Withering Rose {Review + Giveaway}

Withering Rose by Kaitlyn Davis

Once Upon a Curse #2

Visit the Author's Website HERE

Published: May 17, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"As the heat finally disappeared, I felt the bloom blossom in the very core of my soul, a rose just like my name--a ticking clock hidden behind a façade of beauty. From that moment on, my life would become a countdown, and all I could do was wait and watch as the petals of time slowly started to fall."

Omorose Bouchene has a secret--magic. There's only one problem. At the age of seven, an earthquake struck, catapulting her into a new world. A land made of skyscrapers and cell phones. Fast cars and fluorescent lights. A land where magic isn't supposed to exist and anyone who wields it is the enemy.

But after ten years of hiding, she's desperate to find a place where she can be free. Because all magic comes with a curse, and her curse is time--every ounce of power she uses strips days off of her life. The clock is winding down, and the only option left is to escape to the realm of the Beast. But the king of monsters isn't what he seems. And the more Omorose opens her heart, the more she comes to realize that the only person she may need to fear is herself.

*This is the second book in Once Upon A Curse, a series of interconnected stand-alone novels all set in the same fantasy universe.

The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder {Review}

The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan

Visit the Author's Website HERE

Publisher: Harvest House

Publishing Date: March 1, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.

Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city's underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.

While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto's premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever--if they can stay alive long enough to do so.

Melancholy and Limerence Tour {Review}

Welcome to my tour stop for the new adult science fiction romance Limerence by Charlotte McConaghy. Limerence is the third book in The Cure Series. The first two books, Fury and Melancholy, are also featured in the tour. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

About the Books:

Fury

When emotions are erased from the world, creating a civilization of mindless drones, only those with fury can survive.

On the same day each year Josephine Luquet wakes naked, shivering and covered in blood that is not her own. Under the cold gaze of the blood moon she is someone else entirely, but when dawn breaks her memories vanish and she is left with only an icy horror, a burning fury. Amid a sea of 'drones', she alone hasn’t been cured. 

Then she meets Luke. He isn’t like the other drones. With secrets behind his eyes, he is the only one determined to help Josephine discover the truth before the next blood moon rises.

But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?

Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.

Goodreads | Amazon

***

Melancholy

Here in the west they know a lot about hope. They know how to ration it just as they do with food and water.

Josephine is at last free of the blood moon. But in a desperate rush to find help for a comatose Luke, she discovers the strange and dangerous world of the resistance, and it is unlike any world Josi has known.

In the west they believe in fury – they cultivate and encourage it. The unruly people of the resistance know that to survive means to fight. But can they fight the inevitable cure for sadness that rushes steadily closer?

In the action-packed sequel to Fury, everything Josi believes about herself will be challenged. Haunted by atrocities and betrayals, she must find the strength to trust again, and decide how far she is willing to go to fight the inevitable. 

At times both brutal and sweet, Melancholy is the story of second chances and finding love in a ruined world.

Goodreads | Amazon

***

Limerence

No injection can cure love. Only life can do that.

Deep in the darkest tunnels hide the last of the resistance fighters. Hunted by the savage Furies and the ruthless Bloods, they live in constant peril. The only means of survival is to seek strength in family and find courage in love. So what happens when love is cured, scoured away, leaving death in its place?

In the final battle for freedom, there are no lines that won't be crossed. And for Josi this means becoming the creature she fears most of all: the girl with a blood moon heart.

The gripping conclusion to the dystopian trilogy The Cure, Limerence is a love story for the monsters within.

Perfect for fans of Pierce Brown, Laini Taylor and Maggie Stiefvater.

Goodreads | Amazon 

***

About the Author:

Charlotte has been writing from a young age, and has published several novels including the science-fiction series The Cure and the romantic fantasy series The Chronicles of Kaya. She studied a Masters of Screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, and is the author of the Australian Writer's Guild award-winning screenplay Fury – adapted from her novel of the same name. She lives in Sydney, writing novels and working on both film and television projects, as well as an upcoming graphic novel Skin. 

Connect with the author:

 Website | Facebook | Twitter

***

My Thoughts:

I read Fury about two years ago now. I really enjoyed it and always meant to finish the trilogy. This tour gave me that opportunity. 

Book two, Melancholy, picks up right where book one left off. Luke is in a coma from being injected with the anger cure and both he and Jose are being taken to the resistance group. I struggled to connect with the characters again after such a long break. Jose, or Dual as she comes to be called, is way more moody, and even self centered, than previously. She is stuck in her own head surrounded by her own problems. The members of the Inferno (the resistance group) don't exactly welcome her with warm, friendly arms either. 

It took me awhile to accept her bipolar attitude, but about 100 pages in the book really picks up. As Jose gets out of her own head, we get to connect to a new cast of characters and explore the intrigue and mysteries of the Inferno. There are a ton of secrets and action right at the end that had me flipping through the pages fast as I could.

"Limerence" was a bit trickier. The reader really has to pay attention to the dates and the character as they read along. Even though I picked this up immediately after 'Melancholy', jumping around the timelines really threw me for a loop. Several major things are revealed right at the beginning of the story, and then we are taken back to discover how it all happened. 

This series has plenty of action, evil government, and character development. The way both Luke and Dual change from book one to the end of book three was pretty remarkable. If you like any of those things, or a complicated love story, this series is right up your alley. McConaghy writes like a movie which makes it easy to picture everything as you read along. I think this fits perfectly as she did study screenwriting! 

I do have to note for my sensitive readers: this book contains violence (nothing I found overly graphic), language, and sexual content that I found to grow in it's graphic nature. 

GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive digital copies of Fury, Melancholy and Limerence 

Open Worldwide

Ends March 30

Giveaway is provided by the publisher and hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Limerence {Sneak Peek}

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday!

Current book:
Limerence
by Charlotte McConaghy

When Love Matters Most {Review + Giveaway}

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Now More Readily Available in Print

One Enchanted Christmas {Quick Review}

One Enchanted Christmas by Melissa Tagg

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Self published

Publishing Date: December 8, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Last December, mystery author Maren Grant had the most perfect night of her life. On a glimmering winter evening, she got to watch the photo shoot for her very first book and ended up on a magical date with the cover model himself—Colin Renwycke. 

Fast forward one year. This December, with a looming deadline, restless spirit and her creative spark long since gone, Maren is desperate to get unstuck. And she can’t get Colin out of her head…or his year-old open invitation to spend a couple weeks writing at his family’s farm. 

Drew Renwycke never planned to come home and take over the Renwycke family farm. But he’s spent too many years watching his siblings unravel, including his brother, Colin, after one terrible family mistake. If moving to Maple Valley, Iowa, renovating an old farmhouse and switching careers is what it takes to put the Renwycke family back together, he’ll do it. 

But his simple plan upends when a scrappy author lands on his doorstep. And she just might be the key to coaxing his brother home. But what if he wants her all to himself? Drew will have to choose between his Christmas wish and the enchantment of a holiday romance that just might be the happy ending they all long for.

Redemption {Review + Giveaway}

Book Three:

Redemption (Children of the Gods #3)

by Jessica Therrien 

Release Date: 11/02/15

Oppression Review + Giveaway

Oppression by Jessica Therrien

Children of the Gods #1
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Publishing Date: September 2, 2015
Goodreads Summary:
Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than average people, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Some are waiting for her to put an end to centuries of traditions that have oppressed their people under the guise of safeguarding them. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning - and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

A Curse of Ash and Iron {Blitz}

All Dressed Up in Love {Quick Review}

All Dressed Up in Love by Ruth Logan Herne

Year of Weddings 2 #4

Visit the Author's Website HERE

Publisher: Zondervan

Publishing Date: February 24, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Greg Elizondo hadn’t bargained for this. Any of this.

Satin. Lace. Tulle. Pearl inlay, embroidered bodices, and Swarovski crystals.

The bridal shop business it took his mother three decades to build, the enterprise that covered his university and law degrees in full, was struggling because he might be part-genius when it came to contract law . . . But corset-style gowns with a mermaid flair? Shoot me now.

Tara Simonetti hated law school, but loved the community grant funding her presence at Temple University’s esteemed school of law. She could not fail. Would not fail. But when a notice for bridal store help appeared on the community notice board, Tara applied for the job immediately. While grants and loans helped pave her way, money for food was scarce. Legal precedence, moot court, and judicial clerking all had their place, but they were nothing compared to Alcenon lace, tucked silk skirts, and a well-placed peplum. 

Greg had grabbed her help as the act of a desperate man. Within weeks, he was desperate again, this time to win her heart. But after using community funds to get her degree, how can Tara turn her back on the people who helped finance her goal?

But if she leaves Philadelphia and Greg to return to her small-town in northern Pennsylvania, she’ll be leaving her heart behind. A heart he won, fair and square by posting a help wanted notice on the coffee shop board . . . A heart that filled the missing niche in his mother’s acclaimed bridal store. A heart Greg longed to cherish forevermore.

For the Love {Review}

For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

Visit the Author's Website HERE

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publishing Date: August 18, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

The popular writer, blogger, and television personality reveals with humor and style how Jesus' extravagant grace is the key to dealing with life's biggest challenge: people.

The majority of our joys, struggles, thrills, and heartbreaks relate to people, beginning first with ourselves and then the people we came from, married, birthed, live by, live for, go to church with, don't like, don't understand, fear, struggle with, compare ourselves to, and judge. People are the best and worst thing about the human life.

Jen Hatmaker knows this all too well, and so she reveals how to practice kindness, grace, truthfulness, vision, and love to ourselves and those around us. By doing this, For the Love leads our generation to reimagine Jesus' grace as a way of life, and it does it in a funny yet profound manner that Christian readers will love. Along the way, Hatmaker shows readers how to reclaim their prophetic voices and become Good News again to a hurting, polarized world. 

Picture Perfect Love {Review}

Picture Perfect Love by Melissa McClone

A Year of Weddings 2, Book #7
Visit the Author's Website HERE

Publisher: Zondervan

Publishing Date: May 25, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

When image becomes everything, it’s up to love to refocus the heart.

Photographer Jenna Harrison wants every bride and groom to look picture perfect on their special day, putting her heart into every wedding to give the couple memorable images of their love. But her own heart is still broken, the unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet a reminder that relationships aren't always as perfect as they look through her camera lens. But Jenna has faith that she will find true love. Until then, she must be patient and trust in God's plan and His perfect timing.

Attorney Ashton Vance is the one that got away. When an embarrassing Photoshopped picture of put an end to his political aspirations, he blamed Jenna. So what if the photo led to his being offered a dream job and changing his life for the better? Jenna betrayed his trust, and two years later, Ashton's heart still hasn't recovered. 

It was me. His younger sister's three words turn Ashton's world upside down. He must ask Jenna’s forgiveness, but can he risk his heart a second time? Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?

A Batter of Life and Death Tour + Giveaway!

A Batter of Life and Death by Ellie Alexander

A Bakeshop Mystery #2

Publisher: St Martin's

Publishing Date: June 30, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the coffee is hot, the muffins are fresh, and the cakes are definitely to die for...

It's autumn in Ashland, Oregon-'tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte's famous peach cobbler. It's also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family's beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel's reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally.

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered-death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?

Whenever You Come Around {Review}

Whenever You Come Around by Robin Lee Hatcher

Kings Meadow Book #3

Visit the Author's Website HERE

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publishing Date: May 12, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Will writing a romance help this author find a real-life hero?

Charity Anderson turned her back on Kings Meadow years ago, with good reason, and has avoided visits to her hometown whenever possible. But with her house in Boise damaged by floodwaters and a book deadline bearing down, staying in her parents’ empty home seems her only option. However, being in Kings Meadow dredges up a painful secret, and old fears threaten to overwhelm her.

Charity’s former high school classmate Buck Malone never left town, instead sacrificing his dreams to take care of his family. Now he enjoys an uncomplicated life as a wilderness guide and confirmed bachelor. The last thing on his mind is settling down.

When Charity’s dog causes an accident that leaves Buck with a broken ankle and wrist at the start of prime tourist season, Charity has little choice but to render aid while he recuperates. Soon Buck becomes the inspiration for Charity’s hero, both on the page and off. Can he also help her face and overcome her fears so they might find their own happily ever after? 

Dragons Are People, Too Review + Giveaway

Dragons are People, Too by Sarah Nicolas

Book #1

Visit the Author's Website HERE

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publishing Date: April 28, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Never judge a dragonby her human cover...
Sixteen-year-old Kitty Lung has everyone convinced she’s a normal teen—not a secret government operative, not the one charged with protecting the president’s son, and certainly not a were-dragon. The only one she trusts with the truth is her best friend—and secret crush—the über-hot Bulisani Mathe.
Then a junior operative breaks Rule Number One by changing into his dragon form in public—on Kitty’s watch—and suddenly, the world knows. About dragons. About the Draconic Intelligence Command (DIC) Kitty works for. About Kitty herself.
Now the government is hunting down and incarcerating dragons to stop a public panic, and a new shape-shifting enemy has kidnapped the president’s son. Kitty and Bulisani are the last free dragons, wanted by both their allies and their enemies. If they can’t rescue the president’s son and liberate their fellow dragons before getting caught themselves, dragons might never live free again

Blood Soaked Ashes {Review}

Blood Soaked Ashes by Frankie Ash 

Book Two in Eramane Trilogy

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Self-published

Publishing Date: January 21, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 

A legion from across the sea wants her dead. The man she loves would die a thousand deaths to keep her alive. The demon she fears would cover the lands in blood-soaked ashes to have her again. Eramane is learning to accept her new life, a life that demands much from her. She is a Breather, and she has no idea how to be one. But when Eramane learns that a passage she opened between her world and the Reach cannot be closed, she will find herself on a treacherous journey searching for dangerous allies. In the north are the Cloud Walkers; across the South Sea is a kingdom with a massive army. Both could end up destroying her and all that she loves, if the demon she thought was dead doesn't do it first.

Starry Night Review

Starry Night by Isabel Gillies

Visit the author's website HERE

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publishing Date: September 2, 2014

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes one night can change everything. On this particular night, Wren and her three best friends are attending a black-tie party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the opening of a major exhibit curated by her father. An enormous wind blasts through the city, making everyone feel that something unexpected and perhaps wonderful will happen. And for Wren, that something wonderful is Nolan. With his root-beer-brown Michelangelo eyes, Nolan changes the way Wren’s heart beats. In Isabel Gillies's Starry Night, suddenly everything is different. Nothing makes sense except for this boy. What happens to your life when everything changes, even your heart? How much do you give up? How much do you keep?

Atlantis Rising Review and Giveaway

Atlantis Rising

by Gloria Craw

Release Date: 01/06/15

Entangled Teen

352 pages

A Lady at Willowgrove Hall Review

A Lady at Willowgove Hall by Sarah E. Ladd
Visit the Author's website HERE
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: October 7, 2014
Goodreads Summary:

Willowgrove Hall is full of secrets, but soon everything hidden is brought to light.

Cecily Faire has a secret—and she intends to keep it. But when she arrives at Willowgrove Hall to serve as a lady’s companion, she comes face-to-face with the only person who knows the truth about her past.

As the steward of Willowgrove Hall, Nathaniel Stanton is dedicated to serving those around him. Nothing escapes his notice—including the beautiful new lady’s companion. He is certain the lovely Miss Faire is hiding something, and he determines to uncover it. But Nathaniel has a secret of his own: he is the illegitimate son of Willowgrove’s former master. Falling in love was not part of his plans . . . until he meets Cecily Faire.

When Willowgrove’s mistress dies, everything changes. Fear of exposure forces Cecily to leave under the cover of darkness, embarking on a journey to finally find her long-lost sister. When the will is read, Nathaniel’s inheritance makes him question his future plans. Cecily and Nathaniel are forced to make decisions that will change the course of their lives. Is their love strong enough to survive?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Buy the book from Book Depository today!

My Thoughts:
I can confidently say that 'Willowgrove' is very much so in the vein of the great Austen and even the more recent Alexander. I am so glad I picked this title out from amidst Anne's Twitterature because it was a incredibly well written book.

Unfortunately for you I don't have much to say about this book! Which seems to happen to me when I really like a book. 'Willowgrove' is a great story. There was just the right amount of tension between our main characters, Cecily and Nathaniel. And when I say 'right amount', I truly mean it. There were some heavy pasts for both characters, but the book wasn't about secrets and non-conversations. They both found each other attractive, but not overly so. It wasn't instalove!

And the length! The paperback sits at 343 pages which may sound too long, but was really the perfect length. Ladd had time and space to fully develop the characters and the story into something believable and real. I found the pace to be just right, rather comfortable. I wrote in my notes 'comfortable like cuddling in front of the fire drinking wine'. And this is still the impression I remember after reading this book over a month ago!

With Ladd's attention to detail and in depth regency research, 'Willowgrove Hall' is a beautiful story. Easy to read, easy to love 'Willowgrove' is a must read for those in love with Christian Regency novels. I can also recommend it to those who are looking for a well written, well paced, and well developed novel. I rate this one with 5 stars.

Nest Review

Nest by Esther Ehrlich
Visit Author's website HERE
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Publishing Date: September 9, 2014
Goodreads Summary:

For fans of Jennifer Holm (Penny from Heaven, Turtle in Paradise), a heartfelt and unforgettable middle-grade novel about an irresistible girl and her family, tragic change, and the healing power of love and friendship. In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp’s mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes.
   Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they create their own private world and come up with the perfect plan: Escape. Adventure. Discovery.
   Nest is Esther Ehrlich’s stunning debut novel. Her lyrical writing is honest, humorous, and deeply affecting. Chirp and Joey will steal your heart. Long after you finish Nest, the spirit of Chirp and her loving family will stay with you. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Buy a copy at Book Depository today! 

My Thoughts:
A coming of age story in the 1970s, 'Nest' is a brilliant debut novel from Ehrlich. Our MC is Chirp, an 11 year old quirky girl with a loving, ordinary family. Soon however, Chirp's mom is diagnosed with a debilitating disease. The reader follows along as the pieces fall apart, but some new pieces are fit together.

'Nest' tells us the story of a disease that wildly affects a quiet family. A diagnosis that touches and changes everyone. I loved the journey. It changed each person individually and to see their choices and imagine them in my own life...it got pretty heavy. I thought Ehrlich's exploration of grief and shock was incredibly well done and though without seeming 'in your face'.

But within the dropped bombshell, a friendship blossoms. Chirp falls into a quick, easy friendship with her neighbor, Joey. It is an odd friendship built out of a mutual understanding of pain and lonliness. There is a level of understanding between the two that carries the story right on through to an ending with hope. Adorable, innocent, wonderful are the only adjectives I can apply here.

'Nest' provides a glimpse in time, the era, and into a seemingly normal family. It is a snapshot of change, loss, and hope. It is a wonderful book. 5 stars easily. I could recommend it to anyone looking for a touching coming of age story or just a great book to read.