#but for now I’ll stick with the rest of my tbr list

[skinreflectsthesun]

If I’m not feeling a book I refuse to finish it, it’s not going to take up anymore of my time absolutely not nope

[kbrown78]

Yearly Wrap Up: 2018

Sorry this post is so late, it took awhile to get all the information I needed and I kept going back and forth on the format I wanted to do for this post, but I finally have an end result I am happy with. In this post I will be going over all the books I read in 2018, all the stats, completion of 2018 reading goals as well as 2019 reading goals. Also fair warning, this is going to be a long post. So to begin with I'll talk about my 2018 reading goals and of I was able to accomplish them. This year was the first year that I did the Goodreads Challenge, I thought it would be good to see how many books I could read in a year. My initial goal was 50 books and I ended up reading 80 books, so I was definitely able to tackle my Goodreads goal. Unfortunately that was the only reading challenge I was able to finish. One of my reading resolutions for 2018 was to finish a reading challenge and I did that with the Goodreads one, but I also did the PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge. That one provided a large number of reading prompts that I hoped would help expand the genre of the books I was reading (which was another reading resolution of mine) and of the 50 prompts I was only able to complete 34, which is not bad, it's more than half, but I still wanted to complete all of them. As I mentioned I wanted to expand the genre of books that I read, since I mostly read YA fantasy, and I do think I achieved that goal by trying to read more adult fantasy, science fiction, different fantasy sub genre's, and a few books in other genres, but I will go more into that when I do a break down of all the books I read this year. I also wanted to go to more book events and that did not really happen. I only went to 1 this year and the rest I was unable to go to for various reasons, so I need to get better with planning in order to go to more events this year. I did want to be more active in the book community and I definitely think I achieved that, with providing regular posts and book reviews. I was originally going to do a channel on YouTube but I suck with editing software and I honestly prefer writing. Finally my #1 resolution for 2018 was to tackle all the books in my physical TBR, with books from 2017 and 2018, I was able to narrow down my overflowing basket to just 5 books. Since I now have a rule where I have to read 10 books before I buy a new one (holiday's are an exception) I'll probably have the rest of those books read by the end of 2019, so that all new books in my TBR pile will all be from 2019. Now that I've summarized my status on all my reading goals for 2018, I'm now going to start going into the actual books. I'll begin by listing all the books I've read and putting them in different groups based on their star ratings. Then I'm going to go into the statistics of all the books, like genre, authors, status, and other things.

Ratings:

5 Star Books: These are without a doubt my favorite books of the year, the cream of the crop, and some of them are possibly my new favorite books or series of all time. 

A Natural History of Dragons (Memoirs of Lady Trent #1) by Marie Brennan, The Tropic of Serpents (Memoirs of Lady Trent) by Marie Brennan, The Tethered Mage (Swords and Fire #1) by Melisa Caruso, The Defiant Heir (Swords and Fire #2) by Melisa Caruso, East by Edith Pattou, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu, Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire, Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) by Seanan McGuire, The Star Touched Queen (Star Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi, Crown of Wishes (Star Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers     

4.5 Star Books: These are the books that I did really love and couldn't find much fault with but I couldn't fully connect to the story (would still recommend all).

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1) by C.J. Redwine, The Voyage of the Basilisk (Memoirs of Lady Trent #3) by Marie Brennan, Rosemary and Rue (October Daye #1) by Seanan McGuire, The Call by Peadar O'Guilin, Robots vs Fairies

4 Star Books: This one is a bit split because some are books that are solidly 4 stars and lean more toward the 4.5 star rating, and other were saved by a fantastic ending from a 3.5 star rating. There are things that could have been improved on within the story but overall I enjoyed reading all of them.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire, Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi, Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Vivian Apple #1) by Katie Coyle, A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1), Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch, Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) by Sara Raasch, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds by Vicki Leon, Invisible Planets translated by Ken Liu, In the Labyrinth of Drakes (Memoirs of Lady Trent #4) by Marie Brennan, Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3) by Becky Chambers, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K Rowling, Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs, Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity #1) by Elizabeth Wein, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

3.5 Star Books: This is a bit of an unusual rating because it usually means that I was expecting to be disappoint by these books, and while there were still issues that I couldn't ignore, I surprisingly enjoyed.

The Registry (The Registry #1) by Shannon Stoker, Caliban's War (The Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey, Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero, The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

3 Star Books: These were books that I thought were decent, but they had flaws in them that I was unable to over look.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas, Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer #1) by Rae Carson, Like a River Glorious (Gold Seer #2) by Rae Carson, Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) by Tomi Adeyemi, An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard, After: 19 Stories of Dystopian and Apocalypse, Illuminae (The Illuminae Files) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Red Sister  (Book of the Ancestor #1) by Mark Lawerence, Sabriel (The Abhorsen #1) by Garth Nix, Monstress Volume 3: The Blood by Marjorie Liu, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski

2.5 Star Books: These are books that I had a lot of issues with but were redeemable enough that I would still give them a try.

The Collection (The Registry #2) by Shannon Stoker, Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake, Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor, The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco

2 Star Books: These are books that I had lot of issues with but it didn't upset me enough to make me want to quit it. These books and downward I personally wouldn't recommend reading, but that's just my opinion.

Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodrigez McRobbie, Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor, Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle (Vivian Apple #2) by Katie Coyle, The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking Trilogy #1) by Patrick Ness, Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey, Bitterblue (Graceling #3) by Kristin Cashore, Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic #1) by Tamora Pierce, Lirael (Abhorsen #2) by Garth Nix, Torn (The Unraveled Kingdom #1) by Rowena Miller, Into the Bright Unknown (Gold Seer #3) by Rae Carson, Front Lines by Michael Grant, American God's by Neil Gaiman, The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May  

1 Star Books: These, sadly, are the bottom of the barrel. I had a hard time finding good qualities with these books and some of them I got so frustrated by I ended up quiting them.

The Wicked and the Divine Volume 1: The Faust Act, Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab, Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard, Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle #2) (DNF) by Libba Bray, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides, Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veroncia Rossi, The Library at Mount Char (DNF) by Scott Hawkins, Daughters of the Storm (Blood and Gold #1) (DNF) by Kim Wilkins, The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan, Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1)(DNF) by Ann Leckie (I didn't hate this book, it was just too weird and confusing to carry on)

Statistics:

This is the part where I'll break down authors (gender and ethnicity), status (finished or not finished, companion, stanalone, special cases), and genre of the books.

AUTHORS: (Not counting anthologies with multiple authors, also series counts as one)  

Male: 16

Female: 42

White: 48

POC: 10

STATUS:  

Finished (If the book was part of a series that ended than had a companion series follow it, I'm still counting that as a finished series, also I'm counting anything 2 or more books as a series): 8 (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Gold Seer, Monsters of Verity, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Vivian Apple, Snow Like Ashes, Ignite Me)

Unfinished and Completed (Unfinished means that I haven't finished reading the series, uncompleted means that all the books in the series haven't been released yet): 12 (Gemma Doyle (won't be completing), The Knife of Never Letting Go (won't be completing), The Wrath and the Dawn (won't be completing), The Facloner (won't be completing), Under the Never Sky (won't be completing), Abhorsen, Memoirs of Lady Trent, Imperial Radch (won't be completing), Harry Potter, Front Lines (won't be completing), The Registry, Circle of Magic (won't be completing))

Unfinished and Uncompleted: 10 (Legacy of Orisha, The Witchlands (won't be completing), The Bone Witch (won't be completing), The Expanse, Swords and Fire, Book of the Ancestor (won't be completing), The Unraveled Kingdoms, Three Dark Crowns (won't be completing), October Daye, Blood and Gold (won't be completing))

Companion series: 8 (Wayfarers, Wayward Children, Star Touched Queen, The Illuminae Files, Code Name Verity, Graceling, Nightfall, Ravenspire)

Stand Alone (includes non fiction): 13 (Princesses Behaving Badly, Beauty Queens, An Unkindness of Magicians, Uprooted, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds, The Virgin Suicides, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, You Are A Badass, The Library at Mount Char, American Gods, The Red Tent, The Legend of Holly Claus)

Anthologies/ Short Story Collections: 6 (After: 19 Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, Robots Vs Fairies, Invisible Planets, Tales of the Peculiar, The Language of Thorns)

Comics/ Graphic Novels: 2 (Monstress Vol 3: The Blood and the Wicked and the Divine Vol 1: The Faust Act)

Special cases (Special cases are for books that I'm leaving as a self contained standalone even though they have a sequel): 2 (East by Edith Pattou, The Call by Peadar O'Guilin)

GENRE: I'm going based off of where these books are shelved in stores, even if I don't agree with some of them.

