My Favorite YA Desert Fantasy Novels

Hello, bibliovores! I'm posting some favorites today! You can check out my other favorites posts in a previous posts (for example). 

Here are some of my YA desert fantasy novels! I loooove desert fantasy stories. I think there are some new ones publishing in 2019, and I am very excited about that!

    

I highly recommend any of these. And yes, I have not read Hero at the Fall. I AM THE WORST. I don't want the series to end, to be honest!

Swoon Thursday (#292): The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from The Governess Game by Tessa Dare!

"I don't want you to kiss me," she said, "now that I've thought it through."

[...]

"I think..." She wet her lips. "I think I'd rather kiss you."

And before Chase could begin to reckon with the shock of those words, she did.

[...]

Her kiss became his. A series of light, teasing brushes of his mouth against hers. He tasted her upper lip, then lower. And then he nudged her lips apart and swept his tongue between them.

Oh. Oh, dear.

Alex was startled by the intrusion, reeling with sensations, but she didn't dare pull away.

To the contrary. She dared to move closer.

This was her first kiss.

- eARC, 28%

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop

I'm still reading this one but I couldn't pass on the opportunity to share Alex's first kiss (also Alex/Chase's first kiss). I cut out some parts for length and clarity. I love this scene!

Waiting on Wednesday (#296): Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Publication Date: January 15, 2019

Summary (from Goodreads):

For Sophie, small-town life has never felt small. She has the Yum Yum Shoppe, with its famous fourteen flavors of ice cream; her beloved marching band, the pride and joy of Acadia High (even if the football team disagrees); and her four best friends, loving and infuriating, wonderfully weird and all she could ever ask for.

Then August moves in next door. A quiet guy with a magnetic smile, August seems determined to keep everyone at arm's length. Sophie in particular.

Country stars, revenge plots, and a few fake kisses (along with some excellent real ones) await Sophie in this hilarious, heartfelt story.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop

I have really enjoyed Mills' previous books! I can't wait to see how this one goes. =)

Top Ten Tuesday (23)

Happy Tuesday! Today I've decided to participate in Top Ten Tuesday, formerly hosted by Jamie at The Broke and the Bookish, now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today's topic is: 


Back to School/Learning Freebie
... which means I get to pick, and I'm choosing my Favorite Classics/"Required Reading"!

    

    
  
  


I'm actually not that into "the classics" and could barely get through any of the required reading in school (despite having a deep love for reading). But these books (and more, these are just ten) are incredible. I highly recommend!

Monday Muse (6)

Hey fam! Happy Monday! Or something - are Mondays ever really happy? Let's change that! Today I'm sharing another Monday Muse post, which features my hobbies other than reading.

I have made some coloring progress in my 17-18 Johanna Basford planner! It was a slower week - I felt like I barely colored at all. I tried reading on the train and that didn't work, so I went back to coloring.

Castles! I love castles. This one is lovely.

Both of these have a lot of detail and I love that! I'm not finished with the second one but should be soon. I love the gazebo setting!

On Twitter, I spied the cutest bunny ever! Totally my mood 90% of the day:

pic.twitter.com/4CHOtWIu5O

— bunnies🐰 (@jumpFloofs) August 25, 2018

I read the conclusion to the Blood Type series! I need to post full reviews of Blood Match and Blood Cure, but let me just say that I LOVED this series. I don't usually read continuous romance series (I like companion series) but this one was excellent. SO steamy and so swoony!

    

And let me bring your attention to Unchained by J. Lynn! It is currently $0.99. I have not read this one, but I just got a review copy and I'm very excited about it!

Here's a nature shot for you! I am literally chasing butterflies these days. =)

My Favorite YA Boarding School Books

Hello, bibliovores! I haven't done a favorites post in a while so I'm posting one today! You can check out my other favorites posts in a previous posts (for example). 

Here are some of my YA boarding school novels! I LOVE the boarding school trope and really wish there were more in YA. Or perhaps there are many more, and I've not heard of them. Here's my list!

    

    

    

    

I especially LOVE boarding school romances, like RoseBlood or Night School. Hit me up with your best recs, please! The more romance, the better!

Stacking the Shelves (#296)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which bloggers share the books and swag they've received in the past week!

So, what did I get in the week of Sunday, August 19th to Saturday, August 25th?

(all links to Goodreads are provided!)

In the mail:

No mail this week! Surprising but I'm also not complaining. =)

From NetGalley:

Unchained by J. Lynn

Thank you, Entangled! This book is actually on sale for $0.99 right now - don't miss out!

My book haul was very minimal this week! Probably a good thing, I'm endlessly behind. Work has picked up enormously and I've been doing nothing but work these days. To all my fellow workaholics, good luck!

Blog Tour: Blood Cure by K.A. Linde

Happy Friday! We made it to the end of the week! To round off the week, I'm sharing my thoughts on Blood Cure by K.A. Linde. I loved this book, and series! 

About the Book:

Blood Cure by K.A. Linde

Book Three of the Blood Type series

Publisher: Loveswept

Publication Date: August 21, 2018

Official Summary:

The stunning conclusion to the Blood Type series finds the world in chaos and turmoil with one final battle left to determine who will survive—humans or vampires.

She had the world on her shoulders. Now she has nothing.

Reyna Carpenter was twenty-one when she became a live-in blood escort for the ruthless and darkly handsome vampire Beckham Anderson. She thought this was just a small price to pay for feeding her brothers back home.

But nothing went as planned. Not even her tumultuous relationship with Beckham. And now she wonders if anything will ever be the same again.

As she finds herself in the midst of a losing rebellion, she and her trusted friends must flee from a city conquered by the vampire elite. With their plans blown to pieces and everything they knew and loved gone, their future hangs in the balance.

Despite all she has lost, Reyna must rise from the ashes, reclaim the life that was stolen—and complete her mission, once and for all.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Mini Review:

I'm going to keep this super short, to the point of vagueness, because this is a conclusion novel and the previous book did have quite a cliffhanger ending. I want to write a more thorough review several weeks after publication, to be fair. For now, you can enjoy my brief thoughts. 

Usually when it comes to romance novels, I don't prefer continuous sequels (I like standalones with companion sequels), but the structure of this series really worked for me. I especially liked how quick the release dates were - we didn't have to wait years for the series to continue and end. Whew!

This conclusion novel was exciting, engrossing, and thrilling. I love how this series is so much more than a paranormal romance series. There is plenty of plot and subplot and a dark villain that will make you so angry. And yet the romance is present in every page of the book. I love how important the romance was, but I also love how the "bigger picture" - saving the world - was also important.

In terms of Beckham and Reyna... what I will say is that there is a reason why this book's cover has two people on it. I love this pair and I love how sexy they are together, as well as how in sync they are. They are a lovely couple! They have plenty of obstacles to overcome, and they have their own problems, but each obstacle makes them more solid together.

This book ends well, so don't worry about that! I'll stop with that. This series is so worth reading, especially now that you can binge-read it. Go forth and indulge!

Check out the series:

  

(Click on the covers for more information!)

About the Author:

K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifteen novels including the Avoiding series and the Record series. She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team. She loves reading fantasy novels, geeking out over Star Wars, binge-watching Supernatural, and dancing in her spare time.

She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and two super adorable puppies.

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