Monthly ARC's Update 82

So I read my next book for Monthly ARC's and it was Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs and Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley from the August list.

Here's the link to this month's post with my journey.

How it Works: 

This is my monthly ARC accountability challenge, to list out the books that I have as ARC's that are being published in the coming month, rounding them up at the start of the month, and seeing how well I did at the end, as well as rounding up the next month's books.    

     

Book Blogger Hop #355, July 26th

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the meme on February 15, 2013. Check out the hop here! 

Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

The Question of the week is:  - Do you have a favorite novel that captures the enchantment of summer nights or has unforgettable moments set under the stars? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Nothing comes to mind, because my memory is horrible. Any ideas? What about you guys? Happy reading! 

First Lines Friday #689, July 26th

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. We encourage all of our fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

-Grab your current read(s)
-Share the first line(s)
-Include the title and author so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists!

"Elsie Alston's running feet hit the grass like pale secrets. During daylight hours she could usually be persuaded to wear shoes, but the day was fading and Elsie had unfastened everything of herself that could be unfastened. Shoes, stockings. Corset strings. The locks of her dark hair, which fell to the small of her back and bounced as she ran. She enjoyed the sensation of it tugging against her scalp, and Cheetham Hall enjoyed her enjoyment where it sang through the soles of her feet."-A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

That sounds like a lot of fun, but I know things are going to go wrong sometime, and probably soon! But I must read more now! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Phase Out Your TBR Update 18

So I've read my next book for the Phase Out Your TBR, and it was Forestfall which is for the prompt Green 3, and I'll be reading One for All next! 

My Reading Journey:

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 7

Started On: July 1st

Finished On: July 1st, 3:37 PM

Pages Read: 192

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 10

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 11:25 AM

Pages Read: 400

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 7

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 6:36 PM 

Pages Read: 368

A Tale Of Two Dragons by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 6

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 12:55 PM

Pages Read: 174

Light My Fire by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 8:49 PM

Pages Read: 496

The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci

Prompt Fulfilled: Green Wild (Blue 7)

Started On: July 6th

Finished On: July 6th, 7:38 PM

Pages Read: 496

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 5

Started On: July 7th

Finished On: July 7th, 6:18 PM

Pages Read: 252

Reckless by Lauren Roberts 

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 9

Started On: July 8th

Finished On; July 8th, 11:04 PM

Pages Read: 512

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow Wild (Green 5)

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 10:48 AM

Pages Read: 416

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 9

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 432

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 4

Started On: July 11th

Finished On: July 11th, 9:39 PM

Pages Read: 560

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 6

Started On: July 12th

Finished On: July 12th, 3:39 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 3

Started On: July 13th

Finished On: July 13th, 9:46 PM

Pages Read: 400

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 10

Started On: July 16th

Finished On: July 16th, 7:39 PM 

Pages Read: 464

Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 11

Started On: July 23rd

Finished On: July 23rd, 8:39 PM

Pages Read: 304

Supernova by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 4

Started On: July 24th

Finished On: July 24th, 4:37 PM

Pages Read: 560

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 1

Started On: July 25th

Finished On: July 25th, 11:38 AM

Pages Read: 416

Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 3

Started On: July 25th

Finished On: July 25th, 4:49 PM

Pages Read: 384

One for All by Lillie Lainoff

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 2

Started On: July 26th

Currently On: Page 0 of 389

Prompts Left: Red 8, Yellow 8, Blue 11

Books Read: 18

Pages Read: 6362

Phase Out Your TBR Update 17

So I've read my next book for the Phase Out Your TBR, and it was Songs for the Dead which is for the prompt Yellow 1, and I'll be reading Forestfall next! 

My Reading Journey:

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 7

Started On: July 1st

Finished On: July 1st, 3:37 PM

Pages Read: 192

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 10

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 11:25 AM

Pages Read: 400

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 7

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 6:36 PM 

Pages Read: 368

A Tale Of Two Dragons by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 6

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 12:55 PM

Pages Read: 174

Light My Fire by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 8:49 PM

Pages Read: 496

The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci

Prompt Fulfilled: Green Wild (Blue 7)

Started On: July 6th

Finished On: July 6th, 7:38 PM

Pages Read: 496

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 5

Started On: July 7th

Finished On: July 7th, 6:18 PM

Pages Read: 252

Reckless by Lauren Roberts 

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 9

Started On: July 8th

Finished On; July 8th, 11:04 PM

Pages Read: 512

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow Wild (Green 5)

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 10:48 AM

Pages Read: 416

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 9

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 432

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 4

Started On: July 11th

Finished On: July 11th, 9:39 PM

Pages Read: 560

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 6

Started On: July 12th

Finished On: July 12th, 3:39 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 3

Started On: July 13th

Finished On: July 13th, 9:46 PM

Pages Read: 400

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 10

Started On: July 16th

Finished On: July 16th, 7:39 PM 

Pages Read: 464

Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 11

Started On: July 23rd

Finished On: July 23rd, 8:39 PM

Pages Read: 304

Supernova by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 4

Started On: July 24th

Finished On: July 24th, 4:37 PM

Pages Read: 560

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 1

Started On: July 25th

Finished On: July 25th, 11:38 AM

Pages Read: 416

Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 3

Started On: July 25th

Currently On: Page 0 of 384

Prompts Left: Red 2, Red 8, Yellow 8, Blue 11

Books Read: 17

Pages Read: 5978

Random Reads #662, July 25th

Random Reads is a monthly meme (that I'm going to do weekly) hosted by I'm Loving Books to read some books that have been on our TBR piles for a long time. Using Random.org, I got 3283 which turned out to be The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart! It's been on my TBR pile since May 30th, 2021, and I added it because it sounded really good! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Third Sentence Thursday #676, July 25th

Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to watch fireworks especially while eating a cookie!

1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn't a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.

2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)

3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (This Blog)

4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

"Get to know each other." -This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska, page 3.

That could be good! Must read more now! What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Will the Time Come #686, July 25th

Every Thursday I am going to list a book which I really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! Thanks to Jodie from Books for Company for this meme!

Want to Join?

-Pick a book you have been meaning to read

-Do a post telling us about the book    

-Link the post up in the linky  

-Visit the other blogs

From Goodreads:

Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn't exactly conducive to modern dating--and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she's used to suspecting the worst.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She's even analyzing the genre in her dissertation--if she can manage to finish writing it. It's hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn't had a relationship with for years.

It doesn't help that she's low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he's clearly up to something). But it's not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier--a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.

Why the time hasn't come yet...

It's a standalone from an author that I haven't read from before, though I just bought it recently, and it does sound really good and I want to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Phase Out Your TBR Update 16

So I've read my next book for the Phase Out Your TBR, and it was Supernova which is for the prompt Yellow 4, and I'll be reading Songs for the Dead next! 

My Reading Journey:

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 7

Started On: July 1st

Finished On: July 1st, 3:37 PM

Pages Read: 192

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 10

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 11:25 AM

Pages Read: 400

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 7

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 6:36 PM 

Pages Read: 368

A Tale Of Two Dragons by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 6

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 12:55 PM

Pages Read: 174

Light My Fire by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 8:49 PM

Pages Read: 496

The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci

Prompt Fulfilled: Green Wild (Blue 7)

Started On: July 6th

Finished On: July 6th, 7:38 PM

Pages Read: 496

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 5

Started On: July 7th

Finished On: July 7th, 6:18 PM

Pages Read: 252

Reckless by Lauren Roberts 

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 9

Started On: July 8th

Finished On; July 8th, 11:04 PM

Pages Read: 512

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow Wild (Green 5)

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 10:48 AM

Pages Read: 416

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 9

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 432

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 4

Started On: July 11th

Finished On: July 11th, 9:39 PM

Pages Read: 560

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 6

Started On: July 12th

Finished On: July 12th, 3:39 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 3

Started On: July 13th

Finished On: July 13th, 9:46 PM

Pages Read: 400

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 10

Started On: July 16th

Finished On: July 16th, 7:39 PM 

Pages Read: 464

Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 11

Started On: July 23rd

Finished On: July 23rd, 8:39 PM

Pages Read: 304

Supernova by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 4

Started On: July 24th

Finished On: July 24th, 4:37 PM

Pages Read: 560

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 1

Started On: July 25th

Currently On: Page 0 of 416

Prompts Left: Red 2, Red 8, Yellow 8, Blue 11

Books Read: 16

Pages Read: 5562

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 41

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was Supernova which was for the prompt Befriend and Tame a Messenger Crow and I'll be reading A Power Unbound next! 

