#alders tbr

[haveyoureadthispoll]

In book one you meet our delicious Alpha Unit leader Aiden McKenzie. When the topic of grandchildren comes up during a weekly sewing circle the matriarchs of the founding families seek out the witch Elder to scry to see if their sons have mates. They are shocked to discover that many of their sons' mates are out in the world and are human! Fearing that their future human daughters-in-law will end up dead before being claimed and providing them with grandchildren to spoil, they convince their own mates that something must be done. After gathering all of the warriors together in a fake award ceremony the witch Elder casts a spell to pull the men’s mates to them, whether they want it or not. Aiden is adamant that he doesn’t need a mate and that they would only get in the way, little does he realize Fate is sending him his mate first! He meets his destined mate Meryn Evans and things go downhill from there. In the first twenty four hours she kicks, screams and knocks her bear shifting mate unconscious. They eventually discover that life before finding each other may have been good, but life afterwards is perfect, even if it involves super soaker battles and accidentally discharging hand grenades.

[staciass]

MY CURRENT TBR

— A Kingdom Of Flesh & Fire - FBAA Book 2 - Jennifer L Armentrout.

— These Hollow Vows - Lexi Ryan

— These Twisted Bonds - THV Part 2 - Lexi Ryan

— Marked - Eternal Guardians - Elisabeth Naughton Book 1

A Court Of Thrones & Roses - Book 1 Series Re-Read 1-4

Crave - Book 1 Series Re-Read 1-6

A Deal With The Elf King - Married To Magic Book 1

No Rest For The Wicked - Immortals After Dark Book 2 - Kresley Cole

Kiss Of Midnight- Midnight Breed Book 1

My Commander - Bewitched & Bewildered Book 1 - Alanea Alder

Dark Lover - Black Dagger Brotherhood Series Re-Read (ALL)

A Court Of Honey & Ash - Shannon Meyer

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

When He’s Dark - Suzanne Wright

Fighting Destiny - Amelia Hutchins

The Care And Feeding Of Stray Vampires - Molly Harper

Kissed By A Dark Prince - Felicity Heaton

Love Bites - Argeneau - Lynsay Sands

How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire - Kerrelyn Sparks

Urgh. I need to shorten this list lmao!!!!

More updates coming …..

[theyearofrisinglight]

Should I read a new book from my tbr or reread Raven Rise for the 48050th time? Decisions decisions

[areus-in-a-little-cave]

Hi bestie, do you happen to have any emerald duo longfic recs for me?

Please im going insane i need to read

Hi Ember I do not read enough emerald duo fics But I have searched some up soo here are a few, some I have not read and some I know by reputation. These are all completed as well and over 50k words

agnosthesia by ambibii and TearsOfAStarling - 111k words, High Fantasy AU, Creator chose not to use archive warnings

agnosthesia n. the state of not knowing how you really feel about something, which forces you to sift through clues hidden in your behavior, as if you were some other person—noticing a twist of acid in your voice, an obscene amount of effort put into something trifling, or an inexplicable weight on your shoulders that makes it difficult to get out of bed.

Philza Minecraft was the exiled prince of the Kingdom of Heart Cove, a darkness plaguing his heart. Technoblade was his loyal knight, is a pledged Blade since birth. Then Technoblade met a necromancer named Dream, who dragged the both of them to therapy and taught them about the magic of friendship along the way. Oh, and some actual magic too.

Don't know this one, looks like it has a lot of rivalsduo and doomsdaytrio but a decent amount of emerald duo

--

The Next Great Adventure by Pathfinder - 114k words, Fantasy AU, Graphic depictions of violence

Philza is closed-off, hardened from centuries without aging while watching his friends turn to dust, taking jobs under the moniker Angel of Death to try and feel something again.

Technoblade is a brute of a piglin with more scars than unbroken skin and a penchant for uncovering trouble, hot on the trail of… something. He’s exactly the sort of routine job that should consume a few weeks of Phil’s endless time, before he’s forced to find something else to waste away doing.

(Such a shame, then, that the Angel of Death should meet his match.)

Or: A fanfiction in which an elaborate AU is crafted as an excuse to focus entirely on Technoblade and Philza's relationship.

Only has Emerald duo and Phil/Kristin tagged so I'm guessing it's just them!

--

oh dear, can you see me? by findingkairos - 70k words, Antarctic Empire Age Swap AU, No archive warnings apply

Philza Minecraft is the youngest person ever to beat a Hardcore world and earn his wings. It makes him a target.

For an enterprising faction fighting in a server-wide war, it makes him a weapon.

(Age Swap!AU where Technoblade is a legendary warrior who's been having fun scaring newbies and occasionally conquering realms on behalf of Hypixel, Philza is a young player who's been guilt tripped into choosing the losing side, and things get worse before they get better.)

this one is actually on my tbr, looks like it's just emerald duo :]

--

Orphan's Path by aenor_llelo, Alderous, Anarchy-Schmanarchy (Murder_Schmurder), BattleBlaze, ConcoctionsFromHell, Falrisesi, fluxphage, izziel_galaxy, Otakuforlife19, and Rocket999 - 686k words, Canon compliant/additional, Warnings vary by fic

Since this one is a series, I don't have a summary for it, but it's basically a retelling of canon from mostly Phil or Techno's POV with tons of additional backstory and headcanons and etc. Technically this one is not done since the series is on-going but there's, y'know, 686k words already

Also on my tbr, and it mostly seems to be emerald duo with some other people thrown in every now and again

--

A collection of dust by SwordSoup - 78k words, Hunger Games AU, Graphic depictions of violence and Major character death

Phil's name is scrawled on 27 individual pieces of paper. Wilbur's is only written on one. Yet somehow, the younger boy is the one who is selected to join the Hunger Games, forced to die on television for the entertainment of the ravenous elite. Phil won't allow it. He volunteers, and then a man he has only spoken to once is called to the platform, and Technoblade's eyes are an eerie shade of red, and then he's being taken away, and-

And then suddenly, Phil is dragged into a bloody and gruesome struggle for power against a country that only wants to watch him die. But he'll fight, no matter how little the odds favor him.

okay I really want to read this one now oop don't mind me. Phil and Techno's relationship tag and Phil and Wilbur's are the only ones on the fic so despite the other character tags I'm guessing it's about them mostly

--

bones in the ocean by bunflower - 86k words, Pirate AU, Graphic depictions of violence

“The Angel of Death, the ferryman of the Styx, the terror of the western seas. One of the most feared captains ever to sail, and yet, I have to wonder… how did a man like you end up all on his own? We searched the area where you were found—not another soul in sight. So,” He fixes him with a long look, allowing the silence to hover like a dark cloud, the words rolling off of his tongue with all the venom and smugness he can muster, “—tell me, Philza. Where is your crew?”

—

OR: Technoblade is a naval captain, and Phil his unwilling prisoner. Somehow, they manage to come out of it as friends in the end.

yeah so unlike the others I actually know this one because it's very popular and I know Bun is a great emerald duo author so I'm guessing it's quite good

--

i wanna hear it's alright by bunflower - 114k words, Canon-divergent, Graphic depictions of violence and Major character death

“T’ the gates of hell…”

“Go to hell, then.”

“I’ll see you there.”

—

A Phil-centric whump!fic that grew into a story of friendship, love, betrayal, and loss. A series of interconnected one-shots focusing on the nature and complexity of Phil and Technoblade’s friendship over the centuries.

one day when I am strong enough and won't cry I will read this

--

Anyways that's it for fics BUT I have three authors here that I know write a lot of emerald duo even if they don't have completed long fics for them

Anarchy_and_Piglins - Most popular and longest fic is About Phantom Pains of Dying, an ongoing collection of Techno-centric oneshots, 88k words and no archive warnings.

h_mellohi - Most popular fic is feathers laden with dust and stone, a season one OSMP angel duo oneshot, 5k words and no archive warnings. Longest fic is red eggs and ham, a finished peerpressureduo eggpire fic, 94k words and creator chose not to use archive warnings.

bunflower - Most popular fic is Bones in the ocean, same as above. Longest fic is i wanna hear it's alright, same as above. Just here because they have a lot of other emerald duo fics

[darkestwings]

January 31, 2020

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page

Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first

Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies' eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lyndes Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.

Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads! (And don’t miss my WordPress Book Blog!)

[bookaddict24-7]

RECO OF THE WEEK!

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Synopsis: 

“A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.”

Add it to your TBR on Goodreads here.

Have you read this book? Would you recommend it?

Happy reading!

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

DISSENT: A Charity Romance Anthology is coming September 6! 

#PreOrderHere

https://geni.us/Dissen

For National Read a Book day, DISSENT will be released in eBook and paperback!

DISSENT is a charity anthology containing NEW, never-before-seen stories from over 150 bestselling authors of all romance genres. All proceeds from the eBook and paperback sales will be donated to organizations benefiting reproductive rights in the United States, particularly in areas where people need them more than ever.

This anthology will only be available for a very limited time, so grab your copy today!

**We are not affiliated nor endorsed by any of these charities. We are simply a community bound by a single cause: protecting the basic human right of body autonomy.**

AUTHORS INCLUDE:

Brighton Walsh, Nicole French, Kennedy Fox, A.M. Roark, A.R. Hall, Aarti V Raman, Aidy Award, Alexis Anne, Amanda Richardson, Amelia Wilde, Amie Knight, Amy Quinton, Anna Michael, Aria Wyatt, Ashley Lane, Autumn Jones Lake, B. Celeste, B.L. Olson, Blair Babylon, Brenda St John Brown, Brenna Aubrey, Bri Blackwood, Cara Dee, Carmen Jenner, C.L. Matthews, Cassie Graham, Celia Kyle, Charity Ferrell, Claire Wilder, Claudia Burgoa, Dakota Willink, Dani René, Daniela Romero, Dee Garcia, Dee Lagasse, Deidre-Ann Anderson, Donna Grant, Echo Grayce, Elena Aitken, Elle Thorpe, Ellis Leigh, Emily Colin, Emily Goodwin, Erica Alexander, Erin Parisien, Eva Charles, Eva Moore, Evelyn Adams, Glenna Maynard, H.D. Carlton, Haley Jenner, Heidi McLaughlin, Holly Mortimer, Hope Jones, Ines Johnson, Iris Morland, J. Saman, J. Sterling, J.H. Croix, J.L. Beck & C. Hallman, J.M. Walker, Jane Blythe, Janet Berry, Jasmin Miller, JD HOLLYFIELD, Jen Stevens, Jenika Snow, Jenna Hartley, Jenna Lynn, Jennifer Sucevic, Jessica Florence, Jillian Liota, Julia Kent, Kait Nolan, Kat Latham, Kat Savage, Kate Canterbary, Kate King and Jessa Wilder, Kate Meader, Kathy Coopmans, K.B. Cinder, K.D. Proctor, Kelly Maher, Kim Loraine, Kym Grosso, Lainey Davis, Laramie Briscoe, Laura Hall, Laura Lee, Lauren Stewart, Lea Coll, Len Webster, Lili Valente, Linnea May, Lisa Shelby, Lissanne Jones, Lucy Lennox, Mary Ann Marlowe, Max Henry, Megan Ryder, Melissa Andrea, Melissa Marino, Melonie Johnson, Mia Harlan, Mignon Mykel, Molly O’Hare, Monica Corwin, Morgan Jane Mitchell, N.A. Moore, Natasha Raulerson, Nicole Blanchard, Nina Levine, Pamela DuMond, Patricia D. Eddy, Persephone Autumn, R.L. Kenderson, Rachel Brookes, Raven James, Rebecca Paula, Rebecca Yarros, Regina Kyle, R. Castro, Roxie Noir, S. Cinders, Sade Rena, Saffron A. Kent, Samantha Lind, Sarah M. Cradit, Scarlett Cole, S.E. Rose, Shaw Hart, Sydney St. James, S.J. Sylvis, Skye Alder, Stephanie Anne, Suzanne Baltsar, Sylvie Stewart, T.K. Leigh, Tabatha Vargo, Tamara Lush, Taryn Quinn, Tawna Fenske, T. Gephart, Toni Aleo, Tracy Krimmer, Tricia Lynne, Trish Milburn, V.F. Mason, Vanessa Booke, Vivian Wood, Zoe Ashwood, and Zoe York

Add to your Goodreads TBR List here: https://bit.ly/3NyWQir

#comingsoon #needtoreaditnow #readmoreromance #wildfiremarketingsolutions

[katsbookcornerreads]

COVER REVEAL! From Salt to Skye by Adriane Leigh releases January 25! From USA Today bestselling author Adriane Leigh comes a novel woven with madness, revenge, tragedy, and the everlasting spirit of love. Pre-order this Legends and Lovers series standalone today! US: https://amzn.to/2Yvb7JI UK: https://amzn.to/3o6a9wh CA: https://amzn.to/31HHGFv AU: https://amzn.to/3mUo0WU B&N: https://bit.ly/3H35OCz Kobo: https://bit.ly/3khXGV5 Apple Books: https://apple.co/30ibV5G Cover Design: Maria Kusel, Steamy Reads Add to your Goodreads TBR ➩ https://bit.ly/3F9G85m Bloggers & Bookstagrammers, sign up to review ➩ https://bit.ly/3ovG21c Visit the Legends and Lovers website ➩ http://legendsandlovers.com Fable Prescott believes two lies. The first, that she was chosen at random for the summer study abroad program at her university, and the second, that she came to the wind-whipped Isle of Skye to research her family's mysterious Scottish ancestry. She never expected to find herself embroiled in a cold case that has kept a tiny seaside village on edge for years. When another woman vanishes into thin air, Fable begins to wonder if there is more to the dark legends that cling to the island like a cold ocean mist. And if her brooding, devastatingly handsome new neighbor, Alder, is the only one that holds the key to her family's tragic past. LEGENDS AND LOVERS is a collection of dark legends and star-crossed love stories from twenty bestselling authors. Woven with mystery and magic, love and lore, romance and suspense, this multi-author collaboration promises to make your heart pound and keep you reading late into the night. Discover all the books in the series at legendsandlovers.com. #FromSalttoSkye #AdrianeLeigh #LegendsandLovers #coverreveal #contemporaryromance #bookpreorder #coverlove #givemebookspr #lovestory https://www.instagram.com/p/CWT_2jaL6UZ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bookscastleignite]

•*¨)☆❥¸.•*´¨)☆❥¸.•*´¨) ❥☆(¸.•´ ❥💙IT IS LIVE!!!•´ ❥💙 Title: Stay with Me (Alder Academy Book 2) Author: Erin Trejo Genre: College enemies to lovers Release Date: 11th April 2020 Blurb: Every single time I saw her, I wanted to hate her. I wanted to make her pay for leaving me. And I did. I made sure that she was embarrassed and uncomfortable. Until her secrets came out. Now all I want to do is protect her. She was mine once. Can she be mine again? Or are we all fighting a past we can't get away from? Purchase Links: Stay with Me Universal: [http://books2read.com/u/bzoJln](http://books2read.com/u/bzoJln) Add Stay with Me to your TBR: [https://bit.ly/2yjDU6o](https://bit.ly/2yjDU6o) Dance for Me bk 1 Universal link: [http://books2read.com/u/49ZAew](http://books2read.com/u/49ZAew) Add Cry for Me Bk 3 to your TBR: [https://bit.ly/2WZRING](https://bit.ly/2WZRING) Preorder Cry for Me Bk 3 Universal Link: [http://books2read.com/u/4Ek9qg](http://books2read.com/u/4Ek9qg) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-7KR1cALpr/?igshid=1n3nkfdc6bfl5

[beckysbookshelfsblog]

•*¨)☆❥¸.•*´¨)☆❥¸.•*´¨)

❥☆(¸.•´ ❥💙PREORDER NOW•´ ❥💙

Title: Stay with Me (Alder Academy Book 2)

Author: Erin Trejo

Genre: College enemies to lovers

Release Date: 11th April 2020

Blurb:

Every single time I saw her, I wanted to hate her.

I wanted to make her pay for leaving me.

And I did. I made sure that she was embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Until her secrets came out. Now all I want to do is protect her.

She was mine once. Can she be mine again?

Or are we all fighting a past we can't get away from?

Purchase Links:

Stay with Me Universal: http://books2read.com/u/bzoJln

Add Stay with Me to your TBR: https://bit.ly/2yjDU6o

Dance for Me bk 1 Universal link: http://books2read.com/u/49ZAew

Add Cry for Me Bk 3 to your TBR: https://bit.ly/2WZRING

Preorder Cry for Me Bk 3 Universal Link: http://books2read.com/u/4Ek9qg

[romancereadingdiva]

Dance For Me by Erin Trejo

This dance was light on its feet. 👑👑👑

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I connected to Whisper at first, because she doesn’t like being told what to do and likes to challenge authority. Then sometimes I thought she acted immature, but when she tells a little about her past I felt for her. At first the Alder boys (Steele, Knox and Callan) bully her, because they think she has information they need that their father tasked them to get. But once they see that she is not easily broken, Steele tried another tactic which was pull her closer. Steele and Whisper have chemistry together, but it felt more physical than emotional. What happens when they start to have feelings for one another even though that was the opposite of Steele’s task? Shocking twists and turns happened, but I still felt things were underdeveloped. I know there is a second book planned, but I am not sure I will be reading it. I wanted to read this book because it had dance in it, and I did love that Whisper could be free when she danced. I also loved that the Alder boys danced without any qualms or hesitations! Bully books are my favorite right now which was the other reason I wanted to read this book, but it felt glossed over after the initial bullying. Like I said, I liked this book but didn’t love it, because I thought plot and characters were underdeveloped. I can’t say I would recommend it. 

*I received an advanced copy of this ebook for my honest review.*

Blurb:

She was a job. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I followed my father's orders like usual until I was tired of being used.

Whisper was a casuality of our world. One that I decided I wanted to keep more than I wanted to ruin.

She was a challenge that I liked. Even though I still wanted to break her, I wanted more.

Yet I knew the punishment I would face if I chose to keep her around.

Is she worth it?

Buy links:

Amazon US: http://bit.ly/danceformeadd

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/DFM_AU

Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/DFM_UK

Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/DFM_CA

Add to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/DFM_ETrejo

[cover2covermom]

Goodbye August & hello September!

I read 9 books in August… none of which were on my August TBR.   I don’t think I’ve ever failed this badly on a TBR before.  I blame the fact that I was finishing up books that rolled over from July and books coming into the library off my library hold list… Oh well!

Let’s see what I DID read & blog in August…

» How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

*2.5 Stars*

How to Stop Time was just an okay read for me.  While I think the concept for this story was interesting & thought provoking, there was something missing in the story for me.

You can read my mini review here ⇒ Mini Book Reviews: August 2019 – Part 2

» The Book Worm of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

*4.5 Stars*

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a historical fiction set in the 1930s in the hills of Kentucky.  How could I NOT love a book about a pack horse librarian that braves the unforgiving land to deliver books to impoverished families?  Be still my heart!   If you enjoy historical fiction where the author really focuses on setting the scene and taking you back in time, I’d recommend this book.

You can read my mini review here ⇒ Mini Book Reviews: August 2019 – Part 2

» A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1) by George R.R. Martin

Not sure why I put this book off so long.  It’s SOOOOOOO freaking good!

» Elmer and the Dragon (My Father’s Dragon #2) by Ruth Stiles Gannett

My 5-year-old loved the first book in this series, so we decided to continue on.  While the second book was not as good as the first, it was still a cute read.

» The Library Book by Susan Orlean

This book was absolutely fascinating!  If you are a lover of libraries, I highly recommend it!

» After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

While not my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, After I Do is a solid contemporary novel.  This book was extremely relatable & an honest portrayal of relationships.  This would make for an excellent book club discussion on long-term relationships and marriage.

» Gratitude Daily: 21 Days to More Joy and Less Stress by Nataly Kogan

This was a quick little audiobook all about practicing gratitude.  I found the tips and techniques in practicing gratitude to be practical and achievable.  Listening to this book definitely gave me a fresh perspective on gratitude and the benefits of practicing gratitude.

» Book Girl: A Journey Through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life by Sarah Clarkson

*3.5 Stars*

I loved learning about Sarah’s journey & her connection to books.  I think Sarah has excellent reading tastes, and will probably borrow the physical copy from the library to copy down all the reading recommendation lists.  I gave it 3.5 stars because it was too heavily focused on religion & faith for my tastes.

» Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Gods of Jade and Shadow was one of my most anticipated books of 2019, but it came up a bit short for me.  The story felt like a fairy tale filled with Mexican folklore, which I loved, but the book felt very surface level.

Goodreads Challenge Update: 85/100 books read

I am currently 19 books ahead of schedule on my 2019 Goodreads reading challenge.  I think it is probably safe to say I will hit 100 books sometime in October.

#YARC2019 Update: 14 books read

Year of Asian Reading Challenge TBR + Progress Tracker #YARC2019

I did not finish any books for #YARC2019 in August, but I did start The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War #2), which will count for September.

2019 Goals Update:

» 80% NetGalley feedback ratio = 15 backlist ARCs ⇒ 7/15 ARCs read

» 30 physical TBR books ⇒ 18/30 books read

I read A Game of Thrones off my physical TBR this month!

» No buying new books ⇒ #EpicFail

See below.  I just couldn’t help myself.  Damn you Book Outlet!

» Read long books I’ve been putting off ⇒ 1/3 books read

July 2019 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up

August 2019 TBR: ARC August #Reviewathon

Kids’ Corner: Ocean: Secrets of the Deep by Sabrina Weiss & Giulia De Amicis

Book Review: The Twelve by Cindy Lin

My #IronTomeAThon 2019 Wrap-Up

Mini Book Reviews: August 2019 – Part 1

Mini Book Reviews: August 2019 – Part 2

» An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

» A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

» The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshni

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

It’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they can stay alive.

» Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais

Perfect for readers of The Secret Life of Bees and The Help, a perceptive and searing look at Apartheid-era South Africa, told through one unique family brought together by tragedy.

Life under Apartheid has created a secure future for Robin Conrad, a nine-year-old white girl living with her parents in 1970s Johannesburg. In the same nation but worlds apart, Beauty Mbali, a Xhosa woman in a rural village in the Bantu homeland of the Transkei, struggles to raise her children alone after her husband’s death. Both lives have been built upon the division of race, and their meeting should never have occurred . . . until the Soweto Uprising, in which a protest by black students ignites racial conflict, alters the fault lines on which their society is built, and shatters their worlds when Robin’s parents are left dead and Beauty’s daughter goes missing. 

After Robin is sent to live with her loving but irresponsible aunt, Beauty is hired to care for Robin while continuing the search for her daughter. In Beauty, Robin finds the security and family that she craves, and the two forge an inextricable bond through their deep personal losses. But Robin knows that if Beauty finds her daughter, Robin could lose her new caretaker forever, so she makes a desperate decision with devastating consequences. Her quest to make amends and find redemption is a journey of self-discovery in which she learns the harsh truths of the society that once promised her protection. 

Told through Beauty and Robin’s alternating perspectives, the interwoven narratives create a rich and complex tapestry of the emotions and tensions at the heart of Apartheid-era South Africa. Hum if You Don’t Know the Words is a beautifully rendered look at loss, racism, and the creation of family.

» Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.

Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.

Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth. Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, the beginning of this novel will sweep you away on a powerful current of storytelling, transporting you through worlds both real and imagined, to the triumphant conclusion whose depths will continue to give up their treasures long after the last page is turned.

» The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Five years.

That’s how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation.

It’s also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.

Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished―the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box―she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days…without him realizing it.

Along the way, they’ll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there’s Gladys…

Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all…but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.”

» Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

A magic passed down through generations . . . 

Georgina Fernweh waits with growing impatience for the tingle of magic in her fingers—magic that has been passed down through every woman in her family. Her twin sister, Mary, already shows an ability to defy gravity. But with their eighteenth birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come.

An island where strange things happen . . . 

No one on the island of By-the-Sea would ever call the Fernwehs what they really are, but if you need the odd bit of help—say, a sleeping aid concocted by moonlight—they are the ones to ask.

No one questions the weather, as moody and erratic as a summer storm.

No one questions the (allegedly) three-hundred-year-old bird who comes to roost on the island every year.

A summer that will become legend . . . 

When tragedy strikes, what made the Fernweh women special suddenly casts them in suspicion. Over the course of her last summer on the island—a summer of storms, of love, of salt—Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms.

» Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

*Won in a Goodreads giveaway*

Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places…including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth.

As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, “What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?”—all of the questions today’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her.

With “fresh and honest” (Jojo Moyes) prose, Queenie is a remarkably relatable exploration of what it means to be a modern woman searching for meaning in today’s world.

Which books did you read this month?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month?  If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books?  If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

August 2019 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up + Book Haul Goodbye August & hello September! I read 9 books in August... none of which were on my 

[booksboxesandbaubles]

Starting the New Year right, with a TBR of course!

Kayla:

Nonfiction Books

      Fire & Fury: Inside The Trump White House by Michael Wolff

Momentum by Shama Hyder 

The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey

The Everything Store by Brad Stone

  March #IndieAthon Books

I heard about this here. While I actually read a fair amount of books that are self published or indie publishers I think it’s great to have some dedicated time for reading them to help bring awareness to good books that aren’t mainstream.

      Nerdboobs by T.M. Grinsley

The Noble Pirates by Rima Jean

Dawning Ascent by Jen L. Grey

My Commander by Alanea Alder

That’s all I’ve got planned for this month!  I’m leaving it wide open so I can participate in #indieathon and find any new books I want to try reading.  I’m also open to buddy reads for anyone who is interested <3! 

  What are you guys reading this month? Share your links in the comments!

March TBR Starting the New Year right, with a TBR of course!

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

COVER REVEAL! From Salt to Skye by Adriane Leigh releases January 25!

From USA Today bestselling author Adriane Leigh comes a novel woven with madness, revenge, tragedy, and the everlasting spirit of love.

Pre-order this Legends and Lovers series standalone today!

US: https://amzn.to/2Yvb7JI

UK: https://amzn.to/3o6a9wh

CA: https://amzn.to/31HHGFv

AU: https://amzn.to/3mUo0WU

B&N: https://bit.ly/3H35OCz

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3khXGV5

Apple Books: https://apple.co/30ibV5G

Cover Design: Maria Kusel, Steamy Reads

Add to your Goodreads TBR ➩ https://bit.ly/3F9G85m

Bloggers & Bookstagrammers, sign up to review ➩ https://bit.ly/3ovG21c

Visit the Legends and Lovers website ➩ http://legendsandlovers.com

Fable Prescott believes two lies. The first, that she was chosen at random for the summer study abroad program at her university, and the second, that she came to the wind-whipped Isle of Skye to research her family's mysterious Scottish ancestry. She never expected to find herself embroiled in a cold case that has kept a tiny seaside village on edge for years.

When another woman vanishes into thin air, Fable begins to wonder if there is more to the dark legends that cling to the island like a cold ocean mist. And if her brooding, devastatingly handsome new neighbor, Alder, is the only one that holds the key to her family's tragic past.

LEGENDS AND LOVERS is a collection of dark legends and star-crossed love stories from twenty bestselling authors. Woven with mystery and magic, love and lore, romance and suspense, this multi-author collaboration promises to make your heart pound and keep you reading late into the night. Discover all the books in the series at legendsandlovers.com.

#FromSalttoSkye #AdrianeLeigh #LegendsandLovers #coverreveal #contemporaryromance #bookpreorder #coverlove #givemebookspr #lovestory

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

•*¨)☆❥¸.•*´¨)☆❥¸.•*´¨)

❥☆(¸.•´ ❥NEW RELEASE•´ ❥

Title: Stay with Me (Alder Academy Book 2)

Author: Erin Trejo

Genre: Dark College Enemies to Lovers

Release Date: 11th April 2020

Blurb:

Every single time I saw her, I wanted to hate her.

I wanted to make her pay for leaving me.

And I did. I made sure that she was embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Until her secrets came out. Now all I want to do is protect her.

She was mine once. Can she be mine again?

Or are we all fighting a past we can't get away from?

Excerpt

“You fucked up everything. Everything!” I roar as I stand in his room. I can’t believe he’s gone. I can’t believe we killed him. It was always going to happen but now? Now I want answers from a man that can’t give them.

“You were a selfish bastard. Always caring more about you than anyone else.” My words are slurred but I don’t care. I need to say them. I need him to hear them in the depths of hell.

“Callan?”

“Oh shit! Are you a ghost? Ghost dad?” I laugh to myself when the light on the table flips on. I blink my eyes against the harsh light when I see her. Long blonde hair hanging around her perfectly heart-shaped face.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Are you sleeping with ghost dad?” I ask not really understanding what I’m saying.

“What? What are you talking about?” She throws the blankets back and climbs out of the bed, her long legs bare and exposed.

“You are sleeping with ghost dad!” Anger mixes with the alcohol in my veins as I think about it. How could she?

“How much did you drink, Callan?” she asks coming toward me.

“Not enough, apparently.”

“Your dad is dead, Cal.”

“Yeah, no shit. Who do you think killed him?” She gasps and I know I fucked up.

“What the hell is the screaming about?” Knox’s voice filters through the room. I turn my head to look at him and then smile.

“She’s fucking ghost dad,” I slur.

“You’re an idiot. A drunk idiot.” That came from Knox. Shane giggles when my eyes move back to find her. I let my gaze slip over her tone body. From her bare legs to one of Whisper’s t-shirts.

Purchase Links:

Stay with Me Universal: http://books2read.com/u/bzoJln

Add Stay with Me to your TBR: https://bit.ly/2yjDU6o

Dance for Me bk 1 Universal link: http://books2read.com/u/49ZAew

Add Cry for Me Bk 3 to your TBR: https://bit.ly/2WZRING

Preorder Cry for Me Bk 3 Universal Link: http://books2read.com/u/4Ek9qg