DAY TWO: GIVEAWAY: BEST 2016 BOOK I'VE READ SO FAR!

Hello Fellow Bookworms,

I've been privy to reading some of the most anticipated releases of 2016 extremely early, and I've had almost no one to Fangirl over them with! So, I've decided that I'm going to pick my top five 2016 reads (so far), so that you guys can tell me what you think of them!

Since I'm going to do at least one more giveaway (that I have planned) this year, I'm afraid that this one is only going to be an ebook giveaway - because some of these won't be releasing in India, and importing it here and then exporting it out is ridiculously expensive, it will be financially more sound to just send you guys an ebook!

So, if you haven't heard of some of these, Goodreads them, for they're all pretty much brilliant! HAVE FUN!

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DAY ONE: GIVEAWAY: 2015's BEST FANTASY BOOKS!

Hi Guys! I realize that I've been blogging for over a year and a half, and I haven't done anything really special for all of you WONDERFUL people. So, I was sitting in my room today, and AAAAH! I had a stroke of genius! Since my Twitter and Instagram feeds have been spammed with people's best 2015 books, I decided I'd do one too!

So, welcome to DAY ONE of the LAST DAYS of 2015 GIVEAWAY! I'm going to list out my five favorite fantasy books, you enter the giveaway, and I'll give you the book you want most, along with a SWAG PACK (Including SIGNED bookmarks, postcards and badges) YAYY!

My Favorite 2015 Books (AND WHAT YOU CAN WIN):

1. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas:

2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

3. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

5. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

I don't know what to say about any of them, expect BOOK HANGOVERRS! I loved each and every word of each and every one of them, and thanks to these five lovely ladies, I have had the best bookish year anyone can ask for:)

If you've loved these (well, of course you do) or want to give me a recommendation, or just say hi (bookish friends, YAY!) please please please do so! Have fun, and may the odds be even in your favour!

**GIVEAWAY**

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BLOG TOUR: Half In Love With Death by Emily Ross - Review, Favourite Quotes and Giveaway

Half in Love with Death by Emily Ross
Publisher: Merit Press
Release Date: December 18th 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Rate: 4 STARS 

Synopsis: It's the era of peace and love in the 1960s, but nothing is peaceful in Caroline's life. Since her beautiful older sister disappeared, fifteen-year-old Caroline might as well have disappeared too. She's invisible to her parents, who can't stop blaming each other. The police keep following up on leads even Caroline knows are foolish. The only one who seems to care about her is Tony, her sister's older boyfriend, who soothes Caroline's desperate heart every time he turns his magical blue eyes on her. 

Tony is convinced that the answer to Jess's disappearance is in California, the land of endless summer, among the runaways and flower children. Come with me, Tony says to Caroline, and we'll find her together. Tony is so loving, and all he cares about is bringing Jess home. And so Caroline follows, and closes a door behind her that may never open again.

Inspired by the disturbing case of Charles Schmid, ‘the Pied Piper of Tucson’, Half in Love with Death is a heartfelt thriller that never lets up.

While the title - Half in Love with Death - is extremely misleading (this is a straight up contemporary, not anything paranormal) there's something about this book that tends to strike that naive, childlike nature hidden in each of us, where we just want to believe something, even though all the evidence points in the opposite direction.

I know pretty much nothing about the 1960's, not on a social basis at least. What was the status of women? What was life like in general? And yet, despite not knowing, the very thing that stood out to me in Half in Love With Death, is the same thing that annoyed me at times. 

"We all die." She stared at me. "You can't believe everything everyone tells you."

"I don't," I said, though I wanted to believe in things like that."

Jess was the bad sister and Caroline was the good one. Jess got thrown out of boarding school in three months because she stole liquor. Jess dyed her hair blonde with no ones permission. Jess smoked, Jess drank, Jess snuck out and now, Jess is missing.

With not even a goodbye to anyone, or even a note left lying around somewhere, The rumours are that Jess got into a red car with a boy and drove away. That's it. Poof.

Caroline's life is falling apart. Her mother seems to be having an affair. Her father turns to the bottle every time things get even a little hard. Her friends are fake - tattling to her parents and copying her poems. The only person who understands her is Tony. Tony, who everybody tells her is nothing but bad news and that she should stay away from him. Tony, who Caroline has been in love with since he first started dating her missing sister. 

And together, with the boy who can apparently defy death, Caroline starts looking for clues that will lead her to her sister. That is, if her sister even wants to be found...

As I said before, while I commend Emily Ross for giving me such an authentic feel of a young, naive girl's mind, I'm not exactly in a position to judge was lifestyles were like in the 1960's, I just don't know if it should offend me, or amaze me that people were so brazen and yet not back then.

Caroline's voice is only I can only assume is authentic, and it moved me. I completely bought that she believed what she was thinking, even if it at times, I couldn't believe she was thinking it. 

At the end of the day, it's a book I would definitely recommend. 4 stars.

QUOTES: 

"You said he was boring."

"I did, but things changed. It's complicated for us. You can't expect me to not feel what I feel just because of what you feel. That wouldn't be fair, would it?"

Reaction: Um, Wow. Do you say that to your friends. Really?

"Remember I told you that the you were as pretty as May?" he finally said. "The only thing she has over you is her hair." he leaned close. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. If you dye your hair blonde, you'll get Billy back."

"Tony's an expert at hair dyeing," she said. "He likes his girls to look a certain way."

Reaction: Just a slight comment to you, Tony: We girls aren't here to 'look a certain way' for you. Suck it up. What you want doesn't really matter, so don't go around changing what girls look like just so you can jack off more.

"The thing is, once you don't fear death, it loses its power over you. You live life differently."

Reaction: I guess...

Follow the Half In Love With Death by Emily Ross Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Emily Ross's YA mystery/thriller HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH is forthcoming from Merit Press(12/2015). She received a 2014 MCC Artist Fellowship finalist award for fiction, and is a graduate of Grub Street's Novel Incubator program. When not writing she works as a web developer and is the mother of two millennials. Find out more at http://www.emilyrosswrites.com/ or https://twitter.com/emilyross816.

US ONLY

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Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: October 25th 2010

Part of A Series?: Standalone

I Got A Copy Through: I Bought It!

Blurb Description: With this stunning debut novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today's foremost authors of young adult fiction. Like Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why and Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person's life can affect so many others.

For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.

**MY REVIEW**

If you knew you had one day left to live, what would you do? Would you be desperate to live to see a new tomorrow? Would you try to make sense of the chaos your life is in? Or would you do the things you never thought you could do?

Welcome to Samantha Kingston’s life. Everything is picture perfect- the popular girl with all the friends and wannabe friends and the boyfriend. The respect, the fear, the awe from her peers, her harmless jokes with her friends- I mean, who could it possibly harm, right?

Wrong.

In a car crash one night, only to wake up the next all fine- with one catch. She didn’t wake up in tomorrow, but in yesterday! And nobody, except her, is any wiser.

What would you do? Would you kiss someone? Would you bungee jump off a cliff? Would you stalk someone? Spend quality time with your family? Or would you just wait for this nightmare to end?

When I flipped open Before I Fall, I expected what anyone would expect from a NYT Bestseller- and Before I Fall delivered! It was the little things, really, that made me fall in love with this book- the small acts that Samantha did to help others; the way she saw how all actions have consequences, and that even the smallest act of kindness could go a long way. It was brilliantly written, gritty, deep and compassionate.

I couldn’t give it a higher recommendation!

Review: Lobsters by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

Title: Lobsters
Author: Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication Date: June 5th 2014
Part of A Series?: Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Guardian Children's Books

Blurb Description: Sam and Hannah only have the holidays to find 'The One'. Their lobster. But instead of being epic, their summer is looking awkward. They must navigate social misunderstandings, the plotting of well-meaning friends, and their own fears of being virgins for ever to find happiness. But fate is at work to bring them together. And in the end, it all boils down to love.

**MY REVIEW**

“For, in the end, it all boils down to love…”

For Hannah, this summer, the summer between everything she knew and everything that is going to be is all about one thing: Finding her Lobster. Finding The One. For, you see, lobsters mate for life, and that’s exactly what Hannah wants, what many of us want! Okay, well, not just one, but someone special. Someone she can call hers.

And then she does, find someone that is- someone different, someone sweet, someone who likes hot Ribena (yes, it really is a thing) - rather briefly, and in a toilet and loses him just as quickly. With her best friends since literally forever- Stella, Tilly and Grace- they set off on a mission to locate Toilet Boy…

For Sam, life seems pretty bleak. After messing up on his French A- Level that may just cause him to lose his place at Cambridge and getting dumped by his girlfriend, there is not too much to look forward too. That is, until he meets this mysterious pretty girl in a toilet that he doesn’t feel the need to be ‘cool’ around, and then loses her, to some guy in a waistcoat…

It all seems rather silly to tell his mates- Chris, Robin and Ben- but the connection lingers on. in his mind, and unwittingly, in his heart.

For Sannah (yes, Sam and Hannah!) are going to learn that nothing is easy in the world we live in, especially not love. Especially when this love is based on a five minute conversation in a bathroom. Especially when we have our self- created social misunderstandings to navigate through. However, all we have to do is believe, that it will all boil down to love!   

Lobsters in a fun, light read that highlights what each and every teenager goes through today- social awkwardness, peer pressure, understanding yourself and the need to find someone that wants to as well! From London, to Greece to a crazy music festival, here is a love story that may not be perfect, but is most definitely real!

I couldn’t say I had any major problems while reading it, but, there were a few times- just once or twice- where I felt that the tale was just dragging along, especially in the end. Moreover, the book is told entirely in British/ European slang, and being from India, I felt a little confused and weirded out at times. These are all, however, minor problems and didn’t keep me from enjoying it!

I would recommend Lobsters mostly to older teens, due to the content, or anyone who wants a light read that will leave you smiling and thinking about life and what we go through to find our Lobster!

Malibu Secrets by MK. Meredith- Review, Interview & GIVEAWAY

Title: Malibu Secrets (Malibu Sights, #2)
Author: MK Meredith
Publisher: Entangled Publishing: Indulgence
Publication Date: December 14th 2015
Part of A Series?: Yes, but can be read as a Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: NetGalley (Invited by the Publisher)

Blurb Description: On the verge of losing the Malibu home she inherited from her great-aunt, Addi Dekker is completely failing to prove to her family she can make it as a writer. Not exactly how a girl proves her independence. If she doesn’t want to give up her dream and go back to the soul-sucking job she just left, Addi has to swallow her dislike of Hollywood and rent the house out to the sexy-as-hell film producer. 

And maybe (shhhh!) save money by secretly living there, too.

Roque Gallagher is pouring his heart and savings into his first independent film to make the industry acknowledge him for his talent and not just his family name. Addi’s home is perfect for the shoot, but she’s far too tempting. He’s never been able to handle work and a relationship, and this is the film of a lifetime. Between a shrinking budget and his director quitting, the last thing he needs is a sexy-as-sin tease like Addi. And he has a feeling there's something she's hiding... 

**INTERVIEW**

We'd Love to get to know more about you:

1.Top Five Romantic Novels:

Ohhhhh! This is such a hard question to answer because I love romance which means I love so many!! But if I have to choose 5, I will choose 5 that when I think back really stuck with me for one reason or another.

A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare – this book sold the whole series to me!

The Villa by Nora Roberts – I found the atmosphere so intriguing and romantic. And I love wine! Ha!

What Happens at Christmas by Victoria Alexander – I don’t’ think any romance has ever made me laugh so hard!

Dangerous by Amanda Quick – Prudence won me over immediately. And I love reading about London in the time of the Ton

And the fifth book that I’m thinking of I can’t remember the title or author! Aaack! But it has always stuck with me. I hate when that happens, but I’m horrible at remembering. The good thing is I have her books, the bad thing is that since we’re only in the house we are renting temporarily, they are packed away! But…the story is set in Australia and the title is a play off of treating dating like training a dog. LOL! So cute. This author writes fast and flirty reads that entertain me from beginning to end. If I find the book I’m thinking of, I’ll leave the name in the comments!

2.     Weirdest Thing You've Ever Done: I had my lips tattooed. My lips have always been very pale so I thought having them tattooed would brighten up my face a little. BUT…lips are so sensitive! And even though the artist had a dentist husband who could administer novacane…HOLY CRAP…did it hurt. Also…lips exfoliate so much that it fades after a few years so now my lips are back to their original paleness. LOL! Not going back any time soon!

3. This Or That:

-- Hardbacks or Paperbacks: Paperbacks. Hardbacks are so heavy that my arms get tired. LOL! And with paperbacks I can still collect my favorite authors. They’re also less expensive but still allow me to smell the divine scent of paper.

 -- India or China: India – There is rich beauty and history in both countries, but India…*sigh*…all the color, the traditions, the romance!

 -- Spoons or Forks: Forks! I can eat way more things with a fork, and if I’m eating soup I can simply drink from the bowl.

And now, onto your masterpiece:

4. Tell us a little about Malibu Secrets and the world your characters live in:

My heroine has been coddled her whole life even though she’s chasing down 30. Determined to prove to her family that she can make it on her own, she comes up with a plan to save her home which is facing foreclosure…and ends up in all kinds of trouble! She’s impulsive and a dreamer and, of course, gets it all wrong! LOL!

She decides to rent her home to a sexy producer in order to come up with the money but still falls a little short. So to make up for the difference, she still lives there under his nose and pockets the hotel per diem until she’s saved enough. After all, in her experience, Hollywood was full of spendthrifts and would throw thousands on just the right bonbons for its latest super stars, so they wouldn’t notice her little stunt. But she eventually finds out the producer she’s now fallen in love with had been footing the bill all along. And there’s no way he’s going to forgive her for keeping such a secret.

The series is all about thirty somethings trying to make it in the film industry and love all while surrounded by the beautiful paradise that is Malibu, Ca.

5. As a writer, what is the greatest challenge you face?

Hmmmmmm….I think my biggest challenge is balancing my time with my children and being healthy while writing. After dealing with breast cancer earlier this year I have to make sure I exercise daily. And I love being a mom…but if I don’t write, readers can’t read my stories. So finding a productive balance is key! Cause I LOVE being a mom. So I want to do it right and be here a long time in order to do it. J

My other challenge is writing romance that is real and unique in a world full of prolific and talented writers. I want to make people feel, take them on a journey, and give them strong characters to connect with. But we aren’t strong right from the beginning. That comes from growth and learning, so I really love the story to show that. They make bad decisions, they drive us crazy, but they break through in the end.

6. If you could meet your star crossed lovers, what one piece of advice would you give each of them?

I would tell Addi to think things through. She’s so impulsive and so determined to prove herself that she gets into big trouble.

 I would tell Roque that it wasn’t fair to hold those around him to the standards he has for himself. That only sets the ones he loves up to fail.

**MY REVIEW**

I don’t usually read New Adult books, but, once in a while, there are these books that come along, and I usually have his inextinguishable urge to read them – and M.K.Meredith’s Malibu Secrets was one of these books!

Spoilt younger sister. Determined to make it on his own Hollywood Producer. Wannabe writer. Almost there producer. One House. One Movie. Money, Family, Love and Malibu. Sounds like the perfect set up, right?

Well, it really was. Malibu Secrets was this perfect, short, sexy read. Addison and Roque were both extremely headstrong, extremely determined to do their own thing in their own way, and perfect for each other while being quite oblivious to it. I loved their families, I loved the best friend, and the sister, and I really loved that ending. 

Actually what I really loved was the concept of everything – how it all sounded on paper. And yet, the execution itself could have been so much better. There could have been more chemistry, more Hollywood backstabbing, more hurt, more family, more sisterhood bonding, more maturing – just more everything. Everything, even the problems seems so carefully crafted, the people so perfect and their flaws so fixable, which isn’t how all of this actually works; which isn’t how life, or people work.

I really did like the book – I wished that even in Hollywood, things were more real than what I got. It was a good read nonetheless. 

**GIVEAWAY**

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REVIEW: Nexis (Tricksters, #1) by A.L.Davroe

Title: Nexis (Tricksters, #1)
Author: A.L.Davroe
Publisher: Entangled Publishing: Teen
Publication Date: December 1st 2015
Part of A Series?: Yes 
I Got A Copy Through: NetGalley 

Blurb Description: In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.

And it’s been waiting for Ella.

**MY REVIEW**

The world as we know today is gone. Humans with imperfections are a thing of the past. Machines that needed human help to function have been coded out of existence. And the best and brightest of humanity have been chosen to live in Domes - to safeguard their existence, and to protect them from the Disfavoured.

The Aristocrats are the definition of perfection. Hair, eyes, body shape, and even their voices and laughs can be Modified and Altered. Babies can be Customized, making them perfect from the minute they're born, clothes are made of the finest materials, parties are only ever thrown in the grandest manner, and citizens are kept in line through their G-Chips.

The thing with humans, though, is that we are never happy with what we have. And the Aristocrats? Nothing they do is for love, but more for standing in society. And then Warren Drexel creates Nexis. A virtual reality game of the world we lost, designed to give everyone anything they desire. 

Nexis is the new IT thing - what all Aristocrats must have; what they must succeed at. Exempt for the creator's daughter, Ellani Drexel, who resents the game because her father loves it more than her.

Until her father dies in a freak accident, and the last thing Natural Ellani told him was that she hated him, and all that's her of the last of her family is a game she thought she would never get into.

In Nexis, Ellani finds herself living a more real life than the one she was living back in the Real World. With Nadine, Morden, Opus and Gus, the Tricksters, Ellani finds herself on a quest to enter the mysterious Anansi Chamber, and falling in love with a boy she can't ever have, all while her state appointed guardian is faking her death, denying her prosthetic legs and keeping her under lock and key - a futuristic Cinderella. 

But Ellani is just one piece is a very dangerous game, one that is both real and not...

A little into reading Nexis, I though that this book would be one I hated, or this series would be one that I didn't particularly want to follow through until the end, but Nexis and A.L.Davroe proved me wrong on all counts - Nexis was a BRILLIANT book, be it the writing, execution, storyline, twists, characters and even the love story- it was absolutely mind blowing, and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone I know.

I don't know why I loved it, I just did. And by loved it , I mean I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED it, so much so that I finished it in one sitting in lieu of studying for an exam that was just the next day- and I didn't event feel guilty about it! I can't explain why I loved it, but I did. Even if you think gaming books are not for you, or that the description sounds way too sci-fi for you, or too out there - Nexis isn't actually like that. It's written for all YA readers, and whoever you are, I assure you that you will have the time of your life reading this masterpiece.

I have just one question: WHEN IS BOOK TWO COMING?! And is there a paperback I can get my hands on?

The Royal Conquest by Stacy Reid - Review, Interview and GIVEAWAY

I'm SUPER SUPER excited to have the brilliant Stacy Reid here with us at A Thousand Words A Million Books today. Scroll down for an interview, my review of Royal Conquest AND an INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!

Title: Royal Conquest
Author: Stacy Reid
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: November 30th 2015
Part of A Series?: Yes (But can be read as Standalones)
I Got A Copy Through: The Publisher via NetGalley

Blurb Description: His dark seduction will be her undoing…

After being cruelly jilted by a lord who claimed to adore her, Miss Payton Peppiwell swore her future husband would be as ordinary as she. Now if only her family would listen to her. Then she meets Mikhail Konstantinovich, an untitled horse breeder, in a highly improper and scandalous encounter. Never had Payton expected to be so attracted to the dark, intriguing man, who seduces her to recklessness with a mere stare. 

Mikhail abhors anything to do with intimacy. Yet Miss Peppiwell stirs hunger and a need long forgotten in him. But Mikhail has a dark past—one that means his lust must be sated in a way entirely unsuitable for a lady. But his biggest secret will be the hardest for Payton to overcome: Mikhail is not only titled, he’s a prince…

**INTERVIEW** 

We'd LOVE to know more about you: 

Top Five Romantic Novels:

Wow...this is a pretty hard question. I love so many books.  Some of my all time favorites are Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Almost Heaven by Judith Mcnaught, Kingdom of Dreams by Judith Mcnaught, Dreaming of you by Lisa Kleypas, and A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.

The Cheesiest Pick-Up Line you've ever been fed: The ‘You must be an angel’ line, I have heard it so many times.

This Or That:

-- Spaghetti or Lasagna—definitely Lasagna!

-- Cheerleaders or Geeks—Geeks!

-- Apple or Google—Apple.

And now, onto your masterpiece:

4. Tell us a little about Royal Conquest, about Mikhail and Payton, and the world they live in:

 The Royal Conquest is the fourth book in my Scandalous House of Calydon series. Our hero and heroine, Mikhail and Payton, found love with each other unexpectedly and must find the strength to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of their happy ever after. Miss Payton Peppiwell's family is adamant she marries a titled man, but she is desperate for an ordinary life after being cruelly jilted by a lord. She meets Mikhail in an unexpected and very scandalous encounter in the country, and is intrigued with him. The only hitch is that unknowingly to Payton he is a Russian prince and an English Duke pretending to be ordinary!  Mikhail himself is drawn to Payton, but fears falling for her because he abhors the intimacy of touch.  Their journey to love is raw and gritty, but they do get their very delicious happy ending.

5. What inspires you to write historical romance? Have you tried your hand at anything else?

I’ve always loved reading historical romances. Initially when I started my writing career I’d believed I would only write paranormal and fantasy romances. In researching publishers I discovered Entangled Publishing. I very much wanted to write for them, but at the time they were more interested in Historical romances (HR). And it was a call for submission they sent out that made me questioned if I could write in the genre. Because I enjoyed reading HR so much, I decided to try my hand at writing a series, and discovered I loved writing historicals as much as I loved paranormal fantasy.  Now they are the two main genres I write in, and I have books published in both!

6. If you could meet your star crossed lovers, what one piece of advice would you give each of them?

Ha! Stop questioning the lust and love they are feeling for each other because they have only known each other for a week! I met and fell in love with my hubby in 6 days and we have been together now for fifteen wild and blissful years ;)

**REVIEW**

I’m not usually into New Adult books, and even when I do read them, I always feel like they somehow manage to form a story without any actual story. Like the characters who were apparently so fixed on being someone, meet this supposedly perfect other person, and then all of the things that made them who they were suddenly don’t matter anymore.  

That’s not how it works, right?

So, the first thing I noticed about The Royal Conquest was that Payton, our protagonist, wasn’t like one of those heroines. She knew what she wanted and who she was, and even in the face of that oh-so-great love, she wasn’t willing to give it up. Which just made me like her more than I already did – for Payton was this girl who used to care about what people thought about her; was someone who craved to be accepted, and has now realized that she doesn’t need approval, or acceptance from a bunch of fake people. Which, for a girl in the Victorian Era, is saying a lot. Go Rebel Payton!

In any case, I liked Royal Conquest – but I don’t have all that much to say about it, except for these two things:

1. That Almost Insta Love – look, I get it, okay? There are these times when you might look at someone, and well, feel that irrational crazy love like feeling, but this one? It felt a little awkward, the encounters way too staged. I’d have love a little more spontaneity, and not the sexual kind.

2.       

2. Mikhail’s past was a brilliant twist. I figured it out early on, but I kept hoping that it would be explored more. I mean, *SPOILER* being held captive by a Madam for months is something life altering, and while I kept reading about how it had changed him, and how he couldn’t allow her or anyone else to touch him, I just didn’t feel it. And then, right before that finale, we get an even grittier insight into the story, but that’s all. Just a para on one page.

It was a good book, but nothing about it made it stand out as exceptional – 3.5 Stars.  

**GIVEAWAY**

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REVIEW: Dead Ringer by Jessie Rosen

Title: Dead Ringer
Author: Jessie Rosen
Publisher: Full Fathom Five
Publication Date: November 11th 2015
Part of A Series?: Yes 
I Got A Copy Through: The Publisher via Netgalley 

Blurb Description: From the moment Laura Rivers steps foot into Englewood High, she notices the stares—and they aren’t the typical once-overs every pretty new girl endures. The students seem confused and…spooked. Whispers echoing through the halls confirm that something is seriously off. “That new girl looks just like her,” they say.

It turns out Laura has a doppelgänger, and it isn't just anyone—it's Sarah Castro-Tanner, the girl who killed herself by jumping into the Navasink River one year ago.

Laura is determined not to let the gossip ruin her chances of making a fresh start. Thanks to her charming personality and California tan, she catches the eye of Englewood’s undisputed golden boy, Charlie Sanders, and it’s only a matter of time before they make their relationship official.

But something is making Charlie and his friends paranoid—and Laura soon discovers it has to do with Sarah Castro-Tanner.

What really happened to Sarah? Why is Charlie unraveling? And how does Laura Rivers fit into it all?

After all, she’s the dead ringer for a dead girl.

**MY REVIEW**

Being the new girl is bad enough. But for Laura Rivers, being the new girl is the least of her problems. 

Almost all of Englewood High sees just one thing when they look at their newest California girl- the face of the their saddest story. The face of Sarah Castro- Tanner, the only girl in this small sleepy town who committed suicide. Terrible, right? Especially for the new girl. And things only get harder when she falls for Englewood's golden boy and star quarterback- Charlie Sanders.

But the girl with the dead girls face is in for a few surprises- for Englewood's star boy has a closet full of dark, incriminating secrets, and a few revolving around the girl who's face she shares...

I thought Dead Ringer had an absolutely brilliant story line- but it didn't live up to what I thought it would be. The story itself was great, but the writing was a bit stiff and I could see the inexperience of the author. The dialogue was awkward, and the descriptions mediocre. The chemistry was nonexistent. And the worst part? All the twists came at the most inopportune moments- they could have had such a great impact, because as I said the idea of the story was gorgeous, but the actual execution could have been so much better!

On the whole, there's not much more I can say- reviewing Dead Ringer makes me feel like I have to be as blunt as I can be! I am a little sad, because that story could have been so much more, and also, it could have been finished in just one book- but then again, that's up to the author!

All in all, I just wish it was a better executed story!

REVIEW: Drowning is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley

Title: Drowning is Inevitable
Author: Shalanda Stanley
Publisher: Random House Children's
Publication Date: September 8th 2015
Part of A Series?: No, Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: The Publisher via NetGalley

Blurb Description: Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape her dead mother’s shadow. But when her father can’t even look at her because Olivia reminds him of her mother, and her grandmother mistakenly calls her “Lillian,”  shaking a reputation she didn’t ask for is next to impossible. Olivia is used to leaning on her best friend, Jamie; her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max; and their wild-child friend, Maggie, for the reality check that her small Louisiana town can’t provide. But when a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run. 

In a flash, Olivia, Jamie, Max, and Maggie become fugitives on the back roads of Louisiana. They’re headed to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem. But with their faces displayed on all the news stations, their journey becomes a harrowing game of hide-and-seek from the police—and so-called allies, who just might be the real enemy.

Shalanda Stanley’s breathtaking debut novel explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?

**MY REVIEW**

“She was the ghost I was always looking for.”

I still remember the day I flipped Drowning is Inevitable open…

I was sitting in the car, and my parents and I were returning from somewhere a solid hour away, and the music playing on the radio was a little too mellow for my taste and so, to deal with the boredom, I switched on my Kindle app, and the cover of Drowning is Inevitable caught my attention.

Now now, before I go any further, I understand that it is morally (for a literature lover) to judge a book by its cover, but come on – everybody does it. My own little flaw. Well, suffice to say, the cover is gorgeous - and so is that title!

But, that’s not the point. The point was that within the first minute of properly starting the book (I spent two whole ones staring at that ARC sticker on the cover, thinking for the millionth time how cool it was that I get to read Advanced Copies!) I was HOOKED. There’s just something about powerful openings that get to me – and Drowning is Inevitable definitely had that.

I’m not going to go into the actual story line of the book- because who wants to ruin all of that fun of reading something with no spoilers – but I will tell you what I loved about the book, and why I think you should definitely read it:

First of all, THIS:

“I’m sorry. I wanted to jump off a cliff, and I didn’t want to do it with anyone but you.” (EEEK)

And getting more serious now- I absolutely ADORED how Shalanda Stanley created these characters that have spent their entire lives twirled around each other, and yet somehow, are only now truly realising it – when they’re willing to put all they’ve worked for all these years at risk, just for each other. I LOVED how there was this situation that occurs so frequently and yet so covered up in the world we live in today – one that always disgusts me – but for the first time, the abuse victim wasn’t all alone, and he had this support system, that was willing to go to ends of the earth with him. I loved Jamie and Olivia – and that for the first time ever, the best friend relationship was portrayed in this unquestionable, steadfast manner that left no room for interpretation or anybody else to get in the way off!

All in all, even though the paragraph above that I spent ranting probably makes no sense, I can’t recommend Drowning is Inevitable more!