The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena

The Beauty of the Moment
Author: Tanaz Bhathena
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: February 26th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Susan is the new girl—she’s sharp and driven, and strives to meet her parents’ expectations of excellence. Malcolm is the bad boy—he started raising hell at age fifteen, after his mom died of cancer, and has had a reputation ever since.

Susan’s parents are on the verge of divorce. Malcolm’s dad is a known adulterer.

Susan hasn’t told anyone, but she wants to be an artist. Malcolm doesn’t know what he wants—until he meets her.

Love is messy and families are messier, but in spite of their burdens, Susan and Malcolm fall for each other. The ways they drift apart and come back together are testaments to family, culture, and being true to who you are.

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I really enjoyed The Beauty of the Moment, it’s a sweet story about relationships and family. Also how culture and religion play into who we are and how we act.

I thought the culture part of the story was so interesting. I realized how little I know about Indian culture and I loved every second of learning about it through the story. I also looked up more about Parsi and Desi. I really thought the tidbits about what it’s like in Saudi Arabia and even Canada. I want to read more books like this. Just even the characters misunderstanding about each other and there is one part where Susan explains her name. I just thought everything was presented in a way that for someone like me who doesn’t know these things could understand.

The family element is so strong in the story. I loved that, I loved that it really shows different types of family dynamics. I might have not been happy that Susan’s parents were deciding her future. I could also see though that they just want her to have a successful life. Especially her mother that gave up things in order to marry and have children. I think that is something that is completely relatable. My mom did the same and she was happy with her choice but she was also insistent about me going to college (I was the first in my family to go to college, I have 3 older brothers). I can tell you my dad wasn’t necessarily happy that I went to a Liberal Arts College for my Journalism degree. Ha ha. So I loved how the book showed that yes we are all made up of different cultures and things but the heart of a family is important to everyone.

I loved the characters!!! Especially Malcolm. He is a such a cool and sweet boy. He’s someone who has had trouble in the past, especially after dealing with his mom’s death but the way he picks himself back up. I love that he stands his ground on things he is trying to improve about himself. He’s just so open and honest it’s hard not to like him.

I also really like Susan. She is shy and reserved at times but can really take care of herself. She’s smart and works hard but also loves her art. I loved seeing her really come out of her shell.

I really loved the story. There are so many things about it that mesh so well together. I love that when the conflict comes up in the romance, there isn’t a magical easy fix. The characters have to really work on themselves to find a way back from it. I thought the book had some really great storytelling!!

I really enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it for you contemporary read list.

Tanaz Bhathena was born in India and raised in Saudi Arabia and Canada. Her critically acclaimed novel A Girl Like That was nominated for the 2019 OLA White Pine Award and named a Best Book of 2018 by The Globe and Mail, CBC, Quill & Quire, Seventeen, PopSugar, and The Times of India among others. Her second novel The Beauty of the Moment releases on Feb 26 2019. Her short stories have appeared in various journals including Blackbird, Witness and Room.

A wanderer at heart, Tanaz can often be found travelling to different countries, learning bits and pieces of a foreign language, and taking way too many photographs. She loves slapstick comedies and any kind of music that makes her dance. She lives in the Toronto area with her family.

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Prize: Win a finished copy of THE BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT by Tanaz Bhathena (US Only)
Start Date: 19th February 2019
Ending Date: 5th March 2019
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Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

Title: Bring Their Hearts
Author: Sara Wolf
Published: June 5th 2018 by Entangled: Teen

Zera is a Heartless – the immortal, unageing soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a Prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum; if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy her heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him – every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him – until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The Prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser’s heart.

Literally.

I heart this book a million times over. Get it? Ha. Bring Me Their Hearts is one of those great books that you find and wish more people were reading. The story is unique and the writing is flawless. Also I adore every character.

The setting and the plot are all great but the true heart (ya I’m making too many puns) of the story is about the relationships. I’m not just talking about the developing romance between Lucian and Zera but also her interactions with other characters. Y’shennria and Zera in particular is one of my favorites. Y’shennria is such a complex person with such a complex past. The way Zera and her find each other is such a sweet and endearing part to the story. Neither of them wants to be in the situation they are in but they find themselves going through it together. I also really love Lucien and Malachite and how much the two of them care for each other. Being that Lucien’s father has pretty much shut down since losing Vera. Of course there is also Fionne and Reginall, so many characters that have their own impact but not in a overwhelming way.

I love Zera!!! She is so funny and quick witted. Also skilled with a sword to hold her own. I wasn’t actually sure how I felt about Lucien but I love love the witty banter between the two of them. It’s such a perfect slow burning romance. As much as I wanted them to get together, I was also really content with their friendship that gets established first.

The story is so unique and cool. The world building as well. It doesn’t necessarily happen in many different settings but the whole role that magic takes. From the witches who once were allies and then became enemies. To the Beneathers who have their own mystical powers. From the polymaths and their inventions. It was just so interesting!

The pacing of the story is perfect. You never feel like things are getting too slow or bored. Part of me did not want to finish the book because I was like nooooo I don’t want to wait for the next one. Which I still feel that way. Noooooo I don’t want to wait for the next one.

Love love this book and I hope people who are fans of YA and Fantasy read it!

Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway

Title: Dark of the West (Glass Alliance #1)
Author: Joanna Hathaway
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: February 5th 2019
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

He was raised in revolution. She was raised in a palace. Can their love stop a war? Code Name Verity meets The Winner's Cursein Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, a breathtaking YA fantasy debut.

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

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For some reason when I started reading Dark of the West, I was picturing it in my head as a Ghibili style anime.

Dark of the West has quite the expansive political element as well as a Romeo and Juliet style love story. There are twist and turns at every possible juncture and it keeps things moving.

The plot is definitely expansive in not just the world building but the building of the politics for each nation. There were times I struggled to keep a grasp on who was doing what. I also kept mixing up who was Southern and was Northern. It’s one of those you need to consult a map for reference. It’s a story where you don’t really know who your enemy is. All you can do is trust the main POV’s that you know because you are at least seeing inside their heads. I thought this made all the characters really interesting. The most being the General and Sinora. I felt like they were playing their own separate skilled chess game. Moving their pieces long before anyone around them knew what was happening. As far as what’s going to happen next the story really keeps you on your toes.

I loved loved Athan and Aurelia’s love story. They are probably one of my favorite couples now. The interactions and chemistry between them is the best thing ever. Plus everything just happens so naturally. The first part of the book gives a lot of their individual backstory before they actually meet. So you get the sense of where they are coming from when they finally do cross path. It’s largely them being underestimated by their families and trying to stay out of war that they really have no choice to be a part of.

I also really love Athan and Cyar’s friendship. I really want to hang out with them.

I really enjoyed the Dark of the West. Although the political parts could be confusing, I also think that’s what made them interesting. I loved the love story so much and worry for them in future books. Especially with the prologue but it will be interesting to see.

Joanna was born in Montréal and is an avid storyteller who was inspired to write after reading her great-grandfather’s memoirs of the First World War. A lifelong history buff, she now has shelves filled with biographies and historical accounts, and perhaps one too many books about pilots. She can often be found reading, traveling, or riding horses.

Her debut novel, DARK OF THE WEST (Tor Teen, February 5th, 2019), is the first in a WWII-infused fantasy series of forbidden love and deadly revenge.

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Prize: Win (1) of (10) physical copies of DARK OF THE WEST by Joanna Hathaway (US Only)
Giveaway Starts: February 5th, 2019
Giveaway Ends: February 18th, 2019
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The Antidote by Shelley Sackier

Title: The Antidote
Author: Shelley Sackier
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 5th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Magic is not allowed, under any circumstances — even if it could save someone’s life. Instead, there are herbal remedies and traditional techniques that have been painstakingly recorded in lieu of using the mystical arts. Fee knows this, so she keeps her magic a secret.

Except her best friend, Xavi, is deathly ill. He’s also the crown prince. Saving him is important, not only for her, but for the entire kingdom.

Fee’s desperation to save her friend means she can barely contain the magic inside her. And after the tiniest of slips, Fee is thrust into a dark and secretive world that is as alluring as it is dangerous.

If she gives in, it could mean she can save Xavi. But it also means that those who wish to snuff out magic might just snuff her out in the process.

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The Antidote started off a little slow for me. Although it was interesting to get the backstory on Ophelia (Fee) because as a character, I instantly loved her. She is fiesty, stubborn and not afraid of her magic. I think I felt the slowness more due to Savva’s cryptic ways. Like just say what you mean lady. Maybe I was just channeling my inner Fee.

Once the story picked it up, I found myself absorbed. There were definitely some things that still confused me. Like the mixing bloodlines and how important the stones are. Like maybe there wasn’t enough time to develop everything. I was really caught up in the suspense of figuring out who was the mastermind behind Xavi’s troubles as well as seeing the different characters develop.

I really did love Fee. She is such a fierce character, that is super loyal and protective of the ones she loves. Willing to do anything and fight anyone. I also really loved her friendship with Xavi and how they are so close but there is no romantic involvement. They truly love one another like they are family. I also liked her magic and how nature based it is.

So Kye was interesting. He’s changed over the years they have been a part but I did actually really like the romance between them. It was subtle but it was also sweet. Since Kye had been in love with Fee when they were little. Despite the fact he is kind of an idiot when he first comes back. I liked the lightness to their relationship.

I liked all the supporting characters from Quinn, Savva and the healers.

Despite the slow start, I did enjoy the story. It had enough to keep me intrigued until the end.

Shelley Sackier grew up in a small farming community in Northern Wisconsin continually searching for ways to grow warm. Realizing she would never be able to enjoy ice cream like real people should, she left the state and lived the blissful life of a traveling musician. Discovering her stories needed more space than two verses a bridge and a chorus could provide, she began storytelling in earnest. And then in Virginia. Which is where she lives now and continues to write.
Her first novel, DEAR OPL (Sourcebooks 2015), is a tale about a snarky, overweight thirteen-year-old, who suffers from loss everywhere in her life except on her body.
Her next novel, The Freemason's Daughter (HarperCollins, 2017) is a story about a 16 yr old Scottish girl living in 1715 who's raised entirely by six burly Scotsman--and they're all smugglers. The Antidote (HarperCollins February 2019) is a YA novel about magic and medicine, and the witches who wield them both.
To learn more about Shelley, visit shelleysackier.com where she blogs weekly about living on a small farm atop a mountain in the Blue Ridge and how it’s easiest to handle most of it with homegrown food, a breathless adoration for tractors, and a large dose of single malt scotch.

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Prize: Win (1) physical copy of THE ANTIDOTE by Shelley Sackier (US Only)

Giveaway Starts: January 28th, 2019
Giveaway Ends: February 11th, 2019

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The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Title: The Warrior Maiden (Hagenheim #9)
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: February 5th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Retellings, Christian Fiction

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a fresh reimagining of the classic Mulan tale.

Mulan isn’t afraid to pretend to be a son and assume her father’s soldier duties in war. But what happens when the handsome son of a duke discovers her secret?

Mulan is trying to resign herself to marrying the village butcher for the good of her family, but her adventurous spirit just can’t stand the thought. At the last minute, she pretends to be the son her father never had, assumes his duties as a soldier, and rides off to join the fight to protect the castle of her liege lord’s ally from the besieging Teutonic Knights.

Wolfgang and his brother Steffan leave Hagenheim with several other soldiers to help their father’s ally in Poland. When they arrive, Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier Mikolai who seems to either always be one step away from disaster . . . or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.

When Wolfgang discovers his former rival and reluctant friend Mikolai is actually a girl, he is determined to protect her. But battle is a dangerous place where anything can happen—and usually does.

When Mulan receives word that her mother has been accused of practicing witchcraft through her healing herbs and skills, Mulan’s only thought is of defending her. Will she be able to trust Wolfgang to help? Or will sacrificing her own life be the only way to save her mother?

EXCERPT
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I know The Warrior Maiden is a retelling of Mulan but it also had a very Joan of Arc feel to it as well. It has a very strong Christianity influence but also very well done historical elements. I loved the story.

Historical fiction that feels real! I always love when you can tell a book is well researched even before you read the author’s note. I love stories that span the areas of Lithuania and Poland. My grandparents were Lithuanian immigrants (although my grandma was born in Russia). It made me laugh because my grandmother’s mother’s maiden name actually starts with Mikolai (Mikolaiunis) It was cool to have Mulan take place in a different piece of history. They are battling the Teutonic Knights who are trying to conquer lands in the name of Christ. With no male in her family to go and fight (otherwise they would lose their house) she disguises herself as Mikolai’s illegitimate son.

I loved the characters in the story. I was impressed with their faith in God but also in their own abilities. The bond of Mulan and her mother is so sweet. Her mother never has treated Mulan like she is not her own and would defend her with her life. I love how much pride her mother has for her and how supportive she is.

I love Wolfgang. He is such a sweet guy, that kind of guy that could easily get his heart broken. He’s a fierce in battle but so kind that you could see someone taking advantage of it. He just has this giant heart and so much respect for his family. He doesn’t give up on his brother, no matter how much he fights him on it.

Mulan is fierce but I also like how she is a warrior with a warrior’s heart but she also likes to dress nice. She doesn't have to be one way or the other. She can want to fight battles and also want to have a husband who loves her and wear a nice dress in a while. She has such a strong personality and isn’t going to let anyone push her around.

I thought it was a really cool way to do a retelling. I’m interested to look back at what the other stories are about. Wolfgang mentions Aladdin as a brother-in-law, sooo. If you enjoy historical fiction and retellings, this is that perfect combo of both.

Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two-time Maggie Award winner, Carol Award winner, two-time winner of the Christian Retailing's Best award, and her book, The Healer's Apprentice, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). Melanie earned a bachelors degree in special education of the hearing impaired from The University of Alabama and has worked as a teacher in Georgia, Tennessee, and Ukraine. She lives with her husband and two children in Huntsville, Alabama.

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Prize: Win (1) physical copy of THE WARRIOR MAIDEN by Melanie Dickerson (US ONLY) or e-copy for (INT)

Giveaway Starts: 30th January, 2019
Giveaway Ends: 13th February, 2019

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The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: The Darkest Star
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: October 30th 2018 by Tor Teen

When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher is caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen...but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she'd only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head...

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the universe of the Lux in this brand new series, featuring beloved characters both new and old.

The Darkest Star reminded me of why I had loved the Lux series so much. It’s been a long time since I was in the world but once I was back in., I was remembering all the reasons I loved it.

Even though the story is set in the same world and former characters make appearances you don’t have to read the original Lux series to understand what is going. As the story goes along, it’s explained what previously happened on the planet. It’s not info dumped either, it comes up as things happen in the current story that relate to the past.

What I loved is that this reminded me so much of why I had originally loved the Lux series. The witty banter between the love interest. The slow burn but definitely strong chemistry between them. A protagonist who is not completely helpless. She might not have any special powers but she is going to let herself just be killed and fights back.

I really liked the plot and the pacing. It’s a quick read but entertaining the entire way. Things are happening but also keep moving. I also like how it connects to the previous series but isn’t just rebooting the same plot. It’s moved on and focused on some different types of characters from the original. The Origin kids all grown up for instance and dealing with the kind of hate that can come with people knowing about the Luxen.

I loved the characters. They are witty and smart and really fun to read. It made the story enjoyable.

I loved The Darkest Star, it’s one of those books you read when you need a break and want some sweet slow burn chemistry.

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Title: The Wicked King
Author: Holly Black
Published:January 8th 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

The Wicked King is a book that is everything I want a sequel to be. I loved it as much as the first and being it falls in the middle, sometimes that is hard to do.

Oh my Jude. What I love most about her character is how flawed she is. There is so many times where I hardly like her and I think she brings so much down on herself. I also often feel sympathetic to her because she stuck playing in a world that humanity is a weakness. I think she wants to pretend that she doesn’t have it but she does.

As far as Cardan, I don’t think we see him as much as I would like to see him. He’s interesting in this book and again I think Jude brings so much on herself. If she really looked at Cardan and saw him as he is and not what she’s decided he will be, she could make things easier on herself. I don’t think it’s a matter of trusting as even confiding. Some of the things, I don’t think he could really use in a nefarious way but if she only gave him the information..

I still love Cardan and Jude together. I can’t decide if that’s wrong or right but Cardan can’t lie. I feel like that is so so important to remember.

The plot is cut throat and political as the first. A chess board with many moving pieces. Always interesting.

That ending!!! That ending!!! Okay so for me I loved it because there are two possibilities that I see as to why it happened. That is what I love so much about it. Maybe there are more I’m not seeing but I’m holding on to what I think because because one could be bad and one could be good. I can’t believe I have to wait so long for the next book.