The Best Books Ever

Princess Ever After By  Rachel Hauck Published on February 4. 2013 Published by Zondervan Source: NetGalley Regina Beswick never dreamed of faraway places. She’s happy with her life as a classic car mechanic and owner of a restoration shop. But an unexpected visitor and the discovery of a fairytale, drawn by her great-grandma, causes Regina to wonder if she might be destined for something more. Tanner Burkhardt, Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg, must convince the strong-willed Southerner, Miss Beswick, that she is his country’s long-lost princess. Failure could destroy his reputation and change his nation forever. As Regina and Tanner face the challenges before them, neither are prepared for love to invade their hearts and change every thing they believe about themselves. However, when a royal opponent nearly destroys Regina’s future, she must lean into God and trust He has sovereignly brought her to her true and final destiny. This i...

Soul Betrayed (The Life After, #3) By  Katlyn Duncan Published on February 27th 2014 Published by Carina Source: Author A Life for a Life The battle between Shadowed and Guard has brought destruction and terror to Gate Seven and now Maggie wants revenge. As the only after-life being who can save the souls from ultimate death Maggie comes face to face with her own human body, preserved for a century, waiting for just this moment to arrive. Yet, how far will Maggie go to exact her revenge on the Shadowed? And when she comes face to face with her past, how will she survive the onslaught of memories she thought long gone? For when the truth comes out all is not what it seems and Maggie has finally run out of time... She must choose her destiny or watch all she has perish in the fight for her life! The Life After series: 1. Soul Taken 2. Soul Possessed 3. Soul Betrayed Soul Betrayed was amazing! This wonderful conclusion to the Life After series was my favorite ...

We're pleased to spotlight Emblazed, the second book in The Division Chronicles series, by Connie L. Smith.  Keep reading to check out an excerpt from the book!   Emblazed By  Connie L. Smith Published on February 24th 2014 After all the preparations, Nicholai’s warriors stand on the threshold of warfare, the demons entering the realm in battalions and the world unknowingly depending on the army’s success to continue intact. But the battle is only the beginning of deadly struggles, and the soldiers will soon realize how little they know, how many things are at stake, and how much they have to lose. Love, hate, hope, despair, anguish, joy… The journey is a gauntlet of emotion and combat, threatening their resolve as much as their lives. Will their training and ties be enough, or will the complications and the forthcoming evil forever cripple the world’s last hope of survival? Purchase Emblazed: Amazon Get Book #1, Essenced, for free: Amazon ...

Thanks to the lovely folks over at Harlequin, we're pleased to spotlight the newest release from romance author Susan Mallery, Evening Stars . Check out the summary of the book, and then keep reading to enter to win a copy for yourself! Evening Stars By  Susan Mallery Published on February 25th 2014 Published by Mira Books New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery returns to Blackberry Island with the poignant tale of two sisters on the verge of claiming their dreams. Small-town nurse Nina Wentworth has made a career out of being a caretaker. More "Mom" than their mother ever was, she sacrificed medical school—and her first love—so her sister could break free. Which is why she isn't exactly thrilled to see Averil back on Blackberry Island, especially when Nina's life has suddenly become…complicated. Nina unexpectedly finds herself juggling two men—her high school sweetheart and a younger maverick pilot who also wants to claim her heart. Bu...

Thanks to  TLC Book Tours , we're pleased to present a review for  The Sound of Broken Glass , a new mystery novel by Deborah Crombie. Make sure to  check out the rest of the tour stops  to see other reviews! The Sound of Broken Glass By Deborah Crombie Published on February 25th 2014 Published by: William Morrow & Company Source: Publisher/blog tour Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are on the case in Deborah Crombie's The Sound of Broken Glass, a captivating mystery that blends a murder from the past with a powerful danger in the present. When Detective Inspector James joins forces with Detective Inspector Melody Talbot to solve the murder of an esteemed barrister, their investigation leads them to realize that nothing is what it seems--with the crime they're investigating and their own lives. With an abundance of twists and turns and intertwining subplots, The Sound of Broken Glass by New York Times bestselling author...

Once Upon a Prince By Rachel Hauck Published on May 7th 2013 Published by Zondervan Source: NetGalley Once Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series by bestselling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale. Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life. The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love. Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receive...

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends By  Shannon Hale Published on October 8th 2013 Published by Little, Brown and Company Source: Library At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life. As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future. ...

Emerald Green By  Kerstin Gier Published on October 8th 2013 Published by Henry Holt Source: Gift Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along. This stunning conclusion picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate. This is the final book in the Ruby Red Trilogy.  I have to say, this was the most exciting of the three books.  I loved seeing how everything tied together and  how there were so many moments in the first two books that f...

Sapphire Blue By  Kerstin Gier Published on October 30th 2012 Published by Henry Holt Source: Gift Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean. At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out. Sapphire...

Ruby Red By  Kerstin Gier Published on May 10th 2011 Published by Henry Holt Source: Gift Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended - and rather eccentric - family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors' peculiar history, she's had a relatively normal life so far. The time-traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn't been introduced to "the mysteries," and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesly. It comes as an unwelcome surprise when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past. She's totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He's obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she's seen in any centrury . . . . Ok, so I will be honest.  I ...

Grim Edited By  Christine Johnson Published on February 25th 2014 Published by: Harlequin Teen Source: Netgalley Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today. Grim is a pretty excellent collection of fairy tale-inspired stories from top YA authors.  While the blurb bills them all as dark and sinister, I don't think that's necessarily true.  There are some that are kind of creepy, and a few with sinister plot twists, but I didn't find the collection to be overall quite as, uh, grim as advertised. I do wish that the stories included notes from the authors about their inspirations or what fairy tales they were adapting, since I'm not really familiar with too many fairy tales, but otherwise, I enjoyed a good number of these stories and think this one is definitely worth picking up. Here are my quick thoughts on each of the stories in the coll...

The Troop By  Nick Cutter Published on February 25th 2014 Published by Gallery Books Source: Netgalley Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons. Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended…and eventually each other. What starts out as a simple camping trip for a small group of boys devolves into an unstoppable nightmare whe...

Thanks to  TLC Book Tours , we're pleased to present a review for  The Isolation Door , a new contemporary novel by Anish Majumdar. Make sure to  check out the rest of the tour stops  to see other reviews! The Isolation Door By Anish Majumdar Published on February 4th 2014 Published by: Ravana Press Source: Publisher/blog tour Neil Kapoor, 23, is desperate to create a life beyond the shadow of his mother’s schizophrenia. Years of successive relapses and rehabilitations have forced his father into the role of caretaker and Neil into that of silent witness. But there is no light within this joyless ritual, and any hope for the future rests on finding an exit. Amidst her latest breakdown, Neil attends drama school in pursuit of a role that might better express the truth of who he is. What started as a desperate gambit becomes the fragile threads of a new life. A relationship blooms with Emily, and each finds strength – and demons - in the other. New f...

Historical Heartthrobs: 50 Timeless Crushes—From Cleopatra to Camus By  Kelly Murphy & Hallie Fryd Published on January 7th 2014 Published by Zest Books Source: Netgalley This book compiles photos and life stories of 50 of the sexiest men and women from history and asks the essential question: Would you really want to date them? Some are artists, some are scientists, and many are political or military leaders, but all have had a lasting impact on human life—and a sizable impact on their admirers as well. Each entry describes the period in which the heartthrob lived and includes essential stats, hilarious sidebars, and, of course, a “crushability” ranking: a measurement of how crush-worthy these people really are, based on their relative levels of heroism (or villainy). This book is basically the Buzzfeed or Upworthy of books.  I can see the article titles now.   Fifty hot people from history who are going to rock your world!   or These fifty historica...

Archetype By M.D. Waters Published on Feb 8th, 2014 Published by Dutton Adult Source: Publisher Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself. Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters. In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . . T...

Divergent By  Veronica Roth Published on April 25, 2011 Published by Katherine Tegen Books Source: Purchased In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating co...

Chris P. Bacon: My Life So Far By  Len Lucero and Kristina Tracy Published on December 16, 2013 Published by Hay House Source: Netgalley Welcome to the life of Chris P. Bacon! This adorable baby pig, who was born without the use of this back legs, became a YouTube and talk-show sensation when his adopted dad, veterinarian Len Lucero, posted a video online of tiny Chris learning how to use a cart made out of toys. This determined piglet soon mastered the device and was rolling to interviews across the country. Here, in his first book, this inspiring little guy tells the story of his life so far. Chris P. Bacon is the very cute, inspirational true story of a little pig who became a big deal on the internet and TV. Chris’s back legs would not work, so his adopted “dad” (a vet) designed a cart for him to wheel around on instead. Chris became a Youtube sensation and appeared on TV shows. This book is told from Chris’s point of view and uses both illustrations and real pho...

Unforgotten By  Jessica Brody Published on February 25th 2014 Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) Source: Netgalley Some memories are better left forgotten... After a daring escape from the scientists at Diotech who created her, Seraphina believes she is finally safe from the horrors of her past. But new threats await Sera and her boyfriend, Zen, at every turn as Zen falls prey to a mysterious illness and Sera’s extraordinary abilities make it more and more difficult to stay hidden. Meanwhile, Diotech has developed a dangerous new weapon designed to apprehend her. A weapon that even Sera will be powerless to stop. Her only hope of saving Zen’s life and defeating the company that made her is a secret buried deep within her mind. A secret that Diotech will kill to protect. And it won’t stay forgotten for long. Packed with mystery, suspense, and romance, this riveting second installment of Jessica Brody’s Unremembered trilogy delivers more heart-pounding action ...

Feral, an upcoming novel by Holly Schindler, sounds awesome , so I am excited to share the cover reveal with all of you.  Check it out! Feral By Holly Schindler Release date: August 26th 2014 Published by: HarperCollins Genre: YA Thriller/Mystery Preorder: Amazon It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew. But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is...

Well, it is still kinda the beginning of 2014- there is still a TON of this year to go.  With it are a whole list of exciting new titles for the young adult scene.  But will they be dystopians? Vampires? Angels? Contemporary books? We asked a few of our favorite people in the book world to give us their opinions:  Ali from Harper Teen , Andye from Reading Teen , Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner , and Alexis from Tor : 2013 was a big year for books.  What trends did you see really emerge in YA fiction in 2013? (Dystopian, Science fiction, Vampires, etc) Ali: I think we've seen a little bit of everything in 2013, and it's important to have that variety. If I had to pick one trend, I'd definitely point to the reemergence of realistic fiction as a major YA genre.  Andye:  There was a lot less paranormal romance and a lot more Sci-Fi, Post-apocalyptic (non-dystopian), and even an impressive amount of Fantasy, which I love...