YA: 44

Adult: 33

Fantasy: 42 (A Court of Wings and Ruin (Epic fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Every Heart a Doorway (Portal fantasy/ Contemporary fantasy/ Mystery)(A), Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Gothic fantasy/ Mythic fantasy)(A), Beneath the Sugar Sky (Portal fantasy)(A), Walk on Earth a Stranger (Historical fantasy)(YA), Like a River Glorious (Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Into the Bright Unknown (Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), A Crown of Wishes (Epic fantasy)(YA), Day's of Blood and Starlight (Epic fantasy/ Portal fantasy)(YA), Dreams of God's and Monsters (Portal fantasy/ Epic fantasy)(YA), Children of Blood and Bone (Epic fantasy)(YA), Truthwitch (Epic fantasy/ Romance), A Great and Terrible Beauty (Historical fantasy/ Portal fantasy)(YA), Rebel Angels (Historical fantasy/ Portal fantasy/ Romance)(YA), The Bone Witch (Epic fantasy/ Romance) (YA), The Wrath and the Dawn (Retelling/ Romance/ Historical fantasy)(YA), East (Retelling/ Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), The Falconer (Historical fantasy, Steampunk, Romance)(YA), Uprooted (Epic fantasy/ Retelling)(A), Tales of the Peculiar (Fairy tales/ Short stories)(YA), The Tethered Mage (Epic fantasy/ Mystery)(A), The Defiant Heir (Epic fantasy)(A), The Library at Mount Char (Urban fantasy), Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book (Children's fantasy)(YA), Sabriel (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy)(YA), Lirael (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy)(YA), The Star Touched Queen (Retelling/ Romance/ Epic fantasy)(YA), Nightfall (Thriller/ Low fantasy)(YA), Monstress (Epic fantasy/ Horror/ Comic)(A), The Wicked and the Divine (Urban fantasy/ Mythology/ Comic)(YA), Torn (Romance/ Epic fantasy)(A), Three Dark Crowns (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Rosemary and Rue (Urban fantasy/ Mystery)(A), A Natural History of Dragons (Fantasy of Manners)(A), The Tropic of Serpents (Fantasy of Manners)(A), The Voyage of the Basilisk (Fantasy of Manners)(A), In the Labyrinth of Drakes (Romance/ Fantasy of Manners)(A), American Gods (Urban fantasy)(A), Daughters of the Storm (Epic fantasy)(A), The Shadow Queen (Retelling)(YA), The Legend of Holly Claus (Juevnile fantasy)(YA), The Language of Thorns (Retelling/ Short Stories)(YA)  

Science Fiction: 10 (The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Soft SF)(A), A Closed and Common Orbit (Soft SF/ Biopunk)(A), Record of a Spaceborn Few (Soft SF/ Generation Ships)(A), Leviathan Wakes (Space Opera/ Crime Noir/ Alien Invasion)(A), Caliban's War (Space Opera/ Alien Invasion)(A), Invisible Planets (Anthologies/ Translated/ Soft SF/ Hard SF)(A), Ancillary Justice (Hard SF/ Space Opera)(A), Under the Never Sky (Survival/ Romance)(YA), The Knife of Never Letting Go (Survival/ Alien)(YA), Illuminae (Survival/ Soft SF/ Cyberpunk)(YA)  

Science Fantasy: 3 (contains magic and technology): 3 (The Paper Menagerie (Short stories)(A), Robots vs Fairies (Anthologies)(A), Red Sister (Grim dark fantasy/ Epic fantasy)(A))  

Dystopian/ Post Apocalypse: 8 (survival's the name of the game): Our Dark Duet (urban fantasy/ post apocalyptic)(YA), Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Contemporary/ apocalyptic)(YA), Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle (Contemporary/ apocalyptic)(YA), After (Anthology/ dystopian/ apocalyptic), The Registry (Dystopia/ Action)(YA), The Collection (Dystopia)(YA), Ignite Me (Dystopian/ Science fiction/ Romance)(YA), The Call (Contemporary fantasy/ Portal fantasy/ Horror/ Apocalyptic)(YA))

Literary Fiction (lacks magic or new technology): 6 (Beauty Queens (Contemporary/ Satire)(YA), Code Name Verity (Historical fiction)(YA), Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Philosophical fiction)(A), The Virgin Suicides (Contemporary)(A), Front Lines (Alternate history/ historical)(YA), The Red Tent (Historical/ Biblical fiction)(A), The Giving Tree (Poetry)(YA))  

Non Fiction: 4 (Princesses Behaving Badly, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds, You Are a Badass)

2019 Goals:

I did a T5W outlining my 2019 reading goals, and I promised I would talk about them more in this post. So I'm going to conclude my Yearly Wrap Up post by discussing what I hope to accomplish in my 2019 reading year. For starters I have a goal that I'm carrying over from 2018 and that is to read a wider genre of books. I wanted to accomplish this last year, but going into 2019 I have a better idea of what specific genre's I would like to try more of. This year I really started to transition from YA fantasy to Adult fantasy, but I haven't given up on YA yet. I want to try some YA contemporary and magical realism, but as of right now I only have specific picks in mind for this. I want to read more historical fiction and historical fantasy, like the Golem and the Jinni. I enjoy reading about settings from different time periods, especially if they have magical elements, I just need to be careful about finding books that don't get heavy handed with a crappy romance. I want to read more science fiction, specifically Adult Science fiction, since I haven't come across a YA science fiction that intrigues me. I'm sill trying to learn what exactly I like in science fiction, but I know I like character driven stories, like Becky Chamber's series. I knew I would like to attempt the New Weird and Hard science fiction genre's but at the same time I'm a little intimidated by them. I also want to get back into literary fiction, including adult dystopian's and classics. I used to have no problem reading classics and would read 1 or 2 a month, then I just got burned out by it, but I want to pick up that genre again. In terms of fantasy, I still expect that to be the genre that I read the most of put there are still some things I would like out of 2019. I've already said that I'm leaning more toward Adult fantasy and wanting to read more historical fantasy, but I would also like to read more fantasy standalone's. That's something I wanted to do in 2018 but sadly did not find any new ones that I really loved. I also want to read more anthologies or short story collections, in any genre really, because that was something that I discovered that I really liked in 2018 and want more of. The next reading goal I want to accomplish in 2019 is to complete is to finish at least 5 series. For this I'm counting anything that is 3 books or more as a series. I finished 7 series in 2018 but 2 of those were duologies, and I feel like those are super easy to finish. There are several series that I started I won't be completing or the series isn't completed yet. Fortunately most of the series that aren't completed yet I already know I'm not going to continue, and the rest are either being completed this year or have a large number of books that I need to get through for me to catch up with the series. With that being said there are at least 3 series that I will definitely be finishing this year: the Memoirs of Lady Trent, The Registry, and the Swords and Fire series, and I have also already completed one series, so this is goal I can definitely tackle by the end of the year, maybe even half way through the year.  Something else I want to accomplish this year was to go to at least two book events, but that's going to be difficult to do. Most of the bigger book events or conventions, are over 8 hours away. I could also attend book signing events but all of the others that I want signatures from are either not doing events or are doing ones not within a close driving distance for me. That might change as the year progresses, but for now I'm not expecting to be able to accomplish this goal and will instead invest my time in completing a reading challenge, which I was not able to accomplish this year. Another goal for 2019 is to read more diverse books. I want to read more books with POC people as POV characters, or disabled characters, or on the LGBTQ spectrum. I think I've been progressively getting better about that over the years but where I really want to focus on is more diverse authors. As you can see from the statistics section my reading from last year was heavily skewed toward white authors. I want to change that and work toward at least having more POC authors, and almost all the brand new books on my TBR pile are from POC authors and I'm excited to get to most of them (although all authors I've read this year so far are Caucasian). I would also like to read more books by authors that are diverse in other ways beside their ethnicity but it's more difficult to identify those things. Like last year there's only a few couple authors that I'm pretty sure qualify in that way, but I'm not absolutely sure. My final reading major reading goal of 2019 is to get through half of my reread TBR pile. About half way through last year, I decided to go through all my books that I hadn't tabbed and reread them. I wanted to do this for a few reasons. I have a small bookshelf and large container and that's about all the room I have for books, including my non fiction ones. As I read more new books and find new series that I enjoy, that means that there will need to be more room. So rereading books will hopefully help me be able to tell which books I should keep and which ones I should give away. I also want to reread all these books in order to better review them and have a fresh opinion of them. At the beginning of this year I have about 50 books, and I know I'm not going to get through them all this year, so I set a more realistic goal with tackling half of my TBR which would be about 25 books. The last thing I want to talk about is the reading challenge's I'm currently participating in. On Goodreads I have set the yearly amount of books I read to 50. That was my goal last year, and I ended up reading 80 books, so I think setting it at 50 again is something I can manage. I'm also doing the PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge, which I tried to do last year but failed to complete. How I want to accomplish that this year is by always reading a book that is can be applied to one of the prompts, that way I'm knocking out these prompts as quickly as possible. The last reading challenge I'm doing is a group on Goodreads called The Reading Frenzy, which I joined toward the end of last year. They have several monthly reading challenges, but this year it has been announced that every month there will be a pick my TBR Reading Challenge, which means every month you will be randomly matched with a person, and will pick one book for the other to read that month. I look forward to doing this, just because I like that random element to it, and this will help my slim down my Goodreads TBR (as long as I can get a physical copy of the book). So that sums up my 2018 reading year as well as what all I hope to accomplish in 2019. I look froward to it, and hopefully it's going to be a good year for everyone.  

Thank You Everyone

Keep Calm and Keep Reading

[chronicles-of-a-paper-heart]

I know everyone says it, but I’m still gonna say it too. How is it already July??* Where did the first half of the year go? Time is going by so fast. So, yes, I’m freaking out about that and to celebrate that I’ll be doing the Mid Year Book freak Out Tag. It’s fun to look back and see what books I’ve read this year so far and how I liked them etc.

*It’s August now because it took me nearly a month to finish this post … don’t ask me, I have no idea why

And because I like stats I’ll start with a few general numbers. I’ve read 55 books so far* (July 10th) and I want to read 91 books this year. So I’m on track.

16 x 5 Stars 20 x 4 Stars 12 x 3 stars 6 x 2 stars 1 x 1 Star

*Edit: 69 books as of right now (Aug 16th) .. but I’m too lazy to count all the books rating again …

Which is an average rating of 3.8 Stars. So I’d say that’s quite good. (I am in a middle of changing my rating system though. I’m usually quite generous with my rating and have rounded up quite a few books. I want to change that because I feel the books I really really loved don’t get the recognition they deserve this way. )

But without further ado let’s jump into the questions.

Question Number 1: Best Book You’ve Read So far In 2018

That is a really hard question and I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one. So here are my four favorite books:

Question Number 2: Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far In 2018

I … I haven’t … did I really just read 5 sequels so far?? That’s … Well, one of my goals this year was to finish more series than I start but obviously it’s not going so well. But of those five the winner is probably Ice like Fire or any of the three Gregor books I’ve read, honestly. Actually, it’s the Gregor books because I rated them all 4 or 5 stars.

Edit: I am currently reading Avenged by Amy Tintera and I’m really enjoying that one so far. Edit 2 (Aug 16th): I still haven’t finished Avenged. But I’ve read the second Artemis Fowl novel (The Arctic Incident or something) and I really loved that one, so …

Question 3: New Release you haven’t read yet but want to

Oh, so many! A Thousand perfect notes. I just bought that one a few days ago and am soooo excited to start it. The cover is mesmerizing and I’m all for finally reading something that Cait has written. Also, the premise sounds amazing. Other than that, I am quite pumped to finally read Queens of Fennbirn and A Court of Frost and Starlight. Both are novellas in series I enjoyed very much so I have no clue why I haven’t read them yet. I definitely need to in August. I’ll try to fit them both into my N.E.W.T.s TBR

Question 4: Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

That’s easy! Kingdom of Ash (though I’m scared!!) and Vengeful. Can’t wait for either of them. I’m not ready for the Throne of Glass series to end but I can’t wait any longer either. And I loved Vicious so ridiculously much and am so curious to see what happens next and if V manages to swap my sympathy from Victor to Eli. Oh, and look at those covers! Yes, I’m shallow like that.

Question 5: Biggest disappointment

Black Bird of the Gallows. This one was a bit of a disappointment. The cover is gorgeous, but the story is weird, to say the least. I won’t forget it that soon that’s for sure. But the romance was lacking, too quick and the chemistry just not there and the ending ruined it for me. I don’t like too clean endings. (It was honestly a little ridiculous.) Another one is The Oddling Prince. I have a review up if you’d like to know more about my thoughts. I hoped for it to be a quick read, something I would get addicted too and fly through. But I struggled so hard to finish it. I didn’t really like any of the characters, maybe one. The story didn’t interest me that much and the writing style got on my nerves. So, that was quite disappointing.

Question 6: Biggest surprise

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I thought this wouldn’t really be my type of book. I heard it was light and funny and while I enjoy books like that from time to time they never come near my favourite shelf. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I loved the writing style, the characters were fleshed out, unique and funny. Monty was an idiot but a lovable one. And it had way more depth than I expected along with some great, deep lines. Loved it. Clockwork Angel also surprised me because I really didn’t like the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series and I thought this was a solid 3-star book right after finishing it. But something about it stuck with me and I really, really want to continue the series. I don’t know what exactly grabbed me like that but it did. And last but not least, Leaving Time. I hadn’t expected the book to make me feel this many different emotions. It’s not the type of book I usually read, but maybe I should more often. This was fantastic and emotional and heartbreaking.

Question 7: Favourite new author (debut or new to you)

Laurie Halse Anderson and Seanan McGuire. I wanted to read a book by Laurie Halse Anderson for forever and I finally did last month. I read and loved Wintergirls. It’s a haunting tale about a girl struggling with an eating disorder while also trying to comprehend the death of her best friend. Truly amazing and I’m so excited to read more from her. Every Heart a Doorway was soo good and could also be an answer to the biggest surprise. I know this book is hyped but I was hesitant to pick it up as it is quite short and maybe also because of the hype. I didn’t want to dislike it. Shouldn’t have worried. I fell in love and can’t wait to pick up Down Among the Sticks and Bones.

*Edit (Aug 16th): I read DatSaB and loved it. Those books are so magical and suck you right in, even though they’re incredibly short

Question 8: Newest fictional crush

This one is way harder to answer than I thought. I don’t think I have a real new fictional crush. Will from The Infernal Devices might evolve into one. Same with Simon from Furyborn. Or actually, Rielle from Furyborn. Liked her quite a lot. I really like Theron in Snow like Ashes but that changed after Ice like Fire … Cas from Ruined is nice, but … yeah. So, sorry. Not really much of an answer.

Question 9: Newest favourite character

Monty probably. I also really love Rielle (Furyborn) and Emelina (#stabby) from Ruined. Meira is quite interesting to read about. Oh, I know! Kippa, the little fox from Montress Vol 1. She is the cutest thing eva!!

*Edit (Aug 16th): I read this book in August, but: The Murderbot from All Systems Red … Could relate way too much. Loved him and the book

Question 10: Book that made you cry

Easy. A Monster Calls. A book has to pack quite punch to make me cry and I cried really hard when reading this. Such a great story and beautifully narrated by Jason Isaacs (I read along so I could also see the beautiful illustrations) And Gregor and the Code of Claw. My heart broke! In a million tiny pieces and I, still, don’t know how to deal. That was absolutely devastating and I loved it so much! I read this to my friend while she visited me. It was her 5th time reading it but she still cried. Trust me, this series is sooo good.

Question 11: Book that made you happy

The little Ghost because I loved this book as a kid and it’s just so cute. Every Heart a Doorway because I loved every second of this book and it had a perfect atmosphere. Leaving Time because my mom got me this as a gift and I loved it. It wasn’t a book I would ever pick for myself so it made me even happier that I loved it so much. The parts about the elephants were sad but they made me happy at the same time.

Question 12: Favourite book to film adaptation you saw this year

Well … ehm … I haven’t watched a single adaptation this year? So … no answer for this one.

Question 13: Favourite review you’ve written this year (Booktube version: Favourite video you have done so far in this year)

Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch

This review captures my thoughts on a lot of books, actually. How I enjoy a book really much while reading and later, when thinking more clearly about it, remembering more and more things that weren’t the best. I struggle to rate books like that. How much do I factor my enjoyment into my rating? I mean, I read for enjoyment, so … but I still have to acknowledge all the not-so-great things, don’t I?

Question 14: Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

     Question 15: What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

A LOT! EVERYTHING! But I want to read all the books I own from Walter Moers, Mark Lawrence, Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab. I also plan to read all the Harry Potter illustrated editions. And I’ll have a list of 18 books I want to read in the rest of 2018 up soon-ish.

  This tag was a lot of fun even though it took me ages to do. But it so interesting to look back at the last 6 (7) months of reading.

What was your fav book of the year so far? Biggest disappointment? What book are you dying to read? Tell me in the comments!

(Not-So) Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag I FINALLY got around to formatting this and am posting this quite late ... but oh well. Hope you like it. I know everyone says it, but I'm still gonna say it too. How is it already July??* Where did the first half of the year go?

[thefaeriereview]

  Taking Stock by A. L. Lester 

Historical Gay Romance

It's 1972. 

Fifteen years ago, teenage Laurie Henshaw came to live at Webber’s Farm with his elderly uncle and settled in to the farming life. Now, age thirty-two, he has a stroke in the middle of working on the farm. As he recovers, he has to come to terms with the fact that some of his new limitations are permanent and he’s never going to be as active as he used to be. Will he be able to accept the helping hands his friends extend to him? 

With twenty successful years in the City behind him, Phil McManus is hiding in the country after his boyfriend set him up to take the fall for an insider trading deal at his London stockbroking firm. There’s not enough evidence to prosecute anyone, but not enough to clear him either. He can’t bear the idea of continuing his old stagnating life in the city, or going back to his job now everyone knows he’s gay. 

Thrown together in a small country village, can Phil and Laurie forge a new life that suits the two of them and the makeshift family that gathers round them? Or are they too tied up in their own shortcomings to recognise what they have? 

A 1970s historical gay romance peripheral to the Lost in Time universe. Stand alone, not paranormal.

A gentle story about two people who are hurt and angry and tired, finding their way toward each other and healing.

4 out of 5 fairies

Taking Stock is sweet. Honestly, I was little worried this was going to be a bit boring and dry. Instead, I kind of felt like I was watching a Lifetime movie unfold. It's sweet, and although I wouldn't say it's very fast-paced, but the way Lester writes, the slow pace feels right. Normally that sort of thing would drive me up the wall, but curled up with a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket on a cool night this was the perfect sweet escape. If you like Lifetime movies and love reading, you'll fall in love with this book.

Excerpt

  Phil found his feet turning up the lane toward Webber’s Farm a couple of days after his meeting with Laurie Henshaw almost without thought. He had got in to the habit of walking regularly early on in his sojourn in the cottage. Some days he took sandwiches in the knapsack he’d bought and just went up the footpath at the top of the lane and headed off into the winter woods. It was quiet and peaceful and he found that if he could get in to a swinging rhythm, one foot in front of the other, the swirl of anger and betrayal that seemed to accompany him like a cloud quieted, gradually draining down in to the earth as he walked. 

Today though, rather than his feet taking him up the hill in to the burgeoning spring, they took him down toward the farm. Henshaw…Laurie…had grabbed his interest in a way that nobody had for months. The man had been on his last legs sitting in the Post Office and his frustration with himself had been obvious. Phil had enjoyed coaxing a smile out of him. Sitting in the farmhouse kitchen with the quiet warmth of the Rayburn at his back, he’d spoken more about his personal life to a complete stranger than he had opened up to anyone since that awful day when Adrian had got him out of the police station.  

It would only be neighbourly to pop in and see if he was all right. That’s what people did in the country, didn’t they? Phil had been here months now, apart from a brief visit to Aunt Mary over Christmas and New Year, and if he was going to be here much longer he should probably make an effort to get to know people properly.  

That made him pause for thought. Was he going to be here much longer?  

He didn’t know. 

He walked through the farmyard cautiously. He knew enough to go to the back door, not the front. The two sheepdogs who had cursorily examined him earlier in the week shot out of the open porch and circled round, barking and wagging cheerfully. No need to knock, then. He did, regardless. And called out “Anyone home?” 

“In here,” Laurie’s voice answered, distantly. “Come in, whoever you are!”

He stepped in to the porch, past a downstairs bathroom and through the scullery with its stone-flagged floor, and pushed the door into the kitchen fully open.  

Laurie was washing up. His stick was hooked on the drainer and he was resting against the sink with one hip. He turned as Phil came in, propping the final plate on the pile beside the soapy water and reaching for the tea-towel flung over his shoulder to dry his hands. 

“Mr McManus! Phil, I mean,” he corrected himself, “what can I do for you?” 

Phil paused. He hadn’t got this far in his head. He had just…walked.  

“Erm. I was just passing?” he tried. His voice lifted at the end, in a question. 

“You were?” Laurie looked at him, one side of his mouth twisted up in a little smile. Or was that the side affected by the stroke? He didn’t know. Didn’t matter, anyway. 

“Yes. I was.” He made his voice firmer. “Sally is at my place this morning, so I thought you might let me hide here.” 

“Only if you’ll let me retreat to your place when she’s cross with me,” Laurie replied. “Although that will probably mean I have to move in, at least for the moment.” He pulled a face. 

“Have you upset her?” 

“No. Yes. Sort of….” He turned toward the Rayburn and dragged the kettle on to the hotplate. “She wasn’t very happy about me over-doing it the other day. Patsy told tales on me.” 

“Ah. Yes, I can see that. She obviously cares about you a great deal. She talks about you all the time when she comes up to do the cottage.” He paused. “Have you been together long?” 

Laurie choked and dropped one of the tea-cups he was moving from the drainer to the table. He fumbled for it and at the same time Phil stooped to catch it. They both missed and it smashed on the stone floor into a thousand tiny pieces. “Shit!” Laurie said, trying stifle his coughing. “That was one of the good ones, too.”  

He bent to pick up the pieces, still choking and Phil said, “Stop it, you bloody fool, let me. It’s everywhere.” He put his hands on Laurie’s shoulders and pushed him upward from his bent position and then back and down, in to one of the kitchen chairs. Laurie’s leg gave as he sat and he made the final descent with an unglamorous wobble. 

He was still coughing. “Sally!” he got out, around between coughs. “Bloody hell!” 

“Where’s the dustpan?” Phil asked, ignoring him. 

Laurie gestured to the cupboard under the sink. “Under there.” 

It was the work of moments to sweep it all up, on his knees at Laurie’s feet. Thankfully it had been empty. He rested back on his heels with with full dustpan. “Where does it go?”  

“Put it in one of the flower-pots on the window-sill,” Laurie said, gesturing. “I’ll stick in the bottom of a pot for drainage when I plant the new ones up.” 

Phil nodded and got to his feet. He lurched as he did so and steadied himself on Laurie’s knee as he rose. Warm, he thought. The man smelled nice. A mixture of soap and fresh air and woodsmoke. “Ooops,” he said, pushing himself upright. “Sorry.” 

Laurie grinned at him as they briefly made eye contact. Something flickered in his eyes. “Not a problem,” he said. He pointed at the window-sill behind the sink. “Knock those dead chives in the middle pot out the window in to the yard.” He grinned again, but it was a different sort of smile this time, with slightly too many teeth. “I can’t really balance to water them properly at the moment anyway.” 

Phil opened the window and emptied the dead plants outside ad then tipped the pieces of crockery in as instructed. He replaced the dustpan under the sink and stood up and leaned against it, crossing his arms. “Doesn’t Sally help with that sort of thing?” he asked, looking down at the other man. 

“No. Yes. Sometimes.” Laurie wouldn’t meet his eye and started to stand. “Sit down, let me get a new cup.” 

Phil put his hand back on his shoulder and gently but firmly pushed him back down on to the chair. “What do you mean?” he asked, in a voice that matched his grip, “No-yes-sometimes covers all the wickets.” He removed his hand and turned round to collect another cup and saucer, moving past Laurie to put it on the table beside him and then reaching to pull the kettle off the Rayburn and put both tea-leaves and the boiling water in the teapot. 

He brought the teapot over and put it on the cork table-mat in the middle of the table before opening the pantry door and rummaging in the fridge for the milk-jug. Laurie sat and let him, watching him slightly warily. 

As Phil sat down and folded his arms again, waiting for the tea to brew, Laurie muttered, “I told her not to do it.” 

“You told her not to do it?” Phil repeated. “Ah, I see.” And he did, in a way. He wouldn’t be in Laurie’s shoes for anything. 

Laurie worked his thumb over and over one of the whorls of wood in the table-top. It was smoothed from long use. “I hate it, Phil,” he said in a low voice. “I hate not being able to do all the simple things. It makes me feel useless, having them all run round after me.” 

“You’d rather let the plants die than accept help?” 

Laurie bit his lip and continued to worry at the knot in the table. “It sounds daft when you put it like that,” he said. 

Phil didn’t say anything. 

“Okay, I know it’s daft.” He looked up and met Phil’s eyes, his own anguished. “But I hate it,” he said, vehemently. “I hate it, Phil.” 

Where to buy: Book2Read

  * * * * *

Add to your TBR list

About the Author: A. L. Lester is a writer of queer, paranormal, historical, and romantic suspense. Lives in the South West of England with Mr AL, two children, a badly behaved dachshund, a terrifying cat and some hens. Likes gardening but doesn't really have time or energy. Not musical. Doesn't much like telly. Non-binary. Chronically disabled. Has tedious fits.

Connect with A. L. here

Review: Taking Stock https://ift.tt/34CX0Cf

[jaereads]

January/February Reading Update

I’m back at it again procrastinating homework so here I am with a reading update. 

In January I decided I’d somehow be able to read 50 books this year so I guess this is just seeing if I’m actually going to be able to read 50 books. So in January before classes started back up again I read 4 books, a good start to my challenge I guess. 

The first book I finished was The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty I had it on my tbr for like a year so when I found one on the shelf at Barnes and Nobles I almost screamed. Well little did I know that I wouldn’t really like it. I gave it 3 stars, it was kind of interesting until she met her boo then it kind of got boring from there. After that I went to the hair shop with my mom when she got her hair braided and it only took 2 and a half hours which is WILD because it usually takes like 6 hours, but in those two hours I read Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu in one sitting. I gave it 3.5 stars it was interesting and fast paced but I hated his love interest/crush all I was thinking every time he talked about her was “SHES IN JAIL FOR MURDER, YOU BASICALLY PUT HER IN JAIL WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! SHE USED YOU TO BREAK OUT OF JAIL ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW, FOR REAL!”  I could not believe, I could not what is the deal with characters falling in love with their enemies/ villains like is your brain working.

That's a pet peeve of mine and somehow I keep reading books like that and its driving me crazy. I preordered The Wicked King by Holly Black so the whole day I was like “AMAZON BRING ME MY BOOOOOK!” I heard the knock grabbed my book and immediately started reading I would’ve finished in one day but I had work the next day and I had to open so I decided to go to bed at a reasonable time so I could wake up in the morning. ANYWAYS as soon as I got home from work I flew through the rest I liked it but not as much as the first book. That ending though, I need the third book ASAP. The last book I read before classes started back up again was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. The start of the book for me was so slow I didn't really get into it until the last 300 pages which is crazy because the book is over 700 pages long. I gave 4.5 stars because that last part of the book had me trying to read faster then I could because it got so interesting I just wanted to know what was going to happen.

The last book I read in January before classes started was Catwoman by Sara J Maas. When class started back up I discovered libby, its basically an app where you can borrow audiobooks and e-books from your library so I have begun to listen to audiobooks which I never thought I’d be able to do. Catwoman was my first audiobook and my first Sara J Maas book and I didn’t like it because the main characters are enemies like mans is trying to put her in jail and somehow they fall in love omg, for real can you do your job and I kind of thought it was boring I kept having to rewind the book because my brain would just tune out. 

So all together in January I read 5 books and that put me ahead of schedule by one book bless. 

In February I was about to give up on audiobooks after listening to samples of other books and being like this is weird, I don't think I like this. UNTIL I borrowed Commonwealth which miraculously didn’t have a wait list. Yo that book was so goooooood. I could literally just sit somewhere and stare at a wall while listening to it, I want to listen to it again, I loved it I gave it 5 stars. After that I read The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo which I got as an e-book from Libby. And I read it during church, lmaooooo. Its just sometimes I legitimately cannot focus during church so when the pastor started talking and I almost fell asleep I grabbed my kindle and read about 75% of the book during service and finished the rest of the book in the car on the way home. I didn’t rate it, I don't know why but a couple of the stories I loved and others I liked so I’d probably give it 4 stars. I think my favorites were the first one and the siren one, I can’t remember the titles of them but I liked those two the most. After that I listened to Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, and all I have to say is that I LOVED IT. It was great  loved it that's all. 5 STARS!!!

I think for audiobooks I should stick to “adult” books because those are the ones I’ve enjoyed so far. As I listened to a little of and stopped One Dark Throne and Renegades. 

Ok so I just looked at my goodreads and I actually finished The Traitor’s Kiss in December like two days before January which means that with the three books I read in February I’m actually behind schedule.

Its fine, I’m like 50% through The Girl Who Drank the moon by Kelly Barnhill and spring break is at the end of this month which will end my history class which makes me want to die. So hopefully I’ll catch up during spring break and have another audiobook to listen to by the end of this week because I don't have one lined up and I will not do my math homework without an audiobook to listen to.

Anyways I unfortunately have homework to do, a test to study for, and I still haven’t eaten lunch yaaaay!

[tshepiso-reads-books]

Mid-Year Goals Check In

Early July means one thing for me and that’s self-reflection. Now is the perfect time to take a quick look back on the reading goals I set for myself in January and assess whether or not I’ve been keeping these in mind throughout my reading for the past six months. I will say that for the most part, I’ve made reading decisions intentionally in the hopes of aligning what I want out of reading with my actual reading life.

Read 24 Books

I easily ticked off 24 books by mid-March and have been steadily reading 6+ books a month. Numerical reading goals personally hold very little value. It’s why I’ve chosen to set easily attainable goals for the past few years. I do actually have a number I hope to read by December but I know publicly announcing that in any way will only put pressure on my reading and I don’t need that.

Continue & Complete Series

I would say the first half of 2020 was thoroughly taken over by my desire to catch up to and complete series. While I’m glad to have focused so intently on doing this it did weigh me down for a couple weeks. I’m currently in the middle of three series, which is fantastic to hear. I hope to be caught up and completed with two of them by mid-August which will free me up to start the handful of series I’ve been anticipating for months. I think what I’ve learned from all this is that I’m happiest when I allow myself to binge-read series rather than parsing them out over weeks and months.

Re-Read More

I’m very proud to say I’ve made rereading a consistent part of my life. I’ve reread between three and five books each month since January and have been loving it for the most part. I think what’s pushed me to reread books is making rereading is a ‘productive’ task. The biggest thing holding me back from rereading was the idea that I was wasting reading time by doing so, but giving myself goals to achieve that required rereading made the task a lot more manageable. Rereading has been so much fun and I hope to keep doing it into the future.

DNF More

It’s hard to say whether or not I’ve been completely successful this goal so far. I do feel more comfortable putting down books I’m not liking, but I can name a book or two I read completely instead of DNFing despite greatly disliking. So while I’m not completely satisfied with my DNFing I am grateful for the five books I DNF’d so far and the time I saved by putting them down.

Participate in Reading Challenges

Reading challenges are always fun for me. The Popsugar and Read Harder challenges are particular favourites of mine because of the satisfaction I get from completing them. I will say I was going back and forth about whether or not to make posts dedicated to these reading challenges and I’m glad I didn’t. Actively participating in readathons this year has taught me that the stress of TBRs and public reading often drains the fun in reading for me. I’m not sure about the future of these reading challenges, but I’ll be sticking them out through 2020.

Maintain a Healthy TBR

This was a particularly unspecific goal but I will say right at this moment I am very happy with my TBR size. I currently have one book on my Goodreads TBR and the freedom of that is wonderful. This freedom was hard-fought. The 15 books I got in January were NOT conducive to a healthy TBR, but that blunder taught me that I only want to bring in books in a roughly equal measure to what I read each month. Having a TBR of 3-6 books works perfectly for my reading currently and I’d love to keep it that way for the rest of the year.

Read More Comics

This is the only goal I’ve failed so far. I’ve only read one of the 15 comic series I wanted to get to. While there is still time to get to them I wouldn’t be surprised if I only got to one or two more titles on that list. What I’ve realized is that goals and priorities shift over time. There was no real way for me to December 2019 to know the reading mood I would be in June 2020 so dropping this goal for the second half of the year is fine by me.

While I generally keep my reading goals at the forefront of my mind throughout the months I really liked taking the time to go through all of my goals and assess where I’m at with them. For the most part, I think I chose my goals well and they have done a lot to take my reading to the place I want it to be. I hope I keep these goals at the forefront of my mind as the year progresses.

[haleyfury]

I think out all of the years I’ve done the Mid-Year Freak Out tag, I think 2020 is the year it’s officially okay to say that I can’t believe it’s June. This year has felt like the longest and fastest year yet. I spent some time this weekend with my best friends and as we were reminiscing, it’s really crazy to think what we thought June and summer would like in January vs. March vs. even a month ago.

I plan on having my If We Were Having Coffee for June posted this week, where I’ll probably talk about how busy I’ve been lately between graduate school and starting remote work. I was so excited then that the Mid Year Freak Out tag was starting to float around the book community over the past week because I think it’s a nice to reflect on the reading I’ve done and some of my reading plans for the rest of the year. The first 2020 version I saw was from Jessica of Peace Love Books. At the time of this post, I’ve read 50 books so far this year – I think there might be at least two novellas in there, but I’m not getting technical until the end of the year. 

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020

Who really thought I’d be able to pick one book? Check back at the end of 2020 if I could choose just one book, but for right now I’m going with a toss-up between all of the books below (blame my indecisiveness and current tiredness):

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett

House of Earth & Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020

It’s technically a companion novel, but 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon was such a fun return to the Dimpleverse 

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

I have a few spring releases on my TBR that I haven’t had the opportunity to pick up yet. My local bookstore just re-opened and I’m hoping my county library will be opening for door-side soon, so here’s to getting caught up on 2020 releases! Again, I just can’t choose one, but I have my eye on Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wien and The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon. 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I’m just about to see a countdown on my phone for Majesty by Katharine McGee, the sequel to American Royals. 

Biggest disappointment

I wouldn’t call it a huge disappointment, but I had such high hopes for the sequel to Girls with Sharp Sticks, Girls with Razor Hearts. It was way more suspense and build-up than action, but I do still see myself picking up book #3 next year. 

Biggest surprise

I LOVED Akemi Dawn Bowman’s Harley in the Sky. I did not expect to devour this one as fast as I did during a busy school week, but I couldn’t be away from it for too long. Harley in the Sky absolutely nailed the circus setting and had such a fantastic emphasis on family and mental health. 

Favorite New Author (Debut or new to you)

A new to me author that is becoming a go-to contemporary fave is Rachel Lynn Solomon! I really enjoyed her debut, You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone, and I LOVED, LOVED her upcoming release, Today Tonight Tomorrow. 

Newest fictional crush

Simon from Well Met by Jen DeLuca and Augustus from Beach Read by Emily Henry

Newest favorite character

Halle from What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

Book that made you cry

I haven’t cried over a book in a really long time, but my reread of You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn (which I really loved this second time reading) had some darker moments that made me really feel for the two main characters, Annie and Clay. 

Book that made you happy

Emma Lord’s Tweet Cute made me have the best feels and often sent me to Twitter to scream my love for it. 

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

I tried not using the same book for more than one answer, but I really love House of Earth & Blood’s cover and end pages. In one of her YouTube Q&As about the book, Sarah J. Maas talks about the book’s art process and all the hidden details on the cover. 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

I really love how this answer says ‘bookS’ instead of ‘book’, so please enjoy this mini list of books I really want to read by the end of 2020:

Snapped (Playbook #4) by Alexa Martin 

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

Recommended For You by Laura Silverman

The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin 

What has been your favorite book of 2020? What books are you hoping to read before the end of the year? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Share in the comments! 

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag: 2020 Edition  I think out all of the years I’ve done the Mid-Year Freak Out tag, I think 2020 is the year it’s officially okay to say that I can’t believe it’s June.

[cathygeha]

MAKE ME CRAVE, an all-new enemies to lovers story from Katee Robert is LIVE!

 In MAKE ME CRAVE by NYT Bestselling Author, Katee Robert, Roman Bassani will do anything to close a deal. Even chase down Allie Landers on her Caribbean vacation to make an offer on her company.

  Add MAKE ME CRAVE to your TBR pile on Goodreads then keep reading to get a sneak peek excerpt and enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card or one of three (3) ebooks from Katee Robert’s backlist!

  Title: Make Me Crave

Author: Katee Robert

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 1, 2018

Publisher: Harlequin Dare

Series: Make Me

Page Count: 144 pages

Format: Digital

ASIN: B0779DL61K

 Synopsis:

 “I crave you…” Can their hunger be satisfied?  Roman Bassani will do anything to close a deal. Even chase down Allie Landers on her Caribbean vacation to make an offer on her company. He expects a challenge—but not their immediate intense attraction. After an accidental one-night stand they agree to put business aside—for now. The island lulls them into a heated sexual journey…but what happens to their opposing interests when they return from paradise? “Dare is Harlequin’s hottest line yet. Every book should come with a free fan. I dare you to try them!” —Tiffany Reisz, international bestselling author

 Available at:  

 Amazon: http://bit.ly/MakeMeCraveAmazon

B&N: http://bit.ly/MakeMeCraveBN

iTunes: http://bit.ly/MakeMeCraveiTunes

Kobo: http://bit.ly/MakeMeCraveKobo

 Praise for Make Me Crave

“Make me Crave by Katee Robert is such an amazing and captivating read that you will not put it down. Sexy, fiesty, hotness, chemistry, laughter and love Make me Crave is a must read for all book lovers. This is hands down in my opinion the best book that I have ever read by Katee Roberts.”—Goodreads review

“Wow! I can't emphasize enough how much I loved Make Me Crave (Make Me #2). It has sass, steam and great characters with loads of chemistry. Katee Robert is definitely an author on my ‘must read’ list.”—Goodreads review

“Hello Adonis! Roman is just...yeah. I mean, sex on a stick with a good heart (despite his past misdeeds), and a more than capable brain! Allie is his perfect match and their time together sets the pages on fire while making you root for them to get more than just the pleasure they find from each other on the island! A great book!”—Goodreads review

  Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card or one of three (3) ebooks from Katee Robert’s backlist!

 Direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29539/?

   Make Me Crave Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Katee Robert

 Allie was so furious, she could barely put two words together. “You don’t get to just decide that we’re having a conversation and haul me out here to do it.”

“If I was going to haul you anywhere, it’d be over my shoulder.”

Her body clenched at the thought of him doing exactly that, but she fought her reaction back. “You are insufferable. Do you know when the last time I had a vacation was? Ten goddamn years ago when I was still in freaking high school and on spring break. Ten. Years. Becka had to twist my arm to get me here, but I was enjoying myself—”

“I know exactly how thoroughly you were enjoying yourself.”

She ignored that because if she tried to deny it, she’d be a red-faced liar. “That changes nothing. The point is that I’m not enjoying myself now, and the only one to blame for that is you.” She went to push him back a step, but her hands had a will of their own. They stayed on his chest, and she sucked in a breath at how warm his skin was. The man might be a corporate suit, but he looked perfectly at home in his shorts without a shirt on here in the growing darkness near the beach. It was almost enough to forget all the reasons she never wanted to see him again.

Allie stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Nothing you say can make me believe you’re anything but a goddamn shark.”

“Who said I’m trying to convince you of anything?” The words brushed her mouth as he leaned down, just a little. “I am a shark, Allie. I’ve never pretended to be anything else.”

She started to call him a liar, but he was telling the truth. He hadn’t tried to seduce her with sweet words to get her into his bed—he’d offered her exactly what she wanted in as many words. Black-and-white. Simple.

It wasn’t simple at all.

“I despise you.”

“You want me.” His hands rested lightly on her hips. “It tears you up inside that you crave my cock, but you can’t fight it no matter how hard you try.” He backed her up, step by slow step, until she bumped a tree. Roman kept coming, the side of his face brushing hers. “Did you think about how good it’d feel to have my fingers sliding into these yoga pants?”

“No.”

“Who’s the liar now, Allie?” His lips caressed her earlobe. “I’d love a private yoga session. Just us. No friends, no instructors, no clothes. How long do you think we’d last before I was on my back and you were riding my cock?”

She couldn’t breathe. Her skin felt too tight, as if it were several sizes too small, and her core pulsed in time with her racing heart. “I would never—”

“No, Allie. No more lies between us. You’re pissed that I’m here—I get that—and you’re even more pissed that you want me. Trust me, I know the feeling. I was never supposed to fuck you, and if I’d known who you were…”

She leaned back enough to look at his face—or what she could see of it in the darkness. “If you’d known who I was, you wouldn’t have gone there with me.”

Roman cursed. “Even if I’d known your name, that wouldn’t have stopped me from wanting you. Needing you.”

She stroked her hands down his chest to the waistband of his shorts. “Do you need me now?”

“I never stopped.”

This was the worst idea. She needed her head clear, and it was nothing but muddled around Roman. He was too big, too beautiful, too overpowering. Even now, she leaned forward, the few inches between them too much distance. He let her, his hands on her hips branding her—but not trying to guide her. Allie inhaled deeply. “Do you drug your cologne? Because, seriously, how am I supposed to think straight when you smell so good?”

He chuckled. “I’m not wearing any.”

He was gorgeous and a god in the bedroom, and he had to smell good naturally. Because of course. “I don’t like you.”

“You don’t know me.”

She could argue that, but it didn’t feel completely accurate. Allie traced the waistband of his shorts with her fingers. She shouldn’t…but she was going to. She unbuttoned his shorts and slipped her hand in to grip his cock. “I don’t have to know you—I know this.”

“You’re playing with fire.”

“Maybe.” Definitely. If she was smart, she’d release him, walk away and spend the rest of her vacation in as close to bliss as she could get, throwing herself into relaxation before she had to go back to reality. She stroked him again, liking the way his body went tense but his hands stayed still on her hips.

As if he was waiting for permission.

The realization sent a thrill through her. She kept stroking his cock, teasing him. “Did you really think it would be that easy?”

“What would?” He spoke through gritted teeth, and her body gave another thrill of pleasure.

“Getting your way.” She squeezed him around the base and nudged his pants down a little farther so she could cup his balls with her free hand. “You thought you’d show up here, interrupt my vacation and, what? I’d fall all over myself to give you exactly what you wanted?”

Roman released one of her hips and braced his hand on the tree behind her. The move brought him closer to her, but not so close that he impeded her movements. She stroked him harder as he slid his cheek against hers, his breathing hitching with every downstroke. He nipped her earlobe. “Isn’t that exactly what happened last night?”

