#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

[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!!!

[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.

[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: Unlock the Dark

Initial Thoughts

Sasa Hawk delivers an incredible fantasy novel set in a world where magic, demons, and gods exist. While I enjoyed the story, the pacing felt rushed—so much so that this novel could have easily been split into two books for a more immersive experience. I love a fast-moving plot, but in this case, key moments were skipped over, especially in the development of the central romance. Instead of building up the relationship, the story jumps straight into a “meant to be” love, rushing to establish the romance and move into the second act.

One amusing side note: Trys, the nickname of the prince, feels like the result of Hawk realizing they had given him an excessively long name (Trystoferian), getting tired of writing it out, and just shortening it for convenience. That aside, Hawk excels in world-building. There’s a lot happening—from a human war to Serratura—and the fast-paced plot keeps things exciting, moving swiftly from one conflict to the next. While that kept me engaged, I also felt like something was missing. If Hawk had slowed down and taken time to flesh out more of their ideas, this could have been a truly epic fantasy rather than one that felt condensed. Still, I loved the magic, the characters, and the overall adventure. And given how the book ends, there are hints that we might get a sequel after all.

Characters

Told from the perspective of Elia Tallis, our protagonist, the story follows her as she counts down the last two months before her nineteenth birthday—her planned escape route to marry rich and provide for her struggling family. In the meantime, she’s balancing keeping her dying father alive and making ends meet for her siblings. While Elia is family-oriented and has a realistic outlook on her future, she’s also reckless. Despite regretting past mistakes, she’s quick to throw herself into dangerous situations again, especially when Trys is involved.

Trys, our secondary character and love interest, is barely in the book despite being a central figure in the plot. He arrives too late, leaves too soon, and much of the second act is about Elia trying to reach him rather than the two actually getting to know each other. If Hawk wanted to elevate this story, splitting it into two books and giving us dual perspectives—especially Trys’s—would have made a huge difference. The structure is already there for it, yet we only see events through Elia’s eyes.

Elia’s siblings—Isah, Saya, Orin, and Myron—also could have played a larger role. As the eldest, Elia shoulders the responsibility of being the head of the household, but instead of incorporating deeper family moments, Hawk has her send her siblings off early in the story. With four magical siblings, there was so much potential for meaningful interactions—heart-to-heart moments, conflicts, and maybe even an emotional reunion where they come through for her in the end. The setup for a strong found family theme was there, but it wasn’t fully realized.

Plot & Writing

Let’s start with the major flaw: the pacing. Was this a 5K sprint in 15 minutes? Because Hawk needs to slow down. While reading, I kept checking online to see if I had missed a prequel—surely I should have already known the limits of Elia’s magic or what exactly she did to Serratura. But no, this is a standalone novel, and that’s disappointing. So much is crammed in that key elements aren’t given the depth they deserve.

One of the biggest casualties of this breakneck pace is the romance. The instant love between Elia and Trys feels like a necessity rather than an organic development. The plot moves so fast that they had to fall in love immediately, or else Elia risking her life for him wouldn’t have made sense. Because of this, we miss out on slower, more meaningful relationship-building. That being said, I do appreciate that Hawk kept the romance PG-13 and focused on emotional connection rather than lust—it felt genuine, despite its speed.

Even with its pacing issues, the story itself is so good. The world-building is stunning, the magic system is well explained, and the creatures introduced are some of the best I’ve read in a long time. There was so much potential for even more development—if only Hawk had been willing to write a second book!

Conclusion

This novel is packed with adventure, romance, family, and magic, set in a beautifully crafted world. However, the rushed pacing holds it back from reaching its full potential. The story is fascinating, but its execution feels lukewarm because everything happens so quickly. Hawk had the foundation for an incredible fantasy duology, but instead, we got a single fast-moving book that left me wishing for more.

[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]

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

Continue reading Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

[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! We’re offering Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of one of our projects: A Truth Universally Acknowledged, our most recent anthology, featuring 21 short stories and 20 full-page color artworks inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but made deliciously queer!

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 A Truth Universally Acknowledged, 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 (you’re welcome to rejoin later!).

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:

An 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 A Truth Universally Acknowledged ARCs through February 21st 2025. On the 23rd, we’ll randomly select 25 of applicants to receive ARC copies of A Truth Universally Acknowledged. Everyone else will still be entirely welcome in the program and invited to start with a different, back-catalog book or story to review.

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

[hrngraystrs]

THIS BOOK IS CHANGING ME IN WAYS I CANNOT EXPLAIN.