My Plain Jane : Review

M Plain Jane by Hand, Ashton and Meadows

*e-ARC kindly provided by the publisher HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review!*

Publication: June 26th

SUMMARY
You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)
Or does she?
Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✦✦

So as usual, I'll tell 5.0 things I liked about the book and 0.0 things I didn't like.

So what did I think?

+1 | The humour and entertainment value is so refreshing and whimsical and beautiful and I just want more!

+1 | Language. I seem to just fly through these books. It kept me at the edge of my seat with things constantly happening and the characters swooning (though you never know if it was the corsets at times).

+1 | Retelling aspect. I love retellings and I really enjoyed Jane Eyre so I knew this was going to be great, but it was even better!
Filled with references (not only to Jane Eyre) with Brönte herself also a character.

+1 |  Characters and romance, keeping the Victorian era level of intrigue of course, was perfectly executed.

+1  | The world and plot. I hadn't read the synopsis before going into it, and so I had no idea what to look for, but it was everything I hoped, everything I didn't even know I wished for and so much more. It had me hooked.

Read on lovelies,

S

Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir : Review

Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

*ARC kindly provided by the publisher Penguin in exchange for an honest review!*

Publication: June 12th


WHAT IS IT?
Third in the Ember Quartet
Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 thing I didn't like.

So what did I think?

+1 | The world and magic is different and intriguing: ancient Rome meets magic.

+1 | We learn more about the characters, and they continue to grow.

+1 | Jumps right back into the action, and doesn't stop. Tahir kept me at the edge of my seat, and I never knew what would happen.

+/-0.5  | Partially from the beautiful writing, partly from everything else, but I just wanted to devour the book and it just flew by. There were certain parts where the pace would slow down more significantly, but nothing too major.

+1  | The ending. Emotions, action, twists ... and I just want the next book! Which will take some time, because even this book hasn't been released yet.

Read on lovelies,

S

The Kiss Quotient : Review

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

*e-ARC kindly provided by the publisher, Penguin, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!*

Publication June 5th 2018


SUMMARY
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She come up with algorithms to predict customer purchases - a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice - with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan, who can''t afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her.
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best king of logic...

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 things I didn't like.

So what did I think?

+1 | The idea is clever and pulled me to it immediately.

+1 | The entertainment value kept me reading and reading

+1 | The characters are perfectly executed, flawed yet lovable. And the struggles were portrayed stunningly with family, friends and colleagues woven in.

+1 | The writing brought the main character, and all her struggles, to life and the flow was so well timed.

+0.5 | The romance was definitely refreshing and new.

-0.5 | Disclaimer:  only for mature audiences.

Read on lovelies,

S

Summer Break ?

Summer is here, and there will be some scheduling changes, I won't be gone though!

So through June and July I will be posting every second Saturday.

Though the first two weeks of June will have a post and the second week of August won't!

So biweekly from June 9th to August 11th, 5 skips in total

Also on another note, we will start the summer with lots of book reviews, since lots of exciting book are being released.

For example make sure to check out yesterdays Smoke in the Sun review and be on the lookout for Reaper at the Gates, My Plain Jane, Sea Witch and more!

Read on lovelies and have a fantastic summer,

S

Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh : Review

Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh

*ARC kindly provided by the publisher Penguin in exchange for an honest review!*

Publication: June 5th

Finale to The Flame in the Mist (my review here)

Summary for Flame in the Mist:
The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands.

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✦✧

So as usual, I'll tell 4.0 things I liked about the book and 1.0 thing I didn't like.

So what did I think?

+1 | The idea and premise is clever and intriguing. The first one was slightly based on Mulan and I loved that aspect. But in this book we're moving from the forest to the palace

+1 | The characters are so layered and well balanced, and even though there are lots of them they pull you into the book

+1 | World and world building. The story takes place in Japan (with a mini dictionary at the back again!), and Ahdieh has really excelled in transporting us there

+1 | The writing is what I've already come to love with Ahdieh's other books, and she doesn't disappoint!

-1 | There's some magic, like in the first one, but I felt like it was overpowered by politics. I would've preferred more of the former than the latter - but I know lots of readers will love that aspect

Read on lovelies,

S

Opposite Books TAG

First book in your collection/Last book you bought

i) One of the first ones was Pikkuinen norsutyttö Elli

ii) Last one I bought was the Book of a Thousand Days

- - -

A cheap book/An expensive book

i) If free books don't count then 50 cents from the library

ii) Maybe around 20 euros? I can't say a specific one though

- - -

A book with a male protagonist/One with a female protagonist

i) Batman by Marie Lu

ii) Wonder woman by Leigh Bardugo

- - -

A book you read fast/One that took you long to read

i) Frost Like Night

ii) There's Someone Inside Your House

- - -

Pretty cover/Ugly cover

I have posts for both of these, so check them out!

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A national book/An international book

i) Pallokala starts off in Finland...

ii) ... but then goes to Japan

- - -

A thin book/A thick book

i) How to be an Alien

ii) A non-collection book would be Winter by Marissa Meyer, according to Goodreads

- - -

Fiction book/Non-fiction book

i) The first one on my shelf is Graceling

ii) The first one that comes to mind is What If?

- - -

Very (way too) romantic book/Action book

i) Anna and the French Kiss screems romance, even with it's title

ii) Renegades by Marissa Meyer

- - -

A book that made you happy/One that made you sad

i) Love Life and the List

ii) If I Stay

Read on lovelies,

S

The Academy by Katie Sise: review

The Academy by Katie Sise

*ARC kindly provided by the publisher Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review!*

SUMMARY:
Frankie Brooks knows what she wants in life: to become the world's next great fashion editor. But Frankie messes up one too many times and her parents come up with different plans for her future: military school.
    How is she to survive?
As she learns how to cope with impossible military drills and intimidating specialized classes and is maybe even falling for cadet Jack Wattson, can Frankie prove to everyone that being a fashionista doesn't mean she can't succeed?

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✧✧

So what did I think?

I chose the book on a whim since it reminded me of Cadet Kelly. Some Romance, friendships the importance of family and working hard.

After reading I can say it's Legally Blonde but with military aspects instead of law, for young teens.

>> Fun and quick and would recommend to teens interested in the description or the aforementioned movies.

The idea and characters are well executed with the entertainment value great.

Read on lovelies,

S