Friday, March 31, 2017

Monthly Wrap-Up ► March 2017

  March 2017
Wrap-Up


I can't believe it's the last day of March already. I read quite a few good books this month: Four 4 star reads, Four 3 star reads and one 1 star read. Sadly enough I really disliked The Devil You Know. I just thought it was bad. But my favorite books this month were Beach Wedding and Song of Princes. <3





Norse Mythology by Oliver Laine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ {My Review}
Center Stage by Christine S. Feldman ► ⭐️⭐️⭐️ {My Review}
The Devil You Know by Trish Doller ► ⭐️
Sindbad the Sailor (Little Black Classics) ► ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson ► ⭐️⭐️⭐️ {My Review}
From Ice to Ashes by Rhett C. Bruno ► ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ {My Review}
Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd ► ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ {My Review}
Song of Princes by Janell Rhiannon ► ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ {Review to come}
Origins of the Sphinx by Robert M. Schoch and Robert Bauval ► ⭐️⭐️⭐️ {Review to come}




Favorite book of the month:


Sing Muse. Sing of the shining citadel of Troy rising from the hot sands of Asia. Sing of the Greek palaces ascending from their rocky hilltops. Sing of one woman’s dream heralding the madness of men and the murder of innocents. From bull dancing rings and wild meadows, the Forgotten Prince must choose between love and a golden crown. From seclusion and safety, the Golden Warrior must choose between his honor and his life. From behind the Great Wall, the Golden Prince must choose between his family and his city. And from a rugged realm on the far side of Greece, the Warrior King must choose between his son’s life and certain exile. Here shepherds and princes, warriors and kings, and seers and lovers seek to conquer their passions, outwit destiny or surrender to it.

PARIS, the FORGOTTEN PRINCE. Abandoned at birth and raised as a shepherd, Paris believes he is destined for a simple life. His heart belongs to the nymph, Oenone, until the beautiful Helen forces him to choose.

ACHILLES, the GOLDEN WARRIOR. Destined to live a short life, Achilles becomes the young lover of a princess who he abandons for the passions of war. He discovers that love is his only weakness.

HEKTOR, the GOLDEN PRINCE. As guardian of the citadel, Hektor must balance his heart’s desire between the beautiful Andromache and the people he’s sworn to protect.

ODYSSEUS, the WARRIOR KING. Forced into a war against his will, Odysseus leaves his young wife, Penelope, behind. Their love must stand the test of time and temptation.

The HOMERIC CHRONICLES tell the stories of Paris, Achilles, Hektor, and Odysseus in one chronological tale, beginning before the ILIAD and ending long after the ODYSSEY. Blending both history and myth, this series will satisfy your love of Greek mythology, while paying homage to the original storyteller, Homer.

HOMERIC CHRONICLES is an epic mythological trilogy about the Trojan War meant for grown-ups who like to mix a little warfare with their romance


Question: Have you read any of these books? What was your favorite book of March?



Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Waiting On Wednesday: Queen Of Emeralds by Kelsey McKnight

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


Queen Of Emeralds by Kelsey McKnight
Expected publication: April 4th 2017 by Limitless Publishing
Pre-order Amazon | Barnes & Noble


British heiress Charlotte Holloway never had any interest in marrying…

However, a woman in Victorian England spends her life in the control of men, making finding a husband necessary. Fearing his daughter losing everything when he dies, Charlotte’s father forces a match with an old friend, Richard Howard. But Richard is much more interested in an heir than a wife, and will do anything to continue his bloodline.

Beaten and battered, Charlotte sees no way out of the union…

Then the handsome Scottish laird Conner MacLeod crashes the social scene. He sets her body on fire with a mere touch, but he has a bad reputation of leaving a string of women in his wake. Nonetheless, when Conner offers his emerald queen sanctuary in his Highland castle, Charlotte flees with him into the night, escaping her marriage. But those who wish to trap her are never far behind.

The Highlands give her hope, but fill her life with new perils…

She and Conner begin growing closer, although the shadows of his former relationships haunt her. Still, the magnetic forces that pull them together are making it harder for her to stay away. And just as Charlotte is beginning to settle into her life, she learns someone wants her gone for good and will do so…by any means necessary.

When Charlotte escapes one marriage only to find herself on the cusp of another, will she ever be free?




I stumbled upon this book last week and I just really love the description of it. It sounds like a really good historical fiction novel. 

You can sign up for the book blitz on Xpresso Book Tours here





Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Review: Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd

Title: Beach Wedding
Author: Natasha Boyd
Series: Butler Cove #5

Publication: March 28th 2017 
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Purchase: 
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks
Rating: 4/5

“The Butler Rooming House is a boutique luxury hotel owned in part by the Butler family and movie-star, Jack Eversea. It is run with exceptional 5 STAR elegance by young hotelier Jessica Fraser.” ~ Lifestyle Magazine, Travel editor-at-large.

It’s four years after movie star, Jack Eversea won Keri Ann back. They are living happily in their newly-built home on Daufuskie, having left Keri Ann’s childhood home in the capable hands of her brother and her best friend Jazz.
Keri Ann has let it be known that she might finally be ready to tie the knot with Jack, but unforeseen circumstances are causing rifts in their relationship, and conspiring to make the lovers take a good long look at their future.

This novel is the 5th book in the Butler Cove series and the final installment of Movie star Jack Eversea’s relationship with Keri Ann Butler.


Beach Wedding was simply unputdownable. I already finished reading the day after I started the book so that shows how good it was. I already cried a couple of times. It gave me so many feels!

So this was the last book about Keri Ann and Jack (though it's not the last Butler Cove book). I've loved these two right from the start so I was really glad to read about their happy ending. The author wrote it all in such a beautiful way.

This book did not only pack an emotional punch, it was also a bit thrilling towards the end. I was all anxious about what was happening even though I knew everything would be all right eventually. 

Overall, Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd was in one word: perfection. I couldn't have imagined a better ending for Keri Ann Butler and Jack Eversea. 




My reviews of the series:
Eversea 








Natasha Boyd is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romantic southern fiction. She has a background in marketing and public relations and her debut novel Eversea was a finalist in the 2013 Winter Rose Contest for Contemporary Romance and won the 2014 Digital Book Award for Adult Fiction. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Georgia Romance Writers, Passionate Ink and Island Writer's Network in coastal South Carolina where she has been a featured speaker on book marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and lives with her husband, two sons and the cast of characters in her head.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram


Monday, March 27, 2017

Review: From Ice to Ashes by Rhett C. Bruno

Title: From Ice to Ashes
Author: Rhett C. Bruno
Publication: March 28th 2017 by Hydra

Genre: Sci-fi Thriller
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Rating: 4/5


A humble laborer is caught in the tensions between Earth and Titan, the now-colonized moon of Saturn, in a standalone novel set in the universe of Titanborn ("Sci-fi noir at its finest!"--David Simpson, author of the Post-Human series).

Kale Drayton knows his place. As a Ringer born on Titan, he's used to keeping his head down and his mouth shut--no matter how much the Earthers abuse him or his own kind berate him. So when he's caught stealing from a wealthy merchant, he's lucky to be sentenced to low-paying maintenance work on a gas-harvesting ship instead of life in a cell . . . or worse.

But when his mother is quarantined, Kale finds himself backed into a corner. To pay for her medicine, he needs money--the kind of money he'll never make sweeping floors and cleaning ships. So when he receives a mysterious offer asking him to do a simple job in exchange for his mother's treatment, Kale takes a chance once more. All he has to do is upload a program onto his employer's ship and all of his problems will disappear.

What starts as a straightforward smuggling gig soon reveals its shattering repercussions. The people who hired Kale are more dangerous than he suspected--and he's more important to them than he ever could have imagined.


From Ice to Ashes is a standalone set in the same world as Titanborn. I must say I liked Titanborn a bit more than this one because it took me a little while to really get into it but once I did I felt like I couldn't stop reading. 

I don't want to give too much away about the story and its plot but I was really impressed with it. Especially the ending had me turning page after page, not wanting the stop. And then there was that epilogue that made me gasp out loud. I loved it. 

I also feel like I should say that science fiction is one of my top three favorite genres and it's books like this one is what makes me love the genre so much. It was just outstanding, really.

Overall, From Ice to Ashes by Rhett C. Bruno was such a riveting science fiction thriller. The non-stop action combined with the great writing and unique set of characters made this quite the page-turner. 


Read my review of the author's other books:
Titanborn




Rhett is a Sci-fi/Fantasy author currently living in Stamford, Connecticut. He is represented by Dystel & Goderich out of NYC and his published works include books in the Amazon Bestselling CIRCUIT SERIES (Published by Diversion Books) and TITANBORN (Random House Hydra).
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Sunday, March 26, 2017

Review: Center Stage by Christine S. Feldman

Title: Center Stage
Author: Christine S. Feldman
Series: Adventures in Blind Dating #2
Publication: March 21st 2017

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Purchase: Amazon 
Rating: 3/5


When financially-strapped actor J.J. McKinney responds to an unusual Help Wanted ad on the bulletin board outside his theater class, he has no idea that he’s in for an evening of improv like no other: posing as the hitherto fabricated boyfriend of one Erika Mills for the duration of a single family reunion. But hey, a job is a job, and if it will help get J.J. back in the good graces of his landlord, he’s completely on board. After all, how bad can one family reunion possibly be?

Enter Erika Mills: only child of one meddling mother, reluctant darling of several devoted yet squabbling aunts and uncles who are sure they know what’s best for her even if none of them can agree on what that is, and beloved grandchild of the tiny white-haired family matriarch who might just be more imp than invalid when it comes to managing family matters in spite of appearances to the contrary.

Throw in a suspicious cousin, an obnoxious ex-boyfriend who is determined to erase that whole “ex” thing from Erika’s vocabulary, and a rash deathbed promise that turned out to be less deathbed and more just a bad case of indigestion, and you get the reunion from hell—at least until the sparks begin to fly for real.

It ain’t Off-Broadway, but it still might turn out to be the role of a lifetime...


Center Stage was one of those books that make you laugh out loud even when you are in public. It was also a very fast read. I could've totally read it in one sitting but I decided to draw it out a little bit because I didn't want it to be over so fast.

I liked the two main characters a lot. I also liked how they met with Erika hiring J.J. to play her boyfriend during a family reunion. You can imagine how that might cause for some problems, but it was hilarious. 

Erika's family was a riot. Every single member of it has some kind of odd quirk but you can't help but adore them. Erika's grandmother especially was so fun to read about.

Overall, Center Stage by Christine S. Feldman was a quick, funny and family filled story. I didn't quite like it as much as the first book but I still thought it was a great read and a laughed a lot with it.


Christine S. Feldman writes both novels and feature-length screenplays, and she has placed in screenwriting competitions on both coasts. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her ballroom-dancing husband and their beagle.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Saturday, March 25, 2017

Stacking The Shelves: March 25, 2017

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




Bought:
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
Nitzan's review made me want to buy it so I did. Just need to find the time to actually read it.

For Review:
Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd
I'm so happy Natasha send me an ARC. It's also my current read right now.




Have a great weekend, everyone! ♥


Thursday, March 23, 2017

Co-Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

After buddy reading many books, Christina of Booklover's Teaparty and I decided to do something different and do a co-review.

Don't forget to check out Christina's blog post!



Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Series: Caraval #1
Publication: January 31st 2017 by Hodder & Stoughton

Genre: Young Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo | Google Play

Rating: 4/5


Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.


Was there anything that stood out with the storyline to you?

Stephanie: Um everything? It was one of those stories that was just so unique and different from other YA fantasy books. The whole magical feel of it was superb so I would say that was the thing that stood out to me the most.

Christina: This was definitely a very unique book! You really did feel as if you were in a magical place when reading it, so yes a lot of things stood out. Storyline, scenario even the characters.


What are your thoughts on Scarlett, the main character?

Stephanie: I won't say she's my favorite MC of all time but I did like her and her determination to protect her sister Tella and to find her in the game. I also thought her character went through some growth throughout the story. She definitely wasn't the same person at the start of the book compared to the end, which is always great. I also liked how Julian called her "Crimson." Sorry, I just HAD to mention that! 

Christina: We all know we don’t want a whiny heroine, despite Scarlett not being on board at first and basically not really wanting an “adventure” I didn’t think she was whiny, nor annoying, but she wasn’t one where you think wow this girl kicks ass. However she was very realistic and thought she did a lot of growing throughout the book. And from what she’s been through, she’s strong that never changed. And in her own way, she did kick ass, she go through a lot to find her sister Tella and never gives up.

How did you feel about Julian, did you trust him? 

Stephanie: I really liked him but did I trust him? And I don't want to say if he is trustworthy or not in case there are people who haven't read the book yet but... there's a lot of mystery surrounding him so I wouldn't say I trusted him all the time, no. It was a fun games of figuring out who he was and when it was revealed I was a bit shocked so there. That's all I'll say. ;) 

 Christina: At first I didn’t really think he would be part of the story, thought he was just there really quick and would disappear, but as we went further and he was still there I started to like him more and more. Especially his nickname to Scarlett, Crimson. I will say though, I had a lot of theories about who he was through the book and trusting him? Never really know if I did, kind of went back and forth.  

How would you describe the book in one or two words?

Stephanie: Magical mindfuckery 😂
Christina: Magical and mysterious.


What's your favorite quote of the book?

Stephanie“Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed.” 

Christina: Okay so I was trying to pick just one and I couldn’t… woops.

 “Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.” 

“Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or performance. It's the closest you'll ever find yourself magic in this world.”


What are your overall thoughts?

Stephanie: Caraval was magical, very mysterious and had the right amount of swoon, in my opinion. It was also a fairly quick read because I basically only wanted to read on and find out what would happen next. Every chapter ended in a way that made me thing damn, I just want to read the next chapter. It was like that with every chapter, basically. It had also quite a lot of action, which I loved. I really liked some of the secondary characters, too. cough-Julian-cough. And of course there's that ending that simply killed me. Beware of the cliffhanger! I need the next book NOW!

Christina: LOVED IT! It was magical, you felt as if you yourself couldn’t even trust what was going on. You barely knew what was real and what wasn’t, just like Scarlett. And it was amazing! I just love the whole concept of Caraval pretty much, opening at night, mysterious location and characters. Every chapter made you want to read more and more, because you just had to know what would happen next and then end just makes you want the next book immediately. 

~~




Stephanie Garber grew up in northern California, where she was often compared to Anne Shirley, Jo March, and other fictional characters with wild imaginations and stubborn streaks. When she’s not writing, Stephanie teaches creative writing, and dreams of her next adventure.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Waiting On Wednesday: Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd

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



Beach Wedding by Natasha Boyd 
Expected publication: March 28th 2017 by NPRB
Pre-order ► Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

“The Butler Rooming House is a boutique luxury hotel owned in part by the Butler family and movie-star, Jack Eversea. It is run with exceptional 5 STAR elegance by young hotelier Jessica Fraser.” ~ Lifestyle Magazine, Travel editor-at-large.

It’s four years after movie star, Jack Eversea won Keri Ann back. They are living happily in their newly-built home on Daufuskie, having left Keri Ann’s childhood home in the capable hands of her brother and her best friend Jazz.
Keri Ann has let it be known that she might finally be ready to tie the knot with Jack, but unforeseen circumstances are causing rifts in their relationship, and conspiring to make the lovers take a good long look at their future.

This novel is the 5th book in the Butler Cove series and the final installment of Movie star Jack Eversea’s relationship with Keri Ann Butler.


First of all, I'm totally in love with the cover of this book. It's just really beautiful. And of course I can't wait to read it since it's the final book about Keri Ann and Jack. I love these two so much. ♥
Also, I got my ARC of it today so I'm even more excited now!

Reviews of the series:
Eversea 





Question: Have you read any books by Natasha Boyd? What was your favorite? If not, I'd highly recommend her books!