Book Tour: Heir of Locksley by N.B. Dixon

 

Title: Heir of Locksley

Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 1

Author: N.B. Dixon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: December 1st, 2016

Genre(s): Historical, M/M

Words: 108,000

View on Goodreads

About the Book

Blurb

 

 Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor. An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience. Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen - even murder.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician. She began work on the *Outlaw's Legacy* Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. *Outlaw's Legacy* is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.

Connect with N.B.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Quest Post

Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction?

I’ve loved the legend of Robin Hood since I was a small child. But is it merely a legend? I believe it was J.K. Rowling who said in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' that all legends have a basis in fact. The question of whether or not Robin Hood was a real person is still a hotly debated subject. Even today, he continues to influence popular culture. From his first written appearances as the star of early ballads, he has graduated to novels and from there to film and TV, and even more recently, the radio.

To find out whether or not Robin Hood was a real person, it’s best to start with his origins. The first known written ballad of Robin Hood was entitled 'Robin Hood and the Monk'. This was followed some years later by other ballads such as 'The Gest of Robin Hood', perhaps the most well known and certainly one of the longest. In this ballad, the story of Robin Hood is set in Barnsdale Forest, not in Sherwood. He is also a peasant, not a nobleman, and his story is set during the reign of Edward II, not Richard the Lionheart. During the reign of Edward II, Robert Hood of Wakefield rebelled against the King when he joined his cousin, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, in his attempt to overthrow Edward. The rebellion was unsuccessful and Robert of Wakefield, like so many, was forced to go on the run. Not much is known about him, but it is interesting that a Robin Hood is recorded as working for the King, which also occurs in 'The Gest of Robin Hood'. So were these men one and the same?

If only it were that black and white. The name Robin Hood is in fact a fairly common one. Though there are a variety of spellings, it was a universal term given to thieves. Robin was also a common enough name or just a shortened version of Robert. There are several men with the name Robert or Robin Hood who pop up throughout history, but were there any Robin Hood’s during the reign of King Richard? A knight named Robert Fitz Odo lived during the reign of Richard’s father, Henry II. Next to nothing is known about him, but it seems he lost his lands and title, much as the Robin Hood of legend did.

In the stories, Robin is famous for being a “different kind of Outlaw”. He steals only from those who can afford it and gives the money to those who are poor. Outlaws were predominantly made up of merchant’s and labourers, but some nobles did end up outlawed. While they were away on crusade, their lands were often stolen by enterprising neighbours. The crusading knights would return to find their home and lands gone. As the justice system moved slowly, they often had little option but to turn to outlawry, where they would be forced to steal in order to survive. It would be a very special man indeed who would give away what he stole to those less fortunate than himself. One theory has it that this was just a very clever piece of propaganda to convince the working classes that the nobles were not as cruel and heartless as they were believed to be. What better way to do this than to have a noble look after the poor?

Then there is the question of Robin Hood’s grave. According to the ballads, he dyed and was buried at Kirklees Priory in Yorkshire. A stone supposedly marked the spot, bearing the following inscription:

Here beneath this little stone,
Lays Robert Earl of Huntingdon.
Never was an archer so good as he,
And people called him Robin Hood.
Such outlaws as he and his men,
Will England never see again.

This gravestone has long since disappeared, although a drawing of a very similar stone was discovered in Locksley in Warwickshire. The original grave where Robin Hood was thought to be buried was found to be empty, but that begs the question, who wrote the inscription? Why was the stone removed?

The story of Robin is shrouded in mystery. Whether he was a real man or just a clever piece of propaganda, we may never be destined to know, but Robin Hood continues to fire the imaginations of all who read his story, and he remains alive in the hearts and minds of people long after any of the men he could have been were laid to rest in their graves.

