The Surviving Girls Blog Tour: Book Review

Release alert for THE SURVIVING GIRLS!
Don’t miss this intense, and suspenseful crime novel by Katee Robert!

THE SURVIVING GIRLS
By Katee Robert
Series: Hidden Sins #3
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Print Length: 282 pages
Format: Digital and Paperback
ISBN: 978-1503902442

Synopsis

A fierce survivor and a fearless FBI agent battle a copycat serial killer in a gripping thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert.

Twelve years ago, Lei Zhang and her friend Emma Nilsson miraculously lived through the notorious Sorority Row Murders that left twenty-one of their sisters dead. Still wrestling with the trauma but finally out of the limelight, Lei and Emma are now devoted to helping other victims find closure. But most disturbing for Lei—beyond the gut-wrenching survivor guilt—is that the killer was her boyfriend. He’s behind bars, but she’ll never lower her guard again.

When a copycat killer targets Lei and Emma, FBI Agent Dante Young is put in charge of anticipating the sociopath’s every move. But what he doesn’t expect is his immediate and overpowering attraction to Lei. The closer they get to each other, the more desperate and terrifying the questions become: Who wants to finish what the killer started—and why?

Now Agent Young vows to protect Lei at all costs. If they have any chance of a future together, first they have to stay alive…

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

Review

Okay first thing first, how gorgeous is that cover? Oh my god!!!! I can just stare at that cover for hours straight…. That cover is just an absolute absolute beauty. Anyway enough of fan girling over the cover, now straight to the review.

This novel just gripped me completely. Right from the moment the first victims were found out there was no looking back, one after another unexpected twists and turns were thrown at me and I got more and more captivated by the story. Seriously if it had not been for my exams I would have definitely finished this book at one go.

This book was filled to brim with suspense and spine-chilling moments. This book was sometimes so chilling, that when I was reading at night, I actually thought of going and checking all the rooms to make sure no unwanted person was hiding in my house.

Even though I enjoyed this book a lot, but still I had a few problems with it. The first one was why is there 12 years gap between the two occurrings? If you read the book you will understand why I am saying this. From the synopsis it seems perfectly all right, but by the time you would reach the end of this book, I think this question will definitely arise in your mind too, that why 12 long years? I felt 12 years was way too long. Another problem was the final encounter with the unsub, I thought it would be a bit more intense, a bit more what do I say? A bit more extreme after the thrilling ride this book took me on, but it wasn’t that extreme or intense. These were the two problems I had with this book, but seriously these problems were nothing in compared to the suspenseful, gripping, thrilling ride this book was. You should definitely buy this book, and I think immediately….

There is another minor problem, though it is not about the book, but about the genre it is listed in. Because I can no way term this book as ‘romantic’ thriller because there was very little romance. This should be listed under Thriller only, not romantic thriller.

Final Words

If you are thriller lover, then please don’t wait anymore just go and click on the buy links below the synopsis and get yourself a copy of The Surviving Girls.

LIFE AT 17 RATING

🎐🎐🎐🎐

(4 stars out of 5)

Excerpt

Lei couldn’t breathe. Her chest closed painfully as if she’d been knocked flat on her back, and her lungs burned with the need for oxygen. Somewhere in the tiny rational corner of her mind, she knew there was nothing really wrong with her, but rational thought had no place in the midst of her panic.
He’s back. Emma was right all along and he’s coming for us.
Stop.
You’re spiraling.
Travis Berkley is still in jail. This is a copycat, and no matter how bad a copycat is, he can’t be worse than Travis. You survived before. You will this time, too.
A whine cut through her thoughts, and then Saul was there, nudging her hand with his cool nose. She inhaled sharply, suddenly aware that everyone in the room was staring at her. The Feds had the blank-slate expression she’d come to associate with cops when they were in a difficult situation. Emma looked at her as if she was on the verge of her own panic attack.
Lei stroked her hand over Saul’s head, forming a wall of indisputable facts in her mind to keep the fear at bay. She wasn’t twenty-one anymore, only a couple of years out of the stifling family home she’d grown up on, still drunk on freedom and the realization that she could do anything she wanted to with her future.
She’d been an idiot. A child who was playing dress-up without realizing the pitfalls of adulthood.
Though most pitfalls don’t come attached to a knife.
Lei wasn’t that girl anymore. She’d seen the worst Travis Berkley could offer and had the scars to show for it. She could shoot. She could fight. She’d worked with enough cops over the course of her career as a trainer and search team that she had an inside view to how their minds worked.
She would not lose herself to terror.
Another stroke to Saul’s head and she was able to speak. “How close to the original murders are the details?”
Agent Young exchanged a glance with his partner and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. His big hands dangled between his legs, and she distantly noted that he had really firm thighs beneath the expensive slacks. He spoke slowly, as if gauging her response. “We haven’t had a chance to check the original case files, but the big details are almost identical. The murders were performed in the same way—girls kept in a main room and taken out individually. We think he snuck in through a window, because their condo was on the second floor and he used a knife from the kitchen.”
She could almost hear Travis’s voice in her head, even after all these years. Let me in, Lei-Lei. I have a surprise for you. Stupid. She’d been so incredibly stupid, swayed by a pretty face and a boy her parents would approve of who made her feel. Smart, athletic, the right dollar amount in his family’s bank account. Someone bright and colorful and checking all the right boxes.
Since she couldn’t bring herself to ask if one of the girls let him in, she focused on the rest. “If this is a fan, he must have been in contact with Travis at some point.” She put her hand on Emma’s leg when her friend flinched at his name. The Feds didn’t react, which made her sigh. “But you already knew that. You don’t need me telling you how to do your job. What is it you need?”
Another loaded look between them. They’d obviously been partners for a long time, because they managed to convey an entire conversation’s worth of talking in a single look.
Again, it was Agent Young who took the lead. “We can find the details of the case easily enough, along with your accounts, but what I’d like to know is your take on Travis.”
“Because I dated him.” She stated it baldly, as if the fact she’d slept with a murderer was something she’d dealt with and moved on from. As if the fact didn’t still keep her up at night, moving beneath her skin until she wanted to take a wire brush to her body. There weren’t enough hot showers and bleach baths in the world to change the fact she’d willingly been with him. She could never take that back.
“Because you—both of you—have known him longer than anyone.”
“Agent Young—”
“Dante.”
She stopped short. Dante. It fit him somehow—strong and a little bit intense. He masked it well, but there was fire lurking in the depths of his dark eyes, in the way he clenched his fists as they spoke about Travis. She shouldn’t be forming personal opinions about any man, let alone one connected with the case. Lei’s track record had more than proven that fact.
While she was still trying to process her strange and seriously inconvenient reaction to him, Emma had found her voice. She spoke softly, her southern accent giving her breathy tone a pretty lilt. She had a Dolly Parton thing going for her—at least before Dolly got a little crazy for plastic surgery—and Emma wasn’t above playing up the sweet-southern-belle thing when it suited her. “Travis Berkley is a sociopath with a healthy dose of narcissistic personality disorder—which you already know because you read the file. Everything is in the file. We have been doing our best to get past what he did to us—to our sisters—and that means forgetting as much as possible.”
Maybe for Emma. Lei couldn’t afford to forget. It had been her mistake that tipped the first domino that destroyed so many lives. While it was possible Travis could have gotten into the house on his own, she’d been the fool who let him in her window.
The knowledge made her hands shake. Emma might want to do everything to avoid that gory walk down memory lane, but Lei didn’t have that option. Guilt wrapped around her throat, tightening, ever tightening. “You have something specific you’re here for.”
Agent Rowan leaned forward, a clear indication that she’d take it from there. As much as Lei wanted the calming force Dante—Agent Young—seemed to emanate, she turned almost gratefully to the redhead. She eyed her as if Lei was a particularly interesting bug. “We’re theorizing this fucker—”
“Clarke.”
She didn’t look at him. “These women have seen enough, Dante. You know as well as I do that a few choice curse words aren’t going to have them scrambling for their sniffing salts.”
Lei understood now why Britton had paired these two together. Clarke was the blunt force designed to set a person back on their heels so they were too busy reacting to her foul mouth to stop and think that there might be a shrewd mind behind those deceptively big blue eyes. Dante on the other hand, was a cool summer mist, unruffling feathers and putting everyone in the room at ease with his calm presence. Both agents would be underestimated in different ways, which was only to their benefit.
Clever.
She eyed the dogs on the floor. Neither of them seemed overly concerned with the Feds in the room. Good. Lei had more than proven she could be fooled, but Saul couldn’t. Every time he reacted poorly to a person, she paid attention—and most of the time something eventually came to light to prove her dog’s instincts correct.
Clarke followed her gaze and then refocused on Lei and then Emma. “A lot of sociopaths think they’re smarter than everyone else in the room—some of them are even right—and Travis sure as hell falls into the latter category. His IQ is 167, and from all accounts, prison hasn’t broken him. What we need to know is if he’d encourage a fan to take these steps.”
“Of course he would. He’s a fucking psycho,” Emma snarled.
“What do you think?” Clarke was looking at Lei.
Because why not? Even now, cops thought Lei had some kind of inside track to the way Travis’s mind worked. She’d dated him for months, had slept with him countless times, and so she must have some insider knowledge to explain how the golden boy went so very, very wrong.
She hadn’t been able to give them a satisfactory answer then. She didn’t have one now, either. But she could try.

Praise for The Hidden Sins Series

“…a captivating read, made all the more rewarding when good triumphs.” —Washington Post on The Devil’s Daughter

“Robert shows off her impressive versatility in this fast-paced and inventive new Hidden Sins series. The small-town setting is a masterful blend of quaint and oppressive, which ratchets the menace and thrill factor. The protagonists carry the full weight of their pasts with them, making their growing relationship as compelling as the mystery element in The Devil’s Daughter. With plenty of twists and betrayals, this is a book that is sure to earn Robert a wealth of new fans.” —RT Book Reviews on The Devil’s Daughter

“Katee Robert has definitely picked up the romantic suspense genre and made it her bitch. I can’t wait to see what we get next. Given some of the books I see she’s been using for research, I know it’s going to be frightening and amazing at the same time.” —Goodreads Review

“Every bit as complex as book one but with a totally different storyline, The Hunting Grounds once again proved Katee Robert is more than capable of spinning a thrilling romantic suspense tale that will keep readers on their toes.” —Harlequin Junkie on The Hunting Grounds (recommended read)

“Filled with suspense and lot of unpredictable twists and turns…Gripping.” —Life at 17 on The Hunting Grounds

OTHER BOOKS IN THE HIDDEN SIN SERIES

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER
Get more information at: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

THE HUNTING GROUNDS
Get more information at:

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it ‘a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension.” When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.
Connect with Katee at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Giveaway

Enter to win a grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card or three (3) runner-up copies of a backlist eBook from Katee Robert!
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Phi Alpha Pi Blog Tour: Excerpt

This is my stop during the blog tour for Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 14 till 28 May. See the tour schedule here.

Phi Alpha Pi (21st Century Austen #2)
by Sara Marks
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: New Adult, Adult
Release Date: May 28, 2018

Blurb

Phi Alpha Pi is the oldest and largest sorority on campus and new president Lizbeth has a busy senior year ahead of her. She is determined to keep her sorority in good standing on campus after a year on academic probation. She is trying to manage the new sorority house manager, Mrs. C, who has her own ideas about how to support the sorority sisters. All while trying to find balance with her own academic goals to complete an honors thesis, graduate, and decide her future plans.

The last thing Lizbeth expects is her anger when Wil, a new member of the Alpha Pi fraternity, pushes every one of her buttons. Lizbeth finds Wil, a new transfer to the university with his best friend, to be rude, snobby, and judgemental. Even though she tries to avoid him, he seems to be everywhere, scowling with displeasure when he sees her. That is, until his Thanksgiving proclamation of love. That causes Lizbeth to reconsider how she sees the world.

You can find Phi Alpha Pi on Goodreads

You can buy Phi Alpha Pi here:
– Amazon
– B&N
– Kobo

Excerpt

As one of the largest and oldest sororities on campus, there was usually someone in the Phi Alpha Pi two-story Greek revival style mansion. Members were eating, studying, or simply enjoying each other’s company. Today there were twenty women moving into their rooms and unpacking for the start of the school year. Lizbeth, as chapter president, had been one of the first sisters to arrive, but still hadn’t unpacked. She and the other officers were too busy helping their sisters move in. Lizbeth had already put out a small, literal fire from a fallen candle. Then she put out figurative fires of roommate mix-ups and fights about who got which bed. Now Lizbeth sat alone in her room, exhausted and anxious to get out of the house, if only for a few hours.
Lizbeth had never been this involved in the sorority. She had agreed to the position, for her senior year, to help keep the sorority off academic probation for low grades. This had been a looming threat in the past. Lizbeth had helped by teaching the sorority sisters ways to get organized, creating study schedules, and helping create an atmosphere that turned studying into social events. She was glad her best friend Jane, who was Membership VP, was helping with the move in. There were sisters that Lizbeth didn’t know and relationships she didn’t understand. Jane was good at soothing hurt feelings and mediating fights. She had to run a membership meeting later in the day. Rush Week, the week before classes started so potential new members could attend all events, launched tomorrow.
“Lizbeth, did you see the shirts she got the board members?” Marie said, entering her room.
Marie, the sorority treasurer, was holding a hot pink T-shirt up to her body. At twenty years old, she was petite and wore her black hair long with bangs that nearly covered her eyes. When she pulled them back she revealed bright hazel eyes and a nose just a bit too big for her face. Marie was Lizbeth’s “little sister,” a bond between sorority sisters that often lasted the rest of their lives. As their resident gadget geek, she always had the latest technology toy. She had the first Fitbit, the first GoPro, was also the first to adopt new social media, and had happily taken over the sorority’s web presence.
Lizbeth had seen the shirt Marie was holding in the gift basket their housemother had given each officer as they moved in. Mrs. C, as they were instructed to call her, was brand new this year and a bit over-eager. She had welcomed each of the officers with a huge hug and said basket, which had also included tons of candy, candles, and school supplies. She gave each sister a candle as she moved in. It was one of these very candles that Lizbeth had put out when it fell and burned the carpet. Their previous housemother had never been this excited to see them.
“Yes, I saw it,” Lizbeth said with a sigh.
“Lizbeth, it says, ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'”
“Well, she is up on her Austen,” Lizbeth said with a shrug.
Lizbeth sat down on her bed and let herself fall back on the bare mattress.
Marie put her hands on her hips and sighed before responding.
“You know that’s not the point. Some of us aren’t here to find rich husbands.”
“I believe it was the goal for many sisters in her day. She is new and excited. She will learn some of us aren’t like this anymore.”
“She asked me to wear it tonight.”
“No, you’ll wear an official sorority shirt; it’s tradition.”
Marie huffed irritably.
“Are we paying for this stuff? She hasn’t handed me receipts, but I’m worried she will.”
“Let me know if she does. I think this is her gift to us. She made these herself. I mean, the font is comic sans.”
Marie left the room and Lizbeth heard her door bang. All the bedrooms were on the second floor of the house, but the two officer bedrooms were adjacent, so they could all work together. Lizbeth lay back on her bed wishing she wasn’t living this close to Marie and her roommate Lydia. She closed her eyes for a few moments, hoping to catch a quick nap.
“I think we have everyone settled and don’t need to worry about anything until the meeting starts.”
Lizbeth opened her eyes to see Jane come into their room. The only good thing about having to live at the sorority house, as far as Lizbeth was concerned, was rooming with Jane. She had only joined Phi Alpha Pi so she and Jane could be together their freshman year. Last year, when the sorority had just come off an academic probation for low grades, Jane and a few graduates had begged Lizzie to run for president. The year had been difficult for some of the sisters, but Lizbeth had emerged as a leader. There was only one other candidate for president: Lydia. Lydia was the de-facto leader of the un-academic sisters and the worst of the lot. In the end, Lydia had taken on the Programming VP role, something she was very good at. Lydia had already planned so many mixers that Lizbeth had forced her to cancel some.
“Is it true there is a party tonight after the meeting?” Lizbeth asked Jane.
“Yes, Lydia planned with the guys at Alpha Pi. They have a few new brothers who transferred from another school and they want to make them feel welcome before Rush Week starts. Do you remember Caroline? Her older brother Charlie is one of those members,” Jane added.
Lizbeth nodded, vaguely recalling the woman who had transferred to the university and wanted to get involved at this chapter of Phi Alpha Pi.
“Mrs. C is all abuzz about them because they are so rich.”
“Exactly. She thinks Caroline’s brother could be a boyfriend for one of us. It is so sweet of her to want to help us.”
Lizbeth wished that Jane was being sarcastic, but she knew otherwise. Jane was the kindest person in the world. Jane liked almost everyone, so Lizbeth knew there was something wrong with you if you were the rare person Jane didn’t like (and vice versa).
“You’re too sweet,” Lizbeth said.
“Lizbeth, she’s recently widowed. Her children are all off living their own lives. She wants to take care of someone and we need someone looking out for us.”
Lizbeth rolled her eyes.
“I understand, and I feel horrible for her. I mean, you saw the shirts. God forbid we learn to take care of ourselves rather than hunt for rich men to marry.”
“Some members actually want to meet their future husband. Let her get used to us and learn what we need. I’m sure she’ll calm down. If not, well… you’ll certainly be a good balance for her. That is one of the strengths we value in you.”
Lizbeth tossed a stuffed bear at her best friend before getting up and organising her half of the room.

