Showing posts with label Macmillan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Macmillan. Show all posts

Trailer Thursday: The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen



The Merciful Crow
The Merciful Crow #1
Author: Margaret Owen
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Released: July 30th 2019
One way or another, we always feed the crows.

A future chieftain

Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.

A fugitive prince

When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.

A too-cunning bodyguard

Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?


Book Review: All The Ways You Saved Me by Jamie Howard



All The Ways You Saved Me
Love Unplugged #1
Author: Jamie Howard
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: November 1 2016
Review Source: Macmillan

Bianca Easton is the perfect senator’s daughter.

Law school? Check.

Camera-ready smile? Check.

A dull and boring existence? Double check.

But that was before. Before she lost her best and only friend in a tragic accident. Before she found that friend's unfinished bucket list. Definitely before she turned her life upside-down by deciding to stay in New York for six months to finish it.

It's while she's checking off her first item on the list--buy coffee for a stranger--that she meets Ian Mathis. Between the tattoo sleeve curling up his right arm, his guitar-roughened fingertips, and the secrets shadowing his past, he's a complication Bianca doesn't need but desperately wants.

With every item they cross off the list together, Bianca uncovers a piece of herself that she's buried under what's expected, all the while breaking her own rules by falling hard for Ian. But when her six months run out, Bianca has to decide if she's willing to risk her empty but picture-perfect life for a chance at real, messy love.


This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Bianca has her life planned out. Go to college, get her law degree, take the bar, please her parents. But when her best friend dies in an accident there's only one thing to do - finish her bucket list. In finishing her bucket list it creates a whole new world for Bianca to live in - one that includes Ian. But Ian is a beautiful man who has his own demon's haunting him, a past life that got cut short.

Bianca makes you realize that you shouldn't do things to please others. And Ian makes you realize that there is always room to grow, room to let others in. When you first meet Bianca you feel that she's smart, that she's the kind of person you are more likely to meet in your daily life. But when her best friend passes away it makes things difficult - as it would. The book I feel made her move too quickly about getting things done. I realize that we only have a book to get through and you don't want to spend too much time focusing on her heartbreak over her friend. So you move forward. I'm thinking Howard should've pulled a New Moon. Did the few months on each separate page. When I read New Moon that hit me right in the gut and I cried harder than I ever have over a book. I get that it didn't quite work with this story, but I feel like the story should've slowed down once that pivotal point was made.

Ian. Oh man. New book boyfriend. It's tough with Ian. He lets you in on his past. You get to see who he was before, and who he was after. And it's tough. You want him to only be meant for Bianca...but when you start learning about his past you want that life for him. You want him to stay in that perfect bubble. And Honestly, the last thing Bianca crosses off of the bucket list. It made me cry. That's all I'll say about Ian's past.

This is a great little romantic story. If you're one who wants to have all the feelings, this is the book for you.



Audiobook Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell



Carry On
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Narrated by: Euan Morton
Reading Level: Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy
Released: October 15th 2015
Review Source: Borrowed from Library

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything. Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.


Carry On was an absolute blast to listen to! The characters, the shenanigans, the kissing, and all that melodrama, made for the perfect audiobook. Now that I've done two of Rainbow’s books on audio I can only assume the rest would be excellent as well (but definitely Landline).

Rainbow first introduced us to Simon Snow and moody Baz in Fangirl. Cath was a natural fangirl like most of us, obsessing over books, fictional characters, and just not being able to get enough of the story, which inevitably lead her to write fanfiction, Carry On, Simon. While Carry On is not written as Cath, it’s Rainbow exploring the world she touched on briefly in Fangirl and leading us to hilarious new fantasy world. Carry On takes the obvious parts out of some of our favorite stories, ahem the chosen one, and sets up a fantasy world with vampires, dragons, magicians, and the best spells ever. So our chosen one Simon Snow is entering his last year at Watford School of Magicks, which of course ensues all the drama that could possibly happen. First his arch nemesis/roommate, Baz, hasn’t shown up, which one would expect to be a blessing but Simon knows not to trust Baz, so he’s constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting the worst. Then his girlfriend breaks up with him, his magic is crazy uncontrollable, he’s super powerful, and you can see where this could pose an issue? And it doesn’t help that the Mage keeps him in the dark about basically everything, even if Simon is suppose to be his heir, ya more issues. So have fun with senior year Simon Snow and try not to get to killed!

“Just when you think you're having a scene without Simon, he drops in to remind you that everyone else is a supporting character in his catastrophe.” 

While I did mention that Carry On originated from Fangirl it is entirely a separate story. I have yet to be disappointed in a book by Rainbow, and I’m only missing Attachments, and Carry On was no different. The audiobook was a blast, the jokes were on point, the spells were fun, and the kissing was the best. Also, the swearing. Teens, especially seniors in high school, swear. It was almost refreshing, but I also have a sailor’s mouth myself.


Blog Tour: How to Say I Love You Out Loud by Karole Cozzo + Giveaway



Welcome to our stop on How to Say I Love You Out Loud tour for Karole Cozzo and Swoon Reads/Macmillan. This tour is hosted by Me, My Shelf and I. Learn more about HOW TO SAY I LOVE YOU OUT LOUD on Swoon Reads!

How to Say I Love You Out Loud
Author: Karole Cozzo
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: August 4th 2015
Publisher: Swoon Reads

  

Words are strong. Love is stronger.

When Jordyn Michaelson’s autistic brother joins her at her elite school, she’s determined not to let anyone know they're related. Even if that means closing herself off to all her closest friends, including charming football stud Alex Colby. But despite her best intentions, she just can't shake the memory of kissing Alex last summer, and the desire to do it again.

Can Jordyn find the courage to tell Alex how she really feels—and the truth about her family—before he slips away forever?

Click picture for more!


Karole lives outside of Philadephia, PA with her loving husband, eternally exuberant little girl, and perpetually pleasant little boy.  Hobbies include nursing a persistent Starbucks addition, eating way too much candy, emptying her wallet at Target, spending time with her family, decorating her home, and completing any other crafty project she can think of.  Karole has degrees in School Psychology, women's studies, and biology but has never taken a formal creative writing course, although she'd really like to one day.


One winner will get a finished copy!
(Ships in US Only | Must be 13+ To Enter)



Giveaway Blitz: #ForeverforaYear by Playwright & Filmmaker B.T. Gottfred




FOREVER FOR A YEAR is the debut YA novel from playwright & filmmaker B.T. Gottfred. The novel is an up-close-and-personal, first-love story told in alternating perspectives.

When Carolina and Trevor meet on their first day of school, something draws them to each other. They gradually share first kisses, first touches, first sexual experiences. When they're together, nothing else matters. But one of them will make a choice, and the other a mistake, that will break what they thought was unbreakable. Both will wish that they could fall in love again for the first time . . . but first love, by definition, can't happen twice.

Told in Carolina and Trevor's alternating voices, this is an up-close-and-personal story of two teenagers falling in love for the first time, and discovering it might not last forever.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
B.T. Gottfred is an author, playwright, and director. Some stuff he has done to feign sanity includes writing, directing & producing feature film The Movie Hero; writing the Off-Broadway play Mary, F**ck, or Kill and web series “Sex and Love Conspire to Destroy the World”, and writing & directing the play Women Are Crazy Because Men Are Assholes, which has played over four years in Los Angeles and Chicago and is set to make its Off-Broadway premiere this year. Forever for a Year is his first novel. Sort of.

LEARN MORE
Learn more on B.T. Gottfred’s Tumblr
Follow the author on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
#ForeverforaYear

DATE NIGHT prize pack
Be date night ready thanks to Forever for a Year!
One (1) winner receives:
· A copy of Forever for a year;
· $25 Sephora gift card;
· nail polish and compact mirror.

Giveaway open to US addresses only.
Prizing and samples provided by Macmillan.

Book Review: Captive by Brighton Walsh




Captive
Captive #1
Author: Brighton Walsh
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Romance
Released: March 24th 2015
Review Source: St. Martin's Griffin

He’s the most dangerous man she’s ever met…and she’s falling in love with him.

Madison Frost is desperate to escape her life. Daughter of a prominent businessman, she has everything a girl could ask for. Except for a family who’s present in her life, and anyone to talk to outside the four walls of the prison she calls home. Madison dreams of one day leaving her life behind. She never thought being kidnapped is how it would happen.

Now she’s being held captive by a man who’s as frightening as he is sinfully gorgeous. Enormous, muscular, and filled with secrets, the man they call Ghost is an enigmatic mercenary, and Madison is trapped with him. She doesn’t know who hired him or why, but the more time she spends at his mercy, the more she realizes he’s not what he seems. Beneath his rough exterior lies an unexpected gentleness and a heart as broken and battered as her own.

But as Madison lets down her walls, Ghost holds tight to his, hiding secrets that could destroy everything.


Captive follows Madison Frost, a girl whose life may look perfect on the outside, but is far from perfect on the inside. Madison’s mom is under a constant haze of alcohol and pills, while her dad is too busy with his professional life to know an ounce of what’s actually going on at home. Every morning Madison gets up and checks on her mother, cleaning up her mess of bottles, making sure she’s alive, and always wishing her life was something other than what it is.

Then one day while she is waiting for her ride to pick her up she feels an odd shiver go up her spine and then all of sudden there’s hands around her and something covering her mouth and then  everything is a blur.

Then we get to meet Ghost, the captor, the unknowingly sexy man. He’s been hired to kidnap Madison and hold her until some unknown deal goes through. While spending time with Madison, Ghost begins to open up; showing his true character, under all that anger and muscle there's truly a softy under there.

Brighton Walsh is definitely climbing up to one of my favorite NA authors. I love the relationships that build her story, and the sexy times are definitely sexy. Captive’s relationship sort of moved fast for me, she was abducted and then within days she was falling for Ghost, but they were with each other 24/7, so relationships will build faster than any other time. Madison definitely grew from the girl she was in the beginning to the woman she became by the end. When stories have a true growth with their characters it’s what draws me in more, makes me enjoy the story more, seeing the characters relationship together become something and then them becoming something themselves.

Brighton Walsh is one to keep on your radar. Captive was enticing and hooked me within pages. You’ll want to pick this one up, even if it’s just to find out the ending, and how everything comes full circle.


Read-Along: The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski!



Hello Everyone!

Once Upon a Twilight has teamed up with Good Choice Reading and fellow blogging buddies to bring you all a read-along of The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime!

The read-along will be broken down into chapters, and will run from February 3rd - March 31st. We will share and discuss our thoughts on each week's chapters on the TUESDAY of each week. There is also an awesome giveaway sponsored by Macmillan that will run the entire time of the read-along. You could win a signed copy of The Winner's Curse & The Winner's Crime!! There will be tons of ways to enter and double/triple your chances of winning!

We hope you will join us and follow along!

This is one series you DO NOT want to miss out on!

Make sure to follow the HASHTAG #TheWinnersTrilogy on twitter!


Here are your participating bloggers...


ABOUT THE BOOKS





As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him'with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.





Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

READ-ALONG SCHEDULE

The Winner's Curse Read-Along

February 3rd - Chapters 1 - 10
February 10th - Chapters 11 - 20
February 17th - Chapters 21 - 30
February 24th - Chapters 31 - 42

The Winner's Crime Read-Along

March 10th - Chapters 1 - 10
March 17th - Chapters 11 - 20
March 24th - Chapters 21 - 34
March 31st - Chapters 34 - 46


COMING SOON!
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