Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 61

The Sunday Post - 6 June 2021

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Hey Bookdragons! I hope you had a great first week of June! On Monday I indulged in my most recent obsession - Reuben egg rolls then we planted a bunch of flowers we'd gotten last weekend. Tuesday and Wednesday were catch-up days after the long weekend (especially when my WiFi went out on Tuesday afternoon) and I've spent the afternoon and evenings getting my reading time in. 
🍀 It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 31 May 2021  🍀  Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books With Summery Covers 🍀  I Can't Wait For... FALLEN! 🍀   {Book Review} Corpse Queen by Stacey Rourke 🍀   {Book Review} Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

🌻 It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 7 June 2021  🌻 Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Loved That Made Me Want More Books Like Them 🌻  I Can't Wait For... RESURRECTION ROAD! 🌻 What I'm Binge-Watching - 10 June 2021🌻 {Release Week Blitz + Review} The Wicked Aftermath by Melissa Foster🌻 {Book Review} Drive Me Wild by Melanie Harlow


Learn More:Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. MellowHer Last Breath by Hilary Davidson


💀 This Week I Bookmarked: 100 Books that take place in Charleston, SC (I'm planning a trip for September!)

{Book Review} BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner

 

Big SummerStandaloneJennifer WeinerChick Lit / Mystery368 Pages
Blurb:The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “nothing short of brilliant” (People) Mrs. Everything returns with an unforgettable novel about friendship and forgiveness set during a disastrous wedding on picturesque Cape Cod.

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.

My Review:

This review is going to be a little different. I DNF'd this book, meaning I did not finish it. But I definitely have some opinions on what I did read. 
I bought this book last year when it first came out and I guess I thought it was a fluffy summer beach read. Maybe I read the description then, I'm not sure. I didn't realize going in this was going to be an attempt at a murder mystery.
We start out with a prologue in 1994 and that was fine, interesting even. But I have no idea how the woman we read about or her son play into the plot. I never got that far. Fast forward to chapter 1 and suddenly it's 2018. So the four-year-old in 1994 would be 28. Are we reading about him? No. We meet Daphne, a plus-size instagram influencer meeting with Leela, a stylist/clothing designer at a coffee shop to talk about a social media collaboration. Leela is talking about ethically sourced materials and inclusivity and Daphne is thinking about all the trouble she had growing up finding clothes that look nice on her body and are stylish and that's about the point where I was like - hold up I don't need to read anymore of this BS. 
I'm a plus size woman, true. I also like to think I appreciate fashion and have an interest in acquiring nice clothing. I'm so sick of authors writing plus size characters and their whole character ARC is having a past of being bullied or having insecurities about their body. I'm over it.  If we've reached a place where we can have LGBT+ books that aren't just about coming out why can't we have books with plus size main characters where it's normalized and say "x character" is bigger the same way we'd just casually describe characters saying they were tall or short or red-haired or bald and have the main story be about a mystery or a rom-com or a horror plot that has nothing to do with pages upon pages reminiscing about their weight struggles. When I think of myself, I often don't see myself as any different than anyone else. I don't constantly internalize that my thighs are thicker than a woman I might see at the mall. I buy high-end clothing and have no trouble finding clothing that fits nice and is in my correct size. I even *GASP* feel sexy when I wear certain things. Please authors, stop reducing anyone over a size 10 into a bunch of insecure, weight obsessed, weaklings. Give us hobbies, a personality, the same as you would a skinny character! 
Moving on, I skimmed to the end of the book after I realized it was a mystery just to see who the killer was and found the reveal to be not all that surprising and their motivation mostly unoriginal. 
Overall, though I did not finish this book, I really disliked the parts that I did read. I probably will not try anything else by this author.
My Rating:
DNF

{Book Review} CORPSE QUEEN by Stacey Rourke

 

Corpse QueenDeath Diggers Handbook #1Stacey Rourke with M. Rourke and E. RourkeUrban Fantasy/Paranormal164 Pages
Blurb:With the king gone, the veil fell.
Thrusting Carnage Crossing into a fresh hell.

A city of the dead. A town built by demise.
Torn apart by the livings' whim to exorcise.

The lineage was tracked and followed to a royal heir.
The fact she had a pulse a shocking affair.

Whisked through death's door with grisly splendor,
Her reign will begin when ties to the past sever.

Yet secrets slither in with a venomous bite,
Threatening to destroy all when they come to light.


Will the truth revealed bring peace to the dead?
Or unleash the Corpse Queen to come for your head?

My Review:

Fans of Tim Burton, Beetlejuice, and Sassy Take-No-Prisoners Heroines will love Corpse Queen!

We meet Thades on the night of her sister Charlie's bachelorette party. They're visiting a psychic, it will be a night to die for. Suddenly dead from an Ouija board planchette to the throat (no, not kidding) Thades comes to in Carnage Crossing - the afterlife for the middle-of-the-road type who weren't super good or super evil in life. Not only that - Thades (now called Tempest Mortem) is apparently the daughter of their fallen king, Legaba and heir to the throne!

As Tempest adjusts to life in the dark, yet vibrantly described and constructed Carnage Crossing, makes friends, and comes to terms with leaving her old life behind and embracing her destiny we meet the colorful citizens of Carnage Crossing, explore the unique businesses, and learn about devastating exorcisms that have ripped citizens from their afterlife and made them well and truly dead. But who is performing the exorcisms? And how can Tempest stop them once and for all? One thing is certain, she's going to have step up and become the badass queen she was always destined to be. 

I loved Thades/Tempest and the characters she meets in Carnage Crossing. Lugosi was awesome and I swooned for Gideon. I don't at all trust Charlie and I'm interested to see if she'll become a problem in future books. Also, there's Ambrose. Who I hope Tempest is over. I don't trust him either.

There is a playlist at the beginning of this book, one song for each chapter (except 2 for chapter 16), and I found it enjoyable to pull up Spotify and let each song usher me into each chapter. It made the reading experience so much richer. 

Overall, I really loved this book, read it in nearly one sitting, and already I'm dying (hehe) to see what happens in the second book!

My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟5 of 5 Stars!

I Can't Wait For... FALLEN!

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.
Confession: When books in a series can be read as a standalone I sometimes read out of order. Which means that even though this is the 13th book in this series and I've only read the first one... I'm aiming to read this one next...

FallenKate Burkholder Book 13by Linda Castillo
Thriller
eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 320 Pages
July 6, 2021 by Minotaur Books

Blurb:
In New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo’s new thriller Fallen, a rebellious Amish woman leaves the Plain life, but the secrets she takes with her will lead Chief of Police Kate Burkholder down a dark path to danger and death.

When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally?

Kate remembers Rachael as the only girl who was as bad at being Amish as Kate was—and those parallels dog her. But the more Kate learns about Rachael's life, the more she's convinced that her dubious reputation was deserved. As a child, Rachael was a rowdy rulebreaker whose decision to leave devastated her parents and best friend. As an adult, she was charismatic and beautiful, a rabble-rouser with a keen eye for opportunity no matter who got in her way. Her no-holds-barred lifestyle earned her a lot of love and enemies aplenty—both English and Amish.

As the case heats to a fever pitch and long-buried secrets resurface, a killer haunts Painters Mill. Someone doesn’t want Rachael’s past—or the mysteries she took with her to the grave—coming to light. As Kate digs deeper, violence strikes again, this time hitting close to home. Will Kate uncover the truth and bring a murderer to justice? Or will a killer bent on protecting a terrible past stop her once and for all—and let the fallen be forgotten?

Add to Goodreads | Amazon| Snowbound Books (Help Support My Favorite Indie Bookstore)
***Will you be checking this book out? 

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books with Summery Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books with Summery CoversThis week’s TTT is a freebie week and since it's June 1st I'm in a summer mood! Time to put on some shorts, slide on some sandals, and sit in the sun! (Even though it's partly cloudy here in Wisconsin... let's just pretend okay?)  1. Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
2. 99% Faking It By Chris Cannon
3. The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever by Addison Cole
4. Boy Heaven by Laura Kasischke
5. Into the Light by Taylor Fenner (me!)
6. Tidal by Emily Snow 
7. Rush Too Far by Abbi Glines
8. Getting Lost With Boys by Hailey Abbot
9. The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando 


10. All I Need by Susane Colasanti

***What topic did you pick this week?Let me know in the comments or drop a link to your TTT!Happy Reading Bookdragons!-Taylor

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 31 May 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.
Hey Bookdragons! Happy Memorial Day (or Happy Monday to everyone else!) I hope you're having a great day whatever you're up to. 
What I Read Last Week: Heartless by Marissa Meyer
I've tried twice but I just can't get into this book. I'm blaming this on the fact that I never really liked Alice in Wonderland and I haven't really enjoyed any of the retellings, by any author. It's really nothing personal to this author.
Corpse Queen by Stacey Rourke
If you like Tim Burton, Beetlejuice, and Sassy Take-No-Prisoners heroines you'll love this book! Full review will be posted Friday!  
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner This was a DNF book for me. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be going in and I probably won't read anything else by this author. One Year Gone by Avery Bishop This book releases in August. The author sent me an advance copy and I devoured it last week. I liked how it was told in the mother's perspective after her daughter's disappearance and in the daughter's perspective before and leading up to her disappearance. The dual timelines worked for me.
Currently Reading:Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
I feel like I've been sitting on this book forever. Everyone I know who has read it loved it but I put it off for some reason. I'm starting it tonight so we'll see how I fare. 
Next ReadTentative First Week of June TBR More Info:The Wicked Aftermath by Melissa Foster (eARC)Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (reread)Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison (audiobook)
*** 
 What are you reading this week? Have you read any of my recent reads?

The Sunday Post - 30 May 2021

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Hey Bookdragons! Can you believe it's Memorial Day tomorrow? That June almost here? It didn't feel so much like it last week with the rain and cooler temps we had on and off. Today I'm heading out for a cookout at a friend of my mom's house and I'm looking forward to some relaxing time. Looking at all the posts I did last week, I think I earned it 😆 How have you been enjoying the long holiday weekend?
🥀 {Blog Tour and Book Review} HE'LL BE WAITING by Liz Alterman 🥀  It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 24 May 2021  🥀 Top Ten Tuesday: 10  of my favorite book quotes 🥀  I Can't Wait For... THE GOSSIP! 🥀  What I'm Binge-Watching - 27 May 2021 🥀  {Book Review} THE 2ND BEST HAUNTED HOTEL ON MERCER STREET by Cory Putman Oakes 🥀 Re-Cover Reveal: HEARTS IN DARKNESS by Laura Kaye 🥀  {Audiobook Review} FRESH BREWED MURDER by Emmeline Duncan

🍀 It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 31 May 2021  🍀  Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books With Summery Covers 🍀  I Can't Wait For... FALLEN! 🍀 What I'm Binge-Watching - 3 June 2021 🍀   {Book Review} Corpse Queen by Stacey Rourke🍀 {Book Review} Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Learn More:Drive Me Wild by Melanie Harlow

💀 This Week I Bookmarked: 35 Spots Every Seafoodie Should Visit in Charleston (I'm planning a trip for September!)

{Audiobook Review} FRESH BREWED MURDER by Emmeline Duncan

 

Fresh Brewed MurderA Ground Rules Mystery Book 1Emmeline DuncanCozy Mystery240 Pages
Blurb:Portland is famous for its rain, hipsters, craft beers . . . and coffee. Sage Caplin has high hopes for her coffee cart, Ground Rules, which she runs with her business partner, Harley—a genius at roasting beans and devising new blends. That’s essential in a city where locals have intensely strong opinions about cappuccino versus macchiato—especially in the case of one of Sage’s very first customers. . . .

Sage finds the man’s body in front of her cart, a fatal slash across his neck. There’s been plenty of anger in the air, from longtime vendors annoyed at Ground Rules taking a coveted spot in the food truck lot, to protesters demonstrating against a new high-rise. But who was mad enough to commit murder? Sage is already fending off trouble in the form of her estranged, con-artist mother, who’s trying to trickle back into her life. But when Sage’s very own box cutter is discovered to be the murder weapon, she needs to focus on finding the killer fast—before her business, and her life, come to a bitter end. . . .

My Review:

Usually I'm not a fan of cozy mysteries, but this didn't read like one. It was just a good mystery with a main character who was passionate about one of my favorite things - COFFEE! I love the complexity and difficulties of Sage's childhood and how she overcame her mother's reputation and history to become the fully-rounded person she is. 
Each of the cart owners had their own distinct three-dimensional personalities and I liked how each added to the story. I also loved Sage's coffee metaphors and learning the character's perspective/insight on making perfect coffee/lattes/espresso. 
There were a couple things I question, wondering if they'll come to light in future books but overall I really loved this book and I'm excited to see what Sage is going to get up to next!
My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟5 of 5 Stars!

{Book Review} THE 2ND BEST HAUNTED HOTEL ON MERCER STREET

 

The Second-Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer StreetStandaloneCory Putman OakesMiddle Grade Paranormal304 Pages
Blurb:A family-run haunted hotel’s livelihood is threatened when a bigger haunted hotel opens nearby in this hilarious, spooky story

Twelve-year-old Willow Ivan’s family has run the Hotel Ivan for four hundred years. Through thick and thin, they’ve held on tight to their title as the Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer Street. That is, until the Hauntery—a corporate chain of haunted hotels—moves in down the street. As the Ivan’s business fades, so do their ghostly staff. And Willow begins to worry that The Ivan’s days are numbered.

Then Willow meets Evie, a Hauntery ghost who’s forced to play the part of a Spooky Little Girl even though she longs to be a Terrifying Phantasm. So when Willow offers her a job at The Ivan, Evie accepts—but she doesn’t tell Willow that she’s still working for The Ivan’s competition, for fear of losing her new job and friend.

Together, the girls come up with a plan to save The Ivan. But with The Ivan ghosts already fading and Evie’s secret threatening to come out, will it be too late?

My Review:

I don't read a lot of middle grade books but I couldn't resist this one after I saw it on bookstagram. I only wish I would have read it during the Halloween season.

Willow's family has run the Ivan Hotel on Mercer Street for 400 years. They've held tight to their title of best haunted hotel until The Hauntery, a corporate chain of haunted hotels moves in down the street - to a Victorian mansion that Willow swears wasn't there before. On top of that, the Ivan has seen better days, Willow's dad is locked in grief after the death of Willow's mother, and some of their resident ghosts are starting to fade and move on. Willow has to think of something before the Ivan is put out of business.

Enter Evie. Evie is a Hauntery ghost stuck forever in the role of "spooky little girl" even though she dreams of being a "terrifying phantasm." When she meets Willow she sees her chance to achieve her dream and help Willow in the process. But The Hauntery has driven other family-run establishments out of business in the past and it won't play fair in the battle of the haunted hotels. 

I loved everything about this book. It was interesting to see world-building where ghosts were the norm and even an essential part of big corporate industry. This book was cute, interesting, and shockingly emotional. Picture me, a 28-year-old woman tearing up over several of the ghosts Moving On. I was a blubbering mess! 

My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟5 of 5 Stars!

{Re-Cover Reveal} HEARTS IN DARKNESS by Laura Kaye

Laura Kaye is joining us today to share the cover reveal for her 10th Anniversary edition of HEARTS IN DARKNESS COLLECTION!

  Title: Hearts In Darkness Collection Author: Laura Kaye Cover Artist: Tricia "Pickyme" SchmittDear Readers,   It’s my 10th publication anniversary & HEARTS IN DARKNESS is 10!! I can hardly believe it! This book has been such a wild, special ride and I'm so grateful that so many people fell in love with it. It's how so many readers found me and that is just incredible to think about! Thank you so so much for all the love, fun, and support over the past 10 years! To celebrate, I’ve put together a special 4-story collector’s edition volume that includes two new and/or never-before-published stories that continue Caden and Makenna’s story! Preorder the collection for a discount now before the price goes up on release day!xx Laura   PREORDER NOW at a special price! COMING AUGUST 24!Amazon: https://amzn.to/34ngMk5 B&N: http://bit.ly/BNHeartsCollectionApple: http://bit.ly/AppleHeartsCollection Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboHeartsCollectionGoodreads: http://bit.ly/GRHeartsCollection Links to come: GooglePlay, paperback, hardcoverAbout the Collection:"Laura Kaye has a gift for writing beautifully damaged men." ~ NYT Bestseller Tessa Bailey
Two strangers. Four hours. One pitch-black elevator. And their struggle to find love in the light… 
  This beloved, bestselling series has it all! Scorching hot chemistry. Achingly heartfelt emotion. Strangers-to-lovers, forced proximity, and opposites attract goodness. 
And, with “one of the most beloved couples in romance,” Caden Grayson and Makenna James will stay with you long after the last page!
 Plus, a brand-new story and a never-before-published epilogue. All in one gorgeous edition! 
   This Special Collector’s 10th Anniversary Edition Includes: 
  Hearts in Darkness – the bestselling story that started it all! 
  When two strangers get trapped in a pitch-black elevator, they find connection, attraction, and red-hot heat in the darkness. 
  Lovers at Dawn – a brand-new follow-up story!
In the light of the morning after, these new lovers wake up in each other’s arms. But will this buttoned-up accountant and tattooed paramedic still want what they found in the darkness? 
  Love in the Light – the bestselling sequel to Hearts in Darkness
Can a man who’s lost everyone he’s ever loved trust that he won’t crash again if he lets himself fall? Or will the pressures of commitment be more than Caden and Makenna’s love story can handle?
Forever in the Light – a never-before published epilogue to the series 
  The happily-ever-after story Caden and Makenna deserve, including their heartfelt wedding and sexy wedding night! "Passionate and poignant! This will have readers falling in love with Caden and Makenna all over again!" ~ NYT Bestseller Jay Crownover   PREORDER NOW! COMING AUGUST 24!Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Goodreads  About the Author:Laura Kaye is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 40 books in contemporary romance and romantic suspense and has sold more than one million books in the U.S. alone. Laura grew up amid family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. A former college history professor, Laura also writes bestselling historical women's fiction as Laura Kamoie. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.Website | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramGet VIP Reader Email Updates & Freebies