Recent Reads: 17-30 March 2019

I read 14 books in the last two weeks! See which ones they were in this week’s reading blog!

Sunday (17th March)

Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

“A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.”

Published: 26 February 2019

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Genre: Adult Fantasy / LGBT

Pages: 848

Click HERE for the review!

Tuesday (19th March)

Between Before and After by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

““The carnage began with the roses. She hacked at their ruffled blooms until they dropped into monstrous drifts of red on the parched yellow lawn … Only two things kept my mother grounded to us: my uncle Stephen and stories.”

Fourteen-year-old Molly worries about school, friends, and her parents’ failed marriage, but mostly about her mother’s growing depression. Molly knows her mother is nursing a carefully-kept secret. A writer with an obsession for other people’s life stories, Elaine Donnelly is the poster child of repressed emotions.

Molly spends her California summer alternately watching out for her little brother Angus and tip-toeing around her mother’s raw feelings. Molly needs her mother more than ever, but Elaine shuts herself off from real human connections and buries herself in the lives and deaths of the strangers she writes about. When Uncle Stephen is pressed into the limelight because of his miracle cure of a young man, Elaine can no longer hide behind other people’s stories. And as Molly digs into her mother’s past, she finds a secret hidden in her mother’s dresser that may be the key to unlocking a family mystery dating to 1918 New York—a secret that could destroy or save their future.“

Published: 5 February 2019

Publisher: Blink

Genre: Young Adult Historical / Mystery

Pages: 304

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Click HERE for my review!

Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter

“Seductive. Cruel. Bored.
Be wary of…

Prince and his fairy courtiers are staggeringly beautiful, unrelentingly cruel, and exhausted by the tedium of the centuries ― until they meet foster-siblings Josh and Ksenia. Drawn in by their vivid emotions, undying love for each other, and passion for life, Prince will stop at nothing to possess them.

First seduced and then entrapped by the fairies, Josh and Ksenia learn that the fairies’ otherworldly gifts come at a terrible price ― and they must risk everything in order to reclaim their freedom.“

Published: 19 March 2019

Publisher: Tor Teen

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 368

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Click HERE for my review!

Wednesday (20th March)

Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale

“Rule #1 – Never fall for a summer boy.

Fresh out of high school, Babe Vogel should be thrilled to have the whole summer at her fingertips. She loves living in her lighthouse home in the sleepy Maine beach town of Oar’s Rest and being a barista at the Busy Bean, but she’s totally freaking out about how her life will change when her two best friends go to college in the fall. And when a reckless kiss causes all three of them to break up, she may lose them a lot sooner. On top of that, her ex-girlfriend is back in town, bringing with her a slew of memories, both good and bad.

And then there’s Levi Keller, the cute artist who’s spending all his free time at the coffee shop where she works. Levi’s from out of town, and even though Babe knows better than to fall for a tourist who will leave when summer ends, she can’t stop herself from wanting to know him. Can Babe keep her distance, or will she break the one rule she’s always had – to never fall for a summer boy?“

Published: 19 March 2019

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary / Romance / LGBT

Pages: 336

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Click HERE for my review!

Gates of Stone (Lord of the Islands #1) by Angus Macallan

“In a world of blood and magic, a powerful epic fantasy begins…

AN EMPEROR’S DAUGHTER WHO WILL NOT BE DENIED
Just before her sixteenth birthday, Princess Katerina is refused her rightful place as heir to the Empire of the Ice-Bear–solely because of her sex. Determined to regain her inheritance, she murders the foreign lord she’s been ordered to marry and embarks on a perilous voyage to the lush, tropical islands of the Laut Besar in search of the vast wealth and power she needs to claim the Empire for herself.

A PRINCE FORCED TO TAKE A STAND
On a small island kingdom, Prince Arjun’s idyllic life is shattered when a malignant sorcerer invades, slaughters his people and steals the sacred sword of Jun’s ancestors. With his royal father dead and his palace in ruins, Jun reluctantly tracks the sorcerer and the magical blade far across the pirate-infested waters of the Laut Besar.

A SORCERER SEEKING TO DESTROY THE WORLD
Long ago the powerful relics known as the Seven Keys were used to safely lock away the terrifying evils of the Seven Hells. With Jun’s ancient sword in his grasp, the sorcerer Mangku has claimed the first Key, and begun his mission to unleash catastrophe upon the land.

As the destinies of these three entwine in the lawless islands of the Laut Besar, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. For if the sorcerer cannot be stopped, the world itself will be unmade…“

Published: 19 February 2019

Publisher: Ace Books

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 544

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

I DNF’d this book about 40 pages in. I wasn’t feeling the writing style which I felt was a little on the bland side. The plot wasn’t lifting off, and I ended up losing interest pretty quickly.

Of Captivity and Kings by E.Y. Laster

“The laws are different in the Kushite ruled Kingdom of Nabara. The penalty for involvement in the slave trade is death, and if the King fails to provide justice and order under ma’at, the High Priests can order him to commit suicide. When a Roman slave ship wrecks off the coast of Nabara, peace is shattered. Ancient caravan routes, pastoralists, and nomadic hunters are threatened by kidnappings, robbery, and murder, forcing Nabaran High King Amkar Kashta to invoke the power of the six-kingdom alliance that is Nudolla. Each member of the ruling families finds themselves thrust into the rising slave trade, and the corruption of everything and everyone it touches.

It is an adventure told from the secret sanctuaries of the desert fathers in the Scetes Desert, and the massive pyramids of Meroë, to the Skeleton Coast, and over the Great Barrier Mountains of Apedemak. Here, kings and queens, princes and princesses, slave traders and gladiators, high priests and slaves, scribes and warriors, caravan robbers, and hermits collide under the thread that links them all – Captivity and Kings.“

Published: 25 May 2017

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pages: 404

*Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Review COMING SOON!

Friday (22nd March)

Emerge (Mer Chronicles #1) by Tobie Easton

“Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid, but she’s never lived in the ocean. Ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the Seven Seas.

So Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia’s entire community at risk. So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right?

That is, until Lia finds out she isn’t the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn’t realize the danger he’s in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay than ever. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with Clay, the harder it is for Lia to deny her feelings. After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.“

Published: 19 April 2016

Publisher: Month 9 Books

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy / Retellings

Pages: 300

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare

“The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.“

Published: 5 April 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy

Pages: 424

Review COMING SOON!

Monday (25th March)

The Edge of Forever by J. Saman

“Weston Kincaid was my first…everything.
My brother’s best friend should have come with a warning label.
The man was a cautionary tale and we were the ill-fated cliché. The star quarterback to my loner art geek.
But I didn’t listen. Not to the warnings. Not to my instincts.
I fell, and I fell hard.

Then he left and I was forced to pick up the pieces of my broken heart.

A decade and a lifetime later, he’s back.
Only instead of being the star jock, he’s now a surgeon.
A sexy, irresistible surgeon who happens to save my friend’s life. As if all that isn’t bad enough, he has it in his determined, arrogant head that we should pick up where we left off all those years ago.

But this time, it’ll take more than devouring looks and the rush of his touch to temp me back into his bed.
And my heart? Not an option.
He’s about to figure out, I’m not the same girl he left behind.“

Published: 19 March 2019

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Pages: 276

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from Inkslinger in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Click HERE for my review!

Tuesday (26th March)

Eyes on Me by Rachel Harris

“Look up the word “nerd” and you’ll find Lily Bailey’s picture. She’s got one goal: first stop valedictorian, next stop Harvard. Until a stint in the hospital from too much stress lands her in the last place a klutz like her ever expected to be: salsa dance lessons.

Look up the word “popular” and you’ll find Stone Torres’s picture. His life seems perfect—star of the football team, small-town hero, lots of friends. But his family is struggling to make ends meet, so if pitching in at his mom’s dance studio helps, he’ll do it.

When Lily’s dad offers Stone extra cash to volunteer as Lily’s permanent dance partner, he can’t refuse. But with each dip and turn, each moment her hand is in his, his side job starts to feel all too real. Lily shows Stone he’s more than his impressive football stats, and he introduces her to a world outside of studying. But with the lines blurred, can their relationship survive the secret he’s been hiding?“

Published: 26 March 2019

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary / Romance

Pages: 320

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Click HERE for my review!

Wednesday (27th March)

Submerge (Mer Chronicles #2) by Tobie Easton

“Lia and Clay’s love has broken the Little Mermaid’s curse, but their ever after may not be as happy as they planned. Lia is adamant about staying on land with Clay for her senior year despite her family’s opportunity to move to the new, sparkling capital city below the waves. Before any decision about the future can be made, her family must endure Melusine and her father’s trial, where new revelations will have far-reaching consequences that threaten what Lia holds most dear.

The verdict will shake Lia’s whole world, calling into question her future with Clay, her feelings for Caspian, and the fate of all Merkind. As she wonders whom to trust, Lia sets out on a treacherous path that will lead her away from her sheltered Malibu home to a remote and mysterious school for Mermaids—Mermaids who may hold the secret to ancient magic Lia can use to either get back all she’s lost or embark on a thrilling and dangerous journey where only she can define her fate.“

Published: 12 September 2017

Publisher: Month 9 Books

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy / Retelling

Pages: 300

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Immerse (Mer Chronicles #3) by Tobie Easton

“Immerse is the spellbinding and breathless final installment of the Mer Chronicles series where descendants of the Little Mermaid must face deadly magic, shifting alliances, and the dangers of forbidden love.

Lia can’t wait for her parents’ coronation. Now living in the sparkling palace beneath the waves, she sneaks off to Malibu whenever possible to see Clay. Tucked away in an abandoned seaside mansion, Lia and Clay devise a plan to ensure they can stay together forever.

But when an old enemy resurfaces and Lia is restricted to the palace for the safety of all Merkind, she and Clay are ripped apart once more.

She fears not only for Clay, but for her best friend Caspian, who seems to be swimming down a dangerous path. He has invited the conniving Melusine to the coronation ball, convinced she’s capable of change. And no matter how hard Lia fights it, showing up on Caspian’s arm is just the start of Melusine’s insidious return to her life.

With threats Below growing more ominous by the day and a powerful ancient ritual looming, soon the two girls can’t escape each other. As their fates grow increasingly intertwined, Melusine might be the only one who can help Lia find the answers she desperately needs to save everyone she loves and to achieve her happily ever after. But can Lia trust her?“

Published: 19 March 2019

Publisher: Month 9 Books

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy / Retelling

Pages: 300

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Click HERE for my review!

Tuesday (19th March)

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

“The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.“

Published: 8 May 2012

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 534

Review COMING SOON!

Saturday (30th March)

Mirror, Mirror (Twisted Tales #6) by Jen Calonita

“What if the Evil Queen poisoned the prince?

Following her beloved mother’s death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White’s stepmother, commonly referred to as “the Evil Queen” by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation.

But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she’d never see again, and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power… including going after the ones Snow loves?“

Published: 2 April 2019

Publisher: Disney Press

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy / Retelling

Pages: 352

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way*

Review COMING SOON!

Favorite Book of the Two Weeks: Priory of the Orange Tree

# of Pages Read: 4,626

Total # of Books Read: 14 Finished & 1 DNF

What will you be working on this week?? Did you read anything interesting?

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