Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Book Summary:

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

My Review:

A feud between two families, who will come out on top in the end?

Princess Jaya is on a misson. She transfer to a school where her enemy goes with her sister. Jaya is out for revenge to protect her sister from a scandal she think Lordship Grey has something to do with it. Since Emerson and Rao has a long feud so it safe to assume him starting all the drama. When Jaya bumps into Grey, she sees a human being, not this monster people make him out this be.

Will Jaya get her revenge she seeks or will have a change of heart?

Grey always kept to himself. Everyone always wants to hang with him, but he is like a close book. He believes in the curse of his family. Rao has curse Emerson and when the last rose petal fall the Emerson heir is to die. That is what Grey always thought that he meant to die and be alone forever.

Then he bumps into Jaya and his life changes a bit. Slowly coming out of his shell and trying a way to break the curse. Is Jaya the one who can save him?

This book was a cute retelling of Beauty and the beast. It deals with family issues and curses. Jaya is tore doing what’s right by her family and being happy for herself. Grey is fighting a curse by himself while his father blames him for everything even his mother death. They both deal with so many issues almost the same. I like watching them grow in the book and learning to be themselves more. Will it be enough to break the family curse?

If your into books like Beauty and beast and a little bit of Romeo and Juilet since it deals with a family feud, then you into a treat with this book.

Happy Reading!!!

Conceal Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita

Book Summary:

What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other? When a magical accident erases Anna and Elsa’s memories not only of magic, but of each other the sisters are separated for protection. But when Elsa unexpectedly finds herself as a young queen mysterious magic begins to happen and questions of her past start to form. Will the sisters ever be reunited?

My Review:

A magical curse separates two sisters for years.

Elsa been living life of a royal. She dreams to someday have a sister by her side, but her mother can’t have anymore kids. She grows up learning the ropes to ruling. Still Elsa feels like something is missing. After her parents lost at sea, secrets from the past resurfaces. Elsa must deal with magical powers on her own and having to rule a kingdom herself. A hidden letter, may hold the answers Elsa seeks and she may not be so alone anymore

Anna been living the quiet life at a bakery. She loves making sweets and her adoptive parents so much. Yet Anna feel like her calling is in Arendelle. Somehow she is drawn there when she see the snow. Something is calling to her, will Anna get the answers she seek.

I did enjoyed Conceal Don’t Feel. It like watching Frozen movie again, but with awesome twist. I think it was nice getting glimpse into the sisters lives if they never met. It was a different change from the story, which have nice point of views between the sisters. If you love Frozen like me, then you will enjoy this new retelling.

Ready to travel Into the Unknown?

Happy Reading!!!!

WWW Wednesday

Thanks to my editor Stay Fetters at Acourtofcoffeeandbooks for this new banner.

The three Ws:

What I’m currently reading?

What I finish reading?

What I plan to read next?

Finish Reading:

Conceal Don’t Feel was a nice retelling of Frozen. Which I did love Frozen 2 and prefect time of year to read and watch the movie. Working slowly on my review for book.

Currently Reading:

I’m in the middle of book 2, of The Simliars. Which I am enjoying it. The storyline is original and very creative. The Pretenders is the last book in book series and recently came out.

Reading Next:

I’m not sure what I’m reading next.

Beau and Bett by Kathryn Berla

Book Summary:

After Beau LeFrancois’s mother wrecks Bett Diaz’s luxury SUV, his family faces an impossibly large bill—with no car insurance to help pay it. To pay off the debt, Beau spends his weekends working at the Diaz Ranch.

Beau’s prepared to work, but he’s definitely not prepared for the infamous temper of Bett Diaz, also known as “The Beast” at school. As Beau learns the secrets behind Bett’s tough exterior, he finds himself falling for her . . . until he catches Bett in a lie.

A contemporary twist on a classic fairy tale, Beau and Bett is a timely story of family, friendship, and the power of speaking out and standing up for yourself.

My Review:

I did enjoyed this book. It was a short and quick read. A very modern take on Beauty and Beast story. I did like some of the characters in the book.

Beau is a nice guy and hard worker. So when his mom gets into an car accident. He goes working with this rich family to pay off dents. Beau is a type of person who see the good in everyone.

Bett can come off this mean chick. There are rumors at school she is this beast. When Beau start working for her dad, he kinda pecks her interest a bit. Is Bett really all that bad?

This review may be a little short sorry. I like the characters develop in the book. It fun how they interact with each other. It has a very slow burn romance build up, which don’t bother me. To me this book was a cute retelling, some of you might enjoy it.

Happy Reading!!

WWW Wednesday

Thanks to my editor Stay Fetters at Acourtofcoffeeandbooks for this new banner.

The three Ws:

What I’m currently reading?

What I finish reading?

What I plan to read next?

Finish Reading:

I did like this modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Will write my review of the book soon.

Currently Reading:

I’m in the middle of The Hive. I’m liking it a bit. It has an interesting storyline.

Summary:

Cassie McKinney has always believed in the Hive.

Social media used to be out of control, after all. People were torn apart by trolls and doxxers. Even hackers – like Cassie’s dad – were powerless against it.

But then the Hive came. A better way to sanction people for what they do online. Cause trouble, get too many “condemns,” and a crowd can come after you, teach you a lesson in real life. It’s safer, fairer and perfectly legal.

Entering her senior year of high school, filled with grief over an unexpected loss, Cassie is primed to lash out. Egged on by new friends, she makes an edgy joke online. Cassie doubts anyone will notice.

But the Hive notices everything. And as her viral comment whips an entire country into a frenzy, the Hive demands retribution.

One moment Cassie is anonymous; the next, she’s infamous. And running for her life.

With nowhere to turn, she must learn to rely on herself – and a group of Hive outcasts who may not be reliable – as she slowly uncovers the truth about the machine behind the Hive.

New York Times bestselling authors Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden have teamed up for the first time to create a novel that’s gripping, terrifying and more relevant every day, based on a story proposal by Jennifer Beals and Tom Jacobson

Reading Next:

Looking forward to reading The Memory Thief. The summary sounds very good. The cover is so pretty for it.

Summary:

In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city’s asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a “criminal’s” memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.

To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.

Just been feeling sick and trying to keep blog active as best as I can. I’m reading at a slow peace since real life stuff been getting in the way.

Happy Reading!!!

Sea Witch Raising by Sarah Henning

Book Summary:

Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.

Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds?

Told from alternating perspectives, this epic fairy tale retelling is a romantic and heart-wrenching story about the complications of sisterhood, the uncompromising nature of magic, and the cost of redemption

My Review:

I did liked the book Sea Witch Raising. The first book Sea Witch was also good. The storyline is about two sisters who made a deal with the sea witch. If you have yet read Sea Witch, you may disregard this review.

The book picks up from where book one left off. A mermaid, Aila making a deal with the sea witch.

Runa is Alia sister, she also will do anything to bring her sister home. Now making a deal with the witch with her sisters help. Runa got a huge challenge ahead of her. Not only she must save her sister, but stop her father from going to war.

Evie is stuck watching the sisters from a far. She is bully by the sea king, as he wants his daughters back. Evie is scare of the king and tries hard to break from his grip. She is torture from the past of dead and mistakes. Will the sea witch find peace.

This book has a slow pace read to me. I do enjoy villian stories a lot. Some villians had sad backstories or misunderstood. Evie is one those villians, is she really that evil helping out mermaids and granting them their wishes? This book is about stopping a war, and finding love before it’s to late. Then find out for yourself on who is truly evil in it.

Happy Reading!!!!!

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Book Summary:

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

My Review:

Spin the Dawn was a great retelling of Mulan. It was action pack and magical adventure. This book just sucks you right in.

In a kingdom where the best tailors in the world are man. A girl dreams of becoming one of them. As it is forbidden for girls to tailor for the king.

When Maia’s father who is sick and her crumpled brother, are called in by the king to serve as a tailor. Maia does the the unthinkable and disguised herself as her brother. She is risking her life and her family’s. A gruesome competition is lays ahead for her, will she able to keep her secret?

This book was so well written, and the cover is so beautiful. Spin the dawn is a series and leaves you wanting more at the end. You will be up all night reading this book. If your in for a good magical verison of Mulan, then your in for a treat.

Happy Reading!!!

{Arc Review} A House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig

Book Summary:

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

My Review:

House of Salt and Sorrow was such a awesome read. I really love this new twisted version of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. It was haunting and very beautiful written. I did love the characters, mostly the sisters bond for each other.

Annaleigh is the main character. She would do anything to protect her sisters. When every in town think the sisters are cursed, no one wants to deal with that. Then a mysterious stranger walk into town, he may hold answers to what’s going on. Can she really trust this stranger?

This book lends you to a magical place the girls escape to dance the night away. Can they really trust anything in they see there?

This book is like a mind game experience. With so many magical elements and ghost lurking around. Hard to believe what it real anymore. It filled with magical adventures, death, and romance. It can be dancing your way onto your shelves on Aug 6th. You would want to add this on your TBR.

Happy Reading!!!!

WWW Wednesday

Thanks to my editor Stay Fetters at Acourtofcoffeeandbooks for this new banner.

The three Ws:

What I’m currently reading?

What I finish reading?

What I plan to read next?

Finish Reading:

I really enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrow. Will review book soon.

Currently Reading:

Looking forward to starting this book tonight.

Reading Next:

Another book I’m dying to check out. It looks so pretty and sounds so different.

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Book Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

My Review:

I so did enjoy Heart of Iron alot. It was fun and adventurous read. I did love most of the characters in the book. Which there are a lot to keep track of.

Ana grew up on a ship with no memories of who she is. She grew up being a thief and enjoy life with her new family. When Di, her metal friend needs repairs. She will go into dangerous territory to save him.

Di is a metal, he glitches a lot, but still very loyal to Ana. Both him and Ana been found together in middle of space. Left with no memories on what happen. Di knows he not a real human but he has such strong feelings like one. Will Ana be able to fix her friend?

With Jax their trusted pilot to lead the way and keep new comer Robb in his place. Their new path in life with lead to secrets and new adventures waiting for them.

Their are atleast four points of views in this book. It hard to chose which characters to like more. This was a fun read from start and finish. It a refreshing for a new take on Anastasia retelling. I’m looking forward to start book, Soul of Stars. Which came out this week.

Happy Reading!!!