A Golden Fury by Samantha Cahoe [Blog Tour: Review Spotlight]

 

Halito! Welcome to the next stop on the Golden Fury blog tour hosted by St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books. I was originally slotted to review this book for the tour, but my parents were in the hospital (COVID-19) and I took some time off. Hopefully I will be able to get to it soon, since the story sounds amazing! Here's some information about the book: 

About the book: Set in eighteenth century England, Samantha Cohoe’s debut novel, A GOLDEN FURY (Wednesday Books; October 13, 2020), follows a young alchemist as she tries to save the people she loves from the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone. The streets of London and Oxford come to life as this historical fantasy unravels. Weaving together an alluring story of magic and danger, Samantha’s debut has her heroine making messy decisions as she toes the line between good and evil while it becomes blurred.

Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.

While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of the French Revolution looming, Thea is sent to Oxford for her safety, to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists

But in Oxford, there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.

A GOLDEN FURY and the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone will haunt you long after the final page. 

About the Author:

Samantha Cohoe writes historically-inspired young adult fantasy. She was raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood of beach trips, omnivorous reading, and writing stories brimming with adverbs. She currently lives in Denver with her family and divides her time among teaching Latin, mothering, writing, reading, and deleting adverbs. A Golden Fury is her debut novel.

Where you can find her: Twitter | Instagram 

Wednesday Books: Twitter | Instagram 

Buy the book: Link 

*A Nerd Daily YA Debut to Watch Out for in 2020* 

“Sharply written with a crackling, compassionately determined heroine, A Golden Fury is a vivid ride through eighteenth century Europe with darkness and dread creeping at its corners. Utterly enchanting.” - Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints 

"An engaging concoction of fantasy, romance, and historical fiction." - Booklist 

"Cohoe situates the supernatural among the historical, referencing the French Revolution and the Enlightenment while...keeping a sense of urgency as Thea struggles with the magical, demonic pull of the Stone." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 

"The attention to detail in the story is excellent. …Thea herself is a confident lead with a strong voice. A solid fantasy to flesh out the world of alchemy that most readers know only from 'Harry Potter.'" - School Library Journal 

“Cohoe transmutes the legend of the Philosopher's Stone into a dark, intoxicating tale of ambition, obsession, and sacrifice. Prepare for a magic that will consume you.” - Rosamund Hodge, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty and Bright Smoke, Cold Fire 

“Steeped in mystery and magic, Samantha Cohoe’s A Golden Fury immerses readers in beautifully rendered world where magic and science mix, and where the intoxication of power can be deadly. Whip-smart Thea is a heroine readers will root for.” - Lisa Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Magician

*this post has been backdated

My Weekly Pull [131] & Can't-Wait Wednesday [106]

 

My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious #1 by Jody Houser, Roberta Ingranata, Priscilla Petraites

We Only Find Them When They're Dead #1 by Al Ewing, Simone Di Meo, Toni Infante

Guardians of the Galaxy #6 by Al Ewing, Juan Cabal

Miles Morales Spider-Man #18 by Saladin Ahmed, Carmen Nunez Carnero, Javier Garron

Hawkeye Freefall #6 by Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt

Comics Jacob & the kids are getting! 

Transformers '84 Secrets & Lies #3 by Simon Furman, Guido Guidi, Casey W Coller

Batman: The Adventure Continues #4 by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, James Harren

Usagi Yojimbo #12 by Stan Sakai

Ravencroft #4 by Frank Tieri, Angel Unzueta, Kyle Hotz

My Little Pony Transformers: Friendship in Disguise #2 by Sam Maggs, Ian Flynn, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Tony Fleecs

My Little Pony: Feats of Friendship #1 by Ian Flynn, Tony Fleecs, Katie O'Neill

My Little Pony: Feats of Friendship #2 by Ian Flynn, Tony Fleecs, JustaSuta

My Little Pony: Feats of Friendship #3 by Ian Flynn, Tony Fleecs, Katie O'Neill

The girls are currently obsessed with My Little Pony, and they really enjoyed the My Little Pony & Transformers mashup, so I dug into Midtown Comics archives for the first three issues of the Feats of Friendship series. I believe it's up to almost 90 issues, so we're going to start small and see how they like it. :) Our son is weirdly into Batman despite it not being something we've watched or read previously. Did I hear something about Robert Pattinson testing positive for Covid while filming the new Batman?! Also, what do we think about Edward Cullen being Bruce Wayne?

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature that's hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings. It highlights the upcoming releases we're really excited about reading! CWW is a spinoff of the feature Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), that was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Expected publication: August 3rd 2021 by Wednesday Books

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Courtney Gould’s thrilling debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places―and people―you didn’t expect.

The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

*Share your My Weekly Pull post! Please leave the direct link to your My Weekly Pull post and not just your blog's URL. Thank you for participating and happy reading!

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord [Blog Tour: Review]

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the Tweet Cute blog tour hosted by Wednesday Books. I'm thrilled I get to share my thoughts on this book with you! Review snippet: "Emma Lord has delivered a deliciously sweet rom-com that's full of banter and the best kind of suspense." 🍧

Title: TWEET CUTE

Author: Emma Lord

Pub. Date: January 21st 2020

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Buy Link: Click here

Goodreads: Click here

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account. 

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Reading Tweet Cute was like hearing an ice cream truck on a hot summer day. You didn't know you wanted something, and then suddenly it's all you can think about. (Grilled cheese food truck? Anyone?) This book was impossible to put down, and it was refreshing how snarky-sweet and unpredictable the story was. I'm thrilled Lord managed to keep me on my toes, and was pleasantly surprised with how everything played out.

Pepper's parents were mostly nonexistent. Her mom was too busy with work (until it and Pepper became synonymous), and her father lived in another state. His lack of interest in his daughter's life (like not asking about the Twitter war, or how she was feeling about it) was upsetting. She knew he knew something was wrong, but neither of them broached the subject. He was happy to stay in his corner of the world and let events unfold on their own. Divorced parents can still be present in their children's lives, even from a distance. Her mother was incredibly frustrating for the better part of the book, and I hated how she belittled Pepper's efforts. Not once did she consider what a massive time-suck her requests would be for her daughter (a senior in a very competitive private high school), or concern herself with Pepper's feelings about the whole shebang.

Jack's parents were slightly better, but that's only because his mom was awesome. She was attentive, caring, and totally there for her family. Grandma Belly was pretty fantastic, too. Unfortunately, his father made some pretty questionable decisions that had a lasting impact and came with repercussions. I really didn't like that certain revelations and underlying issues were left unaddressed and unresolved. I think knowing the how and why were helpful, but the adults in books need to be held accountable for their actions as well.

I definitely prefer character-driven books, and Tweet Cute has that in spades. I loved the two main characters, but I also enjoyed the interactions with their families (yes, the families I was just complaining about). Nothing was perfect -- not by a long shot -- but it was a realistic portrayal of love, flawed relationships, and imperfect people. We see them overcome the negatives in order to pursue the positives, and watch as they find new footing in the world. Note: I can dislike something and still think it was an accurate representation of how the world works. Additionally, the sibling relationships were very relatable, if somewhat underdeveloped. I would have enjoyed seeing more interactions between Pepper and Paige (her older sister), and Jack and Ethan (his twin brother).

Tweet Cute was probably longer than it needed to be (a little lengthy in the middle), but from start to finish I never wanted to stop turning the pages. I also wish the author hadn't waited until the last minute to spill everyone's beans, because I thought it added unnecessary tension to already complicated situations. However, this is one of those books you just know will eventually become a television show, Netflix series, or movie. Overall, I had very few quibbles (mostly just the stuff about their parents and the length of the book), and look forward to reading whatever this author writes next! Emma Lord has delivered a deliciously sweet rom-com that's full of banter and the best kind of suspense. (★★★★☆)

About the author: 

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.

Early praise: 

"Tweet Cute delivers in every possible way: a perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, a whip-smart plotline, and endearingly real characters. I devoured it.” - Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters

"Sweet and fun! An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist." - Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight

“A witty rom-com reinvention for the Twitter age, Tweet Cute pairs delicious online rivalry with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up. This fresh, funny read had us hitting ‘favorite’ from page one.” - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest

The Last Hope (The Raging Ones, #2) by Krista & Becca Ritchie [Blog Tour: Review]

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the The Last Hope blog tour hosted by Wednesday Books. I'm thrilled I get to share my thoughts on this book with you!

Title: THE LAST HOPE
Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: The Raging Ones, #2
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pub. Date: August 13, 2019
Buy Link: Click here

Goodreads: Click here

A stunning conclusion to the sci-fi romance duology by writing duo Krista & Becca Ritchie, The Last Hope is filled with twists and turns you'll never see coming.

Sacrifice all you have to survive.

Imprisoned for weeks on an enemy starcraft, Franny, Court, and Mykal have sat with an unfathomable revelation. But as they fight to stay alive, escaping prison means trusting a young mysterious stranger. He knows everything about their lost histories, and when answers aren’t given freely, the bonded trio are forced to join a mission. One that will determine the fate of humanity.

Legend says, a baby—the first of her species—has the power to cloak and teleport planets. Tasked with retrieving the infant, Court fears the baby is just a myth, and if they fail, they’ll never find the truth about their origins.

As Court and Mykal grow closer, their linked bond becomes harder to hide, and dynamics change when Franny begins to fall for someone new. Vulnerable and with no choice, the hunt for the baby sends the trio on a dangerous path to Saltare-1: a water world where their enemies can’t die and survival comes at a high cost.

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The Raging Ones (the first book in this series) ended with a major cliffhanger that left me reeling. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with Franny, Court, and Mykal, so their less-than-stellar circumstances had me worried for their safety and sanity. The Last Hope was everything I wanted it to be and more. It was a sequel I was eagerly anticipating, and I'm happy to say it exceeded my expectations.

Initially, I was worried I'd feel lost. The authors have created something futuristic and entirely new, with different planets and galaxies that have their own customs and languages. In the first book, I felt like there were a few cracks in the story that didn't always add up, but that wasn't the case with this one. All of my questions were answered, and the intricacies of the story were explained in a way that was both believable and authentic.

The characters! The characters are my favorite aspect of these books. Court is stoic and the rock of their group, and his relationship with Mykal made my heart swell with happiness. Mykal's dialect is a little different from theirs, but it suited him perfectly. When he started calling someone "baby brother" without a second thought, I thought my feelings would explode. He's physically the strongest of their group, but is capable of being unbelievably gentle. He and Court balanced each other out beautifully. Franny is equally happy for their coupling, and encouraged them to be together even if she had to avert her attention through the bond. They're all so willing to make sacrifices for each other, and their friendship was sincere and something to be aspired to. Franny is the one that desires answers about their link and their pasts, and the boys are willing to risk their lives for her questions. Seriously, these characters... so amazing.

Outside of the group, the secondary characters from the first book play a smaller role, but we're introduced to Stork in The Last Hope. I wasn't sure about him at first, but he quickly found a place in my heart with the others. He's hurting, like soul-deep wounds, and feels torn in two directions. He can either respect the dying wish of the people he loved, or share their secrets with the people he feels deserve those answers. He struggled to maintain a balance between the two, and it broke my heart to see him suffering to do the right and honorable thing. Stork was a very complex character, and he added another layer to their group dynamics. I enjoyed seeing him and Franny slowly learn to trust one another, and how he slowly became a significant part of their lives.

Zimmer, Kinden, Padgett, and Gem are still around, and their presence only improved the overall story. They have a history with Court, Franny, and Mykal, and it was nice seeing them grow together as a group. They've all been through so much, and they genuinely care for each other. Zimmer might be my favorite of those four, and I enjoyed his easy friendship with Franny. They understood what it was like to be Fast Trackers, and found comfort in each other's company (purely platonic).

Even with everything going on, the authors manage to further develop their already complex and complicated characters, and still move the story forward. There are a few small time skips (a few weeks here, a few days there) that helped with how long the book felt, which isn't long at all, and I never felt lost or confused within the story.

There are some darker aspects to this one... there's cruelty and violence, some bloodshed and fighting, and very clear divisions between the wealthy and the poor. Influentials are willing to pay Fast Trackers for their bodies, knowing they likely need the money to survive. It's a setting that is both foreign and familiar, and is was interesting to see how the characters navigated their ever-changing surroundings.

The Last Hope is a book I would've willingly sacrificed sleep for. The characters were lovely and fantastic, the story was unique and remarkable, and I am so glad I took a chance on this series. I know these characters will always have a place in my heart, and I look forward to reading more books by this author duo.

About the authors:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times Bestselling Authors and identical twins, one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek. With their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. Graduates from the University of Georgia in Biology and English & Journalism, the twin writing duo now lives in Atlanta. The Raging Ones is their first young adult novel.

In Another Life by C.C. Hunter [Blog Tour: Review]

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the In Another Life blog tour hosted by Wednesday Books. I'm thrilled I get to share my thoughts on this book with you! I've really enjoyed C.C. Hunter's books in the past, and this one was no different!

Title: IN ANOTHER LIFE

Author: C.C. Hunter

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pub. Date: March 26th 2019

Buy Link: Click here 

Goodreads: Click here

What would you do if your whole life was a lie and learning the truth could cost you your life? 

From New York Times bestselling author of the Shadow Falls series comes C. C. Hunter’s new YA thriller about a girl who learns that she may have been kidnapped as a child, and must race to uncover the truth about her past before she winds up a victim.

Chloe was three years old when she became Chloe Holden, but her adoption didn’t scar her, and she’s had a great life. Now, fourteen years later, her loving parents’ marriage has fallen apart and her mom has moved them to Joyful, Texas. Starting twelfth grade as the new kid at school, everything Chloe loved about her life is gone. And feelings of déjà vu from her early childhood start haunting her.

When Chloe meets Cash Colton she feels drawn to him, as though they're kindred spirits. Until Cash tells her the real reason he sought her out: Chloe looks exactly like the daughter his foster parents lost years ago, and he’s determined to figure out the truth.

As Chloe and Cash delve deeper into her adoption, the more things don’t add up, and the more strange things start happening. Why is Chloe’s adoption a secret that people would kill for?

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I cannot remember the last time I read a book in a single day, but In Another Life was a page-turner! I wanted to know how Chloe's story would end, and if Cash would finally forgive himself. They were both really interesting characters, even if they did tackle something that was way over their heads. 

I think my age is showing, or I've hit a reading growth spurt, because teenage angst is becoming more and more intolerable these days. Chloe and Cash made decisions based on their age and experience, but an adult's perspective would have been a welcome addition the story, and likely saved them a lot of trouble. They could have offered insight and assistance that would have kept the two teens out of danger (or at least made it less dangerous). However, Chloe doesn't want to tell her parents, and Cash respects her wishes, so they try to solve their problems without anyone's help.

Lindsay was the closest thing to a secondary character we see, but her appearances were infrequent, and her dialogue was very simple. I wish she had been developed more, and played a larger role in the overall story. Mostly, we see Chloe and Cash, her parents and his. It made the story feel somewhat flat. Cash doesn't have any friends at school, just a guy that he works with (we see him briefly for quick conversation), and Chloe only talks about the friends she used to have. They both seemed very alone, and only had each other to talk to.

The mystery aspect of the story was actually really sad. I have a hard time with books that involve child abuse, abduction, death, etc., and it was hard to think about all of the nameless faces in this story. The villain(s) were twisted and disturbing, and profited off the hope and misfortune of others. One of them leers at Chloe through a window, and his comments made my stomach turn. He makes similar comments afterwards that made feel terrified on her behalf. What makes it so scary, is that there are people like that in the world.

Despite all of this, I really enjoyed the story. I was glued to the pages waiting for Chloe and Cash to hit an obstacle they couldn't overcome on their own. I knew that meant their parents would get involved, and then everything would be out in the open. Chloe and Cash have a secret that not only impacts their lives, but the lives of everyone they care about, so I thought it was only right that they all knew about it. Besides, the two were in way over their heads from the start.

C.C. Hunter knows how to play with heartstrings and frustrations, and she does just that with In Another Life. Chloe was torn between what she's always known, and what she fears might be true. Cash had a troubled childhood, full of abuse and abandonment, which left him feeling like he didn't deserve anyone's love. They were beautiful and broken, and I enjoyed both of their perspectives.

In the end, I would definitely recommend this one. The mystery was subtle, but it impacted the characters in a big way. It was mostly about Chloe and Cash, their traumatic childhoods, and how those formative years (even if unremembered) shaped their lives.

About the author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

C.C. HUNTER is a pseudonym for award-winning romance author Christie Craig. She is lives in Tomball, Texas, where she’s at work on her next novel. Christie's books include The Mortician's Daughter series, Shadow Fall Novels and This Heart of Mine.