Cover Reveal: Villian By Natasha Preston

 

 

 

 𝑽𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏 is releasing on July 20th!

BLURB

The first time I met Casper Hart, I turned him down despite his good looks and obvious charm. I’d only just arrived at university, and a man like him was the last thing I needed to make me lose focus.

The only problem? I had no idea who the hell he was. Rich, entitled, hot, and arrogant, no one walked away from Casper without paying a high price.

Unfortunately for him, he’d chosen the wrong girl to pick a fight with.

Unfortunately for me… Casper happened to live right next door, and he didn’t let up easily.

Three years of endless torture later, it’s no secret to anyone that Casper and I share nothing but hate towards each other, going out of our way to cause as much pain and annoyance to the other as possible. But when a series of break-ins break out on campus, and my friends are all otherwise occupied, Casper ends up being the only person I can call upon to help me get out of a nasty situation.

The only question now is at what cost?

Because nothing Casper ever does for me comes free, and despite everyone else seeing him as the superhero, I know the truth.

He’s nothing but a rotten Villain. One I can’t seem to stay away from no matter how hard I try.

 

 

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The Identicals.

 

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 CONTAINS SPOILERS

Nantucket is only two and a half hours away from Martha's Vineyard by ferry. But the two islands might as well be worlds apart for a set of identical twin sisters who have been at odds for years. When a family crisis forces them to band together — or at least appear to — the twins slowly come to realize that the special bond that they share is more important than the sibling rivalry that's driven them apart for the better part of their lives. A touching depiction of all the pleasures and annoyances of the sibling relationship, Elin Hilderbrand's next New York Times bestseller, THE IDENTICALS proves once and for all that just because twins look exactly the same doesn't mean they're anything alike. 

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I have been reading Elin Hilderbrand since 2012, and I have yet to come across book of hers that I didn’t love. Her stories, and characters are the ones that you cannot help but fall in love with. To me, her characters feel so real, and the emotions of each of them, I find myself feeling the same emotions. The Identicals was told from different characters point of view, and each had a lot of different emotions. I wondered about the title when I came across the book, was there a reason behind the title? When I read the book, the title made more sense. The Identicals was different from the other Elin’s books, at least in my opinion, but the difference is what made the book unique. I loved that the book had view from Harper’s and Tabitha’s point of view, a way for reader to get known each twin, separately. I couldn’t help but wonder, what is it that Harper did after what happened to Jillian, to make Tabitha hater her own sister that much? The Identicals is not the type of book that you will be putting down, not anytime soon. 

I loved that there were little stories about Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, it sounded like a tour guide, and it made me want to go to the both places. The descriptions of both those place, I imagined myself being there and it took my breath away. That’s what I love about Elin’s books, her descriptions always make you wish that you could transport there. Nantucket is beautiful to me, and I hope that one day I get to visit it. While reading the book, I wondered if Harper and Tabitha will get their relationship to the way that it was, before everything fell apart. As I progressed in the book, I had a bad feeling that their realthionship would not get to way it was. I didn’t like that Tabitha blamed Harper to what happened to Jillian, how could his death be Harper’s fault? Grief can do so much to a person, and in this case, it tore two sisters apart. From the way that Tabitha acted, I had a feeling that she would never forgive her sister. 

I love books about families, about sisters. I don’t even remember the last time that I read books about twins. I have read books about twins about the past, but none of them were anything like I read in The Identicals . It’s one of those books that I wished that I have read sooner than I have; a book that I will be returning to in the future. If you haven’t read any Elin Hilderbrand books, I would highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoy books about families. The Identicals a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to end.

The Cuban Heiress.

 

 

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In 1934, a luxury cruise becomes a fight for survival as two women’s pasts collide on a round-trip voyage from New York to Havana in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's page-turning new novel inspired by the true story of the SS Morro Castle. 

New York heiress Catherine Dohan seemingly has it all. There’s only one problem. It’s a lie. As soon as the Morro Castle leaves port, Catherine’s past returns with a vengeance and threatens her life. Joining forces with a charismatic jewel thief, Catherine must discover who wants her dead—and why. 

Elena Palacio is a dead woman. Or so everyone thinks. After a devastating betrayal left her penniless and on the run, Elena’s journey on the Morro Castle is her last hope. Steeped in secrecy and a burning desire for revenge, her return to Havana is a chance to right the wrong that has been done to her—and her prey is on the ship. 

As danger swirls aboard the Morro Castle and their fates intertwine, Elena and Catherine must risk everything to see justice served once and for all.

 

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 Have you ever come across an author, whom you can’t get enough of? I discovered Chanel Cleeton in 2020 while surfing the library’s electronic collection and came across her book. Ever since then, I couldn’t get enough of her books, there hasn’t been a single of her books that I didn’t fall in love with. Her stories are impossible to not fall in love with. I feel connected with her characters and imagine myself being transformed into the timeline. Through the years of reading her books, Chanel Cleeton became one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I was excited when I heard about her new book, The Cuban Heiress, and had the book on hold at my library for a while. It was worth the wait. 

The Cuban Heiress was different than the other books that I read, and that’s what I loved about it. I loved that it took place on the cruise ship, something that I didn’t read about before. Historical fiction mixed with mystery? Those are two of my favorite genres, and it didn’t take me long to get hooked into the story. Every chapter had something happening and I couldn’t help but feel intrigued, keep on turning the pages, spending hours reading. I finished that book within a couple of days because I found it hard to find a stopping point, usually that would get me reading longer. Elena and Catherine, I didn’t see that coming, even I didn’t pick up on the clues, it was one of those most unexpected twists. 

Raymond, no matter how much I tried to like him, I couldn’t, I had a feeling that there was something off about him. He and Catherine were engaged, and yet he barely spend time with her, or his daughter. I hoped that Catherine would see Raymond for who he was, he wasn’t the one that she should be with. Like everyone else, I was curious about the unexpected death of the captain, and I loved that was part of the true events that happened. My emotions were everywhere as I read this book, and it has been a day since I finished, and I find myself thinking about the story, and the characters. There are more words I could use to describe this book, but there is not enough time. I can’t wait to see what adventures Chanel Cleeton takes us on next.

Happy People Are Annoying.

 

 

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Josh Peck rose to near-instant fame when he starred for four seasons as the comedic center of Nickelodeon's hit show Drake & Josh. However, while he tried to maintain his role as the funniest, happiest kid in every room, Josh struggled alone with the kind of rising anger and plummeting confidence that quietly took over his life. 

For the first time, Josh reflects on his late teens and early twenties. Raised by a single mother, and coming of age under a spotlight that could be both invigorating and cruel, Josh filled the cratering hole in his self-worth with copious amounts of food, television, drugs, and all of the other trappings of young stardom. Until he realized the only person standing in his way...was himself. Today, with a string of lead roles on hit television shows and movies, and one of the most enviable and dedicated fanbases on the internet, Josh Peck is more than happy, he's finally, enthusiastically content.

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Inspirational. 

I have been Josh Peck fan ever since I saw him on Drake & Josh years ago, and which I had re-watched many more time since then. I saw Josh’s weight change. I always found in inspiring it when people went through such a life event. I might not struggle with weight like Josh did, but I did struggle with my weight at some point, and like Josh I took control of that, by exercising, eating healthier. I might not know Josh personally, but I felt proud of him, of what he had accomplished. I loved his writing; his memoir is not a book that you will be able to put it down easily. Once I started reading Happy People Are Annoying I knew that I was in trouble, because I spent hours reading the book. The fact that he added humor to the book, that made it even harder to find a stopping point. 

I knew that Josh struggled with weight, but I didn’t realize how much more he struggled with. The way that he described everything, including his emotions, I found myself feeling those emotions as well. There wasn’t anything in this book that I didn’t enjoy. I have a feeling that this will be one of those books that I will end up re-reading multiple times. After reading Happy People Are Annoying I felt as I got to know Josh much more than before. If he wasn’t one of my favorites before, he is one. I would highly recommend this memoir, one of the best memoirs that I have read. It’s been few days since I finished it, and I can’t get it out of my head.

Take The Long Way Home.

 

 

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review* 

 

4.5 Stars

Freedom fighter, brilliant businessperson, devoted wife, master of languages, and ultimately, savior of a European dynasty. Claudia Patterson would become all of these—spurred on by the fiercely powerful loves and losses along the way… 

Denny Clark. An abused thirteen-year-old white boy whose life twelve-year-old Claudia saves—complicating her own life for years to come. 

Robert Moore. A young Black lawyer who becomes Claudia’s beloved husband and partner on the explosive front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Amid the violence of the Ku Klux Klan, Claudia has a shocking personal encounter—with unimaginable consequences. 

Ashley Booth. A Wall Street executive who brings the glamour of New York alive for the now-widowed Claudia, introducing her to an elite circle of Black peers. But their long yet uncommitted romance leads Claudia to move on—to an overseas assignment at an Italian bank. Giancarlo Pasquale Fortenza. An Italian automobile industrialist, once enamored of a young Claudia—handsome, worldly, and twelve years her senior. A man with whom Claudia reconnects, bringing her life full circle in the boldest, bravest, and most unexpected ways…

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So many emotions are going through me at this moment: love, hate, fear, anger, hope. I only wish t had the complete ARC so that I know what happens next, how it will end for Claudia, and if it’s Giancarlo that she ends up with. Besides Robert, Giancarlo was my favorite of all the guys that Claudia ended up encountering and getting involved with. The last chapter that I read, the way that it ended, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next, especially since it said that there were few more chapters in the full version of the novel. Would Giancarlo be the one? Would the two of them have children? You can’t help but be curious about what is to come for Claudia. If I wasn’t busy packing for the move in July, I would spend all my day reading the book. 

I loved that each part started at a different time and told a story about a particular guy she encountered that year. I loved that the story began when she was young. From the moment Denny Clark spoke to Claudia, I knew he was bad news, and I had a feeling that things would not end well for him. I wasn’t even surprised to find out what he had become. Denny Clark is not the character I liked, and I knew he wasn’t one that I would like even if I tried to. Ashley Booth was one of the characters I had mixed feelings about; there were times that I liked him, but then there were times that his actions made me wonder if he loved Claudia. The relationship between Ashley and Claudia, there was no connection there, not like she had with Robert and Giancarlo. Even if she didn’t end up taking an overseas assignment, I don’t think that their relationship would last for much longer. 

I felt as if I walked through history as I went along the journey with Claudia. I enjoyed how many different places she ended up in through the years. I loved how the descriptions were portrayed throughout the book, transporting me there. I read late into the night multiple times, one more chapter turning into five more. There were a few parts that felt that were dragging on a bit, but they usually didn’t last for long. I can’t wait to read the full version, which means I will be re-reading the book in the future. 

I recommend this book to any historical fans; a must-read.

Nothing Sung And Nothing Spoken.

 

 

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Berlin, 1938

 
It is the summer before World War II begins, but Charlotte Kraus doesn’t know it yet. All she knows is the zing of electricity she feels every time her best friend, Angelika Haas, grabs her hand. Charlie would follow Geli anywhere—which is how she finds herself at an underground club one Friday night, dancing to contraband American jazz and swing music, suddenly feeling that anythingmight be possible. 

Under the oppressive shadow of the Nazi regime, returning to the club is a risk. But Charlie does, unable to resist the allure of sharing a secret with the girl she can’t stop thinking about, or the thrill of disobeying the Party’s rules. Soon the Swingjugend movement becomes more than a simple escape. It’s a place where Charlie and her friends find acceptance, freedom, and camaraderie among others who are determined not to sit on the sidelines of history. 

Increasingly terrified by the tightening vise of Hitler’s power, Charlie is drawn to larger and larger acts of resistance—even as Geli, the daughter of a senior Party officer, begins to pull away. But resisting the Nazis is a dangerous proposition, and the war will test what Charlie is willing to risk at the expense of her family, her friends, and the girl she loves. 

 

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As everyone aware by now, I’m a big historical fiction fan. It’s the one genre that I read the most of. I have read a lot of historical fiction, Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken is a different spin on WW2, and not what I had expected the story be when I came across it at the public library. This is how I love discovering new books, new authors. When I came across the book while at the library, it was the cover and the title that had my attention and had me wondering what was going on, just based on the cover of the book. I wondered if there was going be a love triangle story, based on the cover of the book, and curious where they were headed, why they look so mysterious. When I started reading Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken the cover and the title both started making so much more sense, it fit the book perfectly. 

Charlie, I liked her from the start, it was impossible to not like her. I did feel sorry for her, it was clear how much she loved Geli, but I don’t think that Geli loved her as much as Charlie did. There were times where I wondered if Geli even cared about Charlie, just the way that she treated Charlie. Geli would ditch Charlie for a guy at club, breaking Charlie’s heart but when Charlie showed up with another girl, get angry with her. I felt that sometimes Geli didn’t treat Charlie fairly. This is the first time where I was rooting for Charlie to end up with someone else, she deserved someone who spend time with her, show her how special she was. Geli wasn’t that girl. 

I wanted to dislike Geli, and I did for most of the book, but there were times that I couldn’t help but love her, and feel sorry for her. It can’t be easy being a daughter of a senior Party officer. Every time that they went dancing, I was afraid that they would get caught, I couldn’t begin to imagine what Geli’s father would do to her if she was caught. That ending wasn’t what I expected to be, and I am still trying to process all those emotions that are going through me. 

This is not a story that will be forgotten. Not long after turning the last page, I was telling my friends and my family about the book. A book that I would highly recommend to any historical fiction fans.

The Murder Rule.

 

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4.5 Stars

 

First Rule: Make them like you. 

Second Rule: Make them need you. 

Third Rule: Make them pay. 

They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system. 

They think I’m working hard to impress them. 

They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row. 

They're wrong. I’m going to bury him. 

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Haunting. 

I love crime and mysteries books, but I can be picky about those stories. I discovered The Murder Rule while surfing my library’s virtual collection. The title is what hooked me first, and then I read the summary, and I needed to read the book. The Murder Rule was another book I was glad I was curious about. I couldn’t help but be curious about this book, The Murder Rule ; how can you not wonder what will happen with a title like that? I have read multiple mysteries, crime, and thriller books through the years, but nothing like this one; it was much more than I expected. It’s one of the best thrillers and crime books I have read this year. 

Hannah was one of those characters where you both hated and loved her. I wouldn’t say I liked how she got into Innocence Project, even though I understand her reason behind it. Hannah is one of those that won’t stop until she gets her way, or at least that is a feeling that I got from her. Hannah loved her mother and wanted revenge for what happened to her. I wondered what would happen if the truth was discovered. What would happen with Hannah? The Innocence Project? I couldn’t stop turning the pages fast enough; I wanted to see what would happen next and how it would all end. The ending was far from what I expected, and that’s what I loved about it. 

When the truth came out, it wasn’t what I had expected. I felt as if I should reread it to make sure that I read it correctly. That’s the most unexpected twist that I have read in a thriller. I did feel that beginning was slow and dragged on for a bit, but once it picked up, I refused to put the book down. The Murder Rule was the first book that I have read by Derva McTiernan , and now I am eager to check the rest of her books and see what adventures she takes me on next.

Shadow Moon( Star Touched :Wolf Born,#2)

 

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A week ago, Ruby Grace was an ordinary girl. Now she’s a wolf shifter, rejected by her fated mate and sent to live with an ancient coven of powerful witches. 

That’s not even the craziest part. Because Ruby’s been star touched—blessed by the gods with the rare ability to weave illusions with her mind. 

However, her gift is a curse in disguise. 

The wolf shifter pack that was meant to be her family now shuns her.
Her fated mate’s girlfriend is out for revenge. 

And a far older, more powerful enemy wants a piece of Ruby's magic—and will stop at nothing to break her will. 

Their plan? Lock Ruby in a cell with a hungry vampire—who's, by the way, unfairly charming and attractive. If he feeds from her, a blood bond will form between them, making Ruby completely devoted to him. Even over her fated mate. 

Luckily for Ruby, her cellmate also wasn’t put there of his own free will. He has his own reasons to resist the temptation of her blood. But soon he’ll have to make a torturous decision: forge their bond, or lose her forever? 

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No words. 

Another author, another book that has left me speechless. There is so much I can say to describe how I am feeling right now, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I have been looking forward to Shadow Moon ever since I finished Blood Moon, I was eager to see what awaits everyone next, especially Ruby, what would happen with her and Connor. When I turned the last page of Shadow Moon I was left with more questions and craving for more of the story. I couldn’t help but wanting more of Ruby’s story, especially after that cliffhanger at the end of the book. I found myself asking: ‘Now what will happen, and how will that change everything?’ How could I not ask question after that cliffhanger, and despite what happened in this book, even I didn’t even see that coming. Those are my favorite types of stories. 

I loved Tristan from the moment that he was introduced, there was something about him. There was a connection between Tristan and Ruby that there wasn’t between Ruby and Connor, despite them being mates. Tristan cares about Ruby, the way I’m not sure that Connor ever will. There are moments where Connor feels a pull towards Ruby, but it’s not the same connection that Ruby and Tristan have. I can’t help but wonder what would happen with the two of them next, will the two of them stay together, how would Connor feel about it? I have a feeling that more drama is about to unfold in the next book. I do find myself hoping that she would end up with Tristan, the two of them fit together better. 

I knew that Autumn was bad news from the moment that she was introduced in the first book. I’m not sure what she has planned to break bond between Connor and Ruby, but I have a bad feeling that it can’t be anything good. I wonder what damage she will cause to Connor and her relationship when he finds out what she has planned. Shadow Moon is a story that you will be thinking about it long after turning the last page, I’m already eager for the next book in the series to come out.