archive: 2019
Before we dive in, I have to say: I love Melissa de la Cruz. And I enjoyed The Birthday Girl, but am a little puzzled at its being marketed as a thriller. ...
After The French Girl, I had a theory: Lexie Elliot was on the fast track to becoming one of my favourite authors. ...
RAINSTORM by Susana Mohel will be here in just one week! Keep reading for a brand new excerpt and be sure to add this second chance contemporary romance to your TBR today! ...
Guess who has the cover reveal for Marie Skye's Don't Stop Me? We do, we do, we do! One... two... three. ...
archive: 2019
Life's a Circus! Trapeze is a Sweet Contemporary That Brings on the Warm and Fuzzies | Review: Trapeze by Leigh Ansell
10:18 PM Started on Wattpad, now it's on its way to our shelves! Trapeze is perfect for fans of Morgan Matson, Susane Colasanti and Sarah Dessen! ...
The good news is that I'm still 100% Alice in Wonderland TRASH. And I'll definitely buy every retelling I can get my hands on--Wonderland Academy sounds like a blast! ...
This weeks topic was Books I’ve Read That I’d Like In My Personal Library but for some reason, I was binge watching Wish Hauls on Youtube and found myself thinking: "What would certain books be called on Wish?" and once you go down that slope, there's really no going back. You're all in. ...
Get ready for an all-new contemporary romance series, Barflies, and its first installment The Bar Next Door. As a millennial who can't say no to some neon lights/signs, this cover is giving me SO much life. I have a good feeling about this one, guys, and can't wait to get my hands on it! ...
Another week where I actually did pretty decently with churning out new content for the blog (I am PROUD but have to wonder when I will slip out of this little groove), watched way too many ghost hunting/paranormal shows, changed my Instagram theme/editing style and have been listening to Taylor Swift non-stop. ...
This is my first time joining in on the fun with the Book Blogger Hop tag, but I couldn't resist any longer! Also, I noticed that it was relaunched on my birthday back in 2013 so that was a double take moment of intrigue for me, personally! ...
archive: 2019
LGBTQIA+ Representation but Littered with Disjointed and Overdone Slang | Review: The Pursuit of Miss Heartbreak Hotel by Moe Bonneau
3:31 PM This Betty was incredibly disappointed in The Pursuit of Miss Heartbreak Hotel. Word. (Believe me, I'm SUPER sad about it.) ...
Finally read my second book of Lauren Layne's! Featuring the ever-popular romantic trope: friends to lovers. ...
Love contemporary romance? Get ready for Nikky Kaye's standalone A Rock and a Hard Place--now available and FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Love contemporary romance? Get ready for Nikky Kaye's standalone A Rock and a Hard Place--now available and FREE on Kindle Unlimited. ...
It's time for your next dark romance obsession--The Puppetmaster is releasing on September 13th and I have your first look at its delectable cover art. And the chance to win a signed copy of the novel! ...
Did somebody say 2019 needed more witches? (Me! Me! Me!) ...
archive: 2019
Realistic Girlhood That Leaves You Feeling Optimistic | Review: This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura
7:14 PM I will warn you that this novel does have some trigger warnings attached to it and tackles quite a few topics including racism, homophobia, teenage pregnancy and more. There are brief mentions of a miscarriage and of an abortion as well. Proceed with caution if these might be something that triggers you and, as always, take care of yourself. ...
archive: 2019
Jane Cobalt Takes the Spotlight and MY WHOLE HEART | Review: Tangled Like Us by Krista & Becca Ritchie
7:45 PM There are some traditions in my life that I will always honor: two cups of coffee before existing, putting Christmas decorations up the day after Thanksgiving, rereading Harry Potter in the autumn, watching Doctor Who Christmas specials on Christmas Day with my dad, wax poetic about Rent in front of complete strangers and duck behind trash cans when spotting people from high school....
Happy Tuesday! Or as my brain likes to say: Happy Three More Days Until Friday! (This is why I don't make jokes. I don't know how to funny or who allowed me to try.) It's that time again! Top Ten Tuesday! And this weeks topic? Favourite tropes. Buckle up, kiddos. It's time to discuss. ...
Summer may be close to ending, but there are still so many great YA reads coming your way. And best of all? Swoon Reads has you covered with Katy Upperman's latest: How the Light Gets In. ...
!jessica made a tag
The V.C. Andrews Experience Tag | (Badly) Describing V.C. Andrews Novels I've Never Actually Read All the Way Through
2:52 PM Ah, is there anything more completely twisted and Gothic and disturbing than a classic V.C. Andrews novel? Important trigger warning note: it goes without saying that this post is intended for an older audience and may contain triggering topics. V.C. Andrews is basically a trigger warning in her own right. ...
all the lovely pieces
All the Lovely Pieces Could Be Your Next Thriller Obsession | Review: All the Lovely Pieces by J.M. Winchester
7:30 AM All the Lovely Pieces wasn't quite what I expected, but I think it will find its audience quite quickly and Winchester's writing is certainly twist and bleak. ...
Happy release day to Katie Ashley and her latest standalone: Reining Her In! Romance fans, get ready. You're not going to want to miss this one. ...
archive: 2019
A City Driven and Defined by its Secrets? | Review: Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman
4:14 PM It's official! I've read my first Laura Lippman novel. At last! And, honestly, you can't really go wrong with a book titled Lady in the Lake, can you? Give me all the noir. ...
