Fairy Loot Unboxing - November: Royals and Rogues

My November Fairy Loot box arrived on Wednesday and I was incredibly excited for it! This is not only my first Fairy Loot box but my first bookish subscription box (I currently get two lifestyle/beauty boxes as well). I've been pretty nervous to get a book subscription because I pre-order a lot of books and I was worried about duplicates. One of the (many) great things about Fairy Loot is their theme descriptions - so if, like me, you worry about getting two of the same book you can always read the theme and make a guess at the book. 

Spoilers ahead!!

This is one of those times where I really wish I was better at photography! I loved pretty much everything in this box. Here's what it contained;

• Queen of Books Mug (Designed exclusively for this box by ReadAtMidnight). I absolutely love this mug. I am a huge fan of mugs in general but this is my first bookish mug.
• Royals & Rogues Tea (From The Tea Leaf Company). I am not actually a tea drinker so whilst this was a really nice addition to the box I will be passing this on to my Mum.
• Calipha Pocket Mirror (Designed exclusively for this box by Bookworm Boutique). This was very useful for me because I actually needed a new handbag mirror - plus The Wrath and the Dawn is one of my favourite duologies. The quote on the back reads "My Queen is Without Limitations. Boundless in All That She Does".
• Queen of Terrasen Notepad (Hand lettered by Alexis Lampley). Whilst I love the design on this notepad, there isn't a lot of room to write on it yourself so it's not the most practical notepad I own. But I am sure I will use it.
• Scented Spectorium Soap Crystals (Made by CraftyRagamuffin). The note inside the box simply says that I will "understand what it symbolizes after you read this month's book!" So I am going to have to read the book to find out I guess! It does smell nice though.
• Art Print for Red Queen (Lettering side - LovelyOwlsBooks, Illustration- BookOtter). This is a really nice art print for Red Queen. It looks amazing - I didn't love Red Queen when I read it but this is just so pretty.
• Tote Bag Hands down my favourite thing in this box (apart from the book). I actually already used this and it is as practical as it is beautiful. The quote is "That I Will Bow Before No One And Nothing But My Crown" from A Court of Mist and Fury - one of my favourite books of the year.
• Nemesis by Anna Banks This is actually a book I am super excited to read! I had almost pre-ordered it but decided not to in the end just because I had too many books pre-ordered in October already. This came with a signed bookplate and a letter from the author.

I was very happy with this box and thought it was well worth it's price (£26 +P&P). This is a great box for me because not only is Fantasy a genre I already adore - this box is also based in the UK. I have been unable to get any of the US based boxes purely because the postage would bankrupt me! 

The December theme is Sci-Fi Adventure and you can find more information on it here. I know that I am super excited to see what the December box will contain! 

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Friday Reads 18th November 2016

Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. The idea is to share a sentence or so from the first page and the 56th page of the book you are currently reading! 

Book Beginning:

"The two stalwart highway patrolmen guarding the barricade stared at her without registering any emotion, but because of the media blitz of the past few days, she knew they recognized her and that, in spite of their implacable demeanor; they were curious to know why Judge Holly Spencer was angling to get closer to the scene of a bloodbath." - Friction by Sandra Brown

Friday 56:

"While she fumed, he took a more thorough look around the kitchen. There were the usual small appliances on the counter, an African violet in the window above the sink, a small dining table with only two chairs. Compact and scrupulously tidy. Nothing fussy. About what he would expect." - Friction by Sandra Brown

For the first time in a while I am currently reading three books! Friction is a review book that I am close to finishing. I chose to take my quotes from it today because I am further along in it and didn't want to spoil myself for the other two. So far I am enjoying it although it is marginally less action-packed than Sting which is the other one of her books I've read. I am also doing a buddy read of Nevernight with Veronika from The Regal Critiques. I am only starting this one today so I am not sure yet what I think of it. The same goes for Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy which only arrived today and I think I will be reading it a story at a time. 

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Wednesday Catch-Up 16th November 2016

Every Wednesday we are linking up with WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is hosted at Taking on a World of Words and asks 3 questions: What are you currently reading?, What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you'll read next?

Clare:

Currently Reading:

I am just over halfway through The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer and I am mostly enjoying it so far. It does drag in places and I think it is probably way longer than it really needed to be - which is why it's taking me so long to finish! 

Recently Finished:

I only finished one book this week but at least it was a good one! Stalking Jack the Ripper was a really great mystery, very gruesome and with some amazing characters. I did solve the mystery way before the main character (who didn't actually solve it so much as accidentally stumble into the answer) but I can completely understand why she never saw it coming.

Planning to Read Next:

Next up I am planning to read Friction by Sandra Brown. This will be my second Sandra Brown book (the first being Sting which I reviewed on Monday) and I am excited to read this one. I then want to read Burn by Suzanne wright which I think I will really enjoy as I am kind of in the mood for paranormal romance right now. And then finally I may read The Secret by Kathryn Hughes. I don't know much about this one but I feel like it will be a definite change of pace from my recent reads.

 You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Clare Reviews: Sting by Sandra Brown

Title: Sting

Author: Sandra Brown
Source: Received from publisher for an honest review

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 408

Rating: 4/5

Blurb: When Jordie Bennet and Shaw Kinnard lock eyes across a disreputable backwater bar, something definitely sparks. Shaw gives off a dangerous vibe that makes men wary and inspires women to sit up and take notice. None feel that undercurrent more strongly than savvy businesswoman Jordie, who doesn't belong in a seedy dive on the banks of a bayou. But here she is . . . and Shaw Kinnard is here to kill her. 

As Shaw and his partner take aim, Jordie is certain her time has come. But Shaw has other plans and abducts Jordie, hoping to get his hands on the $30 million her brother has stolen and, presumably, hidden. However, Shaw is not the only one looking for the fortune. Her brother's ruthless boss and the FBI are after it as well. Now on the run from the feds and a notorious criminal, Jordie and Shaw must rely on their wits-and each other-to stay alive. 

Miles away from civilization and surrounded by swampland, the two play each other against their common enemies. Jordie's only chance of survival is to outwit Shaw, but it soon becomes clear to Shaw that Jordie isn't entirely trustworthy, either. Was she in on her brother's scam, or is she an innocent pawn in a deadly vendetta? And just how valuable is her life to Shaw, her remorseless and manipulative captor? Burning for answers-and for each other-this unlikely pair ultimately make a desperate move that could be their last.

From the blurb I was definitely expecting a romance heavy thriller with plenty of double crosses and plot twists. And that's pretty much what the book delivered. Yes, some of the plot twists were a little predictable but for the most part I was pleasantly shocked when secrets were revealed.

Our main characters are Shaw Kinnard and Jordie Bennet. Shaw is a hard as nails hitman sent to kill Jordie who changes his mind and kidnaps her instead - claiming that he can get more money from her brother that way. The details of the hit and the kidnapping were very interesting for me and I loved the way this first part of the book played out. Shaw was plenty ruthless and Jordie was, understandably, terrified. I also really liked how the book switched between their perspectives and those of the FBI agents trying to rescue Jordie and even her brother - whose head is not always a great place to be in.

However, then the romance kicked in. Whilst everything else about this felt realistic to the characters - the romance felt a little rushed, at least at first. And I definitely doubted the sanity of a woman who fell in love with her captor. Especially since he didn't really show her his softer side at all. It definitely felt a little like Stockholm syndrome and I was glad by the end of the book that there was a bit more development even though for me it never quite rang true. 

As I mentioned there are plenty of plot twists - two in particular that I thought were really good. I won't go into it too much because I definitely don't want to spoil the book but the first was surprising although I did share a bit of Jordie's anger. And the second was a pretty brilliant plot twist - it came as a huge surprise towards the end but looking back over the book as a whole it definitely fit in with the plot. I would like to re-read the book with the plot twist in mind and see if I can spot any hints.

There is definitely plenty of action in this book - with Shaw and his partner trying to kill Jordie and then with double crossings and FBI manhunts and more assassins this was definitely not a dull read. I was entertained throughout and I read it in only a couple of sittings. This was my first Sandra Brown novel but it definitely gives me an idea of why she is such a well loved author and I am definitely going to be checking out more of her books in the future. If you are already a fan of Sandra Brown or if you are looking for a great romantic thriller then I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Sunday Post 13th November 2016

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, it's a chance to post a recap on the past week, show the books we have received and share what we plan for the coming week. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and the aim is to show our newest books and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops or downloaded on to their e-reader. As always you can click on any of the pictures to be taken to the Goodreads page for that book if you're interested in finding out more about it.

