Book Blast & $50 Giveaway: Cinderella: A Real Life Fairytale

Cinderella: a REAL life fairytale
by Jamie Brook Thompson 
Publication Date: March 30th 2017
Publisher: Von Kurtis Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Amazon ~ Goodreads

Synopsis: If a dream is a wish your heart makes then Cindee Ellis is in major trouble. There’s no way Henry Christensen will ever notice her under all those oil stains and brake fluid splattered across her shirt. Unless—she’s dead wrong about him. Join her with this real life fairytale set in the small town of Silver Creek to find out how she’ll work her guts out to make her own happily ever after.










     Beauty and the Beast: a REAL life fairytale There's a tale as old as time of two people falling in love, but what happens when Belle won't have anything to do with it. Join her with this real life fairytale set in the small town of Silver Creek to find out how she’ll transform the town's beast into a handsome prince with her heart, not her beautician skills.     

  The Frogg Princess: a REAL life fairytale Taya is almost there. Join her in this real-life fairytale, set in the small town of Silver Creek, as she plans to start a new life by opening a little restaurant. Only to find a few rude people that don’t seem to welcome her. But that doesn’t seem to bother Felix Frogg, a local police officer, and the love-at–first-sight reactions he keeps tossing her way. If Taya isn’t careful with the way her heart is softening towards Felix, she could be walking into a lifetime commitment of happily ever after that wasn’t in her plans.  

  Excerpt

“Hey, Cindee, before I forget. You have a real nice day.” I nod with about the blankest expression I’ve ever felt, and then he winks. HE LITERALLY WINKS! My eyes are as big as I can stretch them. Either Henry Christensen just did that on purpose, or he has something irritating his eye. I want to go with my first choice, but the second one seems more accurate. I’m the girl with no name, until just now, standing in a huge coat, so it’s gotta be the second choice, right? “Henry? Is that you?” Priscilla’s sticky-sweet voice interrupts. He doesn’t speak a word as he presses on the gas to slowly start backing up. “I’ll stop by the station to pick up the trucks in a while. Make sure you’re there,” he says before quickly pulling onto Main Street where everything disappears, except for the faint glow of his brake lights that blink three times. Is he saying goodbye? I know other girls back in high school had boys do this to them, but not me. NOT EVER. Not once did a boy tap his brake lights to me. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.
Beauty and the Beast: a REAL life fairytale “Thank you for this.” I whisper into Adam’s ear. “For what?” He grins. “For being the kind of man that makes a woman believe there’s a God in heaven.” I nuzzle into his shoulder and close my eyes as the preacher asks us to pray. Once we finish, the rows of people begin to stand. I wipe under my eyes one more time just to make sure I don’t have mascara running down my face.  
The Frogg Princess: a REAL life fairytale “You probably shouldn’t be with a girl like me. I could corrupt a boy like yourself,” I tease, trying to ease the heat flooding my face. How could I push myself on him? I’m cringing inside at being so stupid. “Nah, I’d happily go as far as you’d allow me,” he softly chuckles. “I just have a promise I made with my brother.” “A promise?” I narrow my eyes. “Yeah, we both agreed to wait for marriage.” I stifle a gasp. Is he for real?    

Praise for the Book 

Five Stars: Couldn’t put this book down! This book has a way of not only making you feel what the characters are feeling, but it sucks you in where you don’t want to put it down, Not only have I read this book once, but I read it all over a second time. If you want to get lost for a few hours then I would highly recommend you read this book!! Five Stars: Sooooo Good! I really enjoyed this novella. I was so happy with the ending. It was well written and kept my attention even when my Grandson interrupted for help on his homework. So happy he left the math worksheet at school. I will be looking for more of this author's work. Hope you enjoy this novella. Five Stars: A clean romance book! Jamie Brook Thompson has got some mad writing skills! She has talent that can take you to another world for a few hours! I recommend this book to anyone who needs a good chic book (like a chic flick but in book form ;) ) to escape the real world for a bit! And who doesn't love cowboys?!
Author Jamie Brook Thompson Jamie Brook Thompson is a small town girl that loves to tell a good story. She grew up as the daughter of a redneck farmer and hippie mother. Her entire life has been filled with duct tape and peace and love. She currently has 6 children, two dogs, and a handsome Prince of her very own! When she isn’t writing, you can find her out at her father’s ranch changing tires on tractors, working on motors that need repair, or adjusting carburetors on the family four wheelers to ride the high Utah desert. She’s a woman of many talents and trades, but the one she enjoys the most is writing stories to take readers into a world of hope—a world of clean romance!

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  $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 5/3/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Things I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik

Publication Date: March 28th 2017
Publisher: HMH Book For Young Readers
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: From the author of Epic Fail comes the story of Chloe Mitchell, a Los Angeles girl on a quest to find love for her autistic sister, Ivy. Ethan, from Ivy’s class, seems like the perfect match. It’s unfortunate that his older brother, David, is one of Chloe’s least favorite people, but Chloe can deal, especially when she realizes that David is just as devoted to Ethan as she is to Ivy. 

Uncommonly honest and refreshingly funny, this is a story about sisterhood, autism, and first love. Chloe, Ivy, David, and Ethan, who form a quirky and lovable circle, will steal readers’ hearts and remind us all that it’s okay to be a different kind of normal.  

My Rating

3/5 stars

My Review

Things I Should Have Known is a wonderful and heartwarming novel. Not only is it deep, but it is also very educational.

Chloe is your typical high school girl. She is beautiful, popular, blonde and in love with the most popular guy at her school. When she notices her autistic sister is sad and lonely, she steps out of her narcissistic bubble and decides to help Ivy by finding her a boyfriend. On her journey to help her sister, Chloe not only learns to see her sister in a new way, but learn about the mistakes she's made in the past, and just how wrong she was.

I personally didn't like Chloe at all. Okay maybe she started to get a little bit better near the end of the novel, but at the beginning I could not stand her. My hatred for her was so strong I almost gave up on the book.

The reason I didn't give up was because of David and Ivy. Both of them were amazing characters, so different in their own way, yet really amazing. Ivy really surprised me, I haven't read book about autistic characters before, so this was a first for me, then when we find out more about Ivy I almost fell off my chair. She is so pure and gentle, I absolutely love her.
David on the other hand, I mean how could you not love that sass? I loved hearing about his story, especially when he started opening up. His character development was really wonderful, and intriguing.

I found the book to be a little boring at first, but after about 40% in I was really starting to like the characters and had to finish reading. The writing itself wasn't my favourite, but I got used to it after a while and didn't mind it near the end.

The romance in this book was really wonderful to read about. The connections were so very real and the development was so strong. I definitely recommend this for all the cute romance lovers out there.

Overall, this book was really eyeopening and so very enjoyable. I definitely recommend giving it a read if this sounds like the type of book you would go for.

Happy Reading,
Aneta. 

Book Blitz & Giveaway: July Thunder by Shannon A. Thompson

July Thunder
Shannon A. Thompson
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: April 10th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis: From best-selling author Shannon A. Thompson comes an exciting new duology in the Bad Bloods universe.
Fourteen-year-old Violet has been called many things: a bad blood, a survivor, an immortal…now she has a new name–citizen. But adjusting to a lawful life is not easy, especially when she must live under the rule of the same officers who justified the killings of her flock only eight months earlier.
Segregation of bad bloods and humans is still in effect, and rebellious Violet steps into a school where she is not allowed. When the police get involved, things deteriorate quickly, sparking a new revolution at the wall separating the Highlands from the outskirts.
That’s when Caleb steps in. He might appear to be an average sixteen-year-old bad blood, but he has secrets, and Violet is determined to figure them out. Caleb knows who’s attacking the wall and why, but his true identity remains a mystery–and how he relates to Violet could shake the threatened city to its very core.
Together or not, a storm will form, a rally will start, and shocking truths will be revealed.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Smashwords

—

EXCERPT:

While the Northern Flock had to be quiet to survive, the herd played music in order to live.

Caleb’s hand found mine. “Dance with me?” he asked, but I hated my answer.
“I can’t.” My confession came with my wrecked knee. With one gesture, Caleb seemed to understand, but as he turned his eyes to his herd—to Britney prancing around with Plato, to Kat covering her ears, to Yasir holding Hanna with his protective gloves between them—Caleb pulled me up to my feet.
“Let me do it for you,” he said, and then, he lifted me up and placed me on the tops of his boots.
As he swayed, I saw the sunburn on the tops of his cheeks, the sand in his hair, the sea salt on his skin. Then, his chapped lips as he managed a shaky smile. For once, Caleb looked disheveled, and I had never liked him more.
“That’s some crew you have,” he said, but I hadn’t noticed anyone else in the world around us until he spun.
Life-sized shadows—dozens of them—danced all around us, and I recognized their shapes as people I would always know. Blake and his teddy bear. Floyd’s stretched limbs, and Ami’s swinging braids. Even Adam’s speed.
Alive or dead, the shadows of every member of my own flock joined in on the dance of a herd, and my heart fluttered at the sight.
Losing control had never felt so great.
Neither had a storm descending down upon us.

Author Bio:
Shannon A. Thompson is a young adult author, avid reader, and a habitual chatterbox.
As a novelist, poet, and blogger, Thompson spends her free time writing and sharing ideas with her black cat, Bogart, named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. Her other two cats bring her coffee. Between writing and befriending cats, Thompson graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing, and her work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies. Represented by Clean Teen Publishing, Thompson is the best-selling author of The Timely Death Trilogy and the Bad Bloods duology. When she is not writing, she is climbing rooftops, baking cookies, or watching murder shows in the middle of the night, often done with her cats by her side.
Visit her blog for writers and readers at www.ShannonAThompson.com.

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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 Netgalley

The Broken Ones by Danielle L. Jensen (The Malediction Trilogy #0.6)
A prequel to the USA Today bestseller and Goodreads Choice finalist Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy).

Below Forsaken Mountain, a plot is being hatched to overthrow the tyrant king of Trollus, and Marc is the right-hand man of its leader. His involvement is information more than one troll would kill to possess, which is why he must keep it a secret from everyone, even the girl he loves.

After accidentally ruining her sister’s chance to become queen, Pénélope is given one last opportunity by her father, the Duke d’Angoulême, to make herself useful: she must find proof that the boy she’s in love with is conspiring against the crown. If she fails, her life will be forfeit.

Marc and Pénélope must navigate the complex politics of Trollus, where powers on all sides are intent on using them as pawns, forcing them to risk everything for a chance at a life together.

Except being together may turn out to be the greatest risk of all.

Quanta Rewind by Lola Dodge (The Shadow Ravens #4)
With more and more Red Helixes turning up missing or dead, the Shadow Ravens are ready to take their fight to Doctor Nagi himself.

But breaking into Alpha Citadel is no cakewalk, and Quanta isn’t so sure about this whole “teamwork” thing.

If she and the Ravens can’t learn to work together, no amount of rewinding time will save them from the inevitable.

And if the Seligo win, everyone loses.

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

Review: The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

Publication Date: April 25th, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Book Depository 

Synopsis: Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they’ve shared almost everything—reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they’ve never met.

Sasha’s dad was once married to Ray’s mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families—and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control…or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.

My Rating

3/5 stars

My Review

The Whole Thing Together is a cute summer story about a dysfunctional family trying to come together. Sasha and Ray share the same sisters, the same room at the family's beach house, and the same summer job. As they are not related and their parents (who were once married) cannot stand each other, Sasha and Ray have never met, at least not before this summer. 

This book was really good in some aspects, and really bad in others. I really wanted to like this book more than I did, but I just couldn't bring myself to love it.

Even though it is mentioned multiple times in the book that Ray and Sasha are not related whatsoever, their relationship just felt wrong. I can't see the two characters having a romantic future together and the whole romance was just unnecessary. Most of the scenes when they're together were just cringe worthy to me, I would have enjoyed the book much more if they tried to be friends instead. 

What I loved reading about was the lives of the three older sisters that Sasha and Ray share. This book is written in third person, and is told in the point of view from the three sisters as well as Sasha and Ray, this made me really confused and I couldn't tell which character was which at the beginning. Near the middle of the book when each sister had her own story to tell I was much more impressed with the book. I absolutely loved Emma and Mattie's part of the story, this made the whole book for me and made me want to keep reading. The rest of the family, I didn't really care about. 

One of the main things I had a problem with, was the author taking the easy way out in her writing. There were no huge surprises, and the one "surprise" the author tried to include was a complete tragedy, I mean, anyone with a basic genetic background can tell that an full Indian man would never have a child with blonde hair and blue eyes. The story was very short, and a lot of things werent explained clearly, the whole book felt a bit rushed. And lastly, the thing that pissed me off the most was the Dad's backstory. The author tries to introduce multiculturalism into the book by including the Indian culture into the book, but I'm assuming that the research was much too hard on the author since she just gave the guy white American parents to make it easier. We barely hear anything about the culture, and when we do, its the basics that are common to mostly anyone.

I would recommend giving this book a read during the summer if you love these types of contemporary books, but I would suggest you take it out of the library or borrow it from a friend, its not exactly a book I would willingly spend money on.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: Always and Forever Lara Jean by Jenny Han

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

Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3
Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Book Blast & $100 Giveaway: A Strange Companion

Publication Date: April 4th 2017
Publisher: Steel Rose Press
Genre: Adult Fiction 
Amazon ~ Goodreads 

Synopsis: Kat Richardson isn’t running away from grief; she’s just hiding out in a gloomy Welsh university town until she’s sure it’s gone. Now, one year, nine months, and 27 days after the climbing death of her first love, Gabe, she thinks she’s ready to venture out into the relationship world again. And Owen—a cake-baking, Super Ball-making chemistry student—appears to be a kind, funny, and very attractive option.

But the arrival of Kat’s newly adopted niece, Mai, forces her home to northern England, where she runs headfirst into all the memories of Gabe she’s tried to leave behind—and discovers that Mai stirs up an unnerving feeling of déjà vu. Before long, Kat’s logical, scientific beliefs about life after death are in battle with what she feels to be true—that reincarnation is real and Gabe has come back to her through Mai. The question now, is why?

Taking on the topics of love, loss, and how we deal with grief, A Strange Companion is a twisted love triangle among the living, the dead, and the reincarnated. 

Excerpt

Mai dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Frida’s enormous head. She rested her cheek against Frida’s bristly fur and the two of them lay there as if they’d been best pals forever. Luke reached down and ran his hand along Frida’s back. As he moved back to stroke again, his hand paused on Mai’s arm, curled around Frida’s neck.

Luke froze.

I felt the air around us go still—all except for one crackle of energy that danced between Mai and Luke. I felt it, Luke felt it, Frida felt it . . . and so did Mai.

Luke cast his eyes down at the little girl at his feet, who stared, unblinking, back at him. His brow wrinkled, as his mind struggled to understand what I knew his heart felt. Then, something passed between them that I had once seen pass between Luke and his brother. It was more than love, more than understanding, more, even, than blood. It was a deep connection, a spark between two people, two souls, who were inextricably intertwined.

Luke looked at me. “Did you feel that?”

I nodded.

“What was it?”

I hesitated. I knew exactly what it was, but how could I tell Luke? It was one thing to tell Maggie about my suspicions, but Luke was Gabe’s brother. Was it fair of me to risk opening up the hurt I knew he’d spent the past two years trying to heal? But perhaps I wasn’t the only one Gabe needed to visit. I felt a prickle of excitement at the possibility that someone else might finally understand.

Glancing back to make sure Luke and I were out of earshot, I leaned in and whispered. “I think it’s Gabe.”

Luke narrowed his eyes at me. “He’s haunting her?”

I shook my head. “Do you believe in reincarnation, Luke?”

He shrugged, but the expression of curiosity on his face prompted me to take a chance.

“I didn’t either until I met Mai.”

Author Lisa Manterfield
Lisa Manterfield is the award-winning author I’m Taking My Eggs and Going Home: How One Woman Dared to Say No to Motherhood. Her work has appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Los Angeles Times, and Psychology Today. Originally from northern England, she now lives in Southern California with her husband and over-indulged cat. A Strange Companion is her first novel.

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$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 4/28/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Shifters & Glyphs

Shifters & Glyphs
Christina Bauer
Synopsis: Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: October 30th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis: After being raised by the meanest fairies in the history of ever, Bryar Rose is now free to live her own life. For the first time, she’s attending West Lake Prep, a regular high school. Well, mostly regular. Some students are actually hidden members of the Magicorum. In other words, they’re really wizards, fairies, or shifters. Bry doesn’t mind, though. She’s thrilled to enjoy all the new experiences of being around normal kids her age, from locker pranks to lunchtime mystery meat. Everything is going along great, except for one thing.
Bry’s dreams about the pyramids of Egypt have gotten darker and more sinister. Every night, she sees her new man Knox and her best friend Elle in danger.
With no other choice, Bry plans to leave school to explore the pyramids on own. But her new man Knox discovers the scheme and is having none of it. He wants to stay by her side, no matter what. It’s a good thing too, because Bry must solve the mystery of her attraction to the pyramids and soon. Otherwise, it could cost the lives of those she loves most…and that means not only Knox, but also her best friend Elle.

Goodreads / Amazon / Kobo

Author Bio:
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. It is now available as an audiobook on Audible and iTunes.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

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Release Blitz & Giveaway: Perfect by Cecelia Ahern

I am so excited that PERFECT by Cecelia Ahern is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Cecelia Ahern, be sure to check out all the details below.

I've had the chance to read Flawed & Perfect, and I absolutely love this series. Highly recommended. Check out my reviews here and here.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for 2 sets of finished copies of FLAWED & PERFECT courtesy of Fierce Reads and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Title: PERFECT

Author: Cecelia Ahern
Series: Flawed #2

Pub. Date: April 4, 2017

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 352

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Audible ~ iBooks ~ Goodreads

Synopsis: Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine's life has completely fractured--all her freedoms gone.

Since Judge Crevan has declared her the number one threat to the public, she has been a ghost, on the run with Carrick--the only person she can trust.

But Celestine has a secret--one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground. A secret that has already caused countless people to go missing.

Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand, and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save just herself or to risk her life to save all Flawed people.

And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human in itself is to be Flawed?

Check Out Book One

Title: FLAWED

Author: Cecilia Ahern

Release Date: April 5, 2016

Pages: 368

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, & audiobook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, Barnes& Noble, iBooks

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She's a model daughter and sister, she's well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she's dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.

In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society in which perfection is paramount and flaws are punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything.

Excerpt:

Chapter Eight

            They stay there for three hours.

            My muscles burn, my feet ache, but I’m afraid to move.

            When the fire has reduced to a smolder, Granddad and Dahy are ordered to place the bundles of food onto the coals. The farmworkers watch from their orderly line, their F brand armbands all visible on their right arms, just above their elbow.

            This was supposed to be a celebration, a coming together to show that the Guild couldn’t beat them down. Now the Whistleblowers themselves are here. Hiding behind the tree, huddled on the ground, hugging my legs, shivering from the damp forest, I can’t say that I feel empowered. This feels like a defeat.

            Granddad and Dahy cover the food with the soil so it will cook under the ground in the heat. Granddad looks at the ground, his work finished, as though he’s buried me alive. Again I want to call out to him that I’m okay, I made it out, but I can’t.

            A phone rings and the female Whistleblower takes it. She steps aside, walks away from the others, so she can talk in private. She moves closer to me in the woods. I tense up again.

            “Judge Crevan, hello. It’s Kate. No, Judge, Celestine isn’t here. We’ve checked everywhere.”

            Silence as she listens and I hear Crevan’s voice from where I stand. Kate walks farther and stops by my tree.

            I press my back to the tree, squeeze my eyes shut, and hold my breath.

            “With all due respect, Judge, this is the Guild’s sixth visit to the property and I believe Mary May was meticulous in her search. We’ve checked everywhere you can imagine. I don’t believe she’s here. I think the grandfather is telling the truth.”

            I can hear the frustration in her voice. They’re all under pressure to find me, pressure placed on them by Judge Crevan. Kate takes a few more steps, right into my eyeline.

            She slowly scans the forest, her eyes searching the distance.

            Then she looks right at me.

About Cecilia:

At twenty-one, Cecelia wrote her first novel PS, I Love You, which was sold to forty-seven countries. The film of the same title, directed by Richard LaGravenese and produced by Wendy Finerman productions, starred Hilary Swank, Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Bates, Gerry Butler, Harry Connick Jr, Gina Gershon and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. PS, I Love You was one of the biggest-selling debut novels of 2004, reaching number 1 in Ireland and in the UK Sunday Times bestseller list. It was also a bestseller throughout Europe and the USA, staying on the best-seller list in Germany for 52 weeks.

That same year, in November 2004, her second book Where Rainbows End (as Rosie Dunne hardback in the US, Love, Rosie paperback in US) also reached no.1 in Ireland and the UK, remaining at the top of the Irish bestsellers list for 12 weeks and again was a bestseller internationally.  Where Rainbows End was adapted for film titled Love, Rosie and will be released in Oct 2014, starring Lily Collins and Sam Claflin.

Her third book If You Could See Me Now was published in November 2005 and also became an international bestseller. It has been optioned by producer Simon Brooks, producer of Love, Rosie.

Cecelia’s fourth novel A Place Called Here (published under the title There’s No Place Like Here in the US) also became an international number one bestseller.

Thanks For The Memories her fifth novel was also a huge bestseller and is now being adapted for a TV Drama Series by Gate Productions.

The Gift was published in October 2008 and became an International bestseller. It is optioned by Oscar winning producer Andreas Bareiss, and it is going into production later this year.

Her seventh novel The Book Of Tomorrow was released in October 2009 and eOne Television are developing it for a TV series in the US.

In March of 2011 her two short stories, Girl in the Mirror were published.

In November by Cecelia’s eighth novel The Time Of My Life was published and also became a bestseller.

Her ninth novel One Hundred Names was published in October 2012 and became a number one bestseller.

Her tenth novel How To Fall In Love was published last November and also became another bestseller.

To date Cecelia has sold over 22 million copies of her books worldwide.

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Review: Maid of the King's Court by Lucy Worsley

Publication Date: March 14th 2017
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: In the vibrant, volatile court of Henry VIII, can even the most willful young woman direct her own fate and follow her heart in a world ruled by powerful men?

Clever, headstrong Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne knows her duty. As the sole heiress to an old but impoverished noble family, Eliza must marry a man of wealth and title — it’s the only fate for a girl of her standing. But when a surprising turn of events lands her in the royal court as a maid of honor to Anne of Cleves, Eliza is drawn into the dizzying, dangerous orbit of Henry the Eighth and struggles to distinguish friend from foe. Is her glamorous flirt of a cousin, Katherine Howard, an ally in this deceptive place, or is she Eliza’s worst enemy? And then there’s Ned Barsby, the king’s handsome page, who is entirely unsuitable for Eliza but impossible to ignore. British historian Lucy Worsley provides a vivid, romantic glimpse of the treachery, tragedy, and thrills of life in the Tudor court. 

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Maid of the King's Court is a very well written book.

It is the story of Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne (fictional character) during the time of King Henry the VIII. While this is a fictional story, many of the events happened in real life and the author, who is a historian, did an amazing job mixing fantasy with history.

As a child who grew up in Europe, I've heard stories about the mad king who could not bear children and beheaded his wives (don't ask me why they tell children this story). What I didn't know, was the story of the wives that he had.

We live in such an empowering world right now for women, it is easy to forget that before women were treated like little dolls, that were only worth something if they were nice to look at. What the author did in this book was show us the intelligent and cunning side to King Henry the VIII's fifth wife Catherine (Katherine in the book) Howard. Katherine found out that the King is incapable of having any more children, and uses a man with the same genetic background as the King in order to fool him into believing the child is his. Unfortunately Katherine is caught before a chid could be born. I really loved that while playing dumb and slutty, Katherine had an intelligent side to her that she would hide, if she was born during a different time period, she could have been very brilliant.

While this book had an amazing plot and lots of historical details that made the story interesting, I found the beginning of the book to be quite boring. It doesn't pick up until about 40% into the book, which is when Eliza finally reaches the castle of King Henry the VIII, but after she arrives the book is absolutely fantastic, and I could not put it down.

Overall, if you love history and aren't afraid of a slow beginning, definitely give this book a try. It is an informational and fast read, I'm sure you will love it.

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 Netgalley

Shattered Pack by Aileen Erin (Alpha Girl #6)
Meredith Molloney never thought she’d find a mate, let alone someone like Donovan Murry—one of the most powerful Alphas alive. Now that she’s no longer cursed and the evil Luciana Alvarez has been taken care of, she thinks life will finally settle down. Boy, has she never been so wrong.

In the middle of the night, Donovan gets a call telling him that his pack has gone to pieces. The news that his second in command has been found brutally murdered has Donovan packing his bags for Ireland, but the last thing Meredith wants to do is leave Texas. She’s heard about how the Celtic Pack are with outsiders. And Donovan has more than a few exes in the pack that will be less than friendly.

Meredith’s never let a few angry wolves stop her, and she’s not about to start now. She’s faced down much worse the past few months. But when she gets there, she finds that it’s not just a few exes who stand in the way between her and her Full Moon Ceremony with Donovan.

Meredith is thrust in to a deadly game of pack politics, one the fey have happily joined in on. When the dust settles, she knows she’ll either have everything that she wants or lose it all.

Won From Goodreads

Bad Girl Gone by Temple Mathews
Sixteen year-old Echo Stone awakens in a cold sweat in a dark room, having no idea where she is or how she got there. But she soon finds out she s in Middle House, an orphanage filled with mysteriously troubled kids.

There s just one problem: she s not an orphan. Her parents are very much alive.

She explains this to everyone, but no one will listen. After befriending a sympathetic (and handsome) boy, Echo is able to escape Middle House and rush home, only to discover it sealed off by crime scene tape and covered in the evidence of a terrible and violent crime. As Echo grapples with this world-shattering information, she spots her parents driving by and rushes to flag them down. Standing in the middle of street, waving her arms to get their attention, her parents car drives right through her.

She was right. Her parents are alive but she s not.

She s a ghost, just like all the other denizens of Middle House. Desperate to somehow get her life back and reconnect with her still-alive boyfriend, Echo embarks on a quest to solve her own murder. As the list of suspects grows, the quest evolves into a journey of self-discovery in which she learns she wasn t quite the girl she thought she was. In a twist of fate, she s presented with one last chance to reclaim her life and must make a decision which will either haunt her or bless her forever.

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

Cover Reveal: Fate of the Stars by Arwen Paris

Fate of the Stars
Arwen Paris
Publication date: September 1st 2017
Genres: Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis: 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.

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:
I'm the YA Author of Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy & Fantasy novels. Fate of the Stars, my debut young adult sci-fi urban fantasy, was the Second Place winner of the 2016 Pages From The Heart Contest.
I'm excited to announce Fate of the Stars will be available on September 1, 2017!
The action packed pages of my novels are filled with characters who are forced to face fears they never expected. I live in Washington state with my amazing husband and five fantastic kids and work full time in sales, writing in all my spare time.

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