Waiting on Wednesday #49: The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Author: Evelyn Skye
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Number of Pages: 416
Release Date: May 17, 2016

Synopsis:

"Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose."

I've been trying to read more debut authors, so I had to add this book to the blog. The love triangle worries me... We'll see guys. We'll see.

But I'm still excited! 

Release Blitz: Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Number of Pages: 384

Synopsis:

"One moment of recklessness will change their worlds 
Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyberbully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life. 
Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules. 
And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here."

Available from:

Amazon * Kobo * Barnes and Noble * iBooks * IndieBound

“I’m here about your mother.” The asshole knows he has me when my eyes snap to his. 

“She’s dead.” Like the other times I say the words, a part of me dies along with her. 

This guy has green eyes and they soften like he’s apologetic. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve received some new evidence that may help us discover what caused her death.”

Anger curls within my muscles and my jaw twitches. This overwhelming sense of insanity is what I fight daily. For years, I’ve heard the whispers from the gossips in town, felt the stares of the kids in class, and I’ve sensed the pity of the men in the Reign of Terror I claim as brothers. It’s all accumulated to a black, hissing doubt in my soul. 

Suicide.

It’s what everyone in town says happened. It’s in every hushed conversation people have the moment I turn my back. It’s not just from the people I couldn’t give two shits about, but the people who I consider family. 

I shove away those thoughts and focus on what my father and the club have told me—what I have chosen to believe. “My mother’s death was an accident.”

He’s shaking his head and I’m fresh out of patience. I’m not doing this. Not with him. Not with anyone. “I’m not interested.”

I push off the railing and I did out the keys to my motorcycle as I bound down the steps. The detective’s behind me. He has a slow steady stride and it irritates me that he follows across the yard and doesn’t stop coming as I swing my leg over my bike. 

“What if I told you I don’t think it was an accident,” he says. 

Odds are it wasn’t. Odds are every whispered taunt in my direction is true. That my father and the club drove Mom crazy, and I wasn’t enough of a reason for her to choose life. 

To drown him out, I start the engine. This guy must be as suicidal as people say Mom was because he eases in front of my bike assuming I won’t run him down.

“Thomas,” he says. 

I twist the handle to rev the engine in warning. He raises his chin like he’s finally pissed and his eyes narrow on me. “Razor.”

I let the bike idle. If he’s going to respect me by using my road name, I’ll respect him for a few seconds. “Leave me the fuck alone.”

Damn if the man doesn’t possess balls the size of Montana. He steps closer to me and drops a bomb. “I have reason to believe your mom was murdered.”

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. 

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON,  BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

    

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Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Author: Claire LaZebnik

Publisher: HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 295

Synopsis:

"At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:
- As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school--not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.- As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.
When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long."

This book has been on my TBR list for almost 5 years and it has been sitting on my shelf for almost that long. But, when we were cleaning out our shelves we decided that we were going to donate this book, so I started reading it before it was gone. I liked the book overall but not enough to keep it on my shelves.

The plot was kind of cliche and typical. I expected that going into the book, but that didn't mean that I particularly liked it. I was in the mood for a cliche, so on a regular day I probably would have liked this book even less. Though most of what I didn't enjoy had to do with the characters.

What was it with Elise's sister Layla? I actually hated her. I wanted to enter the book and punch her in the face about 5 times. She was probably the most annoying character I have ever read about which is saying a lot. And she wasn't even a main character! Not that I particularly liked any of them either. Derek was a grade A moron and so was Webster. Elise's sister was okay, but other than that I was basically skimming to finish the book.

Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this book. If you're looking for a cliche find another one. This one's not worth it. This review makes the book sound really bad, but I just think it was too average so not worth the time. 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars!

Review: Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books
Number of Pages: 499

Synopsis:

"Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . . "

I'm surprised it took me this long to read this book. I mean it came out a few months ago and usually when I buy a Rick Riordan book I  read it right away, but that didn't happen this time. Never the less, I still really enjoyed this book! It made me literally laugh out loud and it was amazing. Can we just appreciate the dedication for 2 seconds?

"To Cassandra Clare 

Thanks for letting me share the excellent name Magnus"

The plot was kind of predictable, mostly because it was just like the plot of The Lightning Thief. Kind of. Parts of it. But overall I really liked it because it was still an entirely different world than Percy Jackson. Kind of. There were parts that overlapped that had me like...

I really liked the characters too, but they did get a little dull sometimes. I got a little bored with Magnus and Sam at times, but I grew to like them. The other characters were all amazing and I loved them. Especially Blitzen and Hearthstone. They were awesome, and they reminded of me of Grover. Guys, that was like 2 Grovers. It doesn't get better than that. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but I think because I kept comparing it to the Percy Jackson series it didn't seem as amazing. It did make me laugh multiple times, so it was definitely worth it. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys middle grade books and is looking for a books with humor. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Review & Release Blast & Giveaway: Sweet Love by K.C. Lynn

Author: KC Lynn
Series: The Sweet Series #1
Number of Pages: N/A
Release Date: March 24, 2016
Goodreads l Amazon

Synopsis:

"Two cups of a protective, dirty talkin’ alpha who loves his Cupcake.
One tablespoon of a sweet southern baker who loves her Sexy Sawyer, even when he’s being a hothead.A slice of the past that shows up on their doorstep, turning their world upside down with a life-altering plea.
A dash of passion.
A pinch of heartache.
A sprinkle of hope.
Mix together in a large bowl, creating a difficult choice, a testing of one’s faith, and a man who will do anything to protect his family—even if it means accepting a decision that could result in losing the one he loves most.
Bake at 350° for a rich serving of life with a love that could withstand anything. Even the unthinkable.
A timeless recipe that is sure to fill your heart with a generous helping of sweet love."

Sexy Sawyer and Grace are my favorite couple from KC Lynn...after Cade and Faith of course ;). Hearing that there was going to be another story about them was one of the best things. I definitely expecting this book to be about Grace's past.

"Mornin', Daddy," Hope greets me with her megawatt smile that always does funny shit to my chest no matter how many times I see it.I fake a scowl. "Hey, you're not my Cupcake.""Nope, it's me, your Shortcake."

Seeing the way that Sawyer and Grace's relationship has stayed strong after all this time and seeing how Sawyer is with Hope and Parker is absolutely beautiful. This story is really about the kindness of Grace and the strength that her and Sawyer's relationship hold. The way Sawyer reacted to the issue in this book is totally warranted by any husband who completely adores his wife, and I love how Sawyer was able to put away his own worry and panic to support Grace.

The book, in my opinion, was a little too short but that just means that I'd be willing to read a story about Sawyer and Grace that was a million pages long. I do, however, wished that we got a little more from Parker and Hope. The kids were definitely there but they weren't as prevalent as I hoped they would be. There were quite a few cute Hope moments, though. 

"What are you making?" Jaxson asks."I'm making', y'all a special pie. It's gonna be called Hero Pie, because y'all are heroes and I'm putting your favorites in it." Yep, there's no girl like my Shortcake.

The thing is that Hope probably doesn't even know how big of heroes that these guys are since she is only four years old. She is just so adorable! My favorite parts of the book was when Kayla and Grace are talking about Beckett and Hope. I really, REALLY hope these two get a book because they are so flippin' cute! 

Seriously...my emotions can't handle how cute these four year olds are!

This book definitely pulls at a girl's heartstrings, especially if you've read all of KC's books and have fallen in love with all these characters. There were parts in this book where I wanted to rip a person apart I was so fucking mad, and then there was the complete opposite where I was giggling like a little girl because I was so happy. I really fell more and more in love with these characters as I kept reading.

"The easiest thing I've ever done in my life is love you, Grace."

I would definitely recommend that you read this book if you read Sweet Temptation by KC Lynn, the first book to Sawyer and Grace's story. By reading this you even get an insight to the next Sweet novella which is Sam's story. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars!

*A copy of the novella was provided by the author and tour host for an honest review.

K.C. Lynn is a small town girl living in Western Canada. She married her high school sweetheart and they have four amazing children: two lovely girls and a set of handsome twin boys. It was her love for romance books that gave K.C. the courage to sit down and write her own novel. 

When she is not in her writing cave, pounding out new characters and stories, she can be found living between the pages of a book, meeting new tattooed, hot alpha males with very big…Hearts.

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Waiting on Wednesday #48: The Crown by Kiera Cass

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday is...The Crown by Kiera Cass!!

Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Number of Pages: 288
Goodreads l Amazon

Synopsis:

"Twenty years have passed since the events of The One, and America and Maxon’s daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own. Princess Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you... and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected."

Now some people are speculating on whether this book is a continuation of Evelyn's story or her twin brother and I'm over here like...

I am sad that the series is ending but at the same time my heart can't take any more endings like The Heir had. OH HOLY CRAP that ending destroyed me. 

Although I don't necessarily want another book, WHY THE HELL IS THIS ONLY 288 PAGES?! This is the last book...there are a LOT of loose ends to tie up. How did she do it in only 288 pages? GAHHHHHHH

What book are you "waiting on"?

Review: An Act of Salvation by KC Lynn

Author: KC Lynn
Publisher: Self-Published
Number of Pages: N/A

Synopsis:

"Sometimes two broken pieces make a whole.He’s the one she’s always loved.She’s the one he could never have.A forbidden night of passion resulted in years of heartbreak when he walked away. Now she’s in danger and needs his help. Trust doesn’t come easy for FBI Agent Nick Stone, especially when it comes to love, but he’ll risk it all for Katelyn Slade. Including his heart. Bullets fly, betrayals are exposed, and the flames from their past ignite.His protection might be what saves her but in the end she will be his salvation."

Well damn, Nick Stone definitely rivals Cade Walker on the holy hotness level. KC Lynn is always pushing herself to write an even better story for her next characters and every time I'm surprised that she does. Not that I don't think she is capable but because her stories are already so amazing!

Nick and Katelyn already have history in the past so you really didn't get to see the relationship from the beginning but the story is still brilliant. The flashbacks definitely are hard to read as some of them are real tearjerkers. 

I have to say that I didn't like Nick and Katelyn more than Ryder and Emily but Nick and Katelyn's love is a lot more intense. Katelyn is a lot more fiery compared to Emily and with Nick...holy shit.

This book definitely went farther than any of KC's other books in terms of intimacy, but I bet it will be nothing compared to Kolan's book!
Rating: 4 out 5 stars!