Last Week on the Blog:

• Blog Tour: The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson
• Top Ten Books I've Added to my TBR Lately
• Wednesday Catch-Up
• Clare Reviews: Marlow's Landing by Toby Vieira
• Friday Reads
• Clare Reviews: Hard Rules by Lisa Renee Jones

Books We Got This Week:

An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters and Denizens of Downworld by Cassandra Clare, Illustrated by Cassandra Jean: So apparently I will continue to buy any book relating to the Shadowhunter world because I have zero self control. In my defense the illustrations are really nice and I do feel like this will be a nice point of reference when reading her new series'.

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer: I was always going to be getting this - Twilight definitely isn't perfect but it is the first YA book I ever read and I am interested to see how she does with non-YA fiction. I am actually currently reading this and mostly enjoying it so far. I may do a review when I am done so let me know if you would be interested in that?

Someone to Love by Mary Balogh: I generally enjoy Mary Balogh's books. She isn't my favourite regency romance author but this new release really intrigued me so I picked it up.

Reading Update:

Clare:

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas: 4 stars, There was a little less mystery than I had been anticipating. A lot of this was setting up Charlotte's circumstances and introducing all of the characters. There were also a couple of side mysteries to show off Charlotte's skills and then when the big reveal came I liked it. Overall I really enjoyed it but I am hoping for more mystery and action in the rest of the series.

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco: 4.5 stars, This was a bit more gruesome than I had been expecting (which is clearly my fault because it says Jack the Ripper right there in the title - what was I expecting really??). I loved the main character and the side characters were all engaging. I found the mystery a little obvious in that it wasn't obvious. By which I mean - we were so clearly being pointed in other directions that the real murderer was obvious. I'll be interested to see where the rest of the series will go from here because after solving the mystery of Jack the Ripper any other mystery is going to seem like a bit of an anti-climax.

Next Week on the Blog:

• Clare Reviews: Sting by Sandra Brown
• Top Ten Movie Freebie
• Wednesday Catch-Up
• Top 5 Favourite Publishers
• Clare Reviews: Friction by Sandra Brown
• Friday Reads
• Clare Reviews: Burn by Suzanne Wright

 You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Clare Reviews: Hard Rules by Lisa Renee Jones

Title: Hard Rules

Author: Lisa Renee Jones

Series: Dirty Money #1

Source: Received from publisher for honest review

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 

Blurb: The only man within the Brandon empire with a moral compass, Shane Brandon is ready to take his family's business dealings legitimate. His reckless and ruthless brother, Derek wants to keep Brandon Enterprises cemented in lies, deceit and corruption. But the harder Shane fights to pull the company back into the light, the darker he has to become. Then he meets Emily Stevens, a woman who not only stirs a voracious sexual need in him, but becomes the only thing anchoring him between good and evil.

Emily is consumed by Shane, pushed sexually in ways she never dreamed of, falling deeper into the all-encompassing passion that is this man. She trusts him. He trusts her, but therein lies the danger. Emily has a secret, the very thing that brought her to him in the first place, and that secret that could that destroy them both. 

Hard Rules is the first in a promising new series from Lisa Renee Jones. Although this wasn't as exciting a novel as I had been expecting, the last few chapters showed that the series as a whole is going to be full of excitement and betrayal.

The characters are very intriguing. Emily has a past that is never revealed in this book and I am having a lot of fun trying to guess what she was involved in previously. Despite her potentially dubious past and some suspicious behaviour - I was certain that we, the readers could trust her. Shane was a lot more upfront with his past, he came across as a very truthful and moral person and I will be interested to see how he handles Emily's lies in future books. The side characters were never as fully fleshed out as I would have liked. Jessica and Seth are the trustworthy sidekicks, Shane's parents are devious and manipulative and Derek, Shane's brother, seems to be straight up evil. I am hoping that each of these characters come into their own a bit more in future books.

