Every month I think that the next month will be less expensive and every month more awesome books keep being released. Not that I should be complaining, because we are being spoiled, spoiled I tell you with the sheer number of incredible titles hitting the shelves this year. It has been month after month of goodies and brilliance, and this month is no exception. SO without further ado, I present the books that I cannot wait to cripple my bank balance further with and get my sticky little mitts on!
Royal Wedding follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding - but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.
For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community centre, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements, Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone - especially herself - that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?
I adore Mia and Meg Cabot's brilliant Princess Diaries, and whilst I loved teenage Mia coming to grips with suddenly being a Princess when I was stuck in teenagerdom myself, I love twenty something Mia trying desperately to wedding plan even more, because oh boy, been there, done that, got the grey hairs. This book is hilarious, and if possible even better than its predecessors. Anyone who loved Mia growing up will love this book. Plus, no need to be put off if you haven't read the rest of the series, there's a handy little catch up right at the start of the book so if you're new to Mia you'll keep up just fine!
You can read my review here.
You can pre-order the book on Amazon here!
You can read my review here.
You can pre-order the book on Amazon here!
2nd July - The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle
It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.
The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.
But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?
The Accident Season is one of my favourite reads of the year. If you're a fan of Maggie Stiefvater's brand of slippery lilting magic, then you will love this book. I adore it, and I cannot wait to meet Moira at YALC 2015!
You can read my review here.
You can read my review here.
You can pre-order the book on Amazon here.
2nd July - Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
Ollie and Moritz are two teenagers who will never meet. Each of them lives with a life-affecting illness. Contact with electricity sends Ollie into debilitating seizures, while Moritz has a heart defect and is kept alive by an electronic pacemaker. If they did meet, Ollie would seize, but turning off the pacemaker would kill Moritz.
Through an exchange of letters, the two boys develop a strong bond of friendship which becomes a lifeline during dark times - until Moritz reveals that he holds the key to their shared, sinister past, and has been keeping it from Ollie all along.
Through an exchange of letters, the two boys develop a strong bond of friendship which becomes a lifeline during dark times - until Moritz reveals that he holds the key to their shared, sinister past, and has been keeping it from Ollie all along.
Unfortunately this one didn't live up to the expectations I'd had for it. It's an intriguing read and I know a lot of people are going to love this strange story that isn't quite sure if it's a contemporary or a sci-fi read. To find out more about my thoughts on this one you can read my review here.
You can order this book on Amazon here
2nd July - The Kiss by Lucy Courtenay
'Aphrodite kissed a mortal once by the light of this moon, many thousands of years ago. It drove him crazy. The next person that he kissed - boum. The craziness travelled like this from person to person. It travelled through time. Everywhere - boum! Tu comprends?''Where did it end up?' I whisper. His lips are on my cheek now.'It ended with me. And now I am going to pass it to you. You will like that, mermaid?'Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer's night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she's ever heard.BOOM!Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it's gone...Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble?
You see that blurb? Ok, ignore it, it's terrible and really doesn't do the book justice. I nearly gave up on this one a few chapters in and I am so glad that I persevered and carried on, because this is a gem of a book. Funny and surprisingly brilliant, this is the perfect romantic summer read filled with love, heartbreak, friendship, lies, secrets, magic and zombies. A contemporary romance with just a hint of magic flickering at the edges this is a surprisingly brilliant look at growing up and all the problems that comes with that.
You can read my review here.
And pre-order it on Amazon here.
You can read my review here.
And pre-order it on Amazon here.
7th July - The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.
Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life... Until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.
Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life... Until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.
I love Jenny's books, she has such a fantastic imagination and executes her ideas brilliantly. I've loved every book of hers that I've read, so it was a no-brainer when this one popped up on Netgalley - of course I wanted to read it. And luckily this one more than lived up to my very high expectations. Tense, brilliant and filled with fantastic twists, this is Jenny's best book to date.
Keep an eye out tomorrow for my review!
7th July - A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber
Scotland, 1831. After a tumultuous courtship complicated by three deadly inquiries, Lady Kiera Darby is thrilled to have found both an investigative partner and a fiancé in Sebastian Gage. But with her well-meaning—and very pregnant—sister planning on making their wedding the event of the season, Kiera could use a respite from the impending madness.
Commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond, Kiera is saddened when she recognizes the pain in the baroness’s eyes. Lord Drummond is a brute, and his brusque treatment of his wife forces Kiera to think of the torment caused by her own late husband.
Kiera isn’t sure how to help, but when she finds Lady Drummond prostrate on the floor, things take a fatal turn. The physician called to the house and Lord Drummond appear satisfied to rule her death natural, but Kiera is convinced that poison is the real culprit.
Now, armed only with her knowledge of the macabre and her convictions, Kiera intends to discover the truth behind the baroness’s death—no matter what, or who, stands in her way…
Commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond, Kiera is saddened when she recognizes the pain in the baroness’s eyes. Lord Drummond is a brute, and his brusque treatment of his wife forces Kiera to think of the torment caused by her own late husband.
Kiera isn’t sure how to help, but when she finds Lady Drummond prostrate on the floor, things take a fatal turn. The physician called to the house and Lord Drummond appear satisfied to rule her death natural, but Kiera is convinced that poison is the real culprit.
Now, armed only with her knowledge of the macabre and her convictions, Kiera intends to discover the truth behind the baroness’s death—no matter what, or who, stands in her way…
I read the first Lady Derby mystery at the very start of the year (it got my reading year off to a very good start) and now her fourth mystery is about to hit the shelves! Anna's writing is wonderful, quiet, raw and filled with such beauty and intensity, her novels are incredible to escape into and I am so excited to read where Kiera's journey will go next.
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here.
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here.
14th July - Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swedenson
A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this alternative U.S. history where the British control with magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.
It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.
A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this alternative U.S. history where the British control with magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.
It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.
This book just looks amazing. Historical, steampunky, spies, magic and kick-ass heroines? Everything I could possibly want all rolled into one fantastic book. I can't wait to get my hands on this one!
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here.
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here.
16th July - The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighbouring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.
But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling – and that of Kelsea’s own soul – may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.
But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling – and that of Kelsea’s own soul – may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.
My excitement for this book has been well documented over the last few months and it is now so close! I want it, I need it, I cannot wait to read it.
30th July - The Little Flower Shop by the Sea by Ali McNamara
The blossom is out in the little Cornish harbour town of St Felix
But Poppy Carmichael's spirits aren't lifted by the pretty West Country spring. Inheriting her grandmother's flower shop has forced her to return to Cornwall, a place that holds too many memories.Poppy is determined to do her best for the sake of her adored grandmother, but she struggles with the responsibility of the more-shabby-than-chic shop. And with the added complication of Jake, the gruff but gorgeous local flower grower, Poppy is very tempted to run away...The pretty little town has a few surprises in store for Poppy. With new friends to help her and romance blooming, it's time for Poppy to open her heart to St Felix and to the special magic of a little flower shop by the sea!
It's Ali McNamara. 'Nuff said really. Her first book is one of my favourite contemporary romances ever - fun, brilliantly written and with a great plot. Ali's books are an auto buy for me, no blurb reading necessary.But Poppy Carmichael's spirits aren't lifted by the pretty West Country spring. Inheriting her grandmother's flower shop has forced her to return to Cornwall, a place that holds too many memories.Poppy is determined to do her best for the sake of her adored grandmother, but she struggles with the responsibility of the more-shabby-than-chic shop. And with the added complication of Jake, the gruff but gorgeous local flower grower, Poppy is very tempted to run away...The pretty little town has a few surprises in store for Poppy. With new friends to help her and romance blooming, it's time for Poppy to open her heart to St Felix and to the special magic of a little flower shop by the sea!
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here
So those are the books that I can't wait to be released this month. Are there any that have caught your eye? Or any that you think should be on my list that I need to add to my to read pile immediately? Let me know in the comments below!
OH HEYYYYYY, IT'S THE FIXER. ;)
ReplyDeleteI never really thought I'd be interested in something like it, but I soooo want to read The Royal Wedding. Your review basically made me want to jump all over it.
I KNOW RIGHT!!
DeletePlus, yay for review love! Royal Wedding is an absolute blast, I really hope you enjoy it!
A Study in Death sounds absolutely amazing. I want to read it like right now O_O And I loved the Queen of the Tearling so much when I read it sometime last year, I think? I was hesitant to get it first because of the onslaught of negative reviews before and upon its release, but I really, really liked it when I finally gave in. I already read the sequel and thought it was... quite interesting. I look forward to seeing your thoughts about it!
ReplyDeleteFaye at The Social Potato
Anna Lee Huber's books are AMAZING. If you haven't read the first in the series ("The Anatomist's Wife") do it DO IT NOW, it got my year off to a truly excellent reading start. Her writing is fantastic! I really hope you enjoy it! I'm hearing from very intriguing comments from people who have read Invasion of the Tearling, and I'm very curious now. I can't wait to get reading! Thanks so much for stopping by!
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