Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga ~ Blog Tour: #BookReview & #Giveaway

July 1, 2018

Welcome to my stop on the Kiss of the Royal Blog Tour organized by the Fantastic Flying Book Club Tours! I have a review of the book, and there's a giveaway as well.  

Title: Kiss of the Royal

Author: Lindsey Duga

Release Date: July 3, 2018
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
  
Source: Copy for review 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Book Depository | Kobo | IndieBound

My Rating: 

Synopsis

In the war against the Forces of Darkness, the Royals are losing. Princess Ivy is determined to end this centuries-long conflict once and for all, so her new battle partner must succeed where the others failed. Prince Zach’s unparalleled skill with a sword, enhanced by Ivy’s magic Kiss, should make them an unstoppable pair—but try convincing Zach of that.

Prince Zach has spent his life preparing for battle, but he would rather be branded a heretic than use his lips as nothing more than a way to transfer magic. A kiss is a symbol of love, and love is the most powerful weapon they have—but try convincing Ivy of that.

With the fate of their world on the line, the battlefield has become a testing ground, and only one of them can be right. Falling for each other wasn’t part of the plan—but try convincing their hearts of that.

 

Kiss of the Royal is a sweet and fun fairy tale-ish story with princesses and princes, dragons and danger, and love and loss. The plot was intriguing with the fresh idea of kisses being used to enhance magic and strength to overcome one's enemies. Kisses as weapons? I'm here for it! 

The beginning was slow, and while it's definitely important to be introduced to the background of the characters and the world building, I had difficulty jumping into it. Once the action began, however, I was hooked. 

I admired Princess Ivy's strength and her unwillingness to let the princes be the only ones to put their lives on the line for the kingdom's safety. At times she's stubborn and exasperatingly so, but that made it fun when her personality clashed with Prince Zach's.   

Once Prince Zach shows up, events take an interesting turn, and I couldn't read quickly enough. I also couldn't decide if I liked him or not at first, but he soon became my favorite. His behavior and reputation were full of contradictions - what you see wasn't what you would get, and I loved that about him. 

Zach lives by his convictions just as Ivy lives by hers. Though he's trained to be a soldier and a Royal, he still believes in love though he knows it's heresy to believe in anything other than logic. He refuses Ivy's kiss because he doesn't want to use a kiss as a weapon in battle. I loved the ways in which he challenged Ivy's belief that love doesn't exist. She's steadfast in believing that people mistake love for lust as she's been raised to think. 

You can see when events begin to slowly change Ivy's mind, and she starts to doubt what she's always been taught. Kiss of the Royal tackles the theme of love, asking the question, is living worth it in a world without romantic love? When Zach stumbles his way into her life, his presence changes everything for her, and it was enchanting to see if they'd end up loving each other.    

I'm taking off a star for the slow beginning, but otherwise I recommend this book if you're looking for a fresh, fun take on YA Fantasy with a solid overall theme and delightful characters. Frankly, I couldn't imagine Kiss of the Royal without Zach; he's lively and quirky and easily the most interesting character I've come across in a long time. He's the best part of this story and a character you aren't going to want to miss. 
        

About the Author

Lindsey Duga is a middle grade and young adult writer with a passion for fantasy, science fiction, and basically any genre that takes you away from the real world. She wrote her first novel in college while she was getting her bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University.

Other than writing and cuddling with her morkie puppy, Delphi, Lindsey loves catching up on the latest superhero TV show and practicing yoga.

Connect with the Author

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

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Living Out Loud by Staci Hart ~ #BookReview

June 18, 2018 

Title: Living Out Loud

Series: Austen #3

Author: Staci Hart

Publication Date: February 1, 2018 

Source: ARC for an honest review 

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

My Rating:  

Synopsis

Bestselling author Staci Hart brings you another installment of the Austen Series, inspired by the works of Jane Austen, with a heartfelt contemporary retelling of Sense and Sensibility.

When Annie Daschle arrives in New York City, the only thing she can control is her list. 

Not her father’s death or the loss of her home. Not the hole in her heart or the defective valve that’s dictated so much of her life. But she can put pen to paper to make a list of all the ways she can live out loud, just like her dad would have wanted.

See the city from the top of the Empire State Building: Check.
Eat hot dogs on the steps of The Met: Check.
Get a job at Wasted Words: Check.

What wasn’t on her list: Greg Brandon. And just when she thinks she’s figured out where to put him, everything changes. In the span of a few staggering heartbeats, she finds herself her caught in the middle of something she can’t find her way out of, with no clear answers and no rules.

List or no list, she realizes she can’t control anything at all, not even her heart. 

Not the decisions it makes, and not the moment it stops.

Living Out Loud is an emotionally stirring and well written novel. I loved Annie so much! I liked her sisters and the close relationship they have with their mom. They're working through their loss together as a family, and I appreciated that. Also, Annie gets a job at a bookstore, so score! That automatically guarantees I'll read the story.

Greg was amazing!! I couldn't have been happier with his character. He isn't 100% perfect, which makes him authentic, and he just made the book for me. Loved him! 

I wasn't happy 60% into the story with the introduction of Will, which ends up creating a lukewarm love triangle between Greg, Annie and Will. I didn't think his character was needed, and he was an unwelcome addition, hence one of the reasons I took a star away in my rating. The story began to lag. 

Another reason I rated this book four stars rather than five is due to Annie's naivety. I get that New York City would be an overwhelming place for someone her age to navigate and feel at home there, but she seemed to have NO qualms when it came to trusting complete strangers. You still have to have your wits about you to keep yourself safe. While I appreciated her positive outlook, I also thought she needed a small dose of reality. 

I wanted more scenes where Greg and Annie are together. Whenever they were talking or near each other, I wanted more. Greg is truly a great love interest to root for.   

Living Out Loud inspired me to begin to truly live rather than to simply drag myself along to exist. The novel tackles grief, family, love and figuring out how to go on after the death of a loved one. I recommend it!    

Thanks for visiting Donnie Darko Girl! 

Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke ~ #BookReview @NetGalley

June 15, 2018

Title: Nice Try, Jane Sinner

Author: Lianne Oelke  

Publisher: Clarion Books 

Publication Date: January 9, 2018 

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | B&N  

My Rating: 

Synopsis

Recently expelled from high school, Jane Sinner grudgingly enrolls in community college, a situation made slightly more bearable when she joins a student-run reality show. House of Orange is her chance to start over—and maybe even win a car (used, but whatever)—and no one there knows what she did in high school. What more could she want?

Okay, maybe a family that gets why she’d rather turn to Freud than to Jesus. But she’ll settle for using HOO’s growing fanbase, and whatever Intro to Psych can teach her, to prove to the world—or at least viewers of substandard TV—that she has what it takes to win.

Before I get into my review, I want to share a cool thing that happened. For some reason my NetGalley ARC of Nice Try, Jane Sinner wouldn't download. I checked to see if the book was available to borrow through my Overdrive app, but it wasn't! There was an option to recommend they buy it, however, so I clicked the box. A few days later I received an email that the Ohio Digital Library purchased the book and would notify me when I could borrow it. 

Anyway, I wanted to share this experience with you because this is the first time I've received concrete evidence that a library bought a book I recommended, and I'm really happy about it!     

Now on to the review. I loved this book! Nice Try, Jane Sinner takes place in Canada, and it's always a nice change of pace when books are set outside the U.S. 

 After her expulsion from high school, Jane enrolls in community college and finds out a student-run reality show, House of Orange, is going to be filmed there. The show is still looking for participants, so she signs up while fudging a few facts about herself. She doesn't think ahead and by doing this, sets herself up for the possibility that the people around her will find out she lied about her identity. 

I did my best to read Nice Try, Jane Sinner from the POV of a teenager, but here and there my mind would drift to see Jane as I see my own teenage daughter. For instance, Jane has ultra conservative religious parents, and at first it annoyed me that she referred to them as simply "the parents," but I got over it when I remembered that's how I referred to my own parents. 

It was for Jane and her parents to have fundamental misunderstandings of each other. Her parents didn't "get" her intentions and behaviors when, as the reader, I could see where she was coming from thought I didn't always agree with her decisions. They were disappointed she wasn't doing exactly what they expected of her. I was dying to step in and mediate between her and her parents! On the other hand, she has an amazing and close relationship with her younger sister that made me happy to see.    

This is one of the best books I've read tackling teenage depression. As a former teen who suffered from depression, I could relate to Jane and was impressed by how accurately Oelke treated the subject matter. I can't recommend Nice Try, Jane Sinner enough whether you're a teen or an adult.   

Thanks for visiting Donnie Darko Girl!   

Love Spell by Mia Kerick ~ #BookReview

June 14, 2018

 

Title: Love Spell

Author: Mia Kerick

Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing 

Release Date: June 1, 2015 

Source: Copy for an honest review via Lola's Blog Tours  

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository 

My Rating:  

Synopsis  

Strutting his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug orange tuxedo as this year's Miss(ter) Harvest Moon feels so very right to Chance Cesar, and yet he knows it should feel so very wrong. 

As far back as he can remember, Chance has been "caught between genders." (It's quite a touchy subject; so don't ask him about it.) However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness - he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as "girl-boy."

But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make "Jazz" Donahue his man. 

An article in an online women's magazine, "Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You" (with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz's heart. 

Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen. 

When I started reading Love Spell, I wasn't a fan of Chance's lingo; however, his manner of speech grew on me. To be fair, I'm not a fan of some of the slang used today though I suspect adults felt the same way about it when I was a teenager. 

I really liked that Chance was the main character and not relegated to being somebody's sidekick. He had a lot of exploration ahead of him because not only was he a teenager searching for his identity but also figuring out whether he feels he's male or female. That's a lot to work out, especially during the teenage years which aren't easy to begin with!  

I often wondered about the friendship between Chance and his BFF Emily because it seemed to be a one-way street. He didn't always treat her like a best friend should. Sometimes he mentioned things she said that hurt him without her realizing it. I wish he had addressed that more thoroughly with her, but he never did. 

Chance had an exceptionally difficult time in high school going through emotional changes and though he made a lot of mistakes, I reminded myself he's a teenager and everyone makes mistakes. That's how you grow and learn.

I was rooting for him to just take the direct approach and ask if Jasper (Jazz) was interested in him. I can completely understand why he wouldn't do that with the risk of getting hurt. Seeing how sharp witted and clever Chance is, I couldn't see why he'd be turned down by Jazz unless Jazz wasn't gay. That's where the internet and love spell come into play.  

I took off a star from my rating because I think Chance's parents' lack of concern for him should have been addressed. It's pretty serious if your parents don't care about you, but there wasn't much of a resolution of this by the end of the book. This is what likely makes it a more realistic ending, but I wanted more explanation as to how he felt about it and how he would deal with it.

Overall, Love Spell was a fun story and also included important issues teens face, especially the complicated relationships Chance had with his parents, his friends, and his potential love interest. He's a character you won't forget anytime soon. I read this book a couple of years ago, but I still think of him and his story to this day. Highly recommended! 

Thanks for visiting Donnie Darko Girl!   

The Girl Who Called the Stars by Heather Hildenbrand ~ Cover Reveal

June 12, 2018

Check out this gorgeous cover reveal from Heather Hildenbrand! I'm so in love with it, I can't stop staring at it.

Title: The Girl Who Called The Stars

Author: Heather Hildenbrand

Release Date: 7/18/18

Synopsis

Be very afraid of the Shadows.

I know what I'm not. Human.

I can't remember my life before Earth, but I've grown up hearing the stories of a planet ravaged by war and a people in need of a leader who will bring them out of the darkness. I'm supposed to be their light.

My future terrifies me.

But I'm done waiting to have a real life. If I ever want a chance to live free of the Shadows, I'll need to fight for it because freedom is never free. No matter what galaxy you call home.

Preorder Link: Amazon

Thanks for visiting Donnie Darko Girl!

Two Reviews! Slumber Duology ~ Slumber (#1) & Awaken (#2) by Christy Sloat #BookReview

May 18, 2018

Title: Slumber

Series: Slumber Duology #1

Author: Christy Sloat

Published: March 10, 2015

Publisher: Anchor Bay 

Source: Purchased 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

 My Rating:  

Synopsis 

Not all princesses get their happily ever after... 

They tell me I killed my boyfriend Phillip in cold blood. I stabbed him twenty one times. I’m only seventeen years old, and I am serving life in Spindle Ridge Asylum for the Criminally Insane. 

I don’t remember killing him, so it’s really hard to believe I’m capable of murder. In fact I don’t remember anything before I came to Spindle Ridge, not even my boyfriend. 

I can only grasp onto my realistic dreams while the madness of the asylum threatens to pull me under. I dream I’m a beautiful princess and there is an evil faerie named Maleficent who is bent on my destruction. The dreams are the closest thing I have to memories of my life, except they aren’t real. 

I’m crazy. I’m not a princess. 

They’re the mad illusions of an irrational teenage girl, right? 
They’ve assigned me a new doctor, and she says I can trust her, and that she’ll help me see the truth of who I really am. 
When she arrived she brought a new patient, Sawyer, who is everything Spindle Ridge isn’t: exciting, mysterious and beautiful. He promises he’s here to rescue me. Trusting either of them frightens me. 

Could it be possible that my dreams are more than just the imaginings of a delusional girl? Could they be truth?

Not only do I love retellings/re-imaginings of stories, fairytale or otherwise, but I'm also drawn to books that take place in a psychiatric hospital as a reader who's interested in psychology. Slumber, the first book in a duology, hit both points for me with its setting and its retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I bought both Slumber and its sequel, Awaken, so I could read them back to back. I can't tell you how glad I am to have done that because the ending of the first book left me wanting more. 

When we're introduced to Rory (Aurora), we find out she's living in the Spindle Ridge Asylum for the Criminally Insane for the murder of her boyfriend. The setting had me stoked with this interesting twist on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Rory is living in abysmal conditions as many novels set in psychiatric hospitals are portrayed, and she isn't sure what's real and what's not. She doesn't remember murdering anyone but accepts it because this is what she has been told. 

The book earned only three stars from me because there was a bit of repetition with Rory during her time in the hospital. Also the story dragged in a few places though it was a quick read overall. I can understand why it would seem her thoughts were repetitive because she's trying to figure out what's going on, but it took me out of the story.

I don't want to say much more about the plot so I don't give anything away. I will say that there's a huge shift in the story about halfway through that was a bit confusing and rushed. There were plot points that would've worked out better if they had been slowed down and expanded upon. 

I do recommend giving Slumber a whirl! The story is exciting with a touch of romance and lots of action and adventure. It's my first read by Christy Sloat, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work. 

* * Read on for my spoiler free

review of Book 2! * *

Title: Awaken

Series: Slumber Duology #2

Author: Christy Sloat

Published: February 19, 2018

Publisher: CHBB Publishing  

Source: Purchased 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

My Rating:        

Synopsis 

“Happily ever after is hers for the taking.”

Once upon a time I found myself locked away in Spindle Ridge Asylum, punished for a murder I didn’t commit. It was all part of Maleficent’s evil plan. I didn’t remember who I was then … now I do. 

My name is Aurora, and I am the rightful queen of this realm. Armed with my memories, I’m ready to take charge of my kingdom once more. Happily ever after evades me, yet I long to claim it with my true love, Sawyer, beside me. That fairy tale ending seems impossible with him locked in the thralls of a sleeping curse. 

As much as I’d love to sit by his bedside and eagerly await a cure, I must first travel into the terrifying Dark Woods to stop Raven from stripping me of all that is rightfully mine. I am not only a queen, but a warrior who will fight for her kingdom. 

Some may die. Blood will be shed. But when this ending comes, I will settle for nothing less than a blissful ever after.

Awaken is even better than Slumber and exceeded my expectations. I was on the edge of my seat anxiously waiting to see what was going to happen next. Picking up from where the first book left off, this sequel starts off strong and ends strong.  

Rory's character grows into a confident young woman with courage, strength and a taste for revenge against those who have harmed the people she loves. Not only is she concerned about saving her loved ones, she also has an entire kingdom on her shoulders as she takes on her rightful role as Queen. I had to remind myself she's only eighteen, yet she is more mature than many eighteen-year-olds. 

While she is fighting for the man she loves, he isn't her sole focus. She knows how important it is to be a reliable and fair leader to the people in her kingdom. They need her, and I love reading about her! With the fate of so many different characters up in the air, I wasn't sure who would survive and who wouldn't. Like I said earlier, I was on the edge of my seat.     

Awaken is a satisfying conclusion to Rory's story, and I love how everything wraps up. I look forward to reading more of Christy Sloat's work.    

Thanks for visiting Donnie Darko Girl!