Tag: ARC

adult, ARC, Four Star Book

The Coincidence Makers ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: The Coincidence Makers
  • Author: Meradeth Houston
  • Publisher: Bleeding Ink Publishing
  • Publish Date: November 19, 2019
  • Book Form: E-ARC
  • Pages: 308
  • Dates Read: Nov 10 – Nov 13
  • Rating: ★★★★

As far as Ami’s concerned, invisibility is good for three things: bank vaults, men’s locker rooms, and saving the world.

For Ami and her partner, Luke, becoming invisible is part of their job. Their mysterious employer assigns them to make “coincidences” happen, from reuniting long lost lovers to toppling empires. For their next job, they must stop a bio-terrorism attack on San Francisco. To pull it off, they’ll have to break into illegal labs and federal buildings that make bank vaults seem easy.

Working side by side to arrange the coincidence, Ami hopes for a chance to finally push their relationship past the friend-zone. Her telepathic link with Luke has made it hard to keep her feelings secret for so many years. But just when things start to heat up between them, they accidentally alert the FBI to their existence. Now agents are chasing them down hilly streets and invading their homes in the middle of the night.

With three days until the attack, Ami and Luke must escape their FBI tail while keeping their own emotions from getting in the way. That’s not an easy task when their telepathy goes on the fritz and their only lead for who’s behind the plague just might be the one who releases it. With millions of lives hanging in the balance, they’re going to need more than a coincidence to pull it all off.

– Goodreads

Thank you to Netgalley and Bleeding Ink Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Four stars for this action-packed story that was way out of my comfort zone!

Imagine that coincidences weren’t coincidences. You didn’t just happen to get your dream job or meet your soul mate on the train. There are invisible people working behind the scenes to make this happen. What if they also did even crazier things – like save the world?

That’s what Ami and Luke have been tasked to do. They are used to little coincidences, nothing like this. I quickly fell in love with them and their will-they-won’t-they love story. I love friends to lovers, and this did not disappoint!

The Coincidence Makers had me guessing from the get-go. I didn’t know who was good or bad. There were a ton of twists and turns. The action scenes were written wonderfully and had my heart racing. I didn’t want to put this book down because I had to know what happened next.

The only thing that kept me from a 5 star rating was the ending. I felt like the book could have ended at 80% and then the sequel could begin from there. I liked staying in their world longer, but it felt a little long-winded. However, Meradeth has confirmed there is a sequel in the works so I can’t wait to jump back into Ami and Luke’s story!

I know I will be forever rethinking coincidences.

Until next time….

adult, ARC, Erotica, Five Star Book, Humor, Memoir, thriller, ya

WWW Wednesday!

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

What am I currently reading?

I’ve been wanting to read this for a while. It’s a club read this month over at Book Battle so it was the perfect chance! Not what I was expecting, but still good. Should finish tomorrow!

I’m also listening to the audio. I love books read by the celebrity authors!

Modern Romance on Goodreads

Honestly, I looked at kindle unlimited’s Christmas selection and saw this was a dark romance. I was thinking Verity-esque, but it’s not really. I’m a little over halfway done and still unsure about how I feel.

Checking Him Off My Christmas List on Goodreads

What did I recently finish reading?

This book wrecked me in the best way. I’m still reeling. Top 5 books of the year, for sure. Review to come soon!

The Grace Year on Goodreads

What do I think I’ll read next?

I was invited to be a part of The Kill Club’s blog tour and I am so excited! Look for my review on December 14!

The Kill Club on Goodreads

What is your WWW? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Four Star Book, ya

The Guinevere Deception ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: The Guinevere Deception
  • Author: Kiersten White
  • Publisher: Delacorte Press
  • Publish Date: November 5, 2019
  • Book Form: E-ARC
  • Pages: 352
  • Genre: Fantasy, YA, Retelling
  • Date Read: Oct 31 – Nov 10
  • Rating: ★★★.5

From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes a new fantasy series reimagining the Arthurian legend, set in the magical world of Camelot.

There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur’s knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

-Goodreads

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

This was the first King Arthur retelling I’ve read, and I enjoyed it. I don’t know why it took me so.long. to read this. 10 days! Parts were a little slow, but not slow enough to take me 10 days to read. I don’t know what was going on.

This was an interesting story. Guinevere was sent to Camelot to marry Arthur and protect him at all costs. She knew that was her goal, and that’s what she was going to do. She took some risks to protect him. Some worked, some didn’t. She was strong and level-headed. I loved her!

The supporting characters were also great! I loved her maid-turned-friend and also Arthur’s cousin. At points Arthur was a little flat for me.

Some of the writing seemed almost childish. That could have just been me though. From the start, I read Guinevere’s voice in a childish manner. Very simple speech, almost? I’m not sure exactly how to describe it. I loved her actions, her dialogue not so much.

This was book 1 of the Camelot Rising Trilogy and I can’t wait to read book two! I would recommend this to anyone who loves King Arthur or just a good ole YA Fantasy!

Until next time..

adult, ARC, Four Star Book, mystery, thriller

The Last Affair BLOG TOUR

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: The Last Affair
  • Author: Margot Hunt
  • Publisher: MIRA
  • Publish Date: November 26, 2019
  • Book Form: E-ARC
  • Pages: 336
  • Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Adult
  • Read Dates: Nov 13 – Nov 15
  • Rating: ★★★★

Gwen Landon—poster woman for perfect wife, mother, and suburban bliss—is found brutally bludgeoned to death behind her Floridian McMansion. Beautiful and beloved by her community, Gwen makes an unlikely victim. But just a scratch below the surface of her perfectly curated world reveals one far more sinister. When looking back over the six months leading up to her death, the question of, “who would do this?” quickly shifts to, “who wouldn’t?” 

Commercially successful food blogger and mother of three, Nora Holliday never imagined she would have the nerve, let alone time, to get involved an affair. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she does whatever it takes to keep it all together. But when Nora runs into Gwen Landon’s husband at a hotel in Orlando, his easy kindness and warmth proves too tempting to resist. As their affair spirals dangerously out of control, it seems things can’t get more complicated—until Gwen turns up dead.

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

I was so excited and honored to be a part of this blog tour! I read Margot’s first book, Best Friends Forever, last year and LOVED it! The Last Affair was no different!

So, an interesting thing about The Last Affair is that you find out who died in the first chapter. You then go back 6 months to find out what events lead up to the murder. Everyone was suspect. Everyone was sketchy. There were so.many. possibilities about who could have been the killer. I thought everyone did at one point, except the person who actually did the killing!

Another thing that made this novel so great was that all the characters were real. They were believable. The actions/conversations were true to the characters. You liked the “good guys” and hated the “bad guys”. But did you really know who was good or bad?I didn’t.

The plot was fast paced and interesting. I could not put this novel down. I was so glad for the four hour car ride to Alabama so I could read! I’m sure my husband hated it though. Sorry, babe! I had to know the killer!

I’ve already recommended this novel to my thriller loving family and friends. It is definitely one of my favorites that I have read!

Margot Hunt is a critically acclaimed author of psychological suspense. Her work has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews.

Connect with Margot Hunt!
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Buy this book! You won’t regret it. Pinky promise!
Harlequin | Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
BAM | Target | Walmart | Google | iBooks | Kobo

Harlequin’s Winter Mystery/Thriller blog tours! All of these are on my TBR. Look for my The Kill Club post coming soon!

Until next time…

ARC, Horror, middle grade, mystery, two star book

Monster on the Moors ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: Monster on the Moors
  • Author: J.M. Kelly
  • Publisher: Top Publications, Ltd.
  • Publish Date: October 31, 2019
  • Book Form: E-ARC
  • Pages: 280
  • Genre: Mystery, Horror, MG
  • Dates Read: Sept 27 – Oct 29
  • Rating: ★★

Monster On The Moors is an MG-YA horror thriller that takes place in the eerie North York Moors of England. Clairvoyant Bobby Holmes, his American cousin Brenda Watson, and their friends, wise guy Stevie and Michael (who is challenged by Asperger Syndrome), are drawn into a deadly mystery. They are hunted by an ancient wolf creature controlled by evil witches of British lore. When one of their friends is captured, they must rely on the investigations of a librarian who is more than he seems, the mystical gifts of a gypsy king, a mysterious stranger at the center of it all, and their own wits in a desperate race to save their friend and come out alive.

– Goodreads

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

Sheesh. Okay. So, I got this book because I thought it would be a good Halloween read. I was mistaken.

Okay, and I know it took me almost a month to read. I started it, then had to put it down because it was taking so long to finish. 280 pages felt like forever. So I started, put it down, picked it back up. Again. And again.

When I got Monster on the Moor, I thought it was YA. I was so confused because the writing and dialogue was just… childish. I then did some research and discovered it was MG. Okay, that makes more sense. But Bobby and his band of friends go off investigating and in the woods on their own. I know I wouldn’t let my MG-aged child do half of what these guys did in the book. The character’s actions and thoughts were very YA-aged, but the dialogue was MG-aged, so I was just confused. I really spent most of the book trying to figure out their ages.

Another thing that made this book hard for me were the descriptions. They were very wordy, and I lost track of what we were describing. It ultimately made the book very hard for me to get into.

Now for some positives. There was autism rep in this book, which is always nice to see. This is also part of a series, but JM Kelly did a great job of giving enough backstory where you didn’t have to read the first book.

Would I recommend this book? I hate to say, I would not. The actions/voices of the characters didn’t match and it was just too hard to get into.

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Four Star Book, middle grade

BLOG TOUR! The Dark Lord Clementine ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

The new face of big evil is a little . . . small.

Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day the Dark Lord Elithor is cursed by a mysterious rival.

Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. As Clementine forms her first friendships, discovers more about her own magic than she ever dared to explore, and is called upon to break her father’s code of good and evil, she starts to question the very life she’s been fighting for. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be dark after all?

– Goodreads

Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks for inviting me on the blog tour! All views and opinions are my own.

This book was so adorable! And it has…

Thanks, giphy!

What I liked:

The Dark Lord Clementine is such an adorable Middle Grade novel about coming of age, choosing your path, and stickin’ to your guns!

Clementine has been training since she was born to be the next Dark Lord. But Clem has some secrets. She takes care of animals, grows flowers instead of poisons, and maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t want to be so dark.

Clementine has to make some tough choices that will shape her entire life. She handles it with such grace, especially for a 12 year old girl! She’s such a good example of being unsure of yourself, but making a decision and sticking to it.

I feel like she is such a strong role model for young girls. She is trained to be bad, but shows that goodness always wins.

What I didn’t like:

The start was a little slow for me. I wasn’t interested until about 30% in, but then I couldn’t put it down!

Would I recommend?

Oh, for sure! Such a great read, especially for young girls! I’ve already recommended it to my friend, Sarah!

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Historical Fiction, three star book, ya

The Lady Rogue ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

The Last Magician meets A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in this thrilling tale filled with magic and set in the mysterious Carpathian Mountains where a girl must hunt down Vlad the Impaler’s cursed ring in order to save her father.

Some legends never die…

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it.

– Goodreads

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

When I started this book I was like, this is gonna be a 4.5 star! Then it was just like….

Thanks, giphy!

What I Liked:

So, I understand this is not the normal genre for Jenn Bennett. It is the first book I’ve read by her, but I would give her contemporaries a change.

The beginning of this book was SO GOOD. I was instantly thrust into this old world, old way of travel. The main character, Theodora, was likeable and her companion, Huck, even more so. I was so enthralled by this adventure they were going on. I liked probably 70% of the book. The adventure was interesting, looking for Vlad the Impaler’s ring was interesting, the side characters were interesting!

What I didn’t like:

The last 30%? I felt like there was about to be resolution, then there would be issue. After issue. After issue. I felt like the ending just drug on and on, which made this book feel much longer than it’s 384 pages. I think I spent a week reading this novel. I was just so ready for it to end but couldn’t find the umph to keep going. I did finish. I was glad I did. The characters were still likeable and interesting, but the plot just kind of never resolved for me. It was quite disappointing since I was raving about the book at the start.

Would I recommend?

Eh, I don’t know. I would probably warn people the end didn’t live up to the start. I don’t know that it’s completely worth it to read.

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Five Star Book, ya

The Babysitter’s Coven ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it’s kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she’s good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let’s just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She’s Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme’s babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra’s mother left her: “Find the babysitters. Love, Mom.”

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they’re about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

– GOodreads

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

I was so excited to get an arc of this book, and man. It did not disappoint!

Thanks, Giphy!

