Tag: reviews

𝑅𝑒𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒸𝒢 π’·π“Ž π’Ÿπ’Άπ“…π’½π“ƒπ‘’ π’Ήπ“Š π‘€π’Άπ“Šπ“‡π’Ύπ‘’𝓇

πΏπ’Άπ“ˆπ“‰ 𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝐼 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒢𝓂𝓉 𝐼 π“Œπ‘’π“ƒπ“‰ π“‰π‘œ π‘€π’Άπ“ƒπ’Ήπ‘’π“‡π“π‘’π“Ž 𝒢𝑔𝒢𝒾𝓃…

A young working class girl, off to the South of France with her Employer. Life is pretty bland, until she meets a considerably older gentleman. Recently widowed, yet genuinely handsome and wealthy!… Maxim de Winter.

Love quickly sparks between the couple and it is not long before Max sweeps her off her feet, quickly marrying and back to Max’s home,Β Manderley. Where soon the young bride finds that she may not know Max as well as she thought and memories of his first wife, Rebecca claim this home.

“𝑅𝑒𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒸𝒢 π’Ύπ“ˆ 𝓉𝒽𝑒 π’½π’Άπ“Šπ“ƒπ“‰π’Ύπ“ƒπ‘” π“ˆπ“‰π‘œπ“‡π“Ž π‘œπ’» 𝒢 π“Œπ‘œπ“‚π‘’π“ƒ π’Έπ‘œπ“ƒπ“ˆπ“Šπ“‚π‘’π’Ή π’·π“Ž π“π‘œπ“‹π‘’ 𝒢𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 π“ˆπ“‰π“‡π“Šπ‘”π‘”π“π‘’ π“‰π‘œ 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓇 π’Ύπ’Ήπ‘’π“ƒπ“‰π’Ύπ“‰π“Ž”.

4 out of 5 stars!

Rebecca truly blew me away! Classics, aside from horror/mystery classics can be very hit and miss for me. I think it may be a bit of the instant love in most and the unusual idea of romance.

But this Gothic romance sucked me in and Daphne’s writing is absolutely brilliant!

Maxim was a very heinous, unpleasant man and his young, new bride was childish… just completely juvenile. Yet they truly made the perfect team as the story developed and were surely the perfect couple.

This story is twisted, dark and very unnatural, but you won’t be able to put it down.

I will absolutely be looking into more of Daphne’s novels, especially if it is anything as exquisite as Rebecca.

And of course thank you all for reading.

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

π™±πš•πšŠπšŒπš” π™³πšŠπš πš— πš‹πš’ π™ΌπšŠπš•πš•πš˜πš›πš’ π™ΌπšŒπ™²πšŠπš›πšπš—πšŽπš’

𝔗π”₯𝔒 𝔒𝔫𝔑 𝔬𝔣 π”žπ”« π”ˆπ”ͺ𝔭𝔦𝔯𝔒, 𝔗π”₯𝔒 𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔒 𝔬𝔣 π”ž 𝔔𝔲𝔒𝔒𝔫

Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life. That is until two mysterious, and handsome soldiers show up at her apartment, and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Memphis Carter and Brokk Foster come from the magical and war ridden world of Kiero, and upon Emory’s arrival she will discover she is the long-lost heir to the Royal Line and is thrown into the Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne.Β 

With both men being darkly woven in her past Emory uncovers hidden secrets, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.

Some things are better left in the shadows.

*Synopsis copied from Amazon.ca*

“π΅π“Ž 𝐹𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒢𝓃𝒹 𝐹𝓁𝒢𝓂𝑒”

4.5 Stars out of 5

I couldn’t help myself. I had to copy the synopsis right from Amazon, my own description would not do it justice!

It took me WAY to long to finish reading this book and I am so ashamed!…

Now let me make it clear, it was not because it was a disappointing read in any way. I mean clearly you can see that, based on the rating I gave it.Β 

This was such an exciting, stimulating, breathtaking read!

Between the fights, betrayal, bloodshed, trickery and some of the most uniqueΒ characters I have ever followed in a novel, you are completely sucked into the world Mallory has created.

This world.. These characters will earn your affection and leave you wanting more.

Which is great! Since Mallory also has:

Renegade (set 6 years before Black Dawn)

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and just released Queen To Ashes the sequel to Black Dawn on February 19, 2019

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(Can we stop for a moment and just low key obsess over these covers!)

Oh and also, I am also so extremely proud to say…. Mallory is Canadian!

Thank you Mallory for sharing your masterpieces with us bookworms and for becoming one of my top favourite Canadian authors.

And of course thank you all for reading.

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

Thank You HQN Books!

A Huge Thank You to Harlequin Books (HQN Books)

HarperCollins Harlequin team (HQN Books) has sent a new, steamy read my way.

*** Please note this is not my official review, I have copied the synopsis’ from amazon.ca for the purpose of this post.

Down & Dirty (Men of Haven) by Rhenna Morgan

The Men of Haven: fierce passion, unyielding loyalty.

Especially when it comes to their women.

A powerful man

Axel McKee abandoned his musical career years ago in favor of becoming a power player on the music scene. His dreams of the spotlight are overβ€”and he’s better off for it. Working with his Haven brothers and building their empire is enough for him.

One who commanded attention with nothing more than a look

And then came Lizzy. A dynamic, beautiful powerhouse of a performer unlike any he’s seen or heard before. Her presence leaps off stage and into the heart of anyone who watches her sing. Axel wants her. Wants to help her and collaborate with her… But more than anything, he wants to be with her.

And every ounce of his attention was locked on her

Two things are immediately obvious: Lizzy’s been burned before, and earning her trust will be Axel’s biggest challenge yet. If he can get this fierce, stubborn, talented woman to see the passion and care that he’s offering, he might get a chance at a new dreamβ€”sharing the spotlight with the woman he loves.

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Published by: Carina PressΒ 

Keep your eyes out for Down & Dirty on shelves March 26, 2019!

Thank you again to HQN Books!

And of course thank you all for reading.

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

Thank You HQN Books!

A Huge Thank You to Harlequin Books (HQN Books)

HarperCollins Harlequin team (HQN Books) has sent a new and exciting historical fiction my way.

*** Please note this is not my official review, I have copied the synopsis’ from amazon.ca for the purpose of this post.

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century.

Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.

Slipping between Nazi-occupied Poland and the frenetic pace of modern life, Kelly Rimmer creates an emotional and finely wrought narrative that weaves together two women’s stories into a tapestry of perseverance, loyalty, love and honor.Β The Things We Cannot SayΒ is an unshakable reminder of the devastation when truth is silenced…and how it can take a lifetime to find our voice before we learn to trust it.

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Published by: Graydon HouseΒ 

Keep your eyes out for The Things We Cannot Say on shelves March 19, 2019!

Thank you again to HQN Books!

And of course thank you all for reading.

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

Thank you HQN Books!

A Huge Thank You to Harlequin Books (HQN Books)

HarperCollins Harlequin team (HQN Books) has sent a new and unique romance novel my way!

*** Please note this is not my official review, I have copied the synopsis’ from amazon.ca for the purpose of this post.

Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard by Jamie Raintree

Published by Graydon House on March 26, 2019

Mallory Graham is returning home to the heat and vines of Southern California in search of the peace she can’t find in the city. Her parents’ vineyard is an escape for tourists, but full of mixed memories for Mallory. It may also be the one place she can find the forgiveness she seeks. But can things ever go back to the way they once wereβ€”in the days before that long, hot, heartbreaking summer?

Growing up, it was Mallory and Kelly. Kelly and Mallory. Nothing could come between them. That summer before college, bucket list in hand, they greeted every sunrise and chased every sunset. Tattoosβ€”check. Sleeping under the starsβ€”check.

But when Mallory met Sam, everything changed. Older, experienced and everything Mallory never knew she wanted, Sam was her first taste of loveβ€”and the one adventure Mallory didn’t want to share with Kelly. But Kelly had her own secrets, too, until the night tragedy struck and their perfect summerβ€”and their friendshipβ€”unraveled.

Now, after ten years away, Mallory is home and determined to make amends. No more secrets, no more half-truths. As Kelly slowly lets her guard down, Mallory convinces her to complete their unfinished list of hopes and dreams. But Mallory’s not the only one back in town, and when Sam reappears, Mallory risks making all the same mistakesβ€”and maybe a few new onesβ€”to try to heal that which was broken.

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Published by: Graydon House

Keep your eyes out for Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard on shelves March 26, 2019!

Thank you again to HQN Books!

And of course thank you all for reading.

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

Thank you HQN Books!

A Huge Thank You to Harlequin Books (HQN Books)

HarperCollins Harlequin team (HQN Books) has sent a new Romance my way!

Hubba, hubba!… Get ready for Jack Crews!

*** Please note this is not my official review, I have copied the synopsis’ from amazon.ca for the purpose of this post.

Slow Ride by Lori Foster

Published by HQN Books on March 12, 2019

You can’t put the brakes on love…

Ronnie Ashford needs a distraction. In the morning, she has to offer arrogant, conventional Jack Crews a job and convince him not to take it. She doesn’t need anyone’s help, thank you very much. But tonight is all about the tall, sexy stranger who just walked in the barβ€”and all the delicious trouble they could get into together. Too bad just as things are heating up between them, he whispers the three little words that destroy everything: β€œI’m Jack Crews.”

Jack is determined to connect with fiery Ronnieβ€”in bed and out of itβ€”but her terms are clear. If he takes the job, helping her acquire prized artifacts for her mysterious bosses, anything between them is strictly off-limits. Somehow he has to convince a woman who’s never felt like she belonged that she’s found her placeβ€”with him. And with the danger sparking hotter than the fire between them, it’s going to be one unforgettable trip…

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Published by: HQN BooksΒ 

Keep your eyes out for Slow Ride on shelves March 12, 2019!

Thank you again to HQN Books!

And of course thank you all for reading.

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

Sculpt Yourself by SAVY

“𝒲𝑒‘𝓇𝑒 π’œπ“π“ π’₯π“Šπ“ˆπ“‰ π’²π‘œπ“‡π“€π“ˆ π’ͺ𝒻 π’œπ“‡π“‰“

 

Ever wish there was a way to change a certain part of your body? … Perhaps a way that wasn’t as permanent as cosmetic surgery?

Imagine … 1 pill that could do just that.

All you have to do is take one, then you can start manipulating any extra fat you have on your body.

Move it to other areas…maybe give yourself a little more va voom!

Lipamorph: The drug that lets you sculpt yourself.

Amber is a 24-year-old tech support worker by day, gay feminist blogger (and bad-sitcom aficionado) by night. She’s been vocal about her disapproval of Lipamorph from the beginning, seeing it as another tool to reinforce patriarchal beauty standards; but as Lipamorph becomes more common, Amber’s dissenting voice starts to matter less and less.

Judie is Amber’s younger sister, and seemingly her complete opposite; she loves pop music, pretty latte art and dating men. After struggling with hating her body for most of her life, Judie has become borderline reliant on Lipamorph for self-confidence, much to Amber’s dismay.

Β KellyΒ is an artist currently working for the marketing firm on the floor above Amber’s office. She’s whip-smart, proudly bisexual and strikingly beautiful…. and she’s the women Amber’s fallen in love with.

*** Character descriptions are not my own words. Taken from back of book itself….Β  this is one book that my words were not doing it justice**

“Sculpt Yourself tackles body image, LGBT+ topics and what it means to be a feminist in the 21st century”.

5 out of 5 stars

Sculpt yourself is so unique.

I savoured ever bit of this story. This is one that you don’t want to put down, yet don’t want it to end.

I thoroughly enjoyed that it was written from three different perspectives. I love multi perspective reads! It gives you a chance to really know each main character on more of a personal level. Which then helps you follow their story much more closely and really connect with each differently.

Savy truly created some of the most incredible characters. All such powerful women, yet they all have some type of insecurity. ….. I means who doesn’t in the real world?

Amber is passionate, outspoken and yet she can be very stubborn. Her love for the peopleΒ close in her life is very admirable. I also love her laid back, easy-going style.

Judie is quirky, fun, softhearted but knows that she has her insecurities and knows what she needs in her life to help her get through those insecurities.

Kelly is intelligent, artistic and independent but scared of some choices she made in her past and tends to hide them. While she grows during the story she learns that this is something she needs to change and honesty truly is the best policy.

I couldn’t recommend Sculpt Yourself enough! It has a little bit for everyone.

“Beauty has gone from an ideal to an expectation.”

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Now that I have shared my love for the story. I have to share my love for the author herself.

Savy is incredibly creative in so many ways and her success shines through. Her passions truly flood through her words. Whether it be by a piece she wrote or even while watching one of her BookTube videos! That’s right! You heard me right! Savy is an indie author that shares many of her passions along with writing with the book community.

Truly one of a kind, hard-working women that deserves so much love and support for everything she does.

Check her page out:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9WShNx2HsXRGjj9F593HzA

And of course thank you all for reading

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

Wayword Wax

As most of you know I am a Bookstagrammer!

If you don’t know what Bookstagram is, where have you been? …

Bookstagram is the book community of Instagram that is bursting with stunning photos of books and bookish items.

Anyhow, I digress. That is not the reason for my topic today.

Although Bookstagram does bring my attention to these much-needed items that all book lovers need! As well as incredible people with amazing talents that need to be shared.

Wayword Wax being one of them!

I met the marvelous Natasha through the book community on Instagram around a year ago now…. Not knowing she had a hidden talent! Shortly after getting to know her, I found out she makes the most amazing candles.

Which of course I had to share with you all on my blog!

What book lover doesn’t want a delicious smelling candle burning in the room. Filling the air with heavenly scents while you sit back, snuggled under a cozy blanket with a hot drink and great book?

And of course me going back to my bookstagram ways, they make for gorgeous photos to share.

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Not only can you purchase individual candles, as she posts her new creations. She also has a monthly candle subscription box with different monthly themes…AMAZING!

Please note Wayword Wax only ships within Canada. I am sorry all my international friends. Of course we have the overly priced shipping costs to blame for that!… I know you understand.

Perhaps with enough demand this could change in the future?

𝓦π“ͺ𝔂𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓦π“ͺ𝔁

**Canadian crafted soy wax candles for bibliophiles**Β 

Find Natasha on Etsy or Instagram:Β @waywordwax

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And of course thanks for reading

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

BookTuber Group Read for March: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Love BookTube!Β 

This is my firstΒ BookTuber group read and I am so excited to be taking part.

In the month of March, we will be reading:

ℝ𝕖𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕔𝕒 𝕓π•ͺ π”»π•’π•‘π•™π•Ÿπ•– 𝕕𝕦 π•„π•’π•¦π•£π•šπ•–π•£

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again …Working as a lady’s companion, the orphaned heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Life begins to look very bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. Whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to his brooding estate, Manderley, on the Cornish Coast, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding Mrs Danvers …Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the Other Woman. An international bestseller that has never gone out of print, Rebecca is the haunting story of a young girl consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.

*** Please note these are not my official reviews, I have taken the synopsis’ from amazon.ca for the purpose of this post.

I have heard so many great things about Rebecca, or just any of Daphne’s writing in general.

If you would like to read along that would be awesome. I would be happy to discuss our findings directly through here or any of my other bookish platforms.

You can find me on Instagram, Twitter or even YouTube.

Instagram: @nichi.i_readpastmybedtime

Twitter: @NicholeTiffin

YouTube: I_ReadPastMyBedtime

If you have already read Rebecca please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Just please, NO spoilers!

And of course thanks for reading

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole

Book Cover Buys

I know every book lover has heard the term “don’t judge a book by its cover”.. right?

Can you honestly sit there and say you have never done it?

We all have, I am pretty sure of that. How can you not, some covers just pull you in with their beauty. Isn’t that what the cover is there for, to give some sort of preview of what’s on the inside.

Although I don’t always believe judging a book by its cover is a bad thing. A lot of books I picked up just for their beautiful covers became some of my all time favourite reads. I have also found new favourite authors this way as well.

I will sayΒ  there are some types of covers that turn me away from the book, causing me not to pick it up. This I need to get over, who knows what amazing adventures I may be missing out on.

What are some cover buys you picked up? I would love to know, maybe I need to add them to my never-ending… slowly taking over the world list.

And of course thanks for reading

Your Fellow Book Worm

-Nichole