Lots of Nazi hunting and Night Witch fun here. Manages to be more exciting than depressing. Read it for Nina, if no one else.

Loved it. Especially Matchmaking Sebastian (who we get a lot of) and Wedding Crashing Severin (who, alas, we only get at the beginning and end). ❤️ #romantsy

I wish more people were on the Grace Draven train. I love her fleshed-out fairytale style and intelligent mature leading characters. I love that they are very sexy in a totally positive way that fits with the story without ever being the point of it. Every time I‘ve picked one up I found myself settling down with two main characters I love, nothing that pissed me off or offended me, plenty of feels and a wonderful feeling of escape. 💗💗💗

SO GOOD! This had a lot to live up to seeing how much I adore Uprooted. While I found the characters in Uprooted more endearing (granted they had less depressing lives) I think the intricacy of plot in this outshines the other somewhat. Quite a few POV‘s as well as echoes from Rumpelstiltskin and the Millers Daughter as well as Hades/Persephone vibes.

“Seven days this time I‘ll grant you, to return my silver changed for gold,” ...thus far this book is excellent.

Uprooted is a huge favorite of mine but this is shaping up to be great as well. More creepy and less amusing (I found Agnieszka and the Dragon amusing at any rate) but very cool. 👏🏻❄️

I‘ve kept with this series out of love for a few of the side characters, however this book is the kind of fan-service fluff other authors may have on their blog in installments or on Kindle for $2.99. Here it gets a hardcover and original artwork while Bloomsbury fails at editing and SJM doesn‘t even try for a plot (her other novellas have one so she‘s capable). Not to mention the amount of repetitive exposition on past events. Shameless.

Please don‘t avoid this because you are afraid of the subject matter. I could not put it down and it is not long. Please read it.

Sherry Thomas sure writes her way around a lot of genre‘s. I think Charlotte was a lot smarter in regards to others than she was about people and events directly affecting her, but it didn‘t affect the story too badly. The gender-bending aspect of this was fun and I enjoy how Sherry‘s female characters usually come off more intellectually mature than I typically find with other authors. Hoping the second book is available from my library soon.

I read all the Sevenwaters books years ago and yet somehow missed that this existed until now. Very short and bittersweet and felt like a tease because all the elements presented I feel could have been stretched out and fleshed into a wonderful full length novel. It also would have made room for some of the elements that felt rushed to move more slowly and believably. I still enjoyed it though.

Finished! This felt a little more uneven than the previous volume as pages 400-800 were a bit slow, but the action climbs steadily after that and the last 200 pages were so full of amazing-ness that it definitely ends on a five star note. Dalinar and Shallan dominate the pages but I enjoyed him a lot more than I did her, who spends much the book going down a psychological rabbit hole. Thank goodness I had Lift, Syl, and Pattern to make me laugh.

Awwwwww yeah! 🙌🏼

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The description for this isn‘t very original sounding but I decided to try because it was on Overdrive, so why not? This is Sherry Thomas‘ only contemporary and now I really wish she‘d write some more. This started out fairly how expected but slowly revealed more soul, substance, and quirkiness than I‘d imagined it would. Sexy too. It‘s now on my favorites list. 💗 #romantsy

Something about this cover made me think it was from the eighties. 😄 It‘s not. After reading I realized it is however whitewashed. 👎🏼 While I didn‘t find the world-building and names were all that original, the sample for Kindle Books is rather generous and half way through I was hooked. It‘s fantasy/romance/political marriage with a heroine who is a weather mage, which makes it extra fun when she gets annoyed at the dinner table.

My sunshine-self. My tree-self. My deer-self. Didn‘t we outnumber the dark self?

I think Crown of Bitter Orange is probably my favorite in this series, but this was still a beautiful enjoyable read. This has been my favorite series of Laura Florand's so far. All the descriptions of flowers, scents, the countryside, and this deep sense of place and belonging (things most probably can't say they are surrounded by in real life) work as a balm to the soul for me.

The only thing a reader of this series knows while reading one of its books is that nothing is exactly as it seems, which is part of what makes it so fun. You also can't help but note that as Eugenides star has risen over the course of the series the reader is removed from knowing him a little more each book, until here we are with the perspective of a foreign outsider looking in. I loved this story and hope the next isn't too long off.

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OMG they need to keep writing these!!!! Please????? Contract them for more Avon! Team House Baylor! I want more of everyone, Nevadas family are interesting. Things were definitely left open as to who some of the players on the opposing side are. This isn't coherent but I just want many more of these and feel sad it may not come for a while. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

This reminded me a lot of Practical Magic only I liked it better. Here many families in town have abilities they are associated with. It's a good summer read. The one downside was a side character who had little to do with the main characters and wasn't very interesting. Even come the end I didn't feel she warranted the time given her. Charming atmosphere and a generally fun non-stressful read. 🌸

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I think the Hidden Legacy series is their best so far, even if all the others are really good too. This, the second book, was even better than the first. It deserves a better cover. Good thing we have online communities to help me know when I should be ignoring bad covers and diving in. Can't wait for Wildfire! 😍

Happy Solstice! Reading this while the boys play at park ...discovering Ilona Andrews as summer started has been perfect! They are great summer reads and there are loads of them. Finally started the their longest series. ☀️

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If living in a world that struggles to be respectful, sensitive, or loving to those that are different gets you down, reading this may be a cathartic experience.

It's funny, sad, insightful, and full of heart. Life out in the galaxy may not be any more enlightened than on Earth, but the Wayfarer and her crew make a surprisingly functional family. Best book I've read in a while.

Love that this was a paranormal without vampires/werewolves/faeries. Just straight up humans with magic. The world-building is quite good as is the story (which isn't just there to string together sex scenes). In fact this is a very slow burn and the two mains don't even hook up in this. I honestly enjoy being made to wait. 😍

#romantsy

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This was creative and fun but the end was a bit of a let down. While I knew going in that this was an origin story for the Queen of Hearts, I'd hoped her fate would be decided by something other than her own stupidity.

Instead she is aware of what will happen to her if she takes certain actions and yet does them anyhow insisting to herself it will all work out. Why do characters do this? 🙈

When it comes to a #completepsycho that I love it's the Greenmantle couple for the win!

Piper and Colin are more hilariously psycho than scary psycho but rarely have I enjoyed two such shallow amoral (and murderous) jerks as I did these two. ☺️👏🏻

Hope they are well cast when the TV show comes out.

#characters2017

#characters2017 #slytherin

Slytherin traits can manifest in both good ways and bad ways.

Alas, Kyle Haven from the Liveship Traders is a very bad Slytherin indeed. 👿 Sorry, there are no pictures of Kyle out there. They'd make a good dart board backing if there were.

I was underwhelmed with this book, partly to do with the story and partly because of poor editing.

However my three favorite characters (Lucien, Cassian, and Nesta) were more involved than last time around and my Lucien candle smells delish, so it's not a total loss. 🍂🦊🌿

#characters2017 #KingOfTheWorld

If we had to have one guy ruling the world, we could probably do worse than Arthur. 👑

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This was so good! And so unhappy. Nothing good happens in it. Ever. But so compelling just the same. I kept the immortal words of Eomer in my head the whole time so I'd be able to handle the inevitable awfulness.

"Do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands." ?

I actually had trouble thinking of a #dramaqueen

Then I remembered Mrs. Bennet.

#characters2017

This book gets a thumbs up for being magically atmospheric, having some fun characters, and a generally enjoyable story. 🗡🐺🌿🦊

As for the main character, I felt we are told a lot more about how clever she is than we actually see happen. The romance also lacked some chemistry but it's not a huge part of the story.
In general I had fun reading this and look forward to the second half next year.

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This book had me so emotional and riveted I read it in two sittings! Every few pages I had to put my kindle down and let my emotions have some time before going on. Phoenix was so well written and admirable from page one and I just wanted everything to finally come right for this maligned and outcast woman. So good. This is the eighth book in a series I haven't read from an author I also had never read before. I'm glad I started here.

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This book is good and sad and ends just as it should for Fitz, the Fool, and Nighteyes.

Perhaps a bit longer than necessary, but that isn't the first time I've felt that way about Hobbs books. Everybody shows up in this! Liveship Traders characters and those from the Rainwilds. You really need to read these in order and in their entirety to appreciate this. I am an odd mix of sad, relieved, and happy right now.

I first discovered the Green Sky trilogy in my middle school library and fell in love. It was already out of print then and I set about trying to collect copies in whatever format I could. I've always been big on nature and remember wishing I also lived high in the trees of a forest village. 🌳🍄🌿

#catsinthecradle #rockinmay #childlike #maybookflowers

My choices for #kissmarrykill weren't easy to make.

Actually Kill was very easy to make. 😈

Jericho from Darkfever gets kiss because I'm curious. But I'd get the hell away from him after that. 😄

Matt Rosier from Once Upon a Rose wins the marry category. He runs a rose farm in southern France and is sweet and adorable. 'Nuff said. 🌹🌹🌹

#sparklingmaybookishdreams

Here our villainous protagonist's #obsession with creating the ultimate perfume leads him to the distilling of ... well, virgins. 😦 Yeah, this was a creepy book but I liked the exploration of the role scent plays in our lives.

#maybookflowers

For #royalty I could choose no other than Eugenides and Irene. I love them as individuals and I love them as the very unlikely and complex romantic couple that they are. Watching their slow unfolding was my favorite aspect of this series.

#sparklingmaybookishdreams

"Proud girl. Hard, noble heart. And a liar, a liar"

Kestrel from the Winners Trilogy, Locke Lamora, and Eugenides of the Queens Thief series are some of my favorite protagonists. Liars all.

#lies #maybookflowers

*sniff*

And so we come to the final book. Am I ready for this? 😭

This #supernaturalmystery involves the disappearance of a teenage girl in the woodlands near her home. Twenty years later she reappears at her family home un-aged and claims she was taken away by fairies. In some ways this book felt like a very depressing look at aging, especially from the perspective of Tara.

#MayBookFlowers

I made my way through Florand's entire Amour et Chocolat series last month which begins with this book, which has plenty of #bickerandbanter

The subtitle for this entire series should be "Kind of insta-lovey but with so many descriptions of chocolate, Paris, and adorable Frenchmen, you won't care." ?

#RomBKLove #romantsy

A random pile in honor of #inagalaxyfarfaraway

May the 4th Be With You. 💫

#MayBookFlowers

I think anytime anything is told in the first person you have an #unreliablenarrator by default. You can't take what they say about the people around them at face value as it is colored by their own wishes, prejudices, pain, and lack of information.

If I had a hard copy I would include Damon from Captive Prince, it's not told in the first person but he's still highly unreliable. #MayBookFlowers

Getting in on this #RomBKLove tag starting with The Endearment because it has one of my favorite tropes! I love mail order bride in American historicals just like I love arranged marriage in European ones.

This is one of my top favorites. Set in Minnesota, a Swedish homesteader gets a lot more angst that he was prepared for when Anna and her brother James arrive from Boston. So does the reader. I've reread it several times. #romantsy

I have yet to read #sunshine. Picked this one up a few weeks ago at Bookwise in Boca Raton, Fl. If you live in the Broward/Palm Beach area, it's a roomy and diverse used bookshop that even has a resident tom cat wondering about the shelves. Definitely check it out!

This will be my first Robin McKinley but I dig the cover and am looking forward to fitting it in this summer.

#MayBookFlowers

Topping my list for #MayMostAnticipated this month is Assassins Fate by Robin Hobb. This is her final book in the Realm of the Elderlings and I know I'm going to need tissues to get me through whatever happens with Fitz & the Fool. 😭

Practically tying with that for me is the fifth book in the Queens Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner! This one's been a long time coming.

#maybookflowers

“But that cannot be,” said Orion, “For I hear the horns of Elfland every day.”

“You can hear them?” Alveric said 
And the boy replied, “I hear them blowing at evening.”

This looked too fun not to join in on!

#10books I've Read ...which one is the lie?

I've been needing something different from my usual fare and this was it! Smart, funny, lighthearted. I saw someone call it 'Victorian Egyptology Scooby-Doo', which I can totally see, lol. At other times it felt like a brighter happier 1890's Thelma and Louise. Full of smart pithy dialogue, observations, and set downs (mostly from Amelia but Radcliffe could give as good as he got). I laughed on every page.

Well today's theme was easy. Can you tell I like books about gardens?

#garden title
#aprilbooksowers

One of the first books of #poetry I ever purchased and I think the very first book I ever bought at one of my favorite bookstores, the one on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution in NY. That is my mothers hand writing, labeling when and where so I wouldn't forget. 💗

I remember reading it in the hammock at my older sisters house from cover to cover. Every one.

#aprilbookshowers