I am briefly back as part of the book tour hosted by TBR and Beyond (check the other tour stops here!). I absolutely devoured the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series and jumped on the occasion of being part of this blog tour. Thank you so much for hosting this TBR and Beyond. Five Survive is Holly Jackson at the top of her craft.
Five Survive by Holly Jackson
Synopsis: Eight hours. Six friends. Five survive. A road trip turns deadly in this addictive YA thriller from the bestselling author of the worldwide phenomenon A GOOD GIRLâS GUIDE TO MURDER.
Red Kenny is on a road trip for spring break with five friends: Her best friend âthe older brother âhis perfect girlfriend âa secret crush âa classmate âand a killer.When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.With eight hours until dawn, the six friends must escape, or figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night. . . .
Content Warning: guns, death threats, mob violence, death, injury; Genre: Young Adult Thriller; Publishing Date: November 29, 2022
About the Author: Holly Jackson was born in 1992. She grew up in Buckinghamshire and started writing stories from a young age, completing her first (poor) attempt at a book aged fifteen.âA Good Girlâs Guide to Murderâ is a YA Mystery Thriller and her debut novel. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys binge-playing video games and pointing out grammatical errors in street signs.
Long time no see! I cannot believe how much time has gone by. This post was initially a draft of my “February Wrap-Up!” which I unfortunately never finished writing, so it has turned into a general wrap-up of these past three months. I missed posting and chatting with all of you. Even if I’m on other platforms, there is something special about book blogging.
Without further ado, here is a ranking of the 25 books I have read in the last three months.
Sabriya has her whole summer planned out in color-coded glory, but those plans go out the window after a terrorist attack near her home. When the terrorist is assumed to be Muslim and Islamophobia grows, Sabriya turns to her online journal for comfort. You Truly Assumed was never meant to be anything more than an outlet, but the blog goes viral as fellow Muslim teens around the country flock to it and find solace and a sense of community.
Soon two more teens, Zakat and Farah, join Bri to run You Truly Assumed and the three quickly form a strong friendship. But as the blogâs popularity grows, so do the pushback and hateful comments. When one of them is threatened, the search to find out who is behind it all begins, and their friendship is put to the test when all three must decide whether to shut down the blog and lose what theyâve worked forâŠor take a stand and risk everything to make their voices heard.
Publication Date: February 8th 2022 by Inkyard Press
I wish you all a merry Christmas, and if you don’t celebrate, I still hope you’re having a great day, whether you were accompanied or not. I’m sending extra love for those who need it during the holidays.
Christmas looked a little different for me this year because I tested positive for Covid on the 23th but I had been isolating since the 16th, when I was in contact with someone who had tested positive. This was my first time I was in contact since the pandemic started and it has been a nightmare. This past week has been torture between waiting for symptoms to appear and hoping I would be spared. Unfortunately, I wasn’t but I know it could have been much more. Uploading for blogmas since the 16th was very hard because I constantly felt like crying. I was worried I would contaminate my family, I mourned the fact that I didn’t go to church for Christmas and that I couldn’t hug my loved ones.
I am still incredibly grateful to be with my family during this time even if I am mostly isolating in my room, my symptoms have been light, nearly non-existent so far (and I’m praying it stays that way) and I am incredibly grateful for the vaccine. I even got to share a meal with my family because we were distancing and I wore my mask throughout the evening. I cannot believe how lucky I got. So among my frustration, anger and sadness there is still a little joy and hope. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and that you’re having a lovely Christmas. My blogmas posts are coming in the following week, even if blogmas is over, because I really enjoyed the posts I planned and I hope you will too.
I have reached 100 books read this year (wooo đ„ł) so I don’t really have books that I absolutely *need* to get to but I simply want to lower books on my physical TBR so I can enter 2022 with a clear conscious (and a lot of book buying!). This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.
How is it September already?! This is my monthly “time flies by too fast” panic rant. I don’t know if it’s just me, but September is synonymous with new beginnings and change. I’m both nervous and excited for the things that are happening and I’m happy that August was a time of rest, a “calm before the storm” kind of month and that I managed to read some books I loved!
I have to thank the ARC gods (erm – Netgalley and the publishers) for this because The Bergman Brothers is one of my favourite romance series ever and I screamed when I saw I had been approved on Netgalley. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have people on the autism spectrum represented in such a beautiful way and by an autistic author! MY HEART. The Bergman Brothers series is so inclusive and doesn’t shy away from hard or complicated topics but the author constantly tries to give the most respectful and accurate representation With You Forever ties with Always Only You for my favourite book in the series. Hope you enjoy this review and that you will give this book a chance!
Title: With You Forever (Bergman Brothers #4)
Author: Chloe Liese
Synopsis:
Axel
Rooney Sullivan is sunshine incarnate. Warm, bright, always smiling, sheâs everything Iâm not and the last person I have any business desiring. Desperate to hide a hopeless attraction, Iâve done everything possible to keep my distance…until a charades game gone wrong brought that to a grinding halt. Since then, steering clear of Rooney has been impossible. In a matter of months, sheâs kissed me speechless, commandeered my art career, and infiltrated not only my dreams but my home. The woman who was once avoidable has become the last thing I needed: temptingly within reach.
Rooney
Axel Bergman is a gorgeous grump who doesnât have the time of day for me. Thankfully, Iâve kept my crush under wraps…well, until I kissed him. Charades got away from me, okay? It was an accident! I havenât seen him since, which is for the best. My life is a mess, and the last thing I need is to embarrass myself further with the man who avoids me like thatâs his job rather than painting modern masterpieces.It seems the universe, however, has a different plan. When Axel and I unexpectedly find our pathsâand problemsâconverging, a marriage of convenience proves the perfect solution. At least, until Iâm facing my most serious problem yet: a once-loveless marriage of convenience thatâs inconveniently become a love match, after all.
With You Forever is a sunshine and grump, marriage of convenience romance about a shy artist on the autism spectrum*, and a smiley smartypants who has a chronic IBD. Complete with combustible cooking lessons, interfering family and friends, and a steamy slow burn, this standalone is the fourth in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.*This is an #OwnVoices story for its portrayal of autism by an autistic author.
Publication Date: September 14th 2021 by Chloe Liese
I am honored to post this author interview with the lovely Morgan Vega, author of Sleeping Around, out today! đ„ł Morgan kindly reached out to me and asked if I wanted to review an early copy of Sleeping Around and of course, I said yes! My review will be up in a few days (you can already find it on Goodreads) but for the release day, I wanted to share the interview Morgan Vega granted me!
May, 8th 2021 was one of the best days of my life. Yes I’m being dramatic but yes this is very true.
It all started on the beautiful day the website for Shadow and Bone on Netflix went up and there was a form for a little while where you could RSVP for a chance to be in the same Zoom meeting as the Shadow and Bone cast. Since I spend most of my days on twitter and that I have a “grishaverse list” I knew about the opportunity as soon as the website went up. I almost didn’t sign up because I have social anxiety and I was scared of what would happen but I decided to still sign up and I’m so happy I did!!
Then came the emails where my heart really stopped beating; I still couldn’t believe this was happening and I’m pessimistic so I thought that if i started sharing my excitement it just wouldn’t happen.
The event lasted two hours and each group had 20 minutes with the cast and crew where we could ash questions and interact with them!
When we received our time slots I found people on twitter and we bonded over the cast and had a nice Zoom meeting just for us where we fangirled and had a little euphoric high over the fact that the zoom was under 20 mins. We were all anxiously waiting for the link for the zoom and I was STRESSED about my wifi connection but then the link dropped and then the wait began.
I was in the first time slot so the host had to figure out how to add the people in the group as well as the cast and crew so I think my group didn’t have as much time with the guests than the later groups but I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.
I honestly don’t remember a single thing, and I mean it, a single thing that happened in the meeting and if there were no pictures I would have thought that I had dreamed it. It was surreal. I took screenshots and pictures of the meeting and you can see my little window on the corner.
Here are a few pictures of the cast and me:
Even the cast posted a few stories on instagram and twitter and I still couldn’t believe it happened.
I rewatched a few videos and snippets andI found a lot of recordings on Youtube from the other groups but here’s one video from my Zoom if you’re interested!!
Haha that’s it! I still can’t believe it happened and I am so fortunate that I lived this moment. One of the moments I nearly cried was when Leigh Bardugo appeared because I have been a fan since 2016 and I couldn’t believe that I was actually seeing her. We owe it all to her and I love this cast so much and it was just incredible to see them interact and acknowledge the fans and being happy to see us in return.
Today we gather because I finally managed to write a review for The Hating Game by Sally Thorne also known as “the best enemies to lovers romance”. There, I said it.
Title: The Hating Game
Author: Sally Thorne
Synopsis: Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome. 2) A personâs undoing 3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. Sheâs charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual. Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, theyâve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. Thereâs the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy canât let Joshua beat her at anythingâespecially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking. If Lucy wins this game, sheâll be Joshuaâs boss. If she loses, sheâll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like sheâs got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth-shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether sheâs got Joshua Templeman all wrong. Maybe Lucy Hutton doesnât hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesnât hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game. (Goodreads)
5 stars: Persephone â Queen of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring. Persephone is my favourite goddess because she is full of contradictions â she represents both strength as queen of the underworld and a softness as a floral maiden. She teaches me how itâs okay to be both. If Persephone appears, that means that the book was one of the best books Iâve ever read, that it holds a particular place in my heart and that it is now part of my favourite books ever.
Pheme: The goddess of fame, gossip and renown â This goddess will be invoked when a book has received a lot of attention and is praised by critics and the book community. She will be featured whether the book lived up to my expectations or not.
One of the best enemies to lovers romances I have ever read.
I love the enemies to lovers trope and I have to say this is one of the best books I have read with the trope. This is enemies to lovers perfection. Both aspects of the enemies and lovers part were well written and it made for great character development and plot. It felt like I was slowly peeling different layers to discover the subtle, intimate, soft and cute moments. I still donât know how the author dealt with the trope so well. I am in awe.
Lucy was a great main character. I loved being inside her head. She is incredibly funny in that sarcastic self-deprecating kind of way. And her repartee is impeccable. I found myself laughing out loud from her banter with Josh. And I mean out loud. I also loved seeing Lucyâs growth; how she learned to stand up for herself in every aspect. The scene she stood up to a certain character and said âAnthony, itâs been realâ was iconic.
This book worked because Lucy and Joshâs chemistry was off the charts. I mean I needed to take a break after reading about their first kiss in the elevator. From their stares to their steamy scenes I was hooked and enthralled. Every single one of their interactions was mesmerizing and I could just see the love between them. There really is a thin line between love and hate.
âI have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I’ve had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations. Love and hate are visceral. Your stomach twists at the thought of that person. The heart in your chest beats heavy and bright, nearly visible through your flesh and clothes. Your appetite and sleep are schredded. Every interaction spikes your blood with adrenaline, and you’re in the brink of fight or flight. Your body is barely under your control. You’re consumed, and it scares you. Both love and hate are mirror versions of the same game – and you hĂĄve to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. Trust me, I should know.â
I adored (yes, adored) seeing her play games with Josh. I was LIVING for their games. It made us see the “enemies” aspect of the book so well and it was even better when they were rivals. But as the story went along it was nice to see their dynamic change and the truth about their feelings unraveling. From the nicknames “SHORTCAKE”, to the intimate gestures and the little revelations along the way. What really made this book amazing is the little details like the specific colour Robinâs egg blue, the colour of her red lipstick called Flamethrower and so many others which made me get lost in the story completely. Josh was one of the best romantic leads and the fact that he loved lucy from day one killed me. I love him. I liked every single line and if I had another copy of this book, there would be highlighter and tabs almost on every single page. These two shared an intimacy that is so rare and I soaked up every single moment. The last chapter killed me. Enemies to lovers perfection I tell you. This chaotic review doesn’t do the book justice.
Anotherbookworm 