Jill's Book Blog

Release Week Celebration: Right Kiss Wrong Guy

Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for

Right Kiss Wrong Guy (Offsides #2)
by Natalie Decker

presented by Swoon Romance!

Be sure to grab a copy of this new release
and enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

CONGRATULATIONS NATALIE!

You’d think a girl with the most romantic name in the world would have her pick of boyfriends.

But Valentine’s Day sucks when you’re single. Just ask Juliet Valentine, whose last name happens to also be the name of the most dreaded made-up holiday ever.

A romantic at heart, this year is especially hard on Juliet. Her sister, Layla, is in a new relationship, her mom’s match-making business is doing great, and her school’s new fundraiser is “Love-Grams.”

Juliet’s miserable, a little jealous, and lonely.

Quarterback Jared Black is the most popular guy in school. A star athlete, Jared tops the most-eligible bachelor list year after year. But to Juliet Valentine, he’s all but invisible. She isn’t impressed.

Jared’s never had to work hard to get the attention of a girl before. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and he’s determined to ask Juliet out. After all, if Tyler can win over Layla, Jared ought to have a shot with Layla’s sister.

Unlike Tyler and Layla, charm, flattery and good looks won’t work on Juliet. So with the V-Day dance coming up, Jared uses the school’s Love-Grams to let Juliet know how he feels. Should be simple enough, right?

Wrong. Each attempt ends up either in the trash or thrown in someone’s face. Juliet won’t play his game.

Now, without a date to the dance Jared realizes it’s going to take a Hail Mary to win the girl of his dreams.

Right Kiss Wrong Guy (Offsides #2) by Natalie Decker
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Publisher: Swoon Romance

Amazon

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Natalie Decker is the Author of Rival Love. She loves oceans, sunsets, sand between her toes, and carefree days. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. Her first passion for writing started at age twelve when she had to write a poem for English class. However, seventh grade wasn’t her favorite time and books were her source of comfort. She took all college prep classes in High school, and attended the University of Akron. Although she studied Mathematics she never lost her passion for writing or her comfort in books. She’s a mean cook in the kitchen, loves her family and friends and her awesome dog infinity times infinity. If she’s not writing, reading, traveling, hanging out with her family and friends, then she’s off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Keep Her Safe

30753733

Title: Keep Her Safe
Author: K.A. Tucker
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 23, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that’s been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family’s life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn’t born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it’s all she knows anymore. At least here people don’t care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive…until a man who clearly doesn’t belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department’s dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker’s reputation as one of today’s most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

Review:

This is an amazing thriller!

There are so many emotions in this story. I was rooting for Noah and Grace. But I had sympathy for their situation. And the corrupt officials were so frustrating. I was emotionally invested in this story.

K.A. Tucker did a fantastic job with this narrative! It switches between Noah and Grace, and occasionally returns to Abe and Jackie from fourteen years ago. It was fast paced so I was never bored. I loved the way the story unraveled through these different narrators.

The mystery was great. There were twists and turns throughout the book. It was difficult to know where it would head next. The ending became very complex and unpredictable. Though I did suspect one person who was involved in the plot, I was surprised at the ending.

I absolutely loved this book. If you’re looking for a gripping, thrilling mystery, this is the book for you!

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Really Liked But Can’t Remember

TTT-Big2

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 Really Liked But Can’t Remember Anything/Much About. Here’s my list:

976

1. Deception Point

25817528

2. Be Frank With Me

17802724

3. The Husband’s Secret

29915404

4. Two Nights

5. Arboria Park

6. Definitions of Indefinable Things

7. The Ashes of London

8. Death on the Nile

9. The Sunday Philosophy Club

10. Paper Girls, Volume 1

(all images taken from Goodreads)

Blog Tour: Robin Hood’s Dawn

Title: Robin Hood’s Dawn
Author: Olivia Longueville
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Angevin World Publishing LLC
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

England, 1154-1194
A kingdom under assault.
A conspiracy born of anarchy.
A hero standing against tyranny.

Falsely convicted of a shocking crime, Robin Fitzooth, the Earl of Huntingdon, finds refuge in Sherwood Forest and becomes Robin Hood.

Leading a band of men against the injustices of a malevolent sheriff and his henchmen, Robin begins to unravel a web of treachery threatening the English royal family.

As shadowy forces gather to destroy the future of a nation, Robin faces deceit, betrayal, and the ravages of war as he defends his king, his country, his people, and the woman he loves from a conspiracy so diabolical, so unexpected, that the course of history hangs in the balance.

From the mists of an ancient woodland, to lavish royal courts teeming with intrigue, to the exotic shores of the Holy Land – Robin Hood leads the fight in a battle between good and evil, justice and tyranny, the future and the past.

Part one of an exciting three-part retelling of the Robin Hood legend!

Review:

When I was approached about reading this book, I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Robin Hood. I watched the Disney movie and I read some Robin Hood books when I was a kid. I knew he took from the rich and gave to the poor, but that was just a small part of this story. This book gave so much more fascinating details about Robin Hood.

I loved the background of the characters that was given at the beginning. The characters all had so much depth, because their family histories were told before they were introduced. I enjoy English historical fiction, so I really liked this story.

The story wasn’t just about Robin Hood. It really talked about the royal issues at the time, such as who will inherit the throne. Many people took advantage of their position to abuse their power, such as the Sheriff. But these situations only gave Robin Hood an opportunity to become a hero.

The story was incredibly detailed. So much happened in the story, that I can’t imagine what will happen in the next instalments. This story would be great for fans of historical fiction and Robin Hood.

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – Jan 22

It's Monday! What Are You Reading

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!

It’s been a long time since I participated in these weekly memes, because the winter just became so hectic. But this week, I’m going to do them again!

What I just finished:

19351043

This weekend I finished Nimona. My review can be found here.

What I’m currently reading:

30753733

I’m currently reading Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker. It’s awesome so far!

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann, for a blog tour.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Nimona

19351043

Title: Nimona
Author: Noelle Stevenson
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it “a deadpan epic.”

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Review:

I loved this graphic novel!

It’s hard to explain this story, but that’s what makes it so awesome. There are dragons and cats, kings and villains, science and magic. What more do you need in an amazing graphic novel?

Nimona was hilarious. She was sarcastic and goofy. She wants to be the sidekick to Blackhart, though he isn’t really in the market for one. She ends up being the most unusal character he has ever met.

I also loved the world setting of this story. It seems like it’s in the past because there are stone buildings and everything looks medieval. But at the same time, they are using futuristic technology and laboratories. It’s a conflicting world that really works for this story.

I already liked Noelle Stevenson, but I love her even more now! I’ve read some of her Lumberjanes graphic novels, which are equally awesome. I’ll have to keep her on my radar, so I can read her next books right away.

Review: Fairy Mom and Me

Title: Fairy Mom and Me
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of the Shopaholic series and our YA Finding Audrey, comes the first of a duology for young readers about a girl learning to become a fairy from her imperfect fairy mom, with a tech twist.

Ella Brook can’t wait to grow up, because one day she will become a fairy and have her own sparkly wings and a teacher on Fairy Tube, just like her mom! Until then, Ella has to learn by watching her mom in action. But sometimes spells go wrong, and Ella’s mom can never seem to remember the right magic codes. A lot of the time, it’s up to Ella to come to the rescue. Does she have what it takes to be a fairy one day? Or will there be more glitches than glitter?

Review:

When I saw that Sophie Kinsella had written a middle grade novel, I knew I had to read it!

This is such a cute story. Ella has to deal with regular kid stuff, like the mean girl next door, as well as fairy magic. Ella is a mature and smart girl who can often solve the messes that her mother makes with her fairy magic.

This story would be great for parents and children to read together. It’s quite funny. All of the spells end in “idoo” such as “cupcakeridoo” and “fixeridoo.” These funny, made up words would appeal to kids. Ella’s mom uses a fairy phone, like a smartphone, to cast her spells. However Ella’s grandmother still uses an old fashioned wand. Adults could relate to that since older generations often don’t want to adapt to new technology.

The pictures in the book would also appeal to kids. When I read with the children I look after, they are always looking for pictures in books. The pictures were also funny because they often depicted the spells that Ella’s mom had messed up.

I enjoyed this story. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book in the duology.

Review: Hunter: The Fallen One

Title: Hunter: The Fallen One
Author: C.L. Hugely
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Source: Author
Release Date: October 31, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A hostile takeover of earth is unfolding secretly right before our very eyes. Is this a political move, or is something much more ancient and sinister at hand? Mystery schools were formed by the elite to train soldiers to further their agenda.

Lian Hunter is a freshman at one of these schools for the exclusively wealthy; the Tri- Asterisk Academy in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. When students start suddenly disappearing, Lian starts to feel something evil and corrupt underlying the veneer of the academy. Can he uncover the truth about his school before it is too late or is he just another soldier in training?

Review:

I really enjoyed this story. It was unpredictable and surprising, which is what I look for in books.

I really liked the futuristic elements of the story. There was a restaurant that Lian and his friends went to, where they could decide the atmosphere that they saw while sitting at their table. It was like a virtual reality restaurant. Some of their lessons in class were also in virtual reality, like when they studied the solar system or ancient civilizations.

Some parts of this story reminded me of Harry Potter. Lian finds a soccer championship cup with his father’s name on it from when he attended the school, just like Harry’s father’s name was on a Quidditch house cup at Hogwarts. There is also a part where Lian has flashbacks to when his father was a student, which was like when Harry revisits Dumbledore’s memories in the pensieve.

The mystery of what was happening to Lian kept me guessing until the end. It was so creepy, that he kept having visions that would appear without warning. However, when looking back on the description of the book, it doesn’t completely fit. The first part about mystery schools being formed to train soldiers is what seems to be happening, but they don’t say it outright. The story mainly focuses on Lian and his friends.

The omniscient narrator was a little unusual. The focus of the story jumped around from Lian to some of the adults in the story. This only happened occasionally, but I would have liked it to have focused more on Lian’s experience, rather than what else is going on in the world and even what his friends are doing.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I’m curious to see where it goes next.

Blog Tour Spotlight: Pretty Dead Girls

PrettyDeadGirlsTour 32972117

Title: Pretty Dead Girls
Author: Monica Murphy
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: January 2, 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beautiful. Perfect. Dead.

In the peaceful seaside town of Cape Bonita, wicked secrets and lies are hidden just beneath the surface. But all it takes is one tragedy for them to be exposed.

The most popular girls in school are turning up dead, and Penelope Malone is terrified she’s next. All the victims so far have been linked to Penelope—and to a boy from her physics class. The one she’s never really noticed before, with the rumored dark past and a brooding stare that cuts right through her.

There’s something he isn’t telling her. But there’s something she’s not telling him, either.

Everyone has secrets, and theirs might get them killed.

Excerpt:

Sitting with Cass like this, being so close to him, makes me hyper aware of everything about him. His clean tinged-with-fabric-softener scent. The sound of his breathing, the beat of his heart. His hair is soft, so are his clothes, and he has angsty taste in music. His shoulders are broad, his thigh is hard beneath my butt, and his chest is firm.

I like him. Despite being angry with him earlier, I can admit that I’m attracted to him. And I think he’s attracted to me.

“I’m pretty sure the only person Brogan wants to get off is himself,” I mutter under my breath, ducking my head.

Cass chuckles, the warm, deep sound making me shiver. “Most guys are selfish assholes.”

“Even you?” I look up to find he’s already watching me.

He nods slowly, his gaze dropping to my lips again. “Even me.”

“I bet you’re not that selfish,” I whisper. I am totally flirting with him.

“Oh, I definitely am. Watch me.”

And then he does the craziest thing.

Cass leans in, his mouth drawing close. So close, I can feel his breath tickle my lips. I part them, ready to say something, anything to break the sudden tension that’s crackling between us, but his mouth lands on mine in an instant.

I suck in a breath, shocked by the jolt of electricity that rushes through my blood when his lips touch mine. We’re already completely wrapped up in each other. It feels…natural to kiss him.

His arms tighten around my waist, pulling me into him. I circle my arms around his neck, my fingers sliding into his hair. It’s thick and soft, the ends curling around my fingers, and I tunnel my hands deeper into it, savoring the hitch in his breath when I do so.

Our mouths are still connected. We kiss and kiss. Soft, innocent kisses at first, and then I part my lips, and he does too. Our lips linger, the kisses last longer as our breaths accelerate, and then his tongue is there, tracing my lips, circling mine…

It’s the hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced, the both of us trying to be quiet as we secretly make out while hiding in Courtney’s closet. His hands go to my waist and he readjusts me so I’m straddling him, and I wrap my legs around his hips. We’re chest to chest, his bulky sweatshirt is totally in my way, and I wish I could tear it off him so I can get closer.

But I settle for this. We’re kissing for kissing’s sake. There’s no end game, no trying to get into each other’s pants or get each other off, as Courtney so eloquently put it. And it feels so good, to get lost in Cass’s arms and lips for a while, to forget about my troubles, to concentrate on the delicious slide of his tongue against mine, his hands in my hair, the race of his heart and the heat of his skin.

Plus, it’s Cass. We’re giving in to the chemistry that seems to simmer between us every time we’re together. There’s something between us I’d like to explore, despite all the extra baggage that seems to come with this boy. His dead dad and his murdering mom and his weird grandma with the cluttered house and the cats. His mysterious ways and addiction problem—all of this adds up to a guy I should avoid at all costs.

About the Author:

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is a traditionally published author with Bantam/Random House and Harper Collins/Avon, as well as an independently published author. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance. She is also USA Today bestselling romance author Karen Erickson. She is a wife and a mother of three who lives with her family in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere, along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through many angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Pinterest • Snapchat • Goodreads

Giveaway:

• Signed copy of Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by: Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours

Thank you to Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for letting me participate in this blog tour.

Review: The Cruel Prince

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Review:

I enjoyed this story! It’s my first story in the world of fairies, or Fae.

For some reason, I couldn’t focus during the beginning of the story. I think it was just me getting distracted. But I thought I’d mention it anyway in case anyone else felt the same way.

One of my favourite parts was the prologue. I loved the fairy tale voice of the narrator. I was a little disappointed when Jude became the narrator starting in Chapter 1. However, she’s a great and crazy girl to narrate this story.

At about three quarters of the way through the book I was so hooked! I really had no idea where the story was going. The major event that happens at the end of Book 1 hooked me, and it surprised me so much that I fell in love with the story.

There was so much packed into this novel, it felt like a whole series. I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.