She glared and gave his balls a squeeze that was just shy of vicious. “You’re awfully cocky for someone who’s got their nether bits in my hands.”

“They’re very capable hands.” He shifted to press butterfly kisses along her jaw and down her neck even as his hand on her hip squeezed her. “Don’t stop.”

“I should.” She didn’t. “I should stop right now and leave you with a wicked case of blue balls.” Why was her breath coming as harshly as his? He’d barely touched her, but having his cock in her hands and him so close… Intoxicating. There was no other word for it.

Roman gave her collarbone an openmouthed kiss and dragged his hand up her side to palm her breast. “I’ll just go back to my villa and jack myself off thinking of your sweet pussy. Not as good as the real thing—nothing is—but you gave me more than enough inspiration to get the job done.” He tugged the strap of her tank top off her shoulder. It was one of those things with a built-in bra, so the motion freed her breast. He repeated the move with the other side, and she shivered as the breeze coming in off the water teased her nipples. “Beautiful,” Roman murmured.

“You go overboard with the compliments.” She kept up her leisurely stroking. It was like the rest of the world ceased to exist outside their little sphere. It was just her and Roman, driving each other crazy.

“I give credit where credit is due.” He bent and sucked one nipple into his mouth. The position meant she had to let go of his cock, which she did with reluctance. He cupped her through her yoga pants, the coolness of the tree against her back only highlighting how warm his body was. “If I slipped my hand in here, would I find you wet and wanting? I think so.” He traced a single finger up the seam of the pants—right over her clit. “I think having my cock in your hands turned you on as much as the fact that we’re ten yards away from the bar and anyone coming up from the beach will get the show of their life.”

She pushed back against him even as her hips rolled into his touch. “That’s not true.”

“Liar.” She felt more than heard the word as his breath caressed her neck. “You get off on this as much as I do.” Another stroke through the fabric. “Would you take my cock right here, right now?”

She started to say yes, but common sense reared its ugly head. “I’m not fucking you without a condom.”

“Mmm.” He kissed her neck. “I know.” Roman pulled her pants down in a swift movement. She started to protest, but he went to his knees in front of her and yanked her foot free. Oh. He looped one leg over his shoulder and she caught the glimpse of white teeth when he grinned. “Have a little faith, Allie. I’m not a complete monster.” And then his mouth was on her pussy and she didn’t have the breath to argue.

 About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension."  When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. 

 Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram

 http://www.barclaypublicity.com/  

[josie-wales]

Hello, my lovely, loyal readers! Since I haven’t been regularly posting, I figured I’d give y’all an update on my reading escapades!

P.S. Did any of y’all suddenly get that song, “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes stuck in your heads?!

Sweet Reads

If you’re a fan of The Baby-sitters Club like me, you’ve absolutely GOT to check out the Graphix editions by Raina Telgemeier!

I read the third in the series, Mary Anne Saves the Day, and adored it! The Graphix editions totally take me back to the era of Ann M. Martin, the BSC creator.

I also adored and was greatly entertained by Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians! This book is so freaking good and I’m stoked to read the next two books in the series, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems!

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan is a precious, heartwarming read. While a departure from the genres I generally stick to, this story really grabbed me. I highly recommend Colgan’s novel!

Rereading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood classic, Little House on the Prairie, also took me back in time. I’ve made it a mission to reread the entire Little House series this year and I’m so glad I decided to undertake this wonderful journey!

I’m a sucker for a good graphic novel, especially anything by Brian K. Vaughan, who is author of both the Saga and Paper Girls series, both of which I love. The most recent book I read was Paper Girls, Vol. 4 and it was awesome! I’m dying for volume five to come out – I think I have to wait until this fall!

Sour Reads

*A little note – the Sour Reads column typically includes books I rate three stars or less*

For a new book club I’m in, Read Between the Covers Book Club, [please join us!], I listened via Audible to Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. I enjoyed Mathieu’s story, but I didn’t totally fall in love with it. Review to come!

I’m really disappointed, devastated really, to report that Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli was simply middle of the road for me. I did like the book; I’m super excited to read Albertalli’s follow-up, Leah on the Offbeat!

Currently – In Books

At this time, I’ve got four books on my plate! I’m reading the beautiful – so far – novel by Wally Lamb, I Know This Much is True, the Louisa May Alcott classic, Little Women, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn, and I’m listening to The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.

I’m reading Pan’s lovely tale for the book club I mentioned above, Read Between the Covers Book Club, and I chose to read Lamb’s and Alcott’s books for a reading event I’m co-hosting, which I’ll be mentioning later in this post. I picked the Jonestown book because honestly, cults and their leaders are intriguing – in a blows-my-mind sort of way!

Welcome to My Library!

Looking back over my book purchases these past couple months has astonished me – I’ve gotten a LOT more books than I thought! 😀 I guess I’ve discovered many more bookish resources!

I’m really looking forward to reading everything I’ve obtained – especially the remainder of the Geek Girls series by Holly Smale!

Since I obtained books from quite a few sources – and because I’m in the mood to list them 😀 – I’m going to break down my acquisitions by where I got them!

Kindle

An awfully cute and entertaining-looking book, Color Me Murder by Krista Davis, was added to my Kindle collection, as was Let’s Talk About Love [super excited for this one] by Claire Kann.

I also added I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez, Tamora Pierce’s In the Hand of the Goddess [I love this series], The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro, and Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo [which I got for $1.99!].

Kobo

Kobo offered some great deals recently and I got my hands on Kate Carlisle’s A High-End Finish, which I had been continuously renewing through the library, thus my giving up and buying it.

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum is another recent personal library addition. I’ve been very attracted to this book, I think because of the adorable cover!

I’ve been dying to read Agatha Christie and got hold of her first Hercule Poirot tale, The Mysterious Affair at Styles = super excited!

The Real [Digital] Library

I am virtually obsessed with the Overdrive app, enabling me to tap into the resources of the library without leaving my house!

When I began utilizing the app, I checked out as many books as possible; I have since learned to check out a few at a time to avoid rechecking books continuously!

As of now, I have a total of three books checked out, with one due in just a few days! LOL! Laura Ingalls Wilder’s fourth series book On the Banks of Plum Creek, Classified As Murder by Miranda James, and iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson I borrowed.

I’m SO excited for the iZombie graphic novel – I had no clue there were books! I adore the show and that name – Liv Moore – tickles the crap out of me!

Book Depository

After reading the Geek Girl debut, aptly called Geek Girl, I fell in serious obsession mode with the series and added to my collection by ordering the rest of the series books!

All That Glitters, Head Over Heels, and Forever Geek moved into my library…err the basket beside my bed. 😀

In addition to Smale’s tales, I got a pretty copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman as well as China Rich Girlfriend!

Books-a-Million

I mentioned earlier how excited I am to read Leah on the Offbeat and I get to! I had totally forgotten that I’d ordered it! It’s like Christmas over here! 😀

Also from Books-a-Million, I got Saga, Vol. 8 and Paper Girls, Vol. 4 [which I’ve already devoured], both by Brian K. Vaughan

Challenging

So far, I’m still taking part in The Novel Knight’s Beat the Backlist challenge, the POPSUGAR reading challenge, and, of course, the 2018 Goodreads challenge for the year.

Challenges going on now for short periods of time include the read-a-thon challenge I’m co-hosting with wonderful Twitter friends, Spring Fling, the first installment of Seasonal-a-Thon!

I wanted to participate in Bout of Books 22, but it just didn’t work out for me this round. 😦

So, for Beat the Backlist, I’ve read quite a few backlist books, of which I am very proud! 😀 I’m a member of team Book Bards, and we’re making a comeback! Just because I feel like making a list, here’s a rundown of the books published prior to this year I’ve read!

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Mary Anne Saves the Day by Raina Telgemeier and Ann M. Martin

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

The Walking Dead, Vol. 9: Here We Remain by Robert Kirkman

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

The Truth About Stacey by Raina Telgemeier and Ann M. Martin

The Secrets of My Life by Caitlyn Jenner

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Moon Knight, Vol. 2: Reincarnations by Jeff Lemire

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson

Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan

Wires and Nerve, Vol. 1 by Marissa Meyer

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

As for the POPSUGAR challenge, I don’t think I’ve completed any of the categories yet, although I do have a mostly complete TBR list. I’m working on Little Women and I Know This Much is True for our month-long read-a-thon!

I’m really proud of my progress in the Goodreads challenge; my current total read is 29, with my goal for 2018 being 77 books. While I am two books behind schedule, I’m not scared – I’m juggling four books at once, plus, I Know This Much is True is really long! LOL!

Love, Maggie

What’s Going On? Hello, my lovely, loyal readers! Since I haven't been regularly posting, I figured I'd give y'all an update on my reading escapades!

[daniellethamasa]

Hey all, Dani here.

So I’m starting to get more posts up, whether they are tags, reviews, or recommendations, so I’ll be reducing the number of purge posts. They will be posted only on Wednesdays now, instead of sometimes happening twice a week.

But I saw several people doing Down the TBR Rabbit Hole posts over the past couple months and I was inspired to do something similar myself. Instead of looking at 5-10 books within each post, I decided that the best way to get all the way through my Goodreads TBR list was to do 30 books with each post.

As I start with my 7th purge post, my TBR list stands at 715 books. And I’ve been telling myself that I can’t add any books to this list until I’ve finished my purge, so that is sort of motivating me to work ahead on these posts as much as I can.

Anyway, let’s just jump into this.

Death Masks, Dead Beat, Small Favor, Blood Rites, Proven Guilty, White Night, Turn Coat, Changes, Ghost Story, and Cold Days by Jim Butcher. Yes, I know with most of the series I have on the list, I’ve been trying to only keep the next book that I need to read on the list and getting rid of the others. However, I also know without a doubt that I’ll end up reading the entire Harry Dresden series of novels so I’m just going to save myself the time and keep them all here on the list.

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. I don’t even remember why I added this book. I’m sure it was recommended by a fantasy or sci-fi author or blogger or something, and I’m sure it could still be an interesting read, but for now I need to stick with books that I can remember without needing to look them up.

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier. A couple years ago I think I tried to read the first couple chapters of this one, but I never progressed past that point. And I don’t actually remember much of anything from what I read. So I can probably remove this one from the list for now.

Ironskin by Tina Connolly. This one does sound interesting, and I did buy it off BookOutlet, so at some point I may pick it up and read it, but for now I think I can take it off the list.

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone. I’ve head a lot about this one and people seem to really like it. If I remember correctly then this is also a book I bought cheap off BookOutlet, but for now I’m crossing it off the list.

Geist by Philippa Ballantine. Again, this is another one that I vaguely remember hearing about on some article recommending books or something of that nature, but I can’t really remember anything about it. Sorry book, but goodbye.

Codex Born and The Snow Queen by Jim C. Hines. I can’t believe after how much I loved Libriomancer that I didn’t read the rest of the series. Also, I read the first three books in the Princess series, so I really need to read the last one. And I adore Jim C. Hines’ books, so I am absolutely keeping this books on the list.

Caliban’s War, The Butcher of Anderson Station, Gods of Risk, and Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey. It took me such a long time to get through Leviathan’s Wake, and I did like it, but I now know I have to really be in the mood to read the next book, because they are quite sizable. I’m going to keep Caliban’s War on my list, because it is the next book in the series, but the two stories and the third book in the series will all be taken off the list (for now).

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter. I added this to my to-read list because I like Gena Showalter and I was considering giving this one a try. But let’s be honest, I’m not much of a fan of zombie related books/TV shows/movies so I’m going to pass on this one.

Troubadour by Mary Hoffman. I have loved every Mary Hoffman book I’ve read, and I’m sure I would love this one too. And this may be a weird reason to say farewell to this book, but I own all of her books in paperback, and this one only seems to be in hardcover.

Mind Games by Kiersten White. I’m not really interested in this one right now. Perhaps someday if the mood strikes I’ll give it a try but right now it’s a no.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I want to read this book soon. Obviously it is staying on the list–though technically soon it will be moving over to my Currently Reading list.

Elegy by Amanda Hocking. So, I read the rest of the series, and while I read it quickly and wanted to know what would happen next, I also wasn’t quite as invested as with her other series. So here I am not reading the last book in the series. At least for now.

Frey by Melissa Wright. Why did I have this one on my list? I’m sure it sounded like something I would want to read, and if the urge struck, I would probably enjoy reading it, but I have to be a bit more selective with my choices right now, so farewell.

A Soul for Chaos by Crista McHugh. I have read a large majority of books by Crista McHugh, and I read the first book in this series and it was pretty good, but I just never got around to reading this one, and I just don’t know that I’m in the mood to continue this series.

Year Zero by Rob Reid. The concept for this book is intriguing, and I do want to try and read a bit more sci-fi. Also, I already have this book on my shelves. So I’m going to keep it for a while.

The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams. Okay, I added this one to my list because of the Sword & Laser Book Club. And I do own it in e-book, so someday I may get around to it, but for now I’m just not really feeling like picking it up.

Well, eliminating 15 out of the 30 isn’t too bad. I still have 700 books left on my Goodreads “Want to Read” list, but I still have another 500 I need to look through and make decisions on. Sometimes it feels like this list is neverending. But I am determined to finish this purge.

Who else is participating in a TBR purge? If you are, how is it going? Are you making progress? Let me know in the comments.

TBR Purge #7 Hey all, Dani here. So I'm starting to get more posts up, whether they are tags, reviews, or recommendations, so I'll be reducing the number of purge posts.

[wesonerdy]

Read an excerpt from Crazy Over You by Daisy Prescott, and see the cover of this upcoming romance.

Daisy Prescott is one of our absolute faves! When you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy with juicy swoons, hilarious H/h interactions, and a little bit of drama to keep you on your toes, a Daisy novel should always be on your TBR list.

Her next novel Crazy Over You will be out later this month, and we’ve got the new cover, summary, and what sounds like a pretty adorable meet-cute:

Courtesy of InkslingerPR

My savior isn’t prince charming. I’m not that lucky. He’s my worst nightmare. He’s my one night stand from two years ago. And he doesn’t remember me.

What happens on vacation doesn’t always stay on vacation. Especially in a place like Aspen. I moved to the mountains for my dream vet job. I never expected to run into the man of my dreams. Again.

I never thought I’d see her again. My Cinderella didn’t leave me a shoe to find her. Not that I’d need random footwear to recognize her. Her kiss is something I’ll never forget.

Work hard. Play hard. I’m paid to be a nice guy on the slopes, but what I do in my off time isn’t always about making good choices. That’s the fun of living in a ski town. I stay while the women come and go.

Crazy Over You is a standalone romantic comedy and the second book in the Love with Altitude series.

  Excerpt

“Hey,” another man shouts from above me. “Are you okay? You, in the red hat. Hello?”

His deep, resonant voice and confident delivery remind me of a movie trailer narrator.

Twisting to see behind me, I lean too far to the left, shifting my body weight, and slide downhill sideways. In an attempt to right myself, I lift my left ski pole and stab it into the snow.

Brilliant.

Now I’m lying with my head downhill and my legs spread eagle, skis akimbo. A pole rests a few feet away. Sitting up to reclaim it requires stronger ab muscles than I possess. I should’ve listened about strengthening my core.

I can’t even think “core” without cringing. I blame my grandmother’s romance novels I snuck as a kid. Her core trembled as Sir Reginald stroked her slick folds. Shudder. A girl can learn many things about the ways of love and throbbing manhoods by sneaky reading romances.

With the sun in my eyes, I can’t clearly make out the face of the speaker, but I recognize his red and black uniform. White crosses decorate the chest and sleeve.

He’s ski patrol.

Thank you, God.

“Are you injured?” he calls down to me.

“Only my pride,” I mumble into my jacket.

“Anything broken?” He continues as if I haven’t spoken.

“No, I’m fine,” I raise my voice so he can hear me.

“You don’t look fine. Think you can right yourself and uphill? Climb back to me?” I can’t see his eyes behind his reflective goggles, but I can hear the smile in his voice. I can’t tell if it’s friendly or condescending.

“I think I’m kind of wedged in here.” I use my remaining ski pole to gesture at my skis jutting out of the snow at right angles.

“I can see that. Can you pop yourself out of your bindings? Use the big long stick in your hand.”

“You use your big stick,” I mumble as I jab at my bindings. If shooting fish in a barrel is easy, spearing them must be the opposite.

I fail.

“Never as easy as it looks.” He executes a small hop and glides down the mountain like a commercial for men’s deodorant. Or beer. Something manly and smooth. Razors.

He’s like a damn razor commercial with his smooth moves.

  Crazy Over You is out on March 28! Add it on Goodreads and pre-order your copy on iBooks for 99 cents.

Courtesy of InkslingerPR

Courtesy of InkslingerPR

Courtesy of InkslingerPR

  Previous books in A Love With Altitude Novel series:

Next to You (#1) Amazon: http://smarturl.it/ntyamazon iBooks: http://smarturl.it/ntyibooks Barnes & Noble: http://smarturl.it/ntybn Kobo: http://smarturl.it/ntykobo

COVER REVEAL: ‘Crazy Over You’ by Daisy Prescott Read an excerpt from Crazy Over You by Daisy Prescott, and see the cover of this upcoming romance.