#BookReview | Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski

Title: Meg & Linus
Author: Hanna Nowinski
Release Date: April 18, 2017
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Genre: Contemporary; Young Adult; LGBT
Goodreads Rating: 3.7 / 5 stars
My Rating: 💜💜💜 / 💜💜💜💜💜
Goodreads Synopsis:

Can friendship, Star Trek, drama club, and a whole lot of coffee get two nerdy best friends through the beginning of their senior year of high school?Meg and Linus are best friends bound by a shared love of school, a coffee obsession, and being queer. It’s not always easy to be the nerdy lesbian or gay kid in a suburban town. But they have each other. And a few Star Trek boxed sets. They’re pretty happy.
But then Sophia, Meg’s longtime girlfriend, breaks up with Meg. Linus starts tutoring the totally dreamy new kid, Danny—and Meg thinks setting them up is the perfect project to distract herself from her own heartbreak. But Linus isn’t so sure Danny even likes guys, and maybe Sophia isn’t quite as out of the picture as Meg thought she was. . . .

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Book Review:

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not alter or influence my opinion in any way*

Meg & Linus is a story about two best friends who are gay. Meg breaks up with her serious girlfriend and decides to set up Linus with the new boy who she thinks may like him. 

There are a few hiccups along the way but that is what makes it high school right?

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't too long and not too short. There were a lot of chapters, but they were short and quick and didn't feel as though they were dragging on. 

Character-wise I really liked Linus, I thought that he was adorable. Meg on the other hand annoyed me a little from the middle-ish section of the book. I just found that she was meddling and it was going to turn around to bite her. I know that she was heart broken and she didn't want to wallow (not sure why??) but she begins a project to set Linus and Danny up - but she isn't even sure if Danny is gay..I am not going to tell you if it works out, that would ruin the story.

Meg & Linus was a fun read, even with the little bit of annoyance in there..it was a good story about friendship and how it comes in all shapes and sizes and it doesn't matter who you are, love is love.

I really liked the message - I think this was the first LGBT book that I have read, but it won't be my last! I believe in equality whoever you are, and this book had that in spades!

Author Bio:

Hanna Nowinski is a language enthusiast and a trained translator for German and English, who lives in the middle of nowhere, Germany. She has wanted to be a writer since she found out that books were made by real people. As a kid, she made up her own bedtime stories,mostly sending her stuffed animals on adventures around the world. She loves books, music, coffee, and getting way too invested in TV shows, Meg & Linus is her debut novel

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#BookReview | Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney

Title: Black Dawn
Author: Mallory McCartney
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Publisher: Clean Reads Publishing
Genre: YA; Fantasy
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BD
Goodreads' Rating: 3.84 / 5 stars
My Rating: 💜💜💜💜 / 💜💜💜💜💜
Synopsis:

The end of an Empire, the rise of a Queen

Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life. This is until two mysterious and handsome soldiers show up at her apartment, and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Memphis Carter and Brokk Foster come from the magical and war ridden world of Kiero, and upon Emory's arrival she will discover she is the long lost heir to the Royal Line and is thrown into the Black Dawn rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne.
With both men being darkly woven in her past, Emory discovers hidden secrets, a power held long dormant, and will soon realise there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal and a mad King.

Some things are better left in the shadows.

Book Review:

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my thoughts or review in any way *

Black Dawn is the debut novel for McCartney, and it is also the first in a series.

I devoured this book in one sitting, I just could not get enough of it. When I reached the end, I was heartbroken! What an ending! But since finding out there will be a series, my heart has healed. Slightly.

This book is set in the magical world of Kiero. It is a war ridden place, taken over by a mad man claiming to be King. It is Emory's job to defeat him and claim back her rightful throne. Sounds easy right? Except that Emory has no memory of living in this world, or how to fight or use her powers. She undergoes extensive training, coupled with the slow return of her memories she begins to gain her skills and her confidence.

On the sidelines, there is a bit of a love story. It was adorable, but not completely in your face, and taking away from the main story line. I love romance, and there was just enough to keep me swooning, but not enough to get in the way of what was important - the upcoming war.

Black Dawn was fast paced and exciting. The closer I got to the end, the more I needed to know what was going to happen. AND THEN THE ENDING HAPPENED. I cannot even describe my feelings. All I can say is COMPLETE CLIFFHANGER & I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW. I am hoping that the next one is being written as we speak and will be in my hands soon (I know this one was only released in February, but a girl's gotta dream!)

I absolutely adored Black Dawn. Everything from the writing style to the character development, to the setting. It was all well thought out and well executed. It did take me a while to get into the flow, as each chapter is a different character. But once I understood what the story was about I couldn't get enough of it. The only thing I will say as a slight warning, is that there is some blood and gore being described..if that is not your thing you might have to skip over some sections - having said that, it doesn't take up too much of the book, so you all should be fine.  

Thank you so much for reading my review of Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney. Now that you have all heard how wonderful it is, off you go to get your own copy! I hope you enjoyed my review, and until next time, happy reading!

About the Author:

Mallory McCartney lives in London, Ontario with her husband and their two dachshunds Link and Lola. Black Dawn is her debut novel, the first in a series. When she isn't working on her next novel or reading, she can be found dog grooming, book shopping and hiking. Other favourite pastimes involve reorganising perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.

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Sunday Post #7 | 15th January 2017

Hi beautiful people!

Welcome to another Sunday and therefore another Sunday Post!
This weekly feature is brought to us by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer and it involves us recapping what we have done on our blogs in the past week and what we have planned in the week to come! So here, we go..

Last Week on the Blog:

Weekly Features:

💝 It's Monday! What are you reading? #6 (view)

💝 Sunday Post #6 (view)

Book Reviews:

💝 The Night Circus (Audio Book) by Erin Morgenstern (view)

💝 The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas (view)

💝 Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf (view)

Next Week on the Blog:

Weekly Features:

💝 It's Monday! What are you reading? #7

💝 Sunday Post #8

Book Reviews:

💝 Truly Madly Guilty (Audio Book) by Liane Moriarty

💝 The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Well that is all for this week's Sunday Post! Thank you for stopping by, and until next time, happy reading!!

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Book Review | Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

Title: Missing Pieces
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Published: 2016 by Harlequin Mira
Genre: Mystery; Fiction; Thriller; Suspence
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Length: 282 pages
Goodreads' Rating: 3.62 / 5 stars
My Rating: 💜💜💜 (3.5 / 5)
Goodreads' Synopsis:
Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just  a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. For years Jack has avoided returning home, but when his beloved Aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.
Upon arriving, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago. But as facts of Julia's accident begin to surface, Sarah realises that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack's past, but the father she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for.

Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

Book Review:

I have mixed feelings about this book.

I have had this one on my TBR ever since I read another book by Gudenkauf, called One Breath Away which I really enjoyed. 

By reading the synopsis, it sounds as though you are going to be diving into a really interesting mystery with a lot of suspense and family secrets. Which, you do, just not to the extent that you imagine..

We have Sarah, who believed that her husband's parents died in a car accident, as that is what Jack had always said happened to them and why would he lie about something like that? She finds out that this is not the truth, in fact, his mother was murdered in the basement of their family home and his father was the prime suspect, as he disappeared right after the tragedy occurred. Sarah is now in a complete state as she has been lead to believe one thing and now finds out that Jack had lied to her. But what else was he lying about? She goes on the hunt for answers to find out what really happened to the mother-in-law that she never knew.

As we go along, following Sarah in her quest for the truth, we are trying to put together the pieces of the latest mystery - the accident of Jack's Aunt - which may not be what it looks like. 

The plot itself wasn't boring. It was quite a short book (282 pages) so it went along at a relatively good pace. and kept me interested, as I did want to know who was responsible. I had my suspicions but they turned out to be wrong - the antagonist was a surprise - so the ending of the book wasn't predictable, which I liked very much.

My main issue was the characters of the book. Firstly, Jack and Sarah had been married for over twenty years and had two grown daughters. Reading their interactions with each other, I found it really hard to believe. There was little chemistry or lovable interaction between them and I struggled to find their relationship believable.

The other characters were just one-dimensional, there was little development with them through the story. The character of Margaret was a little odd too, she was the dispatcher at the Sheriff's office, and she stole the case file of Jack's mum's murder for Sarah so that she could look through it. I find this a little far-fetched as they only had just met, and no one would risk their job in that way to help a stranger

Overall, the plot was enjoyable and there were twists and turns to keep me interested - I just found many of the characters and their relationships with one another to be a little one dimensional.

Thank you for reading my review of Missing Pieces. I would love to hear your thoughts on the book if you have read it, or are thinking of reading it!

Until next time, happy reading!

About the Author:

Heather Gudenkauf was born in Wagner, South Dakota in the US and is the bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Missing Pieces.

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2017 Book Challenges Update:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 4 / 50

Library Love Challenge: 4 / 50

Audio Book Challenge: 1 / 20

Reading Assignment Challenge: 0 / 12

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Book Review | The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin's Blade
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5
Published: 2014 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
Genre: Fantasy; Young Adult; Romance
Source: Library
Format: Paperback
Length: 435 pages
Goodreads' Rating: 4.49 / 5 stars
My Rating: 💜💜💜💜💜
Goodreads' Synopsis:
Celaena Sardothien is Ardalan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts,where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

Book Review:

This book was fantastic! I was so glad to be back in the world of Endovier and Celaena Sardothien. I didn't realise how much I missed her.

This book contained five novellas of the story of Celaena, and in each one she undergoes a new challenge. Even though they were technically five separate books, they were able to be read as one novel and they flowed beautifully..of course.

We follow the assassin through her missions - the first of which is freeing the slaves that her master sent her over to acquire. This lead to a major punishment of being sent to train in the desert, when she returned her mission was the beginning of a betrayal that she could not get past.

This book was full of adventure, love, friendship, heartbreak and betrayal at the hands of those you least expected - it will cause you to experience a flood of different feels.

The main characters in this story were multi-dimensional and wonderful to follow.

Celaena was brave and fierce and she felt so deeply at so many different points, my heart broke for her on more than one occasion. She and Sam were just perfect.

Sam, who was her rival for so long, became her partner in the first mission and her friend from then on. He was loving and handsome but deadly at the same time - you couldn't help but fall for him.

The master - Arobynn Hamel was an awful person, but he worked in the story brilliantly, setting the scene for his character being discussed in the next book Throne of Glass. He was definitely my least-favourite character.

Before reading this book, I had only read Throne of Glass - I am quite thankful for this as I could remember the beginning of that one and appreciate how it linked up with the end of The Assassin's Blade. I am really looking forward to getting to the rest of the series!

Thank you for reading my review of The Assassin's Blade. Until next time, happy reading!

About the Author:

Sarah J. Maas lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of T.V.. When she is not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.

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Reading Progress:

2017 Reading Challenges Update:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 3 / 50

Library Love Challenge: 3 / 50

Audio Book Challenge: 2 / 50

Reading Assignment Challenge: 0 / 50

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Audio Book Review | The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Published: 2011 by Random House
Format: Audio Book
Source: Library
Read By: Jim Dale
Genre: Fantasy Fiction; Romance; Historical Fiction
Goodreads Rating: 4.03 / 5 stars
My Rating: 💜💜💜💜💜
Goodreads' Synopsis:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Reves and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressively for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknown to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but a stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

Book Review:

If I am going to be honest, I don't really know where to start with this review so bear with me..I have so many feels.

To say that I loved it would be a bit of an understatement - it was more than amazing or brilliant - it was inventive and imaginative and I devoured every minute of it.

Morgenstern has one hell of an imagination to be able to write this beautiful story.

I listened to this book as an audio book, and although I loved it, reading the words myself may have been a better option as the chapters do jump from year to year, back and forward and I did find myself getting a little confused, but I was able to catch on pretty quickly.

There were a number of different characters that captured my heart in this story - firstly Celia Bowen who was one of the 'players' of the magic competition. She was the daughter of an illusionist (who trained her for the competition). She became the illusionist for the circus and I loved following her character. She was loving and kind and I loved watching her develop over the years of the story.

Marco, her competitor, was just as marvellous! He was handsome and smart and vulnerable at the same time. 

Bailey was a young boy who loved attending the circus. He was dared by his older sister and her friend to go into the circus in the day time and bring something back that proves he was there. So he did, and he met Poppet, one of the performers who gave him her glove as the proof. He then fell for the circus and attended every evening that it was in his town. I really liked his character as it was through him that we really got to experience the circus - through the eyes of someone from the outside.

The competition itself was interesting, the two players had to make their 'moves' as new parts of the circus, new tents with more and more wonderful experiences. 

Eventually the two of them fall in love and their love is like nothing I have ever experienced. Even the slightest touch between them made lights flicker, and a kiss could be felt by all those around them. They were desperate to be together and to be finished with the competition. They were finally told how the competition would end, and it broke my heart. They were destined to play in this game until one came out the other side, and the other didn't. No matter what they came up with, it wasn't going to work. They needed a better plan, so Celia came up with one.

The way this book ended was odd, but it worked. It was the perfect ending for this perfect story.

Erin Morgenstern's writing was beautiful. The story so unique. I enjoyed all aspects of it, and I think I'll be hard-pressed to find another book that makes me feel the way The Night Circus made me feel.

If you enjoy magic and romance and friendship, then you will adore The Night Circus and I highly highly recommend it to all!

Thank you for reading my review of this amazing book! 

Until next time, happy reading!

About The Author:

Erin Morgenstern is a writer and a multimedia artist, who describes her work and "fairy tales in one way or another." She grew up in Marshfield, Massachusetts. She currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts with two very fluffy cats. (Goodreads)

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Reading Progress:

Reading Challenges Update:

Audio Book Challenge: 1 / 50

Goodreads' Reading Challenge: 2 / 50

Library Love Challenge: 2 / 50

Reading Assignment Challenge: 0 / 50

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #6 | 9th January, 2017

Hey everyone! 

Today is Monday so that means it is time for another It's Monday! What are you Reading? this weekly feature is hosted by Book Date and it gives us a chance to showcase the books that we are reading in the week to come and what we finished reading last week :) I will also give you a look at what books I am planning on getting into next week!

Finished Last Week:

    

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson: Review || Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

The Dark Half by Stephen King: Review || Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

Currently Reading:

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas: Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

I am only a few chapters into this one but I am loving it so far (of course, how could I not?)

Currently Listening To:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

I am up to disk 11 of 12 of this one, so so close to seeing how it ends! I am loving the imagination of this one! Stay tuned for my review :)

Up Next:

    

Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf: Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty: Goodreads || Book Depository || Amazon

What books are you all reading this week?? I would love to hear about them all, just leave me a comment in the box below!

Until next time. happy reading!

Kim x

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