Source: Netgalley

The Time Trials by Jon & Dayna McConnell

The Time Trials by John McConnell Series: The Time Trials #1 Published by Tiny Fox Press on September 21, 2021 Genres: Historical Fiction, Sci-Fi, Time Travel, Young Adult Pages: 358 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads After the deaths of his parents in a horrific car accident — one that he considers his own fault — Walkman-toting, guitar-playing Finn Mallory would do anything to turn back time…to press “rewind.” When he’s admitted on full scholarship to an elite boarding school, things get more complicated: he becomes an “Unfortunate” in a sea of rich kids whose shoes cost more than his late parents made in a week. An invitation to a boring-sounding history club changes everything, as this team does much more than research and field trips. Well….they do take field trips. Just not the kind you’re thinking. For Finn, the present was already enough to deal with, but now he finds that he also must reckon with the past, in more ways than one. Who doesn’t remember High School and Clubbing? No, I’m not talking about the type of clubbing where you stuff your bedding with make-believe clothing and pillows and then sneak out of the window to […]

Posted March 20, 2023
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The Brilliance of Stars by J’nell Ciesielski

The Brilliance of Stars by J’nell Ciesielski Series: Jack & Ivy #1 Published by Thomas Nelson on November 1st, 2022 Genres: Historical Fiction Pages: 400 Format: ARC Source: Author’s Copy, Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads Amid the chaos of the Great War, two master assassins risk it all for love. Washington DC, 1914. Ivy Olwen knows how to survive on the streets without two coins to rub together. But when she finds herself whisked into a secret society that seeks to maintain the balance of good and evil in the world, she can’t believe there’s more to life than just surviving. In the hallowed and historied halls of Talon, she learns European languages and ballroom dancing, as well as demolitions and sharpshooting—in short, everything a spy and assassin will need to survive in the field. The first day Jack Vale meets Ivy, he knows she is not to be underestimated. The second day, he knows his heart will belong to no one else. Between sparring bouts and constellation gazing, Jack takes Ivy under his wing, and the two form a bond that soon turns to love. While the rest of the world tumbles into war, the two embark on an […]

Posted November 12, 2022
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Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari

Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari Series: Mauzzy & Me #2 on August 15th, 2022 Genres: Cozy Mystery Pages: 352 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads After encountering a brief power outage at work, college student Sara Donovan might be allowing her imagination to run wild. The main vault in the Carlton Museum holds the Fire and Ice Exhibit, a collection of rare gems, including the Star of Midnight, a 175-carat diamond. Although all the stones are accounted for, Sara suspects the Star of Midnight was stolen and replaced with a fake. While conducting her own investigation, what Sara uncovers is beyond even her wildest imagination: a coded message, papers with strange characters, and a mysterious set of numbers carved into an office wall. Despite dismissive historians and other experts, she is certain these clues point to a mysterious centuries-old legend. Unfortunately, her colorful history of usually being right, but always being wrong, means she must solve the mystery to prove her theory. What a fun read this was! Truly a gem (no pun intended). I have never heard of the Mauzzy & Me Mystery series and frankly, I’m not a fan of dachshunds, but I am a […]

Posted August 29, 2022
4 Comments

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow by D.E. Night

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow by D.E. Night Series: The Crowns of Croswald #2 Published by Stories Untold Press on January 3rd, 2019 Genres: Fantasy Pages: 384 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads Even a secret town cannot protect Ivy from a mysterious darkness… Only hours after Ivy Lovely discovers that she is the fulfillment of the Moonsday promise, she is whisked away from her beloved school to Belzebuthe, a secret town for only those with magical blood. Ivy sets out on a mission to uncover the second facet of the Kindred Stone while eluding the Dark Queen’s wrath. But even when she’s supposed to be safe, something is shadowing Ivy. She will need all her natural-born magic and more as she battles to find the rest of the Kindred Stone and return to the Halls of Ivy. Before it’s too late… Whoosh! And we’re back from our latest thrilling visit to the Magical School of Ivy Hall. Our detour trip on the cabby through The Town, Belzebuthe, was quite the experience as well. Once again, a reminder to travel as light as possible. Can you still remember where we ended off in the first instalment, The […]

Posted June 29, 2022
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Close your Eyes: A Fairy Tale by Chris Tomasini

Close your Eyes by Chris Tomasini on May 2022 Genres: Fiction Pages: 256 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley, Reedsy Discovery Buy on Amazon Goodreads Set in early 1400s Europe, Close Your Eyes is a sincere, yet light-hearted and lustful, ode to love. As Samuel, the court jester, struggles to describe why his friends, Agnieszka the cook, and Tycho the story-teller, fled the King of Gora’s service, he learns that love was the beating heart behind everything that happened in the castle. He learns as well that more ghosts than he knew of walked the midnight halls, and that the spirit of Jeanne d’Arc haunted his friend, and once slid into bed with Tycho, daring him to leave – to take to the cold roads of Europe, where he had once wandered orphaned and alone, and find his destiny there. In the Kingdom of Gora, in early 1400s Europe, the King of Gora has assembled a collection of entertainers, scholars, cooks, and others, to care for and educate his young children, the Prince and Princess. Tycho, the children’s storyteller, and Samuel, the court jester, are happy in Gora, yet it becomes apparent that the children’s cook, Agnieszka, was lured to the castle […]

Posted June 23, 2022
10 Comments

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill on June 7th, 2022 Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller Pages: 288 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads “The beautifully ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is completely silent one weekday morning, until a woman’s terrified scream echoes through the room. Security guards immediately appear and instruct everyone inside to stay put until they determine there is no threat. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers who had been sitting in the reading room get to chatting and quickly become friendly. Harriet, Marigold, Whit, and Caine each have their own reasons for being in the reading room that morning–and it just happens that one of them may turn out to be a murderer. For readers of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, with shades of The Secret History, THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY is an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most dangerous weapons of all” When was the last time you’ve just finished a book and your first thought is, I should read this again… What a thrilling read this was and I can honestly say […]

Posted May 29, 2022
10 Comments

Weekend Book Friends #31

Hi there you guys! Mareli here, coming from OR Tambo International airport. In case you didn’t know, that is in Johannesburg, South Africa. My home country. I have a quick few minutes to write a weekend post and have a cup of coffee before we depart for Mauritius. Whoo hoo! Of course my Kindle is fully loaded and I even sneaked an extra book in. I won’t share that one with you today, as it’s in Afrikaans and I don’t have time to do a translation as well… So I’ll just share my current kindle/review read with you today. I think it’s quite possible that I might not be the only one reading this one at the moment. We are quickly going to say hi to @ Reading is my Super Power for First Line Friday and to Gilion @ Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings. Every Friday you can link up and share the first sentence of your current read (or the one you plan to devour over the weekend), as well as your initial thoughts and impressions. I do like the very first page…. “Open me carefully….” – Emily Dickinson, Intimate Letters Chapter One opens with: Writing in the Boston Public Library had […]

Posted May 13, 2022
34 Comments

Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green

Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green Series: The Windy City Saga #3 on February 1st , 2022 Genres: Historical Fiction Pages: 384 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads A birthday excursion turns deadly when the SS Eastland capsizes with Olive Pierce and her best friend Claire on board. Hundreds perish during the accident, and it’s only when Olive herself barely escapes that she discovers her friend is among the victims. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Olive returns to her work at an insurance agency and is soon caught up in the countless investigations related to the accident. But with so many missing, there are few open-and-shut cases, and she tries to balance her grief with the hard work of finding the truth. Is she just overwhelmed, or is someone trying to impede her investigations? When clues surface that impact those closest to her, how deep will she dig? Newspaper photographer Erik Magnussen begins helping Olive with her cases, and they develop a fast friendship. Just when Olive begins to unravel the secrets, more setbacks arise. It will take everything she’s got to find the truth and stay ahead of those who want to sabotage her progress. […]

Posted May 2, 2022
6 Comments

Lucifer’s Game by Cristina Loggia

Lucifer’s Game by Cristina Loggia Published by Lume Books on October 14th, 2021 Genres: Historical Fiction Pages: 340 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads Rome, 1942. Cordelia Olivieri is a young, determined hotel owner desperate to escape Mussolini’s racial persecution. But as Fascist leaders gather in Rome, Cordelia is suddenly surrounded by the world’s most ruthless and powerful commanders. In an effort to keep her Jewish heritage a secret and secure safe passage out of Italy, Cordelia forms a dangerous alliance with the British army who want to push the Axis out of North Africa once and for all. Going undercover, Cordelia begins obtaining and leaking military intelligence to a British agent, hoping the intel will secure her freedom. But the more Cordelia uncovers, the greater the risks – especially for one handsome German Afrika Korps officer. How far must Cordelia go to protect her identity and secure passage out of Rome? Spies, military secrets, and a personal crusade for freedom… don’t miss this utterly gripping World War II thriller. Italy 1942. The world is at war and not even the ancient city of Rome and its citizens are spared from the fear and devastation. Cordelia Olivieri, a […]

Posted March 28, 2022
6 Comments

Blog Tour: Red (Transplanted Tales #1) by Kate SeRine

Red by Kate Serine Series: Transplanted Tales #1 on January 2022 Genres: Fantasy Pages: 395 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley, Caffeinated PR Buy on Amazon Goodreads “My name is Tess Little. But everyone calls me Red.” Once upon a time, a spell went awry, stranding Make Believe characters in the ordinary world. Since then, Tess “Red” Little—a/k/a Little Red Riding Hood—has worked as an Enforcer for the Chicago branch of the Fairytale Management Authority. But, consider yourself warned—she’s not just some waif with a basket of goodies. All grown up and with nothing to lose, a gun and combat boots is more her style. And Red’s new assignment threatens to be short on happily ever afters… Someone is murdering transplanted Tales in gruesome fashion. The list of fictional characters capable of such grisly acts is short and includes more than one of Red’s old flames. And if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s another complication, in the form of sexy, enigmatic Nate Grimm, the FMA’s lead detective and part-time Reaper. Used to following her own rules and living life on the edge, Red has managed to avoid taking on a partner until now. But Nate’s dark side makes him perfect for a […]

Posted March 3, 2022
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Source: Netgalley

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