Giveaway

Three lucky winners will receive an e-copy of Heir of Locksley, the first in the Outlaw's Legacy series by N.B. Dixon, a highly original retelling of the Robin Hood legend. To be in with a chance, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on May 6 and is open to entrants worldwide. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops

April 24 Exclusive Excerpt at Bloggers from Down Under

Guest Post at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

April 25 Exclusive Excerpt at Books, Dreams, Life

Guest Post at Love Bytes Reviews

Exclusive Excerpt at Shh, I Am Reading

April 26 Book Review by BFD Book Blog

Exclusive Excerpt at Bayou Book Junkie

April 27 Author Interview with Stories that Make You Smile

Character Interview at Drops of Ink

April 28 Exclusive Excerpt at MM Good Book Reviews

Author Interview with MM Book Escape

April 29 Guest Post at Making It Happen

Character Interview at Boy Meets Boy Reviews

April 30 Guest Post at Howling for Books

Tour Hosted by LoveBound Promotions

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Wrap Up

Here's my original TBR post for the readathon, but now it's time to wrap it all up!

First of all, I'm really pleased with myself; I managed to read 633 pages which is quite a lot for my reading pace. I started and finished The Blood of Olympus during Saturday and then on Sunday morning I managed to read 119 pages of The Hidden Oracle. And I had a blast doing so!

So here's the readathon in pictures:

One of my favourite quotes from The Blood of Olympus!

The best part of the story was definitely Nico's chapters, which I all devoured and loved so so much.

Closing survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

The first one, because I actually didn't get any reading done during that hour.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a reader engaged for next year?

Personally, I recommend any of Riordan's books even if they are huge; they're all fast paced, hilarious and easy to immerse yourself with, and I really liked reading them during the readathon.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next season?

Everything was just fine as it is!

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

I liked the twitter activity!

5. How many books did you read?

One and started another. But the book I read was 500+ pages so I'm really happy I got it read!

6. What were the names of the books you read?

The Blood of Olympus and The Hidden Oracle, both by Rick Riordan.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

The Blood of Olympus even though I'm really loving how The Hidden Oracle started.

8. Which did you enjoy least?

I enjoyed both.

9. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

I would most likely be reader and I'll definitely participate as long as it doesn't clash too badly with university etc.

ARC Review: Heels Over Head by Elyse Springer

Heels Over Head
by Elyse Springer
Published by Riptide Publishing
e-ARC (received via NetGalley)
New Adult, LGBT, contemporary, sports, romance

Jeremy Reeve is one of the best divers in the world, and he’s worked hard to get where he is. He intends to keep pushing himself with one very clear goal in mind: winning gold at the summer Olympics in two years. That medal might be the only way to earn his father’s respect as an athlete. 

Brandon Evans is everything Jeremy isn’t: carefree, outgoing, and openly gay. With his bright-blue eyes and dramatic tattoos, he’s a temptation that Jeremy refuses to acknowledge. But Jeremy can’t ignore how talented Brandon is—or that Brandon has no interest in using his diving skills to compete. 

They’re opposites who are forced to work together as teammates, but Jeremy’s fear of his own sexuality and Brandon’s disinterest in anything “not fun” may end their partnership before it begins. Until a single moment changes everything, and they help each other discover that “team” can also mean family and love.

I don't follow sports except Formula One, which is why I surprised even myself when my interest piqued with Heels Over Head. I think the best testament to this story and author I can give is to say that I was almost as invested to diving as Jeremy was, and now I want to watch all the diving competitions. Somehow, Springer got me interested in watching sports which I never really do.

Heels Over Head is very intense story that spams over two years - the two years that Jeremy is preparing to qualify to Olympics. Jeremy is nothing but intense, driven and extremely focused on his goal; to win gold at Olympics, to prove himself that he isn't weak and to earn his father's respect. Jeremy lives for diving only and he never slacks in his training or nutrition regime: basically, he never does anything else but train and go to his lectures. Well, until his solitary training changes when his coach, Andrey, takes on Brandon who's naturally talented in diving with little training as well as Valerie who's Jeremy's friend and has been diving for years. For first time in his life, Jeremy has a team he has to work with, especially when Andrey teams Jeremy and Brandon up for synchro diving. Brandon's quite new to the competitive diving and he's not too invested in it at first but he wants to prove himself to Jeremy. While Jeremy is totally focused to live and breath diving, Brandon enjoys having fun and not taking everything so seriously. He's fiercely independent and he's had life rough because his parents cut him off but Brandon still loves life - and wants Jeremy.

Brandon's extremely likable character and he's quite a sweetheart with a little bit devil may care attitude. I liked him a lot but somehow I truly rooted for Jeremy who wasn't always the nicest person - in fact he rarely even liked people and saw others as a distraction to his ultimate goal. But I loved him because he wasn't a bad person, he was scared and emotionally abused by his family and his sole focus was diving because it made him feel free. So I rooted for Jeremy, although what I rooted most were both Jeremy and Brandon because they were so good together. That's because they completed each other.

I really loved Heels Over Head, and I now it'll stay with me for a long time for various reasons. I fell in love with the story and became invested in diving which was quite surprising. It's brilliant and intense story with complicated and flawed characters and relationships but it all just made everything so perfect. Now I just need a sequel, pretty please?

I highly recommend!

5 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review Heels Over Head!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Book Blitz + Giveaway: The Devil's Whisper by T.H. Moore

The Devil’s Whisper
T.H. Moore
Publication date: May 1st 2017
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Suspense

Take a moment and imagine your history books devoid of war. Envision entire civilizations absent of heinous crimes against humanity. A planet spared from the plagues of slavery, cultural genocides, and the colonization of indigenous nations by foreigners. Would you dare make the choices necessary to maintain this Utopia in which universal peace existed? Could you ignore the Devil whispering in your ear, luring you away from a world in which loving your fellow man was the expectation, not the exception? 

In a state of reverie, an impractical idea of world peace has given birth to a culture in which the human race has chosen to live free of violent criminals. Instead, criminals have been systematically exiled to the lone prison city, Katingal, constructed in a far corner of Earth. Sentenced for the remainder of their natural lives, the wicked pit themselves against their soulless brethren. 

Exposure, disease, and starvation claim their victims daily. Those who survive nature’s wrath negotiate the perils of the prison city through murder and cannibalism. All the while, this inimitable death sentence satisfies civilization’s aim to punish the world’s irretrievable outcasts. 

Charles “Yäbälay” Gravo is the criminal mastermind behind the world’s largest human trafficking network. As a prime most-wanted fugitive, he sets into motion events that will forever alter the realities of both civilization’s Utopia and Katingal’s Hell.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

Though Charles felt relieved to have discovered Kristoff’s lair, he could see that the savage was surrounded by his men. Nevertheless, Charles surged ahead, his heart racing in tempo with his legs as he moved closer to his objective.

As Charles drew near, a commotion broke out on the balcony. The group of men were drinking, dancing, and fighting as if the balcony were a mosh pit. One reveler grabbed another, while a third man struck the unfortunate chap with a pipe. He buckled, and with one swift movement, the two men flung their victim from the balcony. His limp body fell twenty floors to the hard pavement below. Charles heard the thump when it hit, and the cheers from a group of men who had been waiting for it on the street.

“The king is offering sacrifices tonight,” one maniac on the balcony cheered, hooting down at the dead man sprawled on the pavement.

Charles quickened his pace, staying close to the edges of the road. He ducked into a nearby building and crouched down in a dark corner, using his hands to gather a pile of dirt. He took a mouthful of the water from his satchel and pushed it around his mouth to alleviate his thirst before releasing a thin, controlled stream onto the dirt pile. After mixing the water and dirt into a dark paste, he covered his pale face until all that remained visible were his green eyes.

As he continued his trek toward the epicenter of the city, Charles heard the faint symphony of suffering. Angry yells of men coming from the east and bloodcurdling screams of women pierced the night to the west. Moments later, he slid past a band of filthy men vying for ownership of a corpse like a pack of wolves.

Another ruckus was followed by another violent assault. Just like the one before him, the beaten man was thrown from the balcony. He screamed the entire way down while the maniacs rejoiced from above. Scavengers sprinted past Charles to the man’s broken body and started ripping him apart.

Kristoff’s acolytes leaned over the balcony railing and waved their arms in the air, chanting, “Kris-toff! Kris-toff! Kris-toff! The king of K-City!”

Charles was fifty yards from the barbed wire courtyard that secured the front entrance to the Apex building. Another scream of fear, followed by another thud, a pitched body, and the scurry of the scavengers. This time, Charles was close enough to hear bones snapping against the pavement. He took cover to avoid the scavengers, and waited while they butchered the latest sacrifice with their homemade weapons.

Charles darted along the side of the building until he spotted four men guarding the back doorway.

“Four offerings so far tonight,” one of the guards warned the other three. “Two more before it’s safe to go back up there.”

“You sound like a woman, Manta,” the smallest guard said.

“Fuck you, Hiro!” He laughed. “You look like a woman. Now give me some pussy, you dwarf!”

“Curse me again and I’ll take your tongue,” Hiro seethed, pulling a short knife from his belt.

The other three guards erupted into laughter. “You call that a knife?” said one. “The only thing that knife is good for is picking your rotting teeth.”

Author Bio:
T.H. Moore is a Southwest Philadelphia native who relocated to Camden, New Jersey at the age of ten. He’s an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University. His career as an Information Technology Consultant and Real-Estate investor has afforded him the opportunity to travel to many countries all over the world as well as the majority of the United States. Blending experience with imagination helped formulate the basis of, and inspired him to write his first novel, ‘The End Justifies the Means’.

His second novel, The Devil’s Whisper, is uniquely creative fiction that ventures away from the inspiration of his own life experiences. In The Devil’s Whisper, he dives into a darker set of dual protagonists whose sole objective is to survive the circumstances of the world they live in. T.H. 

Moore is the proud father of one son, Jason, and currently resides in Virginia, where he is working on the next two installments of The Devil’s Whisper trilogy. 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon TBR

I think this is the first time I actually can participate on Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon; previously I have had university commitments or something that just didn't make it possible. However, now I can and I'm super excited about joining!

Dewey's site has already some warm up posts up, and there's plenty of information about the readathon. To sum it up, the readathon is pretty chilled and there isn't any challenges that must be completed and not really rules - but plenty of good tips!

The important part is that the readathon will run from Saturday 29th April to Sunday 30th April. The start and end time of the readathon depend on which time zone you live, and you can check yours from the website.

In UK time zone the start is 1pm on Saturday and then it ends 1pm on Sunday.

Besides this TBR post, I'll do a wrap up on Sunday when the readathon is over.

My TBR is short because I picked up longer book and besides that I want to leave some space to play and pick other books if my TBR doesn't inspire me to read a lot. Anyway, I aim to start and finish The Blood of Olympus, which I'm pretty confident about since I usually read Riordan's books very fast. If I manage to finish that and still have time to read something else, I'm hoping to pick up The Hidden Oracle. That should keep me busy!

I'm not the best one to post updates but I'll try to be active on Twitter and post on my reading updates. So if you want to follow those, you're more than welcome to check out my twitter page - and hopefully you'll say hello and join the readathon! :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Will Make Me Instantly NOT Want To Read A Book

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!
I have plenty of bookish pet peeves but here's a list of those in the stories or plots that makes me to drop the book immediately. Or not even start if the blurb indicates anything about these ten things:
Love Triangle This is the biggest pet peeve of mine. I hate the juggling between two persons, especially since everyone gets hurt in the end. I'm talking mostly about love triangles like the one in Twilight that I just can't stand. Seriously, who in the real life would stick with girl who can't decide who she loves and wants to be with? It's basically emotional cheating when someone is with someone but at the same time loves someone else who they might want to start a relationship with.
Love triangle can be good if it's done properly but most often it's not so I just avoid it all together.
Instalove I don't think instalove is real. One can lust someone from the first glance, but love? There has to be some kind of real connection and knowing someone before there can be claims of love, so I just think the instalove trope is laziness of not writing good, proper love story.
Certain Authors Following either two scenarios: a) I have read other book(s) from the author and did not like them or the writing style, or b) the author have said/done something that doesn't sit well with me - there are a few authors that I just refuse read from because of previous plagiarism or because they are homophobic.
At times, I do give authors a second chance if I didn't like one book from them but if there's a trend that I don't click with their books, then I'm not going to keep trying.
Not Gorgeous Cover I know, I shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I just usually skip the books that have "the stock image of a girl (possibly in a dress)" without even reading the blurb. I just don't like those covers or what they possibly represent and I just skip them because they're not eye-catching.
Special Snowflakes Trope This comes up especially in YA, specifically on fantasy and dystopia genres. You know the type, usually the girl who's just so different and has such amazing powers that she masters in a day etc. The "I'm not like other girls" -type. I see that and I'm out.
Teacher/Student Relationship It's just something that doesn't sit well with me. It's a power dynamic that I don't feel like it could work where the partners would be equal in any ground so yeah. Just no, at least for me.
Religious Agenda Religion as a topic in a book gets usually preachy very fast, and I can't stand when the author gets preachy - or anyone else on that point. Everyone can have their own beliefs but I don't want to read a book that tries to force it down of my throat. So I avoid all Christian fiction or characters who are priests etc. of all cost.
I do love stories with mythology but I don't put in the same category as newer religions so if it's mythology, great - if it's something else, I rather stay clear.
World Wars I love history but I'm more into the older times like Ancient World, Medieval Europe and Early Modern Europe, and not so much about twentieth century history, especially the world wars. I have had to study them ever since primary school and I had to read some World War II books for middle school, and I just don't want to. The Book Thief is on my TBR but that's the exception to the rule.
Horror I'm not kidding when I say that I'll have nightmares for days if not weeks from horror movies and books, so I avoid them at all cost. I'm not bothered by paranormal stuff like vampires and werewolves but the downright horror with haunting and creepy houses and little kids, please, not for me.
"For the Fans of __" There's few reasons for this one. A) It's usually something like for the fans of Twilight or Divergent, or something I did not like thus I'm not going to read a book recommend for fans of those. B) I like reading different kind of books so even if the book is for the fans of Harry Potter, I might not want to read it because I want something different, not something that has been done a lot. Overall, I just think that these types of tag lines do more harm than good for the books so please publishers, just stop.

ARC Review: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Lying
by Karen M. McManus
Published by Penguin
e-ARC (received via NetGalley)
YA, contemporary, mystery

One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.    Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
    Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
    Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.    Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.    And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app. 

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

I had high hopes for this because it was supposed to be thrilling high school whodunnit where I could keep guessing who was lying and who the murderer was among the students in the detention. However, the story was so full of one dimensional stereotypes and the pacing of the story was all over the place so I didn't end up enjoying it much. The last third of the story was quite exciting and I grew to like few of the characters but that doesn't save the two thirds when the characters had nothing special or interesting in them.

The beginning was quite great: fast paced detention where the outcast Simon dies and basically everyone panics. There's Bronwyn, the good girl who doesn't know what to do in real life situation; there's the beautiful Addy who panics; there's Cooper who's a jock; and there's the criminal, Nate, who surprisingly knows what to do in the situation. The setting of these stereotypical characters was forgivable and in some way exciting because there was a promise that everything's not what it seems. But the problem was that there was never any development in their characters or their home situations that would have made them something more than stereotypical. Let's round it up: the characters lived up to their stereotypes because a) their secrets matched the stereotypes (for example, the smart girl who cheated), b) their parents and home situation were stereotypical (for example, the criminal with addicted and uncaring parents), and c) well, all the revelations and plot twists basically continued to add to these stereotypes (I'm not giving anything away but trust me, you could see everything from miles away). And of course the romance of the story is between the bad boy and the smart girl. Basically, the book was a manifesto for all American high school stereotypes.

That might have been the reason why I had problems with connecting with the characters because how one dimensional they were and how predictable to plot was. I wanted mystery and thrilling investigation but it all got tramped on to high school drama. I did like Cooper and his storyline was quite interesting but of course he got least attention and had less page time than the others. Addy grew on me, too, and I ended up liking her after a rough start.

There was potential, but the stereotypes and lack of character development outside of those stereotypes made the story so predictable that it was quite hard to enjoy. I can only recommend this if you don't mind excessive use of stereotypes and lack of unique characters/situations. The murder mystery was good, and I have to admit I didn't guess who the killer was. And the last third of the story was quite exciting but I don't feel like it saves the day.

2 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Penguin Random House UK, for giving me a chance to read and review One of Us Is Lying!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Terrence by Alice Rachel

Terrence: A Short Story
Alice Rachel
(Under Ground, #0.8)
Publication date: May 15th 2017
Genres: Dystopian, New Adult, Romance

Bullying is nothing new to Terrence Young. The teasing and harassment are constant. His family is less than understanding as well. To them, Terrence chose to be gay and complicate their lives. Their little rejections sting and cut him deeply. 

But when the Deviance Act is passed, Terrence’s life takes a turn for the worse overnight. Under the new law, a mere look, a simple touch, or a small kiss in public could mean death. Terrence attempts to hide his orientation to survive. That is until a gang attacks him in a bar and Chase Martinez interferes. 

Chase is gorgeous, kind-hearted, and he’s a rebel in the Underground—all qualities that attract Terrence so much there is no stopping the fall. Loving Chase might be dangerous, but Terrence is done living in fear and letting others dictate what is right for him. 

*The author pledges to donate 100% of sales revenue from “Terrence: A Short Story” to The Ally Coalition

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

“So you decided you like girls now or something?” Gerald asked.

I gave him a double-take. “What?”

“Yeah, you’re gonna date girls now? Like, you’re straight or something? Or are you bi? Or what?”

“I never said I wasn’t straight.”

A laugh gurgled up from his throat, and it grew louder and louder until his narrow shoulders shook and he slapped his knees. “You’re funny, you know that?”

Yeah, real hilarious!

I narrowed my eyes, and he chuckled again. Then he shot to his feet so quick, he was standing in my face before I could move.

“I caught you checking out my ass more than once, man. Ain’t no need to pretend ’round me. You’re about as straight as a circle.”

My cheeks instantly got red, and I tried to hide them by pulling my hood down over my face. But Gerald took another step forward and slipped his hand through my light brown hair. His eyes followed the movement of his fingers, and the hood fell down on my neck.

“It’s too bad, you know. ‘Cause I like you. But if you’re sure you’re into girls now…Well…” He made a sad face, sticking his lower lip out like he was real disappointed.

Author Bio:
Alice Rachel is the author of the YA Forbidden Romance/ Dystopian Romance Series "Under Ground."

Her time is divided between teaching French, writing, reading, drawing, and spending time with her hubby and guinea pigs. 

Alice loves talking to readers, so send her a message...

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Waiting on Wednesday #48

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's cannot-wait book is:

Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab!

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity, #2)

by V.E. Schwab

Published by Titan Books

Expected publication: June 6th, 2017

YA, fantasy

Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human, no matter how much he once yearned for it. He’s a monster with a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.

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ARC Review: A Gathering Storm by Joanna Chambers

A Gathering Storm (Porthkennack, #2)
by Joanna Chambers
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC (received via NetGalley)
Adult, LGBT, historical, romance

When grief-stricken scientist Sir Edward Fitzwilliam provokes public scorn by defending a sham spiritualist, he’s forced to retreat to Porthkennack to lick his wounds. Ward’s reputation is in tatters, but he’s determined to continue the work he began after the death of his beloved brother.

In Porthkennack, Ward meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward to the Roscarrock family. Ward becomes convinced that Nick, whose Romany mother was reportedly clairvoyant, is the perfect man to assist with his work. But Nick—who has reason to distrust the whims of wealthy men—is loath to agree. Until Fate steps in to lend a hand.

Despite Nick’s misgivings, he discovers that Ward is not the high-handed aristocrat he first thought. And when passion ignites between them, Nick learns there’s much more to love than the rushed, clandestine encounters he’s used to. Nevertheless, Nick’s sure that wealthy, educated Ward will never see him as an equal.

A storm is gathering, but with Nick’s self-doubts and Ward’s growing obsession, the fragile bond between the two men may not be strong enough to withstand it.

A Gathering Storm was very authentically feeling story set in fictional Porthkennack seaside town in Cornwall. It's second book set in there (first being Wake Up Call) but can be read as a standalone without confusions.

One of the main characters is Sir Edward Fitzwilliam, shortened as Ward, who is aristocratic gentleman and a scientist. He moves to Porthkennack after his reputation suffers in London, and he's set to do scientific research at the small seaside town. Ward's very likable character even though he is flawed; he can be a bit wrap up to his privilege and while he doesn't mean anything bad, he often comes off as inconsiderable. He also has a harsh voice because of childhood sickness of diphtheria, and other characters described him at times as handsome gentlemen with a voice of the devil. The other main character is Nicholas Hearn, or Nick, who's somewhere between landed gentry and commoner, not really belonging to either because he's a bastard son of wealthy landed gentry man, and he's employed by his grandfather as a steward of the estate. Nick's quite quiet and a man of few words because he doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere in Porthkennack even if he loves to be there. Nick's quite lovable character too, although his biggest flaw is that he's a bit wrap up to his own sense of not belonging to see people around him how they are.

What I really loved about the A Gathering Storm was the likable characters, the authentic feeling of the setting, how the dialogue and mannerism matched the historical setting/time, and overall the historical setting as 19th century small seaside town and the aspects of science and scientific discoveries that Ward's background and work brought to the story. The romance between Ward and Nick was slow burn with tension which was very nice, and overall the exploration of their relationship was such a good read. The story also explored deeper aspects of grief, or more than that, what actions deep grief can cause. The only slightly negative thing was that the ending was a bit abrupt - but that might just be me, because I would have enjoyed reading about Ward and Nick a little bit more!

I recommend this if you enjoy authentic historical settings and slow burn romances.

4 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review A Gathering Storm!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Waiting on Wednesday #47

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's cannot-wait book is:

The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant by C.S. Pacat!

The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant (Captive Prince, #3.75)

by C.S. Pacat

Published by Gatto

Expected publication: May 3rd, 2017

Novella, LGBT, fantasy

The Adventures of Charls follows the dealings of a humble cloth merchant in the days before the royal Ascension. Set after the events of Kings Rising and The Summer Palace.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Most Unique Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!
I've read plenty of unique books and I could have easily named more than ten amazing unique books, but here's a selection of ten. Most of them are unique in their story telling way, or plot elements, or just so brilliant that I haven't read anything quite like it before or after.

Out Now: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The Upside of Unrequited

by Becky Albertalli

Published by Penguin Random House UK

Young Adult, LGBT, contemporary, romance

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.
Right?

The Upside of Unrequited is out today! I was lucky to get a chance to read an ARC of this. You can find my review here and see how much I liked the story. Go check it out!

You can purchase the book several places, including
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Book Depository

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: The Rainbow Clause by Beth Bolden

The Rainbow Clause
by Beth Bolden
Publication date: April 3rd 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance

Heisman winner. Member of the National Championship team. NFL Rookie of the Year. Quarterback Colin O’Connor knows he’s become the ultimate romance novel cliché: all the success he’s ever dreamed of but nobody to share it with. Too bad it’s not as simple as asking out the next girl who intrigues him – because the next girl to intrigue him probably won’t be a girl at all.
Unexpectedly, the solution comes in one neat package: Nick Wheeler, lead journalist for a leading sports and pop culture blog. Hired by Colin’s team, Nick comes to Miami to shine a spotlight on the NFL’s most private quarterback. 

The heat in Miami rises when Nick discovers that Colin is nothing like the hollow personality he pretends to be in interviews and he’s even hotter in person than on his Sports Illustrated cover. Nick knows this is the story of his career, and after spending his teenage years as a bullied, closeted teen, it hits very close to home. What he needs is to help Colin share his story while keeping their growing relationship from boiling over in the press, but what he wants is to tell the world.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:

Beth Bolden lives in Portland, Oregon with her supportive husband and their beloved cat. She wholly believes in Keeping Portland Weird, but wishes she didn’t have to make the yearly pilgrimage up to Seattle to watch her Boston Red Sox play baseball. She’s a fan of fandoms, and spends too much of her free time on tumblr. 

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published two novels, The Lucky Charm and Getting Lucky, and a short story, Eye of the Storm. Her next novel, Summer Attractions, will be released in August 2016.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter

Giveaway! (INTL)

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Waiting on Wednesday #46

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's cannot-wait book is:

The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan!

The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo, #2)

by Rick Riordan

Published by Disney-Hyperion / Penguin

Expected publication: May 2nd, 2017

YA, fantasy, mythology

Zeus has punished his son Apollo—god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more—by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo do anything about them without his powers? After experiencing a series of dangerous—and frankly, humiliating—trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . .

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Review: Superior by Jessica Lack

Superior
by Jessica Lack
Published by Book Smuggles Publishing
Ebook (purchased)
YA, LGBT, fantasy, romance

Here's the thing about being a superhero intern: there's a lot less crime fighting than you think there will be, what with the whole liability issue and the administrative headache of constantly monitoring the Heroic Help Hotline. The most action that Jamie sees happens when he is kidnapped by the supervillain of the week--and then waits for his boss, Captain Superior, to show up and rescue him. Again.

On his most recent nabbing, Jamie gets to meet Tad, Terrorantula's new villainous apprentice. Even though they are supposed to be on opposite sides (or are they?), sparks fly almost immediately. So, when Tad offers to give Jamie much-needed self-defense classes, how could Jamie pass the opportunity to hang out with the coolest (and hottest) guy he knows?

But Tad has a secret--one that threatens the budding relationship between the two teenage sidekicks, and could destroy Captain Superior forever.

Superior was absolutely adorable! Jamie and Tad were cute and lovely, and I mean, superhero vs super villain story that focuses on the sidekicks instead, totally awesome. Brilliant story. The only complain I have is that I needed way more than short novella; I need a full novel. Or two.

Highly, highly recommend.

5 of 5 stars

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Wrapping the Month: March

What's greater way to start new month than taking a look at previous one?

I'm quite happy with March. Don't get me wrong, I was under a lot of pressure from uni because I had all my written assignments due in March - but I managed still to blog very regularly, only breaking towards the end of the month when the essays were mostly due. I also read a lot (probably because I wanted to avoid the assignments, heh). Only thing I really need to prep myself to do is actually regularly answer the comments, so I'll try to be better at that in April.

I got a few books, alongside these physical ones I got two eARCs and one ebook so I'm quite happy with the amount - it didn't grow my TBR pile too much.

March's reviews:

True Colors (5 stars)

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between (2 stars)

The Upside of Unrequited (4 stars)

Reborn (5 stars)

Stag's Run (4 stars)

Wake Up Call (4 stars)

Nimona (4 stars)

The Fever Code (4 stars)

I'm happy with the seven books I read, especially since I managed to finish two that I had started way before Christmas plus some review copies. And the fact that all seven were four to five star reads!

  

  

Uni's getting less hectic now that I basically have only exams left in May, so I should have time to read and blog more - although I'm quite happy how much I managed to do in March when I didn't really have a lot of time.

Hugs,

Henna

(I got inspiration from Saruuh @ Dust Jacket Reviews to display the covers of books I read instead of listing them. So all the credit for her for inspiring me.)