February TBR

I thought February was going to be an easy month, I'm ahead on my ARC reviewing, and I don't have that many books to review this month or next.  Then I wrote down all the stuff plan on reading and it is a little daunting.  I have a ton of stuff I want to read this month and I didn't even list out all the audiobooks I hope to get to.

I talk alot about the challenge prompts I'm working on and which books fit what prompt in my TBR and wrap-ups.  If you are interested in the prompts or want to participate along with me, the links to the challenges are below.  I'm working actively on the Popsugar and Read Harder challenges.

• 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge
• Book Riot’s 2019 Read Harder Challenge

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Last Life of Prince Alastor by Alexandra Bracken
• I've been reading this for 2 weeks already but I've been very distracted.  Not the books fault, I've just been kind of in a slump.  I'm hoping to finish it this weekend before it releases. This comes out February 5th.
• The Dysasters by Kristin Cast and P.C Cast
• I was really excited to get an ARC of this.  It looks really awesome.  This comes out February 26th.  This sounds like Twister meets X-Men meets Smallville.  Sign me up.  I love all of those things.
• Erased, Volume 4 & 5 by Kei Sanbe
• I read volume 1 for the Read Harder challenge and proceeded to read volumes 2 and 3 in January.  Now that I understand how to read the manga style of the book, I'm really interested in the plot.  I have these 2 volumes and hope to binge read them once I finish Prince Alastor.  I really enjoy this series and plan to review it as a series when I'm done.
• In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
• This just came in at the library and I'm next in line on the hold list.  I'm anxious to get back to this world and see where the next door takes us.  They are so creative and usually fast paced.
• Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
• I thought the movie trailer for this looked really cool, and the movie is 99% of the time better.  I thought I'd read this before I saw the movie.  I have no idea what this is about.
• The Queen's Resistance by Rebecca Ross
• This is the sequel to The Queen's Rising.  This comes out March 5th.  This is filled with political unrest, feuding families, star crossed lovers, and long lost magic.  The main character must work with the rightful queen and her resistance (hence the title) to help restore things to the way they should be.  I really loved the first book and I'm looking forward to getting to this one.
• Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
• This comes out March 5th.  This is a psychological thriller.  The main character is bipolar and begins to suspect that her neighbor may be a murderer, but she isn't sure of herself or if she is an unreliable narrator in her own life.  I've been really into thrillers lately and I'm looking forward to this one.  

Audiobooks

I have about 10 audiobooks on hold but I have the first two listed checked out already.  After that it is all up in the air on what comes in when.  I also recommend a bunch of new releases for purchase and I never know if and when those will show up.

• Firestarter by Stephen King
• This fulfills my read a book with the same title prompt.  I already started this and I'm well over halfway done with it.  I am really enjoying it.  I hope to finish it this weekend.
• Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
• This is another challenge book, Read a book by and author whose first and last name start with the same letter.    I enjoy Clare's books.  This one is fairly long, and will likely take me 2 full weeks to complete.  This is the conclusion of The Dark Artifices series I believe don't quote me on that. 
• Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
• This comes out February 12th, and I've already read an early excerpt of this and I like what I've read so far. I can't wait to get the full copy, it picks up where book 3 left off and all of our favorite characters are present and on their own journeys.  I've listened to the entire series on audio so I'm going to continue on that way.  The narration is excellent and I'm excited to see where the various storylines go.  I hope to get this right away in February, but you never know with library holds.

January Wrap Up

I think I had a pretty good reading month to start out the year.  I got through 10 books and 7 audiobooks.  Of my books 6 of them were ARCs, and between the 17 books I finished I think atleast 12 of them can be used for reading prompts between the 2 challenges I'm working on.  Now if only I could find time to review everything I finished...I plan to do series reviews on many of these so look for those coming in the future.  

