#BookReview for Girl Made of Stars by @ashleyhblake

Synopsis: "I need Owen to explain this. Because yes, I do know that Owen would never do that, but I also know Hannah would never lie about something like that."

Mara and Owen are about as close as twins can get. So when Mara's friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. 

Can the brother she loves really be guilty of such a violent crime?  

Torn between the family she loves and her own sense of right and wrong, Mara is feeling lost, and it doesn't help that things have been strained with her ex-girlfriend and best friend since childhood, Charlie.

As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie navigate this new terrain, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits in her future. 

With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault.

#BookReview for Time Bomb by @charbonneau @HMHTeen

Synopsis: A congressman's daughter who has to be perfect. 

A star quarterback with a secret. 

A guy who's tired of being ignored. 

A clarinet player who's done trying to fit in. 

An orphaned rebel who wants to teach someone a lesson. 

A guy who wants people to see him, not his religion.

They couldn't be more different, but before the morning's over, they'll all be trapped in a school that's been rocked by a bombing. 




When they hear that someone inside is the bomber, they'll also be looking to one another for answers. 

#BookReview for Grim Lovelies (Grim Lovelies #1) by Megan Shepherd

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.

Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, Grim Lovelies is an epic and glittering YA fantasy. Prepare to be spellbound by the world of Grim Lovelies, where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price.

#BookReview: Bloodleaf (Bloodleaf #1) by @crysrensmith

Synopsis: Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. 

Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. 

To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed.

 As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. 

But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat.

 Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

#BookReview: Only Ashes Remain (Market of Monsters #2) by @rrschaeffer

Synopsis: After escaping her kidnappers and destroying the black market where she was held captive, all Nita wants is to find a way to live her life without looking over her shoulder. 

But with a video of her ability to self-heal all over the dark web, Nita knows she’s still a prime target on the black market.

There’s only one way to keep herself safe.

Nita must make herself so feared that no one would ever dare come after her again. 

And the best way to start building her reputation? 

Take her revenge on Fabricio, the boy who sold Nita to her kidnappers. 

But killing Fabricio is harder than Nita thought it would be, even with Kovit by her side. 

Now caught in a game of kill or be killed, Nita will do whatever it takes to win.

#BookTour for REENTRY by @PeterCawdron @JeanBookNerd #Giveaway

Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (June 11, 2019)
Publication Date: June 11, 2019
Sold by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Language: English
ASIN: B07FKD6GH9

Praise for REENTRY

"It's good to consider the AI possibilities ahead. Peter Cawdron's REENTRY is a marvelous read but also an intriguing scenario for what might go on within the superintelligences." ―Vernor Vinge, Hugo Award-winning author of A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky

After almost dying on Mars, astronaut Liz Anderson returns to Earth, but not to a hero’s welcome. America is in turmoil. The war is over, but the insurgency has just begun. So while life on Mars may have been deadly, at least up there she knew who the enemy was. Along with her, Liz has brought the remnants of the artificial intelligence that waged war on two planets. Buried somewhere deep within the cold electronic circuits lies the last vestiges of her dead partner Jianyu. Liz is torn, unsure whether he’s somehow still alive in electronic form or just a ploy by an adversary that will go to any length to win. Heartbroken and treated with suspicion, she finds herself caught up in the guerrilla war being waged on Earth, wondering if the AI threat is truly gone, or if it has only just begun.

#BookReview for Retrograde (Mars Endeavour #1) by @PeterCawdron

Synopsis: The international team at the Mars Endeavour colony is prepared for every eventuality except one--what happens when disaster strikes Earth?

Mankind has long dreamed of reaching out to live on other planets, and with the establishment of the Mars Endeavour colony, that dream has become reality. 

The fledgling colony consists of 120 scientists, astronauts, medical staff, and engineers. 

Buried deep underground, they're protected from the harsh radiation that sterilizes the surface of the planet. 

The colony is prepared for every eventuality except one--what happens when disaster strikes Earth?




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#BookReview for Midnight Beauties (Grim Lovelies #2) by Megan Shepherd

Synopsis: The witches, beasties, goblins, and Royals return in this spellbinding conclusion to New York Times best-selling author Megan Shepherd’s Grim Lovelies duology.

Ever since she discovered her affinity for magic, seventeen-year-old Anouk has been desperate to become a witch. It’s the only way to save her friends who, like Anouk, are beasties: animals enchanted into humans. But unlike Anouk, the other beasties didn’t make it out of the battle at Montélimar in one piece.

With her friends now trapped in their animal forms, Anouk is forced into a sinister deal involving a political marriage with her sworn enemy, a wicked plot to overthrow London’s fiercest coven of witches, and a deadly trial of fire to become a witch. The price for power has always been steep in the world of the Haute. Now, it will cost Anouk everything.

Wicked and delightful, this spellbinding sequel and conclusion to Grim Lovelies is perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Hazel Wood.This title will be released on August 13, 2019.

#BookTour for Gather the Fortunes (Crescent City #2) by @bryancamp @JeanBookNerd #Giveaway

Series: A Crescent City Novel (Book 2)
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (May 21, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1328876713
ISBN-13: 978-1328876713

Renaissance Raines has found her place among the psychopomps—the guides who lead the souls of the recently departed through the Seven Gates of the Underworld—and done her best to avoid the notice of gods and mortals alike. But when a young boy named Ramses St. Cyr manages to escape his foretold death, Renai finds herself at the center of a deity-thick plot unfolding in New Orleans. Someone helped Ramses slip free of his destined end -- someone willing to risk everything to steal a little slice of power for themselves.

Is it one of the storm gods that’s descended on the city? The death god who’s locked the Gates of the Underworld? Or the manipulative sorcerer who also cheated Death? When she finds the schemer, there’s gonna be all kinds of hell to pay, because there are scarier things than death in the Crescent City. Renaissance Raines is one of them.

#BookReview for Reentry (Mars Endeavour #2) by Peter Cawdron

Synopsis: After almost dying on Mars, astronaut Liz Anderson returns to Earth, but not to a hero’s welcome. America is in turmoil. 

The war is over, but the insurgency has just begun. So while life on Mars may have been deadly, at least up there she knew who the enemy was.


 Along with her, Liz has brought the remnants of the artificial intelligence that waged war on two planets. 


Buried somewhere deep within the cold electronic circuits lies the last vestiges of her dead partner Jianyu. 


Liz is torn, unsure whether he’s somehow still alive in electronic form or just a ploy by an adversary that will go to any length to win. 


Heartbroken and treated with suspicion, she finds herself caught up in the guerrilla war being waged on Earth, wondering if the AI threat is truly gone, or if it has only just begun.

#BookReview for Retrograde (Mars Endeavour #1) by Peter Cawdron

Synopsis: The international team at the Mars Endeavour colony is prepared for every eventuality except one--what happens when disaster strikes Earth?

Mankind has long dreamed of reaching out to live on other planets, and with the establishment of the Mars Endeavour colony, that dream has become reality. 

The fledgling colony consists of 120 scientists, astronauts, medical staff, and engineers. 

Buried deep underground, they're protected from the harsh radiation that sterilizes the surface of the planet. 

The colony is prepared for every eventuality except one--what happens when disaster strikes Earth?




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#BookReview: Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin, #3) by @RLLaFevers #YoungAdult #Historical #LightFantasy

Title: Mortal Heart
Series: His Fair Assassin, #3

Author: Robin LaFevers  
Genres: Young Adult, Historical, Light Fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 464
Published: October 2, 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers 
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Synopsis:  The powerful third book in Robin LaFever's critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling His Fair Assassins series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Kristin Cashore, and Victoria Aveyard leaves Annith with a desperate decision to make that not only affects the future of Brittany, but the destiny of the god of Death Himself. 

In the powerful third book in Robin LaFever's critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling His Fair Assassins series, tensions between Brittany and Frace continue to rise as Annith watches her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own. She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind, doesn’t mean she has.
    Combining romance, action, and political intrigue, Mortal Heart delivers a breathtaking conclusion to the war between Brittany and France...for now.

#BookReview: Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2) by @RLLaFevers #YoungAdult #Historical #LightFantasy

Title: Dark Triumph
Series: His Fairy Assassin

Author: Robin LaFevers
Genres: Young Adult, Historical, Light Fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 416
Published: October 2, 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Synopsis:  Sybella's duty as Death's assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic,vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy in the critically acclaimed, New York Times best-selling His Fair Assassin series, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Kristin Cashore, and Victoria Aveyard. 

The convent returns Sybella to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

Return to the world of the critically acclaimed His Fair Assassin series in this "romantic fantasy with a vengeance" and sequel to Grave Mercy that takes reader’s deep into the wicked world of corrupt politics, dangerous love, and hard-won vengeance.

#BookReview: Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by @RLLaFevers @HMHteen

Title:  Grave Mercy

Series: His Fair Assassin
Author: Robin LaFevers
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Light Fantasy
Pages:  Paperback, 576
Published:  October 2, 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Rating:  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Synopsis:  Enter the world of female assassins and join the daughters of Death in this first book of the New York Times best-selling His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers. Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes a brutal arranged marriage into the sanctuary of a convent of assassins serving St. Mortain, the deity of death--but for a price. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Kristin Cashore, and Victoria Aveyard.

Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?

 Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

     Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

#BookReview for Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Synopsis: In a palace of illusions, nothing is what it seems.

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy.

Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast.

Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy. 

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#BookReview: Courting Darkness by @RLLaFevers #YoungAdult #Historical #LightFantasy

Title: Courting Darkness

Series: Courting Darkness, #1
Author: Robin LaFevers
Genres: Young Adult, Historical, Light Fantasy
Pages: Hardcover, 512
Published: February 5, 2019
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Rating: 

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Synopsis:  Death wasn’t the end, it was only the beginning…

Sybella has always been the darkest of Death’s daughters, trained at the convent of Saint Mortain to serve as his justice. But she has a new mission now. In a desperate bid to keep her two youngest sisters safe from the family that nearly destroyed them all, she agrees to accompany the duchess to France, where they quickly find themselves surrounded by enemies. Their one ray of hope is Sybella’s fellow novitiates, disguised and hidden deep in the French court years ago by the convent—provided Sybella can find them.

Genevieve has been undercover for so many years, she struggles to remember who she is or what she’s supposed to be fighting for. Her only solace is a hidden prisoner who appears all but forgotten by his guards. When tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands—even if it means ignoring the long awaited orders from the convent.

As Sybella and Gen’s paths draw ever closer, the fate of everything they hold sacred rests on a knife’s edge. Will they find each other in time, or will their worlds collide, destroying everything they care about? 

#BookReview: Once a King (A Clash of Kingdoms, #3) by @ErinSummerill

Title: Once a King

Series: A Clash of Kingdoms
Author: Erin Summerill
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: Hardback, 464
Published: December 4th, 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

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Synopsis:  Aodren: A lonely, young king, searching for a way to dismantle his father’s dark legacy.

Lirra: A girl with the power to control the wind, torn between duty and following her dreams

For twenty years, Channelers—women with a magical ability—have been persecuted in Malam by those without magic. Now King Aodren wants to end the bloody divide and unite his kingdom. But decades of hatred can’t be overcome by issuing decrees, and rumors of a deadly Channeler-made substance are only fueling people’s fears. Lirra has every reason to distrust Aodren. Yet when he asks for help to discover the truth behind the rumors, she can’t say no. With Lirra by his side, Aodren sees a way forward for his people. But can he rewrite the mistakes of the past before his enemies destroy the world he’s working so hard to rebuild?

#BookReview: Ever the Brave (Clash of Kingdoms #2) by @ErinSummerill

Title: Ever the Brave

Series: Clash of Kingdoms 
Author: Erin Summerill
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: Hardback, 464
Published: December 5th, 2017
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

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Synopsis:   Ever the Divided. Ever the Feared. Ever the Brave.
After saving King Aodren with her newfound Channeler powers, Britta only wants to live a peaceful life in her childhood home. Unfortunately, saving the King has created a tether between them she cannot sever, no matter how much she'd like to, and now he's insisting on making her a noble lady. And there are those who want to use Britta’s power for evil designs. If Britta cannot find a way to harness her new magical ability, her life—as well as her country—may be lost.

The stakes are higher than ever in the sequel to Ever the Hunted, as Britta struggles to protect her kingdom and her heart.

#BookReview: Ever the Hunted (Clash of Kingdoms, #1) by @ErinSummerill #AuthorChat

Title: Ever the Hunted
Series: A Clash of Kingdoms #1

Author: Erin Summerill
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Hardcover: 392 pages
Published: December 27th 2016
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
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Synopsis:  Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force. 

#BookReview: Once A King (Clash of Kingdoms #3) by @erinsummerill

Title: Once A King

Series: (Clash of Kingdoms #3)
Author: Erin Summerill
Genres:  Young Adult, Fantasy 
Pages: Hardcover, 464 pages
Published: December 4th 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

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Synopsis: Aodren: A lonely, young king, searching for a way to dismantle his father’s dark legacy.

Lirra: A girl with the power to control the wind, torn between duty and following her dreams

For twenty years, Channelers—women with a magical ability—have been persecuted in Malam by those without magic. Now King Aodren wants to end the bloody divide and unite his kingdom. But decades of hatred can’t be overcome by issuing decrees, and rumors of a deadly Channeler-made substance are only fueling people’s fears. Lirra has every reason to distrust Aodren. Yet when he asks for help to discover the truth behind the rumors, she can’t say no. With Lirra by his side, Aodren sees a way forward for his people. But can he rewrite the mistakes of the past before his enemies destroy the world he’s working so hard to rebuild?