January 2018 – Page 3 – Jill's Book Blog

Blog Tour Spotlight: Pretty Dead Girls

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Title: Pretty Dead Girls
Author: Monica Murphy
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: January 2, 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beautiful. Perfect. Dead.

In the peaceful seaside town of Cape Bonita, wicked secrets and lies are hidden just beneath the surface. But all it takes is one tragedy for them to be exposed.

The most popular girls in school are turning up dead, and Penelope Malone is terrified she’s next. All the victims so far have been linked to Penelope—and to a boy from her physics class. The one she’s never really noticed before, with the rumored dark past and a brooding stare that cuts right through her.

There’s something he isn’t telling her. But there’s something she’s not telling him, either.

Everyone has secrets, and theirs might get them killed.

Excerpt:

Sitting with Cass like this, being so close to him, makes me hyper aware of everything about him. His clean tinged-with-fabric-softener scent. The sound of his breathing, the beat of his heart. His hair is soft, so are his clothes, and he has angsty taste in music. His shoulders are broad, his thigh is hard beneath my butt, and his chest is firm.

I like him. Despite being angry with him earlier, I can admit that I’m attracted to him. And I think he’s attracted to me.

“I’m pretty sure the only person Brogan wants to get off is himself,” I mutter under my breath, ducking my head.

Cass chuckles, the warm, deep sound making me shiver. “Most guys are selfish assholes.”

“Even you?” I look up to find he’s already watching me.

He nods slowly, his gaze dropping to my lips again. “Even me.”

“I bet you’re not that selfish,” I whisper. I am totally flirting with him.

“Oh, I definitely am. Watch me.”

And then he does the craziest thing.

Cass leans in, his mouth drawing close. So close, I can feel his breath tickle my lips. I part them, ready to say something, anything to break the sudden tension that’s crackling between us, but his mouth lands on mine in an instant.

I suck in a breath, shocked by the jolt of electricity that rushes through my blood when his lips touch mine. We’re already completely wrapped up in each other. It feels…natural to kiss him.

His arms tighten around my waist, pulling me into him. I circle my arms around his neck, my fingers sliding into his hair. It’s thick and soft, the ends curling around my fingers, and I tunnel my hands deeper into it, savoring the hitch in his breath when I do so.

Our mouths are still connected. We kiss and kiss. Soft, innocent kisses at first, and then I part my lips, and he does too. Our lips linger, the kisses last longer as our breaths accelerate, and then his tongue is there, tracing my lips, circling mine…

It’s the hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced, the both of us trying to be quiet as we secretly make out while hiding in Courtney’s closet. His hands go to my waist and he readjusts me so I’m straddling him, and I wrap my legs around his hips. We’re chest to chest, his bulky sweatshirt is totally in my way, and I wish I could tear it off him so I can get closer.

But I settle for this. We’re kissing for kissing’s sake. There’s no end game, no trying to get into each other’s pants or get each other off, as Courtney so eloquently put it. And it feels so good, to get lost in Cass’s arms and lips for a while, to forget about my troubles, to concentrate on the delicious slide of his tongue against mine, his hands in my hair, the race of his heart and the heat of his skin.

Plus, it’s Cass. We’re giving in to the chemistry that seems to simmer between us every time we’re together. There’s something between us I’d like to explore, despite all the extra baggage that seems to come with this boy. His dead dad and his murdering mom and his weird grandma with the cluttered house and the cats. His mysterious ways and addiction problem—all of this adds up to a guy I should avoid at all costs.

About the Author:

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is a traditionally published author with Bantam/Random House and Harper Collins/Avon, as well as an independently published author. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance. She is also USA Today bestselling romance author Karen Erickson. She is a wife and a mother of three who lives with her family in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere, along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through many angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Pinterest • Snapchat • Goodreads

Giveaway:

• Signed copy of Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by: Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours

Thank you to Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for letting me participate in this blog tour.

Review: The Cruel Prince

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Review:

I enjoyed this story! It’s my first story in the world of fairies, or Fae.

For some reason, I couldn’t focus during the beginning of the story. I think it was just me getting distracted. But I thought I’d mention it anyway in case anyone else felt the same way.

One of my favourite parts was the prologue. I loved the fairy tale voice of the narrator. I was a little disappointed when Jude became the narrator starting in Chapter 1. However, she’s a great and crazy girl to narrate this story.

At about three quarters of the way through the book I was so hooked! I really had no idea where the story was going. The major event that happens at the end of Book 1 hooked me, and it surprised me so much that I fell in love with the story.

There was so much packed into this novel, it felt like a whole series. I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.

Review: Claudia and Mean Janine (Baby Sitters Club Graphic Novel #4)

Title: Claudia and Mean Janine
Author: Raina Telgemeier
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Graphix
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This graphic novel adapted by Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, is now available in full color!

Claudia and her sister, Janine, may as well be from two different planets. Claudia, who pays more attention to her artwork and The Baby-sitters Club than her homework, feels like she can’t compete with her perfect sister. Janine studies nonstop, gets straight As, and even takes college-level courses! But when something unexpected happens to the most beloved person in their family, will the sisters be able to put aside their differences?

Raina Telgemeier, using the signature style featured in her acclaimed graphic novels Smile and Sisters, perfectly captures all the drama and charm of the original novel!

Review:

I am loving the new Baby Sitters Club series! This is the fourth book, and like the others, it stays true to the original novels.

In this story, the girls have to deal with family issues. Claudia has to learn to get along with her sister, because she’s the only sister she has. They come together over their grandmother’s health problems.

I love how each of the Baby Sitters Club books demonstrate something that young girls have to face in their lives, while also working on their baby sitting jobs. The girls all feel for Claudia’s problems with her sister because they all love her grandmother and feel close to Claudia’s family.

I’m so sad that Raina is no longer going to illustrate these graphic novels. I hope the next artist can live up to Raina’s work!

Review: Archie, Volume 2

Title: Archie, Volume 2
Author: Mark Waid, Veronica Fish
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Archie Comics
Source: Gift
Release Date: December 20, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The all-new ARCHIE adventure continues! Superstar writer Mark Waid teams up with the best and brightest artists in comics to bring a modern take to the legendary Riverdale cast of characters. The book will captures the bite and hilarious edge of Archie’s original tales in a modern, forward-looking manner, while still retaining the character’s all-ages appeal. If classic Archie is a Saturday morning cartoon, this new series is prime time!

Review:

I love this new Archie series. I was hooked on Archie comics when I was little, so I love being able to read this updated version.

This story continues from the first volume. Mr. Lodge still hates Archie. He tries to get Veronica to date Reggie instead, but she loves Archie. At the same time, Betty and Archie’s friendship is rocky. They’re both dating new people, so they have to adjust to not dating each other. It even leads to a fight that ends at the talent show.

I love the art in these graphic novels. Sometimes the art slows down the pace of the story, by having frames without any words. Some frames drift slowly from Archie’s house to Betty’s house, to show that they aren’t speaking. There is still a lot to be read into these frames, even though there isn’t actually any dialogue.

I love this series. This volume ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m going to have to read the next one soon!

Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Resolutions and Goals

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Bookish Resolutions and Goals for 2018. Here’s my list:

1. Read 300 books.

2. Post a book review everyday.

3. Attend BookCon 2018 in NYC.

4. Finish writing my first novel.

5. Attend more author events.

6. Receive more ARCs.

7. Buy less books.

8. Write more reviews ahead of time.

9. Clear out bookshelves.

10. Read books I already own.

Review: All The Missing Girls

Title: All The Missing Girls
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.

Review:

This is such an amazing thriller! I read it in just one day. The story is great, and the way that it’s told is very original.

I don’t want to give much away about the plot because it’s so clever. I loved that it is told backwards. It starts with Nic going to her hometown and then jumps to 15 Days later. The following chapters are told going back a day each time. The story slowly unravels backwards.

One thing that wasn’t realistic about the story is that some major events happened on the first couple of days that Nic was there, but they aren’t discussed by the characters after that day. This makes it suspenseful for the reader, since these things are only revealed at the end of the book, but I think the characters would have brought it up at some point if it happened in real life.

I just loved this thriller! If you love thrillers and original stories, this is definitely for you!

Review: Batman: Nightwalker

Title: Batman: Nightwalker (DC Icons #2)
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Random House
Source: Purchased
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

One by one, the city’s elites are being executed as their mansions’ security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.

Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce’s only hope.

In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer.

Review:

This book was a little slow to get into at the beginning. I kept thinking, where is Batman? The story is called Batman, after all, not Bruce Wayne. But I kept with it, since I have seen such great reviews for this book. I reserved my judgement for the end, and I loved the ending.

Though Bruce Wayne eventually turns into the iconic superhero Batman, in this story he is just a regular teenager. He makes such stupid mistakes when he falls for Madeleine. At the same time, she is very clever and trapped him many times. But Bruce was blinded by love, so he didn’t notice.

The ending of the story was so good! I thought I had figured out who the leader of the Nightwalkers was, but I was so shocked when the leader was revealed. I was so wrong, but I was glad because I didn’t want the story to be predictable.

After reading this book, I will have to go back and read Wonder Woman: Warbringer. I’m curious to see her origin story.

Review: Right Gift Wrong Day

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Title: Right Gift Wrong Day
Author: Natalie Decker
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Source: Author
Release Date: November 24, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tyler Richardson is freaking out! Not only did he invite his new girlfriend to meet his entire family, this is also the day they will exchange gifts. But what do you get a girl after dating for only two weeks? Should he listen to his friends and just give her a card, or should he ask for a second opinion?

Layla can’t believe she agreed to have dinner with Tyler and his family. What if they don’t like her? To make matter’s worse, they agreed to exchange Christmas gifts. The boy already has everything. And what if she gets him something that’s nicer than what he gets her? That would be really awkward. Asking him what he would like is completely out of the question. Maybe she should ask his friends for help.

After a rocky start, Tyler and Layla’s relationship is everybody’s relationship goals. But can Tyler and Layla survive the holidays without losing their cool?

Review:

In this adorable Offsides novella, the main characters face many common problems that couples deal with during the holidays.

Tyler and Layla have to decide if they buy gifts for each other. They’ve only been dating a week, but they’ve known each other for a long time. And do they celebrate together? Layla isn’t comfortable meeting his family so soon, yet she doesn’t want to spend Christmas with her mom’s new boyfriend. These are dilemmas that are so common, but they are brought together in this couple.

Meanwhile, Layla’s twin, Juliet, is devastated after her horrible breakup with Mark. To make matters worse, Layla accidentally shares Mark’s apology texts with all of Juliet’s contacts. I think just about everyone who has a cell phone has experienced either sending or receiving the wrong text. But this situation is even worse since Mark’s sappy apologies were sent to all of Juliet’s friends.

I loved this holiday themed novella in the Offsides series. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series for the blog tour in a couple of weeks!

Review: That Girl

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Title: That Girl
Author: Kate Kerrigan
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 1, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

You can escape a place. But you can’t escape yourself.

Hanna flees the scene of a terrible crime in her native Sligo. If she can just vanish, re-invent herself under a new name, perhaps the police won’t catch up with her. London seems the perfect place to disappear.

Lara has always loved Matthew and imagined happy married life in Dublin. Then comes the bombshell – Matthew says he wants to join the priesthood. Humiliated and broken-hearted, Lara heads to the most godless place she can find, King’s Road, Chelsea.

Matthew’s twin sister, Noreen, could not be more different from her brother. She does love fiance John, but she also craves sex, parties and fun. Swinging London has it all, but without John, Noreen is about to get way out of her depth.

All three girls find themselves working for Bobby Chevron – one of London’s most feared gangland bosses – and it’s not long before their new lives start to unravel.

Review:

This is a great romance, with some thrilling crimes thrown in.

I liked how the girls’ lives paralleled each other. All three women are from Ireland, and they moved to London to escape the men in their pasts. They all end up together in the same apartment above a night club. Eventually, their pasts catch up to each of them.

The sixties atmosphere was great in the story. I found Lara’s “rags to riches” story a little optimistic. She goes from being a waitress to a designer in a matter of months, which is unrealistic, but it worked in the story.

Some parts of the story were quite slow. There were many parts where the characters reflected on things they had already done. But then something huge would happen that got the story going again. If it were a little shorter and more fast paced, the story would have been much better.

This story was an entertaining and thrilling romance.

Review: The Only Girl in China

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Title: The Only Girl in China
Author: Eric Qiao
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Release Date: May 13, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Adoptee Ed Li is on a mission to find his missing sister. An elaborate plan is devised that involves him teaching in a rural Chinese village, which Ed soon discovers it isn’t his idea of a good time. In fact, when he sees a chance to quit, he takes it. But just before he can get out of Dodge, a local girl is murdered.

Suspect? That Chinese teacher from America: Ed.

With the help of his female colleague, Ed sets out to clear his name, uncovering a web of deceit in a village that’s on the verge of becoming a lucrative jade mine. The deeper he digs, the more horrors he unearths. With memories of his sister drawing uncanny parallels to the victim’s life, possibility of redemption and revenge looms.

Review:

This book is very unique. I learned a lot from this story.

Many parts of the story are hard to read. The abuse that children suffer in orphanages in China is described in detail. It’s horrible to imagine that children, particularly little girls, have to suffer for no reason other than having no parents.

The way that Ed goes to China to find his sister while working for UNICEF was an interesting plot. Though Ed originally plans to use his position as a teacher for UNICEF to find his sister, he gets wrapped up in a murder investigation in the small town where he’s staying. This murder derails his plans to find his sister.

The last half of the story turned into a really good murder mystery. I tried to figure out who did it, but I couldn’t. It was a great mystery, though the circumstances were devastating.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s a great debut!