Waiting On Wednesday (232) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Expected publication: June 7th 2016 by HarperTeen

Synopsis from Goodreads:

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

This sounds fun! I can't wait to read it.

What are you waiting on this week?

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Waiting On Wednesday (231) The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

Expected publication: May 10th 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Cassidy Emmerich is determined to make this summer—the last before her boyfriend heads off to college—unforgettable. What she doesn’t count on is her boyfriend breaking up with her. Now, instead of being poolside with him, Cass is over a hundred miles away, spending the summer with her estranged father and his family at their bed-and-breakfast at the Jersey Shore and working as the newest counselor at Camp Manatee.

Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf. You’ll never slow dance with your date at prom. One miscalculated step and Bryan’s life changed forever—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. This is the first summer he’s back at his former position at Camp Manatee and ready to reclaim some of his independence, in spite of those who question if he’s up for the job.

Cass is expecting two months dealing with heartbreak.
Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments.
Neither of them is expecting to fall in love.

Another contemporary this week. And it's a summer beach read!

What are you waiting on this week?

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Review: Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton

Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Page Count: 314
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Borrowed from Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic. For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.

Amani Al’Hiza is all three. She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.

Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.

Rebel of the Sands reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally, at long last, embracing her power.

Let me start off by saying that Rebel of the Sands is not a typical read for me. I'm more of a contemporary gal. I don't do fantasy. That being said, I freaking loved this book! I was lucky enough to win a signed 2 chapter sampler from the author. I read it immediately, and then had to wait impatiently until the book was released to finally finish it. It was more than I had hoped for, and I enjoyed it so much.

Everything about this book was so well done. The world building didn't lose me (like so many other books have), and the story was so creative. There were more than a few surprises along the way, and some reveals that I never saw coming. It was very easy to get caught up in the nonstop excitement and adventure, and I loved every second of it.

Amani and Jin were amazing and worked so well together. I loved everything about them! They had some crazy chemistry, and the small touch of romance was enough to get me hooked on this couple. The secondary characters were varied and kick ass, and they all added something unique to the story.

Rebel of the Sands turned out to be an awesome debut that I highly recommend. This is definitely a book that you shouldn't pass up.

My rating: 4 stars

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Waiting On Wednesday (230) Lost in Love (City Love #2) by Susane Colasanti

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

Lost in Love (City Love #2) by Susane Colasanti

Expected publication: May 3rd 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this second book of the City Love trilogy by bestselling author Susane Colasanti, three girls share a Manhattan apartment the summer before college begins. Lost in Love captures the essence of summer love, self-discovery, and sisterhood, a perfect fit for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Jennifer E. Smith.

Sadie was convinced that Austin was her soul mate, but after discovering his secret she wonders if she even knows him at all. Darcy was all about fun boy adventures with no strings attached . . . until her ex moves to New York City to win her back. Things are getting serious with Rosanna and her boyfriend, but will she be able to break free of her past and let him in? With no parents, no rules, and an entire city to explore, this is the summer that will change their lives forever.

Told from alternating points of view, Lost in Love weaves a story of first love, first heartbreak, and everything in between.

Even though I thought the first book, City Love, was just okay, I'm still sort of interested in seeing where this series goes. And, the author is really nice, so that's always a plus. I have an eArc of this that I will be reading soon.

What are you waiting on this week?

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Waiting On Wednesday (229) Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood

Expected publication: May 3rd 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The summer before Ivy’s senior year is going to be golden; all bonfires, barbeques, and spending time with her best friends. For once, she will just get to be. No summer classes, none of Granddad’s intense expectations to live up to the family name. For generations, the Milbourn women have lead extraordinary lives—and died young and tragically. Granddad calls it a legacy, but Ivy considers it a curse. Why else would her mother have run off and abandoned her as a child?

But when her mother unexpectedly returns home with two young daughters in tow, all of the stories Ivy wove to protect her heart start to unravel. The very people she once trusted now speak in lies. And all of Ivy’s ambition and determination cannot defend her against the secrets of the Milbourn past…

Another contemporary this week. I have an eArc that I will be reading soon, and I hope I like it!

What are you waiting on this week?

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Early Review: Dirty (Dive Bar, #1) by Kylie Scott

Dirty (Dive Bar, #1) by Kylie Scott

Publication Date: April 19, 2016
Page Count: 288
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: eArc from Publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The last thing Vaughan Hewson expects to find when he returns to his childhood home is a broken hearted bride in his shower, let alone the drama and chaos that comes with her.

Lydia Green doesn't know whether to burn down the church or sit and cry in a corner. Discovering the love of your life is having an affair on your wedding day is bad enough. Finding out it's with his best man is another thing all together. She narrowly escapes tying the knot and meets Vaughan only hours later.

Vaughan is the exact opposite of the picture perfect, respected businessman she thought she'd marry. This former musician-turned-bartender is rough around the edges and unsettled. But she already tried Mr. Right and discovered he's all wrong-maybe it's time to give Mr. Right Now a chance.

After all, what's wrong with getting dirty?

While reading Deep, the 4th book in the Stage Dive series, I became really interested in a secondary character named Vaughan. Even though he only had a very small part, he was memorable and made quite an impression on me. So when I realized that he would get his own story in a spin-off series, I was beyond excited. Then I was more excited when I got approved for an eArc on NG. But that excitement soon faded when I started reading Dirty and realized the story isn't even from Vaughan's POV! What a total let down.

Unfortunately, Vaughan had little to no personality. Or, at least he wasn't the same character I fell in love with originally. We're told that he's cute, he's funny, and sexy as all get out, but I wanted to get deep inside his head and figure out what really made him tick! And I didn't get the chance to do that. So, yeppers, I'm disappointed that there wasn't MORE to Vaughan than a generalization from a character that doesn't even know him.

I ended up liking the characters and the story well enough. I thought Lydia and Vaughan were good together, and despite the crazy fast timeline, I felt they could make things work in the long run. They were both at a point in their lives where they knew what they wanted, and what they didn't want, and they weren't afraid to be honest about it. They were really cute together at times, and I enjoyed their witty banter. Humor makes everything better. Although, I must admit that some of the childish dialogue got on my nerves.

So, despite me liking the story, it would have been SO much better (and made more sense) if it had been from Vaughan's POV (or at least dual POV so I could get Vaughan's story, which is all I really cared about.) Even a cameo appearance from Mal didn't make me feel better.

It's been over a month since I read this book, and I'm still disappointed. I don't want to be! I'm so bummed that it wasn't told from Vaughan's POV, it's just ...frustrating. WHY did you have to do this to me? Why have a spin off series with a fascinating character, and then not tell HIS story? I just don't even know how to get over this.

I'm sure I'll still continue to read this series because a few new interesting characters were introduced. I just hope I'm not disappointed anymore.

My rating: 3 really sad stars

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Review: Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Page Count: 320
Published by: Point
Source: Borrowed from Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From debut author Goldy Moldavsky, the story of four superfan friends whose devotion to their favorite boy band has darkly comical and murderous results.

Okay, so just know from the start that it wasn't supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near The Ruperts, our favorite boy band.

We didn't mean to kidnap one of the guys. It kind of, sort of happened that way. But now he's tied up in our hotel room. And the worst part of all, it's Rupert P. All four members of The Ruperts might have the same first name, but they couldn't be more different. And Rupert P. is the biggest flop out of the whole group.

We didn't mean to hold hostage a member of The Ruperts, I swear. At least, I didn't. We are fans. Okay, superfans who spend all of our free time tweeting about the boys and updating our fan tumblrs. But so what, that's what you do when you love a group so much it hurts.

How did it get this far? Who knows. I mean midterms are coming up. I really do not have time to go to hell.

Kill The Boy Band was utterly ridiculous and outrageous, yet I found it highly enjoyable! It's hard to take the story too seriously, but the author portrayed the overwhelming (overbearing?) and obsessive fandom quite well, and in a really funny way.

I didn't really care for any of the characters. The over the top behavior of the 4 girls was really something else. They didn't do anything half way, and the outcome was always unpredictable. Things got out of hand pretty early on with the kidnapping, and quickly went downhill from there. While I loved the story of how The Ruperts were formed, I found the boys to be shallow and self-centered.

I live with a fangirl, so I have firsthand knowledge of what it's like. I fully support and encourage her, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Thankfully, my daughter is not over the top cray-cray on the social media scene, but she loves her Tumblr and she likes being 'in the know.' If she ever met any of the boys, she'd probably go into shock and lose all ability to move or speak, so I wouldn't have to worry about her kidnapping anyone. Although.... she'd probably be able to talk me into helping her with it.

With an unreliable narrator, backstabbing best friends, and drama overload, Kill The Boy Band was a dark and twisted story. Oddly enough, I found it to be quite humorous at times, and I loved the 80's teen movie references. I was thoroughly entertained while reading, but this book definitely blurs the lines of reality, even for fangirls. I know this book won't be for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

My rating: 4 stars

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