Book Blitz: Immerse by Tobie Easton (Excerpt, Giveaway)

Immerse
Tobie Easton
(Mer Chronicles, #3)
Published by: Month9Books
Publication date: March 19th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Immerse is the spellbinding and breathless final installment of the Mer Chronicles series where descendants of the Little Mermaid must face deadly magic, shifting alliances, and the dangers of forbidden love.
Lia can’t wait for her parents’ coronation. Now living in the sparkling palace beneath the waves, she sneaks off to Malibu whenever possible to see Clay. Tucked away in an abandoned seaside mansion, Lia and Clay devise a plan to ensure they can stay together forever.
But when an old enemy resurfaces and Lia is restricted to the palace for the safety of all Merkind, she and Clay are ripped apart once more.
She fears not only for Clay, but for her best friend Caspian, who seems to be swimming down a dangerous path. He has invited the conniving Melusine to the coronation ball, convinced she’s capable of change. And no matter how hard Lia fights it, showing up on Caspian’s arm is just the start of Melusine’s insidious return to her life.
With threats Below growing more ominous by the day and a powerful ancient ritual looming, soon the two girls can’t escape each other. As their fates grow increasingly intertwined, Melusine might be the only one who can help Lia find the answers she desperately needs to save everyone she loves and to achieve her happily ever after. But can Lia trust her?

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Book Review: The Princess of Baker Street by Mia Kerick

The Princess of Baker Street

Author: Mia Kerick
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press (January 22, 2019)
eBook, 180 pages
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Summary
When she was a child, Joey Kinkaid, assigned as a boy at birth—wearing Mom’s purple sundress and an imaginary crown—ruled the Baker Street neighborhood with a flair and imagination that kept the other kids captivated. Day after day, she led them on fantastic after-school adventures, but those innocent childhood days are over, and the magic is gone. The princess is alone.

Even Eric Sinclair, the Prince Eric to Joey’s Princess Ariel, has turned his back on his former friend, watching in silence as Joey is tormented at school. Eric isn’t proud of it, but their enchanted youth is over, and they’ve been thrust into a dog-eat-dog world where those who conform survive and those who don’t… well, they don’t. Eric has enough to deal with at home, where his mother has abandoned him to live in isolation and poverty.

But Eric can’t stay on the sidelines forever. When Joey finally accepts her female gender and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies readily take the opportunity she hands them, driving Joey to attempt suicide and leaving Eric at a crossroads—one that will influence both their lives in not just the present, but the future.

Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?

Rating: 4 stars

Review
This book was really difficult to get into because it's told from the POV of Eric, an 8th grader who isn't the "sharpest tool in the shed," as his mom tells him. As such, it reads the way an 8th grader might speak, so the grammar is not great which at times made this book paaaaaainfullllll. Maybe if I was still in 8th grade (and not 33 years old...) I'd have found it less painful. I'm really glad I stuck with it though, because this book has several great messages and a really great story, and I found myself rooting for both Eric and Joey so hard. 

The Princess of Baker Street should be required reading for middle schoolers. I want to sit every middle school kid down and have them read this and Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl, and then cry and hope that someday kids will be able to go through their preteens and early teens and not tear each other apart for being different. (Hey, I bet you can guess whether I was bullied really badly in middle school...) I love the message of hope in the second half of this book, and that everything isn't magically fixed but that it does get better for everyone, and that as these kids grow up they're able to become stronger and more sure in themselves and their identities, and to band together and stick up for each other and be their real and true selves.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.

Book Blitz: Right Girl, Wrong Timing by Natalie Decker (Excerpt, Giveaway)

Right Girl, Wrong Timing
Natalie Decker
(Offsides, #3)
Published by: Swoon Romance
Publication date: March 12th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Adaline Frost’s life officially sucks. Now that her BFF has found her true love, Addy is constantly stuck being the third wheel. On top of that, she hasn’t started her junior project yet, so her advisor pairs her up with what could only be described as the “Reject Breakfast Club.” Instead of the weirdo and the troublemaker, Addy is forced to work with two stoners, a popular girl, and her crush, Austin Reed, the jock who broke her heart.
Austin Reed is sick of being labeled “dumb jock.” If he doesn’t get an A on this project, he can kiss his future goodbye. Austin thought he’d gotten lucky being partners with the very nerdy Adaline Frost, but boy was he wrong. Addy jumps down his throat about his being late and calls him names like “manwhore” on the daily. She has no idea Austin works before and after school in order to help his mom with the bills. Yeah, he’s made mistakes and has had lots of girlfriends, but he doesn’t need Adaline Frost to remind him of it every time he sees her.
Can Austin and Addy ever be a thing?
Right Girl Wrong Timing is book 3 in the Offsides series by Natalie Decker.

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Blog Tour: The Dysasters by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (Review, Giveaway)

 The Dysasters

Authors: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Series: The Dysasters, book 1
Publisher: Wednesday Books (February 26, 2019)
Hardcover, 320 pages

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Summary
P.C. and Kristin Cast, the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of the House of Night phenomenon, return to the scene with The Dysasters—the first action-packed novel in a new paranormal fantasy series.

Adoptive daughter of a gifted scientist, Foster Stewart doesn’t live a “normal” life, (not that she’d want to). But controlling cloud formations and seeing airwaves aren’t things most eighteen year olds can do.

Small town star quarterback and quintessential dreamy boy next door, Tate “Nighthawk” Taylor has never thought much about his extra abilities. Sure, his night vision comes in handy during games, but who wouldn’t want that extra edge?

From the moment Foster and Tate collide, their worlds spiral and a deadly tornado forces them to work together, fully awakening their not-so-natural ability - the power to control air.

As they each deal with the tragic loss of loved ones, they’re caught by another devastating blow – they are the first in a group of teens genetically manipulated before birth to bond with the elements, and worse… they’re being hunted.

Now, Foster and Tate must fight to control their abilities as they learn of their past, how they came to be, who’s following them, and what tomorrow will bring… more DYSASTERS?

Book Blitz: The Princess of Baker Street by Mia Kerick (Excerpt, Giveaway)

The Princess of Baker Street
Mia Kerick
Published by: Harmony Ink Press
Publication date: January 22nd 2019
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult

“Always wear your imaginary crown” is Joey Kinkaid’s motto. For years, Joey, assigned male at birth, led the Baker Street kids in daring and imaginative fantasy adventures, but now that they’re teenagers, being a princess is no longer quite so cool. Especially for a child who is seen by the world as a boy.
Eric Sinclair has always been Joey’s best friend and admirer—Prince Eric to Joey’s Princess Ariel—but middle school puts major distance between them. As Eric’s own life takes a dangerous turn for the worse, he stands by and watches as Joey—who persists in dressing and acting too much like a Disney princess for anybody’s comfort—gets bullied. Eric doesn’t like turning his back on Joey, but he’s learned that the secret to teenage survival, especially with and absent mother, is to fly under the radar.
But when Joey finally accepts who she is and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies make her life such a misery that she decides to end it all. Eric, in turn, must decide who he really is and what side he wants to stand on… though no matter what he chooses, the consequences with be profound for both teens, and they’ll face them for years to come.
Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?

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Review: The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork

The Enchanted Sonata

Author: Heather Dixon Wallwork
Publisher: The Wallworkshop (October 23, 2018)
Paperback, 365 pages
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Summary
Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: to marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!) and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker. 

Whisked away to his world—an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince—Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells…and the future she thought she wanted.

The Enchanted Sonata, a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.

Book Review: What If It's Us by

What If It's Us

Author: Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Publisher: Harper Teen (October 9, 2018)
Hardcover, 437 pages
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Summary
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

Book Review: The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas

The Supervillain and Me

Author: Danielle Banas
Publisher: Swoon Reads (July 10, 2018)
Hardcover, 320 pages
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Summary
Never trust a guy in spandex.

In Abby Hamilton’s world, superheroes do more than just stop crime and save cats stuck in trees—they also drink milk straight from the carton and hog the television remote. Abby’s older brother moonlights as the famous Red Comet, but without powers of her own, following in his footsteps has never crossed her mind.

That is, until the city’s newest vigilante comes bursting into her life.

After saving Abby from an attempted mugging, Morriston’s fledgling supervillain Iron Phantom convinces her that he’s not as evil as everyone says, and that their city is under a vicious new threat. As Abby follows him deeper into their city’s darkest secrets, she comes to learn that heroes can’t always be trusted, and sometimes it’s the good guys who wear black. 

Book Review: Sugar Spells by Lola Dodge

Sugar Spells

Author: Lola Dodge
Series: The Spellwork Syndicate, book 2
Publisher: InkMonster, LLC (October 30, 2018)
Kindle, 270 pages
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Summary
After her run-in with a jealous warlock, apprentice baker Anise Wise can’t wait to get back the kitchen where she belongs. But thanks to her brush with death, the land of the living isn’t all cupcakes and marshmallows.

Anise’s magical mojo is way out of whack and her evolving powers are stirring up trouble. As the town buzzes with news that Anise can bake deathly spells, unsavory characters start lining up for a taste. They’ll stop at nothing for the chance to use Anise and her witchcraft to further their own plots.

She plans to hole up researching magic recipes until the attention dies down, but then she discovers the horrifying terms of her bodyguard’s contract. Wynn has saved her life so many times, she can’t leave him trapped. But doing the right thing will mean risking death or worse—being cast out of her dream job.

For this witch, justice might not be as sweet as advertised.

Blog Tour: A Prom to Remember by Sandy Hall (Review)

A Prom to Remember

Author: Sandy Hall
Publisher: Fiewel & Friends
Published: April 24, 2018
Kindle, 320 pages
Rating: 5 Stars
★★★★★
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Summary

Seven seniors, seven problems, one senior prom.

Cora: Head of the Prom Committee (and basically every other club in school). Has been dating Perfect Boyfriend Jamie™ for approximately forever, and has NO IDEA how to break up with him....

Paisley: Sarcastic feminist who wants nothing to do with prom. Has somehow managed to nominate her anxiety-ridden best friend for prom king...

Henry: Quiet ballplayer who hates social situations. Invited to prom by the most popular girl in school. SEND HELP!

Otis: Charming, popular, and one half of one of the cutest couples in his class. Doesn't know how to tell his boyfriend that he's not quite ready for a post-prom hotel room experience...

Lizzie: A little bit shy, and a lot excited to finally get out of her comfort zone and go to prom. With a boy. Whose name she doesn't know.

Cameron: Loner with two jobs and zero friends. Is so done with high school and this whole town: the only thing he still wants to do is meet the mysterious girl who's been leaving him notes...

Jacinta: Unnamed Nerd Girl #3. Determined to become the star of her own life, starting with prom. Now if only she could find a date....

A Prom to Remember, the newest book from Sandy Hall (author of A Little Something Different) is a funny and cinematic look at the biggest dance of every high schooler's life.

Review

This book is so cute. There are about a million main characters, and they're all so different and so great in a wide variety of ways. I am torn if I love Paisley and Henry or Lizzie and Cameron most. Jacinta is also great. Oh, and so is Cora. And also Otis and Luke. And Madison, LOL. …Dangit.

This is told from the point of view of a bunch of different seniors in high school starting when they get back from spring break at the end of April all the way up to their prom night on June 1. (Thankfully NOT in the first person POV, or I'd have gone bonkers trying to follow it…) Normally I'd be a little put off by how MANY "main" characters there are, but they're all such individuals and so interesting. Jacinta feels like a side character in her own life, Paisley and Henry clearly have some social/mental issues (Man, is Paisley fantastic), Cora has been with her boyfriend basically since 7th grade and is just realizing she needs space to discover who she is, Cameron is adjusting to life after closing himself off after his mom remarried, Otis is feeling his way through what it means to be gay in high school with his boyfriend Luke (and what Luke getting a hotel on prom night means for their relationship), Lizzie is a plus-sized worker at a food court restaurant that only sells baked potatoes and has a "double-blind" relationship with someone that she communicates with using only a shared classroom laptop. Who am I forgetting? :D

This book is so light-hearted and fun, like fizzy champagne bubbles and that gooey cheese on bowling alley pizza. That is how this book is. (Yes, I'm aware the description makes little to no sense. Just go with it.) The ending left me smiling a big, dorky grin and wishing I could relive my own prom experience (which involved driving a bunch of friends in my parents' big ugly blue conversion van, and making up dances we called things like "The Giraffe Dance" and "The Llama Dance"). Read this book for a light-hearted, fun, low-angst, quasi-drama-filled read that will leave you feeling all gooey and bubbly. <3

About the Author: Sarah Hall

I’m a teen librarian from New Jersey where I was born and raised. I have a BA in Communication and a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. When I’m not writing, or teen librarian-ing, I enjoy reading, slot machines, marathoning TV shows, and long scrolls through Tumblr. A LITTLE SOMETHING DIFFERENT is my first novel.

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Book Review: Parasite (Parasitology #1) by Mira Grant

Parasite

Author: Mira Grant
Series: Parasitology, Book 1
Publisher: Orbit
Published: Reprint edition (October 7, 2014)
Paperback,, 544 pages
Rating: 5 Stars
★★★★★
Goodreads  Amazon

Summary: A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

Review: I loved this book. I bought a used hardbound copy from a library book sale for 50 cents, and then it sat on my TBR shelf for the longest time because it just looked so HUGE. At 512 pages, this was actually a really fast read. I don't read much horror, but when I do it tends to be zombie fic, and I'm really interested in epidemiology. Now this book doesn't really have to do with epidemiology, but it seems like it does? I can't explain it.

Of course I saw the ending (at least as it relates to Sal) coming from miles away. Still, there were several plot twists and surprises I did not see coming at all, and the book kept me riveted throughout. I really like the dynamic between Sal and Nathan, and appreciated that this sci-fi/horror story also had an element of romance. Hooray! It's also interesting to think about the dynamic between Sal and her parents, with them treating her like a child because she only has a child's "life span," but she also has a fully developed adult brain, so she's a "child" but at the same time not. Intriguing to me and my just-enough-to-be-dangerous knowledge of psychology.

I don't know anything at all about biology, parasites, or medicine, so I can't say if the jargon around the Intestinal Bodyguard is possible or not from a purely scientific viewpoint. As a reader, Mira Grant made me believe that it was believable, which is all I ask. For someone with a more advanced medical background, there might be more of a suspension of disbelief involved when reading this book. There's enough medical stuff put in there in such a way that I believed it and it gave the book a very sci-fi feel, but not so much that I felt lost or disconnected from the story. I think that's a very fine line to traverse, and Grant does it amazingly well. Also for being horror, this book isn't TOO horrific, which I appreciate because I'm a total weenie when it comes to gore and the super scary stuff.

Long story short, after reading this as a chaser to Mira Grant's Into the Drowning Deep (which I LOVED), I'm pretty much convinced Mira Grant can do no wrong. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, Symbiont.

Book Review: Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown

Rating: 5 Stars

Published January 28th 2014 by Del Rey (Random House)
Summary: "I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
(from Goodreads)

Review: I hesitate to tag this book YA because it doesn't have the same feel to me as most of the other YA dystopian fiction that seems to be hyped a lot lately. Even though the main character, Darrow, is 16 at the start of the novel, I don't know that he was ever really allowed to be a child. This book is a little but The Hunger Games meets capture the flag. I love the world building and the color-coded caste system, and how the different colors have basically been bred as well as genetically modified to excel at the jobs their color does. Reds like Darrow are basically slaves that work the mines of Mars, Pinks are for pleasure, Golds are the ruling class...

The character development for Darrow is just... mind-blowing. He has an emotional journey dealing with the loss of his wife, then his family and basically his life, then a whole new life with new friendships, deaths, loves, betrayals... On top of that there is his physical transformation, and having to reconcile his past with his present and figure out his own identity. On top of all this depth there is also a lot of action, political intrigue, and crazy awesome world-building. I can't even with this book.

I listened to the audiobook of Red Rising narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds. The narration totally made this book. Reynolds' Scottish burr for the Reds of Mars was great, and his singing the Reaper Comes song was positively chilling. He managed to do distinctive voices for the various characters without doing that annoying squeaky fakey voice for the female characters, which I always appreciate from a male narrator. If I continue this series, it will definitely be with the audiobooks as narrated by Mr. Reynolds. Definitely a 5 star rating on the performance!

This is the first book in a series that looks like it's currently slated to have 6 books so far. Book 5, Dark Age has an expected publication date of Sept 18, 2018, and the 6th book is as yet untitled with a respected release of sometime in 2019. I'm not seeing anything that says if the 6th book will be the final in the series or if there will be more. Just so you're forewarned of what you might be getting yourself into! I think this first book can really be read as a stand alone, as the major and immediate plotlines are resolved, with lots of deeper plotlines and foreshadowing for the future left unresolved. It does not end of a cliff-hanger, and while I will probably eventually read the other books in the series, I'm not like "AHHH, what happens next?!" Red Rising has a very defined beginning/middle/end that leaves me satisfied with reading just this one book. Long story short, you don't have to be sucked into a series if you just want to enjoy a single stand-alone book, but the series is there if you want more of the world and the story.

Book Review: By a Charm and a Curse by Jaime Questell

Rating: 5 Stars

Expected publication: February 6th 2018 by Entangled: Teen
Summary: Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.

Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for.

Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss.
(from Goodreads)

Review: I just watched The Greatest Showman in theatres and was so amazed that I was desperate for more circus/carnival action. By A Charm and a Curse is everything I was hoping Caraval would be and was disappointed in (sorry, Stephanie Garber!!)

The world building is great. I love the way the charm and the curse are intertwined, and there's just enough magic present in the form of Emma's transformations because of the curse to make things extra filled with oohs and aahs - just like the real circus!! Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic is this circus/carnival hybrid, with carnival rides and games, deep fried candy bars and cotton candy, and then tents with shows of acrobats and girls in sequined costumes doing tricks on the back of running horses that run periodically. It's like no circus I've ever been to, but reminds me a lot of the MN Renaissance Festival, especially with the concept of paying admission to get in, and then going to shows that start every hour or two on the hour and tipping, as well as buying food or paying to play games. I love me a good circus (especially the aerialists, they're my favorite part!) so I was excited to read this book (though a little gun shy after the very not-carnivalness that was Caraval).

By A Charm and a Curse is told in the first person present tense, with chapters switching off between Emma (a townie attending the carnival who was tricked into taking on the curse that keeps the carnival going and now is stuck with it) and Benjamin (a carpenter at the carnival who works behind the scenes with his mom, who is the master carpenter). I really liked that you get to see inside the heads of both of the leads, rather than just getting the entire story from a single point of view, as is usually the case in first person present tense novels. It's also nice to read a YA novel that's NOT the first in a trilogy or series, so I'm not asked to commit myself to more than just this book, at this time. Emma and Benjamin are both interesting characters, and there are a lot of interesting supporting characters as well. Usually when I finish a book I've got no idea what the names of the other characters were, but I could even describe what they look like, what their personalities are like, and what they do with the circus for Duncan and Pia, Gin and Whiskey, Marcel, Sidney, Lars… I loved all of these characters, and they (and this book!) made me want to run away and join the circus.


*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber

Narrated by Rebecca Soler
 

Rating: 3 Stars

 
Published January 31st 2017 by Flatiron Books
Summary: Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.
(from Goodreads)
 

 
Review: I really loved the narration by Rebecca Soler, so much so that after finishing this book I immediately went to Audible's website to look up what else they have that she has narrated that I might be interested. I think that's about the highest compliment you can pay a narrator! I especially loved the way she did Julian's voice, his accent and the way he calls Scarlett "Crimson" made me just melt. I think a large part of my love for Julian was due to Rebecca Soler's narrative prowess.

Sadly, I was not as enamored of the book itself as I was of its narration. Part of my problem is probably that I went into reading this book with very high hopes. I adore the idea of a magical circus where the audience participates in the show and anything can happen. There were elements of world building that I really loved, and some of the language was very beautiful. Example: a description of the sky as being "made of melting lemons and burning peaches". It did venture into some serious purple prose territory a few times, but for the most part the ornate and somewhat overblown descriptions were enjoyable, and matched the overall feel of the book. There was definitely a very Alice's Adventures in Wonderland sort of feel, with hatters and roses and whimsy aplenty. The plot got kind of convoluted at times, and there were several twists that, rather than being titillating, left me sitting here like "wait… what?"
 

 

I also hated Scarlett. It's hard to love a book when the main character annoys the crap out of you! Scarlett's main personality points are (1) she loves her sister, (2) she's annoyingly cautious/fearful while also being stubbornly bullish about her fear being the right way, (3) she apparently experiences emotions in colors, and (4) did I mention she really loves her sister? Like, who ARE you, Scarlett? Why do I care about you? I appreciate that you love your little sister and want to protect her from your completely horrible father, but you need some more facets of your personality than this unrelenting, single-minded focus on your sister. Also, it was really annoying the way she kept jumping to conclusions about things (for a such a cautious person she sure doesn't have a great process of reasoning things out…) and thinking everyone mysterious or good looking or wearing a top hat MUST be Legend.

Julian I liked a good sight better. He's full of secrets and mysteries and half-revealed truths, and I felt like I got to know him better despite all of his plot twists and reveals, than ever I did Scarlett (who is the main character and the main focus of the story!) I love the little glimpses you get into Julian's inner struggle. Which made me like Scarlett even less, because she keeps throwing up these road blocks of fear and indecision, basically shooting herself in the foot over and over again, but next to Julian Scarlett's struggle and growth just made her look stupid.
 
Some of the side characters were cute, I liked the descriptions of the fantastical things in Caraval. However, I found myself putting the audiobook on 1.3X speed so the book would just be over already, mostly because I was so sick of listening to Scarlett screw things up, worry, be indecisive, and describe things as being the color of various emotions. My dislike for Scarlett and her whining was so strong that I almost DNF'd this at about the 25% mark, but Julian kept me going. The ending was a big wah-wah for me, and there's an epilogue that is supposed to entice you and tease you for the next book. Ehhhh, I probably won't read that.

Apparently Fox 2000 has already purchased the rights to turn this into a movie, and I can see Tim Burton doing it. I'll probably see the movie, but I don't really have any interest in reading the next book in the series.
 

 

Book Review: Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King #1) by Tricia Levenseller

Book Review: Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King #1) by Tricia Levenseller

Narrated by Marisa Calin

Rating: 5 Stars

Published February 28th 2017 by Feiwel & Friends
Summary: There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.
(from Goodreads)

Review: I love this book. Let me repeat, because I feel it so hard: I love this book.
Can I just start by saying: OMG, this cover.
Alosa is so bad ass. Her reminders of "Pirate" any time Riden questioned her unladylike behavior cracked me up. She's basically Captain Jack Sparrow only a tiny redheaded fury, and not drunk all the time. She's a brazen, smart-mouthed spitfire who is almost too good at her job. She has to keep pretending to be trying to escape so her captors don't get suspicious of her. I love how many steps ahead she thinks, and how many false trails she lays.
Without revealing spoilers, about all I can say is I loved Alosa fighting with herself, with her dual natures, her instincts.

I fell in love with Riden more than a little as well. He's just so honorable and un-piratelike. I like how confused he is about his feelings for Alosa, and is torn about his past, her past, his relationship with his family, her relationship with her family… He overthinks everything, and is way too much of a neat freak. He's so self-sacrificing and good, I want to shake him and go "How are you a pirate?!" OK, Will Turner. Go back to your room and clean it. I love you. *smooch*

Some of the side characters were pretty great as well, especially Alosa's superstitious guard (Enwyn? I listened on audiobook, so forgive if I'm getting it wrong!) There are a couple of plot twists in there that are very intriguing (though I did see the "big reveal" coming wayyyyyy in advance, but… well, that can you do?)

I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator is amazing! Marisa Calin does an excellent job narrating Alosa, daughter of the Pirate King. She conveys Alosa's sassy, witty, fierce personality with excellence, and does a great job of voicing the other (male) characters as well, giving each their own voice. I especially loved this part:

“I’m going to show you something more magical than the stars.”
Oh yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. I can’t do this. I can’t stand to hear him talk anymore.

You know the narration was good when you pop onto Audible to see what other books they've narrated and immediately buy any of them that look emotionally interesting.

You also know the book was good when you immediately go buy the sequel. (Or attempt to, at least. Audible doesn't have Daughter of the Siren Queen available for pre-order yet, and if it's not narrated by Maria Calin again I'm going to start a riot.)

Book Review: Deadly Sweet (The Spellwork Syndicate #1) by Lola Dodge

Rating: 5 Stars

Expected publication: January 16th 2018 by Ink Monster, LLC
Summary: Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spell books in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch in the suburbs, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Unfortunately, witches have a bad rep, and Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with each rejection letter.

Then her great aunt Agatha pops out of the woodwork with a sweet offer. If she signs on as Agatha’s apprentice, Anise can have all the training and ingredients she’s ever imagined, and she’ll inherit the family bakery.

The catch? Studying with Agatha means moving to Sedona—a dangerous otherworldly power center where her aunt is a key player in the magical community’s shady dealings. And the last apprentice? Assassinated.

Now Anise is next on the hit list. If she can’t find and stop whoever wants her dead, she’ll be more toasted than a crème brulee.

Who knew baking cakes could be so life or death?
(from Goodreads)

Review: I have a really hard time rating anything that makes me immediately go looking for the next book (and yelling "NOOOOO!" like I just found out Darth Vader is my dad when I find out it doesn't come out for almost a year) as anything less than 5 stars. So BAM! 5 stars!

I really enjoyed Deadly Sweet. There is an element of romance but I have a hard time calling it a YA Romance. There's an element of fantasy (witches and magic and familiars) but I have a hard time calling it YA Fantasy. Actually, the main character (Anise Wise) is early college age, so I have a hard time calling it YA (but I don't think it's NA because that seems to be YA with sex scenes...) The only thing I don't have a hard time calling this book is AWESOME.

The Goodreads blurb on this book is horrible. Anise is a witch with a talent for baking enchantments in a world where witches exist but aren't terribly common or accepted. I kept thinking of witches kind of like cosplayers while reading this book. If you see someone in full cosplay randomly in public (in your school, working at the bakery at your local grocery store) they're super out of place and they definitely get the side eye. But there are places (ok, conventions mostly, but humor me) where there are LOTS of cosplayers gathered together, and then it's just par for the course. Non-cosplayers still tend to gawk a bit, take photos and things, but there is a community of like-minded people there and you're way less likely to have some jerkwad come up and start harassing you for the way you're dressed.

Except cosplayers are witches and can do magic, which may or may not be scary to people, especially when Anise feels cornered and threatened and burns down her county fair.

Basically Anise and her mom move a lot, while Anise pretends to be "normal" and tries to hide that she's a witch, and when people do find out they move to another town, and Anise starts over at the bottom of the totem pole decorating cakes at the local Grocery-Mart bakery. Oh, and gets repeatedly rejected from community college baking programs because they don't accept witches.

The blurb says Anise loves baking and potion making, but what she actually loves is baking enchantments into her pastries. (There aren't really any potions involved... but there is magic infused vanilla!) It's cute how she adds a pinch of anise to her bakes as her sort of signature. Anyway, after she accidentally burns down the county fair, Anise's great aunt Agatha finally answers an email Anise wrote her a year ago begging for an apprenticeship in her magical bakeshop (creatively called "Agatha's Bakeshop"). Little does Anise know, Agatha's Bakeshop in Taos is located on what is known as a vortex, a super magically charged area around which whole communities of witches spring up.

Suddenly Anise goes from having to hide what she is and fly under the radar as much as possible, to living in a community full of other witches. She starts making some of her first ever real friends, meets people who have known her family for generations, and learns there are all sorts of things about the witchy world she had no clue about. Including the mystery of what happened to Agatha's last apprentice, Hayley. (Seriously, they need to rewrite this blurb. She moved to Taos, not Sedona; Agatha is part of the Spellwork Syndicate, 13 matriarchs who keep the town safe and are not shady at all; Agatha's last apprentice is missing, not assassinated...)

I enjoyed the world building in this series, and appreciate how witches have particular areas of magic in which they excel, like Anise is good with kitchen witchery, Blair's family runs towards necromancy, Paula has a healing/cleansing magic that is apparently very herbal based, etc. I love Agatha's familiar, Fondant, and need to know more about her. I love Anise's Shield, Wynn, and need to know so many things about him, like where is he from? what does his contract involve? why does he sleep so much? The budding friendship between Anise and the daughters of her mom's old friends is great. OH! I need to know all the things about Anise's mom's past! What happened there? I'm really hoping these answers will be in the next book.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK?!?! I need it NOW!!

This book does NOT end on a cliff hanger, and could be read as a stand alone, but it definitely left me wanting more and I can’t wait to see what develops for Anise in the second book, Sugar Spells.

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Book Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Guide #1) by Mackenzi Lee

Rating: 3 Stars

Published June 27th 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books
Summary: Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores


Review: Let me first lead by saying I read a LOT of historical romance set in the Georgian/Regency era. Let me then follow that with - holy anachronisms, Batman!! (The most painful: "Hey there, my foxy lady.")

This is definitely YA/NA by the tone. unread plenty of adult Regency romance featuring 18 year old leads and the immaturity of Henry "Monty" Montague is much more like an 18 year old in this day and age than one in the 1700s.

I wanted to slap Monty several times, and he's very much one of those people who manage to take two steps forward then one step back. He's got a major case of the poor-pitiful-me's as a titled, white non-cis man in the 1700s. Meanwhile his best friend is half-black and an orphan being raised by his English aunt and uncle in a society that is very unwelcoming to people of color, and his sister is a scientifically minded woman interested in medicine in an age when women aren't allowed an education and are technically owned by their fathers and then their husbands. So yeah, Monty, things are tough all over. But then I also hurt for him and wanted to see him have a happy ending.

Though I had to throw this book to the side several times and read something ELSE for a while, it did grow on me (rather like a fungus). And darling Monty did manage to have some personal growth so I suppose I felt slightly less like slapping him by the end of the book. I look forward to learning more about Felicity and her adventures in the next book - now there is a strong woman!!