Theatrical by Maggie Harcourt: Blog Tour

Title: Theatrical
Author: Maggie Harcourt
Publisher: Usborne
Source: Sent by publisher

Hope dreams of working backstage in a theatre, and she’s determined to make it without the help of her famous costume designer mum. So when she lands an internship on a major production, she tells no one. But with a stroppy Hollywood star and his hot young understudy upstaging Hope’s focus, she’s soon struggling to keep her cool… and her secret. 

There are very few things in this world that I love as much as I love theatre and books. Theatrical by Maggie Harcourt manages to bring my two loves together and it is total perfection. Visiting the theatre is always a magical experience and Maggie manages to bring the magic of the theatre to life on the page. Before I gush about Theatrical, I first want to talk a little bit about the theatre and why I love it so much.

I still remember the very first time I saw a show on the West End. I went to see The Lion King for my 13th birthday, in a new outfit that was bought for the occasion - a tradition that continues today. The show started and it was as if I had been transported to the savanna's of Africa. My face was one of complete awe and wonder. I had fallen in love with the theatre that day and I haven't looked back since. I have seen quite a lot of shows on stage, but there are so many more I am desperate to see. Every show I have seen was unique, mesmerising and transported me someplace new. I've seen Hamilton five times in six months and I don't think I'll ever get sick of seeing that show. The Cursed Child blew my mind with the ways it managed to bring magic to the stage, I still can't even figure out how they did some of it. The theatre is an experience you never forget and you'd struggle to find a more talented bunch than the people you see on that stage and the incredible people behind it too.

Theatrical by Maggie Harcourt follows Hope, who dreams of working backstage in the theatre. Hope wants to earn her place though, she doesn't just want to be given a job because her mother is a famous costume designer, When Hope gets an internship at a theatre, working on a major new production, she could not be more thrilled. Piecekeepers, a best-selling novel, is being turned into a play with the famous Hollywood heartthrob Tommy Knight in the lead role. Hope has her work cut out for her trying to ensure the show is ready for opening night, all the while trying to keep her internship hidden from her family.

Zenith by Sasha Ahlsberg and Lindsay Cummings

Title: Zenith
Author: Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.
But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.
Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

No, your eyes aren't lying to you, I really am posting on the blog... Finally! And I'm returning as one of the last stops on the Zenith blog tour. Zenith was advertised as a pirates in space adventure, with a kick-ass, all girl crew. It sounded like my idea of a good time, so I was excited to read and review it for the tour stop. But I wanted to mention something that I noticed when I added it to my Goodreads. There was a little controversy over the fact a Booktuber got a book deal, which felt like a no brainer to me. I'd rather one go to a book lover than a beauty vlogger who would just get a ghost writer to do it and then slap their name on the front. But maybe that's just me. This book faced much harsher criticism and scrutiny than your average book because of that. So please don't let that put you off, this book is worth your time if you love science fiction, space adventures, political intrigue, and a killer, all girl squad.

This is a space opera, so it means we get all of the space! I love being able to travel to the different planets and seeing the world that Sasha and Lindsay have created. Science fiction is a genre that just has such endless possibilities, and I really love what they did with theirs. I think it was obvious to see that they went for a large scope and have thought hard about their world, the people within it and everything else. It also means that their are many more places and things to explore in future books. I also loved that we get a deeper look at the past, and what led to the different planets and solar systems within the book being at war. This book has some interesting political intrigue and moving pieces all across the board. And it keeps you on your toes, as there were some twists I did not see coming at all.

Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman: Review & Giveaway

Title: Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined
Author: Danielle Younge-Ullman
Publisher: Scholastic

Ingrid has made a deal with her mother: she gets to go to the school of her choice as long as she completes a three-week wilderness programme. But when Ingrid arrives, she quickly realizes there has been a terrible mistake: there will be no marshmallows or cabins here. Instead, her group will embark on a torturous trek, with almost no guidance from the two counsellors and supplied with only the things they can carry. On top of this, the other teen participants are “at risk youth”, a motley crew of screw-ups, lunatics and delinquents. But as the laborious days go by, and as memories of her complicated past come flooding back, Ingrid must confront the question of whether she shares more in common with these troubled teens than she’s willing to admit.

The first I heard of this book, it was being pitched as The Breakfast Club meets camping, or something quite similar. To me, that is probably the perfect way to describe it. And it was a huge part of the reason I wanted to read it, as The Breakfast Club just so happens to be one of my all time favourite movies. I finished this book with tears in my eyes and an overwhelming feeling of happiness, this book didn't just meet my expectations, it exceeded them.

Ingrid has been sent off to camp, and she is not looking forward to it. She is imagining uncomfortable bunks, cabins and having to go to the toilet in an outhouse. None of them are pleasant ideas to her. She is determined though, she made a deal with her mother to do it. If Ingrid can make it through the two weeks at the camp then she can go to a prestigious school in London to study. The only problem is the camp turns out to be worse than she imagined. The camp is not a camp at all, it's a tiring two week trek through the wilderness, sleeping in tents and with no toilets in site. Ingrid's idea of hell. Not to mention she is in a camp with 'at risk teens', something she definitely wouldn't call herself. But Ingrid is stronger than she knows and there is more to her camp mates than she assumes.

I really liked Ingrid as a main character, especially since she is such a complex character. She clearly has a strained relationship with her mother at this time, given the fact her mum has sent her to the camp. She is also closed off, not willing to open about herself or what led her to the camp. She doesn't feel like she fits there, she sees herself differently to the others at the camp. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her character grow stronger, not just physically but emotionally. I loved seeing her open up to the others, standing up for herself and finding her voice.

This book also deals with some serious issues and I love it for that. It deals with depression, something I love seeing done well in YA books, especially as I have struggled with and used medication to help with depression in the past. It also deals so well with sexual assault, how that was handled in this book was just so perfect to me. Not to mention the perfect and complex mother daughter relationship here. Honestly, I am just so impressed with Danielle Younge-Ullman and I will read whatever she comes out with next.

This book was so much more than I had expected, I can fully admit that it didn't just hit me in the feels, it punched me so hard in them I wanted to double over in pain. I was a little bit of a weepy mess, but I kind of loved that. There is just so much about this book that I really loved. My only hang up is the same problem I have with almost every contemporary I read and that is that it felt too rushed at the end and there wasn't enough closure. It is the same with so many contemporary books, where you're holding just a few pages in your hands at the end of the book but feel there should be about another 30-50 pages to go. Don't get me wrong, the story wraps up and does it so well. I just felt maybe Ingrid's return from camp could have been given more time, so we have more time to adjust to that and see how it all plays out.

4.5/5 Butterflies

I am super lucky to be a part of the Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined blog tour, and Scholastic have been kind enough to offer a book for a giveaway. So one lucky winner could win a copy of this awesome book! The giveaway is for UK peeps only though, sorry international guys!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Frost Like Night: Review & Giveaway

Title: Frost Like Night (#3)

Author: Sara Raasch

Pub. Date: September 20, 2016

Publisher: Harper360

Pages: 496

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe. Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defences, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach. Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.

I always struggle so hard with finale books and put them off, there are just always so many expectations and hopes riding on it. You want the finale to be utterly satisfying, one that answers all your questions and leave you feeling happy with how it all ended. A bad finale can completely ruin a series (*cough* Allegiant), and an amazing one means it solidifies that series as one of your favourites, one you recommend over and over again. I was really nervous going into this one, as I had enjoyed book one but felt the second suffered from the oh so common second-book-syndrome. I knew that the finale of this was going to make or break this series for me and I am so happy to say that it made it for me.

This finale was exactly what I needed it to be. There was so much action in this book, more than the first two books combined. The pace, and pace is very important to me, was perfect and I found myself unable to put this book down. This book also gave us a new POV, as we get Meira and Mather, as well as finally getting Ceridwen's POV. I absolutely loved that, as she quickly became my favourite character and was so happy Raasch chose to give her a POV in this one.

Something I especially loved about this book was the character growth that we see Meira go through. She is getting more confident in her role of Queen, and the role she will need to play in order to destroy Angra. She is learning to use her power, to control it in a way she hasn't been able to before. I really came to like her character and connect with her in a way I hadn't been able to in the first two books. I have to comment on the romances in this book, as we still managed to have some adorable moments during all the action and bloodshed. I have had my ship from the beginning and felt quite confident in it. I was so happy with the romance in this book, both the main romances in fact. They were utterly adorable and great relief at times, as this book has a lot of twists, turns and shocks.

Me the whole time I was reading this book!

I really feel like this was the best book in the whole series, it is definitely my favourite of the three. It was just so perfectly balanced. It had all of the action that you could want, but then also found time to have those slow moments with characters where you can really connect with them, where you come and care for them so much. This book got me so invested in the characters and I got so scared to continue because I didn't want anything to happen to them, and I couldn't trust that they'd all make it out of this alive. This was an action-packed book and I absolutely flew through it, I just couldn't seem to put it down.

The only reason it didn't get a perfect rating was because I felt the ending was a little too predictable. I would have given it a much higher rating if I hadn't guessed how it would end, or if there had been a bit of a shock to the ending. I had another idea for how the series might have ended and a little part of me wished that it had gone that way. By the end of the book though, I was really satisfied with the conclusion and where my favourite characters ended up and I am glad the book ended how it did.

4/5 Butterflies

I felt this was a fantastic conclusion to this series and I don't think any fans of the series will be disappointed. It had action, twists, and romance; we see favourite characters grow and change in the best possible way. This book made me laugh, it made me tear up quite a lot and it had me hyperventilating as I worried so much for the characters. If you loved the first two books then you definitely don't want to miss the finale, it is an epic conclusion to a fascinating fantasy series.

Sorting TOG Characters Into SLA Kingdoms

For a little bit of fun, as part of the Harper 360 blog tour, I have sorted three of my favourite Throne of Glass characters into the Kingdoms they would be in. I have gone for Throne of Glass characters as I am still making my way through Empire of Storms.

Celaena Sardothien - She would be in Winter, with her white blonde hair and blue eyes!

Chaol Westfall - I think Chaol would be in Cordell, as they are known for their brown eyes and brown hair.

Nehemia Ytger -Nehemia would find herself in Autumn, which sounds beautiful!

Title: Ice Like Fire (#2)

Author: Sara Raasch

Release Date: October 13, 2015

Pages: 479

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.
Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?
Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?
As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

Title: Snow Like Ashes (#1)

Author: Sara Raasch

Release Date: October 14, 2014

Pages: 432

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.
Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.
Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.
So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

About Sara:

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray, and the sequel, ICE LIKE FIRE, comes out October 13, 2015. Neither features her hand-drawn pictures.
Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+ | YouTube | Amazon | Reedsy | Wattpad

3 winners will receive a signed copy of FROST LIKE NIGHT, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/12/2016- Young Adult at Heart - Interview

9/13/2016-  Reviews from a Bookworm - Review

9/14/2016- Fiktshun - Guest Post

9/15/2016- Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews - Review

9/16/2016- The Cover Contessa - Interview

Week Two:

9/19/2016- Quartzfeather - Review

9/20/2016- Writing My Own Fairy Tale - Guest Post

9/21/2016- Bookish Lifestyle - Review

9/22/2016- Two Chicks on Books - Interview

9/23/2016- Mundie Moms - Review

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas: A Dark, Psychological Thriller

Title: The Darkest Corners
Author: Kara Thomas 
Publisher: Random House Children's
Buy this book: Amazon / Book Depository 

The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.
There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvannia. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark they will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.
Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn't have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons - and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they'll disappear for good.
Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.
But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette - to Wyatt Stokes sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie's dead cousing; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.
Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth the closer she gets to a killer - and this time, it won't be so easy to run away.

Hey guys, welcome to my stop on The Darkest Corners blog tour, being hosted by the wonderful people at Random House Children's Books. I jumped at the chance to review this book because I absolutely love psychological thrillers. My all time favourite young adult psychological thriller is still Dangerous Girls, but I am always looking for new one to reads. This one sounded so intriguing and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

My biggest worry when I read a thriller is that it might end up being quite predictable. I have the habit of correctly guessing who the killer is quite early on, which can ruin the book for me as it takes away the element of surprise. The Darkest Corners didn't let me down though, this book kept me guessing right up until the very end and I never once figured out what the hell was going on.


Ten years ago, Tessa and her cousin, Callie, helped to put away a serial killer, a man who they believed murdered Callie's cousin. But Tessa has always had her doubts, a worry that she helped put away an innocent man. So when a new body shows up, it looks like she might have been right. This is a read that will keep you guessing, and have you turning the page late into the night, unable to put down the book until you find out the truth.

I found this to be a really engaging and engrossing read, I love a great thriller. I spend my whole time trying to figure out the truth and what is going on. I really did enjoy this and loved how Thomas was able to keep me guessing right up until the very end. I love that she was able to shock and surprise me with the twists that the book took.

3/5 Butterflies

I really did enjoy this book, and the fact that it was able to keep me guessing until the very end. I do feel it went very slowly in the beginning, and wasn't as gripping as I could have hoped. The last half of the book was a lot better though and the pace really picked up. I feel this is going to be a read that crime fans and people who enjoy psychological thriller will really love.

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

Title: The Sin Eater's Daughter
Author: Melinda Salisbury
Publisher: Scholastic
Buy this book: Amazon / Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court.She’s the executioner.As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company. But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen. However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

Me by the end of this book.

Damn you, Salisbury, damn you! It's been days since I finished this book and I am still completely unable to make up my mind about how I feel. This book took me on a rather wild ride and I was completely unprepared for it. It's one of those books where I thought I had some idea where the story was going, which it did, but then it quickly took twists and turns I never could have predicted. This is a strong debut, that makes me certain I'll be reading whatever Salisbury does next.

I'd had this book on my wishlist for quite some time, the premise sounded intriguing and that cover was just demanding I pick the book up and read it. This is a book that grabs you from page one and it's almost impossible to put it down. The world was one that I couldn't learn enough about, I was fascinated by it. World building is something I pay attention too, but I usually concentrate more on the characters and whether they work for me. It was refreshing to find a book that had me desperate to learn more about the world.

Anything To Have You: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Nothing should come between best friends, not even boys. ESPECIALLY not boys. Natalie and Brooke have had each other's backs forever. Natalie is the quiet one, college bound and happy to stay home and watch old movies. Brooke is the movie—the life of every party, the girl everyone wants to be. Then it happens—one crazy night that Natalie can't remember and Brooke's boyfriend, Aiden, can't forget. Suddenly there's a question mark in Natalie and Brooke's friendship that tests everything they thought they knew about each other and has both girls discovering what true friendship really means.(Goodreads summary.)

Excerpt

When I awoke to the gray light and the repeating Vertigo DVD menu at 6:00 a.m., Aiden had an arm wrapped around my ankles. I didn’t want to move. I savored the moment, watching him, and then tried to get back to sleep. I don’t think I ever did, but still, I lay there until 10:00 a.m. with him. When he shifted, I…pretended, I guess, to wake up.
“Hey,” he said. He looked slightly regretful. This caused guilt to rise in my own chest.
“Hey,” I said back, and sat up. I ran my hand through my hair. It felt like a bird’s nest, and I was sure it looked worse.
By the light of day, it seemed so obvious that we shouldn’t have hung out like we had the night before. Nothing had happened. But that wasn’t the most important issue. The important issue was whether Brooke would feel weird about Aiden staying over. We both knew she would.
He picked up his phone and rubbed his face. I watched him read something and mutter, “Dammit.”
I remembered my own phone and looked to see that I had a text from Brooke asking if I wanted to come over in a little while. She had only sent the text half an hour ago.
“She texted you, too, huh?” he asked.
“Yeah. She wants to know if I want to come over later.”
He nodded slowly. “Guess she’s feeling better.”
“Hangovers go away. Amazing, huh?” I gave a small laugh.
“How, um…how are you feeling? Brooke said you were throwing up a little while back.” “Oh…yeah, I’m fine. Must have been a bug or something. I don’t know, maybe stress? My body handles stress in weird ways.”
“Well, as long as you’re feeling fine now, I guess it’s all good.”
The truth was that I hadn’t been feeling my best lately. I almost never got sick, and when I did, I usually felt kind of crappy under the surface. It never turned into anything that stopped me from going to school or anything. No flus, colds, sinus infections, nothing like that. I was exhausted and listless, but was mostly fine. I didn’t want to tell my dad or he’d make me go to the doctor, which would be expensive and pointless. I was one hundred percent sure I would get blood drawn and they’d tell me it was just stress and to drink more water. That happened every time I gave in and went to the doctor.
Anything To Have You by Paige Harbison
“Yep, I’m good.”
“All right, cool…well, I should head out.”
“Right, right. Um. I’m sure I’ll see you soon. Monday at least.”
“Yeah.” He looked at me for a second as he stood, and then his tense expression softened. “Last night was fuckin’ awesome by the way. Vertigo is a crazy movie.”
“Long. But crazy, yes.”
“Yeah, it is really long. Probably why I’m exhausted this morning.”
I stood to walk with him to the door. “That’s probably due to the fact that, this time, you actually did sleep on the couch.”
He took a second to realize what I meant, and then said, “Ah. Right. I guess…this is another thing we don’t mention to Brooke?” He made a wincing face. “I guess not…just…I don’t want her to feel weird.”
“No.”
“We should probably stop doing things that she wouldn’t want to hear about,” I said. He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded quickly. “Probably a good idea.” His gaze locked on mine for a second and a half too long, and my heart swelled.
“Bye, Nattie.”
“Yep, bye.” I turned quickly and closed the door.

About the Author

Paige Harbison recently graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts. She grew up on the outskirts of Washington D.C. She spends most of her time with friends--who give her constant inspiration for characters--and calls it research. The rest of her time is spent writing, painting, and following all of the worst TV shows.

Stalk her at her website, her Goodreads, her Twitter, her Facebook and if any of those fail, try Pinterest

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway