I'm BACK for Terminal Tours with another amazing blog tour, this time for You & Me at the End of the World by Brianna Bourne! Follow along with the tour schedule here, and be sure to check out reviews and creative posts by our amazing bloggers. This dystopian novel will be released by Scholastic on July 20th, so make sure to check it out at your local indie! The Book and its AuthorThis is no ordinary apocalypse… Hannah Ashton wakes up to silence. The entire city around her is empty, except for one other person: Leo Sterling. Leo might be hottest boy ever (and not just because he’s the only one left), but he’s also too charming, too selfish, and too devastating for his own good, let alone Hannah’s. Stuck with only each other, they explore a world with no parents, no friends, and no school and realize that they can be themselves instead of playing the parts everyone expects of them. Hannah doesn’t have to be just an overachieving, music-box-perfect ballerina, and Leo can be more than a slacker, 80s-glam-metal-obsessed guitarist. Leo is a burst of honesty and fun that draws Hannah out, and Hannah’s got Leo thinking about someone other than himself for the first time. Together, they search for answers amid crushing isolation, but while their empty world may appear harmless . . . it’s not. Because nothing is quite as it seems, and if Hannah and Leo don’t figure out what’s going on, they might just be torn apart forever. When she’s not writing, Brianna Bourne works as a stage manager for ballet companies around the world. Originally from Texas, she grew up in Indonesia and Egypt and now lives in England with her husband and their two daughters.
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Hi all! I'm here briefly with a blog tour post for Off the Record by Camryn Garrett, which came out May 18th. See below for my review as well as a moodboard I made for the novel! Check out the tour schedule here, and thank you to TBR and Beyond for including me on this tour. The Book and its AuthorThe behind-the-scenes access of Almost Famous meets the searing revelations of #metoo in this story of a teen journalist who uncovers the scandal of the decade. Ever since seventeen-year-old Josie Wright can remember, writing has been her identity, the thing that grounds her when everything else is a garbage fire. So when she wins a contest to write a celebrity profile for Deep Focus magazine, she’s equal parts excited and scared, but also ready. She’s got this. Soon Josie is jetting off on a multi-city tour, rubbing elbows with sparkly celebrities, frenetic handlers, stone-faced producers, and eccentric stylists. She even finds herself catching feelings for the subject of her profile, dazzling young newcomer Marius Canet. Josie’s world is expanding so rapidly, she doesn’t know whether she’s flying or falling. But when a young actress lets her in on a terrible secret, the answer is clear: she’s in over her head. One woman’s account leads to another and another. Josie wants to expose the man responsible, but she’s reluctant to speak up, unsure if this is her story to tell. What if she lets down the women who have entrusted her with their stories? What if this ends her writing career before it even begins? There are so many reasons not to go ahead, but if Josie doesn’t step up, who will? From the author of Full Disclosure, this is a moving testament to the #MeToo movement, and all the ways women stand up for each other. Camryn Garrett was born and raised in New York. In 2019, she was named one ofTeen Vogue’s 21Under 21 and a Glamour College Woman of the Year. Her first novel, Full Disclosure, received ravereviews from outlets such asEntertainment Weekly, the Today Show, andThe Guardian, whichcalled a “warm, funny and thoughtfully sex-positive, an impressive debut from a writer still in herteens.” Her second novel, Off the Record, will be released May 18, 2021. Camryn is also interested infilm and is a student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. ReviewOff the Record is a sensitive, well-written book that covers some heavy subjects like mental health (anxiety) and sexual harassment. Camryn Garrett approaches everything with a seriousness grounded in Josie's character. I think coverage of these topics are so important, and I loved the journalism angle. Josie is an aspiring writer, and when she wins a contest to write a profile of Marius (who is just so sweet!) she finds herself in the deep end of a #MeToo story regarding an influential industry figure. Josie is such a compelling character for how real she seems. I was truly invested in all her storylines, and I know readers everywhere are just going to fall in love with her too. Off the Record has so much representation for readers as well--Josie is a fat, queer, Black girl, and she kicks major butt in her story. There's amazing discussion on body image, race, and queer representation that flows so well with the plot. I also loved the semi-epistolary format! Each chapter kicks off with Josie's tweets. As someone who is also very much dependent on Twitter, I enjoyed these small additions to the chapters and the chance Garrett took to be extra-creative. Such a bouncy, youthful way to format the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Off the Record--I find it so pressing and relevant, and I think it will be well-liked by any reader! 4/5 stars. MoodboardHey hey hey, y'all! Terminal Tours is running a blog tour for this new middle grade science fiction release, Last Gate of the Emperor by acclaimed author Kwame Mbalia (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky) and Prince Joel Makonnen. Follow along with the schedule here to check out posts by amazing bloggers supporting this novel! The Book and its AuthorsAn Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this journey to the stars. Yared Heywat lives an isolated life in Addis Prime — a hardscrabble city with rundown tech, lots of rules, and not much to do. His worrywart Uncle Moti and bionic lioness Besa are his only family… and his only friends. Often in trouble for his thrill-seeking antics and smart mouth, those same qualities make Yared a star player of the underground augmented reality game, The Hunt for Kaleb’s Obelisk. But when a change in the game rules prompts Yared to log in with his real name, it triggers an attack that rocks the city. In the chaos, Uncle Moti disappears. Suddenly, all the stories Yared’s uncle told him as a young boy are coming to life, of kingdoms in the sky and city-razing monsters. And somehow Yared is at the center of them. Together with Besa and the Ibis — a game rival turned reluctant ally — Yared must search for his uncle… and answers to his place in a forgotten, galaxy-spanning war. Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository Indigo IndieBound KWAME MBALIA is a husband, father, writer, a New York Times bestselling author, and a former pharmaceutical metrologist in that order. He is the author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, a Coretta Scott King Honor book. He lives with his family in North Carolina. Visit him online at kwamembalia.com. PRINCE JOEL MAKONNEN is the great-grandson of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, the last emperor of Ethiopia. He is an attorney and the co-founder of Old World/New World, a media and entertainment company focused on telling powerful African stories that inspire global audiences through film, TV and books. He lives with his wife, Ariana, in Los Angeles.
Today's post is my tour stop for the Pride and Premeditation blog tour! Follow along with the schedule here, and be sure to check out the giveaway at the end of my post. Thank you to TBR & Beyond for choosing me, and HarperTeen for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
The Book and its Author
Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.
When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates. Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed. Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Indigo
Tirzah Price grew up on a farm in Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands on and never outgrew her love for YA fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is a former bookseller and librarian. Now, she’s a contributing editor at Book Riot, where she can be found recommending books on the site, newsletters, podcasts, and social media accounts. When she’s not writing, reading, or thinking about YA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting enough socks to last the fierce Michigan winters.
Tirzah is pronounced TEER-zuh. Pronouns are she/her. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads Photo credit - Tab London Review
A cute historical fiction retelling/mystery where Lizzie Bennet is reimagined as an intrepid future barrister--inhibited only by the patriarchy. She sets off on a mission to solve a murder to convince her father that she can take a job at the family's law offices. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Austen novel, and I love reading/watching retellings of it. I enjoyed Lizzie's escapades, and this book is a perfect afternoon diversion.
The mystery kept me guessing until the end--the plot involves a good bit of danger (as it should) and more than once, Lizzie found herself in a bind. Price's writing moves the story well, and I liked the pacing. I finished in a day because it's on the shorter side, but there's a perfect balance of excitement and cozy mystery that you could put it down and come back later. My favorite aspect was the plot thread about Lizzie's dreams of becoming a barrister. Being a Regency novel, she's up against men taking credit for her work and not believing she's as capable of the hard jobs. It's entertaining to watch Lizzie turn her gender into an advantage in some situations to extract information or do some detective work as a way of countering that. I don't want to spoil the book for you, but this thread has such a satisfying resolution! Price did a great job with that. The classic Lizzie-Darcy banter is out in full force as Darcy works at a rival firm, and is also trying to prove the innocence of their client. Rivals to lovers is fun to read, and their slow realization that they may be something more is well-earned. I liked that the romance took a backseat to the mystery, though. There are so many Austen adaptations out there for a romance main plot, but this one is truly original for the thriller aspects. 4/5 stars to Pride and Premeditation. Links above for you to order your copy! MoodboardGiveaway
Really excited to be on the blog tour for Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley! Thank you to TBR & Beyond for choosing me, and McElderry for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review. If you'd like to check out the rest of the tour schedule, check here, and enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post!