My Reading Journey:

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Wits

Started On: January 9th 

Finished On: January 9th, 10:45 AM

Pages Read: 512

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength

Started On: January 13th

Finished On: January 13th, 7:31 PM

Pages Read: 693

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength

Started On: January 14th

Finished On: January 14th, 8:01 PM

Pages Read: 688

These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi

Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Wits

Started On: January 21st

Finished On: January 21st, 2:31 PM

Pages Read: 416

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Prompt Fulfilled: Turn Left: Manipulate a Boulder to Crash Through a Wall

Started On: February 5th

Finished On: February 5th, 10:20 PM

Pages Read: 816

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards and Fight an Animated Gargoyle
Started On: February 6th

Finished On: February 6th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 848

The Keeper of the Mist by Rachel Neumeier

Prompt Fulfilled: Turn Right: Embrace the Mist of Solitude Once More

Started On: February 7th

Finished On: February 7th, 2:12 PM

Pages Read: 400

I Only Read Murder by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson

Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards the Maze
Started On: February 14th

Finished On: February 14th, 1:58 PM

Pages Read: 320

Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin

Prompt Fulfilled: Remove a Complex Lock Enchantment Cast on the Exit Door

Started On: March 1st

Finished On: March 1st, 1:58 PM

Pages Read: 348

Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit

Started On: March 3rd

Finished On: March 3rd, 9:06 PM

Pages Read: 430

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit

Started On: March 4th

Finished On: March 4th, 9:50 PM

Pages Read: 511

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff

Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit

Started On: March 23rd

Finished On: March 23rd, 11:44 PM

Pages Read: 756

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength

Started On: January 11th 

Finished On: January 11th, 2:52 PM

Pages Read: 432

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength

Started On: January 11th 

Finished On: January 11th, 8:21 PM

Pages Read: 624

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Wits

Started On: January 22nd 

Finished On: January 22nd, 2:36 PM

Pages Read: 496

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards and Fight an Animated Gargoyle

Started On: February 4th 

Finished On: February 4th, 6:51 PM

Pages Read: 823

Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly

Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards the Maze

Started On: February 17th

Finished On: February 17th, 4:58 PM

Pages Read: 304

Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Prompt Fulfilled: Turn Left: Manipulate a Boulder to Crash Through a Wall

Started On: February 17th

Finished On: February 17th, 3:27 PM

Pages Read: 640

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit

Started On: March 5th

Finished On: March 5th, 11:02 PM

Pages Read: 528

Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit

Started On: March 6th

Finished On: March 6th, 7:25 PM

Pages Read: 514

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller

Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit

Started On: March 18th

Finished On: March 18th, 10:57 AM

Pages Read: 366

My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Prompt Fulfilled: Extra Credit in Alchemy

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:25 PM

Pages Read: 512

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

Prompt Fulfilled: Extra Credit in Restoration

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 5:25 PM

Pages Read: 464

Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Prompt Fulfilled: Extra Credit in Lore

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 9:01 PM

Pages Read: 368

One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans

Prompt Fulfilled: Extra Credit in Lore

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 4:31 PM

Pages Read: 336

The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

Prompt Fulfilled: Extra Credit in Alchemy

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 10:00 PM

Pages Read: 665

Lady of Steel and Straw by Erica Ivy Rodgers

Prompt Fulfilled: Extra Credit in Animal Studies

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 10:24 PM

Pages Read: 432

Girls Like Her by Melanie Sumrow

Prompt Fulfilled: Extra Credit in Restoration

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 9:55 PM

Pages Read: 368

A Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzie Lee

Prompt Fulfilled: Read About the First Recorded Companions

Started On: June 1st

Finished On: June 1st, 9:45 PM

Pages Read: 592

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Prompt Fulfilled: Work on Calculating Work Ratios

Started On: June 6th

Finished On: June 6th, 3:36 PM

Pages Read: 417

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Prompt Fulfilled: Work on Calculating Work Ratios

Started On: June 6th

Finished On: June 6th, 9:26 PM

Pages Read: 435

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Prompt Fulfilled: Care for the Curebloom in the Greenhouse

Started On: June 11th

Finished On: June 11th, 11:04 AM

Pages Read: 384

That Night by Cyn Balog

Prompt Fulfilled: Study the Cognition in Postal Birds

Started On: June 22nd

Finished On: June 22nd, 10:36 PM

Pages Read: 320

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli

Prompt Fulfilled: Care for the Curebloom in the Greenhouse

Started On: June 24th

Finished On: June 24th, 1:10 PM

Pages Read: 346

Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan

Prompt Fulfilled: Read About the First Recorded Companions

Started On: June 24th

Finished On: June 24th, 4:36 PM

Pages Read: 320

The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci

Prompt Fulfilled: Befriend and Tame a Messenger Crow

Started On: July 6th

Finished On: July 6th, 7:38 PM

Pages Read: 496

Vault of Souls by Josephine Angelini

Prompt Fulfilled: Complete and Keep an Extra Strong Healing Potion

Started On: July 10th

Finished On: July 10th, 8:39 PM

Pages Read: 578

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood

Prompt Fulfilled: Complete and Keep an Extra Strong Healing Potion

Started On: July 12th

Finished On: July 12th, 11:07 AM

Pages Read: 368

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

Prompt Fulfilled: Complete and Keep an Extra Strong Healing Potion

Started On: July 16th

Finished On: July 16th, 7:39 PM 

Pages Read: 464

Betrayal Road by Christine Feehan

Prompt Fulfilled: Complete and Keep an Extra Strong Healing Potion

Started On: July 19th

Finished On: July 19th, 10:56 PM

Pages Read: 400

Supernova by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Befriend and Tame a Messenger Crow

Started On: July 24th

Finished On: July 24th, 4:37 PM

Pages Read: 560

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Befriend and Tame a Messenger Crow

Started On: July 

Currently On: Page 0 of 422

Prompts Left: None Left! 

Read: 41

Pages Read: 23904

Waiting on Wednesday #689, July 24th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating! 

Betrayal Road by Christine Feehan

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:

The stranger frequenting Azelie Vargas’s local coffee shop is a sight to behold. He’s tall, dark, muscular, and a complete distraction. She’s worried one look from his striking silver eyes will have her acting a fool. But it’s not a look that sets Azelie aflame—it’s the way he boldly tells her every dark, dirty thing he’d like to do to her. She should be scandalized. Instead, all she wants to do is say yes.

Andrii “Maestro” Federoff is in San Francisco on club business. Torpedo Ink needs information to bust up a human trafficking ring, and Maestro has found his mark. After weeks of stealthy observation, he’s not sure if Azelie is involved directly, or if she’s just working for some bad people. What he does know is that he needs to get close to her fast, and soon he can’t get enough.

What began as a setup quickly turns real. But no matter how hot they burn, Maestro’s betrayal could leave their hearts smoldering in the ashes.…

This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:

The next thrilling suspense featuring Will Trent and Sara Linton from Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and After That Night!

Everyone here is a liar, but only one of us is a killer…

A secluded cabin retreat

For GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton, McAlpine Lodge seems like the ideal getaway to celebrate their honeymoon. Set on a gorgeous, off-the-grid mountaintop property, it’s the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night.

A murderer in their midst

Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead. With a vicious storm raging and the one access road to the property washed out, the murderer must be someone on the mountain. But as Will and Sara investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests, they realize that everyone here is lying….Lying about their past. Lying to their family. Lying to themselves.

Who killed Mercy McAlpine?

It soon becomes clear that normal rules don’t apply at McAlpine Lodge, and Will and Sara are going to have to watch their step at every turn. Trapped on the resort, they must untangle a decades-old web of secrets to discover what happened to Mercy. And with the killer poised to strike again, the trip of a lifetime becomes a race against the clock…

My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:

Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, New York Times bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are back with a fantastical, romantical, and piratical historical fantasy remix that marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.

Don't call this mermaid "little"—call her "captain," unless you want to walk the plank.

Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.

But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.

She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt.

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace delivers a sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers' hearts ablaze.

Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

The Church of Frendo by Amanda Cesare

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
The thrills and chills are far from over in the third novel from Bram Stoker Award winner and master of scare, horror legend Adam Cesare. Quinn has just survived yet another bloody run-in with the murderous clown Frendo, but somehow still she knows this won’t be the last. Tired of being hunted and seeing innocent people hurt, Quinn believes the only way to beat the horror is to take justice into her own hands--and stop the Frendo followers herself. Little does she know that this path will take her across cornfields and state lines, to where she will have to face the most dangerous and bloody menace True believers. It’s an all-new tale in this terrifying trio series about the villains inside us all, from the master of slashers and suspense, award–winning author Adam Cesare. 

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:

When cracks start forming in an influencer’s curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel by bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Influencer Meredith Lee didn't teach Aspen Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as Aspen became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? Nothing serious, more like Stalking Lite.

Then Mer gets lucky; she finds one of Aspen's kids' iPads and swipes it. Now she has access to the family calendar and Aspen's social media accounts. Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in Aspen's place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer's only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers. 

Meanwhile, Aspen doesn't understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. If she doesn't find out who's behind everything, she might just lose it all. But what everyone seems to forget is that Aspen didn't become one of TikTok's biggest momfluencers by being naive.

When Meredith suddenly goes missing, Aspen's world is upended and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.

The Last Party by A.R. Torre

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:

A loving mother. A notorious murderer. They both have reasons to hide their secrets in a novel of escalating shock and suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.

Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation. He’s getting the killer to open up—about his motives, his confession, and the truth of what really happened on that horrible night.

As the past and the present entwine, the deceptions behind the infamous murder begin to surface. But who’s deceiving who now? And why? And as an ingeniously twisted plan is set in motion, who will be the next to die?

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

Expected Publication: August 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:

The TikTok sensation from the UK has come to North America! The special first edition hardcover will include a gorgeous, shimmering jacket with effects, beautifully illustrated endpapers and detailed-stained edges.

A mind-blowing murder mystery on a ship full of magical passengers. If Agatha Christie wrote fantasy, this would be it!

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain. Aboard are the twelve heirs of the provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

All except one: Ganymedes Piscero—class clown, slacker and all-around disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people and without a Blessing to protect him, Ganymedes’s odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their secret Blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?

Just by some really fantastic books coming out near the end of August! I love these authors, the sequels look so great, and the stand alones, I love the authors and they sound wonderful! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

WWW Wednesday #693, July 24th

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme! And thanks now to Taking on a World of Words for reviving it! 

I'm currently reading Supernova, and I'm loving it! 

I read Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch, and oh, I loved reading it!

I'm going to be reading The Wilde Trials, and I can't wait, I loved her other book and it sounds so good! 

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Phase Out Your TBR Update 15

So I've read my next book for the Phase Out Your TBR, and it was Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch which is for the prompt Green 11, and I'll be reading Forestfall next! 

My Reading Journey:

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 7

Started On: July 1st

Finished On: July 1st, 3:37 PM

Pages Read: 192

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 10

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 11:25 AM

Pages Read: 400

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 7

Started On: July 3rd

Finished On: July 3rd, 6:36 PM 

Pages Read: 368

A Tale Of Two Dragons by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 6

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 12:55 PM

Pages Read: 174

Light My Fire by G.A. Aiken

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12

Started On: July 4th

Finished On: July 4th, 8:49 PM

Pages Read: 496

The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci

Prompt Fulfilled: Green Wild (Blue 7)

Started On: July 6th

Finished On: July 6th, 7:38 PM

Pages Read: 496

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 5

Started On: July 7th

Finished On: July 7th, 6:18 PM

Pages Read: 252

Reckless by Lauren Roberts 

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 9

Started On: July 8th

Finished On; July 8th, 11:04 PM

Pages Read: 512

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow Wild (Green 5)

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 10:48 AM

Pages Read: 416

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 9

Started On: July 9th

Finished On: July 9th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 432

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 4

Started On: July 11th

Finished On: July 11th, 9:39 PM

Pages Read: 560

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 6

Started On: July 12th

Finished On: July 12th, 3:39 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

Prompt Fulfilled: Red 3

Started On: July 13th

Finished On: July 13th, 9:46 PM

Pages Read: 400

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 10

Started On: July 16th

Finished On: July 16th, 7:39 PM 

Pages Read: 464

Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 11

Started On: July 23rd

Finished On: July 23rd, 8:39 PM

Pages Read: 304

Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone

Prompt Fulfilled: Green 3

Started On: July 24th

Currently On: Page 0 of 384

Prompts Left: Red 2, Red 8, Yellow 4, Yellow 8, Blue 11

Books Read: 15

Pages Read: 5002

Teaser Tuesday #693, July 23rd

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser comes from Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs, page 14.

"Had she been abandoned? Left alone to die?"

That doesn't sound good! Must read more now! What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #685, July 22nd

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #684
Teaser Tuesday #692
WWW Wednesday #692
WOW #688
Will the Time Come #685
Third Sentence Thursday #675
Random Reads #661
First Lines Friday #688
Book Blogger Hop #354

Monthly ARC's Update 81
The Reward Challenge Update #670
Wheel of TBR #217
How Well I Stuck to It #522
Wrote that Review Update #519

Week 29 Reviews:
The Hedgewitch of Foxhall

Killer View

Queen of Dreams

The Black Bird Oracle 

The Last Hour Between Worlds

The Blood is Love

The Stardust Grail

The Blacksmith Queen

The Princess Knight 

The Righteous

The Ruined

Betrayal Road 

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

Update 39

Update 113 and Wrap Up

Update 40

Phase Out Your TBR: 

Update 14

Random:

Lyndall Clipstone Author Page

Mackenzie Reed Author Page

OK, so I got 39 posts in 7 days, it was a quiet week, I was recovering from getting my tongue tie cut. Plus my tablet still isn't fixed, which is annoying, but hopefully I get it back this week since they've had since last Monday to start actually repairing it. What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read whatever I want! 

Mackenzie Reed Author Page

The Story: I saw The Rosewood Hunt on Edelweiss, and it sounded fantastic being recommended to Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and it was, and I can't wait to read more by Mackenzie Reed!

Website

Stand Alone's The Rosewood Hunt and her site, my review, The Wilde Trials and her site, my review.

Wrote that Review Update #519, July 21st

If you want to participate, set a certain amount of reviews to write, and once you make that goal, you can get a reward!

My reviews to reward is writing all of the reviews of the week, and I motivated myself to write my review for The Hedgewitch of Foxhall, Killer View, Queen of Dreams, The Black Bird Oracle, The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Blood is Love, The Stardust Grail, The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight, The Righteous and The Ruined, Betrayal Road, so I have 10 of 10 reviews written!

And as always, I want to review this week's reviews!

What about you guys? Happy reading! 

How Well I Stuck to It #522, July 21st

So I decided that I should have accountability on sticking to what should be in a week, so I'm doing How Well I Stuck to It every Sunday, because my schedule should be fixed in by now!

Week 30:

Nothing Planned! 

Just a free week, I just added a bunch to my week's TBR if you've seen my Wheel of TBR post just before this one, so I really don't need any more books there! 

Week 29:

Betrayal Road by Christine Feehan, The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso

vs.

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright, Killer View by Roy Johansen, Queen of Dreams by Kit Rocha, The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness, The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso, The Blood is Love by Karina Halle, The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei, The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken, The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken, The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh, The Ruined by Renée Ahdieh, Betrayal Road by Christine Feehan

I read what I wanted, and I took it easy, which was nice, and I read some great books, so I'm happy with this week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Wheel of TBR #217, July 21st

I saw Codie's Book Corner doing the Wheel of TBR, and I thought that sounded like a great way to pick what to read from your TBR. So thanks to her! I'll only do 3 spins, because I'm doing this every week, and so it won't make up my total TBR of the week, but it'll be a start!

Rules:

1. For each week of the month, I'll do 3 spins each week to read each week though I do have the rest of the month to read them. Once a prompt is used, I'll randomly choose one from the list, keeping track of how often a colour comes up. If colour comes up 3 or more times in month, I'll do another spin once it comes up 3 times.

2. If I don't read a book that week or at least start it before the end of the month, then for my next week of spins, I have to add a punishment for each book unread. I'll roll for each unread book, and have to apply each and every punishment chosen to the week.

3. Each month I'll get a prompt from my Binge Read Wheel (either specifically picking the prompt, or spinning the wheel) and I have to read at least 9 books, though I can read more!

Of the books from the last week, I read Apples Dipped in Gold by Scarlett St. Clair, Flashback by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen, and I started Blood Orange by Karina Halle.

Binge Read Wheel:

For this month, the wheel picked Yearly TBR. I read Queen of Dreams by Kit Rocha, The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness, The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso, The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei, The Ruined by Renée Ahdieh, Betrayal Road by Christine Feehan, so I've read 13/9+.

Prompts Used This Week:

ARC To Be Published, Ebook, Adaptation, My Initials, Most Anticipated, Epigraph. 

ARC To Be Published-Yellow-The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed-This book comes out in January and I got it from Edelweiss, so it hasn't been published yet! 

Ebook-Red-Black Rose by by Karina Halle-I have this book in ebook, so that works! 

Adaptation-Chartreuse-Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs-This series was adapted to the show, Bones (which I loved) and while the show is done, the series was adapted! 

Bons Spin for Yellow-My Initials-Chartreuse-Lucero by Maya Motayne-This works for both the author and the title, M for the former and L for the later! 

Bonus Spin for Red-Most Anticipated-Chartreuse-This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska-This book comes out in September and I just really want to read it! 

Bonus Spin for Chartreuse-Epigraph-Red-Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone-This book has 2 epigraphs at the beginning of the book, so I'll read that! 

Colour Totals:
Red: 4
Orange: 0
Yellow: 3
Chartreuse: 4
Green: 1
Spring Green: 1
Cyan: 0
Azure: 1
Blue: 0
Violet: 0
Magenta: 1

Rose: 1

Prompts for Next Week:

PDF Book-Red
Series Continued and Unfinished/Current 2021-Orange

Favorite Author-Yellow
Series Started and Unfinished/Current 2020-Chartreuse

Start the Series-Green
Series I Read in 2022 But Not in 2023-Spring Green
Series Continued and Unfinished/Current 2020-Cyan
Mass Market Paperback-Azure
Owned Pre-2020 -Blue

Retelling-Violet

ARC-NetGalley-Magenta

Monthly ARC-Rose

So those are some of the books I'm going to try to read this week. What about you guys? Happy reading!

The Reward Challenge Update #670, July 21st

The Reward Challenge is almost the complete opposite to a book buying ban as you'll end up buying lots of new books throughout the challenge but only after you've completed a certain amount of reading. It was hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly, so thanks to her for starting it!
 
OK, so I read The Hedgewitch of Foxhall which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book, Killer View which counts 3 times as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WTC Book, Queen of Dreams which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book, The Black Bird Oracle which counts 3 times as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book, The Last Hour Between Worlds which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book, The Blood is Love which counts 3 times as a End of Series 2024 Book and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book,The Stardust Grail which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, SAC 2024 Book and a Sophomore Challenge Book, The Blacksmith Queen which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book, The Princess Knight which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book, The Righteous which counts 4 times as a Historical Fiction 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and WoW Book, The Ruined which counts 5 times as a End of Series 2024 Book, Historical Fiction 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and WoW Book, Betrayal Road which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book.

So I have 42 counts which translates to $21 this week! I'll use it to buy books!

Lyndall Clipstone Author Page

The Story: I saw Unholy Terrors on NetGalley, and it sounded good and I read it and it was fantastic, and I've now read her first book and also loved it, and I can't wait to read more by Lyndall Clipstone! 

Website

Series: World at the Lake's Edge.

World at the Lake's Edge: Lakesedge and her site, my review, Forestfall and her site, my review.

Stand Alone's: Unholy Terrors and her site, my review, Tenderly, I am Devoured.

Week 29 Review: Betrayal Road

From Goodreads:

The stranger frequenting Azelie Vargas's local coffee shop is a sight to behold. He's tall, dark, muscular, and a complete distraction. She's worried one look from his striking silver eyes will have her acting a fool. But it's not a look that sets Azelie aflame—it's the way he boldly tells her every dark, dirty thing he'd like to do to her. She should be scandalized. Instead, all she wants to do is say yes.

Andrii "Maestro" Federoff is in San Francisco on club business. Torpedo Ink needs information to bust up a human trafficking ring, and Maestro has found his mark. After weeks of stealthy observation, he's not sure if Azelie is involved directly, or if she's just working for some bad people. What he does know is that he needs to get close to her fast, and soon he can't get enough.

What began as a setup quickly turns real. But no matter how hot they burn, Maestro's betrayal could leave their hearts smoldering in the ashes.…

My Review:
I loved reading this book, it was mostly of course I would, though that mostly has been because there has been that one book that I didn't completely love. Meeting Azelie, watching her and Maestro fall in love-when he's the Torpedo Ink member who was controlling and gave horrible romantic advice to the previous heros...yeah, it was so great!

I was worried about them, because he was using her to get to her boss, since her boss was involved in the human trafficking that Torpedo Ink is working on taking down. Which is not a good look for someone who wants to be your romantic partner, you know? So that had my anxieties stoked.

One that that got to me, that I wanted him to learn, was he kept going on about betrayal, and not being able to trust that these guys know security and protection, and the couples having different strengths but being equals. One, she has to put her trust that a) he knows his stuff about security, and b) his application of that security is not going to hurt her, that it's going to be in her best interests. Two, while that's a great idea in practise, in reality, the strengths that the guy has, are viewed as better to have then feminine strengths, so it doesn't feel equal, which is something that the woman has be reassured on. 

Something that I really enjoyed, was that Azelie is an author-she's published a few books and is working on the next. The insights that she had about being an author, from the price of ink and paper, to that awful trend of buying a book, reading it, and returning it, was so great to read! 

All in all this was a really entertaining, engaging read with characters who I had to read more of, dealing with some pretty terrible things, and I loved following along with their journey as they dealt with those things and fell in love! 

This was another fantastic read and I can't wait for whatever comes next! 

Author: Christine Feehan 
Series: Torpedo Ink #9
Read: July 19th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this world, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley 
Expected Publication: August 20th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Reviews: The Righteous, The Ruined

From Goodreads:

Following the explosive events of The Damned, Odette faces a vampire's final death. The Court of the Lions have done everything they can to save her but have failed. A healer from the Sylvan Vale could help her, but only Arjun Desai, as a half fey, can cross the boundary between realms. The Sylvan Vale is a world Arjun despises, and in return, it despises him. But knowing it could save Odette, he returns to the Vale with all haste, leaving the mirrored tare between the two worlds open and unwittingly setting the stage for both love and war.

It's mere days until Pippa Montrose is to wed Phoebus Devereux and become a member of his well-heeled family, offering salvation to her own. But Celine is missing. Pippa has no idea where her best friend has gone, but she's certain it's in the company of vampire Sébastien Saint Germain and that Arjun can lead her to them. Pippa enjoins the help of Eloise, the daughter of a powerful sorceress, to discover the gateway Arjun uses to travel between worlds. Pippa, tired of hesitating in life, marches right through in search of her friend. But what she discovers on the other side is a dangerous, duplicitous world full of mischief and magic she doesn't understand, and most unexpectedly, she finds love.

In this latest installment of The New York Times bestselling series that began with The Beautiful, Pippa journeys to the treacherous and beguiling world of the fey in search of answers only to fall in love.

From Goodreads:

The stunning conclusion to the instant New York Times bestselling quartet that began with The Beautiful.

The Sylvan Vale and the Sylvan Wyld are at war. Now that the unsteady truce between them has been broken, lines must be drawn. In an effort to protect the weakened Winter Court, Bastien rallies powerful allies and friends in New Orleans to come to their aid.

Meanwhile, under protection alongside her injured mother in the Summer Court, Celine is uncertain of whom to trust. She cannot get word to Bastien, and does not understand why he has not returned. When she realizes war between the fey courts is imminent, she journeys with Ali in an effort to find the time traveling mirror and change their fate.

But when Celine's rivals realize Bastien has rallied his allies in the mortal world, they decide to take the fight to him.

My Review:
Oh, these were such great reads! I really enjoyed the first two, and I'm glad that I read all these books close together, it kept the story details fresh in my mind, and I got to see what happened next to these characters pretty quickly! 

These were such fantastic reads, and a great end to the series and I can't wait to read more by Renée Ahdieh!

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Series: The Beautiful #3, 4
Read: July 19th, 19th, 2024
Source: Bought, Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and they're Historical Fiction 2024 Books, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Books and WoW Books! And The Ruined is a End of Series 2024 Book! 
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Published: December 7th 2021, December 5th 2023

The Righteous:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Ruined:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Reviews: The Blacksmith Queen, The Princess Knight

From Goodreads:

When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken.  

The Old King Is Dead

With the demise of the Old King, there's a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king's sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it's all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals. 

Luckily, Keeley doesn't have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned…

From Goodreads:

In New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken's gripping new fantasy romance series, the Blacksmith Queen must confront armies and pretenders desperate to take her new-won crown. But with the Princess Knight at her side and a centaur warrior clan at her back, she'll risk everything for victory . . .

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

Gemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley's side.

The Amichai warriors are an unruly, never-to-be-tamed lot, especially their leader-in-waiting, Quinn. But when the War Monks declare support for Gemma's ruthless younger sister Beatrix, the immaturity of her key ally is the least of Gemma's problems. She has to get to the grand masters, dispel their grudge against her, and persuade them to fight for Keeley and justice. If her conviction can't sway them, perhaps Quinn's irritating, irreverent, clearly unhinged, ferocity will win the day . . . 

My first review of The Blacksmith Queen, The Princess Knight
My Review:
I had such a great time reading these books again! I really enjoyed them the first time, but now I've read the Dragon Kin series also set in this world, and those little references make much more sense now! It was just so much fun to read these books!

Loved reading these books again and I can't wait to continue on with the series! 

Author: G.A. Aiken
Series: The Scarred Earth Saga #1, 2
First Read: September 20th, 2019, December 19th, 2020

Read: July 18th, 18th, 2024
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Books!
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: August 27th 2019, November 24th 2020

The Blacksmith Queen:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Princess Knight:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars