WoW #190: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

Stay Sweet

by Siobhan Vivian

April 24, 2018
320 pages

Goodreads      Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
From the author of The Last Boy and Girl in the World and The List comes a bold and sweet summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream.

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best for friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…
 

Summer, ice cream, sweetness, yes please~~

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Cover Reveal - Giveaway: Circle of Ashes (Wish Quartet #2) by Elise Kova & Lynn Larsh

Circle of Ashes

(Wish Quartet #2)

by Elise Kova & Lynn Larsh

April 9, 2018

 

Goodreads     Amazon

Goodreads Summary:
EVERY WISH HAS A COST BUT WILL THE SOCIETY BE WILLING TO PAY IT?

Once a hacker-for-hire living in the shadows, Josephina “Jo” Espinosa is the newest member of a magical Society. Their mandate? To grant the wishes of mortals. A simple enough task until Jo is faced with an impossible wish – and her inability to grant it might spell disaster for her entire team, if not the Society itself.

Jo is used to high-pressure situations, but after a string of disasters, the last thing she needs is stakes of this magnitude. Especially given that neither she nor the Society know quite what the consequences of failing to grant a wish might be.

The only person with answers is the Society’s aloof and cryptic leader, Snow. Yet while Jo is enigmatically drawn to the man, all their clandestine encounters leave her with only more questions about the true nature of the Society, her magic, and her own history.

Time is running out for the Society, and an executioner will rise from among them to exact the price of failure.

Review: Ink, Iron, and Glass (Ink, Iron, and Glass #1) by Gwendolyn Clare

 

Ink, Iron, and Glass

(Ink, Iron, and Glass #1)

by Gwendolyn Clare

February 20, 2018
336 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother—a noted scriptologist.

But when her home is attacked and her mother abducted, Elsa must cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative 19th-century Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of pazzerellones—young people with a gift for mechanics, alchemy or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and a tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created—and only she can stop it.

Stacking the Shelves #182

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

This week I received a fun book from PRHCanada, thank you! It's an interactive story where you're the heroine and you choose how your story goes. I've already started it ;)

 

Another exciting piece of bookmail from Raincoast Books! Thank you so much for one of my most anticipated of the year!

 

 

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Review: Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2) by Tricia Levenseller

 

Daughter of the Siren Queen

(Daughter of the Pirate King #2)

by Tricia Levenseller

February 27, 2018

272 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

The capable, confident, and occasionally ruthless heroine of Daughter of the Pirate King is back in this action-packed sequel that promises rousing high seas adventures and the perfect dash of magic.

 

Alosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father's justice.

 

When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen.

 

In Daughter of the Siren Queen, Tricia Levenseller brings together the perfect mix of thrilling action, tense battle scenes, and a heart-pounding romance.

WoW #189: Bright Burns the Night (Dark Breaks the Dawn #2) by Sara B. Larson

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

Bright Burns the Night

(Dark Breaks the Dawn #2)

by Sara B. Larson

May 29, 2018
320 pages

Goodreads   Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
Ten years ago, King Lorcan of the Dark Kingdom Dorjhalon defeated Queen Evelayn and cut her conduit stone from her. Since then, he has kept her trapped in her swan form. With the loss of balance between Dark and Light, winter has descended and the Draíolon of Éadrolan lose more power every day. But once a year, Lorcan transforms her back to her Draíolon form and offers a truce. And every year Evelayn refuses -- for he requires her to Bind herself to him for life.

But now, with an Ancient power bearing down upon them, everything may change. Evelayn will learn that the truths she once believed have shattered, and that she may need her enemies even more than her allies. Lorcan and Evelayn become partners in a desperate quest to return the balance of power to Lachalonia. How far will this partnership go? Can friendship -- perhaps even love -- bloom where hatred has taken root?

Sara B. Larson delivers a thrillingly romantic and hauntingly satisfying end to this extraordinary duology.
 

So I didn't love the first book but I liked it (read my review here) and after reading the above synopsis, I knew I had to see to the end of Evelayn and Lorcan's story!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Review: Dreaming in Chocolate by Susan Bishop Crispell

Dreaming in Chocolate

by Susan Bishop Crispell

February 6, 2018
288 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
A story of love, hot chocolate, and one little girl's wish for her mother that will make your heart swell.

