May 23, 2018 – Sincerely Karen Jo

waitingonwednesdaynew

Hello fellow bookaddicts. I almost forgot, but here I am back for another Waiting on Wednesday which is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. A similar meme, Can’t-Wait Wednesday, is hosted by Tressa over at Wishful Endings. If you’d like to participate in either one, don’t forget to link back to these lovely ladies and add your links in their posts.

My pick for this week’s “can’t wait to read” is

seawitch

aboutthebook2

Expected publication: July 31st 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books

Hardcover 368 pages

Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Mermaids, Mythology

Everyone knows what happens in the end.
A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss.
But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends.
One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

The rise of Hans Christian Andersen’s iconic villainess is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, betrayal, and a girl pushed beyond her limits—to become a monster.

First of all, that book cover is absolutely mesmerizing… It’s seriously calling to me so of course I had to add this on my TBR. BUT… after reading the synopsis, I’m honestly super excited to read this retelling and it’s from Ursula’s POV!! Sounds like there’ll be some epic FEELS and heartbreak and I just can’t wait!! Probably shouldn’t request this on Netgalley since I still have so many ARCS to read…but I’m most definitely considering it…I’m trying so hard not to do it cause I really need to be good and not request anymore….it’s just this really sounds so AMAZING!!!

So far I haven’t requested…but who knows what will happen later, tomorrow, or next week.

What are your thoughts on this book? Would you read it? What’s on your Waiting on Wednesday pick today? Leave your links on the comments below so I can check out your post and find more books to add on my TBR!

sincerelykarenjoendsign

bookreview

heartofmine

aboutthebook2

PUBLISHER: WEDNESDAY BOOKS

RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 27, 2018

GENRE: YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY, ROMANCE,

HARDCOVER 384 PAGES

A new heart saved her life—but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor?

Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was — a boy from her school — and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened.

Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew living took more courage than dying?

reviewrating

4halfhearts

4.25 – Compelling, Emotionally Draining, and Absolutely Heartwarming

purchaselinks

AMAZON – BARNES & NOBLE – KINDLE STORE

reviewthoughts

I don’t know why I took so long to write up my full review. Maybe I was emotionally hung over or something, but here it is! So, this book had me in tears several times, but also made my heart melt and filled it with hope. It was riveting, sweet, exciting, and so incredibly touching.

This Heart of Mine was a heartfelt and affecting read that had all the wonderful and aching FEELS I love about contemporary books. Some parts broke my heart into pieces, others made me grip the edge of my seat, and then there were those incredibly endearing and cute moments that made me smile. While there were a few slow moments in the beginning, I was engrossed the entire time and did not want to stop reading. The writing was fantastic, the pacing was great, the characters were realistic and likable, and I loved the message of the story.

The romance was adorable and I thought Leah and Matt were so cute together. Their relationship was well-developed and their chemistry was swoony. I also liked how honest and vulnerable they were around each other. It made their connection that much more interesting and real for me. While it was kind of odd since this was a contemporary, I found the supernatural aspect of the story quite intriguing. The idea that Leah and Matt were sharing similar dreams was fun for me to read. It left me wondering and questioning the unknown and what is or is not possible. I also enjoyed the mystery part of the story and seeing how everything played out even though I kind of had a hunch and eventually figured it out.

I adored the characters a lot and thought they were relatable. Leah was strong, funny, determined and inspiring. She never wanted to be a burden and tried to spare her loved ones from suffering or being in pain. She’s a little stubborn sometimes, but she’s also very protective and considerate. Matt didn’t always make the best decisions, but he had a heart of gold. He’s honest, caring, kind, loyal, and would do anything for his family. Brandy was an awesome best friend – supportive, encouraging, and dependable.

This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter is a painfully beautiful story about loss, family, first love, forgiveness, and so much more. It’s compelling, emotionally draining, and absolutely heartwarming. I really enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it!

I received an electronic advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher, Wednesday Books, via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

authorbio2

C. C. Hunter is the New York Times bestselling author of over thirty-five books, including her wildly popular Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark series. In addition to winning numerous awards and rave reviews for her novels, C.C. is also a photojournalist, motivational speaker, and writing coach. In February 2018, Wednesday Books will publish her contemporary young adult and hardcover debut, This Heart of Mine. And the first book of her new paranormal young adult series, The Mortician’s Daughter: One Foot in the Grave will release on October 31st 2017. C. C. currently resides in Texas with her husband, junkyard dog, Lady, and whatever wild creatures that meander out from woods surrounding home.

C.C. Hunter is a pseudonym. Her real name is Christie Craig and she also writes humorous romantic suspense romance novels. www.christie-craig.com

C.C. would love to hear from you. Because of deadlines, it may take some time to get back with you, but she will reply.cc@cchunterbooks.com

followtheauthor2

GOODREADS – WEBSITE – TWITTER – FACEBOOK

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed reading my review. Have you read this book? What did you think? Leave your comments down below. I’d love to hear from you.

As always, have a wonderful day lovelies!

sincerelykarenjoendsign