BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY: Dark of the West – ARC Review

February 6, 2019February 8, 20196 Comments

Welcome to my stop on the Dark of the West book tour! Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club for organizing the tour and allowing me to participate as a tour host!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Dark of the West (Glass Alliance #1)
Author: Joanna Hathaway
Release: February 5, 2019
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: YA Fantasy

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

REVIEW

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Dark of the West has an extremely fascinating premise. The best way to describe the book would be YA fantasy meets World War II. The story is full of political intrigue, nonstop action, romance, family drama, and interesting characters. The prologue does an excellent job of pulling the reader into the book and promising a story in which not everything is what it seems.

The worldbuilding was very intricate. I loved the blend of fantasy and history and I think Joanna Hathaway did an excellent job combining two different genres seamlessly and in a way that made sense. Plotwise, there is a whole lot going on. And while I really enjoy books that have plots that are complex and multidimensional, with Dark of the West I was confused about what was going on for a good portion of the book. There are so many different conflicts and it took me a very long time to figure out who was fighting who and why. However, as the book went on it was a bit easier to start to piece things together and I could appreciate how complicated everything was. When it comes to war and politics, not everything is black and white.

Dark of the West is told through the POVs of two main characters, Aurelia and Athan. I still remain unsure about how I feel about Aurelia. On the one hand, I found her to be a little naive and didn’t connect with her at all. But as the book went on, she really started to show some significant growth and I thought her character arc was handled wonderfully. Athan was a character that I absolutely loved! He was so extremely interesting to read about, especially with his family dynamics and his internal conflicts. I really loved the complexity of his character and never wanted to be pulled away from his chapters. The romance was okay. The feelings between Aurelia and Athan developed in such a short time that I didn’t come across as genuine. I love a good enemies(?)-to-lovers trope, but I think it could have been written a little differently to have been more convincing. That being said, not everything was revealed and so I look forward to seeing how the consequences of the secrets being held will affect their relationship!

Overall, Dark of the West is a well-written, engaging story full of political scheming, military tactics, romance, and friendship, with an excellent blend of fantasy and history! If you enjoy books with complex plots and intriguing characters, I would recommend adding this book to your TBR!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

author Joanna was born in Montréal and is an avid storyteller who was inspired to write after reading her great-grandfather’s memoirs of the First World War. A lifelong history buff, she now has shelves filled with biographies and historical accounts, and perhaps one too many books about pilots. She can often be found reading, traveling, or riding horses.

Follow Joanna:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

Win one(1) of ten finished copies of Dark of the West. US only.

✨ ENTER HERE ✨

FOLLOW THE TOUR

February 5 | The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club

February 6 | Wishful Endings
February 6 | Paws and Paperbacks
February 6 | Book-Keeping
February 6 | Confessions of a YA Reader

February 7 | Dazzled by Books
February 7 | Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
February 7 | Maddie.TV
February 7 | My Bookish Escapades

February 8 | NovelKnight
February 8 | Another Book in the Wall
February 8 | Samodivas
February 8 | Adventures Thru Wonderland

February 9 | Oh Hey! Books
February 9 | Library of a Book Witch
February 9 | Moonlight Rendezvous
February 9 | Novel Nerd Faction

February 10 | Book Slaying
February 10 | It Starts at Midnight
February 10 | A Dream Within A Dream
February 10 | A Bookish Dream

February 11 | A Court of Coffee and Books
February 11 | The Secret Reader
February 11 | Omg Books and More Books
February 11 | Utopia State of Mind

The ABC Book Challenge | A

January 25, 2019January 21, 20195 Comments

Hello friends and fellow book nerds! I haven’t been blogging/reading as much lately due to the fact that I started nursing school this month. I knew going into the semester that it was going to be rough, but I still feel completely overwhelmed by all my classes.

Anyway, I’m back with another fun bookish challenge! I’ve seen a bunch of other blogs doing this ABC Challenge, and yet no one seems to know where it originates 😂 It looks really fun so I’m excited to be joining in!

MEMORABLE TITLES THAT START WITH THE LETTER “A”

BOOKS STARTING WITH “A” ON MY TBR

REVIEW: A Dangerous Collaboration – Deanna Raybourn (ARC)

November 26, 2018November 26, 20181 Comment

30518319 Title: A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell #4)
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Rating: ★★★★

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Upon receiving the email that I was approved for this, I immediately put aside all other plans for reading because that’s how much I love these books.

A Dangerous Collaboration is the fourth installment of the Veronica Speedwell series, and while I wouldn’t count it as my favorite, it was just as enjoyable as all the others. One of the things I loved best about this one was the setting. In A Dangerous Collaboration, Veronica and Stoker find themselves in a remote island off the coast of Cornwall, in a possibly haunted castle, as the guests of Lord Malcolm. The entire plot/setting is very reminiscent of a murder mystery dinner and it was so very fun to read! Other than our beloved protagonist and her partner-in-solving crime, there is a full cast of interesting characters, including Tiberius, Stoker’s eldest brother.

The pace of this book was a bit slower than the others, and it took a while for it to really pick up. However as with all the other, it was full of thrilling adventures, witty conversations, sexual tension, and of course – murder and mayhem. I’m always equal parts frustrated by my inability to discover the true killer before the reveal and yet impressed by Raybourn’s writing that she is able to keep me in the dark for so long.

And I cannot write a review without again touching on the relationship between Veronica and Stoker. Things were a little different this time around, because it has become apparent – not just to the readers, but also to Veronica – that there is definitely something between the two of them. Veronica and Stoker spend a majority of this book fighting their attraction/feelings for one another, but the ending makes it so worth all the waiting!

If you haven’t had a chance to read this series yet and you’re a fan of murder mysteries, historical fiction, and slow-burn romances, then please do yourself a favor and pick up the first book! A Dangerous Collaboration is the fourth book of this wonderful, thrilling series and I’m highly anticipating the next (and I believe last) installment!

BLOG TOUR: The Witch of Willow Hall – ARC Review

October 22, 2018November 1, 20185 Comments

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Witch of Willow Hall! Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for organizing the tour and allowing me to participate as a tour stop!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Witch of Willow Hall
Author: Hester Fox
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: Graydon House Books
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Two centuries after the Salem witch trials, there’s still one witch left in Massachusetts. But she doesn’t even know it.

Take this as a warning: if you are not able or willing to control yourself, it will not only be you who suffers the consequences, but those around you, as well.

New Oldbury, 1821

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall.

The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.

All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indie Bound

REVIEW

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

This was another perfect read for the season. If I’m being completely honest, I ended up enjoying this tremendously more than I had anticipated I would. The Witch of Willow Hall is a gothic, historical novel that enchanted me from the beginning.

There was a lot to enjoy about this book, but my favorite thing was its atmospheric setting. The Witch of Willow Hall reads like a Jane Austen book with some witchcraft and eerie paranormal activity mixed in. The period drama aspects were so charming! The romance that develops between two characters was really cute and I couldn’t get enough of it. The scandal that haunts the Montrose family is juicy enough to belong in a Game of Thrones book. Along with some endearing characters, such as Lydia and Mr. Barrett, we also have some very unlikeable characters, like Catherine and Cyrus. All the characters are well-written and form interesting dynamics important to the story.

Hester Fox does a fantastic job of blending the drama with suspense. Although the story is more of a gothic romance, there are still some spooky encounters and mysterious elements that make this a wonderful read for October. The Witch of Willow Hall is a suspenseful historical novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I stayed up later than I expected to finish this because I couldn’t put it down!

★ ★ ★ ★

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hester Fox Hester comes to writing from a background in museum work and historical archaeology. She loves the Gothic, the lurid, the dark…so long as the ending is a happy one. She has never seen a ghost, though she remains hopeful.

Hester lives outside of Boston with her husband. The Witch of Willow Hall is her first novel.

Follow Hester:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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#SixforSunday: Books That Have Been on My TBR the Longest

August 26, 2018October 4, 20187 Comments

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! #SixforSunday is a weekly meme hosted by Steph @ A Little But a Lot. The theme for this week is books that have sat on our TBR lists the longest. The struggle of many a reader are those books that we keep meaning to read, but never actually seem to get around to actually doing. And with so many new and interesting books released every year, it seems almost impossible to ever catch up on my TBR.

1. THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE
I couldn’t even attempt to guess how long this book has been sitting on my bookshelf unread. I’ve started this a handful of times, but could never seem to even get halfway through the first chapter. Historical fiction – especially set during WWII – is one of my favorite genres to read. Even with the release of the movie, I couldn’t seem to get motivated to read this.

2. THE NIGHTINGALE
I bought this book on a whim (which I never do!) because I kept seeing so many five star reviews and positive things about it. And then when I started to dig a little deeper and read some spoilers (oops) it kind of made me regret my decision. Everyone seems to absolutely love this book, and as a historical novel set during WWII it’s right up my ally. However, those spoilers alerted me to the fact that one of my biggest turn-offs while reading, is actually a huge plot point in the book. So now the book just sits on my shelf, and I remain unsure as to whether or not I actually want to go through with reading it.

3. THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS
The very last book in the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series, and I have yet to read it. I attempted to start it when it first came out, but I didn’t get very far and quickly became bored. I know the reason I haven’t read this yet is because Annabeth and Percy don’t have POVs, and honestly I’m not as invested in anyone else’s story, with the exception of Reyna. One day, I hope I will finally get around to finishing this series, however.

4. BLACK HAWK DOWN
War memoirs are a very small sub-genre that I find myself really enjoying. I bought this when I had just finished Lone Survivor and American Sniper consecutively, and wanted another book-to-movie adaptation to read. Black Hawk Down is one of my favorite movies and I thought I would dive right into this as soon as I had time, and yet it too has sat untouched on my shelf for years, much to my chagrin.

5. BIRDSONG
For someone who claims to enjoy reading historical fiction, I am now realizing how many books on this list that I haven’t read fall into that category. I’ll be honest: most of the time I forget I even have this book. It’s been on my shelf for so long it’s basically just decoration at this point. To be fair, this has been turned into a tv series which has also been left unwatched in my amazon watchlist for quite a while as well.

6. FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC
I’ve seen the movie, and this is one of the books my mom bought me because she really liked it as a teenager, but I’ve never felt compelled to actually sit down and read it. Like, I want to eventually read the book, but I don’t know when I will ever feel the motivation to do it.