Sophie Reads YA

2017 Contemporary Romance Challenge

ARC Review: Artificial Sweethearts (North Pole, Minnesota #2) by Julie Hammerle

10:00

Artificial Sweethearts
Series: North Pole, Minnesota #2
Author: Julie Hammerle
Published July 10th 2017 by Entangled: Crush

Goodreads Synopsis
It’s not chemistry between Tinka Foster and Sam Anderson that made them agree to fake date. With her parents trying to set her up with an annoying student golf coach, and intentionally single Sam’s family pressuring him to bring a date to his brother’s wedding, they could both use a drama-free summer.

So it’s not his muscular arms and quick wit that makes Tinka suggest they tell everyone they’re both taken. Definitely not. And it’s not butterflies that makes a kiss for appearances during the lake party go on way too long—so long that Sam wishes it were real.

But Tinka keeps people at arm’s length—she’s always been second best, even to her parents. And her relationship-for-show could crush everything when she realizes she’s done with fake, pretend, and second-best.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains bikinis at the lake, a lot of making out in dark theaters, and a meet-cute you’ll read twice.
Goodreads

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

Tinka returns home to find that her parents have sold their house, and they will be moving to North Pole, Minnesota. As if that wasn't bad enough, they're also getting on her back about her being single, and wanting her to date the son of one of their college friends. Her new neighbour, Sam, is facing similar parental expectations, and they both hatch a plan in order to pretend to date, to get their parents off their backs. As they get to know each other more, they find themselves pretending less and less, but still believe the other is just doing it all for show.

This book was definitely a quick and cute read. The fake lover trope is one of my favourites, and I liked how it was done in this book. Both characters felt as if they weren't seen properly in their lives, but with each other they can be seen, and cared for. The secondary characters in the book were a bit lacklustre, and I hated Tinka's parents, especially with their treatment of their daughter and complete disinterest in her feelings. Tinka and Sam did have really good chemistry, and their relationship kept this book going. All in all, a decent contemporary!

Dates Read:

July 15-16, 2017

Rating
4 Stars

2020 New Release challenge

ARC Review: A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby (Rogues and Remarkable Women #1) by Vanessa Riley

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A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby
Series: Rogues and Remarkable Women #1
Author: Vanessa Riley
Published June 30th 2020 by Zebra

Goodreads Synopsis
Created by a shrewd countess, The Widow’s Grace is a secret society with a mission: to help ill-treated widows regain their status, their families, and even find true love again—or perhaps for the very first time...

When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband's mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow's Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion...

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she's breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?
Goodreads

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

I saw this book first when various authors started mentioning it on twitter, so when it became available to review on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read it. A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby follows Patience Jordan as she tries to reclaim her son from his wicked guardian, and return home to her beloved Demerara. After her husband killed himself, she was imprisoned by his uncle, Markham, and later put into Bedlam Hospital and committed. Saved only by a Countess with a soft spot for widow's, she sneaks back into Hamlin Hall, now under the ownership of one of Colin's cousins, Busick, the Duke of Repington. Repington was injured in the Peninsula War, and is recuperating with his young charge, Lionel, and the new nanny, Mrs LaCrox, intrigues him. As the two get closer, can Patience keep up the charade of being merely a nanny, or will she admit all to Busick, including her growing feelings?

This book was slow at first, but once I was into it, I couldn't stop myself. Patience and Busick were fantastic main characters, and the banter between the two was so funny and engaging. They both had their dark sides, and their vulnerabilities, but together they could face all manner of evils, Markham being only one of them. Their love for Lionel, too, was heartwarming, and I hope for more from them in future books, especially after the epilogue.

Dates Read:
July 12-16, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

August

August books on my radar

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The Good for Nothings
Series: None
Author: Danielle Banas
August 4th 2020 by Swoon Reads
They're only good at being bad.
Cora Saros is just trying her best to join the family business of theft and intergalactic smuggling. Unfortunately, she's a total disaster.
After landing herself in prison following an attempted heist gone very wrong, she strikes a bargain with the prison warden: He'll expunge her record if she brings back a long-lost treasure rumored to grant immortality.
Cora is skeptical, but with no other way out of prison (and back in her family's good graces), she has no choice but to assemble a crew from her collection of misfit cellmates—a disgraced warrior from an alien planet; a cocky pirate who claims to have the largest ship in the galaxy; and a glitch-prone robot with a penchant for baking—and take off after the fabled prize.
But the ragtag group soon discovers that not only is the too-good-to-be-true treasure very real, but they're also not the only crew on the hunt for it. And it's definitely a prize worth killing for.
Whip-smart and utterly charming, this irreverent sci-fi adventure is perfect for fans of Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lunar Chronicles, and Firefly.
Goodreads

All the Stars and Teeth
Series: All the Stars and Teeth #1
Author: Adalyn Grace
August 4th 2020 by Titan Books
Named as one of Entertainment Weekly's most anticipated books of 2020, Adalyn Grace's All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber's Caraval and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series.
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer - the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it's never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy's dangerous soul magic.
When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he'll help her prove she's fit to rule, if she'll help him reclaim his stolen magic.
But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder - and more peril - than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she'll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected... or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
Goodreads

More Than Just a Pretty Face
Series: None
Author: Syed M. Masood
August 4th 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton
High school senior Danyal Jilani may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's cute and funny and is going to make a great chef one day - if his father doesn't kill that dream first. However, if he's going to secure a good arranged marriage - with, for example, his gorgeous classmate Kaval - he knows he needs to step up his game.
When Danyal gets picked to be his class's representative for The Renaissance Man, a prestigious school-wide academic championship, no one is more surprised than him. Knowing he'll never get through it on his own, he recruits the help of uninspiring potential marriage match Bisma. At first they're just study partners, but the more time they spend together, the more Danyal learns from her, the more he cooks for her - the more he realises that happiness might just be staring him in the face. But Bisma has dark secrets in her past that could rock the Northern California desi community to its very core . . .
Goodreads

Igniting Darkness
Series: Courting Darkness Duology #2
Author: Robin LaFevers
August 4th 2020 by HMH Books for Young Readers
When you count Death as a friend, who can stand as your enemy?
Sybella, novitiate of the convent of Saint Mortain and Death’s vengeance on earth, is still reeling from her God’s own passing, and along with him a guiding hand in her bloody work. But with her sisters on the run from their evil brother and under the watchful eye of her one true friend (and love) at court, the soldier known as Beast, Sybella stands alone as the Duchess of Brittany’s protector.
After months of seeking her out, Sybella has finally made contact with a fellow novitiate of the convent, Genevieve, a mole in the French court. But when Genevieve mistakenly draws the attention of the French king to the convent of Saint Mortain and its deadly arts, she may do her sisters (and herself) more harm than good. Sybella, having already drawn the ire of the French regent, may not be able to depend on her sister and ally as much as she hoped. Still, Death always finds a way, even if it’s not what one expects.
Goodreads

Set Fire to the Gods
Series: Set Fire to the Gods #1
Author: Sara Raasch & Kristen Simmons
August 4th 2020 by HarperCollins
Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources.
Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family’s taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn’t have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn’t been seen in centuries.
When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games, throwing Madoc in Ash’s path. She realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior.
But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.
Goodreads

Bookish and the Beast
Series: Once Upon a Con #3
Author: Ashley Poston
August 4th 2020 by Quirk Books
In the third book in Ashley Poston's Once Upon a Con series, Beauty and the Beast is retold in the beloved Starfield universe.
Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck—on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she’s stuck in her grief over her mother’s death. Her only solace was her late mother’s library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills.
On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember—with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he's forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there’s a library in the house. Too bad he doesn’t read.
When Rosie and Vance’s paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Reigns, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he’s a jerk, and she can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual.
But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off—and they may just find that there’s more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts.
Goodreads

The Notorious Virtues
Series: The Notorious Virtues #1
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
August 18th 2020 by Faber & Faber
A glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.
At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.
But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.
And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.
With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls’ sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.
Incredible tests, impossible choices and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.
Goodreads

Who's That Earl
Series: Love and Let Spy #1
Author: Susanna Craig
August 18th 2020 by Lyrical Press
Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night...
After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he's now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?
Goodreads

Who Wants to Marry a Duke
Series: Duke Dynasty #3
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
August 25th 2020 by Zebra
Stepsiblings in search of the truth about their mother's succession of beloved husbands—and their own surprising identities as eligible young nobles—are the endearing stars of this dazzling series from New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries...
A past kiss with adorably bookish Miss Olivia Norley should be barely a memory for Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock. After all, there are countless debutantes for a handsome rakehell to charm beyond a young lady whose singular passion is chemistry—of the laboratory type. But Thorn has not forgotten—or forgiven—the shocking blackmail scheme sparked by that single kiss, or the damage caused to both their names. Now Thorn's half-brother, Grey, has hired the brilliant Miss Norley for her scientific expertise in solving a troubling family mystery. And the once-burned Thorn, suspicious of her true motives, vows to follow her every move...
For Olivia, determining whether arsenic poisoning killed Grey's father is the pioneering experiment that could make her career—and Thorn's constant presence is merely a distraction. But someone has explosive plans to derail her search. Soon the most unexpected discovery is the caring nature of the reputed scoundrel beside her—and the electricity it ignites between them...
Goodreads

Traitor: A Novel of World War II
Series: None
Author: Amanda McCrina
August 25th 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Poland, 1944. After the Soviet liberation of Lwów from Germany, the city remains a battleground between resistance fighters and insurgent armies, its loyalties torn between Poland and Ukraine. Seventeen-year-old Tolya Korolenko is half Ukrainian, half Polish, and he joined the Soviet Red Army to keep himself alive and fed. When he not-quite-accidentally shoots his unit's political officer in the street, he's rescued by a squad of Ukrainian freedom fighters. They might have saved him, but Tolya doesn't trust them. He especially doesn't trust Solovey, the squad's war-scarred young leader, who has plenty of secrets of his own.
Then a betrayal sends them both on the run. And in a city where loyalty comes second to self-preservation, a traitor can be an enemy or a savior—or sometimes both.
Goodreads

Would I Lie to the Duke
Series: Union of the Rakes #2
Author: Eva Leigh
August 25th 2020 by Avon
When an ambitious entrepreneur pretends to be a lady of means, she catches the eye—and heart—of a duke...
Jessica McGale's family business desperately needs investors, and she's determined to succeed at any cost. But she knows London's elite will never look twice at a humble farm girl like herself. Posing as “Lady Whitfield,” however, places her in the orbit of wealthy, powerful people—most notably the Duke of Rotherby. His influence and support could save her company, but Jess never expected the effect he'd have on her.
Society thinks Noel is a notorious, carefree duke who dabbles in investments, but there's a side to him that only his closest friends see. When he crosses paths with Lady Whitfield at a business bazaar, his world tilts on its axis. She's brilliant and compelling, and brings him to his knees like no woman has before. Trust is difficult for Noel, but Jess makes him believe anything is possible...
As time ticks down on her Cinderella scheme, the thought of achieving her goal at Noel's expense breaks Jess' heart. He doesn't just want her now, he wants her forever. But will her secret end their future before it begins?
Goodreads

What has caught your eye for August? Have you read any of these? Let me know :)