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• White Stag by Kara Barbieri
• Review
• This is the first book in a new YA Fantasy series.  This was pretty good.  It is dark and violent, so not for the weak of heart.  This follows a human who has been captured in the goblin realm for the last 100 years.  I found the plot a bit confusing at times, but overall it was pretty good.
• Freefall by Jessica Barry
• Review
• This is a mystery/thriller out on January 8th.  There's a plane crash, a daughter determined to survive, and a mother who is determined to find out what really happened.  I really enjoyed this debut.
• Firestarter by Tara Sim
• Review
• This is is a January 15th release and the 3rd book in the Timekeeper series.  I've really enjoyed the series and I'm happy with the ending for our Clock Spirit and Clock Mechanic.  I enjoyed the mythology and plot, but by the 3rd book there was a bit too much focus on the romance.  
• Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Review
• I love this series about three intimidating brothers and their super creepy house in New Orleans.  You aren't sure if it is haunted or not but weird stuff happens there all the time.  This book follows Devlin the eldest brother and a sexy ghost hunter named Rosie.  I loved Rosie, she's a puts up with none of Devlin's BS kind of gal.  She's quirky, and I want to be friends with her.  This had some twists in it I was not expecting.  This came out on January 29th.
• Romeo and/or Juliet a Choosable Path Adventure by Ryan North
• The Popsugar challenge has an adult choose your own adventure prompt this year.  I checked this out from the library and it is so much fun.  I've read the original Shakespeare, so I can appreciate that this is a fun twist and not meant to be taken seriously.  It is hilarious and a ton of fun to play as Romeo and Juliet and pick what you want them to do.  
• The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander
• This was the Tor ebook club pick of the month for January.  If you like sci-fi/fantasy I suggest signing up for their newsletter, they usually offer up a free book every month for subscribers.  This is an alternate history novella set around WWI.  Women used to paint dials of clocks with radium, here elephants are tasked with painting them.  It is beautifully written and very impactful in about 100 pages.  
• Erased, Volume 1, 2, & 3 by Kei Sanbe
• One of the Read Harder prompts was a to read a manga.  Barnes and Noble had a list of best Mangas from 2018 so checked out my library to see if they had any of the ones with plots that sounded interesting to me.  This is about a 29 year old pizza delivery guy/manga artist who can also travel back in time to save the day when things are going wrong.  He can't remember what went wrong in his own timeline because his memories have been erased, hence the title.  Reading manga was really challenging for me because the book is read back to front and right to left.  Once I got the hang of it, and figured out the plot I really enjoyed it, so much I got the rest of the books from the library and have proceeded to binge read the series.  I'm hoping to do a series review on it when I'm done with the 5th installment.
• Motion by Penny Reid
• I was so excited to get an ARC of this.  This is a serial series.  It follows a very intelligent, socially awkward Mona, who must impersonate her socialite sister Lisa.  Lisa is in trouble with the law and her famous parents.  Mona agrees to impersonate her twin until Lisa can return home and they can return to their normal operating schedules.  Mona finds an unexpected love interest in the person sent to watch over "Lisa" to make sure she stays put until adult supervision can arrive.  I'm sad I have to wait a few more weeks for the next one, but I know it will be worth the wait.   

Audiobooks

• Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
• Review
• This is the 2nd book in the Precious Stone Trilogy.  I didn't like this one as much as Ruby Red.  The main character was too boy crazy and everyone kept telling her she was stupid all the time.  That got irritating after a while.  I did enjoy it, it just wasn't as entertaining as the first book.  I still like the time travel aspect, and did I mention the pet demon gargoyle.  He was my favorite.
• Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
• Review
• Pretty much the same review as book 2.  Main character continues to be dumb and boy crazy and everyone treats her like she's an idiot.  She acts idiotic at times sure, but this was pretty eye roll inducing.  The ending was convenient and you can tell this was written for 13 year old girls.  It's entertaining, but not thought provoking in anyway.
• Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
• Review
• I listened and read the e-book.  This was fairly short and both the book and audio were really good.  This book had an unreliable narrator and a mystery/thriller element that keeps you wondering what is going on.
• The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemison
• I love this series.  I love the plot, and the writing is fantastic.  This series deserves every award it has won and all the hype it has gotten.  If you like fantasy/sci-fi give this series a try.  This continues on the story from the first book but continues to explain what happened and what needs to happen in the future.  It is climate fiction and centers around a woman an her daughter who can potentially save the earth from utter destruction.  It is fairly violent and definitely not YA.
• Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
• I loved this series.  It was so engaging.  The audio books were fairly short but I couldn't wait to get back to them every time I had to turn them off.  In this final installment we find out more about the creators of Themis, Rose saves the day again, and Vincent and Eva have the most epic father-daughter stand-off.  If you like sci-fi I recommend this series.  The full cast is awesome.
• Armada by Ernest Cline
• I loved Ready Player One, and Wil Wheaton did an awesome job with the narration of RPO, so I took a chance on this one.  It isn't as good as Ready Player One, but it still has some nostalgic references to movies, music, and video games.  Wheaton does a great job with the voices again.  
• Wildcard by Marie Lu
• I didn't love this.  I wanted more of the Warcross game and less of the relationship baggage.  I just had a hard time connecting and caring about any of the characters, which led me to not care about the plot.  It wasn't bad by any means, I just didn't enjoy it and I had much higher expectations after reading Lu's other works.  This series just wasn't for me.

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Self-Published Books

This week is a freebie because there is an extra Wednesday this month.  I went with an old topic that I've never done before since I just started participating regularly.

January 30th: Favorite Self-Published Books
I used to read self-published books a lot when I first got my Kindle, because often times they are free or really cheap to get to sucked into a series.  I've found some of my favorite authors that way.  Some of these may not be self-published any longer, but they were at the time.  These are in no particular order because this was much harder than I thought it would be.  If you've read any of my posts before many of these authors should come as no surprise, they've been favorites of mine for a very long time.  

1.     Slumber by Samantha Young

a.       

b.     I know Samantha Young has gone on to have a very successful career in adult contemporary romance, but when I found her she was writing YA paranormal and self-publishing her books.   This is the first book of hers I ever read and it remains my favorite.  I recommend all of her YA stuff and all of her adult/NA stuff as well.  She is one of my favorites and one of the few romance authors I will read.  This one is about a handmaiden who has to save the princess and the kingdom by tracking down a mysterious flower to cure the princess' sleeping sickness.  It has adventure, romance, action, and I loved it.  

2.     Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

a.       

b.     This was self-published when I bought it, I checked.  I'm not sure what the status is today.  I have a bunch of Mia's books I need to get to, her books are heart wrenching but they are worth it.  This one is my favorite to date.  This involves a man who is mute and kind of a hermit and a woman who is running away from the bad things in her own life.  One moment of kindness on her part slowly begins to uncover the pain in his past shows how much we all need love and kindness in our lives.

3.     Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

a.       

b.     Jen is one of my favorite authors, and she self-published this series.  I remember her posting about figuring out how to self publish something on her blog or in her group about it ages ago when her publisher wasn't really interesting in the storyline.  The series is great, it involves fae, steamy romance, and a badass female lead.

4.     Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller

a.       

b.     I am pretty sure this was self-published, if not the sequel (Scattered Plume) was for sure.  I love a good fantasy with a unique twist, especially if it has its own mythology to go with it.  The main character is a royal guard, but she is no ordinary soldier.  She has skin that burns and turns to rock like lava.  As the story unfolds we find out more about her and the magic surrounding her, the political unrest at work, and much more.  

5.     Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid

a.       

b.     The whole series is awesome as is the spinoff The Winston Brothers, so go read all of them.  You're welcome!  Penny is my go to author when I’m down.  I love all of her female characters, and their male counterparts are equally excellent.  They all have some quirk about them and I love that she puts technical stuff and science stuff in her books.  They are all so well researched.  Contemporary romance isn’t my thing but if Penny wrote it I’m going to read it and I know I’m going to love it.  I do believe all of Penny’s works are self-published.

Release Blitz: Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Moonlight Scandals: a de Vincent novel from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout is available now!

It takes a fearless woman to love the most scandalous man alive in New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s breathtaking novel

Even a ghost hunter like Rosie Herpin couldn’t have foreseen the fateful meeting between two mourners that has brought her so intimately close to the notorious and seductive Devlin de Vincent. Everyone in New Orleans knows he’s heir to a dark family curse that both frightens and enthralls. To the locals, Devlin is the devil. To Rosie, he’s a man who’s stoking her wildest fantasies. When a brutal attack on her friend is linked to the de Vincents, he becomes a mystery she may be risking her life to solve.

Devlin knows what he wants from this sexy and adventurous woman. But what does Rosie want from him? It’s a question that becomes more pressing—and more dangerous—when he suspects her of prying into the shadows of his past.

Now, the legends surrounding the de Vincents may not be myths at all. But if she’s to discover the truth, she must follow them straight into the arms of the man she can’t resist—the handsome devil himself

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DdOLiz

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2PMZV4I

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/MoonlightScandals

Nook: http://bit.ly/2RJEz5x

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2qEqzyk

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2PlCkZA

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2qEpkiE

Audible: https://amzn.to/2G09OGW

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2zFablw

Start the Series Today!

Moonlight Sins (de Vincent series, book 1)

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2v8VLen

AppleBooks: http://bit.ly/MoonlightSins-iBooks

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/moonlightsins

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2EHHQLQ

Nook: http://bit.ly/MoonlightSins-Nook

Audible: http://amzn.to/2DJB1JZ

About Jennifer L. Armentrout

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more. She is also the creator and sole financier of the annual Write Your Way To RT Book Convention, a contest that gives aspiring authors a chance to win a fully paid trip to RT Book Reviews.

Connect with Jennifer L. Armentrout:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_l_armentrout/

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/1DiIjRa

Stay up to date with Jennifer by joining her mailing list today: https://bit.ly/2qBce5m

https://jenniferlarmentrout.com

Review: Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be released on January 29, 2019.  I'll put the purchase links below if you are so inclined (not sponsored or affiliated, just a supporter of Jen's books and love the series).  If you love Jen's writing, you will love this.  This stands on it's own but I recommend reading the other books in the series, but you don't need to.  There are a few things that will make more sense if you do, but it isn't required.  I really appreciate that about this series.

This is the third book in the de Vincent series and it doesn't disappoint. This follows Devlin, the most enigmatic of the three brothers and Rosie Herpin, who is probably the most entertaining of the three heroines.  I want her to be my friend in real life.  I want to go ghost hunting with her and work in her family's bakery.  I love Rosie, she is smart-mouthed, quick-witted, she is kind, and she loves weird stuff. She challenges Devlin and makes him feel things, something he isn't used to doing.

Devlin has been hardened by life as the eldest of the de Vincents and we learn that he has endured some pretty rough treatment in order to protect his family, specifically his brothers. Rosie is no stranger to heartache, but she surrounds herself with people who love her and accept her love of the paranormal. Dev and Rosie meet by chance, and they keep running into each other. They immediately don't like each other, but it is evident that they are going to develop a hate-to-love relationship. Their banter is spectacular as they fight about the most ridiculous things and work up to more significant topics.

I really appreciated the twists and turns that this book took me on. I didn't see most of them coming. I almost always see the twists coming, but this book took me on a ride. I really enjoyed how the series wrapped up. I liked that each of the other brothers had a spotlight, and that they get to see Devlin in a new light.

Watch the Trailer (by Jillian Stein):

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DdOLiz

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2PMZV4I

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/MoonlightScandals

Nook: http://bit.ly/2RJEz5x

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2qEqzyk

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2PlCkZA

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2qEpkiE

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2zFablw

Start the Series Today! 

Moonlight Sins (de Vincent series, book 1)

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2v8VLen

AppleBooks: http://bit.ly/MoonlightSins-iBooks

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/moonlightsins

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2EHHQLQ

Nook: http://bit.ly/MoonlightSins-Nook

Audible: http://amzn.to/2DJB1JZ

Top 5 Wednesday: Top of Your TBR

January 23rd: Top of Your TBR


This is a tough one because there are so many books I want to read! I've mentioned some in the books I didn't get to last year and my most anticipated books already. I'm going to list books I haven't mentioned already to keep things fresh because I plan on reading those.

I'm always looking for recommendations. What's on the top of your TBR?

• The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemison
• 
• I've been listening to this series on audio and it is fantastic.  I forgot how much I like adult epic fantasy.  This series deserves all the hype it gets and every award it has won.  I love the characters and the premise of the story.  I can't wait to find out how it ends.  Will mother and daughter resolver their differences? Will the moon return?...I have so many questions!
• Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
• 
• This is another series that I listened to over the last year or so.  It is full of political intrigue, some mythology, and great characters.  This is the 6th and I believe final book in the series.  This series surprised me as it isn't something I normally go for, but as it progressed it is full of surprises.  I'm excited to find out how it all plays out.  
• Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
• 
• This is supposed to be another adult fantasy but set in a convent.  Assassin Nuns...sign me up.  I enjoyed The Grave Mercy series by Robin Lefevers, but this is adult versus YA, so I'm looking forward to it.  It has gotten really good reviews from some of my favorite reviewers and I can't wait.  I'm loving adult fantasy right now.
• Beard Necessities by Penny Reid
• 
• Contemporary romance really isn't my thing, but I make an exception if Penny writes it.  She's one of my favorite authors, I highly recommend her!  I love The Winston Brothers series and I've been waiting patiently like many of the other fans for Billy and Claire's book for what seems like forever.  This isn't due out until October.  I know it is going to be heartbreaking, but so worth it.
• The King by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• 
• Jen is another of my favorite authors, and this is a companion novella to the Wicked Trilogy.  It is due out in July.  We were left hanging in the last novella, and I'm dying to know what happens in this fae, paranormal romance.  

Trailer Reveal: Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Moonlight Scandals: a de Vincent novel from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout is coming January 29th and we have the brand new trailer for you!

It takes a fearless woman to love the most scandalous man alive in New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s breathtaking novel

Even a ghost hunter like Rosie Herpin couldn’t have foreseen the fateful meeting between two mourners that has brought her so intimately close to the notorious and seductive Devlin de Vincent. Everyone in New Orleans knows he’s heir to a dark family curse that both frightens and enthralls. To the locals, Devlin is the devil. To Rosie, he’s a man who’s stoking her wildest fantasies. When a brutal attack on her friend is linked to the de Vincents, he becomes a mystery she may be risking her life to solve.

Devlin knows what he wants from this sexy and adventurous woman. But what does Rosie want from him? It’s a question that becomes more pressing—and more dangerous—when he suspects her of prying into the shadows of his past.

Now, the legends surrounding the de Vincents may not be myths at all. But if she’s to discover the truth, she must follow them straight into the arms of the man she can’t resist—the handsome devil himself

Watch the trailer:

Trailer by Jillian Stein

Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DdOLiz

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2PMZV4I

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/MoonlightScandals

Nook: http://bit.ly/2RJEz5x

Top 5 Wednesday: Most Disappointing Reads of 2018

January 16th: Most Disappointing Reads of 2018
--These are books you read in 2018, not only ones released in 2018.


This was alot harder than I expected to narrow it down to just 5.  I read 150 books or so last year and most of them were 3 stars or above.  I had 14 books that I gave 1 or 2 stars to.  Some of them I didn't expect to like in the first place (1984 by George Orwell is a good example of that) so I didn't list them here because they weren't really a dissapointment.

Here we go

• Warm Bodies by Issac Marion
• 
• I liked the movie, hated the book.  I'm not really into zombies, and I think I was expecting this to be more like the movie.  I wanted the comedy from the movie and this was dark and gruesome.  I
• The Defy Series by Sara B. Larson
• My Series Review
• 
• This entire series dissappointed me.  It was recommended if you liked Graceling by Kristin Cashore, but it is nothing like Graceling.  It is a contemporary romance that has some fantasy elements.  I didn't want swooning I wanted a strong female character who could kick butt.  She spent too much time worrying about her love life.  I didn't like it.  It got better, but its not Graceling by any means.
• Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller
• 
• My review
• I wanted so much more out of this book.  I loved the first one, but this one was just missing something for me.  It wasn't the conclusion I wanted from this duology.
• Unbreakable by Sara Ella
• 
• My review
• This is another one where the conclusion of the series was so disappointing.  I really enjoyed the first 2 books, but the ending was immature.  It really ruined the whole series for me, which is a shame because the first 2 books were good and I liked the premise and the magic system.
• Don't Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench by Mark Titus
• 
• I expected to like this more than I did.  I just didn't connect with the author's sense of humor.  I honestly didn't need to know about his gastrointestinal distress throughout his college basketball career as many times as he mentioned it.  Nor do I think much of his commentary was funny.  I did appreciate getting a look behind the scenes of college basketball, especially for games I watched or was at that he talked about in the book.  He is a talented writer, but his approach and humor just isn't for me.

Teaser Tuesday: Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He was standing before a massive mausoleum, one guarded by two beautifully erected weeping angels, and he was just standing there, as still as those angels, his arms stiff at his sides and his hands closed. She took a step for- ward as her gaze drifted to the name on the mausoleum.

de Vincent.

Her eyes widened and she blurted out, “Holy baby llama.”

The man twisted at the waist, and Rosie was suddenly standing within mere feet of the Devil.

That was what the gossip magazines called him.

That was what most of her family called him.

Rosie liked to refer to him as in her wildest dreams.

Pre-order your copy of Moonlight Scandals today! 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DdOLiz

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2PMZV4I

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/MoonlightScandals

Nook: http://bit.ly/2RJEz5x

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2qEqzyk

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2PlCkZA

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2qEpkiE

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2zFablw

Review: Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I needed a book that involved time travel. This was a quick read and it was alot of fun. I really liked the historical aspects that were thrown in and the time travel concept in this book. I didn't want an overly complex sci-fi book at the time, and the time travel in this is very simple, so if you want something more complex and scientific, this may not be the book for you.

I thought the characters were completely believable as well. Gwenyth behaves exactly like a teenager who is interested in pop culture, boys, modern music, and just wants to spend time with her friends and family. She wants nothing to do with her stuffy relatives and the things they are interested in, even if it makes her look dull and uneducated in their eyes. She just wants to be herself and doesn't care what they think. When she finds out that she can travel back in time instead of her cousin, Charlotte, Gwenyth is completely unprepared and overwhelmed. All of those around her are bewildered because she isn't Charlotte, who has been preparing for time travel her entire life. I didn't appreciate everyone calling Gwen stupid and putting her down all the time, because she isn't perfect or training. She is also an immature teenager, which is to be expected. Her cousin is mature and groomed for the situation that Gwen has been trust into unwillingly and the insults were just unnecessary.

Overall, I found this very fast paced and entertaining. This is YA so the content is clean. The writing was good, but there is still so much unknown. I do feel like some of the plot could have been flushed out a bit more and more content could have been included. There are hints at a romance or a potential love triangle. It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger and a lot of unanswered questions. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
Narrated by Marisa Calin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book. I expected more growth from the characters and more plot development in this book. Both of those fell a little flat for me. I want to know more about the prophecies and why Paul and Lucy stole the chronograph and ran away. Both of those plot points are kind of just hanging out there with no real explanation in sight. I'm hoping those come to some sort of conclusion in book 3.

I do love Xemerius, he is Gwen's dead demon gargoyle pet. If you don't know already, Gwen can see and talk to spirits of the undead. Xemerius meets up with Gwen and Gideon after a time travel event and once he realizes Gwen can see and hear him he won't leave her be. Xemerius adds and element of comic relief to the story, he is also able to get information for Gwen that she can't get because the people who are supposed to be training her and helping her get the hang of the whole time travel thing are keeping her in the dark and treating her like she is inferior.

Much like in the first book, I could have done without the constant barrage of calling Gwen stupid and telling her she's pretty much useless. She pretty much finds out she can time travel and they start sending her on missions the next day without any information and training, yet everytime she walks in a room she's called a name and told she's not worthy, called stupid, and made to feel inadequate. Gwen never speaks up for herself, I thought maybe she'd get fed up eventually and tell them enough is enough. She had a bit of a spine in the first book, which I liked. She's too focused on being boy crazy about Gideon in this book to really care. There is too much about how handsome Gideon is in this and too much jealousy for Charlotte, neither of which adds to the plot.
Gwen and Gideon's romance was a given, you know its coming from the first book. They just don't really have any chemistry. I appreciate that there isn't really a love triangle, but their romance is missing something. It might be that Gideon is kind of a jerk to her most of the time and you aren't yearning for them to get together.

This review makes it sound like I didn't like this book. I did enjoy it. It is entertaining, but I feel like this book and the first book could have been condensed. This book doesn't really move the plot along and the first book felt a bit too short.

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
Narrated by Marisa Calin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Much like my review of the second book, this one is more of the same. Gwen is constantly jealous of anyone talking to Gideon. She is unsure of herself at every step, some of that is warranted, while most of it is not. You aren't sure if you like Gideon or not because he's pretty much been a jerk to Gwen since day 1, and you aren't sure if he likes her or not.

I thought we were getting somewhere when Gwen's friend Leslie tells her at the beginning of the book to stop being sappy and get over her boy troubles, but the book is riddled with teenage angst and romance. I'm sure younger readers will eat this up, but I wanted something with a bit more substance. The ending was much to convenient. I kind of figured out who dun it earlier on, but I wasn't 100% sure, so I wasn't surprised at the reveal. There were still some plot holes that were left unresolved in the end that I would have liked wrapped up

I did love Xemerius, he is ever present and provides comedy at every turn. He is by far my favorite character in the series.

Overall, the conclusion of the series wasn't as strong as I would have liked. I was hoping for a strong ending. I'm glad to have read the series. It was entertaining, it just wasn't as plot driven as I would have liked and definitely had more focus on the romance than I prefer.

Review: Firestarter by Tara Sim

Firestarter by Tara Sim
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  This will be released on January 15, 2019.

I really loved this series. The clock spirit idea is very unique and I really liked how it was developed.  The mythology element is really nice, though I would have liked a bit more, similar to the myths we got in book 1, but that's just me. I'm a sucker for mythology. In this installment we continue to follow Colton and Danny as they both try to stop the crew of the Prometheus from destroying more clock towers. As they learn what the motivations are behind the crew, they also learn more about how the clock spirits were created and that the crew of the Prometheus may not be the worst entity out there. Danny, Colton, Daphne and the rest of the gang have to devise a plan to protect time itself and escape from the Prometheus unharmed. There is a ton of travel between different cities with clock towers and a good deal of action as the plot unfolds.

I really love Colton and Danny as a couple, Daphne and Akesh too. I could have done without so many love scenes though. I felt like there was too much focus on the romance and I felt like it took away from the plot at times. I really loved the plotline of the series, but the series took a turn and kind of became a romance with fantasy elements at some point instead of a fantasy with a romance.

I highly recommend the series and I feel like this is a great ending. Tara Sim isn't afraid to take you on an emotional roller coaster with characters you've come to care about. You weren't sure what was going to happen in the end and I'm really happy with the ending. I liked the writing, the plot, and the characters.

I think I'm going to use this to fill the prompt on the Popsugar Reading Challenge to read 2 books with the same title.  I'm going to read Firestarter by Stephen King to complete the prompts.

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Top 5 Wednesday: Hyped 2019 Releases You Don't Care About

Topic: Hyped 2019 Releases You Don't Care About - If you dare, now is your time to get shady.

I've got nothing against any of these books, but for one reason or another I just have no interest in reading them.  These are probably great books, but they just don't call out "Read Me" when I look at them.  Never say never though, I never know when my new favorite is hiding in a book I never thought I'd read.

• The Wicked King by Holly Black - I haven't read The Cruel Prince, and I really have no interest in this series.  I've got nothing against it.  It just never called out to me.  I have read The Darkest Part of the Forest which I liked, but this series just never made it onto my must read list.  
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• There's Something about Sweetie by Sandhya Menon - I'm not a huge romance reader, and this is YA Contemporary Romance.  Again nothing against it, just not my preferred genre.
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• Again, But Better by Christine Riccio - This is another YA Contemporary Romance I keep seeing everywhere.  Just not one I see myself reading.  I prefer the more fantastical or sci-fi.
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• Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.  It was a surprise love for me and I hope to read more of Jenkins' work.  This one might be the same, but I have no interest in the subject matter of this particular story.  
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• The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston - This actually looks cute, it's a Prince and the Pauper retelling that happens at ComicCon kind of thing.  Again a YA Contemporary Romance, that just isn't in my wheelhouse.  I have read Poston's Heart of Iron which is an Anastasia retelling in space and that fits my tastes much better.  I'm looking forward to the 2nd book which is coming out later this year.
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Review: Freefall by Jessica Barry

Freefall by Jessica Barry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an advance copy of this book from Harper in exchange for an honest review. It is always hard to review thrillers without giving too much away. I highly recommend this if you are into survival stories and thrillers.  This book comes out on January 8, 2019.

This is told from alternating perspectives of Allison (daughter) and Maggie (mother) after Allison is involved in a plane crash. Maggie is obviously distraught, but something tells her that her daughter isn't dead. Even though they have been estranged, Maggie is determined to learn what happened to Allison in the time they have been apart and leading up to the plane crash. Having been a librarian, Maggie is no stranger to research and uncovering the unknown. Maggie is dragged into something she never imagined, while Allison is trying to escape the life she was living.

This was so unexpected. I expected Maggie to go trudging through the woods to find Allison or them both to have been on the plane and separated when I first requested this. It totally surprised me with the multiple plot points going on and the twist at the end that I kind of didn't expect but didn't totally shock me when it happened.

I really enjoyed the writing. For a debut this was really great. It is well written, the plot was engaging, the pacing was great, and I liked the characters.

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Review: Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't quite sure how to rate this at first.  I ended up giving it 3 stars.  I quite enjoyed it. I really liked the trip this took me on, but I struggled with the ending. It didn't give me the closure I wanted. I'm not a fan of open endings. I swapped back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook. Both were very good. I liked the writing style and I will be checking out more of Lockhart's work in the future.

You can definitely tell that this was very much inspired by The Talented Mr. Ripley, the author mentions this in her note at the end. I've only ever seen the movie.

This isn't a suspenseful kind of thriller, I kind of figured out what happened early on and the unconventional timeline kind of guides you to figure out what is going on early on. Because you jump back and forth between present day, before, and somewhere in the middle of the mystery you find out what happens and then are left sorting out the aftermath as well as some things that happened even beforehand. I liked the journey this took me on, it was kind of wild, but I was kind of left scratching my head at the end.

You follow Jule, our unreliable narrator, from the present day and you jump around until you come full circle and end up back in the present. Jule hasn't had a great life, but you are never quite sure if what she is telling you actually happened or if it is one of the stories and personas she's concocted as part of her survival mechanism. Jule spends most of her time with her friend Imogen, who have formed a bond over being orphans. Neither of them are very likeable, none of the characters are, but they are both very complex as is their friendship. I liked getting to know them even if I ended up not liking either of them in the end.

I'm using this to fulfil the prompt of a book with unusual chapter headings as they start at 18 and go backwards.  There are also breaks in the book that look like they should be chapters but they are just breaks within the chapters.  The chapters appear like the book is told backwards, but the timeline is non-linear. 

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Top 5 Wednesday: 2019 Reading Resolutions

Topic:  2019 Reading Resolutions - This one is pretty self explanatory.

1. Read more of the books I've already bought.  I use my library a ton, and I still plan to do so, but I have a ton of books on my Kindle and my bookshelves that are waiting to be read.  My goal is to read books I've bought.  I am not going to resolve to stop buying books because I'll break that resolution, but I can try to be more selective with my purchases.
2. Post more reviews.  I was lucky enough to get quite a few ARCs last year, and I reviewed all of them.  I reviewed plenty of the books that weren't ARCs, but about half of the books I read went unreviewed.  I want to up my review percentage.
3. Read some of the books on the Great American Read list.  I printed off the list of finalists for the Great American Read to see how many I had read.  I've only read 19, some of those were entire series, but I want to cross some of them off.  This will likely been a long term goal but if I get to a couple of them this year I'll be happy.
4. Complete the 2019 Popsugar and Book Riot Read Harder Challenges.  I'm being ambitious by trying to complete 2 challenges this year, but some of the prompts overlap and both of these help me read more diversely and expose me to new authors.
5. DNF books if I don't love them.  Life is too short for bad books or books you don't love right?  I can count on 1 hand the books I've never finished.  I always trudge through books even if I can't stand them.  I think it is time I start passing on books if I just don't like them.  

Review: White Stag by Kara Barbieri

White Stag by Kara Barbieri
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This will be released on January 8, 2019.

I loved the premise of this. It has a fairy tale feel with some Norse mythology mixed in. It is very dark and violent. I would caution anyone with a weak constitution and if you are triggered by mentions of rape, violence or torture this may not be for you. THis is also placed in the YA genre, but it is fairly violent. Just because the main character is 17, doesn't make this YA. This is for mature readers. Overall I did enjoy this, but I did have some issues with the information development and delivery throughout the story. Having received an ARC, this is something that may be resolved by the time the book is published and this is a good start for such a young author.

While there is a great deal of potential with this story, there are almost too many fantasy elements that don't have enough details. I was often confused about what was going on and felt like I missed something. I went back several times to see if I missed information and it just isn't there. Often times things just aren't explained well in terms of what information the characters are seeking or why they are doing the actions they are doing. There are times of great detail and action which is commendable, I just think there are parts that need flushed out a bit more. For example there is a ritual that one character wants to perform and other characters want to stop, we never actual find out what that ritual entails. There are entire scenes devoted to finding out about this ritual but we never actually learn what it is. This type of unresolved information happens several time in the book with the plot and the character development. Having read an early release, this may be resolved by the time the final publication is out. The author has already done the hard part in coming up with the ideas, a couple sentences here and there would have done a lot to clear things up for me.

Our main character Janneke, is the 7th daughter and being raised as her father's heir. She is taught to hunt and track and pretty much her identity as a woman is taken from her because she is being raised as a boy. Janneke is 17 when goblins burn her village to the ground, and she is captured by Lydian who is pretty much awful and insane. Janneke is tortured by Lydian until the brink of death until he gives her to another goblin, Soren. Soren is kind and while Janneke is technically his slave, he treats her with respect and doesn't hurt her.

Janneke is tormented by the horrors she suffered during her time under Lydian's hands, but she has become stronger and more skilled in the 100 years she's spent with Soren. As the goblin's gather to pay their respects to the current king in his last days and begin the hunt to determine who will become the new king, Janneke learns that she is much more powerful than she ever knew both physically and mentally. She overcomes some very tough battles within herself, in her relationship with Soren, and they have some pretty epic battles on their hunt for the stag.

I did really enjoy Soren and Janneke's relationship. He never pushes her to hard to or too far, he lets her decide what she wants to do. Janneke has had a pretty traumatic life and this journey to find the stag really comes into herself. I feel like her character developed well throughout the story. There were also some really good side characters that complimented the main characters nicely.

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