‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – July 28

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 The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient #3) by Helen Hoang. The expected publication date is August 31, 2021.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this heartfelt new romance by USA Today bestselling author Helen Hoang.

When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she has just started to understand herself. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be #1)

Title: If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be #1)
Author: Julie Murphy
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 3, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America’s favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash, and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn’t expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn’t fit, maybe it’s time to design your own.

Review:

After graduation from Parsons School of Design, shoe designer Cindy Woods moves back home to California with her stepmother, stepsister, and half siblings. Her stepmother is a producer on a dating reality show, Before Midnight, and they have a spot to fill at the last minute. Cindy agrees to be on the show to get some recognition for her shoe designs. Cindy is the first plus-size woman to be a contestant on the show, so she’s nervous about how she will be perceived, but she doesn’t expect to become a social media star. The problem is that Cindy starts to fall for Henry, the Prince Charming of the show. Cindy has to figure out if she’ll stick around waiting for love or if she will follow her dream in fashion.

I’ve read many Cinderella retellings, and this one had something that I’ve never encountered before. Cindy was friends with her stepmother and stepsisters. She was very close with her stepsisters, and they all supported her in her dream of being a shoe designer. It was so nice to see the women all get along. They don’t have to be enemies just because the original story depicts them as hating each other. There were some other antagonists in the story, but Cindy got along well with her family.

I loved the plus-size representation in this story. Cindy would often point out how little diversity there is in plus-size fashion. At least in shoe design, there is more of a variety in sizes than in clothing. There was one point where someone said that studies show that plus-size women don’t buy luxury brands. However, if the bigger sizes aren’t available in luxury brands and designers, they don’t have the option to buy from them. This was an authentic representation of how it is to shop for clothing for a plus-size body.

If the Shoe Fits is a fun modern Cinderella retelling!

Thank you Disney Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Have you read If the Shoe Fits? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded on a Desert Island

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 I’d Want With Me While Stranded on a Desert Island. Here’s my list:

1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

2. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

3. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

4. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

6. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

7. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

9. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

10. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

(All book covers from Goodreads)

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

Happy Pub Day – July 27

Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!

Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

Safe in My Arms by Sara Shepard

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

The Silver Blonde by Elizabeth Ross

Walls by L.M. Elliott

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: The Queen Will Betray You (Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #2)

Title: The Queen Will Betray You (Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #2)
Author: Sarah Henning
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 6, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The breathtaking sequel to The Princess Will Save You in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky duology — a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

To stay together forever, Princess Amarande and her stableboy love, Luca, must part: Amarande to reclaim her kingdom from usurpers, and Luca to raise a rebellion and find his destiny. Arrayed against them are all the players in the game of thrones for control over the continent of The Sand and Sky. Facing unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds, their only hope is the power of true love…

Review:

In this sequel to The Princess Will Save You, Amarande and Luca have finally been reunited but they have to separate again. Amarande must reclaim her kingdom from her newly returned mother and brother. Luca goes to reclaim his own birthright that he has just discovered. Along with their cast of friends, Luca and Amarande must face two Queens in their quest to conquer the kingdoms of The Sand and Sky.

This was an intense sequel! There was a large cast of characters from the last book. Since they were all separated for most of this book, each chapter followed someone else in a different area. It reminded me of Game of Thones, in the way that each of the characters were on their own quest in the world but they all related back to the same goal of conquering all of the kingdoms.

The one thing that was a little confusing was that everyone had secrets. This also reminded me of Game of Thrones, because each character had different motivations than what they showed everyone else. It got a little confusing when someone was hiding their real reason for doing things. It also made the story intense and suspenseful when so many people were lying, but it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was on which side.

The Queen Will Betray You is a great sequel!

Thank you Tor Teen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Other books in the series:

Have you read The Queen Will Betray You? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – July 26

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 The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – July 25

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… The Queen Will Betray You

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 The Queen Will Betray You (Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #2) by Sarah Henning.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The breathtaking sequel to The Princess Will Save You in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky duology — a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

To stay together forever, Princess Amarande and her stableboy love, Luca, must part: Amarande to reclaim her kingdom from usurpers, and Luca to raise a rebellion and find his destiny. Arrayed against them are all the players in the game of thrones for control over the continent of The Sand and Sky. Facing unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds, their only hope is the power of true love…

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Sun in the Title

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Sun in the Title. Here’s my list:

1. Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

2. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

3. Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson

4. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

5. The Seventh Son by Lani Forbes

6. Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh

(All book covers from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?

Review: Geis: a Matter of Life and Death (Geis #1)

Title: Geis: A Matter of Life and Death (Geis #1)
Author: Alexis Deacon
Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Nobrow Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

As the great chief matriarch lay dying, she gave one final decree: Upon her death there would be a contest. Having no heir of her own blood she called on the Gods. Let fate decide the one truly worthy to rule in her place. The rich, the strong, the wise, the powerful; many put forward their names in hope of being chosen. But when the night came . . . only fifty souls alone were summoned.

Book one in gripping action, supernatural, and historical fantasy graphic novel trilogy where souls battle in a contest to become the ruler of an island.

Review:

When the chief matriarch died, she didn’t leave an heir. Instead, she left a contest in her will for fifty people to compete and earn the title of chief. Their first task is to be dropped somewhere in the world and find their way back to the castle. However, they don’t know that this will contained a geis: a magical curse that cannot be broken. All of the competitors must stay in the contest until a chief is named, but if they do not make it back to the palace by sunrise, they will automatically be killed.

I loved the premise of this story. The geis in the will was a secret from the competitors, which made the story so much more intense. Some of the characters wanted to quit, but they didn’t realize that quitting would mean death.

The art in this book was so beautiful. There were a lot of characters but they each had a distinct style and different colour of clothing. Sometimes with a large cast of characters in graphic novels, I can’t tell them apart. Each character was a distinct person, which made this story an easy read.

Geis: A Matter of Life and Death is a beautiful graphic novel! I can’t wait to read the next one!

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

What to read next:

Geis: A Game Without Rules by Alexis Deacon

Other books in the series:

  • Geis II: A Game Without Rules

Have you read Geis: A Matter of Life and Death? What did you think of it?