Spotlight Post: "Arcana Rising" (ARC Review + Excerpt)

Welcome readers!

Today is the official release date of Arcana Rising, the fourth book in the Arcana Chronicles series by Kresley Cole! If you are unaware of this series, I'll briefly explain what the first book, Poison Princess, is about! But then afterwards, I highly advise that you do not continue reading this post because you will get spoiled for the previous books since this post includes the synopsis of this fourth book... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Thank you so much to Caroline from Sullivan and Partners, LLC for contacting me, sending an e-ARC of this beautifully, painful book, and allowing me to do this special spotlight post!

Anyway, this spotlight post includes the product details of this book, online links of where to purchase this book, my *non-spoiler* review, and an excerpt of Arcana Rising at the end!

DISCLAIMER: If you have not read the previous books (Poison Princess, Endless Knight, and Dead of Winter), I highly recommend you do not continue reading this post.

Here is the cover!

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Down below includes detail of Arcana Rising, my *non-spoiler* review, AND an excerpt from the book!

My rating: ★★★★☆

Author: Kresley Cole

Series: Book #4 (The Arcana Chronicles)

Genre: Dystopian, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Young Adult

Page Count: 280 (paperback)

Release Date: August 15th, 2016

Publisher: Valkyrie Press

Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play

About Kresley:

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers Series, and five award-winning historical romances.

A master's grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. 

Her books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

Website // Facebook // Twitter 

Synopsis

Losses mount and deadly new threats converge in this next action-packed tale of the Arcana Chronicles by #1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole.

When the battle is done . . .
The Emperor unleashed hell and annihilated an army, jeopardizing the future of mankind--but Circe struck back. The epic clash between them devastates the Arcana world and nearly kills Evie, separating her from her allies.

And all hope is lost . . .
With Aric missing and no sign that Jack and Selena escaped Richter's reach, Evie turns more and more to the darkness lurking inside her. Two Arcana emerge as game changers: one who could be her salvation, the other her worst nightmare.

Vengeance becomes everything.
To take on Richter, Evie must reunite with Death and mend their broken bond. But as she learns more about her role in the future--and her chilling past--will she become a monster like the Emperor? Or can Evie and her allies rise up from Richter's ashes, stronger than ever before?

My Review

I don't think I've ever been this torn between two guys since the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. And that's saying A LOT. Somehow, Kresley (author) does an incredible job making it impossible for me to pick between the two love interests in this book for the main protagonist, Evie Greene. But since this is a non-spoiler review, I won't say much more about the love interests, just in case. HOWEVER, I will say that both men are extremely swoon worthy... enough to melt you heart a thousand times over, and of course, making it nearly impossible to pick between the two!

Side note: if you've read the first three books (Poison Princess, Endless Knight, and Dead of Winter), I highly suggest you read the companion guide (Day Zero) before reading Arcana Rising, because this guide gives you insight on characters who are part of the Major Arcana that have already been introduced in the books prior to Arcana Rising and sneak peak information about the new characters that are introduced in Arcana Rising.

Because I can't really go into detail about the pros and cons I had with this book in case of spoilers, I've decided to make a list with bullet points!

PROS:

• Introduction to new characters 
• Increased complexity and intrigue of some characters/villians
• Crazy love triangle drama (if you're not a fan of love triangles, you might get irritated with this series... fair warning)
• STEAMY *fans self*
• Hints at more plot twists to come/secrets to be revealed in the next book

CONS:

• Drags on during some parts of the book
• Not as many arcs or action as I'd hoped
• It's shorter than I expected (previous books were over 300 pages while this one was only 280 pages--the first book in paperback was 400 pages according to Amazon.... so this kind of irks me)

I would recommend this series to people who enjoy:

• Fantasy/Paranormal series
• Intense love triangles
• Fast read 

Sorry that it was a short review! I wanted to write more but because this book was just released as of today (August 15t, 2016), I had to/wanted to make it a *non-spoiler* review so that people who have read the previous books can read about how I liked it without worrying if I'll spoil the book.

For those of you who have read the previous books, here is an excerpt down below just for you guys! Hope you enjoy it!!

Excerpt from Arcana Rising

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Day 382 A.F.

Death kept taking me farther from Jack. I stretched my arms out, fingers splayed toward the heat. "He can't be dead." I sobbed. "Can't. NO, NO, NOOOO!"

    "You want to follow the mortal? Get your revenge first. The Emperor mocks your pain."

    I could hear that fiend in my head--laughing.

    The red witch exploded inside me, a force that could never be contained. I shrieked, "You will PAY!"

    As the Emperor laughed, Death murmured in my ear, "I have your grandmother, Sievā. That was the gift I spoke of. We'll teach you how to kill the Emperor. You'll avenge Deveaux."

    "Don't you understand? Jack's not DEAD!" I screamed that over and over. "He's alive!"

    With my mind teetering on the brink, I spied something in the skies above us. I gaped, disbelieving.

    Real? Unreal? Just before oblivion took me down, a mountain of water curled over our heads, racing toward that hell of flames. 

    Circe's towering wave. Taller than a skyscraper.

    -Quake before me!-

    -Terror from the abyss!-

    Richter and Circe's calls boomed in my mind, jolting me back from the blackness.

    "Come!" Aric snatched me into his arms and sprinted from the clash. "When they meet, the blast and then the flood..."

    I stopped fighting him; the need to turn Richter's laughter into screams clawed at me, which meant I had to survive.

    Aric gave a sharp whistle, and a horse's nickering answered. Thanatos. With me secure in his arms, Aric leapt into the saddle, and spurred the warhorse into a frenzied gallop.

    We all but dove down a slope, then charged up the next. 

    I gazed over Aric's shoulder as that tidal wave crested above Richter's lake of lava.

    Heaving breaths, riding faster than humanly possible, Aric kept Thanatos at a breakneck pace. Up another mountain face. Down its slope--

    Circle struck.

    A hiss like a giant beast's. A detonation like a nuclear bomb.

    The shock wave was so loud my ears bled. As loud as the roar preceding the Flash.

    The air grew hotter and hotter. The ground rocked as a blast of scalding steam chased us.

    BOOM! The force sheared the top off the mountain just behind us. Boulders crashed all around as we careened into yet another valley. Still we rode.

    Aric grated, "Surge comes next."

    The ground quaked from the weight of an ocean of water. I could hear the surge shooting toward us."Aric!"

    He got as far as he dared, as high as he could. "Hold on." Clutching me tight, he dropped from Thanatos who kept running.

    Behind the cap of another mountain, Aric braced for impact. He wedged his metal gauntlet between boulders, wrapping his other arm around me.

    Gaze locked on mine, he yelled "I'll never let you go!" We each sucked in a breath.

    The searing water hit. The explosive impact ripped me from his chest, but he caught my arm, clenching his fingers above my elbow. 

    Death's grip. The ungodly force of the flood. My watery scream...

    Aric never did let me go--

    My arm...gave way.

    Separated.

Spotlight Post: "Day Zero" by Kresley Cole

Hello readers!

Today's blog post is a special "spotlight" post for Kresley Cole's newest release to her Arcana Chronicles series, Day Zero! This book was released on August 1st and is said on Goodreads to be Book #3.5 of the series, which I'm assuming means that it's a novella--especially since it's significantly shorter than the other novels in the series and isn't really a full continuation after Dead of Winter (Book #3).

HUGE thank you to Caroline from Sullivan and Partners, LLC for contacting me and allowing me to do this spotlight post for this book as well as sending me an e-copy of Day Zero! Very excited to start it once I finish Dead of Winter!

ALSO, the fourth book to this series Arcana Rising is set to be released on August 15th, 2016! To those who haven't read this series before, I highly recommend you pick up the first book Poison Princess because it really is a great series about the Major Arcana (a set of cards from a tarot deck) and has some swoon worthy romance! And to those who have read the first three books, don't forget to pre-order or buy Arcana Rising at you bookstore next week!!

Now here is the cover!

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Down below are some details regarding Day Zero, the author, AND an excerpt from the book! 

Author: Kresley Cole

Series: Book #3.5 (The Arcana Chronicles)

Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Young Adult

Page Count: 180 (paperback)

Release Date: August 1st, 2016

Publisher: Valkyrie Press

Places to order:
Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Kobo
Nook 
Google Play

About Kresley:

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers Series, and five award-winning historical romances.

A master's grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. 

Her books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

Website // Facebook // Twitter 

Synopsis: 
Arcana means secrets, and these Arcana Chronicles short stories from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole are filled with them. Experience firsthand the beginning of the end and behold the apocalypse through the eyes of characters you only thought you knew. 

Ashes to ashes . . .
Evie Greene’s story of the Flash is just one of many. All over the world, those connected in some way to the lethal Arcana game—like Death, Jack, and Fortune—must first survive a horrifying night of blood and screams. 

We all fall down.
Some will have to grapple with new powers; all will be damned to a hellish new existence of plague, brutality, desolation, and cannibalism. Find out who they lost, why they endure, and what they sacrificed in order to live past Day Zero. . . . 


Here is a link to an excerpt of Day Zero below!

http://www.thearcanachronicles.com/Excerpts/DayZeroKresleyCole.pdf

Sorry I couldn't post pictures of this PDF file; for some reason I couldn't insert the images ughhh. But hope you all enjoy it!

Thanks for reading this post! Stay tuned for Monday for another post + a book review! *wink wink*

Happy reading everyone!
Whitney Lauren xoxo

"The Neverland Wars" (ARC Review)

My rating: ★★★★☆

Author: Audrey Greathouse

Series: Book #1 (The Neverland Wars series)

Genre: Retelling, Fantasy, Young Adult

Page Count: 302 (paperback)

Release Date: June 6th, 2016

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-A-Million
Wordery
Overstock

Meet Audrey:

Audrey Greathouse is a lost child in a perpetual and footloose quest for her own post-adolescent Neverland. Originally from Seattle, she earned her English B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University's online program while backpacking around the west coast and pretending to be a student at Stanford. A pianist, circus artist, fire-eater, street mime, swing dancer, and novelist, Audrey wears many hats wherever she is. She has grand hopes for the future which include publishing more books and owning a crockpot.

Website // Twitter // Instagram // Goodreads // YouTube // Tumblr 

Synopsis: 

Magic can do a lot―give you flight, show you mermaids, help you taste the stars, and… solve the budget crisis? That's what the grown-ups will do with it if they ever make it to Neverland to steal its magic and bring their children home.

However, Gwen doesn't know this. She's just a sixteen-year-old girl with a place on the debate team and a powerful crush on Jay, the soon-to-be homecoming king. She doesn't know her little sister could actually run away with Peter Pan, or that she might have to chase after her to bring her home safe. Gwen will find out though―and when she does, she'll discover she's in the middle of a looming war between Neverland and reality.

She'll be out of place as a teenager in Neverland, but she won't be the only one. Peter Pan's constant treks back to the mainland have slowly aged him into adolescence as well. Soon, Gwen will have to decide whether she's going to join impish, playful Peter in his fight for eternal youth… or if she's going to scramble back to reality in time for the homecoming dance.

My review:

Thank you Audrey for sending an e-ARC copy of your wonderful book in exchange for an honest review! This book definitely satisfied the child in me as well as the young adult in me too!

*NON-SPOILER SECTION*

I really enjoyed this book! Truthfully, I've never read Peter Pan, but I did grow up watching Walt Disney's Peter Pan, Hook (1991), and Peter Pan (2003) many times as a kid up until now. Since these three movies are considered remakes (or what I like to call retellings on film), I think "The Neverland Wars" did a good job of separating itself by having a unique plot and changing the focus on certain aspects of the classical tale to make it it's own story, rather than pulling out the big plot points of the Disney's Peter Pan (forgive me, it's the only thing I can compare/reference it to) and making a few small changes and say it's good to go.

The Neverland Wars is a wonderful, young adult retelling of the classic Peter Pan story that follows a teenage girl named Gwen, who travels to Neverland to keep an eye her younger sister Rosemary (who ran away with Peter Pan to Neverland in the beginning of the story), and her adventures all over this strange, fantastical world while a war wages between the real world and Neverland. As Gwen starts to get drawn into Neverland, her internal struggles about what the right thing to do is proceeds throughout the course of her journey as she deals with the ultimate decision: to go back to the real world and grow up or stay young forever in Neverland.

If you are unfamiliar with the original Peter Pan story that this book is based on/a retelling of, I recommend that you look it up or watch the Disney movie version of Peter Pan because explaining it here will take up a lot of space and I want to focus on TNW. 

I'll start with some problems I had with this book then save the stuff I really liked about this book for the end! 

NEGATIVES:

1.) (minor) The beginning is pretty slow--To be fair, I understand that as a retelling, the book kind of had to start slow to warm the readers up to Gwen and her younger sister Rosemary as well as the setting the story/timeline, but I was hoping that the book would jump right into some action followed by some more action (but it could also just be me, asking for too much).

2.) Not as much action as I was hoping for--I mean there was that one scenario on the ship that scared the crap out of me (because I was quietly reading in the dark...), but other than that, there weren't many scenes where my palms were sweating or my heart was racing. 

3.) Wording of the stories sounded a tiny bit complex for children--Whenever Gwen told the Lost Brigade (basically Lost Children since there are boys AND girls) a story, I thought Gwen could have told the stories in a simpler, exciting manner since as children, it's fun to tell stories dramatically and colorfully so that they can have a clear image of your story and be fully engrossed in it. But the way Gwen spoke sounded more like a fit for children between the ages of 12+years old and not to children younger than that. From the book, the oldest girl is no older than 12 years old, but then again, she wasn't raised in the real world (I assume) so I'm also assuming that she hasn't finished her schooling during which children begin to learn more proper writing, speaking, and reading. I, by no means, am not saying that Gwen's storytelling wasn't good! In fact, it was really well done, but it seemed a bit too well done for the children from Neverland, who haven't been to the "real world" much to go to school and learn proper vocabulary and whatnot there. But I could also be completely wrong and not be making any sense to those of you who have read this book already, so I apologize if you don't understand how my brain works when it comes to these things *insert nervous laughing emoji*

4.) Not much war going on--One of the things that caught my attention when I looked up this book here on Goodreads was the title "The Neverland Wars," because it initially sounded like I would be a more intense, action driven read with lots of action-packed scenes or heart pounding scenarios because of this war that's happening in Neverland, judging from the title. But I felt there wasn't enough about the war. As the reader, you do learn about what war is happening and why it's happening, but there isn't much else. The book has a scene that shows the effect of war on Neverland, but after that, there isn't much about the opposing sides meeting and battling or fighting or disputing. It feels more like that backside of the story and seemed to focus more on Gwen's adventures and all the things she's learning while in Neverland rather than having more of the focus on what's happening on both sides of the war or if we, as the readers, get to see any both parties in one scene together fighting each other.

POSITIVES:1.) Love the originality of this retelling--The main character that this book follows is Gwen, a teenage girl who is dealing with the typical teenage girl problems: high school, prom, boys, and drama.But when she goes to Neverland, she's almost relearning how to be a kid again while having the midst of a teenage girl. 

2.) Very minimal romance--As the reader, you start off by being introduced to Gwen's life in the "real world" where she has a guy that she likes, which didn't bother me at all. And when she gets to Neverland and meets Peter, I am SO GLAD that there wasn't any insta-love or immediate romantic feelings she might be having for him and vice versa. If there is a sequel, I don't think I would mind Gwen and Peter falling in love, since Peter is aged up.

3.) As much as I like Captain Hook and Tinkerbell, I'm so glad they weren't in TNW--There are pirates and fairies in TNW, but there aren't specific characters that are an exact reinterpretation of those iconic characters from the original story, which is something I really appreciate that shows more originality. I enjoyed how there wasn't a "Captain Hook" in this book to be the main antagonist to Peter and how the book changed the antagonist to adults in the "real world." 

4.) YAASSS for mermaids!--So glad that this book had a lot of focus on mermaids instead of pirates, because Audrey did a great job of tying in their importance and how they have an impact on the plot and on Gwen especially. I love Gwen's interaction with them and her curiosity because as the reader, you're also curious about these mermaids, especially if you've watched different Peter Pan movies that don't really have too much of a focus on mermaids.

5.) The maturity--Because the story of Peter Pan typically has a much younger audience (due to the widely known Disney version of Peter Pan), the amount of maturity I've seen in movies based off of Peter Pan don't really branch out. What I mean by this is that we don't see a lot of internal character development from the main protagonist in the various Peter Pan movies (maybe in "Hook"), but with TNW, we get to see Gwen's development and internal struggles as a teenage girl in a world where people don't age.

*SPOILER SECTION*

PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Alright, for those of you who have read this book already (or just like reading spoilers for the fun of it), can we talk about how happy I am that there wasn't a "Captain Hook" in this book aka being the main antagonist?! *happy dances* YAS this is what I like about this retelling because sometimes books that are retellings either nails it in terms of originality but others can totally miss the mark and seem like a replica of the original tale or story. 

Again, I was hoping for more action. But I did get scared when that crocodile popped out of nowhere from the bottom of the abandoned pirate ship! Maybe if (referring to the scene where Lasiandra took Gwen underwater) there was a huge ass shark that tried to eat Gwen, that would have been a fun, heart racing scene similar to the crocodile scene. Or if there was a scene where the adults actually invaded Neverland and started wrecking the place/looked to capture Peter (but hey, that could all be in the sequel if there is one!)

Speaking of MERMAIDS, I looooved how Audrey wrote a solid portion of the book to focus on the importance of mermaids and how they live and what they can do! It was fun to read about how much they like land fruit because it makes sense that they love land fruit since they live in the water! It was also cool to read about how mermaids are like star readers/fortune tellers! When Gwen had to strip down because she didn't want to get her clothes soaking wet, Gwen had an appropriate, reasonable level of maturity for a teenage girl in that scenario. I think it's important to readers to look at that scene and get a feel for how Gwen was in that situation and how she--despite being in a land where children never grow up--acted in a grown-up, mature way that gave the book a nice touch. *claps* Well done, Audrey!

If you think about the original story of Peter Pan (or in my case, the Disney movie version), there are Native Americans in the book, and I think Audrey made a pretty good message about race and being mindful of what one calls others. In TNW, Gwen grew up being taught that calling Native Americans "redskins" was offense and racists, but when she gets to Neverland, Peter takes her to meet the "Redskins," which makes her uncomfortable and hesitant. It's totally reasonable in this day and age that people are trying to be considerate other peoples' race and what language is appropriate or not--which also circles back to maturity (which is one of the many things I appreciated in this book!). At first, Gwen was super uncomfortable and embarrassed because she thought that calling the Redskins "redskins" was offensive, but in Neverland, who's to say that calling the Redskins "Native Americans" is offensive in their magical land? But the Redskins didn't mind that Gwen was confused and trying to be considerate of them because they understand that they come from two different worlds where they were taught different things.

Ok, I don't know about you guys, but I loved the fairies in this book. Again, very very happy that there wasn't a "Tinkerbell" in this book and that there were 3 main fairies that we got to meet and love. Hollyhock, Bramble, and Dillyweed. OMG MY HEART WHEN BRAMBLE DIED UGHHH. But I loved the scene where Gwen followed Peter to the fairies home and got to say goodbye to Bramble. ALSO, I think it was super neat of Audrey to make the popular quote, "I do believe in fairies," mean goodbye, in a sense, instead of having that saying somehow bring Bramble back from the dead--it made the saying feel more meaningful and close to the heart. 

OVERALL

I really do hope that there is a sequel because the book ended in a way where you just sit there and go "wait, what just happened?" kind of feeling. If there is a sequel, I would looove to see more action scenes about the war itself since The Neverland Wars mostly shows the author's interpretation of Neverland and getting the readers to understand how this land works n Gwen's POV (instead of thinking about the typical, original Neverland that one might think of). 

All in all, I do recommend that people should read this book because it is a unique take on the classic story of Peter Pan and it would be awesome to support Audrey because if people read her books and like them + review them, then maayyybbeee she'll write a sequel? * crosses fingers* because despite my problems with it, I enjoyed the book and loved how different it was!


EDIT: omg Audrey told me that there IS going to be a sequel THANK YOU SWEET LORD AND AUDREY AND CLEAN READS PUBLISHING! *throws confetti*

Happy reading everyone!
Whitney Lauren

"The Kiss of Deception"

My rating: ★★★★★

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Series: Book #1 (The Remnant Chronicles)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Page Count: 496 (hardcover)

Release Date: July 8th, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-A-Million
IndieBound

About Mary:

Mary E. Pearson is the award-winning author of The Jenna Fox Chronicles, The Miles Between, A Room on Lorelei, and Scribbler of Dreams.  She writes full-time from her home office in California where she lives with her husband and two golden retrievers.

Website // Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Tumblr // Wattpad






Synopsis:
Princess Lia is First Daughter of the House of Morrighan, a kingdom steeped in tradition, duty, and the stories of a bygone world.  She flees on her wedding day, shirking her duty, but is determined to marry for love and not to secure a political alliance.

Pursued by bounty hunters, she finds refuge in a distant village and settles into a new life, hopeful when two handsome strangers arrive.  She doesn’t know that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her.  Deception abounds and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

My review:

WOW.

What a hell of a novel. And a twist that left my mouth agape for a solid 10 minutes.

The Kiss of Deception is a must-read fantasy novel with a brilliant heroine, swoon-worthy romance, ancient mysteries of the past, and a plot twist I guarantee you won't see coming. Pearson has crafted this story to absolute perfection.

This is a *SPOILERY* review! (proceed with caution if you HAVE NOT read this book yet!)

When it comes to high fantasy, the first half of the book tends to have a slow pace due to the add-ins of explanations about this new world, terminology, history, characters, and other extras for us, as the readers, so that we can fully understand and dive into this world. With this book, however, there was never a dull moment (in my opinion)!

Mary did a BRILLIANT job with this novel! THAT PLOT TWIST THO.

Throughout the book, I was wondering why she didn't title the chapters with the characters names and kept switching back to say either "The Assassin" or "The Prince," BUT NOW I KNOW WHY--so that she could pull off that amazing plot twist! *internally screaming* IT. WAS. INSANE. I felt like the title was mostly to deceive us rather than Lia since I think it had more of an impact on me (hahaha).

Lia. Princess Arabella Celestine Idris Jezelia--that's one hell of a name and title. She's everything I love about a heroine: badass, selfless, feisty, and kind. She takes her life in her own hands and creates a life for herself in a strange place way from home, which does not seen easy for a princess to do. As I read through the first half of the book, it was fun to watch Lia and Pauline as nothing more than tavern maids in Terravin, where they can be free to do what they please and enjoy the lives that they have.

I love Lia's acts of selflessness, especially in the part where she killed Eben's horse (Spirit) so that he wouldn't have to do it himself. She had never killed anything in her entire life, yet she was willing and able to kill a horse without showing any fear or hesitation, all for the sake that a boy wouldn't have to.

It was also really cool to see her pick up on things fast--like learning the Venda language and out the translation of the Song of Venda (AKA figuring out she's destined to do badass things)-- but also how we get to see her kindness and continuous acts of selflessness all through the book. She fought for the life she wanted in Terravin, but came to learn her importance and duty she had to her kingdom as the First Daughter of Morrighan.

Lastly, I loved the ending when Lia finally figured out that Rafe was the Prince of Dalbreck! They both had a silent moment to themselves since he gave her hints that he was the Prince and not an emissary like what he told Kaden and the other soldiers.

But now I worry what will happen if (or should I say, "when") the people of Venda figure out that Rafe is THE Prince of Dalbreck and not the emissary. *gulps*

Mary.... DON'T DESTROY MY HEART PLEASE.

Rafe. Crown Prince Jaxon Tyrus Rafferty. HOLY CANNOLI (and HELLO HANDSOME). Oh god, was this man swoon worthy *fans self* I loved the mysterious air about him and how Mary (author) set him up for the readers to believe that he was the Assassin.... oh, how wrong we all were! I squealed so loudly when I read how he had kept THE LETTER that Lia had written to him before they were to "wed," and it made it even better when I found out that he was the Prince of Dalbreck! *collapses from feels* I definitely remember going, "HE'S THE PRINCE? OH HELL YES. YES YES YES. HOLY HELL, YES."

When that shirt came off for the log wrestling event.... *drinks a cold glass of water* HOT DAMN.

But in a small part in the back of my brain, I knew there was something off when he went shirtless, because I thought that not having a shirt could possibly reveal his identity if he had any scars (since assassins--I assume--would bear lots of scars), but when he took off his shirt, there were no scars. I guess I moved that thought aside and didn't think much about it.

In the end when he pretty much gave himself up to Kaden and the Venda soldiers, I feel like this was him:

He's basically like, "oh, no big deal or anything, but I'd like to freely hand myself, the *emissary* of the Prince of Dalbreck (only Lia knows he's the real prince), over to you so that I can be with Lia and make sure you assholes don't do anything to her." AND NOW HE'S WITH LIA AND THEY KISSED AND MADE LOVEY EYES AT EACH OTHER.

"In the farthest corner... I will find you." *dies from feels*

Kaden. He definitely reminded of Hans from Frozen movie (haha) since he was acting all nice and sweet to Lia, and then turned out to be THE ASSASSIN. *screams*

But I really did like how much he cared about Lia (unlike Hans to Anna) when they were in Terravin and how we got to see the gentle, "human" side of him. It opened up my views and perspective about him. I knew he had to act like an assassin again once his crew came to the town, so I can see how his hand was forced to finally wake up from this fantasy dream and to get back to reality. But he still acted like a jerk when he and his crew kidnapped her.

This was what was probably going on in Lia's mid when Kaden took her:

I knew he wasn't going to kill her; there was no way he could after he developed all those feelings for her and began to care for her deeply--but now it's just a matter of what the Komizar will do with her (AND MY BABY RAFE). I'm excited to see his character development in the next books to see what kind of person he'll become.

I also think that this was Kaden the whole time in his head while he was holding Lia against her will on their way to Venda--somehow still hoping she forgives him and cares about him.

And then there's Lia, who was probably like:

HAHAHA. Can't help but laugh. But we can't forget that they also kissed for a hot second...... that was an interesting scene, so I'll let that slide.

Pauline. I have a terrible feeling that we're going to see Mikael (the man she loved and father of her unborn child) show up in the next book, which will turn Pauline against Lia for lying to her--at least that's my theory. But other than that, Pauline is such an amazing friend to Lia; she betrayed her kingdom to help Lia (THE PRINCESS) flee and took her away. They have the best kind of gal-pal relationship anyone would want to have: dependable, loyal, protective, comical, and so much more.

Berdi. Oh my goodness, I love this woman. This gif below best describes her attitude:

She doesn't take crap from anyone. Even though letting Lia stay with her was a HUGE risk (which she could lose the tavern and possibly face death), she still took her in and treated her like a normal worker in her tavern instead of pampering Lia like a princess. What Berdi says goes, because she is the boss and will literally tear you down if you mess with her. Again, love this woman.

*          *          *          *          *          *

In terms about theories I have for "The Heart of Betrayal," I honestly don't have many theories except a couple outlandish ones since God only knows what Mary has planned for us: I think Rafe might betray Lia somehow (hence the title, and Kaden already deceived her badly in this book), Pauline will hate and/or get in a fight with Lia about Mikael, Lia will get back home somehow, and Lia will marry someone at the end (BUT WHO?).

Overall, I LOVED this book and can't wait to read the sequel! This book never had a dull moment or felt sluggish in the beginning, like how most fantasy series with their first book. Lia is now on my list of Top 5 female protagonists since she's a total badass, deals with all the shit thrown at her like a boss, and has stellar character development throughout this book. Can't wait to see more! I'll be going into "The Heart of Betrayal" with an open mind since with Mary, God only knows what she's going to pull out of her crazy hat filled with tricks.

Let me know if the comments your thoughts and opinions on "The Kiss of Deception"! :)

Happy reading!
Whitney Lauren

Blog Tour: "In Real Life" by Jessica Love (GIVEAWAY + EXCERPT)

My rating: ★★★★★

Author: Jessica Love

Series: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Page Count: 240 (hardcover)

Release Date: March 1st, 2016

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Griffin)

Hardcover: 978-1-250-06471-4 / $18.99

eBook: 9781466870994 / $9.99

Places to order:

Amazon

B&N

Indiebound

iBooks
Google Play

About Jessica:

Jessica Love is a high school English teacher in Los Angeles, California, where she met her husband and her two tiny dogs online. She is the co-writer of Push Girl with Chelsie Hill.

Website // Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // Tumblr // Snapchat

Synopsis:

Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on the phone, Skype all the time, regularly send each other presents, and know everything there is to know about one another.

There's just one problem…Hannah and Nick have never actually met. 

Hannah has spent her entire life doing what she's supposed to, but when her senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker at school, she decides to finally break a rule or two herself.  She impulsively decides to road trip to Vegas, with her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and finally declare her more-than-a-friend feelings for him.

Hannah's romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and meets Nick's girlfriend, whom he failed to mention to Hannah for the past three months. And it turns out his relationship status isn't the only thing he's been lying to her about.  Hannah knows the real Nick can't be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves, but now she only has one night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you break the rules every now and then.

My review:

First off, thank you very much St.Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Michelle Cashman from St. Martin's Press for allowing me to be part of the blog tour!

Secondly, I wrote a NON-SPOILER review so that everyone can read what I have to say without spoiling the book to those who haven't! I hope you all enjoy it! (Don't forget about the GIVEAWAY & EXCERPT of "In Real Life" towards the end of this post!)

"In Real Life" will make you laugh, scream, and want to go on this rollercoaster ride again and again! Love, secrets, lies, truths, confessions, and courage; what more could you want in a contemporary novel?

AHHH this book was such a good pick-me-up! Definitely the book to read if your not having the best day of if you need a good laugh! Loved this new contemporary novel to bits and pieces! It's been awhile since I've read a fun YA contemporary novel that made me feel so many things. 

Hannah Cho is a smart, quirky Korean girl who never stepped out of her comfort zone or got into any trouble. She's an exceptional student and the "good sister" in the family who does what she'd told and stays put. After four years of virtual friendship with Nick Cooper, she's ready to finally to be brave and put her heart and feelings on the line as she (along with her older sister Grace and best friend Lo) set out on an adventure to meet him in real life.

It was fun to watch her go on this crazy adventure to Vegas to overcome her fears and to let loose with two of her greatest gal pals! And it was great to see another diverse young adult novel, even if it only extends to the main character and her sister being Korean and doesn't much elaborate on their culture or traditions (I, myself, am Korean, so I'd recognize references). 

Another thing I really enjoyed about this book did not turn into a "catfish" story, meaning that Nick didn't turn out to be a completely crazy person. I liked that this was a sweet, romantic story filled with risks, heartbreak, and misunderstandings so that they were able to learn from their own actions.

I predicted certain situations that would happen in this book, but after reading the ending, I had immediately wanted to forget I had finished the book so that I can read it all over again with fresh eyes and watch the characters go on their adventure again! Also, I will never look at the word "ghost" again the same way without my heart wanting to burst in happiness! :)

The craziness Hannah and the other characters went through made me laugh hysterically, yell at the book once or twice, create angry reaction tweets with gifs, hold my breaking heart from falling out of my chest, and smile like a mad person! They were in Las Vegas for crying out loud! I definitely anticipated that they would all go on lots of spontaneous events!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book is like a mash of "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin, "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" by Jenny Han, and "Hello, I Love You" by Katie M. Stout! This book, in my opinion, deserves a 5 out of 5 stars because if a book is able to make me feel so many emotions all at once and makes my heart feel full, I consider that a great book!

I highly recommend this novel and hope you have the chance to check out Jessica's media sites and buy copy of this wonderfully fun book! 

GIVEAWAY!

To enter this giveaway for a chance to win one finished copy of IN REAL LIFE, check out the Rafflecopter widget below!

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"IN REAL LIFE" BLOG TOUR EXCERPT  

“CREDIT: In Real Life by Jessica Love; Courtesy of Thomas Dunne Books”

  

My best friend and I have never met.

We talk every day, on the phone or online, and he knows more about me than anyone. Like, deep into my soul. But we’ve never actually seen each other in real life.

Sometimes, when I’m talking to Nick, I wonder how we man- aged to get ourselves into such a bizarre, complicated friendship. At first glance, our relationship probably doesn’t seem all that odd. Like right now, it’s the Friday afternoon that kicks off the spring break of my senior year. I’m lying out next to my pool with my feet dangling in the chilly water, my back flat on concrete, and I’m talking to him on the phone. This is how I spend pretty much every Friday from 3:30 to 4:25-ish, before he goes off to band practice and I have one of my various school or family obligations. Sounds pretty normal.

But the thing is, Nick lives in a different state, 274 miles away. Yes, I looked it up.

“Ghost,” he says, because he never calls me Hannah, “you know I will do anything for my best friend, and this is no exception. I’ll have this girl killed for you without a second thought. Just give me twenty-four hours.”

I laugh as I swish my feet back and forth in the pool. “There’s no need to resort to murder. It’s just a stupid student government trip. I’ll be over it by the end of the week.”

As tempting as it is to plot Aditi Singh’s violent end, the only reason she applied to go to the national leadership conference when it should have been a given that the senior class president (aka me) was going was because I got into UCLA and she didn’t, so a big ol’ middle finger to her. But she can’t see my middle finger, because she’s in Washington, D.C., for spring break and I’m at home with no plans like a big loser.

“Well, if you change your mind,” Nick says, “just let me know. That’s how much our friendship means to me. The code word is ‘Platypus.’ Just say it, and—poof!—I’ll make her disappear.”

I sit up and pull my feet from the pool, crossing them in front of me. “And how can you do that?”

“Hey, I live in Vegas. I have connections to the mob. Everyone here does.”

“You’re a senior in high school, and you live in a tract home in Henderson. You’re not exactly Al Pacino.”

“You don’t know. Everything I’ve told you for the past four years could be a front. I need to have a cover. No one suspects the quiet, nondescript white boy.”

“You’re right. There is a lot I don’t know about you. I mean, there are any number of huge secrets you could be keeping from me.” I say it just because I’m playing along, but it’s not true at all. I’m pretty sure I know everything there is to know about Nick Cooper.

I know when my sister met his brother at a concert four years ago and they told us we should start talking online, he thought I was one of his brother’s friends playing a joke on him until I e-mailed him a picture. I know in the middle of junior year, he shaved his head when his favorite English teacher started chemo. I know the gravelly scratch of his voice when he wakes up in the middle of the night to answer one of my random “I’m bored, talk to me” phone calls. I know the hole in the sleeve seam of the lucky Rage Against the Machine T-shirt he inherited from his brother, Alex, since I’ve seen so many pictures of it. I know his middle name (Anthony), the date and time he was born (September 24 at 3:58 A.M.), and his favorite color (gray). And he knows more about me than absolutely anyone else, even the über-embarrassing stuff. We’ve IM’d, texted, sent a million pictures, mailed each other packages, video-chatted, and talked on the phone.

We’ve just never been in the same place at the same time.

I don’t think it’s strange to be so close to someone I’ve never met. Yeah, he’s in Nevada and I’m in Southern California, but I talk to him more than to people I’ve been in classes with since kindergarten. I do wish we could go to the movies together or something normal like that, but we watch the same movies at the same time and mock them over video chat, which is pretty much the same thing.

On the other end of the phone, his laugh stops abruptly and his voice changes. “Secrets? What kind of secrets could I have?”

“Who knows!” I try to sound shocked and serious, but I can’t keep a laugh from creeping in. “For all I know, you do have a secret mob life. Do you have some sort of gangster name I’m supposed to call you?”

His voice lightens again when he realizes I’m joking. “Oh yeah. Knuckles Nick. Or, no. Wait. Nick the Click.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know. It rhymed. Don’t those names always rhyme?”

“I know nothing about mob names, Nick the Click. But rhyming names do make mobsters seem a bit less murder-y.”

There’s a shuffle, a thump, and a squeak on his end of the phone, and I imagine him collapsing backwards onto his twin bed. “I just hate that you’re still bummed over missing out on the trip.”

“It’s not that I’m bummed, it’s just . . . I followed all the rules, Nick. I did exactly what I was supposed to do. Serving four years as class president means I go on that trip, not Aditi Singh. Onetime vice-presidents don’t get to go! It’s supposed to be my year. She broke the rules, but she got picked. How do you break all the rules and get what you want like that? It isn’t fair.”

“Well, you know what they say. . . .” “Life’s not fair?”

“Well, that, too. But I was thinking rules are made to be broken.”

*       *       *       *       *       *       *

Thanks again for reading and hope you have the chance to get a copy of this novel!

Happy reading!

Whitney Lauren