Book Review - Bloody Fool for Love by William Ritter + Giveaway

 

Spike and his family has returned to London and he wants to bask in his newfound glory. He is well known to be a slayer killer. However, things don't go exactly to plan. His new home is a dank basement and one of his fellow family members, Angellus, has abandoned them. Drusilla, Spike's love, is heartbroken and spends her time reading her tarot cards. She is planning for the next family dinner where they will all be reunited.

Spike is desperate for Dru to realize that his love for her should be enough. He decides to steal a powerful relic to snap her out of her melancholy. He had the perfect plan until a monster named Gunnar, the leader of the demon underworld, steals the item first. Spike decides to join up with a few other underworld creatures to steal back the relic. Will Spike be able to get the relic?

I have heard of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but, I had no interaction with the franchise. However, it didn't seem that not knowing the show would prevent you from enjoying the book. I did feel like there were some characters nuances I might have missed but, the book was enjoyable overall. Spike was fun and charismatic character. I loved his witty jokes and his style. I feel like I would enjoy reading more of Spike's adventures. If you are a fan of "Buffy", then you will enjoy this book.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion**

About the Book

Title: BLOODY FOOL FOR LOVE: A Spike Novel

Author: William Ritter

Pub. Date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: Disney Publishing Group

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 256

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Bloody Fool for Love from New York Times best-selling author William Ritter marks the beginning of an all-new series that explores prequel stories about fan-favorite Buffy characters. 

A verified villain. A slayer killer. A god among vampires. And most of all? A hopeless romantic...

Spike just wants to enjoy the spoils of his new badass reputation. He’s now a legendary slayer killer, and he’s returning to London—the greatest city in the world. Unfortunately, his new abode is far from ideal (a dank basement), and the rest of his strange little “family” is reeling from the fact that their patriarch, Angellus, abandoned them. Spike’s love, Drusilla, seems especially heartbroken and spends her time lost in her tarot cards and planning their next gruesome family dinner when they all can be reunited. 

Desperate to break Dru out of her melancholy, Spike vows to steal a powerful relic that will help her focus on their dark future together. It’s the perfect plan—that is until a monster named Gunnar, leader of the demon underworld of London, steals the relic first. Forced to form his own ragtag group of underworld denizens, Spike plans an epic heist against a ruthless gang of undead criminals. As he navigates paranormal plots, royal black ops, and breaks for teatime (they may be abominations, but they’re British abominations, thank you very much), Spike soon realizes that his homecoming is about to get bloody. 

This rompy, action-packed novel inspired by one of Buffy’s most infamous bad boys is part Bonnie and Clyde, part Sherlock and Watson, with just a bit more bloodsucking. 

Reviews:
"Ritter introduces several charismatic new side characters and nails the fan favorites’ voices, from Spike’s wisecracks to Dru’s hilariously bizarre musings. The tone―a mashup of funny, dark, and thrilling―fits perfectly with the show...This entertaining story will please Buffy fans and is easily accessible to newcomers who appreciate charming paranormal baddies...A diverting Buffyverse tale."―Kirkus Reviews

 

About William Ritter:

William Ritter is an author of YA and MG fantasy who made his debut in 2014 with the New York Times best-selling Jackaby series. He is also an Oregon educator and a proud father of two.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of BLOODY FOOL FOR LOVE, US Only.

Ends September 6^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2022	Lisa Loves Literature	Review/IG Post
8/2/2022	Lisa-Queen of Random	Excerpt/IG Post
8/3/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
8/4/2022	Fyrekatz Blog	Review
8/5/2022	Ya Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
8/6/2022	GryffindorBookishNerd	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

8/7/2022	@jacleomik33	IG Review
8/8/2022	A Dream Within A Dream	Review/IG Post
8/9/2022	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/IG Post
8/10/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
8/11/2022	Book & Coffee Addict	Review/IG Post
8/12/2022	hauntedbybooks	Review/IG Post
8/13/2022	My.Bookish.Mind	IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Three:

8/14/2022	@jypsylynn	IG Review
8/15/2022	The Book Nut	Review/IG Post
8/16/2022	Beers Books Boos	Review/IG Post
8/17/2022	@amysbooknook8	IG Review
8/18/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
8/19/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review/IG Post
8/20/2022	Wanderingwitchreads	TikTok Review/IG Post

Week Four:

8/21/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
8/22/2022	pluvioreads	Review/TikTok Post
8/23/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
8/24/2022	BookBriefs	Review/IG Post
8/25/2022	A Bookish Dream	Review/IG Post
8/26/2022	PopTheButterfly Reads	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post
8/27/2022	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

8/28/2022	Confessions of a YA Reader	Review
8/29/2022	The Clever Reader	Review/IG Post
8/30/2022	laura's bookish corner	Review/IG Post
8/31/2022	onemused	IG Post

Book Review - The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland

 

Tessa Markham returns to her home to find a child in her kitchen. The boy thinks that Tessa is his mother. However, doesn't have any children, at least not anymore.

Tessa contacts the police because she doesn't know the boy or how he got inside her home. However, because of her past, Tessa becomes a suspect to the kidnapping of the child. Tessa doesn't know who to believe when her husband reveals a secret of his own. Will Tessa be able to confront her painful past?

I thought the book was an okay read. I was able to guess the ending from a mile away. I felt like all the characters felt predictable and fit into their roles i.e. her boss being a source of comfort while her husband didn't believe a word she said. I also didn't really care for Tessa as a character as she was naive. There was a few times where I rolled my eyes by her actions. I definitely expected more from this book and it didn't deliver.

Book Review - When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

 

Mira has left her small, segregated hometown in the south more than a decade ago to forget her past. She tried to distance herself from her past and her best friends, Celine and Jessie. Celine was teased because she was the only white girl who had black friends. Her old neighborhood was known for being a poor black area and most people try to avoid it.

Years ago, she and Jessie, her secret crush, decide to visit the creepy Woodsman plantation together. The plantation has been rumored to be haunted by the spirits of slaves. While they were exploring, Mira comes across a ghost and the day goes wrong when a body is found on the plantation. Jesse is accused of murder and Mira is afraid to admit to what she saw that day.

Years later, Mira has returned to Kipsen to attend Celine's wedding at the plantation. The plantation has been remodeled into a vacation resort. Mira was hesitant to come because of her past but, she still hopes to reconnect with her friends.

Even though the Woodsman mansion went through millions of dollars of renovation, it still remains a monument to its racist history. They serve antebellum drinks, have horrifying reenactments and most of the service staff is black. The darkest parts of the plantation's past has been erased; the ones that fuel the rumor mills that the mansion is haunted. The rumor is that many of the slaves were horrendously tortured and then killed. Their ghosts haunt the land and seek vengeance on the descendants of those who hurt them.

I thought the novel started off okay but, then towards the middle of the book it got really slow and boring. I was expecting more from this ghost story. The ending felt rushed and out of place. It left me wanting more but, by then I was already over the book. I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters as some didn't feel very fleshed out.

Book Spotlight - Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows by Tehlor Kay Mejia + Giveaway

About the Book

Title: PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE SANCTUARY OF SHADOWS (Paola Santiago #3)

Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia

Pub. Date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Tehlor Kay Mejia's third chilling story based on Mexican folklore. This time Paola Santiago faces El Cucuy, aka the Boogeyman.

"Paola Santiago is a whip-smart Latina who dares to explore the shadows between folklore and middle-school friendship. A thrilling adventure."--Nina Moreno, author of Don't Date Rosa Santos

Paola Santiago has recently returned from Oregon, where she defeated the Hitchhiker ghost and saved her father from the vengeful spirit that was possessing him. The poor girl deserves a rest! But first she has to rescue Dante from the void, where he’s been imprisoned by some unknown force. Even though Dante has turned against Pao, she can’t just leave him there--they’ve been friends for too long.

Paola’s prophetic dreams seem to have dried up, so she has to find other ways to locate a new rift where she can enter the void. Signs point to Texas--but how is she going to get there from Arizona? It just so happens that Emma’s new group of politically active friends, the Rainbow Rogues, are planning a field trip to San Antonio. It’s the perfect ruse for Paola, if she can stand being with the judgmental girls for that many days. . . .

Relying on her wits, training from the Ninos de la Luz, and the emotional support of her best friend Emma, Pao makes it into the void. Once there she must face down not just one but two enemies: El Cucuy, the bogeyman . . . and someone even scarier who looks a lot like Pao herself.

This third exciting journey into Mexican folklore has our lovable, intrepid protagonist making discoveries both wonderous and fearsome.

Grab the first 2 books in the PAOLA SANTIAGO now!

Book 1 is FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Subscription!

 

About Tehlor Kay Mejia:

TEHLOR KAY MEJIA is a bestselling and award winning author of young adult and middle grade fiction.

Her debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine’s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal. Its sequel, WE UNLEASH THE MERCILESS STORM, followed to continuing acclaim, while MISS METEOR (co-written with National Book Award Nominee Anna-Marie McLemore) was named to the American Library Association’s 2021 Rainbow List, honoring outstanding contributions in LGBTQIA teen fiction.

Tehlor’s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon’s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range. It is currently in development at Disney as a television series to be produced by Eva Longoria.

Tehlor lives with her daughter, partner, and two small dogs in Oregon, where she grows heirloom corn and continues her quest to perfect the vegan tamale. She is active on Twitter and Instagram @tehlorkay. 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE SANCTUARY OF SHADOWS, US Only.

Ends September 6^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2022	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Post
8/2/2022	Author Z. Knight's Guild	Excerpt
8/3/2022	Ya Books Central	Excerpt
8/4/2022	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/IG Post
8/5/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
8/6/2022	laura's bookish corner	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

8/7/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review/IG Post
8/8/2022	hauntedbybooks	Review/IG Post
8/9/2022	BookBriefs	Review/IG Post
8/10/2022	xbookwormcafe	Review/IG Post
8/11/2022	Feed Your Fiction Addiction	Review/IG Post
8/12/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
8/13/2022	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

8/14/2022	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
8/15/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review/IG Post
8/16/2022	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review/IG Post
8/17/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
8/18/2022	pluvioreads	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post
8/19/2022	The Book View	Excerpt/IG Post
8/20/2022	Lisa-Queen of Random	Excerpt/IG Post

Week Four:

8/21/2022	Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog	Review/IG Post
8/22/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
8/23/2022	@jaimerockstarbooktours	IG Post
8/24/2022	wiltedpages	Review/IG Post
8/25/2022	froggyreadteach	IG Review/Read Part of Book Out Loud
8/26/2022	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post
8/27/2022	PopTheButterfly Reads	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

Week Five:

8/28/2022	onemused	IG Post
8/29/2022	@lexijava	Review/IG Post
8/30/2022	@jypsylynn	Review/IG Post
8/31/2022	@drewsim12	IG Review/TikTok Post

Book Review - The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

 

Agatha Christie goes missing on a gloomy day in December 1926. Police finds her abandoned car at the edge of a dark pond that has it's own sinister origins. The only clues the police were able to find was some nearby tire tracks and a fur coat left behind during a frigid night. Her husband, Archie, and her daughter has no idea where Agatha might be. A unprecedented manhunt ensues to find the budding author. Eleven days later, Agatha reappears and claims that she has amnesia and provides no explanation for her absence.

This was my second book reading about Agatha's disappearance.  Compared to the other novel, this one felt lackluster. Majority of the book is spent with Archie under the police's scrutiny. The other half we get to read about Agatha's and Archie's budding romance and then it's slow decline. There were barely any details given about anything. I felt like the entire book was just a fluffy piece and then "mystery" behind her disappearance was very predictable. I wish the author devoted some pages giving additional context to the complicated and beloved Agatha Christie's life.

Book Review - Goblin Market by Diane Zahler + Giveaway

 

Lizzie and Minka might be sisters but, they are nothing alike. Minka is outgoing and personable while, Lizzie is shy and prefers to keep to herself. Lizzie likes that nothing ever happens in their quiet sleepy village. She likes that its safe and comfortable and she hopes nothing ever changes.

However, Lizzie's world comes crashing down when Minka meets a boy. The boy gives her a delicious plum to eat. He is charming, alluring, and handsome. He tells her that she is special and he understands her like no one else does. He tells Minka to join him in the darkness in the forest.

As Minka falls under the zdusze's (goblin) spell, Lizzie will stop at nothing to save her beloved sister. She knows that his words and fruit is poison and she is desperate to get Minka to see the truth. Will Lizzie be able to save Minka before it's too late?

I am not familiar with the poem or the Polish folklore that this book is based off of. However, I thought it was an interesting read. The book was short but, filled with world building details for young readers to enjoy. At times, the book did seem to drag a bit and had a lot of fluff material though. Overall, I found it to be an interesting read and I would read more books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion**

 

 

About The Book:

Title: GOBLIN MARKET

Author: Diane Zahler

Pub. Date: August 16, 2022

Publisher: Holiday House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 256

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

One sister must save the other from a goblin prince in this rich, spooky, and delightfully dark fantasy!

"TERRIFICALLY TIMELESS. . . SPLENDID."—Shelf Awareness

Lizzie and Minka are sisters, but they’re nothing alike: Minka is outgoing and cheerful, while Lizzie is shy and sensitive. Nothing much ever happens in their sleepy village—there are fields to tend, clothes to mend, and weekly trips to the market, predictable as the turning of the seasons. Lizzie likes it that way. It’s safe. It’s comfortable. She hopes nothing will ever change. 

But one day, Minka meets a boy. 
A boy who gives her a plum to eat. 

He is charming. He is handsome. He tells her that she’s special. He tells her no one understands her like he does—not her parents, not her friends, not even Lizzie. He tells her she should come away with him, into the darkness, into the forest. . . .

Minka has been bewitched and ensnared by a zdusze—a goblin. His plum was poison, his words are poison, and strange things begin to happen. Trees bleed, winds howl, a terrible sickness descends on Minka, and deep in the woods, in a place beyond sunshine, beyond reality, a wedding table has been laid. . . .

To save her sister, Lizzie will have to find courage she never knew she had—courage to confront the impossible—and enter into a world of dreams, danger, and death.

Rich world-building inspired by both Polish folklore and the poetry of Christina Rossetti combines with a tender sister story in this thrilling novel from Diane Zahler.

"Lush. . . Dreamy. . . Breath-quickening."—The Horn Book
"Resonates with emotion."—BCCB
"Believably wrought."—Publishers Weekly
"Will entice readers looking for some chills."—Kirkus Reviews

About Diane Zahler:

Diane grew up reading children's books and never wanted to do anything but write them. Now she’s the author of six middle-grade fantasy novels and a historical novel, DAUGHTER OF THE WHITE ROSE. She lives in the country with her husband and slightly neurotic dog in what is aptly nicknamed the Bug House. Visit her website at www.dianezahler.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of GOBLIN MARKET, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/8/2022	Ya Books Central	Excerpt
8/8/2022	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
8/9/2022	hauntedbybooks	Review/IG Post
8/9/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
8/10/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
8/10/2022	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Post
8/11/2022	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/IG Post
8/11/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
8/12/2022	Lisa-Queen of Random	Excerpt/IG Post
8/12/2022	onemused	IG Post

Week Two:

8/15/2022	Nerdophiles	Review
8/15/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
8/16/2022	Beers Books Boos	Review/IG Post
8/16/2022	Celia's Reads	Review/IG Post
8/17/2022	Littlefreelibrarygrahamnc	IG Review
8/17/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
8/18/2022	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post
8/18/2022	@jypsylynn	IG Review
8/19/2022	@amysbooknook8	IG Review
8/19/2022	Eli to the nth	Review/IG Post

Book Review - Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

 

Sixteen year old Amanda Verner was hoping for a fresh start. When she hears that they would be moving from their small mountain cabin to the prairie, she is excited over the opportunity. She can leave behind the past winter that has taken a toll on her mentally and physically. She had terrifying visions and she felt her sanity slipping especially when her baby sister cries nonstop.

Amanda is excited to leave behind the memory and pain of the boy she was secretly meeting in the woods and whose baby is she now carrying. However, when they arrive to their bigger home, they realize something is amiss. The inside of the house is covered in blood and Amanda is certain something isn't right. She heard stories of the land being tainted by the devil and people losing their minds and killing their families. Their only neighbor is a son and his doctor father who seem strange and they live in the woods at the edge of the prairie. Amanda isn't sure if the prairie is evil or if its just her.

The novel was a quick and creepy read. However, I was left wanting more. I felt like there was a lot of build up but the story was very lacking in details. Most of the exciting parts of the story took place towards the end and it felt rushed. It was a good attempt at a debut book but, it needs to be fleshed out more.

Book Review - The Memory Keeper's Daughter: A Novel by Kim Edwards

 

 

 

In a late winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twins in Lexington, Kentucky. His first child, a son, is born perfectly healthy. David notices that their second child, their daughter is born with Down syndrome. He decides that he needs to protect his wife, Norah, from heartache and makes a split second decision that will alter their lives forever. 

 

He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the child to an institution for children like her and to keep the secret from his family.  Caroline feels conflicted on David's choice and instead, she decides to keep the child for herself. 

I wanted to love this because the description and summary was so spellbinding. However, I was more than 40% into the book before I lost interest. and stopped reading. The story just plodded long with boring details and unnecessary filler. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and I wasn't invested in learning what happened to them. This book is a good reminder why I shouldn't pick up books by the title and cover.