Thirst Cover Reveal

Have you heard of Thirst? Jill Williamson's newest upcoming release is a prequel to The Safe Lands Trilogy and follows Eli McShane and his friends as their world falls apart.

Description: The end of the world is only the beginning. A waterborne disease has contaminated the world’s fresh water, decimating the human race. Seventeen-year-old Eli McShane and his friends flee the chaos and violence in Phoenix and journey north toward the rumored location of a safe water source. They add several to their number, including the mysterious Hannah, who is being hunted by a dangerous man. Desperation brings out the worst in many of the travelers, infecting even those closest to Eli. When division comes, will he be able to hold his group together or will each fall victim to their own thirst for survival?

Join some old friends from Glenrock and Jack's Peak in this thrilling first book of the Thirst Duology. Best-selling author Jill Williamson has brought back the breathtaking suspense of the The Safe Lands series in this chilling prequel that will leave readers panting for the next installment.


Preorder Link:  http://jillwilliamson.com/thirst/

Make sure to preorder your copy soon, as Jill will be giving goodies to the first 50 people who show proof of purchase! 

The Gryphon Heist- James R. Hannibal

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Description: Talia Inger is a rookie CIA case officer assigned not to the Moscow desk as she had hoped but to the forgotten backwaters of Eastern Europe--a department only known as "Other." When she is tasked with helping a young, charming Moldovan executive secure his designs for a revolutionary defense technology, she figures she'll be back in DC within a few days. But that's before she knows where the designs are stored--and who's after them. With her shady civilian partner, Adam Tyler, Talia takes a deep dive into a world where only criminal minds and unlikely strategies will keep the Gryphon, a high-altitude data vault, hovering in the mesosphere.

Even Tyler is more than he seems, and Talia begins to wonder: Is he helping her? Or using her access to CIA resources to pull off an epic heist for his own dark purposes?

In this Ocean's Eleven-meets-Mission Impossible thriller, former tactical deception officer and stealth pilot James R. Hannibal offers you a nonstop thrill ride through the most daring heist ever conceived.

My Thoughts: This is a fun heist novel. I don't often read these types of stories, but I thought I would try this author, especially to see how his background would be worked into the story. In the end, what I felt set this book apart from others in the genre wasn't the author's background, but his characters. The tag team he developed for this series really plays well and I am excited to see how these characters interact in future books.

Sadly, the weakest character seemed to be Talia, who read more as who the reader was meant to see themselves as. For much of the story, I wondered what she brought to the table, not just for the heist but also for the CIA. Hopefully her role will develop more as the series goes on. Still, Talia's inclusion in the story did allow for Tyler to be a more engaging character than he would have been otherwise.

If you enjoy heist stories and have a high level of suspension of disbelief, I think this is a great book to read. If only for Eddie, I would say give it a try, as this geek tries really hard to make his sci-fi references a part of most conversations. And despite how cliché that last part sounds, it actually made for a great character.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book from the publisher.

Evermore Book Tour and Giveaway

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Always 

(The Lost Princesses #0.5) 

By Jody Hedlund

Christian YA Historical Romance 

Paperback & ebook, 136 Pages 

August 13th 2019 by Northern Lights Press

A fierce elite guard. A loyal lady in waiting. They must work together to save three princesses from certain death.

On the verge of dying after giving birth to twins, the queen of Mercia pleads with Lady Felicia to save her infant daughters. With the castle overrun by King Ethelwulf’s invading army, Lady Felicia vows to do whatever she can to take the newborn princesses and their three-year old sister to safety, even though it means sacrificing everything she holds dear, possibly her own life.

Gravely wounded in battle and knowing all is lost to his enemy, the king of Mercia tasks Lance, one of his fiercest elite guards, to protect his family along with keys to an ancient treasure. As Lance makes plans to sneak the princesses out of the capital city, he doesn’t need or want Lady Felicia’s help.

With the dark enemy in pursuit, Lance and Felicia must put aside their differences to outrun King Ethelwulf and prevent him from killing the princesses. In a desperate attempt to hide the young girls, Lance and Felicia agree to a marriage of convenience, a decision that will change their lives—and hearts—forever.

My Review: I started the series reading this novella, then moved on to the Evermore. I think that this prequel could probably be skipped without loosing much, though there are a few tidbits which flesh out small portions of Evermore and potentially the other books as well.

The story in this was not as interesting to me as I would have liked. There were portions of it that felt like a fantasy, while the story overall didn't include that as an element. I've also never been a fan of stories where the conflict is in the characters themselves placing barriers to their being together.

However, I did like Felicia and her determination to work with what life has dealt to her. She doesn't once complain or wish for her old life back, but jumps into doing what she needs to in that moment. And that made her a strong heroine without her ever having had to lift a sword. For those who enjoy the rest of the series, this is a nice addition that gives a little bit more of the story world.

I have provided an honest review after having received an ecopy of the book through Prism Book Tours.

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Evermore 

(The Lost Princesses #1) 

By Jody Hedlund 

Christian YA Historical 

Paperback & ebook, 222 Pages 

August 27th 2019 by Northern Lights Press

An ancient key. A secret treasure. And a princess destined to use them both to fight evil and restore peace.

Raised by a noble family, Lady Adelaide has always known she’s an orphan. Little does she realize she’s one of the lost princesses and the true heir to Mercia’s throne…until a visitor arrives at her family estate, reveals her birthright as queen, and thrusts her into a quest for the throne whether she’s ready or not.

Unable to tolerate King Ethelwulf’s cruelty and lawlessness, Christopher Langley left Mercia years earlier, training a group of rebels in neighboring Norland. When he returns home after his mother’s death, he discovers that not only is Adelaide all grown up, but she’s also the rightful queen of Mercia.

When King Ethelwulf discovers Adelaide’s location, he’ll stop at nothing to capture her and the key she holds to the ancient treasure. Christopher is just as determined to protect Adelaide so she can lead the growing rebellion. When feelings ignite between the two old friends, forces threaten to destroy their love and rip them apart forever.


My Review: After having read Always, I found that I enjoyed this story much more than I had the novella. The moment I realized that Adelaide was able to fight on her own, though not perhaps as well as an Elite Guard, I knew that she was going to be an interesting character.

The relationship Adelaide has with Christopher is an adorable one, and the hesitance in their relationship a reasonable one due to her new found status as Queen. And while I would have preferred that there not have been any romantic interest on the part of Mitchell, I will say that Jody used this trope to the story's advantage.

For anyone looking to pick up this series, know that it is a sweet, fairy tale like romance. Yet there are also darker moments of torture and execution which occur off page. This gives more depth to Ethelwulf's cruelty, but may bother some readers.

I have provided an honest review after having received an ecopy from Prism Book Tours.

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Other Books in the Series

 

Coming late September and October. Pre-order now! (Affiliate links included.)

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is a best-selling and award-winning author who loves fairy-tales and happily-ever-afters. She makes her home in Midland, MI with her husband and five teen-aged children. When she’s not writing another of her page-turning stories, you can usually find her sipping coffee, eating chocolate, and reading.

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Tour Schedule

 

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive the prequel and all three books in The Lost Princesses series (Always, Evermore, Foremost and Hereafter) in paperback or ebook (winner's choice, if winner is outside the US ebooks only) Ends September 25, 2019

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The Warrior Maiden- Melanie Dickerson

My Rating: 3 Stars

Description: Mulan isn’t afraid to pretend to be a son and assume her father’s soldier duties in war. But what happens when the handsome son of a duke discovers her secret?

Mulan is trying to resign herself to marrying the village butcher for the good of her family, but her adventurous spirit just can’t stand the thought. At the last minute, she pretends to be the son her father never had, assumes his duties as a soldier, and rides off to join the fight to protect the castle of her liege lord’s ally from the besieging Teutonic Knights.

Wolfgang and his brother Steffan leave Hagenheim with several other soldiers to help their father’s ally in Poland. When they arrive, Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier Mikolai who seems to either always be one step away from disaster... or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.

When Wolfgang discovers his former rival and reluctant friend Mikolai is actually a girl, he is determined to protect her. But battle is a dangerous place where anything can happen — and usually does.

When Mulan receives word that her mother has been accused of practicing witchcraft through her healing herbs and skills, Mulan’s only thought is of defending her. Will she be able to trust Wolfgang to help? Or will sacrificing her own life be the only way to save her mother?

My Thoughts: Mulan was always my favorite "Disney Princess" growing up. I related to her and wanted the freedom she found to choose who she would be. I can't say that I got quiet the same vibe from this story, though it did come close.

Melanie's Mulan wants more than to be married to a man who doesn't love her. While her stated goal is to see more of the world, in the end she seems to settle for meeting a man and learning to read. Not that reading doesn't let us travel the world from the comfort of our couch, but it still isn't quiet the same. Mulan does find a man to love her, but he also seems bent on ensuring she never fights again (whether she wants to or not) rather than encouraging her to be the best she can be. It left me wondering at the end what it was she would do with her time, if she is terrible at domestic duties but also isn't going to continue as a warrior.

For true fans of series, this should be another welcome addition, as the romance between her and Wolfgang is a sweet one once her secret comes out, with more put into their relationship than in past books. However, for myself, I found this to be pretty middle of the road for the series. I didn't love it, but it did offer some nostalgia for a story I do love. There are also a few elements I have begun to notice after reading so many in this series that get repeated in many of them (over the top villains, words that are repeated frequently within the same page, ect), but I think that could be easily overlooked by YA readers who want a simple, clean romance.

I have provided an honest review after receiving a copy of the book through the Fiction Guild.

Afraid of All the Things- Scarlet Hiltibidal

My Rating: 5 Stars

Description: What does the gospel say about your fears? What does it say about the irrational ones, like sinkholes in the Target parking lot? How does it speak to the rational ones, like pet scan predictions? And does the gospel have a word for the fears you feel you'll have for life, like the possibility of losing the one you love most?

Growing up in the green room of SNL, being born to a fire-eater and adopted by a SWAT cop, having internal organs explode, and adopting a deaf girl from China, Scarlet Hiltibidal has been given some strange life experiences—and lived in fear through most of them.

But life changed for Scarlet when she learned to hold the gospel up to her fears. She realized that though she can't fix herself or protect herself, Jesus walked into this broken, sad, scary place to rescue, love, and cast out her—and your—fear.

Seeing life in light of the cross will help you avoid fear, overcome fear when you can’t avoid it, and live beyond fear when you don’t overcome it. You don't have to be afraid of all the things.

My Thoughts: When I requested this book for review, I was not expecting to have so much of myself reflected back at me. For most of my life, I have dealt with severe fears and anxieties which I had hidden from the people closest to me. The depth of these fears has diminished in resent years due to my own growth in knowledge of the gospel, yet it was not until reading this that I realized just how much had changed.

I used to live with so many of the fears mentioned in this book, and I thought many of the things Scarlet did as well. Reading this book has highlighted for me how much I have been redeemed from, as well as challenged me to continue to seek God through any other fears that might be stirred up.

While I was never able to articulate my anxieties as well as Scarlet has and my own testimony is different than hers, the source of our rescue was the same. This book walks through Scarlet's past fears and highlights verses which remind the reader of who God is, what he has done for us, and how we are to turn to him with everything we are afraid of. Even those that we have yet to recognize and which taint our interactions with both God and with others.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Highest of Hopes- Susan Anne Mason

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: After her beloved grandfather's death, Emmaline Moore is shocked to discover that her "deceased" father is actually living in Canada. Having no other family, Emma decides she must find him, and so embarks on a journey across the ocean, accompanied by her best friend, Jonathan. Unfortunately, Randall Moore and his well-to-do family aren't thrilled by her arrival, fearing her sudden appearance will hinder his chance at becoming mayor of Toronto in 1919. Despite everything, Emma remains determined to earn their affection.

Jonathan Rowe has secretly loved Emma for years and hopes that during their trip he can win her heart. Concerned that Randall might reject her, Jonathan is ready to console Emma and bring her home. When she informs him that she has no intention of returning to England, Jonathan begins to despair. Can he convince Emma to find value within herself rather than seeking it from a virtual stranger? And will she ever come to see that Jonathan is her true home?

My Thoughts: At the beginning, this story was slow for me. I felt that there was a lot of backstory which made up Emma and Jonathan that would have been better shown rather than filled in, particularly the relationship with Danny. And without those events shown, I found it difficult to sympathize with Emma's decisions or Jonathan's devotion to her.

Around the midpoint is when this story started taking off. That was when Emma began helping her father and her sisters, showing that she was able to think things through and that she was capable of having goals other than simply wanting her father's affection. It was also when Corinne began to show more depth of character as well, where previously she had seemed rather flat and needlessly spiteful.

While I was not enthralled with how the first portion of the story played out, I do think that it set up the second half well. The characters and their conflicts took on more definition and their choices became more realistic. By the end, I think that I liked Corinne and Will's relationship more than I did Emma's and Jonathan's, as theirs was more patient. However, I still appreciated the theme woven into that of the main hero and heroine's story.

I'm glad that I was able to find this book, as I somehow missed the first in the series. And with complex relationship such those shown in this story, I will continue to read Susan's books for some time to come.

I have provided an honest review after receiving an ecopy of the book through Netgalley.

Love and Other Mistakes- Review and Q&A

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Love and Other Mistakes

By Jessica Kate

Christian Contemporary Romance

Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 352 Pages

July 30th 2019 by Thomas Nelson

Jessica Kate’s hilarious, romantic debut novel proves that some mistakes—including love—are begging to be made again and again.

Natalie Groves once had big dreams. But soon after her fiancé, Jeremy Walters, inexplicably broke off their engagement and left town, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Now tasked with keeping her family afloat, Natalie’s grand plans have evaporated . . . and God feels very far away.

Fast-forward seven years, and Jeremy is back in Charlottesville with an infant son and years of regrets. When his niece, Lili, lands on his doorstep in need of a place to stay, Jeremy needs help—and fast.

An internship opening finally presents Natalie a chance at her dream job, but she needs a second income to work around it—and the only offer available is Jeremy’s. They could be the solutions to one another’s problems, provided they don’t kill each other in the process. When they join forces, sparks fly. But they both know there’s a thin line between love and hate . . . and that love will turn out to be the best decision—or the biggest mistake—of all.

Praise for the Book

“A stunning debut . . . This tale of love and redemption will stay with you long after you've closed the book. A must-read.” —Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress

“Witty. Charming. Heartfelt. I could go on and on about Jessica Kate’s debut novel. From its highly relatable characters to its pitch-perfect dialogue, Love and Other Mistakes is a delightful, romantic read filled with just the right amount of sass. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud as I watched Natalie and Jem navigate their relationships, careers, and faith. Definitely one of the most enjoyable books I've read lately, and I can't wait to see what’s next from Jessica Kate!” —Melissa Tagg, Carol Award–winning author of Now and Then and Always and the Walker Family series

“Love and Other Mistakes wraps a poignant and warm look at relationships within a smart, sly, and knowing comedic voice. Readers of Sally Thorne and Bethany Turner will be immediately at home with Natalie: an all-too-real heroine who balances whip-smart agency with an endearing vulnerability and whose intersection with long-lost Jeremy helps her forge a path to confidence and discover the woman she was always meant to be. Kate’s unputdownable debut recognizes that all human relationships—familial, friendship, romantic—are worth the keen eye and clever insight of her talented pen.” —Rachel McMillan, author of the Van Buren and DeLuca Mysteries

“If you’re looking for a story with sass on top of style, or a fresh voice pumped full of fun, you need to read Love and Other Mistakes. Then after you’ve enjoyed this—and I’m confident you will—make a date with whatever this exciting new author writes next!” —David Rawlings, author of The Baggage Handler

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About the Author

Australian author Jessica Kate is obsessed with sassy romances. 

She packs her novels with love, hate, and everything in between—and then nerds out over her favorite books, movies and TV in the StoryNerds podcast. When she’s not writing or discussing fiction, she’s hunting the world for the greatest pasta in existence.

Her debut novel Love and Other Mistakes releases July 2019, while A Girl’s Guide to the Outback hits shelves in January 2020.

Receive her sassy short The Kiss Dare FREE when you sign up for her newsletter at jessicakatewriting.com. StoryNerds podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at www.storynerds.podbean.com.

Author Q&A

What made you want to start writing?

I think I was born like this. 😊 I was always reading and writing stories, and started a lot of novels as a teen. But I decided to try writing seriously when I moved to the city at 21 and only had a part-time job. I decided to devote those extra hours to writing, and stuck with it (apart from one 6 month hiatus) when I returned to full time work.

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Review

The cover of this book screams comedic romance, which is a factor in this story though not how I would overall describe it having now read the book. Natalie and Jem are a pair of goofballs who like to pick on each other despite their complicated past and present circumstances. Yet a good portion of the story is devoted to the perspective of Lili, Jem's niece. Lili also has her moments of mischief, but her story line is far less cheery.

All of the characters in this book are dealing with a lot of baggage and family issues. Even baby Oli has a problem which compounds with those of everyone else, making this story more about family and doing your best no matter what everyone else is doing around you, than it is about Natalie and Jem's relationship.

Stating that, so long as this is the story you were expecting, I do think that this is a really good read. Natalie and Jem are an adorable couple, taking care of an adorable baby, and Lili is an amazingly relatable teenager. And the heavy, emotional scenes are balanced well with lighthearted moments that show the brighter side of life. There were a few moments which seemed unrealistic, but those played more into the comedic side of the story, making them easier to roll with.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book through JustRead Tours.

Tour Schedule