Monday, April 30, 2018

New Releases — May 2018


There are soooo many awesome books are releasing this month. I'm really looking forward to A Court of Frost and Starlight, Love and Ruin, Clash of Empires, Legendary and LIFEL1K3. I already read Furyborn back in December but it was really amazing. One of my top favorite books ever!


May 1, 2018 — Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All {Historical Fiction}
May 1, 2018 — A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas {New Adult, Fantasy}
May 1, 2018 — Love and Ruin by Paula McLain {Historical Fiction}

May 3, 2018 — The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden {Historical Fiction}
May 3, 2018 — The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse {Historical Fiction}
May 3, 2018 — The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill {Fantasy, Retelling}

May 8, 2018 — The World of All Souls by Deborah Harkness {Companion Book}
May 17, 2018 — Clash of Empires by Ben Kane {Historical Fiction}
May 22, 2018 — Furyborn by Claire Legrand {YA, Fantasy}

May 29, 2018 — Legendary by Stephanie Garber {YA, Fantasy}
May 29, 2018 — Too Wilde to Wed by Eloisa James {Historical Romance}
May 29, 2018 — LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff {Science Fiction}


What new releases are you looking forward to this month? Do you see something you like on my list?


Sunday, April 29, 2018

Monthly Wrap-Up — April 2018



Picture comes from 50 Book Pledge


Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff — 4/5
~
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer — 5/5 {Reread}
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Amanda Noble, #zoolife by Lesa Boutin — 4/5 {Audiobook}
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Marcus Aurelius: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History — 4/5
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The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George — 1/5 {DNF}
~
~
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie — 5/5
~
Catherine de Valois by Laurel A. Rockefeller — 3/3
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Queen Elizabeth Tudor: Journey to Gloriana by Laurel A. Rockefeller — 3/3
~



 Favorite book of the month:
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
Historical fiction

A novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

A general's daughter...

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington's penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she's captivated by the young officer's charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton's bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father's wife...

But the union they create - in their marriage and the new nation - is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all - including the political treachery of America's first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution...

When a duel destroys Eliza's hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband's enemies to preserve Alexander's legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she's left with one last battle - to understand the flawed man she married and imperfect union he could never have created without her...



Have you read any of these books or what was your favorite book of April?


Thursday, April 26, 2018

Book Blitz: Naughty Desires by Sarah Castille + Giveaway (INTL)


Naughty Desires
Sarah Castille
(Naughty Shorts, #1)
Publication date: April 24th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Naughty Desires is the first book in a standalone second chance romance novella series by New York Times bestselling author, Sarah Castille, set in a small Montana town and inspired by stories of real couples who have lost their way and found love again.
Fifteen years ago, Lily Meyers crashed into Chris Taylor at a bus stop, and it was love at first stumble. A whirlwind romance peppered with red roses and smoldering nights in bed led to a marriage Lily and Chris were proud of, nothing like the failed relationships they both experienced in their childhood homes.
But an unexpected layoff changes everything. Lily has done all she can to get Chris to see her again, but their playful nighttime banter has been replaced by anger and bitterness. Lily is ready to call it quits, until a mysterious package arrives that offers hope of a new beginning. But is Lily brave enough to take a chance?
Chris has been waiting every day for the past year for his wife to finally leave him. He feels unworthy as a husband and uncertain of what Lily will think about his dark desires. But now, with a little assistance from a friend, he’s got one chance to show his wife who he is, what he wants, and all the games he likes to play.
Warning: This book contains naughty costumes with ruby-red stilettos, a meddling dentist with a penchant for toys, and brown paper packages tied up with string. So basically a romance reader’s favorite things.

NAUGHTY SHORTS SERIES
A little naughty, a lot of heart, and a happily ever after.
Naughty Shorts are quick delicious bites of dirty (& sweet!) romance that will give you all the feels. Set in a fictional small town in Montana, and inspired by real couples, these sexy second chance romances are about hope, passion, and a happily ever after.
Series Release Dates:
Naughty Desires – April 24
Naughty Wishes – May 15
Naughty Secrets – June 5
Naughty Cravings TBA

 


Author Bio:
Sarah Castille is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Redemption Series, Ruin & Revenge Series, Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club series, and Legal Heat series. A recovering lawyer with a fondness for dirty-talking alpha males, she now is a full-time writer, who lives on Vancouver Island. Sarah’s books have been listed as Publisher’s Weekly’s Top Ten Picks and Best Summer Reads, and Amazon’s Best Romance Books of the Year, and have won numerous reader’s choice awards including the Holt Medallion.


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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

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.


Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All by Candace Flemish, M.T. Anderson, Stephanie Hemphill, Lisa Ann Sandell, Jennifer Donnely, Linda Sue Park and Deborah Hopkinson
Expected publication: May 1st 2018 by Schwartz & Wade

The tragic lives of Henry VIII and his six wives are reimagined by seven acclaimed and bestselling authors in this riveting novel, perfect for fans of Wolf Hall and Netflix's The Crown.

He was King Henry VIII, a charismatic and extravagant ruler obsessed with both his power as king and with siring a male heir.

They were his queens--six ill-fated women, each bound for divorce, or beheading, or death.

Watch spellbound as each of Henry's wives attempts to survive their unpredictable king and his power-hungry court. See the sword flash as fiery Anne Boleyn is beheaded for adultery. Follow Jane Seymour as she rises from bullied court maiden to beloved queen, only to die after giving birth. Feel Catherine Howard's terror as old lovers resurface and whisper vicious rumors to Henry's influential advisors. Experience the heartache of mothers as they lose son after son, heir after heir.

Told in stirring first-person accounts, Fatal Throne is at once provocative and heartbreaking, an epic tale that is also an intimate look at the royalty of the most perilous times in English history.

Who's Who:

* M. T. Anderson - Henry VIII
* Candace Fleming - Katharine of Aragon
* Stephanie Hemphill - Anne Boleyn
* Lisa Ann Sandell - Jane Seymour
* Jennifer Donnelly - Anna of Cleves
* Linda Sue Park - Catherine Howard
* Deborah Hopkinson - Kateryn Parr



I saw this book on Goodreads the other day and immediately knew that I want to read it. I love Tudor history and it sounds like a really  unique sort of anthology. 




Sunday, April 22, 2018

Audiobook Giveaway: Amanda Noble, #zoolife by Lesa Boutin (INTL)

Hello and happy sunday, everyone!

Today I'm holding a giveaway for the audiobook of Amanda Noble, #zoolife by Lesa Boutin, which I have previously listened to (I loved it) and reviewed here on Bookfever. More information on the book and giveaway below. ♥

Amanda Noble, #zoolife by Lesa Boutin
Narrated by Katherine Littrell
Published on March 30th 2018 by Boot in the Door Publications


Amanda's life is a zoo. For real. Her family owns the Noble's Ark Zoo, and it's equipped her with a particular set of skills. She can worm goats, bottle-feed a sick chinchilla, and wrangle a wayward snake with her eyes closed. But when her father becomes a local TV celebrity where he's pecked, clawed, and pooped on for Central Florida's viewing pleasure, she's not sure how to cope with it. Change her name? Move to another city? Then there's Kyler. He's her best friend - the guy who taught her to belch the alphabet kind of friend. And friends don't date friends. Right?

When the family is in danger of losing the zoo, it may take more than a working knowledge of gator wrestling and avoiding the business end of a skunk for Amanda to handle a second-string mobster, find a missing body, and convince Kyler they're meant to be together. All this without suffering an epic social media fail. #Zoolife





The Giveaway: 

One (1) Audiobook of Amanda Noble, #zoolife

Open internationally (if you can receive Audible books)

Giveaway ends on April 30th

Winner will have 72 hour to reply to my email

Winner will receive Audible code to purchase the book

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Saturday, April 21, 2018

Stacking The Shelves: April 21, 2018

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



Received:
The Pearl Sister
by Lucinda Riley
I received this book in my first package from The Book Matchmaker where I'm a rep for. I had chosen the genre historical and was so pleasantly surprised by receiving this book. It's huge! I also received herbal tea with it that was delicious. ♥

Bought: 
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
I also finally received My Dear Hamtilon in the mail. Of course I started reading it right away. IT'S AMAZING!


Freebies:
The Lady's Slipper
by Deborah Swift



Have a great weekend and happy reading, everyone! ♥



Friday, April 20, 2018

Book Beginnings | The Friday 56: My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader

Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice

Grab a book, any book. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader. Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) and post it.
~~

Book Beginning:

The promise of liberty is not written in blood or engraved in stone; it's embroidered into the fabric of our nation.
And so is Alexander Hamilton.
My husband. My hero. My betrayer.

Friday 56:

"Mademoiselle, you are a most excellent patriot," Lafayette said when I returned to the safety of Johnston Hall, where I reported everything.
To my surprise, the Frenchman seemed sanguine. "It is good you learn of all this in secret while all eyes were upon your father and me. You have been an essential asset to the cause."
It was flattery—French flattery at that!—and I wanted to believe it was true.


I've said it a couple of times before on my blog here but My Dear Hamilton is my highest anticipated book of this year so I'm really happy to be finally reading it. And I gotta say so far it's not been a disappointment. I am enjoying it so much! I have a feeling the romance is going to break my heart in a million pieces but I'm sure it's all worth it. 

A novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

A general's daughter...

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington's penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she's captivated by the young officer's charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton's bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father's wife...

But the union they create - in their marriage and the new nation - is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all - including the political treachery of America's first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution...

When a duel destroys Eliza's hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband's enemies to preserve Alexander's legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she's left with one last battle - to understand the flawed man she married and imperfect union he could never have created without her...



Thursday, April 19, 2018

Audiobook Review: Amanda Noble, #zoolife by Lesa Boutin

Title: Amanda Noble, #zoolife
Author: Lesa Boutin
Narrator: Katherine Littrell
Publication: March 30th 2018 by Boot in the Door Publications 

Purchase Links: Audible | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 4/5

Amanda's life is a zoo. For real. Her family owns the Noble's Ark Zoo, and it's equipped her with a particular set of skills. She can worm goats, bottle-feed a sick chinchilla, and wrangle a wayward snake with her eyes closed. But when her father becomes a local TV celebrity where he's pecked, clawed, and pooped on for Central Florida's viewing pleasure, she's not sure how to cope with it. Change her name? Move to another city? Then there's Kyler. He's her best friend - the guy who taught her to belch the alphabet kind of friend. And friends don't date friends. Right?

When the family is in danger of losing the zoo, it may take more than a working knowledge of gator wrestling and avoiding the business end of a skunk for Amanda to handle a second-string mobster, find a missing body, and convince Kyler they're meant to be together. All this without suffering an epic social media fail. #Zoolife

I know what you're thinking. An audiobook review from me? It's a rare thing. I usually have a hard time concentrating on audiobooks, although I do enjoy them, but I really felt like listening to this one for some reason and I'm so glad I did because I adored the story. The start was a bit slow for me but after the first 30% or so I could hardly stop listening. I did guess how things would end up going but I didn't really mind because this book was such a joy to listen to.

The title of this book probably says it all, this is about a 15 year-old girl named Amanda Noble that lives in a zoo, which I think is such a cool concept. Now I kinda wish I lived in a zoo... But anyway, back to the story. I absolutely loved Amanda and her snark. Aside from the living in a zoo thing she seemed a pretty typical teenager with a dad who was a bit clueless and dorky and crushing on her best friend, Kyler. The story really starts getting interesting mobsters start showing up and Amanda gets involved in a mystery that may or may not include a murder. 

The secondary characters were all pretty loveable. I really liked Amanda's dad even though he was a bit clueless at the start. I loved that he was a bit of a hero at the end, though. With Amanda's best friend, Kyler, I went back and forth. Sometimes he was just a typical clueless teenage boy that kind of frustrated me but other times he seemed like the smartest person out of whole cast. I even liked Vanessa to a certain point because she did seem to want to be really friends with Amanda. 

I was a little surprised by how suspenseful this book actually was. Especially towards the end the suspense was kicked up a notch and I just had to know how it would end. I loved that. And another thing, this story was HILARIOUS. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much with a book. The things Amanda says and the shenanigans she gets into are too funny for words. I laughed out loud several times. I also feel like I have to mention that there was a Harry Potter reference once or twice, which made me smile. And even if the story doesn't hook you right away, the end of chapter 6 definitely will!

About the narrator: 
Amanda Noble, #Zoolife was the first book I have listened to that was narrated by Katherine Littrell. I loved the voices she did for each character, especially when she did accents. I just loved that. I'd definitely want to listen to more books she narrated. I literally have nothing negative to say. She did such a good job!


Author bio:
If I said I enjoy my own company, would I sound like a narcissist? Maybe I should say I love the company in my head. I can't remember a time in my life I wasn't imagining myself in other places, meeting new people, and living wild adventures. The problem was, I lived in the woods. Not the country or the forest where cute little animals frolic, but the woods where there's nothing but trees, and brambles, and bugs, and snakes, and wild animals, and, well, etcetera. So, my head was my favorite place to be. As a young adult, I only wanted to read adult novels, which is odd since now, as an adult, I only want to write Young Adult novels.

The coolest thing about being a writer is that I get to become all the things I dream of. If my character lives in a zoo, I volunteer at the zoo--scooping goat poop. If my character is a ballerina, I tour the Houston Ballet Academy and get to know a real-life ballerina. I haven't quite decided on writing fantasy yet. Not sure I can be trusted with a magic wand.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden

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.


The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden
Expected publication: May 3rd 2018 

Conn Iggulden, the bestselling author of the Emperor, Conqueror and The Wars of the Roses series' returns to the Ancient World with a ferociously bloody epic . . .

In the Ancient World, one army was feared above all others.

401 BC. The Persian king Artaxerxes rules an empire stretching from the Aegean to northern India.

As many as fifty million people are his subjects.

His rule is absolute.

Though the sons of Sparta are eager to play the game of thrones . . .

Yet battles can be won - or lost - with a single blow. Princes fall. And when the dust of civil war settles, the Spartans are left stranded in the heart of an enemy's empire, without support, without food and without water.

Far from home, surrounded by foes, it falls to the young soldier Xenophon to lead the survivors against Artaxerxes' legendary Persian warriors.

Based on one of history's most epic stories of adventure The Falcon of Sparta masterfully depicts the ferocity, heroism, and savage bloodshed that was the Ancient World.

I've been obsessed with all things about Sparta lately so this book is just calling out to me. Especially since it also involves the Persian king Artaxerxes (who is the son of Xerxes I. He was a major player at Battle of Thermopylae.) I can't wait to read about Sparta vs Persia.