens to overwhelm all of London, Móirín and Fitz are caught in an elaborate game of cat and mouse that leads down back alleys, through dark London buildings, and right to the gates of Kensington Palace. Móirín has one chance to save Fitz and the Dread Penny Society from the Tempest, and she might have to sacrifice her one chance at love to do so.

Plot:

Moirin Donnelly was the Dread Master. A fact she kept hidden from the majority of the DPS, besides Fletcher, and something the Tempest knew about. How? Moirin had no idea, but as the Tempest began snatching up her Dreadfuls, Moirin knew she had to stop her before more members of her family disappeared. Hiding in a safe house with Brogan and Vera, Moirin began assembling her task team of fellow DPS members, who she shared her secret with of being the Dread Master. Where Borgan was initially shocked and hurt that his sister did not tell him about her role in the DPS, he understands it as he too has kept secrets from her and Vera. Part of her task team to take down the Tempest is Detective Constable Fitzgerald Parkington, and where Moirin normally does not trust the cops, there is something about Fitz that makes her believe he is here to help. Fitz became a cop to solve his own injustice of a grandfather who walked out on him, leaving him alone in the world. Looking for his grandfather, there is also something about the DPS and Moirin that draws Fitz in. Maybe it's their mission of keeping the streets of London safe, looking after the children, or maybe it's the light laugh and smile of the leader that sends Fitz’s heart racing. As the unlikely pair work together to take down the wrongness of London, they end up finding love with the hope that the Tempest will not take it away. 

Thoughts: 

Sarah Eden wows us with this final DPS novel, as we take the point of view of the Dread Master herself and the final fight against The Tempest. Taken from the point of view of both Moirin and Fitz, we got to see the two of them solve their own mysteries, fall in love, and fight the Tempest, all within this fast pace novel. After introducing us to Moirin pretty early on in the series, and revealing her role as the Dread Master at the end of the previous novel, having this story taken from her perspective really adds to the finality of the series. As seen before Moirin is an extremely strong female lead, who is capable of fighting her own battles, and who has that femininity edge of wanting to keep everyone safe and happy. Having seen from her point of view you really got to see how strong Moirin is, her sense of justice, and her kindness not only towards her brother and his wife, but the other DPS members who she sees as family. Eden really makes this the final novel by bringing back all the previous members and their loved ones. Not only do we get to hear about Borgan and Vera, but Gemma and Baz, Fletcher and Elizabeth, Hollis and Ana - everyone is here! This allows Eden not only to tell the Moirin and Fitz love story but also to wrap up other characters whose endings were a bit vague. The other perception this novel takes from is Fitz, and it made the story whole as we saw him fall in love first, whereas Moirin was a bit more unsure. With an interesting plot within the novel itself, Eden also does a fantastic job wrapping up the series leaving us with the farm and fuzzy feelings for the DPS society, knowing that all is well, for all DPS members and their loved ones. 

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

[stephaniethewildflower]

Review: The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

I won this ARC a while ago through giveaways.. so sorry the review is late!

#SimonSchusterCA #goodreads

[mybookcafelife]

Empire of the Damned | Jay Kristoff

This review is way overdue! I’ve been traveling abroad with little to no internet and its about time I get back to my book reviews! This series is a must-read. The second book is engaging, offering a recap of the first book through a historian’s account of the characters’ fates in Empire of the Vampire three years prior. Introducing new characters adds to the appeal. The book delves deep into…

[thefooljinglescloser]

Open to beta reading/ARC reviewing

I'm on holidays! I officially have oodles of time and I'm ignoring my enormous TBR pile, so if you have a book coming out soon and you need beta readers or want to generate some reviews before release, get in touch!

I LOVE books. I especially love books with a focus on characters and relationships. I read a lot of sci fi/fantasy/spec fic, but I also read general fiction, literary fiction and romance. I find weird books so much fun.

I review honestly and thoughtfully, but I round up and I always find positives in what I'm reading. You can check out my Goodreads page here.

[mjgauthor]

GOODREADS BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Enter for a chance to win a physical copy of the book that Kirkus Reviews calls, "A thrilling and brilliantly realized series opener."

Sky's End is book one of a YA fantasy trilogy coming January 2nd, 2024, from Peachtree Teen. It's an action-packed thrill ride featuring a deadly competition involving skyships and gigantic, metal monsters.

https://bit.ly/40BI0Qg

[misterghostreads]

(via 10 Things That Never Happened)

[clarissajaneen]

Hey, children’s book lovers, I illustrated a picture book and we’re looking for ARC readers. It’s less than 230 words and such a sweet and heartwarming story. Please check it out!!!

[tychodorian]

Hey YOU! Yes you! Wanna download a huge bundle of ebook ARCS that are science fiction and LitRPG themed? My book is included in a really cool bundle by Book Sirens, so you should totally jump on it while it's available! If you download any of these books and leave reviews, not only will you be helping authors out, but you'll also get to read a very cool indie book in the process.

Get ahold of their February batch here.

[teenageread]

Review: The Queen's Spade

Initial Thoughts: 

Reading this entire novel I was shocked to learn about this piece of history that I never knew of before. Raughley dedicated this novel to telling a fictionalized version of the life of Sara Forbes Bonetta, the African goddaughter of Queen Victoria, with this novel taking place in the 1860s. Taking their artistic ability, Raughley writes this novel to be a revenge story as Sarah, nicknamed Sally, whose real name is Ina, was going to punish those five people, six if we are including the Queen, who took her from her lands, killed her friend, and forced her to dance for their entertainment. Death, humiliation, ruins, and torture were Sally’s plans, and as the reader you were along for the ride as she manipulated the court because she knew their love for her was conditional on her being a “good black girl”. Honestly, this story is full of dark twists and turns, court drama and politics, and Sally trying to stay one step ahead of the Queen, as she seeks her revenge for those who did her wrong.  

Characters:

From Sally's point of view, we see her as a girl on a mission to seek revenge. Raughley slowly details the historical history of Sally, from how she came to England and became a goddaughter to Queen Victoria, to the fiction of the story as Sally feeds the darker side of her brain of how she will get revenge on those who harmed her. I would not say Sally is a hero, but more of an anti-hero for her people and the friends she has made. What I liked a lot about Sally, she is kind of a “one trick pony” in the sense that all she can think about is revenge, and will do anything to get it. Where it is again, beautiful, really showing off the pain she has been through, and moves the plot in a chase kind of way, it is also her entire personality. There is no hope beyond revenge, no future plans, or anything, besides seeing those who hurt her dead, in ruins, or beyond saving. I wish we had more personality from Sally besides rage and pain, as this novel was her crusade. Raughley added other characters from Sally's friends and love interest (who I wished there was more of), and royalty like the Queen and Prince Albert. I lived for every interaction between Sally and Albert because we really got to see the depth of deception Sally was willing to go to at an almost innocent party. Same with the Queen, as Raughley wrote her to match wit with Sally and give us this cat and mouse chase where Sally was both the cat and the mouse to Queen Victoria. 

Plot and Writing:

After reading this novel I deep dove into Sarah Bonetta's life. Raughley took some liberties with this novel creatively, but there were several true facts stuck within this novel, as it truly does earn its title of historical fiction. From how she was brought to England, her education, relationship with the royal family, and marriage life, were done perfectly with true facts and dates. Her murderous rampage across England's elite was totally fictional and totally fun to read about. The writing was good and the plot was quick-paced, as you read about Sally’s mal intentions, and pray that she does not get caught. Some parts of the novel were slow, and the planning was odd. It seemed as if Sally plotted her revenge away from readers' eyes which would have been cool to see, and there was no logical reason for the order in which Sally was seeking revenge.

Conclusion:

What should have been the true crusade of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, the African Princess and Goddaughter of Queen Victoria, needed to be told and I am glad Raughley has brought it to life. Not want to put the novel down as I wanted to see Sally complete her revenge, this is a fantastic book and worth the read for those who are into scandals, revenge, court politics, and honestly those seeking a good story. 

[theeditorreads]

Dead Again by Nichole Severn - A Review

Dead Again is Macie Barclay’s secret story as her life is about to be upended by a past from where Detective Riggs Karig reappears. In Book Six of Defenders of Battle Mountain, the past needs to be kept hidden, lest the serial killer from yore starts his killing spree again. My Rating: 5/5 Genre: Romantic Suspense Pages: 195 (Kindle) Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue Date of Publication: 11 May 2023

[paragraphs-and-pages]

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Continue reading A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

[book-waas]

Trading Places

Title: Trading Places Author: Emily Duvall Date Finished: July 12, 2023 Book Publication Date: September 26, 2023 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.]

