Book Beginnings, First Line Friday, & Friday 56: Girl Lost (The King Legacy Book #1) by Kate Angelo

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. I'm also linking up with Carrie at Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday. Friday 56 asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two. It was started by Freda at Freda's Voice, but Anne over at My Head is Full of Books has taken over for the time being.

This week I'm featuring Girl Lost (The King Legacy Book #1) by Kate Angelo. I just started reading it and am really enjoying it so far.

About the Book

A LOST BABY
Luna Rosati found acceptance and comfort with her childhood foster family, but when she became pregnant at sixteen, she gave the baby up for adoption and left without a word. Now a CIA counterintelligence officer, Luna wants to reconcile her fractured sense of self by finding the only blood family she has--the teenage daughter she's never met. As Luna closes in on learning the girl's identity with the help of her mentor, Stryker, she prepares to meet him in her old neighborhood--the last place she wants to be. Then Stryker is captured.   

AN INESCAPABLE PAST
Special Agent Corbin King changed his last name to escape the shadow of his convicted father serving a life sentence. When he runs into Luna, the object of his failed teenage romance, the two must put their pasts aside and work together to expose a secret that someone's willing to kill for.

A DEADLY THREAT
But when they encounter a kidnapping, missing bodies, and murder, the secrets Corbin and Luna are keeping from one another are only the beginning of the threat they face with more than their own lives at stake.

Book Beginnings / First Line Friday

Luna Rosati could disappear into any crowd, any city, any life. Except this one. This life. It had a way of pulling her back. Like a riptide dragging her under.

Friday 56

Corbin pushed open the door. The smell of antiseptic cut right through his exhaustion and jolted him awake. The harsh fluorescent lights of the medical examiner's office cast an eerie glow over the sterile room where steel examination tables and rows of medical instruments lined the walls. 

What have you been reading lately?

Review: Augmented (The Hybrid Series Book 3) by Candace Kade

About the Book

Lee Urban must win to survive.

After being sentenced to the banned list, half of the Asian Federation believes Lee Urban is a ticking time bomb that could end the world as they know it. They’re willing to do anything to erase her existence and silence her voice before she can take a stand.

There’s only one way to fight back: enroll in the Race to the Clouds. Winning the competition would garner global media attention and give Urban the coverage she needs to dismantle the enhancement programs. Unfortunately, it also happens to be the deadliest event of the year.

With less time to train than her rivals, Urban and her team must find a way to best the competition. But as enemies close in, riots erupt, and her homeland teeters on the brink of civil war, one thing is certain—she’s running out of time. Not just for herself, but for every Natural she represents.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Enclave Publishing Store / Goodreads

MY THOUGHTS

What a fantastic conclusion to this series! I was both excited and nervous for it. I loved the first two books and wondered how everything would wrap up in this final installment. It blew all my expectations out of the water. I loved it so much!

It starts right where the last book left off, and I was immediately gripped. There were action-packed moments that had me losing my breath. My anxiety was so high. I couldn't read fast enough.

This was not a predictable read by any means. I never knew what was going to happen next. The Race to the Clouds was really interesting. And dangerous. But I really admired Urban's determination in the midst of daunting odds.

I've really enjoyed watching Urban's journey and growth throughout this whole series. It was inspiring. I highly recommend it to fans of YA science fiction. This is not a standalone, so be sure to start with book one, Enhanced.

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

FIVE STARS

Can't Wait Wednesday: Singularity (The Eternities Book 2) by Shannon McDermott

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm featuring Singularity (The Eternities Book 2) by Shannon McDermott releasing October 7.

About the Book

Machines in rebellion, humanity on the brink . . .

Lila Stanislaw, a freelance analyst with a roster of foreign clients, is summoned by the U.S. government to hunt down a mysterious threat. She joins a team of strangers with pasts as colorful as her own. The mission spirals when they discover that the AI created to run the new colony on Mars has gone rogue on Earth. As the conflict mounts to war, Speaker of the House Manasseh Cruz joins the fight with an implacable will to destroy the enemy. But the team, racing to find any vulnerability, must first confront the question of what the AI truly is.

As robots stalk the landscape and toxins poison the air, Lila is certain that the AI must be completely destroyed for the good of humanity. But she will find that not all humans, or even all of her teammates, agree.

What upcoming release are you eagerly awaiting?

Review: The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter by Moriah Chavis

About the Book
She can see ghosts, but can she catch a killer?

Stornshire, England - 1890

Leighanna Pauley barely escaped consumption. Now, she's claimed by both Life and Death. Fascinated by justice and why she survived when so many others haven't, she has a new obsession: the murder of a fellow socialite. But the police have no leads.

The investigation emboldens Leighanna to attend the first ball held at the Carmine Estate. When midnight strikes, the unimaginable takes place. Time stops for everyone but Leighanna. Before her stands the ghost of the dead girl, pleading with Leighanna to catch her killer before someone else is murdered.

In a race against time, Leighanna hunts for clues across Stornshire. Will she be able to solve the case before the murderer strikes again, or will she become just another forgotten victim?