The Book and its Author
In this charming debut fantasy perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Girls of Paper and Fire, a witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.
Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others. Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret. When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father. Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is, if they don’t kill each other first..
Adrienne Tooley was born and raised in the desert suburbs of Southern California. She grew up in the theater, earning her B.A. in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. She and her wife currently live in New York City where she works in hospitality tech. In addition to writing novels she is also a singer/songwriter and has released several EPs which are available on Spotify & other streaming sites. Her debut novel, SWEET & BITTER MAGIC, will publish from S&S/McElderry in Spring 2021. Her second novel, SOFI AND THE BONE SONG, will release from S&S/McElderry in 2022.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads Photo credit - Sylvie Rosokoff Review
Slow sapphic romance! Enemies-to-lovers! Heck yeah!! This is basically everything I'd want out of a new fantasy book, so I really enjoyed this novel. Tooley hit the nail on the head with the intrigue--I especially enjoyed the development of Wren and Tamsin's relationship. It's slow burn as I just mentioned, so we get to see that tenderness blossom through their hardships. Also, I couldn't go without mentioning the "only one bed" trope is involved, one of my absolute favorites in romance.
Tamsin's curse is fairly unique--her loss of love is complete: not just affection for other people, but also just enjoyment in general. I don't think I've ever seen that for a character before. At first the link was unclear to me, but I became invested in what that meant for her character quickly. I'm willing to buy into a sense of suspension of disbelief for the sake of a good romance, and I get the sense that's necessary here. If you're the sort of reader who likes to pull plot threads to try and find holes... yeah, you might have a bit of an issue. But I'm not that type, so I was content to sit back and watch the brooding turn to real love. I saw this connection on someone's Instagram story (I'm so sorry, I've forgotten who! If this was you, please let me know and I'll credit!) and I think it's apt: Sweet & Bitter Magic is sort of a high-fantasy version of These Witches Don't Burn. Sapphic romance, reluctant allies, stopping a plague (S&BM)/dark magic (TWDB). Fans of one will enjoy the other. I'm giving Sweet & Bitter Magic 4/5 stars. MoodboardGiveawayHi all! I'm so lucky to be on the TBR and Beyond tour for Follow Your Arrow by Jessica Verdi--check out the rest of the tour schedule here, and be sure to read my review down below and comment on my book look! Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a copy of the book for my honest review. The Book and its AuthorCeCe Ross is kind of a big deal. She and her girlfriend, Silvie, are social media influencers with zillions of fans and followers, known for their cute outfits and being #relationshipgoals. So when Silvie breaks up with her, CeCe is devastated. She's lost her first love, and now she can't help but wonder if she'll lose her followers as well. Things get even messier when CeCe meets Josh, a new boy in town who is very much Not Online. CeCe isn't surprised to be falling for a guy; she's always known she's bi. And Josh is sweet and smart and has excellent taste in donuts... but he has no idea that CeCe is internet-famous. And CeCe sort of wants to keep it that way. But when CeCe's secrets catch up to her, she finds herself in the middle of an online storm, where she'll have to confront the blurriness of public vs. private life, and figure out what it really means to speak her truth. Jessica Verdi is an author of books for kids and teens about identity, family, acceptance, and love. Though she’s always been a bookworm (her childhood was basically defined by the philosophy that working your way through giant stacks of library books is far superior to playing outside), she remained convinced throughout high school and college that theatre and music were meant to be her creative outlets. After nearly ten years in the NYC theatre world, she got an idea for a novel. While that first attempt at a “book” will never see the light of day—nope, don’t ask—it was the book that started her love affair with writing. Now she can’t imagine doing anything else. Jess received her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School and is a freelance editor of romance and women’s fiction. She lives in New York with her family. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads ReviewI read Follow Your Arrow literally the afternoon it arrived in my mailbox--I didn't intend to finish it, but I couldn't put it down. So now you know I mean it when I say Follow Your Arrow is unputdownably adorable, a perfect afternoon romance filled with heart. Can I just say how awesome it is that CeCe IDs as bi and it's right there in the synopsis? How freakin cool that we can finally stop begging for scraps of rep and we're coming into a new moment in publishing these past few years. It was so meaningful to me as a reader to see CeCe confront internet biphobia and rejection from the queer community, and come out of it shining. We gotta talk about how bi people are so often cut out from the queer community when not in same-gender relationships. CeCe gets internet vitriol for dating Josh, and has to learn how to deal with not being the darling of the internet like she was when she was dating Silvie. As a bit of an "influencer" myself, it was kind of strange to see that mentality of keeping up an online persona echoed in the book. I'm obviously less famous than CeCe (being that I'm not famous at all) so I can afford to be more real with my readers, but I do get anxious when I haven't posted and I worry about disappointing people, just like she does. I've spent quarantine navigating healthy boundaries with social media, having had to cut it almost entirely out of my personal life in order to use it healthily in my blogger life. Watching CeCe go through a similar process in a realistic way is a highlight of the novel. And of course we have to talk about the love story. I think I say that in every review of a romance because I'm a sucker for love. Josh is positively adorkable--the music nerd who's totally inept at the internet is a surprisingly good match for CeCe. I definitely squealed once or twice while reading, but of course I won't admit that ever again. I think the best romances are when the characters have to put in some work to be together, which happens here. You can imagine what happens when CeCe keeps big secrets from Josh, and they have to find their way back to one another after the deception. This was the most rewarding part of the book to me. My only complaint is that sometime the writing felt a bit plasticky, fake. There's a lot of internet vocabulary that feels a bit overused, and I wish CeCe's narration had more of a natural feel to it. Overall I'm giving Follow Your Arrow 4/5 stars for Kacey Musgraves references along with general excellence. Don't miss out on this awesome new contemporary release! Book Look
Thank you to Algonquin for including me on the blog tour for Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small! This novel recently released in paperback, so go ahead and order it today! The Book and its AuthorWould you die for the Prize? Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained since childhood at the Paris Opera Ballet School, where they’ve forged an inseparable bond through shared stories of family tragedies and a powerful love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves how far they would go for the ultimate prize: to be named the one girl who will join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic will make them shine, too? Would they risk death for it? Neither girl is sure. But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the Prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other. Bright Burning Stars is a stunning, propulsive story about girls at their physical and emotional extremes, the gutting power of first love, and what it means to fight for your dreams. A. K. Small was born in Paris, France. At five years old, she began studying classical dance with the legendary Max Bozzoni, then later with Daniel Franck and Monique Arabian at the famous Académie Chaptal. At thirteen, she moved to the United States, where she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for one summer and with the Richmond Ballet Student Company for several years. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband, her puppy, and her three daughters, and practices yoga. Bright Burning Stars is her first novel. ReviewThank you to Algonquin for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Sharp yet glittering, Bright Burning Stars takes us behind the curtain of a ballet school that demands dangerous excellence from its students. Marine and Kate are competing for the ultimate prize--membership in the Opera's ballet corps. This novel explores friendship, eating disorders, and isolation all in the lovely but bruising world of ballet. I really enjoyed reading from Marine's point of view. She has a complicated relationship with ballet, as it is her main connection to her brother Oli, who passed away before the story, but it is also what brings her to Kate. Marine must figure out what she is hungry for, if not the Prize. Small's prose shows her struggles in bright motion, as the competition begins to unravel what Marine thought was the solid foundation of her world. I appreciated the representation of Marine's mental health and body image struggles against the instructors' criticism. It's not the main concern addressed in the book, but it's definitely a realistic portrayal of depression and anxiety as well, for anyone who's suffered like Marine. I'm not saying Bright Burning Stars is at all a comforting read, but it doesn't varnish over the realities of Marine's life at a tiny, competitive ballet school. Kate, on the other hand, did irritate me a bit. I honestly think she was meant to, which, by all means! Her exclusion from the crowd of wealthy French kids made her all the more desperate, and her decision-making process is definitely flawed, but that just made her all the more interesting to read about. The tension mounted as the showcase approaches, and I honestly couldn't tell who would be awarded the Prize. I'm very satisfied with the ending. At once unexpected and then totally obvious--the very best kind. Following Marine and Kate all the way through to the pinnacle of their schooling through flashbacks and memories makes their competition even more high-stakes for the readers. You don't really want to pick a side, but somehow one of the girls steals your heart and you just root for her all the way through. If you can handle the heavy content, Bright Burning Stars is an excellent novel that explores the cutthroat world of professional ballet. I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in an artistic twist on dark academia. 