What I liked:

This was such a fast, intriguing debut novel. Esme and her bff, Janis, are fashion queens. I loved the descriptions of their outfits and the names for them. They’re just trying to get through high school then make their way out of their small town. Then something crazy happens. Esme learns she has telekenesis and things.get.cray. I was a babysitter when I was younger, so I loved that so much of the book revolved around that. I loved the magic and spells. Cassandra was iffy at times, but in the end I really liked her! The friendship between Janis and Esme reminded me of me and my highschool friends. We still talk to this day, and I feel like that’s the relation ship they have!

What I didn’t like:

Like I said, Cassandra, a fellow witch, was annoying at times but in the end turned out great!

Would I recommend?

Yes, yes, yes! This is a perfect fall/Halloween book! Curl up with it, a PSL, and a nice blanket and you’re in for a good time! This was a super fast read that kept me intrigued the whole way through. I can’t wait to see what happens to our Sitters in book 2! (Coming fall 2020. SO FAR AWAY!)

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, Four Star Book, ya

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Co-written by sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite, and told in epistolary style through letters, articles, emails, and diary entries, this exceptional debut novel captures a sparkling new voice and irrepressible heroine in a celebration of storytelling sure to thrill fans of Nicola Yoon, Ibi Zoboi and Jenna Evans Welch!

When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime…

You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything?

Actually, a lot.

Thanks to “the incident” (don’t ask), I’m spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a “spring volunteer immersion project.” It’s definitely no vacation. I’m toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own…and to hide a rather devastating secret.

All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks…like flirting with Tati’s distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I’m even exploring my family’s history—which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse.

You know, typical drama. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.

– Goodreads

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I instantly fell in love with this epistolary style novel full of magic and spells!

Thanks, Giphy!

What I liked:

As I said, I love epistolary style novels! It’s such an intriguing way to convey a story. Once I realized the novel was written in that way, I was all in.

I loved the setting being Haiti. I’ve never read a book based in Haiti or written by someone of Haitian descent. I loved learning about the land and the way of life of those who live there. It was so interesting. I also loved the use of French and Creole language! I love with languages other than English are featured in a book.

The story was interesting and easy to follow. I enjoyed the mix of magic in with reality. It made you believe that magic is real! And maybe it is! Who knows? I also appreciated that her mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and that it was a central theme to the story. My grandpa was also diagnosed early and succumbed to the disease, so it’s nice to have that representation.

What I didn’t like:

I felt the ending was rushed. There was so much going on and it all wrapped up at once. I felt the story could have benefited from an extra 50 or so pages. It’s already at 432, but the story went by so fast It didn’t feel that long!

Would I recommend?

Yes! I love reading about places I’ve never been. The magic and setting were amazing!

Until next time….

ARC, fantasy, Five Star Book, ya

Tiger Queen ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: Tiger Queen
  • Author: Annie Sullivan
  • Publisher: Blink
  • Publish Date: September 10, 2019
  • Pages: 320
  • Book Form: Physical/E-ARC
  • Genre: Fantasy, YA
  • Rating: ★★★★★

In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger.

But when Kateri’s final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she’d side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world—and her heart—upside down. Her future is now behind two doors—only she’s not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.

– GOodreads

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

I LOVE Annie Sullivan! She is super sweet. Her second novel did not disappoint. It was an amazing retelling of The Lady, Or the Tiger.

Thanks, Giphy!

What I liked:

This was such a fierce novel! I loved the training and fight scenes. I felt like I was watching it happen! I love a strong female lead! I also liked the setting was the desert. It’s not something I have read before and I loved being transported there!

The back and forth with the romance was amazing! As always, Annie’s books are clean, so this is perfect for a younger teen!

The story was intriguing and hooked me right from the beginning. I have never read The Lady, Or the Tiger, but I definitely want to now! I’d love to see where Annie drew her inspiration.

At about 30% in, I thought I knew what the outcome was going to be. I was so wrong, and I loved the ending!

Also – myself and my fellow Words and Whimsy modmins are in the acknowledgements. I am so so thankful and grateful to Annie for that! She is the sweetest person, and I love supporting someone like that!

What I didn’t like:

I can’t think of anything I didn’t like! The story was interesting, the pacing was great, the characters were likable. I loved it all!

Would I recommend?

Yes! This is a story anyone can enjoy. It’s also great for younger teens since it is a clean read!

Until next time…