Book Review: Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Image via Goodreads

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Recommend to Others?: Yes

ABOUT: In this romantic page-turner from the author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, Evie has the power to see other people’s romantic fates–what will happen when she finally sees her own?

Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.

As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance Studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything–including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he’s only just met.

Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it’s that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?

 

REVIEW: This was an interesting and thought-provoking story. A lot of heart and emotions drives the plot through its exploration of love and all its values and risks.

Evie doesn’t believe in love anymore after catching her father cheating on her mom and their subsequent divorce. Her picture perfect view of love is shattered. Lost, Evie contemplates why people fall in love if it only ends in excruciating pain. She then gains the ability to see a couple’s love story and how it ultimately ends.

I don’t think I was ever completely on board with the magical aspect of the story, but was curious about how it might affect the plot. Evie’s visions provide a good source of conflict as she copes with the divorce and interacts with others. For instance, Evie gets rid of her beloved romance novels, isn’t as present with her friends as she used to be, and is confused/annoyed by how undisturbed her sister and mother seem to be by the state of their family. Evie also refuses to reestablish a relationship with her dad and tries to ignore her growing attraction to her ballroom dancing partner, X, and his seize the day mindset.

I liked Evie – except for her initial random/out of character judgment of X – and found her love story fascinating. She’s dealt a blow to everything she thought she knew to be true. Seeing the downfall of so many relationships makes the idea of love even more disdainful. And when the visions get personal, it takes a whole lot of strength to not entirely give up on friendships, love, and happiness. So it’s kind of surprising how deeply she clicks with X – though to be fair, X is easy to like.

I really liked X’s character. I liked that he’s in a band and how passionate he is about music. I liked how kind, caring, and open he is. His philosophy on life – while tragic in origin – was also a nice counterpart to Evie’s stubbornness and pessimism. His character depth, growth, and meaning.

The ballroom dancing practices and competition were awesome. They were bright spots amidst all the teen angst. Fifi – who instructed Evie and X – was hysterical and fire! I’ll always remember her vehemence for the office bell fondly.

The last quarter of the story was an epic punch in the feels! This is the first book of Yoon’s that I’ve read and I totally get why her books are so loved. The high emotions nearly cause the waterworks to flow.

Overall, Instructions for Dancing was a good, entertaining read. I would read more by Yoon.

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AS ALWAYS, HAPPY READING!!!
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Waiting On Wednesday – February 9, 2022

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you spotlight a highly anticipated book.

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Today’s spotlight is on Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram, a YA lgbtqiap+ boy band romance (yes please!💕).

This story sounds spectacular and feelings. I’m intrigued by the questions already posed by the synopsis. I love the color palette of the cover art – cotton candy perfection! I think this will be a fun, possibly heartbreaking, and engaging read, so I hope there’s a chance at some point this year for me to read it.

Kiss & Tell releases March 22, 2022.

Image via Goodreads

ABOUT: A smart, sexy YA novel about a boy band star, his first breakup, his first rebound, and what it means to be queer in the public eye, from award-winning author Adib Khorram.

Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first major tour of North America, playing arenas all over the United States and Canada (and getting covered by the gossipy press all over North America as well). Hunter is the only gay member of the band, and he just had a very painful breakup with his first boyfriend–leaked sexts, public heartbreak, and all–and now everyone expects him to play the perfect queer role model for teens.

But Hunter isn’t really sure what being the perfect queer kid even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? (Unfortunately, yes.) Does it mean finding community among the queer kids at the meet-and-greets after K&T’s shows? (Fortunately, yes.) Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? (He hopes so.) But when The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the perfect gay boy Hunter plays for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.

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AS ALWAYS, HAPPY READING!!!
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Book Review: Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

DAY 7

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Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQIAP+ Romance, Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommend to Others?: Yes

ABOUT: Will Tavares is the dream summer fling ― he’s fun, affectionate, kind ― but just when Ollie thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After, summer vacation ends and Will stops texting Ollie back. Now Ollie is one prince short of his fairy tale ending, and to complicate the fairy tale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country. Which he minds a little less when he realizes it’s the same school Will goes to… except Ollie finds that the sweet, comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted ― and, to be honest, a bit of a jerk.

Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship, especially since this new, bro-y jock version of Will seems to go from hot to cold every other week. But then Will starts “coincidentally” popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class to the lunch table, and Ollie finds his resolve weakening.

The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again.

Right? Right.

 

Only Mostly Devastated was everything! Soul-stirring and fun, the thrill and anguish of first love, the desire to fit in and be your true self. I loved this story so much.

I was highly invested in Ollie’s story. His growth throughout was riveting during the best and worst of times. He’s dealt a curve ball having to remain in North Carolina during his senior year of high school, adapting to a new social environment, his aunt’s declining health due to cancer, and attending the same school as his summer love. But I like how Ollie tries to rise to the occasion, keep calm and carry one, i.e. only mostly devastated.

Ollie’s character makes me smile, his self-awareness great to see. His internal thoughts are hysterical and his personality makes you instantly want to be his best friend forever. I love his passion for music and adore the nickname one of his new friends gives him, Ollie-oop.

Ollie and Will’s relationship is like a catch-22. One the one hand, Will isn’t out and isn’t ready for people to know, deserving to take as long as he needs to because there’s no time limit. On the other hand, Ollie can’t help feeling dejected and disappointed by Will’s behavior even though Ollie understands and empathizes with the reasons behind it.

Clearly, the boys still have strong feelings for each other. But all the teen angst and drama, societal and family pressures, and rage-inducing homophobic remarks/”jokes” don’t help things. It creates a lot of tense, frustrating, and disheartening situations and complicated feelings. More than once I wondered if there would be an HEA/HFN for anyone.

Sometimes I didn’t like Will and I still don’t fully see what made him so exceptionally special to Ollie (and occasionally vice versa). I understand why Will did/said the things he did. I worried if he’d even make it through the year.  Will is a good person. He wants what any of us want: to be accepted. He fears the repercussions of coming out and letting down those he cares about or their idea of him. And those fears are valid.

I think I needed more from those glimpses of the past summer. They were sweet and cute, but too brief. I wish there’d been a few chapters in Will’s point of view because I wanted to know more about him, his thoughts, and feelings. Towards the end I started viewing him more favorably and liked how his storyline ended.

This story had an ideal number of pages. Short (under 300) but you still got a full story with a lot of depth and great characterization and development. Nothing seemed to drag and every scene made an impact.

Only Mostly Devastated was better than I could’ve ever imagined. Why did it take me so long to get to reading this?! I loved the nostalgic but more modern Grease vibes in the beginning and the direction the story took off from there. I loved Ollie-oop, I loved the plot, the writing, how the author tackled various issues like heteronormativity, and the ending made my heart deliriously happy. There’s so much to talk about and reflect upon.

Only Mostly Devastated was an enjoyable and emotional experience reading this book and highly recommend it to everyone.

CW: homophobia

ARC Review: You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review! You’ve Reached Sam is out now!

Image via NetGalley

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommend to Others?: Yes

ABOUT: If I Stay meets Your Name in Dustin Thao’s You’ve Reached Sam, a heartfelt novel about love and loss and what it means to say goodbye.

How do you move forward when everything you love in on the line?

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone.

What would you do if you had a second chance at goodbye?

Filled with a diverse cast of characters, the heartache of first love and loss, and the kind of friends that can get you through anything, plus a touch of magic, You’ve Reached Sam will make an instant connection with anyone looking for a big emotional romance of a read.

 

My Review: An astonishing story! I really enjoyed You’ve Reached Sam.

Julie is having a difficult time coping with the recent death of her boyfriend, Sam. Miraculously, when she calls Sam’s phone number, he answers. They have an envious second chance to reconnect and say goodbye, but now Julie struggles even more to let go and live.

Readers will easily be able to connect with this story and empathize with what the characters are experiencing. Not only are characters grieving over Sam but also dealing with the stress of their last year of high school.

There are a myriad of reactions to Sam’s death. Angry, guilty, sad, lost, barely staying afloat. Grief brings some together and tears others apart, as seen between Julie and Sam’s cousin, Mika, and his best friend, Oliver.

I like the fantasy element of the story, of Julie being able to talk to Sam through their phones. It’s what initially piqued my interest in this story. There’s lots of questions about how this is possible, and I like how that’s kept open ended. It also makes sense for them to reconnect by phone based on events prior to the story’s beginning. Julie has to keep this a secret because there are certain (sometimes vague) rules involved and telling someone else could end their connection for good.

I love Sam’s character and appreciated him more and more as the story progressed. In life, Sam was friendly, compassionate and outgoing. He and Julie had a really strong bond. How they met was so adorable; Sam is such a romantic. In death, Sam is still that same kind, caring, loving person, looking out for the ones he left behind but also trying to grapple with being dead. Knowing his hopes and dreams, it’s especially tragic Sam died so young.

The goodbye when it finally came was bittersweet, but really well done by the author. Thao built the story up to a satisfying climatic moment.

You’ve Reached Sam is beautiful, heartbreaking, and feelings. The title and cover art are perfect! Julie and Sam’s relationship was great. I’m glad there were chapters that took place in the past so we could really see the depth of their love.

I highly recommend You’ve Reached Sam. It’s an all around lovely and emotional read.

[BLOG TOUR] ARC Review: You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review! You Can Go Your Own Way is out now.

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Recommend to Others?: Yes

ABOUT: No one ever said love would be easy…but did they mention it would be freezing?

Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.

Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. Her boyfriend dumped her. Her friends seem to have changed overnight. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town.

But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

 

You Can Go Your Own Way is a heartwarming story about growing up, moving on, community, and family.

Adam and Whitney used to be close friends until Adam’s father passed away, causing a rift forming in their relationship. Now, Adam struggles to hold on to his father’s memory by keeping Old City Pinball financially afloat and out of the hands of big tech business. Whitney is busy running the social media for her father’s chain of eSports cafes in the hopes of getting her father’s attention (to no avail). Now they’re sworn enemies.

I liked that the story alternates between Adam and Whitney’s pov, though this seemed more like Whitney’s story than Adam’s. Her journey seemed fuller and hectic, more in depth. Adam’s journey was good, kind of deep but in a smaller, quieter way. You really feel for both characters because it seems like they’re fighting a losing battle.

Their constant bickering over social media doesn’t help either of them. I didn’t like those exchanges because they were using business accounts to argue or talk about personal stuff. Their petty, immature, and unprofessional behavior was (for me) hard to get past. It wasn’t all bickering. There were some funny exchanges with other accounts.

I liked that the story takes place in Philadelphia and the strong sense of community between all the small businesses. It gave the story a homey, cozy atmosphere.

I also liked the excerpts from The Art and Zen of Pinball Repair by James Watts (fictional book) that Adam studies because of how it juxtaposes pinball machines and real life situations. Those quotes enhanced the community and family values depicted within the story.

You Can Go Your Own Way was so wholesome and I enjoyed how much Adam and Whitney grew together and along their personal journeys.

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© Hannah Siddiqui

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ERIC SMTIH is an author and literary agent from Elizabeth, New Jersey. When he isn’t working on other people’s books, sometimes he tries to write his own. He enjoys pop punk, video games, and crying during every movie. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and best friend, Nena, and their son, Langston.

SOCIAL LINKS:
Author website: https://www.ericsmithrocks.com/
Twitter: @ericsmithrocks
Instagram: @ericsmithrocks

YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55920774-you-can-go-your-own-way

ISBN: 978-1335405685
Inkyard Press
Teen & Young Adult; Romance
$18.99 / $23.99 CAN
336 Pages

BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | IndieBound | BookShop.org | AppleBooks | Google Play

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More by Eric Smith

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Waiting On Wednesday – September 15, 2021

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you spotlight a highly anticipated book.

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Happy Wednesday!

This Wednesday I’m anticipating the release of You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao.

I’m not sure which If I Stay book this one is being compared to but I’ve watched Your Name, which destroyed my heart with how good it was. You’ve Reached Sam reminds me of those same overwhelming feelings of joy and pain and romance, but distinct in  a way that interests me. I think this will be a good, if not heartbreaking, story, so I’d like to give this one a try.

You’ve Reached Sam is set to be published November 9, 2021.

Image via Goodreads

ABOUT: If I Stay meets Your Name in this heartfelt novel about love, loss, and what it means to say goodbye.

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail.

And Sam picks up the phone.

In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.

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As Always, Happy Reading!!!

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[September 2021] Book of the Month: The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

For September’s Book of the Month, I chose to spotlight The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross because it’s an incredible duology but also it kind of fits the back to school vibes I’m feeling right now. I highly recommend this story!

Image via Goodreads

Title: The Queen’s Rising
Series: The Queen’s Rising #1
Author: Rebecca Ross
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Recommended?: Yes

Goodreads Summary: When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true: she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved, some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. Who will be that queen?

ARC Review: Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma

Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review! Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance is out now.

Image via NetGalley

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommend to Others?: Yes

ABOUT: Radha is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest kathak dancers in the world . . . until a family betrayal costs her the biggest competition of her life. Now she has left her Chicago home behind to follow her stage mom to New Jersey. At the Princeton Academy of the Arts, Radha is determined to leave performing in her past and reinvent herself from scratch.

Jai is captain of the Bollywood Beats dance team, ranked first in his class, and is an overachiever with no college plans. Tight family funds means medical school is a pipe dream, which is why he wants to make the most out of high school. When Radha enters his life, he realizes she’s the exact ingredient he needs for a show-stopping senior year.

With careful choreography, both Radha and Jai will need to face their fears (and their families) if they want a taste of a happily ever after.

 

My Review: What a pleasant surprise this book was! I really enjoyed reading Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance. Delightful and delicious, this story swept me off my feet.

Radha is a very talented young Kathak dancer who has unfortunately lost her “dance joy” after family secrets and self-doubt turns her world upside down. She struggles to rediscover herself and find what truly makes her as happy as dance used to. Her character development was really good. I found Radha to be super relatable. Some of my favorite scenes were whenever she immersed herself in dance.

Jai is also a very relatable character and a joy to get to know. He’s very smart and clearly has a bright future ahead of him, but he refuses to take that leap out of a sense of family obligation. Jai is more concerned with the happiness of his teams and family that he forgets (dismisses) his own personal desires: med school. I love his sense of duty to his family and family by choice. However, I wanted to hug and yell at him all at once. I also liked how his storyline developed and interwove with Radha’s.

There is much to love about this book. The family dynamics were so well written. I liked learning more about Indian culture, especially through food and dance. What a great idea it was for the author to include a list of ingredients and some notes of the recipes Radha is learning throughout the story. The dance aspect was a lot of fun and Radha and Jai’s super sweet relationship. I really wish there was a video of Bollywood Beats’ winter showcase performance!

Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance was a great YA read. It really delved deep in relatable topics like self-esteem, senior year, facing one’s fears, and standing up for yourself (especially to one’s family, which can be really difficult to do). And the cover art is just so lovely! I would highly recommend this page-turning novel.

[BLOG TOUR] ARC Review: The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review! The Right Side of Reckless is available now.

Image via NetGalley

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, #OwnVoices
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommend to Others?: Yes

ABOUT: They were supposed to ignore each other and respect that fine line between them…

Guillermo Lozano is getting a fresh start. New town, new school, and no more reckless behavior. He’s done his time, and now he needs to right his wrongs. But when his work at the local community center throws him into the path of the one girl who is off-limits, friendship sparks…and maybe more.

Regan London needs a fresh perspective. The pressure to stay in her “perfect” relationship and be the good girl all the time has worn her down. But when the walls start to cave in and she finds unexpected understanding from the boy her parents warned about, she can’t ignore her feelings anymore.

The disapproval is instant. Being together might just get Guillermo sent away. But when it comes to the heart, sometimes you have to break the rules and be a little bit reckless…

The Right Side of Reckless is one of those stories I wish I’d had growing up. This novel is a must-read!

Regan and Guillermo are fantastic main characters. They’re two very different but equally dynamic people to read about. Throughout the story, they prove how they are more than what others perceived or have categorized them to be.

Regan is treated more like a “trophy wife” to her football-star boyfriend, Troy. Her life has also been already planned by her father to eventually marry Troy and be an accountant. These things have made life stressful and unfulfilling to her, especially because she doesn’t know what she wants nor how to stand up for herself. Sometimes it’s hard and draining for her to keep up this picture perfect appearance.

Guillermo is seen as the violent screw-up and bad influence. A monster. It’s his last chance to prove others wrong and redeem himself in the eyes of his family and the law.

Any kind of relationship between Regan and Guillermo is strictly forbidden. This makes the title of the book so perfectly accurate as the two discover more about themselves and what they want in life. Their heartfelt attraction to each other was undeniable and irresistible.

As part of his probation, Guillermo has community service with a program for juvenile offenders. I appreciate that such a program exists. Even if it’s not a 100% success rate, it’s real and does make a positive impact on some. I like how the adults Guillermo must answer to (his father, his supervisor who is Regan’s mother, his parole officer) hold him accountable to the choices he’s made in the past so that he learns from them and makes smarter choices. Guillermo seems to genuinely regret those decisions and is trying to change in order to have a better future.

He’s also a chill and open person who accepts others, flaws and all. I like how Guillermo befriends Jenaya and Regan’s little brother, Avery. He doesn’t judge them the way others have judged them and himself.

I really like Regan. She’s a kind person who always puts others first. She seems to give so much without getting much (if at all) anything back, especially from those who mean most to her. She also feels overshadowed by Troy’s fame and god-like status (but not in a jealous way). In the story, she’s expected to be a certain way, that is until she meets Guillermo.

Avery is another character I liked and whose sub storyline was an interesting but sad parallel to the main storyline. Like his sister, Avery is being pressured by their dad to be something he’s obviously not interested in being: more outgoing and into sports instead of introverted and into manga and watching anime. It was hard to watch their father pretty much treat Troy like the son he’s always wanted and be disappointed in Avery for liking things not “traditional masculine.”

Troy at times is misogynistic in the way he treats Regan (ex: pressuring her to have sex when she’s clearly not ready) or refers to women (especially strong women) as female in a derogatory way. It doesn’t help that he also has an inflated ego. However, I do think deep down he’s an okay person and that he really does care about Regan.

The Right Side of Reckless was a fantastic read, so real, honest, and deep. I loved the way the story developed through various trials and tribulations. I like how everything is connected and that so many characters grow in big or small ways. Though I wish certain storylines ended differently, the story left me feeling hopeful.

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Photo by Jennifer M. Photography

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Whitney D. Grandison is dedicated to telling stories about teens of color and teens in difficult but relatable situations. Some of her works can be found on Wattpad, one of the largest online story sharing platforms, where she has acquired over 30,000 followers and an audience of over fifteen million dedicated readers. Outside of writing, she is a lover of Korean dramas, all things John Hughes, and horror films. Whitney currently lives in Akron, Ohio. She is the author of A Love Hate Thing and The Right Side of Reckless. Visit Whitney’s website http://www.whitneydgrandison.com and follow her on Twitter @whitney_dg and Instagram @wheadee.

SOCIAL LINKS: Author website: www.whitneydgrandison.com 
Twitter: @whitney_dg
Instagram: @wheadee

THE RIGHT SIDE OF RECKLESS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54823480-the-right-side-of-reckless

BUY LINKS: Bookshop.org | Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | Apple Books

[July 2021] Book of the Month: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Image via Goodreads

Title: Poison Study
Series: Study #1
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Mira
Recommended?: Yes

Goodreads Summary: Choose: A quick death… or slow poison…

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear…