Showing posts with label book release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book release. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Blog Tour: "Tweet Cute" by Emma Lord


Hello all! Today I am very excited to bring another blog tour to you guys! Today I'm discussing Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, a new contemporary that's coming out in just a week! In today's post, you'll find information about the book and author, links to preorder, and an exclusive excerpt. Let's go ahead and dive right in! 



SYNOPSIS

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account. 

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time. 

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built. 

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.



MEET EMMA LORD

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.


Twitter     |     Instagram



PURCHASE TWEET CUTE




EXCERPT

JACK

“Look.” I glance into the classroom, where Ethan is thoroughly distracted by Stephen and no longer keeping an eye on us. “I may have . . . overreacted.”

Pepper shakes her head. “I told you. I get it. It’s your family.”

“Yeah. But it’s also—well, to be honest, this has been kind of good for business.”

Pepper’s brow furrows, that one little crease returning. “What, the tweets?”

“Yeah.” I scratch the back of my neck, sheepish. “Actually, we had a line out the door yesterday. It was kind of intense.”

“That’s . . . that’s good, right?”

The tone of my voice is clearly not matching up with the words I’m saying, but if I’m being honest, I’m still wary of this whole overnight business boom. And if I’m being honest, I’m even more wary of Pepper. If this really is as much of a family business as she claims it is—to the point where she’s helping run the Twitter handle, when even I know enough about corporate Twitter accounts to know entire teams of experienced people get paid to do that—then she might have had more of a hand in this whole recipe theft thing than she’s letting on.

The fact of the matter is, I can’t trust her. To the point of not knowing whether I can even trust her knowing how our business is doing, or just how badly we need it.

“Yeah, um, I guess.” I try to make it sound noncommittal. My acting skills, much like my breakfast-packing skills, leave much to be desired.

“So . . .”

“So.”

Pepper presses her lips into a thin line, a question in her eyes.

“So, I guess—if your mom really wants you to keep tweeting . . .”

“Wait. Yesterday you were pissed. Two minutes ago you were pissed.”

“I am pissed. You stole from us,” I reiterate. “You stole from an eighty-five-year-old woman.”

“I didn’t—”

“Yeah, yeah, but still. You’re them, and I’m . . . her. It’s like a choose your fighter situation, and we just happen to be the ones up to bat.”

“So you’re saying—you don’t not want me to keep this up?”

“The way I see it, you don’t have to make your mom mad, and we get a few more customers in the door too.”

Pepper takes a breath like she’s going to say something, like she’s going to correct me, but after a moment, she lets it go. Her face can’t quite settle on an expression, toeing the line between dread and relief.

“You’re sure?”

I answer by opening the container she handed me. The smell that immediately wafts out of it should honestly be illegal; it stops kids I’ve never even spoken to in their tracks.

“Are you a witch?” I ask, reaching in and taking a bite of one. It’s like Monster Cake, the Sequel—freaking Christmas in my mouth. I already want more before I’ve even managed to chew. My eyes close as if I’m experiencing an actual drug high—and maybe I am, because I forget myself entirely and say, “This might even be better than our Kitchen Sink Macaroons.”

“Kitchen Sink Macaroons?”

Eyes open again. Yikes. Note to self: dessert is the greatest weapon in Pepper’s arsenal. I swallow my bite so I can answer her.

“It’s kind of well-known, at least in the East Village. It even got in some Hub Seed roundup once. I’d tell you to try some, but you might steal the recipe, so.”

Pepper smiles, then—actually smiles, instead of the little smirk she usually does. It’s not startling, but what it does to me in that moment kind of is.

Before I can examine the unfamiliar lurch in my stomach, the bell rings and knocks the smile right off her face. I follow just behind her, wondering why it suddenly seems too hot in here, like they cranked the air up for December instead of October. I dismiss it by the time I get to my desk—probably just all the Twitter drama and the glory of So Sorry Blondies getting to my head.

“One rule,” she says, as we sit in the last two desks in the back of the room.

I raise my eyebrows at her.

“We don’t take any of it personally.” She leans forward on her desk, leveling with me, her bangs falling into her face. “No more getting mad at each other. Cheese and state.”

“What happens on Twitter stays on Twitter,” I say with a nod of agreement. “Okay, then, second rule: no kid gloves.”

Mrs. Fairchild is giving that stern look over the room that never quite successfully quiets anyone down. Pepper frowns, waiting for me to elaborate.

“I mean—no going easy on each other. If we’re going to play at this, we’re both going to give it our A game, okay? No holding back because we’re . . .”

Friends, I almost say. No, I’m going to say. But then—

“I’d appreciate it if even one of you acknowledged the bell with your silence,” Mrs. Fairchild grumbles.

I turn to Pepper, expecting to find her snapping to attention the way she always does when an adult comes within a hundred feet of disciplining her. But her eyes are still intent on me, like she is sizing something up—like she’s looking forward to something I haven’t anticipated yet.

“All right. No taking it personally. And no holding back.”

She holds her hand out for me to shake again, under the desk so Mrs. Fairchild won’t see it. I smile and shake my head, wondering how someone can be so aggressively seventeen and seventy-five at the same time, and then I take it. Her hand is warm and small in mine, but her grip is surprisingly firm, with a pressure that almost feels like she’s still got her fingers wrapped around mine even after we let go.

I turn back to the whiteboard, a ghost of a smirk on my face. “Let the games begin.”



EARLY PRAISE

"Tweet Cute delivers in every possible way: a perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, a whip-smart plotline, and endearingly real characters. I devoured it.” - Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters

"Sweet and fun! An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist." - Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight

“A witty rom-com reinvention for the Twitter age, Tweet Cute pairs delicious online rivalry with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up. This fresh, funny read had us hitting ‘favorite’ from page one.” - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

I am a "BookishTextDesign" Influencer! Use my code LAUREN10 for a discount off your bookmark purchases! Check out the shop here

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Monday, April 29, 2019

Reader Problems Book Tag!


Hello all! Today I'm super excited to be doing a new tag that I found recently. This is all about reader problems and since there's 11 questions, I'm just going to go ahead and dive right in! Enjoy!



1. You have 20,000 books in your TBR, how in the world do you decide what to read next?

Honestly I made super detailed monthly TBRs so I probably just chose the books I'm most excited about reading at the moment and put those on the list. These can be anything from what's currently being buzzed about on bookstagram, a book I've had forever, a new anticipated release, etc. Then, from my detailed TBR, I mood read based on what I'm feeling at that moment.



2. You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?

Put it down. I consider halfway enough to write a review and include it in my Goodreads challenge. I have so many books to read that if I'm not liking a book then I'm not going to spend my time on it. It's different if it's a book for review from a publisher or author, or if one of my friends really hyped it up to me, because then I'll try to stick it out and see if it gets better. But a big thing for me is that I don't enjoy books when I have to force myself through them, so I've DNF-ed books before only to read them a few months later and absolutely love them.



3. The end of the year is coming and you’re behind on your reading challenge, do you try to catch up? And if so, how?

Yes. I had beaten my initial challenge last year but kept raising it and I ended up wanting to hit 100 books read. So, in the last four days, I tried to read six books. And I hit it! Honestly a huge thing about this is that, as a college student, I have winter break and I can spend the last two or so weeks of the year trying to catch up on my reading challenge. Additionally, the last few New Year's Eves I didn't really do anything and instead just binge read books all day. For two years, I've completed my challenge right on New Year's Eve.



4. The covers of a series you love do not match, how do you cope?

Not well. Honestly I'll rebuy all the new covers, if possible and financially viable. If it's a small cover change that doesn't look too different on my bookshelf, I'll just let it be. However, as an example, the Dark Elements trilogy underwent a cover change in the US before the third book came out and I absolutely HATED the new covers. I had the first two in the original covers but the third would have been a gross difference. So I discovered that they had a matching cover in Australia and ordered it, spent months waiting for it to arrive, only for the publisher to have sent the wrong book. I ended up having to wait even longer for the correct book to arrive, but it finally did and my covers match! Of course, they have different heights but that would have happened whether or not I got the new cover or the Australian cover, so I'm not too mad about that. Especially now that the trilogy went through another cover change and I have those gorgeous new ones now!



5. Everyone and their mother loves a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?

Honestly I can usually find a fellow bookstagrammer friend who shares the same feelings as me. While a few of my bookstagram friends may love a book, there's usually at least one friend who doesn't like it as well. So, honestly, it's not that hard to find someone to bond with but it's usually bookstagram friends!



6. You’re reading a book in public and you’re about to start crying. How do you deal?

I've definitely cried in public before but usually I try to keep the tears in. Sometimes it doesn't happen but if I'm close to sobbing and I'm in a place where I would embarrass myself, I put down the book and wait to continue reading until I'm in a more suitable place. Of course, I may let a few tears slip out if I'm in a place where no one will notice.



7. The sequel to a book you loved just came out but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?

Probably. I do for most of the series I read. It's both good and bad, honestly, because I can go into a book with reinvigorated information but also I sometimes let new releases sit for months because I'm too lazy to read the previous books (take An Ember in the Ashes series for example). If it's for a series that I really love, I'll reread it. If it's for a series I liked but didn't love, I'll probably just look up a spoilery review on Goodreads or YouTube.



8. You do not want anyone to borrow your books, how do you politely say no when someone asks?

"Sorry, I don't lend books out."

There is a very very tiny list of people I loan books to. I also have rules for people borrowing my books, which can be annoying to them at times but my books my rules. I keep a running list of who has what book if I've lent any out. If it's a hardcover book, I keep the dust jacket on my bookshelf and let them borrow it without that. If it's a paperback book, I let them borrow the book with a booksleeve to protect it from travels (unless it's Lexi, who knows how to keep my books safe). I also stick a bookmark in so that there's no pages being folded. Lastly, if a book comes back more than a little damaged I tend to ask for help buying a new copy. I've had too many instances of people either not returning a book or returning it damaged (we're talking a special edition hardcover that somehow had compromised binding) for me to not be protective over my books.



9. You have picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?

Reread a favorite. Usually it'll be an easy book that was addictive the first (or second) time that I read it, such as The Veil Diaries series by B.L. Brunnemer. It helps because I know that I already like the book, I know what happens, and I don't have to exert too much brain power as I would in reading a new story.



10. There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read, how many do you end up buying?

A lot. If it's any example, I have seven new releases preordered for May. If it's the next in a series that I haven't caught up to yet, I won't buy it but I will put in on my wishlist. I try to be more strict about my new release buying, though, so this upcoming month is definitely the outlier for what the rest of this year has been so far.



11. After you purchase all of these books that you’re dying to read how long do they sit on your shelves before you get to them?

Honestly it varies. I've had super anticipated books that I'd been dying to read since finishing the first book sit on my shelf for over a year before I read it. There are some books on my shelf that I bought back when I first got back into reading and I still haven't read. There are other books that I start reading the same day that I get them. Honestly, I have no clue since it varies based on the book, the genre, the author, etc.

I tag anyone who wants to do this! 



Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this look into my reading habits and quirks! Do you relate to any of my answers above? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here. A brand new giveaway will be posted soon!

To get more awesome content like this post, click the follow button to the right!

I am a "BookishTextDesign" Influencer! Use my code LAUREN10 for a discount off your bookmark purchases! Check out the shop here

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Wednesday, January 16, 2019

"The Gilded Wolves" International Giveaway!


Hello everyone! I just wanted to quickly pop on over here to talk about something super fun I'm doing to celebrate the release of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. If you are unaware, I'm a part of the street team for this book and it's been such a blast helping promote it the past few weeks. I also just hit 1,500 instagram followers, so to celebrate both the release of this book and this milestone accomplishment, I decided to host an international giveaway! It's being run on my instagram but I didn't want all of my blog readers to miss out, so here's all the information you need! 

The Prize
One (1) US hardcover copy of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

How to Enter
  1. Like the giveaway announcement here and follow me on Instagram (mandatory)
  2. Comment on the giveaway announcement and tag a friend (+1 bonus entry)
  3. Follow @roshanichokshi on instagram (+1 bonus entry--let me know in a comment if you've done this)
  4. Repost the announcment picture to your feed using the hashtag #lbsgilded (+1 bonus entry)
  5. Post the giveaway in your story (+1 bonus entry per day)
  6. Visit my blog (hey, you're here!) and comment on any of my Gilded Wolves related post--this one counts! (+1 bonus entry per post, please mention your instagram handle in the comment)
The Rules
  • Ends January 24th at 11:59 pm CST!
  • International as long as Book Depository ships to you
  • Must be 18+ or have a parent's permission to give out your address
  • If you follow me only to unfollow me after the giveaway ends, you will be banned from future giveaways



Good luck everyone!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here. A brand new giveaway will be posted soon!

To get more awesome content like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Beacon Book Box: use the code BOOKSHELF5 for a discount on your order or subscription! 

I am a "BookishTextDesign" Influencer! Use my code LAUREN10 for a discount off your bookmark purchases! Check out the shop here

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Monday, November 26, 2018

Let's Talk: "Kingdom of Ash" by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Kingdom of Ash
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: "Throne of Glass" #7
Genre: Y/NA Fantasy
Page Length: 980 pages
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Date Started: October 23, 2018
Date Finished: October 28, 2018
Rating: Infinite stars

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. 

Okay, now that that's out of my system, let me just inform you how this review is going to work since it's a little different than my normal reviews. This review is going to be split into 2 parts: non-spoiler and semi-spoiler. The non-spoiler section will be completely spoiler free for the entire series. I won't be spoiling any of the previous books in this section. In the semi-spoiler section, I will spoil previous books, but not Kingdom of Ash. There will be ample warnings and headers, though, to prevent you from getting spoiled if you haven't read the series yet. I will be doing a completely separate spoiler discussion so there is no risk of getting spoiled for Kingdom of Ash in this review. So read on, and enjoy!



NON-SPOILER SECTION

As stated above, this section will not be spoiling any of the books in this series. Therefore, it is also going to be the shortest of the sections as I can't talk too much about this book without spoiling the previous seven.

Overall, I thought that this was a beautiful ending to an amazing series. As I reread this series and dove into this final book, I could definitely see the threads that Sarah has been weaving since book one. I loved how everything connected and interwove throughout the books. I know a lot of people have been annoyed in previous books for seemingly unnecessary details, but those things come to light in later books and I love that.

I definitely am walking out of this series and this book with such love and happiness in my heart. I'm honestly just so grateful to Sarah for sharing this story with the world because it has brought me so much happiness, joy, and more to my life. This was the perfect ending to an amazing series. 



SEMI-SPOILER SECTION

This is the semi-spoiler section. There will NOT be spoilers for Kingdom of Ash, but there will be spoilers for every book before it and the novellas, so please be advised. 

As I said in the non-spoiler section, I thought this was an amazing book. Seeing how Sarah weaved things together from the get-go was amazing. Especially when events that happened so long ago from Crown of Midnight or The Assassin's Blade were referenced. 

After Empire of Storms, I wasn't sure how Sarah would emotionally hurt me next or how she would tackle the massive cliffhanger at the end of that book. I think she did so beautifully. It was definitely a hard journey but the pacing and actions behind it definitely felt true to the characters and story. 

It was amazing seeing Aelin grow as a character in previous books and her journey in this book was equally amazing, and a little heartbreaking. I think we readers oftentimes forget that she is 19, my age. She hasn't even hit 20 yet and she's dealing with all of these terrible things being done to her and her world. She's just such a strong, amazing character and I loved every second of her 8-book journey. 

The other characters were equally amazing. Rowan was just amazing. Seeing how he was both with and without Aelin and the strength he shows at different parts of the book just made me love him even more. I've also loved seeing Dorian, Manon, and Chaol's character arcs as well as meeting new and returning characters. I think my favorite side character is Fenrys because he's such an amazing person and so strong to be stuck in this blood oath with Maeve at the end of Empire of Storms, knowing full well he's about to see Aelin tortured. 

Overall, I thought the plot, pacing, and characters were superb. There were so many mind-blowing moments, heart-breaking chapters, and amazing parts that I can definitely say this is one of my favorite books ever, if not my favorite in the series. It will forever hold a place in my heart (and my record book, as it is currently the longest book I have read to date!). 