Review:

3.5 rounded to 4 stars! Rom-com of all rom-coms? Sign me up! It was the cover that drew me in first, and my kudos to the artist. Trading Places follows Evan Bailey and Lexi North, who have the ugliest of meet-uglies when Lexi accidentally rear-ends Evan’s car. It’s all downhill from there. Lexi is from a universe that Evan can’t even imagine, rich enough to drop his whole annual salary into something that won’t last two full hours, and her brisk, high-flying attitude has Evan’s hackles standing straight up. He’s not impressed by anything except the legs on the woman who rear-ended him (and he doesn’t want to be impressed, thank you very much), and she’s not taken by anything about the mechanic man, least of all his ponytail. Evan’s niece, CeCe, sets the ball rolling, challenging Lexi to living two months of their lives, while Evan lives hers. The bet quickly goes viral, and with the pressure from her father, and Evan’s own goal of getting enough money to save his family’s garage while raising CeCe, they both end up giving in. This book was so much fun! There were places that I spent laughing, and places where I was snorting right alongside the characters. Lexi’s journey in this is so poignant. I’ll be the first to admit that people rich enough to wipe with diamond-encrusted toilet paper always brings out the skeptic in me, and at the beginning, Lexi was no exception. She had virtually no self-sufficient skills, but she grew endearing anyway, because the struggle with money brought out her potential. She keeps at it, and despite how different Evan’s world is, she learns how to fit in, how to budget, and finds pride in a paycheck. Evan on the other hand…his insecurity about how he’s a “lesser” man leads him to change in many ways. He begins dipping into the rich life, gets a makeover, and tries to replicate what he thinks Lexi’s type in men is. He was a completely different man by the end of that change, and honestly? I didn’t like him much afterwards — which, I believe, was the whole point. He'd insisted that he wasn't going to change, but the appeal of the dollar pulled him in anyway. For the first time, he didn't have to say no to his niece, he could afford to be lavish, and he had people to do things like cook for him, or teach him golf. While one can’t fault Evan for wanting to give Lexi and CeCe more, the miscommunication between these two grew old fast. It seemed that everything they learned about the other was through other people, rather than each other, and the ending conflicts went by quickly. Between the outcomes of the bet, and the potential custody battle with CeCe’s father, I was left reeling at the end at just how conveniently everything snapped into place, and everything that had been building slightly flattened. Nevertheless, this was a fun read, and I’d recommend it to people who are fans of contemporary romance and all the romantic-comedies.

[ashereadsstuff]

'Tell Me What Really Happened' By Chelsea Sedoti

I received an ARC from Sourcebooks Fire through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Rating out of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date: April 4, 2023

Content Warnings: Gun Violence, Death, Racism, Toxic Friends, Murder

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SYNOPSIS:

There are stories about the woods around Salvation Creek, about the people who have gone missing. Now their friend is one of them. A riveting, fast-paced YA mystery told entirely through first person police interviews of four teens over the course of a few hours.

It was all her idea. They would get away from their parents and spend the weekend camping. Down by Salvation Creek, the five of them would make smores, steal kisses, share secrets.

But sometime around midnight, she vanished.

Now the four friends who came back are under suspicion―and they each have a very different story to tell about what happened in the woods.

The clock is ticking. What are they hiding? Who is lying? Dark truths must come to light if their friend is to be found...

Told entirely through first-person police interviews, this riveting mystery asks: what really happened that night?

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MY REVIEW:

This book was good, even though it was quite pretty predictable. But I believe that's how most young adult and murder mystery books go: either it's easy to predict or it's not, and there are a lot of plot holes. Each character had strengths and weaknesses well incorporated into the book and the plot. It was  pretty entertaining and annoying (in a good way) at times, considering the characters personalities.

I only gave the book 4 stars because the ending felt a bit rushed. I would like to know how the culprit was charged and if they were let go or anything instead of them saying they would like a lawyer and the rest of the gang being let go. Other than that, it was a fun read. I would recommend this to someone who wants to get into YA thrillers based on murder mysteries, but not to someone who is well into the genre and looking for more recommendations.