Keeper of Pleas, by Annelie Wendeberg

Hi, there! Good afternoon, hope you’re having a wonderful Saturday so far! I’m here today to talk about my last finished book: Keeper of Pleas, by wonderful Annelie Wendeberg. She was awesome and great and sent me a review copy, but my cold got me a week later in finishing it 😦 Anyway, better late than never, right? Haha! Thanks again, Annelie!! What a mystery!!

from my Instagram 🙂

December, 1880.

Coroner Sévère gets himself into one of the most macabre cases of his career when nine corpses are discovered by chance in England. The macabre part? All are newborns with obvious signs of violent deaths.

The mystery gets bigger when the mortician responsible for the bodies goes missing and it’s found dead in the Thames. What at first seemed two very distinct cases without any relation between themselves soon get trickier.

To be exact, everything gets set into motion in the second Sévère steps on Miss Mary’s room. Both found their fighting matches. Who shall be the winner? Who shall solve the mystery?

Who shall be the surviviour?

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

I was beyond excited when Annelie send me her new book. I already explained how her work was a key piece for me to pick up more books for reading in this post, so I’ll skip that part, haha! But seriously, she never seizes to stop impressing me. Even though I had some problems with this book – especially in the beginning, as it all sounded so confusing – but as soon as I got my mind together, I flew through it. Who did it? Why? Will it happen again?

I found myself lost in a very vivid and alive London in the 19^th century, running along Sévère and Mary to find answers and see who would win their private social war. This was a first class mystery that made me grab my seat and have a very intense ride. I only took a star off because of the confusing beginning and because I was bothered by most of the sex scenes. I understand what Annelie did, animalizing things on purpose and I think it was necessary in many points, but I shivered a lot, haha! Four proud stars 🙂

The narrative style was third person with alternating points of view between several characters and that was what made me so confused in the beginning. You see, I have a very shitty memory and am particular awful with names. Sometimes, I finish books without being sure of the characters’ names, especially if they are first person narrated. However, in Keeper of Pleas’ case, it went beyond that. The mystery dominates the pages since the first line and we didn’t know whose point of view we were reading until the middle or end of it

I have to say that, after my brain was able to process the beginning and understand who were the protagonists (yes, you read it right, unfortunately), I dived head first in this 19^th century London. Every corner hid more mystery and every answer raised even more questions. IT WAS SO COOL AND AWESOME!

Wendeberg writing style is impeccable. She makes everything so human, so real that I felt like being physically sucked to my iPad’s insides were starting to sound like a possibility. Several times I had to force my eyes out of the screen and take a deep breath, study my surroundings and make sure I was still on 21^th century before resuming my read. Wendeberg truly wraps her reader into the story.

The plot was complex, intricate and I didn’t know who had done it until the last second, always second guessing every witness, every clue, every evidence. I JUST NEEDED TO KNOW WHO DID IT! And even after it was revealed, I didn’t know if I could trust if it was the real deal or not, haha! Seriously, I was a goner for Keeper of Pleas. The elements entwined won me over – London, 19^th century, mystery, thriller, the macabre, the action, the romance. I’m pretty sure this simply wasn’t that perfect for me because Sévère was straight, haha!

Anyway, let’s talk a bit about characters now. Wendeberg’s construction was impeccable, I haven’t a word against her. Every character was remarkable in a subtle way, all so painfully human in their qualities and faults. The relationships were also built very well and she makes a point of expressing how it was all about the lust between Sévère and Mary at first and how they took their time building trust. To be honest, I still don’t know if they ever really loved each other and the end of the book doesn’t help matters, haha! Don’t worry, I wont’t spoil anything, but brace yourself for several bombs to fall off your head, haha!

Keeper of Pleas left me breathless, confused and in a severe (haha) need of a hug, so I think it’s safe to say that Wendeberg slayed it once again 🙂 If you enjoy good mystery, thrillers, intellectual wars and face-slapping ends, you need to stop everything and get yourself a copy of Keeper of Pleas *–*

Thanks so much for reading my review! Also, thanks again for the book, Annelie! I’m delighted to have read another book from you and Keeper of Pleas was SUCH A RIDE, haha! ❤

Do you guys like books that make you second guess everything all the time? 🙂

December Wrap up + Book Haul + January TBR!

Hello, again! I know I am a little late to do this, but better late than never, haha! January is going to be insane for me, as my younger cousin is going to be here until Sunday and next week I may start a course – more info as my life goes, haha!

But I’m blabbering, let’s do this:

December Wrap Up

I’m very proud of my reading month! I’ve read 11 books!! =O I’m still wondering how I did it, so I can repeat the dose this month, haha!

• Shielded Past, from Patti Morelli [review here]

all pictures from my Instagram!

• Stripped with the Vampire, from Jax Garren [review here]

• Convincing the Secretary, from Ava March [review here]

• Cemetery Tours, from Jacqueline E. Smith [review here]

• Between Worlds, from Jacqueline E. Smith [review here]

• After Death, from Jacqueline E. Smith [review here]

• The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, from Anne Rice [review here]

• Braver With You, from A. Hart [review here]

• Roses of the Angel, from Kalee Marshall [review here!]

• Secret Vampire, from L. J. Smith [review here]

• Daughters of Darkness, from L. J. Smith [review here!]

 

December Book Haul

• Fangirl, from Rainbow Rowell [review here]

• Peter Pan, Barnes & Noble edition

• A Court of Thorns and Roses, from Sarah J. Maas
• Of Poseidon, from Anna Banks
• Treble Maker (Perfect Harmony, #1), from Annabeth Albert (ebook)

 

Books I have won as gifts

• Leaving Amarillo, from Casey Quinn
• Convincing the Secretary, from Ava March
• The Christmas Pearl, from Dorothea Benton Frank
• After Death, from Jacqueline E. Smith
• 1/2986, from Annelie Wendeberg
• Between Sips, from Andrea Michelle
• Our New Love, from Melissa Foster
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone, from Laini Taylor
• The Vanishing Game, from Kate Kae Myers
• Book of Opera, from Arthur Jacobs and Stanley Sadie
• The Other Side of Midnight, from Sidney Sheldon
• The Devil’s Advocate, from Morris West
• Vixen 03, from Clive Cussler
• The Name of the Rose, from Umberto Eco
• Lie Down With Lions, Ken Follett
• An illustrated guide to Dresden
• Amar se Aprende Amando, from Carlos Drummond de Andrade
• Antologia Poética, from Vinicius de Moraes
• Antologia Poética, from Carlos Drummond de Andrade
• Dona Flor e seus Dois Maridos, from Jorge Amado
• Tieta do Agreste, from Jorge Amado
• Tenda dos Milagres, from Jorge Amado
• A Moreninha, from Joaquim Manuel de Macedo

I know, I know. So many books, haha! I can explain 🙂 14 of my won books were at my uncle’s place, waiting for death. Yeah. So I won a cattle with lots of books and selected the ones that seemed promising 🙂 I wish I could have saved all books that were there, but there were some destroyed ones by the time, others that I knew for being a bore and some that weren’t my thing at all… Anyway, at least I could save some of them, haha!

 

Freebies that I got this month

• Anywhere But Here (The Starborn Ascension Book 1), from Jason D. Morrow
• Beyond Secret Worlds: Ten Stories of Paranormal Fantasy and Romance
• The Ducal Gift and The Christmas Carriage, from Grace Burrowes
• Soar (The Empire Chronicles Book 1), from Alyssa Rose Ivy
• Hidden (Dragonlands Book 1), from Megg Jensen
• Aloha Texas (Aloha #1), from Chris Keniston
• Binarius: Episode I (The Binarius Series Book 1), from Kendra McMahan
• Globalização, Mídia e Ética, from Erasmo de Freitas Nuzzi and Clovis de Barros Filho

 

Received books of this month

• Escape to Gettis… and Love, from Gerri Bowen [talked about it here!]
• Home, from Jordan L. Hawk
• Stepping Out of Midnight, from Lee Basilford [talked about it here!]

 

[BONUS: Borrowed books from my younger cousin]

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Cabin fever), from Jeff Kinney
• The Book of Lost Things, from John Connolly
• The Key to Rondo, from Emily Rodda

 

January TBR

I want to play it low as I know my month will be crazy, so I have chosen six books:

• Spellbinder, from L. J. Smith (my current-read)
• Emma, from Jane Austen (NOW I WILL FNISH THIS, I AM SURE OF IT 8D)
• Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, from Rick Riordan (actually a re-read to a goodreads book club)
• Escape to Gettis… And Love, from Gerri Bowen
• Widdershins (Whyborne & Griffin, #1), from Jordan L. Hawk
• Fangirl, from Rainbow Rowell (I’m reading this with a book club and we shall finish it next week :D)

 

That’s it! Thanks for reading this giant post, haha! Let’s see if I can make it 😀 have you decided what are going to be your first books of 2016??

Match Made in Mondays: finding a new title for a book!

Hello, there! Hope you’re having an amazing Monday so far!

For a while now, I’ve been participating of my sweet friend Audrey’s Monday meme called Match Made in Mondays! If you want to tag along and play, go ahead to her blog, Forwards and Bookwords, and check out her theme list ❤

Today’s theme is:

THIS BOOK + A NEW TITLE (What book do you think could use a better/funnier title? What would you call it?)

SECOND TIME IN A ROW THAT I WON’T SAY “I DON’T KNOW”, MWAHAHA MWAHAHA!

*realizes that people may be staring at her evil laugh and composes herself*

Ugh, sorry about that. Ahem.

Last year, I met this author called Sally MacKenzie and she writes sugared historical romances. I loved the first series that I read from her, called Duchess of Love, and then went after more books later (one of then made my TOP 5 list of sugared historical romances). Anyway, the last book in Duchess of Love series is called Loving Lord Ash:

from my Instagram ❤

Btw, I love this cover, haha!

But you see, Lord Ash is a butthead. He made mistake after mistake and still expects to have his wife’s love afterwards. I was SO MAD with him all the time! Jessica was an awesome and strong woman that didn’t deserve to have the years of her life wasted like they were, omg. So, I’m officially changing this title to:

FORGIVING LORD ASH

You suck it up, butthead!

That’s it, haha! If you enjoy historical romances, you just have to read this series 😀 Thanks for reading ❤ Have you ever wanted to change a book’s title?

Convincing the Secretary, from Ava March (London Legal #3)

Good night! I know, the blog is on fire, haha! And it is about to burn all the way up because the reviewed book of the evening is HOT HOT HOT!

Ahem, do you remember when I did this mega post talking about the release of Convincing the Secretary, third book in the London Legal series, from Ava March? So, Ava sent me a copy two days ago as an early Christmas gift and allowed me to open and read it on the spot! 😀 ❤ Thanks so so so much, again!

from my Instagram!

 

I finished the book on the same day, but Ava plays so hard with my emotions that I needed to breathe before posting this review, haha!

Ok, I’m in control again. Without any more giber jabber, let’s do this and THANKS AGAIN, I LOVE YOU, AVA! ❤

The Story

Edward Fenton has always fantasized about a lasting relationship with someone that he truly loved and that felt the same way towards him. At first, his boss Arthur Barrington sounded like the perfect choice for his dream to come true. Except that the man is already way taken by his lover, Leopold Thornton. One can’t win them all.

With the arrival of a new solicitor in Barrington’s office, Edward is relocated as his secretary. Lord Grayson is the perfect definition of tall, black and handsome and sends Edward’s imagination to depths that he never knew himself capable of. But can a relationship with such a powerful man work out the way Edward dreams of?

Gray, in the other hand, knows he found the perfect match in the moment he understands Edward’s interests on him, but how to convince the young man that he is Mr. Perfect?

The Analysis

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

Ava always catches my heart unguarded. I was completely okay with life, minding my own business, when I opened my e-mail and saw her gift. As the book isn’t going to be published until March of 2016, I was trying to lead a mental healthy life without being too much of a goner and counting the minutes for the pre-ordering to start on Amazon. But the heart attack was so worthy! This book was awesome! It is a short book (my copy had 100 pages), but the romance is so intense that you are breathless for the whole time! (Or maybe I was, because it was a gift from my favorite author and a book that I already knew about for quite a while.)

I’ll try to be professional now, but I won’t promise that I’ll be impartial, because that’s impossible when working with perfect books. #justsaying

I really love March’s narrative style. Third person, alternating points of views between the couple present in the book ❤ Both Edward and Gray had their own minds and you could see who was doing the thinking very clearly. Once again, March showed how important is communication in a relationship, as words unspoken do the damage in both men’s feelings.

The plot was simple, but not obvious, not for me. I mean, okay, boy meets boy in the 19^th century, boy is not sure if other boy likes boys as well, both give the relationship a try and things go wrong. To explain why I wasn’t very sure of the outcome of this particular work of March, I’ll have to talk about the characters, so hold that thought. Back to the plot, we get to see Arthur and Leopold again, which was awesomely cool (I always like to see my boys again; those two are the heroes of the first books in the series, Convincing Arthur and Convincing Leopold, respectively). There were no loose ends; it would have been nice to know a little more about Edward’s and Gray’s past, but no information was lacking inside of the proposition of the book.

The characters are the best part. You see, in a regular March novel, you’d have two individuals that really need to find true love, that feel incomplete and don’t know what they need until they meet their soul mates, for say. On this book, it was different. Both Edward and Gray are pinning for a happily ever after, but not necessarily with each other. Gray realizes faster that he needs Edward, that Edward is the one, but Edward was more down on the earth. He felt the need of having Gray around, but could (cof and did cof) survive a break up with him without dying the emotional death of break-ups, you know? Honestly, Edward impressed me. He made a cameo appearance previously in the series and I never paid much attention to him, he was so… Bleak? Haha! But being inside of his head, it all made sense and oh boy, he grows up SO MUCH! He is officially one of my favorite males from March now ❤

I always like her males, for God’s sake…

And, dealing with a book written by March, I can’t treat sex scenes as a bonus point, because they are always there and she never EVER disappoint her readers. Did I mention that NEVER happens? Okay, haha! Since the beggining, the bed roles between Edward and Gray are pretty clear and I was waiting for them to have a kind of Oliver and Vincent relationship behind closed doors. Once again, I was wrong! =O I mean, none of them gets to really submit and I thought that AWESOME. Neither was the “fragile” part, always so equal even inside of the bedchamber. AVA, YOU ROCKED HARD!

Bonus point: oh, this cover. Do I need to say more?

also from my Instagram! 😀

Overall, I knew I would love this book since Ava told me she was beginning to write it and I did, a lot. Ava, Thanks again for sending me this, it was the best Christmas present EVER! 😀

That’s it! Thanks for reading and humoring me as I once again talked about Ava March’s work 😉 I bet you all can’t wait until next year, when I’ll do a big re-reading and reviewing of ALL OF HER BOOKS, MWAHAHA MWAHAHA.

 

 

Ps: don’t worry, there will be Harry Potter and The Vampire Diaries reviews too, haha!

December’s new books!

Hi, there! Am I the only one that already is head over heels for Christmas?!! ❤ It’s my favorite time of the year, as I got to be with my family (we live very far from each other, unfortunately), the food is awesome, the weather is great (we are in the middle of summer in my country, haha!) and I’m on vacation ❤ Best time ever!

Anyway, the releases for December are truly hot, we readers will have to sell some organs to have them all this month, haha! (just kidding. Or maybe not ;D) I apologize in advance, as there are MANY mass-market historical romances in my list this month, but I regret nothing, haha!

Those are my highlights:

Day 1

The Captain’s Christmas Bride, by Annie Burrows

A fast and funny read Christmas themed. Perfect for the month!

Death’s Leash (Hellhounds #1), by J.D. Stroube

Heavily-photoshoped-cover aside, I found this book very interesting. Since I’ve read Meg Cabot series Abandon (if you haven’t, PLEASE READ, IT IS AWESOME!), I got more interested in this genre that explores Death’s servants and all. The cover could be better, but the book itself promises a lot!

Forgetting August (Lost & Found #1), by J.L. Berg

I usually wouldn’t pick up this kind of contemporary romance, it’s not my favorite genre. But I don’t know, something in this book just calls my name, haha! Have to read it!

The Holiday Courtship (Texas Grooms #7), by Winnie Griggs

Another Christmas themed mass-market romance that got me curious. I mean, the female character won’t accept a marriage proposal even loving the man? I need to find out why!

How to Seduce a Scot (Broadswords and Ballrooms #1), by Christy English

If there is ever a Monthly Hot Releases list in my blog without a mass-market historical romance, call the police because I’m dead and someone replaced me, haha! This one had me with its ever so funny blurb, haha! I already love the idea of Alexander and Catherine together!

In Search of Scandal (London Explorers #1), by Susanne Lord

I got highly interested on the personality of the main female character, Charlotte. It feels like she will run Will over, haha!

A Lady’s Guide to Ruin (Birch Hall Romance #1), by Kathleen Kimmel

This historical romance seems slightly deeper than the others of this category that are present on this list, as the main female character is a runaway from a mental institution. All eyes on this one!

Médicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois, by Sophie Perinot

Historical romance + Paris + The Médicis + Intrigue and Death = I need to read this!

One Rogue at a Time (Rakes and Rogues #2), by Jade Lee

I liked that both main characters in this romance aren’t from London’s high society. I would love to see what they are going to do to go up on those stairs, haha!

The Painter’s Daughter, by Julie Klassen

I love historical romances and this one, although having a dramatic tone, seems awesome!

The Rosemary Spell, by Virginia Zimmerman

I saw that my dear friend Jacqueline E. Smith wanted to read this novel and I got curious, haha! The synopsis could be better, but left me wondering anyway.

Time of Departure: A Novel, by Douglas Schofield

This sounds like a mystery thriller and I love those! I have to read this genre more in the future ❤

Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour, by Dita Von Teese and Rose Apodaca

I LOVE DITA VON TEESE! She’s one of my personal idols and I’m totally partial to her: I think she is beautiful, talented, funny, stylish, an example. I need to read this book!

 

Day 8

Ashley Bell (Ashley Bell #1), by Dean Koontz

I don’t know this writer or this series or anyone that has already heard of this. So, what got my attention? The fact that this cover uses the same picture as one of the Brazilian editions of Twilight, last book of the Mediator series, by Meg Cabot:

I like this picture, so I had to know what this book was about and sounds nice! If you already heard anything of it, please tell me ❤

Inherit the Stars (Inherit the Stars #1), by Tessa Elwood

This is a sci-fi dystopian book that I found on Goodreads and sounds different, haha! I’m not really a dystopian person (please don’t kill me) and I read less sci-fi than I wished, but this book, the first in a series, sounds like a good bet!

Lord Dashwood Missed Out (Spindle Cove #4.5), by Tessa Dare

I’m sure this book will rock! A woman that writes an open letter to all women about the boy next door that has never even looked at her way? AWESOME! I need to read it ❤

Planetary Submissives series, by Amber Kell

This series was previously released in 2012 and it has passed through re-editing, that’s why I added it to my list 🙂 I know Amber Kell from ads on the end of other m/m books that I already read, but never read anything by her. This series got me curious, so here I go! Nothing like a bit of dystopian BDSM to relax a person, haha!

Queen Victoria’s Mysterious Daughter: A Biography of Princess Louise, by Lucinda Hawksley

I love to know more about royal families, I find them highly interesting. I didn’t knew of Princess Louise existence until I find this book and the synopsis had me in a cliff already, haha! It will be awesome to know more about her!

The Wilderness of Ruin: A Tale of Madness, Fire, and the Hunt for America’s Youngest Serial Killer, by Roseanne Montillo

This is a non-fiction book that I stumbled on internet a while ago and knew that would be awesome, haha!

 

Day 11

Maelstrom (Whyborne & Griffin #7), by Jordan L. Hawk

I’ve become a big hardcore fan of Jordan L. Hawk since her Restless series (you can see my review for book number #2 here), and I’m dying to start Whyborne & Griffin, I even bought the first book and it will be on my January TBR, so I’m celebrating ahead that there are seven books in the series, haha! (I don’t think I made much sense here, oops!)

 

Day 15

Changeling (The Faewyld #1), by Leigh Teale

Since I’ve read Shattered Blue, from Lauren Bird Horowitz (review here!), I’ve got totally interested in the Fae’s world. When I found this book, I knew it would be perfect!

A Seditious Affair (Society of Gentlemen #2), by K.J. Charles

I met K. J. Charles through Twitter and I just knew I had to read her work asap! I’m going to buy the first book in this series as a self xmas present and highly recommend this series for anyone that likes gay historical romances, like I do ❤

The Violinist of Venice: A Story of Vivaldi, by Alyssa Palombo

Hm, I guess it is pretty obvious by now that I really love historical romances, even when they are based on true stories, right? Haha! I love Vivaldi’s music and will love to dive deeper on his world ❤

Untamed (Splintered #3.5), by A.G. Howard

So, I’m dying to start this series too (such beautiful covers!) and I couldn’t leave this book out, right? Haha!

 

Day 18

Scoundrel of Dunborough (The Knights’ Prizes #3), by Margaret Moore

My history with Margaret Moore is old and special, haha! The first mass-market historical romance of my life was written by her (The Welshman’s Bride). Not my best read, but it was the one that made me read one after another and find my favorites (I did a post about that a while ago with my top 5 favorite ones). I don’t know this series that she is currently writing, but the theme is the same of the two books that I read from her and I can tell you this: Margaret is AWESOME at Medieval romances, okay? If that’s your genre, give her a go ❤

 

Day 20

Royal Savage, by Victoria Ashley

At first, I was drawn by this amazing cover, but the synopsis did little to hold my interest. And then, I got curious: how a book with a kind of lame synopsis is rated on 4.94 stars* so far?! I have to see what those people loved about this story! #thespiritofajournalist

 

Day 29

Dukes Prefer Blondes (The Dressmakers #4), by Loretta Chase

Another one of my historical romances set in 19^th century London and I regret nothing! ❤

 

Feeew, that’s it! Thanks for reading! So many books, so little money, haha! Do you already know which books are you buying for Christmas??

 

*data consulted on Nov. 29^th

November’s new books!

Hello, there! We are officially on November, one month away from vacation, Christmas Time and, for me in Brazil, BEACH TIME! (Over here, we are on Spring and going strong for Summer, as if we ever have got out of Summer). Anyway, I’m babbling, I’m sorry 🙂 So, I sorted out some cool releases from November, in my humble opinion, and made a list. I have to say that this is the third month in a roll that I do this and I’m very pleased with myself, haha! (I’ve been saying that a lot lately, sorry! It’s just that it is very rewarding to be able to keep the blog alive and running during my last semester at college, haha! If you on a similar situation, congratulations: we are heroes!)

But let’s go to the chosen ones! By the way, you can check out a Goodreads list with the 200 hottest releases for November here 🙂

Day 3

Daniel’s True Desire (True Gentlemen #2), by Grace Burrowes

So, I’m a real fan of Grace Burrowes. She does something very hard, on my opinion. Grace writes historical romances, but her differencial is that ALL HER CHARACTERS ARE RELATED SOMEHOW. Yeah. She posted on her website a map for her readers, if they really wish to read the books in the chronological order, as they are really all connected. How does she do that? I don’t know, but I’ve read three books from her (Darius and Nicholas, with their review links, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid, which I never properly reviewed and I apologize for that, but you can have an idea of my opinion here) and she is amazing. So, you will know each time she releases new books, haha! Besides, the cover is awesome.

Forget Tomorrow (Forget Tomorrow Series #1), by Pintip Dunn

What attracted my attention at first was the book cover, but a quickly overview on it’s Goodreads page told me that a lot of people that read it for NetGalley gave 3 stars or more, leaving me curious. Now I want to read it too, haha!

Idol Dreams, Vol. 1, by Arina Tanemura

I LOVE this manga! I was trying to read it online, as it wasn’t published in English yet AND NOW IT IS! This is awesome and I can’t wait to read the next chapters – I always manage to find this title only up to chapter three… This author is the same that wrote Full Moon Wo Sagashite, The Gentlemen’s Alliance, Vampire Rose, Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne, and ION ❤

It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History, by Jennifer Wright

I have a thing for History books and this one seems brilliant! Break ups are never easy, but can you imagine how bad this can be to be considered one of the worse in History?? I’m curious to my bones!

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, by Stephen King

It’s Stephen King. And, even if I wanted to give a more detailed description of the story, I wouldn’t be able because Goodreads managed to not say a word about the damn book on its blurb. Go ahead and check for yourself, I was so mad at this that I didn’t even researched more. They want mystery? Fine, I’ll give them mystery –‘’

The Irresistible Rogue (Playful Brides #4), by Valerie Bowman

This is a historical romance. I love those, sorry. You will find a lot of this on the blog and on my to-read lists, haha!

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, by Jennifer Kincheloe

This book sounds amazing. This girl, Anna Blanc, has a huge secret to keep from everybody and if her boss, her family or her fiancé find out, she is screwed. I love historical books that shows how women fought on their own way to have power 😀

White Collar Girl, by Renee Rosen

This book is very close to home for me, as the main character is a woman and journalist. I need to know if she succeeded, haha!

Day 5

Assassin’s Creed: Underworld (Assassin’s Creed #8), by Oliver Bowden

I’m a big BIG big fan of Assassin’s Creed. I suck at playing it, because as much as I love videogames, they always beat my ass up, haha! But with books is different: I’m missing only two books on my collection by Oliver Bowden and have read the first two. Now only 6 more to go, haha!

House of Shadows, by Nicola Cornick

I’ve met Nicola through her historical romances, which I’ve read two: Miss Verey’s Proposal, which I just discovered that belong in a series and I never knew (it is one of those series books that could be standalones, you know?) and The Blanchland Secret. The first was rated 4 stars, it was very creative and funny, and the second, 3 stars, as it was only good enough to pass time, but nothing memorable. I apologize for not having reviews for those too, but I read like crazy since always and made the blog only 5 months ago 😦 Anyway, this one sounds interesting and let’s see what Nicola is doing!

The Night Clock, by Paul Meloy

I was sent this book through NetGalley, it sounds cool! I’ll update this post when I have the review link 😀

Day 9

How to Lose a Bachelor, by Anna Banks

I’ve read the first book in The Syrena Legacy series, also from Anna, and I fell in love with her writing and how she tells stories. This book sounds like tons of fun and I can’t wait to read it ❤

Day 10

A Gentleman for All Seasons, by Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly, Kate Noble, Theresa Romain

This is a book with several historical romances tied together by the same place, from several authors, so it shall be cool 😀

Da Vinci’s Tiger, by L.M. Elliott

This is a historical romance based on Da Vinci’s muse, the famous Mona Lisa. I love the Renaissance, so it makes sense for me to read this ❤

When I Was Yours, by Samantha Towle

I loved this cover and I felt sorry for the dumped guy, so I need to know what happened, haha!

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4), by Marissa Meyer

I want to start, eventually, this series. Besides, this cover is awesome, haha! I have to say that I never paid much attention to this series because I didn’t thought it interesting *getting ready for the stones*, but after talking to several blog and instagram friends, I decided I have to give it a shot, along with The Mortal Instruments and The Hunger Games 🙂

Day 17

Once Upon a Marquess (The Worth Saga #1), by Courtney Milan

Another historical romance and I regret nothing! But I do admit that this cover is amateur business.

The Golden Braid (Medieval Fairy Tale Romance #2), by Melanie Dickerson

I saw this book being promoted on Instagram and instantly knew I needed to read the whole series: fairy tales gone wrong? COUNT ME IN! This one is about Rapunzel and Robin Hood together 😉

Day 19

Fire Falling  (Air Awakens #2), by Elise Kova

One of my best friends (hi, Lindsey!) recommended the first book in this series to me and I’m dying to read it now, because she knows me too well, haha! Also, there’s a giveaway for the second volume of the series going on Goodreads 🙂

Day 24

Sweetest Scoundrel (Maiden Lane #9), by Elizabeth Hoyt

Yet another historical romance…

The Match of the Century (Marrying the Duke #1), by Cathy Maxwell

Followed by another one! I still regret nothing, HAHA!

That’s it, guys! Thanks for reading! Which books are you looking forward on November? 😀

PS: here you can see my hottest releases for September and October of 2015 😀

Sigmund Shaw: A Steampunk Adventure, from Mark C. King

Hi, there! The review today is about a steampunk book! I love this genre, but I’ve had only read one steampunk book so far in my life (All Men of Genius, from Lev A. C. Rosen). I was so happy when author Mark C. King reached out to me and sent me his book, Sigmund Shaw: A Steampunk Adventure, in Exchange for an honest review! Thanks again 😀

from my Instagram 🙂

Story

In a steampunk London, Sigmund Shaw is a common young man – almost. Born into a middle class family, it was his duty to look out for his sister Alex after his father’s death. As a couch driver, his earnings not always were enough to put food into their table, so Sigmund started to master another skill: stealing. However, there’s a tiny detail: Sigmund would only steal things that their owners disliked or that wouldn’t be missed. That agreement with himself allowed taking care of Alex and later, of his niece, Sarah, until Alex’s second marriage.

Sigmund loved his calm and now honest life, but his brother-in-law, Jamison, presents a new challenge to him. Sarah was born paraplegic and never was able to walk. Alex and Sigmund took her to several doctors and the answer was always the same: there wasn’t a solution for Sarah. Jamison, through a college, heard of a Italian doctor with new techniques that could be a chance for Sarah; however, the appointment with the man was extremely expansive and, even with Jamison steady income, he wasn’t noble or a rich man. To pay for the appointment, Sigmund would have to steal something and fast, before the doctor left London.

