Wrote that Review Update #258, 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 , so I have  of  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 #261, 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:
The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone, The King by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Soul of Stars by Ashley Poston, Tamiko and the Two Janitors by Forthright

Tour Books: NA.

Review Books: NA.

NetGalley: NA.

Edelweiss: 1. Check.

Meme Books: NA.

Rereads: NA.

New Books: 3. Check.

Yeah,. I manged a shorter week! So yeah, I'm happy with it and I can't wait to read it!

Week 29:
Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre, The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston, Nocturna by Maya Motayne, The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess, Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne, Umbertouched by Livia Blackburne, This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher, What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini

vs.

We Have the Cover of Lords of the Underworld #15!!!!

Yeah, we have the cover of William's book, The Darkest King by Gena Showalter!

Week 29 Review: Pretty Fierce

From Goodreads:
Kaia has been on the run her whole life. The daughter of professional assassins, she knows true danger—and she'll do anything to survive. After her parents vanished during a job gone bad, Kaia's spent the last year in hiding, trying to blend in as an ordinary teenager, and there’s no one who makes her feel more normal or more special than her boyfriend, Oliver.

But when she's jumped by a hit man, and Oliver catches her fighting back, Kaia's secret is exposed. In a split-second decision, she flees the small town, taking Oliver with her. With professional killers stalking their every move, can Oliver and Kaia protect each other long enough to uncover the mysteries of her past?

My Review:
Oh, it was so great to read this book! I really enjoy Kieran Scott's writing, and this book sounded like a pretty intense kind of thriller mystery, and it totally was! Such a joy to read! I enjoyed this story of a kid who's the daughter of assassins and dealing with people trying to find her parents, trying to use her against her parents. It was so freaking great!

I really enjoyed the way that this story was told, we had piece after piece of the scene when Kaia lost her parents 18 months ago, in between scenes of the present. I wanted to know what was going to happen next, so I had to keep reading, and reading quickly!

Really enjoyed her and Oliver's relationship. And it's tested in this book, because she lied about her parents. And that he didn't tell her about his home life. Oh, and that she didn't want him to come along, because yeah, the situation was dangerous and he wasn't really prepared for it. They were a really great couple!

Oh, that ending! I mean, we had an idea that something was not as it was presented, that at least one of her parents was alive. But man, that ending was just incredible! Loved the reveals, loved the action, and yeah, I'm glad that the bad guy was taken down, because boy was he awful and dangerous!

Loved this book, it was a really fantastic read!

Author: Kieran Scott
Read: July 19th, 2019
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing so much! And it's a SAC 2019 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Published: April 4th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Review: Frost and Flame

From Goodreads:
From Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lords of the Underworld saga, comes Frost and Flame , the second book in the scorching paranormal romance series Gods of War.

Bane of Adwaeweth is the most feared immortal warrior in All War history. Possessed by a bloodthirsty beast, he will stop at nothing to win. Then he meets irresistible Nola Lee. He hates the power she wields over him, but she alone can rain vengeance upon his wife's killer.

Unaware of her destiny to rule as queen of beasts, Nola battles illness, addiction and vulnerability. With Bane, however, she experiences pleasure for the first time, and only wants more. But being with him comes with a terrible price.

With enemies lurking around every corner, Bane and Nola must fight to survive. But time is running out, and neither can resist the sizzling attraction blazing between them. Will their romance save the beast and his beauty, or destroy everything they've come to love? 

My Review:
Wow, it was so freaking great to read this book! I loved spending time with Nola and Bane, more time spent in this world! We learned so much more about these two, about Bane's world and species, what Nola has to deal with, and yeah, watch them fall in love! It was so great and sweet and dirty!

I was wondering before I read this book when it would take place in consideration with Shadow and Ice. So it takes place about the same time, so we haven't seen anything time-wise, new, but we did definitely get to see things from Nola and Bane's perspective, and what they did that Vale didn't know about! Which was so freaking great!

So Nola has fibromyalgia and lupus. Managing those two, she's become addicted to the meds she has to take-because coming off them is brutal, as she experiences throughout this book. And having to deal with that as well as being a foster kid, well, she might not have the best physical strength, but mentally and emotionally, those she has strength in spades!

Wow, really enjoyed how things turned out! That was pretty intense, and I didn't know how it was all going to come together. Both Gena Showalter and Nola were smart, and I loved that ending! There's hope for the future!

Loved reading this book so much, and I can't wait to see where it's going to go from here and who's going to star in the next book!

Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Gods of War #2
Read: July 19th, 2019
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: HQN
Expected Publication: September 17th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Review: The Lying Woods

From Goodreads:
Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees' retirement accounts, Owen's father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout. 

Owen returns to Lake Cane to finish his senior year, where people he can barely remember despise him for his father's crimes. It's bad enough dealing with muttered insults and glares, but when Owen and his mother receive increasingly frightening threats from someone out for revenge, he knows he must get to the bottom of what really happened at Louisiana Frac--and the cryptic note his father sent him at his boarding school days before disappearing. 

Owen's only refuge is the sprawling, isolated pecan orchard he works at after school, owned by a man named Gus who has his own secrets--and in some ways seems to know Owen better than he knows himself. As Owen uncovers a terrible injustice that looms over the same Preacher Woods he's claimed as his own, he must face a shocking truth about his own past--and write a better future.

My Review:
Man, this was a fantastic story! Loved reading it! I enjoyed meeting and getting to know Owen, and Noah. I wanted to know where his father was, why he stole people's money, and watching Owen have to deal with the fall out made for great reading!

On one hand, I could see Owen's side, his father screwed him and his mom over. But I could see the other side, because those people lost their money, their jobs, the plans for the future. And it's tough, and it sucks that they were taking their frustrations out on Owen and his mom, since his dad wasn't there. Just a crappy situation all around!

Loved how this story was told, between the now with Owen, and the summer of 1999 (it's so weird, this year to me, because I was alive then, which I'm going to have to get used to more and more as time goes on and YA moves with it!) with Noah, though near the end, we saw fall, and a number of years later. It was a fantastic way to tell the story, and I wanted to know why, because there was a point to it, and yeah, that twist was just awesome!

Really enjoyed how this book ended. It was pretty satisfying, to know that the dad who raised him brought them back together after tearing them apart, even if it was to get back at his partner in crime. It was so great to see a taste of them being a family!

Such a wonderful book and such a wonderful read! Definitely recommend!

Author: Ashley Elston
Read: July 18th, 2019
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: I enjoy her writing, and it's a SAC 2019 Book!
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: November 13th 2018

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Review: Sweep of the Blade

From Goodreads:
Maud Demille is a daughter of Innkeepers—a special group who provide 'lodging' to other-planetary visitors—so she knows that a simple life isn't in the cards. But even Maud could never have anticipated what Fate would throw at her.

Once a wife to a powerful vampire knight, Maud and her young daughter, Helen, were exiled with him for his treachery to the desolate, savage planet of Karhari. Karhari killed her husband, and Maud—completely abandoned by his family—has spent over a year avenging his debts. Rescued by her sister Dina, she's sworn off all things vampire.

Except... In helping Dina save the world, she met Arland, the Marshal of House Krahr, one of the most powerful vampire houses. One thing led to another and he asked for her hand in marriage. She declined. Arland is not used to hearing the word 'no;' and try as she might, Maud can't just walk away from Arland. It doesn't help that being human is a lot harder for Maud than being a vampire.

To sort it all out, she accepts his invitation to visit his home planet. House Krahr is extremely influential and Maud knows that a woman—a human, with a very questionable past—who's turned down a proposal from its most beloved son won't get a warm reception. Maybe she's not sure about marrying Arland, but House Krahr isn't going to decide for her. Maud Demille has never run from a fight, and House Krahr will soon discover that there's a lot more to Maud than they're expecting. 

My Review:
It was so great to read this book! This series is just so fantastic to read, but this was the first time we've been in Maud's head, and yeah, that was different and interesting to read! Plus we spent time on Arland's planet, the one that is his family's base. So that was pretty interesting!

This was the first one that I read along with the chapters as they were published when it was just serialized fiction, before it was edited into what I read now. So it was great to kinda see its evolution! And the fact that we got an extra chapter to being this book, I don't know if the others were like this or not, but yeah, it was great to see Maud and why she was there at the beginning of the previous book, and see the battle from her perspective!

So there was a few things going on. Like, Maud seeing if she and Helen could fit with Arland's family. Then there's the wedding that House Krahr has to host, which is problematic in a number of ways, as Maud discovers. It was so fun to read!

That ending was pretty bad ass. I loved how both Arland and Maud used their different skills and knowledge to know the bad guys plan, and be able to counter it, that was just an amazing moment, and was so great to read (again!)

This book was so fantastic, and I can't wait for more, whatever form it'll take!

Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #4
Read: July 16th, 2019
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book!
Publisher: NYLA
Published: July 16th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Review: A Lethal Legacy

From Goodreads:
TREASURE OR TREACHERY?

Douglas Island sits off the coast of New York State, its imposing cliffs warning away visitors. Still, Finn Douglas has big plans for his inheritance and the rambling manor house that dominates the landscape. He has a vision to turn the island into a resort getaway for overworked city dwellers. But when the broken body of his business partner is found at the base of the rocky escarpment, he fears it wasn't an accident.

Special Agent Craig Frasier agrees to help his cousin Finn by investigating and, with psychologist Kieran Finnegan at his side, heads to the island. As Craig and Kieran delve into the history of the Douglas estate, they discover that the property comes complete with strange lore and a blood-soaked past. Something evil seems to be lurking in the caverns that run beneath the stony ground. Is there something on the island that someone is willing to kill to protect? Kieran and Craig take on a dangerous search for the truth, where one false step could send them plummeting to their deaths, and one wrong turn could bring them face-to-face with a killer. 

My Review:
Yeah, I loved reading this book! This series is so great to read, and yeah, really enjoyed this next mystery! And it's funny, because this time, it isn't Kieran who entangles them in the case, but Craig, because it's his second cousin (their parents were first cousins, so I believe this is right) who calls him in.

This mystery was pretty interesting. There was exploring the history of the Knights Templar and the Arc of the Covenant. Then there were aliens, and yeah, that was an interesting mix that was a lot of fun to read!

So it's funny, Craig did talk about fanatics. and it turns out that they were there. That they went on to do what they did, it's like, why do people get so set in their ways that they do such horrible things like stone people to death?

This book was a little twisty. Because we had a confrontation, but there was still about 50 or so pages left, so then there was another one. So yeah, loved that and just how tricky this mystery was. Just an incredible read!

Such a great book, and I wouldn't mind more books in this series, it's so enjoyable!

Author: Heather Graham
Series: New York Confidential #4
Read: July 14th, 2019
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book!
Publisher: MIRA
Published: March 12th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Review: Like Never and Always

From Goodreads:
Liv Burnham thinks nobody knows Morgan Frost like she does, but a terrible accident pushes her down the rabbit hole where Morgan's secrets hide and she'll be lucky to make it out alive....

On a hot summer night, Liv, Morgan, Clay and Nathan are on the way home from a party in Clay's convertible. Best friends dating brothers? It doesn't get better than that. But the joyride ends in sudden impact, a screech of brakes, and shattering glass. On that lonely country road, four lives change forever.

Liv wakes in the hospital. At first she's confused when they call her Morgan, but she assumes it's a case of mistaken identity. Yet when the bandages come off, it's not her face in the mirror anymore. It's Morgan's.

Morgan always seemed to have the perfect life. But as Liv tries to fit herself into Morgan's world, she discovers endlessly disturbing secrets of the criminal and murderous variety and a dark task to finish...if she doesn't lose her mind first.

Forced to confront the disturbing truths that Morgan kept hidden in life, Liv must navigate a world of long-buried murder, a dangerous love affair—and a romance that feels like a betrayal.

My Review:
I enjoyed reading this book so much! I wanted to learn more about Liv and Morgan, and how it was kinda paranormal with Liv being in Morgan's body, but this book more focused on the mysteries that Morgan left behind.

Liv was more a science nerd, while Morgan was popular and seemingly above it all. And Liv had to learn to navigate that world, and it was tough, because they didn't know what shew as feeling, what she was going through and they made judgments. Not fun!

So there were a few things that Morgan left behind for Liv to deal with. There was Morgan's mother's death which lead to the affair, and then there was her relationship with Clay-the brother of Liv's boyfriend, Nathan. Yeah, there were some pretty complicated dynamics!

There's this line, "you knew he was married." Uh, yeah, he knew he was married, too. And he's the one who made those vows. Also, she was underage. That means going after her instead of him, means that you have your priorities skewed. Going after the outsider instead of the one like you, yeah, that says more about you than them.

Loved this book, it was such a fantastic read!

Author: Ann Aguirre
Read: July 13th, 2019
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a SAC 2019 Book!
Publisher: Tor Teen
Published: July 17th 2018

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 29 Review: This Lie Will Kill You

From Goodreads:
Tell the truth. Or face the consequences.

Clue meets Riverdale in this page-turning thriller that exposes the lies five teens tell about a deadly night one year ago.

