It’s Monday! What are you Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, a place to share and discuss what we’ve read in the past week and what we’re in the middle of or are planning to read this week.
What I read / listened to last week:
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
Love and Agita by Grayson Avery
What I am reading/listening to now:
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Built to Last by Erin Hahn
Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
What I’m reading /listening to next:
Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen
Found Object by Anne Frasier
How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?
Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Love and Agita, a new romcom from Grayson Avery!
About the book:
Love & Agita
“The Hating Game meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding!”
You think you have a crazy family? Meet Leo Donati, a great guy from a wacky NY Italian family, who is expected to live his life a certain way. There are a few family rules etched in stone that he has done his best to follow:
1. Attend Sunday family dinner. It’s at 2:00. Nobody knows why.
2. Love your mother.
3. Never tell Nonna you’re full. Unless you have a death wish.
4. Marry Italian.
5. Family comes first. Always. Friends come and go, but family is forever.
The only problem? He’s not living his best life. Not even close. Single, lonely, and spending way too much time at the gym burning sexual energy and ungodly amounts of pasta, Leo hopes his life will change when his father hands over the family business. If only things were that simple. A takeover offer on the business puts Leo on the war path against a strikingly sexy, but overly competitive Jewish woman who is seemingly intent on ruining his life. At least that’s how Leo sees it.
As tension rises and Italian tempers flare, Leo wonders if perhaps hate isn’t the most accurate word for how he feels about his new nemesis. But it could never work. Yeah, the pizza bagel exists, but real-life cultural divides are more complicated than that, aren’t they?
Humor abounds as corporations and cultures collide. Leo tries to thwart the takeover, find love and happiness, while also trying to avoid being bludgeoned to death by his Nonna’s wooden spoon.
Love & Agita is a laugh-out loud, romantic comedy that has it all: twists, turns, emotional depth, sparkling chemistry and hilarious banter that flies off the page.
My thoughts: It’s been long time since a book made me laugh so much…
And it all started so innocently- with a family dinner! Of course, if the family in question is the Donatis, the dinner is anything but peaceful and quiet. Leo Donati, the uberresponsible, probably underpaid, certainly underappreciated ‘heir apparent’ to the Donati printing business, can quote the five cardinal rules of an Italian family in his sleep. Guess what? I happen to know quite a lot about this particular culture and they are all ring true (apart from the animal print clothing, of course).
My heart went to Leo when instead of finally making him the CEO of the company he had been working so hard to make successful, his father decided to sell the business and Leo was expected to continue working their as ‘one of the assets’. Reader, I was torn… On one hand, I felt Leo needed to grow a spine and finally stand up to his family. On the other hand, I perfectly understood and related to his dilemma.
When the company that is considering buying the Donati business sends their representative to do the due diligence checks, Leo’s strategy is to do everything to see the deal fall through. What he isn’t counting on is the fact that the above mentioned representative is a smart and gorgeous Jewish woman who is about to steal his heart.
The banter between the protagonists was fabulous, but the rest of the cast-Leo’s parents, his useless brother and cousin, co-workers, even the barista in a nearby coffee shop- also possessed their own unique voices and mannerisms that contributed to seemingly effortless and yet memorable characterization. Leo and Rae have to go through a lot of self searching and gradual development to give their love a chance. I loved learning about their respective cultures and seeing how love can bring together two very different backgrounds.
The tone is upbeat and playful which makes the story easy to read. Even a hard core realist will appreciate the optimism of the finale. Can’t wait to read the sequel to find out how Leo and Rae are going to make their relationship blossom in future!
Author Bio
Grayson Avery is the author of The Sweet Water Circle Series, a romantic comedy series that focuses on childhood friends in their 30s and 40s as they help each other navigate the stormy waters of dating, marriage, divorce, and a whole lot of inappropriate, naughty, and downright hysterical situations. He is also the author of the upcoming book, Love & Agita.
The Perfect Wrong Nicole Snow Publication date: October 5th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a blazing forbidden romance where every wrong feels perfectly right for two star-crossed lovers…
Everything that could go wrong did. The evil smile on my bestie’s face should’ve screamed bad idea. But I took her “easy” bet: Find a man before summer ends. Renounce my V-card. Enjoy life. I thought I was entitled to the same sweet ritual every girl deserves—until a force of nature blew in.
His name is Chris Triton. Tattooed god. Moody ex SEAL. Zero filter. Born to drive me bonkers. We barely spoke for ten minutes before he kissed my soul out. Too fast. Too intense. Too flipping good.
Then I found out we’d be sharing the same roof the very next day. Dad marrying his mom squashed our little chemistry experiment instantly. You know, the normal reaction. But Chris doesn’t do normal. Or predictable. Or sane.
Still, I’m sure he’s playing some twisted game when he keeps teasing the unthinkable. I think he won’t scorch my heart black until the Vegas trip—another hilariously bad idea. It’s just us and a tension so thick you can chew it. Just an unexpected hero charging to my rescue. Just one freaking bed. What the hell do you do when the perfect wrong feels undeniably right?
A full-length forbidden romance with sizzle, jaw-dropping sass, and all the heart-stompy butterflies impossible Happily Ever Afters are made of. Witness one growly protector battle the worst luck in the known universe to throw his princess over his shoulder and bring her home forever.
Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.
Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty. With over a million books sold, she lives for the joy of making two people fight with every bit of their soul for a Happily Ever After.
Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.
Ace of Diamonds Alta Hensley (Wonderland, #3) Publication date: October 4th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
The winner takes all…
I had her. She was mine. They took her away.
Lyriope Morelli is the dream I’ve been chasing. My obsession isn’t gone, my hunger’s not satiated. I won’t rest until I find her and claim her again. I won’t rest until I’ve dragged her safely back to Wonderland.
Villains don’t get the happily ever after written for them in the story. And I’m the villain of this story–vicious and calculating, terrifying in my whims. Which is why, when it comes to my queen of hearts…
The game has just begun.
Welcome to the Midnight Dynasty… The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.
WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk…
Alta Hensley is a USA TODAY bestselling author of hot, dark and dirty romance. She is also an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author. Being a multi-published author in the romance genre, Alta is known for her dark, gritty alpha heroes, sometimes sweet love stories, hot eroticism, and engaging tales of the constant struggle between dominance and submission.
She lives in a log cabin in the woods with her husband, two daughters, and an Australian Shepherd. When she isn’t battling the bats, and watching the deer, she is writing about villains who always get their love story and happily ever after.
Reasons Why Not to Date Your Nemesis Melanie Munton (Shell Grove, #2) Publication date: October 4th 2022 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
There’s a new sheriff in town… And he’s her worst nightmare.
Reason #1: Ben Crawford is Olivia Knight’s long-time arch rival. They’ve been sworn enemies ever since she wore overalls to school one day, and he asked her in homeroom where she parked her cow. Now that he’s back, it doesn’t appear much has changed. He’s still arrogant. He’s still trouble. And this time, he’s got a badge and handcuffs. Which will make murdering him and disposing of his body much more challenging for her.
Reason #2: Sheriff Ben has done a lot of growing up during his time away from Shell Grove. He went and got himself some muscles and tattoos, and has the nerve to wear that sheriff’s uniform absurdly well. For some reason, that’s all she can seem to focus on whenever they cross paths. All the nice changes he’s made, instead of how vehemently she’s vowed to hate his guts for all eternity.
Reason #3: The complicated connection that has forever entwined their lives doesn’t have a pleasant backstory. As adults, they should be able to forget what happened when they were teenagers and move on. But in a small town where everyone has long memories, there are reminders everywhere of the nasty events that destroyed both of their families years ago. And she’s not sure their growing feelings for each other are enough to forgive the sins of the past and carve out a future…together.
Ben has a secret. A big one. The longer he’s in Shell Grove and surrounded by people who know his sordid history, the more likely that secret is going to come out. But if it does, Olivia will never speak to him again. Which will not do. Because he’s finally realized that Olivia is the reason why he came back to town in the first place. And if he doesn’t want to lose her forever, he needs to correct the mistakes he made a long time ago and prove he’s not the NEMESIS she’s always thought him to be.
Melanie grew up in the Midwest, but she loves living in the Southeast (where the beaches are!) now with her husband and daughter. Melanie’s other passion is traveling and seeing the world. With anthropology degrees under their belts, she and her husband have made it their goal in life to see as many archaeological sites around the world as possible. She has a horrible food addiction to pasta and candy (not together…ew). And she gets sad when her wine rack is empty. At the end of the day, she is a true romantic at heart. She loves writing the cheesy and corny of romantic comedies, and the sassy and sexy of suspense. She aims to make her readers swoon, laugh out loud, maybe sweat a little, and above all, fall in love. Go visit Melanie’s website and sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on release dates, teasers, and other details for all of her projects!
Kingdom of Acatalec S.M. McCoy Published by: The Wild Rose Press Publication date: October 3rd 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
I work with aliens, my best friends is held hostage, and everyone wants to murder me before the Lord Prince can magically bond to share my power? If I had known an illegal drone race would lead to murder, kidnapping, and lies, then I might have thought better about the giant prize of credits, and the dream of walking again.I never met my best friend in person until a drone race gone wrong had both of us vying for our lives against a secret alien society. To make matters worse… my boss was one of them, and I couldn’t decide if he was trying to save my life, or the reason I was in trouble to begin with.
Stevie Marie is the author of young adult paranormal fantasy, The Divine Series, and The Acatalec Series. Born within the apex of another universe, where magic flows like leaky faucets, and forged from the fires of the Underrealm she dug her way to Earth and reluctantly participates in human society, secretly returning to her home world to relay the stories of her monsters, and the troubled love of her people. When she isn’t writing she’s designing clothing, momming it up with her tiny monsters, or narrating audiobooks in the rainy city of Seattle, Washington.
Today I’m delighted to participate in the blog tour for The Mistletoe Mixtape anthology and present a guest post by the authors of this wonderful love story collection.
About the book:
The Mistletoe Mixtape
Snuggle up for the holidays with 12 very different tales of love that will have you dancing under the mistletoe!
The Mistletoe Mixtape, the second anthology from The Christmas Collective, is a diverse and inclusive mix of stories, with more swoon-worthy characters, second chances and happy endings.
Amongst these twelve Christmas music inspired stories you will discover long lost love, festive fantasy, LGBTQ+ love stories, witty one liners and holiday romances. There really is a story to capture every reader’s festive spirit. So grab yourself a hot chocolate, pop on your favourite festive tunes and immerse yourself in the magic of The Mistletoe Mixtape.
by The Christmas Collective, the authors of The Mistletoe Mixtape
Who doesn’t love a Christmas song? If you’re anything like me, you’re not ready to start putting them on at home until December, but there’s no objection whatsoever to hearing them filter onto the radio and festive adverts and into supermarket aisles. It’s like an early promise of the excitement to come … the buildup to the buildup.
Today, I have one more way for you to enjoy a few early Christmas songs. The Mistletoe Mixtape by The Christmas Collective offers exactly what the title suggests: twelve stories of love, romance, and festive magic, each inspired by a classic Christmas song. I thought it would be fun to ask some of the authors which lyrics from their title songs inspired scenes from their stories. Get ready to hum, sing and dance your way through their lyrical responses.
Stay Another Day by Sarah Shard
“Baby if you got to go away, I don’t think I can take the pain, won’t you stay another day…”
I played the song over and over for hours whilst writing the story and I won’t give away the ending, but it had to have her asking him to stay… it couldn’t be just a normal happy ending this time because the song is so sad. I wanted a HEA and to do the song justice, so I think it worked out as it should…
Fairytale of New York by Michelle Harris
My whole story has links to my song. Kirsty thinks Daniel has taken her fairytale dreams of their life together away from her. I don’t want to include spoilers here but I really like this section of the song and I had it in mind when writing Daniel’s character.
“I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can’t make it all alone
I’ve built my dreams around you.”
White Christmas by Marianne Calver
The song title White Christmas inspired my main character’s name: Bianca Natale (which is Italian for white Christmas). It also made me want to feature snow. There is a little scene with sleigh bells too, courtesy of Bianca’s dad:
“...children listen, to hear sleigh bells in the snow.”
Walking in a Winter Wonderland by S.L. Robinson
“In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown”
Before doing a deep dive on the lyrics (which inspired all the line break titles in my story), I mistakenly thought the line was “and pretend that he is parsing round” which made perfect sense in my brain as I was also convinced that parsing round was a real term people used for larking about. I was so amused at this mistake of mine that it inspired me to think of fun ways to experiment with the direct lyrics of the song, without actually putting the direct lyrics into my piece.
