Blog Tour: Another Christmas From Hell by R.L. Matthewson

Another Christmas From Hell
R.L. Mathewson
(Neighbor from Hell, #13)
Publication date: November 4th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The last thing that he wanted was to fall in love with his brother’s best friend.

From New York Time’s bestselling author R.L. Mathewson comes the next installment in the disturbingly funny romantic comedy series, Neighbor from Hell.

It was time to move on.

Granted, Cayley would have preferred to wait until after Christmas, but with her best friend somehow managing to get her fired and evicted in the same day, she had no choice but to move into the apartment across from the man that really didn’t seem happy to see her.

That was fine.

More than fine because if she could handle her best friend making her life a living hell and an ex-fiancé that was determined to get her back, then she could handle the man that was willing to do whatever it took to let the past destroy them both.

He couldn’t believe this was happening again.

For years, Bryce had been going out of his way to avoid Cayley, hoping that she would finally move on, but now that she was back, he realized that he no longer had a choice.

He was going to have to break her heart.

At least that was the plan until the little brat turned the tables on him, making him wonder how much longer he was going to be able to lie to himself even as one thing became painfully clear…

This was going to be the worst Christmas ever.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

New York Times Bestselling author, R.L. Mathewson was born in Massachusetts. She’s known for her humor, quick wit and ability to write relatable characters. She currently has several paranormal and contemporary romance series published including the Neighbor from Hell series.

Growing up, R.L. Mathewson was a painfully shy bookworm. After high school she attended college, worked as a bellhop, fast food cook, and a museum worker until she decided to take an EMT course. Working as an EMT helped her get over her shyness as well as left her with some fond memories and some rather disturbing ones that from time to time show up in one of her books.

Today, R.L. Mathewson is the single mother of two children that keep her on her toes. She has a bit of a romance novel addiction as well as a major hot chocolate addiction and on a perfect day, she combines the two.

If you’d like more information about this series or any other series by R.L. Mathewson, please visit http://www.Rlmathewson.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

My Blurb (3/5 stars)

Confession time!!

I haven’t read any book in the series and jumped straight into this 13th book!! 🙊

So, I feel that I was missing out on quite a few things like backgrounds on some characters which may explain certain bits in the book which I found puzzling. And I probably will feel a little more invested in the book and this pair of lovebirds. I was also a little bit confused about Cayley (she seems to mutter a lot?! this could’ve been my mistaken impression but that’s what it felt like and also, how she put up with Sean’s abuse of her!) and Sean (who is supposedly Cayley’s BFF but seriously, I’d have gotten a restraining order against him even if it’s unlikely to do any good). As I mentioned, I reckon if I’ve read earlier books, I may have known better…

It was really the BFF’s brother trope that got me but at the beginning, it felt more like enemy to lovers trope. Denials Galore! It turned over quite sweetly and while not quite smoothly, rather hotly. Overall, Another Christmas From Hell is a very easy read, however, and a very sweet Christmas-y one. Just in time to get me in the mood for Christmas!

INTERNATIONAL Giveaway! (2x $50 Amazon gift cards)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

Blog tour: Dauntless by Elissa A. Bonnin – a review + GIVEAWAY (US only)

Dauntless
Elisa A. Bonnin
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 2nd 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

A teen girl must bring together two broken worlds in order to save her nation in this lush, Filipino-inspired young adult fantasy novel from debut author Elisa A. Bonnin.

“Be dauntless, for the hopes of the People rest in you.”

Seri’s world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.

Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts – a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she’s ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace.

“Dauntless captures the best parts of every action-packed fantasy—breathtaking scenes of power and victory that push the limits of human tenacity. This is a triumphant tale of courage and self discovery that will make you believe in your own strength.” —Kyllie Lee Baker, author of The Keeper of Night

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

Elisa A. Bonnin was born and raised in the Philippines, after which she moved to the United States to study chemistry and later oceanography. After completing her doctorate, she moved to Germany to work as a postdoctoral scientist. A lifelong learner, Elisa is always convinced that she should “maybe take a class in something” and as a result, has amassed an eclectic collection of hobbies. But writing will always be her true love. Publishing a book has been her dream since she was eight years old, and she is thrilled to finally be able to share her stories. Dauntless is her first novel.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

My Blurb (3/5 stars)

Dauntless was just so much fun to read. The lush world combined with dangers lurking inside and outside plus superheroes!! And everyone, who wanted to work for it, CAN be a superhero or rather a Valiant. Such a great name instead of ‘superhero’ and a group of Valiant is known as Valor – again such great naming convention!!! Let’s not even get into the names of the characters. Told from 2 perspectives, Seri, who began as practically a nobody but got roped into being an assistant to the Commander, and Eshai, the legendary Commander. Together they fought off attacks, explored the unknown, found respect & friendship in each other and be braved enough for love. While it wasn’t quite unputdownable for me, I have really enjoyed this world which is full of surprises and enough action AND romance to keep the read exciting for me.

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

Blog Tour: The Immortal Game by Talia Rothschild & A.C. Harvey

The Immortal Game
Talia Rothschild & A.C. Harvey
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: May 25th 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

An exiled goddess goes on a quest to clear her name and save Mount Olympus in Talia Rothschild & A C Harvey’s action-packed young adult debut, The Immortal Game!

Galene, daughter of Poseidon, desperately wants to earn her place among the gods. But when a violent attack leaves Mount Olympus in chaos and ruins, she is accused of the crime. Banished from Olympus, Galene sets out to prove her innocence and discovers a more deadly plot—one that threatens even the oldest of Immortals.

Fortunately, she has allies who willingly join her in exile:

A lifelong friend who commands the wind.
A defiant warrior with deadly skill.
A fire-wielder with a hero’s heart.
A mastermind who plays life like a game.

All-out war is knocking at the gates. Galene and her friends are the only ones who can tip the scales toward justice, but their choices could save Olympus from total annihilation, or be the doom of them all.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

My Blurb (3 / 5 stars)

I’m not actually a fan of Greek mythology so I don’t read very much of books related to it. However, I did have a lot of fun with the Percy Jackson series and The Immortal Game sounds a bit more like the series in that protagonist plus friends are going on an adventurous quest which I thought could be fun; it did not disappoint.

The novel opens with Galene, main protagonist, about to face her trial to earn her place among the gods. It’s a pretty exciting start to the novel with more exciting action to come in the second half of the story. I must admit I felt that it dragged a bit during the actual quest journey but that may also be because of the love triangle. This is my pet peeve so unfortunately, that’s taken off 1 star but I have to confess that it could’ve been worse. The fact that I finished reading this novel does mean that the love triangle is only just slightly annoying; just have to persevere ’til just after halfway and it gets better.

There are 4 POVs in this novel but there are 5 in the quest… that in itself is a bit too cluey! I don’t know if it was meant to be a twist but it was definitely not at all surprising. While I do like all characters especially the girls as they appear to have grown the most in this story, I think we could do with 1 or 2 less POVs. The girls, Galene & her BFF, Iyana, grew stronger & stronger throughout and in the end, truly came into themselves which I really loved to see in my female protagonists.

Overall, I enjoyed The Immortal Game especially the latter half which is love-triangle-less and action-packed. It’s an easy read to relax & unwind with.

My thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for having me on this tour and  copy of ebook in exchange of honest review

GIVEAWAY (INT)

Follow below Rafflecopter link to enter for a print copy of this book (ends Jun-03)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the authors

Author Bio:

Talia Rothschild, Italian American, is passionate about stories in many forms—music, dance, photography, film and, of course, great novels. She believes in thick hot chocolate and creamer in your tea. When she’s not happily writing, she’s mothering the sweetest baby girl and making memories with her husband. Her debut book The Immortal Game, coauthored with A. C. Harvey, hits the shelves May 2021.

Ashleigh Harvey is teaching high school physics and bringing her writing dreams to life. English-born and world-traveled, she loves filling her life with new adventures, such as visiting a new country or exploring the Wild West with her husband. She also finds escape in movies, music, literature, and yearly comic conventions. The Immortal Game is her debut novel, created alongside Talia Rothschild, her close friend.

Hosted by:

 

Blog Tour: The Unseen Ones by Danielle Harrington + Giveaway (INT)

The Unseen Ones
Danielle Harrington
(The Hollis Timewire Series, #2)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: December 1st 2020
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

After the government’s brutal attack on the Diseased Ones, Hollis Timewire must wade through the carnage of her treacherous mistake. The survivors want justice, and now Hollis faces impending execution. Each day, she must prove herself to be a model community member. But chopping firewood for the new camp in the forest isn’t enough. Hollis longs to redeem herself, and this sparks an idea to rescue the little boy from the Testing Center. Stealing the government’s secret weapon might just be the perfect way to destabilize the system – enough to bring the whole thing crumbling down. But unseen forces are at work. The world is not what it appears to be, and society has a dark secret that not even Hollis is prepared to face.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

My Blurb (3.5 / 5 stars)

This is a review for a second book in a series so there may be hints of spoilers but I will try to be as spoiler free as possible.

The first book, The Diseased Ones, ended in a cliffhanger which this sequel picks up within seconds of that moment. I did get a bit annoyed at Hollis for her naivety combined with her impulsiveness just get her into bigger and bigger trouble. I hoped that she got better in this sequel.

In The Unseen Ones, Hollis has to live & work through the massive consequences of her action. She’s lost a part of herself and she needed to earn trust back all at the same time. She came up with a brilliant idea on how she could earn that trust back again but of course, things can’t just be that simple. And at the end, she found herself trying to fry a bigger fish than she can handle. Thankfully, it’s not a cliffhanger ending like the first book but it was still a curious ending. I’d like to know where the author is taking Hollis and her friends in their next journey.

I have enjoyed both books in the series to date as they are both very fast reads; easily put down and pick up as I go about with my kids. It’s a great book to wind down with as well as it doesn’t need too much brain power and yet, it’s got enough action to keep my interest.

My thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for having me on this tour and  copy of ebook in exchange of honest review

GIVEAWAY

Follow below Rafflecopter link to enter for 4x ebook copies of The Unseen Ones (ends Dec-17)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

Danielle Harrington is a high school chemistry teacher with a passion for the pen and a knack for storytelling. She got her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Biola University, and although she’s a hardcore science nerd, she’s always been a lover of the arts.

She grew up acting and singing and has turned her love for drama into writing. Danielle lives vicariously through her characters and considers it great fun because she “gets to play all the parts”.

Danielle lives in LA with her husband, Steven, and her two cats, Moose and Turtle. She is working on a four book young adult dystopian fiction series, and she’s beyond thrilled to be launching her debut novel, THE DISEASED ONES, through Acorn Publishing.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Hosted by: