Month: March 2024

Review: Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author

Title: Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author
Author: Lucinda Halpern
Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Hay House
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A step-by-step guide from a New York literary agent that will show you how to create a winning concept, craft an irresistible pitch, and land your dream book deal.

In this practical, immediately actionable guide, Lucinda Halpern , founder of the prestigious New York agency Lucinda Literary, divulges what agents look for in authors and the shortcuts they use to get book deals but have never revealed—until now.

Lucinda has personally witnessed how dramatically writers’ lives can change when they publish their first book. But the path to literary success begins with knowing the answers to questions 

With her unique 6-step method, Lucinda provides the tools and concrete strategies 

Packed with interviews from best-selling authors, leading book editors from Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and more, Get Signed is the indispensable roadmap you need right now to get noticed and become a published author.

Review:

This book is a step-by-step guide to how to sign with a literary agent. There are great tips on things that agents look for as well as examples of real query letters. 

I’ve been querying my manuscript for four months without any luck. When I heard about this book on the Happy Writer podcast with Marissa Meyer, I had to get it. I’m definitely going to implement some of these tips in my query letter!

Get Signed is a great book for querying writers!

Have you read Get Signed? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – March 26

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

A Governess’s Guide to Passion and Peril by Manda Collins

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

Cover Story by Rachel Lacey

Thank you Forever, Berkley Romance, HarperCollins Canada, and Firefly Books Distributed Lines for providing copies of these books!

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: Cinderella Is Dead

Title: Cinderella Is Dead
Author: Kalynn Bayron
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

Review:

It’s been 200 years since Cinderella met her Prince Charming. To honour her, the kingdom holds an annual ball for teen girls to find a match. If they don’t find a match, though, the girls are never seen or heard from again. Sophia is in love with her best friend, and would rather marry her, but she must follow the kingdom’s rules and go to the ball. However, after a fight at the ball, Sophia escapes and finds herself at Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, who is descended from Cinderella’s stepsister. They decide to bring down the King and end his cycle of tormenting girls and women. 

This is a great adaptation of the Cinderella story. There are many flaws in the original tale, including how the Prince knew he was in love with Cinderella but couldn’t remember her face. This story shows that the story that is told and the history that’s remembered, may be different from the actual truth to suit the people in charge. This kind of revisionist history happens all the time, and it’s important to remember the truth from all sides of the story. 

Cinderella Is Dead is a great Cinderella retelling!

Content warnings: death of parent (mentioned), death of animal, stabbing, poisoning, misogyny

Have you read Cinderella Is Dead? What did you think of it?

Review: A Friend in the Dark

Title: A Friend in the Dark
Author: Samantha M. Bailey
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Source: Firefly Books Distributed Lines
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A digital romance turns deadly…

Eden Miller’s world is crumbling. Her husband blindsided her with divorce, and her daughter barely speaks to her. In an impulsive decision to escape her present and revisit the past, she sends a friend request to her college crush, Justin Ward.

One night twenty-three years ago changed the course of her life. It closed the door on Justin and opened the door to her husband, Dave. But what if Eden could have a do-over?

Eden begins an online relationship with Justin that awakens her in ways she never thought possible, and his voice and words make her take bold risks. But something’s off. He knows too much about her and her family…he’s been following her.

Eden is forced to awaken from her fantasy and look for answers—who really is the man on the other line? The truth about Justin—and about what happened that fateful night two decades ago—puts her and her family in a fight for their lives.

Review:

Eden Miller is struggling with changes in her life. Her husband suddenly wants a divorce and her seventeen-year-old daughter is barely speaking to her when she moves to college. One night she decides to add her college crush, Justin Ward, on Facebook. He messages her right away and they begin an online relationship. However, something seems off. Justin knows more about her life than Eden has told him. Though Eden is living the fantasy that she imagined over twenty years ago, she has to figure out the truth about Justin before her family is put in danger. 

This was such an intense and suspenseful thriller. It was so creepy, in the way that Justin seemed to know a lot about Eden that she hadn’t told him. It’s scary to think that you might not know who the person really is on the other side of the screen. I liked that Eden was a middle aged protagonist. Protagonists in adult novels are often younger adults, so I liked that Eden was at a different stage of her life, but she was also starting a new chapter on her own. 

A Friend in the Dark is a fast-paced and creepy thriller!

Thank you Firefly Books Distributed Lines for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death, death of parent, abuse, rape, sexual assault, murder, stalking, gaslighting

Have you read A Friend in the Dark? What did you think of it?

Review: The Dark Fable

Title: The Dark Fable
Author: Katherine Harbour
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 30, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Magical heists. Deadly secrets. Come along for the ride . . . if you dare. This heart-stopping, seductive fantasy is perfect for fans of Six of Crows .

Evie Wilder is an orphan who has gone through most of her life unnoticed . . . until she’s caught up in a dramatic heist and captures the attention of the Dark Fable. They have chosen her for a she can turn invisible. This skill would make Evie a treasured asset to the legendary group of thieves known for spiriting away obscure and occult artifacts.

Evie cannot resist their allure and is eager to join this newfound family. But she discovers there are more skeletons in the Dark Fable’s past than she could have ever imagined. And these secrets might be the answer to her own tragic past.

No one is who they seem to be and the price of uncovering the Dark Fable’s cryptic history just might be fatal . . .

Review:

Evie Wilder is an orphan who usually feels invisible. When she’s caught in a heist to steal a necklace, she catches the attention of The Dark Fable. They are a group of thieves, who ask Evie to join them because she has a special ability to turn invisible. Evie joins them so that she can finally feel like she has a family and she belongs. However, there are many secrets in the Dark Fable’s past, which may be connected to Evie’s own history. She must decide where her loyalty lies, so she can find answers to questions she’s had for years. 

This was a fast paced heist story. Evie was an unreliable character with lots of secrets in her past. The Dark Fable was a mysterious group of thieves with magic powers. Even though the story is called The Dark Fable, the group in the story was referred to by their French name La Fable Sombre. It sounded more mysterious, but I wish it was consistent with the name of the book. There were some great unexpected twists at the end of the story, but they were explained quite quickly. I would have liked to see them revealed a bit earlier so there was more time to see the fallout of these twists. 

The Dark Fable is a great YA fantasy!

Thank you Bloomsbury YA for providing a digital copy of this book. 

Content warnings: death of parents, death of siblings, gun violence, stabbing

Have you read The Dark Fable? What did you think of it?

Review: The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy

Title: The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy
Author: Robert Hardman
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: January 18, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The dramatic story of the new king’s evolution over the past year from Prince of Wales to King Charles III, from one of the most acclaimed royal biographers writing today.

No British monarch has had a tougher act to follow.

Now, after seventy years of waiting and preparation, King Charles III is not just the head of the most famous family in the world. He is the custodian of a thousand-year-old institution which must redefine its place in the digital age while others insist on rewriting the past. With unrivaled access to the king, the royal family, and the court, leading royal authority Robert Hardman brings us the inside story on the most pivotal and challenging year for the monarchy in living memory.

From the death of Elizabeth II through to the ancient spectacle of the Coronation, from the rise of a new Prince and Princess of Wales to the latest “truth bombs” from the Sussexes, this is the story of the making of a monarch.

Review:

This book is about the King Charles III’s transition from Prince of Wales to King over the past few years. It gives details about Queen Elizabeth II’s death, funeral, and King Charles III’s coronation. 

It was fascinating to read about the behind-the-scenes details of these important historical events. There were so many problems they had to solve that I hadn’t thought about, such as how the world leaders would travel to the events without causing too much traffic. This book made the new King and Queen seem so relatable through anecdotes about their every day lives. The Royal Family has entered a new era of being more open with the public, but it’s ironic that with the scandals of the past few weeks with the Princess of Wales, they seem to be hiding more secrets than ever.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author and it was great! It was read like a story, so it was easy to follow.

The Making of a King is a fascinating inside look at the new monarch!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for providing a copy of this audiobook.

Have you read The Making of a King? What did you think of it?

Review: With Any Luck (The Improbable Meet-Cute #5)

Title: With Any Luck (The Improbable Meet-Cute #5)
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: Novella, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: Purchased
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 23, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Every person she kisses finds their true love, and it’s never her—until now, in this funny and magically romantic short story by the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.

Audrey Love is cursed to be the person before you find your soulmate, the girl you dump for your true love. So when her best friend disappears hours before his Valentine’s Day wedding, Audrey fears that she did the unthinkable and kissed him at last night’s bachelor party. With help from the best man, she retraces her steps to find the missing groom and, with any luck, a true love of her own.

Ashley Poston’s With Any Luck is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.

Review:

Audrey Luck is unlucky in love. She’s the last person someone kisses before they find their true love. After her best friend disappears on the night before his wedding day, Audrey worries that she kissed him and led him to his true love, who is not his fiancé. Audrey must retrace her steps from the night before with the help of the best man to find her best friend before his wedding.

This was such a fun novella! It was an entertaining and slightly suspenseful story. It really felt longer than a novella because the characters were well developed and the story was cleverly plotted. This is my favourite novella the whole The Improbable Meet-Cute series.

With Any Luck is a fun romance novella!

Other books in the series:

Have you read With Any Luck? What did you think of it?

Review: Yours from the Tower

Title: Yours from the Tower
Author: Sally Nicholls
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Walker Books US
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: January 30, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Bridgerton fans rejoice! This epistolary confection—told in letters among three school friends—is perfect for devotees of gossipy costume drama.

Tirzah, Sophia, and Polly are best friends who’ve left boarding school and gone back to very different lives. The year is 1896, and Polly is teaching in an orphanage, Sophia is scouting for a rich husband at the London Season, and Tirzah is stuck acting as an unpaid companion to her grandmother. In a series of letters buzzing with atmosphere and drama, the friends air their dreams, hopes, frustrations, and romances. Can this trio of very different young women—one industrious, one artful, and one in exile—find happiness and love near the dawn of the Edwardian era? From the award-winning author of the Carnegie Medal–nominated historical romance The Silent Stars Go By comes a playful, feel-good story of friendship and aspiration pitched just right for fans of Jane Austen and her contemporary disciples.

Review:

1896: Tirzah, Polly, and Sophia are friends from boarding school who keep in touch through letters after they’ve finished school and moved on in their lives. Tirzah is living with her strict grandmother. Polly is working at an orphanage. Sophia is staying with her wealthy aunt and uncle for the season to find a husband. All three girls have to deal with tough problems as they move away from their teenage years and become young women.

This was a great epistolary novel. The short letters made the story fly by. It was easy to differentiate the three storylines since the girls were each leading such different lives. Polly was working, Sophia was looking for a husband, and Tirzah was still being treated like a child at home. They all had serious issues to deal with, such as a parent with alcoholism and a parent who abandoned their children. Despite these hardships, the story had a happy ending. 

Yours From the Tower was a great coming of age story. 

Thank you Walker Books US for sending me a copy of this book. 

Content warnings: alcoholism, parental abandonment, death of parent

Have you read Yours from the Tower? What did you think of it?

Review: Five Survive

Title: Five Survive
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Publisher: Electric Monkey
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 29, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Eight hours.
Six friends.
One sniper . . .

Eighteen year old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no mobile phone reception and nobody around to help. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident. There’s a sniper out there in the dark watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.

A game of cat-and-mouse plays out as the group desperately tries to get help and to work out which member of the group is the target. Buried secrets are forced to light in the cramped, claustrophobic setting of the RV, and tensions within the group will reach deadly levels. Not everyone will survive the night.

Review:

Eighteen-year-old Red is traveling with her five friends on an RV for their spring break vacation. Along the way, they lose signal and get lost down a dark road. As they try to turn around, their tires are shot out by a sniper hidden in the darkness. One of the six people in the RV has a secret that the sniper wants, and they can’t leave until he gets it. Over the course of eight hours, each person reveals their secrets as the tension in the RV builds, and only five of them survive.

This was such an intense story! It took place in the limited space of an RV, which made the pace fairly slow, yet it was so suspenseful. Each of the characters had dark secrets in their past, and they were revealed in an attempt to get them to safety. The whole story was cleverly plotted, with clues to the ending sprinkled throughout. 

Five Survive is a dark and suspenseful thriller with a great ending!

Content warnings: death of parent, gun violence, abuse, murder

Have you read Five Survive? What did you think of it?