One year ago, there was a party.
At the party, someone died.
Five teens each played a part and up until now, no one has told the truth.

But tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills, expecting to compete in a contest with a $50,000 grand prize. Of course…some things are too good to be true.

Now, they realize they've been lured together by a person bent on revenge, a person who will stop at nothing to uncover what actually happened on that deadly night, one year ago.

Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free?
Or will their lies destroy them all? 

My Review:
Wow, I loved reading this book! It was so fast paced and I couldn't put it down-it took me about 3 hours to read it. I just devoured it! I wanted to know what the mystery was going to be that they were going to solve, wanted to know how it was designed to mess them up.

One comment was that it was a night of fire and porcelain. That it very true, from the fire that Shane died in to the threat of flames at the house. And Doll Face, and the various porcelain dolls that were scattered in the story. There were other things, but those two things kinda encompass this book.

I enjoyed how we alternated between the different characters. Perspective is pretty important, and the way Ruby though of her previous relationship with Parker and how he viewed it. Yeah, Parker was kinda pretty awful, and as we learned how truly gross he was, well, I enjoyed how things ended!

We were set up to think one way, and I kinda knew that we were deliberately lead to think that way, but I didn't consider the implications, so that twist was shocking yet made total sense! Just an excellent sign in a book!

This book was so fantastic and such a great read! Loved it!

Author: Chelsea Pitcher
Read: July 13th, 2019
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: I enjoy her writing and it sounded good, and it's a SAC 2019 Book!
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: December 11th 2018

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

2019 Reviews

Book Blogger Hop #93, July 19th

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, I 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: If you were to write your own autobiography, what would the title be? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I think the title would be something like, Boring Contemporary YA. Yeah. What about you guys? Happy reading!

The Reward Challenge Update #409, July 19th

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 This Lie Will Kill You which counts 3 times as a NetGalley Book and a SAC 2019 Book, Like Never and Always which counts 3 times as a NetGalley Book and a SAC 2019 Book, The Great Jewel Robbery which counts 3 times as a Review Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book, A Lethal Legacy which counts 3 times as a Edelweiss Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book, Sweep of the Blade which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book, The Lying Wood which counts 3 times as a NetGalley Book and SAC 2019 Book, Frost and Flame which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book and a WoW Book, Pretty Fierce which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, SAC 2019 Book and a WoW Book.

So I have 25 counts which translates to $12.50 this week! I'll use it to buy books!

First Lines Friday #427, July 19th

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!

"'And the champion goes down!' I laid down my cards and raised my fists in the air. Yes, this
was a bit juvenile, but I could count on one hand the number of times I'd beaten my mother at any game—chess, UNO, hangman, Monopoly (we had travel versions of every game ever made)—so
I decided to give myself a pass. My mother didn't react, however. When I looked up from the table, she was staring at the hotel room door. My heart gave a tiny squeeze." -Pretty Fierce by Kieran Scott

Well, that sounds a little bit worrisome, that her mom isn't paying attention. Need to read more! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Random Reads #400, July 18th

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  which turned out to be ! It's been on my TBR pile since , and I added it because ! Happy reading!

Third Sentence Thursday #414, July 18th

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!

"As if she would die if she did't experience complete satisfaction." -Frost and Flame by Gena Showalter, page 165.

Well, that could very well be true! Or at least, feel like it, at least from what I hear.

What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Will the Time Come #424, July 18th

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:

d

Why the time hasn't come yet...

We Have the Cover of Highland Brides #8!!!!

Yeah, we have the cover of Hunting for a Highlander by Lynsay Sands!

The Great Jewel Robbery: Review

From Goodreads:
Mystery with a splash of romance…
Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host's brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective. 

My Review:
This book was so awesome to read! I enjoyed reading about Emma and Grace's adventures as reporters who investigate this robbery! It was such a fun read, it was so hilarious, and it was a really great story! Loved reading it!

Neither Emma or Grace work the crime beat. Emma is a sports writer, and Grace is on the society beat, events like the charity ball. But she wants to right hard hitting stories, which means she has to get out of where she is. Which is why they investigate.

I loved their investigation. They have a few advantages, like Grace being part of the fancy world and connections there. That they had to share information with the locals, well, that's means they're not obstructing justice. I loved Emma's interactions with Detective O'Mara, they were hilarious!

So I'm wondering a few things. Like how did he know the safe's code? They made a point of saying that the hosts wouldn't have given it to him. So I'm wondering about that. Edited to add that Elizabeth has answered this in the comments! I'm also wondering where this series is going to go in the future, will it star these same characters, and will the mystery be a continuation of this one, or a new one? Can't wait to find out!

Loved this book, and can't wait for more in this series!

Author: Elizabeth McKenna
Series: A Front Page Mystery #1
Read: July 14th, 2019
Source: Pump Up Your Book Review Book
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book!
Publisher: Celtic Dreams
Published: May 30th 2019

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Bio:
Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).

She combined her love of history, romance, and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. She has also written a short story titled The Gypsy Casts a Spell, which was published in the February 2012 issue of eFiction Magazine. You can read it for free here. Her contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, is loosely based on her life (she eventually married her first crush). The Great Jewel Robbery is her debut cozy mystery, and she hopes readers will like it as much as they have enjoyed her romances.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.

Elizabeth loves to talk to her readers. You can email her at elizabethmckennaauthor@hotmail.com.

Contact and Buy AKA Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Scribd

Apple

Waiting on Wednesday #427, July 17th

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

Frost and Flame by Gena Showalter
Expected Publication: September 17th, 2019
From Goodreads:
From Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lords of the Underworld saga, comes Frost and Flame , the second book in the scorching paranormal romance series Gods of War.

Bane of Adwaeweth is the most feared immortal warrior in All War history. Possessed by a bloodthirsty beast, he will stop at nothing to win. Then he meets irresistible Nola Lee. He hates the power she wields over him, but she alone can rain vengeance upon his wife’s killer.

Unaware of her destiny to rule as queen of beasts, Nola battles illness, addiction and vulnerability. With Bane, however, she experiences pleasure for the first time, and only wants more. But being with him comes with a terrible price.

With enemies lurking around every corner, Bane and Nola must fight to survive. But time is running out, and neither can resist the sizzling attraction blazing between them. Will their romance save the beast and his beauty, or destroy everything they’ve come to love?

I love Gena Showalter's writing, and yeah, this book sounds amazing and I can't wait to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading!

WWW Wednesday #431, July 17th

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!

I'm currently reading Frost and Flame, and yeah, really enjoyed it, and spending more time with these characters, getting to know them!

I read Sweep of the Blade, and it was so fantastic, and I enjoyed the full length version so much!

I'm going to be reading Dev1at3, and I can't wait, I enjoyed the first book so much!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Teaser Tuesday #431, July 16th

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 Frost and Flame by Gena Showalter, page 92.

"Limestone, decomposition and dirt. Honeysuckle and jasmine."

Yeah, some pretty awful scents and them some pretty good ones! What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #423, July 15th

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 #422
Teaser Tuesday #430
WWW Wednesday #430
WOW #426
Will the Time Come #423
Third Sentence Thursday #413
Random Reads #399
First Lines Friday #426
The Reward Challenge Update #408
Book Blogger Hop #92
How Well I Stuck to It #260
Wrote that Review Update #257

Week 28 Reviews:
Storm Born
Thorn Queen
Iron Crowned
Shadow Heir
Secret Sacrament
Time of the Eagle
Criminal Behavior
Incriminating Evidence
Killer Investigation

Random:
We Have the Cover of Shadow of the Fox #3!!!!
We Have the Cover of The Sound of Stars!!!!

OK, so I got 17 posts in 7 days, and yeah, it was a pretty good week, a good number of books read but were in series, so fewer posts. And such a great reading week that I've already put a good dent into. I'm happy! Also this the start of my 3rd week at work! I'm excited! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Like Never and Always, The Lying Woods, Nocturna, The Quiet You Carry, Rosemarked, Umbertouched, This Lie Will Kill You, and What She Found in the Woods.

Liv Burnham thinks nobody knows Morgan Frost like she does, but a terrible accident pushes her down the rabbit hole where Morgan's secrets hide and she'll be lucky to make it out alive....

On a hot summer night, Liv, Morgan, Clay and Nathan are on the way home from a party in Clay's convertible. Best friends dating brothers? It doesn't get better than that. But the joyride ends in sudden impact, a screech of brakes, and shattering glass. On that lonely country road, four lives change forever.

Liv wakes in the hospital. At first she's confused when they call her Morgan, but she assumes it's a case of mistaken identity. Yet when the bandages come off, it's not her face inthe mirror anymore. It's Morgan's.

Morgan always seemed to have the perfect life. But as Liv tries to fit herself into Morgan's world, she discovers endlessly disturbing secrets of the criminal and murderous variety and a dark task to finish...if she doesn't lose her mind first.

Forced to confront the disturbing truths that Morgan kept hidden in life, Liv must navigate a world of long-buried murder, a dangerous love affair—and a romance that feels like a betrayal.

Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees' retirement accounts, Owen's father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout.

Owen returns to Lake Cane to finish his senior year, where people he can barely remember despise him for his father's crimes. It's bad enough dealing with muttered insults and glares, but when Owen and his mother receive increasingly frightening threats from someone out for revenge, he knows he must get to the bottom of what really happened at Louisiana Frac--and the cryptic note his father sent him at his boarding school days before disappearing.

Owen's only refuge is the sprawling, isolated pecan orchard he works at after school, owned by a man named Gus who has his own secrets--and in some ways seems to know Owen better than he knows himself. As Owen uncovers a terrible injustice that looms over the same Preacher Woods he's claimed as his own, he must face a shocking truth about his own past--and write a better future.

Victoria Parker knew her dad's behavior toward her was a little unusual, but she convinced herself everything was fine--until she found herself locked out of the house at 3:00 a.m., surrounded by flashing police lights. Now, dumped into a crowded, chaotic foster home, Victoria has to tiptoe around her domineering foster mother, get through senior year at a new school, and somehow salvage her college dreams . . . all while keeping her past hidden.

But some secrets won't stay buried--especially when unwanted memories make Victoria freeze up at random moments and nightmares disrupt her sleep. Even worse, she can't stop worrying about her stepsister Sarah, left behind with her father. All she wants is to move forward, but how do you focus on the future when the past won't leave you alone?

A healer who cannot be healed . . . When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she knows it's only a matter of time before she fully succumbs. Now she's destined to live her last days in isolation, cut off from her people and unable to practice her art—until a threat to her village creates a need that only she can fill.

A soldier shattered by war . . . Broken by torture at the hands of the Amparan Empire, Dineas thirsts for revenge against his captors. Now escaped and reunited with his tribe, he'll do anything to free them from Amparan rule—even if it means undertaking a plan that risks not only his life but his very self.

Thrust together on a high-stakes mission to spy on the capital, the two couldn't be more different: Zivah, deeply committed to her vow of healing, and Dineas, yearning for vengeance. But as they grow closer, they must find common ground to protect those they love.

And amidst the constant fear of discovery, the two grapple with a mutual attraction that could break both of their carefully guarded hearts. This smart, sweeping fantasy with a political edge and a slow-burning romance will capture fans of The Lumatere Chronicles and An Ember in the Ashes.

The mission was a failure. Even though Zivah and Dineas discovered a secret that could bring down the empire, their information is useless without proof. Now, with their cover blown and their quest abandoned, their only remaining hope is to get home before Ampara brings the full might of its armies against their peoples.

As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. After fighting alongside the Amparans against his own kin, can Dineas convince the Shidadi—and himself—where his loyalties lie? After betraying her healer's vows in Sehmar City, can Zivah find a way to redeem herself—especially when the Dara ask her to do the unthinkable? And after reluctantly falling in love, what will the two do with their lingering feelings, now that the Dineas from Sehmar City is gone forever? Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she'll define the life she has left.

Together, healer and warrior must find the courage to save their people, expose the truth, and face the devastating consequences headed their way.

Tell the truth. Or face the consequences.

Clue meets Riverdale in this page-turning thriller that exposes the lies five teens tell about a deadly night one year ago.

One year ago, there was a party.
At the party, someone died.
Five teens each played a part and up until now, no one has told the truth.

But tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills, expecting to compete in a contest with a $50,000 grand prize. Of course…some things are too good to be true.

Now, they realize they've been lured together by a person bent on revenge, a person who will stop at nothing to uncover what actually happened on that deadly night, one year ago.

Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free?
Or will their lies destroy them all?

After a scandal breaks in her elite New York City private school, Magdalena is shipped off to her grandparents' sleepy Pacific Northwest town to spend a summer recovering under the radar. Over-medicated and uninspired, she spends her days in a fog, hiking in the woods behind her grandparents' cottage.

But then gorgeous wildboy, Bo, stumbles across her picnic blanket and Magdalena starts believing she might be able to move on from her past. The only problem seems to be the series of crimes breaking out across town, and when a body is found in the woods near Bo's encampment, it’s clear that Magdalena’s nightmare is just beginning. She's no longer sure who she can trust. . .

What She Found in the Woods is an addictive and all-consuming thriller with a twist from the internationally bestselling author of the Starcrossed series, Josephine Angelini.