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: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Release Date: April 10th, 2018
Read: January 28th- February 15th, 2018
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: The Shadow Game, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…

and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

Review:

   Don't trust unless you must.
   Like everyone, I too, was excited to get my hands on Ace of Shades. A book of gambling your money, and your life? WITH powers? How couldn't I be excited? But of course, the anticipation was short lived when I actually picked up the book.

   You'll notice I have two strong opinions when it comes to Ace of Shades. The first being about the world building, and the second being that I couldn't shake the feeling of having read it before.

   Amanda Foody's world building was exceptionally marvellous, you couldn't help but be in awe when it came to the society, as well as the gang groups and wealthy families. Amanda had them so well put together that when I walk by someone with white hair in the streets I can't help but be a little more cautious. The rankings of the groups, the way the gang's bloodline was still a major focus as it is in reality, but with special abilities, you couldn't help but be amazed at it all.

   The biggest flaw to Ace of Shades was that it wasn't published earlier. If the novel had been published maybe two, three years earlier I'm sure it would have been a huge hit with me. But unfortunately I had already read The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, and heard so much about Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo before reading this one. I couldn't help but compare everything, and I mean everything from Ace of Shades to The Last Magician. It was actually kind of ridiculous how similar they were. Even the plot twist in Ace of Shades was predicable because the plot twist in The Last Magician was the exact same thing. It was because of this, that I couldn't stand the book. That and the  character Enne, literally drove me mad with all her whining.

   I really wished I could have loved Ace of Shades, but it ended up being a wrong place at the wrong right situation. Since it was the story rather than the writing that ruined the book for me, I still look forward to reading Amanda Foody's debut, Daughter of the Burning City. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"People do not play this Game to win, my dear. They play this game not to lose."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Powers, Gambling, The Last Magician, Six of Crows

Book Review: North of Happy by Adi Alsaid

Release Date: April 25ht, 2017
Read: August 6-9th, 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   His whole life has been mapped out for him…

   Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. A dual citizen of Mexico and the US, he lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family, where he attends an elite international school. Always a rule follower and a parent pleaser, Carlos is more than happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.

   When his older brother, Felix—who has dropped out of college to live a life of travel—is tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brother’s voice, giving him advice and pushing him to rebel against his father’s plan for him. Worrying about his mental health, but knowing the voice is right, Carlos runs away to the United States and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his boss’s daughter—a fact that could end his career before it begins. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide what’s most important to him and where his true path really lies.

Review:

   What a world.

   As most of you know, I am the biggest Adi Alsaid fan. I own all his books, and am always impatient for his next latest and greatest. It was no different with North of Happy.

   One thing I learned right away from North of Happy, was that I was going to be constantly hungry while reading the book. The book is about Carlos, a kid with a love of cooking and food. With saying this, you get a lot of different recipes that keep popping up while you read, the same with at the beginning of each chapter. The book starts out with a recipe to start off each chapter, so you get somewhat of an idea of what each character is eating and of what you suddenly want to eat. One thing I didn't enjoy about the book was that the recipes were not whole/complete recipes, so you were left wondering how to actually make the dish.

   There are a lot of times when in YA when the character does and acts a completely different way than teens do in real life, by them being the "outcast" or "stood out from the others". North of Happy actually has realistic characters. Carlos and his friends did things that I would have done right before going into University, drinking after work, hanging out late into the night, making the mistake of choosing one thing over another, heck, I still do all of that. It was refreshing to actually be able to relate to a character for the first time in a long time.

   Finally, I really enjoyed how the novel showed how Carlos got over his grief. Grief never goes away, you just have to learn how to live with it, and that's exactly what Carlos did. The grief was always a constant in the novel, and how Carlos eventually came to terms with it. It was all nicely written and I couldn't have done it better myself.

   North of Happy has quickly become one of my favourite contemporary novels, and like always, I can't wait to see what Adi Alsaid has in store for us next. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Plain Omelet: 3 eggs, who the fuck knows?"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Food, Grief, Being hungry while reading

Blog Tour: The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

  Hello and welcome to The Women in the Walls Blog Tour, hosted by RockStar BookTours! Today on the tour, you will be able to enter the Tour-wide giveaway, as well as being able to check out my review of the book! I am so excited to introduce you to The Women in the Walls!

The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

Release Date: September 27th, 2016

Read: August 29th-September 1st, 2016

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Series: Standalone

Format: Signed ARC, 304 pages

Source: BEA 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   Lucy Acosta's mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They're inseparable—a family.  

   When her aunt Penelope, the only mother she's ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother's voice whispering from the walls. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin's sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.

Review:

   Some of us die afraid.
   I have a weird relationship with horror, most of the time with movies. I tend to find the plots either really intriguing or completely stupid, then there's my terrible relationship with the pop ups. I like to say, most of the time that I am not a fan. But I'd never read a horror book yet, I thought that The Women in the Walls was the perfect book to try the genre out. Everything turned out well, considering I had picked up a signed copy at BEA 2016.
   My favourite thing about Lukavics' characters were that they were imperfect. Lucy, especially, and it was great considering that she was our protagonist. Then there was Margaret, who seem like a perfectly normal human being, until she slowly showed signs of losing her mind. Nobody is perfect in real life, and they shouldn't be portrayed that way in books either. I'm really glad that Lukavics writes her characters the way she does, because overall, it definitely made the story that more interesting.
   I can't but find old buildings really intriguing, my family thinks that odd of me, but I'm always so interested in the history and beauty of it before seeing it as creepy. So throughout the book, I could not help but be fascinated by the house, and it's women in the walls. If I could, I'd definitely love to take a walking tour of the house!
   The Women in the Walls was exactly what I was looking for with a horror read, with just enough blood and mystery to keep you entertained. Having yet read Daughters Unto Devils, that will have to be my next go to for a creeptastic read!
  

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"You won't believe how much it hurts to be dead."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Paranormal, Disturbing, Murder

   Ever since she was little, Amy was especially intrigued by horror books and movies. Raised in a small mountain town in Arizona, she sustained herself on a steady diet of Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books before discovering Stephen King in her mother's bookshelf.  

   Amy lives with her husband, their two precious squidlings, and an old gentleman cat by the name of Frodo. When she isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing games across many platforms.  

3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE WOMEN IN THE WALLS, 

US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   Thank you so much for stopping by my stop on the tour! I hoped you enjoyed my review, and don't forget to check out the rest of the stops!

Week One:

9/19/2016- The Cover Contessa

9/20/2016- Emily Reads Everything

9/21/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book

9/22/2016- RhiReading

9/23/2016- A Gingerly Review

Week Two:

9/26/2016- Ohana Reads

9/27/2016- Bibliobibuli YA

9/28/2016- Smada's Book Smack

9/29/2016- A Dream Within A Dream

9/30/2016- BookCrushin

Book Review: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: July 28th, 2015
Read: August 6th, 2016
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: The Dark Elements, #3
Format: Paperback, 400 pages (Wrong cover for edition.)
Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

   Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

   Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.


   Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

Review:

   I saw you kiss the stars.

   As most of you already know, I am a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentorut. Especially her Dark Elements series, Every Last Breath being the last one in the trilogy. After finishing Stone Cold Touch some time after it's release, I was over the moon excited for Every Last Breath. Unfortunately a few things happened between then, first of all the series got a cover change. No one was happy about this change, the new covers in my opinion are hideous, then when the book finally released, it was at least a millimetre shorter than the rest of the series. With a height difference and a hideous new cover, why in the world would I want to go out and buy the book for full price? Eventually a year a bit later, I found a copy at a used bookstore and decided that I had waited long enough for finishing the series.
   Every Last Breath picked up a mere second after Stone Cold Touch left off, and was never a dull moment when it came to the action. In the first two books, Layla had to decide between two boys, Roth and Zayne, and where everyone had their own team that they were rooting for. (*cough*Team Roth*cough*) In the first few chapters Layla picks her guys and we no longer have to survive through the agonizing wait. When first starting the book, I thought for sure that she'd take the whole dang book to decide but in the end it worked out perfectly because we actually got to see them happy together for a good period of the book.
   Besides guy problems, the rest of the book was put together nicely. The battle against the Lilin, the problems of Wardens v.s Demons, everything worked out perfectly, as well as answering a bunch of questions that we thought we'd never get answers to.
   Every Last Breath was the perfect conclusion to The Dark Elements series, and I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out in the end. I highly recommend this series to anyone who has a love for paranormal and romance.


   With the cover change, and height change, it definitely effected my opinion and actions when picking up a copy at the bookstore. The story didn't have anything to do with it, the story is still one that everyone should pick up and read.

Check out my review for White Hot Kiss here. 

Check out my review for Stone Cold Touch here.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Everyone pays a price of blood in the end."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Angels, Demons, Gargoyles, Apocalypse

Book Review: Heir to the Sky by Amanda Sun

Release Date: April 26th, 2016
Read: August 3rd-5th, 2016
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 293 pages
Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits—by her duties as a member of the royal family, by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman, and by the edge of the only world she’s ever known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what’s left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft.

   When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks, and other terrifying beasts. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself.

Review:

   A monster is a monster.

   As you all know, I'm a rather big fan of Amanda Sun. I adored her Paper Gods series, and couldn't wait for her to release something new. With her being an insta buy, I went straight to the bookstore come April when Heir to the Sky released. 

   Monsters, who doesn't love them? At first when going into the book, I thought for sure that the monsters that the people of the continents meant, were 'savage' humans, that kind of thing. To my surprise they were real monsters, chimeras, dragons, leviathans, the whole bunch. Being mythology obsessed, I couldn't have been happier.

   Griffin was perhaps one of my favourite parts about the novel, I really enjoyed seeing him have so much hope in such a dire situation that was his world. Not to mention that he was a sweet, and very skilled monster hunter, talk about intriguing to read about. I didn't mind for Kali a whole lot, even if she was our main character. She reminded me of multiple characters that I've met before in other novels, a character that thinks her ways could not do any wrong, then deny the truth until finally giving into it. I just found nothing new with her. 

   I feel like if Sun really wanted too, she could have nicely managed to make Heir to the Sky a trilogy or a series. With so many monsters to discover, the rebellion, and all the different villages on the earth, I think there was definitely enough material to do a series. I'd certainly read more books if there were!

   Heir to the Sky was a stunning standalone, it was sweet and quick, with just enough mystery to let your imagination wander, not allowing you to stop thinking about it, and I once again can't wait to see what Amanda Sun has in store for us next. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"I must burn for others, even if it means I will burn and crumble for whose path I light."

"I survived a whole day in a land overrun by monsters. I will survive another."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Dystopian, Monsters, Survival, Rebellions

Cover Reveal: Long Way Home by Katie McGarry

   Today I am happy to be able to reveal the cover for Long Way Home by Katie McGarry, the third book in the Thunder Road series! Enjoy!

Long Way Home

Katie McGarry

Thunder Road, #3

HarlequinTeen

Expected: January 31st, 2017

Description from GoodReads:

   Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

   It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

   But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

   Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

Now for the cover!

 

Haven't read the rest of the series yet? They are available now!

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Release Date: May 26th, 2015

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Series: Thunder Road, #1

Description from GoodReads:

   Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. 

   Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. 

   No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

Release Date: March 29th, 2016

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Series: Thunder Road, #2

Description from GoodReads:

   Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life. 

   Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules. 

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

   Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. 

   Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON,  BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

   Thanks for stopping by! Let me know if you pick up the series!