BLOG TOUR: The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird

 I am really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird! I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to MIRA and Kristen Bird for letting me be a part of this tour. I had fun.

Title: The Night She Went Missing

Author: Kristen Bird

Published by: MIRA

Released: February 8, 2022

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads      Amazon

 

Synopsis: An intriguing and twisty domestic suspense about loyalty and deceit in a tight-knit Texas community where parents are known to behave badly and people are not always who they appear to be.

Emily, a popular but bookish prep school senior, goes missing after a night out with friends. She was last seen leaving a party with Alex, a football player with a dubious reputation. But no one is talking.

Now three mothers, Catherine, Leslie and Morgan, friends turned frenemies, have their lives turned upside down as they are forced to look to their own children—and each other’s—for answers to questions they don’t want to ask. 

Each mother is sure she knows who is responsible, but they all have their own secrets to keep and reputations to protect. And the lies they tell themselves and each other may just have the potential to be lethal in this riveting debut. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It was the perfect reading escape. I was really interested in just what was going on. It kept my attention and kept me reading. I liked the cast of characters. I just found the book really intriguing, which is pretty important in a mystery/thriller. I'd definitely read more for Kristen Bird.

Kristen Bird lives outside of Houston, Texas with her husband and three daughters. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music and mass media before completing a master’s in literature. She teaches high school English and writes with a cup of coffee in hand. In her free time, she likes to visit parks with her three daughters, watch quirky films with her husband and attempt to keep pace with her rescue lab-mixes. THE NIGHT SHE WENT MISSING is her debut novel.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird. Thank you to MIRA and Kristen Bird for letting me be a part of this tour. I'd recommend giving this one a read. It's a good time.

SPOTLIGHT: Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters Edited by Jessica P. Pryde

 I am excited to share a Spotlight for Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters edited by Jessica P. Pryde! This is an anthology collection of essays that celebrates and examines Black Romance. I received a free electronic review copy from the publisher. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and Jessica P. Pryde for letting me be a part of this Spotlight!

Title: Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Every Afters

Edited by: Jessica P. Pryde

Published by: Berkley Books

Released: February 1, 2022

Source: Electronic Review Copy provided by Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis:  An incisive, intersectional essay anthology that celebrates and examines romance and romantic media through the lens of Black readers, writers, and cultural commentators, edited by Book Riot columnist and librarian Jessica Pryde. 

Romantic love has been one of the most essential elements of storytelling for centuries. But for Black people in the United States and across the diaspora, it hasn't often been easy to find Black romance joyfully showcased in entertainment media. In this collection, revered authors and sparkling newcomers, librarians and academicians, and avid readers and reviewers consider the mirrors and windows into Black love as it is depicted in the novels, television shows, and films that have shaped their own stories. Whether personal reflection or cultural commentary, these essays delve into Black love now and in the past, including topics from the history of Black romance to social justice and the Black community to the meaning of desire and desirability.

Exploring the multifaceted ways love is seen--and the ways it isn't--this diverse array of Black voices collectively shines a light on the power of crafting happy endings for Black lovers.

Jessica Pryde is joined by Carole V. Bell, Sarah Hannah Gomez, Jasmine Guillory, Da'Shaun Harrison, Margo Hendricks, Adriana Herrera, Piper Huguley, Kosoko Jackson, Nicole M. Jackson, Beverly Jenkins, Christina C. Jones, Julie Moody-Freeman, and Allie Parker in this collection. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Jessica Pryde is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot, where she is the co-host of the When In Romance podcast and writes about bookish things of all kinds. Having earned an AB in the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis and her MLIS at San Jose State University, she is now a librarian for a public library system in Southern Arizona, where she lives with her husband and an ever-growing collection of Funko!Pops. Black Loves Matter is her first book.

Review: Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

 

Title: Wings of Ebony (#1)

Author: J. Elle

Published by: Denene Millner Books

Released: 2021

Source: Electronic Review Copy from Netgalley / Physical Copy from Library

Goodreads 

 

Synopsis: “Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders.

Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life.

Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to them for letting me read it. I read a physical copy through my library.

I didn't really like this. I feel a little bad, because I wanted to like this, but I just didn't really have a fun time.

One of my big problems was the order in which the story was told. The synopsis has the way the story should have played out, in my opinion. We meet up with Rue, her mother is murdered, she meets a father she's never known, she learns she's half-magic, she's whisked off to her father's world of Ghizon, and then the rest of the plot continues. That makes sense to me. That would have made for a more enjoyable story. Instead, we begin a year after everything has happened with Rue sneaking back to her old neighborhood to secretly check in with her sister. Rue is given rules that she's not to let her sister know she's there, and she can't touch her sister or the secret of Ghizon will be revealed to her, which would put her in danger. Rue proceeds to not follow any of these rules and then everybody's in trouble.

We never really got to know any of the ins and outs of Ghizon because there wasn't really any world-building there.

I didn't really enjoy Rue. She's very impulsive, which causes a lot of problems in this book. She can also be a little useless. She thinks her way is the only way. She's not very nice to the people that are trying to help her. She definitely doesn't give her father a chance. It seems like the whole year she was in Ghizon, she skipped all her classes and just listened to her earbuds all the time. I just wasn't that impressed with her.

She was unfair to her friend Bri, who spent the whole book just trying to help her.

It does have a fast-paced plot that was interesting to follow.

There's an evil Chancellor guy. There's secrets when it comes to Ghizon.

I didn't really, fully understand everything about the magic, because it wasn't explained. It was just kind of there.

I don't know if there's supposed to be a love triangle thing happening in this. It was rushed.

The ending was pretty abrupt. It just felt like a set up for the next book. 

This book had some cool ideas, I just didn't like how it was executed. I wanted to like this more than I actually did. 

 

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

ehh 

 

Reading Right Now! (325)

 Hooray for Friday! This Reading Right Now! post is not going to be that interesting, because I'm reading the same thing that I was last week. My reading for 2022 has started off very slow. I only finished 4 books in January, which isn't bad, but I saw myself reading so much more. Oh well

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

 Oculta (A Forgery of Magic #2) by Maya Motayne -- I am about 280 pages in, and I'm enjoying it. I liked the first book when I read it and I'm enjoying this one too. I don't really know how I feel about the romance. I mean, I do like them together, but right now it's just kind of awkward. It's weird seeing this tough thief Finn, who's so strong around everyone else, just kind of mooning over Alfie.

This is definitely a fun story. It has a cool world, neat magic. I like it.

This is a chunk of a book, which is one reason it's taking me a little while. The other reason is that I haven't been the best at setting aside time for reading when I come home from work.

I'd also like to start

 

 Naked in Death (In Death #1) by J.D. Robb -- So many people love this series, and even though it's 50+ books, I want to start it too!

So many people say it's a comforting read to them, or something that they know they can enjoy even when in a reading slump, and I just want it to be my comfort series too. Am I crazy? Possibly.

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

BLOG TOUR: A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox

 I am pleased to be a part of the Blog Tour for A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox! I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Hester Fox for letting me be a part of this tour!

Title: A Lullaby for Witches

Author: Hester Fox

Published by: Graydon House

Released: February 1, 2022

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: Two women. A history of witchcraft. And a deep-rooted female power that sings across the centuries.  

Once there was a young woman from a well-to-do New England family who never quite fit with the drawing rooms and parlors of her kin.

Called instead to the tangled woods and wild cliffs surrounding her family’s estate, Margaret Harlowe grew both stranger and more beautiful as she cultivated her uncanny power. Soon, whispers of “witch” dogged her footsteps, and Margaret’s power began to wind itself with the tendrils of something darker.

One hundred and fifty years later, Augusta Podos takes a dream job at Harlowe House, the historic home of a wealthy New England family that has been turned into a small museum in Tynemouth, Massachusetts. When Augusta stumbles across an oblique reference to a daughter of the Harlowes who has nearly been expunged from the historical record, the mystery is too intriguing to ignore.

But as she digs deeper, something sinister unfurls from its sleep, a dark power that binds one woman to the other across lines of blood and time. If Augusta can’t resist its allure, everything she knows and loves—including her very life—could be lost forever. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I love a mystery that goes across time. As soon as I read the synopsis for A Lullaby for Witches, I was hooked. It was just so excited to sit down and immerse myself in this story. I loved the alternating present and past set up. I just find books like that a lot of fun to read. I'm also a fan of a person in the present being connected to something in the past. Someone trying to solve a mystery that happened long, long ago.

This was great! I enjoyed every minute of it. I really got immersed in everything that was happening. I needed to know how it was all going to end. Hester Fox wrote a really gripping story that was exactly what I wanted. It combined witches, the past, the present, magic, an old house, and mystery. Just such a good combination of things.

Hester Fox is a full-time writer and mother, with a background in museum work and historical archaeology. Most weekends you can find Hester exploring one of the many historic cemeteries in the area, browsing bookshops, or enjoying a seasonal latte while writing at a café. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and their son.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox. Thank you to Graydon House and Hester Fox for letting me be a part of the tour. If you see this one on the shelf and it sounds good to you, you should definitely pick it up.

BLOG TOUR: The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz

 I am thrilled to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz! I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Brenda Janowitz for having me on this tour!

Title: The Liz Taylor Ring

Author: Brenda Janowitz

Published by: Graydon House

Released: February 1, 2022

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads    Amazon

 

Synopsis: In 1978, Lizzie Morgan and Ritchie Schneider embark on a whirlwind romance on the bright beaches and glamorous yachts of Long Island. Over the years, their relationship has its share of ups and downs, including a nine-month hiatus that ends with a stunning eleven-carat ring—one that looks just like the diamond Richard Burton gifted Liz Taylor after their own separation. Like the famous couple, despite the drama that would unfold throughout the Schneiders’ marriage, the ring would be there as a symbol of their love…until it wasn't.

Decades later, when the lost ring unexpectedly resurfaces, the Schneiders’ three children gather under one roof for the first time in years, eager to get their hands on this beloved, expensive reminder of their departed parents. But determining the fate of the heirloom is no simple task, unearthing old wounds and heartaches the siblings can't ignore. And when the ring reveals a secret that challenges everything they thought they knew about their parents’ epic love story, they’ll have to decide whether to move forward as a family or let the ring break them once and for all. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. The synopsis really intrigued and grabbed me. I found it to be an entertaining read. It was a book that I kept picking up.

This is a book that's all about family drama. I find those books to be entertaining reads. We are following the children of Lizzie and Ritchie, who all want a piece of that heirloom ring. We also have flashbacks to the romance of Lizzie and Ritchie.

I just really enjoyed the premise of this one. It delivered a good story that kept me reading.

I'd recommend picking this one up. It's good.

 

Brenda Janowitz is the author of seven novels, including The Grace Kelly Dress. She is the former books correspondent for PopSugar, and her work has also appeared in the New York Times, Real Simple, the Washington Post, and the New York Post, among others. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Hofstra School of Law and lives in New York with her husband and two sons. Find her on Instagram, @brendajanowitzwriter, and on Twitter, @brendajanowitz.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz. Thank you to Graydon House and Brenda Janowitz for letting me be a part of the tour. I'd recommend picking this one up.

BLOG TOUR: The Counter Clockwise Heart by Brian Farrey

 I am excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Counter Clockwise Heart by Brian Farrey! I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Algonquin Young Readers and Brian Farrey for letting me be a part of the tour!

Title: The Counter Clockwise Heart

Author: Brain Farrey

Published by: Algonquin Young Readers

Released: February 1, 2022

Source: Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: Tick . . . tick . . . tick . . .
  Time is running out in the empire of Rheinvelt.
  The sudden appearance of a strange and frightening statue foretells darkness. The Hierophants—magic users of the highest order—have fled the land. And the shadowy beasts of the nearby Hinterlands are gathering near the borders, preparing for an attack.
  Young Prince Alphonsus is sent by his mother, the Empress Sabine, to reassure the people while she works to quell the threat of war. But Alphonsus has other problems on his mind, including a great secret: He has a clock in his chest where his heart should be—and it’s begun to run backwards, counting down to his unknown fate.
  Searching for answers about the clock, Alphonsus meets Esme, a Hierophant girl who has returned to the empire in search of a sorceress known as the Nachtfrau. When riddles from their shared past threaten the future of the empire, Alphonsus and Esme must learn to trust each other and work together to save it—or see the destruction of everything they both love. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was fun, full of adventure, and dark. I love the cover on this book, it was a big draw for me picking it up to read. The story inside was very entertaining as well. It had some uniqueness to it. I really enjoyed my time reading it.

Middle Grade comes out with some very interesting and fun reads, and The Counter Clockwise Heart is one of them. It's the perfect book to entertain.

I'd definitely say, give this one a read!

Brian Farrey is the author of The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse, winner of the 2017 Minnesota Book Award, and the Stonewall honor book With or Without You.  He lives in  Minnesota with his husband and their sweet but occasionally evil cats. You can find him online at brianfarreybooks.com and on Twitter: @BrianFarrey .

Thank you for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Counter Clockwise Heart by Brian Farrey. Thanks so much to Algonquin Young Readers and Brian Farrey for having me on the tour. If Middle Grade is something you enjoy, I'd give this one a read.