ARC Book Review: The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Orchard Books

Pages: 368

Series: The Witch Hunter #1

Challenges: Women's Challenge

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Grey doesn't look dangerous. A tiny, blond, wisp of a girl shouldn't know how to poison a wizard and make it look like an accident. Or take out ten necromancers with a single sword and a bag of salt. Or kill a man using only her thumb. But things are not always as they appear. Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters in Anglia and a member of the king's elite guard, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and bringing those who practice it to justice. And in Anglia, the price of justice is high: death by burning. When Elizabeth is accused of being a witch herself, she's arrested and thrown in prison. The king declares her a traitor and her life id all but forfeit. With just hours before she's to die, Elizabeth gets a visitor - Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in Anglia. He offers her a deal: he will free her from prison and save her from execution if she will track down the wizard who laid a deadly curse on him. As Elizabeth uncovers the horrifying facts about Nicholas's curse and the unwitting role she played in its creation, she is forced to redefine the difference between right and wrong, friends and enemies, love and hate... and life and death.

ARC Book Review: The Singular & Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath by Ishbelle Bee

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Angry Robot

Pages: 336

Series: The Peculiar Adventures of John Loveheart, Esq #1

Challenges: Women's Challenge; Around the World Challenge

Summary

1888. A little girl called Mirror and her shape-shifting guardian Goliath Honeyflower are washed up on the shores of Victorian England. Something has been wrong with Mirror since the day her grandfather locked her inside a mysterious clock that was painted all over with ladybirds. Mirror does not know what she is, but she knows she is no longer human. John Loveheart, meanwhile, was not born wicked. But after the sinister death of his parents, he was taken by Mr Fingers, the demon lord of the Underworld. Some say he is mad. John would be inclined to agree. Now Mr. Fingers is determined to find the little girl called Mirror, whose flesh he intends to eat, and whose soul is the key to his eternal reign. And John Loveheart had been called by his otherworldly father to help him track Mirror down...

ARC Book Review: The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 320

Series: Medieval Fairy Tale Romance #1

Challenges: Women's Challenge

Summary

Swan Lake meets Robin Hood when the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant by day becomes the region's most notorious poacher by night. Jorgen is the forester for the wealthy margrave, and must find and capture the poacher who has been killing and stealing the margrave's game. When he meets the lovely and refined Odette and shares a connection during a dance, he has no idea she is the one who has been poaching the margrave's game. Odette justifies her crime because she thinks the game is going to feed the poor, who are all but starving. But will the discovery of a local poaching ring reveal a terrible secret? The one person Odette knows can help her could also find out her own secret and turn her over to the margrave, but she has no choice. Jorgen and Odette will band together to stop the dangerous poaching ring... and fall in love.

ARC Book Review: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Pages: 300

Challenges: Women's Challenge

Summary

Beauty really does lie in the eye of the beholder...

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is smart, cynical, loyal - and well aware that she's not the hot one in her group of friends. But when high-school jock and all-round moron Wesley Rush tells her she's a DUFF - a Designated, Ugly, Fat, Friend - Bianca does not see the funny side. She may not be a beauty, but she'd never stoop so low as to go anywhere near the likes of Wesley... Or would she? Bianca is about to find out that attraction defies looks and that sometimes your sworn enemies can become your best friends... With a wry and tell-it-like-it-is voice, The DUFF is a witty and poignant story of a teenager struggling with the rules of high school attraction, along with the breaking down of her relationships with family and friends. It is a novel about what it means to be sexy, in a world where we feel we have to be perfect!

Book Review: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher: Narrativa Nord

Published: January 2014

Pages: 306

Challenges: Women's Challenge; Library Challenge

   

Summary

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A.J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means. A.J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for the determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

ARC Book Review: Fairy Keeper by Amy Bearce

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Pages: 238

Challenges: Women's Challenge

Summary

Forget cute fairies in pretty dresses. In the world of Aluvia, most fairies are more like irritable, moody insects. Almost everyone in the world of Aluvia views the fairy keeper mark as a gift, but not fourteen-year old Sierra. She hates being a fairy keeper, but the birthmark is right there, showing everyone she was born with the natural ability to communicate, attract and even control the tiny fairies whose nectar is amazingly powerful. Fairy nectar can heal people, but is also a key ingredient in synthesizing Flight, an illegal elixir that produces dreaminess, apathy and hallucinations. Sierra is forced to care for a whole hive of beasties by her Flight-dealing, dark alchemist father. Then one day, Sierra discovers the fairies of her hatch are mysteriously dead, and the queen is missing. Desperate to protect her sister from being sold to another alchemist to make up for her father's lost profits, Sierra sets out to retrieve the lost queen and restore her father's operation. The problem? Sierra's queen wasn't the only one to disappear, they all did. Sierra journeys with her best friend and her worst enemy - assigned by her father to watch her every step - to find the missing queens, but along the way they realise that more than just her sister's life is at stake if they fail.

ARC Book Review: Don't Turn Around by Caroline Mitchell

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 318

Challenges: Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

Summary

You don't know him. But he knows you.

Soon he would be able to touch her, to feel the warmth of her blood. And when the time came, nothing would stop him.

As D.C. Jennifer Knight investigates a routine stabbing in the quiet town of Haven, she is shocked at what seems like a personal message from beyond the grave. When more bodies are found, Jennifer is convinced the killings are somehow linked. What she discovers is more chilling than she could possibly imagine. The murder mirror those of the notorious Grim Reaper - from over twenty years ago. A killer her mother helped convict. Jennifer can no longer ignore the personal connection. Is there a copycat killer at work? Was the wrong man convicted? Or is there something more sinister at play? With her mother's terrifying legacy spiralling out of control, Jennifer must look into her own dark past in a fight not only to stop a killer - but to save herself and those she loves.

ARC Book Review: Dating the Alphabet by Samantha Napier

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher  via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Impulse Australia

Pub Date: 31 March 2015

Pages: 227

Challenges: Women's Challenge

Summary

Ramona Rawlings is going to make dating fun again. Armed with an alphabet poster, post-it notes and her best friend Emma, Ramona is going to date the alphabet - from A to Z and everything in between. Throw in the chaos of managing a theatre restaurant with a roster full of strong personalities, unfulfilled dreams and lustful hook-ups and Ramona's world is turned upside-down. In between Evan the arrogant, Ivan the emotionally stunned and Glen the racist, Ramona discovers what she really wants. But how many frogs will she have to kiss before she finds her fairytale?

Blog Tour: From Stilettos to the Stock Exchange by Tina Aldatz - Review

I received a copy of this book from the PR company as part of the blog tour in exchange for my honest review. This did not influence my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Apparel Insiders LLC

Pages: 119

Challenges: Women's Challenge

Where to buy this book: Nook  Amazon Kindle  Tina Aldatz's website

Synopsis

"You are smart. You are pretty. 

You can do what others do, but better."

~Phylis (Aldatz) Tuthill

At 7 years old, Tina Aldatz had no idea of the impact and weight of her mother's words - said at the time to an impressionable Tina to counter the snide remarks of classmates who teased her for dressing "like the people on TV". The affirmation stuck, further validating Tina's childhood dreams of an improved life for her and her family, while building an unshakeable confidence that would later lead the young fashionista to creating the multimillion-dollar designer shoe accessories company, Foot Petals Inc. In this intimate, no-holds-barred autobiography, Tin candidly shares about her humble yet tumultuous upbringing, a freak accident at the beach that damaged the soles of her feet (and later inspired the brand), and lessons learned in corporate America that served as the impetus in her eventually calling her own shots. Filled with wit, wisdom, and unrelenting honesty, From Stilettos to the Stock Exchange offers a detailed look into the life of one of the most creative and successful "serial entrepreneurs" in the game. Complete with Tina's Six Essentials of Business and a play-by-play account of the creation of Foot Petals Inc., From Stilettos to the Stock Exchange proves that with faith, hard work and confidence, "The American Dream" is within reach for any person with the desire and will to make it their reality.

ARC Book Review: The Second Guard by J.D. Vaughn

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher  via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pub Date: 14 April 2015

Series: Second Guard #1

Pages: 432

Challenges: Women's Challenge

Summary

In the peaceful realm of Tequende, all second-born children at the age of 15 must journey to the Alcazar to fulfill the mandate of the Oath of Guilds. There, they train to earn a place among the queen's legendary Second Guard, or work as indentured servants. Talimendra has always wanted to join the Guard, but there are dark rumors in the queendom that she may not be ready for. Rumors that whisper of greed, traitors and war. There is very little time and too many unanswered questions, but one thing is for certain: if there is a traitor among the Second Guard, then everyone - including the queen - is in grave danger.

ARC Book Review: Secrets of the Tower by Debbie Rix

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 384

Challenges: Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

Summary

Two women, centuries apart, bound together by the secrets of one of the most iconic buildings ever created. 

Pisa, 1999

Sam Campbell sits by her husband's hospital bed. Far from home and her children, she must care for Michael who is recovering from a stroke. A man she loves deeply. A man who has been unfaithful to her. Alone and in need of distraction, Sam decides to pick up Michael's research into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Immersing herself in the ancient city, she begins to piece together the mystery behind the creation of the tower, and discovers the woman that history forgot...

Pisa 1171

Berta di Bernardo, the wife of a rich merchant, sits in her chamber, dressing for a dinner party. A gathering that will change the course of her life and a young master mason, Gerardo, forever. A strong, intelligent woman, Berta's passion for architecture also draws her closer to Gerardo. As she embarks on a love affair, her maid Aurelia also becomes spellbound by the same man. Yet for Berta, her heart's desire is to see the Tower built, and her determination knows no bounds.

Book Review: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Publisher: Pickwick

Published: September 2014 (first published January 2012)

Pages: 310

Challenges: Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

   

Summary

Recently retired, sweet, emotionally numb Harold Fry is jolted out of his passivity by a letter from Queenie Hennessy, an old friend, who he hasn't heard from in twenty years. She has written to say that she is in hospice and wanted to say goodbye. Leaving his tense, bitter wife Maureen to her chores, Harold intends a quick walk to the corner mailbox to post his reply, but instead, inspired by a chance encounter, he becomes convinced he must deliver his message in person to Queenie - who is 600 miles away - because as long as he keeps walking, Harold believes that Queenie will not die. So without hiking boots, rain gear, map or cell phone, one of the most endearing characters in current fiction begins his unlikely pilgrimage across the English countryside. Is it possible for Harold and Maureen to bridge the distance between them? And will Queenie be alive to see Harold arrive at her door?

Book Review: Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Publisher: Garzanti

Published: 9 October 1998

Pages: 338

Challenges: Library Challenge; Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

Rating: 3/5

  

Summary (from Goodreads)

When an exotic stranger, Vianne Rocher, arrives in the French village of Lansquenet and opens a chocolate boutique directly opposite the church, Father Reynaud denounces her as a serious danger to his flock - especially as it is the beginning of Lent, the traditional season of self-denial. War is declared as the priest denounces the newcomer's wares as the ultimate sin. Suddenly, Vianne's shop-cum-café means that there is somewhere for secrets to be whispered, grievances to be aired, and dreams to be tested.

ARC Book Review: A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: 24 February 2015

Pages: 288

Challenges: Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

Rating: 3/5

  

Summary

It's just another day at the office for London book editor Samantha "Sam" Clair. Checking jacket copy for howlers, wondering how to break it to her star novelist that her latest effort is utterly unpublishable, lunch scheduled with gossipy author Kit Lowell, whose new book will dish the juicy dirt on a recent fashion industry scandal. Little does she know the trouble Kit's book will cause - before it even goes to print. When Police Inspector Field turns up at the venerable offices of Timmins & Ross, asking questions about a package addressed to Sam, she knows something is wrong. Now, Sam's nine-to-five life is turned upside down as she finds herself propelled into a criminal investigation. Someone doesn't want Kit's manuscript published, and unless Sam can put the pieces together in time, they'll do anything to stop it.

With this deliciously funny debut novel, acclaimed author Judith Flanders introduces readers to an enormously enjoyable, too-clever-for-her-own-good new amateur sleuth, as well as Sam's Goth assistant, her effortlessly glamorous mother, and the handsome Inspector Field.

ARC Review: The Small Fortune of Dorothea Q by Sharon Maas

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Bookouture

Published: 30 January 2015

Pages: 532

Challenges: Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

Rating: 4/5

  

Summary

An epic, mesmerizing tale of tragic loss, the strength of words left unspoken, and the redeeming power of love.

When she ran away from her childhood home in Guyana, Rika swore that she would never return. Cut off from her family, she has fought hard to make a life for herself and her daughter, Inky, in London. Now, over thirty tears later, Rika's catankerous, wheelchair-bound mother, Dorothea, arrives in London. But as old wounds re-open, Dorothea and Rika are further apart than ever. Inky soon learns that her grandmother is sitting on a small fortune. As she uncovers the secrets of the past one by one, she unravels the tragedy that tore her mother and grandmother apart. But nothing can prepare her, or Rika, for Dorothea's final, unexpected revelation.

ARC Review: The Family Girl by Katherine Brankin

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Vook Inc.

Published: 9 October 2014

Pages: 222

Challenges: Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

Rating: 3/5

  

Summary

Ice-cold assassin Catalina Bennett wants a Faberge egg. A CIA funded venture-capital investment firm wants to get the mysterious product they’ve been funding. Mother, Catalina’s handler, wants her dead. CIA operative Jim Campbell wants to catch her. And all her father Frank, a retired assassin, wants is for his daughter not to shoot his neighbors. 

The Family Girl introduces Catalina Bennett as one of the deadliest and most effective assassins in the world, bred to kill by a quiet and secluded Sicilian Famiglia. Her success is illustrated by an extensive collection of art and Christian Louboutin shoes. Her latest job seemed like an easy way to procure a fabulous Faberge egg for her extensive collection, but Catalina ended up opening Pandora’s Box when she learned that the mark was an asset for ICtech, a venture-capital investment firm funded by the CIA. Soon she is on the run, being hunted by the veteran intelligence agent, Jim Campbell. 

She takes refuge with her father in the suburbs of Chicago, and discovers that dealing with the neighbors can be just as dangerous as dodging bullets. Using her network of connections, spearheaded by the imposing Eddie Washington – her childhood friend turned arms dealer – Catalina begins putting together the pieces of the puzzle. Her journey takes her from Chicago to New York, Washington D.C., and finally Miami, where she aims to settle all her affairs… or go out with a bang.

Book Review: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Publisher: Einaudi

Published: 10 June 2008 (first published 2006)

Pages: 456

Challenges: Library Challenge; Around the World Challenge; Women's Challenge

Rating: 4.5/5

  

Blurb

In 1960s Nigeria, a country blighted by civil war, three lives intersect. Ugwu, a boy from a poor village, works as a houseboy for a university professor. Olanna, a young woman, has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos to live with her charismatic new lover, the professor. And Richard, a shy English writer, is in thrall to Olanna's enigmatic twin sister. As the horrific Biafran War engulfs them, they are thrown together and pulled apart in ways they had never imagined.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's masterpiece, winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction, is a novel about Africa in a wider sense: about the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class and race - and about the ways in which love can complicate all of these things.