New Release - Queenie

This funny story was released last week - be prepared to smile!

Queenie

by Candice Carty-Williams

What they say: Queenie Jenkins can't cut a break. Well, apart from the one from her long term boyfriend, Tom. That's definitely just a break though. Definitely not a break up. Then there's her boss who doesn't seem to see her and her Carribbean family who don't seem to listen (if it's not Jesus or water rates, they're not interested). She's trying to fit in two worlds that don't really understand her. It's no wonder she's struggling.

She was named to be queen of everything. So why is she finding it so hard to rule her own life?

A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on life, love, race and family, QUEENIE will have you nodding in recognition, crying in solidarity, and rooting for this unforgettable character every step of the way.

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Recent Release - Space

Space - Laws of Physics #2

by Penny Reid

What they say: One week.

Private cabin.

Famous physicist.

Still an unrepentant slacker.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Mona’s meticulously planned allotment of relaxation is thrown into chaos by the unscheduled appearance of her older brother’s band of friends, including the one person she'd hoped to never face again. Abram still makes her feel entirely too much, which is one of the reasons she disappeared after their one week together. But now, trapped on a mountain of snow and things unspoken, Mona will have to find a way to coexist with Abram, chaos and all.

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Am reading - The Portal

The Portal - Tangled in Time #1

by Kathryn Lasky

What they say: Life used to be great for Rose: full of friends, a loving mom, and a growing fashion blog.

But when her mother dies in a car crash, Rose is sent away to live with a strange grandmother she hardly knows and forced to attend a new school where mean girls ridicule her at every turn.

The one place Rose finds refuge is in her grandmother’s Tudor-style greenhouse. But one night, she sees a strange light glowing from within it. She climbs a ladder to investigate . . . and finds herself transported back four hundred years to Hatfield Palace, where she becomes servant and confidante of the banished princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII. Rose soon discovers something else surprising—a locket with two mysterious images inside it, both of them clues to her own past.

Could her grandmother’s greenhouse portal offer answers to the mysteries of her family . . . and their secrets? And how will she ever unravel them all?

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The Infamous Duchess - Historical Romance Review

The Infamous Duchess - Diamonds in the Rough #4

by Sophie Barnes

What they say: A woman with a shocking past… 

Branded a money-hungry con artist for marrying the elderly Duke of Tremaine days before his death, Viola Cartwright has found refuge in her work at St. Agatha’s Hospital. No one must know the painful reason behind her marriage. She steers clear of attachments—until Henry Lowell, heir to the Viscount Armswell, lands on her operating table after a duel. Charming and wickedly handsome, Lowell is one of London’s most inveterate scoundrels. Yet he may not be all that he appears.

And the man who can promise a future filled with love… 

Posing as an unrepentant rake has helped Lowell avoid women pursuing him only for his title. But now that duty has finally called on him to marry, he finds himself entranced by the mysterious, independent-minded Viola. Then her late husband’s son returns from overseas, contesting Viola’s inheritance. Lowell longs to help her and sets out to convince Viola that a strategic union may be the best way to save all she holds dear. But can he also persuade her to take a chance on love…?

Releases 26th March by Avon books.

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I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: Some say Viola is a money grabbing, social climber, whilst others would say she's a bit odd. I'd say she's really unlucky and has suffered a lot of pain in her life so far.

Her marriage to the much older, and unwell Duke of Tremaine days before his death, see Viola in a elevated position as a wealthy Duchess, but she has no interest in society and prefers to develop her hospital and use her position for good.

Current Viscount and future Earl, Henry finds himself the target for many matchmaking mothers and sets himself the reputation of rake to avoid marriage. He finds himself in hospital, being treated by a beautiful woman. Little does he know that she's actually the infamous Duchess of Tremaine!

The story is sweet and funny. In this cold weather, it's lovely to read a story set in another lifetime.

I enjoyed all the medical interludes and Viola's passion to help people is a delight to see. I enjoyed their slow burning friendship and wanted them to find a HEA. The secondary characters are an interesting bunch - I liked Florian!

4 Stars in my Sky!

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - All That We See or Seem

This week I'm reading...

All That We See or Seem

by Kristina Mahr

What they say: Every night, seventeen-year-old Reeve Lennox finds herself under a noose.

By day she is a lady of Acarsaid's royal house, daydreaming of adventure and love. But every night in sleep she wanders through a nightmarish city, an invisible witness to the screeches of monsters and the screams of their victims. Her only consolation is Bran, a battle-torn young man with a selfless heart and eyes that reflect the stars. 

Yet while Reeve falls deeper into her dreams, in truth she is engaged to Arden, a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air.

Torn between two lives, Reeve struggles to remember what's real, until night and day collide, with a revelation that threatens all of Acarsaid.

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From Breath and Ruin is LIVE!!

From Breath and Ruin - Elements of Five #1

by Carrie Ann Ryan

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Amazon * Apple Books * Nook * Kobo * Google Play * Paperback 

What they say: In her YA debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan dives into a world with magic and sacrifice with the Elements of Five.

Five hundred years ago, the Maison Realm was shattered, divided into warring kingdoms of elemental Wielders with fate and truth shadowed and uncertain. Now, factions of both the light and dark venture into the human realm in search of the prophesied Spirit Priestess who is said to Wield the Elements of Five to bring the two fractured kingdoms together.

Lyric has no idea that there's a realm outside the human one she lives in. When fate and circumstances are pulled from her hands after an accident, she finds out that nothing is as it seems.

War is raging around her, and when Lyric realizes that they are searching for her, she must rely on those she once trusted as she trains: a boy who isn't who she thought, and a new realm of warriors who have come to protect her.

For the darkness is coming, and the Queen of Obscurité wants to ensure that the King of Lumière can't get his hands on Lyric. And the only way to ensure that is if Lyric herself is no more...no matter the cost to prophecy.

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I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I went through a range of emotions reading From Breath and Ruin. I started off distracted by some of the characters immaturity and 'young' language - The beginning is slow. We get detailed descriptions of things like the main character, Lyric's, favourite running outfits and a lot about the usual teen relationship drama, but after this initial slow pace, the action picks up and the characters all go though huge changes. They find the missing maturity and become more developed characters. As a result the narrative improves and I could understand their 'voices' more.

I found Lyric difficult to like at first because she's full of doubt and lacks confidence - I blame a lot of this on Emory (more on her later). I did warm to Lyric throughout the story as I began to empathise with her struggle and the huge revelations. 

I really liked Braelynn. Kind characters are often underrated in stories but I appreciated the support she provides and the balance she brings to the plot. Emory - ugh! I know we're not supposed to like her, but I really wanted her to disappear and never be mentioned again. I kept thinking she can't be that selfish all the time.

Oh Rhodes! I liked him and wanted to see his confidence grow. I liked his badassery (yep I know it's not a word) and did find him charming. My suspicious mind kept expecting him to do something terrible - no spoilers here!

Once the story gets going, it's an engaging read and I like how everything is set up ready for the next book...!

4 Stars in my Sky!

Author Spotlight:

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.

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