Tag Archives: netgalley

Mini Review|| Gilded.

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Gilded by Marissa Meyer
5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller’s daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue. Or so everyone believes. When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her . . . for a price. Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

I received an ARC of Gilded from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released on November 2nd, 2021.

I am always unsure when it comes to Marissa Meyers books, especially retellings because I wasn’t really a big fan of the Lunar Chronicles. I still wanted to give Gilded a chance because I love Rumpelstiltskin and was excited for a retelling! If you can tell by my five star rating above, I loved Gilded. I was actually shocked by how much I loved it. There were so many happy and beautiful moments, but so many that were sad and painful too. I really enjoyed the stories that Serilda told throughout the book. She may not be able to spin straw into gold, but she could definitely spin a story. Magic, curses, monsters, and ghosts make for a great book and I had so much fun reading this one. I am now impatiently waiting for the sequel, Cursed, which comes out November of this year!

In case you missed it;
2022 Reading Goals.
2021 Year in Books.

I hope you have a great day!

Mini Review|| Chaos on CatNet.

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Chaos on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: In this follow-up to the award-winning near future YA thriller Catfishing on CatNet, It takes an AI to catch an AI…When a mysterious entity starts hacking into social networks and chat rooms to instigate paranoia and violence in the real world, it’s up to Steph and her new friend, Nell, to find a way to stop it—with the help of their benevolent AI friend, CheshireCat.

I received an ARC of Chaos on CatNet from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on April 27, 2021.

Chaos on CatNet is the sequel to Catfishing on CatNet, which I enjoyed so much! As for the sequel, I thought it was SO good. I had so much fun reading it as I did with book one. In book one I really loved all the friendships and I was happy to see them continue in book two with some new characters and friendships introduced. It was fast-paced and so many different things happening. It kept me guessing and even a little spooky vibe to it because I feel like it could be something that could happen today or in the near future with all those hackers out there! I don’t want to go into too many details in this review, because I don’t want to spoil the first book or anything that happens in this one either. If you like near future sci-fi, then I highly recommend checking out the first book and of course this one!

In case you missed it;
Bookstagram 2020|| Part Two.
Bookstagram 2020|| Part One.
TTT|| Books I’d Gladly Throw Into the Ocean.

I hope you have a great day!

Mini Review|| Where Dreams Descend.

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Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
2 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes. As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next. The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost. The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told. The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide.

I received an ARC of Where Dreams Descend from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published in August 2020.

Where Dreams Descend sounded so promising and the book cover is so beautiful! It ended up not being something that I enjoyed like I hoped I would. I am so sad about that, because I wanted to love it so much. I was immediately drawn in by the book description. It was a very slow start to the story and it took so long for things to actually happen that were exciting and would hold my attention. It wasn’t really until toward the end of the book that I was interested in what was happening. Because of the slow start and the lack of grabbing my attention, I wasn’t really invested in the characters. There were some things I really liked, like the magic. It just wasn’t enough for me to really fall in love with it. I thought the book was just okay. I can see why there have been a lot of people that really enjoyed this story though. Sadly, I wasn’t one of those people that did. I would still recommend checking it out. This was just one of those cases where it wasn’t for me.

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| March.
Book Haul|| March.
Friday Finds #89.

I hope you have a great day!

Review|| Admission.

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Admission by Julie Buxbaum
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer. She’s headed off to the college of her dreams. She’s going to prom with the boy she’s had a crush on since middle school. Her best friend always has her back, and her mom, a B-list Hollywood celebrity, may finally be on her way to the B+ list. It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood. As she loses everything she’s long taken for granted, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat for her? What did she know, and when did she know it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to be complicit?

I received an ARC of Admission from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published in December 2020.

I really like Julie Buxbaum’s books, so I was excited to read her new book Admission. While it was not my favorite of her books, I did like the story and it was pretty interesting. It was pretty relevant to what we recently saw in the news about the celebrities and wealthy people that got caught paying their children’s way into college. You kind of got a closer/inside glimpse into what we all read about and seen in the news regarding this same situation that the book is based off of.

I liked the topic that Admission was based off of and it was interesting getting a deeper look into it, but aside from that I had trouble really connecting to any of the characters in the story. Not many of them were likeable to me aside from maybe Isla. I didn’t like that some of the characters weren’t treated very nicely even though they were friends; example being the way that Chloe sometimes treated Shola. There was lots of family drama that came along with the college admissions scandal, but one of the things I really like about it was that it brought Chloe and Isla closer together and I ended up liking their sisterly bond in the end. The story did feel like something was missing or like more could have been done with it.

Overall though, while it wasn’t my favorite from Julie, I did like the story and I would still recommend it, because it’s an interesting topic and there’s some important messages as well.

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| January.
Book Haul|| January.
3 Stars of 2020.

I hope you have a great day!

Review|| Boyfriend Material.

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Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Wanted: One (fake) boyfriend. Practically perfect in every way. Luc O’Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he’s never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad’s making a comeback, Luc’s back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything. To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He’s a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he’s never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened. But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don’t ever want to let them go.

I received an ARC of Boyfriend Material from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just published earlier this month.

I am so happy that I was able to read Boyfriend Material, because I fell in love with it and the characters instantly. There’s not a big plot as far as this story goes, but that honestly didn’t matter to me when it came to this book. I enjoyed the main characters and all their friends so much and that was what really made me fall in love with the book even if it didn’t have much of a plot.

There were so many laugh out loud moments throughout the entire story and I was living for every single one of them. Luc and Oliver seemed like complete opposites, but I was rooting for them so hard. They “relationship” together was a treat even when Luc kept messing things up over and over again. He’s so angsty and I loved that. Oliver is so posh and proper and it was funny seeing them together. They both had their fair share of baggage, but I loved them together anyway. The banter between them and also with their friends was gold. I also want to point out how much I love Luc’s mom and the fact that she was binge watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, because I’ve been binge watching RuPaul’s Drag Race for three months now and I loved seeing all the references and that I got them LOL.

Overall, Boyfriend Material was cute, hilarious, and had all the feels. There’s so much depth to every single character and it was so much fun to read. I love British humor and this book was a winner to me. I loved this book so much. I highly recommend checking it out!

Unrelated, but kind of related…. I really need to start writing more reviews again, because it was a little difficult to get this one written Not because I didn’t like the book, because clearly I loved everything about it and gave it five stars. It’s just been so long and I’m like “HOW DO YOU DO THIS AGAIN??”. 😛 I think a 2021 goal will be to review more books. I don’t know if I can commit this year. I’m trying though. I have quite a few ARCs I plan to read soon, so I will have reviews coming…fingers crossed, because I’m still stuck in this awful reading slump.

I hope you are doing well and I will be catching up/commenting on your blog posts this weekend if I haven’t already. ❤

In case you missed it;
Book Tag|| Stuck at Home.
Release Day|| July Releases.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

Book Haul|| March.

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Hey!

I can’t believe my last post was two weeks ago, I am so sorry! Things have been really rough this month, so I’ve been kind of MIA from the blogosphere. I’ll talk more about this in my wrap up post tomorrow (or Thursday) though. But for today, I am bringing you my March book haul. I am going to jump right into it, here are the books that I got this month. You can check out a full list of the books that I own over here. There’s links to different pages on my blog that show my e-books and my physical books. *I do need to update these pages since it’s been a few months.* 

Books I Bought/Gifted:

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Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13b by Teresa Toten
Trip: Psychedelics, Alienation, and Change by Tao Lin

Night of the Dragon is FINALLY HERE! Of course, I had to preorder it. I am living for the purple cover so much. I can’t wait to read it. My birthday was this month and my younger sister gifted me Tweet Cute. I’ve been wanting to book for a while now, so I’m stoked. I found The Unlikely Hero of Room 13b at a discount store and it sounded good, so I got it. I think it only cost $1.99! I saw Trip on bookstagram and it sounded really good, so I had to have it. I really like psychology books and books that talk about drugs/addiction. I started reading it a little bit and hope to continue it again soon.

Netgalley:

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Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

I also saw Surrender Your Sons on bookstagram and it sounded really great, so I decided to request it on Netgalley and was luckily approved. It’ll be published in September. I noticed Where Dreams Descend was on “read now” for a few days, so I jumped at the chance to get it. So stoked about it! This one will be published in June.

E-Books:

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All of This Is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
Changeling by Matt Wesolowski

I surprisingly didn’t go crazy with buying e-books this month! I usually get quite a few, but I guess I was being more picky this month with what e-books I buy. I already have so many! I’ve been wanting to read All of This Is True for a while now, so I was excited to finally catch it on sale. I haven’t read book one or two of the Six Stories series yet, but I own them both and Changeling was only 99 cents, so I decided to buy it.

What new books did you get in March? Have you read any of the ones that I got? Feel free to link me to your haul post, so I can check it out!

I am planning to do some major blog hopping this week, because I am a bit behind with catching up with you guys. Like I said earlier in this entry, REALLY rough month for me. Update about that soon and hopefully April will be better. Fingers crossed.

In case you missed it;
Review|| Infinity Son.
Thank You!

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Girls with Razor Hearts.

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Heads up that this review is for the sequel to Girls with Sharp Sticks, so if you haven’t read that book yet and you don’t want to be spoiled I would skip reading. I’m trying to leave this as spoil free as I can of the first book but the book description is below and so this review may contain spoilers of the first book in the series. You can check out my review of the first book (Girls with Sharp Sticks) over here if you’re interested!

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Girls with Razor Hearts by Suzanne Young
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: It’s been weeks since Mena and the other girls of Innovations Academy escaped their elite boarding school. Although traumatized by the violence and experimentations that occurred there, Mena quickly discovers that the outside world can be just as unwelcoming and cruel. With no one else to turn to, the girls only have each other—and the revenge-fueled desire to shut down the corporation that imprisoned them. The girls enroll in Stoneridge Prep, a private school with suspect connections to Innovations, to identify the son of an investor and take down the corporation from the inside. But with pressure from Leandra, who revealed herself to be a double-agent, and Winston Weeks, an academy investor gone rogue, Mena wonders if she and her friends are simply trading one form of control for another. Not to mention the woman who is quite literally invading Mena’s thoughts—a woman with extreme ideas that both frighten and intrigue Mena. And as the girls fight for freedom from their past—and freedom for the girls still at Innovations—they must also face new questions about their existence…and what it means to be girls with razor hearts.

I was sent an ARC copy of Girls with Razor Hearts from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It will be releasing on March 17th.

I was so excited when I received a copy of Girls with Razor Hearts, because I loved the first book so much! Girls with Razor Hearts was a really great sequel and I enjoyed it so much. Just like the first book, Girls with Sharp Sticks, it continued to deal with some really heavy issues and once again they had similarities to things that are happening in the world today. Mainly being how women are treated in the world by men and how it’s hard for women to stand up to these men, because it just causes further damage and hurt toward them.

The girls had to navigate a new life and essentially a new world while also dealing with their traumas that they experienced at Innovations Academy. It didn’t get easier for them when they left the academy. Men dominate the world and walk all over the women. The girls are trying to put an end to this and are faced with a lot of realizations and trouble along the way. They don’t know who to trust and neither did I as I was reading the book. I loved the continued bond between the girls and the love they have for each other. There’s so many untrustworthy people but at least they have each other to try to figure it all out!

I ended up giving Girls with Razor Hearts one star less than I did the first book though. It was a little hard for me to get into it at the start but once I did, I was fully invested in the story and the girls again. I don’t want to go into too many more details because I don’t want to risk any spoilers. I highly recommend checking this series out. It’s so relatable and so far it has been such a powerful story. A lot of what is happening in the story and was talked about needs to be heard. I am eagerly waiting for the third book!

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #86.
2 Star Reads of 2019.
3 Star Reads of 2019.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Darling Rose Gold.

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Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold. Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar. After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes. Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she’s forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score. Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling…And she’s waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

I received an ARC of Darling Rose Gold from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on March 17.

I was drawn to the book because the description sounded like it had some similarities to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case. If you don’t know about that case, it was pretty famous and they even made a TV show on Hulu called “The Act” about it. It was about the mother of Gypsy Rose pretending that her daughter had all of these illnesses when she really didn’t. In the real life story, Gypsy realizes what’s going on and her and her boyfriend murdered the mom and ran away together until they were caught. Now what about Darling Rose Gold?

This story had a lot of similarities to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case as I mentioned, but it was also so different. I was really excited about reading this book, because while it was similar in a lot of ways it was also in my opinion kind of like a retelling. Like what if the mom wasn’t murdered and was sent to prison instead. In Darling Rose Gold, the mom is sent to prison and then gets out five years later and wants to reconnect with her daughter Rose Gold. It was kind of an interesting twist to the real story. I know this book has nothing to do with the real Gypsy Rose case, but it just really reminded me of it and a lot of the time that’s all I could think about as I read this story.

Darling Rose Gold was really great and I enjoyed reading it. It’s crazy and so heartbreaking that a parent could ever do that to their child. There’s lots of deception and twisted things in this story, but that’s what made it so hard to put down. There were lots of back story as well, which was nice. I liked the flashbacks, because I felt like they needed to be there to really understand everything going on. I don’t want to say a whole lot because I don’t want to risk spoilers, but I really enjoyed this story. I loved all the dark twisted things that were happening, but I wasn’t very satisfied with the way that the story ended. I’m not sure what I was expecting for the outcome at the end, but I was a bit disappointed with it. It was a little predictable, but I didn’t think it took too much away from the story. Overall, great thriller novel and I would definitely recommend.

In other news, I am hoping to do some blog hopping today to catch up with your posts and to reply to comments. I am currently dogsitting THREE dogs, so it’s been a little hard to find some time to do a whole lot since they got here on Friday. It’s also been a little chaotic because I have them and then I also have my four furbabies! I’m bummed that it’s February 10th and I’ve only finished one book. I really had high hopes for this month. I’m not counting myself out just yet though! There’s still plenty of time. Hopefully I’ll still be able to read and review a few more before the month ends.

In case you missed it;
4 Star Reads of 2019.
Introducing: Andy Reads.
February TBR (Maybe).

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| Husband Material.

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Husband Material by Emily Belden
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it. Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not. But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.

I received an ARC of Husband Material from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published on December 30th.

I read Eighty-Sixed from Emily Belden years ago and it made me want to read all her books, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read Husband Material.  I ended up giving the book three stars. I liked it and it had some really great moments, but I felt like it took awhile to get into it or for things to happen. I struggled a little bit with it and it wasn’t what I expected it was going to be. That doesn’t mean it was  bad book though, because I did like it and I really liked the characters. Charlotte had to navigate life the best she could after losing her husband. She battled with her own demons and guilt in regards to that and things from her past resurfacing. There were a couple little things that I didn’t see coming, so that was a plus. I’m glad it wasn’t too predictable. While I didn’t love Husband Material, I did enjoy it. I would still recommend checking it out.

I’ll catch up with your posts and reply to comments later today. I need to get out of bed and start my day. If I don’t get up now, I’ll probably end up laying here all day haha.

In case you missed it;
2020 Personal Goals.
2020 Reading Goals.
2019 Year in Books (Reading Stats).

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| Regretting You.

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Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body. With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara. While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

I received an ARC of Regretting You from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on December 10th.

I really enjoy reading Colleen Hoover’s books, so I was excited when I was approved for Regretting You on Netgalley. I don’t want to go into a huge elaborate review, because I don’t want to risk spoiling anything. I always find it better to go into Colleen Hoover’s books with as little knowledge as possible. I really liked the story and Colleen did not disappoint. She always has a way of sucking you in and making it so hard to put down her books and that’s exactly what happened with this one. There were so many feels and emotions experienced throughout the story by both the characters and myself. I really connected with them and I was so sad for them. It was a really heartbreaking story, but it had quite a few happy moments as well. There were a couple things that prevented me from giving it five stars though. It’s hard to explain without spoiling it, but I just felt like something was missing. I wanted to know more about what exactly happened, like when, how, why, but that wasn’t really explored or explained much. I felt unsatisfied with that. Overall though, I really enjoyed Regretting You and would highly recommend checking it out.

I still need to blog hop and catch up with guys! Soon, I promise. I’ve seriously been doing so bad mentally over the last couple weeks and it’s been making it so hard to want to sit in front of my computer aside from having to for work. I wrote a little post about it last week, which I’ll link below. I feel like it’s just gotten so much worse, sigh. I have a four day weekend this week though, so hopefully I’ll be able to find some time. We’ll be leaving tomorrow or Thursday morning to go have Thanksgiving with my family and I am really looking forward to that. I feel like I need a break from my routine life so badly, so maybe this little visit will help me. November book haul and wrap up coming soon.

In case you missed it;
Random|| Life & Reading Update.
Mini Review|| The Wives.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| The Wives.

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The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Imagine that your husband has two other wives. You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself. But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives. You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever. Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life? And who is his mysterious third wife?

I received an ARC of The Wives from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on December 30th.

I’m still sort of new to Tarryn Fisher’s books as The Wives was only my third book of hers that I read. Of what I read of hers, she’s so good at writing some pretty twisted books. I was so excited to read The Wives and honestly, it did not disappoint! I knew it was going to be pretty crazy just by the book description and as I continued through the story, it got weirder and crazier as I turned the pages. I flew through the book in a little over a day. I couldn’t put it down! I did think that the beginning was a lot better than the second half, but I still really enjoyed. There were quite a few things I didn’t see coming and I was definitely left shook at times. I decided to go the mini review route for this one, because I don’t want to give away a lot or risk spoilers. This is one of those books that it’s best to go into it not really having too much information. I had so much fun reading The Wives and I can’t wait to pick up Tarryn’s other books.

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday#66.
Wrap Up|| October.
Book Haul|| October.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| Imaginary Friend.

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Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
5 out of 5 stars

“We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.”

Goodreads Description: Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out. At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again. Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.

I received an ARC of Imaginary Friend from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published on October 1st.

I am not entirely sure how to start this review or how great this review will end up being, because I have no idea what I even read. I say that in the best way possible though, because Imaginary Friend was INSANE, but so good! It was crazy and it kept me on the edge of my seat on every 700+ page! It was weird and it was creepy. I had dreams about this book multiple times throughout reading it. I had no idea what was happening or what the outcome would be and it drove me crazy, haha. I was trying to figure out what was going to happen next and I just couldn’t. I was constantly surprised and hit with so many feels. I shed a lot of tears while reading this story as well as every other feeling you can imagine. The love between Christopher and his mom was everything. I don’t want to say a whole lot, because I don’t want to spoil even the smallest thing. I would highly recommend picking up Imaginary Friend. I know I will be thinking about this book for a really long time.

“A nightmare is nothing but a dream gone sick.”

In case you missed it;
Halloweenie TBR.
Book Haul|| September.
Wrap Up|| September.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyhalloween

Review|| Swipe Right for Murder.

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Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: On the run from the FBI. Targeted by a murderous cult. Labeled a cyber-terrorist by the media. Irritated texts from his best friend. Eye contact with a nice-looking guy on the train. Aidan has a lot to deal with, and he’s not quite sure which takes top priority. Finding himself alone in a posh New York City hotel room for the night, Aidan does what any red-blooded seventeen-year-old would do—he tries to hook up with someone new. But that lapse in judgement leads to him waking up next to a dead guy, which sparks an epic case of mistaken identity that puts Aidan on the run from everyone—faceless federal agents, his eccentric family, and, naturally, a cyber-terrorist group who will stop at nothing to find him. He soon realizes the only way to stop the chase is to deliver the object everyone wants, before he gets caught or killed. But for Aidan, the hardest part is knowing who he can trust not to betray him—including himself.

I received an ARC of Swipe Right for Murder from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published on August 6th.

I must have forgotten what what Swipe Right for Murder was about by time I got around to reading it, because it ended up being completely different than I originally thought it was going to be? But now reading the description again after finishing the book, I see that it was exactly what the description says haha. 😛 I think that’s part of why I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars. I was expecting something totally different, but totally my fault since I didn’t read the description again before starting the book, lol.

With that being said, I still really enjoyed Swipe Right for Murder. I had a lot of fun reading it and it was a pretty interesting story. There were quite a few twists involved and a couple that I didn’t see coming. I really liked the main character, Aidan and I really felt for him and was rooting for him the entire way through. He is dealing with so many things in his life and then he’s thrown into this crazy situation. He doesn’t know who to trust and I honestly had no idea who to trust either. I was just as confused and frustrated as Aidan was throughout the book.

I don’t want to talk about too much, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers and it’s hard to do with thriller books; at least for me, haha. Overall though, I thought Swipe Right for Murder was a really good story even though it was completely different than I originally thought. Totally my fault with that though, lol. I had a lot of fun reading it and it kept me guessing and questioning what was really happening. It also has a lot of LGBT themes and I felt like it was relevant and relatable. I would definitely recommend picking this one up. Don’t let my three star rating fool you, because it really was a good book.

I have been pretty MIA the last couple weeks on the blog, but life has just been so weird again and I’m not really feeling myself. I don’t think I ever got back to my normal self since my post in April about everything, honestly. I’ve also been in this HUGE reading slump, which sucks. It’s day 19 of September and I’ve only read one book (this book I’m reviewing now). I’ve tried to listen to numerous audiobooks, but none have captured my attention and I end up not even continuing with them. Hopefully I get out of this reading slump before October, because I’ve already created my Halloween themed TBR (which I will post October 1st) that I’m excited about. Fingers crossed! I’ll hopefully find some time this weekend to catch up with your posts and reply to comments. 🙂

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review||How to Hack a Heartbreak.

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How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway
3 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: By day, Mel Strickland is an underemployed helpdesk tech at a startup incubator, Hatch, where she helps entitled brogrammers—”Hatchlings”—who can’t even fix their own laptops, but are apparently the next wave of startup geniuses. And by night, she goes on bad dates with misbehaving dudes she’s matched with on the ubiquitous dating app, Fluttr. But after one dick pic too many, Mel has had it. Using her brilliant coding skills, she designs an app of her own, one that allows users to log harrassers and abusers in online dating space. It’s called JerkAlert, and it goes viral overnight. Mel is suddenly in way over her head. Worse still, her almost-boyfriend, the dreamy Alex Hernandez—the only non-douchey guy at Hatch—has no idea she’s the brains behind the app. Soon, Mel is faced with a terrible choice: one that could destroy her career, love life, and friendships, or change her life forever.

I received an ARC of How to Hack a Heartbreak from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released July 30th.

I had a lot of fun reading How to Hack a Heartbreak. It is so relatable to so many people when it comes to the online dating world. I personally have never experienced any of the crazy and creepy things that involve the online dating scene, but I’ve read stories and it’s pretty messed up. I felt that How to Hack a Heartbreak did a great job at showing that throughout the story.

I mostly liked Melanie and her group of friends. I think a lot of people can really relate to them on some level. Throughout the story Melanie (and her friends) had to deal with a lot of creepy dudes and Melanie with her co-workers. She was the only woman working among males and the majority of them were just horrible and gross to her. I did like the romance in the book, but a few things bugged me. I think that was due to some of Melanie’s actions though. She started to become a little too negative for my liking. I won’t say a whole lot, because spoilers.

Overall, I enjoyed How to Hack a Heartbreak. It’s a quick read and so relateable. I am looking forward to checking out more books from Kristin.

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| July.
Review|| Spin the Dawn.
Book Haul|| July.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Spin the Dawn.

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Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
4 out of 5 stars

“Seize the wind. Don’t become the kite that never flies.”

Goodreads Description: Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

I received an ARC of Spin the Dawn from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released on July 9th.

When I seen that Spin the Dawn was a mix between Project Runaway and Mulan, I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible! I had so much fun reading Spin the Dawn. There are basically two different parts to this story, which I really liked. You have the competition and then the journey that Maia goes on to get the materials to make the dresses. I really enjoyed both parts of the story, but felt like the actual second part was overall the best. Maia gets to go on a crazy adventure and see different parts of the world that she never has before. There are quite a few obstacles along the way, but it made the story interesting and on the edge of my seat at times. I really enjoyed the world building and the descriptions of the different places that Maia had to travel; it made it really easy to envision them.

I loved Maia’s character so much. At the start she seemed a bit unsure of things, but continued to grow throughout the story as she experienced and learned more of the world. I really liked how much she loves her family and what she’s willing to go through for them. Edan was a fun character and I liked the relationship development between him and Maia. It did seem odd and a bit insta-love at times though. There are some characters that I hope we learn more about in the sequel, like the Emperor and Lady Sarnai. Even more about Edan would be great as well. I feel like not enough was written about them or what they went through in the past leading up to the events in this book. I think a lot of the focus was on Maia and her development, so I am hoping the sequel tells more about other key characters in the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed Spin the Dawn. I loved the magic, the adventure, and I had a lot of fun reading it. The ending was perfect and has left me wanting more!

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| July.
Review|| Wilder Girls.
Friday Finds #82.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

 

 

Review|| Wilder Girls.

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Wilder Girls by Rory Power
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her. It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything. But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

I received an ARC of Wilder Girls from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on July 9th.

Wilder Girls had so much promise, but sadly it didn’t live up to the hype for me. At first I was really into the story and I couldn’t put it down. I was so invested in finding out what was happening to all of these girls and finding out what the Tox really was. So many crazy and disturbing things were happening to them. They were cut off from the world and had to survive on limited supplies and while battling the Tox and sometimes each other. It was pretty intense, especially at the beginning.

Eventually I started to get a little bored with what was going on around the halfway point, because nothing really did happen after awhile. Some of the girls started to really annoy me and some things started to get a little too weird or confusing. I felt like there were some unanswered questions and the ending was really underwhelming. I felt like it wasn’t a complete ending. I don’t know if there is plans for a book two (I didn’t see anything about it), but I felt like the book just all of a sudden ended and that was that. There was no resolution or anything. I was really confused by that.

Overall, I did like Wilder Girls and thought it was hard to put down at times. It was pretty creepy and disturbing. I just wish there were more to it, especially the ending. It felt like so much information was missing and that nothing really got resolved. Maybe it was setup that way in case there is a sequel one day? Who knows…that just really bugged me though. I will forever have all of these unanswered questions. I don’t want to go into what they are though, because it’ll be spoilerish. I just wanted more and wasn’t happy with how things just all of a sudden ended.

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #82.
Review|| Soul of the Sword {sequel}.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

WWW Wednesday #63.

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly MEME hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Simply answer the following questions. 🙂

The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

*All books linked to Goodreads below.

Hey!

I’m still kind of in this reading/blogging slump, which sucks. I just want to be back to normal with things, UGH. I had so many library e-books get checked out to me at the exact same time (that’s how it always goes) and I ended up having to sadly return them all and get back on the hold lists, because I knew I would never get to them this month with this slump and with the other books that I plan to read.

I’ve been trying to push through though, so when I’m not glued to true crime TV shows (currently it’s Homicide Hunter, I love Joe Kenda), I am reading here and there. I’m trying to get a lot of my ARCs read and reviewed, so all the books you see in this post are ARCs. That’s another reason why I decided on returning all of my library books even though I had been on hold FOREVER for them. I want to read all my review books first. Here are the books that I’ve been reading and hope to read next. 

Currently Reading:

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Wilder Girls by Rory Power

I am currently reading Wilder Girls right now and so far it’s pretty interesting. I’ve seen it marketed as being like Lord of the Flies. I loved Lord of the Flies, so I’m here for it. Right from the start it was really creepy and crazy what is happening to these girls. It’s actually disturbing and also addicting to read. Maybe this will be the book to get my out of my reading slump? I’m currently 25% into it. Wilder Girls was just released yesterday, so it’s out in the world if you’re interested. Review to come as soon as I finish it.

Recently Finished:

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Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

I finished Soul of the Sword the other day and it was everything I hoped it would be! I loved it so much. It was a lot fun to read and I was so stoked to be back in that world. I actually posted my review for this one on Monday, which I will link at the end of this post. I highly recommend picking up Shadow of the Fox (first book). This series is so amazing so far and I am dying for that third book.

Reading Next:

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Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Next up I’ll hopefully be reading Spin the Dawn. It’s marketed as “Project Runway meets Mulan” and I am LIVING for that. I remember watching all the Project Runway seasons when I was younger and I love Mulan. I hope I love it, because I need a physical copy of this haha. That cover is amazing. Spin the Dawn was just released yesterday as well, so it’s out in the world if you are interested.

What are you currently reading? Recently finished? Reading next? Have you read any of these books? Feel free to link me to your posts, so I can check them out!

I am hoping to catch up with all of your posts and comments either today or tomorrow. I am still working on my picture update post and my mid-year freak out tag. I’ve been kind of hestant about the picture update post, because I’m already so close to being out of picture space on here. I’m nervous that if I upload the 50+ pictures I have, it’ll take all of my space. That’s mostly why I haven’t done it yet. I need to figure something out with that or I guess upgrade my account to the next level, so I can more space. Feel free to follow me on Instagram if you do want to see some pictures until I figure out what to do with this situation. My username is: heyyitsashley. Anyway, that’s all for now.

In case you missed it;
Review|| Soul of the Sword {sequel}.
Book Haul|| June.
Wrap Up|| June.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Soul of the Sword {sequel}.

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Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
5 out of 5 stars.

I am not going to put the Goodreads description in this post, because this book is a sequel to Shadow of the Fox and I don’t want to give away spoilers if you haven’t read Shadow of the Fox. Above title linked to Goodreads though. My review may have spoilers of Shadow of the Fox though since it is a sequel, but I’ll try not to. I’m not very good at writing sequel reviews because fear of giving anything away LOL. 😛

I received an ARC of Soul of the Sword from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on June 25th.

I read Shadow of the Fox last year and absolutely loved it (check out my review over here). I was so stoked to dive back into the world again with Soul of the Sword. As with the first book, I loved the continued world building and more of the Japanese legends and culture. I thought Julie did a great job at recapping the events in the first book in this one, so it was really easy to jump back into the story and not have to worry too much about forgetting certain things that happened in the first book.

I thought Soul of the Sword was an amazing sequel and I had so much fun reading it. It was such an adventure with so many things happening. Once again filled with so much tickery and magic. I loved how Yumeko grew throughout the journey and learned to better use her Kitsune magic. She did some pretty amazing things with her illusions and magic. I was living for the interactions between Okame and Daisuke. I am dying to see what happens with these two in the next book. You get to be in the head of Hakaimono, which is really cool and while I didn’t like him too much…I also kind of did? You’re also introduced to more key players and more creepy creatures.

Overall, I really loved Soul of the Sword and I was really happy with everything that happened. I thought it was a lot darker than Shadow of the Fox, which I loved. It’s a lot more gory and violent than the first book as well, but honestly I love that kind of stuff. The twist toward the end was so amazing and I didn’t see it coming. I am actually really excited about it though, because it’s going to make book three even more interesting. I can’t wait! The wait for it is going to be so hard. I highly recommend reading Shadow of the Fox, because Soul of the Sword was such a great book and needs to be read! If you’ve already read the first book…what are you waiting for? Pick up the sequel ASAP! 😛

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| June.
Wrap Up|| June.
Top Ten Tuesday|| Summer TBR.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

 

 

Mini Review|| Virtually Yours.

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Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: How bad can one little virtual lie be? NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian hasn’t dated anyone in five months, not since her high school sweetheart Caleb broke up with her. So, when she decides to take advantage of an expiring coupon and try out a new virtual reality dating service, it’s sort of a big deal. It’s an even bigger deal when it chooses as one of her three matches none other than Caleb himself. That has to be a sign, right? Except that her other match, Jeremy, just happens to be her new best friend IRL. Mariam’s heart is telling her one thing, but the app is telling her another. So, which should she trust? Is all fair in modern love?

I received an ARC of Virtually Yours from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on June 4th.

I don’t have a whole lot to say about Virtually Yours, but I did have a lot of fun reading it. I liked it a lot and breezed through it. I liked the characters and all of the new friendships. I especially liked Mariam and Jeremy’s friendship the most. I liked the relationship Mariam had with her siblings and I liked the Iranian culture that was included in the story as well. I thought the virtual dating service was pretty interesting with the virtual reality dates. It also got a little creepy at times with how much the AI system knew about you. Throughout most of the story Mariam is trying to get back with her ex-boyfriend Caleb so she jumped at the chance when he was chosen as one of her matches on the app. Overall, I thought Virtually Yours was a fun, cute, and quick read. Even though the story didn’t blow me away, I still liked it and it kept my interest. I liked the characters, friendships, and family dynamic. It was interesting and worth the read, especially if you’re just looking for a quick fun read.

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| May.
Book Haul|| May.
Review|| Going Off Script.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

 

Review|| Happy Messy Scary Love.

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Happy Messy Scary Love by Leah Konen
5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see.

I received an ARC of Happy Messy Scary Love from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be released May 14th.

I love books about social media or people hiding who they really are online; catfishing. It’s so relevant to today, because it is happening all the time. So I knew I would probably end up really liking Happy Messy Scary Love and I did! I ended up loving it. I breezed through it in a day, because it was so hard to put down. It was cute, it was fun, it was addicting!

I loved Olivia and her love for horror movies. Olivia was so relatable. She is under so many different pressures and then throw in the new feelings she has for her online friend Elm and everything gets so complicated. There are tons of horror movie references and name drops, which was awesome. I loved her friendship with Elm and all their fun banter and horror film talk. Lots of laugh out loud moments with them. There were a few emotional moments too. There’s a few things that Olivia is going through as well as her friends.

This is a short but sweet review, but Happy Messy Scary Love was a really great read and I loved it so much. I had a lot of fun reading it and I was sad for it to end. It’ll be releasing next week, so be on the look out for it. It is the perfect summer read.

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I’ll hopefully have some time today or tomorrow to catch up with all of your posts and to reply to comments. 🙂

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #80.
Wrap Up|| April.
Book Haul|| April.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Summer of ’69.

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Summer of ’69 by Todd Strasser
5 out of 5 stars.

“But what if sometimes there is no one to blame, because no one is at fault? Sometimes things happen that will never truly be resolved or settled, and the best you can do is just get on with it and make your own peace.”

Goodreads Description: Drawing from his teenage years, Todd Strasser’s novel revisits a tumultuous era and takes readers on a psychedelically tinged trip of a lifetime. With his girlfriend, Robin, away in Canada, eighteen-year-old Lucas Baker’s only plans for the summer are to mellow out with his friends, smoke weed, drop a tab or two, and head out in his microbus for a three-day happening called the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. But life veers dramatically off track when he suddenly finds himself in danger of being drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam. If that isn’t heavy enough, there’s also the free-loving (and undeniably alluring) Tinsley, who seems determined to test Lucas’s resolve to stay faithful to Robin; a frighteningly bad trip at a Led Zeppelin concert; a run-in with an angry motorcycle gang; parents who appear headed for a divorce; and a friend on the front lines in ‘Nam who’s in mortal danger of not making it back. As the pressures grow, it’s not long before Lucas finds himself knocked so far down, it’s starting to look like up to him. When tuning in, turning on, and dropping out is no longer enough, what else is there? 

I received an ARC of Summer of ’69 from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be released tomorrow (April 9th).

I have always been interested in the 60s and I am especially a fan of the music from that era. One of the reasons I requested this book was because one of my favorite songs is Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams, haha. That song was of course written in the 80s, but it was about a life in the 60s. That time period just seemed so fun from things I’ve read, listened to, and watched. But there were also a lot of heartbreak and bad things happening in the world throughout that time too, which brings me to this book.

Summer of ’69 was without a doubt a fun ride, but it was also a lot deeper than I thought it was going to be. The war in Vietnam was happening and you risked being drafted if you didn’t get into college or have another way out. Throughout the story Lucas had  a lot of fun with his friends, they used a lot of drugs, and basically just had a really good time. There were a lot of mishaps, but it was an adventure whether it was really happening or they were tripping on acid. Aside from that though, Lucas was dealing with a lot between his home life, his girlfriend Robin, and whether he was going to be able to get out of being drafted into the Army. His friends had their own issues and troubles as well.

Overall, I really loved the story. I love this era of time, so this book was right up my alley. I was sucked in from the very first page. It was a mix of happy and sad moments; good and bad moments. It was fun, but also heartbreaking. It left me shocked, in tears, and with goosebumps at times. There were also times where I was laughing out loud. So many great characters and friendships as well. I loved all the hippie vibes. I also loved learning more about that time period, the events happening, and the war. It was a wild ride and full of emotions.

This book was way more than what I originally thought it was going to be, but I am so glad that it was. The author wrote this story based on events in his life during this time, which I thought was really cool. So this is essentially his summer/life with some things/places/times changed up a bit. I would definitely recommend picking this one up.

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In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #78.
WWW Wednesday #58.
Wrap Up|| March.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee.

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Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
5 out of 5 stars

“Sometimes small and unspectacular things can be a universe.”

Goodreads Description: Every Friday night, best friends Delia and Josie become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, hosts of the campy creature feature show Midnite Matinee on the local cable station TV Six. But with the end of senior year quickly approaching, the girls face tough decisions about their futures. Josie has been dreading graduation, as she tries to decide whether to leave for a big university and chase her dream career in mainstream TV. And Lawson, one of the show’s guest performers, a talented MMA fighter with weaknesses for pancakes, fantasy novels, and Josie, is making her tough decision even harder. Scary movies are the last connection Delia has to her dad, who abandoned the family years ago. If Midnite Matinee becomes a hit, maybe he’ll see it and want to be a part of her life again. And maybe Josie will stay with the show instead of leaving her behind, too. As the tug-of-war between growing up and growing apart tests the bonds of their friendship, Josie and Delia start to realize that an uncertain future can be both monstrous…and momentous.

I received an ARC of Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released in February of 2019.

A new Jeff Zentner book?! YESSSS! I am so stoked that I was approved for Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee. Jeff always writes books that make me ugly cry and end up loving to pieces. Rayne & Delilah was no exception! I felt all the feels and let me tell you, there are so many! This book was so fun to read….and so easy to cry over.

I loved Josie and Delia’s friendship so much. They were funny and connected so well together. They had a strong bond and connection and it was perfection. They had me laughing almost non-stop and then there were the moments where they had me crying almost non-stop! Throw in new friend Lawson and it was a riot! There were a lot of family aspects to the story that were really sad, but I loved Delia and her mom’s relationship so much. I loved the horror movie aspect of it and all the movie references. I even caught a some Serpent King references in the story, which was fun! I’m sure there were Goodbye Days references that I missed, but it was fun that there were some little connections to Zentner’s other books. 😛

Overall, I loved Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Mantinee so so much! It was everything I hoped it would be. I laughed, I cried, and had so much fun reading it. The characters were great, the story was great, so much friendship and love in one story. It made me so sad and so happy at the same time. I highly recommend reading it. Now I must go find some low quality old horror films to watch. 😛

“Maybe life isn’t about avoiding pain at all costs. Maybe it’s about having one or two people who have signed up for the messy job of being your salvation, who make your life bigger.”

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| February.
Review|| The Little Star.
Book Haul|| February.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Thoughts|| Shadow of the Fox.

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SHADOWOFTHEFOX

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
5 out of 5 stars.

“The spider does not spin its web in a heartbeat, nor does the albatross fly across oceans with a few flaps of its wings. Many would consider what they do impossible, and yet, they still complete their tasks without fail, because they simply…start. One step at a time.”

Goodreads Description: One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos. Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn. Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart. With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.

I received Shadow of the Fox from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Release date October 2, 2018. 

Words….what are words? I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to writing about what I thought of Shadow of the Fox. My thoughts and my love for this book are everywhere right now. I was pretty hooked right from the start and by page 88 I was already feeling all the feels and even shed some tears. I knew from that point on this book was going to mean the world to me.

The world building was spot on and so detailed. I loved all the Japanese legends and culture so much. I was instantly filled with so much excitement while reading Shadow of the Fox. I thought it had a fairly fast pace and so much was going on. The cast of characters was amazing and I loved every single one of them. They all had their own little quirks and reasons why I loved them. I won’t go into too much detail about who they are, because they play parts in the bigger story and I don’t want to risk spoilers.

Yumeko is a Kitsune shapeshifter (half human, half fox) which is totally awesome! One of my favorite things about her is that she never left her temple before, so she knew nothing about the outside world, so she was curious about everything. She asked so many questions and it was funny at times, especially when she would fall for everyone’s sarcasm because she truly didn’t understand or know. Tatsumi and Yumeko are on this journey together and they meet some interesting people along the way (one of them becoming my favorite character) and run into so many crazy things and obstacles.

Overall, I loved everything about Shadow of the Fox. There’s lots of trickery, magic, secrets, and a few twists. There’s demons, witches, ghosts, spirits, samurai, and so many more things in this book. It’s quite the adventure and I had so much fun reading it. It had everything I need and love in a fantasy novel. Beautifully written and well executed to the end. The wait for the sequel is going to be so hard. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for everyone. There’s a couple characters that I feel are going to play an even bigger role in the coming books and I am curious to see if I’m right. I highly recommend reading!

“It is very hard to be human, little fox. Even the humans themselves don’t do a great job of it.”

In case you missed it;
Thoughts|| Not Even Bones.
Travel || Road Trip to Illinois.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Thoughts|| Not Even Bones.

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Not Even Bones by Rebecca Shaeffer
5 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — dissecting living people is a step too far. But when she tries to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold on the black market in his place — because Nita herself is a supernatural being. Now Nita is on the other side of the bars, and there is no line she won’t cross to escape and make sure no one can ever capture her again. Nita did a good deed, and it cost her everything. Now she’s going to do a lot of bad deeds to get it all back.

I received Not Even Bones from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Released September 4th, 2018.

Part of the description of Not Even Bones over on Goodreads is “Dexter meets This Savage Song” and I was so down for that. I don’t even know where to start with this, because I just want to fangirl like crazy with how freaking amazing it was. I finally found a book that blew me away! It’s been way too long. Not Even Bones was dark, it was creepy, it was face-paced. I had so much fun reading this book and it me on the edge of my seat quite a bit. I loved the writing style and it was so easy to read and so hard to put down.

I enjoyed the main character Nita so much and was rooting for her the entire time. There were characters you wanted to hate, but couldn’t help but to love. All the different types of “monsters” and special powers they have was really interesting. There were a lot of gory aspects to it as well, but I love that kind of stuff. So if you like that kind of thing, this book is for you! There was no insta-love, which I especially loved. It didn’t focus on a romance much at all. It left it open for something in future books though and I am actually happy with the possibility.

Overall, Not Even Bones was a perfect read. It was so exciting and so many things are happening. There’s a few twists and it’s so fast-paced and action packed. I love dark and creepy books and that’s exactly what this one was. You’ll be sucked in right from the very first page. I am so stoked that I was able to get the chance to read this book and I can’t wait for the sequel. The ending, holy crap! It’s perfect if you want to add it to your Halloweenie TBRs. 😛 Not Even Bones is out now, so I highly recommend picking up a copy! I plan to go buy my copy as soon as I post this review.

Not related to review above: Two posts in one day? Who am I? Haha. 😛 Lately I’ve been lucky if I even get one or two a week. I need to find some new inspiration for blog posts. I’ve been lacking as far as figuring out what new content I want to post on here and even on Bookstagram, sigh. Earlier today I posted a reading update (linked below), so feel free to check it out!

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday #54.
Travel || Road Trip to Illinois.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Thoughts|| #MurderTrending.

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#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil
4 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest 8/18 citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0. When eighteen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one? 

I received #MurderTrending from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Released August 7th, 2018.

I am going to do a quick review of this book, because it’s better to know very little when going into it.

#MurderTrending was so dang good! I was sucked in fairly quickly. It felt really fast paced, which I love. Lots of different things going on and a lot of mystery behind it. Some things I did figure out, but it was exciting saying “I knew it!!”. It also kept me guessing a lot too and that was fun. I loved the characters and was rooting for them the entire time. It gets pretty gory at times, but I actually like that kind of thing. #MurderTrending was right up my alley.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this one. I loved that it was fast pace, kept you guessing, and had great characters AKA the Death Row Breakfast Club. 😛 It was hard to put down and I would #HighlyRecommend reading this one.

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday #52.
Travel|| Lake Placid, FL.
Book Tag|| Meme Book Tag.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack