Book Review: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Release Date: July 31st, 2018
Read: August 25th-26th, 2018
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Source: McNally Robinson

Description of GoodReads:

   Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

   Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch. 

   A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

   But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain. 

Book Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Release Day: May 29th, 2018
Read: August 5th-8th, 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Series: Caraval, #2
Format: ARC, 451 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for a honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

   After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

   The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

   Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun. 

DNF Review: Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas

Release Date: February 21st, 2017
Read: August 12th-20th, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 422 pages
Source: Borrowed

Description from GoodReads:

   Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

   Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

   Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.

   As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown. 

Book Review: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Release Date: October 9th, 2018
Read: July 21st - 22nd, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Standalone
Format: Signed ARC, 448 pages
Source: BEA 2018



Description from GoodReads:


   Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

   Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

   But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

  Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

   Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

   But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

   What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

   What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?


   But what if it is?

Book Review: The Traitor's Ruin by Erin Beaty

Release Day: July 10th, 2018
Read: July 18th, 2018
Publisher: Imprint
Series: The Traitor's Cycle, #2
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   After proving her worth in book one as a deft spy and strategic matchmaker, Sage Fowler is now comfortably positioned in high society as the royal tutor. When she’s called upon to teach his majesty’s soldiers how to read and write, she jumps at the chance to serve her kingdom of Demora—and to be reunited with her fiancé, Captain Alex Quinn. 

   During a skirmish, Sage and Alex are separated. She watches him die before he can deliver important military intel—or so she thinks. She escapes from the enemy and makes an unlikely alliance with a mysterious soldier from a third nation. As Sage tries to rally their support against a common foe, the important political alliance is plagued by secrets and betrayal. 

   Can Sage complete Alex’s mission and save her kingdom once more? 

Book Review: Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Read: June 30th - July 10th, 2018
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: Shadow of the Fox, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: BEA 2018

Description from GoodReads:

   Once Every Thousand Years...

   Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns...and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near...and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret.  

   Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has...and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

   A wish will be granted and a new age will dawn. 

Book Review: The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo

Release Date: September 18th, 2018
Read: June 14th - 24th, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 320 pages
Source: McNally Robinson Booksellers

Description from GoodReads:

   Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, is a strange place. For the past century, every girl has been born with a special talent, like the ability to Fix any object, Heal any wound, or Find what is missing.

   Best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy all have similar talents, but to them, their abilities often feel like a curse. Rome may be able to Fix anything she touches, but that won’t help her mom pay rent or make it any easier to confide in Lux and Mercy about what’s going on at home. And Rome isn’t the only one. Lux has been hiding bigger, more dangerous secrets.

   As Rome struggles to keep her friendships close, she discovers the truth about life in Cottonwood Hollow—that friends are stronger than curses, that trust is worth the risk, and sometimes, what you’ve been looking for has been under your feet the whole time.