Sunday, June 30, 2019

June '19 Wrap Up & Book Haul

It's the last day of June, Bookworms!! Can you believe it??

June was a GREAT month for books, and I added so many awesome ones to my collection,
and read a lot of awesome ones as well!

Scroll down to check out my June Book Haul and Wrap Up!!

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
The Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Dev1at3 by Jay Kristoff
Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
My Ideal Boyfriend is a Croissant by Laura Dockrill

Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Ruined by Amy Tintera
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

* Not Pictured *

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
The Plus One by Sophia Money-Coutts


•     •     •


As I said, June was a great month for books! Now I'm SO ready for July!!

How was your month in June??

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

June 18: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

Can you believe we are almost at the second half of 2019??
It's been a great year for books already, 
and there are still SO many more to come!
Here are just a few that I'm super excited for!!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34196663-vow-of-thieves https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28006109-the-tyrant-s-tomb

Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
(My MOST anticipated read for 2019!)
The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35391237-five-dark-fates https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43822758-the-lady-rogue

Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42771754-supernova https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37632682-the-toll

Supernova by Marissa Meyer
The Toll by Neal Shusterman

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42288081-rebel https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43568394-the-guinevere-deception

Rebel by Marie Lu
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42080142-the-turn-of-the-key

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

So many great books, right?? I am super excited to read all of these!!

Monday, June 17, 2019

My Thoughts: The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42245770-the-rest-of-the-story
The Rest of the Story
by Sarah Dessen
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: June 4th 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780062933621
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Edelweiss Review Copy / Own

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out? (Goodreads)


Summer just is not summer without a Sarah Dessen book in your hand, and the story for this season is her newest book, The Rest of the Story! I started reading this book while we were on vacation at the beach, (which was the perfect place to start the book), and I finished it on the drive home. This book was the perfect summer read, and is definitely a new favorite as well!

There are so many things that I really loved about this book, one being the characters! There were many great characters in this book, and two of my favorites were Emma, the main character, and Roo, a boy she meets in the book. There are a lot of interesting secondary characters as well, including a whole bunch of new family members that Emma didn’t even know she had. (I love these kinds of stories!)

Another thing that I really loved about the story was the storyline and setting. Like Sarah’s previous books, the storyline is fun, but also touches on some difficult issues as well. I was addicted to the story, and I flew through the pages faster than I expected to. I also love that the book was set at the lake, (which also had a beach), as I seem to be reading a lot of beach books lately, and definitely want more lake stories! This book was perfect.

And before I forget, I also want to add that I LOVE that Sarah adds little Easter eggs in her books that are throwbacks to some of her previous stories! I’ve ready all of Sarah’s books, and I’m always on the lookout for an egg, and this one was great! (I won’t mention it, so read the story to find it for yourself!) This totally makes me want to read all of my other favorite books of Sarah’s this summer, and I’m currently trying to figure out how to add them to my Summer TBR!

Overall; The Rest of the Story was the perfect summer read that was JUST what I needed to kick off my summer reading, and I’m thrilled at how much I enjoyed this book. It’s definitely a new favorite, and it has made me want to re-read ALL of my other favorites of Sarah’s. (I am definitely trying to figure out how to work those into my Summer TBR!) If you’re a fan of Sarah’s books, I know you will love The Rest of the Story. And if you’ve never read one Sarah’s books before, this would be a great book to start with!
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByhyFtQJ8MG/

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday: How to Hack a Heartbreak & The Right Swipe

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41887423-how-to-hack-a-heartbreak
How to Hack a Heartbreak
by Kristin Rockaway
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: July 30th 2019
Publisher: Graydon House
ISBN: 9781525834257

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Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Swipe right for love. Swipe left for disaster.

By day, Mel Strickland is an underemployed helpdesk tech at a startup incubator, Hatch, where she helps entitled brogrammers—"Hatchlings"—who can't even fix their own laptops, but are apparently the next wave of startup geniuses. And by night, she goes on bad dates with misbehaving dudes she's matched with on the ubiquitous dating app, Fluttr.

But after one dick pic too many, Mel has had it. Using her brilliant coding skills, she designs an app of her own, one that allows users to log harrassers and abusers in online dating space. It's called JerkAlert, and it goes viral overnight.

Mel is suddenly in way over her head. Worse still, her almost-boyfriend, the dreamy Alex Hernandez—the only non-douchey guy at Hatch—has no idea she's the brains behind the app. Soon, Mel is faced with a terrible choice: one that could destroy her career, love life, and friendships, or change her life forever. (Goodreads)

Ohhhh, does this sound like it will be a good read, or what??
I definitely need more books like this in my life,
and I am super excited to check this one out!


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863092-the-right-swipe
The Right Swipe
by Alisha Rai
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: July 2nd 2019
Publisher: Avon Romance
ISBN: 9780062878090

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Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom.

Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:

- Nude pics are by invitation only

- If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice

- Protect your heart

Only there aren't any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night... and disappears.

Rhi thought she'd buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won't fumble their second chance, but she's wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk… (Goodreads)

YES! I JUST said that I needed more books like this in my life,
and here is ANOTHER one!!
This book sounds really great as well, and I can't wait to get my hands on it!


Those are my WOW picks for this week... What about you??

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


Tuesday, June 11, 2019

My Thoughts: Kingsbane by Claire Legrand (Audiobook)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40895030-kingsbane
Kingsbane
(Empirium #2)
by Claire Legrand
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: May 21st 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 608
ISBN: 9781492656654
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Review Copy / Own

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Furyborn, two queens, separated by a thousand years, connected by secrets and lies, must continue their fight amid deadly plots and unthinkable betrayals that will test their strength—and their hearts.

Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien—but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist.

Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity's long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption—fear of becoming another Rielle—keeps Eliana's power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted—by embracing her mother's power, or rejecting it forever. (Goodreads)


I was super excited when an advanced copy of Kingsbane by Claire Legrand arrived on my doorstep, as I had read Furyborn, the first book in the Empirium series, when it was released last year and really enjoyed the story. I was super curious to see what was going to happen next in this anticipated sequel, and I’m beyond thrilled with how much I enjoyed this book.

One of the things that I like most about this series is the characters. There are A LOT of awesome characters in the first book, and we get to meet even more as the story goes along with this second book. Rielle has always been my most favorite character in the book, but I am also Eliana’s story as well. And since each of these characters have two different, yet entwining storylines in the book, you have double to reason to be hooked on their stories. The book has some pretty interesting secondary characters as well, some of who have interesting twists as well.

Another thing I really like about this book (and series) is the storyline. It’s definitely addictive, and will keep you hooked as you turn the pages to see what is going to happen next. For some reason I thought this was only a two-book series, but after Kingsbane ending with a pretty massive cliffhanger, I was very pleased to discover that there will be a third book in the series. (Yay!) I will be most definitely be waiting to get that book asap, as I really need to know how this story is going to end.

I also want to add that while I started reading the print version of this book, I ended up also listening via the audiobook after listening to a quick sample. The narrator, Fiona Hardingham, does an absolutely wonderful job telling the story in audio, and very much enjoyed listening to her as she narrated the book. She also narrates the audiobook for Furyborn, so if audiobooks are your thing, you may want to check this series out in audio as well!

Overall; Kingsbane was a wonderful follow-up to Furyborn, and I now need the next book in the series, which is currently untitled but set to release sometime next year. If you’re a fan of fantasy stories, I definitely recommend you check out the books in this series, as well as Sawkill Girls, which is another of Claire’s books that I read and LOVED. These books definitely make me want to read more of Claire’s books, and I do believe I will have to check out some more of her books as soon as possible.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw9QiUgHyYW/

Monday, June 10, 2019

My Thoughts: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201431-the-unhoneymooners
The Unhoneymooners
by Christina Lauren
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: May 14th 2019
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 395
ISBN: 9781501128035
Genre: Adult Fiction | Contemporary | Romance
Source: Edelweiss Review Copy / Own

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky. (Goodreads)


The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren was high on my list of most anticipated reads for 2019, and I absolutely couldn’t wait to read this book. I had originally snagged an early review copy of the book, as I had wanted to read it as soon as possible, but then I decided to wait to read it over our vacation at the beach. It sounded like the absolute perfect book to read while sitting on the beach, listening to the waves, with my toes in the sand. This was the absolute best decision ever, as this WAS the perfect beach read, and I will always think of my time at the beach whenever I think of this book!

There are SO many things that I enjoyed about this book, two being the storyline and setting! The storyline is absolutely adorable, and includes both the enemies-to-lovers and fake fiancé/spouse tropes. This was so much fun, and I enjoyed reading all of the situations that the characters got into throughout the book. I also really loved the setting for the book as well, because although I was on a completely different beach than the one in the book, I felt like I was right on the beach described in the book and resort with the characters. It was so great!

Another thing I really loved about the book were the characters. Not only were the two main characters, Olive and Ethan, awesome, but I loved all of the secondary characters as well! Olive has an amazing family, including a twin sister, and stories with large families are some of my most favorites to read. I love that familial bond, and they all definitely made the story more interesting. I also really enjoyed watching the relationship between Olive and Ethan grow over the course of the book. Christina Lauren definitely writes so great relationships, and I love reading them all.

Overall; The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren was the MOST PERFECT beach read, and I’m thrilled that I had the opportunity to read it while at the beach myself. The characters, storyline and setting were all great, and I flew through this book faster than I expected to. I very much enjoyed everything about it, and the book left me wanting to read more by these authors. I will now be excitedly waiting for their next book, Twice in a Blue Moon, to release this October so that I can read it as well!
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByPsexpHod_/

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday: Maybe This Time & Truly Madly Royally

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41473823-maybe-this-time
Maybe This Time
by Kasie West
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date:
Publisher: Point
ISBN: 9781338210088

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Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

One year. Nine events. Nine chances to . . . fall in love?

Weddings. Funerals. Barbecues. New Year's Eve parties. Name the occasion, and Sophie Evans will be there. Well, she has to be there. Sophie works for the local florist, so she can be found at every big event in her small hometown, arranging bouquets and managing family dramas.

Enter Andrew Hart. The son of the fancy new chef in town, Andrew is suddenly required to attend all the same events as Sophie. Entitled, arrogant, preppy Andrew. Sophie just wants to get her job done and finish up her sketches so she can apply to design school. But every time she turns around, there is Andrew, getting in her way and making her life more complicated. Until one day she wonders if maybe complicated isn't so bad after all . . .

Told over the course of one year and following Sophie from event to event, this delightful novel from master of romantic comedy Kasie West shows how love can blossom in unexpected places. (Goodreads)

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
It's a new book by Kasie West, y'all!
I don't know about you guys, but I am ALWAYS excited for a new book by Kasie!
And this one sounds great, so I'm SUPER excited to check it out!!


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41473901-truly-madly-royally
Truly Madly Royally
by Debbie Rigaud
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: July 30th 2019
Publisher: Point
ISBN: 9781338332728

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Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Fiercely independent and smart, Zora Emerson wants to change the world. She's excited to be attending a prestigious summer program, even if she feels out of place among her privileged, mostly white classmates. So she's definitely not expecting to feel a connection to Owen, who's an actual prince of an island off the coast of England. But Owen is funny, charming...and undeniably cute. Zora can't ignore the chemistry between them. When Owen invites Zora to be his date at his big brother's big royal wedding, Zora is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, along with her family and friends. Everyone is talking about her, in real life and online, and while Owen is used to the scrutiny, Zora's not sure it's something she can live with. Can she maintain her sense of self while moving between two very different worlds? And can her feelings for Owen survive and thrive in the midst of the crazy? Find out in this charming romantic comedy that's like The Princess Diaries for a new generation. (Goodreads)

The Princess Diaries for a new generation??
Count me in!!
This book sounds wonderful, and just the kind of book I love at the moment.
I can't wait to check it out!!


Those are my WOW picks for this week!!
What upcoming books are you excited for??

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


Monday, June 3, 2019

My Thoughts: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201395-sorcery-of-thorns
Sorcery of Thorns
by Margaret Rogerson
Website | Twitter | Tumblr

Publication Date: June 4th 2019
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9781481497619
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Review Copy from Publisher / Own

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined. (Goodreads)


Sorcery of Thorns is the very first book that I have had the pleasure of reading by Margaret Rogerson, (even though I have had a copy of An Enchantment of Ravens sitting on my shelf for way too long), and I was super excited to have the opportunity to review a copy of this book. I didn’t really know what to expect going into this book, but I absolutely loved everything about the story!

To get this started, I have to say that this book has a really great storyline. It is all about sorcerers and magic, and great libraries and magical grimoires. It was all very interesting, and some parts of the story made me think of the Dr. Strange movie, if you, (like me), are into that kind of thing. I was so fascinated with this story, that I few through the pages a lot quicker than I expected to. I was really surprised to find out that this was a standalone novel. That was both refreshing and a little disappointing, as I would love for this story to continue on and on! (Though I am really happy with the way things wrapped up in the end.)

Another thing I love about this book is that it has a lot of great characters. I love the main character, Elisabeth, is smart and fierce, and I love her love of books and knowledge SO much. I also really liked Nathaniel, as he was mysterious and magical, and had just the right amount of snark. BUT, the character that *really* made the story for me was Silas. Silas was probably my most favorite part of the story, and I wanted to know SO much more about him as I read the book. I’m not even going to tell you any more about him, but if you need just one reason to read this book, read it for Silas. (Though, I know you’d love the magic and book parts of the story as well!

Overall; I very much enjoyed pretty much everything about Sorcery of Thorns, and I can’t wait for my finished copy to arrive so I can add it to my collection! I am also now really excited to read An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret as well, and I am hoping to get to that as soon as I possibly can. If you love a good read about magic and books, do check out Sorcery of Thorns!

Saturday, June 1, 2019

My June '19 TBR


Happy First Day of June, Bookworms!!

I can't believe that it's June already! May flew by quicker than I expected it to, and now summer is right around the corner!

I have a pretty awesome TBR picked out for this month, and I'm super excited to finally start it! We are spending the first week of June at the beach, and I'm ready to read The Unhoneymooners, *finally*, China Rich Girlfriend and The Proposal while I sit on the beach with my feet in the sand!

I'm also starting a few new (to me) series this month as well, including Red Rising, and re-reading The Crown's Game and Ruined!!
(I put Allied in the photo by accident... that should be Ruined!)

Here's the rest of what I'm hoping to read in June!

Books I'm Reading:

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Allied by Amy Tintera*
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
Defy the Fates by Claudia Gray

* should be RUINED by Amy Tintera


e-Arc's I'm Reading:

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
The Beholder by Anna Bright


Most Anticipated Read for June:

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

•   •   •

That's my exciting TBR for June!! What are you planning to read this month??