This week was hectic, but fun. We enjoyed the last week of summer before school started, and I really enjoyed taking my time reading Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman! My review went live today (read here) and this is a great book for Game of Thrones fans, who don’t mind the gradual world-building and a story imparted through multiple point of views. It’s a fascinating blurring of fantasy fiction and history, as we meet a sixteen-year-old Alex, who is to become who we now know as Alexander the Great. Now, I’m currently about halfway through Sustained by Emma Chase and really enjoying it, and then moving on to the YA thriller, The Creeping! Have a great week and happy reading! ♥
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Tough Love (Ultimate) by Lori Foster (Aug 25)
She’s playing hard to get…to win the MMA fighter of her ultimate fantasies in a sultry new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster Vanity Baker loves a good, clean match, but she’s not above playing a little dirty. She’s wanted Stack “The Wolf” Hannigan from day one. Seems as though the best way to corral the famously commitment-phobic fighter is to insist on keeping it casual. And her plan works—deliciously well—until Stack’s past steps out of the shadows. Stack learned early to stay free of attachments. But with sexy, forthright Vanity, he’s the one always left wanting more. Then his troublemaking family comes back into the picture, threatening everything Stack cares about—Vanity included. Suddenly he realizes they’re much more than friends with benefits. He’s ready to go to the mat for her…but will it be in time to protect the woman who’s tamed him for good? Reading Order: Hard Knocks | No Limits | Holding Strong | Tough Love✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Heart-Shaped Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves (Aug 25) – Read my review and an excerpt VBB Recommendation
When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act. Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker. But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart. Standalone romance.✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Mechanical by Betsy Cornwell (Aug 25)
Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have pushed her into a life of dreary servitude. When she discovers a secret workshop in the cellar on her sixteenth birthday—and befriends Jules, a tiny magical metal horse—Nicolette starts to imagine a new life for herself. And the timing may be perfect: There’s a technological exposition and a royal ball on the horizon. Determined to invent her own happily-ever-after, Mechanica seeks to wow the prince and eager entrepreneurs alike.✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Reawakened by (Aug 25)
The first book in a new multi-book series from New York Times bestselling author, COLLEEN HOUCK, about a teenage girl entangled in an epic Egyptian quest full of romance, adventure, and mythology! When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification. And she really can’t imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe. But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world. From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself. First book in a YA series.✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Worth It by Linda Kage (Aug 25)
I fell in love once. It was amazing. She was amazing. Life was amazing. I lived for each time I could see her, and nothing else mattered, not that our families were enemies, our time together was forbidden, or we had to meet in secret. Our love could conquer all. Until it didn’t. So I was ripped away from the love of my life and shoved into hell, forced to continue without her. It shattered me, broke the best parts of me, left me permanently damaged. Or so I thought. Years later, I swear history’s trying to repeat itself because she’s back in my life, and I’m just as drawn to her as I was before. But I’m older and wiser now, and I know she should stay away from a worthless piece of ex-con like me. So, I will not let her in. I absolutely refuse to hurt her. I will keep her away. Then again, sometimes risking your greatest fear to get to a smile makes everything worth it, and besides, I’m not sure I can resist her, anyway. This is the story of how Felicity Bainbridge changed my life forever, starting one summer day long ago after I was forced to change a dirty diaper… –Knox Parker✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Another Day by David Levithan (Aug 25)
The eagerly anticipated companion to David Levithan’s New York Times bestseller Every Day In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan (co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green) tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you. Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up. Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person . . . wasn’t Justin at all.✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Sustained (#2, The Legal Briefs) by Emma Chase (Aug 25) VBB Recommendation
Emma Chase, New York Times bestselling author of the Tangled series, returns with a brand new funny, romantic, sexy story! A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight. When you’re a defense attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand. Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will turn you on. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be. Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I’m going to Mommy and Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room, and arguing cases in the principal’s office. Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, defend her…and the kids. And that—that, I know how to do. Reading Order: Overruled | Sustained | Appealed✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
In The Dark (#2, The Rules) by Monica Murphy (Aug 25)
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Fallen Crest University (#5, Fallen Crest High) by Tijan (Aug 25)
Fallen Crest is back with a vengeance! Samantha, Mason, and Logan are all together and united with one common enemy: Park Sebastian, the king of fraternity douchebags. With professional football scouts eyeing his every move, Mason Kade has to walk the line for the first time in his life. Any move he makes against Sebastian has to be perfect and under the radar. One mistake, and his career is over. Sebastian has other plans. Mason’s career isn’t his target—not even close. Wanting to destroy Mason completely, Sebastian knows he must hit him where it hurts the most: Samantha, who doesn’t give a rat’s ass that she’s the target. Sam is bound and determined to protect Mason herself, no matter the cost, but what if the cost is beyond her imagination? What if this time, the villain wins? Reading Order: Fallen Crest High FREE | Fallen Crest Family 99¢ | Fallen Crest Public 99¢ | Fallen Crest Down | Fallen Crest University✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Taming the Queen by Philippa Gregory (Aug 25)
By the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the Starz original series The White Queen, a riveting new Tudor tale featuring King Henry VIII’s sixth wife Kateryn Parr, the first English queen to publish under her own name. Why would a woman marry a serial killer? Because she cannot refuse… Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father who has buried four wives—King Henry VIII—commands her to marry him. Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted sixteen months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his new bride and Kateryn’s trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules the kingdom as Regent. But is this enough to keep her safe? A leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish in English, Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own. But she cannot save the Protestants, under threat for their faith, and Henry’s dangerous gaze turns on her. The traditional churchmen and rivals for power accuse her of heresy—the punishment is death by fire and the king’s name is on the warrant… From an author who has described all of Henry’s queens comes a deeply intimate portrayal of the last: a woman who longed for passion, power, and education at the court of a medieval killer.✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Loving the Chase by Sharla Lovelace (Aug 25)
Charming, adventurous Zach Chase has always craved the spotlight, and now he’s on the hunt for publicity for his family’s storm-chasing business. So when a reality TV network approaches him with the idea for a show profiling their work, he can’t resist. But the last person he expects to walk into the meeting is the former love of his life. Production assistant Maddi Hayes was once engaged to Zach—until she was almost killed by a tornado he was out chasing. She walked away from her fiancé and their future together, convinced she’d always come second to his dangerous career. Dreading the show and anxious over working so closely with Zach, Maddi also knows this project could mean big things for her career. If only Zach weren’t still so infuriating…and so infuriatingly sexy. Can they finally let go of their stormy past? Or will the passion still raging between them win in the end?First in a series, but can be read as a standalone.
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Released (#3, Caged) by Shay Savage (Aug 25)
Oblivion is a sweet, sweet place. No pain. No disturbing thoughts of the past. No guilt from my recent actions. Deep down, there is still a part of me that knows how screwed up I am. I don’t see a way out, not now. Tria’s gone, and the possibility of her forgiving me in my current state is exactly zero. I know I have to pull myself together, accept my responsibilities, and try to make amends, but I have no idea where to start. No job. No apartment. I’m living on the streets with the other junkies. As little as I had to offer Tria before, I have nothing to give her now. The only way out is to come clean and tell Tria the truth about my past, but the idea of reliving the memories is so painful, I can’t think about it long enough to figure out a solution. I’ve hit rock bottom, and I don’t even know which way is up any more. Reading Order: Takedown Teague | Trapped | Released✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Find Me (#2, Found Duet) by Laurelin Paige (Aug 25)
The Conclusion of Gwen and JC’s Story I came to The Sky Launch to begin fresh, away from the horrors of my past. The circumstances that brought me here were not the best, but I’ve become good friends with Alayna and Hudson Pierce, and my family has healed in ways I never thought they could. With them around me, I’ve never felt more at home. But starting anew means letting go. And there are some things I don’t want to leave behind – like JC, the man who taught me how to let loose. The man I wasn’t supposed to love. The man I don’t want to lose. My life is safe now. The threats from before have become less menacing, and I’m faced with a choice: either move on completely or keep holding to the hope that JC loves me enough to come and find me. Reading Order: Free Me | Find Me✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Rule (#3, Corruption) by CD Reiss (Aug 25)
Theresa and Antonio.
They’ve been through hell. Antonio has a price on his head for turning his back on a marriage deal, and Theresa has no intention of turning her back on him. They’re devoted and strong, ready for anything…. A Love Tested To The Limit And then, someone from Antonio’s past reappears. Someone who can give him everything he ever wanted, and who can shake them to their very core. #livetogether #dietogether In this stunning conclusion to the USA Today Bestselling series, Antonio and Theresa will have their passion, their devotion and their very will to live tested.Third book in the series, which must be read in order.
Reading Order: Spin | Ruin | Rule
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Reveal by Elle Brooks (Aug 30)
I used to believe in destiny. I was six years old when I first took to the stage, and I’ve danced every day since. It’s the biggest part of who I am. The fuel that drives me forward. My oxygen… My life… My soul. The stars were perfectly aligned, and my fairy tale had slowly begun to play out like a beautifully scripted passage from a romance novel. I was all set to live my happily ever after… Until I wasn’t. If dancing was my heart, Daniel was the blood that kept it beating. I was content with supporting him as he worked towards his music dreams, but then he disappeared, leaving me scared, alone and suffocating under the crushing weight of his debts. It’s said that opportunity often comes disguised as misfortune. When one door closes, another one opens. But I wasn’t prepared for it to belong to Reveal, one of New York City’s most exclusive Burlesque Clubs. It feels as though the universe is conspiring against me until fate thrusts two very different men into the equation. And what they have in common, no one could have predicted. Destiny may have delivered them both, but who stays is my choice.✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
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