ARC Review: REBEL SPY by Veronica Rossi

REBEL SPY 
Release Date: June 23, 2020; Delacorte Press 
Young Adult, Historical Fiction

About the book:
A reimagining of the story behind Agent 355--a New York society girl and spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War--perfect for fans of Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key and the novels of Julie Berry. 

Rebellious Frannie Tasker knows little about the war between England and its thirteen colonies in 1776, until a shipwreck off her home in Grand Bahama Island presents an unthinkable opportunity. The body of a young woman floating in the sea gives Frannie the chance to escape her brutal stepfather--and she takes it. 

Assuming the identity of the drowned Emmeline Coates, Frannie is rescued by a British merchant ship and sails with the crew to New York. For the next three years, Frannie lives a lie as Miss Coates, swept up in a courtship by a dashing British lieutenant. But after witnessing the darker side of the war, she realizes that her position gives her power. Soon she finds herself eavesdropping on British officers, risking everything to pass information on to George Washington's Culper spy ring as agent 355. Frannie believes in the fight for American liberty--but what will it cost her? Inspired by the true "355" and rich in historical detail and intrigue, this is the story of an unlikely New York society girl turned an even unlikelier spy.

ARC Review: THE PRINCESS WILL SAVE YOU (The Princess Will Save You #1) by Sarah Henning


THE PRINCESS WILL SAVE YOU (The Princess Will Save You #1
by Sarah Henning 
Release Date: July 7, 2020; Tor Teen
Young Adult, Fantasy

About the book:
A PRINCESS 

A STABLE BOY 

A QUEST 

When her father dies, Princess Amarande is given an ultimatum: Marry the leader of one of the four neighboring kingdoms, or lose her crown—and possibly her life. And to force her hand, her beloved, the stable boy Luca, is kidnapped. 

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior, not a sacrifice. 

And nothing will stop her from saving her true love and rescuing her kingdom. 

Blog Tour: CROSSING IN TIME (Between Two Evils #1) by D.L. Orton



CROSSING IN TIME (Between Two Evils #1) 
by D.L. Orton
Date Published: April 21, 2015; Rocky Mountain Press

From Goodreads:
The past isn't over, it's an opening. The future isn't hidden, it's a trap. If she ever wants to see him again, she'll have to take the risk. 

Fall into this "Funny, Romantic & Harrowing" (Publishers Weekly Starred Review) dystopian love story and prepare to encounter a finicky time machine, a mysterious seashell, and a very clever dog (some sex, some swearing, some violence, but no vampires and absolutely NO ditzes!) 

When offered a one-way trip to the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present--and see her murdered lover one last time. When she arrives twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen-year-old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that's a heart breaker, save the world or not. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: KINGDOM OF THE WICKED (Kingdom of the Wicked #1) by Kerri Maniscalco


'Can't-Wait' Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa of Wishful Endings. It highlights books to be released that readers/bloggers are most excited for. It is based on Jill, from Breaking the Spine's 'Waiting on' Wednesday.

My 'Can't-Wait' Wednesday pick for this week is -

KINGDOM OF THE WICKED (Kingdom of the Wicked #1) 
by Kerri Maniscalco
Release Date: October 27, 2020; JIMMY Patterson

From Goodreads:
From the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series comes a new blockbuster series…

Two sisters.

One brutal murder.

A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…

And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: ROYAL DECOY (Fate of Eyrinthia, #1) by Heather Frost


ROYAL DECOY (Fate of Eyrinthia, #1)
by Heather Frost 
Release Date: June 18, 2020
Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

About the book:
A SERVANT blackmailed into becoming a princess’s decoy. 

A BODYGUARD determined to keep her alive. 

A PRINCE forced to execute his father’s brutal laws. 

A PRISONER used to keep him compliant. 

A WORLD on the brink of war. 

In one horrible night, Clare goes from kitchen maid to royal decoy. She has three months to become the princess's perfect double so she can ensure her betrothal to an enemy prince. Desperate to survive, Clare throws herself into self-defense training, taught by her distractingly attractive bodyguard. The danger increases when a ruthless assassin begins stalking her, intent on ending the tenuous peace.

Review: OF WATER AND MOONLIGHT (Thunderbird Academy #1) by Valia Lind

OF WATER AND MOONLIGHT (Thunderbird Academy #1) 
Date Published: November 21, 2019

From Goodreads:
My power could save my friends—or destroy them. 

As I start a new semester at Thunderbird Academy, I have a lot to live up to. News of my sisters' courageous fight against the Ancient evil has spread, and now, everyone expects the same greatness from me. 

But all I want to do is: 
1) Find my dad. 
2) Figure out why my magic has suddenly gone on the fritz. 

It would be a lot easier if I didn't have to keep dealing with the ever-annoying Aiden Lawson. Shifter, nemesis, ridiculously gorgeous. I don't care how he makes my pulse race, I will not be deterred from my mission. 

But the war with the Ancients is just beginning, and now, Thunderbird Academy has become a sanctuary as well as a school. Each attack is deadlier than the last, and when the academy ends up under siege, my friends and I have no choice but to fight. 

Am I brave enough to trust my magic to save us? Or will my world come crashing down around me by my own hands? 

Blog Tour + Giveaway: HOOD by Jenny Elder Moke


HOOD
by Jenny Elder Moke 
Release Date: June 9, 2020; Disney-Hyperion
Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Fantasy

About the book:
You have the blood of kings and rebels within you, love. Let it rise to meet the call. 

Isabelle of Kirklees has only ever known a quiet life inside the sheltered walls of the convent, where she lives with her mother, Marien. But after she is arrested by royal soldiers for defending innocent villagers, Isabelle becomes the target of the Wolf, King John's ruthless right hand. Desperate to keep her daughter safe, Marien helps Isabelle escape and sends her on a mission to find the one person who can help: Isabelle's father, Robin Hood. 

Blog Tour + Giveaway: THE COURT OF MIRACLES (A Court of Miracles #1) by Kester Grant


THE COURT OF MIRACLES (A Court of Miracles #1
by Kester Grant 
Date Published: June 2, 2020; Knopf Children's 
Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Science Fiction

About the book:
Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris's criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution. 

In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina's life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father's fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie).

Can't-Wait Wednesday: A WAR OF SWALLOWED STARS (The Celestial Trilogy #3) by Sangu Mandanna


Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa of Wishful Endings. It highlights books to be released that readers/bloggers are most excited for. It is based on Jill, from Breaking the Spine's 'Waiting on' Wednesday.

My Can't-Wait Wednesday pick for this week is -

A WAR OF SWALLOWED STARS (The Celestial Trilogy #3) 
by Sangu Mandanna
Release Date: October 6, 2020; Sky Pony

From Goodreads:
“A rare gem of a sequel . . . Each page drips with action and moral complexities.” —Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire, on A House of Rage & Sorrow 

A prince without his kingdom.

A kingdom without its princess.

The destruction of the stars themselves.

War is destroying the galaxy. Esmae has vanished without a trace. A terrifying, ravenous beast is devouring the stars one by one. Titania is offered a gift that may well be a curse. Alexi, the exiled prince, is asked to pay a heavy price for his mistakes. And far, far away, on a dark, mysterious planet, a sleeping god stirs awake.

War or family.

Pride or peace.