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:
Books Too Good to Review Properly (I have no words!)
So I started my blog only 3 years ago now and a lot of books I read I never reviews. So I went through my Goodreads books – way way book into the list to see which books I gave 5 stars too but never reviewed. Maybe I should re-read them to review them…but I hardly have time to re-read now. Who knows, maybe I will one day! Anyway here are some books I read a long time ago and never wrote a review for.
Okay…I really feel like a re-read is due for these books so I can properly review them on my blog! 😩 Maybe I’ll do that this year, try and re-read books I loved and give them a proper review. But I do wish I had a review after my first read through to compare it to how I feel about it now at my present age haha.
What’s on your TTT?
~ Yolanda
February 1: Books with Names/Character Names In the Titles (Submitted by BookLoversBlog and Lucy @ Bookworm Blogger) February 8: Love Freebie (come up with your own topic having to do with love) February 15: Books Too Good to Review Properly (I have no words!) (Submitted by Dedra @ A Book Wanderer) February 22: Dynamic Duos (Submitted by Elley @ Elley the Book Otter)
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
What she doesn’t know about love could fill a book.
With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie’s more than good. She’s killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—the Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa’s writer’s block and she’ll get the promotion she’s always dreamed of. Simple, right?
But there’s a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway. And that reason will rock Lanie’s world. It will call into question everything she thought she knew. When she finally tosses her ninety-nine expectations to the wind, Lanie may just discover that love By Any Other Name can still be as sweet.
Content Warning: Death of Parent
There is so much I loved about this book and I kind of went into reading this one forgetting about the synopsis.
Lanie is a great character and we see her in her element as an editor at a publishing house. She’s given a chance to be promoted but there are conditions that involve getting her favorite author, Noa Calloway, to submit her next book. But Lanie finds out Noa isn’t who she and all Noa’s fans, thinks she is. It is a case of mistaken identity. Noa is Noah. I found Lanie well-rounded and fleshed out. She’s smart, clumsy, ambitious, has the perfect boyfriend and loves her job. We even get to know some of her family history and we get to know her coworkers, some of which are her best friends.
Speaking of friends and family, I love Meg and Rufus, who are there for Lanie when she hits a rough patch in her love life. And Lanie’s grandmother, BD, is the best! She is so funny.
The romance that builds between Lanie and Noah is a slow-burn that starts off on the wrong foot but I wouldn’t call it enemies to lovers. They get along very well once they start to spend time with one another. I loved how the romanced progressed until the very end, and honestly I never wanted the story to come to an end! The whole thing tied into beautifully with the story Noah was writing and I loved how Lanie and Noah actually corresponded for years before meeting.
Some issues I had with it – Lanie is engaged for a good 30% of the book! And it’s not that I hated her fiance or anything, I actually liked seeing that Lanie had everything yet not even that made her happy. I thought it was important to the story, but I wanted more time with Lanie and Noah together. As I kept reading, I kept checking how far in I was into the book because their time in the book was way too short for me. I didn’t want the story to end even if it was such a good ending. And we only get one kiss, that’s it – it’s a perfect kiss though.
Why you should read it:
an editor and author falling for one another, publishing house drama
Meg, Rufus and BD are so much fun
Lanie and Noah’s romance is so heartfelt and came full circle – I didn’t want it to end
Why you might not want to read it:
book is too short, I wanted more of Lanie and Noah
I didn’t realize it was pegged as an enemies to lovers romance, there is a small hint of it and maybe it could have been dragged out (if the book was longer!)
My Thoughts:
I needed this wonderful story to be longer. I can see this as a movie because it’s set in NYC and Lanie and Noah go around to certain places to get his inspiration revved up for his book. I can already imagine it and it would be magical. This one gave me lots of feels, especially the ending and I never wanted it to end.
What a week. I hate when one thing, like my dog having diarrhea for one night, can throw off my whole week. 😢😫 It kept me up most of Monday and Tuesday night, so I lost sleep. But my daughter is now fully vaxxed and my mom and sister dropped off some donuts for my kids as a Valentine’s day gift, so that was nice! Also, it’s Superbowl Sunday – so I’m gonna watch the game and dance to the halftime show since it’s Dr. Dre , Snoop Dog and others hahaha…talk about a blast from my past. It will make me feel like a teenager again. The first CD I ever bought with my own money was Dr. Dre, The Chronic! 🤣 My dad hated hearing the music I played but whatever…when I listened to hair metal in middle school, he thought I was worshipping the devil. Oh, good times! lol…
I also FINALLY got some motivation to do some crafting. I have really put aside working with resin, but I may move away from it anyway because I don’t have a really safe and good space to work on it, plus supplies are pricey (everything is pricey these days). I’m back to metal stamping because that still sells a little. So I’m trying to add more to my shop.
Playing with a new font – I sell a lot of graduation keychains.
Finished polishing up this metal bookmark
These are some resin bookmarks I made but wasn’t happy with how the resin didn’t harden fully so these bend a little. I busted out my Cricut machine and added vinyl words on top of it but I may still dome the top of it?
I was going for a Valentine’s Day kind of red but it turned out darker than I wanted lol…I didn’t add the tassels yet because I may be doming the top of them with resin. I’m undecided yet! Anyway, that’s what I did this week as far as crafting goes.
How was your week? Hope all of you are staying safe!
I have been so interested in all these reading book challenges that bloggers are posting. I’ve never done a challenge but maybe I’ll try one out. These are some posts of bloggers and the challenges they will be doing. 🙂
NFL Football – Super Bowl is today – may the best team win!
Euphoria, ep. 5 – wow…Zendaya is just amazing in this episode. She’s one of my favorite actresses. Like that whole opening scene is crazy effed up. 😭 And the actresses playing her mom and sister are so fantastic too.
Games I’ve Played:
Pet Sim X – Roblox – grinding, grinding, just to give my daughter new pets
My Singing Monsters – collecting coins
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!
Categories: Young Adult, Haitian Immigrant, Family, Romance, Abuse, Magical Realism, Own Voices
The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.
On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?
Content Warning: Violence, Physical Abuse, Death
This is the second book I’ve read from Ibi Zoboi and once again she drew me into a story with compelling characters. This time the story is gritty, set in Detroit, with a family who have seen tough times and has a reputation in the neighborhood for it. But the main character Fabiola is starting off her journey from Haiti to Detroit without her mother – she got detained in New Jersey and all Fab wants to do is have her mother back with her.
I loved getting to know Fabiola’s cousins who are all very different from one another. There are three sisters, Chantal – the oldest and in college, Pri and Donna who are twins: Pri is the tough girl at school who has a crush on another girl and Donna is the beautiful one and in an abusive relationship with Dray – a drug dealer. His best friend, Kasim has his eyes set on Fabiola.
Fabiola navigates her first days in America fairly well even though she has an accent and her use of American slang isn’t the best. She doesn’t even really curse but in Detroit around her cousins and new friends, she is surrounded by a lot of crude language. Fabiola starts to dress the way her cousins do, even more so when she starts dating Kasim. But she hasn’t forgotten her mom in New Jersey and she’s trying to find a way to bring her back to her. Opportunity presents itself but it will mean going behind her family’s back.
I thought the magical realism in the story was fascinating because it tied so much into Fabiola’s Haitian culture. I loved learning about the Lwas (spirits) and how one was outside their house, guiding Fabiola with his songs. I loved all of Fabiola’s memories of Haiti although sometimes they were sad and scary memories, like the earthquake – she always mentioned that even with misery, there were neighbors and community to share that misery with and in turn it helped them move on, cope and love life despite the bad things. Another thing I enjoyed was getting a bit of perspective from each character, even if it was just a snippet.
Some issues with the book I had: I wish there was more about getting Fabiola’s mom back to her. Maybe too many things happening at once in the story? Also…Donna and Dray…he physically abuses her and I know her family doesn’t like him for her and yet they can’t do anything about it. Hard to read but so realistic.
Why you should read it:
it’s an OwnVoices story Haitian rep, diversity
it’s a raw story about family and trying to survive in the American Dream
Fabiola’s separation from her mom and acclimating to life without her a new country is powerful
Why you might not want to read it:
you don’t like magical realism
some tough subject matter like physical abuse
My Thoughts:
I liked reading the female perspective in American Street, this story is full of strong females. Fabiola, who was born in America but raised in Haiti has to find her way in American culture and without her mother. Her cousins, the Three Bees, are tough Hatian-American girls from Detroit, all with different personalities and roles to play. Their loyalty to the family is rock hard. Nothing can seem to break them up, not abusive boyfriends, debt, or drug dealers and I love their bond. This is an important story about the cost of trying to live the American Dream.
📚 ~ Yolanda
Quotes from the Book:
“No one would be left alone in a tiny house with only their regrets and sorrows to keep them company.”
― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“In Haiti, with all its problems, there was always a friend or a neighbor to share in the misery. And then, after our troubles were tallied up like those points at the basketball game, we would celebrate being alive.”
― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“But then I realize that everyone is climbing their own mountain here in America. They are tall and mighty and they live in the hearts and everyday lives of the people.”
Categories: Young Adult, Racism, Police Brutality, Coming of Age, Contemporary
Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.
Content Warning: Racism, Violence, Death
This is a very short book, barely over 200 pages but it is impactful.
It tells the story of Justyce, a boy who is going to a really good high school even though he is from a rougher neighborhood. He has dreams of going to Yale and he has the grades and test scores to do it. His best friend is Manny, a rich black boy who hangs out with the other rich kids at their high school but all of those guys are white. He writes letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. just to make sense of himself. When Justyce has a scary experience with a cop, he sees his world in a different light, questions a lot of things, is more aware of the racism happening around him and wonders how to move forward in life as a young black man in America.
Justyce and Manny have an amazing friendship that is tested by the racism happening around them. Manny chooses to ignore it but after Justyce’s traumatic experience it makes him question Manny’s friends. I really liked how they brought up race issues in Justyce’s classroom and seeing how it pertains to his life outside of the class. But this isn’t only about Justyce’s life in high school trying to be a dutiful student, a good best friend and falling in love. There is a very shocking event that makes the news, there is a trial – Justyce goes through a lot and we see if his letters to Martin help him deal and make sense of his situation. Honestly that moment in the book took my breath away, I really like how that part was written.
The book made me feel all kinds of emotions, especially angry and and frustrated for Justyce. He is trapped from all sides.
One of my issues with the story that threw me off at times was the way the characters spoke and the way it was written like a script. It mostly happened when they were in the classroom. I kept wondering why it was done that way! Couldn’t that have just been written as dialogue? I just chalked it up to Justyce seeing these moments as a play and he’s in the background or something…not sure. But it was distracting and making me question what was the point. Also this book is short – I kind of would have love more in the second half of the story where things really go down.
Why you should read it:
important and impactful story about racism in America and police brutality
Justyce and Manny’s friendship
Justyce’s story
Why you might not want to read it:
some parts of dialogue is written like a script and I don’t know why
wish second half of the story was more fleshed out and longer
My Thoughts:
This one is short and quick but it is powerful. We get to watch Justyce’s journey from somewhat having the things in life going for him (hot girlfriend, good grades, good school) to him realizing he will always struggle as a black man in America, no matter how smart he is, what school he goes to and what job he gets. Justyce will have to decide what type of man he wants to be and maybe writing to Martin will help him figure it out.
📚 ~ Yolanda
Quotes from the Book:
“What do I do when my very identity is being mocked by people who refuse to admit there’s a problem?”
“It’s like I’m trying to climb a mountain, but I’ve got one fool trying to shove me down so I won’t be on his level, and another fool tugging at my leg, trying to pull me to the ground he refuses to leave. “
“You can’t change how other people think and act, but you’re in full control of you. When it comes down to it, the only question that matters is this: If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be?”
Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Renaissance Faire, Adult Fiction, Enemies to Lovers
All’s faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.
Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?
The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?
This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.
Content Warning: Grief, mentions Car Accident
This book gave me all the feels! I can’t believe I waited this long to read it but I’m glad I finally pushed it up my TBR list.
There is so much to love about this story. The main character, Emily is a young woman who has moved in with older sister who was in a bad car accident and has to heal from a shattered leg. Emily helps with being a caretaker to her and her teenage niece. And when her niece wants to do the annual Renaissance Faire, Emily has to sign up as well. It’s not what she expected but it becomes a part of her, even though she doesn’t know where she will land after the fair ends.
I like Emily because she goes with the flow, and isn’t afraid to try things even though it seems not something she’d be into. She kind of threw herself into being a caretaker and then a wench at the faire and also, helping at the local bookstore. Also she doesn’t have her life put together – while helping everyone out, she’s trying to decide what to do with her future, or where she will live once her sister is okay on her own again. To top it off, she has self-esteem issues especially when it comes to guys and dating because of how things ended with her ex.
The romance is delicious because it happens to be with the Renaissance Faire’s director, Simon. Simon is an English teacher and often so put off by Emily or so she thinks. He’s more conservative and closed off than his friend, the kilt wearing Mitch! So right away, they do not hit it off but something happens at the faire…Simon plays the part of Captain Ian, and now all bets are off when Captain Ian and Emma the wench (Emily) get into their roles playing a hand-fasted couple. Talk about the tension between them! 🔥 And then when that tension finally breaks and they give in? Wow! I loved every bit of it!
Minor issues? Emily’s indecision about her feelings about Simon but only because it’s a defense mechanism for her. Her ex hurt her bad so she doesn’t want to be in any place or relationship where she doesn’t belong or isn’t wanted. She just needed to be sure Simon was sure about her. On the other hand, Simon has major insecurities too and isn’t the most social guy, like Mitch…so he jumps to some conclusions about Emily – and there you have miscommunication and misunderstandings.
This story had humor, family, friendship, grief, relationship issues, hot bedroom scenes, conflict and then a very happy ending. It has everything I want in a romance novel.
Why you should read it:
such a good romance with all the feels
the Renaissance Faire – makes me want to go to one
Emily’s story about family, friendship, love and self-discovery
Why you might not want to read it:
the only thing that may turn some readers off is the on/off indecisions of Emily about Simon – but the girl has issues to deal with because of her ex…so it’s totally understandable but if you lack patience, she might just annoy you lol…also Simon jumping to some conclusions because of his insecurities but for me it was minor
My Thoughts:
If you need a good romance book or want to read about one centered around a Renaissance Faire, then definitely read this book. It left me feeling so happy inside and that’s all I wanted. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
📚 ~ Yolanda
Quotes from the Book:
“I didn’t choose the wench life. The wench life chose me.”
– Jen DeLuca, Well Met
“The dead are held in such high esteem that we only remember the good things, and we not only forgive their faults but we forget them.”
– Jen DeLuca, Well Met
“Let us love you, and remind you that you’re worth it until you figure out what you’re going to do next.”
– Jen DeLuca, Well Met
“Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”
I’ve seen this around on other blogs and finally got around to making my own post because I have a few series that I haven’t finished that I really do want to finish. I’m hoping by writing it down it motivates me to pick up the books and finish.
First series I’m putting here since I’m already going to start book two is The Green Bone Saga. I finally finished Jade City and with the story fresh in my head, I feel like I should just go ahead and plow through the whole series.
Next is a series I’ve had on my bookshelf for I think 2 years now. I read Scythe and was in the beginning of book two when my mood changed. So now it’s just a series waiting on my bookshelf. The world building for this series is definitely one that has been stuck in my head for awhile, so I really should finish it.
And last but not least, another series on my bookshelf just waiting to be read…actually I’m missing the 3rd book. This was popular a few years ago too and I found the books on bookoutlet for a great price but I was never in the mood to read it.
Have you read any of these series? Let me know what you think! ~ Yolanda
February is Black History Month and I’ve got a few books on my TBR list that I wanted to read this month.
Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.
The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.
On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?
Magic doesn’t exist in the broken city of Lkossa anymore, especially for girls like sixteen-year-old Koffi. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, she cares for its fearsome and magical creatures to pay off her family’s debts and secure their eventual freedom. But the night her loved ones’ own safety is threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand–and the consequences are dire.
As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six–an elite warrior–and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, a fire upends his plans. In its midst, Ekon not only encounters the Shetani–a vicious monster that has plagued the city and his nightmares for nearly a century–but a curious girl who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon’s life, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.
Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani down and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Meanwhile, Koffi believes finding the Shetani and selling it for a profit could be the key to solving her own problems. Koffi and Ekon–each keeping their true motives secret from the other–form a tentative alliance and enter into the unknowns of the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.
For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.
But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.
When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?
I have the first 2 books on loan on my online library and the last book is one I bought on my kindle and just haven’t gotten a chance to read yet, so this is the perfect time to knock that off my list! I just have to buy Beasts of Prey
What books are you reading for Black History Month? ~ Yolanda
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?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
I didn’t finish Gilded and I have to borrow it again. 😆 A lot of the books I’m borrowing is being returned not even read…sigh…problems of a mood reader!
What’s on your WWW Wednesday? Or what are you reading this week? ~ Yolanda
Another week of new books, more titles to add to my TBR list!
From bestselling author Bethany C. Morrow comes a new adult social horror novel in the vein of Get Out meets My Sister, the Serial Killer, about Farrah, a young, calculating Black girl who manipulates her way into the lives of her Black best friend’s white, wealthy, adoptive family but soon suspects she may not be the only one with ulterior motives. . . .
Seventeen-year-old Farrah Turner is one of two Black girls in her country club community, and the only one with Black parents. Her best friend, Cherish Whitman, adopted by a white, wealthy family, is something Farrah likes to call WGS–White Girl Spoiled. With Brianne and Jerry Whitman as parents, Cherish is given the kind of adoration and coddling that even upper-class Black parents can’t seem to afford–and it creates a dissonance in her best friend that Farrah can exploit. When her own family is unexpectedly confronted with foreclosure, the calculating Farrah is determined to reassert the control she’s convinced she’s always had over her life by staying with Cherish, the only person she loves–even when she hates her.
As troubled Farrah manipulates her way further into the Whitman family, the longer she stays, the more her own parents suggest that something is wrong in the Whitman house. She might trust them–if they didn’t think something was wrong with Farrah, too. When strange things start happening at the Whitman household–debilitating illnesses, upsetting fever dreams, an inexplicable tension with Cherish’s hotheaded boyfriend, and a mysterious journal that seems to keep track of what is happening to Farrah–it’s nothing she can’t handle. But soon everything begins to unravel when the Whitmans invite Farrah closer, and it’s anyone’s guess who is really in control.
Told in Farrah’s chilling, unforgettable voice and weaving in searing commentary on race and class, this slow-burn social horror will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
You should know, right now, that I’m a liar.
They’re usually little lies. Tiny lies. Baby lies. Not so much lies as lie adjacent.
But they’re still lies.
Twenty one-year-old Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and a glittering life filled with adventure. With tons of followers on Instagram, her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.
Except it’s all fake.
Max is actually 16-year-old Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic teenager living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous in her existence–just sprawl, bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with her best friend Hari’s unrequited love. But while Kat’s life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers, even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. The closer Elena and “Max” get–texting, Snapping, and even calling–the more Kat feels she has to keep up the facade.
But when one of Max’s posts goes ultra-viral and gets back to the very person she’s been stealing photos from, her entire world – real and fake — comes crashing down around her. She has to figure out a way to get herself out of the huge web of lies she’s created without hurting the people she loves.
But it might already be too late.
A fake relationship between a magic-less witch and a wolf shifter turns to more in the start of a bewitching new paranormal rom-com series.
Magic-less witch Violet Maxwell wants nothing to do with alpha wolf shifter Lincoln Thorne—the man who broke her fragile, teenage heart. But when the two of them are forced by arcane Supernatural Laws to find mates, Violet and Lincoln agree to fake-date their way to a fake-mating in order to conjure themselves some time.
The joke’s on them. When old feelings make a reappearance—along with Violet’s magic—they both realize there’s nothing fake about their feelings. But there are old secrets and looming threats that could snatch away their happily ever after, again. One thing’s for sure: magic doesn’t make dating and love any easier.
In Not the Witch You Wed, April Asher brings all the hilarity and sweet, sexy moments you love in a romantic-comedy—plus a fun dose of magic—to this spell-binding new series about being sexy, single, and supernatural in New York City.
A librarian inherits a bookshop from her estranged mother, leading her halfway across the world on a journey of self-discovery that transcends time and honors the unbreakable bonds of love and family.
When librarian Valentina Baker was a teenager, her mother, Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London, leaving Val and her father on their own. Now in her thirties and fresh out of a failed marriage, Val feels a nagging disenchantment with her life–and knows she is still heartbroken over her mother’s abandonment.
In a bittersweet twist of fate, Val receives word that Eloise has passed away, leaving Val her Primrose Hill apartment and the deed to a bookshop Val never knew she’d owned. Though the news is devastating, Val finds herself more determined than ever to discover who her mother truly was. She jets across the Atlantic, departing Seattle for a new life in charming London.
Slowly but surely, Val begins to piece together Eloise’s life in the UK, falling in love with her pastel-colored flat, cozy neighborhood, and tucked-away storefront. But when she discovers that The Book Garden is in danger of going under, Val must work with its eccentric staff to get it in working order. In the process, she learns more about Eloise than she ever thought possible. And as Val races to save the shop, Eloise’s own story unfolds, leading both mother and daughter to unearth revelatory truths.
Set in 1970s and 90s East Texas, Shadows of Pecan Hollow is a literary debut about a scrappy young woman and the partner-in-crime she can’t escape from, perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and Valentine.
It was 1970 when thirteen-year-old Kit Walker was abducted by Manny Romero, a smooth-talking, low-level criminal. Longing for the family and security she never had, she allowed herself to be coddled and groomed into Manny’s partner-in-crime. Before long, Kit and Manny became infamous for their string of gas station robberies throughout Texas, making a name for themselves as the Texaco Twosome.
But as Manny’s fatherly demeanor shifts to something darker and more violent, Kit is forced to reconsider their relationship and her own safety. In a flash decision, she leaves Manny at a holdup gone wrong.
Thirteen years after her escape, she has made a home for herself and her daughter amongst the pecan trees and muddy creeks of the claustrophobic town of Pecan Hollow. When Manny shows up at her doorstep a new man, fresh out of prison, Kit’s profound and twisted attachment to him compels her to let him in. Immediately, Kit’s world is transformed and her community is sent into a tailspin.
With its rich landscape, indelible characters, and evocative language, Shadows of Pecan Hollow is a hauntingly intimate and distinctly original debut about the strength and vulnerability of womanhood and the complexity of love–both romantic and familial. This penetrating, gritty, and unexpectedly tender novel ensnares the reader in its story of resilience and the bonds that define us.
What book are you looking forward to reading? ~ Yolanda
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