aceofshades – Sincerely Karen Jo

wwwwednesday

Hello my wonderful bookish friends!! I hope you’re all having a fantastic week and reading some amazing books. I know it’s Thursday and I wasn’t really planning on doing this post since I’ve been so super duper busy. I’m actualy running on 4-5 hours sleep and I’m about to crash soon, really soon. BUT, I did manage to get some reading done here and there amidst all the chaos that is my life right now and I wanted to do a quick reading recap. Sooo let’s get to it!

WWW Wednesday which is a weekly segment hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer these three questions:

What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

I recently finished reading Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody which I enjoyed and Sinister Love by T.L. Smith — this book was intoxicating and I loved it! I wasn’t even planning on reading Sinister Love, but I got the ARC in the email and I just had to know how Ryken and Saskia’s story would end. You can read my review for Ace of Shades here and review for Sinister Love will be posted soon.

I’m currently reading Rebel Heir by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward and Blood Veil by Megan Erickson. I know these two books weren’t in my post last week, but with the kind of hectic and crazy days I’ve been having, I needed quick easy guilty pleasure reads that can relax me and not overwork my brain. These two are perfect and I’ve been enjoying them during my lunch breaks and when I need to take a short breather from party planning.

Since I didn’t read what I had planned from last week, I’m keeping those two on the list for now… Traveler by S.E. Anderson and Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray. I’ll probably change my mind again or add another book… we’ll see.

So, that’s it for my WWW Wednesday…Hoping to be back on my regular reading and blogging schedule by next week. Have a wonderful day loves!!!

What was on your WWW Wednesday? Have you read any of these books? Leave your comments and links to your post so I can check it out!

sincerelykarenjo2

Hello lovely bookish friends! Welcome to my Blog Tour Stop for Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. Don’t forget to stay until the end for the giveaway!

aceofshades

4 ★ – SINFULLY EXCITING AND FUN

PUBLISHED BY HARLEQUIN TEEN APRIL 10, 2018

GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, FANTASY

PAGES: HARDCOVER 416

ADD ON GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON – BARNES AND NOBLE – KOBO – BOOKDEPOSITORY

iBOOKS – INDIEBOUND

synopsispic

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

review

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody was a fascinating and entertaining read. It’s sinfully exciting, quite unique, and wonderfully magical.

I had such a great time reading this book. The world building intrigued me from the very beginning. It was creative, mesmerizing, and whimsical! Although there were a few confusing parts here and there, I really enjoyed reading about the different kingdoms, gangs, talents and basically just everything that existed in the City of Sin. The writing style was descriptive and easy to read which made it so much easier to get lost in the story and I loved that about this book. The plot was interesting, fast-paced, and thrilling. There were a few unexpected twists here and there that caught me off guard so that was definitely fun. I loved the romance — it was one of those slow-burn types and the pining on both sides were so heartfelt, believable, and well-developed. I really rooted for the Enne and Levi and cannot wait to see where their relationship will be in the next installment.

I have to be honest and admit that I had quite a difficult time with one of lead characters. Enne Salta just got under my skin and annoyed me throughout most of the story. She was naive, stubborn, arrogant, and just not someone I would want as a heroine. I thought there was no way I would like her, BUT — towards the end of the story, I did go through of big change of heart. Her character development was not an easy one, but in the end, I definitely thought Enne was one badass heroine. Levi Glaisyer was an interesting character and I liked him a lot from the very beginning. He’s complex and broken, but also very caring, protective and sweet. He’s definitely my favorite and I loved his POV. The other characters and villains were pretty awesome and I enjoyed getting to know them all so I’m really excited to see where everyone will be in the sequel.

All in all, this was an amazing beginning to a thrilling new fantasy series. There were a few things that weren’t explained as clearly as I would want, but that didn’t really affect my reading experience. I still had a great time spending a few hours in the City of Sin and I definitely will be coming back for more.

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

abouttheauthor

Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from Villanova University, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she works as a tax accountant in Philadelphia, PA, surrounded by her many siblings and many books.