SUMMARY: Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart.
The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.
But winning won’t be easy against the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.
Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.
But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.
SUMMARY: I picked this book up from my local library because I was looking for a vampire book to read. To my readers who know me by now…*grins* I decided to give this book a shot. I’m so glad I did because holy cow! This was an adventure and a whole new world to jump into.
I could not stop reading this book. From the beginning to the end, I was fully immersed in this world. Just like when I read Jay Kristoff “Empire of the Vampire” and like Jennifer L. Armstrout “From Blood and Blood” those worlds just stayed with me. Carissa did the same thing! Yup I’m going to have to buy her book and have it my shelf.
Okay let’s dive in and let me ramble right?
Vampires..well there are certain kinds of vampires in this book which is a different concept. I love it! I wasn’t expecting wings with vampires but it did work. I would say about 90% of the vampires in this book are bloodthirsty ones and can be scary. It’s not “Twilight”…there is lots of blood mentioned in the story…so readers be aware. It was a very very interesting take on vampires. It created a different kind of world which I want to know more of.
Oraya has quite the task to do! Along the way she has experiences that got her thinking on many things. I loved this for her. I enjoyed how she has a mind of her own. I felt bad for her since she was in the world of vampires and had to be alert at all times and couldn’t experience some human moments. The young lady had been through so much and she still has more to go through. I loved her sass and her skill with fighting. Even she possesses a gift of magic but I’m curious where did she get that? How does this come into play? I loved how she used her magic on Raihn.
Her relationship with Raihn was interesting. So much banter between them which I loved. At first I thought they were just going to help each other out but as time went by it evolved to something more. It was almost like a slow burn. They did have two steamy moments which was done nicely. Just something about that them they fit so well together. I will say the ending caught me off guard and now I wonder what will happen with their relationship?
Both characters have been through quite a bit. Some of their background is told in this book so it gives you a better picture of how they are now. I loved their stories.
Kejari games…that takes you to a whole another level. It did give off a tiny ‘Hunger Games’ feel. This had a lot more going on with magic, blood and vampires. It kept me hooked on the story and made me want to know what was going to happen next. It was pretty fast paced too.
Mische, I loved this character in the book. I am hoping she shows up in the next book. She is just a likable character and has a great relationship with Raihn in a sisterly way! She also connects with Oraya which is more of a friendship. I loved how Raihn and Oraya took concern for Mische when she was injured. That showed compassion there. I loved that!
The ending left me with tons more questions! I’m ready for book two now which I may have to go check out from the library sometime this week..maybe like tomorrow if I have time?
I received an E-Arc by the publisher and marketing assistant Kejana Ayala (thank you!) and the author, Ava Morgyn and Netgalley for an honest review.
Author: Ava Morgyn Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Date: September 26, 2023 Pages: 416 Website Instagram
SUMMARY: Cordelia Bone’s meticulously crafted life and career in Dallas are crashing down around her thanks to a philandering husband with criminal debts. When her older, carefree sister, Eustace―a cannabis grower in Boulder―calls to inform her that the great aunt they never met has died and they must travel to a small town in Connecticut to deal with the estate, she sees an opportunity to unload the house and save herself.
But once there, the sisters learn they are getting much more than they bargained for. The Victorian mansion they stand to inherit is bound in a dynasty trust controlled by their late aunt’s aging attorney, who insists they retain and inhabit the house but keeps them in the dark about the peculiar rituals of their ancestors. Not to mention a sexy, tattooed groundskeeper with a shrouded past who refuses to leave the carriage house and a crypt full of dead relatives looming at the property line.
As both women grapple with their current predicament, they come face to face with a haunting family secret, the truth of what happened to their mother, and the enemy that’s been stalking them from the shadows for generations. In a twisting torrent of terror and blood, the sisters must uncover the power within them to heal their fractured relationship, reverse their mysteriously declining health, and claim the lineage they wanted to escape but now must embrace if they are to survive at Bone Hill.
REVIEW I could not stop reading this book. I literally was hooked on the story from the beginning to the end! I had to know what was going to happen next with the sisters!
I got this ebook from the publisher which was so nice. It was an awesome surprise! Thank you Kejana Ayala and author, Ava Morgyn.
