My TBR Game

My TBR Game

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. Recently I've been seeing so many TBR games from Wheel of TBR to Trivia Persuit on booktube and I absolutely love them! So, I've decided to do my own! My biggest inspirations for my own TBR game are Codie's Book Corner on YouTube and The Book Democracy Book Club on Facebook, I'll leave both of those linked at the end of this post. I highly recommend you check those out for great book recommendations.

How It Works:
Once a month I'll spin my Wheel of TBR 24 times which will give me 24 different prompts. I'll take all 24 prompts and place them on a Bingo card. The middle space will always be a FREE space. I will not be choosing the books right away, just the prompts. I don't tend to stick well to a TBR so I won't be planning an entire card.

Goals:
The goal for me is to get as many bingos as I can during the month, I am by no stretch of the imagination trying for a blackout. That is just not happening. This is literally just a way for me to work through the 300+ physical books on my TBR.

Punishment:
There is no punishment associated with this game. In January I did a massive unhaul of approximately 100 books so I don't feel the need to unhaul more right now. Also, if I read a book that I didn't enjoy that much or if I DNF a book I will pass it along to a family member or donate it to my local Little Free Library.

Prompts:

1. Animal or Insect on the cover
2. Mood Read - Whatever I'm in the Mood to read at the time
3. 4 or Less Colors on the Cover
4. Stephen King - Any Stephen King book
5. Set During Current Season
6. RSTLNE - The Title Starts With Any of These Letters
7. Romance
8. Number in the Title
9. Chris Pick - my fiance Chris picks a book
10. Booktube - a book I purchased because of booktube
11. Middle Grade
12. Under 200 Pages
13. Red, Blue or Yellow - A book that has red, blue or yellow on the cover or in the title
14. Random Number - I'll either use a random number generator or have my kids pick a random number
15. 4+ Words in the Title
16. Anthology
17. Water on the Cover
18. Royalty on the Cover
19. Stand Alone
20. A Nonhuman Scary Character - any scary character from a ghost to Frankenstein to Dracula
21. Rory Gilmore Challenge - any book on the Rory Gilmore Challenge
22. Adaptation
23. Newest Book on the Shelf - the last book I've bought or received 
24. Young Adult
25. A Classic
26. Ugly Cover
27. Most Anticipated - a book I'm most excited about
28. Color In the Title - any color in the title
29. Dystopian
30. Out of Comfort Zone
31. Library Book
32. Family Member in the title - mother, father, brother, wife, uncle, etc
33. Gifted - a book I received as a gift
34. Audiobook
35. Thrifted
36. One Word Title
37. Historical Fiction 
38. Blind Pick - I close my eyes and pick a book
39. 5+ Colors on the Cover
40. Published Before 2010
41. Had Longest - the book I've had the longest
42. An Author You're Unsure About - an author I wanna try but I'm unsure if I'll enjoy it or not
43. 2 Word Title
44. Matches My Outfit - matches what I'm wearing in some way
45. Cover Buy - a book I bought because of the cover
46. Girl or Woman in the Title
47. Fantasy
48. Pet Pick - I'll get one of my cats to pick a book

Well I guess that's everything. If you would like to see my monthly bingo boards they'll be posted around the 1st of every month on my Instagram. I'll link that down below as well. If you have any prompt ideas I'd love to hear them! Also, if there are any Youtubers or Bloggers who do fun TBR videos or posts that you wanna share, please do so! Thanks for reading!

See you on the moon! Xo

Codie's Book Corner:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCurj0D-0rPKPuMryxgOKPeg

The Book Democracy Book Club:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebookdemocracy/

My Instagram:
instagram.com/fourmoonreviews/

Her Dark Knight's Redemption by Nicole Locke REVIEW

Her Dark Knight's Redemption

by Nicole Locke

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

“This man was shadow and night. He was Darkness.”

Homeless Aliette is saved from punishment for stealing by a mysterious knight. To stay alive, she’s informed by this stranger that she must claim his child as her own. She should fear the dark knight’s power, yet it’s clear there’s more good to this man than he’s prepared to show. Can she break down the barriers of the tortured knight she calls Darkness?

Purchase Links:
-Harlequin
-Amazon
-Barnes & Noble
-Mills & Boon

Review:

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Aliette has a lot on her plate. Being a homeless thief is hard enough, however she also has three other people she has taken responsibility for. When Gabriel, the youngest of the three in Aliette's care, steals loaves of bread from a local baker Aliette fears he may of been seen and becomes scared for his life. She tries to rectify the situation by returning what she can and offering to pay for the rest. The baker is enraged and demands she pay for her crime. Aliette is then saved by these mysterious silent men. Finally they arrive at a residence where she finds out she was brought here because of a mysterious dark knight. What he wants is simple, she must claim his child as hers and she will be taken care of. Things about the knight seem less sinister than she had first expected and he may even be good under all his darkness. Now Aliette must see if she can break down his dark shell or is she doomed to be trapped with darkness.

What happens when a sexy, dark, broken knight  meets a beautiful, strong willed, equally broken thief? You get a medieval sexy romance that teases and excites until it's finished and leaves you breathless. The chemistry between the dark knight and Aliette is comes on thick and fast. It is brilliantly crafted to have you wanting them together so badly while we are forced to wait on the edge of our seats. They are such complimentary characters, perfectly written for each other.

I adored Aliette and her sassy attitude. There was something about her that I can't quite put my finger on. I fell head over heels for this character the moment she faced Reynold and demanded food for the child. There's something about her not conforming to the roll as servant and prisoner that makes her so ... adorable. Reynold, our dark knight, is incredibly swoon worthy. With his dark hair and eyes and his tough exterior Reynold seems like the ultimate bad boy. Except he's not it's totally adorable. There is something so incredibly delicious about a sexy bad boy becoming soft over his daughter. Everything about these characters was just so well crafted and put together.

This is my first time reading the Lovers and Legends series. Despite starting on book 8, I wasn't lost or confused and feel this could totally be read as a standalone. With that said I totally intend to go back and read the ones I missed just because I loved this one so much.

Author Bio

Nicole is the author of Harlequin's Lovers and Legends and The Lochmore Legacy series. If she isn't working on the next book, she can be reached at NicoleLocke.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Social Media Links:

https://www.nicolelocke.com
https://www.instagram.com/nicolelockeauthor
https://www.facebook.com/NicoleLockeAuthor
https://twitter.com/NicoleLockeNews

Giveaway:

Giveaway to Win 5 x PB copies of Her Dark Knight’s Redemption (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Revelation by Jo Fenton REVIEW

Revelation

by Jo Fenton

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

Manchester, 1989

A student, Rick, is found dead in halls of residence.

His friends get caught up in the aftermath: Dan, who was in love with Rick; and Becky, who is in love with Dan.

Their fraught emotions lead them into dark places – particularly a connection to a mysterious Kabbalistic sect.

Will Becky discover who killed Rick in time to save her best friend?

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Revelation-Jo-Fenton-ebook/dp/B082KS9Y89/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Jo-Fenton-ebook/dp/B082KS9Y89/

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/Revelation-Jo-Fenton-ebook/dp/B082KS9Y89/

Review:

When her friend Rick is found dead in his dorm after an apparent suicide, Becky White is devastated. Dan, who is in love with Rick, is also devastated and shocked by the death unable to believe Rick could have done such a thing. While Dan tries to heal, Becky puts her nose to the ground and is determined to figure out what really happened to their friend.

I really enjoyed this book and was able to fly through it easily. The writing was really good. I was able to get completely lost in the story. The ending of the story was so good except for one issue, I found a certain part of it to be completely rushed to the point where a small, but significant, event was left out completely. I know that's vague, however, I am trying to remain spoiler free. Revelation is a short book at just 180 pages, so everything is straight and to the point and I loved that.

The characters were well  developed. Dan suffers from depression and I thought it was represented pretty well given the love triangle between him, Becky and Rick. Becky was a good character to follow. She reminded me of a slightly older, more modern, possibly more mature version of Nancy Drew. While Becky is older in her story than Nancy Drew, both of those characters want to become detectives, are a bit headstrong and both of them have lawyers for fathers. I'm not sure if Nancy Drew was an inspiration for Becky White but do I think fans of Nancy would enjoy this modern female detective.

Overall, I thought it was a good book and I would read more of the Becky White Series when it comes out.

Author Bio

Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire. She devoured books from an early age, particularly enjoying adventure books, school stories and fantasy. She wanted to be a scientist from aged six after being given a wonderful book titled “Science Can Be Fun”. At eleven, she discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, and now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office.

Jo combines an exciting career in Clinical Research with an equally exciting but very different career as a writer of psychological thrillers.

When not working, she runs (very slowly), and chats to lots of people. She lives in Manchester with her husband, two sons, a Corgi and a tankful of tropical fish. She is an active and enthusiastic member of two writing groups and a reading group.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.jofenton137.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jofentonauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jl_fenton
Giveaway:

Giveaway to Win A signed copy of The Brotherhood (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unborn by Rachel McLean REVIEW

Unborn

by Rachel McLean

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

She killed her unborn child. The punishment will fit the crime.

America, 2026.
Feminism has been defeated.
Equality is a memory.
And abortion has been criminalized.

Three women find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Kate, carrying the child of a sexual predator.
Grace, whose baby will be born with a fatal deformity.
And Cindee: abused, abandoned and pregnant.

Can these three very different women come together to fight an oppressive system and win their freedom?

Find out by reading Unborn, a chilling dystopia combined with a gripping legal thriller.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08184VDBV/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08184VDBV/

Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08184VDBV/

Review:

**TRIGGER WARNING**

This book contains abortion, miscarriage and sexual assault.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the story of three women who become pregnant in a time when abortion has been made illegal. Each pregnancy is different, each woman is different, and each situation is different. Unborn takes us through each women's journey to see what really happened and how they will pay for their crimes.

First of all, wow... just wow. This book is incredible. The writing is amazing. The story is unforgettable as it pulls at your heart strings and forces your mind to think what if. In this timeline McLean has created, abortion is illegal. There is never a reason where it is tolerated or accepted. Any woman who is caught having an abortion, or even trying, is sent to prison where their eggs are harvested and given to those who are having fertility trouble. Women are not even allowed to seek fertility treatment without being accompanied by a man. In this world, it can be beyond scary just to be a woman.

While this book is just a made up world, it is truly terrifying. The emotions McLean is able to evoke through her amazing writing are just wow. I really don't know how else to describe this book. It's dark and most definitely not for everyone, but it's crazy good.

While the subject matter will be an issue for some, Unborn is dark, wonderful and will truly get you thinking. I will absolutely be reading more of this author in the future.

 

Author Bio

My name's Rachel McLean and I write thrillers that make you think.

What does that mean?

In short, I want my stories to make your pulse race and your brain tick.

Do you often get through a thriller at breakneck pace but are left with little sense of what the book was really about? Do you sometimes read literary fiction but just wish something would damn well happen?

My books aim to fill that gap.

If you'd like to know more about my books and receive extra bonus content, please join my book club at rachelmclean.com/bookclub. I'll send you a weekly email with news about my writing research and progress, stories and bonus content for each book. And I'll let you know when my books are on offer.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelmcwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelmcleanwrites/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcwrites/

Killing Them With Kindness by Andy Paulcroft REVIEW

Killing Them With Kindness

by Andy Paulcraft

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

Deirdre Cossette is the self appointed carer for the elderly on The Avenue and all of her friends have stories to tell. Margery, whose comfortable life was destroyed by a knock on the door. Stan, who made a mistake as a young footballer which cost him his friends and his self-respect. Marina, whose slim and stylish figure hides a terrible secret from the summer of Live Aid. And, Oliver and Archie, who have survived everything from post war homophobia to a family tragedy – and they have done it together. Deirdre believes that everyone should have a choice. If they want to live on a diet of cakes, drink the alcoholic equivalent of a small hydrotherapy pool, or take on a toy boy lover in spite of a dodgy heart, Deirdre believes it is their right to do so. If they remember her in their wills afterwards, that’s not her fault, is it? However, not everyone agrees with her. When disgruntled relatives from the present meet up with disgruntled ghosts from her past, Deirdre discovers the cost of being kind.

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Them-Kindness-Andy-Paulcroft/dp/1708450041
US - https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Them-Kindness-Andy-Paulcroft/dp/1708450041
CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/Killing-Them-Kindness-Andy-Paulcroft-ebook/dp/B081HXFYLP/

Review:

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Deirdre Cossette is a great friend to have. She is always there when a neighbor needs her and she has another desirable quality, she believes that everyone has a right to choose how they live and how they die. Deirdre befriends those who have little or no family, bad habits and an inheritance to leave. In Killing Them With Kindness we follow Deirdre and five of her elderly friends to find out what exactly Deirdre's motives are. Is she really as nice as she seems? Or is something a little more sinister and a lot more selfish happening right under everyone's nose?

The writing in this book was just amazing. I found myself getting lost within seconds of picking it up. There are 5 separate backstories in this novel all told at different parts of the story, plus you have the current timeline being told as well. The story seamlessly flips back and forth between the past and present and between characters. While it sounds like it has great potential to be confusing, it's really not. The writing style is just wonderful and every flashback and detail of this book is exactly where it needed to be to really shape the story and the characters.

The character detail is absolutely incredible. I feel like I know all 6 main characters on such a personal level without the information dump that seems to accompany that level of detail. These characters were dimensional and well thought out. I absolutely loved the entire cast.

Another thing I loved about this book was how funny it is. Paulcroft has this way with his writing where even if the situation is serious, he can find a way to bring humor in without ruining the moment. When there is no sad moment, the book is just hilarious. There's so much that this book has to offer its reader and I'm really glad I read it.

There are two places you don't want to be alone in this life. One is in bed, and the other is on a see-saw.

A good book takes you on an adventure and it makes you feel a range of emotions on the journey. That is exactly what this book did. I laughed, I cried and at times I just sat in awe. This is one of my favorite books of the year so far.

Author Bio

Andy Paulcroft grew up in Weston-super-Mare, and his love of books started when he borrowed his sister’s copy of Five Run Away Together and exaggerated a minor illness in order to finish reading it. He has since worked as a chef in France, Switzerland, Corsica and the North Highlands of Scotland before settling as a catering manager at a boarding school in Dorset. After many years of writing two to three chapters of a book before discarding it, he finally published his first novel Postcards From Another Life – in December 2017. The wonderful feeling of completing a novel was only surpassed by receiving a positive reaction from people who had read it. He retired from catering and recently published his second novel Killing Them With Kindness. He is now working on his third book.

Social Media Links:

@Andy.Paulcroft (Facebook Page)
https://twitter.com/AndyPaulcroft

Giveaway:

Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Killing Them With Kindness (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trust In You by Julia Firlotte PROMO BLITZ

Trust In You

by Julia Firlotte

Synopsis:

From the moment she met him, Ella Peterson had questions. As always, though, she’s too shy to ask.

Older and sexy as hell, mysterious Adam Brook soon sweeps sheltered Ella off her feet; but is he as perfect as he appears to be, or is there more to him than he’s telling her?

Ella’s world has already turned upside down after moving from England to rural Kansas. She and her sisters were hoping for a more secure future, but instead find that life can be tough when jobs are scarce and the stakes often higher than anticipated.

When events spiral out of Ella’s control, she learns the person she needs to rely on most is herself and her instincts on who to trust in the future.

It’s just that her instincts are screaming at her to trust Adam; it’s what he tells her that makes that a problem.

Pre-order Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-You-romance-intrigue-Falling/dp/1916167012
US - https://www.amazon.com/Trust-You-romance-intrigue-Falling/dp/1916167012

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/Trust-You-romance-intrigue-Falling/dp/1916167012

Publication Date: April 6, 2020

Join Julia Firlotte’s mailing list and receive the first three chapters of Trust in You:

https://www.juliafirlotteauthor.com/

Author Bio

Julia is an avid reader of all things romance, and she has read hundreds of books across a variety of sub-genres and began writing her own novels in 2018. Four books are currently in various stages of editing and completion, the first of which is finished and will be on sale in spring 2020.

Julia has always been passionate about languages and fiction and has a degree in Languages And Trade and an A-Level in English Literature. When Julia is not writing or editing her own novels, she usually has her nose in books by other authors and is otherwise kept busy caring for her family, going to the gym and carrying out her day job. Julia lives on the South Coast of England with her two children, husband and cats.

Social Media Links:

Author Website: www.juliafirlotteauthor.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaFirlotteAuthor/
Facebook Group: Romance Chit Chat https://www.facebook.com/groups/501897750557397/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliafirlotte
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19484358.Julia_Christine_Firlotte
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliafirlotte/

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi REVIEW

Freshwater

by Akwaeke Emezi

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

Synopsis:

An extraordinary debut novel, Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born "with one foot on the other side." Unsettling, heartwrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater is a sharp evocation of a rare way of experiencing the world, one that illuminates how we all construct our identities.

Ada begins her life in the south of Nigeria as a troubled baby and a source of deep concern to her family. Her parents, Saul and Saachi, successfully prayed her into existence, but as she grows into a volatile and splintered child, it becomes clear that something went terribly awry. When Ada comes of age and moves to America for college, the group of selves within her grows in power and agency. A traumatic assault leads to a crystallization of her alternate selves: Asụghara and Saint Vincent. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind and these selves--now protective, now hedonistic--move into control, Ada's life spirals in a dark and dangerous direction.

Narrated by the various selves within Ada and based in the author's realities, Freshwater dazzles with ferocious energy and serpentine grace, heralding the arrival of a fierce new literary voice.

Review:

Ada was born with "one foot on the other side". This causes her to create separate selves; she calls these selves Asụghara and Saint Vincent. When Ada goes to America for college she is assaulted. This causes one of her selves to become the main one to lead her life. Ada is basically just existing in her own mind. Ada's life becomes darker and darker until she is only a frame of herself and must decide if she wants her life back or if she wants to give in to her other "selves" and let the darkness have her.

Akwaeke Emezi's debut novel Freshwater is unlike anything I've ever read before. The story is so dark and the writing is so beautiful. Told from perspective of Ada and her "selves" this enchanting tale takes us into a dreamlike world where reality feels as though it is blurred into a dream. Reading this book is like being transported into some other world. I went into this blind with zero expectations and now even after reading the synopsis I don't think it would have prepared me for the story inside.

It's not easy to persuade a human to end their life- they're very attached to it, even when it makes them miserable, and Ada was no different.

Frshwater is definitely not for everyone. However, I absolutely recommend at least giving it a try. It's brilliant, creative and worth every minute it takes to read it. 

Purchase Links:

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0802127355/

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802127355/

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0802127355/

Blue Skies Over Berlin by John Steinberg PROMO

Blue Skies Over Berlin

by John Steinberg

Synopsis:

A young German woman, thinking she can escape her memories of wartime Berlin, moves to London in 1954 under her new name of Charlotte Brown. The offer of a prestigious job at the National Gallery leads her to believe that she can establish a new life in a city itself emerging from the ruins of war.

With her new identity, Charlotte hopes she has left Eva Schlessinger far behind . . . but when her job brings her into contact with a ruthless set of art dealers with dubious wartime connections, she fears they can see behind her facade. Priceless masterpieces start appearing at auction, stolen from murdered Jewish families by the Nazis, and she herself is implicated. At this point, Charlotte makes a solemn promise – one that will take her a lifetime to fulfil.

Blue Skies Over Berlin is a novel about secrets and guilt in an uncertain time, balanced by friendship and enduring love - and ultimately the need to make amends for just standing by.

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Skies-Over-Berlin-Steinberg/dp/1913071383/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Skies-Over-Berlin-Steinberg/dp/1913071383/

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Skies-Over-Berlin-Steinberg/dp/1913071383/

Author Bio

Born and raised in North London in 1952, John still lives in the city with his wife and three children. Privately educated, John left school after ‘A’ levels and completed a business diploma in what is now the University of Westminster, before entering banking.

He started training as an accountant but did not complete the course, choosing a position in his family’s furniture manufacturing business instead. John started his own mergers and acquisitions business in 1987, which he ran for almost 20 years before quitting to become a full time writer in 2007.

John has co-written and produced comedies for the stage and has created a series of books for children. “Previously, I had only been interested in comedy and finally started to write down the things I said or thought of. That led me to co-write and produce a play, In the Balance, and then W for Banker – which appeared at the New End Theatre, Hampstead. It was then I decided to quit the world of business in favour of writing full-time, and move toward more serious subjects. My first novel has taken two years to write and is the first in a series of books I am calling the ‘Steinberg Stories’.”

Social Media Links:

https://www.facebook.com/Steinberg-Stories-1477024492517726/
https://twitter.com/@SteinbergStory/

Empire's Hostage by Marian L. Thorpe REVIEW

Empire's Hostage

by Marian L. Thorpe

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the author via Rachel's Random Resources. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Synopsis:

For fifteen months, the Empire and the northern people have been at war, but a truce is finally at hand. As part of this treaty, Lena, now a Guardswoman on the Wall, is asked to stand as a hostage, to go north to live and learn among the people of Linrathe. But not everyone there will welcome her. As Lena learns more of the history of both her land and the north, a new threat emerges, one that will test her loyalty to its limits, and in the end, demand a price she could not have envisioned.

Review:

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Empire's Hostage is the second book in the Empire's Legacy trilogy. In this book we continue on with Lena's story. We join Lena while the war between the Empire and Linrathe is still occurring. The emperor soon requests a favor of Lena, go to Linrathe as a hostage so they can have a temporary truce while the armies on both sides rebuild their supplies and recover. Lena agrees, but she never expected what being a hostage would mean. Now with the truce signed and witnessed Lena must find a way to survive being a hostage or forfeit not only her life, but the life of a second hostage as well.

Lena, in my opinion, is still an awesome main character. I absolutely love her. In Empire's Daughter we see Lena as this tough girl who was able to just slip into a new role of fighter and cohort-leader. She appears to be strong and unbreakable taking every challenge thrown at her. Now she is faced with an even greater challenge that could have even greater consequences. Through everything she faces, we see Lena's vulnerable side start to break through. We see her emotional growth in a way that makes her more human and less hero. Basically in the beginning we see strength and triumph, now we're seeing vulnerability and fear and personally, I can not wait to continue on with Lena's journey in the third book Empire's Exile. 

The only thing I could think of that would be off-putting in this book, is how certain things are too conveniently worked out and wrapped up. While I didn't find this to take away from the story it is something to expect if that is something that bothers you.  

There is something so special about Lena's story. It's one that you can just simply get lost in. The pace isn't slow but it isn't heart racing either. It is a beautiful combination of calm and excitement that just keeps your attention until the story is done. If there is one thing Thorpe is able is do, it's grab you from chapter one and hold on tightly until she has finished telling the story. Marian Thorpe is one of my new favorite authors and I am beyond excited to get back to Lena's story in Empire's Exile. 

Purchase Link: https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/70c2d124-98f8-11e9-a22b-0fa7c9705e88

Author Bio

Not content with two careers as a research scientist and an educator, Marian L Thorpe decided to go back to what she’d always wanted to do and be a writer. Author of the alternative world medieval trilogy Empire’s Legacy, Marian also has published short stories and poetry. Her life-long interest in Roman and post-Roman European history informs her novels, while her avocations of landscape archaeology and birding provide background to her settings.

Social Media Links:

https://twitter.com/marianlthorpe
https://www.facebook.com/marianlthorpe/
https://marianlthorpe.com/

Giveaway:

Giveaway to Win a Paperback copy of Empire’s Legacy, the complete trilogy (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Beartown by Fredrik Backman REVIEW

Beartown

by Fredrik Backman

narrated by Marin Ireland

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.

Review:

Beartown is a small community that simply wants their place on the map. What better way to do that than to have a junior ice hockey team win the nationals? The boys on the junior ice hockey team face the pressure of getting their small town noticed. They are looked at as future heroes; the ones who can save the town. Of course, these boys are just teenagers so they play hard and they party hard. One night one of the players takes his partying to a new level and causes severe damage to a local girl. When she won't be quiet and just let it go away the whole town has a decision to make on what is important to them.

I knew very little about this book going in. I knew it was a book set in Scandinavia, and that it was about hockey. I had no interest in it AT ALL however it fit a prompt I needed to fill to complete a challenge so I listened to it on audio book. 

This book started off really slow for me, actually it was almost a DNF. However, once the main focus of the story came into play I found myself not wanting to put it down. In this book, a young girl named Maya is raped. We follow her story during the aftermath of the rape. It isn't easy to read, it's actually quite heartbreaking. The writing is emotional, powerful and griping; you can't help but feel Maya's heartache. It broke my heart and made me angry. It's emotional, hard to read, anger inducing and so so powerful. Besides rape, there are other difficult topics discussed in this book as well. I won't get into too much detail but I think Beartown really sheds light on the difficulties that come with being from a small town. 

Beartown is an emotional and intense journey that won't be for everybody, but I do recommend at least giving it a try. While I haven't had the chance to listen to the second book, Us Against You, I am hoping to get to it very soon.

Purchase Links:

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/Beartown-Fredrik-Backman/dp/B01LLXCGWY/

US - https://www.amazon.com/Beartown-Fredrik-Backman/dp/B01LLXCGWY/

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beartown-Times-Bestselling-Author-Called-ebook/dp/B079XY62GF/