Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5 Books with Small Town Vibes | 7/9/24

 Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Bionic Bookworm, now hosted by Meeghan Reads. If you’re interested in participating, check out their blog to get the details and the prompts for each week. 

This week's topic: top 5 books with small town vibes

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The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young

small town and time travel

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The Catch by. Amy Lea

influencer, small town, romance

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A Festive Feud by. Maren Moore

small town, feuding families, romance

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Starling House by. Alix E. Harrow

small town, dark magic, sentient house

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Bittersweet in the Hollow by. Kate Pearsall

small town, paranormal, witches

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Top 5 Tuesday topics: July 2024

2 July: Top 5 anticipated reads for Q3 2024

It’s time to talk about all the shiny new books coming out in July, August and September 2024. What are the books you can’t wait to hold in your hands the most?

9 July: Top 5 books with small town vibes

Not sure about you, but I have a fondness for books set in small villages. Doesn’t matter if it’s a crossroad town in the mid-west, or a small fishing village in Norway. If the population is so small a stranger sticks out like a sore thumb, that’s the vibe we are going for.

16 July: Top 5 books set in a big city

In the total opposite to the week before, we are now aiming for a big city setting. Give me all of those big city feels where a person could get lost in the foot traffic walking down the street.

23 July: Top 5 books with international travel

Whether it’s a fictional land or ours, let’s share all of those travels across countries, whether by sea, air, or land. You could even find a book where the characters jump over a border!

30 July: Top 5 books with time travel

Ahh, the most outrageous travel of all — and the most unreal. Tell us about your fave books where the characters skip through time (or space). If you can’t think of any, a book that spans multiple eras will also do the trick.

New Book Releases 7/9/24

 Happy book birthday to all these new releases!

The Spellshop by. Sarah Beth Durst

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

The Spellshop is a cottagecore cosy fantasy following a woman's unexpected journey through the low-stakes market of illegal spell-selling and the high-risk business of starting over . . .

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, she and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. She’s hoping to lay low and figure out a way to survive before the revolution comes looking for her. To her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire with its magic spellbooks has slowly been draining power from the island, something that Kiela is indirectly responsible for, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right. Opening up a spell shop comes with its own risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the quirky townspeople, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must break down the walls she has kept so high.

Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune, The Spellshop is a romantic and cosy fantasy.

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The Darkness Within Us by. Tricia Levenseller

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.

Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

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The Game Changer by. Lana Ferguson

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

A hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romance.

When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase's team, he hopes to focus on his game, but that suddenly seem less likely than a hat trick. With his career and the team’s image in jeopardy, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate's little sister…who isn’t so little anymore.

Delilah Baker is known as “the darling of baking” on her local cable show, and being in the public eye is her bread and butter. But with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother’s team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah thinks it will be a piece of cake—until the team sends Ian Chase, her brother’s best friend and the object of a decade-long crush that she’s never quite gotten over.

Delilah's and Ian’s teams think it’s a true win-win situation—gaining higher numbers for Delilah’s show and casting Ian in a more positive light. And viewers are eating them up like a cupcake, sparking the idea to play up their relationship for the goal of good press. With more than just their careers on thin ice, the line between what’s real and what’s for show begins to blur, but one thing’s for certain: This PR stunt will either be a total game changer—or leave them both totally pucked.

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Black Tide Son by. H.M. Long

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

Swashbuckling adventure on the high-seas, full of magic, betrayal, redemption and fearsome women, in the second book of the Winter Sea series, for readers of Adrienne Young and Naomi Novik.

A captured pirate reveals shocking news to Mary and Samuel that sends them in urgent pursuit of Samuel’s twin brother, Benedict, but their search uncovers much more than they bargained for. While evading a cunning new foe, Mary and Samuel must navigate the complexities of their own growing bond as they launch a rescue mission within one of the most secure fortresses on the Mereish Coast.

Mini Book Reviews - 7/8/24

 Hi everyone!  

I thought I'd do a post of mini reviews of books and arcs (advance reader copies) I have read in the past week.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by. Silvia Moreno-Garcia

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)

Mini review: I loved the historical setting, 1950's Hollywood.  The story centers around the making of a sword-and-sandal movie that was popular in that time and the studio casts a Mexican actress named Vera.  We see her deal with the racism and sexism during that time period.  Another character that is important is Nancy who embodies an actress trying to make it big but trying any which way to get there - she's hateful and racist.  Lastly, Salome's story is interwoven with the other two characters and I found her story fascinating and filled with political drama.  For the most part I enjoyed the story but I think the ending was anti-climatic.

**I received this book as an arc.  The book will be published on 8/6/24**

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A Winter Wish by. Emily Stone

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)

Mini review: I thought this was a cute holiday read! Lexie's dad has just passed and she never had a good relationship but he leaves her half of his travel company.  I love the travel destinations, the enemies to lovers romance, and I appreciated the relationships Lexie was trying to mend with her dad's memory and her step-sister.  Also there are lots of different Christmas elements in the story.  By it's conclusion, the story made me feel happy so I think this is a wonderful holiday romance. 

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Those are the two books I read and reviewed this week!  Thanks for reading!

What Am I Reading Now? 7/7/24

 Hi bookish friends! Here I am with a new book I am reading.  I'm almost done with it and it's an arc I got from NetGalley so it will be published next month.  So far I'm finding it intriguing and we will see how it ends.

Title: The Seventh Veil of Salome

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia 

Pages: 336

Publisher: Del Rey

Publication Date: 8/6/24

Book Synopsis:

A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine — but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic.

1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.

So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.

Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination.

But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.

Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.

Red, White and Blue Book Covers

 Happy 4th of July to everyone in the United States of America!    Here are some fun red, white and blue book covers to celebrate.

I hope you enjoy all these lovely book covers!

Can't Wait Wednesday...I Can't Wait For The Hunted Heir by. Holly Renee | 7/3/24

 

Welcome to Can't-Wait Wednesday!  

"Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine." - Wishful Endings

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I read book one a couple months ago and was hooked!  It's one of those series that is addicting and I can't wait for this book.

The Hunted Heir by. Holly Renee

The Veiled Kingdom, #2

Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: August 20, 2024

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

From USA Today Bestselling Author Holly Renee, comes the second book in the scorching romantasy series with enthralling secrets, impassioned enemies, and luring tension.

Verena was the lost princess of Marmoris, the very thing we had spent our entire lives looking for, and I had let her go.

The lingering taste of her mixed with the deep ache in my chest over her betrayal haunted my days and nights. I knew she was hiding something, but her secrets were far more treacherous than I could have imagined.

Though I wished my own betrayal hadn’t been so bitter on my tongue.

Now my dreams are haunted with the way her deep blue eyes looked up at me in shock when I revealed I knew her truth.

The way I crave for her to look at me now as I hunt for her.

Me, along with half of the rebellion.

If my father finds her before me, there is no telling what he will do to her.

And even though she’s the little traitor I’d always thought she was, I couldn’t allow him to find her.

But his orders were clear. The princess is to be taken by the rebellion or she would be taken by the gods. I don’t know which is worse.

She is the heir to our kingdom, the daughter of the cruel king who was responsible for my mother’s death, and the key to winning our rebellion.

I vowed to my father that I would find her, the one person I wish I didn’t have to.

Verena is the hunted heir. But more than anything, she is mine.

New Book Releases 7/2/24

 Happy book birthday to these new releases!

Reckless by. Lauren Roberts

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

The second heart-racing instalment in this bestselling and sizzling fantasy romance trilogy. Perfect for fans of Red Queen and The Hunger Games.

The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

Be swept away by this bestselling, kiss-or-kill romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.

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The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by. Megan Bannen

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

From the author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy comes a heartwarming fantasy with a best friends-to-lovers rom com twist--When Harry Met Sally, but with dragons!—set in the delightful demigod and donut-filled world of Tanria.

The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla and Frank are still patrolling the dangerous land of Tanria, the former prison of the Old Gods.

Twyla might look like a small town mom who brings cheesy potatoes to funerals and whips up a batch of cookies for the school bake sale, but her rewarding career in law enforcement has been a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank's job a lot safer ... and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals covered in liquid glitter--and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon--they are more than happy to be back on the beat.

Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as the danger closes in and Twyla and Frank's investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might just be the person who has lived next door all along...

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The Night Ends with Fire by. K.X. Song

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.

In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.

New Book Release 7/1/24

 Happy book birthday to this new release!

Burn of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #4) by. Penn Cole

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

"Thrones will shatter, knees will bend. What was forgotten will rise again..."

War has overtaken Emarion. In the north, Ophiucae and his army of bloodthirsty mortals seek to eradicate all Descended from the continent. In the south, the Guardians of the Everflame lie in wait, plotting a rebellion generations overdue.

In Lumnos, Realm of Light and Shadow, the Crowns are gathering. Caught between two deadly foes, they must form an unlikely alliance to save their people.

But the Crowns have a secret—and a heart without its mate will burn the world down to fulfill its fate.

Hatred reigns. Hope seems lost. With the future in darkness, can a flame emerge to bring the light?




Burn of the Everflame is the fourth and final book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, an epic fantasy romance series that follows our fiesty, bad*ss heroine Diem Bellator in her fight against injustice and oppression, her struggle to survive in a royal palace full of betrayal and intrigue, and her journey of self-discovery and finding true love. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers series is perfect for fans of unique magic systems, dragons and other mythical creatures, angst and romantic tension, and hilarious banter. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.