readingtonic

#Happy Publication Day, July 26, 2022 # Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller #YA Fantasy@Feiwel and Friends

Happy Publication Day to Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller!

From the Blurb:

In the conclusion of Tricia Levenseller’s exciting Bladesmith YA fantasy duology, a magically gifted blacksmith with social anxiety must race against the clock to save her beloved sister and stop a devastating war.

Eighteen-year-old Ziva may have defeated a deadly warlord, but the price was almost too much. Ziva is forced into a breakneck race to a nearby city with the handsome mercenary, Kellyn, and the young scholar, Petrik, to find a powerful magical healer who can save her sister’s life.

When the events that follow lead to Ziva and Kellyn’s capture by an ambitious prince, Ziva is forced into the very situation she’s been dreading: magicking dangerous weapons meant for world domination.

The forge has always been Ziva’s safe space, a place to avoid society and the anxiety it causes her, but now it is her prison, and she’s not sure just how much of herself she’ll have to sacrifice to save Kellyn and take center stage in the very war she’s been trying to stop.

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN 9781250756824, 1250756820

************************************************************

About the author:

Tricia Levenseller, author of five YA fantasy books, including The Shadows Between Us and the Daughter of the Pirate King duology, grew up in Oregon, where she spent her childhood climbing trees and playing make believe. She now lives in Utah with her bossy dog, Rosy, where she writes full time. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing Overwatch and Sea of Thieves on her Xbox, and finding tasty restaurants to frequent.

#Book Review #Booked On a Feeling (A Sweet Mess, 3) by Jayci Lee #Romance @St.Martin’s Griffin

From the blurb:

An overachieving lawyer. A failing bookstore. A childhood friend. The chance of a lifetime.

Lizzy “Overachiever” Chung, Esq. doesn’t know the meaning of “can’t.” That is until she passes out from a panic attack during her first trial. Her law firm gives her paid time-off to “relax,” but she has no clue how.

Jack Park, her childhood friend, wants her to rediscover the iridescent joy she had pre-law school and college, and convinces her to stay with him in Weldon. He’s been planning to move away from his parents’ loving but overprotective gaze and more specifically away from Weldon and his family’s brewery, but that can wait a few more weeks until his friend finds her footing again.

But when an unexpected attraction flares between them while Lizzy tries to resuscitate a failing bookstore on Weldon, the two must choose between past dreams or their forever together.

Publisher: St.Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN 9781250621146, 1250621143
Purchase

My thoughts:

This is my third book by Jayci Lee and by now I can call myself a real fan! If you’ve read A Hot Mess and The Dating Dare, you’ll be delighted to come back to the fictional town of Weldon with the most creative desserts ever and weird, but hilarious beer names -No Joke!

Let me count the reasons why you should read the book:

Food, food, and food!!! Food for recharging after a hard day/week/year, food for a happy family reunion, food for a difficult conversation, and food for getting over a heartbreak. Lovers of Korean cuisine, don’t miss this ode to taste, flavour, texture, and comfort Korean dishes bring to weary souls all over the world.

Quite a large part of the book is set in a bookstore! actually, in two bookstores, one in LA, the other one in Weldon. Jayci Lee even includes a little tirade against people who don’t understand the importance of reading romance- human connection and guaranteed HEA, anyone?

Friends-to-lovers trope. It is one of my favourite tropes, although it isn’t easy to create the right kind of tension. Our protagonists Jack and Lizzy have known each other since they were ten, and at least one of them has had a massive crush on their BFF.
Likeable characters at a crossroads in their lives… Lizzy is an attorney and a litigator as well, so everyone expects her to be super-ambitious and thrive on fight and conflict, while she is struggling with anxiety and needs to think hard whether she is pursuing the right kind of career for her. What I liked about Lizzy was the way she took charge and acted, once she had a clear picture of a problem. She didn’t particularly strike me as a high energy person, but her excitement about ticking off ‘done’ items off ‘to do ‘ lists was positively contageous.
Jack refuses to be a victim of his own insecurities- he might be the business mastermind behind the family brewery business, but it isn’t his passion that drives it, and it isn’t his dream, so, fair enough, Jack is ready to step out of his comfort zone and venture into a brave new world. What he doesn’t want is to lose his BFF- Lizzy…and we all know that going from friends-to-lovers is a journey that can be undertaken only with the right person and at the right time.
Romance. There a few scorchingly hot moments- yay, strong men with washboard abs and toolbelts…alternatively, strong men in sexy aprons who aren’t afraid to admit they don’t know much about cooking (despite having grown in a family restaurant, hmm), but everything is tasteful and full of passion.
steady-paced and low-angst- did you really want lots of drama and tears in this heatwave???

Sweet and entertaining, Booked on a Feeling is perfect for readers who love food descriptions, traditional tropes, small town setting, and HEA. Can’t wait to read Jack’s twin brother’s story!

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Griffin for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

About the author:
JAYCI LEE writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance every free second she can scavenge and is semi-retired from her fifteen-year career as a defense litigator. She loves food, wine, and travelling and incidentally, so do her characters in books like The Dating Dare and A Sweet Mess. Jayci lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction.

#Book Blitz #Of Fae and Hate by Quira Casey #Urban fantasy @Xpresso Book Tours

Of Fae & Hate
Quirah Casey
(Of Fae & Hate, #1)
Publication date: July 23rd 2022
Genres: Adult, Reverse Harem, Urban Fantasy

Hate is a strong word, but at the Nadouraz Academy it’s deadly.

I never wanted to attend Nadouraz Academy.
The school for fae is full of spoiled, bratty, powerful royals. I’m none of those things.
Most importantly, no one even knows if I’m even fae.

The first week of school I find myself in a rivalry with more fae than I can keep track of, but it becomes the least of my worries when I end up cursed. What’s worse is that the curse binds me to three fae I hate and one who just may be a demon from the darkest pits of hell: Soskia, Alik, Fox, and Brynsyn.

Now a promise to give the pretentious academy a try, an unbreakable contract, and a wicked curse may seal my death.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:

Quirah is still a new author, but not new to writing. She has been writing since the first grade, and has been winning awards since kindergarten, when she told her teacher about her trip to Chicago. Her teacher wrote down the story for her and she won the young authors contest at 5 years old! Quirah plans on working hard in the next couple of years to publish as many books as possible from her chöąts world.

In the meantime, catch up and follow Quirah online at the following links below.

Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram

It’s Monday! What are you reading? July 25th, 2022

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:

Redemptor by Jordan Iflueko

Booked on Feeling by Jayci Lee

What I am reading/listening to now:

Hail Mary Project by Andy Weir

The Summer I turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Quiet by Susan Cain

What I’m reading /listening to next:

Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller

How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?

#Book Blitz #The Language of the Wind by M.R.Grand #Fantasy #New Adult #Romance @Xpresso Book Tours

The Language of the Wind
M.R. Grand
Publication date: July 22nd 2022
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult

There aren’t enough bodies to harbor the demons of Olenore Allas.

One demon —a nameless and star-skinned creature—is plagued by the search for a perfect body, every day of their wispy life. Guided by nothing but the winds, they know they want nothing more than to be themself: mortal, beautiful, and loved. And who better to grant them that, than Junovere Krauss? A thief, a witch, hungry for a perfect demon to strike a deal with, to create a bond that will grant her the magic she’s longed for all her life. And in exchange, Juno promises her demon everything. A name, a voice, sight, hearing…and, of course, beauty.

The vain creature fights their devouring insecurities as Juno guards her secrets: that she needs this completed demon for her aunt, who has threatened to destroy her reputation before it’s even started. Complete the demon’s body, and their deal is complete, their bond broken. But Juno loses her magic forever. As Juno’s bond with her demon manifests into something more powerful than magic itself, she has to choose: magic, or freedom? Follow the demon and witch as they adventure over the bewitching Olenore Allas, a land that thrives on the law of balance. As they outsmart mortals, demons, and witches alike, they may slowly understand how willing they are to break the laws of balance for one another.

A dark fairytale rich with romance and a diverse cast that dives into the meaning of identity, and the relationship between a body and a soul, THE LANGUAGE OF THE WIND is the first installment of the BROKEN CHIMERA duology.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:

M.R. Grand is the author of The Language of the Wind, her first novel (that she actually finished.) She grew up on classic DreamWorks, barbie films, and a lot of comics. With those being her foundation, she wanted nothing more than to make stories and art that took people to places where fairytales felt real. She currently lives somewhere in the mountains as a full-time creator. You can find her on Instagram @emargrand and hopefully other places soon. She’s not very good at the whole website thing yet.

#Book Blitz #Gilded Butterfly (Rockin’ Fairy Tales 2) by Leslie O’Sullivan #Fantasy #Romance @Xpresso Book Tours

Gilded Butterfly
Leslie O’Sullivan
(Rockin’ Fairy Tales, #2)
Publication date: July 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Gilded Butterfly is the second book in the Rockin’ Fairy Tales adult romantasy series by Leslie O’Sullivan. King Midas and the Golden Touch meets King Lear in a slow-burn, friends to lovers, romance set against the backdrop of a fictional Hollywood music scene.

Chorda Lear is a mega-hot pop artist, Internet influencer, and Irish witch who’s poised to inherit a magical family legacy, the Golden Guitar. She’s the fan favorite on a wildly popular reality television show, “Kickin’ It With Midas,” a trendy chronicle of three Hollywood influencer sisters and their aging rock star father, Midas Lear.

Adair Holliday, a Hollywood producer wunderkind, is slated to step up as showrunner of the Lear’s lucrative TV franchise. He must constantly temper his skepticism over best friend, Chorda’s, practice of magic, but his biggest challenge is denying romantic feelings for her.

When Chorda goes disastrously off-script during the live broadcast of the season finale, Lear banishes her from the show and his life. Adair follows his friend into exile with a plan to reconcile father and daughter. Away from the pressures of Hollywood, a steamy encounter under a waxing moon, deepens friendship into romance. Now, the two must reverse Midas’ edict to save both their professional futures and new-found love.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

Author Bio:

Leslie O’Sullivan is the author of Rockin’ Fairy Tales, an adult romance series of Shakespeare/fairy tale mash ups set against the backdrop of Hollywood’s music scene. Coming soon is her Behind the Scenes contemporary romance series that peeks into the off-camera secrets of a wildly popular television drama. She’s a UCLA Bruin with a BA and MFA from their Department of Theater where she also taught for years on the design faculty. Her tenure in the world of television was as the assistant art director on “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.” Leslie loves to indulge her fangirl side each year at San Diego Comic Con.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter

#Book Blitz #A Little Wilder (Wilder Adventures, Book 4) by Serena Bell #Comedy #Romcom @Xpresso Book Tours

A Little Wilder
Serena Bell
(Wilder Adventures, #4)
Publication date: July 19th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

What happened in Vegas? Definitely didn’t stay in Vegas.

Gabe’s the oldest. Brody’s the bad boy. Clark’s the strong, silent warrior. Amanda’s the girl. And Easton—well, Easton’s the panty melter.

I’m Kane.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a bad job. But usually, I’m not the one people are talking about.

That’s about to change. Because the woman I had a smoking hot one-night stand with in Vegas? The one I should have stayed far, far away from, since women like her are my kryptonite?

She’s the same woman my brother just hired to redesign his fancy new glamping RVs.

I haven’t seen her since Vegas, but the instant I lay eyes on her, I can tell my quiet role as the boy-next-door brother is about to change.

She’s pregnant.

And it’s mine.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter

#Book Blitz #Dark Hearts by M.O’Keefe @Xpresso Book Tours

Dark Hearts
M. O’Keefe
Publication date: July 19th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

“No man ever made me so curious. Or reckless.”

Poppy lives a charmed life. From the outside she’s the wife of a wealthy senator, wearing jewels and designer clothes. Other people don’t know she lives in the dark. Her husband is a monster in a bespoke suit.

Then Ronan Byrne shows up on their marble doorstep, armed and dangerous. He sees through her calm, cultured facade to the fear underneath.

He’s determined to help her, whether she wants it or not.

“M. O’Keefe brings her A-game in this sexy, complicated romance where you’re left questioning if everything you thought was true!” – New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg

DARK HEARTS is a boxed set that contains three full-length novels: Ruined, Broken, and Untamed by bestselling and award-winning author M. O’Keefe.

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…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Google Play

—

Author Bio:

M. O’Keefe is the darker, more dangerous pen name of bestselling author Molly O’Keefe. She is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Everything I Left Unsaid series and the upcoming Stolen Hearts. To find out more visit http://www.molly-okeefe.com

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

#Book Blitz #Two Boy Summer by Melissa Chambers #YA #Romance @Xpresso Book Tours

Two Boy Summer
Melissa Chambers
Publication date: July 19th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Two boys, one boardwalk, and her sweetest summer ever

Jules Jarvis never asked to be a rags-to-riches cliché. Since moving from simple Sugarbush Island, Florida five years ago to elite Greenwich, Connecticut, she has done little but miss the life and the true friends she left behind, especially Adrian Ryker. With one touch of her knee against his, her then twelve-year-old heart was stolen and never returned.

Now seventeen and headed back to Sugarbush for the summer, Jules hopes to reconnect with her old life by working at the candy apple stand on the boardwalk and reuniting with the friends she left behind, particularly Adrian. The only problem is she ghosted them all five years ago when seeing their pictures and posts became unbearable. Now she’s back and ready to eat a big ole crow sandwich with an extra-large side of groveling. It’ll be worth it to follow the hope of discovering where that magical knee touch might lead.

But Heath Townsend, the irritating boy interning with her stepdad for the summer, won’t quit popping up at the exact wrong times, making it twice as hard to connect with Adrian. Jules is here to rebuild her life—not fall for a preppy, cocky, Yale-bound jerk, no matter how charming that quirky smile of his can be.

For fans of Jillian Dodd, Beth Reekles, Jenny Han, and anyone who loves a great YA love triangle romance!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series, the Before Forever series (YA), and Courting Carlyn (YA).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Group / Facebook Page / Twitter / Instagram / Amazon / Bookbub

#Book Blitz #On Destiny (Aunare Chronicles 4) by Aileen Erin #Dystopian #YA @Xpresso Book Tours

On Destiny
Aileen Erin
(Aunare Chronicles, #4)
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: July 19th 2022
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

The moment I realized I had to go back to Earth, I panicked.

It wasn’t a little bit of panic. It was the kind that sucked the air and light from the room and made my body go cold with sweat and fear. I knew that if I did this, if I went back, then I had a shot of saving everyone—Earthers, Aunare, everyone—but it could cost me everything and everyone I love. And it could cost me my life.

But that moment of panic passed. It was still an insane, stupid, deadly idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew going back to Earth was the only plan that made sense.

Lorne agrees that this is the right plan, but he wants to come with me. We’re married now. A team. A unit. Where I go, he goes. It was in our marriage vows. And while I love that, I know that going to Earth will hurt him. He’ll want to see where I lived, how I survived, and seeing, knowing, understanding my past better will only hurt him. And yet, I don’t have a better plan.

There will be no hiding there. Not anymore. Everyone on Earth knows my face.

The vids of what happened on Abaddon and Sel’Ani have played throughout the known universe for months. But seeing those vids opened the Earthers’ eyes. They realized that I’d been fighting for them for years before I left. I’d taught martial arts, patrolled the streets, and helped save as many of them as I could. And now, somehow, my story has inspired Eathers to speak up and act out.

My name has become the rallying cry of the revolution.

Returning to Earth is risky, but nothing in life is without risk. I’m not afraid anymore. All I feel is determination to win. I won’t stop until SpaceTech has been destroyed.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram