Book Blitz & Giveway - The Devil You Hate by C. Hallman & J.L. Beck

The Devil You Hate

(The Devil Duet #1)

Author: C. Hallman & J.L. Beck

Publication Date: April 16th, 2021

Genre: Adult Contemporary / Dark Romance

Book Description:

They call me “The Devil.”

Deranged and violent.

Gorgeous but frightening.

I’m a businessman so when one of my debtors offers me his fiancé in exchange for a debt settled I figure why not.

Repayment comes in the form of a beautiful but haunted young woman.

The light in her tempts the darkness inside of me.

Teases it, tortures it.

I want to hurt her.

I want to break her.

I want to keep her.

Luckily for Celia she fails to see that there is no goodness in me and when she attempts to draw me in with her innocence, and sweet naive heart I thrive to show her the cruel monster I am.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Cover Reveal & Giveaway - Worn Out Places by R.H. McMahan

Worn Out Places

Author: R.H. McMahan

Publication Date: September 1st, 2021

Genre: YA Contemporary

Book Description:

I can’t answer that question. I can’t tell him I’ve spent my whole life trying to disappear. I can’t tell him that I was born a drug addict. Or that I’ve been in foster homes so terrible I wished I didn’t exist. And I can’t tell him that last year ended any ambition I had to make it somewhere better in this world.

Drug addict parents. The foster care system. Living on the streets of New York City.

Zoie Cruz is used to an unflinching world that takes without giving back. But at seventeen she isn’t used to Northern Michigan, a family that wants her to succeed, and sobriety.

Everything changed on Christmas morning last year. Her social worker calls it a tragedy and her weekly Narcotics Anonymous meeting wants her to open up. All Zoie wants is to be left alone to get high.

When she meets local golden boy Dean, he’s determined to pull Zoie out of her darkness. And she’s determined to keep her walls sealed shut.

In a whirlwind struggle to stay clean, Zoie’s secrets can only stay hidden for so long.

About the Author

R.H. McMahan a.k.a. Mickie is a Puerto Rican and Irish YA/NA author. She was born and raised in Chicago - and yes she thinks it's important that you know that. In June of 2020, she graduated with a BA in English Lit and Creative Writing and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing.

Mickie dreamt of becoming an author since she started telling stories on the playground in first grade. Ever since then it is rare to find her without a notebook and a pen. Her book baby, Worn Out Places, debuts on September 1st and she cannot wait to share it with the world.

If she's not writing she's doing other creative things like singing, dancing, and drawing.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Instagram

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BOOK REVIEW - 'Twas Just Before Bedtime by Jessie L. Best and Annabelle & Aiden: Sapiens: Our Human Evolution by J.R. Becker

'Twas Just Before Bedtime
Author: Jessie L. Best
Publication Date: TBA
Genre: Children's Picture Book / Chapter Book

Book Description:
'Twas Just Before Bedtime is a book of short stories (about 1000 words each.) Each is followed by a poem. This is juvenile fiction and the characters range in age from 6-10 years. They can be read to younger children as bedtime stories; older kids can read the stories independently. Each magical adventure story and poem has a corresponding illustration created by Cillyart4u. (Cindy Bowles)

The enchanting illustrations are charming and tell the story as intended. Pure fantasy, these stories and rhymes will stimulate and entertain children from 6-12 years and create fond memories to look back on and keep as a favorite.

Buy Links:

Amazon US | UK

MY REVIEW

Bring on the magic and fun. Best never disappoints when it comes to taking readers on a magical adventure, and this book does not disappoint. 'Twas Just Before Bedtime is a collection of short stories and poems with lots of lessons to learn about the consequences of one's actions and to remind us all to think carefully before embarking on certain adventures.

Good illustrations. I would have preferred illustrations in colour, but these also worked well in black and white. I noticed there were many familiar stories that were similar to a lot of the fairytales I grew up on, which was nice to see and rather nostalgic. The story Pirate Gold, an adventure story about a young boy and his brother trying to escape from pirates who want to devour them for Breakfast, reminded me a little of Peter Pan. Genie Bean, a story about a young girl called Marnie, who becomes the master of a genie. This story made me think back to Aladdin's adventure on a magic carpet. I thoroughly enjoyed Fairy Wings, about a young child abandoned and found by fairies, who take her home and raise her. The child, Taralin, feels out of place in her new environment as she's unlike the people who raised her, and so, every night, she prays to the stars, hoping to one day become a real fairy. This definitely had Pinocchio vibes, and I'm a big fan of Pinocchio, so this was a very fun read.

There are a lot of stories and poems to enjoy, but I definitely had my favourites. The poem Sandi's Shadow was a wonderful poem that reminds us to pay attention to the little things we often forget about.

This is a wonderful collection of short stories and poems filled with magic and wonder that all children would enjoy. It's a great bedtime treat, bound to inspire children to broaden their imagination.

VERDICT

Rating: 5 Star

Source: Author

Annabelle & Aiden: Sapiens: Our Human Evolution

Author: J.R. Becker
Publication Date: 4th March 2019
Genre: Children's Picture Book

Book Description:
Join Annabelle & Aiden as their friend Lucy retraces our first steps in Africa. We fan across the globe, encountering the strangest human (and nonhuman) creatures: from twenty-foot sloths to tiny dwarves in faraway lands. We learn to cook. Express ourselves. Farm, build empires, and fall in love. We dream of kings, gods, and monsters, and light our world with a scientific revolution. Discover how our shared story can overcome our differences. How it's etched deep into our genes: we're all children of Lucy, and have far more in common than we think.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

As a huge science geek, I love stories on human evolution, so this was a treat to read. I haven't come across many picture books like this one, which is very science oriented, that allows your mind to explore and prompts the reader to ask many questions. The origin story is one of familiarity, but it was a joy to go on this adventure with Annabelle and Aiden.

I loved the illustrations and the fact that author explored different timelines and continents. Although it was hard to read the fine text dotted around the edges of the pages, I found them very useful and educational. I must admit, I was a little surprised by the display of the world at the end, the fact that it wasn't very inclusive of other cultures, considering the story implied a connected and linked history/origin throughout, so it wasn't the image I had conjured in my mind. The image of the world undermined the diaspora and multiculturalism that played an important role in the plot. This was somewhat disappointing as it limits identification among children and families who are not identified as white.

Despite the world image, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a refreshing read and so much fun to delve back into the past. I highly recommend this book for the entire family.

VERDICT

Rating: 5 Star

Source: Own copy

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Murder at the Met by E.W. Cooper

Murder at the Met

(Penelope Harris Mysteries #2)

Author: E.W. Cooper

Publication Date: April 8th, 2021

Genre: Adult Historical Mystery

Book Description:

November 1928, New York City. No one can keep a secret like high society – especially when that secret is murder.

There are two things Penelope Harris would rather do than get involved with another murder—sing opera and flirt with Thom Lund. When two tickets ensure Penelope and Thom get some precious time together at the Metropolitan opera, neither believes another murder will interrupt their romantic evening.

Fate has a different plan. Before the night is over a failed manufacturing tycoon is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, his poisoned and dying daughter nearby. Is it an accident? Suicide? Or murder? When a fellow soprano pleads for help, Penelope just can’t help her inquisitive nature.

As Penelope pulls back the cover on a diabolical crime, Lund rushes to complete the investigation of a suicide on the Gold Coast of Long Island. What they find will uncover the sordid underbelly of high society and put Penelope on the wrong side of her own gun.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Bossy Grump by Nicole Snow

Bossy Grump

Author: Nicole Snow

Publication Date: March 30th, 2021

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a screaming funny romance where two office enemies fake love until they’re all out of make-believe.

You know that awkward moment when your lava-hot boss says “marry me?”

Not for love. Not for real. Not without a mammoth payoff.

Of course, this fortune comes with a ginormous snag—Ward Brandt.

Call me bananas.

I must be short of a full bushel rejecting Chicago’s finest billionaire.

Who knew he was my boss when he crashed my worst date ever?

Oh, but he found out.

He swore I wasn’t fit for Brandt Ideas, chewed me up, and spat me back out.

I vowed I’d prove him wrong—and sabotage a metric ton of his coffee.

Then tragedy strikes, upending his limitless ego.

Guess who needs an image makeover to shore up the family business.

Big fat hell no.

King Snarlypants has a peanut-sized heart and a chip on his shoulder bigger than a redwood.

Find another sucker, Ward-hole.

Even if I agreed, my shields are up.

No magnetic kisses. Zero butterflies. Nix the blushing when everyone gushes over what a “perfect couple” we’d be.

Then again…it’s just ninety days and mama needs a windfall.

What’s one little white wedding lie with a bossy grump built like a god?

Full-length enemies-to-lovers romance loaded with banter, drama, and so much slow-burn heat you’ll want that Happily Ever After shaken over ice. A storm cloud of a man stuffed into a suit strikes a deal with the girl whose smart mouth drives him to the ultimate madness called love.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blast & Giveaway - You Were Made for Me by Jenna Guillaume

You Were Made for Me

Author: Jenna Guillaume

Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company (April 1, 2021)

Language: English

Hardcover: 336 pages

ISBN-10: 1682632954

ISBN-13: 978-1682632956

Book Description:

YA author Jenna Guillaume is back with a fun and modern feminist twist on the 1985 pop cult film Weird Science.

Sixteen-year-old Katie Camilleri can’t believe she’s accidentally created a teenage boy. A boy six-feet tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer’s day. A boy whose lips taste like cookie dough and whose skin smells like springtime. A boy completely devoted to Katie. But silly musings and kitchen antics with her best friend, Libby, have definitely taken a whimsical twist into something bigger than Katie could have ever daydreamed. Turns out the consequences of fumbling a human being into existence are rather complicated. More importantly, does Guy, the golden Adonis Katie’s created, like her because he wants to, or because he has to? And will he be Katie’s very first kiss?

From the author of What I Like About Me comes a hilarious feminist twist on a classic narrative, loaded with laughs, mishaps, and plenty of 80s and 90s pop-culture callbacks. Jenna Guillaume’s entertaining romantic comedy novel features a humorous and relatable voice and will appeal to fans of Jenny Han.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ B&N ¦ Book Depository

Kindle Unlimited Book Promo & Giveaway - Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Giveaway

April 1st - April 25th

We're celebrating the launch of Talisman Of El (Arcadia, Book 1) by Al Stone on Kindle Unlimited by giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner.

Open to entrants 13+ worldwide.

Winner must respond to email within 48 hours to claim their prize or another entrant will be selected.

Talisman Of El

Series: Arcadia, Book 1

Author: Al Stone

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Centrinian

Publication Date: 12th August 2020 (first published 2012)

Book Description:

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?

One Planet.

Two Worlds.

Population: Human ... 7 billion.

Others ... unknown.

When 14-year-old Charlie Blake wakes up sweating and gasping for air in the middle of the night, he knows it is happening again. This time he witnesses a brutal murder. He's afraid to tell anyone. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died.

Charlie doesn't know why this is happening. He would give anything to have an ordinary life. The problem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Anti-Relationship Year by Katie Wismer

The Anti-Relationship Year

(The Pact #2)

Author: Katie Wismer

Publication Date: March 30th 2021

Genre: NA / Adult Romance

Book Description:

Johanna Palmer is very much over relationships.

After a scarring experience her freshman year of college, she’s decided she’d much rather have something fun than something serious.

Her best friend Miller has seen it all—the tears, the parties, the drunken phone calls at four in the morning when she needed a ride. In fact, there might be several things Miller saw that Jo herself can’t remember.

Things Miller can’t forget.

With the whirlwind of senior year underway, Jo just wants to move on, get her degree, and land her dream job. But her past might not be as easy to outrun as she’d hoped.

The Anti-Relationship Year is a friends to lovers college romance that acts as a companion to The Anti-Virginity Pact. Both books can be read as standalones.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo ¦ Google Play

BOOK REVIEW: Finley and the Foster Brother by Anna Catherine Field and My Body Sends A Signal by Natalia Maguire

Finley and the Foster Brother
Author: Anna Catherine Field
Publication Date: 
Genre: YA Coming of Age / Romance

Book Description:
When a social worker and a truancy officer show up at Finley Rhodes' cottage in Ocean Grove she knows her life is about to change forever.

She just didn't realize how much.

At sixteen, she'd grown up fast, having the responsibility of taking care of her mentally ill mother, holding down a job to pay the bills and dropping out of school to do both. When her case manager tells her she's being placed in foster care, Finley never expected her new  home to be in the exclusive gated community and she certainly never thought she'd attend The Academy, a school for the privileged and elite. But the biggest surprise comes from down the hall.

Her new foster brother, Chase Powell.

Chase Powell grew up in the shadow of his famous model mother, living a life of fame and excess. After a dangerous accident Chase is sent to live with his grandmother in Ocean Grove, where he settles into a life of normalcy and routine.

Until Finley moves in.

Late night talks, a game of truth, and revelations about their fears bring these two closer together, but it’s not like they can ever be more than friends and even if they could, does Finely worries that her whole life can be taken from her once again. What’s the point of falling in love?

Finley and the Foster Brother is a standalone novel from Love in Ocean Grove, a series of books about swoony, first-time love and toe-curling kisses for readers of all ages..

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Finley Rhodes and Chase Powell live completely different lives, but when Finley's mentally ill mother is taken into care, their worlds collide when Finely is placed into foster care and ends up garnering the attention of Mrs Caldwell, a woman who resides in a lavish house in a gated community with her grandson, Chase, the boy Finley crashed into while on her dog-walking job two weeks prior to being placed into foster care. Given the immediate attraction the two had towards each other, being housemates while under the supervision of a strict matriarch means Finley and Chase have to keep their feelings - and their hands - to themselves.

This was a good read, but it could have been so much better if it had taken a little more risk and not played it so safe. It's cute and clean, but I had hoped for a little more passion and fire from Chase and Finley. It was predictable and it lagged somewhat. It felt repetitive and didn't progress much in the way of plot. Finley did open up a little and learned to confide in others, but apart from that, the plot was a little bland.

Overall, it was a good read; it just wasn't that exciting and didn't leave me eager for more. I would recommend it for those who are looking for a clean YA read with a cute romance.

VERDICT

Rating: 3 Star

Source: Own copy

Mateo Finds His Wow

Author: Natalia Maguire
Publication Date: 13th June 2020
Genre: Children's Picture Book

Book Description:
How to teach kids about emotions and feelings?

Like teaching them everything else - using clear words, familiar situations, exciting pictures and a lot of hands-on activities (games, puzzles, coloring pages, etc.) One can, of course, spend time and find various resources online. Or one can get just one book.

This book is an excellent educational source that has is all. The book includes a cute story that kids can relate to, beautiful illustrations that capture children's attention, calming-down activities for kids, instructions to adults on the follow-up activities, emotions cards, feelings cards, coloring pages and related short stories to teach kids empathy.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

I'll be honest. I didn't warm to this one from the get-go. Having said that, however, it didn't take long for the book to gain my vote. This was a lovely portrayal of a young boy experiencing various emotions and feelings that he is very much aware of but can't fully comprehend or control. This book explains and explores ways in which kids can learn to take control of their behaviour by first understanding what they are feeling and why they are feeling  the way they do.

I loved the illustrations and the examples used to demonstrate the various emotions and feelings we all experience. This book is ideal for both kids and adults as it teaches adults how to approach topics and simple things we often ignore and don't take the time to explain to children as we're under the impression they'll just figure it all out one day.

The book shows the importance of acknowledgement and communication. A wonderful read that I highly recommend.

VERDICT

Rating: 5 Star

Source: Own copy

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Temptation by Marla Holt

Temptation

(Lightning Crashes #1)

Author: Marla Holt

Publication Date: March 23rd, 2021

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Broke and widowed, Rachel Ferrer has already lost so much that when her tarot reading roommate pulls The Tower card, Rachel isn’t phased. What are upheaval and chaos when the worst had already happened? When Rachel’s late husband’s childhood best friend, Nicolas, reappears in her life and brings a handsome friend along with him, Rachel forgets the cards. She takes a chance on Blake even though she can’t stop thinking about Nicolas. It isn’t settling if the person you want is married, right?

Nicolas Rivera has always been a man of faith. His marriage and his job at the church have been his pillars, but when the foundations of both begin to crumble, doubt and a forbidden attraction tempt him to seek comfort in the one woman he shouldn’t go anywhere near.

Nicolas and Rachel have been on the periphery of each other’s lives for years, but as circumstances push them together, lightning crackles between them. WIll they be able to resist the electricity or will they get burned by Temptation?

Temptation is the first volume of The Lightning Crashes Duet. Volume one is a slow-burn forbidden romance that ends on a cliffhanger. Volume 2, Absolution, will be available April 20th, 2021, complete with all the happily ever afters.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Royally Drained by Fritzi Cox

Royally Drained

(V.I.L.F., #1)

Author: Fritzi Cox

Publication Date: March 23rd, 2021

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Book Description:

From jilted princess bride to a revenge plot fit for a king, this charming couple is royally screwed …

As I lived my best royal life, my only job as a princess was to find and marry a handsome prince. Too bad Prince Theo turned out to be more of a toad.

After I began losing my powers, he lost interest in our upcoming wedding. Not only did Theo leave me at the altar, but he also banished me and my merry band of misfits from the Kingdom of Poppycock forever.

Talk about a walk of shame!

From enchanted castle to crumbling cottage, I’m now stuck in Morningwood, struggling to plot my next move.

This strange little town, full of mischief and magic, is the perfect place to hide while I practice my spells and hopefully regain my powers.

What could possibly go wrong?

Other than accidentally summoning a mysterious male vampire who throws me off my quest and gets my blood boiling in all the right places.

And my blood is exactly what Vail and his brotherhood need for their top-secret laboratory.

Who would have thought my charming royal genes could help their dangerous mission?

As long as Vail keeps his fangs to himself, we won’t have a problem.

His hands though?

That’s another story entirely.

My taste for revenge is strong, but his taste for me is stronger.

Could this be my fairy-tale ending? Or am I destined to live a nightmare?

Author’s note:

Royally Drained is a paranormal romcom with a few dark themes. This is book 1 in the VILF series and ends with a cliff-hanger.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Upside Down of Nora Gaines by Cathrina Constantine

The Upside Down of Nora Gaines

Author: Cathrina Constantine

Publication Date: March 5th, 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy / Paranormal

Book Description:

Nora has visions of horrific things. Things that lurk in the shadows and feast on bones. After moving with her mother into an old farmhouse, Nora discovers a blank journal that fills itself with an ominous warning. A cursed beast is coming for her and time is running out. When the blood moon rises, so shall the beast.

Local teen, Rebel, has his own trepidations about the house. His parents, both paranormal scientists, were investigating it when they died under mysterious circumstances. His growing feelings for Nora motivate him to battle the ghosts of his past, if it means keeping her safe.

Allies to turn to enemies. Fiction turns to fact. The past and the present collide. All in an epic battle to claim unfathomable power. Can Nora unlock the secrets buried within the farmhouse in time to save herself and those dear to her from a grisly fate?

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK