Genre: Young Adult

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Oct 07

{Review+Giveaway} Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita #TwistedTale

Do you prefer your fairy tales with a twist? Today, I am partnering with Disney Book Group to bring you my review of the newest A Twisted Tale book based on Frozen which asks, What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other? So check out my review of Conceal, Don’t Feel, and then be sure to enter the giveaway, compliments of Disney Book Group, at the bottom of the post before you leave. ————————– Conceal, Don’t Feel is the seventh book in the A Twisted Tale series and it is written by author Jen Calonita. I love the idea behind the A twisted tale series. Each of the books takes a different, and often times darker, spin on a classic Disney story. They are written by different authors and they can be read as standalone novels, but they are all so much fun that I would recommend reading them all. Conceal, Don’t Feel is a twist based on Disney’s Frozen. With the new Frozen movie teasers coming out, I was… Read more »

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Oct 03

{Review+Giveaway} Harbor For the Nightingale by Kathleen Baldwin @KatBaldwin

Note: This is the fourth book in a series that must be read in order. If you are new to the Stranje House series, check out my review of book one, A School for Unusual Girls HERE, my review of book two, HERE, and my review of book three HERE ————— Harbor For the Nightingale is the fourth book in the Stranje House series by Kathleen Baldwin. The Stranje House series is my absolute favorite alternative history (with a fantasy element) series of all time. Stranje House is the school that our main characters attend, and it is basically a secret spy school for young ladies with impressive talents. Each of the books is told from one of the five Stranje House girls point of views. Book one was Georgie, book two is Tess, book three is Jane, and book four is Maya’s story. The series follows a single timeline and the events of the books take place one right after another, so the series must be read in order…. Read more »

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Oct 01

{Review+Giveaway} Glow of the Fireflies by Lindsey Duga

Glow of the Fireflies is a young adult standalone magic fantasy by Lindsey Duga. Lindsey Duga wrote one of my favorite books of last year- Kiss of the Royal, so to say I was excited about her next book was an understatement. And I am happy to report that I really loved Glow of the Fireflies. I still think Kiss of the Royal is my favorite book of hers, but her writing is so magical that it is hard not to completely fall in love with her characters and her stories. She is one of my newest favorite authors. Next, I think I would love for her to write an epic fantasy romance series. In Glow of the Fireflies wee meet our main character Briony. Briony sets out on a magical adventure to rescue her mother. I think Glow of the Fireflies is a mixture of magical realism and fantasy, which is a genre I have not read too much of. The magical realism aspect comes in from the books… Read more »

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Sep 26

{ARC Review+Giveaway} Shadow Frost by Coco Ma

Shadow Frost is a young adult fantasy by Coco Ma. I am so excited that this is the first book in the Shadow Frost series because I loved Shadow Frost and I can’t wait for more. This is a pretty hefty book, with the advanced readers copy clocking in at over 400 pages. I have to say, I loved every page of this book and I kept hoping it was even longer. I can’t even believe that the author wrote this novel when she was only 15! There were so many things that I loved about this book, so let’s jump right in. In Shadow Frost we meet Princess Asterin, who is spunky as all get out and a total riot. I loved her and her feisty spirit. Asterin decides that she needs to go off demon hunting to help her land and people. Which means, we as readers are off on a quest, and you all know that is my favorite type of plotline in a fantasy book. It… Read more »

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Sep 23

{Review} Brayden’s Darkness by S.L. Abbott

Brayden’s Darkness is the first book in the young adult Darkness Series by S.L. Abbott. This is the first book I have read from author S.L. Abbott and I have to say I was digging the way the book got progressively darker as it went on. By the end, I was totally surprised by the direction the story had taken. In a good way! The darkness series looks like it previously had different covers, but in 2019 it got a cover redo, and the new cover is beyond beautiful! This book has a very mysterious vibe going on, that coupled with fae magic, ancient lore, and a romance, and you have a ya fantasy lovers dream. I really enjoyed this one, and with the book ending the way it did, I am even more excited to continue on with the series. Brayden’s Darkness is the story about Evren, our main character. She lives in a small town and she has always kept to herself. But one night, at the start… Read more »

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Sep 05

{ARC Review+Giveaway} Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

Realm of Knights is a young adult fantasy book and is the start of the Knights of the Realm series by author Jennifer Anne Davis. To say I was excited when I first heard about this novel, and series being releases, is a huge understatement. Fantasy is my favorite genre by far, and Jennifer Anne Davis has written one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. (Her Reign of Secrets series is EPICALLY AMAZING, if you have not checked it out already) Bottom line: I was pumped to see a new fantasy series by her and after I have read Realm of Darkness…dare I say…I might have a new favorite series. I loved this book so much! I am already itching for book 2. In Realm of Knights we meet our main character Reid. Reid is the fifth daughter of the Duke of Ellington. Her father is the Duke in a land that only allows title to pass to male heirs, so when Reid’s mom passes away giving birth… Read more »

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Sep 05

{Excerpt+Giveaway} BLUE NOTE by: Krissy May & Holly Graf

To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win 3 winners will receive signed finished copies of BLUE NOTE, US Only. Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Aug 28

{Q&A+Guest Recipe+Giveaway} Wonderland Academy by @MelanieKarsak

What inspired you to write Wonderland Academy? I’m an Alice in Wonderland junkie. Seriously, half my T-shirts, most of my socks, and one wall in my office are Alice themed. I love Lewis Carroll’s whimsical world. I imagined it would be fun, and strange, to attend magic school there. Wonderland magic would be a little mad but very dangerous. It seemed like a challenge to imagine what learning Wonderland magic would be like. I also want to try out a new genre. Like the rest of the book world, I love Harry Potter with a passion. I wanted to try my hand at developing a magical world with it’s own magic school. Tell us about your main character: My main character is Alice “Lacey” Crane. Lacey goes by her middle name. She’s an interesting character. She’s bookish and a big geek, but when we meet her, she’s in a dark place in her life. There was a shooting at her school. She and her boyfriend tried to stop the shooter,… Read more »

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Aug 27

{Review+Giveaway} Mind Games by Shana Silver

Mind Games is a dystopian sci-fi thriller by author Shana Silver. I don’t read a ton of science fiction and I haven’t read a good dystopian in a long while, so I was pretty excited to dive into Mind Games. While I did figure out some aspects of the mystery, I still really enjoyed this novel. It is the first time I have seen swoon reads go in this direction, and I have to say I am really excited to see them branch out from contemporary romances. (though you know I do love a good contemporary romance. But sometimes it is fun to mix things up). Mind Games is a fun ride of a story that fans of sci-fi, dystopians and mysteries and thrillers will all enjoy. In Mind Games we meet our main character, Arden. Arden and her friends attend a school geared towards science and technology (STEM school) and with the skills that Arden learned at school she becomes a pretty great hacker. But she is no ordinary… Read more »

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Aug 26

{Review} The Best Lies by @SarahLyu

The Best Lies is a young adult psychological thriller by authro Sarah Lyu. In fact, it is Sarah Lyu’s debut novel. I have been on a big true crime kick for about a year now, with youtube, and podcasts and documentaries on netflix, but I have not read too many crime thrillers. After reading The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu, I am thinking that is something I will need to rectify soon. I really enjoyed The Best Lies. The Best Lies starts out at a crime scene. Right off the bat, we know Jack is killed and that Elise and Remy were with him that night. But the best Lies really explores the why of the killing. This story is told in two timelines- present day and the year leading up to the present day. I really appreciated that even though we were alternating between present and past, that the past timeline was not too far back in the past. We saw the last year of Remy and Elise’s life,… Read more »