Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 7/11/23

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

Love isn’t blind, it’s just little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

Goodreads | Amazon


Bellegarde reimagines the 90s romcom classic She’s All That in 18th-century Paris, France.

The lush pastel world building of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette meets the modern twist of Bridgerton in this YA historical romcom debut.

Beau Bellegarde, a second-born son, makes a deal: if he can turn Evie Clément, the unapproachable baker’s daughter, into the winner of the Court Ball, making her the most desired bachelorette in Paris, he inherits the family fortune, but his target has plans of her own.

Goodreads | Amazon


From the author of The Sound of Stars and The Kindred comes a YA space opera about a reincarnated god and a grumpy pilot on a mission to save a beloved space DJ and stop an intergalactic war.
 
Zaira Citlali is supposed to die. After all, she’s the god Indigo reborn. Indigo, whose song created the universe and unified people across galaxies to banish Ozvios, the god of destruction. Although Zaira has never been able to harness Indigo’s powers, the Ilori Emperor wants to sacrifice her in Ozvios’s honor. Unless she escapes and finds Wesley, the boy prophesized to help her defeat Ozvios and the Ilori, once and for all.
 
Wesley Daniels didn’t ask for this. He just wants to work as a smuggler so he can save enough money to explore the stars. Once he completes his biggest job yet—bringing wanted celebrity Rubin Rima to a strange planet called Earth—he’ll be set for life. But when his path crosses with Zaira, he soon finds himself in the middle of an intergalactic war with more responsibility than he bargained for.
 
Together, Zaira, Wesley, and Rubin must find their way to Earth and unlock Zaira’s powers if they’re going to have any hope of saving the universe from total destruction.
 
Don’t miss these reads from Alechia Dow:
The Sound of Stars
The Kindred

Goodreads | Amazon


Iris Collins is the messy one in her family. The “chaos bunny.” Her sisters are all wildly successful, while she can’t balance her budget for a single month. It’s no wonder she’s in debt to her roommates. When she unexpectedly inherits a house from her great aunt, her plan to turn it into a B&B fails—as most of her plans do. She winds up renting rooms like a Victorian spinster, collecting other lost souls…and not all of them are “human.”

Eli Reese grew up as the nerdy outcast in school, but he got rich designing apps. Now he’s successful by any standards. But he’s never had the same luck in finding a real community or people who understand him. Over the years, he’s never forgotten his first crush, so when he spots her at a café, he takes it as a sign. Except then he gets sucked into the Iris-verse and somehow ends up renting one of her B&B rooms. As the days pass, Eli grows enchanted by the misfit boarders staying in the house…and even more so by Iris. Could Eli have finally found a person and a place to call “home”?

Goodreads | Amazon


An ambitious wedding planner must work with her grumpy florist ex, whose heart she broke, on the most high-profile wedding of her career, in this spicy and emotional romance from popular fanfic author Julie Soto.

He loves me; he loves me not…

Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As a small business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almost perfect…

Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father left him the flower shop, he considered it a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did. 

When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there’s a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot’s hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.

Goodreads | Amazon


Cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone–a steamy second chance Christmas in July rom-com.

After Angel and Luca connected on the set of Duke the Halls and had a whirlwind romance in the literal snow globe of Christmas Notch, Vermont, Luca found himself falling in love. Hard. He’d never been one to believe in fate or true love, but one thing was certain: Angel was his person. He knew it as well as he knew the history of American figure skating. But when Angel left for an art school semester abroad without a word, Luca’s already brittle heart was broken. No one ghosted Luca. Unless he was in a haunted house.

But with the spring semester long over, Angel is back home in Los Angeles for the summer, and unfortunately for Luca, this big town is turning out to be smaller than either of them ever expected.

Goodreads | Amazon


The sun is dying…and it’s happening way too damn fast.

With the clock ticking, the Nine Planets’ only hope of survival rests on a fancy space station and the alien artifact it’s carrying. Which is why it really sucks when some jackass doesn’t want the universe saved and blows that station up-while you’re still on it.

So if your only choices are flaming death or stealing a flying hunk of space junk-you pick that busted-ass spaceship. Even if it leaves seven strangers with deadly secrets trapped together: a princess, a prisoner, a con artist, a warrior, a priestess, a mercenary, and an asshole in charge of us all.

Now every faction in the galaxy is hunting this ship-from the Sisterhood to the Corporation, and the rebellion’s joining in on the fun, too. We just need to stop drinking, fighting, and screwing long enough to evade them all and save the freaking universe…somehow.

Because apparently the only thing standing between a dying sun and ultimate salvation is seven unlikely misfits…ahem, heroes.

Goodreads | Amazon

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Book Covers In the Colors of the Ocean | TTT | 7/11/23

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is: freebie

Book Covers In the Colors of the Ocean

Since it’s summer time, here’s a beachy theme!

What’s on your TTT?

Goodreads Monday: Bonesmith

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: Bonesmith (#1)

Author: Nicki Pau Preto

Pages: 464

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 7/25/23

Synopsis:

Gideon the Ninth meets the Game of Thrones White Walkers in this dark young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Ready your blade. Defeat the undead.

In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior—is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.

Determined to reclaim her family’s respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers—a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place…and the House of Bone’s sworn enemy.

As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there’s more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they’ll need to work together to combat the real a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 7/9/23

Aloha friends!

Well it was kind of a chill. My kids had a dental appointment (no cavities! Yay, I’m so surprised lol, especially with how my daughter loves treats) and I had my breast ultrasound and was hoping for a biopsy BUT, the doctor wasn’t 100% sure she caught the nodule on the screen and would rather me do the MRI biopsy. So I’m doing that tomorrow. 😕 I’m just hoping it’s a quick procedure and not too uncomfortable. And hope my results come back with good news.

I’ve been slowly working my way through Painted Devils by. Margaret Owen. I love Vanja and Emeric! Anyway I’ve been noticing I take awhile to finish hardcover books because I can only find time to read at night. Using my ipad to read is much easier to do that, but I have to finish 2 more library books before their due in 2 weeks! I’m almost finished with my August arcs, at least I only have 2!

Hope you all had a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:


Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Most Anticipated Book Releases | July 2023

There are some exciting releases coming up this month! This is what I’m looking forward to:




The titles above are book I haven’t read but I think I also should showcase the arcs I read that are releasing this month and I enjoyed a lot! So here they are:

What is your most anticipated book release this month?

Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by. Ellen O’Clover | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Seven Percent of Ro Devereux

Author: Ellen O’Clover

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/17/23

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Grief

A clever, charming, and poignant debut novel about a girl who must decide whether to pursue her dreams or preserve her relationships, including a budding romance with her ex-best friend, when an app she created goes viral.

Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can.

Working with her neighbor, a retired behavioral scientist, Ro created an app called MASH, designed around the classic game Mansion Apartment Shack House, that can predict a person’s future with 93% accuracy. The app will even match users with their soul mates. Though it was only supposed to be a class project, MASH quickly takes off and gains the attention of tech investors.

Ro’s dream is to work in Silicon Valley, and she’ll do anything to prove to her new backing company—and the world—that the app works. So it’s a huge shock when the app says her soul mate is Miller, her childhood best friend with whom she had a friendship-destroying fight three years ago. Now thrust into a fake dating scenario, Ro and Miller must address the years of pain between them if either of them will have any chance of achieving their dreams.

Fans of Emma Lord and Alex Light will love this stand-alone contemporary novel with a masterful slow-burn romance at its core.

Content Warning: parental abandonment

I saw really good reviews of this book earlier this year when it first came out. I saw it on sale on Book Outlet so I got it and decided to read it by the pool and I was hooked!

I love the childhood best-friends to lovers trope in this one especially because Ro and Miller knew each other so well before something came between them. I love the fake-dating trope that brings them together. I had all the teenage romance feels with this book.

And this isn’t only a romance because Ro is dealing with a few things like her grandmother dying from cancer, her mom who left and never bothered to build a relationship with her, and the biggest thing – making an app that goes viral and trying to capitalize on it. Ro has lots of emotions to deal and tries to bury it all by keeping busy but she eventually realizes she can’t do things alone. Miller is there, her best friend Maven is there, her dad and Vera are there – she is not alone and when she realizes that, she grows.

Speaking of her app, I love how this story explores the role of choice and free will during a person’s life. Ro’s app finds your match but not only in love but also in life overall like your future career and how many kids you will have. But are we supposed to let an app decide our lives? The story reminds us that just because we think we love something or will be one thing or see one path forward, it is never absolute.

This book even made me shed a tear. I wasn’t expecting this book to take me on an emotional ride, but it did.

Favorite quotes from the book:

“I hope you’ll remember that the brain is malleable. That your answers to the survey questions will change, because what you love, and what you want, and who your are will change, too. These unpredictable shifts are supposed to happen. They are the good kind of scary.”

“Usually, when we think no one sees us, we’re still looking at each other…”

“The not knowing is the pain and the joy and the whole damn thing of it. We were never, ever supposed to know.”

Tropes: friends to lovers

Why you should read it:

  • this one tugged at my heart strings
  • Ro and Miller ❤️
  • great coming of age story and questions about our future/paths in life

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

I loved this one and I’m glad I went in without knowing what to expect. It’s kind of got everything I want in a young adult contemporary book: a thoughtful and meaningful coming of age story that has emotion, depth and romance. I’m definitely going to be looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Blogger Hop: Which character do you identify with and why? #bookbloggerhop

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book-related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blogs.

Question: Which character do you identify with and why?

(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Answer:

I’m going to say Zahru from The Sweetest Betrayal because it’s a recent read and she stands out. But what I like about her is how complex she is as a character. She’s not perfect and she has to work through a lot of stuff, she makes mistakes, but she grows.

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag – 2023

We are in July so let’s take a look back at the first half of the year!

BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2023

I love these 2023 releases! Fourth Wing is a very hyped book right now but if you like dragons, you may enjoy this one also. Divine Rivals made me cry and The Sweetest Betrayal was the perfect conclusion to an underrated series.

BEST SEQUEL YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2023

This is a great sequel and brings all the gothic, creepy vibes from House of Sea and Salt, but on another level! I love the story telling.

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET, BUT WANT TO

I’m waiting for a library copy to be available but I hope to read it before the summer ends because it’s Emily Henry and should be read in the summer right?

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

There are a few more…

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

This cover is gorgeous but this was a DNF for me. I kept trying to get into it but I just couldn’t.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

I read this as an arc but it will be coming out this month which is the later half of the year BUT…this surprised me because I thought it was going to be a DNF by chapter 2 and by the end I was shocked at the wild finish of this book. I can’t wait for book 2 but I do wish sometimes Chloe Gong books were easier to get into, don’t get me wrong, I love her books, but there can be a lot of info dumping. Once you get past that it’s usually a wild ride!

FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR (debut or new to you)

I just read this one and loved it!

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

I mean come on…Xaden.

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

Wren in Bonesmith because she’s a fighter and fights the dead..

Zilan from The Scarlet Alchemist because the love she has for her cousins and she can raise the dead.

Channi from Her Radiant Curse because the love she has for her sister.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

This one made me shed a tear or two – Rebecca Ross just knows how to pull on those heart strings.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

Even the covers make me happy because the colors are so bright but yes these definitely left me feeling happy inside.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU’VE BOUGHT SO FAR THIS YEAR (or received)

I’m surprised there hasn’t been as many book covers this year that has wowed me. But I think this one is pretty.

WHAT BOOKS DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR?

I bought the ebook for From the Grave so I can finish that at anytime but want to read it this year if possible and complete the series. Painted Devils I have as a borrowed hardcover so I would like to finish that before the month is through. The Bone Shard Emperor because I’d love to finish the series.

FAVORITE BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION YOU’VE SEEN THIS YEAR

I actually never read the book but I thought the Amazon Prime series was so good! I hope I can read the book this year!


And that’s what I got half-way into 2023! I think it’s funny how I’m already requesting arcs for first half of 2024 on NetGalley – like wait….the holidays aren’t here yet. 😅 It’s kind of exciting and nerve wracking thinking 2024 is just around the corner! Anyway, how was your first half of 2024?

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt, #2)

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 7/25/23

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Mystery, Romance, Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .

Content Warning: violence, death, gruesome experiments

We are back with Thaumas sisters but mostly one in particular, Verity. I will note that only Verity and Camille are present in this story though the other girls are mentioned. But that’s totally okay because this is Verity’s story and what a story it is.

Verity goes to Bloem under the pretense of doing the future duke’s portrait. But she has longed to leave Highmoor for awhile now and live her own life and this is her chance. But Camille tells Verity something about her that is shocking. Bloem is way different than Salaan and Highmoor but it is as gothic a setting as Highmoor but filled with more…flowers.

Without giving any spoilers let’s just say the first part of this story builds slowly like a mystery but the new characters like Alex, Gerard and Dauphine are intriguing. Something is going on at Bloem, and I kept trying to guess what was happening and I will tell you when all was revealed I was in shock. The hits kept coming and I was wondering to what end?! And what an ending it was. I loved the mystery, the gothic vibes of Chauntilalei, the ghosts, the romance (which didn’t really start off with sparks – it’s a slow burn), the creepy experiments and the reason behind it all!

Tropes: girl can see ghosts

Why you should read it:

  • great storytelling and building up to that ending
  • gothic vibes, creepy, ghosts, romance, Gods

Why you might not want to read it:

  • not into Gothic mysteries

My Thoughts:

I was so excited to get a copy of this arc and I can say I was not disappointed. I didn’t know which way the story was going and when I thought it did – it changed on me and in an unsuspecting way. I enjoyed Verity and the gothic estate of Chauntilalei where there are secret passage ways, long, dark hallways and someone or something lurking in the corners. I am eager to read book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

All That’s Left to Say by. Emery | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: All That’s Left to Say

Author: Emery Lord

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 7/18/23

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Categories: Young Adult, Grief, Drug Addiction, Romance, Mystery, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A poignant and powerful story of a grieving girl willing to risk everything, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson.

On prom night, Hannah MacLaren sits in the headmaster’s office in her fanciest dress, soaked to the bone. She is in huge trouble after pulling the fire alarm right as the prom was about to be crowned. But Hannah had her reasons . . .

One year ago, her cousin Sophie, who was also her best friend and the person she loved most in the world, died of an overdose. Drowning in grief, Hannah became obsessed with one Who gave Sophie those pills? Who is refusing to give her family the closure they deserve?

Then she concocted a enroll at her cousin’s fancy private school with a new look and a mouthful of lies, and finally uncover the truth.

But Hannah didn’t expect all the lines to blur. She didn’t expect Sophie’s friends to be so complicated. She didn’t expect to fall for her longtime enemy. Now, she must choose to either let herself really mourn Sophie and move on, or see her search through to its explosive end–even if it means destroying herself.

Content Warning: grief, drug use

I read this book in one sitting even though I thought at times it moved slowly. It’s about a girl, Hannah, and her cousin who is like a sister to her, Sophie. Sophie dies tragically in a drug overdose and everyone is blindsided by it. Hannah’s purpose is to get to the bottom of who gave Sophie those pills but along the way she learns more about Sophie’s secrets and needing to let go of her pain and embrace life and love again.

Hannah is grieving along with her family and Sophie’s best friend, Gabi. When Gabi and Hannah team up to investigate who could have given Sophie the pills at the party they have to confront a few truths about Sophie as well. I really appreciated how the author considered all sides of the situation. Sophie’s access to the drugs, Sophie purposefully seeking out drugs, the consequences that is appropriate for the one who gave her the drugs, and some solutions a community can offer for people struggling with drug addiction. Hannah’s own father is a recovering alcoholic and he gives her some insight into addiction – some insights that Hannah had a difficult time comprehending. But I like that there was a discussion in this book about grief, secrets, drug addiction, and resources.

There is even romance in this story and it was so unsuspecting! I didn’t expect Hannah and Christian’s interactions to have so much chemistry and spark. The two of them are rivals. Debate team rivals so the arguments between them are epic and so sweet when they both cave in to the attraction between them. I love how he’s there for her because he’s gone through grief as well.

Now Hannah is a flawed character. She loves to argue, she likes things to go her way and she can be stubborn. I was bummed when she let things get so bad between her and her best friend Lincoln but I understand she was going through a rough time with Sophie’s death. She does grow as a character though.

Also the story is told in two timelines, past and present with the past just being one year ago. So there were times I had to backtrack because I lost my place on which timeline I was in – but that might be how the ebook arc is formatted.

The story was too slow to be a thriller, even when they figure out who it was that gave Sophie the pills. There wasn’t anything sinister about finding who did it, because as it’s stated, Sophie was at fault also. And the person who did it was having their own struggles. Overall it’s a tragic story, and an important one about how the opioid epidemic affects family, friends and a community.

Tropes: rivals to lovers

Why you should read it:

  • a complex story about grief, love, and drug addiction – it kept me intrigued

Why you might not want to read it:

  • topics about opioid use and grief

My Thoughts:

I’ve read a few Emery Lord books but I think this is her darkest one with heavy themes. But I love how she wrote the story, making the reader question all the aspects of the situation that has taken place. I love that it sheds a light on the opioid epidemic and how shame and judgment is a big part of how someone might not seek treatment. Overall, I thought it was a good read, if a little slow at parts but I still read it in one sitting.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ARC Review | The Map From Here to There ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