Frankly In Love by David Yoon

Frankly In Love by David Yoon

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

14 comments

The HIGHLY anticipated YA novel Frankly in Love by David Yoon comes out TODAY!

I fell in love with it.
I laughed out loud with it.
It deserves a place on my TOP 10 YA books of all time shelf!!!

Yes, it deals with high school seniors, first love, college choices, family pressure and all that drama you normally expect from YA books, BUT (yes, there's a but) it somehow talked about some heavy issues, without being a total emotional meltdown. The sense of humor sprinkled throughout the book, was just the right amount and the main characters were so lovable!

And like Selena Gomez once sang "The heart wants what it wants" ❤️

It's truly impressive to think that this book is a debut for David Yoon and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

You can get your copy TODAY from BOTM YA (@yasofthemonth) for just $9.99 with code GROW.  
Just click this link.





**Note:
I got a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and as an BOTM YA Affiliate, I will get a free book if you sign up for a subscription using my link.

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BOOK REVIEW: American Royals by Katherine McGee

BOOK REVIEW: American Royals by Katherine McGee

Monday, September 2, 2019

7 comments

BOOK REVIEW: American Royals by Katherine McGee

Release Date: September 3rd, 2019

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

4.5 ⭐️ rated by Katie Brownfiel (Instagram: @_katie.reads)

BOOK BLURB:

Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown.
Two girls vying for the prince's heart.
This is the story of the American royals.

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American. And their country was born of rebellion.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.


KATIE'S THOUGHTS:

I don’t know about you, but I love the British monarchy. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn for Will and Kate’s wedding...and again for Harry and Megan’s. I shamelessly binged The Crown and Downton Abbey, but I was missing a book that could capture those same conflicting experiences of extreme privilege and unparalleled scrutiny, beautiful ceremonies and seemingly inescapable traditions. American Royals (release date September 3) is the perfect edition to any royalty-loving bookworm’s collection.

Set in an alternate timeline in which George Washington became king instead of president, American Royals follows the experiences of America’s 21st century heirs: Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson. Like any other young adults, they face their challenges: deciding what ballgown to wear, choosing which college to attend, falling in love with the one person it would be impossible to date, being swept up in a high-society love triangle. Okay, maybe not all of those experiences are relatable, but the emotional core of their experiences are achingly accurate. Who among us hasn’t been jealous of our sibling or best friend for seemingly having it all? Who hasn’t felt pressure from their parents to follow a certain path in life? Who hasn’t felt lost as they try to decide who they want to be?

The novel is told from the viewpoints of Beatrice, Samantha, Nina (Jefferson and Samantha’s childhood best friend), and Daphne (Jefferson’s social climbing ex-girlfriend). Each woman is faced with impossible expectations, and though they strive to find a balance between societal pressure and their own hopes and dreams, that tension causes significant stress in their relationships and personal lives.

Nina was personally my favorite character because she is the sort of hero you can’t help but root for. As a woman of color with a part-time job and two mothers, Nina is not the woman you would expect to be a prince’s girlfriend, but, at the same time, she is exactly who you want to see in an American ruling family. Just as the world rejoiced to see Megan Markle become a duchess, so too will you want to see Nina impart her real-world wisdom on the monarchy. Plus, Nina is the sort of character you would want as your best friend.

Engrossing and addictive, prepare to have American Royals become your next binge read.
I have to warn you, though.
The ending will leave you dying to see what happens next. 

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Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Sunday, August 25, 2019

12 comments

BOOK REVIEW: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Release Date: August 13th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Fiction

Published by St. Martin's Press

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My Goodreads Rating

BOOK BLURB:

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because she doesn't fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don't date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

MY THOUGHTS:

This was my first read from Katherine Center and OMG am I glad that I listened to some of my Instagram buddies that recommended it! 

I now want to read all her books 💙

I feel that it's unfair to define Things You Save in a Fire as a romance book.  

Why?

Because it's SO much more!!! Yes, there's a romance going on, but there's also the fact that we get to read about real life's heroes in this book! The people that put their lives on the line everyday.  And Cassie Hanwell is a BADASS firefighter, one that can inspire anyone to actually rise above a problem and dare to be ignored. 
I think that I always just assumed that women can choose to be whatever profession they choose to, but this book reminds us that it's not quite like that yet, is it?  The old school misconception still exists and women need to work twice as hard to claim their space in certain jobs. 

The writing was superb and the character development in this story was flawless!  The narrative was so engaging that I could not put it down, and as I got close to the last pages, tears were streaming down my face and I needed to take a breath in order to continue.

The lesson on forgiveness is such a wise one that I want to read it over and over.

A truly beautiful book! 

“Choosing to love—despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love, anyway.. That’s not weakness, that’s courage.” 

READER BEWARE:  SIDE EFFECTS may include a sudden desire to hug and forgive (yourself and others)...

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LYCAN’S BLOOD QUEEN - Release Blitz

LYCAN’S BLOOD QUEEN - Release Blitz

Friday, August 23, 2019

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I am so excited that LYCAN’S BLOOD QUEEN by Catherine Edward is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Catherine Edward, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a GIVEAWAY for three copies of the eBook, International, courtesy of Catherine, GenZ Publishing, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About the Book:

Title: LYCAN’S BLOOD QUEEN (Randolph Duology #1)

Author: Catherine Edward

Pub. Date: August 22, 2019

Publisher: GenZ Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 358

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

Aaron George Randolph, ruling King of the Lycans, is hell-bent on revenge for his mother’s brutal death at the hands of Vampires. But when a suspicious student takes up resident on his turf, he can’t help but be drawn to her despite knowing what she is.

  

Taken into custody by the ruling family of Brookedge, Mia’s life is complicated by the whole different world of mythical creatures living among humans. Now she must survive the impending civil war between old rivals, all the while learning about her true self and the power she holds. Torn between the nature of who she is and the overwhelming desire for the Lycan king, her choices are minimal.

What begins as vicious hostility changes into defying desire as Aaron and Mia are brought together by an unforgiving grudge that miraculously blooms into something unexpected that neither knew they needed.

With the war on the rise and a powerful enemy at the head of it, will their feelings for each other heal them in time? Or will they be forced to part ways and deny each other what was fated to be?

Read chapters 1-3 on Wattpad!

Ch 1

Ch 2

Ch 3

About Catherine:

Hailing from India, Catherine is an author and law graduate, specializing in Intellectual Property & Copyright Infringement. She is passionate about Lycans, Werewolves, Witches and Vampires, and writes sizzling tales of love and betrayal. 

Her love for books started from a very young age, when her loving father would gift her books like Russian Tales woven with fantasy. But it was in late 2015 when she found the books of Paranormal Romance author Cynthia Eden, whose books introduced her to the whole new world of paranormals. The more she read the more she got enticed and she penned her first novel in 2016. Since then, she has resigned her full time job as the HR and Operations Manager at a marketing/event management firm to pursue her passion as a writer.

When she isn’t writing, she likes to travel and read. Music and writing goes hand in hand for this night owl. Her family and furbabies are her world. 

She also loves to chat with her readers and fellow authors. You can find Catherine often chatting on Twitter or on her Facebook page.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a eBook of LYCAN’S BLOOD QUEEN, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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5 best beach reads of 2019

5 best beach reads of 2019

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

18 comments

Summer for me means extended weekends with long walks on the beach and plenty of time to relax on the hammock while reading a book.  Sadly, summer goes by too quickly, and before we know it, it's Labor Day!
The good news is that there's still time to catch up on your reading, so go ahead and enjoy these last weeks of summer, take another vacation (or relax in your backyard), go to the beach, but whatever you do, take time to read these page-turners!


RECURSION by Blake Crouch
I’m a sci-fi fan and even though the whole concept of time-travel has been explored in a lot of books and movies, Crouch was able to explore a new angle, one that merged actual scientific advances into a fictitious reality that might not be too far from the near future.
His narrative is fast-paced, leaving the reader with no time to think twice when turning the pages.  To make it even more interesting, there’s also a love story ♥.

SUMMER HOURS by Amy Mason Doan
This book has everything that you want in a summer read. The perfect California coast, a love triangle, best friends, college life and the choices we all have to make while growing up.  A real coming of age story about the choices we make and the dreams we forget along the way. A beautiful story. Very well written. Impossible to put down.

THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman
A refreshing, often hilarious tale of a geeky book addict that at first seems socially awkward, but really could use some TLC.  It's easy to fall in love with Nina, her book buddies and kick-ass trivia team.  Life couldn't be more perfect! Until she meets Tom, inherits a family, and has to learn to deal with life’s surprises.

MEET CUTE by Helena Hunting
Don't be fooled by the cute cover.  This book has all the feels.  It's loaded with a roller coaster of emotions, from tragedy and family-drama to humor and swoon-worthy scenes (and OMG, talk about passionate)! It’s also full of charm and you can’t help but fall in love with the main characters as well.

STORM & FURY by Jennifer L Armentrout
With her typical snarky and swooning characters, Armentrout delivered yet another action-packed fantasy! A world of demons, ghosts and shape-shifting GARGOYLES, plus one kick-ass heroine with a small disability, just made this storyline SO unique!!!
Shhh! It's ok to be impatiently waiting for book 2 to come out...


Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. 

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5 Magical Trilogies Worth Binge Reading

5 Magical Trilogies Worth Binge Reading

Thursday, July 25, 2019

7 comments

As I was taking pictures for the #Bookstagram challenge #throwbackthursday, I came up with the idea of a blog post about my favorite trilogies!

Do you have a favorite one?

There are a lot of great trilogies (seriously, a LOT) out there, and the best part about reading a series that all volumes have already been published is you can find them in the library, and don't have to wait for the next book to come out.

So go ahead, step onto the magical carpet and binge read them all!

My Top 5 MAGICAL TRILOGIES worth BINGE READING are:

ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas

A brilliant plot of epic proportions!

One girl gets dragged into a magical world.  She doesn't know yet, but the High Lord is hoping she will break the curse (no, this is not a Beauty & The Beast re-telling).  

I love how the story includes friendship, PTSD, diversity, emotional abuse, shame and monsters...yes so many monsters. And how some monsters only want to be seen, to be shown kindness...And in the midst of all the fighting and betrayals, the most beautiful love story unfolds.  I know it might sound cheesy, but this series put SJM on the auto buying shelf.
There's a particular  scene in the last book that will stay with me for a while.

And the speech the High Lord of the Night Court gave his inner circle before the final battle needs to be framed in order to be remembered forever.

THE INFERNAL DEVICES by Cassandra Clare

The world of Shadowhunters goes back to the Victorian age in London.  Evil forces are descending into London and one young lady has the power to stop it all.  Oh, and there's a love triangle. 

This is not your usual love triangle. This is a beautifully crafted tale of love+friendship+respect. A masterpiece. The writing is easy to follow and the characters developed seamlessly. The added sarcasm is a gift also. I have to admit that I didn't expect to love this trilogy so much and even if you never really got into the Shadowhunter mania, go ahead and try this series!

ALL SOULS TRILOGY by Deborah Harkness

A world with magical creatures: Witches, Vampires and Daemons. 

An enchanted manuscript.

Diana Bishop, a descendant of the Salem Bishop Clan, is about to find out that she is the most powerful witch alive. Her parents were murdered when Diana was young and she has decided to live her life without using magic. 

Here comes Matthew Clairmont, a jaw-dropping good looking vampire who is also a geneticist.

Daemons are abnormalities. They are geniuses that can be born from humans, have different powers and are everywhere. 

Anyway, when Diana somehow calls the enchanted manuscript, she unknowingly sends out an universal alarm that makes all magical creatures (good and evil) aware of who she is. She can no longer hide. Matthew decides to protect Diana (well, she doesn’t know how to use her powers yet). 

To make matters worse, it is forbidden for a witch to fall in love with a vampire. 

Guess what happens next…

THE SHADOW AND BONE (Grishaverse) by Leigh Bardugo 

Alina, an orphaned girl who lives in the Kingdom of Ravka, finds out she has magical powers, Grisha.   Grisha are citizens of Ravka who are able to use magical abilities. Each Grisha is able to perform one specific power.

The leader of the Grisha, the Darkling, convinces Alina to train with other Grisha and learn to control her abilities.  As Alina struggles to fit into her new life, a threat to the kingdom of Ravka grows—one that will test old alliances and challenge the very limits of magic, one that will take a frightened girl and forge her into a leader.

THE FOLK OF AIR by Holly Black 

(book 3 is coming out at the end of this year, so by the time you're finished reading all of the above, you won't have to wait at all).

The world of Faerie is magical, rich and colorful, but its residents are untrustworthy. For Jude and her twin sister Taryn, growing up in Faerie was no small task. Both sisters want very much to belong, yet, each one has a very specific idea of what kind of life they want to live in the Courts of Faerie.  

Faerie can't lie but they can twist their words in a special way that makes the reader's mind spin. There are enemies everywhere. The amount of political intrigue and attention to detail is phenomenal.  Be ready to enter a world of bullies, betrayals, jealousy and one girl that will defy it all.


*Note: The links above are affiliate links and if you purchase any of these books, I may get something in return.

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Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

Sunday, June 30, 2019

17 comments

End of June already?  How in the world did we get here so fast? I guess it's time to take a deep look at the books I read so far (without freaking out)!   I was here thinking of what the best way to write this post when I came across the Mid-Year-Freak-Out-Book-Tag! No, I wasn't tagged, but hey, I was never shy and I'm not about to start now...

As far as I can tell, the #midyearfreakoutbooktag was originally created by booktubers "Read Like Wildfire" and Earl Grey Books , but I was not able to locate one of them on YouTube.

BEST BOOK you've read so far in 2019?

This was the first book I read from Blake Crouch and it blew my mind away!
You can read my full review here .

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

BEST SEQUEL you've read so far in 2019?

 Without a doubt that would be #ACOMAF by Sarah J. Maas!  If you haven't read this series, I suggest you run (don't walk) to the nearest library to grab it!  You're still here?

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

NEW RELEASE you haven't read yet but want to?

I loved The Night Circus so I'm really looking forward to reading The Starless Sea!
Ok, I know that this book won't be released till later in the year, but if I could only get an Advance Review Copy...

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Most ANTICIPATED RELEASE for the second half of 2019?

I already pre-ordered Leigh Bardugo's new book, Ninth House and I have a feeling I will be waiting by my door on the day of the delivery 🖤

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT?

Ok, I'm probably the only person that might think that, but I DNF Caraval 😟
It just didn't do it for me.

BIGGEST SURPRISE?

The Hype is real! If you ever wished you could combine Star Trek with a sparkle of Guardians of the Galaxy, look no further.  Aurora Rising has it all! 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Favorite NEW to you AUTHOR?

I just recently read Pachinko for my Book Club and it was, quite simply, one the most memorable books I have ever read!  Min Jin Lee became a favorite!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Newest FICTIONAL CRUSH?

Daxton Hughes from Meet Cute by Helena Hunting.  I'd love to be the girl sharing that milkshake with him (among other things)...

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Newest FAVORITE CHARACTER?

Sixteen-year-old Bri! She turns her anger into lyrics and uses her voice to tell everyone about the injustices of the world we all live in...That's what  I call #GIRLPOWER !

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Book that made you CRY?

When I finished reading Speak No Evil, I wanted to shout, or maybe go out for a walk, or get drunk, but instead, I just sobbed on the couch.  How can such a short novel (215 pages) pack such an emotional punch?  You need to read it yourself and let me know what you think...

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Book that made you HAPPY?

The Music Shop is an irresistible love story about two very different people and the music that brings them together.  A treasure to be cherished by all music and book lovers! 

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Favorite Book-To-Movie ADAPTATION you saw this year?

Written with the funny & intelligent lines that are common in all Gaiman’s novels, except this one was written with Terry Pratchett, and the result is a satirical novel that makes you keep thinking how crazy some of the lines sound, because they actually make sense...

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Favorite REVIEW you've written this year?

That's a tough question.  I like every review I write.  I do it because I enjoy it, so it's not an obligation, it's my opinion.  I'm not sure I can choose an all-time favorite, but maybe the one that touched me the most, which was Recursion by Blake Crouch.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Most BEAUTIFUL BOOK you've bought so far this year?

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

What BOOKS do you need to READ by the end of this year?

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black and Storm and Fury by Jennifer L Armentrout and
SO many others that I find difficult to name all!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

There you have it.  I'm not going to tag anyone so feel free to #TAG yourself, and let me know if any of these books made to your list as well! 

✌🏼

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