[bouncing around in excitement] Defy Me had lots of Kenji, SO may plot twists and gave me a lot of thoughts. ...
While you're waiting for my full review, you may as well witness the incoherent babbling that was my thought process during the fifth Shatter Me novel Defy Me. Spoilers galore! You know the drill. ...
archive: 2019
A Properly Delightful, Magical Steampunk Rapunzel Retelling | Review: The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen
7:30 AM Will I ever tire of fairy-tale retellings? NOPE. I most certainly will not. The Lady in the Coppergate Tower is sweet, dazzling and fun from start to finish. ...
Oh, dear. If ever fiction became reality--well, these characters would be my new besties. Moment of silence for Sammy and Becca. (Moment of silence for me after one, or both of them, READS THIS. Off with my head? Let's start taking bets now on how long I have before they destroy me at least verbally.) ...
It's official: Sawkill Girls makes me wish it was Autumn already. Is it Halloween yet? ...
archive: 2019
The Wedding Party is Steamy and Complicated | Review: The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
10:24 PM Jasmine Guillory does it again with The Wedding Party--and your favourite characters from the previous two books make cameos! ...
archive: 2019
Prince Charming is a Fluffy, Quick Read That Ultimately Wasn't for Me | Review: Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins
10:21 PM Can we all take a moment to appreciate the total revamp this novel got? Both in name and cover design? Swoon. ...
archive: 2019
Splinters Are Children of Wood is Chaotic and Intimate | Review: Splinters Are Children of Wood by Leia Penina Wilson
10:13 PM Good poetry is something you feel throughout your entire body and Splinters Are Children of Wood is one collection that demands to be felt. ...
The other night I was thinking about my posting habits through the years. When I started Booked J, I primarily focused on standalone books rather than series. I mean, I definitely posted both but the preference was fairly obvious. Somewhere along the way, this switched! I began reading more series than standalones--which obviously isn't a bad thing. ...
archive: 2019
I Wish You the Best Deserves All the Love in the World | Review: I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
6:00 AM Spoiler alert: Mason Deaver did THAT and they are one of the most promising voices in YA. ...
aminah mae safi
A Sapphic Rom-Com with a Hefty Dose of Angst | Review: Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
5:30 AM One of YA's most anticipated releases this year! Was Tell Me How You Really Feel the sapphic rom-com of our dreams? ...
Kiersten White? Writing in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe? Sign me up. OBVIOUSLY. ...
archive: 2019
The Dragon Republic is Explosive, Intense and Darkly Brilliant | Review: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
6:30 AM If you thought The Poppy War was gripping and brutal, just you wait until you get your hands on The Dragon Republic. I literally can't stop thinking about this book/this series. ...
archive: 2019
The Poppy War is Electrifying and Impossible to Put Down | Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
5:54 PM Fantasy lovers, get ready for this one! You've heard the hype. In the case of The Poppy War, it was SO deserving. I am completely obsessed. If you haven't read it yet, now's the time. Time to get ready for tomorrow's stop on The Dragon Republic blog tour! ...
archive: 2019
A Charming, Modern Twist on a Tale as Old as Time | Review: Beau & Bett by Kathryn Berla
5:20 PM Is anybody else humming the entire score to Disney's Beauty and the Beast, right now? Just me? ...
amie kaufman
Aurora Rising is Creative, Charming and Adventurous | Review: Aurora Rising by Aime Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
3:39 PM Get ready for another vivid and fast paced space adventure by this dynamic duo. Are you ready? ...
amanda lovelace
Amanda Lovelace Gives Us Poetry That Consumes | Review: To Drink Coffee with a Ghost by Amanda Lovelace
3:22 PM This collection was really great. And, yes. As it happens, I am still an Amanda Lovelace stan. 100%. ...
archive: 2019
Fast Paced, Romantic and Full of Life | Blog Tour, Review, Excerpt + Q&A: The Last Hope by Krista & Becca Ritchie
5:30 AM If you guys thought I lost my mind last year doing the blog tour for The Raging Ones, you should see me now. TODAY'S THE DAY: my tour stop for The Last Hope. I can't believe this duology is over. Special thank-yous to Wednesday Books for inviting me to be a tour host and Krista and Becca Ritchie for answering a few questions!...
I love, love, love Top Ten Tuesday always. I mean, it's a total ride or die thing. BUT THIS TOPIC? I love it most of all. Because it gives me the chance to yell about THAT cover redesign. ...
!guest poster
Guest Post: Children's Illustrator Samantha Holm on the Importance of Art in Storytelling and What Inspires Her Artistically
12:30 AM Last December, I found myself in a bit of a slump for content. Especially after a good majority of my posts from Tumblr are now gone. And I knew that getting close to twelve years in this community, I needed something to revive my creativity. At the same time, the idea in my grasp was brewing for nearly three years—I wanted to spotlight...
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Tale as Old as Time | Book Blitz + Giveaways: Kingdom of Mirrors & Roses (Collection of Beauty and the Beast Retellings)
12:00 AM That's right, fairy tale retelling fans! We've got another collection of delectable Beauty and the Beast retellings headed your way. ...