There is a scene directly corresponding to these lyrics where my character and her R.I. build Parson Brown after he melts, and this activity brings them closer through good old fashioned play.
Wrapped in Red by Joe Burkett
“From Afar I’ve Loved You.”
The above lyric inspired my story in many ways. Sometimes we can be blinded by the bright lights of grand gestures but it’s the little things that go unnoticed where the truest of love stories begin. Can’t give anymore away! Spoilers!
Carol of the Bells by Karl King
My story was a mix of the lyrics.“Sweet Silver Bells” became the Christmas bell, and then the lines,
“On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To ev’ry home”
got me thinking as to why the sound would reach every house and what it could mean.
Twelve Days of Christmas by Cici Maxwell
The lyrics “five gold rings” inspired my main character’s name, Gemma, and occupation as a jeweller. There’s a scene where she is working on a commission. Someone has ordered five of her gold celestial rings but they’ve supplied her with the gemstones, and the someone is someone close to her heart… only you’ll need to read the story to find out who!
I don’t know about you, but I’m already itching to make this playlist and give it a listen as I read the stories they inspired!
Wishing you all a slightly early, very merry Christmas! Happy reading, Everyone!
Author Bio
The Christmas Collective is a group of twelve romance authors who came together when shortlisted for a festive romance competition. Together they have created two Christmas Romance anthologies, More Than Mistletoe (2021) and The Mistletoe Mixtape (2022).
The Christmas Collective authors are spread far and wide, across the UK, Ireland, Spain and South Korea, however, one thing connects them despite the distance: a love of romance and Christmas.
*Terms and Conditions –UK and Ireland entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Half Moon Whim Erin Brockus (Half Moon Bay, #5) Publication date: September 30th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Sara and Jack… Will her searing flame scorch him to the bone?
Sara Collins never wanted to put down roots. When her sister offers her a job at the sunny Caribbean scuba diving resort she owns, Sara jumps at the chance to manage her own spa. Even if it means interacting with the divemaster who humiliated her.
Jack Powell is finding out his dream life is more challenging than expected. Especially after his boss’s sister moves to town—they don’t exactly get along. He tries to avoid the situation, which is difficult when he can’t stop thinking about her.
Throw in a handsome, successful developer who offers Sara everything she ever dreamed of, and she finds St. Croix might be exactly what she’s always wanted. But which man holds the key to her heart and her greatest dream?
Half Moon Whim is a standalone, sensual beach romance. This curvy girl, enemies-to-lovers novel is Book 5 of the Half Moon Bay series, and is the springboard into the next phase of this captivating series. Dive in today!
Sara Collins climbed onto the pier, the wooden slats creaking pleasantly under her feet. Though Half Moon Bay was primarily a scuba diving resort, Sara’s sister Hope had opened a spa recently. She’d spoken with the new massage therapist, Selena Allen, several times prior to the wedding, and immediately bonded with her enthusiastic personality, especially since the spa was Sara’s kind of place.
Halfway down the pier, she passed through a tunnel of buildings and made her way past the dive shop to a long staircase at the north end. A covered deck with an incredible St. Croix ocean view dominated the area at the top of the stairs and served as the outdoor massage area. Next to the glass entrance door, a wooden wall formed a privacy screen, and a second, more nondescript door led to a restroom. Sara entered the clean, brightly lit spa, where Selena stood behind the glass check-in counter, refilling a small bottle with massage oil. The warm scent of sandalwood filled the air.
The massage therapist glanced up at the door’s opening, her dark face bursting into a wide smile at Sara’s entry. She was a trim, small woman in her mid-twenties, wearing a light-blue staff polo shirt.
What I wouldn’t give to have her small, petite frame… Lucky girl.
Sara made an effort to dress well and appear professionally styled and made-up, partly to compensate for her voluptuous and curvy figure. No manner of diet or exercise had ever changed that and now, at age thirty-three, she was resigned to her fate. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t self-conscious about it
“Sara! You stayin’ a few more days?”
“No, I’m flying out this evening. Hope’s working, so I thought I’d come up here.” Her gaze took in the mani-pedi station along one wall, with a full stylist area in the corner. Like a magnet, she was drawn toward the hair salon. Several windows let in plenty of light. “You have a massage scheduled?”
Selena finished filling the bottle, shaking her head. “Not till tomorrow. I’m just gettin’ ready.”
Sara ran a hand over the back of the stylist chair where she had cut Hope’s hair and given her a deep-conditioning treatment the day prior to the wedding. They had chatted throughout, almost like old times. Immediately afterward, they had met the rest of the wedding party on the resort dive boat, Surface Interval.
Heat crept up Sara’s neck as she tried to push away the memory of what had happened next. The resort’s newest employee, the divemaster Jack, had tripped and dumped an enormous bucket of water over her head, drenching her from head to foot. In front of everyone. She’d been mortified and embarrassed but determined not to show it.
As Sara passed by a window next to the stylist station, movement at the end of the pier caught her eye. A gleaming white boat was tied up and the group of divers was already headed away. “There’s good sound insulation in here. I didn’t even hear the boat come in.”
“They did a great job on the construction. It always stays nice and cool in here, too.”
Sara turned toward the front door. “I’d better get going. Hope said she’d be finished about lunch time.” The two women said their goodbyes, then Sara opened the door, turning left to descend the stairs.
And collided right into a warm body, smashing her nose into a shoulder. “Oof!” Wincing, she rubbed it as she staggered back. She was preparing to apologize as she looked up into a pair of huge, gorgeous brown eyes that widened in recognition.
Unfortunately, the eyes belonged to Jack. The horrible divemaster.
Her chagrin instantly erupted into fury, and she dropped her hand from her face. “Goddammit, watch where you’re going. Pouring water over me wasn’t enough? You have to break my nose too?”
Jack’s face flushed crimson as he took a big step back, holding up both hands. “I’m sorry! I need to use the restroom and wasn’t watching where I was going.”
He was of average height, but at five feet three, she still had to look up at him. He spoke with a very slight twang. Texas? “Yeah. No kidding. You really need to stay the hell away from me, understand?”
His obvious embarrassment was replaced by a flash of anger that he quickly covered, raking a hand through his short, dark-brown hair. He had a strong jaw and sharp cheekbones, and really was rather good looking.
Too bad it’s all wasted on him.
“Look, I’m not doing it on purpose. Lighten up, princess.”
Clenching her jaw tightly, Sara drew herself as tall as she could. “No. I won’t. But fortunately for both of us, I’m leaving later today.” She breezed around him toward the staircase. “Have a nice life, Jack.
Author Bio:
Dive into a romantic escape!
Erin Brockus writes sensual contemporary romances set in exotic, tropical locales. Her books provide the perfect beachy escape from everyday life, and she features mature, relatable characters you actually enjoy getting to know. Count on plenty of adventure with a focus on the ocean, especially scuba diving.
Two of her greatest passions are scuba diving and travel, which combined to form the inspiration for her characters and stories. Sipping a cocktail on the beach after a morning of diving is her idea of the perfect day. Erin has even been known to pull on a drysuit and explore the cold, murky waters of the Pacific Northwest. She is also an avid runner and cyclist.
Erin lives with her husband (a scuba instructor) in the middle of Washington wine country. She is currently at work on the next Half Moon Bay installment.
Realm of Darkness A Limited Edition Fantasy and Paranormal Collection Publication date: October 4th 2022 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
When darkness falls, beware of the creatures that come out to play…
Fall under their spell over and over again in this ultimate paranormal and fantasy romance boxset! Over 40 full-length novels with heart-melting heroes and devastating anti-heroes, full of romance, magic, mystery, and adventure can be yours for an insanely low price.
Ready to be swept away? Your book boyfriends are waiting… Enemies-to-lovers, alphas, fae, werewolves, dragons, shapeshifters, vampires, gods, angels, demons, and more: with novels ranging from sweet to spicy, there’s a flavor to sate your every craving.
You won’t find these exclusive novels anywhere else, so don’t miss your chance. Over ten thousand pages by New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors and at less than three cents per book, this collection is a steal, but only for a limited time. Grab it today before it’s gone forever…
Jaiya swallowed, feeling the sharp nick of the blade barely brushing her skin.
She turned her head to the side, exposing her neck to the dominant male, as blood trickled from her fresh wound.
“I yield,” she whispered, closing her eyes. Her voice barely registered to her own ears.
The weight of the blade lifted away as the prince trailed his nose along her neck, breathing in her scent.
She gasped when his smooth tongue lapped at her wound. Something hard pressed against her thigh, growing with each passing moment.
She was afraid to move, to fight. Here was a side of the prince that she had never seen before, as he went from an attacker to . . . an aroused caregiver?
—
Unblessed by Nia
Being flogged with a wire whip.
Carrying red-hot metal bare-handed.
Getting bitten by a nest of rattlesnakes.
Nia hadn’t enjoyed any of them. But she would rather relive any of those experiences than spend even one second with Xavier Rohesia. And here she was, preparing to spend the next five days with him. Alone. In a secluded cabin.
Inhaling the scent of jasmine courtesy of the nearby aromatherapy mister, she slid deeper into the warm bubbling water. I’m going to enjoy every second of this that I can before I have to meet up with that insufferable man.
Despite tightly braiding her long black hair and curling it into a tight bun on top of her head, strands had worked their way loose and clung to her damp neck and shoulders. As long as the rest stayed up — she’d no wish to wash and dry the thigh length mass of it after this soak.
Sunk in the water to her chin, Nia continued to expand her list of things that she would prefer to do rather than spend time with Xavier.
Running without cover to draw fire from my triad.
Shopping at a big box store the day before Christmas.
Nia shuddered at the last thought as she positioned herself to have jets of water massage her lower back. That trip had been horrifying. The things she did for her triad, her partners in all things…but joining them on a shopping trip during the Christmas season had stretched her bond with them to the limit. Adding their respective partners had nearly killed her. Nia would much rather be shot at.
And now she had to spend a week in a cabin shared by the asshole unicorn who did not live up to his last name – kindness. To make matters worse, there was a strict no killing rule. The mage may have saved the life of Amir’s lover, but this was still a steep price for it.
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you’re continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.
And the book I am waiting for is…
From the blurb:
A girl hellbent on finding the friend she lost. A planet on the brink of total corporate destruction. One way to find answers amidst the chaos: team up with a traitor to help stage a revolution.
Genetically engineered from birth, Remy Castell was brainwashed and trained to be a corporate spy. But then a mission that had her infiltrate a syndicate gang ended with Remy becoming true friends with her mark, and everything changed. When her genopath partner, Kiran, discovered Remy’s intentions to stop their mission, he left her for dead in the jungle wilds of Maraas and disappeared with the girl Remy failed to save. Two years later, Remy is still chasing Kiran across worlds, trying to find her lost friend.
After nearly catching him on Tundar before the infamous sled race, Remy follows Kiran back to the same jungle planet where everything started. But nothing on Maraas is how it was two years ago. A megolamaniac corpo director now has an iron grip on the world that other groups are trying to overthrow. It’s a time bomb that Remy wants nothing to do with. When Remy finally finds Kiran in the midst of the chaos, instead of running again, he offers her a deal: help with the revolution and in exchange, he’ll tell her exactly where her lost friend is. But how can Remy trust a boy that betrayed her once before?
With the giant hellstorm that encircles the planet growing stronger by the minute and entire planet on the edge of all-out war, Remy will have to decide just how far she’s willing to go to save one girl before the impending storm drowns them all.
**************
Expected Publication Date: January 17, 2023
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Fantasy/ Dystopia /Science Fiction
ISBN 9781250785121, 125078512X
**************
About the author:
Meg originally wanted to be a spy. Instead she somehow found herself teaching overseas in China and Malaysia before ending up in Colorado, where it snows entirely too much.
She taught middle and high school for eight years before jumping into the tech industry as a content designer. Her debut novel, COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES, was released in 2022 from Wednesday Books. She was a Pitch Wars mentee in 2018 and a mentor in 2020-21.
When not reading or writing, she’s kicking things at her Muay Thai gym with her boyfriend, playing video games, or obsessing over Sailor Moon fanart.
Fun Facts: Meg likes Oxford commas, bossing her Roomba around, and people-watching at airports.