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.

From Simon & Schuster 

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon
Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Sanctuary by Caryn Lix
Alien meets Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds in this thrilling debut novel about prison-guard-in-training, Kenzie, who is taken hostage by the superpowered criminal teens of the Sanctuary space station—only to have to band together with them when the station is attacked by mysterious creatures.

Kenzie holds one truth above all: the company is everything.

As a citizen of Omnistellar Concepts, the most powerful corporation in the solar system, Kenzie has trained her entire life for one goal: to become an elite guard on Sanctuary, Omnistellar’s space prison for superpowered teens too dangerous for Earth. As a junior guard, she’s excited to prove herself to her company—and that means sacrificing anything that won’t propel her forward.

But then a routine drill goes sideways and Kenzie is taken hostage by rioting prisoners.

At first, she’s confident her commanding officer—who also happens to be her mother—will stop at nothing to secure her freedom. Yet it soon becomes clear that her mother is more concerned with sticking to Omnistellar protocol than she is with getting Kenzie out safely.

As Kenzie forms her own plan to escape, she doesn’t realize there’s a more sinister threat looming, something ancient and evil that has clawed its way into Sanctuary from the vacuum of space. And Kenzie might have to team up with her captors to survive—all while beginning to suspect there’s a darker side to the Omnistellar she knows.

Thats all for this week. What did you guys get?
Happy Easter everyone!

Waiting on Wednesday: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

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

Series: Caraval #2
Publication Date: May 29th 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: The sequel to the New York Times bestselling and #1 IndieNext Pick Caraval, following Scarlett’s younger sister, Tella, on a journey to the empire’s capital to fulfill a dangerous bargain.

Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to her New York Times bestselling debut novel Caraval. 

This year’s Caraval has concluded. Tella is alive—and safe, to her older sister’s relief. But Tella has secrets she has been keeping from Scarlett. Secrets like what Tella promised in exchange for the sisters’ invitations to Caraval in the first place. Secrets about the person to whom these promises were made. And secrets about Julian, the Caraval player who won Scarlett’s heart. 

Afraid of revealing the truth to the person who loves her most, Tella runs away to Valenda, the capital of the Empire, to find the mysterious correspondent whom Tella owes. But in the nights leading up to Elantine’s Day, a cross between a masquerade ball, a jubilee, and Caraval, no one is to be trusted . . .

Book Tour: Cold Hard Truth by Anne Greenwood Brown

Publication Date: April 3rd 2018
Publisher: Albert Whitman Company 
Genre: YA, Contemporary 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD ~ B&N ~ iBooks

Synopsis: Emmie O’Brien is a former good girl now on the fringe. She spent a crazy year involved with Nick, her mom’s drug dealer; after her arrest she was lucky to go back to her old life. But she’s haunted by the choices she made—first, to be with Nick, and then later, to testify against him. Max Shepherd is a senior varsity hockey player with serious anger issues. His grief over the death of his girlfriend causes him to see injustice wherever he looks. When they meet in community service, Max is drawn to Emmie’s calm energy, but Emmie knows better than to get too close to anyone. When friends of Nick show up seeking revenge, Emmie is forced to come to terms with her past, while Max has to control his protective instincts. They must trust one another, especially when Emmie’s situation takes a dangerous turn.

Excerpt

“Emmie,” Marissa said. “Your car.”
“What?” Emmie asked, redirecting her focus. She barely even noticed when Max’s hand clamped around her arm, and that was because her windshield was smashed in. Like, completely. Not just a spiderweb of cracks but crumpled into the car like the whole thing was made of tissue paper.
Emmie ran the rest of the way to her parking spot, practically dragging Max along with her because he wouldn’t let go of her arm. She circled her car and groaned when she discovered all four tires were slashed. The word Pigeon was spray-painted over her back left fender— misspelled, which somehow made it worse—but what hurt the most were the five letters written across her trunk: W-H-O-R-E.
Max let go of Emmie’s arm as her body went rigid. Her brain couldn’t process what she was seeing. She knew who did it. She knew why. But she couldn’t believe they’d come to her school and done this in broad daylight. The words were like scalpels, carving holes in her heart and stomach. Her limbs went numb.
Max’s fist slammed down on the trunk of the car. The sudden noise made Emmie jump, as did her car on its shocks. Max’s eyes were wide. Emmie thought he might have actually growled.
“Who did this?” he asked, whispering through his teeth. “I’ll kill them!”
“Oh noooo,” Marissa said from the front of the car, unaware of the worst of it, not to mention Max’s barely controlled outrage. She leaned into the broken driver-side window. “Emmie, they took your hula girl.”
Emmie rolled her eyes, and Max grabbed her shoulders. “Was it that guy from Saturday morning?” His eyes glanced to the damning word painted on the trunk, his voice raw.
The way he looked and sounded scared her. It reminded her of the way he’d looked on the ice that first time she’d seen him play. Like he was a boulder
rolling downhill, crushing everything in his path. It reminded her of junkies hungry for a fix. And it reminded her of Nick.

Max must have seen the flicker of fear in her eyes because his grip relaxed and he took a step back. That simple, tender act was all Max. It reminded her of no one else.


About the Author

Anne Greenwood Brown lives in Minnesota with her patient husband and three hilarious children.
She is the author of the following Young Adult novels:
COLD HARD TRUTH (contemporary/romance); GIRL LAST SEEN (contemporary/suspense); and the paranormal mermaid trilogy: LIES BENEATH, DEEP BETRAYAL, PROMISE BOUND.
She also writes adult romance under the name A.S. Green.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway

3 winners will receive an ARC of COLD HARD TRUTH, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule: 
Week One:
3/26/2018- Angelic Book Reviews- Excerpt
3/27/2018- Portrait of a Book- Review
3/28/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview
3/29/2018- The Desert Bibliophile- Review
3/30/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review


Week Two:
4/2/2018- Wonder Struck- Review
4/3/2018- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Review
4/4/2018- Falling For YA- Review
4/5/2018- Literary Meanderings - Interview
4/6/2018- Eli to the nth- Review

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.

Won from Giveaway

American Street by Ibi Zoboi
The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.

On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.

But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.

Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?

That's all for this week. What did you guys get?

Waiting on Wednesday: Furyborn by Claire Legrand

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

Series: The Empirium Trilogy #1
Publication Date: May 22nd 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

Review: The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

Series: The Bone Witch #2
Publication Date: March 20th 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: In The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection—now she's after revenge...

No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to command the mighty daeva. With the help of these terrifying beasts, she can finally enact revenge against the royals who wronged her—and took the life of her one true love. 

But there are those who plot against her, those who would use Tea's dark power for their own nefarious ends. Because you can't kill someone who can never die... 

War is brewing among the kingdoms, and when dark magic is at play, no one is safe.

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

I adored The Bone Witch, but I absolutely fell in love with The Heart Forger. This book was everything I wanted and more. I can't even describe how perfect it was.

Tea has finally completed her army of the dead and daeva, and with Kalen and the Bard with her, she is finally read to star her war. As Tea and her army march towards Daanoris to begin her revenge, Tea continues explaining her story to the Bard starting from the time when Prince Kance fell ill with the sleeping sickness, and Tea was blamed for it.

I have always loved Tea, right from the beginning of this series, but in this book she just became so much more. We see a lot more of present Tea taking action and explaining why she is currently doing the things she is doing, and we also get to see past Tea come into her magic, protect the ones she loves and start on the path that eventually leads her to where present Tea is (If you haven't read the first book, it is told in the perspective of Tea presently, and as she tells the story of her past). There is so much character development, not only from the past Tea but also with the present Tea as well. And finally in this book the two Teas somewhat start to become one, as past Tea has to make difficult choices and face dangerous creatures that require a huge amount of magic, enough to drive any Asha mad.

The one thing I didn't like about the first book, was that present Tea's story was a bit dry and boring and I found myself skipping parts of it. However, in this book that is not the case at all. There was action in both past and present tense, and I couldn't get enough of both. It was action packed, it wasn't confusing to the reader, and I loved every moment of it.

If you've read the first book a while back, and are just picking this one up now, I would definitely recommend just looking at online spoilers of the book just to familiarize yourself with the characters, who's who and who did what. I was definitely able to remember the main characters very well even without help, but there are a lot of secondary characters that play an important role where I sort of forgot who they were, until about a half way into the book when it finally clicked on what they did in the first book and who they were exactly.

Overall, I loved the characters, the action and the world that Rin Chupeco created. I think this series may go down as one of my favourites. I am already dying, just waiting for the third book to come out. I definitely recommend this series to all YA fantasy fans.

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.

From Thomas Allen & Son

The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary by NoNieqa Ramos
Macy's school officially classifies her as "disturbed," but Macy isn't interested in how others define her. She's got more pressing problems: her mom can't move off the couch, her dad's in prison, her brother's been kidnapped by Child Protective Services, and now her best friend isn't speaking to her. Writing in a dictionary format, Macy explains the world in her own terms—complete with gritty characters and outrageous endeavors. With an honesty that's both hilarious and fearsome, slowly Macy reveals why she acts out, why she can't tell her incarcerated father that her mom's cheating on him, and why her best friend needs protection . . . the kind of protection that involves Macy's machete. 

That's all for this week. What did you guys get?

Review: Nothing Left to Burn by Heather Ezell

Publication Date: March 13th 2018
Publisher: Razorbill 
Genre: YA, Contemporary 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: The autumn morning after sixteen-year-old Audrey Harper loses her virginity, she wakes to a loud, persistent knocking at her front door. Waiting for her are two firemen, there to let her know that the moment she's been dreading has arrived: the enormous wildfire sweeping through Orange County, California, is now dangerously close to her idyllic gated community of Coto de Caza, and it's time to evacuate.

Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, as Audrey wrestles with the possibility of losing her family home, she also recalls her early, easy summer days with Brooks, the charming, passionate, but troubled volunteer firefighter who enchants Audrey--and who is just as enthralled by her. But as secrets from Brooks's dark past come to light, Audrey can't help but wonder if there's danger in the pull she feels--both toward this boy, and toward the fire burning in the distance. 

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

A dangerous wildfire has started in Orange County, California. Audrey only has twenty minutes to gather her and her families belongings before she has to evacuate her family home. As the days events play out, Audrey looks back on the past three months to the events that have lead her here.

Audrey is a very captivating main character. She really knows how to tell a good story both from the past and the present perspective. Audrey calls herself a loner. She prefers being alone rather than going out to parties and socializing like most teenagers her age. It isn't until her best friend Grace introduces her to Brooks, that she is able to step out of her comfort zone. Brooks is a loner just like Audrey, and they are able to find comfort in one another. There are crazy rumours going around Audrey's school about why Brooks switched schools in his last year, and what is the reason behind his scar. Even though most people are afraid of Brooks, Audrey isn't because he has shown her a side of him that he hasn't to anyone else.

Their romance was absolutely crazy. I don't want to give you any spoilers, but just know that things aren't always what they seem. I am really happy with how Audrey chose to act in this book regarding the romance. Yes she made some mistakes, but no one is perfect, and she eventually learns her lesson. This is a reason why I love Audrey, because she always tries her hardest and ends up doing the right thing when the time comes.

The pace of the book was alright. At first I was a bit confused with how the book switches from present to past tense when Audrey reflects on the past 3 months, but eventually you get used to it. The book started off slow, with Audrey's life and how she meets Brooks, and ends up picking up around two thirds of the way into the book. 

I absolutely loved the setting of this story. The author did an amazing job describing all the different setting that the characters were in. I could picture the scene very clearly and the author uses the perfect amount of descriptions to make it feel real, but not enough to make it boring.

Overall, I loved the main character and I found the story very intriguing. I was a little thrown off by the way the story was written with past/present tense at first, but eventually I got used to it. The pace was alright and the setting was perfect. I will definitely read this author's future books, and I definitely recommend this book to all YA contemporary fans.

Happy Reading,

Aneta 

Book Tour & Giveaway: Consort of Secrets by Eva Chase

Series: The Witch's Consorts #1
Publication Date: March 8th 2018
Publisher: Ink Spark Press 
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Magic 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD ~ B&N

Synopsis: Every witch knows the rules: 

Stick to your own kind. Never reveal your powers to outsiders. Take a consort from the witching families or kiss your magic good-bye forever. 

For years I've been quiet, obedient Rose Hallowell. I accepted the man my stepmother chose for me. But I never stopped missing my long-ago friends. 

Now we're back on my childhood estate to arrange my marriage. The boys I grew up with? They're still in town—and they haven't forgotten me either. And damn if they haven't grown up well. 

They've got no magic, no place in my life. But they're charming and sweet and infuriatingly hot, and I can't seem to stay away. The more I try to resist, the more secrets I uncover about my family, my betrothal, and everything I thought was true about the witching world. 

I've been lied to. I've been betrayed. So to claim my magic and my happiness, I'll break every rule there is—and then some. 

Don't mess with this witch. Every rose has thorns. 

*Consort of Secrets is the first full-length novel in a steamy reverse harem paranormal romance series. Take a dollop of gothic atmosphere, add a heaping of romantic angst, and mix it up with five enticing young men and a passionate witch just coming into her own*

Read the prequel ROSE'S BOYS!

Excerpt

Jin was leaning over, trailing the end of a stick he’d picked up through the mud between the moss.
“You’ve always got to be sketching something, don’t you?” I said with a smile.
“What can I say,” he said, twirling the stick. “It’s an obsession. I’ll cop to that. But as obsessions go, you’ve got to admit there are a lot worse.”
“Okay, that’s fair,” I said, propping myself against the boulder. “Although maybe calling it just an ‘obsession’ is downplaying the situation a little. Didn’t you travel around, like, half the world chasing inspiration?”
“I guess so. But I didn’t really have to. Finding it all over the world was just more fun than trying to get it all in one place.”
“Uh huh.” I couldn’t help raising my eyebrows. “And is that a policy you apply to all sorts of areas of your life? Suddenly I’m imagining you leaving a trail of broken hearts all across the globe.”
Jin’s dark eyes gleamed with amusement. “I won’t say there’s no truth at all in that either. But I swear I’ve never made promises I didn’t intend to keep.”
“Always a gentleman, even when you’re being a ladies’ man?”
“I don’t know any other way to be,” he said with that flirty smile. I wasn’t sure if he meant the gentleman part or the ladies’ man part—maybe both.
Curiosity prickled at me despite myself. “None of those girls kept your interest long enough to make any promises?” I asked.
“Well…” Jin cocked his head. His tone turned a bit more serious. “There are places and people that give you what you’re craving in the moment, right? And that’s a pretty wonderful thing. The ones that give you something so essential it becomes a part of your soul… That type is a lot harder to find.”
His gaze caught mine across the pond for a beat longer than felt completely casual. A warm tingling spread down my chest. He meant the estate, of course. The estate had worked its way into his soul. Not me.
Didn’t he?

Trailer

Prequel 

Rose's Boys

Publication Date: February 9th 2018

Goodreads

Synopsis: Rose Hallowell has magic, and her boys do not. Their parents work for hers. But she can't imagine life without her rambles around her estate with brilliant Kyler, stoic Seth, passionate Jin, daredevil Damon, and Gabriel, whose self-assured charm brought them all together. Despite their differences and the secrets Rose has to keep, the bond between the six of them has been unshakeable since they were kids. 

Now, as Rose and her boys tumble into their teens, the dynamic of their friendship is changing in ways both unnerving and enticing. Ways Rose's strict new stepmother would never approve of. With the restrictions of witch society tightening around her, will Rose be torn from everything she holds dear forever? 

*This is a prequel story introducing the characters from the Witch's Consorts series. Due to character ages, Rose's Boys is more of a pre-romance than a full-out romance.

Book Two

Consort of Thorns

Publication Date: April 25th 2018

Goodreads

Synopsis: No more quiet, obedient Rose Hallowell. Every witch knows the rules—and I've broken them all to save myself and win my happiness. 

I thought my troubles would be over once I had my magic and my men by my side. Apparently I was a little too optimistic. My stepmother left me with a seed of doubt I can't shake. I may have more enemies in my home than I ever imagined. 

My guys say they'll do anything for me, but they couldn't have been prepared for the twisted secrets of the witching world. Or for an old friend to unexpectedly show up in town, with who knows what complications for our newfound connection. 

The thorns are closing in around us. Will my unpracticed magic and my consorts' love be enough to guide us through?

About the Author

Eva Chase lives in Canada with her family. She loves stories both swoony and supernatural, and strong women and the men who appreciate them. You can visit her online at www.evachase.com.

Want to hear about new books and receive exclusive bonus content? Sign up for Eva's mailing list: http://bit.ly/2nW6tNO

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Tumblr ~ Goodreads 

Giveaway Details 

1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card and Swag, International. 

Ends on March 27th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule 
Week One:
3/12/2018- BookHounds- Interview

3/13/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
3/13/2018- Love in a time of Feminism- Review

3/14/2018- Daily Waffle- Excerpt
3/14/2018- Reading for the Stars and Moon- Review

3/15/2018- Angelic Book Reviews- Excerpt
3/15/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review

3/16/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review
3/16/2018- Books and Blends- Review

Waiting on Wednesday: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

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

Series: Red Queen #4
Publication Date: May 15th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: VICTORY COMES AT A PRICE.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive. 

Review: Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Cole

Publication Day: March 20th 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Contemporary 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it's up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean. 

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

Grab a box of tissues and get ready for a waterfall of tears.

Tyler Johnson Was Here is such an important read. I can’t stress it enough. No matter what colour your skin is, or what country you are in, I really think you should give this novel a read, it may change the way you look at the situation.

This book focuses on Marvin as he deals with the disappearance and death of his twin brother Tyler. There are so many important aspects of this book. It talks a lot of police brutality, and the two sides to how people react to it. It also shows just how hard it is to get over the death of a family member, especially when they were murdered.

Marvin is a fantastic main character, and reading from his point of view was great. He is so compassionate and caring, it really breaks your heart just going through the story with him. Seeing his development throughout the story was fantastic, we see just how the events change his perspective on life and what he wants to do with his. He is honest and truthful, and overall makes a wonderful main character.

The plot of the story goes very fast. It’s not a long novel, so if you have the time like I did, you can definitely finish it in one night, and the book is so captivating that I guarantee you won’t want to put it down for long. 

If anything, the only thing I didn’t particularly like in this story was the addition of the romance. While I was glad that Marvin found someone, and that she helped him deal with the pain of losing his brother, it seemed a little forced and while it didn’t make the story any worse, it also didn’t make the story any better. It was just there.

Overall, this book definitely changed my perspective on the situation. As someone who is white, and doesn’t like in the United States, we hear a lot of stories but they never feel as personal as reading from Marvin’s point of view did. I highly recommend this book to all young adults and adults, no matter what genre you usually read.

Happy Reading,

Aneta 

Waiting on Wednesday: Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger

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

Series: Follow Me Back #2
Publication Date: May 5th 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Mystery
Amazon  ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: After months of living under the radar in Mexico, Tessa and Eric are forced out of hiding when Dorian Cromwell—a pop star who was allegedly murdered by a fan—is found alive. What's more, when intimate photos of Eric and Tessa appear on the Twitter page of Eric Thorn's biggest fan account, MET, they realize that their time together will never be private again.

Determined to shut down the elusive MET for good, Eric sets out to investigate. But when his search turns up a dead body, and all signs point to Tessa as suspect #1, Eric's online nightmare becomes an offline reality.

Blitz: Sneaking Out by Chuck Vance

Sneaking Out
Chuck Vance
Series: Chased, #1
Published by: Dunemere Books
Publication date: March 6th 2018
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

Synopsis: Could you sleep next to a murderer?
Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.
For fans of “A Study in Charlotte” and boarding school lit, “Sneaking Out” (book one in the “Chased” series) immerses readers in the privileged prep school world, with a mystery that exposes the dark side of life on a residential high school campus.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

Luke stood up and held out a hand to help Pippa up. He didn’t let go after she rose, and he clasped it firmly as they walked together. It didn’t feel awkward—he’d already held her hand a couple of times. He felt protective. They walked along in silence.
They passed a mailbox, its hinge squeaking in the wind. The wind had picked up a plastic bag, which was scraping along the road, dancing with the fallen leaves. Every noise was amplified.
Luke pulled Pippa toward him to avoid a ditch. It was then that Luke sensed something. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the flash of someone jump behind a tree. Luke’s muscles tensed. They were being followed.
“Don’t turn around, but someone is behind us,” warned Luke. “On foot.”
He saw Pippa’s neck stiffen. “Who is it?” she whispered.
“Not sure, but let’s speed up.”
They started walking as fast as possible without running. Luke felt as if there was a bullseye on his back. Was the person who was following them crazy enough to do something to harm them? What if he had a gun?
They were about a block away from the nearest streetlight. Luke feared that if they walked under it, they would be completely exposed to whoever was following them. It seemed safer to remain in the shadows. He abruptly pulled Pippa diagonally across the street. They picked up their pace and stayed on course.
“We’ll be able to see who it is when they pass the streetlight,” said Luke.
“Do you think he crossed, too?”
Luke pricked his ears. He could hear a distant tap, tap. Footsteps. “No, he’s on the other side.”
They walked past the streetlight and up about thirty feet before stopping short and turning around. For a split second, they saw a figure bathed in the light, but then it darted to the side. It looked like a man, in a baseball hat. But he was too fast for them. Luke grabbed Pippa’s hand tightly.”
“We need to run.”

Author Bio:
Chuck Vance is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer of both adult mysteries and novels for young adults. Vance attended boarding school in Connecticut and graduated from Columbia University. Vance has lived in New York, Moscow, London, Paris and Los Angeles and is frequently on the move.

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Book Tour: Promise Me Always by Rhonda Shaw

Promise Me Always
Rhonda Shaw
Publication date: February 26th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis: Gabrielle Wells was everything Danny Anderson shouldn’t want. She was his opposite in every way, but he couldn’t keep his distance, and fate seemed to push them together at every turn. She consumed him, and the more he learned about her, the more he realized she was exactly what he didn’t know he needed. But then past mistakes forced him to walk away and never look back, breaking Gabrielle’s heart in the process.
Fast forward six years, and it seems as if fate is intervening again. Danny, now a best-selling rap artist, returns to his hometown, and is reunited with the only girl he’s ever loved.
Gabrielle isn’t the girl he left behind, though, and Danny realizes life has thrown her quite a few curves. But he will stop at nothing to get her back, refusing to let his true desires—love and family—continue to elude him. However, when Danny’s past crashes into his present, threatening everyone he loves and everything he’s fought for, he must decide if his promise to Gabrielle of “always” is worth the risk.

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Excerpt

School hadn’t been in my plan this year, intending to drop out and focus on my ticket out of this hellhole, which didn’t require a diploma, but something had pulled at me to show up, and now I wondered if I was looking at it. I didn’t question fate; I believed in destiny or predetermination, but the last thing I needed was some stuck-up chick interrupting my plans. I struggled to harden myself against her, but watching as she sunk against the locker in defeat, the desire to reach out, to shelter and comfort her, was too overwhelming.
Pushing away from the wall, I stepped out of the shadows. I would help her one more time, and then I would forget her and this place.
“You don’t want to be here alone for too long.” My voice was harsher than I meant it to be, but she needed truth more than she needed a friend.
Her head jerked up. I half expected her to cower away, but she surprised me by reaching for her bag and rushing forward to get in step with me. “Thank you.”
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, but didn’t stop.
“It was nice of you—”
“I’m not nice.” I snorted at the ridiculousness of that description.
“Oh. Well, I appreciate that you—”
“Look.” I stopped, turning toward her as I lowered my hood. “You seem like a nice girl; maybe a little uptight, but whatever.” I waved at her, standing there all buttoned up. “But watch your back, all right?”
Her eyes watered. “Watch my back?”
Jesus. I hadn’t meant to make her cry, so I bent toward her, forcing her gaze to mine and
tried to soften my message. “Look, I don’t know who you are or where you come from, but you don’t belong here. We all know that. I’m just trying to give you some pointers, so I don’t pass your body along the side of the road somewhere.”
She nodded as a tear fell down her cheek.
I sighed and shifted my weight, at a loss as to what to say. I was obviously going about this all wrong. “Fuck it.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hall with me. “Let’s go.”
She let me tug her with zero resistance and that worried me. If she wanted to survive in this hood, she needed to have some fight in her.
Once outside, I jogged down the cracked cement steps, giving acknowledging nods to those who still mingled around the front of the school and were glancing our way, curious about what was transpiring. When I reached the crumbled sidewalk, I stopped and let go.
“Now get out of here. Go home and don’t stop until you get there.”
“Can I at least know your name?”
“Jesus Christ, girl! What’s your deal? Just get out of here.”
She scowled, tears forgotten. “I can’t even know your name? What? Am I not good enough?”
My brows lifted, surprised at her change in tone. I studied her a minute, before shaking my head. Maybe she did have a backbone on her. “D.”
“D?” she repeated with a look of disbelief.
“My name is D.” Maybe she wasn’t as smart as she looked.
“Your name is D? Like, as in the letter ‘D’?”
I nodded as I pulled my hood back up. “Yep.” I started down the sidewalk before turning and walking backward. “And you’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.”

Author Bio:
Rhonda owes her love of reading to her mother who would read to her each night before bed and sometimes give into pleads for more than one chapter. These days, if Rhonda doesn’t have a book in her hands, it feels like something is missing. While romance is her true passion, Rhonda enjoys reading multiple genres.

Born in California, but transplanted to the Midwest, Rhonda is warm weather girl to the bone (even years later, winter and her are not on speaking terms) and loves nothing more than a balmy, summer evening. She also loves all animals–especially her silly French Bulldog, Keno.
Nowadays, she has so many characters and story ideas running around in her head that she can’t keep up with them. But one day, she’ll tell each one.

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