Lia, Human of Utah, by Greg Ramsey |ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Welcome back to Adele Is Reading.

Today I have my ARC book review of Lia, Human of Utah, by Greg Ramsey.

A huge Thank You to Netgalley, for allowing me to read Lia, Human of Utah in exchange for an honest review.
This in no way has impacted my review. 

Trigger Warning: Murder, Fighting, Blood, Terrorist Attack mention, Loss of a Child mention, Grief.

In the year 2342, Lia wakes up to a nightmarish world where the remnants of mankind have mutated into ravaging monsters. Alone and hunted, she struggles to remember who she is and what happened to civilization.

She cannot run forever. But when she turns on her hunters, the mutation takes her over violently. Now she must fight to maintain her humanity and uncover the terrible truth behind the apocalyptic infection—before the beast within her takes over and seals her fate forever.

Who is she? What is she? The fate of Earth hinges on the answers. And even all her courage may not be enough when the moment of truth arrives.

Release date: September 1, 2017.

Let me start things off with saying that I hyped up this book way more than I should have. There were so many things that completely fell flat from my expectations.

The Raven and the Dove, by Kaitlyn Davis | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Welcome back to the ol’ blog. Today I have my advanced readers copy (ARC) book review of

The Raven and the Dove, by Kaitlyn Davis.

A huge Thank You to Netgalley, for allowing me to read The Raven and the Dove in exchange for an honest review.
This in no way has impacted my review. 

Trigger Warning: Blood, Blood mention, Torture, Torture mention.

Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!

A princess longing to be free…

On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon.

A bastard aching to belong…

Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him.

Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart…

Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her.

Three shocking betrayals. Two star-crossed lovers. One unforgettable journey. If you like fierce heroines, brooding heroes, forbidden romance, and action-packed magical adventures with twists you’ll never see coming, don’t miss The Raven and the Dove!

Release Date: March 9, 2020.

The Raven and the Dove has a strong prologue. The prologue didn’t even begin to warn me of the entirety of chaos that makes up The Raven and the Dove. It’s a great way to start the story–if only it wasn’t completely misleading.

Blog Tour: The June Boys, by Courtney C. Stevens | THE FFBC ARC Review + Favourite Quotes

Hello friends! Welcome back to Adele Is Reading! Today I’m posting my book review of

The June Boys, by Court Stevens.

I want to give a quick Thank you, to both The Fantastic Flying Book Club, and the Thomas Nelson (Fiction) publishing group for allowing me to read The June Boys (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review (and to share a few of my favourite quotes from the book!).

I also want to thank Court Stevens for writing The June Boys. You’ve riddled me with ugly crying.

Today’s post is actually one of the stops for the June Boys Book Blog Tour. Click here to see the other stops on The June Boys book blog tour! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Trigger Warnings: Blood, kidnappings, death via drowning, gun mention and gun usage.

The Gemini Thief could be anyone. Your father, your mother, your best friend’s crazy uncle. Some country music star’s deranged sister. Anyone.

The Gemini Thief is a serial kidnapper, who takes three boys and holds them captive from June 1st to June 30th of the following year. The June Boys endure thirteen months of being stolen, hidden, observed, and fed before they are released, unharmed, by their masked captor. The Thief is a pro, having eluded authorities for nearly a decade and taken at least twelve boys.

Now Thea Delacroix has reason to believe the Gemini Thief took a thirteenth victim: her cousin, Aulus McClaghen.

But the game changes when one of the kidnapped boys turns up dead. Together with her boyfriend Nick and her best friends, Thea is determined to find the Gemini Thief and the remaining boys before it’s too late. Only she’s beginning to wonder something sinister, something repulsive, something unbelievable, and yet, not impossible:

What if her father is the Gemini Thief?

Release Date: March 03, 2020.
Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller.

‘You don’t owe your truths to everyone.’

1/3 of my favourite quotes from The June Boys.

I stumbled upon The June Boys via The Fantastic Flying Bookclub, and I am so glad to have applied to be a part of the The June Boys Blog Tour! Before I had even sat down to read The June Boys I had thought two things: the first being, I have this story down pat (aka, I knew what was going to happen). The second thought I had was, ‘either The June Boys is going to happen the exact way I thought it would, or the plot is going to be wildly different.’ 

Once I sat down to read The June Boys, I wanted to say that I knew who the number one suspect was / or was going to be. Friends, I was so wrong. I was so, so off. 

[ARC] Dreams of Fire, by Christian Cura | Book Review

Hello, friends! Today I’ve got my ARC book review of

Dreams of Fire, by Christian Cura.

Dreams of Fire is the first in its series.

A huge Thank You to Christian Cura, for allowing me to read Dreams of Fire in exchange for an honest review.
This in no way has impacted my review. 

Meet Kara Hartman, a young painter living and working in D.C. She would love to let you believe she is just an ordinary young woman with a dream of sharing her art with the world. But she is hiding an astonishing secret: Kara can wield magic, the most powerful force in the universe. Traumatized by the loss of her brother, she wants nothing more to do with magic. But when an old foe resurfaces, hellbent on destroying all that she loves, Kara has no choice but to embrace the only power that can stop her.

When the author approached me about Dreams of Fire, I read the synopsis and was truly looking forward to reading Kara’s story. So when I dove into reading Kara’s story, I was…..

State of the ARC #13

STATE OF THE ARC MEME

State of the ARC is a monthly meme at Avalinah’s Books meant to motivate you to finish up all your long overdue ARCs (Advanced or Early Reader Copies). You can track your reading progress and link up with your own post. Most commonly it comes out on the 30th of every month.

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Hey friends! Today I have a State of the ARC meme post.

It’s been a while since I’ve last done an ARC update. I’m both nervous and kind of excited, I know that I started reading a couple of ARCs a couple of months ago, but since then I’ve honestly had no will to continue and finish them.

[ARC] The Blacksmith Queen, by G.A. Aiken | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Welcome back to my blog. This is my third post today, holy moly!

In this post I have my ARC Book Review of

The Blacksmith Queen, by G.A. Aiken.

The Blacksmith Queen is the first book in The Scarred Earth Saga. 

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Fighting, Murder, Gore, Abuse, Stabbing, Sex.

A huge Thank You to Kensington Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken in exchange for an honest review.
This in no way has impacted my review. 

When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken. 

The Old King Is Dead

With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals.

Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned …

Publication Date: August 27, 2019.

The Blacksmith Queen is a book I wanted to try on a whim. I knew that there was a chance that I would end up enjoying The Blacksmith Queen (TBQ), so I really didn’t hold TBQ to any standard of mine. 

To say something to start off my review for The Blacksmith Queen…G.A. Aiken didn’t hold anything back. So if you were to read The Blacksmith Queen, you can expect fighting, blood, gore, murder, abuse, stabbings, sex…..and so much more.

Cold Day in the Sun, by Sara Biren | ARC Book Review

Hello lovelies! Today I have my ARC book review of

Cold Day in the Sun, by Sara Biren.

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the  publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Trigger Warnings: Cyber Bullying, Bullying.

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not a hockey player who happens to be a girl. But when her school team is selected to be featured and televised as part of HockeyFest, her status as the only girl on the boys’ team makes her the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but there’s one person who fiercely supports her, and it’s the last person she expects (and definitely the last person she should be falling for): her bossy team captain, Wes.

Publication Date: March 12, 2019.

Cold Day in the Sun is a Young Adult Sports Contemporary Romance—-which is one of my favourite sub-genres.

Give Me a Dream, by Zoe Ann Wood | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! For today, I’ve got my book review of

Give Me a Dream, by Zoe Ann Wood.

A big Thank-You, Zoe Ann Wood, for allowing me to read Give Me a Dream in exchange for an honest review.

When in Rome … don’t tell your boss you’re in love with him.

Ava has the perfect job – with one exception. She’s been in love with her boss for years, and she’s finally resigning. If only she could do it without telling Daniel how she feels about him.

Daniel’s billion-dollar empire is thriving, and Ava is crucial to its success. Which is why Daniel absolutely can’t let her know he’s fallen for her. Keeping his distance is key.

But a work trip to Rome threatens to shatter their carefully constructed defenses. Spending time together in the beautiful ancient city brings out feelings they can no longer hide. Their careers and their happiness will crumble if they refuse to open their hearts.

With this clean romance novella, you’ll enter the romantic world of billionaires: you’re guaranteed an evening of sweet escape. Get Give Me a Dream today!

Publication Date: July 21, 2019.

Well, what can I really say about Give Me a Dream?

Make Him Howl, by Zoe Ashwood | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my review of
Make Him Howl by Zoe Ashwood.

Make Him Howl is the 3rd book in the Shift series by Zoe Ashwood.

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Trigger/Content Warnings: Kidnapping, Fighting Ring, Blood.

Funny how a wolf can survive after losing half his soul. Twice.

Gabriel is living in a nightmare. His sloppy mistake allowed rogue shifters to kidnap Parker, his best friend and partner. Unwilling to rest and plagued with memories of his twin brother who’d died in his arms, he pushes himself to the limits of endurance in his hunt to retrieve Parker.

Until the day she saves herself.

Parker thought that being secretly in love with her partner was the low point of her career. She was wrong. Forced to compete in shapeshifter cage fights, she commits an unspeakable act she can never undo. With her mind and body too bruised to resume her former job, she’s fighting to keep sane. Keeping away from overprotective Gabriel is even harder.

But their enemies are closing in, hurting shifters and humans alike. With so much to lose, their only solution will be to fight together, even if this brings up truths they’re not ready to face.

Release Date: April 04, 2019.

When I learned about Gabriel and Parker in the last novel, I knew that there was going to be a novel on this pair. I am very pleased to know that Make Him Howl is that book. 

[DNF] Ocean’s Daughter by Lisa Barton | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Todays post is my long, overdue ARC book review of Ocean’s Daughter by Lisa Barton.

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the  publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Trigger/Content Warning: Plane Crash Resulting in Multiple Deaths, Rape

“You must be Tina Russell,” he finally spoke. His deep voice and his step towards her filled her with renewed fear. “Welcome to Atlantis.”

A mythical story for young adult readers, Ocean’s Daughter follows the life of Tina Russell, a lonely soul searching for meaning of her existence. As she wanders Atlantis, the former place of opportunity, she notices the land is different to how it used to be, leaving Tina determined to change this…

Readers follow Tina’s journey in Atlantis as we see her reunited with her long-lost father and become intertwined in a love triangle with two handsome youths, which turns eventually dangerous…

Jealously, blackmail, magic and mayhem are suddenly everywhere in Atlantis as Tina realises the mythical kingdom will never be the same again. Will Tina ever be able to use her powers and rebuild the Atlantis she once loved? Will she ever be proud again to be known as the daughter of this mythical place?

Inspired by Anthony Horowitz, Gene Roddenberry and Phillip Pullman, this mythical tale will appeal to teenage readers that enjoy Greek mythology and fantasy fiction plus fans of romance novels.

Release Date: April 15, 2016.

I had super high hopes for Ocean’s Daughter. ….yet when I sat down to read it, all of those hopes had crashed and burned.

I’ve got be honest with you about two things: 1. I DNF’d Ocean’s Daughter at 11%. 2., as you may have guessed it already: I truly did not like the 11% that I read.