Top 18 Books To Read In 2018

I'm really late with this as it's almost two months into 2018, but better late than never! These lists of 18 books to read in 2018 has been going on especially on Booktube for a while now, so I decided to make one list too; hopefully to inspire me actually tackle all of these during the next ten months.

I only chose books from my physical TBR, because I own a lot of books I'm excited to read and I really want to prioritize these. So, here we go;

 I need to read more of Gaiman's books and while I own several, I want to start with Good Omens! I've actually started White Road, but I really need to finish it so that I can continue with the Nightrunner series.

 At the moment, The Ship of the Dead is only Riordan book I haven't read, which is why it's top of my TBR pile. I've also been meaning to read Nevernight for a long time, so I think 2018 would be the time to do so.

 Recently, I've wanted to read more crime fiction; I loved Shetland TV show so I thought Blue Lightning would be interesting read. And honestly, it's time that I read something other than Harry Potters from J.K. Rowling, hence The Cuckoo's Calling.

 A friend recommended The Book Thief for me some years ago, and I want to finally read it. Foxes Unearthed is my non-fiction of choice and I've already started it (now I want to finish it and read more about foxes and the history of foxes). And yeah, Harry Potter in Scots, it sounds so good!

 I need to read more books by Benjamin Alire Saenz this year, and since Last Night I Sang To The Monster is only one I own besides Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (which I adore), it's on this list. I meant to read The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue last year, but I didn't have time, thus it's high on my TBR right now. I also want to watch the movie of Call Me By Your Name, which means I need to read the book first.

 I need to read The Knife of Never Letting Go before the movie comes out, because I want to see it, and this is one of the few Patrick Ness books that I haven't already read. I own all of Adam Silvera's books but sadly I haven't read any of them. I guess I could have included any of them on this list, but I thought I'd start with History Is All Your Left Me and continue from there.

There's plenty of classics that I want to read, but these are what I want to start with. Three Theban Plays is included because I've already started it (years ago...) and I hope this will give me a push to finish it. The Iliad has always been something I want to read, ever since I became obsessed with Achilles, Patroclus and that era of Greek history. I also want to read more Jane Austen, and I thought Northanger Abbey would be a good place to start as it's a shorter than others. Fahrenheit 451 is about books and censorship, and I feel like it's relevant read so I want to finally get into it. 

Review: Fence #2 by C.S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad

Fence #2
by C.S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad
Published by Boom! Box
Comic/graphic novel, YA, LGBT, contemporary, sports

As Seiji and Nicholas struggle with their living arrangement, the competition heats up.

The first issue of Fence set the sport and competition nicely, but I really loved how this issue introduced the boarding school and the fencers there. It gives it a bit more in depth, although with all the new guys from the Kings Row fencing team, I'm more intrigued than ever. Also, I really want to learn more about everyone, especially Nicholas and Seiji, but everyone else too! Nicholas and Seiji's living arrangement was just so hilarious, the contrast between their personalities really comes through it. All the tension between them is just so amazing.

I need more, that's all I can say, because I really like this comic. I want to learn all about the characters, see more fencing scenes, and see if Nicholas can achieve his dreams. The wait between issues is killing me, even if I try to savour the issues and not read them as soon as they're published.

So yeah, really loving this world of boarding school, fencing, and these competitive boys. All I need is more of this adventure.

4 of 5 stars

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ARC Review: Where Death Meets the Devil by L.J. Hayward

Where Death Meets the Devil
by L.J. Hayward
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, suspense, romance

Jack Reardon, former SAS soldier and current Australian Meta-State asset, has seen some messy battles. But “messy” takes on a whole new meaning when he finds himself tied to a chair in a torture shack, his cover blown wide open, all thanks to notorious killer-for-hire Ethan Blade. 

Blade is everything Jack doesn’t believe in: remorseless, detached, lawless. Yet, Jack’s only chance to survive is to strike a bargain with the devil and join forces with Blade. As they trek across a hostile desert, Jack learns that Blade is much more than a dead-eyed killer—and harder to resist than he should be. 

A year later, Jack is home and finally getting his life on track. Then Ethan Blade reappears and throws it all into chaos once more. It’s impossible to trust the assassin, especially when his presence casts doubts on Jack’s loyalty to his country, but Jack cannot ignore what Blade’s return means: the mess that brought them together is far from over, and Ethan might just bring back the piece of Jack’s soul he thought he’d lost forever.

Oh boy, I didn't have any clue what I signed up for when I started Where Death Meets the Devil. It's a ride; captivating, edge of your seat page turner that just keeps going even when you're breathless. I don't want to give out too much, because I think this is one of those books reader needs to go without knowing much about it in order to get the full experience.

Where Death Meets the Devil is a romantic suspense set in Australia with perfectly woven timeline: it's back and forth between present day and year ago, when Jack was on undercover mission for the Meta-State intelligence network that he works for. Jack, who's ex-military, was deep undercover for fifteen months until his cover is blown and he finds himself in a torture shack, staring down a notorious assassin Ethan Blade. Jack's sure his time is up, but then Blade helped him escape and their dangerous journey through Australian outback to catch Valadian, a crime lord of sorts, starts. On present day, a year after, Jack's ready to leave the office to celebrate his birthday when Ethan Blade shows up at the top secret Sydney headquarters, asking to see Jack. 

There's action, car chases, daring missions, dingoes, shoot outs, interrogations, loyalties and motives questioned, and heated moments. It's brilliant page turner. The writing is splendid, there's details like no other, and the characters are so fleshed out it's almost unreal. Ethan Blade is a puzzle: he's remorseless and lethal assassin, but he also has childlike intrigue and he's adorable when he gets going on his precious cars. His humour is also so funny! Jack, on the other hand, is ex-military and he's always been loyal to his country and tried to make it saver for his family, but he has demons from nine years in the military and various tours. Jack is the type of character who demands respect and gives it back, and he's just so likable guy trying his best to survive.

Now, without going into details or spoiling anything, the story is a romantic suspense, but the romance is not traditional, it's slow burn and complicated. I'm just going to say that I loved it and it was definitely something different. Actually, I need more of it. A sequel would be great!

It's a seamless story, and I loved every moment. I highly recommend Where Death Meets the Devil; it's a journey that needs to be experienced, and oh boy it's a ride like no other.

5 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review Where Death Meets the Devil!

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

What I'm Currently Reading

It's been a long while since I have done any kind of post about what I'm currently reading. Actually, it was 2015 when I made a post confessing how I'm a book bigamist and shared all my current reads (you can find my post here). Even though I keep up with all my reading on Goodreads, I decided to do a post too; one of my goals for this year is finish reading all these books I'm currently reading. Without doubt, I'll continue reading multiple books at the same time, but I want to get bottom of this pile and then start new ones.

Here's what I'm in the middle of:

How To Use Your Enemies is something I pick up from time to time to read few of the quotes; the short classic consists quotes or short advice, what you want to call it, and it's been compared to Machiavelli's Prince. I really should just pick it up and breeze through it on one sitting because it has barely fifty pages!

White Road I'm almost 200 pages in, but I haven't picked it up since September. I love the Nightrunner series beyond everything, and I'm a bit scared to continue White Road while I'm studying - it's just the type of book that makes me drop everything else. But soon! Preferably during the Easter holidays when I can take a small break from the studies.

I have actually read Wuthering Heights (multiple times) so this is a re-read. I even own multiple copies of the book; this one is for annotation and personal notes, which is why I'm taking my time with it. I'd still like to finish it before the end of this year.

Peter Pan I started some time ago, read few chapters, and then picked up something else and pretty much forgot it. I should get back into the story, because I adore it.

Foxes Unearthed is my current non-fiction read. I'm around halfway done with it, and I'm really loving it. Although, it does break my heart with all the controversy and hunting foxes.

I've been reading Three Theban Plays since autumn 2015. Yes, that's way too long. I'm about to remedy that since I'm reading the last play and I will finish it before the end of February. It's been way too long already.

I've read forty pages of Jane Eyre and while I want to read more classics from the Brontë sisters, this just has a slow start that hasn't inspired me to continue it yet. Maybe after I'm done re-reading Wuthering Heights.

The Knife of Never Letting Go I started during the summer and I'm adamant to get it read before the movie comes out. With this one I think it's just more laziness of not picking the book up and finishing it. I'll get around it, sooner the better.


If there's anything to draw from this pile, it's that I take my time with classics. It's just that with the extensive reading I have to do for my history courses, I'm usually so done with anything that requires thought and analyses - in fact, I read more fantasy and M/M romance than anything else while the semester is on, because those books help me to relax. Anyway, my goal is to finish all of these before the end of 2018.

ARC Review: Heat Trap by JL Merrow

Heat Trap (The Plumber's Mate Mysteries, #3)
by JL Merrow
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance, mystery

Old flames can leave a nasty burn. 

It’s been six months since plumber Tom Paretski was hit by a shocking revelation about his family, and he’s been avoiding dealing with it ever since. His lover, PI Phil Morrison, wants Tom to dig deeper into his history and try to develop his psychic talent for finding things, but Tom’s not nearly so keen. Just as he decides to bite the bullet, though, worse problems crawl out of the woodwork. 

Young Devil’s Dyke barmaid Marianne has an ex, Grant Carey, who won’t accept that things are over between them, and he’s ruthless in dealing with anyone who gets in his way. When Carey threatens an old friend of theirs, Phil and Tom step in to help—but that makes them targets themselves.

What with his uncertainty about Phil’s motives, Tom’s family doing their best to drive a wedge between them, and the uncovering of an ugly incident in Phil’s past, Tom’s not sure who he can trust—and the body he finds in the pub cellar isn’t the only thing that stinks.

The Plumber's Mate Mysteries has certainly earned a place in my favourites after Heat Trap. I loved the previous installments, but this was something new; the setting continued to be authentic and the case mystery might have been most engaging yet, and it had all the characters I've grown to like a lot. However, Phil and Tom's relationship deepened, hit a rough patch, and then evolved in a way that made my heart flutter. Absolutely brilliant, I couldn't put the book down because I was so enthralled by it.

What I have come to love and what I think is the strong point of this series and its each individual story, is the great mix of solving a case mystery and dealing with Tom's every day life, especially his relationship with Phil. It feels so realistic with its ups and downs, and how they try to work through the problems - especially with Tom's family and friends not accepting Phil. It doesn't help that there were things from Phil's past surfacing and Tom had to question who's right and what can he live with. Tom also had to deal with the aftermath of the twist from Relief Valve, so he really don't catch a break. Still, Tom's so likable, witty and friendly, and it's easy to identify with his thoughts and anxieties. I've also grown to like Phil a lot; he's more reserved and cynical in a sense, but he really does carry his heart in his sleeve.

Heat Trap exceeded all my expectations and it was more page turning than any of the previous books. Stunning storyline with some drama and struggles that I loved - it's captivating and brilliant.  I highly recommend picking up the series, it keeps getting better and better! I cannot wait for the next one!

5 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review Heat Trap!

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

Book Blitz + Giveaway: The Viking's Chosen by Quinn Loftis

The Viking’s Chosen
by Quinn Loftis
Published by Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: February 12th 2018
Historical, Romance, Young Adult

His orders are clear: launch a raid against England and bring home the spoils of war.  

But the prophecy is also clear: General Torben will take a foreign bride—one who is a seer and healer just like his mother. The eldest princess of England is said to be just that…a beautiful, charming, and headstrong woman. But he’s a Viking army general and she’s an English princess—and one who is already promised to the king of Tara.  

Two worlds collide in this epic historical fiction centered on an undeniable chemistry that smolders against the odds. Richly written and injected with moments of humor, this action-packed romantic tale will leave you breathless.  

Quinn Loftis is the author of twenty novels, including the USA Today Bestseller Fate and Fury.

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—

EXCERPT

“At least he does not resemble the back end of a boar,” Dayna whispered.

I shot my sister a quick nod of agreement and then covertly turned back to peer at my future husband who was currently conversing with my father. After our morning ride, my sister and I had found a hiding spot behind some large drapes just to the left of the room occupied by our guests. It afforded us the surreptitious ability to listen and watch with the two kings interact. Thomas had taken his leave, but not before he informed me of what he thought about our childish behavior. I did not care if I was being childish. I was not ready to meet King Cathal just yet, at least not without a little advance warning of what I would be dealing with.

“You are correct,” I murmured back. “He is not ugly, but his handsomeness is marred by that tight lipped frown. He looks cruel.”

I had been surprised to find that my future husband was not nearly as old as I had thought he would be. If I had to guess, I would put him at eight and thirty, or, at the very oldest, two and forty. His hair was dark, cut close to his head. He had deep green eyes, a hawkish nose, and thin lips that seemed to hold a perpetual scowl. Standing at a little over six feet, King Cathal was lean but obviously muscular. Yes, he was handsome, but the cold, detached look in his eyes ruined any favor I might have found in him.

“Do you think it hurts to hold his face like that?” Dayna asked.

I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Perhaps he was just born that way.”

“Tis a shame to be so handsome and yet such a pompous ass.”

“Shh,” I chastised. “That pompous ass could have your head if he felt your offense warranted it.”

“Father would not allow me to be beheaded, Allete” Dayna assured me. “I am his favorite.”

I made a motion with my hand to quiet her so we could hear what it was our father was saying to the king of Tara.

“She has to know by now that I have arrived,” King Cathal was saying. His words came out clipped and low.

“Allete tends to have her own mind about things. I am sure she will join us when she is ready,” King Albric said, attempting to placate his irritated guest.

“And who allows such independent thinking?” Cathal challenged. “A woman should know her place.” His pointed look was aimed at the queen who stood quietly next to King Albric.

Allete was sure her mother was going to smack the rude man, but a subtle hand placed on her mother’s wrist held her in place.

“I understand your frustration, Cathal, but please be considerate of Allete’s situation. She is being courted by a man she has never met. She will be expected to leave with that man in a month’s time and travel to a place that is not her home, where she has no friends, no family. She deserves time to adjust.” King Albric, ever the diplomat, attempted to ease his counterpart’s temper. Based on Cathal’s pinched lips, however, his efforts were wasted.

“Could you at least send for her?” The other king asked in a more civil tone. And then added, “Please,” all be it a bit begrudgingly.

I snatched Dayna’s sleeve and gave it a gentle tug, indicating it was time for us to go. Like mice being hunted by a cat, we scurried from our hiding place and snuck to my bedchamber. We had barely made it inside when there was a knock at the door.

“Enter,” I said, attempting to keep my voice from sounding breathless.

Lidia entered. The look on her face was one of trepidation.

“The king requests your presence,” my handmaiden said in a soft voice.

I smiled at the girl. “Chin up, Lidia. All will be well.”

Lidia let out a huff, her manners momentarily forgotten. “You have not met the man. He is positively awful.” Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. “Forgive my frankness.”

Dayna laughed. “Allete would never punish you, especially not for telling the truth.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “We already saw him. We spied on them.” Dayna winked, looking completely unrepentant.

Lidia lowered her hand and made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth.

I straightened my dress and pulled my shoulders back. “Might as well face the music. I doubt he is going to turn around and sail back home without me.”

Author Bio
Quinn is an award winning author who lives in beautiful Western Arkansas with her husband, two sons, Nora the Doberman, and Chewy the Cat who thinks he's a dog. She is the author of 17 novels, and 2 novellas, including the USA Today bestseller, Fate and Fury. Quinn is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.

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Review: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10)

by Agatha Christie

Published by Harper

Classic, crime, mystery

What more can a mystery addict desire than a much-loathed murder victim found aboard the luxurious Orient Express with multiple stab wounds, thirteen likely suspects, an incomparably brilliant detective in Hercule Poirot, and the most ingenious crime ever conceived?

I've only read one Agatha Christie book before and that was And Then There Were None. However, that was almost a decade ago and it was a required reading for school so I wasn't the most engaged with the story. With the new movie coming out, I wanted to dive into Murder on the Orient Express before I watched the movie, so here I am, finally reading classic murder mystery without being forced to do so.

I enjoyed the story, although I must admit I was surprised how it was written. The story is divided into three parts: the facts, the evidence, and Poirot's sit down and thought process. Each chapter also contains one thing, for example, the evidence chapters are all about one person/thing per chapter. This was a structure that I had never read before and it was very interesting: it was easy to keep up and in a sense it read almost like a police file in novel form. Absolutely brilliant! The characters and plot was engaging, and I loved trying to figure out who was guilty of the murder of Mr Ratchett. Hercule Poirot was also quite charismatic and engaging inspector, and his thought process and conclusions were brilliant to follow.

Without giving any spoilers, I do have to say that I was disappointed at the ending and how the aftermath of the crime was dealt with. The mystery itself was brilliant and surprising, just the consequences part of the aftermath was severely disappointing. That's solely the reason why I'm giving this four stars instead of five.

If you're interested in some classic crime, I'd highly recommend Murder on the Orient Express: it's quick to read, has some very intriguing characters and the mystery is engaging.

4 of 5 stars

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Stacking the Shelves (72)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak

Curiouser and Curiouser: Steampunk Alice in Wonderland
by Melanie Karsak
(Steampunk Fairy Tales)
Publication date: July 17th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Retelling, Steampunk

To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him. 

Alice thought she’d turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London’s criminal underbelly. But she’d been bonkers to dream. 

Hatter’s reckless behavior leads Alice back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar’s mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is no problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible. 

Sometimes love is mad.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“If you say it again, I’ll stab you,” I said as I struggled to adjust the formal gown. The bulging bustle of fabric on my backside made my lower back itch, and my corset was too tight. A proper lady’s gown indeed, but I wondered how anyone who dressed in proper fashion got anything done. I touched the brim of my tiny top hat. It, along with my parasol, were the only pieces of the outfit I actually liked. Of course, the parasol had a feature that allowed me to slip the White Queen into the shaft to serve as a handle. Leave it to the Countess to think of that.

“All I said was that you look lovely. I hardly think that’s a stabbing offense.”

“Shows what you know,” I replied as I eyed him sidelong. He had changed into a fine suit and wore a black top hat. I both hated and loved being there with him. My conflicting emotions made me cranky.
“Tickets,” said a man standing just outside the door of the Crystal Palace.

“Good morning,” William said politely and handed the man our tickets.

The man stamped the date on the tickets then handed them back. Nodding, he motioned for us to enter.

Taking me gently by the arm, as a gentleman ought to do, William escorted me inside.

While the Crystal Palace’s ornate structure, made of glass and iron, towering several stories high was a sight to behold from the outside, nothing quite prepared me for the marvels inside.

As we entered, a cacophony of sounds reached our ears. The sweet melodies coming from a stand of self-playing harps, the screech of monkeys, the hum of machines, and the sounds of hundreds of voices rolled to our ears all at once.

The structure had been built around the tall ash trees that had stood in the park. They still stood standing tall in the middle of the structure. Fountains lined the center promenade. The crowd gasped and stepped back as a group from Africa passed on their way toward their display, lions on leashes walking in front of them. Not far behind them, a man wearing a straw hat jogged past pulling a rickshaw, two laughing—and elegantly dressed—ladies inside.

I gasped as a man flew overhead on wings made of lightweight material. To my great surprise, he flapped his wings, the metal of the clockwork bones and joints revealed when the sun overhead struck him just right.

William chuckled. “Shall we take it all in?”

Barely able to breathe, I nodded.

“Now, there is my Alice,” he said softly. “Her curious eyes open wide.”

I smiled. “It’s a wonderland.”


Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, The Burnt Earth Series, The Celtic Blood Series and Steampunk Fairy Tales. A steampunk connoisseur, zombie whisperer, and heir to the iron throne, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

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ARC Review: The Pick Up by Allison Temple

The Pick Up (Up Red Creek, #1)
by Allison Temple
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance

Kyle’s life is going backwards. He wanted to build a bigger life for himself than Red Creek could give him, but a family crisis has forced him to return to his hometown with his six-year-old daughter. Now he’s standing in the rain at his old elementary school, and his daughter’s teacher, Mr. Hathaway, is lecturing him about punctuality.

Adam Hathaway is not looking for love. He’s learned the hard way to keep his personal and professional life separate. But Kyle is struggling and needs a friend, and Adam wants to be that friend. He just needs to ignore his growing attraction to Kyle’s goofy charm, because acting on it would mean breaking all the rules that protect his heart.

Putting down roots in this town again is not Kyle’s plan. As soon as he can, he’s taking his daughter and her princess costumes and moving on. The more time he spends with Adam, though, the more he thinks the quiet teacher might give him a reason to stay. Now he just has to convince Adam to take a chance on a bigger future than either of them could have planned.

The Pick Up is not a fast paced story; instead, it's cute and slow burn romance where the main character's, Kyle and Adam, are introduced with time. It's easy to get to know both of them, their thoughts and situation, which is something I loved. Kyle particularly is so sweet, although a little bit headstrong and a little bit lost, because he recently lost his best friend and the mother of his child and now he has to take care of his young daughter as a single parent.

I love how family orientated the story was. Kyle's daughter Caroline and his father had a large part and even Adam's sister Rebecca had a quite big role. It was refreshing after picking up so many M/M romance which didn't involve the main character's families. I'd say this one had a nice balance of Kyle and Adam's romance, and the scenes where they spend time with their families. It was also nice to see how Adam got involved with Kyle's family, which was important as Kyle had a child and he was temporarily living with his father, who helped him take care of Caroline. I liked how Kyle and Adam took their time to get to know each other and to get over the initial dislike they had going on. It was a slow burn, but there's a great deal of cute chemistry.

The Pick Up is a cute, slow burn romance with its share of miscommunication and a bit of angst as Kyle tries to find his place in Red Creek. If you're up for a little bit slower romance that still gets your heart beating, then I'd definitely recommend The Pick Up for you. 

4 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review The Pick Up!

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Have Been On My TBR the Longest and I Still Haven’t Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!
Most of these have been on my physical TBR pile for five to three years. They're either standalones I just haven't got around to read or sequels (in which case, I most likely need to re-read the previous books to jog my memory).
In no particular order:

 

  

ARC Review: New Heights by Quinn Anderson

New Heights
by Quinn Anderson
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance

After attending a friend’s wedding in New York, James Thompson is eager to go home, even though no one will be waiting for him at the gate. He has no expectations for his trip back to Charleston other than long lines, security, and bad airplane food. But when an annoying—albeit hot—stranger cuts him in line, James is determined not to be a pushover for once. 

For Mika “It’s Mee-kuh, not Micah” Bailey, today’s just another day of boring work travel. That is, until his flight gets delayed, and some irritating (but handsome) guy keeps hogging all the good power outlets. Which means war. In the middle of an airport. In New York. What could go wrong?

Eventually, they declare a truce, and as they get to know each other, their attraction overwhelms them both. Terrified of what he’s feeling, Mika suggests a no-strings hookup, but serial-monogamist James wants more. If they don’t fight for what’s right in front of them, their romance might be canceled before it ever takes off.

I must applaud Quinn Anderson for her skill to write a complete story with complex characters and an actual plot within one hundred and forty pages. New Heights might be shorter story, but it's fully fleshed and captivating.

James and Mika couldn't be more different from each other, as James is often anxious and prepares for everything to the point that he goes to the airport hours earlier than needed, while Mika don't have patience for any waiting and lines at the airport - no, Mika leaves all travelling to the last minute, even preferring to be late on his flight to be too early. It was interesting to see, what happened once James and Mika's paths crossed at the airport, where they had to wait for their delayed flight back to Charleston. I loved the chemistry between James and Mika, whether they got along or not. I was able to identify with James, especially with his anxious behaviour when it comes to travelling. In a side note, it was very refreshing to see a Finnish name - Mika - in this, and I'm very familiar with Mika's frustrations because people don't know how to pronounce his name.

New Heights was cute and captivating story, and while I'd loved to read more, it's perfect just the way it is. I definitely recommend to check it out!

4 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review New Heights!

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

Wrapping the Month: January

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

January was a solid start for a new year, even if I was slacking a lot with writing reviews. I did have a busy month, though, as I was still in Finland at the beginning of the month, then I moved flats right after I got back, and new semester started at the end of month. I'm knackered from carrying boxes from one flat to another, and then organizing everything, but for the first time in my life, I'm living on my own without roommates or flatmates. I'm so excited and it has started so well! And now I have plenty of more space for books as I have multiple rooms all for myself. Anyway. Even if I didn't write plenty of reviews, I read lot and there was still book blitzes and tours and other posts posted here, so overall, I'm really happy how 2018 started.

I moved last month, so this time I don't have a photo of books I got, as everything is a little bit all over the place still (and I didn't keep good enough record what I actually got, but it was mostly ebooks anyway).

January's reviews:

Gemini Rules Capricorn (5 stars)
Relay (4 stars)
Relief Valve (4 stars)
Trick Roller (5 stars)
Fence #1 (4 stars)

I started the new year with seven books read, which I'm incredibly happy about. Here we go;

  

  

Next few months are going to be busy with university, but I aim to keep up with my reading and blogging!

Hugs,

Henna