There were no second thoughts in Sigmund’s mind; it was his dream to see Sarah walking. Desperate, he starts to search frantically, trying to find something very valuable that wasn’t needed by its others anymore. After a scheme to steal a priceless necklace from a hotel’s vault, Sigmund finds himself trapped in a political web that could change England’s destiny – maybe even the whole word. The question is how far will Sigmund go to help his country? How far would he go for a cure to Sarah?

Intense business, guys! Haha!

Analysis

Just reminding that those are my impressions and opinion as a reader, ok? 🙂

I loved this book. It was such an intense reading, full of action, adventure, fantastical machines and a breathtaking villain! It took me so much time to understand what was going on and who was behind it, which was very cool. Each time I thought I had figured the book out, there was a twist and I was left so lost, haha! I loved Sigmund, Chief-inspector Holmes, Sarah, Harry, everything! 5 stars with pride!

I really enjoyed the narrative pace. It was fast, but without overlook details, it was very much the other way around, actually. King was very meticulous in his descriptions, always worried to leave the reader insert inside Sigmund’s skin, despite the book’s narrative being in third person in several perspectives – which was great!! Without holes on the plot ❤ I mean, there is a little one, but I have privileged information and I know this hole will be the queue for the second book, so I’m not counting that one, haha!

Talking about the plot itself, I found it brilliant and amazing. As I said, there is several twists, mystery, adventure, rich descriptions, wonderful characters. It’s the kind of book that you finish and want to start it over again, to see if you’d have guessed things faster, haha! Nothing seems obvious and I just wasn’t more fearful for Sigmund’s life because, again, I already knew the second book was in the oven. One thing that the journalist in me really enjoyed about King’s writing was that he was worried in back grounding, even that just a bit, every character that was minimal relevant on the book. I love learning about people, what makes them who they are, so I was amazed by this. Despite Sigmund’s perspective being the main one, there are several characters that are followed through the book and it was very good to complement the story, as Sigmund was the last person to know a lot, haha! I tend to prefer third narrative books because of that 🙂

In matters of characters, I loved the humanity in them all. Of course, Sigmund is already another bookish boyfriend – I need to write down this list, haha! – as he was perfect in his flaws. I judge many of his actions through the book, but I can’t even imagine him doing anything differently because that’s who he is: a kind and good-hearted person until the end. I have no special feelings for Alex, I loved Sarah and think her very fortunate to have someone as Sigmund watching over her and wanted to personally kill Jamison, haha! I can’t say why without spoiling you, sorry 🙂 As for Harry, Sigmund’s partial stepfather, well, he has a place on my heart. A strong point here are the villains, as they were too human in their desires. Every move was coordinated by greed and vanity, in a search for a “clean” world. I only thought Richard Sutton forced, as his manners were too calm for certain situations. Anyway, nothing is perfect.

For sure the strongest points in the book are the humanity in King’s characters and the action through the story. It’s not something bothersome and obvious, necessary to the plot, it’s just natural; you feel the time against you as well as Sigmund does. I love this kind of book that makes me lose my subway station (#truestory), that makes me forget that I need to analyze and weigh details. It’s a great sensation!

Overall, I can’t hold anything against King. A complex and vivid plot, very human characters filled with stories of their own, an thrilling adventure; that’s Sigmund Shaw: A Steampunk Adventure. If you are into action/mystery/steampunk, this is a must-read for you ❤

That’s all! Thanks for reading my review and thank you again, Mark, for sending me a wonderful book!

September new books!

Hi, there! September is going to be such a full month for us readers! There are a lot of cool books coming out and omg, I want them all, haha! I did a short list with my top most wanted for September, so here we go!

September, 1^st

 

. Catacomb (The Asylum Series #3) – Madeleine Roux

I JUST NEED TO READ IT. Sorry for caps locking, but I’ve read Asylum and Sanctum earlier this year (January and March) and I need to see how it is going to end! I tried to get myself a review copy only to read it faster, but I didn’t got it – it happens – so I’ll have to wait the good will of Brazilian bookstores now…

. Vengeance Road – Erin Bowman

I went crazy with this book’s cover. IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL! Moreover, the story sounds amazing, can’t wait to put my hands on it 🙂 You can see here it’s trailer:

. The Duke and His Duchess / The Courtship – Grace Burrowes

So, I’m a big fan of Grace’s works – I admit, I only read three books from her so far, but I’m getting there, haha! Those two stories are being released on paperback for the first time 🙂

. The Rogue You Know (Covent Garden Cubs #2) – Shana Galen

I got really interested on this romance – besides, the cover is beautiful, judge me, haha! I think I’d enjoy it!

. A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #1) – Deanna Raybourn

This sounds so good! I never read anything by Raybourn, but this series sounds amazing 🙂

. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) – Sarah J. Maas

I’ve been wanting to read a book by Sarah since December and something always happens and stop me from doing so. Hopefully, next December things will be different. For now, the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series is out 🙂

. Queen Song (Red Queen 0.5) – Victoria Aveyard

I already bought my Red Queen copy, but haven’t reached it yet. And this fact doesn’t stop me from wanting to read this prequel! 😀

. The Sisters of Versailles (The Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy #1) – Sally Christie

Versailles’ dramas? Count me in!

. Cinderella Six Feet Under (Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery #2) – Maia Chance

I love fairy tales gone bad, really. Just found out about this book and I want to read it 😀

. The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels #1) – Kerrigan Byrne

Another historical romance that I want to read. It’s not my fault if they all sound so nice *blushes*

September, 3^rd

 

. The Secret Fire (The Alchemist Chronicles #1) – C.J. Daugherty

This book sounds very interesting. I’m not sure if I will like it, but I want to give it a try!

September, 14^th

 

. Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story – Jonathan LaPoma

I entered a giveaway on Goodreads (Idk why since I can’t win a giveaway to save my life) and the book sounds very cool!

September, 15^th

. Dangerous Spirits (Spirits #2) – Jordan L. Hawk

I read the first book of this series earlier this year as well and I didn’t know it would have a sequel, it was such a good surprise! ❤ Jordan kindly sent me a review copy and I will start it as soon as I finish Sigmund Shaw! 😀 Thanks again!

. Shattered Blue (The Light Trilogy #1) – Lauren Bird Horowitz

This one I already read thanks to NetGalley (review is here) and OMG, it’s amazing! I can’t wait for the release, everybody should read this book! Think about The Vampire Diaries series with fairies or Fae. PERFECTION! ❤

. The Dead House – Dawn Kurtagich

Also just found this one and I NEED TO READ THIS, PLEASE!

September, 22^th

. Matthew (Jaded Gentleman #2) – Grace Burrowes

I didn’t start this series yet, but come on, it’s Grace Burrowes. Of course this will rock 😀

. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories The Novel – Tomoko Kanemaki

This will be the novel version to the videogame Kingdom Heats Chain of Memories AND I NEED IT. I love KH games and am reading the mangas, so of course I want the novel as well!

. Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #3) – Ransom Riggs

I’ve met this series thanks to the Asylum series and I still haven’t started it – but I will, soon! Today, I almost chose its first book in the bookstore, but it wouldn’t be fair to read it before The Heir… Anyway, the third book in the series is out this month!

September, 29^th

. The Shepherd and The Solicitor – Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon

I’m a huge fan of Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon’s partnerships and I can’t wait to see what’s this book about ❤

. Pretty Girls – Karin Slaughter

I saw this on one of my three thousand bookish newsletters and I knew I had to read it. How simple is that? Haha!

. Daughters unto Devils – Amy Lukavics

I just discovered this book on Goodreads and I need to read it. I love terror/horror books like this one!

. A Mad Zombie Party (White Rabbit Chronicles #4) – Gena Showalter

Another series that I want to start. You must be thinking: “omg, where does this girl lives? Didn’t she read the coolest new series out there?” I apologize, I don’t have a good excuse for that, haha! Anyway, the fourth book of the series is out this month.

 

. Madly (Potion #1) – Amy Alward

I saw the review for this book up on a blog and knew I would love this 🙂

That’s what’s up on September for me for now, haha! Thanks for reading! Which books are you excited for??

The Tutor, from Bonnie Dee

Hello, everyone! Some days ago, I received a book called The Tutor, from Bonnie Dee, to review. It’s her newest release and I got pretty excited to read it, as I’m a big fan of Bonnie. This work was a standalone solo from Bonnie – she and Summer Devon write many books together, but they also publish alone 🙂 Thanks again, Bonnie Dee!

From my Instagram account 🙂

Let’s head to the story: Graham Cowrie is a poor guy from London that is desperate for a scenario change as the winter approaches and his house is not even remotely close of being prepared to endure extreme weathers. After applying for a position at Yorkshire, as a tutor for two 9-year-old twin boys and making his résumé way prettier than it actually was, Graham reads to the country, hoping only for a roof over his head and food inside his belly.

However, as soon as he lay eyes on Allinson Hall, his future winter home, he’s mortified. The house looked like a depressing asylum and has an awful aura about it. The house staff is also intimidating and far from welcome. Graham soon learns that his employer, Sir Richard Allison, lost his wife about a year ago and that the loss was hard for the children, as the circumstances of Lavinia Allinson death were pretty obscure.

Whitney and Clive Allison, Graham’s charges, prove to be elusive and smart boys, but Graham knew how to deal with children despite his résumé lies and soon wins, at least, their respect. Soon, he learns that the twins are different as day and night, despite being completely devoted to each other. Whitney is easy going and talkative, open to his tutor, while Clive completely muted after their mother’s death, being shy and suspicious all the time. Graham also learns that Sir Richard Allison, their father, is a smoking hot man and a burning desire grows between the two men.

As Graham fights to earn Whit and Clive’s trust and to attract Richard’s attention to physical matters – all the while maintaining his own part in place -, weird accidents start to happen and Graham discovers that not believing something doesn’t mean that it is not there.

“Play the part. Become the tutor.”

Now, let’s go to the analysis! Just wanted to remind that this is my opinion of the book and my impressions while reading it 🙂

This book left me so hangover. It’s a fast read: the book has 184 pages and you can read it on a sitting (it took me two days to finish it because I’m already back to college classes and this is my last semester, so I have to write my dissertation and all, haha!). But, when I finished it, I wasn’t ready for it to be over. Every element of the story was so good… I do have some critics, but, overall, the book is 5 starts worth!

The story narrator is Graham himself and he is a very fun and optimistic character. He’s that kind of person that always seems to notice everything around him and can tell other people’s sentiments just by looking at them. He truly has an inside light that can melt any heart – ask Sir Richard to see if I’m lying 😉

It’s not uncommon for me to have issues with narrator-characters; they usually annoy me with their actions and I get frustrated. This didn’t happen with The Tutor. Graham had me with him since the first sentence. What I really liked about him is that he is no martyr or self-centered: he has his moments just like you and me. Sometimes, he gets cocky and thinks that he’s awesome, other times he loafs himself and his lies. He can be honest even when he lies – how one does that?! He also is very describing, I dreamed with Allinson Hall the other night thanks to him… And it was creepy as hell, haha!

That leads us to the describing part. All the scenarios and characters are vivid in the readers mind. Dee mixes Graham’s thoughts with the book events in such a perfect harmony that it’s easy to feel like you are reading, that it’s not real and happening in front of you. One of the things that I liked more in this section was when Graham describes Richard’s first real and happy smile. My eyes got moist in that scene ❤

In characters matters, overall, I liked how Dee constructed one type of person for each personality and social role without falling into stereotypes. The twins were adorable, each in one kind of way, Richard was a prince of his own, Tom was a sweeting, the staff was cold, resentful and impatient (what was totally understandable, as they worked in a house with death reminders in every corner and wall). I just got a little disappointed with Richard, thanks to his behavior towards his children even after some key events in the book that should have put him into action to connect with his boys. And that’s why he won’t be featured on my vast bookish boyfriends list (but Graham is, haha! And no, it does not matter that they are both gay characters and I’m a girl, lol). I mean, he has a good heart, good actions, but he can’t make a move into two nine year olds? Come on!

The plot wasn’t overly complicated and was very obvious, but I’m not the kind of person who gets bothered by that. I don’t mind knowing where the story is going and how it is going to end; I like to see the details. I want to know how things happen. I get annoyed when I can even predict how events will turn in a book, you know? Not the case. I already read some books by Dee in the past to know what to wait of the plot, but not even one scene came out as I imagined. It was always better. But I guess that’s mostly Graham’s fault, as he was a very surprising character and his actions were also never obvious.

One thing that disappointed me in the book were the sex scenes – or the lack of them. As I said, I already read some previous works from Dee (all of them in her partnership with Summer Devon) and I was expecting more. The scenes from the book are good, but they are so few and there were many bedroom subjects to cover and justify the increase of such passages in the plot. Graham and Richard’s first time is very nice, but it’s all the actual sex we get. Everything else is just foreplay or Graham’s fantasies. The funny thing is that a solo work from Summer Devon disappointed me earlier this year for the very same reason: the sex scenes. I know their potential, so I guess Dee and Devon are soul writing mates, haha! They complete each other to make better scenes 😀

The supernatural element of the book, the very heart of the book problem, was a bit bipolar as well. In the beginning and in the middle, it was very good. Made me shiver and look twice at every shadow that I spotted. But, in the end, the problem was solved in a silly way. The answer itself was beautiful and it’s message is awesome, but I don’t know, I felt like it could have been harder. The ghost marketing didn’t matched his product, for say, haha!

Oh, bonus point, haha! I’m that kind of reader that collects quotes. I have a notebook full of them from pretty much all the parts of my life: movies, tv shows, celebrities, books, my friends, my family, my own… It’s a nice quote? I probably will write it down there. And this book had some amazing ones! This is very subjective, I know, but I’ll leave the best ones among the ones that I took note here (I’m sorry, I forgot to mark the pages’ numbers…):

“He would believe my lies only if I believed them myself.”

“What does every boy know and every man forget? That having fun is the prime purpose of life.”

“It was my nature to try to fix things and offer comfort where I could.”

“I was determinate to out-kiss a man I’d ever met (…)”

That’s it, guys! Thanks for reading and thanks again to Bonnie Dee, for sending me this! I loved The Tutor and it was one of my best reads of the year ❤

And I want to also share some news from Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon’s partnerships! They entered the Kindle Scout program with the book The Merchant and the Clergyman (you can read the blurb and chapter one on the page of the program, here).

The cover is beautiful ❤

That means that US residents with an Amazon account can vote on the book for it to be published by Amazon! I sadly couldn’t vote for them, as I live in Brazil, but I’m determinate to spread the world and get this amazing authors published everywhere they see fit. If you could spare a moment, don’t forget to vote! You’ll win a copy of their book if it gets chosen for publishing!

And their last news is that their new book together, The Shepherd and the Solicitor, will be out in September!

And here it is!

Meaning, next freaking month!! *–* Don’t forget to check this book out too!

Nicholas, from Grace Burrowes (Lonely Lords, #2)

First, I want to say how very deeply sorry I am. I have finished reading Nicholas, from Grace Burrowes, early this week, but only today I could sit and write down my impressions of it 😦 Sorry, guys!

weird cover…

Anyway, let’s get started! Nicholas is the second book in the Lonely Lord series and we already knew the character from Darius, the first book. Nicholas is a very insanely tall man (I’m sorry for the drama, but I’m really short, haha!), handsome in his own way and very, very gentle. So much that sometimes it gets annoying. We also get pieces of Nick’s life during the first book, as both books happened at the same time.

He meets Leah, Darius sister, at a ball in a very delicate moment of his life. Nick promised his dying father to find a wife before the end of the season, as he would inherit the title of Earl of Bellefonte. Leah is a woman with a scandal in her past, so she is very badly treated by polite society in general and hates social functions. However, she doesn’t hate them more than she resents her father, a very mean and wicked man who hates her back. They meet in a dark room at the ball and Nick falls in love with Leah’s voice. He didn’t see her, just touched and heard and he was struck.

After learning about Leah’s situation and her identity, Nick decides to marry her to get his bride and protect her from her own father. They desired and burned for each other, but Nick always kept his distance. It was very frustrating and I honestly got a little bored in the end, because they kept going on circles and every circle was darker than the other was.

The plot, at first, didn’t seem so different from the others, but, as the story went and I met the couple better, both were just broken. Nick was much more broken, but Leah also faced every sort of misfortunes in life and still had the courage to keep living, even without any hope for her future. I knew Grace blooms the essence of her characters during the book, but this time it was hardcore. Analyzing the details, big revelations and all, the book won 3 out of 5 starts from me. But I gave it 4 out of 5 stars at my Goodreads profile.

No, it wasn’t compassion or happiness over another finished book. It was all about one specific situation in the book that got me hard, but in the good way. Nick has an older bastard brother, Ethan (the star in the third book of the series) and they were inseparable as kids and teenagers. When they were around 15, an unhappy accident made their father beat Ethan almost to death and separated his heir and his bastard son. Their father, in his deathbed, confessed he did it because he thought the boys were lovers, once they didn’t have any other friends and only dallied with the maids eventually and together. Both men are shocked with such revelation and tell their father it wasn’t anything like that. I’m not going to say that this is insane because it was another time; I can’t judge the actions of the Earl being an outsider to the English mind of the time. But I wondered almost a full day about how many of this situations happened and the involved ones never knew why they were being punished or had to pretend to be something they weren’t just to survive. All of this got Grace a bonus star, haha!

That’s it, guys! It was an interesting read despite everything and I will read Ethan’s book soon. Thanks for reading this ❤ Do you like this kind of explosive/dark plot too?