Check out the first book in this series!

“Tension builds as they each learn about the current version of the person they once loved and resolve the ramifications of their choices.”

Links:
– Goodreads
– Amazon
– B&N
– Kobo

About the Author

Born in Boston, MA and raised in Miami, FL, Sara Marks has two masters degrees and plans to never stop getting over educated. She likes the idea of having all the academic regalia she can ever possess and winning with the most degrees in her family. By day she’s an academic librarian. In what little free time she has, she also knits and plays with her dog Cedric Doggory.

You can find and contact Sara Marks here:
– Website
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Instagram
– Goodreads
– Amazon
– Mailing List

Giveaways

There are two tour wide giveaways during the blog tour of Phi Alpha Pi! There is a US Only Giveaway for a prize pack and an international giveaway for 14 e-copies and a print copy of Phi Alpha Pi!

US Only Giveaway
One winner will win a Prize Pack containing:
– Mrs. C’s homemade officers shirt in Comic Sans (you pick XL or XXL)
– A Phi Alpha Pi sorority sticker, candle, and bracelet (some of the items mentioned in the story).
– An illustration by cover designer Risa Rodil
– A rooster dishtowel (so you can make cock jokes with Lizbeth and Wil)
– Autographed printed copies of Modern Persuasion, A Little More Modern Persuasion, and Phi Alpha Pi

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open for all Giveaway
These are the prizes you can win:
– 14 winners will each win an e-copy of Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks
– 1 winner will win a print copy of Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
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The Phoenix Cycle Blog Tour: Excerpt

The Phoenix Cycle: The Best Shall Rise

Publication Date: June 23, 2017

Published By: The Department of Smoke

Genre: Dystopian/ YA/ Sci-Fi

New San Francisco is the last city standing on a world ravaged by storms of ash and debris. The city survived by putting the ideals of the American dream on steroids and inspiring its people to persevere, though they have become ruthless in the process. Its citizens are ruled by the General, who has made sure that his people understand that gentleness and pity have become weaknesses that nature no longer tolerates.

Now Steve and Leslie must choose whether they will apply for the General’s once in a lifetime opportunity to “Rise from the Ashes” and join the Inner Circle that rules the city. If they don’t, they will be damned to spend the rest of their lives in the ghettos of Edingburg, a place where virtual reality has become a government-subsidized addiction.

For Steve, the choice is easy. His loyalties lie with the IRA, a revolutionary army led by a voice only known as “Mom.” They are trying to overthrow the General and free the people of New San Francisco from the cruelties of the City Guard. Steve’s mission is to broadcast a recording of a speech that a famous philosopher died to tell. Many thousands have and will perish to get this message out, but is anyone willing to listen?

Add to Goodreads

Available on Amazon

Excerpt

Every wrist in the stadium beeped. Every boy and girl glanced down at the face of their watch. “00:10” then “:09” then “:08.” Everyone turned their heads to the west. There it was. Right on time, as always. The nightly storm. A wall of blackness had lurched up into the sky, swallowing the setting sun. The hairs on Steve’s neck stood up, urging him to get the hell out
of there.

Instead he grabbed Leslie’s hand, who sat quietly quivering next to him, instinctively pressing her bow into her head for comfort. Steve knew her shaking wasn’t coming from Line’s yelling, the storm, or even the tank pointing at them. Her quivers never came from the barrel of a gun, no, the ragging agony she held within her was the very same thing that pushed him back into the sheets when the sun finally rose—are we going to lose each other?

Leslie’s mind pushed the feeling away for at least another moment. “It’ll be all right,” she whispered. Her brown eyes guided him to the dozens of mortar tubes pointing upward and outward on the vibrant green field and then to the perfect line of churning ash that approached the stands.

“Unity can only be achieved and be maintained when it is the STRONG who come together and fly under one flag! We, like no other in the world, have created a unity that has never broken, has never FLINCHED! When the rest of the world saw THAT—” Line’s long arm pointed at the coming avalanche of black— “They all fell to pieces!”

The earth began to quake as the wall rose over them. Someone screamed. The mortars on the field fired as one at the roiling sky. The blackness spilled over the stadium, then slid over the perimeter of the frizzing wall of static that had encapsulated the field. No Phoenix Cycler had seen—only heard rumors from past Cycle Pref parties—this blackness that was sliding over and them whispering their deaths.

– The Phoenix Cycle: The Best Shall Rise

About the Author

Bob is pretty dope. Firstly, his name is Bob, so…yea. Second, have you seen him rock that suit while in a maximum security prison? Epic.

Yea. That’s Bob. No psychological scarring with that author. Nope. Totally fine.

Gosh he looks good in suits.

Hey Have you read The Phoenix Cycle? He wrote that.

One suggestion before you read it and become one of those fans that leaves him roses by his doormat. Read her slowly. This book is not Twilight. She’s deeper than that. Take your time with her. Show the book you care. Cradle it and make it feel loved. If you do, she’ll be good to you. Go too fast and you’ll have no idea why she’s acting so crazy.

Philosophies Dead | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Goodreads

Giveaway!!!

The author is giving away 10 print copies (That’s right 10) and 5 Digital copies of his book so make sure you enter as the odds are definitely in your favor! (Runs from May 21st to May 30th)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

May 21^st

Reads & Reels (Kick-Off Promo)

Just for My Books (Excerpt)

The Lit Cottage (Review)

Adventures Thu Wonderland (Review)

The Midwest Ladies Who Lit (Excerpt)

May 22^nd

IAMAGEEKINGGINGER (Review)

Tranquil Dreams (Review)

On the Shelf Reviews (Excerpt)

May 23^rd

Didi Oviatt (Excerpt)

The Genre Minx (Excerpt)

The Cozy Pages (Excerpt)

Valerie’s Musings (Excerpt)

The YA Book Divas (Interview)

May 24^th

J Bronder Reviews (Review)

Banshee Irish Horror Blog (Interview)

Bri’s Book Nook (Review)

The Cozy Pages (Excerpt)

Wicked Good Reads (Review)

May 25^th

Afire Pages (Excerpt)

Port Jerricho (Excerpt)

Touch My Spine Book Reviews (Review)

Life at 17 (Excerpt)

Blog Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

WWW Wednesday

Hi all,

Another WWW Wednesday post after a long long time.

My exams are going on and I wanted to do a light post that wouldn’t require much effort on my part nor would be time consuming, so I thought of doing this.

---

WWW Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. In this we have to answer three questions.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

Currently I am reading The Surviving Girls by Katee Robert. Wait…. Just take a minute…..and…..look at that gorgeous cover. It is just so beautiful.

I am quite enjoying the story. Though I am only 13% through it, so it might be a bit early to comment, but I think I am going to love this book.😍

What did you recently finish reading?

I recently finished reading this MG Fantasy. Though I am not much of a middle grade reader but I still loved this book. You people should definitely check this book out if you are someone who loves reading MG or would want to try out a book from this genre.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I think next up I will read this book. This book is getting so many 5 star and 4 star reviews from my fellow bloggers. So I am eagerly waiting to read this.

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That’s all for this post. See you next time.

What books are you people reading? Which book did you recently finish reading? Which book are you going to read next?

Midnight Moss Blog Tour: Spotlight

Midnight Moss

by Carissa Ann Lynch

Genre: YA Fantasy

Fresh out of high school and stalling on college, all Dorothea wants is a
little freedom. So when she’s offered the opportunity to move into
her late grandmother’s house in Black Cat Springs, she simply can’t
refuse the deal. Cheap rent and distance from her parents is exactly
what she’s always wanted…and a handsome new neighbor seals the deal.

But as soon as she moves in, she’s drawn to a mysterious fence in the
woods. Despite her better judgement and dark stories beyond, she
sneaks inside, learning that some things from her past are better
left contained…

A twisted town with a mind-boggling past is about to become Dorothea’s
future. And one thing is certain–she cannot trust her instincts.

Goodreads * Amazon

Excerpt

Today is the day I had dreamed of…
Ever since I hit puberty and grew to hate my mother, I’d wanted to live on my
own. At the age of twenty, I’d since grown to like her again. Nevertheless, the
day was still here. Time to move out, or “leave the nest,” as my old psychology
teacher used to put it.
I had gotten a part-time job as soon as I had been old enough, and I’d been
saving up my tiny paychecks for as long as I could remember.
While most kids spent their weekends partying and playing Xbox, I had been
working the backline at Burger Barn and babysitting kids in the neighborhood.
When I hadn’t been working, I had been shopping…but not for clothes or
makeup, or anything teenagers generally like.
No, I had spent my days off at Costco and Target, planning,
dreaming…organizing my perfect future life.
But all I’d planned for was the stuff, not what I’d do with it once the time
came or who I’d do it with.
My closet was filled with hand towels and unopened bars of soap. Plastic
packs of salt and pepper shakers were wedged between shampoo bottles and
shaving cream, and stacks of washrags were piled on top of a brand new vacuum
in its box.
Another box, labeled ‘Cleaning Supplies,’ contained everything I could
possibly need to keep my house germ and dirt-free, bleach, detergent, Magic
Erasers…enough cleaners to last me a lifetime. And did I mention that I rarely
clean?
Everything was labeled with neat yellow stickers.
There were candles and frames in this box, and there were plates, bowls, and
cups in another. One had oven mitts, tin foil, and a jumbo roll of plastic wrap.
There was even an entire box dedicated solely to ‘Spices’.
Staring at the boxes now, I couldn’t help feeling a little lame. I’d put so much
stock in this moment, this move, that now it seemed like a letdown.
All of this planning for one moment, and now the moment was here.
But why did it feel so colorless?
And what’s with this feeling of guilt? Why can’t I shake this feeling that,
despite all of my preparations, I’m totally unprepared for what lies ahead?
My mother wasn’t angry at me for moving out, but she wasn’t eager to get rid
of me, either. During this whole process, her attitude was a perfect blend of,
“You don’t have to go, but I’ll support you if you think you’re ready.”
She’d helped me pick out furniture and had even paid for the U-Haul.
I tried to imagine her sitting down to eat dinner, one lonely dinner plate in a
sea of overstuffed food platters, sipping white wine by herself.
Would she eat at the table, maintaining our seven o’clock dinner schedule? Or
would she take her plate and wine, wander out to the back porch, maybe watch
the sun dip down low behind the mountains? What if she got lonely?
I guess what it boiled down to was, I was worried about her. She had never
been the type to get depressed, but she had never been all alone, either.
My dad had left when I was little. Memories of him were mostly hazy or
nonexistent.
After all these years, she had never even dated. All she’d had for company
was me, until now.
My milky white reflection in the dresser mirror looked older than I
remembered, more like stone than flesh.
There was a soft knock on my bedroom door.
“Ready to load up?” Mom opened the door, letting herself in.
I tried to feign excitement, nodding and smiling as I scurried over to the closet
to grab my first load of boxes.
We carried one after the other, and just when it was time to lift the heavy
furniture, my brother Nolan showed up.
He was fashionably late, as usual. His dark black hair was a mess, with
cowlicks all over. It looked like he’d just gotten out of bed. Unlike me, Nolan
didn’t plan for anything. He was older than me, by three years, and he had no
plans to go to college. He worked part-time at a local bar, drinking for free and
spending his tips on God knows what. You’d think that with his lifestyle he
would still live at home with us, but he mostly crashed at his best friend
Cooper’s house or his girlfriend’s place, but his “girlfriend” changed every other
week, so I couldn’t keep up with the latest.
“A little late, aren’t ya?” I teased, smiling despite myself. His green eyes
looked droopy and bloodshot, but they twinkled all the same.
“Ready for your big day?” He went straight for the red fabric sectional,
breaking it apart to make the process of lifting it easier.
“I guess. I’m a little nervous,” I admitted, moving to the other end of one half
of the sectional, lifting when he told me to. I’d been storing it in one of our spare
bedrooms, but Mom and I had managed to drag it outside on our own before he
arrived.
Lifting it up and into the U-Haul left me feeling breathless.
He smirked. “You, nervous? Yeah right. You’ve been planning this forever.”
My mom came outside, pleased to see Nolan. She was carrying a painted blue
box that looked like it was about a hundred years old. It wasn’t that big, but from
the way she was carrying it, it looked heavy and important.
There was a hand-painted peacock on the front of the lid, the colors faded by
time but still brilliant.
“Uh…that’s not mine,” I said, coming over to help her.
“It’s not mine, either.” She gave me a strange smile. Nolan moved over beside
us, looking at the box with a bored expression.
“This was your grandmother’s. It’s been in my closet for years. I found it after
she died, stored away in the attic.” She carried the box to the back of the U-Haul,
resting it on the edge of the cargo area. There was an ornate latch with a rusty
brass knob to open it.
Grinning at my brother and me, she turned the box toward us, and it made a
small creak as she opened it.
I don’t know what I expected. Treasure or secrets, perhaps?
Whatever I had expected, it had been something more interesting than what I
saw, faded scraps of paper and cheap looking costume jewelry.
My mom stuck her hand in and shuffled through the papers and plastic.
“Here it is!” She pulled out a vintage skeleton key. It was bigger than any key
I’d ever seen, and it glistened in the fading sunlight. I took it from her hand,
surprised by how heavy it felt. It appeared to be made of gold.
“That’s the key to your house,” Mom said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“But we had keys made.” I stared at the crooked shiny key, mesmerized by its
intricate design.
“Yes. But that is the original key to Doris’s house. It belongs to you, now.”

Carissa Ann Lynch is the USA TODAY Bestselling and award winning author of
the Flocksdale Files trilogy, Horror High series, Dark Legends,
Searching for Sullivan, Things Only the Darkness Knows, Shattered
Time, 13, Grayson’s Ridge, and This Is Not About Love. She resides in
Floyds Knobs, Indiana.

When she’s not writing, she’s
reading and collecting books. She has a background in psychology and
corrections.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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The Tetris Effect: Book Review

THE TETRIS EFFECT
(Tetris Effect Trilogy#1)
By Colin Carvalho Burgess
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Synopsis

Gods, gaming and a reincarnating goldfish … Lars Nilsson’s life is about to level up.
A hacked-off gamer, an ageing spiritual scientist, a psychotropic-addled anaesthetist, and a reclusive RPG developer undertake an unusual quest.
An online gamer’s escapist routine is mysteriously disrupted and his journey of self-discovery begins. He’s sent spiralling towards a destiny where shadow animals patrol the street corners, gryphons command the purple skies, and an other-wordly force is determined to prevent him from discovering the true origins of his identity.
When a spiritual science experiment tears open a passage to the underworld, a deal is made with a mischievous supernatural being. The ancient immortal guardians of the afterlife have been displaced and the land of the dead is rotting in their absence. The clock is ticking to take back control of the afterlife, but a future tech company have a powerful ally and intentions for the land of the dead.

Goodreads|Amazon|Facebook Page

Review

This book was a complete rollercoaster ride and I was totally hooked from the beginning. The book was filled with twist and turns. There were so many moments where thought I had everything figured out but next there would a twist that would throw all my theories out of the window.

I loved the concept of the book. The whole mix up of game, gamers, supernatural beings and spiritual science was something I absolutely loved. Another thing I loved about the book was the way it ended, the book ended with a something that I had definitely not expected. I totally need to get the next book of the series now, because the end just left with so many questions.

I agree the book had a few moments where I lost interest a bit, but still these phases only lasted for a page or two before the book recaptured my interest again.

Final word

I think all Urban Fantasy lovers should go for this book, because I think you would completely love it.

LIFE AT 17 RATING

🎐🎐🎐🎐🔸

(4.5 stars out of 5)

*I received a free copy of this book from Sage’s Blog Tours in return for an honest review.*

About the Author

The Tetris Effect is Colin’s debut novel and is the first part of The Tetris Trilogy. When he isn’t writing, he can mostly be found playing open world computer games or binge watching cult television drama. He currently lives in London with his wife, and two pesky cats.

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On Twitter: @CarvalhoBurgess
www.otherworldbooks.com

No Cowboy Required: Book Spotlight

No Cowboy Required

by JoAnn Sky
Publication Date: May 14, 2018
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Bliss, Contemporary, Romance

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SYNOPSIS:

Grace Harper is a pro at handling the unexpected—which comes in handy when she inherits the ranch she ran away from years ago…along with a young, autistic stepbrother she’s never met. And because nothing ever goes easy for her, Grace finds her frustrating, sexy ex-flame, Noah, taking care of JJ. But if she’s getting out of this nowhere town, she’ll have to find a way to keep from throttling Noah—without kissing him first.

Noah Taylor may be enemy number one to Grace, but she needs his help. He knows the girl he used to love is still there, beneath the heels and fancy clothes, so he’ll help her—and keep his distance like she says she wants. Only the more time they spend together, the closer he wants to get. Graci has no intention of staying, but she belongs in his arms—he just has to prove it to her.

ABOUT JOANN SKY

JoAnn Sky writes adult contemporary romance and young adult romance with a magical twist. As J.A. Sky, she writes children’s books. For more information about her children’s stories, go to: www.dogsandbooks.com.

JoAnn is a member of Romance Writers of America and its YARWA and Golden Network chapters. Her manuscripts have seen success in various RWA-sponsored contests, including as a Golden Heart® finalist in 2014 (YA category) and 2017 (Contemporary Short category). Originally from the Midwest, JoAnn currently lives in northern Nevada with her husband a.k.a. love of her life, three teenage children, and three crazy rescue dogs.

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Fast Ride Blog Tour

Review and Excerpt Tour for FAST RIDE by Michelle Dayton!

We are excited to celebrate the release of Michelle Dayton’s new release, FAST RIDE! Join in on the fun with reviews, excerpts, plus a giveaway! FAST RIDE is a spicy, surprisingly emotional, contemporary romance, the first in a brand-new series. Find out what happens when Jen Appleton says yes to a one-night stand in a roadside motel with the hot, hot, hot Garrett Tracy.

Title: Fast Ride
Author: Michelle Dayton
Published: April 30, 2018
Publisher: Self-published
Series: Tracy Brothers
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Word Count: 53K

Synopsis

Jen Appleton is the woman who always says yes. To her boss. To her employees. To charity. To everyone except herself. But when she rear-ends a red Porsche on her way home from a nasty day at work, and the man driving the midlife-crisis cliché turns out to be hot, hot, hot, Jen decides tonight’s the night to say yes to things she’s never said yes to before.

Yes, to a one-night stand in a motel.

Yes, to the hottest night on record.

Yes, to anything Garrett Tracy wants to do to her body.

Garrett knows the chemistry between them can only be described as extreme. But it’s just one night. And then he can get back to work convincing his ex-girlfriend to give him another shot.

When Jen approaches Garrett as the only person in Chicago who might solve her massive work problem, he agrees to help—on the condition that Jen will coach him in winning back his ex. As they work on their projects, Jen and Garrett can’t resist the incredible attraction sparking between them. It’s the perfect friends-with-benefits situation. Until Jen’s heart finally forces her to start saying no

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About Michelle Dayton

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage
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Top Ten Tuesday: Books With My Favourite Colour On The Cover

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana@That Artsy Reader Girl. Each Tuesday a new topic is assigned and we have to make a top ten list that fits that topic. This week’s topic is Books with my favourite colour on the cover.

My favourite colour is blue.

Following are ten blue covered books from my TBR pile:

Miss Seeton’s Finest Hour by Hamilton Crane

The Misadventures of Lady Ophelia by Christina McKnight

One S’more Summer by Beth Merlin

Beneath the surface by Sibel Hodge

Mr Make Believe by Beezy Marsh

Every Single Secret by Emily Carpenter

Ensnared by Rita Stradling

Abigale Hall by Lauren A. Forry

Archie of Outlandish by Lynnette Kraft

Abducted Innocence by Sandra Bolton

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(Clicking on the links would take to the book’s Goodreads page)

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Which among these covers did you think, was the best? What is your favourite colour? Is it blue too? If it is blue, then did any of these above covers made it to your list?

The Gaslight Stalker: Book Review

THE GASLIGHT STALKER
(Esther and Jack Enright Mystery Book1)

By David Field

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Sapere Books

Pages: 208

Synopsis

Jack the Ripper is stalking the streets of London. Can anyone stop the serial killer before more women are murdered?

London, 1888

Whitechapel is full of the noise of August Bank Holiday celebrations. Everyone is in high spirits until a woman – Martha Turner – is discovered brutally murdered.

Her friend, Esther, a lowly seamstress turned female sleuth, is determined to find the killer.

A young police officer, Jack Enright, takes the lead on the case, and he and Esther soon embark on a professional – and personal – relationship.

When another murder is committed and whispers of a slasher calling himself Jack the Ripper start flowing through the London streets, the search becomes even more desperate.

The police are on the wrong track and the young couple take matters into their own hands, and soon find themselves navigating through London’s dark underbelly.

Can they find the murderer before he kills again? Will anyone listen to their suspicions?

Or will this dark presence continue to haunt Whitechapel…?

THE GASLIGHT STALKER is the first crime thriller in an exciting new historical series, the Esther and Jack Enright Mysteries, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense.

Goodreads|Amazon

Review

The synopsis above was the only reason I picked up the book. Though the book turned to be a bit different than what I had expected when I read the synopsis, but still I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.

I loved Esther’s character. She is the kind of woman I love reading about, she is strong, brave and someone who is ready to give a piece of her mind to anyone who dared to think lowly of her because of her job as seamstress, or the place she lived in. Esther was very courageous and was not at all afraid to go to dangerous places or to talk to dangerous people in her quest to find out who the murderer was. I also liked Jack’s character, even though I had expected more action and more detective work from him, given the synopsis, and the fact that the series is named as Esther and Jack Enright Mysteries. I just hope that in the coming books of the series, I would get see more action and more involvement in the case from Jack.

The Gaslight Stalker completely gripped from the time the first murder was committed and with each coming page I became more and more engrossed in the story. I was not able to put down this book, until the very last page was turned. I was very shocked when the murderer was revealed. I had not expected this person to be the one murdering people. This twist was just the best part of the novel.

I enjoyed the romance between Jack and Esther and the romance didn’t, even for once, overshadow the mystery plot, which was very good.

Final words

If you are looking for a mystery novel with a sprinkle of romance, set in Victorian London then you should immediately click on the buy links and get yourself a copy of The Gaslight Stalker .

LIFE AT 17 RATING

🎐🎐🎐🎐🔸

(4.5 stars out of 5)

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.*