Posted in Felicia

An Announcement | Stuck in Fiction

If you’ve been following for awhile, you’ll know that halfway through last year the blog had a name change to Stocked Up on Starbooks. This was a great change for the blog and I’m still very glad it happened.

With all that being said, sometimes more change needs to happen. Stephanie and I have parted ways on the blog and Stocked Up on Starbooks is being rebranded to Stuck in Fiction. Everything you’re used to seeing here will still be the same, but now it’s just me as the sole owner and creator of content.

I’m very excited to continue this blogging journey and can’t wait to share my content with you all!

Posted in Felicia

New Name, but Still Us

Hey everyone! After much consideration, we have decided to overhaul our blog and go with a new name. Both of us feel strongly in our love for the LGBTQ+ community and after recent events, we will no longer be going by Bookishly Slytherclaw. We will now be going by Stocked Up on Starbooks! We hope you continue to join us on our blogging journey and we can’t wait to share our thoughts on books with you all.

Felicia and Stephanie

Posted in Felicia

Driving Me Crazy Cover Reveal

Title: Driving Me Crazy
Author: Lisa Suzanne
Genre: Contemporary Rock Star Romantic Comedy
Cover Design: Najla Qamber
Photo: Wander Aguiar
Models: Andrew Biernat & Joli
Release Date: March 27, 2020

Blurb

If opposites attract, my brother’s best friend and I are perfect for
each other.

I’m a balanced, ambitious ER nurse. He’s the immature guy in a successful band
who’s basically along for this ride called life.

Everything’s going great between us until the night he makes a stupid mistake
that changes everything. When I can’t see a future with him, I end it.

But the two of us are contractually obligated to go on a road trip across the
country, and since his reality show will be filming us, we have to act like
we’re a couple.

He blasts music I can’t stand, stops at strange roadside attractions, and
chooses my least favorite restaurants. Despite all that, I still see the sides
of him that I was starting to fall in love with.

Can we find our way back to each other, or will he just keep driving me crazy?


ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Author Bio

Lisa Suzanne is a romance author who resides in Arizona with
her husband and two kids. She’s a former high school English teacher and
college composition instructor. When she’s not chasing her toddler or cuddling
her newborn, she can be found working on her latest book or watching reruns of Friends.

Author Links
Posted in Felicia

The Summer Bucket List Tag

We were tagged by Siobhan @ Novelties for The Summer Bucket List Tag. Thank you so much for tagging us! We had so much fun completing this tag!

Rules

  • Link back to the original creator in your post.
  • Feel free to use any of my (Tiffany’s) graphics in your post, or create your own!
  • Tag 5 other people at the end of your post, and let them know you’ve tagged them.

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37539698Felicia

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake

This book has some of the most amazing beach scenes that I’ve read in a book. This is such a hard hitting middle grade book that honestly broke me at times. This is a book that heavily features the ocean and beach. I think it added a lot to the story and how the main character explored the changes in her life.

percyStephanie

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This book has been with me through a lot, and is hands down one of those books I turn to whenever I’m in a slump or feeling down. This takes place mainly in New York, but the road trip all across America to various watery locations. It was one of the books that defined my reading addiction, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without Percy.

 

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Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

As soon as I saw what was needed for this one, I knew I would be picking Fix Her Up. This book is steamy and sexy and my goodness does it have a firey romance! I don’t know who I would be if this wasn’t my choice for this one. Don’t let this unsuspecting cover fool you, this book is an absolutely steamy one!

36199084Stephanie

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The first book I think of when I think “fiery romance” is hands down The Kiss Quotient! I am absolutely OBSESSED with Stella and Michael, and I can’t wait to get my hand on the other two in the series. This book gets hot and heavy super quickly, and it’s definitely a wild ride from beginning to end!

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You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

This book involves a literal journey across the United States, but it also involves some amazing personal journeys for the two main characters in this story. This book took me by complete surprise in how hard hitting it was and the topics it deals with. I thought I was just going to get a cutesy contemporary. While I did get that, I also got a book that talks about addiction and grief.

6442769Stephanie

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns has been at the top of my favorites list since I read it back in high school. It is one of those books where, when I read it, I found portions of myself on every Pae. The characters n this book go on several different types of our eyes. They journey to find themselves, to figure out their relationships with each other, and to physically track down a missing girl. One of the things I love about this book is that John Green gets to the heart of each of these characters and helps to relate to real, everyday issues in a book that deals with some extraordinary circumstances.

 

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34219873Felicia

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

I’ve read Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow twice now and both times it has left me completely starstruck. I absolutely adore this book as well as the sequel. It has some of the most amazing world building. The characters in the story are delightful and I can’t get enough of this world. Absolutely can’t wait for more in this series.

caravalStephanie

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

When I firs read Caraval, I couldn’t get enough. I tore through it in about a day while on a road trip. I was astounded at the people and the setting, and the character building. Stephanie Garber left me dazzled by the magical world she created. Imagine my delight when I found Legendary on the shelf of a bookstore the next day, several weeks before it was supposed to hit stores. Maybe magic does exist?

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Wilder Girls by Rory Power

For this, I have to go with Wilder Girls. This book was everything I could have ever wanted and never knew I needed. It completely hooked me and I could not put it down at all. This is not a book I would have ever thought about picking up, but I received an ARC through Netgalley and read it and fell in love. It totally messed with my mind and made my skin crawl during many parts of it, but it’s so amazing and I’m completely obsessed.

29385546Stephanie

Warcross by Marie Lu

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and I physically could not stop listening to it. I remember the struggle every time a class would start and I would have to take out my headphones. I ended up locking myself in my room with my iPod and an art project to finish this one. I stayed up till three AM to listen to the final moments and I do not regret it. This book is AMAZING, unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same about the sequel.

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42265491Felicia

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This seems to be a book I can’t stop talking about, but my choice for this is definitely Red, White, and Royal Blue. The romance in here is so sweet and amazing and I absolutely can’t stop gushing about it. While having an amazing romance, it also deals with some amazing topics and has a lot of representation!

36341204._SY475_Stephanie

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Since Felicia took my first choice here, I decided to go with my runner up for this category. What if It’s Us was such a sweet read. I really appreciated the representation that we got with this book. The relationship between the two main characters was really adorable and I didn’t want the book to end. I also was obsessed with all of the Broadway themes throughout – it was one of my favorite reads!

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42201395Felicia

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

While Sorcery of Thorns may be a somewhat odd choice for it, I definitely thought this book was a breath of fresh air. It was unique to me and to me that’s what this prompt is all about. I have never read a book like this one. The whole aspect about books being sentient was unlike anything I have ever read! I wish this book had a sequel because I could so use more in this world.

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The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel

This book came to me and was a four star novel in a sea of DNF’d ARCs. I was a little worried at first, because I don’t read a lot of quality middle grade, but man this book packed a punch! The main character was quirky and fun, and had to deal with some massive problems, especially for a twelve year old! I also can’t pass up a good story about a secret society! This book was a super quick read, and I can’t wait for news on book two!

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41154268Felicia

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

With the Fire on High is definitely my choice for this. I knew almost nothing about this book before going into it, but was so pleasantly surprised by it. The main character goes through a lot in the book and overcomes some great obstacles. This book also heavily features food and other culinary aspects. The descriptions of the meals that are prepared honestly made me feel like I had the food sitting next to me at times.

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Puddin’ by Julie Murphy

This book spoke to me. As a bigger girl, I empathize with Millie Michalchuck and her overly-positive personality. She had to leap so many hurdles in this book – from overprotective parents, to struggling to speak up when something wasn’t right, all the way to discrimination against girls whose dress size is larger than your average shoe size. This book is a split POV and the other main character, Callie, also has some massive obstacles to overcome as well – even though most of them she put in her own path. I highly recommend this follow-up to Dumplin’ (and I also recommend the Netflix film adaptation of the first book as well!)

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36192190Felicia

Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale

This one took some thinking, but I ultimately decided on Small Town Hearts. This is one I recently read and it’s so descriptive. It actually worked for several of the questions for this tag and almost got used for by the water, but the descriptions of the food in this book are just absolutely amazing. I found myself hungry for the food that kept being mentioned in the book while reading it.

41150549Stephanie

Getting Hot With The Scot by Melonie Johnson

This isn’t really the book most people would think of when it comes to food, but let me tell you, the way this author describes food is downright delectable. In this novel the main characters start out on a tour across Europe, and along the way they taste a lot of food (and men). I mean, I can’t go to McDonalds right now and not be constantly reminded of this book every time I see them advertise their Stroopwafel flurry.

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35098412 (1)Felicia

The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

This is one that I kept putting off even though I’ve owned it since it was released and even bought the sequel when it came out even though I hadn’t yet read the first book. The Queen’s Rising was so inspiring to me though. Not only for all the passions in the story, but also for the actions that the main character has to take throughout the story. I found it to be an inspiring story all around.

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Internment by Samira Ahmed

I can’t stress enough just how much this book impacted me. I’ve been writing letters to my representatives. I’ve been talking about these issues to anyone who will listen to me. This book, while not perfect, reminded me of the social injustices that are going on that need to be addressed. I highly recommend this book!


We tag: Melanie and Mireille at TBR and Beyond, Candyce at The Book Dutchesses, Heather at Young at Heart ReaderJoAnne at Mahkjchi’s Not-So-Secret Books, and Alys at Alys in Bookland.

Happy reading!
Felicia and Stephanie

Posted in Felicia

The Feel Good Factor – Excerpt Reveal

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00024]

Title: The Feel Good Factor
Author: Lauren Blakely

That inked bad boy who’s been flirting hard with me since he rode into town? Turns out he’s my new housemate, which is one hell of a problem since our chemistry is so hot it should be illegal.

I have a fantastic family, great best friends, a job I love…and now I’m up for a promotion to police sergeant. I need total focus—not a flirty, dirty, irresistible, tattooed hottie riding into my town on his motorcycle. Can I arrest him for being too good-looking? When he kisses me senseless in the back of a waffle truck, it’s criminal, the things he makes me think about hot syrup and melted butter. One order of hot, fluffy hookup to go, please.
But the next time I see him, it’s not for our date with benefits. He’s the guy who just rented the room above my garage.
I need the rent to pay my bills, not a man like Derek, who I soon discover to be strong, caring, generous, good with kids, and kind to puppies… If I’m not careful, he’ll be moving into my heart as well as my house.
 
***
 
A no-strings-attached fling with the fiery redhead who revs my engine? Why, yes, that does sound like a delicious perk of my new job in this new town, thank you very much. I’m coming off a bad relationship, and I have zero interest in anything serious. I’ve got all the serious I need helping my sister take care of her three little kids while her husband is deployed.
Except, surprise! Perri isn’t just my future fling. Turns out she’s my sexy, sassy landlord.
A lease definitely counts as “strings attached,” and as much as I’d like to get tangled in her sheets, I can’t let myself get tangled up in a relationship.
But as soon as we put the cuffs on our escapades, I learn over late-night conversations in the kitchen, that my landlord is so much more than the sexiest woman I’ve ever met– she has a quick mind and the biggest heart.

Once I’m in, I’m all in. And to convince her that we should see where this goes, I plan on turning up the heat—and not just in the kitchen.

ORDER YOUR COPIES HERE!

✦Amazon Kindle   https://blkly.pub/KindleFeelGood 
Apple  https://blkly.pub/AppleFeelgood
Kobo  https://blkly.pub/KoboFeelGood
Nook  https://blkly.pub/NookFeelGood
Google Play  https://blkly.pub/GoogleFeelGood
Audible  https://blkly.pub/AudFeelgood
Amazon PB  https://blkly.pub/AmazonFG


Except Reveal:

~PERRI~

“Hey, officer. I think you might have been walking too fast through the market.”

The hairs on my neck stand on end. That gravelly, too-sexy-for-words tone delivers a wave of sensation across my skin.

It could only be Mr. Trouble.

With an avocado in hand, I turn around, and my eyes feast. How is it possible for him to be even hotter today? Is this a trick only the handsomest men can employ? The ability to multiply their good looks?

Somehow, maybe a trick of the light, he’s exponentially sexier in those shades, his gray T-shirt showing off swirls of ink, and jeans so well-worn they cling caressingly to his legs.

Lucky jeans.

But it’s his face, most of all, that draws me in as soon as he flicks off his glasses and I get a full dose of dark, soulful brown eyes full of naughty wishes.

Oh, wait. Maybe those are my naughty wishes reflected back at me.

Because I want him.

Do I ever. I want to climb him, rope my hands through his hair, and haul him in for a wild kiss.

Whoa.

That bout of desire was brought to you today by what-happens-when-lust-slams-into-you-like-a-freight-train.

“Gee, was I speed-walking?” I toss out, mainly to keep him standing there, because I’m mesmerized next by his tattoos. Sunbursts and tribal bands curl over his sinewy arms, and I’d like to like them. I’d like to know if he’s inked elsewhere and how far, or how low, the artwork on his body descends.

To his hips? The top of his ass? The V of his abs?

A woman can dream.

With a tilt of his head and a far-too-knowing grin, he answers, “Let me guess. You either didn’t realize it, or you have someplace real important to be?”

“So important. I have to…” I trail off then make my voice as husky as can be as I set down my avocado, “…make guacamole.”

“You don’t say,” he rasps, his low baritone caressing me all over. “I could help you with that, officer.”

“Are you Mr. Avocado Farmer?”

“I’m Mr. I Can Show You How Ripe They Are.” He steps into the booth, moving next to me, getting into my space.

Closer than he needs to be.

A tremble rolls over my shoulders as he crowds me. “Let’s see.” He strokes his neat beard, and I rein in a whimper. I want my hands on that scruff.

He studies the sea of avocados, reaching for one at last and then sliding even closer, so his shoulder touches mine. It’s the match to my kindling and strikes a fire inside me.

If anyone tried to tell me a woman doesn’t have a type, I’d call that person a liar.

I have a type, and the type lights me up from sea to shining sea.

He cups the fruit in his palm, then brings it near my chest. I draw a quick breath, then flick my hair off my shoulders.

“By the way,” he says, “I like your hair up, but I fucking love it down.”

Dead.

I am dead from desire.

Before I can reply—I’m honestly not sure I can form intelligible words—he rubs his other hand over the rind. “See, you want to find the one that’s ripe and”—he pauses and turns his face to meet my gaze, his dark eyes holding mine—“ready to eat.”

A shudder hijacks my body. “Is that so?”

I don’t need a tutorial in picking avocados. Please. I know how to pick them just fine.

But I want his lesson. Want to hear his voice. Watch those hands move. Feel him slide closer.

“It’ll feel slightly soft, and it’ll yield to just the right amount of gentle pressure.”

And that pressure builds between my legs, an insistent throb. “How do you tell if it’s enough pressure?”

He pushes a thumb against the flesh of the fruit, making a husky hum low in his throat. “Just like that. See how it responds?”

“How’s it responding?”

He turns, angling his body nearer to me, his dark eyes shining with desire as he roams them over my face, my hair, my breasts. “Just the way I like it.”

This man is going to ruin me in the best possible way.

While I don’t have the time or inclination for dating, dinners, or fitting someone into my very busy schedule, I’m pretty sure I could deal with a little ruination.

Yes, I could definitely do with getting ruined.

Posted in Felicia

Falling for Fallon Cover Reveal

TITLE: Falling for Fallon

SERIES: Oak Hill Series (All standalones)

RELEASE DATE: April 4th

GENRE: Romcom

BLURB: 

Somehow, at the ripe age of twenty-three, I find myself in line to marry a man I don’t love.

I grind my teeth right there at the dinner table as my mother and father go on and on about how proud they are of me, how proud they are that I, Fallon Addington, will no longer be the black sheep of the family and become the daughter they’ve always wanted.

Marry Derek and they’ll finally accept me.

Marry Derek and they’ll stop shoving men from their “social circle” in my direction.

Marry Derek and become the spitting image of my mother; the perfect corporate wife with a face full of make-up and not a hair out of line.

Marry Derek and all the shame and guilt will disappear.

But then… I embarrassingly flash Emmett Lanning my bra and suddenly my parents’ hopes and dreams are burning up in flames, right there along with my heart.

 GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42259371-falling-for-fallon

Posted in Felicia

Fallen Star Cover Reveal

We’ve got a stunning reveal for you today – the cover of FALLEN STAR by Susannah Nix, which releases March 5th! Check it out below and preorder your copy today!

About FALLEN STAR

Available March 5th, 2018

The second he walked through the door, she could tell he was trouble.

Grace knows better than to fall for a Hollywood bad boy like Scott Deacon. An arrogant movie star with a troubled past and a big honking chip on his shoulder? No, thank you. He may be sex on wheels, but beneath the charming facade he’s just another cocky jackass destined to make her job more difficult.

Except…

The more time they spend together, the hotter the fire between them burns. With every flirtatious smile and brush of his hand, she feels her defenses crumbling.

She wants to hate him, but instead she’s in danger of losing all control.

FALLEN STAR releases March 5th – preorder your copy now!

✦Apple Books https://apple.co/2sUEguf
✦B&N http://bit.ly/2sRkmQV
✦Google Play http://bit.ly/2sQKECQ
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2sS1HEJ

Be sure to follow Susannah on social media to find out when the Amazon preorder goes live!

Add FALLEN STAR to Goodreads now: http://bit.ly/2sRkm3n

About Susannah Nix

Susannah Nix is the author of quirky contemporary romances about smart women and swoony men, including the Chemistry Lessons series of romcoms featuring STEM heroines and the Starstruck series of movie star romances. She lives in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. ​

When she’s not writing, Susannah enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching too much television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a powerlifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest

Posted in Felicia

Blog Tour for Dare You to Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch

Tour Banner - Dare You To Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch.png

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Dare You to Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch. This tour is being hosted by Pure Textuality. I will be sharing my review of Dare You to Lie.

Dare You To Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch
Series Hometown Antihero Book One
Genre Young Adult Mystery / Suspense
Publisher Tor Teen
Publication Date September 4, 2018
Amazon  https://amzn.to/2GZbmC1 
Barnes & Noble  http://bit.ly/2zCMPjA 
Kobo http://bit.ly/2uJ55SX 
iBooks https://apple.co/2LhS24S
Indiebound  http://bit.ly/2NhJR68

 

dare you to lieSYNOPSIS:

The first installment in the Hometown Antihero series by Amber Lynn Natusch.

When her FBI agent father is framed for murder, Kylene is forced to move in with her grandfather, back to the small town that turned its back on her, and the boy who betrayed her.

All Ky cares about is clearing her father’s name, but someone won’t let her forget the photo scandal that drove her away two years ago. As the threats gain momentum, Ky finds an unlikely ally in the annoyingly attractive rookie FBI agent sent to keep an eye on her.

Determined to expose the town’s hidden skeletons, Ky unwittingly thrusts herself into a much bigger plot. They thought she’d forgive and forget. They’re about to learn they messed with the wrong girl.

DARE YOU TO LIE, a young adult mystery read perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, Pretty Little Liars, or Riverdale.

Teaser 1 - Dare You To Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch.png

My Review:

Those that know the type of books I like to read will know that mystery/suspense books are not the type of books I usually read. Dare You to Lie is one that years ago, I honestly would have passed right by at a bookstore. I’m so glad I gave this book a shot because I’m completely obsessed with it and need more now!

I will give a trigger or content warning to physical abuse and sexual assault in this story.

Dare You to Lie starts off with Kylene’s father being convicted of murder and her mother leaving so she has to move in with her grandpa. They had moved away a couple years prior after pictures of Kylene were taken while she was naked and were leaked online. The suspects were all high school football players, who were protected instead of her.

Kylene easily falls back into her friendship with Garrett and makes a new friend with Tabby. Those three characters together are so amazing. The banter and conversations between them were some of my favorites.

Throughout the story, Kylene is trying to prove who took those pictures of her while also trying to prove her dad is innocent. She’s intelligent, but also doesn’t know when to stay quiet. This ends up causing a target to be placed on her.

This is one of those stories where it’s best to go into it without much background knowledge, so I won’t say more about the premise behind the story than that.

The pacing of Dare You to Lie is awesome. I read it slower than most books just because it’s not a genre I typically read and I wanted to make sure I was really getting all the information that I was being given. I never wanted to quit reading it though, which is something I always want in a story.

The cast of characters in Dare You to Lie were amazing. There are many that are so easy to like, while also having those ones you immediately don’t like and ones you question if you should trust them or not. Besides Kylene, Garrett, and Tabby, I really enjoyed the parts of the story with Gramps and Meg. While reading the story, Agent Dawson eventually grew on me.

Dare You to Lie got a 4.5/5 stars from me. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more. I’m very excited that this is the start of a series because I knew halfway through that I would need more in this world.

Author Pic - Amber Lynn NatuschABOUT AMBER LYNN NATUSCH

AMBER LYNN NATUSCH is the author of the bestselling Caged series for adults. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, and is still deeply attached to her Canadian roots. She loves to dance and practice Muay Thai―but spends most of her time running a chiropractic practice with her husband, raising two young children, and attempting to write when she can lock herself in the bathroom for ten minutes of peace. Dare You to Lie is her debut YA novel with Tor Teen.

Posted in Felicia

When Summer Ends – Cover Reveal

I’m so excited that I get to be apart of revealing the cover for Jessica Pennington’s next book. Read the synopsis of this book below and then keep scrolling for the official cover for When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington!

Links to add it to your Goodreads shelf as well as to preorder the book are below this amazing cover. To top it off, if you add it to your Goodreads shelf and share on Instagram or Twitter, you can enter to win an ARC of When Summer Ends!

Publication Date: April 9, 2019
Publisher: Tor Teen/Macmillan
YA contemporary romance

OFFICIAL BOOK SUMMARY

Aiden Emerson is an all-star pitcher and the all-around golden boy of Riverton. Or at least he was, before he quit the team the last day of junior year without any explanation. How could he tell people he’s losing his vision at seventeen?

Straight-laced Olivia thought she had life all figured out. But when her dream internship falls apart, her estranged mother comes back into her life, and her long-time boyfriend dumps her right before summer break, she starts to think fate has a weird sense of humor.

Each struggling to find a new direction, Aiden and Olivia decide to live summer by chance. Every fleeting adventure and stolen kiss is as fragile as a coin flip in this heartfelt journey to love and self-discovery from the author of Love Songs & Other Lies.

WHEN SUMMER ENDS

Add on Goodreads

Pre-Order Links

Amazon
BAM

ARC GIVEAWAY

Add When Summer Ends to your Goodreads shelf, and share on twitter or IG, for a chance to win one of the very first ARCs of When Summer Ends, plus a Love Songs & Other Lies swag bag. Open international, ends 8/22!

ARC GIVEAWAY

Anyone else super excited for When Summer Ends? It’s one that I’m highly anticipating for 2019!

Happy reading!
Felicia

Posted in Felicia

Reign of the Fallen

reign of the fallenThis is one of those books that I’m so shocked it took me so long to read because I absolutely loved it. It took me a tiny bit longer than usual to read it, but that was only because I’ve had an off month with my reading and have been slower at finishing books than I usually am.

Content warnings: substance abuse, talk of suicide, violence, death, and some sexual activity, but it’s not explicit

Reign of the Fallen absolutely had me on a roller coaster of emotions, which is fitting considering the main character, Odessa, is also on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the story.

Reign of the Fallen follows Odessa, who is a teenage necromancer. She is known throughout the story as Sparrow because she seamlessly flies between the land of the living and the Deadlands. Her job is to kill and then resurrect the king of Karthia so he will able to rule for longer than what he already has.

In Reign of the Fallen, people are able to train for different classes of mages based on the color of their eyes. In the book, we get to see Odessa and her friends able to do different things based on their eye color. Blue eyes, like what Odessa, Evander, and Jax have, mean you’re able to study necromancy and are able to learn how to enter the Deadlands. Green eyes, like what Meredy has, means you’re able to become a beast master. I found this form of a magic system to be unique and well thought out. I loved that it was an organic way for a magic system to take form and that it was clear that a certain eye color meant you could do a certain thing.

The characters in this story were so amazing. Not only are they just amazing, but there is also racial diversity and sexual orientation diversity. Several of the characters are of different races. The main character, Odessa, is bisexual, while many of the other characters are gay as well. I adored this cast of characters so much and would read a story about any of them in a heartbeat.

Of course, what is a story without conflict. Even though there has been peace between the living and the dead for many years, it quickly becomes clear that not everyone has the same beliefs.

In this world, though the dead walk among the living, they must hide every inch of their body beneath a shroud. If a living person even catches a glimpse of their skin, they then turn into a shade. Shades are monsters who can’t control their actions or themselves and feast on anything that gets in their way. Once a person has become a shade, they can no longer be raised again.

Twists and turns start as royalty starts to go missing and master necromancers are killed. Odessa is brought in to solve the mystery because she’s one of the best necromancers around.

I loved how positive this story was in regards to sex in YA. Odessa has more than one partner throughout Reign of the Fallen and never apologizes for it or feels shame for it. This is something that is definitely needed more in the YA world of books.

I also loved that this book dealt with substance abuse. Unfortunately, this is an aspect of life that too many kids are all too well aware of. Even though this is a fantasy novel, it dealt with the aspect of addiction in the perfect way. It showed that not only does addiction affect the person who is addicted, but also the people who care about them as well. This type of discussion is so important and much needed and it was amazing to see it in a YA book.

Reign of the Fallen also deals with grief. I think this might have been the hardest part for me to read even though I haven’t lost many people in my life. Odessa’s pain is so hard to read because it is realistically done. I cried a lot while reading Reign because the loss felt oh so real.

Another aspect of this book is family. Not just family in the sense of blood, but the family you find as you live. The family you choose to enter your life through friendships and relationships.

Finally, I adored the Odessa is a bisexual main character. She’s not coming out. She’s not being ridiculed or anything like that for being bisexual. I love that there’s a book out in the world with an openly bisexual character where it is normalized and accepted.

Overall, this was an amazing book. The magic system is well thought out and the characters in the story are amazing. It has important topics and themes that I’m so glad to see in a YA story. Sarah Glenn Marsh is also one of the sweetest authors I’ve ever interacted with. I can’t wait for the sequel and whatever else Sarah comes up with.

Have you read Reign of the Fallen? If so, what were your thoughts on it?

Happy reading!
Felicia