Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Dysasters by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Title: The Dysasters
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: February 26, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

P.C. and Kristin Cast, the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of the House of Night phenomenon, return to the scene with The Dysasters—the first action-packed novel in a new paranormal fantasy series.

Adoptive daughter of a gifted scientist, Foster Stewart doesn’t live a “normal” life, (not that she’d want to). But controlling cloud formations and seeing airwaves aren’t things most eighteen year olds can do.

Small town star quarterback and quintessential dreamy boy next door, Tate “Nighthawk” Taylor has never thought much about his extra abilities. Sure, his night vision comes in handy during games, but who wouldn’t want that extra edge?

From the moment Foster and Tate collide, their worlds spiral and a deadly tornado forces them to work together, fully awakening their not-so-natural ability – the power to control air.

As they each deal with the tragic loss of loved ones, they’re caught by another devastating blow – they are the first in a group of teens genetically manipulated before birth to bond with the elements, and worse… they’re being hunted.

Now, Foster and Tate must fight to control their abilities as they learn of their past, how they came to be, who’s following them, and what tomorrow will bring… more DYSASTERS?

Other buy links:

Audible  /   Books-A-Million   /   Google Play  /   iBooks   /   IndieBound  /   Kobo

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It has been so long since I have read a book by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, and The Dysasters fixates their readers into a whole new world of teenagers with superpowers and a scientific villain who knows all about their “elemental” powers. Told in multiple points of view, mainly through the eyes of Foster and Tate, the book provides action-packed scenes and their fight to survive and to also understand themselves. The story is often sprinkled with black-and-white comic-stylized artwork, which adds a stunning aesthetic to the engaging dialogue. 

Enter for a chance to win 1 of 20 hardcover copies.
Winners will be selected at random by the publisher.

ENTER HERE

About the Authors

#1 New York Times & #1 USA Today bestselling author P.C. Cast was born in the Midwest, and, after her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Booksellers’ Best, and many, many more. Ms. Cast is an experienced teacher and talented speaker who lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses.

Kristin Cast is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who teams with her mother to write the wildly successful House of Night series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal. When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, playing with her dogs (Grace Kelly and Hobbs the Tiny Dragon), and is currently obsessed with her baby.

Note: Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me an early copy of this book. I received this book as a #partner with St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books. All statements and opinions are my own.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: The Grace Year
Author: Kim Liggett
Publication date: September 17, 2019
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Synopsis

A speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power.

“A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggett’s deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story that’s equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldn’t stop reading.” – Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for their chance to grab one of the girls in order to make their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Review of A Soldier and a Liar by Caitlin Lochner

Title: A Soldier and a Liar
Author: Caitlin Lochner 
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: February 19th 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian

Synopsis:

In a world on the brink of war, four superpowered teens must learn to work together for peace in Caitlin Lochner’s action-packed debut novel, 

Lai Cathwell is good at keeping secrets. As a Nyte, a supernaturally gifted teenager who is feared and shunned by the ungifted, this skill is essential to survival. Orchestrating her own imprisonment to escape military duty has only honed her ability to deceive others. But when rebels start attacking the city, Lai is dragged back into the fight with a new team of Nytes.

Thrown together with Jay, a self-conscious perfectionist consumed by the desire to be accepted; Al, a short-tempered fighter lying for the sake of revenge; and Erik, an amnesiac hell-bent on finding his memories and his place in the world, Lai realizes she’s facing an entirely different kind of challenge—one that might just be impossible. But if this team can’t learn to work together, the entire sector will be plunged into war.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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REVIEW

It has been so long since I have read a dystopian novel and A Soldier and a Liar was the perfect book to fall back into the genre. Providing a futuristic setting where the world is in disarray and people are fighting to survive, this book provides an outlet for multiple characters to shine brightly in two main perspectives of gifted soldiers: Lai and Jay.

One of my favorite aspects of A Soldier and a Liar is that the world development is articulated and molded so well, which allows the pacing of the story to be steady and straightforward. Not only is the story filled with groups of gifted and powerful people known as Nytes, but I loved how uniquely their supernatural powers are explained and used throughout the plotting of some strategically planned and action-packed scenes.

Overall, I really enjoyed that along with the fight for good and survival, the book also adds in small dashes of mystery, humor, and wit. Add in some unraveled secrets, messy twists, and unexpected turns and you won’t want to put this book down. In the end, what kept me ingrained in A Soldier and a Liar was the (un)reliable narratives and newly developed friendships, which formed the strongest bonds to keep this apocalyptic and military-driven story together.

Author Bio:

(Um, so, wow bios are hard.) I studied creative writing at the University of South Florida and used my BA in words to become an English teaching assistant in Tokyo. I’m in love with storytelling of any kind, but especially in the form of books, manga, and video games. If you ever want to talk nerdy, I am VERY down.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Twitter

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Waiting on Wednesday: Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Winterwood
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Publication date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance set deep in the magical snow-covered forest, where the appearance of a mysterious boy unearths secrets that awakens the enchanted, but angry, woods.

Be careful of the dark, dark wood . . .

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Witches, disappearances, and an enchanted woods?!
This book sounds like my soulmate.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads

Formerly hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

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This week’s topic is…Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads

Top Ten Books 

(CLICK ON THE BOOK COVER TO BE LINKED TO ITS GOODREADS’ PAGE)

Friday Raves: Binge Reading Contemporary Romance (Claire Contreras)

FRIDAY RAVES is a feature on my blog, in which I “RAVE” about authors, book events, books, novelties, and/or other bookish announcements.

Well, it’s been awhile since I have done a Friday Raves post, lol. But I just had to shout out to the world my latest obsession. In the month of February (and usually in April too, for some odd reason), I binge read numerous New Adult and Adult contemporary romances. And over the past weekend I discovered and fell in love with  Claire Contreras‘s books. The romance was angsty and heated, the characters were realistic and fully-developed, and the stories were so heartfelt and beautifully written. 

Below are a few of Claire’s stories that I read and adored. 

★★
This was the first book I read by Claire. I am a sucker for enemies-to-lovers and former lovers-to-lovers tropes, so this story was the perfect book to sink into. There is angst, heated conversations, drama, and the perfect dash of swoons. 

★★★
I think this is the book that really made me fall in love with Claire’s writing style. Once again, I was enamored by a favourite trope of former lovers-to-lovers along with the idea of childhood friends falling in love. Elle and Oliver’s relationship is an emotional roller coaster and I was buckled up tightly for all their twists, turns, and loops. 

★★★★★
Gah! This is definitely my favourite book out of all the books I binge read over the weekend. Mia and Jensen’s relationship was achingly beautiful and heartbreaking and heartwarming and just so damn frustrating and sweet all at the same time. I adored both characters so much. While I was sulking with Mia and relating to all her stubborn decisions, I was also secretly cheering on Jensen to win back Mia’s favor. You guys, I fell so hard for this best friends to lovers to enemies to lovers story. The dramatic moments were not uncalled for and the story provides so much hope for second chances and forgiveness. I cannot wait to reread this story again.

What are some of your favourite contemporary romance novels? Comment below, I would love to hear your recommendations. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate Williams

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: The Babysitter’s Coven
Author: Kate Williams
Publication date: September 17, 2019
Publisher: Delacorte
Genres: Young Adult

Synopsis

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it’s kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she’s good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let’s just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She’s Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme’s babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra’s mother left her: “Find the babysitters. Love, Mom.”

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they’re about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

UMM…”Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer”…YES, PLEASE!!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Couples in Books

Formerly hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

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This week’s topic is…Favorite Couples In Books

(CLICK ON THE BOOK TITLE TO BE LINKED TO ITS GOODREADS’ PAGE OR MY REVIEW)

1. Kestrel and Arin in The Winner’s Trilogy.
2. June and Saul in A Million Junes.
3. Blue and Gansey AND Ronan and Adam in The Raven Cycle series.
4. Helen and Jake in Happiness for Beginners.
5. Zorie and Lennon in Starry Eyes.
6. Paige and Max in The Start of Me and You.
7. Hannah and Garrett in The Deal.
8. Kate and Curran in the Kate Daniels Series.
9. Nora and Crosbie in Undecided.
10. Celia and Marco in The Night Circus.

New Favorite: I just read this book over the weekend, and I fell in love with these two characters so hard: Mia and Jensen in Paper Hearts.

♥Who are some of your favorite book couples?♥

Review of Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks

Title: Comics Will Break Your Heart
Author:  Faith Erin Hicks
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Release Date: February 12, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★★

Synopsis:

Miriam’s family should be rich. After all, her grandfather was the co-creator of smash-hit comics series The TomorrowMen. But he sold his rights to the series to his co-creator in the 1960s for practically nothing, and now that’s what Miriam has: practically nothing. And practically nothing to look forward to either-how can she afford college when her family can barely keep a roof above their heads? As if she didn’t have enough to worry about, Miriam’s life gets much more complicated when a cute boy shows up in town . . . and turns out to be the grandson of the man who defrauded Miriam’s grandfather, and heir to the TomorrowMen fortune.

In her endearing debut novel, cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks pens a sensitive and funny Romeo and Juliet tale about modern romance, geek royalty, and what it takes to heal the long-festering scars of the past (Spoiler Alert: love). 

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Filled with laughs, swoons, and comic book culture, book nerdigans are going to love Comics Will Break Your Heart. Set up as a mild enemies-to-lovers story, this book builds a story around multiple generations caught in an emotional and legal battle involving a comic book franchise. As the newer generation, in this case Miriam and Weldon, get the brunt gossip of the past, both teenagers try to build a friendship without being pelted with bitter feelings from various familial perspectives.

Comics Will Break Your Heart takes a realistic approach in describing the vulnerability and anger that often encompasses situations that teenagers experience, such as friendships growing apart, college worries, first love, and financial problems. All of these situations are not sugar-coated, but fully unravel as the story progresses. There are tears, heartache, and throwing coffee cups at windows, but there is also comfort, much-needed hugs, and wide-open communication. Additionally, I really enjoyed the family dynamics in this book. Miriam’s parents are so heartwarming and funny. And her father has the best sense of humor…he’s the typical father that has so many “dad jokes” that had me laughing out loud throughout the book.

If you are fan of comic books and comic conventions, the nerdy side of this book is so welcoming. These characters have a passion for creativity and respect for one another. As a quirky and quick read, Comics Will Break Your Heart provides a realistic understanding of life’s woes and unpredictability. Add in a dash of romance and “POW,” the story unfolds with compassion and forgiveness in the mix. Comics Will Break Your Heart is not a full-on rom-com but it is very sweet and funny at times.

 

Note: Thank you to Fierce Reads for providing me an early copy of this book to read and review. I was not compensated for this review. All statements and opinions in this review are mine.

Waiting on Wednesday: Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Once & Future
Author: Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
Publication date: March 26, 2019
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Science Fiction

Synopsis

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

Now I’m done hiding.

My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.

No pressure.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble