BLOG TOUR: Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey

 I am really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey. I received a free electronic copy from the publisher for honest review. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and Kerry Winfrey for letting me be a part of this cute tour!

Title: Very Sincerely Yours

Author: Kerry Winfrey

Published by: Berkley Books

Released: June 15, 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: A charming and heartwarming new romantic comedy by the author of Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey.  

Teddy Phillips never thought she'd still be spending every day surrounded by toys at almost thirty years old. But working at a vintage toy store is pretty much all she has going on in her life after being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend. The one joy that she's kept is her not-so-guilty pleasure: Everett's Place, a local children's show hosted by Everett St. James, a man whom Teddy finds very soothing . . . and, okay, cute.

Teddy finds the courage to write to him, feeling slightly like one of the children who write to him on his show. He always gives sound advice and seems like he has everything figured out--and he pretty much does: Everett has a great support system, wonderful friends, and his dream job. But there's still that persistent feeling in the back of his mind that something's missing.

When a woman named Theodora starts writing to Everett, he is drawn to her honesty and vulnerability. They continue writing to each other, all the while living their lives without meeting. When their worlds collide, however, they must both let go of their fears and figure out what they truly want--and if the future they want includes each other. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: This is cute! Admittedly, a little bit of an odd crush to have, but I like that Teddy and Everett become pen pals, and then something more. The first thought that came to mind when I heard about the children's show Everett's Place was like a Blue's Clues situation. I just couldn't really imagine myself falling for Steve, writing to Steve. It's a me thing, but I don't tend to find childrens' television hosts attractive. Instead of being swept up in the magic of imagination, I just see grown people trying so hard to entertain children. That's a me thing though.

I thought this story was a good time. I can totally relate to being a grown-up and not knowing what to do with your life. I don't think Teddy should have any shame in working in a toy store, that sounds like a fun job. It does suck that Teddy's ex was such a jerk and that she tried so hard to make herself into what he wanted her to be. No girl needs that.

I liked how the relationship grew. I liked all the family that was introduced. This was just fun. I don't know if it's a romance that I'd swoon over, but it was very cute. I'd definitely say give it a read.

Kerry Winfrey writes romantic comedies for adults and teens. She is the author of Love and Other Alien Experiences, Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It, Waiting for Tom Hanks, and Not Like the Movies. When she’s not writing, she’s likely baking yet another pie or watching far too many romantic comedies. She lives with her husband, son, and dog in the middle of Ohio.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey. Thank you to Berkley Books and Kerry Winfrey for letting me be a part of this fun tour. I'd definitely recommend grabbing this one and giving it a read!

BLOG TOUR: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

 I am really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and India Holton for letting me be a part of this fun tour! Look for this one Tuesday.

Title: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (#1)

Author: India Holton

Published by: Berkley Books

Released: June 15, 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it's a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he's under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her--hopefully proving, once and for all, that she's as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: This was such a fun time! I was initially pulled in by the really pretty cover (good job design team!). I love the wisteria purple color they used. GORGEOUS! I knew I had to read it once I read the synopsis. It just sounded like a lot of fun, and it was a lot of fun.

This book is pretty much a blast from start to finish. It has so much going on in it. There's thieves, pirates, regency romance! It has all the bells and whistles, it's fantastic. 

I had so much fun reading this. I'd say zany is a good word to describe it. You know you're in for a good time right with that opening scene, and it keeps up the good time throughout the whole book.

I can't wait to see what happens next. I like it a lot. More books like this one please.

India Holton lives in New Zealand, where she's enjoyed the typical Kiwi lifestyle of wandering around forests, living barefoot on islands, and messing about in boats. Now she lives in a cottage near the sea, writing books about unconventional women and charming rogues, and drinking far too much tea.

Thank you so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and India Holton for providing me with an advanced review copy and having me on the tour. Books like this are my candy, I want to read them all the time, and I want more of them! Look for this one on June 15.

BLOG TOUR: Legends of the North Cascades by Jonathan Evison

 I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Legends of the North Cascades by Jonathan Evison. I received a free advanced copy for honest review from the publisher. Thank you so much to Algonquin Books and Jonathan Evison for letting me be a part of this adventurous tour!

Title: Legends of the North Cascades

Author: Jonathan Evison

Published by: Algonquin Books

Released: June 8, 2021

Source: Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: Dave Cartwright has had enough. After three tours in Iraq he has come home to Vigilante Falls in Washington State only to find that he feels incapable of connecting to the people and the place that once defined him. Most days, his love for his seven-year-old daughter, Bella, is the only thing keeping him going. When tragedy strikes, Dave makes a dramatic decision: he will take Bella to live in a cave in the wilderness of the North Cascades.

So begins a compelling adventure, a story of a father and daughter attempting to cope with a breathtaking but harsh environment. Once they are settled in the cave, Bella retreats into a different world, that of a mother and son who had lived in that same space, but thousands of years before, at the end of last Ice Age. As the two dramas begin to merge, a timeless odyssey unfolds, both as a meditation on the perils of isolation and an exploration of humans' indelible struggle to survive.

Perfect for readers of Peter Heller's novels or Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone, Legends of the North Cascades is Jonathan Evison's return to sweeping, multicharacter narratives like his New York Times bestseller West of Here and is an immensely satisfying read. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: This book was quite the ride and I definitely enjoyed going on the adventure. This novel explores a drastic decision Dave Cartwright has made about his life. Dave is suffering fro PTSD and finds his breaking point after a tragedy back home. He decides to leave society altogether and take his daughter Bella to live in the wilderness of the North Cascades.

Dave's decision doesn't make the most sense, but it's obvious that he's struggling. This journey really tests Dave and Bella. It could be tough to read at times, to understand Dave, but I did find myself glued to the story. It was an experience.

I didn't understand why Dave does all the stuff that he does, but I needed to know what was going to happen to him and his daughter. I have no real personal experience with PTSD, so I can't talk to how accurate that was. It was a compelling story though.

Legends of the North Cascades has a real kind of beauty to it. There's the beauty of finding where you belong, watching a father and daughter save each other, and just the beauty of the landscape. There's a danger that's mixed with all that beauty.

I thought this was a really well written and engaging story. I enjoyed my time reading it. I'd recommend it.

Jonathan Evison is the author of the novels All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!, Lawn Boy, and Legends of the North Cascades. He lives with his wife and family in Washington State.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for Legends of the North Cascades by Jonathan Evison. Thank you to Algonquin Books and Jonathan Evison for letting me be a part of this tour. I'd definitely recommend giving this a grab and  read.

BLOG TOUR: The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

 I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon. I received an advanced electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Inkyard Press and H.E. Edgmon for letting me be a part of this tour.

Title: The Witch King (#1)

Author: H.E. Edgmon

Published by: Inkyard Press

Released: June 1, 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: To save a fae kingdom, a trans witch must face his traumatic past and the royal fiancé he left behind. This debut YA fantasy will leave you spellbound.
Wyatt would give anything to forget where he came from—but a kingdom demands its king.
In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to his best friend, fae prince Emyr North, was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world.

Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as he gets to know Emyr, Wyatt realizes the boy he once loved may still exist. And as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide once and for all what’s more important—his people or his freedom. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover. A good cover can definitely make me pick up and read a book. If you're looking for a diverse book, this is definitely the one. It was an interesting and entertaining read. It had a lot of stuff going for it.

This was fun. There was a lot of adventure in it. The writing was good, it had a lot of snark to it. The whole book was entertaining.

This book was also pretty dark. There was gore and death that happened during this grand adventure. The characters had to do a lot.

I really liked the found family element that happened in it. The characters were pretty good.

This was definitely a story. It was entertaining.

H.E. Edgmon was born in the deep south but has had many homes, dropped out of school to do gay stuff, and is at least a little feral.

In both their writing and daily life, they aim to center the voices of Indigenous people, trans people, and survivors of trauma. It is always their goal to make fascists uncomfortable.

They have an eccentric little family of their own design, several very sensitive pets, and a lot of opinions. They can most often be found on Twitter @heedgmon.

Thanks for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon. Thank you to Inkyard Press and H.E. Edgmon for letting me be a part of the tour. If this book sounds good to you, pick it up.

Review: Repo Virtual by Corey J. White

 

Title: Repo Virtual

Author: Corey J. White

Published by: Tordotcom

Released: April 21, 2020

Source: Electronic Review Copy through Netgalley and Physical Copy from Library

 

Synopsis: Corey J. White's debut novel Repo Virtual blurs the lines between the real and virtual in an action-packed cyberpunk heist story.
The city of Neo Songdo is a Russian doll of realities -- augmented and virtual spaces anchored in the weight of the real. The smart city is designed to be read by machine vision while people see only the augmented facade of the corporate ideal. At night the stars are obscured by an intergalactic virtual war being waged by millions of players, while on the streets below people are forced to beg, steal, and hustle to survive.

Enter Julius Dax, online repoman and real-life thief. He's been hired for a special job: stealing an unknown object from a reclusive tech billionaire. But when he finds out he's stolen the first sentient AI, his payday gets a lot more complicated. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I received an early electronic copy for honest review from the publisher.

The synopsis and idea of Repo Virtual really pulled me in. I heard a heist was going to happen and I was all for it. The futuristic sounding world really intrigued me too. It definitely had enough to hook me.

This was okay. It kept my interest, it kept me turning pages, but I didn't find myself enthralled. The world sounded interesting enough, but I don't know if I 100% understood it.

The characters were okay, but it felt like we only got the surface of them. It seemed that we learned more about how they identified themselves then who they really were, what made them tick.

I was also never sure of what the plan was for anything. The heist was announced and happened over the course of a day, there was hardly any planning that went into it. They just went full throttle into all the situations, but they were just going by the seat of their pants. I feel like I was supposed to care about them more, and I didn't. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the AI voice. I would have rather seen the AI through the other characters' eyes.

There were a lot of rambling bits in this, mostly coming from the AI about what it means to be. I just didn't really care that much. I found the AI's voice to be a little dull.

I thought this had a cool concept, it kept my interest. It wasn't exactly the kind of heist story I wanted though. It's a fine book, and I bet a lot of people will enjoy it. I just want a little something more when it comes to a heist story. Maybe less talking and more doing, but with a concrete plan in mind.

 

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.4/5

Not Bad 

 

Reading Right Now! (299)

 Another week pretty much over and it's already June!! I can't believe it.

So, what I'm Reading Right Now! is...

Bitten (The Otherworld #1) by Kelley Armstrong -- I've been eyeing this series forever and finally decided to start it. This first book is about Elena who is a werewolf. She was bitten (that whole situation is complicated) and she's the only female werewolf that exists. She's kind of struggling with where she wants to be, she's away from her pack by choice at the beginning of this, and then called back when a problem arises.

This does give me some Mercy Thompson Series feels, but Elena is a harder character and not as carefree as Mercy. I am enjoying it. It's 500+ pages, which I can't say I was expecting.

One thing that makes me excited about this series is that eventually we'll get to visit different creatures. The first two books are about Elena, but then we'll go to a new character that is a witch. I'm really intrigued by that. It kind of reminds me of The Nightworld Series by L.J. Smith, which I loved reading when I was younger. I need to go back and catch up with that series.

So, in conclusion, I have started yet another series.

Mirka Andolfo's Mercy: The Fair Lady, The Frost, and the Fiend (#1) by Mirka Andolfo -- This is a comic that I'm reading through Hoopla. I read Andolfo's other comic series, which I can't remember the name of, but it had a pig as the main character. When I saw another comic series by Andolfo, I wanted to check it out. This one is weird, very weird. It's got a Victorian feel to it. This new genteel lady comes to town, she's mysterious, but could she be dangerous? This feels very Lovecraftian to me. Andolfo's artwork is so good, so pretty. This story is pretty gory, but I'm enjoying it.

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading for the weekend?

BLOG TOUR: The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

 I am really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Hunting Wives by May Cobb. I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. I've had my eye on this one for a little while, so I was pumped to get the opportunity to read it. Lipstick and Bullets, that is what catches my eye. Thank you so much to Berkley and May Cobb for letting me be a part of this fun tour!

Title: The Hunting Wives

Author: May Cobb

Published by: Berkley

Released: May 18, 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy provided by Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: The Hunting Wives share more than target practice, martinis, and bad behavior in this novel of obsession, seduction, and murder. 

Sophie O’Neill left behind an envy-inspiring career and the stressful, competitive life of big-city Chicago to settle down with her husband and young son in a small Texas town. It seems like the perfect life with a beautiful home in an idyllic rural community. But Sophie soon realizes that life is now too quiet, and she’s feeling bored and restless.

Then she meets Margot Banks, an alluring socialite who is part of an elite clique secretly known as the Hunting Wives. Sophie finds herself completely drawn to Margot and swept into her mysterious world of late-night target practice and dangerous partying. As Sophie’s curiosity gives way to full-blown obsession, she slips farther away from the safety of her family and deeper into this nest of vipers.

When the body of a teenage girl is discovered in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet, Sophie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and her life spiraling out of control. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: The cover was the first thing that drew me to this book, and as soon as I read the synopsis, I was hooked. This was twisted and fun! I couldn't put it down once I started reading. I loved the premise of it and the thrill of it all. Sophie got pulled into a dangerous web, a sticky situation indeed.

This book kept me intrigued and entertained from the first page. I think May Cobb did a great job at writing an entertaining story. I was never bored, there was like a weird fascination that came with reading it.

The group of women that Sophie finds herself caught up in were not the nice girls, they were most definitely sharks in the water. Sophie swam right into their clutches.

I really liked the fast-paced mystery of this. It was such a steep slide from curiosity to craziness. 

I'd definitely recommend giving this one a read. If you want something thrilling and fun and questionable for your summer, pick it up. I can't wait to see what May Cobb comes out with next.

May Cobb earned her MA in literature from San Francisco State University, and her essays and interviews have appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, Edible Austin, and Austin Monthly. Her debut novel, Big Woods, won multiple awards. A Texas native, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her family.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Hunting Wives by May Cobb. Thanks so much to Berkley and May Cobb for letting me be a part of this thrilling tour. I'd definitely recommend grabbing this one and giving it a read, it's a good time.