Bookfever: February 2017

Friday, February 24, 2017

Blogging Break ► Feb 24 - Mar 5

Hi everyone! ♥

I'm going away from February 24 to March 5. I'll still be around on social media but I won't be blogging during these days. I'll be back on March 6th.

See you all then!

Thursday, February 23, 2017

ARC Review: Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter

Title: Beauty of the Beast
Author: Rachel L. Demeter
Series: Fairy Tale Retellings #1
Publication: March 15th 2017
Genre: Adult ~ Historical Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Kobo
Rating: 4/5

Experience the world’s most enchanting and timeless love story—retold with a dark and realistic twist.

A BEAST LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF HIS PAST

Reclusive and severely scarred Prince Adam Delacroix has remained hidden inside a secluded, decrepit castle ever since he witnessed his family’s brutal massacre. Cloaked in shadow, with only the lamentations of past ghosts for company, he has abandoned all hope, allowing the world to believe he died on that tragic eve twenty-five years ago.

A BEAUTY IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE

Caught in a fierce snowstorm, beautiful and strong-willed Isabelle Rose seeks shelter at a castle—unaware that its beastly and disfigured master is much more than he appears to be. When he imprisons her gravely ill and blind father, she bravely offers herself in his place.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Stripped of his emotional defenses, Adam’s humanity reawakens as he encounters a kindred soul in Isabelle. Together they will wade through darkness and discover beauty and passion in the most unlikely of places. But when a monster from Isabelle’s former life threatens their new love, Demrov’s forgotten prince must emerge from his shadows and face the world once more…

Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty of the Beast brings a familiar and well-loved fairy tale to life with a rich setting in the kingdom of Demrov and a captivating, Gothic voice.

Disclaimer: This is an edgy retelling of the classic fairy tale. Due to strong sexual content, profanity, and dark subject matter, including an instance of sexual assault committed by the villain, Beauty of the Beast is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Right from the start I thought this was a great story. The first thing that I loved from it was the first main character we got introduced to, Isabelle. I just loved how kind and good she was and even so this didn't make her a total Mary Sue or anything because she also had a lot of fire in her, which I really like in the heroines I read about.

Adam got introduced a little later into the story and he also didn't dissapoint. Once we reached that part of the story it was very similar to Disney's Beauty and the Beast, only for adults. The story was very similar to the story we all know and love with some differences throughout. It was also slightly darker and there was a gothic feel to it, which is what I love most about it.

The vilain of the story, Raphael was absolutely vile. I hated him but in one way that was good because I love reading about bad guys that you can really hate, you know? But I also gotta say, there's a reason why he is the way he is. And I also feel like I should say I really wasn't a fan of Isabelle's stepsisters. They were pretty awful, just like stepsisters often are in fairy tales.

The romance between Isabelle and Adam was incredible. It was a slow burn and written perfectly the way it was. I fell a little in love with Adam myself. He really needed someone like Isabelle to pretty much make him alive again and rejoin the world. I have so much feels for them! And I also feel like I should say how much I enjoy reading about any of the male main characters this author writes. I just love them all!

Overall, Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter was such a beautiful retelling. One of the best I've read so far. The writing was simply gorgeous and easily my favorite thing in the book. It wasn't quite 5 star worthy but I would still highly recommend it to fans of retellings, Beauty and the Beast, historical romance or just anyone who wants to read a great story.

About the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and her high school sweetheart of eleven years. She enjoys writing poignant romances that challenge the reader's emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Waiting On Wednesday: Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
Expected publication: July 25th 2017 by Harlequin Teen

A darkly irresistible new fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires.
Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear.

Doesn't this book just look and sound amazing? I can't wait to get my hands on it once it releases. I'm so excited for it!

Monday, February 20, 2017

ARC Review: The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

Title: The Witchfinder's Sister
Author: Beth Underdown
Publication: March 2nd 2017 by Viking
Genre: Historical Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 3/5

A thrilling debut novel, a literary historical thriller based on the devastating witch hunts in 1640s England conducted by “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins—for readers of Sarah Waters and Katherine Howe.

Before Salem, there was Manningtree. . . .

“This summer, my brother Matthew set himself to killing women, but without ever once breaking the law.”

Essex, England, 1645. With a heavy heart, Alice Hopkins returns to the small town she grew up in. Widowed, with child, and without prospects, she is forced to find refuge at the house of her younger brother, Matthew. In the five years she has been gone, the boy she knew has become a man of influence and wealth—but more has changed than merely his fortunes. Alice fears that even as the cruel burns of a childhood accident still mark his face, something terrible has scarred Matthew’s soul.

There is a new darkness in the town, too—frightened whispers are stirring in the streets, and Alice’s blood runs cold with dread when she discovers that Matthew is a ruthless hunter of suspected witches. Torn between devotion to her brother and horror at what he’s become, Alice is desperate to intervene—and deathly afraid of the consequences. But as Matthew’s reign of terror spreads, Alice must choose between her safety and her soul.

Alone and surrounded by suspicious eyes, Alice seeks out the fuel firing her brother’s brutal mission—and is drawn into the Hopkins family’s past. There she finds secrets nested within secrets: and at their heart, the poisonous truth. Only by putting her own life and liberty in peril can she defeat this darkest of evils—before more innocent women are forced to the gallows.

Inspired by the real-life story of notorious “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins, Beth Underdown’s thrilling debut novel blends spellbinding history with harrowing storytelling for a truly haunting reading experience.

It's a little hard to get my thoughts in order about The Witchfinder's Sister. Up until about 60% into the book, I had quite a "meh" feeling about the story because it read so very slow. A lot of the times I had to force myself to pick the book up to read. I didn't think it was totally bad, I just didn't love it and I wasn't sure if I liked it all that much either.

BUT... those last 40% did save the book for me. That's where the story started picking up a whole lot more and where I got really into it. As hard as it was to pick up the book before, now I didn't want to put it back down. And I liked the story even more for how the author ended it.

Throughout that first half of the book I wasn't sure what to think of the characters. I thought all of them were a little bland to read about and the pace of the story was slow so it was hard to connect with them, especially the main character Alice. I did warm up to her as the book progressed, especially during the second half.

Alice's brother, Matthew (who is the "witchfinder" from the title) was hard to pin down at first for me. But in those last few chapters he gave me honest-to-god chills because of what he did to all those women. In a way it was good he gave me chills but damn, he sure was creepy at times. Some parts in the book really creeped me out.

Overall, The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown was nothing like I had expected. It was hard to get into the story and to connect with the characters at first but I did think it was very well-written and like I said, I liked how the story ended. I would say it's worth a read just for that ending alone, actually. But of course I wished I had liked it more from the start and not just those last 40%. Still, it's a pretty unique story that I'm glad I read.

About the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Beth Underdown was born in Rochdale in 1987. She studied at the University of York and then the University of Manchester, where she is now a Lecturer in Creative Writing.

The Witchfinder’s Sister is her first novel, and is out with Viking in the UK and Ballantine in the US in Spring 2017. The book is based on the life of the 1640s witch finder Matthew Hopkins, whom she first came across while reading a book about seventeenth-century midwifery. As you do.

Friday, February 17, 2017

Cover Reveal: Throne of Truth by Pepper Winters

THRONE OF TRUTH COVER REVEAL

The final conclusion to the multiple USA Today Bestseller Crown of Lies.

Releasing 28^th Feb!

Pre-order:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kNUekN

iBooks: http://apple.co/2kysShy

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kya1mX

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

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2kpvfE8

Blurb:

TWO YEARS

Since my life changed for the second time and not necessarily for the better. Two years since I traded prison bars for streets and hunted a runaway who I’d met in an alley.

TWO DAYS

Since I forgot how to lie, woke to fists, and chased after the girl who’d been stolen from me.

TWO HOURS

To save her, rescue her, keep my lies intact. She looks at me full of hate. I look at her full of confession.

TWO MINUTES

For our relationship to switch from mutual dislike to floundering with unknowns. I’ve hurt her. Now, she’s hurt me. I guess we’re even.

TWO SECONDS

For her to listen, to see, to finally know who I am. The answer comes with hardship. The answer isn’t what she wants to hear.

TWO BREATHS

For me to walk out the door.

TWO HEARTBEATS

For it all to be over.

Find my review of the first book, Crown of Lies here

Purchase it on:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jQau3R

iBooks: http://apple.co/2i2Exbj

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/2j9oGZm

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2kpkNwt

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2kOF1PE

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2km2BX9

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2jxLygm

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Cover Reveal: Spies & Sinners #1-4 by Annika Martin

Spies & Sinners #1-4
Annika Martin
Publication date: February 16th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

COLE
She hates him. And now she has to play his girlfriend.
Deadly abs. Deadly aim. Deadly brilliant. Cole is one of the Association’s top agents, but he’s never come up against a psycho like Borgola…and he’s running out of time.
Then he catches Angel cracking the man’s uncrackable safe. He’ll blackmails her into helping him. He can’t worry about her safety. She’s just some criminal…right?
But the deeper they fall into Borgola’s web, the more innocent Angel seems…and the more real those fake kisses start to feel.
MAC
Where do you hide when your ex is the world’s most dangerous psycho?
Laney fled to Bangkok—new life, new identity, new everything. She keeps mostly to herself until the night she meets arrogant, gorgeous Professor Peter Maxwell and the sparks fly. He shatters her defenses—along with her pride when she discover he only seduced her to steal some secrets.
Just hours later, she finds him shirtless and sweaty, chained up in the hotel basement. He’s some sort of undercover agent. She should probably leave him there after what he did to her, maybe even kick him for good measure. But her pscyho ex is on his way back—she can feel it in her bones—and she could use a dangerous friend.
THORNE
He’s gorgeous. He’s a killer. And he can never discover he’s Benny’s father.
Nadia fell for the most feared hitter on her late father’s payroll, but she’s not sorry; without Thorne she wouldn’t have their beautiful boy. Now Thorne’s burst back into her life, arrogant and demanding, making himself right at home. She can’t let him figure out Benny is his…so she enlists a friend to play their son’s daddy.
Thorne knows exactly how Nadia sees him—as a brute and a killer just kinky enough to play her sexy games. And that’s how it has to stay. Leaving her two years ago was the hardest thing he ever did, but it was the only way to protect her. Now his undercover mission has thrown them back together…and it drives him crazy to see her with this other man, this new family.
HUGO
What do you do when dangerous criminals win your twin sister in a card game? Trade places, of course.
Zelda and her sister grew up with identical faces, but their paths went in opposite directions—Zelda became a secret agent while her sister got caught up in drugs. Zelda will do this one last thing to save her sister. She’s handled lethal men before…she can do it again.
But things don’t go as planned. Zelda ends up getting traded deeper and deeper into South America. Suddenly she finds herself at the beck and call of a domineering and mysterious new captor. Is he just another criminal? Or is could this be the legendary killer she spent so many years hunting back in her secret agent days?

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Grab Thorne for FREE!

Author Bio:
Annika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who lives with her awesome husband and two cats in a home full of plants, sunshine and books. She’s heavy into writing love stories about criminals--some of them are dirty and fun, others are dark and intense. She also writes as the RITA-award winning author Carolyn Crane. Get on Annika's private email list here: http://eepurl.com/qzztT

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Waiting On Wednesday: Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki & Owen Pataki

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki & Owen Pataki
Expected publication: July 11th 2017 by Dial Press

Set in Revolutionary Paris, a rich and sweeping novel about courage, duty, sacrifice, and love by the bestselling author of Sisi, Allison Pataki, and her brother, Owen Pataki.

From the courtrooms to the battlefields to the alleyways of Paris, with cameos from infamous figures in French history, the Patakis have crafted an epic, action-packed novel of the French Revolution as it has never been seen before. Three years after the storming of the Bastille, Paris is enlivened with the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The monarchy has been dismantled and a new nation, for the people, is rising up in its place. Jean-Luc, a young optimistic lawyer, moves his wife, Marie, and their son to Paris, inspired by a sense of duty to contribute to the new order. André, the son of a former nobleman, flees his privileged past to fight in the unified French Army with his roguish brother. Sophie, a beautiful young aristocratic widow and niece of a powerful, vindictive uncle, embarks on her own fight for independence.

Underneath the glimmer of hope and freedom, chaos threatens to undo all the progress of the revolution and the lives of these compatriots become inextricably linked. As the demand for justice breeds instability, creates enemies out of compatriots, and fuels a constant thirst for blood in the streets, Jean-Luc, Andre, and Sophie are forced to question the sacrifices made for the revolution. Liberty proves a fragile, fleeting ideal, and survival seems less and less likely—both for these unforgettable individuals, and indeed for the new nation itself.

The beautiful cover drew me in but the description of the book made me really want to read it + it's set in Revolutionary Paris so I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Stacking The Shelves: February 11, 2017

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews

Bought:
A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart

I've heard great things about this book so I hope to read it very soon. Also, it's a contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. :D

For Review:
The Merchant's Pearl by Amie O'Brien

I'm even more excited to read this book, though. It's a historical romance + it involves the Ottoman Empire. I'm crossing my fingers that I'm gonna love it.

Hope everyone will have a great weekend! ♥

Friday, February 10, 2017

New Release ► Desperate Measures by Sasha Jayne Moretti

Hey Guys! 💞
You should all check out this new erotic romance release. It's only 99¢ on Amazon for Kindle. Such a bargain!

Title: Desperate Measures
Author: Sasha Jayne Moretti
Series: Men in Uniform #1
Publication: February 7th 2017 by Naughty Girl Books
Genre: Erotic Romance
Purchase: Amazon

After earning an Oscar nomination for her indie film, Sloane Ardent has become the Cinderella story of the awards season. All she needs now is a beautiful gown to make her belle of the ball. When the hottest designer in town offers to create the perfect dress for her, she jumps at the chance to work with him. But Julian has a dark side, and after weeks of dealing with his antics, she makes a split-second decision that could ruin everything.

Detective Matthew Weggman has a solid reputation within the Los Angeles PD for being hard-nosed and in control. But when he discovers Sloane in a compromising situation, instead of arresting her, he takes a different route--one outside his strict, black and white lines. Although their worlds couldn't be further apart, the attraction between them is undeniable. Now that he's had a taste of her, he doesn't want to let her go.

After all, possession is nine-tenths of the law.

Author Note: This book is filled to the brim with sexy scenes featuring a protective alpha male that gets what he wants. If you're looking for hot and dirty, this is it!

About the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Sasha Jayne Moretti is just a simple girl with a very dirty mind. After years of reading smexy books, she decided to write a few of her own.

She specializes in over-the-top shenanigans, insta-lust, sweet, and sometimes even cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something fun, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Sasha Moretti is for you!

And don't forget to check out her other book ►

Add it on Goodreads
Purchase it on Amazon

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Waiting On Wednesday: The Hummingbird Heart by A.G. Howard

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

The Hummingbird Heart by A.G. Howard
Haunted Hearts Legacy #2
Expected publication: August 15 2017

Set 19 years after The Architect of Song.

Shortly after escaping a circus tragedy, young Italian orphan, Willow Antoniette, seeks refuge at The Manor of Diversions—a holiday resort in England born of a ghost story. For eleven years, she’s raised alongside the children of the resort’s owners: Julian, his twin brother, Nick, and their younger sister Emilia. Now that Willow is of marriable age, she's determined to escape finishing school along with everyone's efforts to make her a proper lady. The only man she wants to spend her life with is Julian, after all. Yet how can she tell him, when he thinks of her as nothing but a friend?

As a machinist and engineer, Julian Thornton prefers a governable life. He can't allow his ever-deepening attraction for Willow to distract from his amusement park plans to lure a younger, wealthier clientele to their family's resort. In hopes to escape Willow and find investors, Julian sets off on a transatlantic ocean liner headed for the St. Louis World’s Fair, unaware Willow has secretly stowed away on the same ship.

A tiny, mute orphan named Newton and a pair of haunted Italian shoes bring Willow and Julian face to face on deck. Forced to work together to solve the mystery of Newton and his vindictive, ghostly companion, Julian and Willow can no longer fight their untapped passions. However, time to admit their true feelings is running out, for the ghost and her murderer have enlisted them as unsuspecting pawns in a karmic game of cat-and-mouse that could cost all of them their lives.

I love the first book of the Haunted Hearts Legacy so I can't wait to read The Hummingbird Heart, which is set 19 years after The Architect of Song. Books by A.G. Howard haven't disappointed me so far and I'm sure this one will be amazing as well.

Read my review of The Architect of Song here.

What's your WOW pick?

Leave me the link to your post so I can stop by!

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Stacking The Shelves: February 4, 2017 + #FairyLoot Unboxing!

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews

I didn't have the best week, I must say. Monday I got sick and I'm still dealing with a lot of coughing, sneezing and all that, so I barely read for the past week but I'm starting to finally feel better. Also today I'm getting new pets: two canaries, so I'm excited for that. ♥

First of all I'm going to do my FairyLoot unboxing. Everything in the January box was beyond awesome. I couldn't have been more happy with it.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

I had a feeling this book would be in it but still my heart leaped a bit when I saw it in the box. It was a bit of a surprise what cover we would get under the dust jacket because there are 4 possible covers. I got this one: