Happy Pub Day to these authors!
Thank you HarperCollins, Wattpad Books, and Wednesday Books for providing copies of these books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Title: The Mystery at Love’s Manor
Author: D.W. Thompson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 4, 2024
Rating: ★★★★
Emma Love never thought she’d return to her hometown after years away from her estranged family. But when her sister-in-law is kidnapped, Emma puts her life on hold to help an old flame, Deputy Sam Mattingley, solve the case and bring Gwen home. With a degree in Criminal Justice and part-time experience working at a detective agency, Emma’s skills are tested.
As the layers of secrecy are peeled back, Emma realizes the mystery shrouding Love’s Manor and her brother’s marriage is more intricate than anyone could have fathomed. Can she navigate the convoluted trail of clues and locate Gwen before it’s too late? And what of her long-suppressed feelings for Sam Mattingley…are they merely a product of nostalgia…or something more?
This story was a thrilling mystery, with lots of twists that kept me guessing. The characters were well developed, with enough backstory to understand their dynamics and relationships. I thought I had the story figured out, and I was close, but I was surprised at the reveal at the end. This was a great story!
Mystery at Love’s Manor is a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!
Thank you The Wild Rose Press and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: kidnapping, death, death of parents, drowning, car accident (off page), hospital scenes, adultery (off page)
Have you read The Mystery at Love’s Manor? What did you think of it?
Title: Orphan’s Quest (The Great Forget Fantasy Series #1)
Author: Terry Ironwood
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Independent
Source: Author
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 13, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★
The weapons master once said, “Everything we want is on the other side of fear.”
The journey begins…
Long ago, a mysterious event ravaged Earth. Magic was born.
Millennia later, a baby with red eyes is abandoned at the gates of a small kingdom. The orphan, Chip, is condemned by a spiteful king to a life of servitude in the royal kitchens until he serendipitously finds himself before the powerful wizard Xander, who sees something special in the boy. From the rhythmic, sleepy life in the kingdom to seeking the fabled Pass of Death for his Manhood Quest, Chip’s story is brimming with arcane magic, gut-wrenching emotion, and lessons about the tenacious will of the human spirit.
Follow the orphan as he encounters an ancient evil and makes a stunning revelation…
Enter an addictively satisfying world of bravery, battle, friendship, and ferocity. Orphan’s Quest is an action-packed journey replete with hard-fought lessons of wisdom and impossible choices. This series delves into the illusion of self-imposed limits and entices us to break through our walls.
Join Chip as he grapples with friendship, love, hate and betrayal in an epic adventure inspired by the timeless, unparalleled works of the fantasy legends.
This book is a thrilling start to a fantasy series. It starts at the beginning of Chip’s life as an abandoned baby and ends in his adolescence, when he was embarking on an adventure. I felt completely immersed in this world. It had an interesting magic system, with the type of magic the wizard had being shown in their eye colour. This book is a short and exciting introduction to this series!
Orphan’s Quest is a great fantasy story!
Thank you Terry Ironwood and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: parental abandonment, bullying, violence
Have you read Orphan’s Quest? What did you think of it?
Title: True Beauty, Vol.1
Author: Yaongyi
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 8, 2022
Rating: ★★★★
After binge-watching beauty videos online, a shy, comic book fan masters the art of make-up, then sees her social standing skyrocket as she becomes her school’s prettiest pretty girl literally overnight. But will her elite status be short lived? How long can she keep her “real self” a secret? And what about that cute boy she likes? Could you imagine if he found out the truth?
In this book, a teenage girl transforms her looks and her life by wearing makeup. However, when she goes out without wearing makeup, no one recognizes her. It’s funny, but it’s true that some people can be unrecognizable without their regular makeup. Makeup can also transform the way you look and the way people treat you, but the only time that Jugyeong was her true self was when she wasn’t wearing makeup.
True Beauty, Vol. 1 is a great start to this graphic novel series!
Have you read True Beauty, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?
Title: The Elf Witch (Plot of the Six Saints #1)
Author: Jacquelyn Gilmore
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Independent
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Rating: ★★★★
For fans of One Dark Window and From Blood and Ash comes a haunting, slow-burn fantasy romance about villains. It follows a formerly magicless elf as she suddenly comes into powers that her kingdom has never seen and the duplicitous prince she must bargain with to save them at whatever cost—even her soul.
After her grandmother’s execution, a formerly magicless elf is suddenly the most powerful witch in her village. Magic is disappearing, though, and Imani is thrust into the treacherous court of her kingdom, forced into trials against the most lethal witches in the world.
As she unravels the perilous plan her grandmother plotted before her death to save magic, Imani unwittingly dives deeper into a web of magical and political intrigue that puts her on a collision course with dangers beyond anything she imagined.
But Imani is harboring illicit knowledge of her own—a forbidden dark magic that’s getting more difficult to hide by the day. Now, she must decide whether to make herself a threat and an enemy to her country or risk becoming a pawn and the realm losing magic forever.
Stuck in this predicament, Imani sees only one path forward: a dangerous deal with the duplicitous prince—one she might be falling for.
Readers Beware: This book is for adult readers and contains mature and explicit content (see the author’s website for a complete list of trigger warnings). It’s a villain romance with morally black antihero characters that ends on a cliffhanger.
This fantasy was suspenseful and fast-paced. It was thrilling right from the start, with a mystery about Imani’s powers. She had to enter a competition that put her magic against other witches, while spinning a web in the royal politics. There were twists and betrayals at the end that left me wondering what will happen next!
The Elf Witch is a thrilling fantasy!
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and Jacquelyn Gilmore for sending me copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: violence, death of grandparent, death by burning, blood, sexual assault
Have you read The Elf Witch? What did you think of it?
Happy Pub Day to these authors!
Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, W by Wattpad Books, HarperCollins Canada, and Candlewick Press for providing copies of these books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Title: Dragons Can’t Eat Snow Cones
Author: Amanda Sobotka, Pauline Gregory
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Applesauce Press
Source: One Brewer Publicity
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★
If a dragon wants a snow cone, it must proceed with great care,
In case a fireball melts it all until there’s nothing there!
This dragon has a peculiar he loves snow cones, but his fiery breath keeps melting them! Follow along in this fun-filled adventure as the dragon tries everything to keep his favorite treat from turning into a puddle.
This delightful tale is brought to life with colorful illustrations and playful rhymes. Children will discover that challenges can be overcome with some creativity and perseverance. This charming story is sure to be a bedtime favorite!
In this picture book, a dragon wants to eat a snow cone like all his animal friends. Whenever he tries to eat a snow cone, his fiery breath melts it. This dragon has to use his problem solving skills to find a way to eat the snow cone. This story teaches kids how to ask for help and find new ways to solve problems and reach their goals.
Dragon’s Can’t Eat Snow Cones is a great picture book!
Thank you One Brewer Publicity and Cider Mill Press for sending me a copy of this book!
Have you read Dragons Can’t Eat Snow Cones? What did you think of it?
Title: Power Posey
Author: Avra Davidoff
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Source: Author
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: April 9, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Get ready to meet Power Posey, a remarkable young girl with an indomitable spirit who teaches children the power of resilience, positive thinking, and the strength that lies within. In this inspiring children’s book, readers join Posey on a transformative journey of self-discovery as she faces challenges head-on and triumphs with boundless determination.
As children accompany Power Posey on her adventures, they learn valuable life lessons about perseverance, self-belief, and the importance of strong body language. By adopting Power Posey’s confidence-boosting techniques, children discover they have the power to conquer their fears, embrace challenges, and achieve their goals.
This engaging and empowering picture book is perfect for children aged 3-8. It encourages young readers to embrace their inner strength, instilling in them a sense of self-confidence and resilience. With relatable situations and characters, Power Posey inspires children to approach life’s hurdles with courage, positivity, and a determination to succeed.
Get ready to stand tall, strike a pose, and embark on an uplifting journey alongside Power Posey. Unleash your inner strength, embrace challenges, and discover the incredible power that lies within you!
This is a great children’s book! When Posey feels nervous, she strikes a pose with her hands on her hips and chest held high, which gives her confidence. When she does her power pose, she knows she can do anything. This is such an important lesson for kids, but especially girls, who are often put down and told they are less than boys.
Power Posey is a powerful picture book!
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and Avra Davidoff for sending me a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Have you read Power Posey? What did you think of it?
Title: The Fairy Tale Fan Club: Legendary Letters Collected by C.C. Cecily
Author: Richard Ayoade, David Roberts (illustrator)
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Publisher: Walker Books US
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★
What if you could send fan mail to your fairy tale idols? And what if they wrote back? “Happily ever after” takes on a new meaning in this book from actor-comedian-author Richard Ayoade and best-selling illustrator David Roberts.
It’s once upon a time . . . as only the irreverently witty Richard Ayoade can tell it. In this series of letters organized by C. C. Cecily, Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, the fairest of them all (and a few bitter foes) correspond with curious—and opinionated—fans. So if you’ve ever wondered how a less-than-genius (and less-than-clothed) emperor fell for a certain con, how the Big Bad Wolf is handling meatless Mondays, or whether Rapunzel recommends going for the big chop, no need to look far, far away. Multihyphenate Richard Ayoade, author of The Book That No One Wanted to Read, hilariously imagines what questions modern children would have for characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, and Little Red Riding Hood—and what they might have to say in return. Complete with clever, spoof-gothic illustrations from David Roberts, this wry storybook may have even the Brothers Grimm cackling in their graves.
This book is a collection of fan letters written to fairy tale characters, as well as their responses. It answers questions about what happened to them after the “happily ever after” of their tale. There were letters from Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and the Big Bad Wolf. These letters were quite funny. I liked seeing these characters tell their side of the classic fairy tale and what happened after the story was finished.
The Fairy Tale Fan Club is a fun book for all fans of fairy tales!
Thank you Walker Books US for sending me a copy of this book!
Have you read The Fairy Tale Fan Club? What did you think of it?
Title: Stone of Hope (Stones of Iona #4)
Author: Margaret Izard
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 13, 2025
Rating: ★★★★
In a twist of fate, Dominic DeVolt is shown archeologist Moira Joanna White’s beauty through the Eye of Ra. Trying to save his niece and nephew from evil Fae powers, he’s sucked into the past and dumped in the middle of her Egyptian archaeology dig.
Moira fears the attractive man who appears at her dig is partnering with her archnemesis. That is until the bold fighter distracts her with a kiss. His duty as uncle tugs her heart, but is he only after her precious artifacts?
He’d fight mystic forces to be with her. She sees her future in his love.
This book was a fun adventure story with some spice. Even though there were some teenagers in this story who were some of the main characters, it is meant for an adult audience. It was fun to see the characters travel back in time to an Egyptian archaeological dig. This book is the fourth in the series Stones of Iona. It took a couple of chapters to figure out all the characters, because I haven’t read the first three books, but this one can be read as a stand-alone.
The Stone of Hope is a great romance and adventure story!
Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a digital copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: death, murder, kidnapping
Have you read Stone of Hope? What did you think of it?
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