test lol: January 2018

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Hi guys! It's a wonderful start to a brand new week and even more so because I get to share a hotly anticipated cover today! Behold: Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf!

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Are you guys ready?

Without further ado...

I present you...

the cover for Bring Me Their Hearts!

{ about the book }

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

Ruthless Song, book 1

Publishes June 5, 2018 from Entangled: Teen
goodreads

Zera is a Heartless—the immortal, unaging soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum: if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy Zera’s heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him—every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him—until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser’s heart.

Literally.

{ buy the book }

amazon | itunes | entangled publishing | barnes & noble | kobo

{ about the author }

Sara Wolf is a twenty-something author who adores baking, screaming at her cats, and screaming at herself while she types hilarious things. When she was a kid, she was too busy eating dirt to write her first terrible book. Twenty years later, she picked up a keyboard and started mashing her fists on it and created the monster known as the Lovely Vicious series. She lives in San Diego with two cats, a crippling-yet-refreshing sense of self-doubt, and not enough fruit tarts ever.

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{ about the book }

Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake
standalone novel

publishes April 10, 2018 by HarperTeen
e-ARC provided via edelweiss

goodreads

The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores.

The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world. .

Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world.

With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all.

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{ my review }

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Beyond a Darkened Shore reminded me awfully of Sky in the Deep. Shore had more of what I was hoping to see in Sky, but it is not without its faults. But! Before I get to those, here is what I liked:

Warrior Princess! Woo hoo, another fighting princess who isn’t afraid to slash her sword, fell enemy clansmen, and take over their minds!

Oh yes. You might be going, yay—wait. What? And honestly? Same. Mind control is definitely cheating on the battlefield, but at the saying goes, all’s fair in love and war, y’know?

Joking aside, I did like Ciara. She was a fearless fighter, but definitely not without her insecurities. Her powers have made her a bit of a pariah both within her kingdom and her family, and it has taken a toll on her. She doubts herself because of that, which shows a bit more of a humane side to her, which I really loved. Not to mention that she’d do anything to protect her sisters, which motivates her to keep on with learning to use her powers and going on the journey ahead of her. Ciara was admirable, capable, and level headed. Most of the time.

Enter the problem, also known as the love interest, also known as Leif. Personally, I didn’t care at all for him, he was fine and whatever, but man. Give a girl a hot guy, and, apparently, boom. It’s annoying! I was hoping for a little wait before any talk of weird feelings emerging, because look: He’s literally and actually the enemy. They fought on the battlefield. She had him chained in some cave. His clan raids her country, his people kill her people, and vice versa. So, yeah, I didn’t expect anything to rise up so soon. I was a bit disappointed in both of them.

Ummm, what else. Oh! Yes, I really liked all the mythology that was part of this book! There was a lot about the Celts and the Northmen, and a lot of their gods, goddesses, and other beings. It was a great addition to the book that added to the plot.

I really wasn’t a fan of that ending. I felt waaaaay too much happened and that Leake put far too many things in it. It was both overwhelming and a bit ridiculous, if you ask me.

Overall, Beyond a Darkened Shore was full of interesting mythology, fierce battles, a somewhat steamy—if a bit rushed—romance, and loads of adventure. 3 stars!

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{ buy the book }

amazon | barnes & noble | book depository | indie bound

kindle | nook | kobo | ibooks | google play

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{ about the book }

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
standalone novel

publishes March 6, 2018 by Feiwel & Friends
e-ARC provided via netgalley

goodreads

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

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{ my review }

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OH MY GOD, do you guys have any idea how happy I am? Because I am so happy. To Kill a Kingdom was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018 and I had extremely high hopes for it, and oh man, did it deliver. Did it ever.

Where do I even begin? Where should I? It’s hard to do because I feel like I just loved all of it? It was so much fun, so full of banter and adventure and danger and sigh. It was so good, guys. So, so good.

Lira was amazing. Like, hands down, just spectacular. She was a vicious little siren, and she killed princes without a second thought. After all, they were just another addition to her collection. She’s unapologetic, vicious, sarcastic af, and I really, really love her. Reading from her point of view was a blast and her witty comebacks were A+ content.

There is also another POV, who happens to the the prince who hunts Lira’s kind--prince Elian. OH, I ADORE HIM. He’s so charming and funny and his interactions with Lira give me LIFE. But more than that, he’s the captain of his ship and crew members. He’s respected there, not because he’s a prince, but because he’s proved himself loyal to his crew members. I loved the camaraderie he has with them! I felt Christo did a great job at creating authentic relationships between him and his friends.

Like I mentioned before, there is a lot of banter. I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. They genuinely made me laugh and I just loved every single interaction, not just between Lira and Elian specifically, but in general! It added a levity to the book that made it all the more appealing to me.

The romance is very lowkey. And it’s definitely hate-to-love, don’t get me wrong. Elian is hunting Lira in the beginning, Lira is trying to kill him. Later on, when she joins him as a human, he doesn’t trust her and does everything he can to get rid of her, but she keeps to his side. It’s safe to say that they really do not trust each other, but the more they spend time together and get into dangerous situations, well. It creates for more banter, backstory, and kindling for the romance. I really loved the two, if you couldn’t tell!

Now, for the ending. Not gonna say much, but I think I had an issue with it? I don’t know… it felt a bit rushed to me, and some scenes were just… I don’t know, a bit weird, I guess. In any case, it didn’t bother me that much, but yeah.

Another small thing is that, yeah, it’s told from two points of view, but… they aren’t… labelled… Which is such a stupid thing to do—it was really confusing when Elian’s POV came up and I was like--hold on a second, this doesn’t make sense. So yeah, I hope that’s just an ARC thing (lol if that was a hashtag—#JustARCThings) because it would be smart to label them in the final copy.

Overall, I LOVE THIS BOOK. And I definitely see myself reading it again! Maybe even soon because IT’S SO MUCH FUN. 4 stars and highly recommended!

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{ buy the book }

amazon | barnes & noble | book depository | indie bound

kindle | nook | kobo | ibooks | google play

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Happy Friday, guys! I'm excited to share a fun post today, featuring an excerpt from Monica Murphy's latest novel, Pretty Dead Girls! Stick around for a giveaway for the book!

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{ about the book }

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy
standalone novel
published January 2, 2018 by Entangled: Teen
goodreads

Beautiful. Perfect. Dead.

In the peaceful seaside town of Cape Bonita, wicked secrets and lies are hidden just beneath the surface. But all it takes is one tragedy for them to be exposed.

The most popular girls in school are turning up dead, and Penelope Malone is terrified she's next. All the victims so far have been linked to Penelope—and to a boy from her physics class. The one she's never really noticed before, with the rumored dark past and a brooding stare that cuts right through her.

There's something he isn't telling her. But there's something she's not telling him, either.

Everyone has secrets, and theirs might get them killed.

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{ excerpt }

Sitting with Cass like this, being so close to him, makes me hyper aware of everything about him. His clean tinged-with-fabric-softener scent. The sound of his breathing, the beat of his heart. His hair is soft, so are his clothes, and he has angsty taste in music. His shoulders are broad, his thigh is hard beneath my butt, and his chest is firm.

I like him. Despite being angry with him earlier, I can admit that I’m attracted to him. And I think he’s attracted to me.

“I’m pretty sure the only person Brogan wants to get off is himself,” I mutter under my breath, ducking my head.

Cass chuckles, the warm, deep sound making me shiver. “Most guys are selfish assholes.”

“Even you?” I look up to find he’s already watching me.

He nods slowly, his gaze dropping to my lips again. “Even me.”

“I bet you’re not that selfish,” I whisper. I am totally flirting with him.

“Oh, I definitely am. Watch me.”

And then he does the craziest thing.

Cass leans in, his mouth drawing close. So close, I can feel his breath tickle my lips. I part them, ready to say something, anything to break the sudden tension that’s crackling between us, but his mouth lands on mine in an instant.

I suck in a breath, shocked by the jolt of electricity that rushes through my blood when his lips touch mine. We're already completely wrapped up in each other. It feels… natural to kiss him.

His arms tighten around my waist, pulling me into him. I circle my arms around his neck, my fingers sliding into his hair. It’s thick and soft, the ends curling around my fingers, and I tunnel my hands deeper into it, savoring the hitch in his breath when I do so.

Our mouths are still connected. We kiss and kiss. Soft, innocent kisses at first, and then I part my lips, and he does too. Our lips linger, the kisses last longer as our breaths accelerate, and then his tongue is there, tracing my lips, circling mine…

It’s the hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced, the both of us trying to be quiet as we secretly make out while hiding in Courtney’s closet. His hands go to my waist and he readjusts me so I’m straddling him, and I wrap my legs around his hips. We’re chest to chest, his bulky sweatshirt is totally in my way, and I wish I could tear it off him so I can get closer.

But I settle for this. We’re kissing for kissing’s sake. There’s no end game, no trying to get into each other’s pants or get each other off, as Courtney so eloquently put it. And it feels so good, to get lost in Cass’s arms and lips for a while, to forget about my troubles, to concentrate on the delicious slide of his tongue against mine, his hands in my hair, the race of his heart and the heat of his skin.

Plus, it’s Cass. We’re giving in to the chemistry that seems to simmer between us every time we’re together. There’s something between us I’d like to explore, despite all the extra baggage that seems to come with this boy. His dead dad and his murdering mom and his weird grandma with the cluttered house and the cats. His mysterious ways and addiction problem—all of this adds up to a guy I should avoid at all costs.

{ buy the book }

{ about the author }

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is a traditionally published author with Bantam/Random House and Harper Collins/Avon, as well as an independently published author. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance. She is also USA Today bestselling romance author Karen Erickson. She is a wife and a mother of three who lives with her family in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere, along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through many angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

website | twitter | facebook | instagram | pinterest

{ giveaway }

Enter for your chance to win one signed copy of Pretty Dead Girls!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Hi friends! Since I like knocking off several reviews at once, I've decided to create Mini-Review Collection, where I'll usually post 3 quick reviews of books I recently read!

In this fifth collection, I'll be reviewing The Afterlife of Holly Chase, Blood and Sand, and Beneath the Haunting Sea!

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The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
standalone novel

published October 24, 2017 by HarperTeen
e-ARC provided by edelweiss

goodreads

On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change...

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Ugh.

Uuuuugh.

Look, I wanted to like this one. Because that cover is great and it involves people dying and, I don't know? It sounded unique and different and cool. So I wanted to like it.

But I literally disliked every single character. I didn't care about a single one. Everything was booooring. And to my disappointment, it wasn't even all the Christmas-y (never mind that Christmas has well and passed now). Heavy sighing.

This had the kind of humour that didn't feel... natural to me. It had its moments but it wasn't the kind that genuinely made me laugh—something just felt a little too stiff, or something. I can't explain it; I'm extremely picky with writing sometimes. It had to do with the voice though—Holly's voice was just... sort of absent. I don't know! It's all weird to me.

Also, that ending. I won't lie: it was not what I expected because it doesn't make any fucking sense to me. I'm not even going to pretend I understand it or anything. I definitely do like the message (even though one part of it was wrong for me.)

There's a romance in this and I was surprised that it took such a big focus for the most part. It wasn't bad but it was just... meh, I guess.

(I... I doubt I'm making sense here. Maybe I'm just finding reasons to not like like this book more. Who knows! I just didn't.)

[sighs a million years] There ya have it, ladies and gents. 2 stars, and goodnight.

Buy links!

amazon | barnes & noble | book depository | kobo

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Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk
Blood and Sand, book 1
publishes January 16, 2018 by Tor Teen
e-ARC provided by Netgalley
goodreads

FORGED IN BATTLE...
FROM THE DUST OF THE ARENA...
A LEGEND WILL RISE

The legendary Spartacus is recast as a fierce female warrior in this action-packed tale of a 17-year-old princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic.

Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire―an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves.

Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master’s favor. Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.

Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end―and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus...

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Oh my god.

Oh my gooooood.

I’ve been waiting for this novel since I found out it would exist and I am so, so ecstatic to say that this book did not disappoint. Not one single bit. On the contrary—Blood and Sand exceeded every single expectation I had for it. And when you’re anticipating a book for months, yeah that means something.

My only complaint is that the book is too damn short. At only 320 pages according to goodreads, Blood and Sand just seemed to fly by. Yet, within those pages, Wyk not only gives life to her amazing characters, but also manages to make you feel for them in every sense of the word. I honestly adored the main characters—Xanthus and Attia—in this novel, and I wanted nothing but good things to happen to them (even though, you know, they weren’t. Because when is it ever that easy?) I wanted them to be free, to be themselves, to be together, to overcome every enemy and every obstacle in their way, and oh. Oh, god, guys, I love them so much.

The story moves at a fast pace… but in a way that doesn’t make it seem rushed. Like I said, this is a pretty short book and a lot of things happen from its start to its end. I loved the way it was paced! It allowed for great development of all kinds—relationships, friendships, murder and revenge, all of it!

That ending just about killed me. I can’t not mention it. It killed me. I was literally in denial. For some of you, it might deter you to pick it up—which. I cannot blame you, but. Please consider buying this book on release week! It’s such a strong and powerful debut. Even if you don’t read it right away, just please consider purchasing or borrowing it!

Overall—oh! But Mith, you didn’t talk about the romance! I know. This is supposed to be a “mini review” and I’m pushing my boundaries. Let’s just say I LOVED IT, like I loved everything else. Anyway: OVERALL, I lovedlovedloved this book and I cannot recommend it enough.

Buy links!

amazon | barnes & noble | book depository | kobo

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Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer
standalone novel

published January 9th 2018 by Page Street
goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Talia was born to a life of certainty and luxury, destined to become Empress of half the world. But when an ambitious rival seizes power, she and her mother are banished to a nowhere province on the far edge of the Northern Sea.

It is here, in the drafty halls of the Ruen-Dahr, that Talia discovers family secrets, a melancholy boy with a troubling vision of her future, and a relic that holds the power of an ancient Star. On these shores, the eerie melody of the sea is stronger than ever, revealing long-forgotten tales of the Goddess Rahn. The more dark truths that Talia unravels about the gods’ history—and her own—the more the waves call to her, and it may be her destiny to answer.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♪

Ehhh. I won't lie, part of me strongly despises the romance in this novel. It's a complicated, messy thing—not quite a love triangle, but also not not one, y'know?—and I wish it didn't exist, because I'm honestly failing to see how it was even important. Other than to cause unecessary drama, which. Let's be real, I am not for.

In any case! The first part of the book was really slow, just a long journey over the sea. I mean, stuff, important stuff happens, but it failed to really grab a hold of my interest. It was only after the long voyage that things picked up, but even somewhere in the middle, it somewhat lagged. My favourite parts were the scenes with Wen, the sweet, quiet little angel. I adored him, and disliked his brother immensely.

For the most part, I liked Talia. I mean, in the second part, when Caiden was introduced, I was very iffy. (That whole arc kind of... just really ruined the book for me if you couldn't tell). But I admired her character and her strength, and I loved her development.

Overall! Beneath the Haunting Sea had its ups and downs. The writing was beautiful, though, and it made the characters shine out. The story with the gods added to the depth of the world. Had it not been for the strange love triangle, this would've been a great read for me, soo. It stays a 3.5

Buy links!

amazon | barnes & noble | book depository | kobo

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted byJill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights abook we're hotly anticipating.

∙∙∙∙∙·♫·*·♪..♪·*·♫·∙∙∙∙∙

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviewswhich showcases recent additions to our shelves.

∙∙∙∙∙·♫·*·♪..♪·*·♫·∙∙∙∙∙

So, from January 15th to January 28th, I got...

in the mail

from netgalley

from edelweiss

from the library

Hi guys! It's a wonderful start to a brand new week and even more so because I get to share a hotly anticipated cover today! Behold: Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf!

∙∙∙∙∙·♫·*·♪..♪·*·♫·∙∙∙∙∙

{ about the book }

{ buy the book }

amazon | itunes | entangled publishing | barnes & noble | kobo

{ about the author }

{ about the book }

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

{ my review }

♫ ♫ ♫

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

{ buy the book }

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted byJill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights abook we're hotly anticipating.

∙∙∙∙∙·♫·*·♪..♪·*·♫·∙∙∙∙∙

{ about the book }

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

{ my review }

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

{ buy the book }

Happy Friday, guys! I'm excited to share a fun post today, featuring an excerpt from Monica Murphy's latest novel, Pretty Dead Girls! Stick around for a giveaway for the book!

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

{ excerpt }

{ buy the book }

amazon | barnes & noble | book depository | indie bound~kindle | nook | kobo | ibooks | google play

{ about the author }

{ giveaway }

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♫ ♫ ♫ ♪

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by
Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights a
book we're hotly anticipating.

∙∙∙∙∙·♫··♪..♪··♫·∙∙∙∙∙

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews
which showcases recent additions to our shelves.

∙∙∙∙∙·♫··♪..♪··♫·∙∙∙∙∙

∙∙∙∙∙·♫··♪..♪··♫·∙∙∙∙∙

•´¨`•.¸¸.•´¨`•

•´¨`•.¸¸.•´¨`•

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by
Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights a
book we're hotly anticipating.

∙∙∙∙∙·♫··♪..♪··♫·∙∙∙∙∙

•´¨`•.¸¸.•´¨`•

•´¨`•.¸¸.•´¨`•

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amazon | barnes & noble | book depository | indie bound
~
kindle | nook | kobo | ibooks | google play

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