Waiting on Wednesday: The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine {102}

Title: The Impostor Queen
Author: Sarah Fine
Release date: January 5, 2016

Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

After finally reading and loving a Sarah Fine book, I'm now obsessed with how this one sounds. I NEEEED IT.

 So what are you guys waiting on this week? :)

Teaser Tuesday: Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson {125}

Title: Rebel Mechanics
Author: Shanna Swendson

Release date: July 14, 2015

A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this alternative U.S. history where the British control with magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.

It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.

My teaser, from p. 125 in the ARC:

We reached the top of the stairs, and he bade me good night without further conversation. After checking that Olive was sound asleep, I went to my room, took Lizzie's notebook out of its hiding place, and frantically wrote down everything I'd heard from the general and the governor.

This book is so fun! I'm nearly done and enjoying it so much.

I'll be visiting around and visiting back, so leave me links to your teasers! :) Happy Tuesday!

Mini Review: The Edge of You by Theresa DaLayne

M

Release date: September 24, 2014
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided for review via Netgalley
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

He left home to escape. She made a new life out of guilt. Neither one expected to find love—but not even the Arctic can cool this steamy romance.

Maya knows she’s doing the right thing by moving to Alaska with her parents, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. Forced to give up a scholarship to a prestigious art school, she relocates to a Podunk town with one college the size of her high school cafeteria, all to help hold her family together after the death of her little sister. But a fresh start can only do so much.

Jake doesn’t like handouts and he certainly doesn’t need any distractions. Working on a salmon boat in Kodiak, Alaska is the only way to pay for his mother’s surgery back in the lower forty-eight. Juggling college courses and constant worry about his mother’s health, Jake couldn’t imagine anything else fitting into his life. That is, until he meets Maya, the sexy Californian artist who tints his world in technicolor.

But when Maya’s family starts to crumble and Jake’s mom takes a turn for the worse, will they drag each other down, or can they find what they were missing all along?

In this new adult romance, Theresa DaLayne paints a swoon-worthy story about life under the midnight sun, following your heart, and learning to live on the edge.

When I picked up The Edge of You, it was exactly what I needed: a quick romance that made me happy with its deeply likable characters and happy ending.

Quite honestly, I don't have too much to say about The Egde of You. Both of our main characters, Jake and Maya, are likable in that they're people willing to give up their own happiness for others--which always sells me quickly. While very different, they're alike in their dedication to their families but also in their desires to strike out their own paths. But Jake is torn between this dedication to his mother and the life he's made for himself--and his deepening relationship with Maya.

I liked the characters. I enjoyed reading the book. I was happy with how it ended. How much more do I need to say?

About the author:

Theresa DaLayne is a north-south-east-western kind of girl with a quirky personality to match her nomad life. Born in California, she migrated to three different cities in Washington State, a tiny island in Alaska, North Carolina, and finally to the suburbs of Ohio where she currently lives with her husband, three kids, vegetarian cat, and her ungrateful fish.

Always on the lookout for a new story, Theresa is a shameless eavesdropper and will take anyone who provides inspiration and mold them into a character without a second thought. She enjoys writing both paranormal and contemporary stories, considering her mind wanders between worlds of fantasy while she’s forced to live in the real world, very much against her will.

Stacking the Shelves {128}

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share the books we've bought, been gifted, or received for review!

How was everybody's week? Mine's been wonderful! We went on vacation, so we spent the week roaming around St. Augustine, Florida, and thoroughly exhausting ourselves. I didn't post anything aside from what I'd scheduled ahead of time, so I pretty much didn't exist here. I'll catch up this week, though!

For review:

A Little In Love by Susan Fletcher

Won:

Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly #3) by Susan Dennard
THANK YOU ZOEY!

Traded:

Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie
Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie

A recap of the week here on Paper Cuts:
Monday - Review: Frostborn (Thrones and Bones #1) by Lou Anders
Wednesday - Waiting on Wednesday: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Books I read this week:
Frostborn (Thrones and Bones #1) by Lou Anders
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (The Rules of Scoundrels #3) by Sarah MacLean

I'm currently reading:
Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson

So that's been my week! I'm definitely a historical romance fan now. I'll be throwing some of those in between all my other reads quite often. And oh my gosh, I'm so excited that I have A Little In Love, mah gosh. :) Have a lovely Sunday and a fabulous week!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury {101}

Title: The Forbidden Wish
Author: Jessica Khoury
Release date: February 23, 2016

She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world... 

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's entire existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. 

