Cover Reveal for El Sacrificio Imposible ( The Reluctant Sacrifice)

Cover Reveal

Hello everyone! I am honored to be sharing the beautiful cover for the Spanish translation of The Reluctant Sacrifice with all of y'all today. Isn't Gorgeous! I cant wait for all my Spanish reading followers to read this amazing story. Let me know what you think of the cover below.

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge

Book Review

Title: Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge

Author: Lisa Jensen

Rating: ★★★★

Date Released: July 10,2018

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Page Count: 352

Meet the Author: Blog, Facebook

Buy the Book: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

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Synopsis:

Filled with magic and fierce emotion, Lisa Jensen's multilayered novel will make you question all you think you know about beauty, beastliness, and happily ever after.

They say Château Beaumont is cursed. But servant-girl Lucie can’t believe such foolishness about handsome Jean-Loup Christian Henri LeNoir, Chevalier de Beaumont, master of the estate. But when the chevalier's cruelty is revealed, Lucie vows to see him suffer. A wisewoman grants her wish, with a spell that transforms Jean-Loup into monstrous-looking Beast, reflecting the monster he is inside. But Beast is nothing like the chevalier. Jean-Loup would never patiently tend his roses; Jean-Loup would never attempt poetry; Jean-Loup would never express remorse for the wrong done to Lucie. Gradually, Lucie realizes that Beast is an entirely different creature from the handsome chevalier, with a heart more human than Jean-Loup’s ever was. Lucie dares to hope that noble Beast has permanently replaced the cruel Jean-Loup — until an innocent beauty arrives at Beast’s château with the power to break the spell.

My Thoughts:

I was sent an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I feel like in the past one and a half years a ton of Beauty and the Beast retellings have been released and I have made it a goal to read every single one. why? because it is my all-time favorite fairy tale and I never get tired of reading different takes on it. I do have to say that this is one of the darkest retellings I have read so far, it concentrates more on the monstrous aspect of the tale. There are some triggers that I feel I should warn some readers about one is a rape scene, it isn't extremely graphic, but it doesn't shy away either. There is also a suicide attempt. 

This tale is told by Lucie a chamber maiden who has been sent to the Chateau by her mother after her father’s death. Lucie is soon entranced by the Chateaus owners’ beauty, but she soon finds out that he is truly evil and vows that she would see him suffer until the end of his days. Soon enough an enchantress grants Lucie’s wish and turns Jean-Loup into a hideous beast, showing the world how ugly he is in the inside by his appearance. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, I did cry and had to put the book down for a few after the rape scene, but I decided to keep going and I'm glad that I did. This is a book that if I go into too many details I will spoil, but I will say that the Beast and Jean-Loup are polar opposites and after reading a while I did not even remember Jean-Loup. Lucie was a very hard character to connect with and it took me a while to like her, I felt like all she concentrated for a good part of the book was her revenge, but as the book progressed her growth started to be more apparent, she began to see that she was more than what happened to her, she started to gain confidence in herself and began to make her way into my heart. What I really liked about this novel was the different direction the author took the beloved fairy tale and how she truly made it her own, also the ending, which of course I will not go into details about, but will say that it was not something I saw coming! I loved the note the author included at the end, which explained why she decided to write this dark tale the way she did. I will say that this book is not for everyone, but I do recommend it and if you do decide to pick it up I really really suggest you finish it, it is worth it. 

SandraTheBookWorm

Happily Ever After, Again

Book Review

Title: Happily Ever After, Again

Author: D.F. Jones

Rating: ★★★★
Date Published: June 2,2018
Publisher: Jones Media
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Page Count: 262
Follow Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Instagram
Buy Book: Amazon
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Synopsis:

Happily Ever After, Again is electrifying, heart-pounding romance suspense melding sensuality, danger, and intrigue in this fast-paced page-turner. 

Who killed Bratten Drake?

Bratten’s murder leaves Lauren grief-stricken while questioning motives of his partner, his assistant, and his best friend.

Against Ever-After protocol, Bratten’s ghost mysteriously appears to help Lauren solve the murder, but places her in danger.

Will Lauren live Happily Ever After, Again?



My Thoughts:

I was sent an ARC by the author in exchange for a honest review.

 Everything in Lauren's life seems to be going her way, shes married to the amazing and sweet Bratten, they are planning their future together and his business is doing great! Then in a blink of an eye her life takes a 360 turn, Bratten has been murdered. with the help of Alex she is determined on finding who killed her husband and ruined their chance at a happily ever after.

This book has something for everyone romance, mystery, action, paranormal! I really enjoyed that it had a little of everything, it made the novel feel very fast paced, and kept me turning the pages. My emotions were all over the place, one minute I was laughing, the next I was crying, at the edge of my seat or swooning over the two amazing guys. Lauren was such a strong character after finding out her husband was murdered, she pulls her self up and does everything in her power to find out who was murdered her husband and keep his business going! I loved everything about her and wish all characters were like her. I fell in love with Barren, and was so happy to see that he still had a role in the novel after his death! Alex, oh, Alex as much as I loved Bratten Alex has and will forever have my heart; he was always there for Lauren and never pushed his feelings on her. I love novels that have a slow burn romance and do not rush it. This book had me glued from beginning to end and I think it is my favorite D.F. Jones novel. I would recommend this book to everyone!

SandraTheBookWorm

Roseblood

Book Review

Title: Roseblood

Author: A.G. Howard

Rating: ★★★

Date Published: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Page Count: 432

Follow Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Insta

Buy Book: Amazon, B&N, BAM!

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Synopsis:

In this modern day spin on Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera. 

At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn—an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself, but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known

My Thoughts:

I received an Ecopy from NetGalley and Abrams in exchange for an honest review. 

When I saw that my favorite author was releasing a new novel, I was beyond excited; when I read it was a Phantom of the Opera retelling my excitement was at an all time high. A.G. Howard has a way of taking a story and making it completely unique and her own. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for me to get invested in the story.  I gave this novel three stars because it just did not meet my expectations, I love Howard, I loved her Splintered series and I was hoping to love this novel as much as I do that series, but it just did not do it for me.

In this retelling the main character is not the Phantom, it is Rune who is the Christine in our story, she has the beautiful gift of music, but as of late it has become more of a curse, she has no idea where her “gift” came from or why she has it. I enjoyed reading about Rune, she had amazing character growth throughout the novel, I liked learning where her gift came from and seeing her take control of it.  

Thorn is our love interest and the reason I kept going, I wanted to know everything about his broken and mysterious past! Unfortunately, there wasn’t as many chapters with him as I would have liked, but the ones he was in would suck me in and had me turning the page wanting more.

The main reason I didn’t give this novel more stars was because it was a very slow, it took me a month to get trough it and it usually takes me a week to finish a novel that size. The story did not catch my attention until more than halfway in, that’s when the story got very fast paced. I think Howard concentrated a lot in the character growth and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it did make for a very slow-paced novel.  

SandraTheBookWorm

Poets Pass

Book Review

Title: Poets Pass

Author: Hillary Devisser

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: February 8, 2018

Genre: Romance

Follow the Author: Facebook, Website, Insta, Twitter

Buy the Book: Amazon

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Synopsis:

Dr. Avery O'Gara is a psychiatrist who doesn't trust men any further than she can throw them. She prefers her boundaries high and her trysts without emotional ties. She likes her privacy and values her independence above all else. Avery's home in the country is her sanctuary, her escape from the emotional overload of her job. Her sense of peace is destroyed, beginning with the appearance of muddy boot prints outside her window. 

Recently divorced, Officer Jake Marcovic needs a change of scenery. He leaves Chicago and his manipulative ex-wife behind for family and a much slower pace of living. Relocating back to his rural roots, he sees women as money-hungry opportunists and avoids commitment like the plague. His focus is on establishing himself in his once-familiar community and enjoying the women who appreciate a man in uniform. 

When high walls are built up to protect hearts, what happens when they come crashing down?

My Thoughts:

I was sent an arc by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Poets Pass, I wasn't aware that it was the third book in a series, but that did not affect my reading experience since it read as a standalone. I'm excited to read the previous two books and see what they are all about. This novel was so much more than just a romance, it had drama. action, and suspense there was some chapters that had me at the edge of my seat, I could not put it down! The author kept me intrigued with all the twists and turns. 

Avery had a rough start at life, her mother cared more about pleasing men than taking her of her; when she turned fifteen she decided to run away and live with her grandmother. The things Avery went through have made her put walls up and mostly keep to herself. She doesn't trust men, she prefers to have flings with no emotions involved. I really liked Avery, she was a very strong, independent woman that held up her on, but the author also made sure to show her flaws and fears in the raw moments, that made her relatable! Avery's character growth is slow, but done very well she goes from not feeling comfortable around anyone to being able to share her past with her new friends.

Officer Jake just went through a messy divorce, he has left Chicago. his crazy ex-wife, and moved back to his hometown. Jake was such a hunk, I really liked reading how he slowly put his walls down and allowed himself to show his emotions! The relationship he has with his mom, sister and family is admirable; I love families that get along, without the drama. I really liked how he was protective, but knew when to back off and let Avery take care of herself.

I really hope there is another book in this series, I really want to read more about a certain pair. one thing that kept me from giving it five stars was that there were so many characters at times that when they were brought up again, I could not remember who was who. Other than that the novel was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a romance! 

SandraTheBookWorm

How to Hang a Witch

Book Review!

Title: How to Hang a Witch

Author: Adriana Mather

Rating: ★★★.5

Date Published: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Page Count: 358

Follow Author: Website, Twitter, FB,Insta

Buy Book: Amazon, B&N, 
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

My Thoughts:

“Group silence can be a death sentence. It was in Salem,”

I have always been fascinated by anything that has to do with witches and if the set is in Salem that is a plus! So, when I read the synopsis of How to Hang a Witch, I immediately knew that I needed to read it.

After her father fall into an unexpected coma, Sam and her stepmother are forced to move into his old childhood home in Salem due to financial struggles. Sam soon finds out that she is a descendant of Mather who happens to be one of the main people responsible for the witch trials, this doesn't go well with a group of kids called the descendants who just happen to be related to the witches that were killed. 

Sam is a very likable but at the same time very frustrating character! I loved her determination, sarcasm and will to never give up, but in some cases, she put herself in very dangerous situations that could have easily been avoided. Sam has is bad in the friend department in her new high school, the only person that wants to get to know her is next door neighbor Jaxon, whom I wish would have been more in the novel, but what I did see of him I really liked; especially how he stood up for Sam. The Descendants were your typical clique mean girls, the only one I really care to see more of is Alice! And then there is Elijah, oh Elijah he was such an intriguing, swoon worthy character; I won't say more because I don't want to spoil anything.

I can’t believe the author is related to Mather, researching him and the trials must have been so interesting and informative! I loved the Salem vibes, like I said above I have always been fascinated with Salem and Witches, so this was the perfect read for me. The ending was full of so many feels, I was just not expecting it and I am kind of salty that my ship did not take sail! The author does include a twist, but for me the twist was very predictable, I saw it coming from a mile away all I said when I came to it was 'I was right'! There is also a love triangle, but I was only rooting for one guy and well as you read above my ship sank before it even left. With all that said, I really enjoyed the book, I read it in one sitting, and cannot wait to pick up the sequel.  

SandraTheBookWorm

The Tower

Book Review

Title: The Tower

Author: Nicole Campbell

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: June 21st, 2017

Publisher: Self-published

Genre: YA Contemporary/Paranormal

Page Count:  345

Follow Author: website, Insta, FB, Twitter

Buy Book: Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

"On our sixteenth birthdays, our kind is gifted with awesome powers. Except no, not really because this isn’t Narnia, or Hogwarts, or whatever other mythical realm where witches supposedly live. This is Elizabethtown, Illinois, and much to the chagrin of the local chapter of Susie-Homemakers, we live here."

All witches understand that the universe is a scary sort of powerful on a good day. On a bad day? Well, that’s when The Tower card shows its face during a reading. As summer draws to a close before the beginning of junior year, Rowyn Black is tired of seeing that card stare up at her from the table. Rowyn, Reed, and Rosalyn have made it through just about every dramatic storm their sarcasm could weather during their seventeen year friendship, and it would be nice to have a quiet semester. Rowyn hopes that the only thing The Tower foretells is the frightening sight of the school parking lot come the first day- full of more jacked-up trucks and cut off shorts than a Luke Bryan video. True to its nature, however, the universe doesn’t care much for hopes and wishes, and when the promise of The Tower comes crashing down, they might fall right along with it.


My Thoughts:

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book had my emotions all over the place, I laughed, swooned, got mad, cried, ugly cried and then cried some more! I absolutely loved this book and every character in it! It was not what I was expecting, it was better! Nicole has become one of my favorite authors and has loved to make me cry, but I am not mad because this book was so real and raw! It dealt with friendship, loss, grieve, first love, depression, and family relationships; it tackles so many things that we go through when we lose a loved one and the author did it so well, she did not try to sugar coat it one bit.

Rowyn, Reed and Rosalyn families are in the same circle so, these three have known each other since they were in diapers, they have learned spells together, and now they're all in high school trying to figure life out together! I really liked all these characters, but my favorite must be Reed, I know, I know, I am adding another book boyfriend to my ever-growing list. I absolutely loved everything about him how he treated his friends, the way he joked, how he put Row before himself. Rosalyn was another one of my favorites she was so bubbly, and it was impossible to now feel bubbly reading her chapters. I really liked Rowyn, but I really did feel like shaking her around in some chapters, but at the same time I knew exactly where her emotions where coming from, learning to cope with loss is not easy especially when you are a teenager, she went through such amazing character growth and towards the end I absolutely fell in love with her characters flaws and all. 

The author tackled the topic of grieve so well, like I said above she left nothing out! The emotions the characters were feeling, and the way they were acting was so raw and real. She also talked about how the characters got bullied because they were different, I really enjoyed how the author dealt with those situations.  The author also when into depth about the catchers beliefs, I learned so much about paganism what they believe in, the holidays they celebrate, how they learn about spells and so much more! I absolutely adored this novel and miss the characters so much. If you are looking for a good contemporary look no further this is the book for you and even if you are not looking for a contemporary, I highly recommend it to anyone!

SandraTheBookWorm