Jill lives in Toronto, Canada. She has studied English, Creative Writing, and Publishing. Jill is the creator and content producer of Jill’s Book Blog, where she has published a blog post every day for the last four years, including 5-7 book reviews a week. She can usually be found with her nose in a book.
This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.
The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is Smash It! by Francina Simone. The expected publication date is September 22, 2020.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Refreshingly authentic and bold… Don’t miss this smashing #ownvoices novel from Francina Simone! Filled with heart, humor and a heroine to root for, Smash It! is a perfect read for fans of Julie Murphy, Ibi Zoboi and Ashley Poston.
Olivia “Liv” James is done with letting her insecurities get the best of her. So she does what any self-respecting hot mess of a girl who wants to SMASH junior year does…
After Liv shows up to a Halloween party in khaki shorts–why, God, why?–she decides to set aside her wack AF ways. She makes a list–a F*ck-It list.
1. Be bold–do the thing that scares me.
2. Learn to take a compliment.
3. Stand out instead of back.
She kicks it off by trying out for the school musical, saying yes to a date and making new friends. Life is great when you stop punking yourself! However, with change comes a lot of missteps, and being bold means following her heart. So what happens when Liv’s heart is interested in three different guys–and two of them are her best friends? What is she supposed to do when she gets dumped by a guy she’s not even dating? How does one Smash It! after the humiliation of being friend-zoned?
In Liv’s own words, “F*ck it. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Title: Not Your Idol, Vol. 2 Author: Aoi Makino Genre: Manga Publisher: Viz Media Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: September 1, 2020 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A psychological suspense series about a girl who has given up her life as an idol after being assaulted by a fan.
After that day, she stopped being a girl. In the wake of an assault, Nina Kamiyama, a former idol in the group Pure Club, shuns her femininity and starts dressing as a boy. At high school she keeps to herself, but fellow student Hikaru Horiuchi realizes who she is. What secrets is she keeping? The shocking drama starts.
“This is exactly why she got herself stabbed by a fan.”
Heartbroken Nina Kamiyama is a former idol. She’s decided to live her life by keeping her past identity a secret, but her situation intensifies when another discovers who she really is. Who can she trust?
Review:
Nina Kamiyama is a former pop idol, who left the group Pure Club after she was attacked by a fan. She disguised herself as a boy and started attending a regular high school. At the end of the last volume, someone threatened to reveal her identity. Her friend Hikaru had some photos of her in his bag, so Nina’s friends think he can’t be trusted. Another student at their school, Miku, is also threatened with someone sending her secret photos of her walking down the street. Miku doesn’t feel safe walking by herself, so she gets Hikaru to walk her home. However, he can’t protect her all the time.
This was an intense story. The themes of sexual assault were introduced in the first volume, but they became much more prominent in this volume. Nina is still recovering from the post traumatic stress of being attacked by a fan. Hikaru’s sister was sexually harassed by her teacher, but when she spoke up, she wasn’t taken seriously. Other students were randomly attacked as well, but they were shamed into keeping it a secret. This is a disturbing reality for many girls.
The sexual exploitation of girls was also an important part of the story. When Nina was in the pop group, Pure Club, they had to pose for lingerie photos to give out the male fans. They were young girls and it was extremely inappropriate to put them in these revealing outfits and positions. This has happened to many young female performers, and still happens today. These kinds of photos also make men think they have permission to do whatever they want to the young women. This story showed the aftermath of putting girls in these kinds of situations.
This is a great story!
Thank you Viz Media for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Title: How to Catch a Sinful Marquess (The Disreputable Debutantes #3) Author: Amy Rose Bennett Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction Publisher: Berkley Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: August 25, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A reserved debutante and a former soldier make an unlikely but fated match as they hasten for the Isle of Skye.
Orphaned heiress Olivia de Vere should have the world–or at least the men of the ton–at her feet. But when she’s thrown out of a young ladies’ academy, Olivia doubts she’ll ever find someone who will love her, rather than her bank account. To make matters worse, her dissolute cousin Felix is determined to marry her against her wishes. A virtual prisoner in her guardians’ London townhouse, Olivia can’t help but develop a tendre for her neighbor, a handsome Scottish marquess.
Battle-scarred in more ways than one, Hamish MacQueen, Lord Sleat, has braved many dangers in life. But nothing has quite prepared him for the shock of having a young child dumped on his doorstep, with a note claiming she’s his daughter. Just in the nick of time his pretty neighbor appears, offering to act as a nursemaid for the young girl on their journey to his estate in Scotland. He suspects she has her own reasons for wanting to flee the country…
The close traveling quarters leads to a fierce attraction between Olivia and Hamish that seems impossible to resist. But when ghosts from the past and monsters from the present threaten to tear them apart, will their unlikely love survive?
Review:
The orphaned heiress, Olivia de Vere, lives with her uncle and his family. Her cousin Felix is meant to marry her so her fortune can stay in the family, but when Felix threatens Olivia after she discovers that he is stealing from her inheritance, she realizes she must run away. Their neighbour, Hamish MacQueen, is a Scottish marquess. He finds a child left on his doorstep with a note claiming she is his child. Hamish needs a nursemaid to help look after the child on his journey to his castle in Scotland. Olivia shows up just as he’s looking for a nursemaid, which gives her the perfect excuse to run away from her family. Olivia and Hamish soon realize this new relationship could be an advantage to both of them, as long as they can get past the ghosts in their pasts.
Olivia was an avid reader. She carried Northanger Abbey, The Mysteries of Udolpho, and Frankenstein with her. She even referenced these books, when she had to find a fake name and decided on Morland, from Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey. I noticed some similarities to other novels, such as Outlander and Jane Eyre. Hamish was a tough Highlander like Jamie in Outlander. Olivia had to look after Hamish’s ward, just like Jane looked after Rochester’s ward in Jane Eyre. I loved seeing these references to popular stories.
This story was fast paced. There were a couple of steamy scenes, but there was a lot more to the story than just the romance. The characters were more concerned with their social standings and securing their reputations than finding romance. I liked how well the plot and characters were developed.
I really enjoyed this regency romance!
Thank you Berkeley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
How to Catch a Wicked Viscount by Amy Rose Bennett
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
Other books in the series:
How to Catch a Wicked Viscount
How to Catch an Errant Earl
Have you read How to Catch a Sinful Marquess? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished How to Catch a Sinful Marquess (The Disreputable Debutantes #3) by Amy Rose Bennett.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading Queen of Volts (The Shadow Game #3) by Amanda Foody.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading How to Catch a Sinful Marquess by Amy Rose Bennett.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A reserved debutante and a former soldier make an unlikely but fated match as they hasten for the Isle of Skye.
Orphaned heiress Olivia de Vere should have the world–or at least the men of the ton–at her feet. But when she’s thrown out of a young ladies’ academy, Olivia doubts she’ll ever find someone who will love her, rather than her bank account. To make matters worse, her dissolute cousin Felix is determined to marry her against her wishes. A virtual prisoner in her guardians’ London townhouse, Olivia can’t help but develop a tendre for her neighbor, a handsome Scottish marquess.
Battle-scarred in more ways than one, Hamish MacQueen, Lord Sleat, has braved many dangers in life. But nothing has quite prepared him for the shock of having a young child dumped on his doorstep, with a note claiming she’s his daughter. Just in the nick of time his pretty neighbor appears, offering to act as a nursemaid for the young girl on their journey to his estate in Scotland. He suspects she has her own reasons for wanting to flee the country…
The close traveling quarters leads to a fierce attraction between Olivia and Hamish that seems impossible to resist. But when ghosts from the past and monsters from the present threaten to tear them apart, will their unlikely love survive?
Title: Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 2 Author: Tomohito Oda Genre: Manga, Contemporary Publisher: VIZ Media Source: Library Format: Ebook Release Date: August 13, 2009 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation.
Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi’s greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach.
It’s time for the national health exam at Itan High, and the excitement of eye exams and height measurements have fanned the flames of competition for the unremarkable Makeru Yadano. She’s determined to beat the class idol Komi in the health test, and Komi’s total obliviousness to their impassioned duel just feeds Makeru’s determination. As the epic battle heats up, how will Komi handle her first rival when she’s barely made her first friends?!
Review:
Komi is still on her quest to have 100 friends. She also still can’t communicate with others, so making new friends is a challenge. Komi is idolized by other students, such as Makeru who wants to “beat” Komi in the health exam at school. Along with her few friends, Komi goes outside of her comfort zone to meet new people and have new experiences.
Komi does a variety of things she’s never done before in this story. She goes to a ramen restaurant, where she faces the challenge of having to order her food without speaking. She also goes shopping for clothes, which she has never done before. Even though these outings were outside of Komi’s comfort zone, she was still open to trying new things.
It’s interesting to see how other people interpret Komi’s lack of communication. Most people thought Komi wouldn’t speak to them because she was entitled and popular. They didn’t realize that she can’t speak to them. Komi is actually extremely shy and can’t speak. She didn’t think she was better than everyone else, which is what they interpreted from her silence.
I enjoyed this manga!
What to read next:
Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 3 by Tomohito Oda
Not Your Idol, Vol. 1 by Aoi Makino
Have you read Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 2? What did you think of it?
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