BLOG TOUR: To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan

 I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan. I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to HQN and Audrey Carlan for letting me be a part of this tour.

Title: To Catch a Dream

Author: Audrey Carlan

Published by: HQN

Released: March 9, 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the worldwide phenomenon Calendar Girl series brings readers a poignant and honest look at life’s most complicated relationships. 

When their mother passed away, Evie Ross and her sister were each given a stack of letters, one to be opened every year on their birthday; letters their free-spirited mother hoped would inspire and guide them through adulthood. But although Evie has made a successful career, her desire for the stability and security she never had from her parents has meant she’s never experienced the best life has to offer. But the discovery of more letters hidden in a safe-deposit box points to secrets her mother held close, and possibly a new way for Evie to think about her family, her heart and her dreams. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was a very sweet story. Very poignant. It's a book about sisters, mothers, and family. I also really enjoyed the Native American aspects of the story too. Evie is a girl who has some struggles about what people see when they look at her. She's half Native American, but no one could really tell by looking at her. I enjoyed that discussion in this story.

Evie and her sister had a different childhood when it came to their parents. Their mom was free spirited and wanted to travel and see the world. Their dad was a military man and duty called. Evie and Suda were left with their grandparents to grown up on a Reservation. After their mom dies, she has them open letters every year on their birthdays. It's an interesting way to get to know a little about their mom since she wasn't around much when they were growing up. The letters offer advice. It's sweet and sad.

I liked the sister aspect of this book. There is no one like a sister to love and annoy you, all in the same package.

I also really enjoyed the romance that was in here. It was cute. Evie has always had a crush and now things are working out.

This is the sequel to What the Heart Wants. I didn't necessarily know that when going in, but I don't feel like it hurt me to read it out of order.

I enjoyed this book and story. I liked watching Evie's journey. It was a sweet book.

Audrey Carlan is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 40 novels, including the worldwide phenomenon Calendar Girl serial, and her books have been translated into more than 30 languages across the globe. Audrey lives in the California Valley with her two children and the love of her life.

Thank you for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan. Thanks so much to HQN and Audrey Carlan for letting me be a part of the tour. If this sounds like your kind of book, I'd definitely say give it a read.

BLOG TOUR: The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

 I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Dating Plan by Sara Desai. I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher and it made me so happy. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and Sara Desai for letting me be a part of the tour. This one comes out March 16, 2021. You've got to add it to your list!

Title: The Dating Plan

Author: Sara Desai

Published by: Berkley Books

Released: March 16, 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn't broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago...

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: Cute! I love Fake Dating stories. I love Marriage of Convenience plots. This book just called to me on so many levels. Plus, the cover is so pretty and lilac. It doesn't take a lot to get me.

The story inside delivered on everything that I had been promised. I just had a really good time reading this. It was exactly the kind of book that I needed. 

I loved seeing the relationship turn from fake to real. They definitely had some issues to work out. The past reared its ugly head quite a few times. Daisy is very good at holding a grudge, and whipping out that card anytime she feels like it. Liam has some stuff that he does need to grovel for.

I liked how smart Daisy is. She's very impressive at what she does, but she's not intimidating.

This book was just really cute and I can't wait to read more stuff by Sara Desai. If you're looking for something romantic and feel good, I'd definitely say give this book a shot.

Sara Desai has been a lawyer, a radio DJ, a historian, a bouncer, and a librarian. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and three children.

Thank you so much for checking out by Blog Tour Stop for The Dating Plan by Sara Desai. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and Sarah Desai for letting me be a part of the tour. This book is definitely a cute one.

Reading Right Now! (291)

 We're back in March. How did that happen? March, where Covid-19 and Lockdowns and Government Mandates and Claustrophobia Inducing Masks made their unwelcome appearance. I just want to get back to Normal Times. I sometimes get jealous when I watch people in Australia and New Zealand looking like normal, but then I remember that they are big islands, so no wonder they were able to nip it in the bud quicker. 

Anyway, this is about books! Not about how much life is crappy at the moment. So, what I'm Reading Right Now! is...

Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire -- This is a novella about ghosts in New York and a mystery is brewing where they are disappearing. Also, could be triggering for suicide.

I'm always unsure when it comes to novellas. I want them to be longer, essentially not be a novella. A lot of times it feels like the story ends right when it's getting started. I do love the Murderbot Novellas by Martha Wells though.

Anyway, I like Seanan McGuire, but there can be a lot of rambling in the books written, which this one has a little of.

This is a book for my Deck of TBR too, so we'll see how well I do this month.

The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard -- I haven't started this one yet, but I'm excited for it. I need some more Historical Romance in my life. I think this is kind of a Beauty and the Beast type of thing.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you Reading?

BLOG TOUR: Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small

I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small. There's just something about ultra competitive ballet that just screams read me! I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Algonquin Young Readers and A.K. Small for letting me be a part of this tour.

 

 

Title: Bright Burning Stars

Author: A.K. Small

Published by: Algonquin Young Readers

Released: May 21, 2019

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce 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 what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? 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. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: Welcome to the competitive world of ballet, and the friendship of Marine and Kate. It's a world of doing everything and anything to be the best, to get that top spot. Bright Burning Stars was a really captivating story. It explores the tough world that is ballet.

Ballet is the center of these girls lives. They do everything they can to get better at the dance. That means excessive practicing, watching what they eat, and thinking how to grab that top spot. It was definitely an interesting story. These girls had found their passion, but is it so much that it will consume them?

I will admit to not knowing much about ballet. I watched Black Swan and that's pretty much it. There were a lot of ballet terms in here that helped really set the scene for the book, but I definitely didn't know what some of them were.

I enjoyed our two girls, Marine and Kate. They were both determined to do everything they could for ballet. Theirs was a friendship that had its highs and lows. They were in such a competitive place that it could be hard to keep a friendship stable.

What made this book fun was definitely the Demigod and his hold over the whole female population of dancers. He's like a being from another world. It was just something to watch, they way he had everyone falling for him. He really helped make this book, along with some other male characters.

I enjoyed Bright Burning Stars. It was an experience. If you like friendships that are tested, competition, and ballet, then I'd say give this one a read. It's quick and I don't think you'll regret it.

 

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small. Thanks so much to Algonquin Young Readers and A.K. Small for letting me be a part of the tour!

 

  

BLOG TOUR: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. I've been looking forward to this book for a while. I received an electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks soooo much to Park Row and Sarah Penner for letting me be a part of the Blog Tour.

Title: The Lost Apothecary

Author: Sarah Penner

Published by: Park Row

Released: March 2, 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads    Amazon

 

Synopsis: A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. 

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I've been excited to read this one for awhile. Everything in the synopsis called to me. And it's even more exciting because The Lost Apothecary is one of the March Book of the Month Picks! That's a really cool accomplishment.

Everything about the synopsis of this book calls to me. It just really sold me on the story. I love dual timeline things too, those are my jam.

This story was great from start to finish. It reeled me in and I just had to keep reading until the end. 

I really loved how the different timelines and stories intertwined and became something bigger for everyone. It was a story that I just couldn't look away from. I found the whole thing really fascinating. I loved the history of it. I loved how Caroline became so immersed in this mystery. I loved seeing Nella and Eliza's stories play out. 

This is a book that I'd definitely recommend. I really enjoyed it. I'm so impressed with this debut. I can't wait to see more from Sarah Penner.

 

 

 

 

 Sarah Penner is the debut author of THE LOST APOTHECARY (March 2021, Park Row Books/HarperCollins), available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and translated into more than fifteen languages. Sarah and her husband live in St. Petersburg, Florida with their miniature dachshund, Zoe. To learn more, visit SarahPenner.com.

 

 

 

 

 Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. Thanks so much to Park Row and Sarah Penner for giving me the chance to read this wonderful story and let me be on this fun tour. Go read this book!

 

February Wrap Up and March Deck of TBR 2021

 I'm doing a little bit of a mash up here with my February Wrap Up and my March Deck of TBR!

I didn't read as much as I thought I would in February. Let me rephrase, I read in February, but I didn't finish as many books as I thought I would. Is it the older I get, the slower I read? I hope that's not true, because that would suck. I remember finishing so many books when I was a kid, but those books were shorter and had more space between the lines. Maybe I read about the same pace. I don't know.

I also tried experimenting with reading two books at the same time. So far, my experiment has yielded that it does not make me a faster reader and I don't finish more books doing that. I'll continue on with the experiment anyway, until I decide I don't want to anymore.

In February I read 5 books. I really thought it would be a higher number.

Ride Hard (Raven Riders #1) by Laura Kaye -- This was okay. What I didn't know is that it's a spin off to another series called Hard Ink and it references things that happened in another book. I found that a little annoying because I thought I was starting a new series. The romance was ehh. I felt the age difference in the beginning of the book. Our main girl was just so young and innocent feeling. Some of the sexy times came out of left field and didn't feel the most natural. I guess I liked it better as I got toward the end. I'll probably continue on with the series. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

 

The Ravens (#1) by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige -- YA Witches. I liked it well enough. It was a story that kept me entertained and I'd definitely check out the sequel. It's not the darkest or most intense of stories, but overall, it was a decent time. 

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (#1)  by Theodora Goss -- I loved this! What a great surprise. It was told in a way that I really liked. It had some humor to it, some mystery. It's a great girl gang, found family sort of thing. I've got the next book and I can't wait to get into it. This was my favorite of the month. Such a jewel. 

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5!

The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgerton #2) by Julia Quinn -- Another book I really enjoyed. I loved the antagonism between our two characters, Anthony and Kate. I was just smiling through so much of the story. I can't wait to see how they bring it to the screen. After they got together, the banter died down a lot, which made me sad. I like when they mess with one another. I can't wait to get my hands on the next Bridgerton Book which is Benedict's story. I really like him in the show version.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Heart of Brass (#1) by Kate Cross -- This one was okay. I don't know if I was feeling as much from the romance as I could have. This also had a lot going on in it. A killer targeting well bred debutantes, a missing husband who comes back after seven years with no memory and is now an assassin on a mission to kill his wife who he doesn't know is his wife, and something going on in the secret group of agents known as Wardens. There's a lot! I liked it enough to continue with the series. This one is a steampunk.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.3/5

My March 2021 Deck of TBR!

I got this TBR game idea from BooksWithMaddi on Youtube

 

 

Review: Still Water (#2) by Amy Stuart

 

Title: Still Water (#2)

Author: Amy Stuart

Published by: Simon Schuster / Touchstone

Released: 2018

Source: Library

Synopsis: From The Globe and Mail bestselling author of Still Mine comes a new thriller featuring Clare and Malcolm, this time on the hunt for a missing mother and son in a town that is drowning in deception—Clare may be in her gravest danger yet. 

HOW DO YOU FIND THE TRUTH IN A TOWN FULL OF SECRETS?
Clare has to find them.
Sally Proulx and her young boy have mysteriously disappeared in the stormy town of High River. Clare is hired to track them down, hoping against all odds to find them alive. But High River isn’t your typical town. It’s a place where women run to—women who want to escape their past. They run to Helen Haines, a matriarch who offers them safe haven and anonymity. Pretending to be Sally’s long-lost friend, Clare turns up and starts asking questions, but nothing prepares her for the swirl of deception and the depth of the lies.
Did Sally drown? Did her son? Was it an accident, or is their disappearance part of something bigger?
In a town where secrets are crucial to survival, everyone is hiding something. Detectives Somers and Rourke clearly have an ulterior motive beyond solving the case. Malcolm Boon, who hired Clare, knows more about her than he reveals. And Helen is concealing a tragic family history of her own. As the truth surges through High River, Clare must face the very thing she has so desperately been running from, even if it comes at a devastating cost. Compulsively gripping and twisty, Still Water is a deep dive of a thriller that will leave you breathless. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This surprised me in the turns that it took. It became more than I was expecting it to be, which I liked. I thought it was going to be very similar to the first book in the series. Clare gets a case from Malcolm, goes undercover, solves case, and then travels with Malcolm to next case. Some of those aspects in Still Water definitely stayed the same, but it did become more then that too.

There was a lot going on with Malcolm in this, which really made the book more interesting. Clare is not only on her undercover case, but she's trying to figure out what's going on with Malcolm too. He becomes more consumed by his mysterious past in this one, a past that Clare (and the audience) still doesn't completely know or understand.

I really like how quick this series is. The writing style is really easy to get into and just fly through. I'm always intrigued to see where the cases are going to go.

My biggest criticism for this and the first book is that I think Clare's undercover background stories are so flimsy. She always shows up at places where she's going to stick out like a sore thumb, and her covers are so weak. It would take just the least bit of asking around for it all to crumble apart. I think she needs to do better on making her covers' more believable. I'm always surprised when people actually buy into them. But what do I know. I've never been undercover, so maybe she's got great cover stories and I'm just too critical.

All in all, I liked this one. It took the feel of the first book in the series and made it a little bigger, a little more interesting. I'm definitely curious to continue with the series. I want to know what happens next.

Oh and I guess there are triggers for domestic abuse, drug use, and other dark things in this series.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5

Pretty Good