At twenty-seven, Penelope Dalton is quickly ticking off items on a bucket list. Only the list isn’t hers. After her eight year-old daughter Ella is given just six months to live thanks to an inoperable brain tumor, Penelope is determined to fill Ella’s remaining days with as many new experiences as she can.

With an endless supply of magical gifts and recipes from the hot chocolate café Penelope runs alongside her mother in a small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, she is able to give her daughter almost everything she wants. The one sticking point is Ella’s latest addition to her list: get a dad. And not just any dad. Ella has her sights set on Noah Gregory, her biological father and the only person Penelope knows to have proved her true love hot chocolate wrong.

Now Noah’s back in town for a few months—and as charming as ever—and the part of her that dreamed he was her fate in the first place wonders if she made the right decision to keep the truth of their daughter from him. The other, more practical part, is determined to keep him from breaking Ella’s heart too.

But as Ella’s health declines, Penelope must give in to her fate or face a future of regrets.

 

Stacking the Shelves #181

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

Catching up on some bookmail from last week! Raincoast Books was kind enough to send me two graphic novels to try out. I loved The Prince and the Dressmaker :D Then Indigo Teen sent me their Indigo Staff Pick of the Month: The Hazel Wood. I've heard such great things about it, definitely go check it out!

 

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Review: 180 Seconds by Jessica Park

180 Seconds
by Jessica Park

April 25, 2017

300 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Some people live their entire lives without changing their perspective. For Allison Dennis, all it takes is 180 seconds…

After a life spent bouncing from one foster home to the next, Allison is determined to keep others at arm’s length. Adopted at sixteen, she knows better than to believe in the permanence of anything. But as she begins her third year in college, she finds it increasingly difficult to disappear into the white noise pouring from her earbuds.

One unsuspecting afternoon, Allison is roped into a social experiment just off campus. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a crowd, forced to interact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Neither she, nor Esben Baylor, the dreamy social media star seated opposite her, is prepared for the outcome.

When time is called, the intensity of the experience overwhelms Allison and Esben in a way that unnerves and electrifies them both. With a push from her oldest friend, Allison embarks on a journey to find out if what she and Esben shared is the real thing—and if she can finally trust in herself, in others, and in love.

 

WoW #188: An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker

 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason

by Virginia Boecker

September 1, 2018
 pages

Goodreads      Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
Philippa Gregory meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this witty and thrilling action-adventure novel of star-crossed assassins in Elizabethan England. Perfect for fans of My Lady Jane and A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.

When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further--kill the queen herself.

Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play--it's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.

The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.

 

I have been waiting for more from Virginia Boecker ever since her Witch Hunter duology ended. FINALLY! Yesssssss! (I'm not particularly fond of the cover but it definitely has a Shakespeare-y feel to it.)

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Review: Heart on Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #3) by Amanda Bouchet

Heart on Fire

(Kingmaker Chronicles #3)
by Amanda Bouchet
January 1, 2018

380 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Who is Catalia Fisa?
With the help of pivotal figures from her past, Cat begins to understand the root of her exceptional magic, her fated union with Griffin Sinta, and Griffin's role in shaping her destiny.

Only Cat holds the key to unlocking her own power, and that means finally accepting herself, her past, and her future in order to protect her loved ones, confront her murderous mother, and taking a final, terrifying step--reuniting all three realms and taking her place as the Queen of Thalyria.

What doesn't kill her will only make her stronger...we hope.
 

Stacking the Shelves #180

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

I didn't have time to take photos of the books with the kitties this week so I improvised. Please enjoy my book mail with a collage of Ripples from my work desktop XD Thank you HBGCanada!!

 

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Review: The Queen's Rising (The Queen's Rising #1) by Rebecca Ross

 

The Queen's Rising

(The Queen's Rising #1)

by Rebecca Ross

February 6, 2018

464 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?

WoW #187: All the Wandering Light (Even the Darkest Stars #2) by Heather Fawcett

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

All the Wandering Light

(Even the Darkest Stars #2)

by Heather Fawcett

September 4, 2018
304 pages

Goodreads      Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
After the terrifying events on Mount Raksha, the witches have returned, and River has betrayed Kamzin to regain his dark powers. The witches’ next step: march on the Three Cities and take over the Empire—led by River’s brother, Esha.

If Kamzin is to save Azmiri and prevent the fall of the Empire, she must find a star that fell in the Ash Mountains to the north. Fallen stars have immense power, and if Kamzin and Lusha can find the star, they can use its magic to protect the Empire. To get there, Kamzin has allied with Azar-at, the dangerous and deceptive fire demon, who can grant her great power—in exchange for pieces of her soul. But River wants the star too, and as their paths collide in dangerous and unexpected ways, Kamzin must wrestle with both her guilt and her conflicted feelings for the person who betrayed her.

Facing dark magic, a perilous journey, and a standoff against the witches, can Kamzin, Lusha, and Tem find the star and save their Empire?
 

Look at that stunning cover!!! I loooooooved book one and I'm so ready for this sequel!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Excerpt & Giveaway: Assassin of Truths (Library Jumpers #3) by Brenda Drake

 

Assassin of Truths

(Library Jumpers #3)

by Brenda Drake

February 6, 2018
403 pages

Goodreads    Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

The gateways linking the great libraries of the world don’t require a library card, but they do harbor incredible dangers.

And it’s not your normal bump-in-the- night kind. The threats Gia Kearns faces are the kind with sharp teeth and knifelike claws. The kind that include an evil wizard hell-bent on taking her down.

Gia can end his devious plan, but only if she recovers seven keys hidden throughout the world’s most beautiful libraries. And then figures out exactly what to do with them.

The last thing she needs is a distraction in the form of falling in love. But when an impossible evil is unleashed, love might be the only thing left to help Gia save the world.

 

Review: Reign the Earth (The Elementae #1) by A.C. Gaughen

*Review contains mild spoilers (as it was difficult to talk about this book without touching on certain points).
 

Reign the Earth
(The Elementae #1)
by A.C. Gaughen

January 30, 2018

448 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Shalia is a proud daughter of the desert, but after years of devastating war with the adjoining kingdom, her people are desperate for peace. Willing to trade her freedom to ensure the safety of her family, Shalia becomes Queen of the Bonelands.

But she soon learns that her husband, Calix, is motivated only by his desire to exterminate the Elementae—mystical people who can control earth, wind, air, and fire. Even more unsettling are Shalia’s feelings for her husband’s brother, which unleash a power over the earth she never knew she possessed—a power that could get her killed. As rumors of a rebellion against Calix spread, Shalia must choose between the last chance for peace and her own future as an Elementae.

This intense, richly drawn high-fantasy by the author of Scarlet will hold readers spellbound.
 

Stacking the Shelves #179

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

A small bookhaul this week. I received The Rogue Queen from Thomas Allen & Son, thank you! The bottom book is the Mandarin edition of Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen which I won from her giveaway~ A foreign edition I can actually read! Thank you Danielle <3

 

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Review: Society of Wishes (Wish Quartet #1) by Elise Kova & Lynn Larsh

Society of Wishes
(Wish Quartet #1)

by Elise Kova & Lynn Larsh

January 29, 2018
 

Goodreads     Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

Josephina Espinosa makes her living as a hacker-for-hire in the Lone Star Republic, a remnant of the fractured U.S.A. That is, until the day she and her best friend are gunned down in a government raid.
With her dying breath, Jo uses magical lore passed down from her grandmother to summon a wish-granter. Her wish? To save her friend’s life. Except wishes have costs, and for Jo, the price is the erasure of her entire mortal existence.

Now, as the most recent addition to the mysterious Society of Wishes, Jo must form a new “life” alongside the seven other members, one of which being her savior himself. Living as an occupant of the Society’s lavish mansion should be quite the perk, but while it is furnished with everything its inhabitants could possibly need, it lacks one thing—freedom.

 

Her otherworldly identity crisis takes a backseat, however, when Jo learns that the friend she sacrificed everything for is headed down the same path to ruin. Jumping in head-first, Jo uses her newfound magical abilities to protect him, only to realize that the ripples of her actions have far-reaching consequences. When the Society’s aloof leader Snow decides to give her a taste of his own ancient magic, Jo discovers that there are threads woven into the tapestry of her new reality that reach far beyond the wishes she is now required to grant. Ones that, if tugged on, could mean the unraveling of her existence itself.