August 2018 – Page 13 – Sincerely Karen Jo

So excited all these BEAUTIES are out today!

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

Dance of Thieves_FINAL 9.18

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Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Hardcover 384 Pages

A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty’s resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch

theserebelwaves

aboutthebook2 Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Hardcover 480 Pages

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

Courting Carlyn by Melissa Chambers

COURTING CARLYN by Melissa Chambers

aboutthebook2

Published: August 6, 2018 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Crush)

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Ebook 150 Pages

Vaughn Yarborough is ready to trade the fame and glory of the international junior pro tennis circuit for college and a more settled life. First stop: spearhead a summer camp for underprivileged kids. The girl who’s agreed to run it with him has Vaughn more intrigued by the minute, but with the strict no-fraternizing rules, he’s got to figure out how not to fall for her.

When the boy Carlyn Sadowski has crushed on for years asks her to work with him for the summer, she has to pinch herself. When his world-famed coach offers her training for free, she can’t believe her luck. He could actually help her follow in her mother’s footsteps by playing college tennis. But when she finds out the catch is she’s got to convince Vaughn to go pro, Carlyn will have to decide between her dreams and the boy currently stealing her heart.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book features a super-hot sports star, the shy girl looking to grow her confidence on and off the court, and late-night shenanigans that would make your camp counselor blush

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

(DC Icons #3)

catwoman

aboutthebook2 Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Superheroes

Hardcover 304 Pages

When the Bat’s away, the Cat will play. It’s time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.

Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins

goodluckwiththat

aboutthebook2 Publisher: Berkley Books

Genre: Women Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Paperback 480 Pages

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults.

For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it’s coming to terms with the survivor’s guilt she’s carried around since her twin sister’s death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it’s about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother’s and brother’s ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her.

But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson’s dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves.

Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert

findingyvonne

aboutthebook2

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Hardcover 288 Pages

Since she was seven years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school.

Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He’s mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future.

Have you read any of these? Any other beauties not on my list that I should know? Which one are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

CCTOUR

Hello bookaholics! Welcome to my Blog Tour stop for Courting Carlyn by Melissa Chambers hosted by Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours. I’m really excited to share my review with you and hopefully when you’re done reading my thoughts and feelings, you’ll end up falling in love with Carlyn and Vaughn like I did.

COURTING CARLYN by Melissa Chambers

Publication Date: August 6, 2018

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports, Romance

Vaughn Yarborough is ready to trade the fame and glory of the international junior pro tennis circuit for college and a more settled life. First stop: spearhead a summer camp for underprivileged kids. The girl who’s agreed to run it with him has Vaughn more intrigued by the minute, but with the strict no-fraternizing rules, he’s got to figure out how not to fall for her.

When the boy Carlyn Sadowski has crushed on for years asks her to work with him for the summer, she has to pinch herself. When his world-famed coach offers her training for free, she can’t believe her luck. He could actually help her follow in her mother’s footsteps by playing college tennis. But when she finds out the catch is she’s got to convince Vaughn to go pro, Carlyn will have to decide between her dreams and the boy currently stealing her heart.

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reviewrating

4halfhearts

Smashingly Addictive, Swoontastic, and Summery Funtastic

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You guys… this book was just so adorable and touching! It was lighthearted, humorous, entertaining, and delightfully heartwarming. I smiled the entire time reading this novel and believe it or not, I even had a few drop of tears.

When I saw Courting Carlyn on Netgalley, I was instantly interested in reading it because my boyfriend plays and loves tennis. He isn’t pro cause he started late, but I think he’s pretty damn good. He also tried to teach me a few times, but my coordination is not that great. I just do a lot of watching and from time to time, hit the ball over the net to help my boyfriend warm-up. Anyway, I just have to say that watching my boyfriend play is really sexy, hot, and thrilling. I may be biased, but honestly watching tennis matches is incredibly intense. I’ve seen a few live matches at Indian Wells and it was utterly exhilarating! So, of course I couldn’t pass up reading this book. Not to mention the forbidden romance between two rising teen tennis players in a summer camp setting just sounded so fun and seemed like the perfert summer book.

And you know what… Melissa Chambers had me hooked from the very beginning and my oh my… This book totally ACED EVERYTHING I enjoy in contemporary romances. The writing style was superb and fantastically engaging. I really enjoyed both the POVs. The plot was really entertaining and had plenty of action, thrills, swoons, and kisses. The characters were really likable and a lot of fun. I absolutely adored Carlyn and Vaughn. I loved their easy going and adoringly cute chemistry. They were just so darn precious and their sweet moments together had me smiling like a fool… a fool in love with this story. The romance…completely loved it!! So deliciously fun and wonderfully developed. And the ending was absolutely perfect… Really really love this book. I was expecting to have some fun reading this, but it was also surprisingly emotional and gave me a good warm feeling in my heart.

I fell so hard for Carlyn and Vaughn and enjoyed all their scenes together. Vaughn was athletic, hard-working, funny, and definitely a more than meets the eye kind of guy. I loved his confidence and his gentle sweet side was just too adorable! He definitely made my heart melt and had me swooning. Carlyn was very relatable and I really enjoyed her character development. She’s very smart, a little sassy, quite funny and just someone I see myself being friends with in high school. They just fit so well together and like I said, their chemistry was just so amazing. Watching them try not to fall for each other was also nostalgic for me. I don’t want to give too much away, but there was a scene with pillows that my boyfriend and I totally did when we first met. There were so many sweet moments that I just can’t… these two are sooo cute together!

I also really liked the side characters and relationships in the book. Fred and Nancy were great and the ending scene with them was just so heartwarming. Carlyn’s father should get the Father of the Year award for trying to be supportive, loving, and the best father he can be. Jeffrey may come off a bit selfish, but his intentions were good and he really cared about Vaughn. I also liked how Trinity and Carlyn got along so well and the kids at the summer camp were all quite interesting and fun too.

This book was smashingly addictive, wonderfully thrilling and such an adorably sweet summery YA contemporary romance that will have you zooming through the pages. I truly had a fantastic experience reading Courting Carlyn and can’t recommend it enough.

I most definitely told my boyfriend about this book.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Melissa-Chambers

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She serves as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series and the Before Forever series (YA).

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Thanks for stopping by loves! I hope you get to meet Carlyn and Vaughn and join them on their adorable journey to finding friendship, following their dreams, and falling in love.

Have you read this book? What did you think?