Stacking The Shelves: September 30, 2017

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly bookish meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews & Reading Reality.

Bought:

FairyLoot ~ All That Sass (September Box)

Tuesday I received FairyLoot's September Box 'All That Sass' and it was amazing as always and I'm super happy with all the items inside + the book! No spoilers yet but I'll be posting my unboxing in a few weeks maybe. Special thanks to my bunny for being a great model. :D

Bought:
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
I also finally receive my copy of Wonder Woman. It's actually the first book I've ordered since June. Can't wait to read it!

Bought:
From Darkness by Staci Hart

For Review:
Mirror Mirror by Cara Delevingne

Have you read any of these books or which ones do you think look interesting? Let me know your thoughts.

Have a great weekend, everyone! ♥

ARC Review: A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur

Title: A Charm of Finches
Author: Suanne Laqueur
Series: Venery #2
Publication: November 1st 2017
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords
Rating: 4.5/5★

“I swear. Give me one more chance and I will make the most of it.”

Ex-escort Javier Landes is asking for his third chance at love. And the third time is the charm. He meets an art therapist named Steffen Finch and what starts as casual deepens into a passionate relationship—everything Jav has ever wanted, and everything he fears losing.

Stef’s business card reads Curator & Sailor. His creativity and insightful nature have made him into a talented therapist, the one to call for tough cases. His professional success can’t conceal a deep need to connect with someone, but Javier Landes is the last person Stef expected.

Geronimo "Geno" Caan is Stef's most challenging case. To cope with his ordeal, he's allowed an alter-ego called Mos to make decisions, and now lives a double life within a web of lies. Under Stef’s navigation, Geno uses art to express what Mos forbids to be spoken aloud. But as Geno’s attachment to Stef gradually extends to Jav, the boundaries between professional and personal begin to blur.

Over the course of a year, Jav, Stef and Geno form an unexpected and unconventional triangle, revealing how men make love in times of war and how love is a great wisdom made up of small understandings. The long-awaited second book of the Veneryseries, A Charm of Finches is an epic tale of survival and secrets guaranteed to make you think and feel and remember.

First of all I need to say that A Charm of Finches was an outstanding read. The story focuses on some heavy themes but it is also a very important book. I feel like everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime. So why didn't I give it the full five stars? Well, I struggled quite a bit with getting through this book, especially in the beginning. It took me over two weeks to read it, which is a very long time for me to read and finish a book but the book was pretty lengthy in itself as well. This doesn't mean that A Charm of Finches was a bad book because obviously it was an excellent read. I just had a hard time with it up until the first 50%. It was only then that I really starting getting into the story. 

This book introduces us to the new character of Geronimo "Geno" Caan who goes through the worst kind of trauma imaginable. Not only is he a victim of rape, but he also loses his twin brother and father in a short time span. I can't express how bad I felt for him. Everything he went through just cut right into my heart and soul. The story also followes Javier Landes, who we met in An Exaltation of Larks. After retiring from escorting he feels kind of lost. He wants love but he's also scared for it at the same time. Then he met art therapist Stef, with who he felt a connection pretty much right away. 

To be honest, it took me a while to warm up to Stef. He was a perfectly nice guy and I enjoyed getting to know his character but I also was a bit wary of him because I didn't want Javier to get hurt. This might seem weird since they're just fictional characters but I have such a soft spot for Javier. I just wanted him to be happy. I shouldn't have worried because soon enough I fell in love with Stef and his relationship with Javier was beyond amazing. I ended up shipping the hell out of them through the story and just praying that nothing would happen to screw it all up. Of course I'm not saying if that happens or not.

Anyway, back to Geno... By now he's in college but really not doing well at all. He's been having a very hard time to deal with his trauma. After a bit of a mental breakdown he ends up in therapy with Stef, which is actually the best thing that could've happened to him because Stef is a wonderful therapist. This is where the two stories started coming together. 

The story featured had some appearances of old characters we know from the previous book like Alex, Val and some others but it also introduced us to a bunch of new and unforgetable ones. I especially thought that the character of Micah was really well-written and a part of one of the reasons why everyone should read the book, in my opinion.

Overall, A Charm of Finches was an exceptional read. The start was hard but in the end the story and characters hooked me so much. I don't know how Suanne Laqueur does it but as heavy as this story was at times, it was also amazing and I'm just so glad I got to read it. The writing was beyond beautiful and very eloquent. I don't know what else to say except that everyone who's reading this review should go buy this book and read it as soon as possible. You won't regret it! 

About Suanne:
A former professional dancer and teacher, Suanne Laqueur has gone from choreographing music to choreographing words. Her goal is to create a new kind of emotionally-intelligent romance that appeals to the passions of all readers, crossing gender, age and genre.

Laqueur's debut novel The Man I Love won a gold medal in the 2015 Readers' Favorite Book Awards and was named Best Debut in the Feathered Quill Book Awards. Her follow-up novel, Give Me Your Answer True, was also a gold medal winner at the 2016 RFBA.

Laqueur graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater. She taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. An avid reader, cook and gardener, she started her blog EatsReadsThinks in 2010. Suanne lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two children.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest

Can't-Wait Wednesday: High Voltage by Karen Marie Moning

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

High Voltage by Karen Marie Moning
Expected publication: March 6th 2018

#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning returns with a pulse-pounding novel of immortal Faerie and ancient feuds, secrets and sacrifices, connected by a mythical, delicate red thread that binds special lives together in magical, mysterious, life-altering ways.

There is no action without consequence…

Dani O’Malley was nine years old when the delusional, sadistic Rowena transformed her into a ruthless killer. Years later, she's tough, hardened, yet achingly vulnerable and fiercely compassionate, living alone by her own exacting code. Despite the scars on her body, driven by deeper ones carved into her soul, no one is more committed to protecting Dublin. By day, she ensures the safety of those she rescues, by night she hunts evil, dispensing justice swiftly and without mercy, determined to give those she cares for the peace she has never known.

There is no power without price…

When the Faerie Queen used the dangerously powerful Song of Making to heal the world from the damage done by the Hoar Frost King, catastrophic magic seeped deep into the earth, giving rise to horrifying, unforeseen consequences--and now deadly enemies plot in the darkness, preparing to enslave the human race and unleash an ancient reign of hell on Earth.

There is no future without sacrifice…

With the lethal, immortal Ryodan at her side, armed with the epic Sword of Light, Dani once again battles to save the world but her past comes back to haunt her with a vengeance, demanding an unspeakable price for the power she needs to save the human race and no one—not even Ryodan who’d move the very stars for her—can save her this time…

I haven't even read Feversong yet (such a tragedy I know!) but High Voltage is about Dani so it's definitely high on my wishlist! I do hope I'll be able to read Feversong soon but other books keep coming in between and to be honest I'm slightly scared to read it. At least I have time until March... 

What do you think of this book? Let me know in the comments!

Cover Reveal: Alphas and Aggression by A. Star

Hey guys! Today I have another cover reveal for you all. This time it's for Alphas and Aggression by A. Star. It's a new book by one of my favorite authors and I also happen to absolutely love werewolves so yay! Also, I really love this cover! ♥

Alphas and Aggression

by A. Star

Wesley Werewolves #1

Release Date: March 2018

Synopsis

A Millenium ago, an Igbo god fathered three sons—a jackal, a coyote... and a wolf.

As the new alpha of his wolf pack, Xavier Wesley wants nothing more than to follow in his uncle's footsteps and make his elders, and the great guardian, proud. But his family and a rival alpha seem to have other plans for him, as does the werewolf king who informs Xavier that their kingdom is under attack by the Lion Head—A sinister, ethereal creatured controlled by the one who summoned it. And he has put Xavier in charge of saving their kind.

But the Lion Head i just the agent of a darker evil, one that will do anything to escape the Lightless Realm and reclaim the lycan throne. Knowing he stands no chance of defeating them alone, Xavier seeks help from the wolves he trusts the most and Karis Mickelson, a beautiful human who has no business existing in his world. After a visit with the pack dibia points them toward the only Igbo treasure that can bind the sinister entity to Earth, they set out to claim it before it is discovered by the dangerous ancestor who desires to claim it first. But Xavier's growing connection to Karis not only threatens to derail their missing, but upend his entire life. If he can't manage to take control of his feelings and honor his true purpose, then the darkness just might win.

And everyone will die.

What do you all think of this cover? Let me know in the comments!

Cover Reveal: A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur + Giveaway (US)

Welcome to the cover reveal of A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur. Just like An Exaltation of Larks, this was an amazing and touching story. I'll be posting my review of it on Thursday. ♥

A Charm of Finches

by Suanne Laqueur

Release Date: November 1, 2017

Synopsis

“I swear. Give me one more chance and I will make the most of it.”

Ex-escort Javier Landes is asking for his third chance at love. And the third time is the charm. He meets an art therapist named Steffen Finch and what starts as casual deepens into a passionate relationship—everything Jav has ever wanted, and everything he fears losing. 

Stef’s business card reads Curator & Sailor. His creativity and insightful nature have made him into a talented therapist, the one to call for tough cases. His professional success can’t conceal a deep need to connect with someone, but Javier Landes is the last person Stef expected.

Geronimo "Geno" Caan is Stef's most challenging case. To cope with his ordeal, he's allowed an alter-ego called Mos to make decisions, and now lives a double life within a web of lies. Under Stef’s navigation, Geno uses art to express what Mos forbids to be spoken aloud. But as Geno’s attachment to Stef gradually extends to Jav, the boundaries between professional and personal begin to blur.

Over the course of a year, Jav, Stef and Geno form an unexpected and unconventional triangle, revealing how men make love in times of war and how love is a great wisdom made up of small understandings. The long-awaited second book of the Veneryseries, A Charm of Finches is an epic tale of survival and secrets guaranteed to make you think and feel and remember.

Pre-Order Links

Kindle: http://bit.ly/ACOF
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Finches_Print
iTunes: http://bit.ly/Finches_IB
Nook: http://bit.ly/Finches_BN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/Finches_Kobo
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/Finches_Smash

Pre-order a Signed Copy

(To be shipped after the November 1st release)

http://bit.ly/23l07H5

Cover Reveal Giveaway

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f9f088be33/?

Author Bio

A former professional dancer and teacher, Suanne Laqueur has gone from choreographing music to choreographing words. Her goal is to create a new kind of emotionally-intelligent romance that appeals to the passions of all readers, crossing gender, age and genre.

Laqueur's debut novel The Man I Love won a gold medal in the 2015 Readers' Favorite Book Awards and was named Best Debut in the Feathered Quill Book Awards. Her follow-up novel, Give Me Your Answer True, was also a gold medal winner at the 2016 RFBA.

Laqueur graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater. She taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. An avid reader, cook and gardener, she started her blog EatsReadsThinks in 2010. Suanne lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two children.

Author Links

Email: suanne@suannelaqueurwrites.com
Website: http://suannelaqueurwrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suannelaqueur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/suannelqr
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8317803.Suanne_Laqueur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swainblqr/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/slaqueur/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Suanne-Laqueur/e/B00L2C9ML8 

Join Suanne’s newsletter

http://eepurl.com/cdXQGT

My Favorite Eras in History and Books Set in Them - Part I

As some of you might know, I'm a bit of a history geek (to put it lightly haha!) and historical fiction is my favorite genre so today I'm going to talk a little bit about my favorite eras, time periods and topics from history that I love to read about and featuring some books that are set in them. ❤️

~~

Ancient Egypt

Let's start of with my #1 favorite era in history. For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated with anything related to ancient Egypt. The culture, the mythology, the mystery, the art... it all just speaks to me. Because of this you'd think that I would have read many historical fictions set in ancient Egypt but I actually haven't. I have read a few but mostly I've read nonfiction. Both is good of course so I will feature a little bit of fiction and nonfiction.

The Princess of Egypt Must Die by Stephanie Dray - 4/5★ {Mini review}

A short story about Arsinoe, the sister of the infamous Cleopatra.
The book is free on: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter  4/5★ {Review}

This book is about Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and General Marcus Antonius of Rome who becomes a prisoner of Rome along with her siblings after her parents die.

Tales of Ancient Egypt  by Roger Lancelyn Green 4/5★

This book includes stories of ancient Egypt's mythology among others, including one of the oldest Cinderella stories.

Before the Pyramids by Christopher Knight and Alan Butler 4/5★

To be fair this isn't just a nonfiction about ancient Egypt only, it also includes explanations and information about an advanced pre-Ice Age civilization and sites like the henges of North Yorkshire. But still it counts. 

20th Century

Books set in the 20th century, especially the early 1900's has been a pretty recent new addiction of mine. I haven't read a whole lot of books set in this era but the ones I have read were all really amazing. I don't know why I suddenly am more interested in those books but there's just something about it.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - 5/5★ {My Review}

This brilliant novel about female spies set in 1918 and 1946 is my favorite 

book of the year and definitely a must-read. It was even voted for Reese 

Witherspoon's online bookclub as their July read.

The Artist's Muse by Kerry Postle - 4.5/5★ {My Review}

I was pleasantly surprised about this back when I read it last summer. The writing 

was absolutely gorgeous and the story moved me so much!

Mata Hari's Last Dance by Michelle Moran - 4/5★ {My Review}

I'm super intrigued by the life of Mata Hari. Was she a spy? Wasn't she? 

That's the big question, isn't it. I really can't get enough of reading 

books about her. The Spy by Paulo Coelho is also a good one.

The Ottoman Empire

I'm not sure where my fascination with the Ottoman Empire comes from but whenever I see a book that's set in it I just need to read it. I really can't resist. The rise of the Ottoman Empire started c. 1299 and was abolished in the 20 century. I also have to say most books I've read set in the Ottoman Empire also involve Vlad the Impaler, who I also love reading about.

And I Darken by Kiersten White - 5/5★ {My Review}

This is probably the most popular out of the bunch and my favorite. It's about a 

gender bended Vlad Dracula and it's just all around brilliant. The sequel was 

pretty great as well!

The Sultan, the Vampyr and the Soothsayer by Lucille Turner - 5/5★ 

{My Review}

This was another amazing story. It mostly revolved around the relationships of 

fathers and sons. In this case between Vlad Dracula and his father Vlad Dracul and between Mehmet and his father Murad. It was striking!

The Merchant's Pearl by Amie O'Brien - 4/5★ {My Review}

This one, unlike the others is set in the 19th century when the Ottoman Empire is 

declining so that alone made it different most others I've read. And also 

Jane Austen's books play a pretty big part of the story.

The Nosferatu Chronicles: Origins by Susan Hamtilon

I haven't actually read this one yet but I know it's partly set in the Ottoman 

Empire so I just wanted to add it. It'll be my next read once I finish my current 

one. It sounds  really promising like a mix between historical fiction and science 

fiction. 

So that was it. I hope you all liked this post and that you found some new books to

add to your TBR. I'll post the second part soon because I have so much more 

favorite eras/topics to talk about. :D

Stacking The Shelves: September 23, 2017

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly bookish meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews & Reading Reality.

Water Touching Stone by Eliot Pattison
The Stonehenge Legacy by Sam Christer
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolien

I found these three books on a fleamarket last weekend. The Stongehenge Legacy and The Fellowship of the Ring were 40 cents together and I got Water Touching Stone for free! :D

Freebies:

Richard the Lionheart: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History

(still free on Amazon)

King Arthur: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History

(still free on Amazon)

For Review:
The Nosferatu Chronicles: Origins by Susan Hamilton

The author send me a review request for this book and since it's set in 15th Century Transylvania I couldn't resist. It seems like a mix of scifi and historical fiction. Also, Vlad Dracula! (the historical one, not the vampire that Stoker created)

Have you read any of these books or which ones do you think look interesting? Let me know your thoughts.

Have a great weekend, everyone! ♥