Cover Reveal: Moonburner by Claire Luana

Moonburner
Claire Luana
Series: Moonburner, #1
Published by: Soul Fire Press
Publication date: June 14th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis: Kai is a Moonburner—a female sorceress reviled by her people and normally killed at birth. Except Kai’s parents saved her by disguising her as boy—a ruse they’ve kept up for almost seventeen years. But when her village is attacked, Kai’s secret is revealed and she’s sentenced to death.
Thankfully, the gods aren’t done with Kai. Despite the odds stacked against her, she escapes her fate, undertaking a harrowing journey to a land where Moonburners are revered and trained as warriors.
But her new home has dangers of its own—the ancient war against the male Sunburners has led the Moonburners down a dark path that could destroy all magic. And Kai, armed only with a secret from her past and a handsome but dangerous ally, may be the only one who can prevent the destruction of her people…

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:
Claire Luana grew up reading everything she could get her hands on and writing every chance she could. Eventually, adulthood won out, and she turned her writing talents to more scholarly pursuits, going to work as a commercial litigation attorney at a mid-sized law firm. While continuing to practice law, Claire decided to return to her roots and try her hand once again at creative writing. She has written and published the Moonburner Cycle and is currently working on a new trilogy about magical food. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and two dogs. In her (little) remaining spare time, she loves to hike, travel, binge-watch CW shows, and of course, fall into a good book.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review: The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Publication Date: August 1st 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre:YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis:  When Dee Moreno makes a deal with a demon—her heart in exchange for an escape from a disastrous home life—she finds the trade may have been more than she bargained for. And becoming “heartless” is only the beginning. What lies ahead is a nightmare far bigger, far more monstrous than anything she could have ever imagined.

With reality turned on its head, Dee has only a group of other deal-making teens to keep her grounded, including the charming but secretive James Lancer. And as something grows between them amid an otherworldy ordeal, Dee begins to wonder: Can she give someone her heart when it’s no longer hers to give?

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

The Hearts We Sold was such a breathtaking novel. I really didn’t want it to end.

Coming from a broken home, Dee’s only escape from her alcoholic parents is her boarding school. But when her scholarship runs out, and there are no other ways for Dee to make enough money in time, Dee strikes a bargain with a Demon. The catch to the deal is that Dee loses her heart for two years, and during that time she has to do the Demon’s bidding. Dee and three other heartless must destroy voids created at random places by imploding them from the center, but it’s a dangerous mission, and not all who enter the void come out alive. 

It was so amazing to read from Dee’s point of view. I truly loved her as a main character. Dee starts off as a desperate girl, who is always afraid of everything and does her best to be the perfect student and the perfect daughter. Watching her develop throughout the book and becoming a more outgoing person who starts looking at her own life, and doing what she truly wants. I loved her character development and she will definitely go down as one of my favourite characters.

The romance in this story was perfect. No love triangle, and no insta love. There is a beautiful slow burning romance that starts off very slow and gradually picks up until its something beautiful. The author did an amazing job with this romance, its so realistic yet its very easy to ship the couple. 

There was lots of action throughout the story. There was a bit of action in the beginning, and it gradually picked up and by the middle of the book I was so hooked that I could not put it down. 

My favourite part of this book was definitely the ending. I totally didn’t see it coming but it was so beautiful and well written that it was impossible not to love. Well done Emily.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book to all Contemporary and Fantasy fans, it is perfect for both. I cant wait to read more from this author.

Happy Reading, 
Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Even the Darkest Stars #1
Publication Date: September 5th 2017
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.

But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer who is determined to best River, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.

The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and even worse at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth of their mission and of her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced. 

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Ouroboros by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

Ouroboros
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #2
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: March 2018
Genres: LGBTQ+, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis: Syl’s a princess of the fair Fae.
Her girlfriend Rouen is a princess of the dark Fae.
Mortal enemies. Girlfriends.
Relationship status: It’s Complicated
All introverted geek girl Syl Skye wants is to get close to her girlfriend. But when you can kill with a simple touch, a normal date night’s not really in the cards. As it happens, Syl is also a sleeper-princess of the fair Fae. Last year after a freak accident, her power Awakened, granting her white flame to purify the darkness.
Rouen Rivoche is that darkness—a dark Fae princess whose power to bewitch mortals is as terrifying as the violet lightning she controls. Rouen is Syl’s total opposite. Her mortal enemy.
She’s also Syl’s beloved girlfriend.
And even though they joined forces to defeat the evil Circuit Fae who harnessed the killing magic in technology to take over the school…that was so last year.
Now, Syl’s touch could mean Rouen’s death. Her increasing power is spiraling out of control, threatening to burn down everything she and Rouen have built together.
Their lives, their love, their very world..

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Author Bio:
Raised by witches and dragons in the northern wilds, GIE writes angsty urban fantasy YA romance--where girls who are mortal enemies kick butt, take names, and fall in love against all odds.
She enjoys long hikes in the woods (where better to find the fair folk?), believing in fairies (in fact, she's clapping right now), dancing with dark elves (always wear your best shoes), being a self-rescuing princess (hello, black belt!), and writing diverse books about teenage girls finding love, romance, and their own inner power.
She might be planning high tea at the Fae Court right now.
GIE is multi-published, and in her role as an editor has helped hundreds of authors make their dream of being published a reality.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!
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Review: The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irina Brignull

Series: Hawkweed Prophecy #1
Publication Date: June 16th 2016
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis:  Poppy Hooper and Ember Hawkweed couldn't lead more different lives. Poppy is a troubled teen: moving from school to school, causing chaos wherever she goes, never making friends or lasting connections. Ember is a young witch, struggling to find a place within her coven and prove her worth. Both are outsiders: feeling like they don't belong and seeking escape.

Poppy and Ember soon become friends, and secretly share knowledge of their two worlds. Little do they know that destiny has brought them together: an ancient prophecy, and a life-changing betrayal. Growing closer, they begin to understand why they've never belonged and the reason they are now forever connected to each other.

Switched at birth by the scheming witch Raven Hawkweed, Poppy and Ember must come to terms with their true identities and fight for their own place in the world. Enter Leo, a homeless boy with a painful past who – befriending them both – tests their love and loyalty. Can Poppy and Ember's friendship survive? And can it withstand the dark forces that are gathering?

My Rating

3/5 stars

My Review

Switched at birth, Poppy and Ember end up meeting in person and becoming friends. They both feel like outcasts from the society they have been placed in. Poppy feels like the troubled child, unable to control her magical power among her classmates and home life. Ember has no magical ability while living in a coven of witches. The two friends learn that they can understand each other, and help one another in a way that their society can't. That is, until a boy comes between them.

The Hawkweed Prophecy was really good in some aspects, but also kind of dull and boring at other parts. 

Poppy and Ember are both really interesting main characters, and while I liked them, I didn't necessarily love them. I personally couldn't relate to them as I typically do with characters I love, which is one of the downsides in this book for me. Poppy is extremely strong and smart, although she can be very naive at times and doesn't necessarily do the right thing. Ember is such a sweetheart, she's really caring and kind but she's not the brightest. I'm hoping that the future books have a lot more character development.

There wasn't a lot of action at the beginning of the story, and while it was somewhat entertaining learning about the two girls, I would have loved to see more action to keep the reader entertained and more engaged in the story. The action definitely picked up after the half way point, and at this point I finished the book in one sitting. It's a fairly short and easy read.

Overall, I really did like this book, but unfortunately I just couldn't bring myself to love the characters and be fully engaged in the story. I'm hoping the next book has more character development and more exciting plot, maybe with a few twists.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Elemental Lies by Elle Middaugh

Elemental Lies
Elle Middaugh
Series: The Essential Elements, #2
Publication date: July 24th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis: Valerie Moore is an Elemental, a person who commands one of the classical elements of wind, water, fire, or earth. She’s special, though. She controls two—fire and water—though sometimes it seems like they control her.
After the accidental exposure of Elementals to humanity, Valerie finds herself—and all of her kind—struggling to attain equality. Three different groups fight to secure leadership, and with all of their hidden agendas, she doesn’t know which side to choose. The balance between peaceful cohabitation and all-out war is precarious, at best.
When a chance meeting brings Val and earth Elemental Cade Landston back together, everything changes. She realizes what she knew in the beginning—that he’s the one she wants. Her desire to win him over draws her closer to him, and his vengeful mission to hunt down her murderous grandfather brings them both closer to trouble.
From mysterious doppelgangers to reckless rescue missions, scapegoat bombings, and evolving Elemental powers, Valerie strains to keep up.
All she knows is she must stop her grandfather at all costs. To do so, she has to figure out the truth, but how can she do so when almost everyone she knows has been telling lies?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Sequel to:

—

EXCERPT:

“What are you thinking?” Dad asked, knocking me back to the present.
My head shook subconsciously. “Nothing, really. Just trying to figure out all this change, trying to make sense of it, somehow.”
“It’s not easy,” he agreed. “And it’s only gonna get harder.”
I stared at him with wide doe eyes, silently pleading for some sort of direction.
“What should I do?” I asked. “Should I live my life as best I can and try to ignore the evil going on all around me? Or should I make it my life’s work to try to change that evil into good? Is it even worth it to try?”
Dad blew out a deep breath and pushed the rest of his stromboli aside. His fingers laced atop the table.
“I can’t tell you what to do, sweetheart, but I’ll tell you what I think. Should you live your life to the fullest? Absolutely, no contest. Should you ignore the evil around you? No, I wouldn’t ignore it. Given what you are, there’s a good chance it’ll come looking for you regardless.”
He licked his lips and paused before continuing. I stayed silent.
“Striving to make the world a better place…it’s a noble endeavor, but a very difficult one. Is it worth it to try? I think if your heart’s in it, if it’s something you feel strongly about and it’s something honorable and good, then it’s always worth it to try. I can’t guarantee you’ll succeed, and many times it might feel like all you’re doing is trudging uphill through two feet of shit and a thunderstorm. It might even be like that for the rest of your life, but if you care, truly and passionately, then no matter what happens in the end, you’ll be glad you did it.”
The sound of a pin dropping would have seemed as loud as shattering glass. There were no words in my head or my mouth, just a vast emptiness as I tried to absorb and process what he’d just said.
Unfortunately, there was no time.

Author Bio:
Elle Middaugh lives in the Allegheny Mountains outside of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, with her wonderful husband and three beautiful children. Most of her time is spent raising kids, writing stories, playing video games, reading, and attempting to keep a clean house.
She’s a proud Navy wife, a frazzle-brained mother, a fan of health and fitness, a lover of hot tea and iced tea, and a believer in happily ever afters.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. With this amazing meme, you can check out which books I've gotten this past week.

From Hachette

Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco 
In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again. 

Won

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Perfect for fantasy fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, the first book in this new duology features a compelling gender fluid main character, impressive worldbuilding, and fast-paced action.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class―and the nobles who destroyed their home. 

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand―the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears―Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. 

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

The lovely Brittany at Brittany's Book Rambles hosted a twitter chat about this book with Linsey Miller, and I was lucky enough to win a copy at the end. Thank you so much.

From Xpresso Tours 

Fate of the Stars by Arwen Paris
When the fate of the world rests upon you…

Allison Delaney wants to spend her senior year healing from the loss of her father, to leave the shadows of his death and her junior year break-down behind. A Labor Day beach party seems like a good place to start…but there’s more danger lurking than anyone could imagine. Death is coming to Earth if the pods of infectious creatures aren’t stopped. But only one human can help…

To live or die is no longer a choice.

Eenoki is a protector of life but must have a sentient host to fight the invasion. A teenage girl would not be the best choice, but out of desperation Eenoki invades Allison’s mind and body, granting her unnatural abilities and strengths – and helping her escape certain death when the first wave of pods land.

As destruction rains down on Earth’s population, Allison realizes to save everyone, she must make the ultimate choice: Reject her human side and bond with Eenoki to become the Earth’s Priestess – or be killed along with the rest of humanity.

Rowan Wood Legends (The Lost Clan #2) by Olivia Wildenstein
SOME LEGENDS ARE BETTER LEFT UNTOLD.

I wasn’t the sort of girl who believed in fairytales, let alone tales about faeries. But that changed the day Faeries came to my small town and Hunters rose from their graves. 

On that fateful day, I received a book, a peculiar collection of myths and legends. Turns out it was so much more than stories. And just as I was on the verge of unlocking its secrets, it was stolen from me by someone I called a friend. 

Now, I don’t know whom I can turn to, whom I can trust. All I know is that there are two sides, and I am straddling the great divide because I am both Faerie and Hunter. And although I swore I would never choose, I am slowly falling for one of those sides…

Fans of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series will adore Wildenstein's Lost Clan series.

What did you guys get this week? Let me know in the comments.

Cover Reveal: Taming the Rebel by Dawn Klehr

Taming the Rebel
Dawn Klehr
Series: Endless Summer
Published by: Entangled Crush
Publication date: August 14th 2017
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis: Rebel Hart should be at home taking care of her father after his breakup with his boyfriend, not tromping through the woods at summer camp. He’s had his heart broken beyond repair, and the way she sees it, there’s only one person to blame—the boyfriend’s son. So when that infuriatingly gorgeous quarterback turns up at the same camp, she plans to make him pay.
Justice Brody isn’t happy about trading training camp for actual summer camp. But if he wants to stay on the football team, he has to show that he can be drama-free. He welcomes the anonymity that comes with summer camp…until he realizes the one girl who knows him better than anyone is there, too. Rebel is off-limits, impossibly beautiful…and trouble with a capital T. Still, he can’t stay away. And even as Rebel exacts her revenge, in several very embarrassing and painful ways, neither can she.

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:
Dawn Klehr is the author of the young adult thrillers: The Cutting Room Floor and If You Wrong Us.
She began her career in TV news and though she’s been on both sides of the camera, she prefers to lurk behind the lens. Mostly, she loves to get lost in stories –in film, the theater, or on the page – and is a sucker for both the sinister and the sappy. She’s currently channeling her dark side as she works on her next book.
Dawn lives in the Twin Cities with her funny husband, adorable son, and naughty dog.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter

Review: Just Friends by Tiffany Pitcock

Publication Date: Augus 1st 2017
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis:A new spin on the classic smart-girl-and-bad-boy setup, this witty contemporary romance shows how easily a friendship – even one built on an elaborate lie – can become so much more.

Jenny meets Chance for the very first time when she is assigned as his partner in their Junior Oral Communications class. But after they rescue a doomed assignment with one clever lie, the whole school is suddenly convinced that Little-Miss-Really-Likes-Having-A’s and the most scandalous heartbreaker in school have been best friends forever. It’s amazing how quickly a lie can grow―especially when you really, really want it to be the truth.

With Jenny, Chance can live the normal life he’s always kind of wanted. And with Chance, Jenny can have the exciting teen experiences that TV shows and movies have always promised. Through it all, they hold on to the fact that they are “just friends.” But that might be the biggest lie of all.

Debut author Tiffany Pitcock delivers a spot-on depiction of first love and the high school rumor mill in Just Friends, chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Jenny and Chase are hilariously adorable. This is the perfect book about high school relationships.

Jenny is the nice, quiet girl. She doesn’t like opening up to people and would rather stay at home and read her book than socialize. When Chase is assigned as her partner, the two make up a lie that they have been friends for years, in order to get a good grade. As the school starts to believe their lie, Jenny and Chase continue being “fake” friends, until their friendship turns real, and they realize they may have needed one another for a very long time.

This book was the perfect romance story. First let me start off by saying, no this book is not insta-love. Yes the two characters meet in the first chapter and they find each other somewhat attractive, but in the beginning they truly didn’t like one another and ended up falling love slowly. The other thing I loved about this romance, is that it was extremely realistic to real high school romances. The two characters meet, they don’t like each other at first but end up falling in love, they’re too afraid to tell each other and then the rumours begin, people talk and things happen that start to cause doubts in you relationship. This is the perfect representation of a high school romance, at least it is for when I was in high school, which was only 3 years ago…

I adore both Jenny and Chance so very much. Jenny is such a sweetheart. Watching her character development go from a stay-at-home book nerd to having a social life and dating one of the most popular guys in high school, was absolutely brilliant. She changed so much, but didn’t completely lose herself and become a different person, she definitely changed for the better. Chance is the typicall bad boy with a horrible home life, where you fall in love with him because you feel bad for him. He’s definitely a very strong character for putting up with so much in his home life, and watching his character develop, and him become more open to people and realize that he had no control over what happened to his parents and it wasn’t his fault was really wonderful. Not a lot of children with homes like these are able to make it out and become good people, so it was wonderful to see his story.

I found this book so engaging, that I read the whole thing in one sitting. There was definitely some action, but this book is mostly focused on Jenny and the relationships she has made with people. So, if you’re an action fan, you may find this book a tad broing, but if you’re in it for the romance (which btw would make wonderful summer read), then you will definitely love this book, I’ll even bet on it.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone in high school, as well as people looking for a cute romantic read or a short and sweet summer read. I guarantee you will fall in love with the wonderful characters, the charming romance and the realistic story.

Happy Reading, 
Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Rise of the Empress #1
Publication Date: October 10th 2017
Publisher: Philomel Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

Summer TBR Wipeout: Update Post #1

The wonderful Olivia at The Candid Cover is hosting the Second Annual Summer TBR Wipeout. The Challenge works to encourage you to try to work through that pesky TBR pile that seems to never end.

In my Introductory Post I decided to challenge myself with a goal of 20 books. I thought I would have a lot of free time, but with work recently I've been super busy. Either way, I still made some good progress on this challenge, and hopefully I'm still able to reach my goal.

Here is what I read so far:

All Things New by Lauren Miller | 3/5 stars

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter | 5/5 stars

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Re-read)

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han | 4/5 stars

The Wood by Chelsea Bobukski | 3/5 stars 

Yesterday by Felicia Yap | 4/5 stars

Frostblood by Elly Blake | 4/5 stars

Fireblood by Elly Blake | 5/5 stars

Eight out of twenty is not that bad so far. I wasn't planning on reading Fireblood yet, but after reading Frostblood the book was just staring at me and I couldn't control myself. Next I plan on reading The Hawkweed Legacy and possibly Hunting Prince Dracula if I can't control myself.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Series: Anna and the French Kiss #1
Publication Date: July 16th, 2013
Publisher: Speak 
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

“The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” 

I'm usually not a fan of contemporary books, so me giving this book 5 stars is HUGE!

Anna and the French Kiss is one of the cutest and most perfect books I've ever read. It honestly spoke to me in such volumes, I could relate to the main character and I really admire the author's writing.

Anna is sent (against her wishes) to an American School in France. Having to give up her best friend, her crush, and her favourite brother. When Anna makes friends with the girl across the hall, Meredith, she invites Anna to join her and her friend. Etienne is one of a kind, he's handsome, American with a British accent, and flirty beyond compare. The only problem is that Etienne has a girlfriend, and Meredith has had a crush on him for years.

The romance in this story is absolutely perfect. I loved how Anna was described as a fairly average girl, yet she still managed to catch Etienne's eye. Even though there was a bit of insta-love, the romance in this book was fairly realistic, usually when you fall in love there is something stopping you from being together, and Etienne's relationship was the biggest reason, as well as other smaller reasons. 

My favourite part of this book was the travel aspect. It was so wonderful to read about Anna coming out of her shell and exploring France. The settings were described so well, I could feel as if I was standing in Paris myself. The feelings Anna had, brought me back to my travels throughout Europe, at first feeling that difference crashing around you, but then you start getting used to the new area and falling in love with the city. Ugh it was absolutely perfect.

The only thing that I didn't love about this book, was near the end when Etienne still hasn't broken up with Ellie. While I loved it at the beginning, near the end it was being clear that he did not love Ellie anymore and it was just horrible to watch him drag on his relationship with Ellie. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA contemporary, or just loves to travel throughout Europe and would like to be taken on a trip back. 

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. With this amazing meme, you can check out which books I've gotten this past week.

From the Library

Windwitch (The Witchlands #2) by Susan Dennard
Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

Kindle Freebies

The Sea Queen by Jovee Winters
Calypso, Queen of the Seas, is mad. Spitting mad. Ghosts of the dead are fouling her waters. She wants this problem fixed, and she wants it fixed now. Rushing off in search of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, to demand answers, she’s soon shocked to discover him bound and standing trial before a jury of his peers—for nothing less than murder. 

Calypso normally despises the beastly gods, all of them, but there’s something about seeing Hades bound as he is that gives her an evilly clever idea. Tired of being a virgin queen, she wishes to shed that boring image once and for all, and no one seems quite as fit for the task as the gorgeous and brooding Hades. Of course, there is the minor problem of murder to deal with, but Calypso is bound and determined to have her way. 

And when a dark queen gets an idea, nothing and no one can stand in her way… 
AMAZON LINK

The Wilds by Donna Augustine
My name is Dahlia but I’m called a Plaguer, a person who survived the Bloody Death. When the virus first hit the world, it ravaged the human race. I thought I was lucky to survive it but survival comes at a cost. Ever since the sickness, I see things and I’m hunted for these visions. 

Some seek me out because they want to keep their secrets safe. They don’t want the world to know the truth of what they are. Others, like Dax, want my knowledge. Dax has secrets of his own but as long as he helps me evade the Dark Walkers, he can keep them. 

This book is for all the Plaguers, the truth sayers branded and marked as liars, often hunted and sometimes forgotten. This book is for the girl who was right.

AMAZON LINK

What did you guys get this week? Let me know in the comments.

Review: Yesterday by Felicia Yap

Publication Date: August 1st 2017
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: How do you solve a murder when you only remember yesterday?

Imagine a world in which classes are divided not by wealth or religion but by how much each group can remember. Monos, the majority, have only one day’s worth of memory; elite Duos have two. In this stratified society, where Monos are excluded from holding high office and demanding jobs, Claire and Mark are a rare mixed marriage. Clare is a conscientious Mono housewife, Mark a novelist-turned-politician Duo on the rise. They are a shining example of a new vision of tolerance and equality—until…

...a beautiful woman is found dead, her body dumped in England’s River Cam. The woman is Mark’s mistress, and he is the prime suspect in her murder. The detective investigating the case has secrets of his own. So did the victim. And when both the investigator’s and the suspect’s memories are constantly erased—how can anyone learn the truth?

Told from four different perspectives, that of Mark, Claire, the detective on the case, and the victim—Felicia Yap’s staggeringly inventive debut leads us on a race against an ever-resetting clock to find the killer. With the science-fiction world-building of Philip K. Dick and the twisted ingenuity of Memento , Yesterday is a thriller you’ll never forget.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Yesterday was an amazing novel. An engaging mystery, a creative world, and unique and entertaining characters. Yesterday will go down as one of my favourite mysteries for the year.

Claire is a mono, meaning she can only remember yesterday. When a detective comes knocking at her door, accusing her husband Mark of murdering a young beautiful woman that wrote in her diary that she was Mark's mistress, Claire must piece together what has happened the past few days, and what secrets her and Mark's history truly contains. 

This novel had some amazing characters. Right from the start I really liked reading from Claire and Mark's point of view. I was a little salty at first with the detective's point of view, I would have much rather either read from the two main characters view points or from the diary of woman that was murdered. Eventually I ended up liking the detective and his story, although I never liked him as much as the other characters.

I loved the mystery aspect and the world that the author created. The fast that she wrote a mystery in a dystopian world where you can only remember either the day before or two days, and have to use a diary to remember the rest was extremely creative. The feeling of not knowing whether you killed someone or not because you can't trust what your past self wrote in a diary is crazy when you think about it. This story was so entertaining, I loved the dystopian world and the mystery was fantastic.

I was a little disappointed while reading that the mystery was being too obvious. When the plot twist hit, I nearly fell off my chair. I totally wasn't expecting the ending and it honestly made me love the book so much. 

Overall, the characters, the world, and the plot was absolutely fantastic. I truly loved this book. If it wasn't for the detectives point of view not being as enjoyable as the rest and the obvious beginning of the mystery, I would have given this book a full 5 stars. Either way, I still recommend this book to all mystery, thriller and dystopian lovers.

Happy Reading,
Aneta