Like I said this book had me hooked! Each chapter had me wanting to know what was going to happen next for Cordelia and Eustace. The two sisters inherit a house from an aunt they never knew and things happen!! Weird things happen! So many mysteries…so many things!
At first I thought the book would be a whimsical book but it’s a bit dark with a tiny bit of horror. So if you are looking a dark but quick paced story about witches with some creepy bits in it, then this book is for you. Just to warn you if you don’t like creepy things then maybe not read this book, ok? Creepy bits meaning: history is a bit creepy, death is mentioned, an animal is hurt badly (so animal lovers just heads up!), and there is someone who dies. I could all the creepy things happening because I kept focusing on what was Cordelia and Eustace’s next move ? Will they survive this? What will they uncover next? What is so special about this house? I had tons of questions that I wanted to know.
I love how both sisters got each other’s backs. I love Eustace’s quirky moments which made me giggle. I love Cordelia going into investigation mode. The sisters made a great team and I loved how they learned more about their family history. The sisters both have secrets of their own and eventually they are told. Are they still sisters?
There was some romance happening with Cordelia and the groundkeeper which was nice!!! I liked how the romance slowly was incorporated in the story. I loved the groundkeeper’s background story too. Do they get their happy ever after? You’ll have to find out.
I will point one thing. Eustace did cook a nice meal for her sister and invited the groundkeeper to join them. While eating Cordelia and the groundkeeper who is named Gordon ends up saying some funny things. Why is that? Blame it on Eustace, hahaha! It was funny. I wished the book had a few more of these moments.
Who’s the villain in the story? It had me guessing and you’ll have to read it to find out.
Go pick this up when it comes out because it’ll be a great autumn/Halloween read! If you like witches with a bit of spookiness and creepy elements here and there then this is the one for you. I may pick this up since the cover is so pretty too!
Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the “gods” remember, and they do not forgive.
Thief Arcady scrapes a living on the streets of Vatra. Desperate, Arcady steals a powerful artifact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. Only Arcady knows the artifact’s magic holds the key to a new life among the nobles at court and a chance for revenge.
The spell connects to Everen, the last male dragon foretold to save his kind, dragging him through the Veil. Disguised as a human, Everen soon learns that to regain his true power and form and fulfil his destiny, he only needs to convince one little thief to trust him enough to bond completely–body, mind, and soul—and then kill them.
Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter.
This sensational epic fantasy follows an emissary for the king as he gathers a group of strangers and embarks on a dangerous quest across a war-torn land.
The war is over, but peace can be hell.
Demons continue to burn farmlands, violent mercenaries roam the wilds, and a plague is spreading. The country of Eidyn is on its knees.
In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first mage to be named King’s Envoy. And his latest task is to restore an exiled foreign queen to her throne.
The band of allies he assembles each have their own unique skills. But they are strangers to one another, and at every step across the ravaged land, a new threat emerges, lies are revealed, and distrust could destroy everything they are working for. Somehow, Aranok must bring his companions together and uncover the conspiracy that threatens the kingdom—before war returns to the realms again.
Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.
Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.
The Drought of Girls has ended, but the rift it broke open between the Queendoms is not so easily healed. Political tensions roil the senate of Paxim, where Queen Heliane vows to make her son Paulus the nation’s first ruling King or die trying. Scorpican troops amass on the border of Arca, ready to attack. And within Arca itself, its young, unready queen finds her court a nest of vipers and her dreams besieged by a mysterious figure with unknown intentions.
As iron and magic clash on the battlefield and powerful women scheme behind the scenes, danger and violence abound. Can anyone stop chaos from ripping the Queendoms apart?
I spy adventure, romance, historical and rom com fiction books!
All the covers of these books are amazing and their stories sound so fascinating!
Check them out to see if you are going to pick one up today!
After a panic attack puts him in the hospital, charity executive Teagan Van Zijl is dragged by his sister to a wilderness therapy retreat in Montana. Lost in the woods while absconding from midafternoon meditation, Teagan is nearly eaten by a bear before his rescue by a furious angel in muddy hiking boots: the program’s handywoman, Darcy Albano, who was mostly worried for the bear.
Darcy thought she was going to work as a trail guide when she was hired onto the camp staff but ended up cleaning and hauling instead—merely the latest screwing-over she’s endured since her ex stole her car and her parents ruined her credit score. Teagan becomes the silver lining she didn’t expect, a man clearly going through something yet willing to commit to Darcy’s unique brand of wilderness education as the cure for what ails him.
After weeks in the mountains with Darcy, Teagan doesn’t want to return to New York without her. He hires Darcy as his sober companion—a position he doesn’t actually need filled and for which Darcy is completely unqualified—hoping she can help him figure out a way to move forward. But once they get to the city, all Teagan can think of is how to confess the truth without losing her. Together, they begin to imagine what their lives might look like if they could depend on each other for help—even in outrunning a bear.
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.
They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.
Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?
Jasmine Randhawa likes everyone to think she has it all—great job, perfect Seattle apartment, and a handsome boyfriend. But she’s not as confident or successful as she seems, and her relationship is at a breaking point.
When Jasmine finds herself single and tagging along on her parents’ vacation, she’s not sure her life can get any farther off course. It’s a nightmare for someone who’s been so fiercely independent to find herself on a cruise full of family friends who’ve judged her since childhood. Things only get worse once the ship leaves the harbor and she realizes that this is a seniors’ cruise, and the only other person under fifty on the entire boat is her childhood acquaintance, cocky and successful Jake Dhillon.
Jasmine and Jake clash right away, with Jasmine smarting over how their South Asian community puts him on a pedestal as the perfect Indian son, whereas her reputation as a troublemaker precedes her. Except they can’t avoid each other forever during the ten-day cruise, and they soon recognize a surprising number of similarities, especially in how many secrets they’re keeping hidden from their families. Their restlessness seems to disappear whenever they’re together, but is this relationship strong enough to last on land?
September 1896:An aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into the male-dominated field of excavation. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously. But when a simmering conflict between Greece and Turkey erupts into open warfare, Betsy throws herself into the conflict as a nurse, not knowing that the decision will change her life forever—and cause a deep and painful rift with her oldest friend, Ava.
June 1898:Betsy has sworn off war nursing—but when she gets the word that her estranged friend Ava is headed to Cuba with Clara Barton and the Red Cross to patch up the wounded in the Spanish-American War, Betsy determines to stop her the only way she knows how: by joining in her place. Battling heat, disease, and her own demons, Betsy follows Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders straight to the heart of the fighting, where she is forced to confront her greatest fears to save both old friends and new….
Set during an electrifying era of nation-building, idealism, and upheaval, Two Wars and a Wedding is the tale of two remarkable women striving to make their place in a man’s world—an unforgettable saga of friendship, love, and fighting for what is right.
American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.
A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army Intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.
Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case.
But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice’s greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life— pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.
Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target.
Miss Genevieve Wilde―a magistrate’s daughter and independent heiress―is determined to meet life’s challenges all on her own, just as her late father had taught her. So when her father’s pocket watch is stolen, she will do anything to get it back, especially when the local authorities prove incompetent.
Upon reading an advertisement in the paper, she takes a chance and contacts a thief-taker to find the watch. It’s a choice Ginny regrets when former Bow Street officer Jack Travers arrives on her doorstep. He is frustratingly flirtatious, irritatingly handsome, and entirely unpredictable, and Ginny wonders if she’ll be able to resist such a man.
But after Ginny discovers that the missing watch is just a small part of a larger, more frightening plot against her, she needs Jack’s help more than ever. To protect her home and her reputation, the two enter into a risky charade―pretending Jack is her cousin so he can begin his investigation, starting with the household staff. As they work together to unravel the mystery, Ginny finds herself falling fast for her charismatic thief-taker, leaving her heart in just as much danger as her life.
Nola McCollum is the most desirable girl in Arthur’s class, and he is thrilled when they become friends. But Arthur wants far more than friendship. Unfortunately, Nola has a crush on the wrong Moses—Arthur’s older brother, Frank, who is busy pursuing his own love interest and avoiding the boys’ father, a war veteran with a drinking problem and a penchant for starting fights. When a sudden tragedy rocks the family’s world, Arthur struggles to come to terms with his grief. In the end, it is nature that helps him to understand how to go on, beyond loss, and create a life of forgiveness and empathy. But what can he do about Nola, who seems confused about what she wants in life, and only half aware of the one who loves her most?
When Emma Jansen discovers that the grand Long Island estate where she grew up is set to be demolished, she can’t help but return for one last visit. After all, it was a place filled with firsts: learning to ride a bike, sneaking a glass of champagne, falling in love.
But once Emma arrives at the storied mansion, she can’t ignore the more complicated memories. Because that’s not exactly where Emma grew up. Her mother and father worked for the family that owned the estate, and they lived over the garage like Audrey Hepburn’s character in the film Sabrina. Emma never felt fully accepted, except by the family’s grandson, Henry—a former love—and by the driver’s son, Leo—her best friend.
As plans for the property are put into motion and the three are together for the first time in over a decade, Emma finds herself caught between two worlds and two loves. And when the house reveals a shattering secret about her own family, she’ll have to decide what kind of life she really wants for herself now and who she wants to be in it.
When Gerry, the beloved Williams patriarch, dies suddenly, his grandchildren flock from across the country to the family home in Eulalia, Georgia. But when Gerry’s best friend steps up to the microphone to deliver his eulogy, the funeral turns out unlike anyone expected. The cousins, left reeling and confused, cope with their fresh grief and various private dramas. Delia, recently heartbroken, refuses to shut up about her ex. Her sister Alice, usually confident, flusters when she spots her high school sweetheart, hiding a secret that will change both of their lives. Outspoken, affable Grant is preening in the afterglow of his recent appearance on The Bachelorette and looking to reignite an old flame with the least available person in town. Meanwhile, his younger brother Red, unsure of himself and easily embarrassed, desperately searches for a place in the boisterous family.
The cousins’ eccentric parents are in tow, too, and equally lost—in love and in life. Watching over them all is Ellen, Gerry’s sweet and proper widow, who does her best to keep her composure in front of the leering small town.
n a Pacific Northwest hospital far from the Rummani family’s ancestral home in Palestine, the heart of a stillborn baby begins to beat and her skin turns vibrantly, permanently cobalt blue. On the same day, the Rummanis’ centuries-old soap factory in Nablus is destroyed in an air strike. The family matriarch and keeper of their lore, Aunt Nuha, believes that the blue girl embodies their sacred history, harkening back to a time when the Rummanis were among the wealthiest soap-makers and their blue soap was a symbol of a legendary love.
Decades later, Betty returns to Aunt Nuha’s gravestone, faced with a difficult decision: Should she stay in the only country she’s ever known, or should she follow her heart and the woman she loves, perpetuating her family’s cycle of exile? Betty finds her answer in partially translated notebooks that reveal her aunt’s complex life and struggle with her own sexuality, which Nuha hid to help the family immigrate to the United States. But, as Betty soon discovers, her aunt hid much more than that.
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots―fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio–a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.
Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.
When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.
Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.
But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.
In love . . .
For twenty-six-year-old Adelaide Williams, an American living in dreamy London, meeting Rory Hughes was like a lightning bolt out of the blue: this charming Englishman was The One she wasn’t even looking for.
Is it enough?
Does he respond to texts? Honor his commitments? Make advance plans? Sometimes, rarely, and no, not at all. But when he shines his light on her, the world makes sense, and Adelaide is convinced that, in his heart, he’s fallen just as deeply as she has. Then, when Rory is rocked by an unexpected tragedy, Adelaide does everything in her power to hold him together―even if it means losing herself in the process.
When love asks too much of us, how do we find the strength to put ourselves first?
With unflinching honesty and heart, this relatable debut from a fresh new voice explores grief and mental health while capturing the timeless nature of what it’s like to be young and in love―with your friends, with your city, and with a person who cannot, will not, love you back.
There was a plan.
She had the money, the connections, even the brains. It was simple: become one of the only female necromancers, earn as many degrees as possible, get a post in one of the grand cities, then prove she’s capable of greatness. The funny thing about plans is that they are seldom under your control.
Now Aelis de Lenti, a daughter of a noble house and recent graduate of the esteemed Magisters’ Lyceum, finds herself in the far-removed village of Lone Pine. Mending fences, matching wits with goats, and serving people who want nothing to do with her. But, not all is well in Lone Pine, and as the villagers Aelis is reluctantly getting to know start to behave strangely, Aelis begins to suspect that there is far greater need for a Warden of her talents than she previously thought.
Old magics are restless, and an insignificant village on the farthest border of the kingdom might hold secrets far beyond what anyone expected. Aelis might be the only person standing between one of the greatest evils ever known and the rest of the world.
Adventure, life, figuring things out….so many great stories.
All Momo wants for her twelfth birthday is an ordinary life—like everyone else’s. At home, she has to take care of her absentminded widowed mother. At school, kids ridicule her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her.
But then Momo’s mother falls gravely ill, and a death hag straight out of those childhood stories attacks Momo at the mall, where she’s rescued by a talking fox . . . and “ordinary” goes out the window. It turns out that Momo’s mother is a banished Shinto goddess who used to protect a long-forgotten passageway to Yomi—a.k.a. the land of the dead. That passageway is now under attack, and countless evil spirits threaten to escape and wreak havoc across the earth.
Joined by Niko the fox and Danny—her former best friend turned popular jerk, whom she never planned to speak to again, much less save the world with—Momo must embrace her (definitely not “ordinary”) identity as half human, half goddess to unlock her divine powers, save her mother’s life, and force the demons back to Yomi.
Kai and Kishi share the same futon, the same face, and the same talent for pearl diving. But Kishi is the obedient daughter, while Kai tries to push the rules, and sometimes they fight. Still, when Kishi is stolen and killed by the legendary Ghost Whale, nothing will stop Kai from searching for her, deep in the ocean, hoping for a way to bring her back to life.
But such a rescue is beyond the power of an ordinary mortal. Kai strikes a deal with the gods: she’ll steal a magic pearl in exchange for her sister’s soul. As she journeys across treacherous land scape, Kai must navigate encounters with scheming bandits, a power-hungry war lord, and a legion of conniving fox spirits. And when a new friendship becomes something almost as powerful as her love for her sister, Kai must make impossible choices and risk everything just to get home again.
Maya is the pragmatic twin, but her secret anxiety threatens to overwhelm her.
Chaya is the outgoing twin. When she sees her beloved sister suffering, she wants to tell their parents—which makes Maya feel completely betrayed. With Maya shutting her out, Chaya makes a dramatic change to give her twin the space she seems to need. But that’s the last thing Maya wants, and the girls just drift further apart.
The once-close sisters can’t seem to find their rhythm, so they make a bet: they’ll switch places at their summer camp, and whoever can keep the ruse going longer will get to decide where they both attend high school—the source of frequent arguments. But stepping into each other’s shoes comes with its own difficulties, and the girls don’t know how they’re going to make it.
Twelve-year-old Amelia Gray has changed schools thirty-nine times (!!!) because of her dad’s job, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for making friends. But that’s okay. Amelia loves her “life on the go” with Dad and their adorable supermutt, Biscotti. She’s been in enough middle schools to know that friendships are messy, and who needs that?
But when her dad announces that he wants to stay in their new town for the whole summer—maybe even forever—Amelia realizes she’s going to have to do the one thing she’s never had to do: fit in.
So she gives herself not one but three total makeovers, to try out a few personalities and hopefully find her “thing.” Is she Amie, a confident track star? Mellie, a serious journalist? Or Lia, a bold theater kid?
Juggling three identities is hard, and Amelia soon finds herself caught in the kind of friendship drama she has always managed to avoid. Yet despite her best efforts, she still can’t answer the most important question of all: Who is the real Amelia Gray?
Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most—and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.
I received an e-Arc from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review!
Big thanks to Rikka for sending me the e-arc!
Isn’t the cover so pretty? It gives all the feels with the previous books that Paige Crutcher has written!
Author: Paige Crutcher Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Date: September 26, 2023 Pages: 320 Website Instagram
SUMMARY: Aline Weir, a witch who can talk to ghosts, has kept her talents hidden ever since a disastrous middle school slumber party. Ever since, Aline has chosen to be invisible and use her powers in secret to help lost souls reunite with the keys to send them home. All the while, she finds solace in a bookstore and the three mysterious women who run it… until Aline discovers The Book of Mischief, and her powers are enhanced.
Living a solitary life until the age of thirty-four, Aline’s life takes an unexpected turn when the wrong (or perhaps right) person witnesses her using her powers and she is invited to a town that doesn’t exist on any map. Arriving in Matchstick, Aline learns of a lost magic that desperately needs to be found and only her unique powers can do it. But what she’s not told is that Magic is a person. One that is dangerous and seductive and has been waiting for a witch with a power like hers for centuries. Magic must free himself and claim the power to gift it to The Supreme Witch, a being more beguiling, powerful and dangerous than he.
REVIEW Oh my gosh! Another amazing world that Paige Crutcher created! I was hooked on the story from the first page. I had a concept of how this story was going to go but I was so wrong. I was glad to be wrong because the story itself was magical. It was filled with such colorful, descriptive adventures of into new places along with battling magic and saving the world. That was epic!
I was entertained by the main character Aline who was a character who loved stories and yet she could see ghosts. She learned of things to help those ghosts with a help of Dragon who guided her in a way. At first I thought Dragon could be her spiritual guide? But it was a friendship between the two of them. I loved the name. I also had a inkling that Dragon may play more to the story somehow. Was I right? You have to go get the book.
Since Aline loved stories, she ends up finding peace at a bookstore run by three ladies. The three ladies play a part. I liked the relationship between the three ladies and Aline. They’re pretty cool ladies.
(psst….Anne of Green Gable is mentioned in this story too…I did tiny scream inside of my head about this..Yes I am fan of Anne of Green Gables….)
There is so much is going on in this story that it’s a fantasy…no wait it felt like a folklore/fantasy/magic type of feel. It’s just awesome. With all the books that this author has written, this one has the same similar fun feel and weaves such a great vivid , mystical adventure. Even all the characters play a part in the story too. I had to pay attention to the characters as well to make sure they all were connected somehow. You’ll see it when you pick up the book.
Then there’s Magic…well he’s mysterious and alluring. The connection between Aline and him is a hot one but one that is protective too. I did think Magic could be the bad guy….Was I right? I did grew to like him in the story as it went on. There’s a story to him as well which ties with the overall picture. His story is unique too. I will say the ending caught me off guard with Magic. One word – “Cooking.”
So who’s the bad guy? Why is Aline involved? What will Magic do? What’s the connection between Magic and Aline? How will Dragon help her best friend? What about those three ladies? Will Dragon and Aline continue to be friends?
Well all your questions will be answered by picking this book up in September! If you are a fan of Paige Crutcher’s previous books, you do not want to miss out on this one. I am so glad that I got to read it earlier for an honest review. It’s such a fantasy magical adventure filled with friendship, coping, determination and love.
I received an E-Arc from the publisher for an honest review!
All the books are out in paperback now!
I know it’s a tiny tad late on the review sine I’ve been dealing with real life things.
Author: Shalini Boland Publisher: Second Sky Date: March 2023 Twitter Instagram
SUMMARY My name is Madison Greene and my boyfriend is a vampire. And not just any vampire, one with brooding good looks and a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. As I curl up against Alexandre’s side, our hands entwined, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Although our relationship hasn’t been easy. I’m human, so there were always going to be complications. But I thought we’d banished the demons from his previous life. I couldn’t have been more wrong…
Because there’s a new threat in the form of Nadia – a blue-eyed beauty who seems determined to do everything she can to break us apart. I trust Alexandre but I don’t trust her.
As I start digging into the truth to find out who Nadia really is, centuries-old secrets begin to unravel. And in order to set Alexandre free from the chains of his past, we must return to the ancient underground city of vampires to defeat Alexandre’s archnemesis once and for all.
Can I finally save Alexandre? Or will loving a vampire be the death of me?
REVIEW: Oh my gosh…this ending was great! So many twists and turns. I loved the entire series. It’s a must read for vampire readers…Get all the books…do it! Do it.
Characters of new and old come to play in this last book.
So a new character comes to play as I was taken off guard by this character. At first I thought this character was in cahoots with the evil bad vampires who have no mortality left in them but I was wrong. So wrong and yet was like “Yes” due to the fact this character was cool in its own way. You’ll have to read to find out what that character was all about.
Isn’t it rad when the author comes up with something pretty damn cool in a story?
Something happens to Ben which made me feel so much for Maddy. Maddy was so worried for her brother. I could not believe this would happen. Does he survive? What will become of him?
Of course Ben isn’t the only one who has something happening to him.
Alexandre gets in danger and everyone is concerned! What could it be? How? Who? What? Why? I had all these questions about what happened to Alexandre. As the story goes on towards the end, it all makes sense. At first I was like no no no it cannot be but then I realized ‘hey this makes a good story and yet will Alexandre live?’
Once again the author does have some more history that ties in with what is going on. It all made sense to me. I know some people don’t like the back and forth time frame but I did with this series! It was easy and gave a perfect flow for the story.
Action, adventure, historical elements, feelings and real relationships are magical in this book that the author creates. Even the vampires in this book is pretty cool..the good and the evil side of vampires!
Pick up the entire series today and you won’t regret it. I am so glad that I decided to read these books. I will always enjoy the adventures Madison and Alexandre. Would there ever be more adventures of this family?
By the way, do Madison and Alexandre get their happy ending? Go read today to find out.
Sometimes you gotta toss your whole life into a burning dumpster to find what’s most important…
Beatrice Archer has always done everything she’s supposed to ―worked her ass off, ignored her non-existent personal life, and kept her mouth shut. Now she’s over it. The rat race, respectability…the underwire bras. She’s taking her life back. Starting with moving to Nowhere, Colorado to live life on her own terms.
Now Bea gives exactly zero forks. Beer for breakfast. Sugar for everything else. Baggy sweats and soft cotton undies FTW. Then a much younger and delightfully attractive cop is called to deal with her flagrant disregard for appropriate clothing outside the local diner (some folks just don’t appreciate bunny slippers) and Bea realizes there’s something missing from her little decathlon of decadence…and he might be the guy to help her out.
When it comes to breaking rules, Officer Austin Cooper is surprisingly eager to assist. He’s charming, a little bit cowboy, and a whole lot sexy. But Bea’s about to discover that breaking the rules has consequences. And all of the cherry pies in Colorado can’t save her from what’s coming…
Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to?
Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.
Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).
But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.
Lively widow Varina Palladino has lived in the same house in Wyldale, New Jersey, her entire life. The town might be slightly stuck in the 1960s, when small businesses thrived and most residents were Italian, but its population is getting younger and the Palladinos are embracing the change. What Varina’s not embracing, much to her ninety-two-year-old mother’s dismay, is dating. Running Palladino’s Italian Specialties grocery, caring for her mother, and keeping her large, loud Jersey Italian family from killing one another takes up all of Varina’s energy anyway.
Sylvia Spini worries about her daughter Varina being left all alone when she dies. Sylvia knows what it is to be old and alone, so when her granddaughter, Donatella, comes to her with an ill-conceived plan to find Varina a man, Sylvia dives in. The three men of the family—Dante, Tommy, and Paulie—are each secretly plotting their own big life changes, which will throw everyone for a loop.
Three generations of Paladinos butt heads and break one another’s hearts as they wrestle with their own Jersey Italian love stories in this hilarious and life-affirming ode to love and family.
When Lore was thirteen, she escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. And in the ten years since, she’s lived by one rule: don’t let them find you. Easier said than done, when her death magic ties her to the city.
Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter, and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem working for the Sainted King. Lore fully expects a pyre, but King August has a different plan. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.
Lore is thrust into the Sainted King’s glittering court, where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted. Guarded by Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and continually running up against Bastian, August’s ne’er-do-well heir, Lore tangles in politics, religion, and forbidden romance as she attempts to navigate a debauched and opulent society.
But the life she left behind in the catacombs is catching up with her. And even as Lore makes her way through the Sainted court above, they might be drawing closer than she thinks.
This book…I’m soooooo glad I requested it on Netgalley to read..You bet I’m going to read the next two! It’s all about vampires…vampires..vampires…Vampires are my jam..to those who follow and check this blog you know it’s true. So let’s dive into the book and my thoughts on this interesting story.
I received an E-Arc from the publisher for an honest review!
Summary: My name is Madison Greene. On my seventeenth birthday, I inherited an old mansion and wealth beyond my wildest dreams. I thought it was a joke, but as I step through the creaking door of the sprawling building, I realize my life in foster care is in the past. I’ve been chosen and my world has changed forever.
But I wasn’t told that Marchwood House hides a secret.
As I explore every inch of the crumbling property, I stumble upon a set of large, dusty boxes in the basement. When I pull back the lid and look down, I find myself staring at the most handsome face I’ve ever seen. High cheekbones, porcelain skin…
And when he wakes up and locks eyes with me, I realize my heart already belongs to him, even though my head is screaming at me to get as far away from Marchwood as possible. Because I know what he really is.
I never planned to fall in love – but it’s too late now. Alexandre has a dark and dangerous past. He needs me and I have to help him. But can a human really save a vampire?
My Review: So I saw a post online about Hidden and I just had to read it. I think it was a cover reveal? Anyone I saw the author Shalini posting about arcs on Netgalley. You bet I requested it and got them!! I did a happy dance cause it’s about vampires. Okay okay…let’s get myself to calm down, right?
The story held my attention from the beginning to end. I literally read this book in two and half days. There’s suspense, mystery, real life feelings, amazing description of places..you could literally see the places the characters are at. Of course it has vampires in it…we all know vampires have been written many times and in many ways (which is fine with me!) but the author did a great job putting her spin on vampires. I love it! I dare wonder if Jay Kristoff would read this series…*ponders* He did watch Twilight and commented on it..I’m getting sidetracked..back to this awesome book.
The book is told from two perspectives. First is Madison who is a 17 year old teen that has a brother named Ben who is 12. Madison speaks of the current time frame, the year 2023. She and her brother live with foster parents and that eventually changes down the road as you know from the summary up above.
The second viewpoint is told by Alexandre who is 18 years old and is considered to be a man in time. He speaks of his time in the year of 1881. Alexandre has one brother and sister along with parents who he is close with. His story starts with his family and then goes on a trip where vampires end up. I love the spin on how vampires came to be for that part.
So the story goes back and forth between Madison and Alexandre which is great! It might bother some people but for me it was such a nice flow.
Towards the middle of the book Madison and Alexandre meet at the Marchwood House where the book is transformed with both characters speaking on the same page. I hope that makes sense. When they meet it’s scary for both of them..but in time they learn from each other and feelings happen.
I love Madison feisty attitude. She rocks. She also cares for her brother Ben as much as a sister could. She is just awesome. When she inherits the house, she learns more about the world. Something new to her but she dealt with it.
Alexandre what can I say? He craves adventure when he was human. I think his trip made him see the world differently and woke his senses up of learning new things. I love the relationship Alexandre has with his family.
Now the story the viewpoints of Madison and Alexandre who are teens which is fascinating to me. I put myself in their shoes and could see how it would be. It was pretty cool. I do have to say when they say “I love you ” to each other, it made me wonder could hormones be a part of this along with the idea to belonging to someone. To feel seen, to feel loved? Everyone wants that.
I will point out I loved it when Madison took Alexandre clothes shopping and he hated it. Madison made a reference to that even her brother Ben hated clothes shopping. This can be true for some men. I just had to chuckle at that.
Since the majority of the story focuses on Madison and Alexandre, there is another plot to it..I’m trying not to give it away.. Last few chapters at the end has to do with Alexandre’s family and major action happens. Like fight like action and things like that which would be perfect for a film. I can literally see this book as a movie too!
The ending has a cliffhanger..it leaves you wanting to know what is going to happen next.
Will there be peace or revenge?
So I suggest to those who have read tons of vampire books to pick this up to read. Go do it. Read…and let me know what you think.
Blue Reader Gal Corner 
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