Prior Series Book Reviews:
The Assassin's Blade
Throne of Glass
Heir of Fire
Empire of Storms
Tower of Dawn



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



Follow my bookstagram here. New giveaway will be posted soon!

I am a "BookishTextDesign" Influencer! Use my code LAUREN10 for a discount off your bookmark purchases! Check out the shop here

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link


Friday, October 26, 2018

Sarah J. Maas's "Kingdom of Ash" World Tour Experience


As I sit down to write this, I'm still high off the experience of seeing Sarah and going to this amazing event. It was such a fun time and I'm so grateful that I got the chance to go. I still haven't figured out how to be a vlogger, though, so I'm just going to have to describe the experience for you guys!
I went to the Naperville (about an hour from Chicago) event hosted by Anderson's Book Shop on  Thursday, October 25th. I bought my tickets way back in July and have been waiting for this event to come ever since. Now that it's over, I'm a bit confused as to what to do with my life? 

Anyway, so on Thursday, I woke up at 6:30 in the morning and went to work. The entire time at work I read Kingdom of Ash in preparation for the event. I didn't finish it, but I was too excited to do anything but read KoA. Then I had to sit through a 2.5 hour art class. It honestly seemed like time took even longer than usual in that class. After the class was over, I rushed back to my dorm room where my mom and sister were waiting. They had driven to my college from where we live to drive me and my sister to the event. I had to change and quickly gather all my stuff and then we were on our way.

It took us a little under two hours to drive there (le sigh) due to the heavy congestion and traffic in Chicagoland from rush hour and endless construction zones. But we arrived! And then stood in the cold for a few minutes waiting in line to get inside. My nerves were so high and I was bouncing off the walls at this point. 

We got in and I could see the different activities they had going on as well as the entrance to the stage area. When we went in, they had someone scanning our tickets and handing us our signed tour edition. Then right behind them was someone handing us our tote bags, art prints, and pins. 

Since we were running 45 minutes behind, my sister and I immediately went to find seats. We found Liv (@livthebooknerd) and her boyfriend, Alex, and raced over to where they were sitting. Luckily, there were seats next to them with a pretty good view of the stage. Then we waited. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to save seats so I ended up being separated from my friends from home, but I got to hang out with them after the event so it was okay.

Then Sarah came out and I almost cried. I met Sarah two and a half years ago and she was the nicest, sweetest person I've ever met. Seeing her again, even though I didn't get to meet her again, was so amazing. She talked a lot about her writing process and how she uses music to draft and inspire her, which I thought was really amazing. I love listening to music while writing, but I've never used music as an inspiration and it was so cool hearing her talk about her process.

We also talked a lot about the characters, the series as a whole, and more. One of my favorite moments was when we talked about which of her characters would win Greatest British Baking Show. However, I don't think it could top when Sarah said that Rowan's Disney character is Zazu from the Lion King (brb still dying of laughter over here). Then we got introduced to baby Taran and oh my lord he's so cute. I just know that Sarah's going to be such a great mother.

After the event ended, we all headed into line for the photo booth. It was a loud, interesting time of the night. It was also super fun just to get to dress up with my friends even if only for a picture. This is also when I picked up a couple temporary Amulet of Orynth tattoos. They're so pretty and I can't wait to use them in Instagram props.

Unfortunately, the line to sign Sarah's tour copy of KoA was super long and my mom was waiting in the parking lot so I didn't sign her copy. However, I'm confident that I'll get to see her on another tour in the future and see her again.

Then, we said our goodbyes, gave our hugs, and left. We ate Panera in the car on the trip back to my dorm (which took us half as long because it was late and the traffic was pretty much dead) and talked about the event, her books, etc. Then I got back and went to bed because I was exhausted, but smiling the whole time.

Overall, the event was so fun. I met Liv, who I've been so excited to meet, and I got to see my friends from home and my sister. And, of course, I got to listen to Sarah talk. I know a lot of people have problems with her books, but they mean so much to me and this experience was such an amazing time that I'm always going to remember fondly.



Here's the different items that we got included in our tickets (a signed copy, a tote bag with the Amulet of Orynth sigil on it, a pin, a gorgeous Aelin art print from Charlie Bowater, and we could also pick up these temporary tattoos near the photo booth) I can't wait to use the temporary tattoos in my bookstagram photos. I also can't wait to add the pin to my collection! Having another signed book from Sarah just makes me so happy because I love her books so much and I can't wait to finish reading.

 



ToG Related Blog Posts:
How "Throne of Glass" Changed My Life
The Assassin's Blade Review
Throne of Glass Review
Heir of Fire Review
Empire of Storms Review
Tower of Dawn Review



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



Follow my bookstagram here. New giveaway will be posted very soon!

I am a "BookishTextDesign" Influencer! Use my code LAUREN10 for a discount off your bookmark purchases! Check out the shop here

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Friday, August 17, 2018

Let's Talk: "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Series: "The Folk of the Air" #1
Genre: YA Fantasy 
Page Length: 370 pages
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Date Started: August 6, 2018
Date Finished: August 9, 2018
Rating: 3/5 stars

*This review is non-spoiler until noted otherwise*

So...I wrote an entire review and then in the same day decided those thoughts I had were completely wrong and I only had because I wanted to fit in with the hype. Unpopular opinion: this book wasn't fantastic. So, without further ado, here's my revised review.

Honestly, I thought I would love this book. I really did. It seemed like it had everything I love in a book: political intrigue, a badass main character, a forbidden romance, faeries, and so much more. I was let down. I really was.

Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy reading this book. I did enjoy reading it, but the more I look back on it, the more I’m disappointed by what I read. Everyone seemed to love this book and I can see how that might be the case, but for me, it missed the mark.

Most of what I have to say in this spoiler-free section is about the main character, the writing style, and the plot/pacing. I’ll go more in depth for specific characters and events in my spoiler-section. For now, let’s just talk about Jude.

I’ll say my relationship with Jude right now is on the rocks. Half the time I was reading from her, I was more annoyed or confused by her actions or inner monologues while the other half of the time I was screaming “Go Jude, get it girl!” in my head. I really wanted to love her, but I’m not entirely sure that I do. She was hypocritical or selfish a lot of the time, while other times she was very self-sacrificing to ensure that those around her weren’t hurt or in danger. It gave me whiplash, honestly.

Cardan…oh Cardan. When everyone talked about how awesome Cardan was, I expected him to be awesome. He wasn’t. He just…wasn’t awesome? He wasn’t a bad character, I guess, but he wasn’t as fantastic as all of this hype made him out to be. I’ll speak a lot more about him in my spoiler-section below, because I do have a lot to say.

For me, the writing wasn’t the best? It wasn’t terrible by any means, but I felt that I could have been done a lot better. Personally, it took me a while to get used to the first person writing. For complex fantasies, I’ve gotten used to reading third person. For me, the use of first person felt awkward and it took me a solid fifty or so pages to get used to the writing style. The use of first person also limited our view because we had to see exclusively through Jude’s rose-tinted glasses and take everything she said or thought as the absolute truth in that moment. I feel like I would have liked Jude more as a character had we not been inside her head the entire freaking book.

It read like a middle grade. The use of first person on top of the fact that most of this book didn’t follow the rule of “show, don’t tell” made me feel like I was reading something for middle-grade readers. There’s nothing wrong with middle-grade, of course, but when I want to read a complex story with political intrigue, I want the writing to reflect that? We were shown barely any political mess. Most of the action scenes or anything interesting weren’t detailed and it seemed as if we were getting a second-hand account of what was happening. I probably would have loved this book a lot more had I gotten more details.

I also didn’t connect with any of the characters, except maybe Jude a little. Just the writing style and lack of details made it almost impossible to connect to what a lot of the characters were feeling. I think that it being told first person from Jude’s point of view left us with only her views on the other characters, which I didn’t enjoy very much. The characters also felt very immature to me most of the time, and not just the younger ones but the adults too.

The plot was enjoyable but not amazing by any means. It definitely wasn’t what I expected. I didn’t realize that a good portion of the book would be schoolyard fighting and going to lectures. I thought that the plot background that we were given at the beginning was way too long and left the ending feeling rushed. Everything was slow, or moving at a comfortable pace, and then so much happened in a short amount of time that I was left reeling and confused, and not in the good way.

Overall, I just want to say that this book really disappointed me. I think that I let the hype get to me, which I usually don’t do, and I was left underwhelmed and confused as to why everyone thought this book was so new and fresh and amazing. To me, it seemed like every other good-but-not-great fantasy book that I’ve ever read. I enjoyed reading it, still. I thought that there were a lot of amusing parts and other scenes that kept my heart rate up. I do have the second book preordered because I think that this series has potential, I just wish that the things I discussed above had been more thought out. To me, this seemed like a second or third draft that still needed a lot of filling in.

**SPOILER TALK: Cardan**

I am going to be discussing Cardan for just a moment and there will be spoilers, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, I highly suggest coming back to this part of the review after you’ve finished the book! I just really need to rant/discuss Cardan for a second.

Okay, I just don’t understand why everyone loves Cardan so much. I’m a sucker for the bad-boy who can be a bit mean but turns into a nice guy trope. I lot of my favorite books are like that. But Cardan? I don’t see it. He’s mean, but he’s not just mean. He’s a bully, he’s abusive, and he’s (pardon my language) a huge dick. We got a little bit of an explanation to why he is the way he is: his brother beats him. I can sympathize with his struggles there, but his trauma is not an excuse for him to go and hurt other people (i.e. Jude). He literally lets his friends drug and embarrass her, almost kill her in a river, and so much more. Even though he explained that he never wanted her dead and would never let it go that far, he was still hurting her. And it’s not just a little teasing or mean comments here and there like a lot of other books with this trope have. No, he was actually bullying and being abusive to her. I don’t like him. I feel like maybe I would have liked him had the excuse for his actions not been that he was abused. It just gets my blood boiling that some people think that being abused is a suitable excuse for abusing others. It’s not. Because once Cardan’s brother was mean to Cardan, then Cardan was mean to Jude, she was mean to others, and it became a cycle.

Overall, my rant on Cardan is done. I don’t like him very much. He’s much more of a likable villain in my eyes than a possible love interest. His actions have completely turned me off of liking him and I don’t understand how some people don’t see that everything about him sends a toxic message. He has a long way to go before he is redeemed in my eyes, and I don’t even know if that will ever happen. Rant over.



Thanks so much for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



Follow my Instagram here. Escaping from Houdini arc giveaway is now live, ends Aug 17 11:59pm!

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

Monday, August 13, 2018

Let's Talk: "Captivating Melody" by Katherine McIntyre

Title: Captivating Melody
Author: Katherine McIntyre
Series: "Discord's Desire" #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Publication Date: June 25, 2018
Date Started: August 4, 2018
Date Finished: August 5, 2018
Rating: 4/5 stars 

*I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this book. From the moment that I read the synopsis, I was so interested in this story. This book really had everything I like in a paranormal romance. It was interesting and steamy and awesome and about a band...I really am a sucker for band stories.

There were multiple sexy, funny men (even if the main character is only interested in one, the others are fun to learn about, too). I love that they weren't all the same, either. A lot of the time with romance books, I find that a lot of the characters are almost exactly the same even if they have different names and backgrounds. These characters were all different and I could actually tell them apart. I loved getting to know each of them and I can only hope that the others in the series focus on different band members.

The main character was also awesome. She was so realistic and I absolutely loved it. I could identify with her a lot because she's one who hides her emotions and what she's really feeling, even around those who she's closest with. That's something that I struggle with to this day and I could really understand her character. I also thought that she was funny and just very relatable.

The plot was fun, if a bit slow at times. I enjoyed every second of me reading this book and I was never bored. I thought that it went to realistic lengths and I enjoyed reading these characters' adventures. I also loved that it was about fae and brought in that lore. With the whole fae deal, I was really impressed that it wasn't the exact same as a bunch of newer fantasy novels that deal with fae. I really enjoyed it, overall.

In short, I thought this book was great. It was fun...it was steamy...it was adventurous and action-packed...it was awesome. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal romances!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



Follow my Instagram here. New giveaway will be posted very soon!

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link