4/5 stars. Feeling very lucky to be on the blog tour for I Think I Love You on this fine Wednesday! Check out the rest of the tour schedule here, and be sure to find my Instagram post as well. Here's to Emma, Sophia, and their love story. The Book and its AuthorA sweet and funny debut novel about falling for someone when you least expect it . . . and finding out that real life romance is better than anything on screen. Emma is a die-hard romantic. She loves a meet-cute Netflix movie, her pet, Lady Catulet, and dreaming up the Gay Rom Com of her heart for the film festival competition she and her friends are entering. If only they’d listen to her ideas. . . Sophia is pragmatic. She’s big into boycotts, namely 1) relationships, 2) teen boys and their BO (reason #2347683 she’s a lesbian), and 3) Emma’s nauseating ideas. Forget starry-eyed romance, Sophia knows what will win: an artistic film with a message. Cue the drama. The movie is doomed before they even start shooting . . . until a real-life plot twist unfolds behind the camera when Emma and Sophia start seeing each other through a different lens. Suddenly their rivalry is starting to feel like an actual rom-com. Auriane is the author of I Think I Love You, and works as a middle school teacher and freelance editor. She holds an MA in English Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing for Children & Young Adults. She lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Sammy, who is a certified bad boy. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads ReviewI Think I Love You is a rather saccharine romance, all about the idea of falling in love and the challenges of friendship. Seeing as I'm rather into that... plus... enemies to lovers sapphic romance? Sign me up immediately. The novel is very sweet and character driven, even though there are some ostensibly fleshed out plotlines about the movies Emma and Sophia work to direct, as well as their plots to set up their friends. The care the group shows one another despite Emma and Sophia's bickering became really important to me. They pay so much attention to each others' emotional states and do whatever's necessary to share light in their lives. We love to see a strong friend group! And believe me when I say strong--this lot goes through so much drama in the span of 320 pages. I related mainly to Emma. I'm a romantic at heart, I love rom-coms and the idea of love. I don't say it a lot because publicizing my labels makes me uncomfortable, but I'm also bi like she is. She has a lot of thinking to do about the way her identity fits in with her family, and some of it affected me rather personally. I can vouch for the rep, and I'm so grateful for the increased visibility in traditional publishing. Every year I get more books to add to my queer reads list, and I couldn't be happier. Although I personally empathized more with Emma, Sophia's motivations were more fleshed-out for me. I felt so bad for her because of how lonely she feels after returning from Paris feeling disconnected from the friend group. I don't necessarily agree with her viewpoint on love, but I can certainly understand it as a defensive mechanism against all the broken romances she's seen. It's absolutely tragic to me that she had to feel that way for so long--I felt so sorry for her. Going to get up on a brief soapbox and talk about the movie Emma plans to make during the novel. She's right about 100% of it. We have so little positive wlw representation in Hollywood, and even less of it made by women themselves. I'd totally support her project if it were real, because she's intrepid and authentic and so enthusiastic about showcasing love's possibilities. I'm not much of a movie buff, but that's the kind of film I'd love to see more of. I do feel the obligation to bring up a small problem I had. Throughout the book, the boys of the friend group are... unnecessarily villified, let's say. I understand the importance of showing one-sided friendships and consent, but was uncomfortable with how at every opportunity, the girls saw the possibility of malice in their previously-kind friends. That struck me as odd, especially in the moments when they didn't give any indication of actually being bad friends? I personally don't go looking for hidden signs of misogyny and evil in my male friends, but you do you Emma and Sophia, I guess. This probably isn't the ideal novel for anyone who needs positive roles for men in their literature--I can suggest several of those if you'd like to email me. All minor quibbles aside, I'm delighted to recommend this film-centric contemporary novel for your reading pleasure. 4/5 stars for I Think I Love You. You'll be seeing more of this book, because I won't be able to stop including it on my rec lists! Favorite Quotes
Back with a super fun blog tour post today, for Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce! Thank you to HarperTeen for sending me a copy, and to TBR and Beyond for organizing this tour. I've got a review today, and bonus creative content: Ellie and I share the same sense of style (at least based on the book cover) so I've recreated her outfit.
The Book and its Author
After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend.
When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes as she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in—if he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his. But even as Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, one that takes her on adventures to some ofEngland’s most beautiful places, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems...and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her.
Kristy Boyce lives in Columbus, OH and teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University. When she’s not spending time with her husband and son, she’s usually writing, reading, putting together fairy gardens, or watching happy reality TV (The Great British Bake-Off and So You Think You Can Dance are perennial favorites)
Website Goodreads Review
When Ellie has what I'd less liken to a meet-cute and more compare to a meet-awkward with a cute British guy, I knew they had chemistry. Of course, that was somewhat tempered by the fact that she immediately started lying her face off, but hey, we all have flaws. I wanted to go into Hot British Boyfriend with a completely open mindset, so that I could maybe let go of some pent up stress and just enjoy a cute romance narrative with a girl who cares wayyyy less about school than I do.
Hot British Boyfriend is a cute romantic romp through Europe against the background of a high school study abroad trip. Best enjoyed with a sense of lightheartedness, this novel is great for envisioning an afternoon on vacation. I know romanticizing foreign countries is a very American thing to do, but I liked the groups' trips to London and Northampton (and one other surprise destination!) because they really set the scene for Ellie's grand self-discoveries. I didn't strictly love having to remind myself not to judge the main character the entire time I was reading, but to be fair, Ellie makes so many ridiculous decisions. Lying, suppressing her true self, thinking about boys all the time to the detriment of her schoolwork... I could go on. Honestly I think the supporting cast was the best part of the book. As much as I tried to get past our differences, I really couldn't identify with Ellie, which made her hard to love. My favorite character was Sage, Ellie's roommate. She had lots of favorable character development and acted as an anchor for Ellie through her adaptation to London. Dev and Huan, their other friends, were also sweet and Ellie's abandonment of them in favor of her hot British boyfriend multiple times in the novel didn't sit well with me. There is kind of a surprise love interest that I really enjoyed! Hard to spoil a romance novel because they usually don't have plot, but (and I find myself saying this more often than not these days!) I want you to go into this knowing nothing. It makes rooting for Ellie and her LI to figure it out more fun. The plot keeps a decent pace, and really builds the world with plenty of references to college applications and the characters' futures. Each scene had something to add, and I particularly enjoyed the moments we got to see Ellie's gardening come to life. She has this wonderfully unexpected hobby of making fairy gardens, which is so cute and creative. It's always great to see unusual hobbies have a chance to shine. Overall, I'm giving Hot British Boyfriend 3.5/5 stars and rounding up to 4 because the book definitely hits its goal. It's a fun lighthearted novel for fans of Jen Malone and Sarah Dessen. Book Look
GiveawayHey all! I've got a Blog Tour post for you with an excerpt of Take it Back by Kia Abdullah! Thank you so much to St. Martin's for including me on this tour--you'll find the synopsis, buy links, and author bio below! Take it Back is an adult courtroom thriller which released December 8th. The Book and its AuthorOne victim. Four accused. Who is telling the truth? Zara Kaleel, one of London's brightest legal minds, shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a brilliant legal career. But her decisions came at a high cost, and now, battling her own demons, she has exchanged her high profile career for a job at a sexual assault center, helping victims who need her the most. Victims like Jodie Wolfe. When Jodie, a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, accuses four boys in her class of an unthinkable crime, the community is torn apart. After all, these four teenage defendants are from hard-working immigrant families and they all have proven alibis. Even Jodie's best friend doesn't believe her. But Zara does—and she is determined to fight for Jodie—to find the truth in the face of public outcry. And as issues of sex, race and social justice collide, the most explosive criminal trial of the year builds to a shocking conclusion. Macmillan Books-A-Million Barnes & Noble Amazon KIA ABDULLAH is an author and travel writer. She has contributed to The Guardian, BBC, Channel 4 News, and The New York Times. Kia currently travels the world as one half of the travel blog Atlas & Boots, which receives over 200,000 views per month. Author Website GoodReads ExcerptTW: Language, Sexual assault, Discussion of sexual assault. Please be advised before reading.
CHAPTER ONE She watched her reflection in the empty glass bottle as the truth crept in with the wine in her veins. It curled around her stomach and squeezed tight, whispering words that paused before they stung, like a paper cut cutting deep: colorless at first and then vibrant with blood. |
The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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