A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan

Sometimes, a good title and even better cover art is all that a girl needs to pick her next read. Especially when the title has the same name as you do.

Thank you Little Brown and Company for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Remy and Alicia, a couple of insecure  service workers, are not particularly happy together. But they are bound by a shared obsession with Jen, a beautiful former co-worker of Remy’s who now seems to be following her bliss as a globe-trotting jewelry designer. In and outside the bedroom, Remy and Alicia’s entire relationship revolves around fantasies of Jen, whose every Instagram caption, outfit, and new age mantra they know by heart. Imagine their confused excitement when they run into Jen, in the flesh, and she invites them on a surfing trip to the Hamptons with her wealthy boyfriend and their group. Once there, Remy and Alicia try (a little too hard) to fit into Jen’s exalted social circle, but violent desire and class resentment bubble beneath the surface of this beachside paradise, threatening to erupt. As small disturbances escalate into outright horror, we find ourselves tumbling with Remy and Alicia into an uncanny alternate reality, one shaped by their most unspeakable, deviant, and intoxicating fantasies.  Is this what “self-actualization” looks like?

A toxic Instagram crush creates one heck of a monster in this wild ride! Is this a romance? Is this fantasy? How about science fiction? Is it comical? I don’t know how, but it’s all of the above and Beth did a great job at that! This book is so unique and makes it a must-read! There truly is no other story like it. It’s addicting!

4.5/5 Stars

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

This story is advertised as being similar to having twists like you’d find in the book Gone Girl. I read that story a long time ago, but loved the suspense in it! I’m hoping this truly will be similar.

Thank you Scribner for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Cat lives in Los Angeles, far away from 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where she and her estranged twin sister, El, grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross. But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to 36 Westeryk Road, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. The grand old house is still full of shadowy corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someone—El?—has left Cat clues in almost every room: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting…

This story was like nothing I have ever read before! It’s wild and twisted, that’s for sure. There was a whole lot of creativity going into this story. This had a touch of fantasy/magic realism to it, which I didn’t expect. For some reason I didn’t really love the touch to different genres in this book, even though I normally don’t mind it. I think I was just way more invested in the investigation behind what was happening in the book and wanted to read more into that. This one was really hard to rate because there are so many elements to it. If you want to read something different than you’ve ever read before, I say do it. Would I read this again? Nope.

3.5/5 Stars

 

The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen

During times likes these, adventuring off to a fantasy novel is the best thing to do!

Thank you Henry Holt and Co for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky, signaling the death of King Surimir and the beginning of Queen Rhusana’s merciless bid for the throne. With the witch queen using the deadly plague to unite the nation of Sabor against Crows—and add numbers to her monstrous army—Fie and her band are forced to go into hiding, leaving the country to be ravaged by the plague. However, they’re all running out of time before the Crows starve in exile and Sabor is lost forever. A desperate Fie calls on old allies to help take Rhusana down from within her own walls. But inside the royal palace, the only difference between a conqueror and a thief is an army. To survive, Fie must unravel not only Rhusana’s plot, but ancient secrets of the Crows—secrets that could save her people, or set the world ablaze.

This is the second book in the Merciful Crow series, which is proving to be a phenomenal story-line! This was a great sequel packed with romance and tons of adventure. In fact, I think the ending of this book was a bit too extravagant for my liking because so much is going on! I love that it has a thriller and romance twist to this fantasy plot. The characters are extremely likable which makes you become so invested in everything going on. I highly recommend reading the first before this new addition comes out this summer!

4/5 Stars

Finale by Stephanie Garber

THE TIME HAS COME! I have waited for this day for a long time. I can’t believe this series is coming to an end! If you haven’t read the previous books, you may not want to read any further. No spoilers here…it just won’t make much sense to you.

Thank you Flatiron Books for gifting me an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has seen Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne. Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finaly, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all. Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win…and those who will lose everything. . .

As it is said, all good things must come to an end. I love that this book is written in both Scarlet and Tella’s point of view. I wish the second book was the same! If you have been following my reviews for long enough, it’s no surprise that I loved the first book way more than the second book. In fact, a good friend of mine says that she’s still trying to get through reading the second book. I hear that quite a lot from people. This book is different! It reads a LOT like the first book which made me so happy! Stephanie has such a talent for detailing her stories so beautifully. I could read her descriptions for days and days. They’re just so magical! If you don’t like love triangles, then this book isn’t for you. I, on the other hand, LIVE for love triangles and just devoured this story. I squealed the entire time. My husband could guess which book I was reading from miles away. It was a wonderful ending to the series in my opinion and I will cherish this story for years to come.

5/5 Stars

Golden Skies by Juan Zapata

Today I’m participating in Digital Reads Blog Tours to present you Golden Skies by Juan Zapata.

Book Blurb: As a boy, Malik watched an army of religious zealots swarm his home town, slaughtering his people and running his beloved grandfather through with a black sword. Nine years later, Malik still believes there’s peace…somewhere. At least that’s what he tells himself as his body is ripped apart by whips at a conversion camp. That’s what his best friend whispers as he frantically creates new force technology and jetpacks to rescue Malik. Yet when war bursts through the skies and the sky troopers, assassins, and heroes fall, when the world comes crashing down, Malik Zzoha stands amidst the sands to lead a band of friends and revolutionaries to face his tyrannical, zealot father, determined to free the people he loves.
Author Bio: Juan Zapata is a senior at Alabama A&M, expected to graduate December 2018. He majors in Criminal Justice and is a member of the AAMU Honors Program. Born in Mexico, Juan came to the United States at four years old. When he is not writing, Juan likes to play For Honor and pretend he’s a knight, laughing with happiness at his victories and nearly having aneurysms when defeated. 

Follow him on twitter and instagram @Zapatathe1 and on Facebook here.

Get your copy of the book here!

I Do Not Trust You by Laura J Burns and Melinda Metz

Thank you to Goodreads and Wednesday Books for my winning giveaway copy of this book. The cover is gorgeous and it’s a young adult book, so I figured it would be right up my alley!

Memphis is an intelligent, spunky, adventurous high schooler who was raised by parents just the same. M has come across some bad fortune as of recently: her archaeologist father has died in a crash and she is stuck with a guardian couple who don’t follow her love and affection for adventure. One day, a gorgeous British man named Ash shows up and tells M that her father is still alive, being held captive by cultists who want to bring an Egyptian God back to life. M is the key to saving her father because she has the map that the cultists need and desire. Is her father really alive? Is she willing to risk her life to save him? What is this mystery behind this cult group?

This is a modern day Indiana Jones story to me. I went in on this read blindly and, at first, felt like it helped me enjoy the story, but not for long. I was hooked by the first few chapters, but completely lost in the mumbo jumbo of archaeology history. History is not my forte in general, so I found this story to be dull. I was expecting more detailed adventure than what was given. I felt like the ending I was expecting came too late and happened way too fast. I would’ve enjoyed the story a lot more if it were a movie so I’ll keep my eye out for that.

2/5 Stars

 

Arcacia by T.A. Barua

I’m participating in a Digital Reads Blog Tour today!

Synopsis: When a beautiful sorceress-queen, Selina, spurns Setanor, a powerful, jealous northern warlock, an invasion of Western Arcacia begins.  To save her newborn triplets from death, they are cast down a magical river to the New World, a place called, ‘London, England. Thirteen years later in a cold, Victorian London attic…  The future of Sophie, an impoverished orphan looks bleak but everything changes, to her astonishment after a young witch arrives through her bedroom window with an incredible message and a warning. So begins her life in a beautiful, enchanted ancient world…How do Sophie and her four friends summon the tremendous courage to rescue her long lost family while restoring Arcacia from dark, ruling forces? Mystical beasts, sceptres, powerful witches and daemon-trolls are just some of their challenges. Meanwhile, the dreaded terrifying warlock, Setanor and his witch-consort Lilith have sent a secret enemy to plan their downfall…

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Pick up your copy of the book here!

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

As soon as I finished Caraval, I just had to read Legendary!

This is Donatella’s story this time. The story picks up with the letter that ended Carval. Tella owes her friend a big payment – the true name of Legend. She has to play Caraval again on a new island in order to get the payment. This time, Caraval is not just a game – it’s real and her life is at stake. Will she find out who Legend really is? Will she survive? Who is this “friend” of hers?

I didn’t love it as much as Caraval. I am not a fan of Tella and Dante, and the majority of the story was about them. This story is also much darker than Caraval. I also wasn’t a fan of who Legend was at first, but I started to warm up to the idea. The romance tends to be cheesier in this book, but I honestly love Stephanie’s writing. It’s so captivating and detailed. Even if I wasn’t a fan of the story, I was completely engulfed and couldn’t stop reading. And, of course, I am going to need to read the third book because, that ending…UGH!

4/5 Stars

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

I did it! I finally read it! After seeing this book being bragged about all over the place, I finally got to it!

Scarlet and her sister Donatella (Tella) have heard the wonderful stories about Caraval, a magical island where you get to take place in the performance of a lifetime. Scarlet has wanted to be invited to participate in the game for years, and never got to. Until now. Scarlet is invited, along with her sister, to attend. The problem is, their father is a nasty human being and would never allow them to leave the island. In fact, he has arranged for Scarlet to marry a Count in a few days, so their dreams of seeing Caraval are shot. Then along comes Julian, a sailor who gives them the opportunity to experience Caraval and escape their father’s fate for them. Once they arrive to Caraval, all seems wonderful until Tella disappears. Will Scarlet find her in time? Are they in true danger? Is the magic all it’s cracked up to be? Will their father get ahold of them? Will she really marry the Count? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

WOW you guys. WOW. I’m beating myself up over here for how long it’s taken me to read this book. What a magical, whimsical adventure. It’s so beautiful! Honestly, there were a few times I got mad at the book. There were a few instances where I didn’t love where the story was going, but MAN did the story always make-up for it. Holy crap! This is a huge roller coaster of emotions. This story will play games with your head. If you aren’t a fan of being tricked, don’t read this. I’m all for being captivated with the characters. And the ending?! UGH! Thankfully I read this now so the sequel is available for me to get right away. The only problem is, I got Legendary (the sequel) on audiobook to play on my 8 hour car ride this week so I have TWO DAYS to wait and start it. I don’t know if I can do it! I never wanted this book to end. The romance wasn’t cheesy either! Sigh….just beautiful. I will bask in this wonderful book high all day.

5/5 Stars

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

I’m starting to get pretty excited about Robert’s new book – Willa of the Wood. I read this book awhile back on a road trip and completely fell in love. I live in the same town that this story takes place, so it has a special meaning to me.

Serafina lives with her dad in the Biltmore Estate, the largest home in America found in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Her dad is a maintenance man for the estate and Serafina has lived in secret in the servants corridors. She goes exploring one day, only to find a mysterious figure in a black cloak roaming the halls. She hears that children are disappearing in the night and she’s determined to figure out who this man is. She teams up with the Vanderbilts’ (the owners of the estate) nephew to go on a harrowing adventure to uncover the truth. Not only does she work to figure out who the man is, but she begins to find out who she truly is and where she comes from.

This book is so magical and whimsical. It’s such a fun, quick read that will engulf you into the story right away and keep you waiting for more. I love the time frame of the story and how accurately detailed it is. The ending is unexpected which makes it all the more fun to read. This book is truly perfect for all ages and I highly recommend it!

5/5 Stars

Order it here for a great price!Serafina and the Black Cloak