Happy Halloween everyone! What a month it has been and here we are at the end of it. That means there are 2 more months of 2019 left…WOW.
Tonight we are going to dress and go trick-or-treating. My daughter will be Princess Aurora, I’ll be a fairy but not one of the Sleeping Beauty ones haha, my son is going to be an Angler Fish and my hubby doesn’t have a costume. After trick-or-treating we will pass out candy and then call it a night. I hope all of you have an amazing night.
I read a bunch of arcs, borrowed books and owned books. But there are the books I posted reviews for in the month of October:
I read a bunch of dark stories which was cool but I didn’t get through some of my library books, which is a bummer. So many books left unread lol…oh well, so many books, so little time! I hope I have some time in November to catch up. I did read a bunch of NetGalley eARCS but they will be posted nearer to their publication date. Here’s a list of those arcs:
And that’s been my October! How was yours?
Also yesterday, I got a notification I finally hit 200 followers! I absolutely appreciate all of you for following my little blog. If you have instagram I’m doing a few birthday giveaways on there that end on 11/03, so definitely try and enter them!
Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Holiday Romance, Small Town Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Lila Sloan wonders why she ever thought house-sitting for her sister Meg on the remote Summer Island was a good idea. And to make matters worse, local real estate developer Beck Grainger is trying to cut down the beautiful trees that line the property. Lila can’t let this happen; Meg will never forgive her.
Beck can understand Lila’s anger—sort of. The trees are actually on the neighboring property, and the land was zoned for development months ago, so his plans were no secret. But he dislikes being at odds with his friend’s sister, especially because Lila is appealing in every way: loyal, quick-witted and completely stunning.
Lila hates that she’s so attracted to Beck, who seems like a genuinely good man, despite his tree-murdering tendencies. And their chemistry is off the charts. She just wishes he’d let this development go. As Summer Island counts down to a snowy Christmas, Lila and Beck will have to strike a compromise that seems impossible for them both—or risk losing the best thing either of them has ever had.
Thank you to HGN Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
I didn’t read the first book in this Summer Island series but I think The Giving Heart can stand pretty good on it’s own.
Lila is inn-setting for her sister Meg on Summer Island, a place in Northern Michigan where not even vehicles are allowed there. But Lila has an ulterior motive for being there also, to escape something that happened to her in Chicago. Beck Grainger is an estate developer who is about to raze down trees on Meg’s property and Lila is not having it. What starts off as an escape for Lila has turned into a mission to protect Meg’s estate…and then some. 😉
I was all for this romance between Lila and Beck but what I didn’t anticipate is the storyline of Beck’s past interest in another Summer Island resident, Suzanne. Like I said, I didn’t read book one so if that’s where he flirted with Suzanne then I can understand it. But coming in fresh into this book, I really didn’t like Beck’s feelings for two women.
Outside of that though, Lila and Beck’s story is a fun and spicy Christmas romance with a lot of angst too, mostly because Lila is not a resident of Summer Island, so there is that to figure out between them. I love their interactions, bickering and banter. But the story isn’t only about them falling for each other. Lila is going through some tough times with what happened in Chicago and Beck has issues to deal with his past estranged relationship with his dad.
It’s one of those books that would make a great Hallmark Channel Christmas movie! It’s sweet, heartfelt, it has its hot moments and the characters have personal issues to work through as well. The setting of Summer Island sounds like a wintry, wonderland dream! Not that I would want to be stuck on an island with bad winter conditions but it makes for a great romantic setting. And the cast of characters adds to the setting as well, the people are nice and friendly, especially to nonresidents like Lila.
Like any Christmas romance novel it ends with a very happily ever after. And will Suzanne get her HEA in the next book? I hope so, because I felt awful for her!
This is definitely the kind of novel to enjoy right after spooky season is done or if you like to read holiday romance novels year round as well, more power to you! The Giving Heart will definitely give you the holiday feels. 🎄
USA Today bestselling author Toni Blake’s love of writing began when she won an essay contest in the fifth grade. Since then, she has written over twenty contemporary romance novels. Her books have received the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers’ Best Award, her work has been excerpted in Cosmopolitan, and she has been nominated for a RITA Award. Toni lives with her husband in Northern Kentucky.
Hi everyone! We are at the end of October and for this month I only got one book box because I have a few coming for November. And my birthday is next week so it makes sense to treat myself during my birthday month right? HAHA…right!
This is the LitJoy Crate for October so let’s see what we got!
Here is everything that was in the box, so let’s break it down:
The book this month is Angel Mage by Garth Nix and I haven’t read anything from this author before. The card with the character photos illustrated by Stephanie Brown and it has a note from the author on the back which I always like to read. The book is signed and actually has a reverse dust jacket with a beautiful illustration by Lorena Lammer (just forgot to photograph it, sorry!). Every book from LitJoy Crate comes with a book sleeve and this time it’s pink, which is cute.
One of my favorite things in this book is these collectors trading cards and look at these villains! I LOVE Ursula and Maleficent, the past Halloween’s I’ve dressed up as one of them. 😂😍 The art on these are AMAZING.
Here’s a super cute Shadowhunter Rune bracelet. Very cute but probably going to give it away.
A Daughter of Smoke and Bone collector pin! Super duper cute! You know I’m not big into pins, what do you do with them? Wear them or just collect them? Trade them? I’ve been accumulating a lot from the different box crates I’ve purchased.
Another pair of fingerless gloves! These are so cute but I don’t need gloves in Hawaii, it’s too hot, so these will probably be given away.
And my least favorite thing in the box was this notepad. But I’m sure it’s the most useful thing in this box so…🤷🏻♀️.
Overall I can say it’s not my favorite box of LitJoy Crate I’ve gotten. I will be skipping their November box because they have the same book as OwlCrate coming out and I’m opting for the OwlCrate box this time around.
Stay tuned for more unboxing in November – I think I have 3 or 4 boxes coming in!
This is a weekly meme that was started by Lauren’s Page Turners so check out her blog for more bookish content!
All you have to do is choose a title on your Goodreads Want To Read category and say why you want to read it.
Book Blurb:
She never felt like she belonged…until magic pulled her into a world beyond her wildest imagination.
Sixteen-year-old Aurora wishes she were anyone else. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she believes things can’t get any worse. But when she’s kidnapped and dragged through an ancient tapestry into the magical world of Avalonia, she soon discovers that some dreams can easily turn into nightmares.
Hunted by the evil tyrant Queen Morgana, who will stop at nothing to get rid of the last surviving heir to the powerful Firedrake dynasty, Aurora struggles to fit into her new life as a mage at the prestigious Academy of Evolon. Threatened by treachery at every turn and desperate to prove herself worthy, she uncovers a dark, complicated web of political intrigue that threatens the very existence of the seven kingdoms of Avalonia.
Aided by the powerful Duke of Silverthorne, a fae friend, and a handsome but mysterious outlaw called the Black Wolf, Aurora struggles to master her magic and get her rare powers under control before it’s too late.
If she fails, her new home and her family will be enslaved forever…
The Last of the Firedrakes is the first novel in The Avalonia Chronicles series of enchanting YA fantasies. If you like resilient heroines, plentiful magic, immortal fae warriors, and sizzling romance you’ll love Farah Oomerbhoy’s enthralling story.
Why Do I Want To Read This?
Cover love haha – I picked this out of the list today because the cover called to me.
Love stories that have Fae in them.
Had this on my TBR since 2015! I think it’s a complete full series now which is much more appealing because now I can read it straight through.
Has anyone read this series? Is it any good?
That’s all I got today, and this post is so late! I had a crazy busy weekend and I don’t have my posts scheduled for this week. 😫 I haven’t gotten much reading done either but that’s okay, hopefully I’ll have more time after Halloween. Thanks for reading!
Categories: Urban Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Dark Fairy Tales
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.
I think I tried reading this when it first published but I wasn’t in the mood and put it off until…now. But honestly, I don’t think I would have picked it up again if I wasn’t approved for the sequel on NetGalley. 😅
I finished this in two days which is surprising so I guess it really caught my attention this time around. Alice and her mom Ella is basically living on the run, but from what? Curses? Bad luck? It’s not clear but there is an undercurrent in this story, a mystery about a book called Tales from the Hinterland that Alice’s grandmother, Althea Proserpine, wrote. Alice and Ella are settled in New York City but the bad luck that seem to stop following them has found them again and Ella goes missing. The only clues Alice has are linked to the book. But what is Hinterland? She thought it was just a book of fairytales, that it was just a story. Alice and her friend Finch, go on a quest to find The Hazel Wood, her grandmother’s estate, so she can figure out what has happened to her mom, Ella. Instead they find out some stories are very real.
Alice’s voice is very unique. Is she likable? Most people wouldn’t like her I think but she’s a fascinating character, very mysterious, blunt, full of this unexplained anger. But she loves her mom Ella very much. Her gypsy upbringing (not by choice but survival) has shaped her greatly. When we find out more about her then it totally makes sense why she is the way she is.
There were words in this book that I had to google! I was intrigued by the writing, it’s very lyrical – if you don’t lyrical writing you will not like this book.
I liked the scary fairy tales that are told throughout the book. They remind me of the fairy tales we grew up. When you think of Snow White, as a child it was supposed to be cute because the singing dwarfs singing hi-ho, it’s Disney! But it’s actually a scary tale of the Queen wanting to kill Snow White and she poisons her. Like…that is not cute! The Tales of The Hinterland is straight out frightening, nothing cute about them at all.
I like the world of the Hinterland but it is mostly revealed in the later half of this book. When regular people cross into the Hinterlands they are called refugees. So the Hinterlands was almost like another country but in an alternate universe! I liked meeting Janet who explains a lot about this world. Thank you Janet!
A lot of things in this book made me go hmmm! Like I mentioned I liked the writing BUT I was also thinking wow, does Alice really think like this? It didn’t feel realistic that a teen would use these words, words from like an SAT test vocabulary list, to narrate her story but then again, her grandmother was a writer. Alice seemed very well read and a lover of literature. Of course we find out more about Alice, and when we do…it makes sense that she’s “different”. Because she IS.
There is a part in this book, 60% in where I felt like my brain BENDED, it was a total mind-bend and as someone who has vertigo when my sinuses get clogged/affecting my ears and such….when I read the part when Alice gets into The Hazel Wood, I got dizzy. Literally. A lot of the first part of the story is a mystery about The Hinterland and The Hazel Wood and when it is revealed, it was a bit too much for my head because the way it’s written. It almost feels all over the place and I couldn’t pin things down and that was disorienting until the story stabilized again. It was like Alice in Wonderland when she gets to Wonderland…🤔. I felt like I was Alice. It was jarring.
Alice gets kidnapped in the beginning, and she literally says she went into a car with this strange guy but he wasn’t a perv…he told her stories, etc…and I’m like say what? 😳 We also find out it’s not the first time she was kidnapped! What is with the kidnapping in this story? I guess it’s reminiscent again of the fairy tales we grew up with like Rapunzel. And there is a purpose to her being kidnapped but just reading it in the beginning I was a bit wary of where the story was going.
When I finished this I needed a moment to digest what I just read. Overall, I liked it because of it being so dark, weird, and fascinating. I liked some of the fairy tales that were told in the story, it is very Brother’s Grimm fairytales instead of the cutesy Disney ones.
If you like stories like Alice in Wonderland, then you will like The Hazel Wood. I’m about to read the sequel and we’ll see how that goes. I think it might follow more of Finch’s adventures because there is more to discover in the Hinterlands. Overall a fascinating, mind bending story that probably wouldn’t appeal to everyone.
Hi everyone! Since Halloween is a few days away I thought this tag was perfect to add to my blog. I found it at Kristin Kraves Books, check out her beautiful blog and give her a follow!
What are your favorite Halloween movies?
I admit I haven’t binged on Halloween movies since my son turned like three because he’s scared of all things Halloween…except he did sit through The Nightmare Before Christmas. Now my daughter loves Jack Skellington, Sally and Zero as well but she hasn’t seen the movie yet. So it’s a favorite in our house.
But this Halloween, I have a craving to watch Beetlejuice! I need to find a moment when my kids aren’t around me haha.
And of course Practical Magic because sisterhood and witches! 😍
And oh yes the cheesy, I can’t help myself for loving it – Teen Witch! LOL
I grew up with many male older cousins, I was the youngest of the bunch and for years as a child I was stuck watching Poltergeist, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc…😭. Weird though, of all those movies from my childhood, Poltergeist probably freaked me out the most but I have a strange love for it, maybe because it’s nostalgic? But for sure I can’t watch that movie around my kids. 🤣
What is your favorite Halloween book?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a favorite Halloween book. 🤔 But the book I read this month that gave me lots of witchy, Halloween vibes has to be:
What other Halloween books would you recommend?
For another witchy read I’d recommend, The Wicked Deep:
Do you own any Halloween ugly sweaters?
I didn’t realized they existed haha, and it’s not sweater weather in Hawaii at all. It’s 85 degrees! So I don’t.
What are some of your favorite Halloween costumes?
I’m always a villain! I was Maleficent, The Evil Queen and Ursula the last three years! But I love seeing when people have creative costumes.
What are you doing for Halloween this year?
We will be trick or treating first, my kids can’t last long and sometimes my son opts to stay with my hubby at the house and pass out candy. After trick or treating we pass out candy. We have a lot of trick or treaters!
What is your favorite childhood Halloween memory?
I don’t have a favorite memory. Trick or treating around the neighborhood was so much fun as a kid. Back in the 80’s, I didn’t dress up for Halloween, at most maybe my mom bought me a mask at the store. My parents didn’t trick or treat as kids, they lived in farm country and they didn’t spend money on candy. So as a kid, I don’t think they understood the whole going all out in a costume haha, they gave me a plastic bag, a mask and we went around the neighborhood. I loved it! Every year was awesome, and I love going trick or treating with my kids it reminds me of being a kid again! 😍
I hope all of you who celebrate have a Happy Halloween!
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!
It’s the LAST Friday of October! Can you believe that? I can’t and we have a jam packed weekend and last week of October. It is Scorpio season which means my birthday is in less than two weeks. 😲 For my birthday I just want a sick-free ending of 2019 haha.
Let’s get to the lines:
“Understand what I do to my enemies. You’re one of them now.”
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I’m having a hard time finishing up my library hauls on time lately! And I don’t know why I keep borrowing more books.
We’ll see if I even have time to get to this one. It’s the sequel to Rule and here is the book blurb:
Sisters Akeylah, Ren, and Zofi are all a step closer to their dying father’s throne, a step closer to the crown that will allow one of them to rule over Kolonya. But the sisters’ pasts continue to haunt them. Each hides a secret marked with blood and betrayal, and now their blackmailer is holding nothing back. When King Andros discovers the sisters’ traitorous pasts, the consequences will shake the entire kingdom to its core.
As Kolonya’s greatest threat stalks closer and closer, weaving a web of fear and deceit around Ren, Zofi, and Akeylah, even the people they love are under suspicion. If the sisters are going to survive, they’ll have to learn to trust each other above all else and work together, not only to save themselves, but to protect everyone and everything they hold dear.
Thank the blogger/s who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
Select up to 10 to 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
Comment (or pingback) on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.
Thank you so much to Emer at A Little Haze Book Blog for nominating for this blogger award. She has been such an awesome support of my blog and I appreciate it so much. Check out her awesome blog and give her a follow, she has fun book tags and fabulous book reviews!
How Past Midnight came to be:
Honestly? I wanted to read arcs on NetGalley because money is tight when you have two kids! 🤣 When I was single with no kids, I bought books without a care. Having kids…well, my kids can’t eat books, right?
I found out about NetGalley and I wanted in! I used to blog, years ago…even got paid writing wedding planning articles for blogs so I thought I’ve done this before…mind you I’ve been out of it a few years though. I’ve been a lover of books since I was eleven…I’ve been reading for thirty years so I would consider myself experienced. Then one day in March 2019 I said I’m going to do it. And here I am. I called it Past Midnight because I start reading as I put my daughter to bed at night and when a book is good I read “past midnight”. 🤷🏻♀️ It’s been so much fun, I love having access to arcs, I’m back at buying books too because I have a bigger space to house them. I’ve made such awesome friends in the blog world and on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. It’s been more than I could have imagined and I love it. 😍
Two Pieces of Advice to New Bloggers:
I think the obvious and best advice would be to be YOURSELF on your blog. Because seriously…that’s the best advice to give! But here are two more pieces of advice that helped me build this blog:
#1 – A thing that helped me a lot with posting everyday even if I didn’t have a book to review is doing book tags, blogger awards (if you are nominated), and weekly memes that bloggers host. There is so much out there! I have two young children that want my attention constantly, even if one is in school, the other is still home with me and we run errands and do activities some days so at times I have no time to read or even post. So PRE-SCHEDULE some book tag posts, or weekly memes for your blog. Currently some weekly prompts/memes I’ve tried are:
All of these are fun, easy and adds some different content to your blog other than book reviews. Especially when you don’t have a book review lined up – these have been a lifesaver for me!
#2 – I’m never satisfied with the way my blog looks, I’m always changing something after a few months. But I found an easy way to add some graphics and that’s by using Canva. It’s how I make blog banners or just add some simple graphics to my page and it’s free! I’m all about free. I paid for one graphic I think and it was only $1. So it doesn’t break the bank at all.
And that’s that! As always you are not obligated to do this post, only if you want to 😘 – here is who I’m nominating:
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
His world. His rules. Her love.
Though his methods may be rough, when it comes to protecting what’s his, Russian vor Sergei Petrovyh’s heart is always in the right place. That’s never been more true than when the gorgeous Evette Labadie asks him for a job. He knows enough to keep his hands off someone as beloved by the locals as Evie, but there’s something about her that calls to him—no matter how badly he burns to make her his.
Don’t think Evie hasn’t noticed the powerful Russian mafia boss who makes her favorite diner a regular stop. How can she not? He’s as hot as his reputation is dangerous. But everyone in her struggling New Orleans neighborhood knows he’s the man to turn to. And right now she needs money to get her son out of trouble.
Her other needs—needs she knows damn well Sergei can more than satisfy—will have to wait.
Evie soon finds herself playing Cinderella to a man who, despite what people believe, is definitely more prince than villain. She can’t help falling deeper in love with each passing day. But when a turf war between Sergei and a rival brings violence to her doorstep, Evie must come to grips with loving a man who will do anything to defend her…or walk away from her best chance at a happily-ever-after of her very own.
Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read an eARC of this book.
Russian mob? A damsel in distress? New Orleans? This story is a contemporary adult fiction with a Cinderella vibe but much much MUCH more scintillating than the original story.
Evette Labadie is a sweet single mother with some challenges securing a job. She needs one right away to get funds to send her son to a private school. Sergei Petrovyh has a reputation in New Orleans as a mob boss kind of figure, with lots of connections. To hear Sergei say it, it’s a lifestyle, it’s bratva or a brotherhood. He has power, connections, money and will do whatever is necessary to protect his own and he has an eye on Evette. Evette asks Sergei to help her, and he does…and then some!
While the story is somewhat predictable: powerful man rescues woman in need, I don’t think it takes away from the story at all. It’s one of those stories that’s addicting if mobster romance is your thing. Their relationship does happen really quick with not a lot of resistance on her part. Evette does have some spunk in her, but deep down she is a sweetheart and gives in to her attraction to Sergei. As for Sergei…he is 🔥🔥🔥 in the bedroom and so soft and protective towards Evette outside of it. I mean, he does get his way at times because he is a powerful, alpha kind of man. But I like how he’s cautious and easy with her son Emerson as well.
Outside of their love story is a situation close to Evette that threatens Sergei and Evette’s lives. But hey…Sergei’s a powerful man. He takes care of it. 👀🕶
Overall this is an enjoyable, hot read, with sweetness, a little danger, lots of sexy moments, and a happily ever after!
A native Oklahoman, Rhenna Morgan is a certified romance junkie. Whether it’s
contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy you’re after, Rhenna’s stories pack romantic escape
full of new, exciting worlds, and strong, intuitive men who fight to keep the women they
want. For advance release news and exclusive content, sign up for her newsletter at http://RhennaMorgan.com. You’ll also find all of her social links there, along with her
smoking hot inspiration boards.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
What are you currently reading?
I am 60% done with this and hopefully will finish soon. I am approved to read the sequel on NetGalley so I definitely needed to bump this TBR up my list. It’s intriguing and definitely not what I was expecting but I think in a good way so far.
What have you finished reading?
This releases in January 2020 so my review will post nearer to the publication date. But I was surprised by this book – I enjoyed it! Here is the book blurb:
Veronica sees ghosts. More specifically, her mother’s ghost. The afterimages of blinding migraines caused by the brain tumor that keeps her on the fringes and consumes her whole life haunt her, even as she wonders if it’s something more…
Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but his adrenaline addiction draws him to Veronica.
A girl with nothing to live for and a boy with everything to lose–can they conquer their demons together?
What are you going to read next?
Another NetGalley arc that I’m going to finish up next so I can take it off my list. And it sounds perfect as a October read, though it’s official release date is in December. Here’s the book blurb:
We stand in a tight cluster, high above the lake. One-by-one, we made our way up the narrow trail from the edge of campus. Now, we wait shoulder to shoulder behind the police tape. Nineteen summer students.
All but one.
When Nora gets accepted into her dream summer program at the prestigious Winthrop Academy, she jumps at the chance to put her coding skills to use. But then a fellow student goes missing—and the tech trail for the crime leads back to Nora. With no one else to trust, Nora must race to uncover the truth and clear her name…or she might be the next to disappear.
Thanks for reading! What are you reading right now? Leave me a comment below. 😘
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 