Aladdin, the son of rebels executed by an evil regime, intends to use his wishes to marry the princess and enact revenge on the king. But he falls hard for mysterious Zahra. He begins to question his lifelong wish for vengeance in favor of another wish, a dangerous wish that would allow them to be together like any other boy and girl...a wish he could pay for with his life.

As their love builds and Aladdin plans a perilous new life for them both, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Arabian Nights from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury. 

I've only read one of Jessica Khoury's books, but I liked it, and this is sooo my style. And it's so preeeetty! :D

 So what are you guys waiting on this week? :)

Review: Frostborn (Thrones & Bones #1) by Lou Anders

Release date: August 5, 2014
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Meet Karn. He is destined to take over the family farm in Norrøngard. His only problem? He’d rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones.

Enter Thianna. Half human, half frost giantess. She’s too tall to blend in with other humans but too short to be taken seriously as a giant.

When family intrigues force Karn and Thianna to flee into the wilderness, they have to keep their sense of humor and their wits about them. But survival can be challenging when you’re being chased by a 1,500-year-old dragon, Helltoppr the undead warrior and his undead minions, an evil uncle, wyverns, and an assortment of trolls and giants.

I really don't read much middle grade, but sometimes something about a book just screams at me. In the case of Frostborn, it was a mixture of a quote from Garth Nix about the books (one of my favorite authors everrr) and the promise of a book both Norse inspired and board-game centric.

And it was too fun! Karn and Thianna's adventures are filled with all the best kinds of creatures and a lot of cool fictional history inspired by real ancient history. There are (effectively, but not quite) zombies, a dragon, wyverns, treachery, and a lot of strategy. It's a non-stop adventure, and so entertaining all the way through.

Both Karn and Thianna have grown up feeling a bit out of place in their homes. Karn is more interested in what's going on outside of his farm and playing Thrones and Bones, but he's destined to become the hauld of his family's farm. Thianna is half frost giant, half human, tall but not quite tall enough, not quite giant enough. But each is thrown into circumstances out of their control, running and fighting for their lives and to protect those they love, and through their adventures, they come to learn so much about themselves, what they want, and what they have to do.

Both lighthearted and filled with messages, Frostborn certainly appealed to me, and I know it'd appeal to kids. Karn and Thianna are utterly easy to root for, and the ending is closed enough but leaves a good opening for the sequel, which I'm excited to read soon.

About the author:

Lou Anders's research on Norse mythology while writing Frostborn turned into a love affair with Viking culture and a first visit to Norway. He hopes the series will appeal to boys and girls equally. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. He has published over 500 articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. Frostborn, which Publishers Weekly described as “thoroughly enjoyable” (starred review), is his first middle grade novel. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter at @ThronesandBones.

Stacking the Shelves {127}

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share the books we've bought, been gifted, or received for review!

How was everybody's week? Mine's been good! Again, nothing much exciting? I am heading off on vacation tomorrow, though, so yay! I dunno what that means for posting, quite honestly, but I hope to have at least a few posts up this week... And I'm quite sorry my pictures are less than stellar this week, even for me, but I got lazy, so. :)

For review:

When a Scot Ties the Knot (Castles Ever After #3) by Tessa Dare

Purchased:

The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Gifted:

Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (UK edition! :D)

A recap of the week here on Paper Cuts:
Monday - Review: Tangled Webs by Lee Bross
Tuesday - Teaser Tuesday: The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett
Wednesday - Waiting on Wednesday: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Friday - No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop!

Books I read this week:
Didn't finish a thing all week!

I'm currently reading:
The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson

So that's been my week! As I mentioned last week, I went down the historical romance rabbit hole. And I love it. I went to my local used bookstore and used credit from a bunch of books I brought in that I didn't need anymore to get some fun romance! It's the only stuff that's holding my attention right now. :) Have a lovely Sunday and a fabulous week!

No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop!

It's been a while since I did a giveaway hop, but I couldn't help but sign up for this one! I had a big stack of books looking for a new home, so I thought I'd let somebody provide that home!

What's fun about this hop is that it's a no strings attached hop, which means there's not a single hoop to jump through. Everybody gets one entry, but there aren't any requirements. :)

So, for this hop, one US entrant will win two books of their choice from the stack!

Enter away in the Rafflecopter! And make sure the email you use in Rafflecopter is one you check, since that'll be the one where I contact you. Again, US only and the giveaway will last through the 22nd. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And hop away! :D

Waiting on Wednesday: Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner {100}

Title: Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Release date: December 1, 2015

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

Ohhhhh I'm so excited for this! It's so preeetty and this series is so gooood. I can't wait to see how it ends!!

 So what are you guys waiting on this week? :)

Teaser Tuesday: The Nightmare Charade (Arkwell Academy #3) by Mindee Arnett {124}

Title: The Nightmare Charade (Arkwell Academy #3)
Author: Mindee Arnett

Release date: August 4, 2015

The final installment in a thrilling fantastical mystery series.

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough, not to mention the crazy events of the past year. Dusty may have saved the day, but there are many days left in the year, and with an old foe back to seek revenge, she'll need all her strength to defeat him and save her friends. 

Mindee Arnett thrills again in this stunning final installment in the Arkwell Academy series.

My teaser, from p. 72 in the ARC:

Nevertheless, I quickened my pace, darting around the corner. The tunnel ahead was just as empty as the one before. Except when I passed by an alcove, a hand reached out from the darkness and closed around my arm.

I'm so excited to see how this series ends! It's so much fun, so if you haven't tried it out, I wouldn't wait! :D

I'll be visiting around and visiting back, so leave me links to your teasers! :) Happy Tuesday!

Review: Tangled Webs by Lee Bross

Release date: June 23, 2015
Author info: Website | Twitter
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: Gifted
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

If you're looking for a fun, light, and entertaining historical YA, Tangled Webs is your book. It's not quite what I was expecting to read--especially in relation to the lightness--but it's a solidly enjoyable read.

It's kind of the most fun-sounding setup, right? Arista is a girl taken from the streets, trained up, and put into a world she could never belong to. And she doesn't necessarily want to. She wants to escape, take a ship far away, and see the rest of the world she's dreamed of her entire life. While she's seemingly a tough cookie, working aristocrats over to get their secrets, Arista isn't so comfortable with what she does, especially as she becomes more aware of what her employer is doing.

I couldn't help but root for the romance between Arista and Grae. Their attraction is instantaneous and has just enough swoon. But what I really liked was how the story kept twisting back and forth. It's never truly quite clear who the two can trust and if they're going to be able to release Arista and Grae's family from their troubles, and it kept me turning pages as fast as I could.

Tangled Webs is just the right kind of historical novel for the summer, for those of us who aren't as big into contemporaries but like the idea of a book that'll keep them excited from beginning to end.

About the author:

Lee Bross is the author of Tangled Webs, and Fates as Lanie Bross. She was born in a small town in Maine, where she spent the next eighteen years dreaming of bigger places. After exploring city life, she and her husband and two young sons ended up going right back to the wilds of Maine. They now live just one house down from where she grew up. Fate, perhaps? Lanie loves chasing her rambunctious kids, playing tug-of-war with her ninety-five-pound Lab, and writing for teens. Visit her online at leebross.com and follow her on Tumblr and Twitter.

Stacking the Shelves {126}

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share the books we've bought, been gifted, or received for review!

How was everybody's week? Mine's been good! This is another week where nothing terribly exciting happened. Just day-to-day work, etc. I will be going on vacation next week, though, so that'll be fun! :) Got a few books this week, though... :D

For review:

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

The Wanderers by Kate Ormand

Purchased:

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare

Traded:

Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

A recap of the week here on Paper Cuts:
Monday - Review: Joyride by Anna Banks
Tuesday - Teaser Tuesday: The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson
Wednesday - Waiting on Wednesday: Stone Field by Christy Lenzi

Books I read this week:
The Edge of You by Theresa DaLayne
Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare

I'm currently reading:
The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson

So that's been my week! I haven't been able to concentrate on a lot of books I'd normally be very into--which is why I haven't finished The Heart of Betrayal, but apparently I like historical romance. :) Have a lovely Sunday and a fabulous week!

Waiting on Wednesday: Stone Field by Christy Lenzi {99}

Title: Stone Field
Author: Christy Lenzi
Release date: March 29, 2016

In a small town on the brink of the Civil War, Catrina finds a man making strange patterns in her family’s sorghum crop. He’s mad with fever, naked, and strikingly beautiful. He has no memory of who he is or what he’s done before Catrina found him in Stone Field. But that doesn’t bother Catrina because she doesn’t like thinking about the things she’s done before either.

Catrina and Stonefield fall passionately, dangerously, in love. All they want is to live with each other, in harmony with the land and away from Cat’s protective brother, the new fanatical preacher, and the neighbors who are scandalized by their relationship. But Stonefield can’t escape the truth about who he is, and the conflict tearing apart the country demands that everyone take a side before the bloodbath reaches their doorstep.

Inspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Stone Field is a passionate and atmospheric story of how violence and vengeance pervert the human spirit, and how hatred can be transcended by love.

Becky featured this a couple of weeks ago, and I'm officially obsessed. Look at that cover! And read that synopsis! I NEEDS IT, I NEEDS IT NOW.

 So what are you guys waiting on this week? :)

Teaser Tuesday: The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson {123}

Title: The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2)
Author: Mary E. Pearson

Release date: July 7, 2015

Intrigue abounds in this hotly anticipated sequel to The Kiss of Deception!

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.

My teaser, from p. 101 in the ARC:

The small wedge I had planted was already disappearing. They had a history together. Loyalty. The Komizar called him brother, as if they really were. I knew, even minutes ago when I had called Kaden an ally, that he wasn't--not as long as Venda came first.

Happy release day to The Heart of Betrayal! I only wish I had started it earlier, because I know it's going to be awesome. This is about as far as I am so far, and it's gooood. :)

I'll be visiting around and visiting back, so leave me links to your teasers! :) Happy Tuesday!

Review: Joyride by Anna Banks

Release date: June 2, 2015
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

A popular guy and a shy girl with a secret become unlikely accomplices for midnight pranking, and are soon in over their heads—with the law and with each other—in this sparkling standalone from NYT-bestselling author Anna Banks.

It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.

Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber's mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.

All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

I've had a rather rocky experience with Anna Banks' books, and quite honestly, I told myself Joyride would be my last from her if I didn't like it. I can't write off Anna Banks' books yet, I'm happy to say, but that's not to say this one was a total joyride to read, either (excuse me, but I can't not use that pun!)

In many ways (and some only in theory), there's a lot to like about Joyride. Diversity! Southern setting! Big issues! And some of those are handled pretty well. Anna Banks gets into problems with immigration but never goes terribly deep into it. This can be good and bad in equal measure, because it many of the problems could be dealt with more on the page and bits are certainly sugarcoated, but it still brings the issue to reader's minds and never downplays the seriousness. Carly is compelling as a character, because she's so torn by her desires to be a normal teenager and to help her family. Her romance with Arden is never center of her life and reasoning, and she never sacrifices family for a boy. (Yay!)

This is wholly a personal thing, but the Southern setting never felt authentic to me. There are mentions here and there, but the South is, in a lot of ways, kind of immersive--if only in the food, accents, and heat. I know Anna Banks lives in Florida, where the book is set, and yet I didn't see a "y'all" until at least halfway through (You don't go through many conversations without a y'all in there somewhere, y'all!) And I don't know that I saw anything about the heat? The heat is a topic of mention. Daily. (I live in Mississippi, if you don't know.) As I said, this is such a personal qualm, but it stood out and bothered me.

The other main problem, for me, is Arden's dad. He has all of this potential to be a really interesting character and dynamic bad guy for the book, but he's painted down into a caricature. His motives are played down in favor of a mustache-twirling, corrupt, money-hungry villain without any redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's disappointing to say the least.

Despite the problems, I generally enjoyed Joyride. I liked Carly and Arden's relationship and what they brought out in one another. I liked that Carly was able to stand up for herself and having a life outside of making money, and I was happy to read a happy ending.

About the author:

Anna Banks grew up in a small town called Niceville (yes, really). She now lives in Crestview, Florida, with her husband and their daughter.

Stacking the Shelves {125}

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share the books we've bought, been gifted, or received for review!

How was everybody's week? Mine's been good! Been working hard, but that's okay. :) I hope y'all all had a good fourth or if you're not in the US, just a good Saturday! Nothing else exciting is going on in life, so on to the books!

Purchased:

The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Rook by Sharon Cameron

I'm trying only to buy books I really love with the gift card I won at work, so I bought a few of my favorites of the year so far. Gotta have complete collections! :)

A recap of the week here on Paper Cuts:
Tuesday - Teaser Tuesday: A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab
Wednesday - Waiting on Wednesday: The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
Thursday - Best of 2015... So Far

Books I read this week:
A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab

I'm currently reading:
The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson

So that's been my week! I'm behind on comments again--surprise! I'll be doing them today or tomorrow, though, so no worries! :) Have a lovely Sunday and a fabulous week!

Best of 2015... So Far

Seeing everyone's Top 10 Tuesday posts this week reminded me that last year I did a "best of" at the midpoint in the year, I'm here to do that again! I've read 61 books so far this year (30 behind from last year, though that doesn't include rereads) and there have been some real standouts. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds!

In no particular order, my best books of the year... so far:

And a few honorable mentions:

And there you have it! Now I want to know, what are your favorites so far this year? If you did the Top 10 Tuesday post or a post in general, link me to it! :D