Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 130

#BookMail Thursday #40

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas here in Wisconsin & I got an early present... BOOK MAIL! This week's book mail is from an author friend I met through bookstagram so let's rip open that mailbox and see what's inside...

Legacy By Jesikah Sundin & Swag Pack Thank you again Jesikah, this is really amazing! I can't wait to read Legacy!
Book Mail I'm Waiting On:- My parcel from my Bookstagram Secret Santa
- Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh ARC for the blog tour

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #103

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm halfway through my ARC reading for this month. I can see some quality time with some of the new releases I've picked up recently in sight so I'm pushing through with my second to last eARC. This week I'm halfway through...

By A Charm and A Curse by Jaime Questell Blurb:Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.
Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for. 
Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss.
Why I Requested This Book | What I Think So Far:I first heard about this book when the cover was revealed on YABC and fell in love. Black and hot pink are two of my favorite colors and I love the typography on the cover. And the blurb? The blurb sounded fantastic and reminded me of Freeks by Amanda Hocking which I read last year and loved. I was so excited when I found out I got approved for an eARC and started this book earlier this week. So far I'm liking it, although I thought the beginning was a little rushed. I'm sure it will be a quick read though and I'm interested to see how I feel about the book overall at the end. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Book Covers of 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Top Ten Tuesday: My Top Ten Favorite Book Covers of 2017
The prompt for this week's TTT was technically supposed to be for my top ten favorite books of 2017, but as you all know I count those down in my big New Year's Eve blog so this week I'm doing my top ten favorite book covers of 2017 instead. In no particular order...
1 )The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee
2) Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill
3) Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (ARC Edition) (Although I love all of the different versions of this book's cover. The UK Edition is especially amazing!)
4)Roar by Cora Carmack
5) Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves (ARC Edition) (Personally I would have stuck with the blue over the white background)
6) Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
7) The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
8) A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
9) Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
10) The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins
What were some of your favorite book covers from this year? Let me know in the comments or drop me a link to your post!As always, happy reading Bookdragons!-

CurseBreaker Blog Tour Schedule

It's less than a month until the release of CurseBreaker which means it is time to announce the CurseBreaker Blog Tour Schedule! The blog tour will run January 1-3, 2018! Follow the tour to read exclusive excerpts, book reviews, and guest posts all about my YA Historical Fantasy / Fairytale Retelling Novel. 
About the Book:Title: CurseBreaker Genre: YA Historical Fantasy Fairytale RetellingAuthor: Taylor FennerPublisher: Taylor C. Fenner PublishingRelease Date: January 2, 2018


Blurb:A Scorned Queen, A Cursed Prince, A Girl begging for love and adventure...
History Channel's Vikings meets Norse Folklore and Mythology in this High Fantasy retelling of the Norwegian Fairy Tale, East O' The Sun and West O' The Moon.
Eighteen-year-old Helga "Hel" Daalgaard has accepted that the only love and adventure in her future live within the pages of the books her father brings for her from his travels. She's content helping around the home she shares with her parents and eight siblings; it may be a dull life but it's all she's ever known... until a polar bear arrives at their tiny cottage and offers up a strange proposal. 
After spurning his young stepmother's advances, Prince Dyre is cursed to spend his days in the body of a polar bear. To break the curse he must find a woman to fall in love with him and stay with him for a year - but the woman of his choosing can never learn that he is truly a man or Dyre will be forced into a future even worse than spending his days as a polar bear. He thinks Hel could be the one to break the curse, but if Hel ever finds out what brought them together he may lose her forever.
Nobody ever crossed Viveka, Queen of Aldavellir, and lived to tell about it. Dyre is the only man alive that has turned her down but she'll have him whether he likes it or not. She'll make it impossible for the girl he's chosen to last long enough to break the curse. After all, queens don't have to play fair.
Tour Schedule:
January 1, 2018@ BeautyGuise - Review & Excerpt
January 2, 2018@ Taylor Fenner's Bookish World - Release Day Blitz & How Vikings Inspired My Writing ProcessJanuary 3, 2018@ Reader With A View - Review & Guest Post
CurseBreaker will be released on January 2, 2018!Pre-Order CurseBreakerAmazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Add to Goodreads

Man Crush Monday: Book Boyfriend Edition #4

This MCM I've chosen one of my favorite book boyfriends who is appearing in an upcoming sequel I highly recommend...

Man Crush Monday: Book Boyfriend Edition #4The Goblin King / Der Erlkonig / Mein Herr Credit: S. Jae-Jones
Books The Goblin King / Der Erlkonig / Main Herr Appears In:- Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones- Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones
Why I'm Crushing:The Goblin King is everything I love: broken yet sarcastic, mischievous, and oh-so-sexy. I loved him in Wintersong but I loved him even more in Shadowsong where we get a glimpse into his bleak beginnings and how he became The Goblin King. I love how he loved Liesl so much he was willing to pay the consequences just so she could live and while others have compared Wintersong to Labyrinth (which I have never seen and don't plan to) I saw The Goblin King more as Hades and Liesl as Persephone in a way. If you loved The Goblin King in Wintersong you're going to adore him in Shadowsong!
Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones hits bookshelves February 6, 2018!

Book Review: Breaking the Ice by Julie Cross

Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross Blurb:The second book in the Juniper Falls series from NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Cross, perfect for fans of Miranda Kenneally and Abbi Glines.
Haley Stevenson seems like she’s got it all together: cheer captain, “Princess” of Juniper Falls, and voted Most Likely to Get Things Done. But below the surface, she’s struggling with a less-than-stellar GPA and still reeling from the loss of her first love. Repeating her Civics class during summer school is her chance to Get Things Done, not angst over boys. In fact, she’s sworn them off completely until college.
Fletcher Scott is happy to keep a low profile around Juniper Falls. He’s always been the invisible guy, warming the bench on the hockey team and moonlighting at a job that would make his grandma blush. Suddenly, though, he’s finding he wants more: more time on the ice, and more time with his infuriatingly perfect summer-school study partner. 
But leave it to a girl who requires perfection to shake up a boy who’s ready to break all the rules.
My Review:Breaking the Ice is the second book in the Juniper Falls series and it revolves around Haley Stevenson (Tate's ex-girlfriend from Off the Ice) and Fletcher Scott. 
After her break up from Tate, Haley has sworn off relationships until at least college and she's trying to focus on bringing her grades up during summer school and getting a tuition waiver to go to her dream college, UCF. If only Haley could focus on what she needs to get done.
When her Civics teacher assigns a partner project, Haley seeks out the help of the guy sitting behind her, a guy who seems annoyed with her already. Insert Fletcher Scott who prefers to stick to his loner tendencies after being the victim of bullying and whose family has been the topic of cruel town gossip in the past. The last thing he wants or needs is to get closer to the town "it girl" because getting close to anyone means the chance that someone might figure out his secrets. Secrets he can't afford to have getting out.
As the two spend more and more time together Haley gets under Fletch's skin and teaches him that letting people in isn't always a bad thing and Haley in turn learns the importance of caring about someone other than herself.
I was eager to read Breaking the Ice after reading and loving Off the Ice earlier this year and this book definitely didn't disappoint. If possible, I think I loved Haley and Fletch's story even more than I loved Tate and Claire's story. I thought Fletch's allergies were plotted well and very well researched as well as the undercurrents of Fletch's OCD and Haley's possible ADHD diagnosis, although I would have liked for that to have had a definitive answer. I mean I'm sure Haley had ADHD but it seemed like something that was just going to be looked into. 
I loved getting to see a different side of Haley and the other characters that returned from book one. I especially liked Jamie and kind of hope we either see more of him in a future book or even his own book. Another character I hope to see more of is Fletch's cousin Cole. Maybe give him a year or two to get a little older and I think he'll be a heartbreaker. 
There were a couple things I wish would have been wrapped up more. I would have maybe liked to have seen Mike and Fletch have a conversation about the past, even though I do like how the author plotted it I just would have liked to see them be able to put that incident in the past together. I also kind of feel like we were left hanging at the end with Fletch's hockey offer and I wonder if it will be elaborated on in a future book or if we're to just assume that he said yes (which I think he probably would). 
Overall I loved this book so much. It made me laugh and it's one of those feel good books that will leave you with a smile on your face. This author is definitely one that's books I want to return to over and over again.
My Rating:

#BookTag Saturday: The Mean Girls Book Tag

This week's Book Tag Saturday post is another tag I saw over on Coffee Break YA/NA/MG, the Mean Girls Book Tag...


1. "It’s pronounced like Cady” - Which fictional character’s names did you get completely wrong?

A) Aodren from Ever the Hunted/Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill and I keep pronouncing Kathe in Wintersong/Shadowsong as "Kathy" in my head and I'm sure that's probably not right.

2. “She doesn’t even go here!” - Which character would you like to place in a fictional world from another book or series?
Ooh! I think I'd like to see Amren from the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas randomly show up somewhere in her Throne of Glass series! 

3. “On Wednesdays we wear pink!” - Repetition. Repetition. Which book gave you dejavu of another book whilst reading it?
A lot of Abbi Glines's books seem similar to me plot-wise. It's always either girl with bad past falls for rich guy or vise versa.

4. "You all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores." - Which book gave you the complete opposite of girl power feels? 
Barking Madness by Ryan... Hill? I don't know I just don't think it painted girls in a very good light. I DNF'd after about 10%.

5. “You go Glen Coco!” - Name a character you felt like you wanted to cheer on whilst reading.
I don't know actually...

6. “Get in loser, we’re going shopping!” How long do you typically spend at a book shop?
It depends. Do I have to be somewhere or am I allowed an in-depth shopping? If  I have a lot of other things to do I can have a stack of 15+ books in my hands in under 10 minutes if I find what I'm looking for. If I'm allowed to browse or I'm looking for something specific It's more like a half hour.

7. “It’s not my fault you’re like in love with me or something!” - Which character would have to get out a restraining order on you, if they were real?
Mal Ericson from the Stage Dive series by Kylie Scott

{Blog Tour} Book Review & Giveaway: UNDONE by Wendy Higgins

Undone (Unknown Trilogy #3) by Wendy Higgins Blurb:USA Today and New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins, brings you the gripping, sensual conclusion to her apocalyptic trilogy.
Amber Tate never dreamed their heart-wrenching escape from the enemy’s attack would lead them to the most beautiful place she’s ever seen, marred by one ugly fact; it’s under enemy control. Like everywhere else in the world, Elmendorf military base in Alaska has been captured, and it’s time to take it back—all of it—one base, one city at a time. After losing so much, Amber clings to the only precious person she has left, and vows to sacrifice everything to help save the Earth.
Remy Haines is a lover, not a fighter, so when she finds herself in enemy territory, expected to feign allegiance while gathering intel for the rebel cause, she’s never been more out of her element. Tensions only increase when her feelings for Jacob “Tater” Tate won’t go away, and the enemy’s leader takes an interest in her. She’s torn between what her heart wants, and what she knows she should do. As for what her body needs…well, it’s always had a mind of its own.

✦ Amazon➙http://amzn.to/2lAeDhG ✦ Kobo➙http://bit.ly/2yhex4d ✦ Barnes and Noble ➙https://goo.gl/eJVUDB ✦ iBooks ➙https://goo.gl/miHJxE My Review:Amber, Tater, Rylen, and Remy and the gang are back for the final book in the Unknown Trilogy and I was so excited to see how this amazing trilogy would be wrapped up. 
I was a little unsure going in how I would like alternating between Amber and Remy's perspectives because I wasn't as invested in Remy in the last book but I actually almost found myself liking Remy's side of the story even more than Amber's. 
While Amber, Rylen, and the rest of the human/military personnel are back in Alaska planning how to take down the Baelese once and for all Remy, Tater, and Linette are living in enemy territory under the Baelese rule. At every turn you're wondering if the Baelese are going to find out that Remy, Tater, and Linette aren't actually "DRI" sympathizers and worrying about their fates if they break one of the Baelese's insane rules (especially the crazy  no-touching rule). 
In Alaska, Amber, Rylen, and the others are prepping for war, trying to take back the military base, and communicating with other allies while trying to stay under the radar so they Baelese don't know what they're planning. 
As tensions grow thicker and the two halves of the story converge it will be a heart-racing fight to take back Earth and I loved every single minute of it! I was addicted to the first book and really liked the second book but Undone completely blew me away! (P.S. I was completely right on who the leader of the Baelese was! I guessed it from book 1!) 
Undone is sexy, action-packed, and will have you holding your breath with worried anticipation until the story's unbelievable climax. As a whole this trilogy perfectly took you on a journey. Book one gave you Amber's background and secret feelings for Rylen and the events leading up to the Baelese invasion and the dark first days/weeks that followed. Book two showed you the new "normal" and how humanity could react and turn on itself when what we should be doing is pulling together. And book three showed resilience and then recovery. 
I liked that Undone was able to close out the trilogy without a mass of senseless casualties of major characters. Sometimes, especially on tv shows, you reach the final season (or in this case book) and a screenwriter (or author in this case) starts killing off major players so they don't have to have as many storylines going but thankfully Wendy Higgins kept most of the group alive which made me happy. There is one death toward the beginning of the book which is upsetting although I hardly remember that character from the previous books (they just didn't make much of an impression on me) and one toward the end that's shocking but all in all I like that she decided to keep most of the casualties to nameless background characters. 
What surprised me most was how much I kind of liked the chemistry dancing between Remy and the leader of the Baelese. Even though I love Tater, reading those scenes were pretty awesome. 
Overall, I was completely satisfied with this book from beginning to end and I recommend this trilogy to everyone because before I read the first book I would have told you I didn't like this genre, but I find that Wendy Higgins is such a phenomenal author that she could read any genre and I would love it!
My Rating:

#BookMail Thursday #39

It's Book Mail Thursday and I have an amazing new book that I can't stop looking at. This week's book mail came to me via winning a Goodreads giveaway so let's open my mailbox and see what's inside...

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Thank you again Goodreads and Flatiron Books! This book is gorgeous and the blurb sounds really interesting. I can't wait to dive into this one! 
I also got a mysterious package from Amazon addressed to my grandmother. I wonder what it could be (well actually I don't because my grandmother had me order my own Christmas presents) but I'll have to wait until Christmas!
Book Mail I'm Waiting On:- My parcel from my Bookstagram Secret Santa

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #102

After finishing the amazing Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones last night I'm moving on to the next eARC on my TBR list today. It's the second book in a contemporary YA sports romance series I started and fell in love with earlier this year. This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm reading...

Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross Blurb:The second book in the Juniper Falls series from NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Cross, perfect for fans of Miranda Kennealy and Abbi Glines.
Haley Stevenson seems like she’s got it all together: cheer captain, “Princess” of Juniper Falls, and voted Most Likely to Get Things Done. But below the surface, she’s struggling with a less-than-stellar GPA and still reeling from the loss of her first love. Repeating her Civics class during summer school is her chance to Get Things Done, not angst over boys. In fact, she’s sworn them off completely until college.
Fletcher Scott is happy to keep a low profile around Juniper Falls. He’s always been the invisible guy, warming the bench on the hockey team and moonlighting at a job that would make his grandma blush. Suddenly, though, he’s finding he wants more: more time on the ice, and more time with his infuriatingly perfect summer-school study partner. 
But leave it to a girl who requires perfection to shake up a boy who’s ready to break all the rules.
Why I Requested This Book:I really loved the first book in this series, Off the Ice. It was one of my favorite books of the earlier part of this year so when I was offered the chance to read and review this book I jumped on it. I mean this book had me at the 'job that would make his grandma blush'. I need to know now and I'm eager to dive into this book first thing this morning.