BOOK REVIEW: Empire of Dust (Blood of Gods and Royals #2) by Eleanor Herman

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The scheduled publication date for this book is June 28, 2016.

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.

I had been looking forward to this sequel for so long and in a few ways, it was better than the first one. There was so much world building and the author had this incredible ability to transport me to that time period. This author definitely did her homework about so many things. There was one twist that surprised me a bit about Alexander, but I guess it shouldn't have. In the author's notes, she talked about how there were rumors swirling about that during King Alexander's reign. I didn't really know much about the time period before reading this series so I love reading the author's notes and reading about how much of this book was accurate.

I loved Heph and Katerina. Heph spent a majority of the book trying to get back in Alexander's good graces while trying to ignore his feelings for Katerina. I think I am coming around to the Katerina and Heph pairing. They just fit better than Katerina and Jacob. And the slow burn of the sexual tension between them was AWESOME. I do think that Heph's realization that he loved Katerina was a bit fast, but I think that's how things worked back then so I was fine with it. Speaking of Jacob, he is still enmeshed with the Aesrian Lords and is trying to make a name for himself with them and also trying to forget about Katerina. Then there was Cynane and Olympias . . . both of them are evil to the core and yet, I LOVE THEM.

Okay, here's why I didn't give this book more than three stars: WAY TOO MANY POV'S. Honestly, there were so many characters than the ones I mentioned (I just talked about my favorites). There were several POVs that I didn't care about and I would actually skim those sections. Regarding the POVs that I did care about, the author would cut them off at a crucial point and then when the author picked their story back up, there would be a small time jump with that person. It drove me crazy. There were also a LOT of subplots and I didn't really understand how most of them connected with each other until the end. There are still a few subplots that I don't get.

There was a lot of action though and a lot of battles and a lot of betrayal and drama. There were also some twists that I did not see coming and the ending left me craving the next book in the series! 

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Borrow this one. No, this is not my favorite YA Fantasy series but it's still one worth reading. 

BOOK REVIEW: Julia Vanishes (Witches Child #1) by Catherine Egan

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Julia has the unusual ability to be . . . unseen. Not invisible, exactly. Just beyond most people's senses. It's a dangerous trait in a city that has banned all forms of magic and drowns witches in public Cleansings. But it's a useful trait for a thief and a spy. And Julia has learned--crime pays. Her latest job is paying very well indeed. Julia is posing as a housemaid in the grand house of Mrs. Och, where an odd assortment of characters live and work: A disgraced professor who sends her to fetch parcels containing bullets, spiders, and poison. An aristocratic houseguest who is locked in the basement each night. And a mysterious young woman who is clearly in hiding--though from what or whom?
Worse, Julia suspects that there's a connection between these people and the killer leaving a trail of bodies across the frozen city. The more she learns, the more she wants to be done with this unnatural job. To go back to the safety of her friends and fellow thieves. But Julia is entangled in a struggle between forces more powerful than she'd ever imagined. Escape will come at a terrible price. 

I really wanted to love this, especially since there have been so many great reviews. The beginning starts out well enough. Julia is a girl who pretends to be a maid to spy on the people of the house. There was some suspense at the beginning, especially when she was looking through a room she wasn't supposed to be in and she was able to become unseen when someone unexpectedly came in. The way the author explained it, Julia didn't really vanish; she just kind of blends into the surroundings around her so she looks like a piece of furniture or something. I liked Julia. She was independent and fearless and she was very quick on her feet when she had to think of a lie. 

I think the problem with this book, for me, was there was so much confusion around the plot and so many different characters. There was also a lot going on: there was Julia spying on people, the circle of criminals that Julia hung out with, lots of hysteria around witches and a king who drowned every woman he so much as suspected of being a witch, Julia's mother being drowned as a witch when she was younger, Mr. Darius living in the basement and making weird sounds, Julia's romance with fellow criminal Wyn, and then many other people that were living in the house Julia was spying on and then of course, there was the mystery client who hired her to spy on them in the first place. See how much was going on? I think because of that, I didn't really care about much going on and I really didn't care about any of the secondary characters. There were times where a name would be mentioned and I had to reread certain paragraphs to figure out who that person was. And most of the book was incredibly boring with not much happening . . . or, in some cases, too much. I could have done without the romance between Julia and Wyn. They slept around a bit, but it was sporadic and so when they started having problems, I had zero interest. I had more interest in the people Julia was spying on, but just when stuff would start happening with them, the author would start talking about something else. And one of the most interesting parts of the book, the fact that Julia was able to become unseen, was hardly talked about. Julia would go chapters and chapters without using her gift or even talking about it. 

The world building was just so-so. I had no idea what time period this book took place in, but judging by the descriptions of transportation and the lower class and the clothes and the whole deal with the king and witches, it seemed to take place in the 1800's maybe. But the characters were so liberal with sex before marriage. On one hand, Julia and several other characters thought nothing of sleeping with whoever without marriage and on the other hand, one of the characters was whispered about because she had a kid out of wedlock. The liberal sexuality didn't fit with the time period. The characters also talked about "being careful" in order to prevent pregnancy, but again, if this book did take place in the 1800's, no one was really careful back then.

The only thing that really saved this book at all was the ending. There was a lot of action and Julia was able to use her abilities more and there were some villains. So yeah, plenty of action and suspense and drama. The problem was that I STILL didn't fully understand why these villains were after what they were after. The ending of the book didn't really end on a cliffhanger (I was grateful for that), but it was a little open-ended. I just don't think I have much interest in continuing this series.

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Skip this one. 

BOOK REVIEW: With Malice by Eileen Cook

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron's senior trip to Italy was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime. And then the accident happened. Waking up in a hospital room, her leg in a cast, stitches in her face, and a big blank canvas where the last 6 weeks should be, Jill comes to discover she was involved in a fatal accident in her travels abroad. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident...wasn't an accident. Wondering not just what happened but what she did, Jill tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

First of all, I am getting tired of all the book comparisons. Every time there is an unreliable narrator, people compare to We Were Liars or The Girl on the Train. It's annoying. 

Okay, so let's get to it. Jill and Simone have been best friends since they were in fourth grade. They were as close as two girls could be and they considered themselves sisters. So when Jill wakes up in a hospital and she is told there was a car accident that killed Simone, she is understandably shaken up. Even more upsetting is that people seem to think Jill crashed the car on purpose.

Honestly, I think the worst part of Jill's memory loss was that she lost six weeks in ITALY. Seriously, ITALY IS AMAZING! It sucks that she didn't even remember being there. But in all seriousness, Jill knows she could never hurt Simone. Or could she? There are a lot of things that don't add up, like witnesses who say they were fighting over a boy that Jill doesn't even remember. And all of the people online don't make it any better. They are convinced they know Jill from pictures and because Jill has money and is shy, she must be a stuck up bitch. Jill is a total unreliable narrator because she has no memory of anything. When he sees a few flashes, she isn't even sure they are real. This definitely made me think about crimes in the news and how most people (me included) seem to think they have all the facts just because they have all the tidbits from the news. That isn't even close to being the case.

An interesting part of the book was the way the author told the story of what happened in Italy. She didn't really show flashbacks; instead we saw emails and police interviews and eyewitness testimony and even some of the online blog posts. None of it can really be considered reliable because it seems like everyone has a motive to lie. And of course, there are always three sides to every story so I wasn't even sure whether I should trust the eyewitness stuff.

This book was so fast paced and thrilling and I could really feel Jill's struggle with trying to come to terms with what happened in Italy. The psychologist was one of my favorite characters because she really seemed to care about Jill and understand what she was feeling. Friendships between girls can be complicated, especially when you're in high school and the emotions are ramped up by 1000. I did NOT like Jill's father or her lawyer. Jill was eighteen, but they treated her like she was a child. They kept going behind her back to help the case and they never really kept her in the loop. I get that her dad was paying for the defense, but they should have told Jill more than what they did. 

The main complain I have about this book was the ending. There was so much buildup and I think the book comparisons didn't help. I was thinking that the ending would be a lot more shocking than it was. Honestly, I saw part of it coming but there was still a "why" component missing. The ending also seemed just a bit rushed to me.

Other than a few issues though, I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. There was so much suspense and I just wanted to see how everything would turn out.

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Buy this one!

DISCUSSION: Signs you have a crushing TBR pile

As a book blogger, huge TBRs just come with the territory. It is kind of expected. But sometimes the TBR just gets to be too much.

Signs you have a crushing TBR pile:

1. While reading, the only thing you can think about is which book you will read next.

2. When you do finish a book, you have so many books to read that you can't make a decision about what to read next

3. You have nightmares that you are crushed by your TBR pile (or you have nightmares that the ebooks you haven't read have come to life and are mad at you for letting them languish on your Kindle)

4. You have legit fears that you will die before you read all the books on your TBR pile.

5. You dread reading certain blogs because you just know that reading a positive review by them will mean adding one more book on your TBR list.

6. You try (unsuccessfully) to avoid buying books and requesting ARCs because you want to clear some off your TBR list.

Is there anything I missed? What are some other signs your TBR pile is crushing you?

May Wrap-Up!

I am linking up to both the Sunday Post @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer and the Sunday Post @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

Ahh, another month has come and gone. Can you believe half the year is already over?? Can you also believe that every single month, I talk about how fast the year is passing? You would think it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, but alas, it is.

May was a wonderful month. I celebrated my birthday in Amsterdam and I spent Memorial Day weekend on the Amalfi Coast. Nothing against Amsterdam (I did love it), but the Amalfi Coast was my favorite. Ravello is my favorite area in all of Italy (Tuscany does come in at a close second). We did some kayaking and some relaxing. I think I love Ravello (and the rest of the Amalfi Coast) because it is so relaxing. 

We are already planning to go there again in September. Yep, we can't stay away.

The weather has also been super mild. This time last year, it was crazy hot already. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the milder weather. But it's still not hot enough to use our pool and I kind of hate that. 

I am super excited about June because I am going back to the States for almost three weeks! I am looking forward to spending some time with my best friend and my family. I will spend a weekend in Florida and the rest of the time will be split between Georgia and Alabama (where my in-laws live). 

During the month of May, I read a total of 28 books. That is crazy, right? I almost feel like that is too many. Weird. Maybe I feel that way because towards the end of the month, I really didn't read anything that blew me away. The best books I read were towards the beginning of the month. And because I have read more than twenty books since my favorites, it just feels like so long ago. Does that even make any sense? Probably not, but it is what it is.

Favorite book of the month:

I had two (naturally): After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh

Most disappointing book of the month:

Ever Bound by Odessa Gillespie Black

I really don't even know how to make sense of what I read. It was the only one star rating this month. Actually, my one star ratings are even more rare as my five star ones, so that should tell you how much I disliked it.

Reviews Posted

100 Days of Cake by Shari Goldhagen
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
How It Ends by Catherine Lo
The Progeny (Descendants of the Blood Countess #1) by Tosca Lee
Mini-ARC Reviews: I Let You Go, The Leaving, Frayed
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
You Know Me Well by David Levithan
Lucky Few by Kathryn Ormsbee

Top Ten Tuesday Posts

Top Romantic Pairings I Want To See Again
Top Impulse Reads
Top Beach Reads

Other Posts

Disney Princess Book Tag
I participated in Bout of Books 16
Discussion: Things book snobs say
Discussion: New YA Version of The DaVinci Code

How was your month? Is it hot where you are? Any vacations coming up?

BOOK REVIEW: Break Me Like A Promise (Once Upon A Crime Family #2) by Tiffany Schmidt

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The scheduled publication date for this book is June 7, 2016

All Magnolia Vickers has ever wanted was to follow father’s path as head of the Family Business. But new legislation is poised to destroy the Family’s operations in the black-market organ trade and Maggie’s recent behavior has wrecked the business-savvy reputation she’s worked her whole life to build. She’s given an ultimatum: shape up or step aside. Then Maggie messes up: she downloads a virus onto her father’s computer, and must sneak it off-estate for repair. When Alex, a tech whiz, uncovers the type of information on the machine, he offers Maggie a choice: her Family can give him a kidney, or he’ll irreparably scramble the data. Like it or not, Maggie must accept that if she wants to save Alex’s life and carve out a place in the new legalized organ business, she’s going to have to fight for both. 

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I wasn't that fond of the first book in this series, so I hesitated to request the second one. The main reason I did was because it involved different characters. One of my issues with the first book was that I didn't like the main character of Penelope very much. I thought there was a possibility I would like different characters and I was right.

