contemporary, Romance, ya

First Impression Friday!

This is becoming one of my favorite posts to do! I love reading the first chapter of a book and really analyzing it. So far, I haven’t been far off in my predictions!

This week we are looking at Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen, the book that’s been on my TBR longest! It’s also from my TBR posts.

“”Ruby, where is your mother?” Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return. That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?” Goodreads

So, I don’t know if I’ve ever read Sarah Dessen. I may have way back in the day, like high school days. I wasn’t super sure what to expect going into it.

The first chapter was LONG. Like, 32 pages. I’m more of a short and sweet kinda girl – I hate not ending on a chapter! So that was my first hiccup.

The first chapter was also LONG. It opened up with a ton of descriptions, which I don’t do well with. I don’t need to know the exact color of the carpet, walls, and drapes. Just tell me it’s nice and super expensive and I can imagine the rest. I found myself skimming the first few pages.

I also felt like nothing really happened in the first chapter. You meet Ruby, her sister Cora, and brother in law Jamie who she just moved in with. You find out she was living alone before that. But like, nothing else? I don’t know. It just seemed unnecessarily long.

My predictions for this book. Hm. I don’t think I’ll hate it, but I think maybe it isn’t really in my wheelhouse anymore. I feel like it’s going to be more of a day to day life thing instead of any action. I’m guessing it’ll be a 2-3 star read.

Have you read Lock and Key? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

You can follow my live-reactions to this book on twitter here!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, Historical Fiction, Romance, ya

Down the TBR Bonus Post!

I am so close to getting under 1900 with my TBR so I decided to do a bonus post! This is hosted by Zezee With Books and here’s how it works!

The rules for Down the TBR Hole:

  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

So I am starting at 1920. I’m going to look at the next 20 books on my TBR to see if we can get to 1900!

My Blue Suede Shoes by Tracy Price-Thompson and TaRessa Stovall

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Four novellas by African-American women that each tackle some form of abuse. I’m trying to be more diverse in my reading, and these stories all sound great.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep!

Poseur by Rachel Maude

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Four girls who have nothing in common get put together to create a fashion label. I probably would have liked this in high school, but not now.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

An Amish Christmas by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Barbara Cameron, Kelly Long

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Four Amish Christmas romances. I think we know how I feel about these.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Ranch romance. I liked the cover, but the synopsis just isn’t doing it for me.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: The start of a series that follows four married couples from the same town.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Falling for You Again by Catherine Palmer and Gary Chapman

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: The second in the series of the above book. I’ll delete this one too.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Cruel and Unusual by Patricia D Cornwell

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 4 in the Kay Scarpetta series. I read the first and loved it, so I’ll keep this one. I need to read 2 and 3 first.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

Point of Origin by Patricia D Cornwell

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 9 in the Kay Scarpetta series. Same as above, I’ll keep, but need to read the others first.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

Commitments by Barbara Delinsky

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: A woman meets a man, who is then accused of murder, and fights for his innocence.
  • Keep or Delete: Sounds interesting. I’ll Keep

Escape by Barbara Delinsky

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: A 32 year old lawyer just up and leaves her life one day to start over.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Flirting with Pete by Barbara Delinsky

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: A woman’s father leaves her a manuscript, and she goes searching for who it is about.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

American Beauty by Zoey Dean

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 7 in the series, but it sounds like another Poseur type series – one I would have liked in high school.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Heart of Glass by Zoey Dean

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 8 in the series. Same as above.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

California Dreaming by Zoey Dean

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 10 in the series. Same as before.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Girl gets lost in the wilderness with a Hollywood star.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Size 14 is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 2 in a series, but it’s about a pop star and someone gets murdered, I think?
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I am going to delete this one. I read it in high school. While I don’t remember it enough to review or anything, I don’t want a reread.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: You know, Nicholas Sparks just isn’t my jam anymore.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

The Lucky Ones by Nicholas Sparks

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another Nicholas Sparks, another I’ll have to pass on.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Woman falls for a monk? I’m not so sure about it. I wanted mermaids.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

And here we are ending at 1904!! This Sunday, SURELY I will be under 1900! I am so excited.

I don’t know what the deal was with adding like the 7,8, and 10th books of a series? Who knows.

I’m still seeing a lot of my mom’s influence in these books. I’m ready to get to more YA books and see if I forgot about any great ones!

Did I make any wrong decisions? Should I have kept or deleted any? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, fantasy, Humor, Romance, ya

Down the TBR Part 13!

I’m so ready to trim the TBR again this week! The last two weeks I have added books to the tbr, so it really needs to get cleaned out. This meme is hosted by Zezee with Books. Here’s how it works:

The rules for Down the TBR Hole:
  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

Here are this week’s books. At first glance, there’s a lot of Christmas. I feel like I will get rid of a good many. I’m starting the week at 1934.

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: YA fantasy, which is fun. I read some not great reviews. I love the cover, but I don’t think this one is for me.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another series in the Shannara Universe. I’ll keep for now, since I kept the others. If I don’t like them, I’ll come back and delete.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Series of paranormal romance short stories.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christian chick lit. I’ll pass
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Number 7 in the series. I think if I don’t like the first I probably won’t like the 7th.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

Sisterchicks on the Loose by Robin Jones Gunn

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another Christian Chick lit. Just not my cup of tea.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

The Christmas Blessing by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Ok, surprise. I’m keeping this one for this year’s Christmas! The MC is a doctor. I can’t not keep it.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

The Christmas Promise by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christmas story about promises to each other. This one isn’t as enticing as the one above.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This is about a woman who saves an elderly lady’s life, a man who is supposed to find her to reward her, and how they fall in love. Eh.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

The Christmas Note by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another elderly lady dies, and they find a note that reveals some family secrets.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

We are currently at 1927. I’m feeling frisky. Let’s do 10 more!

The Christmas Hope by Donna VanLiere

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Ugh. About a social worker taking in a kid for Christmas. My heart. I gotta keep.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I didn’t keep the other Yada books, do I don’t think I’ll keep this one either.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble by Ann B Ross

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I deleted the other Miss Julia books. This is #14. I think I’ll delete this one too.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I deleted the other Sisterchick book above, so I’ll delete this one too. If I can’t read #1 I won’t be able to read #8 lol.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Sisterchicks Do the Hula by Robin Jones Gunn

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Same as above.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Angels at the Table by Debbie Macomber

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christmas book about angels bringing two people together to love.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Black Hills by Nora Roberts

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This sounds like it might be good, but I don’t know if it’s enough to keep. Especially since I haven’t read her other works.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Stars Collide by Janice Thompson

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: About two actors who play a couple on screen but are actually a couple in real life.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

A Promising Man by Elizabeth Young

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Sounds like it could be a cute romance. I’ll bite.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

It All Began in Monte Carlo by Elizabeth Adler

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I saw it was suspense, and thought ok. I can do this. But honestly, there’s A LOT going on in the synopsis and I’m just not up for that.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete.

We are ending at 1919! Only 20 books and we are under 1900! Progress, people! So, my biggest surprise was A Promising Man. I didn’t think I’d keep any of the second set of 10.

Only 123 books to go and we are done with everything I added on June 27! I don’t know why I added so many that day. Like, I wish I could go back to me then and ask myself what I was doing. Cause it’s causing me some headaches now.

I may do a bonus post later on this week. I am so ready to be under 1900 on my tbr and to have a true tbr! But I’ll also probably add any arcs I request or receive, so that will skew the numbers a bit.

Anyway, did I make any wrong choices? What do you think about these books? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, fantasy, Historical Fiction, mystery, Romance, thriller, ya

Stacking the Shelves

I did this post last week and loved it so I decided to do it again! Maybe this will become a weekly post. Who knows?

This meme is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. Here’s how it works:

“Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!”

This week I got an amazing arc box! I also got five e-galleys from Netgalley. Let’s see what I got!

Crave by Tracy Wolff

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

I’ve seen this advertised as the new and improved Twilight. Honestly, I can’t wait.

Open Fire by Amber Lough

A dramatic page-turner that captures the devastating toll of war and the impact of women’s struggles and solidarity, through the lens of a little-known slice of history.

Honestly, the cover freaks me out. This is set in 1917 Russia. A 17 year old girl goes to war – and finds she was very disillusioned.

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett

In this coming-of-age romance perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, scandal and romance collide when an ambitious teen returns to her hometown only to have her plans interrupted after falling for the town’s “bad boy”—a.k.a. her childhood best friend.

Honestly, I did not expect to get approved for this. I haven’t read Jenn’s romances yet, so I’m excited to finally try. I’ve heard great things.

The Mall by Megan McCafferty

“The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is psyched to spend the summer after graduation working at the Parkway Center Mall. In six weeks, she and her boyfriend head off to college in NYC to fulfill The Plan: higher education and happily ever after.
But you know what they say about the best laid plans…”

I was a 90’s kid. I can’t wait to go back!

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris’s criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution.

Adventures. Thieves. Set in France. Fans of Six of Crows? This book was written for me.

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

For fans of Sadie and Serial, this gripping thriller follows two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.

Again, fans of Serial. That’s me! I love these books. Keep them coming YA authors!

Have you heard of any of these gems? Are you on the lookout for them? What are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, fantasy, LGBT, ownvoices, Romance, ya

Year of the Asian Reading Challenge 2020

So, as I was perusing through twitter one day, I saw this reading challenge. The banner above is so adorable. I also want to read more diverse books. I think all my January books were by cis, white authors. So. I thought this was a perfect challenge for me! There are so many books by Asian authors I want to read!

Here are the guidelines taken from The Quiet Pond, who is one of the hosts!

The aim of this challenge is to read as many books written by Asian authors as you can! These books can be backlist titles (i.e. released in 2019 or earlier), new releases, and ARCs. We welcome books of any genre, any format, and any length. Check out the levels we have made for this challenge (I drew them too!) and set your sights on a level you want to achieve.

In order for a book to count, you must start and finish it within 2020; the challenge will end on the 31st of December of this year. (This means that books started in 2019 and finished in 2020 do not count!) Likewise, any books started in 2020 and finished in 2021 do not count either.

We want this to be a relaxing and, above all else, fun challenge, so you can join in at any time in the year! The sign-up form will remain open until 2020 ends.

Follow us on Twitter (@YearOfTheAsian) for announcements, surprises, and more bookish fun. The official hashtag for this reading challenge is #YARC2020.

I chose the Phillipine Tarsier badge, which is reading 1-10 books by Asian authors. If I read more, I can always move on to the next badge!

Here are the 10 books I plan on reading this year:

2020 Releases:

  1. The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz
  2. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
  3. The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
  4. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

Backlist Titles:

  1. Stronger than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan
  2. Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
  3. I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn
  4. Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
  5. Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan
  6. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Have you read any of these? Are you doing the challenge? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, dystopian, fantasy, Romance

Down the TBR Part 12!

Another week of trimming the TBR! This meme is hosted by Zezee with Books. Here’s the rules:

The rules for Down the TBR Hole:
  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

So, today we are starting at 1940. I just added the 7 arcs I got approved for this week. Oops. On first glance, there are definitely some I might consider keeping. There’s actually some fantasy and maybe some YA in here!

Three Fates by Nora Roberts

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Three people try to find a stolen statue. Eh.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Captivated and Entranced by Nora Roberts

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two love stories. One about a screenplay writer and a witch. The second about a detective and a PI. Ok I’m into it.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

Three Brides, No Groom by Debbie Macomber

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Chick lit about three women at their 15-year reunion.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Fair Folk by Marvin Kaye

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Book of short stories about Fey. I like it.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep!

The Passage by Justin Cronin

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Government experiments. Kidnapped kids. I don’t think it’s for me.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: My husband was excited to see this on the list. One of the few books he’s read and he loved it. About rogues and assassins.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep. I’ll give it a chance even though it’s epic fantasy, which usually isn’t my deal.

A Dance of Blades by David Dalglish

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Book 2 of A Dance of Cloaks. I’ll leave it in case I like the first.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

The High Druid of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: I mean, this sounds good. High fantasy kind of scares me – it’s usually too involved and too many people to keep up with. But I’ll give this one a try.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

Madman by Tracy Groot

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: The synopsis confuses me, so I’m going to say this is a no go.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: The MC takes a slave to sacrifice to the fire god to then get inhuman powers. I am going to pass.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

We are ending at 1935. I kept 5 and deleted 5, so not too terribly bad. I actually deleted the YA, which surprised me. I also kept more of the high fantasy than I thought I would. They just sound SO GOOD.

What do you think? Did I make any wrong decisions? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, blog tour, contemporary, fantasy, Romance, ya

Stacking the Shelves!

Happy weekend, guys! This was a crazy week. I didn’t get to do near enough on the blog! We were short someone at work, with a record number of patients. Needless to say, I could barely stay up to read, let alone blog! Thankfully it’s the weekend. I plan to finish my current read, We are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo, play DnD, and just relax!

So this meme is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. Here’s what they have to say about it:


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

This week I was approved for seven arcs on Netgalley! I went to Barnes and Noble, but didn’t buy any book! A travesty, I know. I just couldn’t decide. So here are the arcs I have added to my forever long TBR shelf this week:

Let’s start with the one I’m most excited about. The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke.

The cover is gorge and immediately drew me in. Then I read the synopsis:

An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.

I think I squealed when I got the acceptance email. No shame.

Next was The Stone of Sorrow by Brooke Carter.

In a land of myth and ice, seventeen-year-old Runa Unnursdóttir is not the runecaster her clan has been hoping for.”

I love a good comeback story. Plus I love the girl’s hair and cloak. Cause who doesn’t want an amazing cloak?!

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles. Again, another gorgeous cover. Like, I need her dress.

Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.

I mean, how amazing does that sound?!

Music from Another World by Robin Talley.

A master of award-winning queer historical fiction, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley once again brings to life with heart and vivid detail an emotionally captivating story about the lives of two teen girls living in an age when just being yourself was an incredible act of bravery.

I got chosen for a blog tour for this novel and I am so excited! Tour date TBA!

We Didn’t Ask for This by Adi Alsaid

Central International School’s annual lock-in is legendary. Bonds are made. Contests are fought. Stories are forged that will be passed down from student to student for years to come. Every year, lock-in night changes lives. This year, it might just change the world.

I got chosen for a blog tour for this title too! I can’t wait to dive in! Tour date TBA!

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass by Adan Jerreat-Poole

Even teenage assassins have dreams.

We all know how I feel about an assassin book! Plus this cover. Omg. Swoon. I think this is the one I’m second most excited about!

The Bad Boy’s Forever by Blair Holden

Tessa O’Connell is a girl with an unbreakable spirit and a strength that will get her through anything and this strength is one she needs now more than ever before. Through the two big chapters of her life, her goal remains to be fearless and make the best of all the opportunities that come her way.

Oops. I didn’t realize this was book 3? So I’ll have to read book 1 and 2 first. But it sounds great and I love supporting wattpad authors!

So those are my seven new books this week! I hope to get to them soon. THey all sound amazing and I’m working really hard to get caught up on arcs!

Have you heard of any of these? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time..

adult, contemporary, Romance

Down the TBR Part 11!

Last week we made it through 100 books! I’m so excited to start the next 100 and dwindle down my TBR as much as possible. Lord knows I have a ton of current books to add!

First thoughts. Uhm. There are 7 Christmas books. What the hell?! Like, why? And the other three are Nora Roberts. So there’s not going to be a lot of diversity, unfortunately. This may be my second week in a row of deleting all 10! We’re staring at 1942. Let’s see where we end.

A Creed County Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christmas love story set in 1910 in the Montana wilderness. This is a book for my mom.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

The Christmas Brides by Linda Lael Miller

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This has A Creed County Christmas plus another story. 2-in-1.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Adult romance. Not sparking my interest.
  • Keep or delete: Delete.

Christmas in Apple Ridge by Cindy Woodsmall

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Three Amish Christmas novellas.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Lakeshore Chrsitmas by Susan Wiggs

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: A ‘prim’ librarian and troubled child star fall in love while putting on a Christmas Pageant.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Love Finds You on Christmas Morning by Debby Mayne and Trish Perry

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two stories about two ladies who get proposed to in the same house on Christmas 85 years apart.
  • Keep or delete: Delete.

The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: An Angel finds a poor candlemaker and he needs to decide who in town needs a Christmas Miracle.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two couples pushed together during a snow storm to find the true meaning of Christmas.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

Northern Lights by Nora Roberts

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Cop starts a new life in Alaska only to find there’s a murderer on the loose!
  • Keep or delete: Keep!

The MacKade Brothers: Rafe and Jared by Nora Roberts

  • Date added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Two love stories about two brothers. A bad boy and a lawyer.
  • Keep or delete: Delete

We are ending at 1933! I kept the one book about a murderer. I do love me some murder.

I’m again confused by all the Christmas books. I mean, I have kept one or two for this holiday season’s tbr, but none of these struck my fancy.

I’ll see yall again next week as we get through another 10!

Have you read any of these? Did I make the wrong decision? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Five Star Book, review, Romance, ya

The Shadows Between Us ARC Review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel and Friends for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

– Goodreads

Tricia hinted at this novel back in 2019 when Words & Whimsy had the pleasure of chatting with her. I knew then and there I needed it. I was so excited to get this ARC. I was even more excited when I read the first line:

“They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart.
And they never will.”

Omg, guys. That first line, for me, ranks up there with the first line for Nevernight. I was instantly pulled in and wanted to put everything on hold to read this book, Work, sleep, cleaning. I didn’t want any of it. I just had to know about Alessandra’s journey. I read every moment I could. In the elevator, walking to my office, while on hold making appointments. I could not put this novel down.

Alessandra’s goal in simple. Make the king fall in love with her, like so many men have done. Marry the king. Kill the king and take the country as her own. Simple, right? It was, at first. Until these nasty things called feelings got involved.

I loved seeing how Alessandra and Kallias’ story and relationship progressed. I love an enemies to lovers story and this delivered! There were even sexy bits! There was also a tiny bit of a love triange.

Alessandra is not a character you root for. Quite honestly, she’s pretty evil. But you are shown enough vulnerability and kindness to make you fall for her. She even comments on her kindness and how it is out of character. She really reminds me of my dnd character which is part of the reason I think I love her so much. She firmly believes she is the best, smartest person in the room and no one can make her think differently. She’ll also kill you without a second thought.

“I try for a humble tone, but since I’ve no idea what that sounds like, I’m not so sure I manage it.”

Kallias is not so nice, himself. He sees women paraded in front of him day in and day out so he can choose one he likes to marry and have an heir. The only girl he is interested in is the one who will pay him no mind. Make fun of him, even! Who does that to a king?

Their relationship progressed in the best way. First Kallias sees her only as a friend, a confidant. But slowly he sees how cunning and ruthless Alessandra is. He then realizes she is meant to be his queen and he will do anything to have her.

There were small issues throughout the book that Kallias and Alessandra solved together. The ending was so surprising to me! I didn’t see the twist coming and I loved it!

I am so glad I was fortunate enough to be able to read an ARC of this book. I loved it so much. If you want in on the fun you can preorder here:

| Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million |

Also checkout the preorder incentive here if you ordered a hardback copy!

Are you planning on picking up The Shadows Between Us? If you do I want to know your thoughts!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, Romance

Down the TBR Part 10!

Guys! We’ve gone through 100 book together! Well, it will be 100 after this. I’ll have to get some stats!

We are starting off this week at 1953. I added two books to my TBR. It’s a real problem. Let’s jump right in and see if we can get under 1950! By the first look at these books, I think we will.

The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Book about bringing the Christmas spirit to everyone.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Why all the Amish Christmas books? Just not my jam.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Au Pairs by Melissa de la Cruz

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Three teens in East Hampton for the Summer. I think I would have loved this YA when I was a bit younger, but not now.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Very chick lit. Very adult – but not in the sexy way.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Danny by Susan Vance

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This is a sequel, but the synopsis was king of convoluted and wasn’t enough to make me look into book 1.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Woman’s husband dies, finds out he had a child with someone else, life turns upside down. No thanks.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Beach House by Georgia Bockoven

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: “Novel tells of the beauty of life and the power of love.” Just not my thing these days.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: YA contemporary, but just isn’t piquing my interest.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Sheesh. Another Amish Christmas. What was with me in 2015?
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Shack by William Paul Young

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Christian fiction. I’m just not sure about it.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

We rounded out 100 with a bang! I deleted all 10! My TBR is now down to 1943. Under 1950! Wooo! Let’s look at some stats

  • I kept 32 books.
  • I deleted 67 books.
  • One book was a 3-in-1 that I deleted, but added one of the books from it to my tbr.
  • I’ve read one from the books I kept.

Not too bad for the first 100 books! I’m looking forward to the next 100!

Have you read any of these? Should I have kept any? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…