ARC Review | Tiger Queen

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Tiger Queen

Author: Anne Sullivan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: September 10, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult

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

In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger.

But when Kateri’s final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she’d side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world—and her heart—upside down. Her future is now behind two doors—only she’s not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.

Thank you to Blink and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this eArc.

Here we have another story about a Princess, who needs to prove herself in order to be the next ruler of her kingdom. There are so many similar books out there so I started reading Tiger Queen without any expectations and I was pleasantly surprised.

Princess Kateri can kick-butt. Kateri has to be the best fighter because the only way her father will let her rule is she has to defeat royals in the arena. Rodric, the captain of the guard and a ruthless fighter himself, is her trainer and then some. Now the enemy in this story is supposedly the Desert Boys, a group of stealthy urchins who steal water from the wells of Achra. Being a desert kingdom, water is precious, water is life, and when there is not enough to go around, the person who controls water, rules the people.

When Kateri finds out the truth about what is going on in her kingdom, she learns she has to be able to beat the last opponent in the arena or else she will lose her dreams of ruling and helping her people. She starts her training in the desert and only the strong survive there.

Achra is not a place I would like to visit. I am not someone who is seduced by sand, unless it comes with an ocean. 😅 Just knowing the people in this book were so thirsty made me feel parch reading this book. I can definitely understand and feel the desperation these characters have for water. And another reason I wouldn’t enjoy Achra? Oh the snakes, poisonous lizards, blood beetles and scorpions that seem to be everywhere in this landscape. And if avoiding them is a problem, well – guess what is on the menu in Achra? Yup, snakes, lizards, scorpions…😂. I thought it was actually really funny how most books usually make me hungry with their description of food but nope, not this book!

There is a lot of action in this book and the fighting and training scenes were really exciting. This book moves at a fast pace which was nice. The story is predictable but not in a bad way, I still found it enjoyable even though I knew what was going to happen. I also loved that there was no magic in this book, the characters had to rely on just skills and learning the ways of the desert. I love magic, but sometimes it’s just cool to see people fighting with their wits.

The stakes are high in Tiger Queen because who can live without water? No one. I enjoyed this story a lot and I think if you like desert landscapes in books, then you will really like it too.

Get it here: Amazon

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ARC Review | The Weaver

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Weaver

Author: Heather Kindt

Format: eBook (The Parliament House)

Pages: 246

Publication Date: August 20, 2019

Categories: Paranormal, Young Adult, Romance

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

Most writers choose the endings to their stories . . . most writers are not Weavers.

Laney Holden is a freshman at Madison College whose life goes from normal to paranormal in a matter of seconds. When the antagonist in the book she’s writing shoves her down the stairs at the subway station, she learns she is a Weaver. Weavers bridge the narrow gap between fantasy and reality, bringing their words to life.

Laney soon meets William whom she also suspects is a character from her book—one she’s had a mad crush on since her pen hit the paper. But he’s in danger as her antagonist reveals a whole different ending planned for Laney’s book that involves killing William. Laney must use her writing to save the people closest to her by weaving the most difficult words she will ever write.
THE WEAVER is the first installment of The Weaver trilogy. It is an NA paranormal romance set in a small town on the north shore of Boston. It will leave you wanting more.

Thank you to The Parliament House for giving me an opportunity to read and review The Weaver.

First off, the cover is so gorgeous. I wanted to read this book because of the cover alone. But once I started The Weaver, I could not stop. Its premise is very creative.

It starts off with what seems like a romance story between Laney and her childhood best friend, Jason. He’s a good-looking jock that all the girls want to date but he already has a girlfriend. Laney is more of an introvert and loves to write. They couldn’t be more different but they’ve known each other for so long, naturally there are some feelings between them. Laney has been working on one story in particular and the story is set in the 1700’s, in colonial America.

But one day the villain from her book appears in the her world and Laney doesn’t know what to think. Then another character shows up and Laney thinks she’s losing it. How can her characters come to life? She finds out she is a Weaver, someone who has the power to create stories and make characters come to life. When the villain starts making threats towards her and the people she cares about, she starts to take things much more seriously.

