A Fun, Original Fantasy - Three Mages and a Margarita Review

Title: Three Mages and a Margarita

Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound #1

Author: Annette Marie

My rating: 3.5 hearts

Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

Pub. date: September 14, 2018

Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Synopsis: Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.

It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview—to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?

I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they… offered me the job?

It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-shit bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here.

So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course—with a pay raise. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Sweet and Romantic, but With Annoying Characters - Just Pretending Review

*Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader's Copy from Netgalley for review consideration. This does in no way affect my opinion, and all thoughts expressed in this review are unbiased and my own.*

Title: Just Pretending

Series: The Chicago Falcons #3

Author: Leah Rooper, Kate Rooper

My rating: 4 hearts

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pub. date: November 5, 2018

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Synopsis: It's not easy being royal. Sixteen-year-old Evangeline wears her crown proudly, but between her duties and her overprotective big brother, the idea of romance is just a dream. But a chance encounter in Chicago changes all that…. 

Sure, seventeen-year-old Tyler Evans loves playing hockey, but he's more concerned about providing for his dad and little sister. Then he meets Eva--and falls head-over-heels in love—and he has two more problems. One, she's his best friend's little sister. Two, she wears a crown.

But then Eva accidentally mistakes Tyler for a visiting prince, and for the first time, Tyler doesn't feel like a nobody. He knows he has to tell her the truth…but not yet. 

His plan? To keep up the royal charade as long as it takes to convince Eva he’s the guy for her. Even if he’s lying to everyone…including himself.

Disclaimer: May cause disillusionment. Those girls looking to find their Prince Charming might consider scouting out hockey rinks. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Backlist Shelf Control: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Backlist Shelf Control is a new weekly feature hosted by The Reading Faery that will run on Fridays, which is dedicated to sharing backlist books that have been on your TBR for too long. Each week, you talk about a backlist book (any book published 2018 or earlier) that you're excited to read and why you want to read it. If you participate, feel free to comment on my post and share your link, so that I can check out your post!

Hades and Persephone Like You've Never Seen Them Before - Blinding Night Review

*Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author for review consideration. This does in no way affect my opinion, and all thoughts expressed in this review are unbiased and my own.*

Title: Blinding Night

Series: Blinding Night #1

Author: Chantal Gadoury

My rating: 4 hearts

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pub. date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: The Parliament House

Synopsis: What if you were the missing piece in one of the world’s most epic legends? 

Despite being an art history student, Summer isn’t thrilled to be stuck with her archeologist family all summer in Greece. While the rest of her college friends are posting a million selfies by the pool together, Summer is stuck alone, trying to entertain herself alone in a place where she doesn’t even speak the language. 

Upon her arrival to Greece, strange dreams and even stranger shadows seem to haunt Summer, leaving her to ponder the meaning of pomegranate seeds and twisted, darkened faces. 

Suddenly, her stay abroad leads to tragic twists, leaving Summer in the arms of a dark stranger, who claims to be the god, Hades, whom she feels like she knows from another life. In a whirlwind through the busy streets of Athens, Summer is seduced to the lowest point of Greece where Hades’ lair awaits…the Underworld. Determined to find out who she is and where she belongs in an age-old myth, Summer joins Hades to discover that the secrets about her past life are beyond anything she could have ever imagined. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Backlist Shelf Control: The Architect of Song by A.G. Howard

Backlist Shelf Control is a new weekly feature hosted by The Reading Faery that will run on Fridays, which is dedicated to sharing backlist books that have been on your TBR for too long. Each week, you talk about a backlist book (any book published 2018 or earlier) that you're excited to read and why you want to read it. If you participate, feel free to comment on my post and share your link, so that I can check out your post!

Book Blitz: Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie

Hey guys! I'm so excited to share the Book Blitz for Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie with you all today! This is such a fun and lighthearted read, filled with awesome fantasy. Keep reading for more info on the book, an excerpt and a giveaway!

Title: Two Witches and a Whiskey
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound #3
Author: Annette Marie
Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
Pub. date: February 8, 2019
Synopsis: Three months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar—at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind.

I'm not a badass mage like my three smokin' hot best friends. I'm not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I'm just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits.

So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord?

Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about five seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug.

I'm pretty sure this wasn't part of the job description.

Add to Goodreads!

Buy the book!

Terrifying and twisty, but a little slow - Spectacle ARC Review

*Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader's Copy from Netgalley for review consideration. This does in no way affect my opinion, and all thoughts expressed in this review are unbiased and my own.*

Title: Spectacle

Author: Jodie Lynn Zdroc

My rating: 3.5 hearts

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Historical

Pub. date: February 12, 2019

Publisher: Tor Teen

Synopsis: A YA murder mystery in which a young reporter must use her supernatural visions to help track down a killer targeting the young women of Paris.

Paris, 1887.

Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal. Her job is to summarize each day's new arrivals, a task she finds both fascinating and routine. That is, until the day she has a vision of the newest body, a young woman, being murdered--from the perspective of the murderer himself.

When the body of another woman is retrieved from the Seine days later, Paris begins to buzz with rumors that this victim may not be the last. Nathalie's search for answers sends her down a long, twisty road involving her mentally ill aunt, a brilliant but deluded scientist, and eventually into the Parisian Catacombs. As the killer continues to haunt the streets of Paris, it becomes clear that Nathalie's strange new ability may make her the only one who can discover the killer's identity--and she'll have to do it before she becomes a target herself. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Backlist Shelf Control: Unblemished by Sara Ella

Backlist Shelf Control is a weekly feature hosted by me, The Reading Faery, that will run on Fridays, which is dedicated to sharing backlist books that have been on your TBR for too long. Each week, you talk about a backlist book (any book published the year prior or earlier) that you're excited to read and why you want to read it. If you participate, please include a link to my blog, and feel free to comment on my post and share your link, so I can check out your post!

5 Series With Sequels Coming Out This Year

There are some great series with sequels coming this year, and I'm so here for it! Some series I got into last year, some I started earlier than that, and I'm seriously excited to read all of them. And if anyone else here is participating in Beat the Backlist, like I am, you can read the rest of the series before they get new additions this year! So, I decided to make a list with my most anticipated sequels this year (in no particular order, because I can't do that).

The Faery's Guide to Reading a New Genre

Most booklovers (especially me) have their one favorite genre that they love. Sure, they might try different genres, but there will always be that one genre you love more than any other. For me, that's YA Fantasy. However, I've recently started trying new genres, and I've found several new genres to love. For those of you unsure of where to start with a new genre, here's the Faery's Guide to Reading a New Genre.

Review and Excerpt Tour: Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

Hey guys! I'm so excited to share the Blog Tour for Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry with you today! It's an amazing, emotional young adult contemporary, and believe me, you don't want to miss this one! Keep reading for my review of the book and a giveaway.