Book Review: Brazen and the Beast

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Sarah MacLean

Format: eBook

Pages: 400

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

Categories: Historical Romance

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

Book Blurb:

The Lady’s Plan

When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune, and to live her own life. But first, she intends to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster. Everything is going perfectly…until she discovers the most beautiful man she’s ever seen tied up in her carriage and threatening to ruin the Year of Hattie before it’s even begun.

The Bastard’s Proposal

When he wakes in a carriage at Hattie’s feet, Whit, a king of Covent Garden known to all the world as Beast, can’t help but wonder about the strange woman who frees him—especially when he discovers she’s headed for a night of pleasure . . . on his turf. He is more than happy to offer Hattie all she desires…for a price.

An Unexpected Passion

Soon, Hattie and Whit find themselves rivals in business and pleasure. She won’t give up her plans; he won’t give up his power . . . and neither of them sees that if they’re not careful, they’ll have no choice but to give up everything . . . including their hearts.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this eArc.

Whenever I want to read a historical romance novel there are only a handful of authors I turn to, one of them being Sarah MacLean. Her books always come through for me, ticking every box I need in a historical romance: humor, delicious banter and sex, and of course, a happy ending.

Book two of the Bareknuckle Bastards series definitely came through on all the things I love in a romance novel. And I love, love, love Hattie.

Lady Henrietta Sedley, or Hattie has concluded that her twenty-ninth birthday be christened the Year of Hattie. She has plans to accomplish and no one will get in her way of them. Well, at least that’s what she thinks. A dangerous and gorgeous man by the name of Beast, puts a wrench in her plans – but I blame her brother for that.

Hattie is funny, smart, brave, ambitious and determined. Her best friend Nora who is basically a sister to her helps her along the way with her plans. I love their friendship and glad Hattie had someone believing in her dreams. As for Beast, who is Saviour Whittington or Whit for short, he has a harsh past which makes it difficult for him to believe he deserves love. Least of all Hattie’s love. But these two are a perfect match. He admires her mind and ambition. She loves that he believes in her.

I really enjoyed their banter and there are some very sexy scenes between them. Hattie managed to accomplish all her goals in the end, bravo for her. She did it all with class and sass!

This is a wonderful second installment to the Bareknuckle Bastards and am looking forward to the next one!

Get it here: Amazon

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What I’m Watching, What I’m Reading

Aloha everyone! Are we already at the end of May? My son’s last day of Kindergarten is on Friday and time just keeps moving on, quickly.

May was a crazy month filled with celebrations, reading, watching Game of Thrones, sinus and vertigo issues, teething issues for my baby girl and planning for summer activities for the kids.

Speaking of Game of Thrones…

I was one of the people not disappointed in the ending because I had picked Bran to rule. Not because I like him or anything, I’ve always been House Stark from Season 1 because I loved Ned Stark and at the time my husky named, Sky (who I miss dearly) was like 4 years old when this show came out and she was my “dire wolf”. I almost named my unborn daughter Arya (until she started taking faces in the show 😂) – I had a feeling my daughter (who was in my womb during season 7) was going to have a sweeter disposition, she hardly kicked me. Anyway I picked Bran because he seemed like the mostly likely “twist” in the story. I made my pick of Bran after S.8 Ep. 2 where he actually says something that made me think…A LOT. So in one week before the finale, I binged 70+ episodes. Yes. CRAZY, I know! I did skip a lot of the High Sparrow and Ramsay episodes because I hate Ramsay with a passion. The High Sparrow was mostly about Cersei and I didn’t think she’d end up staying on the throne. My kids were humming the theme song by the end of the week and my head was spinning with theories. I wanted to focus on Dany and Bran. But Bran’s story was making light bulbs go off in my head from season 1! Amazing show, thank you to the cast and crew for helping me escape every Sunday for eight seasons! It helped me get through some hard parenting days, that’s for sure! ❤️

Since GoT is over, I’ve binged on Sweetbitter on STARZ and now The Spanish Princess. I’m waiting for Big Little Lies on HBO and eventually Stranger Things on Netflix. I also have to catch up on A Discovery of Witches.

I’m really enjoying all these book to tv series adaptations! Give me more!

What I’m Reading…

And what have I been reading? Or trying to read…some of these books I borrowed I’m not in the “mood” to read yet. Are you a mood reader? Or can you jump into any book? I’m a little bit of both but mostly a mood reader.

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler – because I watched the show on STARZ, I might as well read the book too. 📺

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco – because she’s filipino and I am too! Gotta support my people. ❤️

Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell – because I keep seeing it everywhere and that cover, plus a sci-fi Les Mis retelling? I’m getting through this slowly. 📖

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas – because I hear it’s really good and I liked The Hate U Give. ❤️

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy – because of the cover and King Arthur modern retelling but seriously wasn’t in the mood to continue last week. But I will finish it and review it. 👑

Enchantee by Gita Trelease – because I heard good things and check out that cover. 😍

LitJoy Crate

I got my first book crate! I love seeing them being posted on instagram and I finally took a look at a few sites and bought the May crate from LitJoy Crate. And it’s a beauty!

I’m in love with all the bookish items: the pot holders, the envelopes and that pillow case of Cardan (from Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince) on it. 😍 All the items are gorgeous, I don’t even want to use them. I just want to look at them and keep it in the box. 😂

And the book it came with is Nocturna by Maya Motayne. What a cover – it is so vibrant and beautiful 🧡. I shall be reading this book very soon and doing a review of it. I’m trying to decide which book crate I’ll purchase next. I’d like to try a few others like Owl Crate but we shall see.

I hope all of you have had an awesome month! What are you watching or reading now? And do you subscribe to book crates? If so, any you want to recommend? Happy reading! 😘

Book Review: The Memory Thief

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Lauren Mansy

Format: eBook

Pages: 368

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

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

Book Blurb:

In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city’s asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a “criminal’s” memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.

To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Blink and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC.

The premise of this story is really interesting. Memories are used as currency and the world created around this idea is fascinating. Taking memories sounds a bit scary to me, just because I wonder how someone would stay themself with other memories in their head. Also it feels like cheating. If you want to learn a skill, steal a memory and now you are an expert in it. It shows how the Gifted has the upper hand in this world.

Etta Lark is hiding from her past. Her best friends are dead and her mother is in an asylum. Etta made a deal with Madame, the ruler of Craewick, that would help her hide from the Shadows, a group she betrayed to help save her mother. But Madame changes the rules on her and Etta has to go back to the people she hurt to help her mom again.

This was a fast read. I devoured all the information about the Gift, Ungifted, and Minders. The world of the Shadows is really intriguing and probably my favorite part of the book. Some of the story is told through memories, since Etta has taken a few. There is insta-love but I think it works because it is a standalone book. Etta and her love interest do get to know each other on their quest. I’m so used to reading trilogies with love stories drawn out that seeing insta-love in a book that isn’t purely a romance novel is sometimes hard to get used to. It works in this story but I wasn’t that invested in the romance though.

When Etta and Reid get to the end of their journey, Etta’s past is revealed in a twist and it seemed so convenient. Etta accepts this reveal so easily. From there on, the story wraps up and everything works out in the end. Which is great, but my interest was dwindling by then. The time span of this story happens in one week, so the ending felt rushed.

Overall, this was an interesting book, with a potential to be amazing because I really enjoyed the underworld of the Shadows. Everything else though fell flat for me.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Maxym M. Martineau

Format: E-book

Pages: 400

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Beasts, Romance, Magic, Assassins

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

Book Blurb:

Exiled Charmer Leena Edenfrell is running out of time. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts-an offense punishable by death-and now there’s a price on her head. With the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes Noc an offer he can’t refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.

Plagued by a curse that kills everyone he loves, Noc agrees to Leena’s terms in hopes of finding a cure. Never mind that the dark magic binding the assassin’s oath will eventually force him to choose between Leena’s continued survival…and his own. 

In a game of trust and half-lies, only one thing can be certain: traps capture more than beasts and ensnared hearts are impossible to untangle.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc for an honest review.

Magic beasts! Undead assassins and a curse! This blurb had me at magical beasts. It was not hard for me to dive into this lush fantasy world. Leena is a beast charmer, and she reminded me of a Pokemon trainer! Yes, I said Pokemon. 😅 She had to find these beasts, tame them and put them in a special realm where they waited to be summoned. I wanted to be Leena and have a collection of beasts.

Leena is exiled from her home and there is a bounty on her head. The Cruor is a group of undead assassins, lead by Noc. Their powers are really interesting. They can control shadows and Noc can raise more assassins with his blood, like a vampire. Noc is powerful and in essence a “beast” as well. They are attracted to one another right away but Noc can’t get close, he is cursed. Noc finds her irresistible and Leena is a beast charmer so…why not try to tame his beast? 😉 They are meant to be .

Instead of carrying out the bounty, Noc and Leena negotiate on terms that may help both of them get out of the binds they are in. They are both trying to survive.

I love Leena. She’s strong, caring but vulnerable and she’s comfortable in her charmer skin. The magical beasts in the story are all amazing. They have different characteristics and powers. Noc is a typical strong male character, handsome, powerful and I love how he valued his friends even if he had to keep his distance. He has a sad past with lots of death involved and I hope we learn more about it in the next book.

I enjoyed Noc’s assassins: Calem, Oz and Kost – well not so much Kost, but he eventually grew on me. Their job is to escort Leena and make sure she stays in line but for the most part these guys come off friendly and funny (except Kost of course) and protect her. Leena seemed to soften these assassins up.

I didn’t think I’d read it through the night since I started it so late in the evening, but I could not put it down! This book was lots of fun, full of adventure, a delicious romance and those fantastic magical beasts. I look forward to the sequel.

Book Review: Broken Trust (Dark Legacy Book 2)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Authors: Tate James & Jaymin Eve

Format: eBook

Pages: 278

Categories: Bully Romance, New Adult

Book Blurb:

They think they own me now. They think they’ve won, and that I’ll be their good little soldier. 

Four dangerous, damaged, messed up boys. There used to be five, but one of them died, and I’m starting to suspect he was murdered.

I didn’t ask for this. No one would ask to be played, manipulated, seduced and betrayed. But that’s what happened, anyway. 

It wasn’t enough for them to break me. Sebastian Beckett has decided that he can’t let me go, but I refuse to forgive and forget his betrayal so easily. His fixation is bordering on obsession, but when we begin to suspect a spy within Delta, there’s no time to deal with his feelings. 

Someone is selling us out, and it’s having a dire impact. 

It’s life and death hiding behind corporate greed.

Let the battle begin.

MY REVIEW

The first book of the Dark Legacy series started off good and was exciting. This is a bully romance series and it is dark with lots of sexual themes. Book one had a cliffhanger ending that made me want to read this next installment.

This book was okay until a certain scene and then I decided it was not for me but I did finish it. I have a big problem with Beck, Riley’s lover/boyfriend. And yes, I’m in the minority here 🤷🏻‍♀️, Riley can so do better 😅. I understand he’s under the control of Delta, but he messed up, again. The characters are ALL broken people, I get that too, but after they betray her in book one, he wants her on their side so they publicly reject her. Just, no.

Riley is in a state of shock and feels betrayed after what takes place in the first book. The Delta guys are slightly remorseful but still arrogant. Beck is super possessive as usual but Riley had a right to be mad after what they forced her to do. I felt like some revenge on her part would have been perfect but nope. Nada. I wanted her to teach them a lesson. And these Delta guys that had her back supposedly, still threaten her (even after their betrayal), and publicly reject her. They leave her isolated at school and she is attacked, horribly. Honestly, it pissed me off so much and I blame Beck, since he’s their leader and he’s the guy she’s in love with it. Riley is right: they are not okay and they all need therapy.

I was also tired of Riley’s conflicting feelings about Beck (because I’ve cut him off in my mind 😂). She wants him, she hates him, he betrays her, he breaks her and then he’s sorry about that. Eventually the desire wins out and they continue to hook up. Apparently it’s easy to forgive guys who force you to murder someone. These Delta guys struggled too, I admit, they messed up and they know it. I just wanted a little more severe punishment for them, not just broken trust issues to deal with.

And this story is just unbelievable. I don’t believe these guys who are in high school (well Beck isn’t but he’s always hanging around there) have power to rule the world. They are rich and drive expensive cars. They talk the talk but nothing about them convinces me they are the most powerful high school boys in the world. Beck keeps mentioning that this is all a game for power, but I didn’t see much of the plot moving towards any power play until the ending which was a bunch of twists. The one new aspect in the story was the introduction of a Huntley (their nemesis) at the school, but it was predictable that she was there to cause trouble.

The ending is another twist, another cliffhanger, but one that made me cringe so bad and I don’t want to dive into that mess. 😂

So, if you like dark romance with lots of twists and turns that shock you, definitely read this series. It’s a quick read, it has the hot possessive rich guys, steamy (and even rough) sex, lots of bullying and angst. It’s not for someone who is easily triggered by traumatic events though, so fair warning there. I wish Riley was given a chance to kick someone’s butt in this book (Beck’s 😂) but that’s not going to happen.

Get it here: Amazon

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Click here for the review I wrote on the first book in this series: Broken Wings

Book Review: Rebel Born (Secondborn, #3)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Amy A. Bartol

Format: eBook

Pages: 315

Publication Date: June 4, 2019 (eBook); August 13, 2019 (paperback)

Categories: Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Romance

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

Book Blurb:

Roselle faces a mind-reeling showdown with the deep state agent controlling her psyche in the conclusion to the Wall Street Journal bestselling Secondborn series.

Roselle St. Sismode is many things: victim of a conspiracy, unwilling host of an ever-evolving mind algorithm, spy for a rebel army, and heir to the Fate of Swords. As a warrior, she’s also the anticipated main event at the Secondborn Trials. When the opening ceremonies erupt in chaos, Roselle is abducted by a sadistic agent with a diabolical plan: transform Roselle into a mind-controlled assassin to topple society. But a rogue scientist has implanted Roselle with a genius technology that is far more powerful. It renders her untouchable. Faster. Stronger. And maybe immortal.

With her enhanced abilities come the highest stakes yet, as Roselle confronts shifting realities at every turn as well as her own mother’s stunning betrayal. Racing against time with a determined resistance group, can Roselle overthrow the forces of destruction and reclaim the most valuable of commodities—her humanity?

MY REVIEW

Thank you to 47 North and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this e-arc. I screamed when I saw I was approved to read it!

Rebel Born is the last book in the Secondborn series. So here is a mini recap of what happened in the previous books: secondborn children in the Fates of the Republic (there are nine fates) are property of the government. Thirdborns die, you get the idea. Roselle, a secondborn from the Fate of Swords becomes a soldier in the fight against the rebels, the Gates of Dawn. Census is the acting body of the republic who upholds the secondborn law, among other things. One person in Census in particular, Agent Crow, has a sick fascination with Roselle. The more successful she is, the harder he tries to take her down, but his plans are more sinister than anyone imagines. With the war between the Fates and the Gates of Dawn heating up, Agent Crow is brewing up something nasty to take over everyone.

Rebel Born takes place right after that heart-stopping Traitor Born cliffhanger ending. Roselle is separated from Reykin in a horrific fashion. She is unfortunately under Crow’s mind control now but with the help of a somewhat familiar face, a technician in Crow’s lab – she has a better chance of breaking free from the madman.

This book is filled – filled with information on Crow’s ability to control minds and I wasn’t patient enough for it. Keep in mind, I was here first and foremost for Reykin and Roselle. 😉 I felt like I was hyperventilating looking for his name in the first few pages. I teared up when they were finally reunited in this story. I’ve been waiting a whole year for this to happen. After I was reassured they were okay, I told myself to really focus. And as a lover of this series, I also knew I was going to re-read Rebel Born many, many times over, so I forgave myself for rushing through a lot of the technical parts in my first read.

The author goes into tons of detail about mind control, implants, biotechnology and so much more, I got lost trying to understand how it all worked. Mind you, I am not a big sci-fi genre reader but when Amy writes it, I read it. ☺️ The first two books of this series introduces us to the Fates, the characters, the Gates of Dawn and the rebellion. This third book is about Crow’s take over of the Fates and him trying to infiltrate the Gates of Dawn. And then it escalates even more and at one point it was data overload for me. Because then the story adds additional surprising elements and it’s a mind bend. But I do get it, Agent Crow wanted it all, more than mind control, he wanted power forever…immortality and Roselle is a key to that.

But this is one of the reasons why I love this author. Amy A. Bartol always kicks things up a notch. And it seems crazy and chaotic but I find her stories super creative, fascinating and exciting, plus I love her characters. There is a new character in this book who was pretty fun to get to know. The author is so detailed in her descriptions that I can see these books on screen, and actually I wish I was watching this as a tv series instead of reading it.

Roselle, has always been a fierce and smart character. Agent Crow wants her because she’s an amazing fighter. I love how she can be strong and yet vulnerable. Here in Rebel Born, she is broken down emotionally by the mind control, but she is also upgraded in amazing ways.

When I read the ending I thought I missed something because I was waiting for Crow’s ultimate destruction. I wanted him completely eliminated. He is such a villain, so I thought the ending was abrupt but the epilogue made up for it. Then I realized the ending left a possibility to return to this world some day and that made me really happy.

In the end, I was satisfied with the story. It gave me exactly what I wanted for Reykin and Roselle especially, and then some. I’m not even sure if the extra stuff was needed, but I’m here for it all if Amy is writing it. Overall this is a good ending to a fabulous series. I’m already looking forward to see what she will be writing next.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Some Like It Scandalous (The Gilded Age Girls Club #2)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Maya Rodale

Format: E-book

Pages: 368

Publication Date: June 18, 2019

Categories: Romance, Historical, Enemies to Lovers

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

Book Blurb:

They are sworn enemies… 

Theodore Prescott the Third, one of Manhattan’s Rogues of Millionaire Row, has really done it this time. The only way to survive his most recent, unspeakably outrageous scandal is marry someone respectable. Someone sensible. Someone like Daisy Swan. Of all the girls in Gilded Age Manhattan, it had to be her.

Pretending to be lovers… 

Daisy Swan has plans and they do not involve a loveless marriage with anyone. But when a devastating family secret threatens to destroy her standing in society, suddenly a fake engagement with Theo is just the thing to make all her dreams come true.

And now it’s time to kiss and make up… 

Daisy Swan aspires to sell cosmetics that she has created, but this brainy scientist needs a smooth talking charmer’s flair for words and eye for beauty to make it a success. Before long, Daisy and Theo are trading kisses. And secrets. And discovering that despite appearances, they might be the perfect couple after all.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to HarperCollins Avon and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I enjoy Maya Rodale’s novels but never got a chance to read her Gilded Age Girls Club series until now. And though this is the second book in the series, it read fabulously as a standalone.

Daisy Swan is a high society young lady in New York City who garnered the nickname Ugly Duck Daisy in her adolescent years. The person who gave her that name is none other than Theodore Prescott the Third. Daisy grows up without much change to her looks but she’s got a mind for chemistry and plans to run a business some day selling face cream. Theo grows up to run circles around New York City creating scandals wherever he goes.

Her mother wants her to marry, and his father wants him to marry. So of course they get thrown into a farce of an engagement. They don’t like each other and now are forced to marry. It’s a common trope in a historical romance novel, which I usually enjoy, but there is a really interesting element in this story, the focus on women’s history in the Gilded Age.

This story is set in a time when women aren’t allowed to dine in a restaurant without a man accompanying them. Women are expected to marry but Daisy wants her life to be different. She creates a face cream for women but not even her high society friends would be caught dead buying something so vulgar. Cream for their faces? Oh the horror! Oh we’ve come a long way in cosmetics, haven’t we? Daisy’s friends that are featured in this book are strong women and that was my favorite part of this book. It reminded me how much I take for granted the things I’m allowed to do in this day and age. Who knew lipstick was such a dangerous statement back then!

Now this is still a romance novel and it’s a delicious part of the story. They are enemies due to some adolescent bullying, but Theo realizes how foolish he was when he gets to know adult Daisy. She’s a bright, no-nonsense woman who he really is intrigued by. Theo has a reputation for a being handsome playboy, and that’s all he things he’s good for. But he helps Daisy with her business plans and it becomes a partnership, with sparks. He encourages Daisy to push the boundaries and he’s a great business partner. The sex is steamy and the love is sweet. They make a great team.

This was a really quick, enjoyable read. It’s a story that is a fun balance of romance and women’s history. I look forward to reading the other books in this series and meeting more strong women from the Gilded Age.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Four Dead Queens

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Astrid Scholte

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 432

Categories: Young Adult, Politics, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance

Book Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she’s, in fact, one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie’s former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation’s four dead queens.

MY REVIEW

This was a fast read for me because it was a mystery and I was pretty invested in wanting to find out who was killing these queens. But the ending fell flat for me.

What did I like? I enjoyed this sci-fi/fantasy world with four queens ruling their own quadrant. Each quadrant is different: Archia’s main economy is agriculture, Eonia excels in technology, Ludia celebrates the arts, and Toria is about curiosity and exploration. These quadrants help their kingdom survive and it seems pretty fair, as long as all the queens aren’t conniving.

The story is told between six perspectives but in essence told mostly through five of them for most of the story: Keralie and the four queens. Keralie is a Torian who is an expert thief but she steals something that leads to surprising consequences. Keralie as a thief, comes off as untrustworthy, naturally, but not sinister. Paired with Varin, the Eonist she stole from, they make an interesting pair. Eonist are taught, scarily so, to be void of emotions. But I did find the technology of Eonia fascinating, I just wouldn’t want to be born and raised there. Yikes.

The mystery of who is the killer of these queens kept me in this book all the way through. The writing flows nicely and I really enjoyed the queens. Their characters are strong and different but with any mystery, each of them carries a secret. They carry the story until three-fourths of the way when Arebella is introduced.

This is where the story kind of lost me and I understood what was happening and it makes sense, that part is all fine. But I wanted the twists and turns of the ending to pack a bigger punch than it did. It fell flat for me. Other than that it was a quick read, a murder mystery with a little bit of romance combined in a unique setting and it is promising for a debut novel.

Book Review: Spin

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Colleen Nelson

Format: E-book

Pages: 296

Publication: September 3, 2019

Categories: Family, Young Adult, Music

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

Book Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Delilah “Dizzy” Doucette lives with her dad and brother above their vintage record store, The Vinyl Trap. She’s learning how to spin records from her brother’s best friend, and she’s getting pretty good. But behind her bohemian life, Dizzy and her family have a secret: her mom is the megafamous singer Georgia Waters. When this secret is revealed to the world, Dizzy’s life spins out of control. She must decide what is most important to her — the family she has or the family she wants.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Dundurn and NetGalley for this giving me an opportunity to read this e-arc.

Spinning records is Dizzy’s escape from everyday life and she’s good at it. Dizzy, her brother and father are keeping a secret: megastar singer Georgia Waters was once a part of their lives. She is Dizzy and Lou’s mother. But Georgia left them to pursue her singing career and now she’s back in town for a concert.

Spin is told through three perspectives: Dizzy, Lou and Ray. It flowed nicely and I loved how I got to see how Georgia Waters affects the three of them. The characters all have a strong voice. Ray met Georgia through music. He was a saxophone player and she, a singer. They toured together before she got famous, fell in love and had two children, Lou and Dizzy. His song is of the past, regret, heartbreak, and even joy (through the love of his children).

Lou runs his dad’s record shop, The Vinyl Trap and he does it well. But he wants more. His dad has the shop, and Dizzy is good at spinning. Lou wants his own life away from music and one that doesn’t involve Georgia Waters. His song is about the future and wanting a steady life he builds for himself.

Dizzy is good at spinning records and wants to be a famous DJ someday. She loves the limelight, loves the stage, just like her mother did. When Georgia Waters comes to their city – she knows it’s her chance to finally meet her mom. Her father and brother tell her she will be disappointed. But Dizzy is young and impulsive. Her song is vibrant and a cry to the mom who left her. She blends their melodies together, regardless of what the consequences may be. Dizzy doesn’t want to be a secret anymore.

I really appreciated how Ray and Lou let Dizzy make her decisions, even when they give her advice, they don’t force her to do anything. When consequences from Dizzy’s actions threaten their way of life, this family grows, learn, love and support one another throughout the story.

This is a wonderfully written story of a family trying to find their way out of the shadow of Georgia Water’s mega stardom. It explores the emotions going through the people who she hurt and left behind. The author spins the melody of the past, present, pain, love and forgiveness into this heartfelt story.

Children’s Book Review: Stinky Science

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Edward Kay

Illustrator: Mike Shiell

Format: E-book

Pages: 44

Grade Level: 3-7

Age Range: 8-12 years old

Categories: Science

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

Book Blurb:

This book about the science of smells takes a funky subject and makes it fascinating — and hilarious! It starts with the basics, from the reason why things stink to how our sense of smell works (hint: it has to do with the six million scent receptors way up inside our noses). Then come some specifics such as how and why smells are closely linked to memories, descriptions of some of the stinkiest stinks on Earth and information about the chemicals that smells are made of. (Young readers finally learn why feet and some cheeses can smell the same!) Altogether, the book offers a complete tour of everything olfactory, while also being a compendium of the best-of in the gross-out category. Poop, rotting flesh, b.o.: what more could a nose-y kid ask for?

Edward Kay is an award-winning children’s television writer and science writer. Here he uses his knack for knowing what kids like to create an entertaining, laugh-out-loud book that’s thoroughly researched and full of up-to-date facts. It offers strong curriculum links in the life sciences, particularly the human body structure and systems, and molecules and organisms. Adding to the fun are the funny comic-style illustrations by Mike Shiell on every page. (Yes, of course, there’s farting!) Kids may not even notice they’re learning science! A glossary and index round out this terrific book.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Kids Can Press and Edelweiss+ for giving me a free e-arc of this book to read.

My 6 year old son is a very curious boy who seems to be asking me questions non-stop about space, sea creatures that live in the deep, bacteria, you name it! Obviously, I am no expert in these subjects. I saw the title of this book and knew it would answer some of his questions. I also thought I could learn a few things. Another reason I requested this book is that my son needs to read and log 25 non-fiction books per school quarter. He reads a lot of fun fiction books but it’s harder for us to find fun non-fiction books.

When I was done reading it to him, he asked if the author wrote more books and that I should buy them if he did. The book was funny yet informative and the illustrations were hilarious. We learned about body odor, foot odor, cheese that smelled like foot odor, smells that come from animals. We even learned about poop smell – the grosser the funnier for my son. 🤷🏻‍♀️ He is younger than the recommended age level for this book but he understood most of it and if he didn’t it was easy for me to break it down for him. This was a fun, informative and enjoyable learning experience for both my son and I.

Get it here: Amazon

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