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Goodreads

MY THOUGHTS

Y'all! I loved this book so much! The combination of fantasy and mystery in a historical setting was so good! Add in wonderful characters, and this was close to perfect.

Leighanna was a great character. She made impulsive decisions sometimes, but it was usually for a good cause. I loved her determination, though, and her resolve in finding the murderer.

I loved seeing the personification of Life and Death. I thought that was really interesting.

I thought the mystery was really good. And while I did eventually figure it out, that didn't hamper my enjoyment one bit.

I really hope this is the start of a new series. While this mystery is wrapped up, I'd love to spend more time with these characters. If you're a fan of historical mysteries with a light touch of fantasy, you'll love this book. I highly, highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts are my honest opinion.

FIVE STARS

Book Beginnings, First Line Friday, & Friday 56: The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter by Moriah Chavis

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. I'm also linking up with Carrie at Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday. Friday 56 asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two. It was started by Freda at Freda's Voice, but Anne over at My Head is Full of Books has taken over for the time being.

This week I'm featuring The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter by Moriah Chavis. This is a really good historical mystery. It releases September 16, and I should have my review up then. 

About the Book

She can see ghosts, but can she catch a killer?

Stornshire, England - 1890

Leighanna Pauley barely escaped consumption. Now, she's claimed by both Life and Death. Fascinated by justice and why she survived when so many others haven't, she has a new obsession: the murder of a fellow socialite. But the police have no leads.

The investigation emboldens Leighanna to attend the first ball held at the Carmine Estate. When midnight strikes, the unimaginable takes place. Time stops for everyone but Leighanna. Before her stands the ghost of the dead girl, pleading with Leighanna to catch her killer before someone else is murdered.

In a race against time, Leighanna hunts for clues across Stornshire. Will she be able to solve the case before the murderer strikes again, or will she become just another forgotten victim?

Book Beginnings / First Line Friday

Christmas 1889

Leighanna Pauley lay suspended between life and death.

Friday 56

"What were you thinking?" Leighanna's mother asked as she paced in front of August and Leighanna in the parlor.

What have you been reading lately?

Review: Whiskers and Ciphers (A Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery Book 6) by DeAnna Drake

About the Book
A corpse in the town’s fountain spells trouble for Rebecca Cuthbert, who, along with her talking cat, Aneksi, must uncover the killer and dangerous truths behind the cursed artifacts plaguing Citrus Grove.

The normally quiet community is buzzing with excitement as the local university prepares to host an academic conference on Egyptian antiquities that’s attracting scholars, collectors—and a few hidden agendas. Did a newcomer carry out this crime, or is the culprit closer to home?

With Detective Nick Devon at her side and her knack for connecting the dots, Rebecca finds herself once again in the thick of the investigation. With help from her resourceful grandfather and her clever feline friend, she is determined to unlock the secrets of a mysterious antique journal. But each new clue reveals a longer list of suspects, deeper suspicions, old enemies, and more threats.

Solving this puzzle may come at a deadly cost. Can she crack the case before the murderer strikes again?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY THOUGHTS

Whiskers and Ciphers was another fantastic addition to this series!

I always love seeing what kind of mystery Rebecca and Aneksi have to solve, and I've got to say this mystery was a really good one. It definitely kept me guessing. I had lots of theories about who killed the woman in the fountain and why but was completely shocked by the reveal.

If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, don't hesitate to check out this series. You'll love it! It's so much fun. While all the books can stand alone, I'd still recommend starting at the beginning because it's such a great series. I can't wait for the next book!

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

FIVE STARS

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Christmas Book Flood by Roseanna M. White

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm featuring The Christmas Book Flood by Roseanna M. White releasing October 7. 

About the Book

In this charming World War II historical romance novella inspired by Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood, an author falls in love with a man who doesn’t know he is her editor.

Iceland. December 1944. Tatiana Eliasdottir is looking forward to welcoming her niece Elea for Christmas. She’s determined to give the little girl a joyful holiday and take her mind off troubles at home. Soon, however, the publishing house where Tatiana works is flooded with orders thanks to the first issue of a seasonal book catalog. With the war causing so many shortages, Icelanders are eager to give their loved ones something that isn’t rationed, and books are the perfect solution to their dilemma.

Anders Johannsson is an editor who shares Tatiana’s love for stories. While he wishes to know her better, he’s never dared pursue more than friendship. They are first and foremost colleagues. But when Tatiana’s attempts to cheer Elea fail, Tatiana recruits him to help, a plea he can’t refuse. He is, after all, not only an editor but a beloved children’s book author and devoted uncle to his adoring nieces and nephews.

As the two creatively bring Icelandic Christmas traditions to life for Elea and frantically work to meet the demands of the publisher’s holiday rush, Tatiana finds herself increasingly drawn to kind, thoughtful Anders. But if a love is to grow between them, she will need to reveal her closely held secret: she is the mysterious author of a popular new novel . . . and Anders is her editor.

• A standalone World War II historical Christmas novella
• A sweet holiday romance with a friends-to-more trope
• Features a bookish heroine and hero
• Christian fiction great for fans of Lynn Austin and Sarah Sundin

What upcoming release are you eagerly awaiting?