Waiting On Wednesday: The Valiant

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

THE VALIANT

Lesley Livingston

Young Adult/Fantasy/Historical

Releases February 2017 from Razorbill

From Amazon:

Princess. Captive. Gladiator. Always a Warrior.

Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary fighter Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed by the armies of Julius Caesar.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance.

Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators—owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon’s family might be her only hope of survival.

Now, Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries, deadly fights in and out of the arena, and perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier and her sworn enemy. 

A richly imagined fantasy for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Cinda Williams Chima, The Valiant recounts Fallon’s gripping journey from fierce Celtic princess to legendary gladiator and darling of the Roman empire.

A female gladiator? YES AND PLEASE! While the type on this cover is a little underwhelming, especially when compared to the general badassery of the girl showing Rome what's what from the floor of the arena, as soon as I saw this I wanted to know more about her. Gladiator is one of my favorite movies (ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!) (don't judge me), so I'm already obsessing over Fallon and the things that await her in the pit. I'm so intrigued by her I almost don't even care about the enemies-to-lovers romance with Cai. Almost. Okay, the romance of course is right up my alley, but I need it to be February so Fallon can show how epic a gladiator she can be!

Goodreads • Amazon 

Review: The Gilded Cage

THE GILDED CAGE
Lucinda Gray
Young Adult/Historical/Mystery
256 pages
Henry Holt
Available August 2nd
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (From Goodreads)
After growing up on a farm in Virginia, Walthingham Hall in England seems like another world to sixteen-year-old Katherine Randolph. Her new life, filled with the splendor of upper-class England in the 1820s, is shattered when her brother mysteriously drowns. Katherine is expected to observe the mourning customs and get on with her life, but she can't accept that her brother's death was an accident.

A bitter poacher prowls the estate, and strange visitors threaten the occupants of the house. There's a rumor, too, that a wild animal stalks the woods of Walthingham. Can Katherine retain her sanity long enough to find out the truth? Or will her brother's killer claim her life, too?

MY THOUGHTS
The Gilded Cage is a quick, easy read, whisking us off to a sprawling state in England where greed runs rampant, secrets lurk in every dark corner, and rumors of a beast lurking in the woods abound.

Katherine knows nothing of Society life, spending her days working her family's farm in Virginia until an unexpected inheritance has her trading her dirt-stained hands for white lace gloves. Given her upbringing she's incredibly down to earth, the extravagances of life at Walthingham foreign to her on every level, and the rules of conduct for young ladies lost on her in the best possible way. She's not afraid to speak her mind or display traits and talents considered unbecoming for someone of her gender and station, and we can't help but love her all the more for refusing to conform.

While there's a lot to love about Katherine, her affections are a bit more easily won than we might like, her interest flitting from a footman to the family's estate lawyer with relative ease, with neither relationship moving beyond surface level. The plot bounces around in much the same way, giving us what at first appears to be a paranormal storyline as the staff and locals whisper of the Beast of Walthingham, but before we can settle in for some quality time with the supernatural, we switch gears to a murder mystery and finally find ourselves walking the halls of a mental institution. It's not as though these separate plot points aren't tied together however–they are and the story itself flows well enough–there's just so much that could have been explored with each one, but instead of getting to peel back layers and really dig in, we switch gears and head off in a different direction.

Overall though, The Gilded Cage is a solid read in terms of entertainment value, a perfect palette-cleansing type of read that keeps us interested even if we don't close the back cover and immediately add it to our shelf of favorites.


Rating: 3.5/5

Find Lucinda:

Website • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion. 

Waiting on Tuesday: A Study in Scarlet Women

Hey Everyone!

I've got a little schedule switch-up this week as I'm part of a review tour tomorrow when I would normally feature a Waiting on Wednesday post, so I'm changing it up and doing a Waiting on Tuesday post instead:) I always love participating in this meme, I get such great recommendations and enjoy putting new books on people's radar, so I hate to miss out when I have a schedule change!

A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN

Lady Sherlock #1

Sherry Thomas

Historical/Mystery

Available October 18th from Berkley

From Goodreads:

USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down…

With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society.  But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

I'm a HUGE fan of Sherry Thomas, whether she's writing historical romance or YA fantasy, so as soon as this one popped up on Goodreads I immediately started obsessing over it. I'm always up for a Sherlock-style story, and the fact that this one features a female social pariah whose demonstrating a little sleuthing badassery makes it all the more appealing. I have a feeling she's going to match wits with this unseen mastermind like no one's matched wits before ;-) Can't wait for October!

Goodreads • Amazon 

Waiting on Wednesday: Yesternight

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

YESTERNIGHT

Cat Winters

Historical YA-ish/Paranormal

Coming October 2016 from William Morrow

From Goodreads:

In 1925, Alice Lind steps off a train in the rain-soaked coastal hamlet of Gordon Bay, Oregon. There, she expects to do nothing more difficult than administer IQ tests to a group of rural schoolchildren. A trained psychologist, Alice believes mysteries of the mind can be unlocked scientifically, but now her views are about to be challenged by one curious child.

Seven-year-old Janie O’Daire is a mathematical genius, which is surprising. But what is disturbing are the stories she tells: that her name was once Violet, she grew up in Kansas decades earlier, and she drowned at age nineteen. Alice delves into these stories, at first believing they’re no more than the product of the girl’s vast imagination.  But, slowly, Alice comes to the realization that Janie might indeed be telling a strange truth.

Alice knows the investigation may endanger her already shaky professional reputation, and as a woman in a field dominated by men she has no room for mistakes. But she is unprepared for the ways it will illuminate terrifying mysteries within her own past, and in the process, irrevocably change her life.

This cover makes me wish I could wander around in a gorgeous dress with parasol/fancy umbrella and not get the side-eye from all those I passed in the grocery store. *shakes fist at modern times* The pretty cover of course caught my eye and made me take a closer look at the synopsis, and once I did, I immediately added this to my list. I want to know what's going on with Janie/Violet. Is she an unreliable character? Or is she telling the truth? Or something in between? I NEED MORE INFORMATION! Also, I'm always rooting for a woman making her way in a male-dominated field. Show 'em what you're made of Alice!

Goodreads • Amazon 

Cathy Reviews: No Comfort for the Lost

My mother-law-Cathy is back with another review today! With BEA all last week, I'm of course behind on my reading, so she stepped up once again. I fail. :( Thanks so much Cathy!

NO COMFORT FOR THE LOST
Mystery of Old San Francisco #1
Nancy Herriman
Mystery/Historical
384 pages
NAL
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
In this historical mystery series, a courageous nurse and a war-scarred police detective in 1860s San Francisco champion the down-trodden and fight for justice …

After serving as a nurse in the Crimea, British-born Celia Davies left her privileged family for an impulsive marriage to a handsome Irishman. Patrick brought her to San Francisco’s bustling shores but then disappeared and is now presumed dead.  Determined to carry on, Celia partnered with her half-Chinese cousin Barbara and her opinionated housekeeper Addie to open a free medical clinic for women who have nowhere else to turn. But Celia’s carefully constructed peace crumbles when one of her Chinese patients is found brutally murdered…and Celia’s hotheaded brother-in-law stands accused of the crime.

A veteran of America’s civil war, detective Nicholas Greaves is intent on discovering the killer of the girl, whose ethnicity and gender render her as powerless in death as they did in life. Nicholas’s efforts are complicated by Celia, who has a knack for walking into dangerous situations that may lead to answers…or get them both killed.  For as their inquiries take them from Chinatown’s squalid back alleys to the Barbary Coast’s violent shipping docks to the city’s gilded parlors, Celia and Nicholas begin to suspect that someone very close to them holds the key to a murderous conspiracy…

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
My reading weaknesses are mysteries and historical fiction, so No Comfort for the Lost does a marvelous job of sating both of these loves. This is the first in a series and is set in the late 1800's in San Francisco. Ms. Herriman has a gift for painting an accurate and descriptive picture of the era. We can easily place ourselves into this setting.
 
Celia is a nurse and active in bettering the lives of Chinese prostitutes. A very courageous and forward-thinking venture in those times. When a friend is murdered, Celia is compelled to investigate. She steps on lots of toes including those of Detective Nick Greaves. At first the duo are not on the best of terms, but there is a warming up and a collaboration becomes apparent.
 
This is a well-conceived mystery because of the extensive research that must have been done to make the plot so convincing. Much of the mystery and investigation touches on actual events of the times.  The characters are fully fleshed out and we are drawn to them and care about their well being. We are rewarded in embracing the characters because we know we will meet them again in the next mystery.
 
On a personal side note, Ms. Herriman lives in our hometown and she attended our book club the evening we were discussing this novel. It was so much fun and interesting to get an inside look into this story and the author.

Rating: 4/5

Find Nancy:

Website • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

Traitor Angels Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway!

TRAITOR ANGELS
Anne Blankman
Young Adult/Historical
400 pages
Balzer + Bray
Available May 3rd
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.

Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.

Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s man arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?

When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.

MY THOUGHTS
Traitor Angels is a fast-paced, enthralling read, sending us on a merry chase alongside heroine Elizabeth as we follow the clues–key pieces of information that could topple monarchies and religions alike–her brilliant father left tucked in the pages of Paradise Lost.

Elizabeth is a young woman ahead of her time thanks to her father largely raising her as a boy, teaching her foreign languages and sword-fighting in addition to reading and writing, and cherry-picking her as one of a pair of individuals tasked with protecting a secret uncovered decades ago. She's incredibly intelligent and fiercely loyal to her father, but she thankfully doesn't have blinders on when it comes to him, and as events unfold, allows her opinion on various things to change instead of clinging stubbornly to all she thought was true. She does on occasion get defeated when she and Antonio hit a roadblock in the Paradise Lost treasure hunt, despairing of her failure to save her father, but she only wallows for brief moments before she snaps herself out of it and restores her resolve.

Her romance with Antonio, while secondary to the epic search for a world-altering secret, is prominent enough to give us butterflies in between action sequences, bringing a smile to our faces before we're plunged once again into danger. The two of them together are a formidable couple, playing off each other's strengths to uncover the complex series of clues left by Mr. Milton, and we can do nothing but flip the pages with unprecedented speed to see what awaits them in the next chapter.

Overall, Traitor Angels will delight lovers of adventure, history and romance, guaranteeing its spot on many a shelf of favorites.

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

ANNE BLANKMAN

Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs today are 3 finished copies of Traitor Angels! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WEEK ONE

4/25: Love At First Page - Guest Post

4/26: Paperback Princess - Review

4/27: Live Love Read - Playlist

4/28: Supernatural Snark - Review

4/29: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A

WEEK TWO

5/2: The Irish Banana Review - Top 10

5/3: Lisa Loves Lit - Review

5/4: Alexa Loves Books - Q&A

5/5: The Petite Book Blogger - Review

5/6: A Book & A Latte - How I Write

Review: Love, Lies and Spies

LOVE, LIES AND SPIES
Cindy Anstey
YA Historical Romance
368 pages
Swoon Reads
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.

MY THOUGHTS
Love, Lies and Spies is a sweet young adult historical romance, giving us a heroine more interested in insect research and publishing her findings than in the matrimonial games played by the Ton, and a dashing young hero who makes us swoon in the way only a gentleman in the time of strict courtship can.

Juliana is easy to love from the moment she steps on page and promptly falls off a cliff, denying an offer of help from Spencer in order to keep her reputation-conscious aunt from falling over in a dead faint. She's accident prone in an adorably oblivious way, stumbling into situations difficult for her to see her way out of gracefully, and we can't help but smile as she eschews polite society in favor of beating to her own drum. While she does on occasion need rescuing, she proves time and again that she's quite capable of handling herself when necessary–batting away the wandering hands of inappropriate suitors and staying true to her passion for scientific research even when everyone around her is only focused on making an advantageous romantic match.

Spencer is a charming smooth-talker, easily able to banter with Juliana and sooth any feathers that are ruffled as he weaves his tall tales in order to continue his undercover work. Though he has a way with words, he never comes across as disingenuous, and he easily earns our affections as he does Juliana's. Their romance is of the slow burn variety (though they do admit their feelings for one another to themselves relatively quickly) thanks to the rules governing social interactions in Society, and it's nothing short of smile-inducing to watch the two of them literally and figuratively dance around one another.

The only mild complaint with this tale is with regard to the espionage plot that unfolds alongside Spencer and Juliana's courtship. We stay largely on the surface of the spying element, small things relating to uncovering a traitor popping up here and there, but we don't delve into that mystery as deeply as we could have. That being said however, Juliana and Spencer are hugely entertaining characters, and their romance is perfect for those looking for something to bring them a little joy on a dreary day.

Rating: 4/5

Find Cindy:

Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday: Empire of Dust

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

EMPIRE OF DUST

Blood of Gods & Royals #2

Eleanor Herman

YA Historical/Fantasy

Releases June 28th from Harlequin Teen

From Goodreads:

In Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust

After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat.

Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt.

The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon's undoing.

And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor.

New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy to reimagine the world's most brilliant ruler, Alexander the Great, in the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

I have a feeling this series is one that's best experienced in binge-reading fashion, so while I haven't yet read the first book, I'm still really looking forward to diving into this series as a whole. With the various POV's and the rich historical and fantasy elements, I know I'm going to want as little time as possible in between books to help me keep track of everything, so as soon as this bad boy is out in June I'm going to get my grabby hands on the first one and read them back to back.

Also, though I haven't met Zofia yet, I have to admit to being most intrigued by her plotline and the mention of this handsome and deadly captor. I feel either an antagonistic and/or forbidden romance coming on and I'm all for either of those!

Goodreads • Amazon      

Wednesday Flourish: Empire of Sand

Happy 2-More-Days-Till-Friday Everyone!

Back in March I revealed the cover for Love in a Time of Monsters which featured one of my favorite illustrations I've done, so I was beside myself when author Teresa Yea got in touch and said it was time to revisit this series with a prequel novella. Cue spastic happy designer flail.

While we of course wanted to stick with feel established by Monsters, keeping vibrant colors and bold texture as unifying elements, Teresa wanted this prequel to be a bit darker in tone and hark back to the spirit of adventure found in the likes of Indiana Jones. Teresa makes my job incredibly easy by putting together Pinterest inspiration boards that clearly point me in the direction she wants me to go, and then gives me the freedom to put my spin on her initial ideas. I'm always enormously proud of the work we do together, and our latest collaboration just might displace Monsters as my new Teresa Yea favorite.

Empire of Sand, a prequel in The Golden Age of Monsters series, releases December 1st, and I hope you guys consider adding this one to your lists!

EMPIRE OF SAND

Liam is a trained killer--meticulous, cunning, an artist with a knife.

Cat is his protégée–wild, reckless, a girl lost.

They're young.

They're beautiful.

They kill monsters.

Egypt, 1866. A terror is unleashed upon Cairo.

A predator that travels under a cloak of storms and
lurks amongst the dunes.
It reigns like a king in an empire of sand and
kills with human-like precision.
Its prey of choice: man.

Liam can't resist the allure of the ultimate kill.

Cat has a vendetta against all unnatural creatures.

They're deadly.

They're invincible.

They're being hunted.

From the author of Love in a Time of Monsters comes an electrifying prequel that invites you to live fast, die young, and shed a little blood.

Find Teresa & Empire of Sand!

Website • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon • Kobo • iBooks • Google Play

You can find more of my cover design work at Seedlings Design Studio!  

Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger

WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER
The Gold Seer #1
Rae Carson
Young Adult/Historical/Paranormal-ish
Greenwillow
432 pages
Available Now
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Leee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might muder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

MY THOUGHTS
Walk on Earth a Stranger is a gritty start to this trilogy, an overland trek to California detailed for us in all its grim brutality, but a stunning cast of characters gives us heart and hope as they step one foot in front of the other mile after difficult mile. Ms. Carson clearly did a great deal of research to bring Leah and Jefferson’s journey to life, so many beautifully small everyday details making us feel as though we’re riding right alongside the wagon train as they battle the terrain, sickness and infighting in the hopes of a better life out west.