Unfortunately, the plot - which promised to be an intriguing look at corruption in Shane's family business - did get buried under a lot of  romance. The romance itself was mostly believable although it did develop incredibly quickly. Both Shane and Emily also had a frustrating habit of pushing each other away to protect the other person. It always makes me frustrated when characters don't just talk about what's going on. So much strife could be saved. But, of course, that would make for a much shorter series and who wants that?

This was a very well written book with some great characters and the promise of a very exciting plot in books to come. Book 2 Damage Control is set to be released in February of next year so I don't have to wait too long to pick up from where this book's cliffhanger left off. But I know I will be keen to see what happens next with Shane's family, and perhaps even more - what happened in Emily's past. If you're a romance fan then this is definitely a series you'll want to get into.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading 

Friday Reads 11th November 2016

Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. The idea is to share a sentence or so from the first page and the 56th page of the book you are currently reading! 

Book Beginning:

"I placed my thumb and forefinger on the icy flesh, spreading it out above the breastbone as Uncle had showed me."

Friday 56:

"The murderer truly must be a madman if he thought what he was doing was helpful or righteous. And that thought was more terrifying than any other."

I am only just starting this book but that first sentence certainly sets a tone! I am a fairly squeamish person (and something about the word flesh just creeps me out) but I am excited for this book. And I definitely see her point on the 56 - a murderer who thinks they're in the right is much more terrifying to deal with. 

 You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Clare Reviews: Marlow's Landing by Toby Vieira

Title: Marlow's Landing
Author: Toby Vieira
Source: Received from publisher for an honest review
Publisher: John Murray Original
Pages: 304
Rating: 3/5
Blurb: A thrilling novel of diamonds, deceit and a trip up-river.
Goldhaven is after the biggest pink stone in the world. Zog Shikzahl is after Goldhaven. And Boss Macquarie is after his cut. But what on earth is an accountant from Hull after, heading upriver into the biggest white patch on the map?

I didn't know a lot about this book before I started. The blurb is very vague, and there was only one review up on goodreads. So I went in with an open mind and came away - pleased and slightly confused?

This is not a book you can dip in and out of. It demands you're full attention. There is no dialogue - or rather there are no quotation marks and the dialogue is mixed in amongst the general text. And I'll admit this bothered me at first, but once I had got my head around it (and sorted out who was saying what when) this wasn't as disorienting and definitely added something to the overall feel of the book - which was a bit like stream of consciousness from the main character. It reminded me almost of reading someones diary. There is also quite a bit of French dialogue thrown in there - which is where it lost me a little, I did German in school, not French so my understanding of those parts was pretty much non-existent.

The main character, whose name I have either forgotten or was never mentioned, is at times a bad head to be inside. Goldhaven would have been more calm and collected. Our main character on the other hand, is wholly unsuited to the business of diamond smuggling and, once he has contracted malaria, he becomes completely unreliable. His dream sequences and hallucinations are mixed in with the general plot with no clear division so it was sometimes a job to work out what was or was not happening - although I am pretty sure the scene with giant talking birds was a dream. This means there is a lot of re-reading sections.

I really liked the ending which was left as vague as the blurb and offered up some interesting choices for the reader. I usually prefer closed endings but in this case - when it comes to the enigmatic Goldhaven - I preferred the more mysterious ending.  Goldhaven was the books most intriguing character and I was really hoping to see more of him. Any of his scenes are written in third person - which keeps up the whole mysterious aspect. So you never really know what he is thinking or what he is up to. He is, arguably, the villain of the novel, in the way he treats other characters - specifically the main character. But I found him infinitely more interesting and compelling.

Overall, I would say that, although this book left me unsure of how I felt I am very glad I read it. It was very different from anything I expected to read and was laid out in a way I would normally say I hated. But I did connect with the characters, I smiled, I empathised, I was desperate to find some sort of happy ending for the main character and to know more about Goldhaven. If you have the time, the intense concentration and the French dictionary to hand then I recommend this, but I am sure this won't appeal to everyone.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Wednesday Catch-Up 9th November 2016

Every Wednesday we are linking up with WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is hosted at Taking on a World of Words and asks 3 questions: What are you currently reading?, What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you'll read next?

Ann:

Currently Reading:

I am in a reading mood at the moment and so I will probably have finished The Lovely and the Lost soon, so far I am really enjoying it and I am loving the characters!

Recently Finished:

I finished The Female Of The Species very quickly and unlike most great books I read it put me into a reading mood, I have nothing but praise for this book! I really enjoyed Geek Girl and will probably read the other books in the series but I think the story took a while to actually begin!

Planning to Read Next:

Next I am planning on reading Stalking Jack The Ripper because I love the sound of it and I think that it is going to be a very good book that I will really enjoy! I also plan on reading The Wonderous And The Wicked because I loved the first two books in the series and so I really want to see how the series is going to end. Finally I plan on reading No Such Thing As Immortality which is a new book I got while out shopping this weekend, I don't know much about it but from the blurb it sounds like something that I may enjoy!

Clare:

Currently Reading:

I'll be honest - I haven't even remotely picked Stalking Jack the Ripper up yet. I was too anxious about the election last night to read and I am a little too heartsick this morning. But this is the book I will be picking up when I can and it's one I have been very excited about for a very long time so with any luck it will be good enough to distract me from real life.

Recently Finished:

The first book I read this week was The Female of the Species which really affected me, more so than I had even thought it would. After it finished I was literally sobbing and whilst I cry very easily I don't think I've ever cried that hard over a book before. I thought this was raw and honest and terrifying in a lot of ways and I was left feeling scared and angry but I really, highly recommend this book (with a trigger warning for rape). I then read Yesternight which is the new Cat Winters book. I really enjoyed it - it was a very tense and intriguing read and I was constantly desperate to discover what would happen next. There are also a couple of big twists (the last one especially) that caught me by surprise. And finally, I finished A Study in Scarlet Women which was a very good read. I think the mystery element took a backseat to what was mostly setup for the series - learning who everyone was and getting them into their roles. But it ended really well and I am looking forward to the next book.

Planning to Read Next:

Next up I am planning to read The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer which was released yesterday. I am kind of weirdly excited for this one but also trying to keep my expectations low. It sounds like it could be a fun read though. Then I want to read Friction by Sandra Brown which I have for review - I enjoyed Sting by Sandra Brown (my review is coming next week) so have some high hopes for this one. And then another review book Burn by Suzanne Wright which looks like it will be a quick and exciting read!

 You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Top Ten Books I Recently Added to My TBR!!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke & The Bookish. You can find the link up for this week's topic here and a list of past and future topics here.

1) The Quest by Dani Hoots

I was recently sent this for review by the author and I am very excited for it! It has a very interesting premise and the first chapter really captured my attention!

2) The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

This book is being hyped up so much but it sounds brilliant! I love the idea of it and I don't think I've read anything like it before which is always exciting! I actually have the black cover of this (UK Amazon orders got either the white cover or black cover randomly I believe) and I love it - I think it is so beautiful but I couldn't find a picture to put here so I will have to take one later for instagram.

3) Heartless by Marissa Meyer

I have been anticipating this since it was first announced! I loved the Lunar Chronicles and I love Alice in Wonderland - so a Queen of Hearts origin story from Marissa Meyer was always going to be my thing! Plus - the cover is so genuinely gorgeous! 

4) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

I am actually planning to read this next and I am expecting great things! Everyone I know who has read it, absolutely loved it.

5) The Liberation by Kate Furnivall

I haven't read a Kate Furnivall book in a while but back when I read a lot of Historical fiction she was one of my favourite authors - I am starting to read a lot more of this genre again so this is high on my TBR!

6) Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan

Another review book and one I am very, very excited for! I loved the first two books in the series and this one follows Eva who is my favourite character of the series so far! I definitely want to read this in November!

7) Florence Grace by Tracy Rees

Tracy Rees wrote the brilliant Amy Snow so I had to get this book! I don't really know much about the plot but to be honest - after how much I enjoyed Amy Snow I was always going to pick this up whatever the plot!

8) If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

This was the first Zoella Autumn book club pick so I grabbed a copy from WHSmith (the second pick is Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell which I will be getting in the next couple of days). But I was already planning on reading this.

9) The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

This just arrived today and I am really weirdly excited for it! I get excited every time there is a new Stephenie Meyer book and I have no idea why because I never end up loving them! But this sounds like an interesting read and I am interested to see what she does outside YA.

10) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

I've heard this is a funny and fun read and that it has a really cute romance! 

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading