#Advanced Reader Copy

[kiraleighart]

So I heard you like free transmasc psychological thrillers with unkillable bastards surviving hell and finding HEA

In 1997, New York City, a petty criminal named Alex Voss is about to die via bullet shot right between the eyes by his criminal employer: Boris. But was he really a petty criminal, or something even stranger? As all roads lead to death, he recounts his tragic life one last time; murder, sex, drugs, rock and roll, losing his mind and failing at being a true hero. There’s no escape from his tragic ending. At least, that’s how it’s meant to play out. As events fail to line up, is Alex’s mind breaking the fourth wall, has he finally succumbed to madness, or did a deus ex machina from the future save him from himself? It might just be all three, actually.

Hi Tumblr bookworms. I've been sitting on INDIGO VOSS for over a year and I think it's finally time.

If you'd like to champion indie trans literature, please signup for the ARC of INDIGO VOSS. Score an eBook, read, and give me your honest thoughts. Please note there are CWs on the landing page. This is a complex novel about hope against all odds and learning to transcend your damage. Good luck. 💜

Read INDIGO VOSS, Free

[truefangirlheart]

I'm reading Babel by R.F. Kuang (I got an arc) and I made a Penguin Classics cover for it

I'm in love

[earlronove]

BORN OF SCOURGE is in need of ARC readers! If you like…

🌠Dark Fantasy 🌠Fallen stars 🌠Empty & Haunting lands 🌠Legends hiding the truth 🌠Conflicting desires 🌠Soft m/m romance 🌠All-Encompassing Revenge

Sign up for an ARC today! https://forms.gle/di3Egt66qpNADs6H6

What's an ARC? An Advanced Reader Copy! Given out to generally help generate buzz for the book and to hopefully facilitate early reviews!

[bribliography]

books read in 2023

— the scarlet veil. by shelby mahurin.‪ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★‬

“I am Célie Tremblay, and my strength has always been and will always be my loved ones, my friends.”

goodreads review | books read in 2022

[antiquarian-catnip]

“What the River Knows” emotionally crippled me whilst “Belladonna” surprised me. Both five stars, in my humble opinion.

[prose-mortem]

Book Review: Late Bloomer

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Late Bloomer was such a cute book! It satisfied all of my cottagecore, sapphic fantasies from the special interest in flowers to the sprawling farm in Asheville. It was an adorable comfort read straight out of Taylor Swift's folklore music album. One of the characters buys the other character greenhouses… What is more classic than that?

I loved Opal and Pepper's story. I deeply enjoyed the character development alongside the romance. For example, I thought (at first) that Opal was going to be a major pick-me with all the people-pleasing tendencies, but I was completely wrong. As the plot progresses, we see what a strong, smart, and loyal person she is to the people she loves. That was a refreshing arc! Both characters are neurodiverse (though Opal isn't sure what label fits her exactly), which was very relatable to an autistic person like me.

If there is a cozy, comforting (sapphic) version of Gilmore Girls, then this is it. Every detail was spot-on from autistic sensory issues to shoe art to niche special interests. (I loved Opal's fleeting special interest in the Victorian era. I felt seen.) The epilogue was so perfect! I wish I lived in Opal's and Pepper's world! If you like sapphic romance, this will pander directly to your most iconic and cottagecore princess fantasies!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at St. Martin's Griffin for my e-arc! I hope Mazey Eddings keeps writing sapphic romances, because I will most definitely be reading them all.

[melxhunter]

You got to be kidding with me… I seriously have to write a four pages essay about copyright?????

And add downsides of it? What kind of downsides does copyright have? Are there even any?

[author-a-holmes]

Over The Dragon's Gate by Juliana Jones & Riley Sanderson

While ‘Over The Dragon’s Gate’ starts off a little slower than I’d usually like, this co-written story gives you enough hints, enough clues, and enough thoughtfully teased out tidbits to keep its readers engaged and invested.

Much like one of our main characters, Treya, there’s an underlying sense that there’s more to this than meets the eye, and the authors cleverly reveal it all to the reader alongside Treya as he discovers the parts of himself that he’s forgotten.

All the while Treya is rediscovering his past, he’s learning about his future and the possibilities that his friendship with Eli opens up for him.

‘Over The Dragon’s Gate’ is a delightful read, full of magic and touching moments of humanity in the face of darkness we can all find ourselves facing. It had me scowling at the villian, and grinning at the clumsy exploration of teenage affection, and by the last lines I found myself smiling at the screen.

It’s a feel good book, that I immediately have a handful of people I want to recommend it too, and future stories from either of these authors will be getting added to my TBR piles.

