Sophie Reads YA: May 2018

May Summary

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What I've read this month:

Alex, Approximately
Series: None
Author: Jenn Bennett
Published July 27th 2017 by Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Read: May 2-3 2018
My Rating: 5 Stars
Challenge: 2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge

Royals
Series: Royals #1
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Published May 3rd 2018 by Scholastic
Read: May 6 2018
My Rating: 5 Stars
Challenge: 2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge

The Accidental Bad Girl
Series: None
Author: Maxine Kaplan
Published May 15th 2018 by Amulet Books (ARC)
Read: April 12 - May 7 2018
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2018 Debut Author Challenge

The Harper Effect
Series: None
Author: Taryn Bashford
Published May 15th 2018 by Sky Pony Press (eARC)
Read: May 5-7 2018
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge, 2018 Debut Author Challenge

Just One of the Royals
Series: The Chicago Falcons #2
Author: Leah and Kate Rooper
Published June 4th 2018 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Crush) (eARC)
Read: May 8 2018
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge

The Freemason's Daughter
Series: None
Author: Shelley Sackier
Published: April 11th 2017 by HarperTeen
Read: May 9-11 2018
My Rating: 4 Stars

Starry Eyes
Series: None
Author: Jenn Bennett
Published May 17th 2018 by Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Read: May 17 2018
My Rating: 5 Stars

Onyx and Ivory
Series: Untitled #1
Author: Mindee Arnett
Published May 15th 2018 by Balzer + Bray (ARC)
Read: May 13-20 2018
My Rating: 5 Stars

This Adventure Ends
Series: None
Author: Emma Mills
Published October 4th 2016 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Read: May 20-21 2018
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2018 Blogger Shame Challenge

Sky in the Deep
Series: None
Author: Adrienne Young
Published April 24th 2018 by Wednesday Books
Read: May 23-25 2018
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2018 Debut Author Challenge

Challenges Update:
2018 Debut Author Challenge: 3 (9 total)
2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge: 4 (18 total)
2018 Blogger Shame Challenge: 1 (4 total)

Summary:

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How have you done this month? Let me know below.

Kiss of the Royal

Waiting On Wednesday: Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga

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Blitz

Release Week Blitz: Cinderella's Inferno (Cinderella, Necromancer #2) by F.M. Boughan (+US giveaway)

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I am so excited that CINDERELLA'S INFERNO by F.M. Boughan is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author F.M. Boughan be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of F.M. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: CINDERELLA'S INFERNO (Cinderella, Necromancer #2)

Author: F.M. Boughan

Pub. Date: May 28, 2018

Publisher: Month9Books

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 324

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

Purity cannot abide the darkness.

It’s been two years since Ellison defeated her stepsisters and sent her evil stepmother back into the Abyss.

Though she’s learning to control her dark magic and has spent time traveling with Prince William and bringing peace to the kingdom, one fact remains. She is a necromancer and he is a paladin of light. And so, the king refuses to give his blessing for them to marry.

To appease his father, William has begun to avoid her. But when even her younger brother Edward grows distant, Ellison learns her mother’s spirit has been visiting Edward in secret, threatening to overwhelm him with her own loneliness and longing. When Ellison accidentally touches her mother’s spirit, her tainted touch condemns her mother’s spirit to eternal damnation.

Ellison resolves to descend into hell to save her mother’s soul and bring her physical body back to the world of the living. William hopes this good deed will bring Ellison into favor and finally allow them to be wed.

But the journey through hell is fraught with peril. Temptations abound and the demons Ellison sent back to the Abyss are thirsty for revenge.

Evil cannot be defeated without sacrifice—but when that sacrifice means choosing between the ones Ellison loves and her very own life, how far is she willing to go to make her family whole again?

About Book 1:

Title: CINDERELLA NECROMANCER

Author: F.M. Boughan

Pub. Date: September 5, 2017

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC

Pages: 324

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

CINDERELLA,NECROMANCER is CHIME meets ANNA, DRESSED IN BLOOD and was inspired by a real medieval grimoire of necromancy from 15th-century Germany.

Ellison lost her mother at an early age. But since then, her father has found love again. He’s happy and doesn’t quite notice that Ellison does not get along with his new wife or her mean daughters.

When Ellison discovers a necromantic tome while traveling the secret passages of her father’s mansion, she wonders if it could be the key to her freedom.

Until then, she must master her dark new power, even as her stepmother makes her a servant in her own home. And when her younger brother falls incurably ill, Ellison will do anything to ease his pain, including falling prey to her stepmother and stepsisters’ every whim and fancy.

Stumbling into a chance meeting of Prince William during a secret visit to her mother’s grave feels like a trick of fate when her stepmother refuses to allow Ellison to attend a palace festival.

But what if Ellison could see the kind and handsome prince once more? What if she could attend the festival? What if she could have everything she ever wanted and deserved by conjuring spirits to take revenge on her cruel stepmother?

As Ellison’s power grows, she loses control over the evil spirits meant to do her bidding. And as they begin to exert their own power over Ellison, she will have to decide whether it is she or her stepmother who is the true monster.

Exclusive Excerpt

William’s panic was plainly engraved across his features. “I won’t let them do this to you. You’re my betrothed. You belong here in the palace, by my side, not shackled in the dungeon.”

He should have known as well as I did that a prison couldn’t hold me, but seeing the disgust on his father’s face … well, there was a greater plot at play than I understood, and I didn’t want William to suffer even more for my sake than I already asked of him.

“It’s all right.” I released my conjured spirit, permitting its return beyond the veil. It slipped through a seam in the air and the soldiers didn’t waste a moment before placing the restraints around my wrists.

“I’ll have you out as fast as I can,” William said, placing a chaste and yet defiant kiss on my forehead. He lingered, and so in my own surge of defiance—oh, my damnable soul, I cannot explain why I do these things—I lifted my head to slide my mouth upon his. His lips were soft and tasted of sweet wine, and I felt him press against me without hesitation.

It had been so long. I wished to sink into the earth with him then and there and remain that way for all time, but gasps arose from the assembled guests and a tug at my sleeve pulled us apart. The soldiers had grasped my shoulders and arms to drag me from William, who watched, still stricken and unable to calm his emotions, as I was pulled from the Great Hall.

As the doors swung closed behind me, my mother’s face came once again to mind. Without William, I wouldn’t be able to help her. I would never see her again, and she might spend all eternity enduring new tortures—horrors unimaginable, paying for sins she did not commit—alongside the most abhorrent dregs of humanity.

I could not allow it. How much was I willing to give?

About F.M. Boughan:

F.M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it’s hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic.

You can follow Faith on Twitter (@FaithBoughan) for plenty of flailing about food (she likes to cook!), TV shows (she watches too many), and world dance (did you know she's been performing & instructing in Bollywood-style dance for over 8 years?).

Or catch her on Facebook where she just might post pictures of her adorable cat & bird... among other things.

F.M. Boughan is represented by Bill Contardi of Brandt & Hochman.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May

Stacking the Shelves: May 26th 2018

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Brodi Ashton

Waiting on Wednesday: My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows & Brodi Ashton

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May

Stacking the Shelves: May 19th 2018

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ARC

Blog Tour & ARC Review: Nothing Happened by Molly Booth (+US giveaway)

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Nothing Happened
Series: None
Author: Molly Booth
Published May 15th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Summary
This modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing takes place at the idyllic Camp Dogberry, where sisters Bee and Hana Leonato have grown up. Their parents own the place, and every summer they look forward to leading little campers in crafts, swimming in the lake, playing games of capture the flag and sproutball, and of course, the legendary counselor parties.

This year, the camp drama isn’t just on the improv stage. Bee and longtime counselor Ben have a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that’s complicated by events that happened—or didn’t happen—last summer. Meanwhile, Hana is falling hard for the kind but insecure Claudia, putting them both in the crosshairs of resident troublemaker John, who spreads a vicious rumor that could tear them apart.

As the counselors juggle their camp responsibilities with simmering drama that comes to a head at the Fourth of July sparkler party, they’ll have to swallow their pride and find the courage to untangle the truth, whether it leads to heartbreak or happily ever after.

Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

I aand love just getting lost in the pages until the ending.

Dates Read:
May 10-, 2018

Rating
4 Stars

About Molly Booth:
Molly Booth (she/her/hers) writes books about Shakespeare and feelings. She's the author of Young Adult novels SAVING HAMLET (2016) and NOTHING HAPPENED (5.15.2018), both published by Disney Hyperion. In high school, she was a stage manager for three different community theatres, which almost killed her. She graduated from Marlboro College and went onto study more Shakespeare (twist!) at University of Massachusetts Boston. Molly is a freelance writer and editor and has been published on TheMarySue.com, McSweeneys.net, HelloGiggles.com, and various other websites. She co-hosts a Bardcentric podcast, Party Bard, and directs a lovely, hilarious, and fierce group of homeschooling teen Shakespearean actors. She also speaks and teaches workshops at schools, colleges, bookstores, book fairs, camps, and libraries. Molly lives in Massachusetts, where she spends a lot of time with family and friends, and the rest attending to her queenly cat and loaf-of-bread-shaped dog.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway (US):

3 winners will receive a finished copy of NOTHING HAPPENED, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ash Princess

Waiting on Wednesday: Ash Princess (Ash Princess Trilogy #1) by Laura Sebastian

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2018 Debut Author Challenge

Blog Tour & ARC Review: The Queen's Rising (The Queen’s Rising #1) by Rebecca Ross (+US giveaway)

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The Queen's Rising
Series: The Queen's Rising #1
Author: Rebecca Ross
Published February 6th 2018 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Summary
When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?

Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

When I first heard about this book, I was immediately intrigued, because I'm always on the lookout for new fantasy series, especially from debut, or new to me, authors. I preordered it as soon as I could - thank you Christmas money, and discount codes - and when my copy came around my birthday, I dove straight in.

The Queen's Rising tells the story of Brienna, who when she was a young girl was sent to the exclusive Magnalia House school, in order to master a passion in one of the five main arts. Her only problem, she doesn't have any particular affinity to one in particular, instead she can master a bit of each. When she finally decides to pursue the passion of Knowledge, with only 3 years left to master it, rather than the usual 7, she's in a for a bit of a struggle. Her main hope is her master, Cartier, who's life before the school is very mysterious. They have a connection with their love of folklore and history in particular, and when they discuss the legendary queens of Maevana, something clicks in Bri, and she begins to have visions that are so realistic, it's as if she actually lived in the past, rather than a simple memory.

This is the least of Bri's current problems, though, as she has had no-one to become her patron, and ends up jumping at the opportunity to travel to Maevana with a man called Jourdain, who masquerades as her father, in order to protect both her, and himself. Brienna knows her grandfather always told her never to go to Maevana, for her safety, but she can't help wanting to know just why she needs to stay away. As she learns more about herself, and her family history in Maevana, she finds herself entangled in a coup to restore the Kavanagh family to their rightful throne.

Every single thing about this book was outstanding, from the plot, to the characters, to the sublime world building. For a lover of fantasy, I couldn't believe how much I loved the book, and how different it seemed from others. And, for a history lover, it has the perfect amount of historical reference that intrigue my own knowledge, and made me think so much of Scottish history. Obviously, Ross has done her research in order to make the book as genuine as possible, and I can't wait to see where she goes with the rest of the story in subsequent books.

The romance in the novel was slow burning, and at times I was questioning whether they would be able to be together, but it had all the feels, and was perfect for what the story needed. Unlike some other fantasy books you read where the relationships ends up taking over from the plot, this was more of an added bonus, and when the plot needed precedence over any sort of romance drawing away attention, it took a back seat - really, the plot never suffered, and I loved that. As much as I adore reading relationships in books, I hate if that takes away from the whole story line, and, luckily, The Queen's Rising didn't suffer from this.

All in all, I'm so happy I bought this book, and can't wait to get my hands on book two, because the ending of this one was perfect, but left enough there for me to question what would happen to all my favourites, and just how everyone would react and recover from all the revelations.

Dates Read:

March 11-12, 2018

Rating
5 Stars

About Rebecca Ross:
Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, lively dog and endless piles of books. She received her bachelor's degree in English from UGA. In the past she has worked at a Colorado dude ranch, as a school librarian, and as a live-time captionist for a college.

Rebecca writes fantasy for young adult readers. Her debut novel, THE QUEEN'S RISING, will be out February 6, 2018 from HarperTeen.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway (1 US Winner will receive a Copy of THE QUEEN’S RISING (+Swags) by Rebecca Ross):

a Rafflecopter giveaway