Blerdy (Black + nerdy) fangirl Layla Bennett is excited to meet her favorite comic book writer. She’s looking forward to getting his autograph, shaking his hand, and getting a photo with him while dressed in cosplay. At least that’s how she felt before meeting him and turning to mush under the gaze of his sexy blue eyes. Comic book writer and New York Times best selling author Vic Williams is as sexy as the superheroes he writes about. His affable charm has Layla under his spell, at least until the end of the weekend.
After their convention meet cute Layla goes home with a fun story about meeting her idol, knowing nothing will come from her fangirl blubbering. When Vic connects with Layla online, their friendship quickly evolves into a long distance relationship, complete with anime, ramen, and with comic book store trips with a comic book writer.
Layla is smitten with her real life superhero, but much like comic book lore things aren’t always what they seem. Under the bright lights of the comic con floor hidden truths come to the surface. Through the harsh reality of the fandom world can Layla and Vic find their way back together?
Quiana Glide considers herself a Jill of all nerdy trades but master of none. Pro wrestling, cartoons, books, and 80s music are her jams. Quiana has had a lifelong love of writing and has been a featured writer in HuffPost and CafeMom. She lives in Southwest Michigan with her charmingly goofy husband and her chaotic toddler daughter.
Enchantments run deep on the magical Isle of Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armour, and the smallest cut of a knife can instil fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that live there find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home, but that mischief turns to malevolence as girls begin to go missing.
Adaira, heiress of the east, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, enticing them to return the missing girls. But there’s only one bard capable of drawing the spirits forth by song: her childhood enemy Jack Tamerlaine.
He hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university, but as Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than first thought and an older, darker secret lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.
Sarah J Maas’s Crescent City meets Uprooted in acclaimed YA author Rebecca Ross’s brilliant first adult fantasy.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this Scottish folk tale inspired fantasy set on a fictional island of Cadence. A large part of it felt like a fantasy thriller, a subgenre I knew thought I was going to come across.
Jack Tamerlaine, one of the four protagonists, is summoned back home to his native island of Cadence by his laird. John has been studying music for 12 years and has even become a teaching assistant at university (ok, nothing magical so far, folks). The island itself is divided between two warring clans- Braccans and Tamerlaines. It turns out he has been summoned to assist his laird (or rather an acting laird since the real one is terminally ill) to solve a mystery- three little girls have been kidnapped and the clan folk are worried these disappearances may continue (again nothing magical, even though some Tamerlaines believe the lasses were taken by the spirits). The world Rebecca Ross built (and it’s a well-built world, with lots of details) is very much a mortal world with mortal problems and solutions. Rest assured, it is still a fantasy land with elemental magic and at some point spirits of water, land and air do make their appearance.
The main characters are well-developed -each one has their unique personality and unique voice. There’s our bard Jack (John) Tamerlaine and his childhood nemesis Aidara- theirs is a story of building trust and figuring our where they belong to, each one separately and together. Then there’s another fascinating couple that in many ways outshines Jack and Adi- Torin and his wife Sidra, who is also a wonderful stepmother to Torin’s daughter Maisie. Brought together by necessity and love for Maisie, they are the proverbial opposites whose love is wrought with tension and self-discovery. He is a soldier, the Captain of the clan Guard, his job is to protect by all means, while she is a healer, who’d give her life to help anyone in need whatever their origin and life story is. There’s also Jack’s family- talking about them would necessarily mean going into the island’s particular magic system and its history and I don’t want to give the story away.
The pace is what my blogger friend Yesha calls ‘steady’- things develop gradually, we get to know the characters as they deal with/investigate the girls’ disappearances. The pace picks up in the final part where some secrets are revealed and loose ends are tied. At the end of the book I felt thoroughly prepared for the second book (I guess it is going to be a duology) – I have certain expectations and ideas, and yet, the future is wide open, anything can happen in the new, mysterious setting I can’t wait to explore.
Even though this isn’t a short book, I couldn’t put it down and genuinely didn’t want it to end. If the second part was already published, I’d go for it straightaway.
Recommended- absolutely! I read and listened to the audio version at the same time and I must say Ruth Urquhart did a wonderful job as a narrator.
Time Lies Rowena Tisdale Publication date: March 4th 2022 Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel
She thinks he’s crazy, he thinks she’s a witch. Of course, they fall in love.
Shannon Kellogg is a spoiled heiress. She’s shallow and self-centered, but after her third divorce, she vows to become a better person. Practicing kindness and empathy is her prescription for self-improvement.
As if on cue, a young man with a strange accent, dressed as a colonial cosplayer appears in her yard during a thunderstorm. He’s lost and confused, and something about him tugs at her heart. She sees an opportunity on her path to change, and decides to help him.
It turns out to be more of a challenge than she anticipated. Azariah Scott was unwillingly tossed through time and the only way to help him is to send him back to 1750. She doesn’t know how to honor her commitment to him; despite his belief she’s a witch, she doesn’t believe in magic.
As they work together to find a gateway to the past, love blossoms, and Shannon comes to regret her promise.
Rowena Tisdale was born and raised in Michigan, sort of all over the state. As an adult, she moved south to Texas, and after living there for a bit, headed east, eventually returning home to her beloved “Mitten State.” She now resides nearby her favorite city, Detroit, with her son and a pair of feline companions.
A reader of romance from an early age, she remains an avid fan of the genre. Over the years, she began to wonder why the feisty heroines she’s always loved haven’t aged with her. Her stories are about older women, because she knows romance is not solely the purview of youth. Whether a single mother in her 30s, a crone who makes goddesses smile, or a spoiled socialite in her 40s, Rowena writes female characters who have the beauty and confidence of experience. She writes across genres, romance, chick-lit, and women’s fiction, but all her novels are love stories.
Four Weddings and a Duke by Michelle McLean Published by: Entangled: Amara Publication date: October 25th 2022 Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Synopsis: USA Today bestselling author Michelle McLean turns the Duke trope on its head with a witty, laugh-out-loud Regency perfect for fans of Eloisa James and Sarah MacLean.
Four Weddings and a Duke by Michelle McLean Published by: Entangled: Amara Publication date: October 25th 2022 Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Synopsis: USA Today bestselling author Michelle McLean turns the Duke trope on its head with a witty, laugh-out-loud Regency perfect for fans of Eloisa James and Sarah MacLean.
AUTHOR BIO: Michelle McLean is a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl who is addicted to chocolate and Goldfish crackers and spent most of her formative years with her nose in a book. She has degrees in history and English and is thrilled that she sort of gets to use them. Her novel Truly, Madly, Sweetly, written as Kira Archer, was adapted as a Hallmark Original movie in 2018.
When Michelle’s not working, reading, or chasing her kids around, she can usually be found baking, diamond painting, or trying to find free wall space upon which to hang her diamond paintings. She resides in PA with her husband and two teens, the world’s most spoiled dog, and a cat who absolutely rules the house. She also writes contemporary romance as USA Today bestselling author Kira Archer.
For more info on Michelle and her work, please visit her website at michellemcleanbooks.com.
Perilune by Karri Thompson (The Legend of Tena, #2) Publication date: March 8th 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
A truce has brought the Grove peace—but things are not as they appear.
Deep within a secret rainforest, live the keepers of unknown spells—a lost Landaffen colony with the power to keep Laura from fulfilling her fate by setting a trap and using Prince Brell as bait.
But Laura has become more Landaffen than human, her abilities sharpening as she infiltrates the forgotten and unforgiving Grove. She must learn to control the colony’s magic before their powers are at their peak.
If she fails, Prince Brell will die, and the joining of both worlds will be incomplete. It is Laura’s duty. Her calling. Faith must be restored, and the enemy defeated.
With a broken treaty and imminent conflict bringing death and war, Laura must build trust and bring order . . . before the PERILUNE!
Karri Thompson, a native of San Diego, attended San Diego State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in education. When she’s not writing novels and teaching high school English, she can be found nerding out at San Diego Comic-Con and cooking delicious meals for her family. Karri is the recipient of the San Diego Book Awards Best Published Young Adult Novel for 2014.
Happy Publication Day to The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen!
From the Blurb:
The next electrifying novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo behind You Are Not Alone, An Anonymous Girl, and The Wife Between Us.
If Avery Chambers can’t fix you in 10 sessions, she won’t take you on as a client. Her successes are phenomenal—she helps people overcome everything from domineering parents to assault—and almost absorb the emptiness she sometimes feels since her husband’s death.
Marissa and Mathew Bishop seem like the golden couple—until Marissa cheats. She wants to repair things, both because she loves her husband and for the sake of their 8-year-old son. After a friend forwards an article about Avery, Marissa takes a chance on this maverick therapist, who lost her license due to controversial methods.
When the Bishops glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.
GREER HENDRICKS spent over two decades as an editor. Her writing has been published in The New York Times and Publishers Weekly.
SARAH PEKKANEN is the internationally and USA Today bestselling author of seven previous novels. A former investigative journalist and feature writer, her work has been published in The Washington Post, USA Today, and many others.
Together, they have written the New York Times bestselling novels The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl, and You Are Not Alone.
Are you excited about this new release?
Have you read The Paris Apartment?
If yes, did you like it?How did it compare to Lucy Foley’s previous books?
Happy Publication Day to The Suite Spot by Trish Doller!
From the Blurb:
Trish Doller’s The Suite Spot is a charming romance novel about taking a chance on a new life and a new love.
Rachel Beck has hit a brick wall. She’s a single mom, still living at home and trying to keep a dying relationship alive. Aside from her daughter, the one bright light in Rachel’s life is her job as the night reservations manager at a luxury hotel in Miami Beach—until the night she is fired for something she didn’t do.
On impulse, Rachel inquires about a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, Rachel packs up her daughter and makes the cross country move.
What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, moody man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel—and rebuild her own life—from the ground up.
TRISH DOLLER is the author of novels for teens and adults about love, life, and finding your place in the world. A former journalist and radio personality, Trish has written several YA novels, including the critically acclaimed Something Like Normal, as well as Float Plan, her adult women’s fiction debut. When she’s not writing, Trish loves sailing, traveling, and avoiding housework. She lives in southwest Florida with an opinionated herding dog and an ex-pirate.
Are you excited about this new release?
Have you read The Paris Apartment?
If yes, did you like it?How did it compare to Lucy Foley’s previous books?
Today I’m delighted to present a cover reveal for SuSTYLEability by Lexi Rees and Eveyjoan.
SuSTYLEability
suSTYLEability (noun) The art of making small changes to the way we dress in order to make big changes in the world.
If you love fashion and want to live more sustainably, this activity book will help you create a wardrobe which reflects your personal style AND is mindful of the impact the fashion industry has on the environment and human welfare.
• Learn the shocking facts about fashion • Make better choices when shopping • Develop your own unique style • Have fun with friends and family • Discover unique ways to upstyle and upcycle your wardrobe
• Give old clothes a second life with creative crafts
Lexi Rees was born in Scotland but now lives down south where she’s slave to carrot obsessed gelding, a frisky mare, a dog who’s convinced he’s not been fed in a month, and a house of hungry boys.
She writes action-packed adventures and fun activity books for children. She’s passionate about reducing her footprint on the planet and becoming more self-sufficient.
She has an active programme of school visits and other events, is a Book PenPal for three primary schools, and runs a free online #kidsclub and newsletter which includes book recommendations and creative writing activities.
A Warm Rainy Day in Tokyo by Kana Wu Publication date: March 31st 2022 Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Bella Bell lives a perfectly ordinary life with a perfectly ordinary office job in suburban California, where she longs to break free from her perfect sister’s shadow. So when Little Bear Café chooses her to train its new franchisee in Tokyo for the summer, she jumps at the chance.
But even a dream come true can get complicated. From the moment she steps on the plane, she annoys her pompous, handsome seatmate, insults her apartment manager, and gets caught up in her new neighbors’ drama. And everywhere she turns, she keeps running into the arrogant stranger from her flight—and she can’t seem to get him out of her head.
Ryo Yamada is at the top of his game: a high-powered job, no shortage of potential girlfriends. But his life is turned upside down when his family asks him to return to Tokyo for good because of his sister’s failing health. And now he finds himself avoiding his childhood friend whose feelings he doesn’t return. And bumping into the irritating, pretty redhead from his flight—who may not be so bad after all. The last thing he expects is to fall in love.
As the new café opening and the end of Bella’s time in Tokyo draw near, Bella and Ryo grow close—until they discover their circumstances may tear them apart. Can they find their way back to each other for good?
Kana Wu, an autodidact author, has loved writing since her childhood. She used to work as an analyst and later an accountant before deciding to be a writer in 2018.
Her debut novel, No Romance Allowed, was published in October 2019, and it received two awards as Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards and Reader’s Favorite Awards. It was also a winner in the Romance category for the 2020 TCK Publishing Readers’ Choice Awards Contest.
She lives in Southern California with her husband and her two rescued Jindo dogs.
Be the first to know when Kana has a special offer or a new book by checking her website or following her on social media.
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:
Gemina ( The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff -another great buddy read with Yesha. We were both blown away by some of the twists in the book and the non-stop fast action in this YA sci-fi bestseller- Can’t wait to start the sequel!
Villa of Second Chances by Jennifer Bohnet
What I am reading/listening to now:
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
What I’m reading /listening to next:
The Patient’s Secret by Loreth Anne White
Falling for Competition by Jen Smith
How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?
readingtonic 