One thing that was different from the first book was that there was a LOT more political talk and a lot more about the actual criminal element regarding the black market of organs. I loved that. The main character is Maggie Vickers. Maggie was kind of in the last book, but she had a very small part. She was in a secret relationship with Penny's brother, Carter. The book starts with Maggie grieving over Carter's death. No one she knew had any idea about the relationship, so it's hard for anyone to understand her feelings.

Maggie was so strong and very determined. She is the heir to her father's organ harvesting business and she manages to pull herself out of her funk to start. She's not the easiest character to like at first, mainly because she doesn't care at all about the patients at first. She only sees numbers and profits; she doesn't see the behind the scenes stuff and she doesn't get that some people actually die without a transplant . . . that is, until Alex. Alex desperately needs a kidney transplant. I don't really get the reason why he was dropped off the government list. This author has taken some liberties with the real organ transplant system so it seems like the government goes out of its way to deny people a transplant for stupid reasons. Then he finds out about Maggie's family business and of course he blackmails her.

The relationship between Alex and Maggie is slow and very sweet. They have good chemistry and of course, they have the whole hate at first sight thing going on. Besides the whole blackmail thing, their relationship is also dampered by the fact that she is still grieving and he is very sick, getting sicker by the day. There is a lot of character development and growth with Maggie. Thanks to Alex, she slowly realizes how important the transplants are to people and that getting people an organ isn't always about the profit margin.

Another thing I liked about this sequel was there was a lot more explanation about how the black market organ harvesting worked and the political ramifications of the new Organ Act being debated in Congress. Maggie is against the Act and her dad starts realizing that it may be a good thing. After reading this, I kind of get both sides of the issue. It was annoying that Maggie had such a hard time seeing the bigger picture and she refused to research it to see both sides of the coin.

There was a lot of action going on and a couple of subplots that never got resolved, so I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Yes, I do intend on finishing this series. I definitely recommend this one.

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Borrow this one.

Top Ten Tuesday - Beach Reads, or in other words, Books that won't make you cry

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They feature a different top ten list every week. This week's topic is top beach reads.

Personally, I don't spend much time at the beach. But I do spend a lot of time traveling (just one of the many perks that comes with living in Italy). I love my heartbreaking books as much as anyone, but I have lost count of the number of times I have cried on a plane or a train because I insisted on reading one of those sad books. No one wants that, right?

This is a list of great books that you can take to the beach or the pool or the mountains or a plane or wherever and your heart will not be ripped into a million pieces. Save those for when you are home alone in bed. These books will make you laugh or make you swoon. They will not make you cry and they will not break your heart and they don't even require a lot of thought because the plots aren't super complicated. 

1. Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin - I didn't think a book about a boy who knows the exact date he is going to die would be funny, but it really was! 

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - I love this story. It's super cute and no heartbreak is involved. 

3. Only in Naples: Lessons in food and famiglia from my Italian mother-in-law by Katherine Wilson - I may be slightly biased since I live in Naples, but I loved this book! All the talk of food made me hungry and I could relate to the author's attempts to adapt to Italian culture so much. I laughed many times while reading this book. Plus, the author includes authentic Italian recipes from her mother-in-law. Bonus!

4. Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan - This was a very cute and funny story about a group of outcasts trying to out-prank a legendary group of pranksters. 

5. The Chocolate Thief (Amour et Chocolat #1) by Laura Florand - Chocolate + Paris = love. This one is part of a series and you can read each one of them as a stand-alone. This first one is my absolute favorite though. 

6. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper - Another book that made me laugh out loud! This family is so crazy dysfunctional and yet, they totally have each other's backs.

7. Forever and One Week (Spirits of Saoradh #2) by Caroline Cairn - I just discovered this author and I am so glad. I received a copy from the author in exchange for feedback and I was totally amazed at how good this story was. This book is a combination of fantasy and romance. You could almost say it's a retelling of Aladdin. Even though this is a series, you can totally read this one as a stand alone.

8. The Virgin Romance Novelist by Meghan Quinn - I bought this one on a total whim. It was recommended to me by a family member. A woman struggling to write her romance novel realizes she should lose her virginity for, you know, "the book." Ha. This is a hilarious book. I loved all the honesty her friends gave her about sex.

9. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - Very cute book about friendship. Love this one!

10. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - I couldn't possibly leave this one off the list. It made me smile the entire time I was reading it.

I will be going back to the States next month, so I will be on a long international flight. Does anyone have any good recommendations of books that won't make me cry during the flight?