Blog Tour: Review and Favorite Quotes from As If On Cue by Marisa Kanter

Title: As If on Cute
Author: Marisa Kanter
Publication date: September 21, 2021
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads / Amazon / Kindle / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

Synopsis:

A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.

Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…

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♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Review and Favorite Quotes ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Once again, I have to rave about Marisa Kanter’s unforgettable writing and characters. Kanter’s As If on Cue is angsty, emotional, and the perfect contemporary romance to curl up with. As a personal fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this slow-burn romance did not shy away with prank wars, banter, and complicated emotions.

As the main character, Natalie is not only dealing with high school shenanigans, but her junior year encompasses her journey to understanding complex family dynamics and friendships, and her passion for writing and theater. The angst and several aspects of miscommunication go awry throughout many of Natalie’s social circles–friends, parents, and teachers–which results in her joining forces with her childhood nemesis Reid to create a show-stopping musical. 

Kanter’s characters portray so much heart and vulnerability throughout the novel. I could not get enough of this coming-of-age story filled with banter, angst, swoons, and a heartwarming ending. Intertwined with Jewish representation, musical references, teenage angst, and familial issues, I highly recommend that you “treat yo shelf” to a copy of As If on Cue. 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ about the author ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Marisa Kanter is a young adult author, amateur baker, and reality television enthusiast. She is the author of What I Like About You and As If On Cue. Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, her obsession with books led her to New York City, where she worked in the publishing industry to help books find their perfect readers. She currently lives in Los Angeles, writing love stories by day and searching for the perfect slice of pizza by night. Follow her at marisakanter.com

 

Blogger Note: A huge thank to Simon Teen for inviting me on this blog tour and providing me a free copy of As If on Cue to read and review.  All fangirling, statements, and opinions in this review are my own. Please note that my favorite quotes shown in the quote graphics are from an ARC of As If on Cue and are subject to change upon publication. 

Blog Tour: Raves & Craves for Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell

Synopsis:

The Bone Witch meets Sherlock Holmes in this thrilling historical fantasy about a girl with the ability to raise the dead who must delve into her city’s dangerous magical underworld to stop a series of murders.

Catherine Daly has an unusual talent. By day she works for a printer. But by night, she awakens the dead for a few precious moments with loved ones seeking a final goodbye. But this magic comes with a price: for every hour that a ghost is brought back, Catherine loses an hour from her own life.

When Catherine is given the unusual task of collecting a timepiece from an old grave, she is sure that the mysterious item must contain some kind of enchantment. So she enlists Guy Nolan, the watchmaker’s son, to help her dig it up. But instead of a timepiece, they find a surprise: the body of a teenage boy. And as they watch, he comes back to life—not as the pale imitation that Catherine can conjure, but as a living, breathing boy. A boy with no memory of his past.

This magic is more powerful than any Catherine has ever encountered, and revealing it brings dangerous enemies. Catherine and Guy must race to unravel the connection between the missing timepiece and the undead boy. For this mysterious magic could mean the difference between life and death—for all of them.

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Filled with murder, mystery, and magic, Kelly Powell’s Magic Dark and Strange is the perfect atmospheric book to add to your autumnal TBR. The story is very character driven, with a smart and fierce heroine solving the mystery of a missing timepiece with her friend Guy, who is just the sweetest cinnamon roll. I loved that the author creates a very eerie, Gothic, and Victorian-esque atmosphere throughout the pages. If you are in the mood for a quick and engaging murder mystery with a dash of romance and adorable friendships, Magic Dark and Strange is the perfect page-turner for you.

Welcome to another “Raves & Craves” post where I pair a book with a tasty snack or treat. Today we are pairing Magic Dark and Strange with a rounded-pan of enchanted graveyard brownies. Catherine and Guy spend a lot of time in local cemeteries and graveyards, using their magic to either manipulate time or death. Their sleuthing through graveyards inspired this yummy snack of brownies sprinkled with crushed Oreos (graveyard dirt), and you guys, this snack tastes so gooey and good.

Ingredients:

• Brownie mix
• Oreo cookies (remove the filling of 10 Oreos and then crush the cookie parts in a plastic bag to make edible graveyard dirt)
• Chocolate icing
• Sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Bake your brownies. Follow the instructions on your brownie mix package.
2. After your brownies have cooled, spread the chocolate icing on top of the brownies.
3. Then sprinkle your crushed Oreo pieces on top of the icing.
4. Add your favorite sprinkles. I used some Halloween themed ones.
5. I was going to use cookies to make tombstones, but by luck I found these cool RIP tombstone picks.
6. Enjoy!

Kelly Powell has a bachelor’s degree in history and book and media studies from the University of Toronto. She currently lives in Ontario. She is the author of Songs from the Deep and Magic Dark and Strange. Visit her online at PowellKelly.com or on Twitter @KellyCPowell.

Blog Tour: Review & Favorite Quotes of Recommended For You by Laura Silverman

Title: Recommended For You
Author: Laura Silverman
Publication date: September 1, 2020
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets You’ve Got Mail in this charming and hilarious rom-com following two teen booksellers whose rivalry is taken to the next level as they compete for the top bookseller bonus.

Shoshanna Greenberg loves working at Once Upon, her favorite local bookstore. And with her moms fighting at home and her beloved car teetering on the brink of death, the store has become a welcome escape.

When her boss announces a holiday bonus to the person who sells the most books, Shoshanna sees an opportunity to at least fix her car, if none of her other problems. The only person standing in her way? New hire Jake Kaplan.

Jake is an affront to everything Shoshanna stands for. He doesn’t even read! But somehow his sales start to rival hers. Jake may be cute (really cute), and he may be an eligible Jewish single (hard to find south of Atlanta), but he’s also the enemy, and Shoshanna is ready to take him down.

But as the competition intensifies, Jake and Shoshanna grow closer and realize they might be more on the same page than either expects…

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♦ ♦ ♦ Review and Favorite Quotes ♦ ♦ ♦ 

If you are fan of swoons, bookish shenanigans, and the holidays you are going to adore Laura Silverman’s Recommended For You. Mainly set at an independent bookstore called Once Upon, the main character, Shoshanna, uses her love and knowledge of books as the means to help her win a holiday bonus competition at the bookstore. But what Shoshanna doesn’t expect is for the new hire, Jake, a non-reader, to be her main competitor. It also does not help that she thinks he’s cute, and of course, he smells like delicious bakery goods.

As the story progresses, the banter and wordplay between these two Jewish characters creates an atmosphere of the most perfect tension-filled, but merry rom-com. In addition to the brewing but swoony rivalry, Shoshanna is taking it into her own hands to solve familial problems, while also creating a miscalculated move on her part that affects her friends. But as the pages turn, I enjoyed that direct communication and accepting responsibility become the key ingredients to help Shoshanna’s relationships. Shoshanna is a do-gooder and a straight-forward problem-solver, but I liked that the story is filled characters and realistic situations that challenge her and help her mature.

Overall, I loved that Recommended For You was filled with such a diverse cast of characters with their own issues being explored. The book is overflowing with holiday traditions from multiple backgrounds, disability representation, LGBQ+ representation, and the two main characters even have a deep conversation regarding accessibility. Meshed with funny repartee, swoony scenes, and bookish shenanigans, Recommended For You is the perfect book to give you the best and warm holiday vibes.

♦ ♦ ♦ About the Author ♦ ♦ ♦

Laura Silverman is an author and editor currently living in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her MFA in writing for children at the New School. Her books include Girl Out of Water, You Asked for Perfect, It’s a Whole Spiel, and Recommended for You. Girl Out of Water was a Junior Library Guild Selection. You can contact Laura on Twitter @LJSilverman1 or through her website LauraSilvermanWrites.com.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

Title: What I Like About You
Author: Marisa Kanter
Publication date: April 7, 2020
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can…but in the real world, its more complicated. In this debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, Marisa Kanter hilariously and poignantly explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.

Is it still a love triangle if there are only two people in it?

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

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♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ book highlight ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Marisa Kanter’s What I Like About You is the perfect contemporary novel to vicariously experience through this current quarantine. As a dedicated YA reader, the main character is a teen book blogger who pairs her reviews with cupcakes. She fangirls about YA books, fellow bloggers, authors, and even BookCon.

The novel is a whirlwind of emotions that focuses on friendships, grief, family, love, and finding a path in life that suits yourself, your personality, and your mental health. Kanter’s novel provides an exceptionally believable outlet for teens trying to find their voice through a world bombarded by dreams, future jobs, college options, alternative career paths, and the positive and negativity that comes from social media outlets. Halle’s story is constant page-turner, and although the miscommunication or the lack of communication throughout the pages causes chaos in her life, the learning steps she takes along with her family and friends will make your heart ache in the best possible way.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ giveaway ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

You guys, I am so excited to team up with Simon & Schuster, and host a giveaway for What I Like About You. In order to win a hardcopy of What I Like About You , just click on the picture below and follow the instructions on the Tweet. 

Please note, one winner will receive a finished copy of What I Like About You courtesy of Simon & Schuster. The contest is U.S. only and ends on April 28, 2020. Good luck!

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ about the author ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Marisa Kanter has worked in publicity for major publishers and covered YA books for MTV. Currently, she works in sales, on the distribution side of the publishing industry. She can often be found searching for the best iced chai in NYC, or reading on the 3 train. What I Like About You is her first novel. Follow her at marisakanter.com

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ tour schedule ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Week 1
3/30/2020	Novel Novice	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
3/31/2020	Book Bratz	Review
4/1/2020	The Novel Knight	Author Guest Post
4/2/2020	Book Princess Reviews	Review
4/3/2020	eleven thirteen pm	Author Q&A
Week 2
4/6/2020	Vicky Who Reads	Creative Post
4/7/2020	Pub Day (Marisa)	Creative Post
4/8/2020	Kayla Reads and Reviews	Author Q&A
4/9/2020	The Heart of a Book Blogger	Author Q&A
4/10/2020	Mary Had a Little Book Blog	Review
Week 3
4/13/2020	Jen Ryland Reviews	Review
4/14/2020	Love in Panels	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
4/15/2020	Forever and Everly	Review
4/16/2020	I’m All Booked Up	Review
4/17/2020	Awkwordly Emma	Author Q&A
Week 4
4/20/2020	Rants & Raves of a Bibliophile	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
4/21/2020	Read By Tiffany	Author Q&A
4/22/2020	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review
4/23/2020	From the Library of Alexis	Review
4/24/2020	Bookishly Jules	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
Week 5
4/27/2020	Lost in a Book	Review
4/28/2020	Pages and Pugs	Review
4/29/2020	Skye’s Scribblings	Review
4/30/2020	Kait Plus Books	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
5/1/2020	We Live and Breathe Books	Review

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Blogger Note: A huge thank to Simon Teen for inviting me on this blog tour and providing me a free copy of What I Like About You to read and review.  All fangirling, statements, and opinions in this review are my own.

If it’s Not a Rant, It’s a Rave: A Review of The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord

Title: The Map From Here to There
Author: Emery Lord
Publication date: January 7, 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

Acclaimed author Emery Lord crafts a gorgeous story of friendship and identity, daring to ask: What happens after happily ever after?

It’s senior year, and Paige Hancock is finally living her best life. She has a fun summer job, great friends, and a super charming boyfriend who totally gets her. But senior year also means big decisions. Weighing “the rest of her life,” Paige feels her anxiety begin to pervade every decision she makes. Everything is exactly how she always wanted it to be–how can she leave it all behind next year? In her head, she knows there is so much more to experience after high school. But in her heart, is it so terrible to want everything to stay the same forever?

Emery Lord’s award-winning storytelling shines with lovable characters and heartfelt exploration of life’s most important questions.

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Well, you guys, it’s official, Emery Lord is a contemporary writing queen. Throughout The Map from Here to There, Emery made me swoon, cry, and laugh. My anxiety peeked at the most vulnerable and heartbreaking moments, but in the end, after calming my hammering heart, I highly enjoyed Paige’s story and her ability to battle the stress that ensues during her senior year of high school.

As a sequel to The Start of Me and You, one of my all-time favorite contemporary books, The Map from Here to There will tug at your heartstrings. Lord’s passionate writing gives life to the most realistic and dynamic characters. She immerses the pages with familial dynamics, strong female friendships, and swoon-worthy relationships. Her knack to encompass anxiety, mental health, adolescent decision making,  and the streaming thoughts of panic and worry of a teenage girl’s future endeavors bursts throughout the novel. I could not put this book down.

Although The Map from Here to There is a sequel, the book can be read as a standalone tracing Paige’s journey through her senior year and focusing on big choices regarding college, her future, anxiety, and deeply rooted relationships. This novel is filled with hopes, dreams, struggles, and frustrations; it’s a must read for contemporary bibliophiles. Lord’s writing surrounds you like a comforting hug, as Paige, Max, and her friends deal with life-changing decisions while truly finding themselves one step at a time. 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Blogger Note: Last year, I received this book as a gift from the author during a book event. I was not asked to review or promote the book. I reviewed the book at my own discretion.  All fangirling, statements, and opinions in this review are my own.

Book Review: Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Title: Crier’s War
Author:  Nina Varela
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, LGBT
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners’ estates and bent the human race to their will.

Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her family’s death…by killing the sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier.

Crier was Made to be beautiful, flawless, and to carry on her father’s legacy. But that was before her betrothal to the enigmatic Scyre Kinok, before she discovered her father isn’t the benevolent king she once admired, and most importantly, before she met Ayla.

Now, with growing human unrest across the land, pressures from a foreign queen, and an evil new leader on the rise, Crier and Ayla find there may be only one path to love: war.

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Alright, I am saying this right now, but this might be my favorite book of 2019. I’ve only  had one book this year that I gave 5 stars, and Crier’s War is definitely my second 5-star worthy read of 2019. As a constant-page turner, I often found myself lost in the themes of rebellion, political power, humanity, and elaborate world-building.

Varela’s writing is so engaging, rich, and lush; the characters are so vibrant and dynamic; and the mix of alchemy and machination allows this novel to effortlessly mesh fantasy and science into a world of Automa (artificial intelligence) overruling humans. The author masterfully molds all these complex elements into the most beautiful and enthralling story.

As Varela’s debut novel, and the first book in a duology, do yourself a favor and add Crier’s War to your TBR asap. As an own voices novel with a slow-burn queer love story that had me swooning, Crier’s War flawlessly and emotionally drives her two main characters, Crier and Ayla, into conflict and determination to seek out their own motives–motives and narratives immersed in rage, revenge, vulnerability, epiphanies, an enemies to lovers romance, and surprising betrayals. 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Blogger Note: Thank you so much to Wunderkind PR for sending me a free copy of Crier’s War to read and review. 

Book Review & Mood Board: Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

Title: Butterfly Yellow
Author:  Thanhha Lai
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Historical, Fiction

Synopsis:

In the final days of the Việt Nam War, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport, determined to find a way to safety in America. In a split second, Linh is ripped from her arms—and Hằng is left behind in the war-torn country.

Six years later, Hằng has made the brutal journey from Việt Nam and is now in Texas as a refugee. She doesn’t know how she will find the little brother who was taken from her until she meets LeeRoy, a city boy with big rodeo dreams, who decides to help her.

Hằng is overjoyed when she reunites with Linh. But when she realizes he doesn’t remember her, their family, or Việt Nam, her heart is crushed. Though the distance between them feels greater than ever, Hằng has come so far that she will do anything to bridge the gap. 

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Butterfly Yellow is an emotionally driven novel told in multiple POVs; more specifically in the points of view of Hằng and LeeRoy. Hằng is a Vietnamese refugee traveling to Texas in search of her younger brother, Linh, who was taken to America during the Vietnam War. And LeeRoy is an eighteen-year-old whose main aspiration is to be a cowboy. The interactions between this unlikely pair allows the novel to flow so beautifully. 

Determined to find her brother, Hằng internally struggles with her own PTSD and her hard journey from Vietnam to Texas. Not only is she physically exhausted and vulnerable, but she is also conflicted with coping with emotional distress, survival, hunger, and language boundaries.

On his way to meet his rodeo idol, LeeRoy is unwillingly pushed to drive Hằng on her quest to find her brother. LeeRoy’s quirkiness and straightforward attitude provide a comedic relief to Hằng’s feisty stubbornness and her heartbreaking journey. Although the dialogue between the characters is often stilted, it becomes a learning process and a great facilitator that instills the friendship between these two characters.

Overall, the pacing of this novel is wonderfully steady. Each chapter is short and to the point, while the words flow like a beautiful poem. I quickly connected with the characters within a few pages of meeting them, and from there on, I enjoyed their paths that often unfolded into mosaic of heartbreak, love, determination, and the idea of accepting your mistakes and moving forward.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Blogger Note: Thank you so much to Wunderkind PR for sending me a free copy of Butterfly Yellow to read and review. 

Book Review: A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo

Title: A Constellation of Roses
Author:  Miranda Asebedo
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Magic Realism
Rating: ★★★

Synopsis:

Ever since her mother walked out, Trix McCabe has been determined to make it on her own. And with her near-magical gift for pulling valuables off unsuspecting strangers, Trix is confident she has what it takes to survive. Until she’s caught and given a choice: jail time, or go live with her long-lost family in the tiny town of Rocksaw, Kansas.

Trix doesn’t plan to stick around Rocksaw long, but there’s something special about her McCabe relatives that she is drawn to. Her aunt, Mia, bakes pies that seem to cure all ills. Her cousin, Ember, can tell a person’s deepest secret with the touch of a hand. And Trix’s great-aunt takes one look at Trix’s palm and tells her that if she doesn’t put down roots somewhere, she won’t have a future anywhere.

Before long, Trix feels like she might finally belong with this special group of women in this tiny town in Kansas. But when her past comes back to haunt her, she’ll have to decide whether to take a chance on this new life . . . or keep running from the one she’s always known.

With lovable and flawed characters, an evocative setting, and friendships to treasure, A Constellation of Roses is the perfect companion to Miranda Asebedo’s debut novel The Deepest Roots.

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A Constellation of Roses is a well-developed contemporary novel that hints at magic, but provides a serious outlet and tone for realistic, young adult situations. After her mom fails to come back home one day, Trix takes the matter of survival into her own hands. Trix relies heavily on her gift as a undetected thief to take what she needs to survive. Without giving too many spoilers, Trix’s antics are not unseen and she is sent to live with some unknown relatives. 

Now surrounded by three generations of women who also have their own talents and gifts, Trix puts up a hard shell that’s not easy to crack. As Trix adapts to her new surroundings, makes new friends, and slowly starts trusting her newfound family, she begins to explore the truth about herself and her familial past. More importantly, she begins defining and understanding what family truly means. And as the story unfolds, Trix also begins acknowledging that everyone, no matter how happy they seem on the outside, are also going through their own personal struggles. 

Filled with emotionally-curing pie, a dash of magic, and teenage antics, A Constellation of Roses will have you swimming in emotions of heartache, laughter, tears, and swoons. This novel explores some very heavy issues, which makes these characters so realistic and so easy to connect and fall in love with.

Some favorite quotes:

“Fortune-telling isn’t a science. It’s an art. And sometimes art is messy.”

“Scars tell a story, even when we don’t want them to.”

“You know, there’s an old story that back when they founded Rocksaw, the McCabes were one of the first families here. And their daughters were so beautiful and so strangely gifted that people in Buffalo Hills thought they were witches and wanted to run them out of the area.”

“Love is promising Persian kittens. Love is American slang dictionaries for Scrabble. Love is Coke-and-cherry slushes as midnight. Love is watching the lights come on in town from law chairs on Cedar Mountain. Love is lemon-meringue pie on porch steps.”

“Yes, I have gotten what I always wanted. My deepest secrets. Not a perfect family, after all. But a constellation of women, connected by pie and fortunes and roses. And love.”

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Blogger Note: Thank you so much to Wunderkind PR for sending me a free copy of A Cosntellation of Roses to read and review. 

Blog Tour: Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell

Title: Songs from the Deep
Author:  Kelly Powell
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

A girl searches for a killer on an island where deadly sirens lurk just beneath the waves in this gripping, atmospheric debut novel.

The sea holds many secrets.

Moira Alexander has always been fascinated by the deadly sirens who lurk along the shores of her island town. Even though their haunting songs can lure anyone to a swift and watery grave, she gets as close to them as she can, playing her violin on the edge of the enchanted sea. When a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he’s one of the sirens’ victims. Moira isn’t so sure.

Certain that someone has framed the boy’s death as a siren attack, Moira convinces her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper Jude Osric, to help her find the real killer, rekindling their friendship in the process. With townspeople itching to hunt the sirens down, and their own secrets threatening to unravel their fragile new alliance, Moira and Jude must race against time to stop the killer before it’s too late—for humans and sirens alike.

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Songs from the Deep reads like the steady lyrics of a richly melodic song. Set on an island dependent on tourism and the sea, this novel delves into the a story of murder, mystery, friendship, and deadly sirens.

I found Songs from the Deep to be a constant page-turner. Kelly Powell’s lyrical writing and vivid scenic descriptions, create a very atmospheric setting that makes you want to curl up on the couch and drink warm tea as you read the story’s mysteries unfold. 

I enjoyed reading the reconnection of an old friendship and the subtle love story that unfolds throughout the pages, along with the thrill of the two main characters, Moira and Jude, solving the murders of local islanders. Moira and Jude are the perfect sleuthing pair; they balance out each other’s flaws and secrets, while also using their own ingrained abilities to help save the sirens from being wrongfully accused and then hunted.

As an entrancing novel of unsolved mysteries, dangerous sirens, and unraveled secrets, Songs from the Deep is must read. Along with the small-town lives of the islanders, the steady swooshing of the waves, the enticing song of the sirens, and the scent of the sea, you will easily be bewitched in the dark ambiance of this novel.

Moira’s mom is a baker, and throughout small parts of the story, I kept craving yummy pastries. So as a great pairing with Songs from the Deep, I bought some scone mix, and decided to make some “Save the Sirens Scones.”

Because I did not bake these scones from scratch, I made sure to follow the directions on the scone mix bag. Along with the scone mix, I only needed butter and milk. After smashing the butter into the mix and stirring in the milk to make a clumpy dough, I formed the dough into a ball and then spread it out on a greased baking pan. I used a spatula to deeply score the dough into wedges. After baking for 17 minutes at 350 degrees F, I let the scones cool. 

If you decide to bake your own scones, be sure to you make yourself a cup of your favorite tea to pair with the pastry. With a scone and tea at hand, you will create the perfect reading setting to enjoy the mysterious and very atmospheric novel, Songs from the Deep.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

About the author:

Kelly Powell has a bachelor’s degree in history and book and media studies from the University of Toronto. She currently lives in Ontario. Songs from the Deep is her debut novel.

 

 

 

 

 

Blogger Note: Thank you so much to Simon Teen/ Simon & Schuster for inviting me to host a “Raves & Craves” post on this blog tour and sending me a free copy of Songs from the Sea to read and review. 

Trick-or-Treat Yo Shelf: The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

Title: The Lady Rogue
Authors: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Historical

Synopsis:

The Last Magician meets A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in this thrilling tale filled with magic and set in the mysterious Carpathian Mountains where a girl must hunt down Vlad the Impaler’s cursed ring in order to save her father.

Some legends never die…

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it.

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Welcome to my second “Trick-or-Treat Yo Shelf” post of the season. All through September and October, I will be reviewing new releases and helping you decide if you should TREAT YO SHELF to the featured new release.

Today’s book choice is The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett, which released on September 3, 2019. And you guys, SPOILER ALERT, I’m just going to tell you right now: you need to TREAT YO SHELF to a copy of The Lady Rogue ASAP!

I am a huge fanatic of Jenn Bennett’s YA contemporary novels, and I could not wait to read her historical book. And surprise, surprise: I adored The Lady Rogue so much. After reading this constant page-turner, I was raving to everyone on my social media outlets, insisting and demanding that everyone add Jenn Bennett’s historical, fantasy novel to their TBR NOW! The Lady Rogue gave me extreme The Mummy vibes (the best kind of vibes, in my opinion), and, of course, the angsty, swoon-worthy feels that are the epitome of Jenn Bennett’s novels.

This novel is definitely the perfect book to read this autumn. The Lady Rogue eloquently melds adventure, history, romance, Gothic scenery, cursed objects, and magic into the perfect historical tome. 

Are you still wondering if The Lady Rogue is the perfect book to Treat Yo Shelf to? Well, my bookish friend, wait no further. If you like more than three things off this checklist, you best believe you need to add The Lady Rogue to your TBR list.

The Lady Rogue Checklist: 

♦ A fierce and sassy heroine
♦ A charming and dashing hero named Huxley Gallagher a.k.a. Huck
♦ Witty and angsty banter
♦ Treasure hunting for magical artifacts
♦ Trekking through the Romania wilderness
♦ Characters taking some unethical but daring risks
♦ Code-breaking and puzzle solving
♦ Unraveling tales and legends of Vlad the Impaler
♦ Adventurous travels through modes of trains and planes
♦ Secret societies and Gothic vibes
♦  SWOONS!

Blogger Note: A huge thank you to Simon Teen for providing me an ARC to read and review. All statements and opinions are my own.