Character Reveal: Stain by A.G. Howard

Happy Monday, bibliovores! Today is a reveal day! You're about to get an exclusive first look at a certain swoony crown prince from Stain by A.G. Howard. 

Meet Vesper!

Here's a little bit of info about Vesper:

Cursed by sunlight, Vesper must find his other half & marry the real Eldorian princess to save his life and heal his kingdom. You will be able to "meet" him in a little over a week! Stain publishes on January 15th. If you preorder a copy of Stain, you'll receive some amazing goodies:

Alice the Absent short story

rose enamel pin

signed bookplate

Details can be found HERE.

About the Book:

Stain by A.G. Howard

Publisher: Abrams/Amulet Books

Publication Date: January 15, 2019

Summary (from Goodreads):

A high-fantasy gothic fairytale inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea.

Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins...

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest ... disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra's rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight, for she is his true equal. As Lyra rediscovers her identity, an impostor princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not. 

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

Just throwing this out there - B&N has an Exclusive Edition available for preorder!

My Favorite Adult Romance Illustrated Covers of 2019 (So Far!)

Happy Sunday, bibliovores! I haven't done one of these favorites posts in about a month, so I'm doing one today! You can check out my other favorites posts in a previous posts (for example). 

It's the beginning of a new year, and I wanted to share some of my favorite illustrated covers of 2019 adult romance novels. I am looking forward to reading these as well, but I wanted to appreciate the gorgeous illustrated covers. Enjoy!

    

    

  

(Click on any cover to go to the book's Goodreads page!)

Don't quote me on this, but the illustrated cover trend in adult contemporary romance all started with The Hating Game, published in 2016. I love this cover! I still need to read the book though. 

Do you know of any other 2019 adult romance novel with an illustrated cover that I missed? Please let me know!

Stacking the Shelves (#315)

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, December 30th to Saturday, January 5th?

(all links to Goodreads are provided!)

In the mail:

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee - box of goodies

The Similars by Rebecca Hanover - box of goodies!

Thank you, Rick Riordan Presents and Sourcebooks Fire!

Happy New Year, book fam! I hope 2019 treats everyone well. =) If you're interested, I've got several giveaways posted, including two for Nightchaser!

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet

Happy Friday! Today I've got an excerpt from Amanda Bouchet's latest novel, Nightchaser! This book is now available. You can win a copy of the book, and more!


About the Book:

Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet

Book One of the Endeavor series

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication Date: January 1, 2019

Official Summary:

Tess Bailey: the galaxy's Most Wanted.

Captain Tess Bailey is in deep trouble. She and her crew are on the run, pursued by a tyrant who'll take them dead or alive. Tess's best hope is a tall, dark, and much-too-appealing stranger, Shade Ganavan, who says he can help her. But his motivations are far from clear...

Shade Ganavan: arrogance, charm...and that special something that makes you want to kick him.

With the dreaded Dark Watch closing in, what Tess and Shade don't know about each other might get them killed...unless they can set aside their differences and learn to trust each other before it's too late.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository | The Ivy Bookshop

Follow the Author:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

The Excerpt:

Shade flipped the sign to Closed and locked the door. He didn’t care who might need a spare part today, tomorrow, or any day. He cared about Tess Bailey and her little stream of lies.

Unexpected asteroid belt. He shook his head.

Under her pale skin, her firework of a blush, and her rabbiting pulse, there was a woman running scared. She looked like she’d been that way for a while, like she never stopped. Never came down. No one got that white unless they spent all their time in the Dark.

Shade’s blood still pumped harder than usual from certain parts of their exchange, and something a little crazy had happened in his chest when she’d looked so terrified of the Dark Watch. Her poker face had sucked, but then she’d managed to pull it together and be as cool as a cloud after the initial shock and assessment had passed.

He’d seen that there had been just one soldier, a man like any other poking around the shelves. A lot of the men and women who joined the galactic military wore their uniforms all the time because it gave them a power trip—always knowing people would get out of their way, say they were right, and look at them like they were a sight. The guy probably hadn’t even been on duty, not if he was shopping for razors in the seedy district around the docks.

Shade had been testing her when he’d said the Dark Watch had followed her into his shop. And her reaction had told him exactly what he’d wanted to know—she was definitely in the hot seat right now.

But he’d gotten more than he bargained for. Her chest had stopped—no breath—and her blue eyes had gone so wide they’d practically swallowed him whole. And then she’d asked the same question he would have. Uniform? Not how many, but what echelon. She’d wanted to know if there was someone important at her back.

Some of the blood had come back into her face when he’d said the uniform was black, which meant that whoever was looking for Tess Bailey wasn’t just some grunt solider; he or she was a higher-up.

But the savvy space rat hadn’t taken his word for it, had she? She’d held up that cartridge box to use as a mirror and checked for herself. She’d made sure it wasn’t someone who knew her, and then she’d paid for her bullets like nothing had happened, even getting all high and mighty again when he’d teased her about walking off with the ammo.

He had no idea why he’d done that.

Shade ran a hand through his short hair, still not used to feeling it so close to his scalp. The movement wasn’t very satisfying without anything to shove back.

He strode into his office, still seeing the freckles across Tess’s nose. They weren’t very dark; she’d have needed more sunlight for that. She also had a few on her chest. They’d looked like a constellation, a pattern to follow between her straight collarbones and the upper swells of her breasts.

Tension like he hadn’t felt in a while whipped through his body. Rosy lips and a cute ass were just the start of it. He hadn’t been crass enough to add NT to the acronym, but he’d noticed her nice tits as well.

Shade frowned as he tugged out his chair. She was attractive all over, but blue eyes, freckles, and an atomic blush were what had left him feeling like he’d been punched in the chest.

Sitting at his desk, he pushed aside the remnants of the late lunch he’d been eating when Tess had come in and then powered up the tablet that might give him some answers about his latest guest. While it got going, he rummaged through some paperwork, not really seeing it. He was still too focused on the way Tess had frozen, going from a little flirty and confused to petrified all at once.

Who had she pissed off? Some galactic officer? Was she a deserter? A rebel? Despite not having much of a game face, she’d seemed ready to put up a good fight.

And then there was the fact that she’d bought ammunition, when not that many people had guns. LW-9 bullets were for Grayhawks, and there was nothing illegal about buying them, but it sure as hell raised questions in his mind.

Shade wanted to call her scrappy, but it didn’t quite fit. For the spirit maybe, but not for the physical part. She’d been tall and strong and fit. Her eyes had looked older than the rest of her, though, like she’d already been to hell and back and made choices most people never had to face.

Determined. That was it.

She’d looked like she could take care of herself. So why did he have this itch under his skin, like he wanted to make sure she wasn’t in trouble too deep?

The Giveaway:

Win Nightchaser, courtesy of Sourcebooks! Ends 01/22. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win a $250 prize pack, courtesy of Sourcebooks! Ends 01/22. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Swoon Thursday (#310): Sins of a Wicked Princess by Anna Randol

- 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 Sins of a Wicked Princess by Anna Randol!

"I can find out the truth." His hand slid down until it cupped the curve of her bottom.

"By gutting me?" she croaked.

His fingers tightened on her in a shocking manner. "Not nearly as fun."

And his mouth was on hers. His lips greatly nipped. Each caress intoxicating.

The tension she'd been carrying evaporated so quickly that she swayed, or would have, if Ian hadn't been holding her so tightly.

All she knew was that she had to get closer. 

- eARC, 31%

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

I was rereading this one recently and was pleasantly reminded of how much I adored this book. Ian and Julianna are such a fun, sexy pair. I highly recommend this one!

Waiting on Wednesday (#314): Maybe This Time by Kasie West

"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:

Maybe This Time by Kasie West

Publisher: Point

Publication Date: July 9, 2019

Summary (from Goodreads):

One year. Nine events. Nine chances to . . . fall in love?

Weddings. Funerals. Barbecues. New Year's Eve parties. Name the occasion, and Sophie Evans will be there. Well, she has to be there. Sophie works for the local florist, so she can be found at every big event in her small hometown, arranging bouquets and managing family dramas.

Enter Andrew Hart. The son of the fancy new chef in town, Andrew is suddenly required to attend all the same events as Sophie. Entitled, arrogant, preppy Andrew. Sophie just wants to get her job done and finish up her sketches so she can apply to design school. But every time she turns around, there is Andrew, getting in her way and making her life more complicated. Until one day she wonders if maybe complicated isn't so bad after all . . .

Told over the course of one year and following Sophie from event to event, this delightful novel from master of romantic comedy Kasie West shows how love can blossom in unexpected places.

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

I love Kasie West's books! She has two publishing this year - this is the second one. It sounds lovely!

What I Am Looking Forward to Reading in 2019

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019!

For the last six years, I've done a similar post, and I thought it would be a good idea to keep the idea going.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

I'm doing this like I did last year. There will be two sections to this post. The first one will highlight the books that I am excited for in 2019 that I already have, via ARC/eARC. The second section will highlight the ones that I am excited for and do not have (yet).

I'll update this post with titles and release dates (as they come), as well as my review links (as I read/review).

YOUNG ADULT

2019 books I already have:

- Stain by A.G. Howard (January 15th)

- The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons (February 5th)

- Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West (February 5th)

- Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers (February 5th)

- Boodwitch by Susan Dennard (February 12th)

- Sherwood by Meagan Spooner (March 19th)

- The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey (April 16th)

- The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala (April 23rd)

- Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (May 26th)

2019 books I want to read but don't have:

- The Wicked King by Holly Black (January 8th)

- Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills (January 15th)

- A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (January 29th)

- The Triumphant by Lesley Livingston (February 12th)

- We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett (April 2nd)

- Finale by Stephanie Garber (May 7th)

- Hope and Other Punchlines by Julie Buxbaum (May 7th)

- The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad (May 14th)

- Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (June 4th)

- Rage by Cora Carmack (June 11th)

- Maybe this Time by Kasie West (July 9th)

- The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen (July 30th)

- The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young (September 3rd)

- The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh (October 8th)

And those with no release month or date...

- Fire & Ash by C.V. Wyk

- Untitled (The Diabolic #3) by S.J. Kincaid

ADULT

2019 books I already have:

- The Kingdom of Copper (January 22nd) 

2019 books I want to read but don't have:

- The Takeover Effect by Nisha Sharma (April 2nd)

- Meet Cute by Helena Hunting (April 9th)

- Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey (June 11th)

- When a Rogue Meets His Match by Elizabeth Hoyt (July 30th) 

- The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare (August 27th)

And those with no release month or date...

- Claimed by the Commander by Ashlyn Macnamara