Teaser Tuesday #463, February 25th

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 The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller, page 44.

"Charity. Orphans. The devils wasted good looks on such a man."

Well, that's pretty dark. And totally in character! Must read more!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #455, February 24th

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 #454
Teaser Tuesday #462
WWW Wednesday #462
WOW #458
Will the Time Come #455
Third Sentence Thursday #445
Random Reads #431
First Lines Friday #458
Book Blogger Hop #124
The Reward Challenge Update #440
How Well I Stuck to It #292
Wrote that Review Update #289

Week 8 Reviews:
Crazy Rich Asians
China Rich Girlfriend
Rich People Problems
Shatter the Earth
Race the Sands
Prince of Stone
The Life Below
Tomes Apprentice
Dreaming Darkly

Random:
My 2x Reward Points Book Outlet Order
We Have the Cover of Camelot Rising #2!!!!

OK, so I got 21 posts in 7 days, and it was a pretty great week, lots of fantastic books, and I can't wait for this coming week! So many great books coming out! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Magic and the Shinigami Detective, Charms and Death and Explosions (oh my!), Magic Outside the Box, The Darkest King, The Earl Not Taken, Fantastic Hope Anthology, The Final Deception, Imaginary Numbers, and The Shadows Between Us.

 New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with a brand-new addition to her explosive Lords of the Underworld series featuring William, the story her fans have been clamoring for.

A merciless prince feared by all...

Cursed by a vengeful witch, William of the Dark will die if he ever falls in love – murdered by the woman who steals his heart. His lone shot at redemption is a book filled with indecipherable code. Break the code, break the curse. Now, centuries later, he's condemned to a string of one-night stands...until he finds the only woman in the worlds able to set him free.

A rare creature of myth and power...

One of the last living unicorn shifters, Sunday 'Sunny' Lane works from the shadows as a cryptanalyst, on the run from assassins and poachers. Then the darkly seductive William abducts her, holding her captive in Hell. The closer they get, the more she hungers for his touch...and the stronger a mystical desire to kill him becomes...

Both forever doomed?

At war with his brother, Lucifer, and determined to become a king of the underworld at long last, William must resist the irreverent beauty who threatens his future. But every day Sunny tempts him more, his hunger for her unmatched. Will he risk his heart – and his life – or will the curse ensure his end?

Left standing on the side while their contemporaries marry into society, four young ladies forge a bond to guard each other from a similar fate...

Finishing school failed to make a proper lady of Penelope Arrington. But as a Wallflower of West Lane, Poppy has a far more vital role—she and her three best friends have made a pact to protect each other from the clutches of dangerous, disreputable men. So when one of them is about to be married off to a duke sight unseen, Poppy makes it her mission to divine the prospective husband's true character. If only she didn't require the aid of London's most unsuitable rake.

Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has known the headstrong Poppy since she was a young girl naïve to the ways of men. To her eternal chagrin—and to his vague amusement—they have been at odds over the memory of their embarrassing first encounter all these years. Now, with his services in need, Rhys sees a chance to finally clear the air between them. Instead, he is surprised by the heat of their feelings. If the two do not tread carefully, they may end up in a most agreeably compromising position...

A collection of sixteen sci-fi and fantasy stories edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton and author William McCaskey.

A child's wish for her father comes true. The end of the world has never been so much fun. Conquering personal demons becomes all too real. It's not always about winning; sometimes it's about showing up for the fight. It's about loving your life's work, and jobs that make you question everything.

In this anthology, seventeen authors have woven together brand-new stories that speak to the darkness and despair that life brings while reminding us that good deeds, humor, love, sacrifice, dedication, and following our joy can ignite a light that burns so bright the darkness cannot last.

Laurell K. Hamilton and William McCaskey are joined by Kevin J. Anderson, Griffin Barber, Patricia Briggs, Larry Correia, Kacey Ezell, Monalisa Foster, Robert E. Hampson, John G. Hartness, Jonathan Maberry, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Jessica Schlenker, Sharon Shinn, M. C. Sumner, Patrick M. Tracy, and Michael Z. Williamson in this collection.

How do you confront a threat that is hiding in plain sight? FBI agent Craig Frasier and psychologist Kieran Finnegan hunt an escaped serial killer in the latest explosive thriller in the New York Confidential series.

It was one of Kieran's most chilling cases: her assessment of a murderer known as the Fireman. There was no doubt that the man needed to be locked away. Now Craig is called to a gruesome crime scene that matches the killer's methods, and news breaks that the Fireman has escaped prison.

Amid a citywide manhunt, Kieran and Craig need to untangle a web of deceit, privilege and greed. They suspect that those closest to the killer have been drawn into his evil, or else someone is using another man's madness and cruelty to disguise their crimes.

When their investigation brings the danger right to the doorstep of Finnegan's Pub, Kieran and Craig will have to be smarter and bolder than ever before, because this time it's personal, and they have everything to lose.

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King's power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she's going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra's not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

Wrote that Review Update #289, February 23rd

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 Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems, Shatter the Earth, Race the Sands, Prince of Stone, The Life Below, Tomes Apprentice, Dreaming Darkly, so I have
7 of 7 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 #292, February 23rd

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 9:
Magic and the Shinigami Detective by Honor Raconteur, Charms and Death and Explosions (oh my!) by Honor Raconteur, Magic Outside the Box by Honor Raconteur, The Darkest King by Gena Showalter, The Earl Not Taken by A.S. Fenichel, Fantastic Hope Anthology, The Final Deception by Heather Graham, Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire, The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Tour Books: NA.

Review Books: NA.

NetGalley: 2. Check.

Old NetGalley: NA.

Edelweiss: 1. Check.

Old Edelweiss: NA.

Rereads: 3. Check.

New Books: 3. Check.

Well, this is a slightly longer week, but there's a bunch of fantastic books coming out this week that I just have to read! Can't wait!

Week 8:
Alien Secrets by Ian Douglas, Badger to the Bone by Shelley Laurenston, Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie, A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux, The Life Below by Alexandra Monir, Prince of Stone by Gena Showalter

vs.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan, Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan, Shatter the Earth by Karen Chance, Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst, Prince of Stone by Gena Showalter, The Life Below by Alexandra Monir, Tomes Apprentice by Honor Raconteur, Dreaming Darkly by Caitlin Kittredge

Well, I only read 2 of what I planned, but I read 7 that I didn't plan on, but that's 4 that I didn't read, so yeah, I'm OK with that! Can't wait for this coming week! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

The Reward Challenge Update #440, February 23rd

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 Crazy Rich Asians which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, China Rich Girlfriend which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, Rich People Problems which counts 3 times as a End of Series 2020 Book and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, Shatter the Earth which counts 3 times as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book, Race the Sands which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, SAC 2020 Book and a WoW Book, Prince of Stone which which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, The Life Below which counts 5 times as a 2020 Dystopia Book, End of Series 2020 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book, Tomes Apprentice which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, Dreaming Darkly which counts 3 times as a Edelweiss Book and a SAC 2020 Book.

So I have 26 counts which translates to $13 this week! I'll use it to buy books!

Week 8 Review: Dreaming Darkly

From Goodreads:
Ivy Bloodgood's mother is dead, and she should probably be sad about it. But she isn't. Myra Bloodgood was confusing mix of protective and abusive, a manipulative personality who never told the truth—about where she came from, who Ivy's father was, or why they were living their lives on the run.

Now that Ivy has been sent to Darkhaven, an island off the New England coast, to live with a rich uncle she didn’t know existed, she is forced to reckon with her mother's past. Ivy can tell right away there are long-held family secrets buried within these walls, but when she wakes up from one of her nightmares covered in someone else's blood, Ivy fears that whatever demons her mother battled while she was alive have come to roost in her own mind. Scared that she can no longer trust what she sees, Ivy seeks the help of a boy who thinks her episodes are connected to the sordid history of Darkhaven—but what they don't know might kill them both.

A moody and twisty gothic mystery with an impossible romance, Dreaming Darkly is an atmospheric, fast-paced page-turner written by comics veteran Caitlin Kittredge.

My Review:
Wow, this book was dark and twisted and down to earth-but with questionable events that could be Ivy going crazy or maybe something is up. There was just so much atmosphere, and it was so great to read this book!

Ivy is jaded. She does start to connect with people in this book, but given that it started with telling the story of how her mother tried to drown her when she was a kid, well, it's understandable that she has some problems with letting people close.

Coming to Darkhaven, her family home, to an uncle she didn't know she had, was pretty interesting. Like she says, she's been raised in cheap motels and trailer parks, and those were located in the landlocked states, not a little island on the New England coast. So there's that to adjust to.

Oh, and there's Doyle, who tells her about the feud between their families, and the curse on hers because of it. Yeah, I really enjoyed her skeptical side. And then things start happening, and it's like, what's going on? It doesn't come up in Ivy's head, but I was wondering if it was supernatural, because there was a lot of freaky things going on. It was so fascinating to read!

This book was a really fantastic read, and I enjoyed it so much!

Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Read: February 21st, 2020
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Loved her other YA series, and it's a SAC 2020 Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Published: April 9th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 8 Review: Tomes Apprentice

From Goodreads:
It's like the start of a bad joke: a Master of Tomes, his apprentice, and ninety world-saving records get lost at sea.

Mei Li really wishes the joke wasn't her life. For two years she's been stranded in a remote village with no knowledge of where her master is or what's going on in the world. What she does know is one: she refuses to be sacrificed to the "god" the villagers think live on the mountain, two: she fully plans on negotiating with said "god" (who, luckily for her, turns out to be a dragon more than happy to rescue her).

Her relief over being rescued is short lived when she learns that her master is still lost, along with the tomes detailing how to reseal and fix all the upcoming problems for the next decade. And at least four world disasters are due to be prevented in the next two months. To make matters worse, the Tomes Masters are the only people in the world who carry the knowledge of how to reseal the pesky problems like five-thousand-year-old sleeping demons and disintegrating harbor walls.

With her master gone, everyone is looking to Mei Li for answers she doesn't have, but still has to procure. Her options are to solve the disasters—with high potential for the world ending—or somehow find Master and the missing tomes.

Right now, Mei Li wants to go back in time and punch her six-year-old self for being an idiot. Being able to read books all day is not worth the stress of dealing with ancient, evil things on a regular basis.

My Review:
Yeah, this book was so fantastic! The world was so interesting, and the characters were fantastic to read about, and yeah, Honor Raconteur just writes really addicting books. It's some combination of her writing and all the other listed above elements. I just love them so much!

This book, we're introduced to the world, to the characters, and shown that it's a pretty dire situation. Basically, once everything starts, it's a bit like they're chickens running around with their heads chopped off. There's just so much to do, and not a lot of knowledge of how to do it, that panic was fun to read!

One thing that was really interesting to me, was the fact that dragons have feathers in this book for wings. Which isn't the norm, at least that I can think of. Instead their wings are leather, basically, and scales. So that's interesting, especially since there's a bit of grooming that came into play in this book.

We were given a ton of hints of the future-which is the past for the older characters like Shunlei. And the one part does happen in this book, though right at the very end. I'm thinking that depending on the pacing, the next part, which almost certainly will happen, will be in the next few books. Maybe the next one, but I don't know...

This book was so fantastic, and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Author: Honor Raconteur
Series: The Tomes of Kaleria #1
Read: February 21st, 2020
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book!
Publisher: Raconteur House LLC
Published: December 3rd 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 8 Review: The Life Below

From Goodreads:
As Naomi lifts off into space and away from a rapidly deteriorating Earth, she watches the world fade away, and along with it Leo, a Final Six contestant she grew close to during training. Leaving Earth behind is hard, but what's ahead, on Europa, could be worse. The International Space Training Camp continues to hide the truth about what happened to the last group of astronauts who attempted a similar colonization but failed mysteriously. With one shot—at this mission and to Europa—Naomi is determined to find out if there is alien life on Europa before she and her crew get there.

Leo, back on Earth, has been working with renegade scientist Dr. Greta Wagner, who promises to fly him to space where he can essentially latch on to Naomi's ship. And if Wagner's hypothesis is right, it isn't a possibility of coming in contact with extraterrestrial life on Europa—it's a definite. With Naomi unaware of what awaits, it's up to Leo to find and warn her and the others.

With all the pieces of their journey finally clicking into place, everything else starts to fall apart. A storm threatens to interfere with Leo's takeoff, a deadly entity makes itself known to the Final Six, and the questions the ISTC has been avoiding about the previous failed mission get answered in the worst way possible. If the dream was to establish a habitable domain on Europa… the Final Six are about to enter a nightmare. 

My Review:
This book was a really fantastic sequel! After the ending of The Final Six, there were so many possibilities as to where this book could go. Like how soon after The Final Six left, would Leo leave? Would he have a successful and safe take off and journey, and link up with them Ok? Just so many questions, and I loved reading this book and getting the answers!

We learned more about Wagner and her past, as well as the doomed Mars mission, what with The Final Six having to gain their supplies. Well, that doesn't go as planned, and while we had a pretty intense prologue, well, I didn't know where in the timeline it was from, so it was pretty intense reading until I got to that point, and honestly afterwards, as well, since they had so much to do!

They lost so much of their crew before they even landed on Europa. And unfortunately not our least favourite character of the group. But once they arrived, well, events moved pretty quickly, and that was just over halfway, maybe 2/3rds in. The Pages just flew by, it was such a great read!

That ending was so quick! I really enjoyed how they resolved it, but it went by so quickly! I would've liked more details, more than the extended bit of the pre-order incentive. I kinda though it was an extended ending, but it was more an extended climax, a few lines here and there. I would've liked to have had more at the end, because I still have questions. Unless we're getting a spin off with Naomi's brother. That would answer a great deal of my questions!

This book was a really great read, and I'm so glad that I did!

Author: Alexandra Monir
Series: The Final Six #2
Read: February 19th, 2020
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing and the first book, and it's a 2020 Dystopia Book, End of Series 2020 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: February 18th 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 8 Review: Prince of Stone

From Goodreads:
A cursed warrior crosses paths with a woman unlucky in love in this sizzling, significantly updated classic from New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, originally published as The Stone Prince in 2004.

A statuesque beauty unlucky in love…

With five older brothers, Katie James grew up a tomboy. Now, the six-foot-tall home renovator has never made it past a first date. When she begins restoration on an old Victorian, she never dreamed the gorgeous marble statue in the garden would come to life with a kiss. But, suddenly, a very real, very naked warrior is standing before her, demanding she surrender her heart.

A cursed alien prince with everything to lose…

Jorlan en Sarr hails from the distant planet Imperia. Thanks to his brother's curse, he's been entombed in stone for centuries, awaiting a fair maiden to set him free. Yet the goddess-like female with a will of iron and kisses like flame is nothing like the subservient damsels of his homeland. And though Katie affects him as no other, Jorlan must guard his heart while winning hers — all in two weeks! If he fails, he'll be turned back to stone… forever.

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this book! I've read it before, but that was before it was updated, and given a different title. The story largely hasn't changed, but some cultural references have changed, and been updated. So it was really great to read this book again!

Getting to know Katie and Jorlan again was so great. I mean, she was a pretty independent woman, who was raised with lots of older brothers, and her mom died young, so she was kinda pigeonholed into doing the feminine tasks-which she did not appreciate. But then Jorlan comes along from Imperia, where that's the norm, so it prepared her for how to deal with him. I loved watching their struggles!

That they have a 2 week deadline to fall in love, well, that's a challenge. Because on one hand, there's a grudging attraction between them that grows. On the other, they want different things, Jorlan to go home, and Katie to stay here. So they'd really only have the 2 weeks...

Plus we did get the side story of his brother, who was the one who cursed Jorlan to stone. I really enjoyed his journey, he's had a rough go of it, and he learns to be a better person, though it does take a little help and a little love, both from his mom, and from Heather!

This was a fantastic read, I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait for the sequel to be refreshed as well! And maybe now we'll get more from this series, now that Gena Showalter has been back in this world and the details are fresh!

Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Imperia #1
Read: February 17th, 2020
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing, it got updated and re-released! And it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book!
Publisher: HQN
Published: February 10th 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 8 Review: Race the Sands

From Goodreads:
In this epic standalone fantasy, the acclaimed author of the Queens of Renthia series introduces an imaginative new world in which a pair of strong and determined women risk their lives battling injustice, corruption, and deadly enemies in their quest to become monster racing champions.

Life, death, and rebirth -- in Becar, everyone knows that who you are in this life will determine what you are in your next life. The augurs can read your fate in your aura: hawk, heron, tortoise, jackal, human. Armed with that knowledge, you can change your destiny with the choices you make, both in this life and your next. But for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and you will always be a kehok for the rest of time.

Unless you can win the Races.

As a professional trainer, Tamra was an elite kehok rider. Then a tragic accident on the track shattered her confidence, damaged her career, and left her nearly broke. Now Tamra needs the prize money to prevent the local temple from taking her daughter away from her, and that means she must once again find a winning kehok . . . and a rider willing to trust her.

Raia is desperate to get away from her domineering family and cruel fiancé. As a kehok rider, she could earn enough to buy her freedom. But she can't become good enough to compete without a first-rate trainer.

Impressed by the inexperienced young woman's determination, Tamra hires Raia and pairs her with a strange new kehok with the potential to win -- if he can be tamed.

But in this sport, if you forget you're riding on the back of a monster, you die. Tamra and Raia will work harder than they ever thought possible to win the deadly Becaran Races -- and in the process, discover what makes this particular kehok so special. 

My Review:
Oh, wow, I loved this book! The world was so incredible, and I loved reading about these characters! How both Tamra and Raia have their motivation to be a part of the Races, and that they have to win on top of that. I was rooting for them!

So first off, this world with who you are in your current life, affects what you'll be in your second life, from human again, to various animals, to Kehok, which is what you become if you were a horrible person. Not fun! There's the augurs who try and help people be the best they can be, so there is that!

Tamra was the main narrator, but as we went on, we had more and more perspectives, and while we didn't have much time in say, Augur Yorbel's head, or Emperor to Be, Prince Dar, well, they all played pretty important parts in this book!

So there's the whole race bit, but there's also the politics as well, since there's a rule that the incoming ruler can't be crowned until the host of their predecessor is found, and Prince Dar's brother, Emperor Zarin, his host can't be found, and tensions are high as the government is ground to a halt. Loved watched everything come together!

This was a fantastic book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Read: February 17th, 2020
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing so much and it sounded fantastic! And it's a SAC 2020 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Expected Publication: April 21st 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 8 Review: Shatter the Earth

From Goodreads:
Ironically for the time traveling, chief seer of the supernatural world, time has never been on Cassie Palmer's side. There has always seemed to be too much to learn, too much to master, and never enough hours in a day. But the tables have now turned, and the fluctuating timelines of earth and faerie are diverging, slowing time in faerie relative to earth, and giving humans an advantage for the first time in their war with the fey. It is one they desperately need, for a literal war of the worlds is about to take place.

To win, or even to survive, Cassie and her allies, the powerful vampire senator Mircea Basarab and the formidable war mage John Pritkin, will have to pull off their greatest feat yet. And find a way to become more than the sum of their parts.

My Review:


Author: Karen Chance
Series: Cassie Palmer #10
Read: February 16th, 2020
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Karen Chance
Published: January 30th 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 8 Reviews: Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems

From Goodreads:
Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

From Goodreads:
Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians, is back with a wickedly funny new novel of social climbing, secret emails, art world scandal, lovesick billionaires, and the outrageous story of what happens when Rachel Chu, engaged to marry Asia's most eligible bachelor, discovers her birthfather.

On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over-the-moon. She has a flawless Asscher cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiancée willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won't be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel in to a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. 

Here we meet Carlton, a Ferrari-crashing bad boy known for Prince Harry-like antics; Colette, a celebrity girlfriend chased by fevered paparazzi; and the man Rachel has spent her entire life waiting to meet: her father. Meanwhile, Singapore's It Girl Astrid Leong is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly-minted Tech Billionaire husband. A romp through Asia's most exclusive clubs, auction houses, and estates, China Rich Girlfriend brings us into the elite circles of Mainland China, introducing a captivating cast of characters, and offering an inside glimpse at what it's like to be gloriously, crazily, China-rich.

From Goodreads:
Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, is back with an uproarious new novel featuring a family driven by fortune, an ex-wife driven psychotic with jealousy, a battle royal fought through couture-gown sabotage, and the heir to one of Asia's greatest fortunes locked out of his inheritance.

When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside—but he's not alone. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim to their matriarch's massive fortune. With each family member vying to inherit Tyersall Park—a trophy estate on sixty-four prime acres in the heart of Singapore—Nicholas' childhood home turns into a hotbed of backbiting and intrigue. As Su Yi's relatives fight over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu but tormented by her ex-husband—a man hell-bent on destroying Astrid's reputation and relationship. Meanwhile, Kitty Pong, married to China's second richest man, Jack Bing, still feels upstaged by her new stepdaughter, famous fashionista Colette Bing.

In this sweeping tale that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a kidnapping at Hong Kong's most elite private school to a surprise marriage proposal at an Indian palace that is caught on camera by the telephoto lenses of paparazzi, Kevin Kwan hilariously reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia's most privileged families and their rich people problems.

My Review:
Yeah, I couldn't put these books down! I started reading these in the evening of the 15th, after watching the movie, and then I kept reading. And reading. I basically went into a binge read of this series, because these books were pretty dense, and I finished them in less than 24 hours. I didn't sleep until after I was finished. I was pretty wiped afterwards, but I just couldn't put these books down!

These stories, these characters, they were really engaging. I mean, who doesn't want to know how the other side lives? And the amount of money that these characters have, it's pretty staggering. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy from the outside enviable lives.

Nick's family is pretty extensive, because there are the 3 branches, and it's a bit complicated, because Su Yi's brother in law, married her brother's daughter, I believe. So there's plenty of family members to keep track of, though it was easier to remember, given that I'd just read about the, since I read them all so close together.

The first story is mainly Rachel and Nick's story, with a little bit of his cousin, Astrid, and her family life. Some of those story lines, yeah, just had me rooting for her, and being enraged on her behalf. It's just over the top, how these characters live their lives. The next one is even more split, and we meet even more characters. While finally, the 3rd book is mainly on the family dealing with Su Yi's pending death and the fall out of that.

There are differences between the books and the movie, and I can't wait to see how they adapt the future books! I loved reading these books, they were such engaging stories, and I enjoyed them so much!

Author: Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians #1, 2, 3
Read: February 15th, 16th, 16th, 2020
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Books! And Rich People Problems is a End of Series 2020 Book!
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Published: June 11th 2013, June 16th 2015, May 23rd 2017

Crazy Rich Asians:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

China Rich Girlfriend:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Rich People Problems:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Book Blogger Hop #124, February 21st

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: What is your go-to recommendation for someone who doesn’t read often? (submitted by Amanda @ Give Me Coffee and Books)

I don't actually recommend books, because I don't have that interaction. But I'd say some of my favourites, like Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter, The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, Dark Prince by Christine Feehan, Moon Called by Patrica Briggs, A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands. Those are some good options, they were really great reads!

First Lines Friday #458, February 21st

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!

"I was eight years old when my bother tried to kill me. One night, whenw e stopped outside Topeka, she held my head under the water of our motel room bathtub. I remember how warm her hands felt on the back of my neck and how the water chilled my skin. I'd heard nothing except the beating of my own heart. I don't remember feeling afraid. Id on't remember feeling anything." -Dreaming Darkly by Caitlin Kittredge

Well, that's dark! I have to read more! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Random Reads #431, February 20th

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 6552 which turned out to be Top Ten by Katie Cotugno! It's been on my TBR pile since October 2nd, 2017, and I added it because I enjoy her writing! Happy reading!

Third Sentence Thursday #445, February 20th

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!

Not really reading anything today. Just don't have time or the energy. Boy am I looking forward to the weekend!

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

Will the Time Come #455, February 20th

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:

Dan Well's Extreme Makeover is a satirical new suspense about a health and beauty company that accidentally develops a hand lotion that can overwrite your DNA.

Lyle Fontanelle is the chief scientist for NewYew, a health and beauty company experimenting with a new, anti-aging hand lotion. As more and more anomalies crop up in testing, Lyle realizes that the lotion's formula has somehow gone horribly wrong. It is actively overwriting the DNA of anyone who uses it, turning them into physical clones of someone else. Lyle wants to destroy the formula, but NewYew thinks it might be the greatest beauty product ever designed--and the world's governments think it's the greatest weapon.

New York Times bestselling author Dan Wells brings us a gripping corporate satire about a health and beauty company that could destroy the world in Extreme Makeover.

Why the time hasn't come yet...
I don't know. As always, I don't have a copy so I'm not reminded of this book to read it. I just want to read it, though, it sounds really great! What about you guys? Happy reading!