I love the creativity of this story. The author did a really good job at explaining how the powers of a weaver work and the magic that is involved with it. There were many times I wanted to yell at Laney to just do the obvious and write something to destroy the villain but I can see how doing it was a dilemma for her. She is the creator of her precious story and the consequences of what could happen if she did change the story was new territory for her. Oh the irony of me wanting to change elements in the story to help the characters out! Don’t we all do that while reading books though?

The book blurb says this is NA (New Adult) but I think it read more like a young adult novel. I expect New Adult stories to have more physical and steamy sexual situations but this book was pretty clean. The romance that blossoms between Laney and her hero is very sweet. They are all in college but to me it felt like they were still in high school. Also, the new friends she makes who are Weavers are high school students, so it just felt like a book for a younger audience.

Overall, The Weaver is a story that weaves elements of romance, history and fantasy to give us a book that is creative and engaging. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review | Bloodleaf

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bloodleaf

Author: Crystal Smith

Format: Hard cover (borrowed)

Pages: 373

Categories: Witchcraft, Magic, Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Political Intrigue

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

Confession: I had other books in my TBR pile, but saw this at the library and the cover is so pretty I read this book instead of the others. I am a sucker for a pretty cover! 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is another young adult fantasy book with a princess, set to wed a prince and then plans change. Sounds familiar? Sure does since it’s a popular trope right now in YA fantasy books. But there are a few different things in this story that kept me intrigued and reading.

Aurelia is a princess of Renalt. Renalt is a witch-burning, scared-of-magic kind of kingdom. Her mother is the Queen but the Tribunal wants to take over the country. So Aurelia and her brother, Prince Conrad flee to the neighboring kingdom, Archlev, with Toris, a man who is part of the Tribunal but claims loyalty to the crown. Archlev, is the home of her betrothed, Prince Valentin and their marriage is supposed to unite their countries but plans change.

Away from home in a new place and no connections, Aurelia has help from a young man named Zan. Zan helps her learn what he knows about being a blood mage because he needs to keep the walls of Archlev from collapsing and letting invaders in (basically Renalt invaders). Only a blood mage can keep the wall up and he sees that Aurelia is a blood mage. They eventually find out that there is someone in secret, with lots of power, who is attempting to destroy the wall, but who?

This story is filled with lore about how the kingdoms of Archlev and Renalt came to be and that’s what made me continue reading it. I liked the spell casting and the story of Aren, Archlev and Cael, a brother/sister triumvirate who’s actions long ago created the situation the people of these kingdoms find themselves in today. I liked learning about how bloodleaf came to be and the power of it. I loved how Aurelia could see ghost or spirits. Also the romance storyline was obvious from the beginning, but I kind of liked it because they didn’t hit it off right away. Also there is action, especially in the latter part of this book.

Now let’s talk about Miss Princess Aurelia. If there was one thing halting my enjoyment of this book in the first few chapters…it’s her! As a character, she’s headstrong, impulsive, and judgmental. She was so naive and I couldn’t connect to her right away. Some of her decisions were questionable, I wanted to shake some sense into her! But at least by the end of the book, she’s learned a few things about what love and sacrifice means. Unfortunately she had to learn these things through the hard way, with the loss of people she cares about. But I know Aurelia was just someone who was just lost herself and alone because she grew up thinking no one wanted her in Renalt. The thing I did like about her was that she could see spirits and know their back story, some of them were just so sad. 😢

I didn’t realize this was a Goose Girl retelling and honestly, I don’t remember the Goose Girl story. 🤦🏻‍♀️ The story of the bloodleaf, Aren and her brothers, the story of sacrifice and the spirits’ backstories really got me through this book when Princess Aurelia was making me roll my eyes. 😂

Overall, for me, it was a pretty good debut and I’m curious to see where the story goes in the next installment.

Get it here: Amazon

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ARC Review | The World On Either Side

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The World On Either Side

Author: Diane Terrana

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication: September 10, 2019

Categories: Grief, Self-Harm, Young Adult, World Issues, Contemporary

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

After the death of her boyfriend, sixteen-year old Valentine stops going to school, quits seeing her friends, and, finally, won’t leave her bed. Desperate for her daughter to recover, Valentine’s mother takes her on a trek in Thailand. In the mountains north of Chiang Mai, Valentine finds a world she didn’t know existed, where houses are on stilts and elephants still roam wild. She learns about the Burmese civil war and the relentless violence against the Karen and Rohingya peoples.

Then she meets Lin, a mysterious young elephant keeper tormented by his hidden past, and an orphaned elephant calf, pursued by violent poachers. Together, the three flee deep into the jungle, looking for refuge and redemption.

Thank you to Orca Book Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this eArc.

I used to be Valentine. I had that hard knot of pain in my heart that is described so well in this book after dealing with grief for a few years. That’s why I love The World On Either Side so much. I didn’t have that pain in my heart as a teenager though, I had it at twenty-nine and it just goes to show how this book could speak to young adults and adults as well.

I went into this book knowing it would deal with grief but I was afraid it would gloss over the issues happening in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) – issues I don’t really know well enough of myself. But this story took Valentine’s grief, and the issues going on in these countries and gave me a book that spoke to my heart. It also gave me an understanding of the disturbing things going in these countries.

Valentine is going through so much after her boyfriend Amir dies. She is depressed and in a tunnel of grief. Her parents are afraid to lose her but she can’t seem to come out of the dark cave she’s in. So her mom decides that they leave Canada and take a trip to Thailand together. And not just to the city of Bangkok, they are signed up to trek through the hills of Northern Thailand to visit the hill tribes. It’s her mom’s desperate attempt to make her leave the room she hasn’t left since Amir has died.

They meet up with a small group of other tourists as they journey through the hills of Thailand, close to the Myanmar border. They ride elephants, sleep in sleeping bags and barely get to bathe. We get a small glimpse of the political strife happening between the indigenous tribes and government of Myanmar. We also get some lessons on Buddhism.

The book also touched on the subject of elephants and poachers. I think that’s when my heart started to really break, the moment the elephants arrive. It explored the bond between mother and child, not only in the human world, but the animal world as well – in particular with elephants who feel strongly about their young and vice versa. Elephants who grieve. Then there is Lin, who’s backstory is unimaginable and scary for anyone who lives a safe life outside of these countries. I hurt for Lin and what he has been through. He is one of the guides for the group and he has a past that comes back to haunt him and Valentine.

By the end of this book, Valentine sees how much forgiveness plays a big part in healing her broken spirit and how some things in life are not so black and white, especially when it comes to Lin and his life choices. My heart was so sore for Valentine, her mom, for the elephants, Lin, the Karen tribe, the Rohingya and everyone caught up in personal grief and turmoil and the violence that the government has brought upon the people.

I love how courage is what gets our characters through this trek. Valentine goes through some difficult situations on this trip but she has to dig down deep to be braver than she’s ever had to be. We see that she does have fight in her still. Lin’s story also shows us what kind of courage it took for him to survive the life he’s led, and the kind of future that will be best for his situation. We even see how all of this affects Valentine’s mom and how she is fighting for her daughter and the toll it takes.

This book is wonderfully written with the lush descriptions of the trek in the mountains of Thailand through a tourists’ point of view and someone like Lin who belongs there and nowhere at the same time. I felt like I was there with the characters. It made me want to learn more about the Karen and Rohingya tribes and hope one day the conflict will stop. This story explored mental health, love, loss and world issues. And though at times there are dark scenes in this book, the story touched my heart so deeply, the heart that was once a painful ball of hurt and at times still is.

I absolutely loved this book and finished it in one day. I definitely will need a copy of it on my shelf when it releases in September and I look forward to reading more books from this author!

Get it here: Amazon

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ARC Review | Vow of Thieves

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, #2)

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: August 6, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Suspense

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

Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor’s Watch will be a kingdom, and the two of them will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.

But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and in their rush to return to Tor’s Watch, just outside the fortress walls, they are violently attacked and torn apart―and each is thrust into their own new hell.

Unsure whether the other is alive or dead, Kazi and Jase must keep their wits among their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies. And all the while, Death watches and waits.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.

This book wrecked me but in a good way! I had anxiety, heart palpitations and I even cried a few times! Was I expecting any of that? NO.

Vow of Thieves continues right after the last chapter and harrowing cliff-hanger from Dance of Thieves. Kazi and Jase return to Tor’s Watch and what greets them is unexpected. From then on, it was non-stop worrying and praying on my part. The world-building is lush as usual and the story is written so well I was wondering if Kazi would get out of this alive. After all she had been through, Kazi needed to make it out alive, she deserved some happiness.

At each turn something thwarted Kazi, but this girl has a brain on her like no other. And her fighting skills are just so good, she’s my hero. I love her heart, her penchant for riddles, her skill for thievery, the survival instincts she’s honed because of her past and her will to not die when it seems like hope is lost, “die tomorrow“. Kazi inspires me.

Jase and Kazi together are a dream team. Their love is deep but not so consuming that they can’t do things without one another. They weren’t even together in a good chunk of the book, but in spirit, they were pushing one another to keep going. It was all the things I love in a romance between two characters. They are strong together as a couple, but strong also even torn apart. I was swooning all over their relationship, their teasing and banter. I love them. Speaking of this duo – the book once again is told in dual POV. The story flows so well between the two characters and builds up tension where it should.

Then there is the supporting cast who is always outstanding. The villain was unpredictable, devious, obsessive, and cunning. Some of my favorite characters reappear in this book, Kazi’s best friends Wren and Synové. These three young ladies make a fierce trio. We also see cameos from characters in Mary E. Pearson other series, The Remnant Chronicles which made me want to reread the series again!

I could go on and on about this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything. It is perfection in my eyes. I’ve read very few duologies, but I notice that it’s becoming the trend and personally I’m starting to love it more than trilogies. It keeps the story-telling tight, whereas a trilogy sometimes is one book too long, with a weak finish. If duologies are written like this Dance of Thieves series, then sign me up for more of them!

I fell in love with Kazi, her friends, Jase and his crazy, loving family. It ended beautifully. I hope this isn’t the last story in the Remnant world. I want more adventures set in this world or any world that Mary E. Pearson creates. Vow of Thieves is the perfect sequel to an epic series.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review | The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

Author: Kelly Harms

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 328

Categories: Romance, Marriage, Family, Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.

Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates. When one man in particular makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life, or return to the life she left behind.

But before she can choose, a crisis forces the two worlds together, and Amy must stare down a future where she could lose both sides of herself, and every dream she’s ever nurtured, in the beat of a heart.

I’m finally getting around to my Kindle Unlimited TBR list, thank goodness. They’ve just been sitting there as I try to finish my hardcover library books.

What drew me to this book was that the main character, Amy Byler, is a high school librarian. My dream job, once upon a time! I worked in a library, just never as a librarian. So Amy is a mom, with two teenage kids and barely married to a man who left her and the family for three years. Now John is back and wants to be a father again to the kids he left. Whew…this book could have be angsty and depressing but it wasn’t!

It is funny. Especially because her best friends Lena and Talia are awesome. And the new friends she makes are great as well. Watching Amy have a momspringa (like a mom spring break) made me cheer her on and I was living vicariously through her. I love how it was kind of Devil Wears Prada/Sex in the City, or should I say Date in the City? Because there isn’t much sex in this book. A few kisses here and there and morning afters but description of sex – nope, none. But Matt, Talia’s assistant is a fun character in this story who gives Amy a New York experience.

Seeing Amy get out of her mom shell when she goes to New York, for a library convention was great. Her college bestie Talia runs a trendy women’s magazine and gives Amy a make-over basically. Amy still wars with her conflicting feelings about still being in a broken marriage where they separated and never fully divorced. She’s met someone cute at the conference and the sparks fly, but what kind of future can they really have? She has kids back home, he has a life in New York. Her romance with Daniel was a nice build-up. I love that they became good friends, understanding of one another’s circumstances before making any big moves.

Amy is someone else in New York, someone she’s missed, someone she’s learning to love again. At home, she’s mom. Responsible, on top of everything, the fixer of problems, takes care of everyone but herself-Mom. Letting go of that and being the woman who could finally take the time to take care of herself was liberating for Amy, for women who followed her momspringa online and for me reading this story because I know I need a momspringa. It’s been overdue for 7 years now! So this book was talking to me.

It is a happy ending, which was lovely. Realistic? I’ve seen many people around me who end marriages and can still be civil with their ex for the sake of their children. Then there are those who can’t stand one another. So yes, I can say it is realistic. It’s the modern family, and as it is reiterated in this book, it takes a village, to raise kids.

As for how much I relate to this book? I relate a lot. I’ve been there where I look in the mirror and I wonder there that 22 year old who cared for her appearance more has gone. I miss her sometimes. In between the sleepless nights with the kids, keeping a house clean, making sure people are fed and happy, running the errands, taking them to the doctor and dental appointments, helping with the homework, etc…it’s easy to get overwhelmed because it IS overwhelming. As moms we are taught to put the lives of our children first. I mean once they are born, they put that baby in your arms and you have to feed it! It’s our job to keep that baby alive, thriving, meeting milestones and most time that baby only wants mommy. And it’s hard to let that mentality go.

This was a fun read for a mom who was needing a mental vacation. My momspringa will come soon enough. 😂 Even my husband agrees I deserve one. 👏🏼

Get it here: Amazon

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First Lines Fridays

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!

Aloha everyone! 🌺 In Hawai’i we like to call Fridays, “Aloha Fridays”, because it’s the last day of the M-F work week, and bye-bye to the work wee. Except, obviously people still work on the weekends. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Whatever. It still gives you a reason to relax a little, right?

I haven’t written many book reviews this week because I’m trying to slow down and take my time reading. It’s been kind of nice – but I do have a few ARCs I really need to get through, finish and review. So hopefully I’ll have time this weekend.

Let’s get to the BOOK though…can you guess where this is from?

“The forest had become a labyrinth of snow and ice.”

🙈

One of my favorite series! This book keeps staring at me, it’s on my shelf above my desk and I’ve been meaning to read it soon. But I have so many others to finish before I can re-read it.

What are your plans this weekend? What are you reading right now? Leave me a comment below – would love to hear from you!

Summer Bucket List Book Tag

I saw this book tag post on a few blogs this week so I wanted to try it. I clicked back to the original creator and fell in love with her blog, Read By Tiffany. It’s so beautiful, #bloggoals for real! This looks fun, let’s see how it goes and you can try it too.

The Rules via Read By Tiffany

Link back to the original creator in your post.
Feel free to use any of my graphics in your post, or create your own!
Tag 5 other people at the end of your post, and let them know you’ve tagged them.

It’s not summertime if you aren’t reading a Sarah Dessen novel. A lot of her books are set by the water, usually a lake. The Rest of the Story takes place at a lake town in the height of the summer season as it approaches the 4th of July. It’s about family, summertime in a lake town, finding yourself and yes – falling in love! Perfect beach, lake or pool reading material. 🏖

This book comes out in December! But I read it as an eArc provided by NetGalley last month and can I just mention that there is a part in the book that is just…🔥🥵😍 and nothing really happens in this scene but pure tension and talking. But I was fanning myself, seriously. It’s a modern re-imagining of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. Hearts, Strings, and other Breakable Things should really be a summer book with all the heat in it but I guess it will be melting hearts in December. 😉

Another eArc provided by NetGalley that I just finished is The Lady Rogue by the wonderful Jenn Bennett. This one you don’t have to wait long for as it is being published on September 3, 2019. This has adventure through Turkey and Romania with our main characters going on a treasure hunt. The dialogue between Theodora and Huck is so much fun and they constantly bicker because they have strong feelings for each other. If you like Vlad (Dracula) legends and stories about roughing it in a foreign country in the 1930’s – then you will love this book.

In a time of Marie Antoinette and the Palace of Versailles…how could I not be starstruck by such excess of that time period? This book was enchanting indeed, from the hot air balloon rides, decadent nights gambling and playing in the gardens at Versailles and falling in love. Enchantée left me starstruck.

I am Frankly in Love with this book. It explored racism, how to bridge two cultures when being American and Korean. It made laugh, it made me sad and it made me cry. It’s funny and yes it has romance as well. A friends to fake lovers to lovers scenario. Though light-hearted at times and heavy as well, I read this book in one day. I read the ARC courtesy of winning it on Bookishfirst.com but it will be out September 10, 2019. It’s one of my favorite books this year!

Somewhere Only We Know is a sweet story that made me hungry! This book is one of my other faves this year. It is a cute romance story about a K-Pop star and an ordinary guy. They spend a whole day together and yes – fall in love while traipsing around Hong Kong. If you want a very fun, light-hearted read, this one is definitely for you!

Spin the Dawn was a breath of fresh air for me. It’s a fantasy novel with magic and a cutthroat fashion competition. The drama! The fashion! There is intrigue, magic, romance, a quest and adventure. If you want a little bit of everything, then add this to your TBR list.

There are so many books I read that fit this criteria but I went back into my archives for books I read this year and chose A Curse So Dark and Lonely. What better obstacle to conquer than trying to help break a curse? And doing it while dealing with Cerebral Palsy? This is a Beauty and The Beast reimagining and it’s really good. It’s book one in the series and I’m excited for book two.

This isn’t my original pick for this category, it would be Somewhere Only We Know or Frankly in Love because of the Asian cuisine that I love featured in it. So this is my third choice, The Gilded Wolves, which is actually a heist story set in industrial Paris. Already you know Paris has a reputation for amazing cuisine but there is a character in this book, Laila, who always has sugar in her hair and is baking amazing desserts. So because of that, this is my choice for a book with delicious food! 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

You don’t get more inspiring than Angie Thomas’ newest book On The Come Up. Bri wants to be a rapper and she’s so good at writing rhymes but she has to overcome some issues at home, school, the industry and the neighborhood to really succeed. Can she do it? Can she rise above it all? This embodied my love of hip-hop, and it explored race and socio-economic issues. By the end I felt as inspired as Bri to reach my goals!

And that’s it!

You know…after doing this tag, I realize I need more contemporary, light-hearted, summery books to read! Everything I seem to read has been dark lately. 😆

I’m not going to tag anyone only because I’ve seen so many bloggers doing this tag already and I don’t want you to be tagged again. If you didn’t do it yet, I’d love to see your list! If you do make one, post your link in the comments below and I will check it out. This is one way I add to my TBR list, I love reading these book tag lists and find books that interest me. Please, recommend me more light-hearted romance novels please! I need them. 😘

Book Review: The Wicked Deep

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Wicked Deep

Author: Shea Ernshaw

Format: Hardcover (owned)

Pages: 310

Categories: Witches, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

“Magic is not always formed from words, from cauldrons brewing spices or black cats strolling down dark alleys. Some curses are manifested from desire and injustice.”
The Wicked Deep by. Shea Ernshaw

I read this book during tonight’s full moon and it was exactly what I needed. All I was missing was a cup of tea with some tea leaves in it. 😉

Let me just say this first about The Wicked Deep. The cover is so gorgeous. The silver lettering catches the light magically ! So at times you see a rainbow of color in the lettering. It’s just beautiful. 😍

I devoured this book. It’s not a long book, only clocking in at 310 pages. I was done in four hours. My mood was right, the moon was full and this was a book about a small town cursed by witches. Now just because this book is about witches that doesn’t mean this book is about them practicing magic. There isn’t much action in it, but it still sucked me in. This story is about the lore and history of the Swan Sisters, what was done to them and how they get their revenge. It’s a tragedy and a love story.

The writing is wonderful, I felt like I was in that town of Sparrow. I could envision the water, the trees, and the lighthouse. It was like I could smell the salt in the air, and the rain on my face. This story at times was eerie and dark, especially with how the Swan Sisters died and the drownings that happen annually during their anniversary. The town is popular for its cursed reputation. People from far away flock to Sparrow to see if the legend is real every June 1st.

Penny Talbot is a resident of Sparrow and she knows she will never leave. Her mom lives like a ghost after the disappearance of her father a few years ago. They live on Lumiere Island, where there is a lighthouse. Penny falls for a newcomer named Bo, and things start to change for her. Though their love is insta-love, I think it’s understandable because of the plot twist. The plot twist was predictable but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.

The ending for me was bittersweet. 😩

I think I really enjoyed this book because it was reminiscent of spooky stories told to me when I was young. For me, it was Hawaii urban legends, Hawaiian myth lore, Japanese scary stories, and Filipino stories about hexes, witchdoctors and curses (thanks mom 😅)! This book gave me that eerie, suspicious feeling that creepy stories tend to make me feel.

But can you imagine living in a town, known for a curse and where every year boys drown in the water? 😣🤭 It’s so creepy that the residents of Sparrow celebrate the anniversary with fanfare. And the Death Bell that tolled when a body was found? I wouldn’t be able to live in a town like that! I’d have anxiety all summer long. 😂

This book wove it’s spell on me and it didn’t let go of me until the very last page. .

Get it here: Amazon

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ARC Review: Frankly in Love

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Frankly in Love

Author: David Yoon

Format: Paperback (owned)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: September 10, 2019

Categories: Romance, Family, Contemporary, Young Adult, Culture, Race

High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo–his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance–“Date Korean”–which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful–and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.

Thank you to Bookishfirst for giving me a chance to win a copy of this Arc.

When I read the first few pages of it on the Bookishfirst website, I knew I needed this book. If I didn’t win it in their raffle giveaway, then I would have eventually bought it. A Korean-American who wants to date a white girl? Here I am, a Filipino-American woman who married a white guy. I could relate.

I got the book the other day and finished it in one day. This book IS the story of my young adult years. Well it’s Frank’s story but wow, did it hit the bullseye. This story is about Frank Li, born in America, raised with Korean immigrant parents, trying to balance being American and being Korean – it is complicated. I am not Korean-American, I am Filipino-American, but it all resonated with me. This book hit me hard it also made me cry.

It could just be a book about a boy with immigrant parents, trying to date outside of his race, but this book is way more than that. It explored racism exhibited by his own parents and discrimination among their own race by their own race. I was like. Yes, yes and YES! And then when the difference between Frank and his white girlfriend, Brit, reveals itself in certain situations especially in the way her parents treat her and the way his parents treat him I thought I was having a flashback of my own life. The openness American families have (at least in Brit’s family) and the way they shared affection struck a chord in me. I struggled with that too – my parents were never affectionate or said I love you. I accepted as an adult that they showed their love through hard work and giving me a roof over my head and food to eat and sent me to college. They worked their bodies to the bone to give my sister and I an easier life in America. It made my heart ache when Frank realizes a few things about his parents and seeing Frank come to understand (good for him as a teen-because it took me awhile) that sacrifice from his parents equaled love. I saw me in him.

As for Frank and fake-dating his friend Joy, it was a pretty good plan but it was bound to hurt some people if the truth was let out. Without giving spoilers, I’ll just say he’s a teenager, confused about love and his role in life, and absolutely allowed to make his mistakes.

The part that made me cry was because of the family aspect of the book. It’s kind of amazing when you learn that your parents once upon a time were young and scared too. Sometimes we forget parents and grandparents were young too. I felt Frank’s desire to do the right thing, please his parents but try to be happy too. It’s a hard thing to achieve so young especially when he sees what happens to his older sister, Hannah, when she dates an African-American boy. And when something serious happens to his dad, it makes him deal with certain things much quicker than he expected. What is he supposed to do?

This book made me realize we all struggle in some capacity with our family, our friends, our love-lives, and trying to find our way through life and figuring our own selves out. Love sometimes doesn’t look like the kind of love you thought it should resemble. We are not perfect, we do not know how to get along with the rest of society or our own family, perfectly – we are not experts on each other’s cultures or way of life but we can be open, we can learn. We make mistakes, but we try to learn and figure things out. We live, we love, we get lost, we find our way, we reach the highs of happiness and we feel the lows of loss and despair. And we keep going, trying to make sense of life and who we really are.

This story reminded me I wasn’t alone in my thoughts and struggle as a child/teen/young adult. I think my heart broke for Frank Li and sixteen year old me. There were so many passages in this book I wanted to underline, but I don’t mark my books! There was a part in this book where Frank Li says one day his own kids will have parents who are open and show affection. My sister and I said that too before we had kids. We said, WE will show our kids so much love, show affection and say I love you…😭 And with our kids now, my parents have learned to say I love you to their grandchildren all the time and shower them with so much hugs and affection. ❤️

I could say so much about this book but this would be a super long post. It’s funny, touching, eye-opening, heart-warming, heart-breaking, and written beautifully. Of course it is, how did I not know until the end that Nicola Yoon (The Sun Is Also a Star) is his wife? She writes beautifully as well! What a duo!

I’m Frankly In Love with this book. I can say this is one of my favorite books this year.

Get it here: Amazon

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