I received a free copy of this book from the authors and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[noahhawthorneauthor]

It's time! ARC signups are open, you can find the link here. I'm sending them out next Tuesday, December 5th, and the book releases on January 2nd, 2024!

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up, to the people who have been cheering me on and sharing their love for Phantom and Rook, and to @foxglovefaun for such a beautiful cover of M&A.

I'm so proud of this book, and while it deals with darker themes, the romance and found family really shine, as does the healing.

Blurb:

Elochian Adrastus is the pinnacle of demon nobility, and he hates it.

When he’s not leading an aristocracy, in therapy, or rebelling against his birthright by running the most famous bar in Levena, he’s solving a millennia old mystery with his newfound friends. He’s particularly fond of the man he’s only known as an author, learning that there's much more to the human than meets the eye.

For the first time in over a century, Elochian feels tempted by the prospect of finding his own happy ending. He’s also terrified that any future endeavors will end in death, like they did not so long ago.

Quentin Matsdotter has one goal in life, and that’s to blend in. Unfortunately for him, that’s impossible when you’re a certifiable genius, an author, and are friends with some of the most unique people in the town. He’s got everything a man could want, except for someone to call his own.

Quentin hasn’t been able to trust his heart to anyone again after experiencing an abusive relationship years ago, but there’s no mistaking how he feels for the enigmatic archdemon. As the snow builds, so does their friendship, and it’s only a matter of time before they open their hearts to each other.

If only the past didn’t come back to haunt them.

Be prepared to stand up for what you believe in, reveal the truth, and protect those you love, no matter the cost.

[eggcatsreads]

𝕄𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔 by Kiersten White (website)

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Pub Date: August 8th, 2023

I love creepypastas and r/nosleeps, so this story immediately drew my attention with similarities to the creepypasta Candle Cove. Instead of a group of strangers reminiscing on a children’s show that may or may not have existed, however, it’s a reunion of the last set of child actors. There’s a kind of cult classic feel to the hype for the show, as people seem to remember it but they can’t quite remember exactly what they watched nor can anyone find evidence of it online. It’s a mystery, and so once word gets out about the last cast getting together to do a podcast about the show - it’s all over the internet. This book does a great job of bringing that feeling into it - it includes blog entries, discussion boards, wikipedia articles, etc - with the rest of the world’s opinion and feelings towards Mister Magic and the cast reunion. I loved this, as it really brought a sort of “reality” to the novel. It’s not just the main character or the previous cast who are both obsessed with the show but also can’t quite remember anything specific that happened - it’s the rest of the world too. It really gives a solid foundation to the almost eerie feeling of this show that was a part of everyone’s childhoods - but yet no one can find evidence of it online.  If you, like me, read Candle Cove and wanted more out of it - I recommend this book. It’s obviously not the same as Candle Cove, but it incorporates a lot of the things I loved about that creepypasta into this novel, all the while still being its own unique experience.

[Thank you NetGalley and RandomHouse Ballantine for providing me this ARC for an honest review.]

Review also posted on Goodreads and Instagram.

[j-tomalas-grimoire]

ARC

Alright, I'll be giving away ARC's of Forestborn around the 20th of this month and here is the link for the signup form. You can also just message me on here if you want a copy of the ebook. People who are on my ARC Team don't have to sign up again. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhQresUsI21PvqRW6Urg7ZRTK8KdMg5PT4xlYYdbaDb4-qQQ/viewform

[rochellehassan]

eARCs of NOX WINTERS AND THE MIDNIGHT WOLF, my MG contemporary fantasy for fans of Over the Garden Wall & Gravity Falls, are now available for request on Netgalley! if you enjoy spooky forests, magical creatures, and scrappy protagonists who are loyal to one (1) person, then this one’s for you 🌲🌙🌲

if you can't get your hands on the e-arc, NOX WINTERS will be released on Sept 3, 2024. for more info or to preorder a copy, click here ✨

For twelve-year-old Nox Winters, the town of Evergreen isn’t home—it’s a tourist trap in middle-of-nowhere Maine for amateur cryptozoologists hoping to spot its infamous legend, a batlike creature known as the Evergreen Devil. But his twin brother, Noah, has been wasting away from an illness that has left medical professionals stumped, and the doctors here in Evergreen are his last hope. And Nox goes where Noah goes. But as Noah’s condition worsens, Nox begins to suspect that Evergreen is doing more harm than good—and that there might be some truth to the local tales of fearsome cryptids and mysterious disappearances. When Noah falls into a deep sleep that Nox can’t wake him from, Nox’s only chance at saving him lies in the surrounding forest; there, he discovers a hidden world where it’s always nighttime, full of powerful magic, supernatural creatures, and capricious minor gods. Nox must venture deeper into an endless night and successfully bargain with the terrifying Keepers of the forest for a cure to Noah’s ailment, or else neither twin will leave Evergreen alive.

[libertyreads]

I'm currently reading a book about a female serial killer who kills Bad Men. And she has a *crush*... On a true crime podcaster.

So, tell me why I've been hoping she eventually corrupts him and gets him to kill someone.

[thisismybookishlevel]

Title: Ten Things That Never Happened

Author: Alexis Hall

Release: October 2023

I Liked:

Grumpy meets sunshine trope, except sunshine was somewhat sunshine and somewhat a mess of his own. It worked 🤷🏻‍♀️

The friendships between Sam and his employees.

The banter between Sam and Jonathan

Jonathan and the cat

This felt like a real Alexis Hall, not that there’s a fake one? What I mean is that if you love Boyfriend Material, I think you’ll like this. It’s a little longer but somehow less dependent on miscommunication tropes despite the fake amnesia.

[bribliography]

books read in 2023

— happy place

by emily henry

‪★ ★ ★ ★ ★‬ 

“Want is a kind of thief. It’s a door in your heart, and once you know it’s there, you’ll spend your life longing for whatever’s behind it.”

goodreads review  |  books read in 2022

[elliepassmore]

All That Consumes Us review

4.5/5 stars Recommended if you like: ghosts, dark academia, light horror, college settings, mystery, LGBTQ+ characters Big thanks to Netgalley, HarperTeen, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book actually surprised me with the opening, which was different than what I'd expected. That being said, a lot of the other plot points in the book were very predictable and it wasn't hard to figure out what was going to happen/going on as soon as the first threads were laid. I was actually kind of surprised Tara didn't put it together immediately. That being said, Waters does a good job with atmospheric writing and that really came through here. Before we're even inducted into Magni Viri, the world of Corbin College is set with fog and prestige and tradition. Magni Viri adds an additional layer to this, and the Victorian mansion is both elegant and creepy. The natural surroundings come into play somewhat too, with cicadas, bats, forest, and fog all playing at least somewhat of a role in creating the mood and setting. I'm personally a fan of eco-horror and Southern Gothic, so I would've liked a bit more of nature/setting as a character, but the genre of this book is dark academia, so what's here fits the bill. Magni Viri is, as mentioned, steeped in secrecy and tradition. Only people who have been inducted have set foot inside the dormitory and there are whispers around Corbin College that students in Magni Viri perform dark rituals. There's a good balance in Magni Viri of the academically/artistically intense and the supernaturally strange. The students are talented and are dedicated to their fields of study, sometimes to an unhealthy level, which contributes to the vibes of the story. Our main character Tara has the fortune of being inducted into Magni Viri with a concentration in writing. Her dream is to become a writer and so being able to join should be everything she wants, but imposter syndrome and strange goings-on plague her as the semester progresses. It kind of bothered me how insecure Tara was. She applied to a prestigious academic group and wanted it with everything she had....but then she constantly doubts her own worth and questions her place. Like, you either think you're good enough for prestige or you don't, you can't waffle in the middle. Luckily, this is also kind of the advice Tara gets from other people, though she isn't too good at following (or trying to follow) it. Tara seems at least a little more confident by the end of the book, which is good, but it would've been nice to see it a bit earlier. There's a bit of an ensemble cast, but the main people are Penny, Tara's kind-of girlfriend, and Wren, Tara's roommate. Jordan, Neil, and Azar are other members of the freshman Magni Viri class, and senior Quigg comes up a few times we well. Most everyone is immediately inviting to Tara, though Neil is a bit standoffish at first. Wren is a music major in Magni Viri and is a good roommate/friend, but clearly has something else going on. Wren is one of the catalysts for things getting started plot-wise. Penny is in Magni Viri studying bats and she and Tara are almost immediately close. Penny helps Tara to understand that she isn't the only one in their prestigious program to have a disadvantaged background and she acts as somewhat of a stabilizing influence on Tara while also helping to increase her self-confidence. I will say, as annoying as it was, Tara was justified in being angry at people for hiding things from her. Obviously it was a bad situation all around, but I still kind of think they should've tried harder to tell her what was going on. One of the downsides of this book is that all the characters are just sort of there. They each have their own personalities and quirks and what not, but I didn't really feel like we got much past the surface level for any of them. Having read the entire book, I don't really have a ton to say about anyone, which is kind of disappointing for a book with an ensemble cast who all end up caught up in the plot.