Blog Tour | A Wolf For a Spell by Karah Sutton | Review

December 7, 2020December 6, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

The Girl Who Drank the Moon meets Pax in this fantastical tale of a wolf who forms an unlikely alliance with Baba Yaga to save the forest from a wicked tsar.

Since she was a pup, Zima has been taught to fear humans—especially witches—but when her family is threatened, she has no choice but to seek help from the witch Baba Yaga.

Baba Yaga never does magic for free, but it just so happens that she needs a wolf’s keen nose for a secret plan she’s brewing… Before Zima knows what’s happening, the witch has cast a switching spell and run off into the woods, while Zima is left behind in Baba Yaga’s hut—and Baba Yaga’s body!

Meanwhile, a young village girl named Nadya is also seeking the witch’s help, and when she meets Zima (in Baba Yaga’s form), they discover that they face a common enemy. With danger closing in, Zima must unite the wolves, the witches and the villagers against an evil that threatens them all.

While I knew a little about Baba Yaga and some of her attributes, I have never really read a story involving her and I’m so glad this was my first. We follow a few different perspectives in this story with Baba Yaga being one of them, the others being Zima (a wolf) and Nadya (a young girl). At the surface this could certainly be framed as a fairy tale, but I felt it went much deeper than that. The three characters we follow as well as other characters go through transformations. There’s a lot of narrative about not taking things at face value and forming their own opinions/decisions. There’s also a lot about learning to face your fears or rise above fear when you feel it.

I absolutely flew through this story and was engrossed the entire time I was reading it. I did not want to put it down since I was so absorbed. The style of writing was easy to read and just kept me hooked the whole time.

Karah Sutton has loved Baba Yaga, ballet, and blini ever since she had to do a research project on her Russian heritage in the third grade. Her hunger for adventure inspired her to move from Kentucky to New Zealand, where it was rumored she would find talking trees and the occasional wood elf. Karah spent four years as a bookseller before she turned to writing her own fiction. A Wolf For a A Spell is her first novel.

Author Links | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Make sure you check out the rest of the exciting posts on the blog tour! You can locate the tour scheduled on the TBR and Beyond Tours page.

Happy reading!

Review | Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

December 5, 2020December 5, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie’s watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

With Mr. Voland’s help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help–or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story.

I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since it came out, but then was kicking myself because I hadn’t managed to get to it yet – so I’m super excited I was able to add it to this month’s reading. Returning to the adventures of Ollie, Coco and Brian makes me even more excited for the third book when it comes out.

I really enjoyed this one and loved the wintery setting. Right away there are clues and some predictable elements, but the mystery was set up really well. I also really loved that we got so much of Coco in this book, I feel like she really came into her own and was able to grow throughout the book. I look forward to seeing more growth in all the kids as additional books come out and seeing who is able to take charge next time!

This book had the perfect amount of creep elements and the writing flowed super well. I loved just losing myself in it and could have easily read it in one sitting if I had been able to (oh adulting) but I loved the experience.

Happy reading!

Review | Mirka Andolfo’s Un/Sacred Vol 1

December 4, 2020December 4, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

Angelina, a voluptuous angel, and Damiano, a mischievous devil, are madly in love. But, while she does not intend to give in to temptation, he would very much like to… This is the tale of their bizarre and spicy daily life!

A sex-positive–and incredibly funny–slice of life…full of angels, devils and gags!

The collected edition of Mirka Andolfo’s Un/Sacred Vol 1 will include a bonus section with cover gallery, sketches, and other behind-the-scenes material!

This is definitely for mature audiences only and honestly fell a bit flat for me. It’s basically the same general situation told over and over again with the same results. The colors are super saturated and I felt like it was just too much of the same, while also being pretty intent on really pushing the narrative of the stereotypical characters. This one just wasn’t for me, I’m sure that it has its own demographic and there were certainly some humorous moments, but just not my cup of tea.

Review | Dog-Eared by Duncan Wu

December 3, 2020December 3, 2020 DeAnne2 Comments

Dogs are at once among the most ordinary of animals and the most beloved by mankind. But what we may not realize is that for as long as we have loved dogs, our poets have been seriously engaged with them as well.

In this collection, English professor Duncan Wu digs into the wealth of poetry about our furry friends to show how varied and intimate our relationships with them have been over the centuries. Homer recounts how Odysseus’s loyal dog recognizes his master even after his long absence. Thomas Hardy wrote poems from a pooch’s perspective, conveying a powerful sense of dogs’ innocent and trusting nature. And a multitude of writers, from Lord Byron to Emily Dickinson, have turned to poetry to mourn the loss of beloved dogs. Rich and inviting, Dog-eared is a spellbinding collection of poetic musings about humans and dogs and what they mean to each other.

I always enjoy poems about animals and had previously enjoyed other collections I found, so I was excited to see this one pop up. I really enjoyed the biographical information about each author and the animals that they had in their lives, but I was somewhat disappointed when a good number of the poems weren’t necessarily about dogs, and maybe had only a few lines or a mention of dogs. I was really hoping all of them would have dogs as the central subject, but I did enjoy the variance between styles and subjects overall.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | Pretending by Holly Bourne | Review

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

In this hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel perfect for fans of Fleabag, a woman struggling to move on after a traumatic relationship pretends to be “the perfect girl” in an act of vengeance that goes awry when she finds herself emotionally compromised.

He said he was looking for a ‘partner in crime’ which everyone knows is shorthand for ‘a woman who isn’t real’.

April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal – yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. Until she realizes that what men are really looking for is Gretel.

Gretel is perfect – beautiful but low maintenance, sweet but never clingy, sexy but not a slut. She’s a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems.

When April starts pretending to be Gretel, dating becomes much more fun – especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?

This is my first experience reading a book from Holly Bourne and overall I did find it to be an emotional and impactful read. The absolute win for this book was how April was written and the glimpses we got into her psyche and how she worked through things. Did she always take the right path or do the right thing? No, but who does. Since this is the first time I’ve read anything by Bourne I can’t speak to how alike it is to her other books, but the writing style was easy to get into and flowed really well in my opinion.

Be aware that there are definite trigger warnings for sexual assault, rape and doubting self worth. It is an emotional story and while there is definitely a lot of humor thrown in, I wouldn’t necessarily call it light hearted or a light read. It definitely is tackling a number of issues that can be triggering to people, or may be more on the emotional side for people, so know that going in.

Overall I did feel it was an important story to tell, if at times hard to confront, and did enjoy the reading experience. In the times we are in it is a good story for when you are wanting to examine things that are happening in current society, and how someone who is healing from assault (as well as other lifelong issues) can come back from that and continue to live their lives.

Holly Bourne is a bestselling UK-based YA and Adult Fiction author and is an Ambassador for Women’s Aid. In 2019, she was an Author of the Day at the London Book Fair, and was named by Elle Magazine’s weekly podcast as one of “Six Female Authors Changing the Conversation in 2019”. Pretending is her US debut.

SOCIAL LINKS | Author website | Twitter: @holly_bourneYA |
Instagram: @hollybourneya | Facebook: @Holly.BourneYA

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | A Soldier Under Her Tree by Kathy Douglass | Review

November 29, 2020November 29, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Tis the season…for a second shot at love. Could a fake boyfriend be her real hero this Christmas?

When her ex-fiancé shows up at her shop—engaged to her sister!—dress designer Hannah Carpenter doesn’t know what to do. Especially when her former fling Russell Danielson sees her plight and rides to the rescue, offering a fake relationship to foil her rude relations. The thing is, there’s nothing fake about his kiss… But when things get real, will the sexy soldier once again stop short of commitment?

I’m definitely in the mood for sweet Christmas stories, especially romances, right now and this one perfectly hit the spot. The pacing was good and the writing flowed really well so that this story just flew by. I did enjoy the characters and the progression that happened throughout the story with their own personal issues and growth over the span of the story. I really enjoyed Russell and Hannah as a couple and felt like everyone felt realistic and well developed.

Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally – both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions. After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading. Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook.

Happy reading!

Review | The Complete Notes from the Universe by Mike Dooley

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

The New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Possibilities brings “his signature wisdom, wit, and warmth” (Mike Robbins, author of Nothing Changes Until You Do ) to this inspirational collection based on his bestselling Notes from the Universe trilogy, featuring a new foreword, introduction, and fresh, invaluable truths.

For the first time ever, the hugely popular Notes from the Universe trilogy is presented in one volume, making it even easier to share the love and wisdom of Mike Dooley’s Universe.

Since 2000, Mike Dooley has created empowering and positive affirmations to remind us that we have power over our lives and a say in our destiny. In order to bring about change, we must simply ask and show up. His insights can help you harness the metaphysical laws of the Universe so that you can be swept off your feet and carried along, as divine intelligence puts the right people in your path at just the right time. Soon you can find yourself living in a physical world that mirrors the life you thought could only exist in dreams.

Now, you can discover fresh and inspirational notes in this ultimate volume, spread goodwill, and bring happiness and hope to your everyday life.

Since I had previously read one of Mike Dooley’s works I was excited to get to pick up another of his titles. This one compiles all three books from the Notes from the Universe trilogy, which contained all of the “notes” that Dooley sent out starting in 2000. Most of the messages are humorous, poignant and positive. They can range from a few lines to a full page in some instances. This is a perfect book to use as something that you pick up each day and read a random passage from it. It also reads really well if you decide you want to read a chunk at the time.

Happy reading!

Review | Custom Built by Chantel Fernando

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando brings you Fast & Fury: A sexy new series fully loaded with intense emotions and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

After losing her job, saying goodbye to a lifelong dream, and having an all-around cruddy year, Bronte Pierce needs a break. A job at Fast & Fury might be just the thing to reset her life, even though she knows nothing about custom motorcycles. But taking a job isn’t the same as keeping it, and her fresh start quickly turns into a fresh nightmare.

Starting with her boss. Crow is hard-headed, stubborn and brutally honest. He may be easy on the eyes, but he runs with an MC, and he’s anything but friendly to Bronte. She suspects he has a softer side—just not for her.

Her whole life, Bronte has known that the only person she can truly count on to save the day is herself. But when a single murder turns into a conspiracy and the threat to her life is more than she can handle alone, it’s Crow who comes through—and her newfound family might just become her greatest strength.

When this book first starts you are immediately sucked into the difficulties Bronte is experiencing, and man does she go through a lot in a short period of time. This definitely serves to establish her character and perseverance. The story is very fast paced and there are many things that happen very quickly.

The mystery and suspense element to the story was enjoyable and this is one of those stories that can easily be consumed in one sitting. I really enjoyed Chantal Fernando’s writing style and will definitely be picking up more of her works in the future.

Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Chantal Fernando | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | The Boy, The Wolf and The Stars by Shivaun Plozza | Review + Mood Board

November 22, 2020November 20, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

A boy and his pet fox go on a quest to find a wolf who has eaten all the stars in the sky before the Shadow Witch destroys the stars and removes good magic from the world forever.

Long ago, the land of Ulv was filled with magic. But that was before a wolf ate all the Stars in the night sky, ridding the world of magic and allowing Shadow Creatures, beasts made of shadow and evil, to flourish. Twelve-year-old Bo knows the stories but thinks the Stars and the wolf who ate them are nothing more than myths—until the day Bo’s guardian, Mads, is attacked by a giant wolf straight from the legends. With his dying breath, Mads tells Bo that Ulv is in danger and the only way to prevent the Shadow Creatures from taking over is to return the Stars to the sky.

And so Bo—accompanied by his best friend, a fox called Nix, a girl named Selene who’s magic is tied to the return of the Stars, and Tam, a bird-woman who has vowed to protect Bo at all costs—sets off on a quest to find the three magical keys that will release the Stars. But Bo isn’t the only one who wants the Stars, and the friends soon find themselves fleeing angry villagers, greedy merchants, and a vengeful wolf. And all the while, an evil witch lurks in the shadows and time is running out.

After reading the synopsis of this one, I knew I wanted to pick it up. It looked like just the middle grade fantasy I was craving and promised to be a fun adventure. It was all that and more. I did not expect to fall in love with some of the characters as much as I did or sympathize with some of their plights as much as I did. Bo really has his own internal struggles that he battles with more of the book, which also tie into a lot of the core theme of the story.

The story flowed so well and turned this book into such a quick, enjoyable read. I was seriously bummed when I finished it because I wanted to read more about the characters and their lives – not because the story was lacking, but because the characters and world were woven so well. If you’re looking for a fun fantasy adventure, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

As part of my experience I decided to do a mood board, enjoy!

Shivaun Plozza is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Her debut novel, Frankie, was a CBCA Notable Book and won a number of awards, including the Davitt Awards and a commendation from the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award. Her second novel, Tin Heart, sold in three foreign territories, received two starred reviews, and was nominated to ALA’S Best Fiction for Young Adults list. Her debut middle-grade novel, The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars, is forthcoming in 2020 from HMH Books for Young Readers and Penguin Random House Australia. She is a frequent contributor to anthologies, and when she is not writing she works as an editor and manuscript assessor.

AUTHOR LINKS | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour – here! Thanks again to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

Happy reading!

Review | Lighthouse Ghosts by Norma Elizabeth

November 21, 2020November 20, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

Thirteen tales of ghost haunting American lighthouses. Includes photographs of each lighthouse by Bruce Roberts. The lighthouses included are:

Old Presque Isle Lighthouse on Lake Huron, Michigan
Plymouth Lighthouse, Massachusetts
Heceta Head Lighthouse, near Florence, Oregon
Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Michigan
St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida
Batter Point Lighthouse, Crescent City, California
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Outer Banks, North Carolina
Seguin Island Lighthouse, near Georgetown, Maine
Seul Choix Point Lighthouse, Lake Michigan, Michigan
Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, Gasparilla Island, Florida
Minots Ledge Lighthouse, near Scituate and Cohasset, Massachusetts
Point Lookout Lighthouse, near St. Mary’s City, Maryland

Anyone who knows me know that I have a special love for ghost story books, especially those that have a good mix of the factual history and the stories that have been passed down. I did feel that this one had a pretty good mix of those two elements, but there were some portions where the writing didn’t blend or flow as well as I would have liked it to. Still I did find all of the stories enjoyable and it’s a good addition to my ghost story books collection.

Happy reading!