Can't Wait Wednesday: A Desperate Hope (Empire State #3) by Elizabeth Camden

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 A Desperate Hope (Empire State #3) by Elizabeth Camden releasing February 5, 2018.

About the Book

Eloise Drake's prim demeanor hides the turbulent past she's finally put behind her—or so she thinks. A mathematical genius, she's now a successful accountant for the largest engineering project in 1908 New York. But to her dismay, her new position puts her back in the path of the man responsible for her deepest heartbreak.

Alex Duval is the mayor of a town about to be wiped off the map. The state plans to flood the entire valley where his town sits in order to build a new reservoir, and Alex is stunned to discover the woman he once loved on the team charged with the demolition. With his world crumbling around him, Alex devises a risky plan to save his town—but he needs Eloise's help to succeed.

Alex is determined to win back the woman he thought he'd lost forever, but even their combined ingenuity may not be enough to overcome the odds against them before it's too late. 

Why I Need It

I always get so excited when there's a new release from Elizabeth Camden. I love her way of writing and her detail to history. This series has been fantastic so far and I can't wait to read Eloise's story!

What upcoming release are you excited about?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Hope I Find Under My Christmas Tree

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL! I hope everyone's having an awesome holiday! Today's Top Ten Tuesday is all about books I hope I find under the Christmas tree.

Navigating the Stars (Sentinels of the Galaxy #1) by Maria V. Snyder

A new book from one of my favorite authors! Although scifi isn't a genre I read very often, I'm super excited for this one! I'll read anything Snyder writes!

Cycle Five: The Finish: Through a Glass Darkly, Interesting Times, Into the Blue, and End Game (Harbingers #5) by Bill Myers, Jeff Gerke, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky

This series wasn't something I'd normally pick up. It was weird and scary, but the first book was a part of Kindle Unlimited and I thought I'd take a chance on it. And oh my! What an amazing series! It really piqued my interest in reading more books featuring spiritual warfare. This book is the last in the series and I'm sad about that, but am so eager to find out how everything ends.

Dark Power Collection (Forbidden Doors #1) by Bill Myers

Another book dealing with spiritual warfare AND by one of the authors of the Harbingers series. I can't resist!

The Occupied (A Trevor Black Novel) by Craig Parshall

Yet another spiritual warfare book. I read an excerpt and was so bummed when I reached the end. I wanted it to keep going! It sounds like an intense read.

Ella by Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee

I read this author's Beauty and the Beast retelling, Finding Beauty in the Beast, and adored it. I'm eager to find out how she retells Cinderella.

Prince of Secrets and Shadows (The Order of the Crystal Daggers #2) by C. S. Johnson       

The first book in this series was described as "Cinderella meets Mission Impossible" and I totally agree with that. I loved it and am very eager to find out what happens in this next installment.

Turtles in the Road by Rhonda Rhea & Kaley Rhea

I've heard so many good things about this book. It sounds super cute and funny.

Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock

This sounds like a really fun read and a departure from Blackstock's usual genre of suspense. I'm curious to read something from this author that's different from her norm.

Once Upon a Montana Summer by Lisa T. Bergren

I love this author and this book sounds so good! The main character has been jilted twice on a Bachelor-like reality show. I seriously need this book now!

An Hour Unspent (Shadows Over England #3) by Roseanna M. White

I loved the previous books and NEED this conclusion to the series. It's finally Barclay's story and I'm so excited!

What books are you hoping to find under the Christmas tree?

Review: The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

About the Book

Before I Fall meets “bah, humbug” in this contemporary YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.

On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change. . .

The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a witty, poignant, and insightful novel about life, love, and seizing second (or third) chances, perfect for readers who loved Before I Fall or Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

I thought this book would be a serious read, a bit gloomy and dreary, but NOPE! Not at all! It was hilarious, fun, and full of so much heart. I couldn't keep the smile off my face while I was reading it.

Holly was not a likable character in the beginning. She was all about status, being the most popular, the prettiest, the richest, etc. And she reveled in being mean; it was like a sport to her. She was just an all-around horrible person. The epitome of a Scrooge. For example, she described one of the perks of her step-mother's death as finally being able to raid her closet. So disrespectful!

I usually have a hard time reading books that feature unsympathetic characters like Holly, but her snarky narration was so great. She made me laugh constantly and she did eventually tone down her rudeness. It was definitely a fun adventure watching her growth.

I can't come up with the words to express how truly wonderful The Afterlife of Holly Chase was. It was such a delight to read and is a story that I know I'll want to read every Christmas season. I highly, highly recommend it!

Five Stars

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

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. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and 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.

This week I'm featuring The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand. It was a super fun reimagining of A Christmas Carol. I loved it so much!

About the Book

Before I Fall meets “bah, humbug” in this contemporary YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.

On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change. . .

The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a witty, poignant, and insightful novel about life, love, and seizing second (or third) chances, perfect for readers who loved Before I Fall or Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares.

Book Beginning

The first thing you should probably know is that Yvonne Worthington Chase is dead. It was all over the news when it happened, the entertainment shows, the newspapers and magazines, even the trashy tabloids. A sudden tragedy - that's how the media described it, because she was only forty something when it happened, plus Yvonne was famous, so her death was considered a much bigger deal than an ordinary person's.

Friday 56

There were eight and a half million people living in New York City. It was one of the busiest places on the planet. And it was the loneliest place in the world. At least it had been. Until I'd started spending time with him.

What have you been reading lately?

Review: Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar

About the Book

In 1943 Germany, Helene is just about to wake up her children to go to school when a group of policemen break into her house. The policemen want to haul away her gypsy husband and their five children. The police tell Helene that as a German she does not have to go with them, but she decides to share the fate of her family. After convincing her children that they are going off to a vacation place, so as to calm them, the entire family is deported to Auschwitz.

For being German, they are settled in the first barracks of the Gypsy Camp. The living conditions are extremely harsh, but at least she is with her five children. A few days after their arrival, Doctor Mengele comes to pay her a visit, having noticed on her entry card that she is a nurse. He proposes that she direct the camp’s nursery. The facilities would be set up in Barrack 29 and Barrack 31, one of which would be the nursery for newborn infants and the other for children over six years old.

Helene, with the help of two Polish Jewish prisoners and four gypsy mothers, organizes the buildings. Though Mengele provides them with swings, Disney movies, school supplies, and food, the people are living in crowded conditions under extreme conditions. And less than 400 yards away, two gas chambers are exterminating thousands of people daily.

For sixteen months, Helene lives with this reality, desperately trying to find a way to save her children. Auschwitz Lullaby is a story of perseverance, of hope, and of strength in one of the most horrific times in history.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

Auschwitz Lullaby is based on the true story of Helene Hannemann, a German woman married to a Gypsy man who had five kids. All were taken to Auschwitz. Though she had the opportunity, because of her pure German heritage, to stay behind, she chose to go with her family to the concentration camp. There was no way they were going anywhere without her. Because she was a nurse, Helene began working at the camp's hospital and was eventually assigned, by Dr. Mengele, as the director of a nursery school in the Gypsy camp.

This was a truly compelling, heartbreaking, powerful read. I've read many WWII books, but never one that delved into the plight of the Gypsies during that time. It was informative and impossible to put down. I read the majority of it in one day.

I can't sugarcoat things. It wasn't an easy read, but it's one that everyone should read. We can never forget the atrocities that took place. We must always remember. Mrs. Hannemann's story was one that needed to be told and I'm so glad this author did it. This is a story that I'll be thinking about for a very long time and one that I'll be recommending to everyone.

Five Stars

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright

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 Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright releasing January 22, 2019.

About the Book
Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in 1908. When clues lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a post-mortem photographer to gain access and assist groundskeeper Simeon Coyle in photographing the patients and uncovering the secrets within. However, she never expected her personal quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death.

A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother--who is battling dementia--compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman who haunts the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns--and with it, Heidi's fear for her own life.

As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, can they overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined?

Why I Need It

I enjoyed Jaime Jo Wright's previous two books and was looking forward to whatever she came out with next. When I saw The Curse of Misty Wayfair, I got even more excited. The cover is so haunting and the synopsis sounds kinda creepy. What is the curse of Misty Wayfair? What's up with the ghostly woman haunting the asylum? I need to know!

What upcoming release are you excited about?

12 Days of Clean Romance – Rachael Anderson

My Brother’s Bride by Rachael Anderson

Abigail Nash leads a lonely existence. Her mother died giving birth to her, her father’s business dealings took him away more often than not, and her ailing great-aunt, unable to provide much in the way of companionship, was a lack-luster guardian at best. So when her dear friends offered to launch her into London society, it appeared Abby’s life was taking a turn for the better, with suitors and social engagements aplenty. When she marries a proclaimed darling of the ton, it seems she will at last settle into the life of her dreams.

But appearances aren’t always what they seem, and dreams often become disappointments.

Just months into her marriage, Abby finds herself widowed, penniless, increasing, and determined to never hope again. But when her late husband’s brother, the Earl of Brigston, attempts to thaw the numbness surrounding her heart, Abby must decide if she has it in her to risk another chance at happiness, knowing the odds are not in her favor.  

   
I haven't read a book by Rachael Anderson that I didn't absolutely love and this awesome book didn't fail to meet that grade. ~Vicki

This forbidden Regency romance was excellent! Once I started, it was hard—almost impossible—to put down. ~Charissa

This is the first full-length novel I've read by Rachael Anderson, but it definitely won't be the last. I really enjoyed the story--the writing was really good with no annoying parts or awkwardness, the plot was interesting, the characters were endearing (I loved the banter between Brigtson and Abby!), and this book was just really good. Highly enjoyable. Great choice for those who like clean, well-written Regency romances. ~AE2

This is a wonderful story for anyone who enjoys a clever and heart-warming historical tale that will leave them with a smile on their face. ~Phyllis    

Author Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

   

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in PayPal Cash

Ends 1/10/19

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader & Clean Wholesome Romance and is sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

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