Blog Tour: Tangled Webs by @Lee_Bross #bookreview #blogtour #giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Tangled Webs tour! Today I have a review and a giveaway to share. Make sure you stop by the other blogs on the tour and check out some awesome guest posts and other content!

Title: TANGLED WEBS

Author: Lee Bross
Pub. Date: June23, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 323
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks  |  Goodreads

I have been wanting to read this book since I first found out about it back in October of last year. I am very glad to have been a part of this tour and got the chance to read this one.

At first, this one started off being a little slow for me, I admit, but by about chapter 4, it started to pick up and the story completely swept me away and kept me wanting to find out what happens next. I got pulled in by Lady A and Arista and the whole thing. Some of the characters made me furious and some you fall in love with. I actually wasn't too particularly fond of Nic, Arista's friend/Lady A's bodyguard. Even though he is supposed to be one of the good guys, there is just a hidden quality that I didn't like about him. Same with Wild, I didn't trust him from the beginning (and apparently with good reason later on.)

Some of this story was a little predictable, but a good bit of it wasn't, which was refreshing. It seems that now-a-days too many books are becoming predictable. There is so much more that I want to say about this book, but I might give away the story, and I just can't do that (wink).

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Lee writes YA for Delacorte as Lanie Bross and for Hyperion as Lee Bross. She also writes NA under L.E. Bross. Repped by Mandy Hubbard.

Find Lee: Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

Week One:

6/15/2015- The Bibliophile Chronicles- Interview

6/16/2015- Addicted Readers- Review

6/17/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post

6/18/2015- Please Feed The Bookworm- Review

6/19/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Interview 

Week Two:

6/22/2015- Jump Into Books- Review

6/23/2015- Library of a Book Witch- Guest Post

6/24/2015- She Dreams in Fiction- Review

6/25/2015- Reading with ABC- Interview

6/26/2015- BookCrushin- Guest Post

10 winners will receive a finished copy of TANGLED WEBS. 

US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

[Blog Tour] Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday @EgmontUSA #Giveaway #BookReview

Hi and welcome to my stop on the Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday blog tour, hosted by Egmont USA! Today I have my wonderfully awesome review for you and an even better signed book giveaway. But that's not all, make sure you hop on by Live To Read for another chance to win today!

Of Monsters and Madness

By Jessica Verday

Published September 9th 2014

Summary from Goodreads:

A romantic, historical retelling of classic Gothic horror featuring Edgar Allan Poe and his character Annabel Lee, from a New York Times best-selling author.

Summoned to her father's home in 1820's Philadelphia, a girl finds herself in the midst of a rash of gruesome murders in which he might be implicated. She is torn romantically between her father's assistants-one kind and proper, one mysterious and brooding-who share a dark secret and may have more to do with the violent events than they're letting on.

I really enjoyed this twisted take on Edgar Allan Poe. To me it was a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, meets romance. As everyone knows, I am a fan of re-tellings, and not too many times do we read about Edgar Allan Poe. I, myself, am a huge fan of his works, so when I found out about this book, I was totally on board with it.

I have never read any book by Jessica Verday, but after reading this book, I am a fan. The characters were unique, as was the story. Although I thought that I might have had it figured out half way through, I was wrong. It wasn't until I started to near the last quarter of the book where I started to figure things out. 

The story did lack in certain areas. I would have loved to seen more of Annabel's father or her grandfather. I would also have loved to see more of the murders. You go into this thinking there are going to be some gruesome murders, but you only hear about them and only one is described towards the end. But all in all, this was a pretty awesome read. I would definitely recommend this book to ages 14 and older.

Jessica Verday is the New York Times best-selling author of The Hollow trilogy. She wrote the first draft of The Hollow by hand, using thirteen spiral-bound notebooks and fifteen black pens. The first draft of The Haunted took fifteen spiral-bound notebooks and twenty black pens. The Hidden took too many notebooks and too many pens to count. She lives in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, with her husband.

You can visit her online at www.jessicaverday.com.

** One (1) US/CAN winner will win a signed hardcover of Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Read More

[Review] The Madman's Daughter by Megan Sheperd

Title: The Madman's Daughter
Author: Megan Shepherd
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA, Historial Fiction, Horror
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | Kobo | B&N

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Book Review

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of this book. I wished that I had read the original book by H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau, I did, however, watch the movie staring Val Kilmer, but it was such a long time ago, that I don’t remember much of it.

The characters of the book, you either loved them, hated them or just flat out didn’t trust them. I immediately disliked Dr. Moreau, he was rude, arrogant and had no emotional attachment to his own daughter, Juliet. He treated her like she was a nuisance. Always trying to order her around and assuming his fatherly role after years of being MIA.  

Montgomery wasn’t quite a gentleman, but he still had that air about him. You immediately like him right off, he seems very up front, even though he does hide what Juliet’s father does. But he does everything because he deeply cares. Whereas Edward, on the other hand, just seems sneaky right off the bat. I never did trust him. He seemed to always be hiding something and wasn’t always honest.

I did like Juliet’s character. She always seemed to be optimistic. Always giving the benefit of the doubt, even when she shouldn’t. She was tough, only because she had to become that way after her father’s crimes. She could take care of herself but always wanted someone there for her. She took a lot of crap from her father’s crimes and then from her father once she reached the island, but yet, never gave up. I admire her for that.

The story was fascinating. I was really not expecting the ending and who the “culprit” was. I actually shed a tear or two with the ending because it was very unexpected. So I’m hoping that I can get some resolve in the next book.

Rating

Read More

[Review] Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

Title: Born of Illusion
Author: Teri Brown
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Source: YABE
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | Kobo | B&N

Anna Van Housen has a secret.

A gifted illusionist, Anna assists her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums, and mentalists in 1920’s New York. As the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini—or so Marguerite claims—sleight of hand illusions have never been a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her own gifts secret from her opportunistic mother. Because while Marguerite’s own powers may be a sham, Anna possesses a true ability to sense people’s feelings and foretell the future.

But as Anna’s powers intensify, she begins to experience frightening visions of her mother in peril, which leads her to explore the powers she’s tried so long to hide. And when a mysterious young man named Cole moves into the flat downstairs, introducing Anna to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, she is forced to confront her past and rethink everything she’s ever known. Is her mother truly in danger, or are Anna’s visions merely illusion? And could the great Houdini really be her father, or is it just another of Marguerite’s tricks?

What did I think of Born of Illusion? Well, for starters, it was hard for me to get into at first. It took me over 100 pages before I started to really like it and not want to put it down. It seemed to just drag on and on at first. It was also predictable. Once you started to get into it, you start to realize who is true and a friend and who is the "bad guy". You also find out about things pretty late in the book.

But even with that being said, I really did enjoy it. I thought it was quite interesting to read about an illegitimate daughter of the famed Houdini. It's not very often you read about him in anything. I actually really don't know much about him except that he was a really great magician. This book made me want to find out more about him (I think I might look him up on Wiki).

The story was pretty good as well, once it finally started to pick up pace and keep me interested. I enjoyed Anna's abilities or feeling others emotions and the visions she would get. I have always been fascinated by the aspect of psychic abilities. I used to be envious of people that had them (I know, pretty lame haha).

I did enjoy Anna's character, flaws and all. She was tired of being her mother's lackey, tired of her mother being jealous of her and wanting to get out. I don't blame her. Anna was a strong willed individual and very stubborn. I enjoy stubbornness to a point, and Brown did not push her over the edge with that.

Cole was quite the mysterious guy. I love mysteriousness. It keeps you guessing and wanting more. I think every good book needs someone mysterious.

I do recommend this book to anyone who likes magic and psychic abilities. I'm eagerly anticipating the next book, Born of Deception. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Anna and Cole.

Find the author:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Read More

[Review] Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross

Title: Belle Epoque
Author: Elizabeth Ross
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Genre: Historical, Young Adult
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Source: Random Buzzers
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | B&N | Kobo

When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive.

Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect foil.

But Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.

The cover is gorgeous, isn't it? That is what drew me to it and then I read the synopsis, it was like a double whammy. I love reading about France (since that is where my ancestors are from), but this isn't like your normal Parisian romance story. This is one that revolves around Maude and her job as a "foil" and her loyalties.

Maude runs away to France to escape an arranged marriage that he father is setting up. She dreams of a life other than her own, but what she finds is anything but that. She soon finds herself out of money and in need of a job, so she finds an ad for an agency and interviews. This isn't your normal agency. It's an agency for ugly girls. An agency where well-to-do clients come and pay to have you make them look prettier. Maude is hesitant at first and walks away from the job but soon realizes she needs it to survive.

Maude is your typical character who rises above. She starts out with nothing and still manages to be happy in the end. She struggles to make a living and then when she gets a job, she gets so wrapped up in her job that she forgets who she really is, but makes some wonderful friends along the way and makes new discoveries as well.

While the story was good, I feel that it lacked some potential. I can't quite put my finger on what type of potential however. The ending was also predictable. I saw it going either one of two ways, and sure enough, it did just that. I feel as if this could have had a few different twists to the story. But all in all, this was a decent story and I do recommend this book.

       

Read More

{Review} Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Title: Strands of Bronze and Gold
Author: Jane Nickerson
Publisher: Random House Children's
Genre: Historical, Retelling, Young Adult
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Source: Random Buzzers
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | B&N | Kobo

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

I will admit, I have never ever read anything to do with Bluebeard but have heard talk about him. So I sort of know a few stories. So, when I went into this, I had no expectations or hopes that it would be like the actual stories, which probably made this a little easier to read.

To be honest, this actually started off slow for me. And when I say slow, I mean, I read the first chapter and put it up thinking I wouldn't come back to it, ever. But, a few months later and I found myself swiping my fingers over the spine and pulling it off the book shelf to read again. Glad I decided to try again. I found myself getting caught up in Sophia's life and rolling my eyes and hating Bernard de Cressac.

Sophia was a girl of seventeen and had moved in with her godfather due to the death of her father. At first she thought that her life was grand and couldn't imagine anything better. But she soon discovered the dark secrets that were laid to rest at Wyndriven Abbey and found herself searching for a way out.

Sophia's character was very likable, she was young and naive, which made her all the more real. She had ideals of what life should be like and missed her family very much. She grew up a lot throughout the course of the book and became a very strong individual, which I found agreeable.

Bernard was a very lustful character. He believed in riches and power and believed that his controlling behavior and tempers were for the best. He was a very jealous individual. He was everything that you love to hate. And believe me, I hated him immensely.

The story was quite interesting, however, I did anticipate the ending a little and some of the course of events. I do wish that this book had a few surprise twists so it wasn't as predictable. But it was still a really great read and I recommend it to readers who enjoy re-tellings.

Read More

{Review} Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet (Scarlet #1)
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker Children's
Genre: Young Adult, Retelling, Fantasy
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Source: Publisher
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | Kobo | B&N

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Scarlet was one of those books that took me by surprise actually. I remember it was one of those books I simply couldn't wait to get my hands on just because of the cover. (Yes, I pick out books based on covers mostly.) I remember wanting to read it really badly and then the thrill was over for me. I don't know why, I guess I got consumed with all the other books that I had piling up. Then, one day this past week, it was just staring me in the face and I knew that I had to dust it off and start reading it. Very glad that I did.

I have always like the fact of Robin Hood. You know, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. He was always so valiant and brooding.  I grew up watching the Disney movie and saw the movies Robin Hood: Men In Tights (one too many times) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (absolutely loved Christian Slater in this movie). I have always wanted to read the stories about Robin Hood however.

I liked how the writer put a twist on Will Scarlet. I didn't expect Scarlet to be who she was in the end though. I also expected a different ending to the story, but was glad that the ending I had in mind didn't happen.

The characters were likable. I really enjoyed Robin's character and Scarlet's. They were both so strong in their own ways, but it was the character of Much I enjoyed so much more. He wasn't the brute strength to the band and he wasn't the mad scientist type. He was the calmer, more reserved type person. And he wanted to be so much more than what he was. I truly admired him in this book.

The story was pretty great. I especially liked how the sheriff was far more darker then the movies made him out to be. Would love to know how the original book made him out. Gisbourne was a nice twist to the tale and so was the true identity of Scarlet. Reading the dialect throughout the book made me feel like I was living it and speaking it. I imagined Sherwood Forest like this huge area with nothing but tree houses and ropes swings. But maybe that's because I watched the movies too much.

I highly recommend this book to people ages 14 and up, who loved excitement and adventure.

Read More

{Review} The Académie by Susanne Dunlap

Title: The Académie

Author: Susanne Dunlap

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Release Date: February 28th 2012

Source: Publisher for Review

Purchase: Amazon | TBD | Kobo | B&N

Eliza Monroe-daughter of the future president of the United States-is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when-ooh, la-la!-she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies-and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

The Académie was a great book. It was my second attempt to reading it, and I’m glad that I did. It had French history and a little romance and an ending that I honestly didn’t see coming. I had pictured the ending going in a different direction then what it did. I really enjoy endings that take a different direction than what you expect, because, let’s face it, who likes to be able to know exactly what is going to happen.

This story revolves around three girls lives, Eliza, Hortense and Madeleine. Eliza Monroe is daughter of future president James Monroe and is sent to a French boarding school in Paris. There she encounters the beautiful and reserved Hortense de Beauharnais, step-daughter to Napoléon Bonaparte and Caroline Bonaparte, sister to Napoléon Bonaparte, who will stop at nothing to separate her brother from Hortense’s mother, Josephine.

Eliza is the type of girl who wants to fit in. She soon finds herself in the middle of a feud between Caroline and Hortense. But still so desperately seeks the approval of her new friends. She also believes that she is in love with Eugene, Hortense brother. Only to find out he is in love with Madeleine, an actress’s daughter. She so desperately wants him to notice her that she does the unthinkable to be close to him.

The characters are just simply amazing. The story was also amazing. Dunlap brought history to the 21^st century in this great book. It has a great story with a great ending that is sure to please. My next read by her is In the Shadow of the Lamp, can’t wait to dive it.

Read More