Leah is one of many highlights of this story, an only child filling the role of both son and daughter for her parents and thus in possession of a set of survival skills she likely wouldn’t have had if her baby brother had lived. She thinks tactically and logically as she begins the journey on her own, making smart choices at every turn and getting herself out of potentially fatal situations with quick thinking and determination. Once reunited with Jefferson as they join up with a wagon train, she continues to use her body and mind in tandem, pushing herself to her physical limits but never over while using every single thing her murdered parents taught her.

While there’s no real romance to be had in this first installment, the potential for something stunning to develop between her and Jefferson is a subtle thrum throughout, never allowing us to forget its presence despite the dangers that unfold with every chapter. A swoon-worthy romance isn’t missed in the least however, as the secondary cast of westward travelers delights with their many and varied personalities, a sense of camaraderie (and, in the case of some, discontent) building over the course of four hundred pages until we reach an end that displays just how fully the bond between the group has formed.

The only mild complaints with this first installment are with regard to Leah’s ability to sense gold and the somewhat abrupt ending, the former not playing much of a role aside from the occasional twinge she feels along the way. Her gift is the catalyst for the entire journey though, and will likely build in importance as the trilogy continues. The ending feels just a touch rushed after an epic and sprawling life and death adventure through mountains and desert, Leah’s quick and rather convenient run-in with her villainous uncle in the final pages feeling the tiniest bit unnecessary. Those are the smallest of niggles in an overall outstanding story however, and I can’t wait to see how things continue to develop for Leah, Jefferson and company in future books.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Rae:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Vengeance Road

VENGEANCE ROAD
Erin Bowman
Young Adult/Historical
336 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Available Now
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Revenge is worth its weight in gold.

When hers father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.

MY THOUGHTS
Vengeance Road is gripping from first page to last, sucking us immediately into Kate’s story as her world burns down and revenge rises from its ashes. From the moment she finds her father’s body we’re taken on a darkly beautiful journey, the richness of the setting and the authenticity of the dialect drawing us even deeper into Kate’s life as she seeks to return the brutal favor bestowed upon her father.

Kate is a young woman who could have made it exceedingly difficult to really like her, revenge having a way of casting a character in so many shadows and shades of gray that it becomes nearly impossible to find the real person they mask. Instead, what we find is a girl who sets out with dark purpose but who isn’t so blinded by her need for vengeance that she literally rides in with guns blazing without the benefit of any kind of plan or forethought. While she might have done just that without the Colton boys there to intervene, she listens to them and allows their logic to filter through the haze of her anger until she sees reason.

The romance between Kate and Jesse is woven beautifully into this story, the two of them at odds for majority of the book (due in large part to the fact that both Jesse and his brother Will believe Kate to be a boy when they first meet her), but while they take verbal swings at one another on a daily basis, their relationship never comes across as frustrating. Rather than drama for the sake of drama or a couple that runs hot one day and cold the next, Kate and Jesse feel utterly genuine, caught up in a number of emotional and physical conflicts that never once act as a reminder that we’re reading a piece of fiction thanks to the over the top nature of what unfolds.

Overall, Ms. Bowman delights with Vengeance Road, giving us a heroine to root for with every fiber of our being, a villain to hate with gleeful intensity, and a subtle romance to keep a dopey grin plastered to our faces just when we need it most.

Rating: 4.5/5
 

Find Erin:

Website • Tumblr • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Legacy of Kings Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

I'm so pleased today to welcome author Eleanor Herman to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her newest release, Legacy of Kings. Eleanor was nice enough to answer a few questions about her characters as well as the history behind the story for me, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Be sure and check the bottom of the post for a full list of participating blogs and all the details for a fantastic giveaway!

If all 6 characters were told their names would appear in the history books of humanity in the future, what one word would they each most wish would appear next to their name?

Katerina: the Just
Hephaestion: the Loyal
Cynane: the Victorious
Jacob: the Achiever
Zofia: the Beloved
Alexander: the Great

What are 3 historical tidbits you came across in your research that would make good icebreakers (or not) at a social event?

Great question! Because, armed with these tidbits, I have been the glittering star of cocktail parties for many years. Three of my favorites:

1. Did you know that of all those “warrior king” skeletons archeologists found a hundred years ago in Ukraine—bones with arrowheads and axes in them, and surrounded by weapons—modern research proves that 25% of them were women?
2. Did you know how ancient people bleached their tunics gleaming white before the advent of Clorox? They soaked them in urine!
3. Did you know that at ancient Greek funerals you were supposed to cut off your hair and tie it to the funeral wreath?

Legacy of Kings has a somewhat complicated romance given there are three men who have Katerina in their sights. What’s one famous historical romance you wish you could have witnessed firsthand?

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. How did that relationship go from so a love so passionate it set the world on fire to a mangled body on a scaffold? And, because I can never stop at just one, I would love to watch Cleopatra seduce Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.

Let’s say that tomorrow you wake up in the world of Legacy of Kings. What’s the first thing you would do in order to blend in?

Pin up my hair and try to get clothes that fit in. Then I would get some kohl eye liner, green malachite eye shadow, and crushed eggshell face powder. I would really go to town on the ancient make-up. The one advantage to their blurry bronze mirrors was that they must have always thought they looked better than they did.

If you could choose any one author to temporarily borrow Alexander, Katerina, Hephaestion, Jacob and Zofia and write a short story or novella, whose take on them would you be most interested to read?

Sabaa Tahir! I love her protagonists in An Ember in the Ashes. She, too, built a very real, three-dimensional world. I would love to see what she could do with a Legacy novella.

Thanks so much for stopping by Eleanor!

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LEGACY OF KINGS

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

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ELEANOR HERMAN 

Before the Game of Thrones craze swept the nation, Eleanor Herman was hard at work entertaining readers with her extensive research on courtly intrigue and romance. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy.

Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings is her first novel.

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazing team at Harlequin Teen, each stop on the tour will be offering up a copy of THE LEGACY OF KINGS, so be sure and follow along for more guest posts, interviews and chances to win! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/CA only.

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Don't forget to check out all the stops on the Legacy of Kings tour!

Monday, August 3rd - Swoony Boys Podcast - Guest Post

Wednesday, August 5th -  Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post

Friday, August 7th - Once Upon a Twilight - Guest Post

Monday, August 10th - Book Swoon - Author Interview

Wednesday, August 12th - Pageturnersblog - Guest Post

Friday, August 14th - Reading Lark - Author Interview

Monday, August 17th - Two Chicks on Books - Author Interview

Wednesday, August 19th - Supernatural Snark - Author Interview

Friday, August 21st - Mundie Moms - Guest Post

Review: Lion Heart

LION HEART
Scarlet #3
A.C. Gaughen
Young Adult/Historical
348 pages
Bloomsbury
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

MY THOUGHTS
Lion Heart, like Lady Thief before it, is not always an easy read, a villain drunk on power with the might of a royal name behind him causing every muscle in our bodies to seize up as we flip the pages, trying valiantly to keep from throwing the book across the room in the hopes that mighty Prince John will feel it. While we have faith that Ms. Gaughen will usher Rob and Scarlet to a happy end by the time we close the back cover, that faith doesn’t lessen the intensity of their story, and we start each chapter with excitement and dread battling for supremacy as we wait to see what’s in store for our epic couple.

Scarlet has been easy to root for from the beginning, an innate need to protect those she loves driving her to step into the line of fire repeatedly, and through it all she holds herself together with a strength and grace we’re sure we wouldn’t be able to muster were we faced with the same circumstances. While she does have a brief moment where she seriously considers the tried and true romantic gesture of pushing Rob away for his own protection, her senses quickly return to her and she fully embraces the fact that she and Rob will forever be stronger together than apart.

After a lengthy build up with Prince John and his Machiavellian scheming to permanently remove his brother from the throne, the final showdown does happen fairly quickly and leaves us with almost no follow up as to what happens to our beloved cast of characters in the aftermath. That being said though, Ms. Gaughen does include an author’s note in the end that details a bit more of the history on which the story is based as well as where she took a few creative liberties, and those few pages provide quite a bit of closure. Overall, Lion Heart and the entirety of the Scarlet series is outstanding, both heart-wrenching and heartwarming in equal measure, and satisfying on every possible level.

Rating: 4/5

Find A.C.:

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This book was sent to me by the author  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.