Author: jilljemmett

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.

Blog Tour Review: Queen of Volts (The Shadow Game #3)

Title: Queen of Volts (The Shadow Game #3)
Author: Amanda Foody
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Return to the City of Sin, where the final game is about to begin…and winning will demand the ultimate sacrifice.

Only days after a corrupt election and brutal street war, one last bloodthirsty game has begun. The players? The twenty-two most powerful, notorious people in New Reynes.

After realizing they have no choice but to play, Enne Scordata and Levi Glaisyer are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But while Levi offers false smiles and an even falser peace to the city’s politicians, Enne must face a world where her true Mizer identity has been revealed…and any misstep could turn deadly.

Meanwhile, a far more dangerous opponent has appeared on the board, one plucked right from the most gruesome legends of New Reynes. As the game takes its final, vicious turn, Levi and Enne must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.

Because in a game for survival, there are only losers…

And monsters.

Review:

Just days after the events of the election in King of Fools, a new shadow game has begun. Each player was given a card with a character on it. Now, the card has another name listed, which is the person’s target. The only way to win the game is to kill your target and take their card. Meanwhile, Levi is struggling with the loss of his friend, while Enne is figuring out her new identity. It doesn’t seem like there will be any way to survive this game.

There was a bit of a recap as the characters were introduced in this story. I was glad, because it has been a while since I read King of Fools. I think this series could be reread multiple times, with the reader noticing more clues each time. Since the events of the books take place over a few months, it would be much easier to keep track of the plot if they were read all at once.

The stakes were the highest yet in this book. The shadow game was literally life or death. It was quite intense, with everyone being a target. Each character’s story was so detailed and carefully plotted. The characters could almost have had a book of their own because there was so much that happened in this story.

This was a great ending to The Shadow Game trilogy!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

The Diviners by Libba Bray

About the author:

Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a master’s in accountancy from Villanova University and a bachelor of arts in English literature from the College of William and Mary.

Have you read Queen of Volts? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – September 3

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

When a princess’s commoner true love is kidnapped to coerce her into a political marriage, she doesn’t give in—she goes to rescue him.

When her warrior father, King Sendoa, mysteriously dies, Princess Amarande of Ardenia is given what would hardly be considered a choice: Marry a stranger at sixteen or lose control of her family’s crown.

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior—not a sacrifice. 

In an attempt to force her choice, a neighboring kingdom kidnaps her true love, stable boy Luca. With her kingdom on the brink of civil war and no one to trust, she’ll need all her skill to save him, her future, and her kingdom.

The Princess Will Save You is a YA fantasy adventure inspired by The Princess Bride, in which a princess must rescue her stable boy true love, from the acclaimed author of Sea Witch, Sarah Henning.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Review: Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen Children’s Stories)

Title: Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen Children’s Stories)
Author: Jane Austen, Gemma Barder
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Sweet Cherry Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 9, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Mrs Bennet is desperate to find rich husbands for her daughters, so the arrival of a charming new neighbour is welcome indeed. Sadly, the friend he brings with him is not. Mr Darcy seems to have even more pride than money. Nobody likes him – least of all Elizabeth Bennet. But not everyone is who they seem.

A beautifully illustrated adapted classic that will introduce children to the works of Jane Austen.

Review:

Mrs. Bennet wants to marry each of her five daughters to rich men. When Mr. Bingley moves into their town, she thinks he will be perfect for one of her daughters. Mr. Bingley brought his wealthy friend Mr. Darcy, who is very proud. Elizabeth Bennet instantly doesn’t like Mr. Darcy, when she overhears him speaking about her and her family. However, people aren’t always what they seem at first sight.

This story is an abbreviated version of Pride and Prejudice for children. It tells the story in simpler language that children would be able to understand. All of the major plot points were in the story. Many of the memorable quotes were also used, though in different places in the story, including the famous first line.

There were some beautiful illustrations to go along with the story. Most of the girls were drawn in the same style, so they all looked the same. Since the pictures usually illustrated the current scene, I could figure out which characters were in the picture. It would have been easier to differentiate if the five sisters had different appearances.

This is a great children’s version of Jane Austen’s classic novel.

Thank you Sweet Cherry Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Emma (Jane Austen Children’s Stories) by Jane Austen, Gemma Barder

Have you read Pride and Prejudice? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – September 2

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.

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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?”

A lot, apparently.

#SMASHIT

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: Not Your Idol, Vol. 2

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: ★★★★

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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.

What to read next:

Idol Dreams, Vol. 1 by Arina Tanemura

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda

Other books in the series:

Have you read Not Your Idol, Vol. 2? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Make Me Hungry

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 Books That Make Me Hungry. Here’s my list:

1. The Empress of Idaho by Todd Babiak

2. My Ideal Boyfriend is a Croissant by Laura Dockrill

3. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

4. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

5. Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli

6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

7. The Art of French Kissing by Brianna R. Shrum

8. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

9. American Panda by Gloria Chao

10. Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Happy Pub Day – September 1

Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!

Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusuf Salaam

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody

Nevertheless, She Wore It by Ann Shen

The Residence by Andrew Pyper

Fangs by Sarah Andersen

As the Shadow Rises by Katy Rose Pool

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Fable by Adrienne Young

Greythorne by Crystal Smith

Majesty by Katharine McGee

What books are you most excited for this week?

Blog Blitz Review: How to Catch a Sinful Marquess

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: ★★★★★

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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?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – August 31

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?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – August 30

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?