Blog Tour: Refuge for Masterminds (Stranje House #3) by Kathleen Baldwin {Fun Fact + Excerpt + Giveaway}

I'm super excited to have the blog tour for Refuge for Masterminds, which is OUT NOW, stopping by today! I've only read the first book in this series so far, but it was such fun, and I'm definitely going to be catching up as soon as I can. Today I get to share a fun fact from Kathleen, an excerpt, and a giveaway! Read on, y'all! :)

About the book:

The stakes in this game of spies are life and death.
  
Lady Jane Moore has a secret. A secret that must be kept buried. If anyone discovered the truth, her life at Stranje House would crumble. And with Napoleon Bonaparte threatening to invade England, everyone at Stranje House is already in mortal danger.

There’s a traitor in the house. Someone is sneaking information to Napoleon’s spies, Lady Daneska and Ghost. Jane is determined to find out who it is before suspicions rip apart the bonds of friendship at Stranje House. Her desperate hunt for the traitor ensnares a brash young American inventor, Alexander Sinclair, Robert Fulton’s nephew, into an ambush that puts his life in danger. Sinclair is the most maddening young man in all of Christendom, a sharp-tongued rascal with boorish manners, but Lady Jane cannot bear the thought of the golden-haired genius being harmed.

Is Jane enough of a mastermind to save Alexander, her friends at Stranje House, and possibly England itself?

Fans of Gail Carriger, Patricia Wrede, and Caroline Stevermer will love this Regency-era alternate history filled with spunky heroines, handsome young lords, and dastardly villains.

Fun Fact #3

I am kind of a history nerd. I am crazy about doing research.

I know, I know, what kind of lunatic loves that? I mean no one enjoys doing research papers in school, do they? 

Oh, wait, yes, I do, I do! Waving hand. 

My little researcher’s heart goes absolutely crazy over authenticity. It’s an obsession. Nay, a sickness really. 

Anyway, to make certain I had the details of Ghost’s ship correct in REFUGE FOR MASTERMINDS, I needed to go aboard an honest to goodness ship from the Regency era. So, a friend and I went to a maritime museum in San Diego. We clambered down narrow stairwells into the cargo hold, the crew’s quarters (a bunch of hammocks in the hold), passenger berths, the captain’s quarters, the artillery deck, and even the kitchen.

I now know what it feels like to be aboard an old ship, and I’m grateful it was only for an hour. 

You guys, ships are so tiny! I have no idea how the sailors and passengers could live like that for months at a time. 

Super squishy.

Excerpt from
Chapter 15
Clocks and Cobras

(Wherein Alexander Sinclair, the boorish American Inventor, has come to Lady Jane for a dance lesson)

The Grand Salon at Haversmythe house is an elegant soft blue with lavish white moldings. Queen Anne chairs, upholstered in a matching blue velvet, are arranged along the walls. Two enormous chandeliers hang from the ceiling. One is lit for this evening, and it glitters with fifteen brightly glowing candles. The floor is smooth and waxed to a brilliant shine. But the most notable feature, is how perfectly this room sets off Mr. Sinclair’s features.

He is clad in his new Corinthian black coat and navy blue breeches. I will not remark on how his hair glows in the candlelight, nor how the blue walls are a perfect foil for his angelic features. The effect is somewhat marred by the fact that he is smiling at me like a roguish pickpocket.

He bows over my hand and one might almost think him a gentleman. I run through all the things I should like him to say.

I’m yours to command, Lady Jane.

You look perfectly stunning in that gown, my lady.

My dearest Jane, I’ve been counting each torturous minute until this moment.

To all these compliments, I plan to offer a ladylike laugh, and playfully scold him the way Lady Jersey would. I will say, mind your tongue Alexander Sinclair, and then smile coyly.

He rises from his bow, and I perform a slow languid curtsy.

“All right, Lady Jane, what are you up to?” He stares down his nose at me. Which, by the way, looks as if it was broken at one time or another. There is a decided knot in the fine lines of the bone. “I see cogs turning in that dangerous little head of yours.”

Dangerous. Not pretty. Of all the things he could’ve called my head, lovely, or even clever, he chooses to say dangerous. What’s worse, I am completely innocent of plotting at the moment. I was merely enjoying looking at him.

“I’m not up to anything.” I cross my arms. “Why should I be?”

“Because you always are.” He says this with a modicum of respect, as if it is not entirely an insult, even though it is. “Craftier than a mongoose chasing a cobra, you are. I never know what to expect.”

A mongoose?

Suddenly, I want to punch him. My fists are balled and I have half a mind to actually do the deed, except that would not be ladylike, and fortunately for him Captain Grey and Miss Stranje are approaching, otherwise I might fling caution to the wind and smack him properly, right there on his angelic cheek.

Mongoose, indeed.

Miss Stranje greets Mr. Sinclair, and says, “Lady Jane, we will leave you and the others to instruct Mr. Sinclair on the finer points of our English country dances. Mind you, the gentlemen have an early morning tomorrow. So, you only have an hour and a half before they must take their leave.”

Mr. Sinclair bows to her and holds out his arm to me. “I am ready for your instruction, my lady.”

“I’m surprised you would trust a mongoose.”

“With my life, your majesty.” He adds a jaunty smile. But his flippant remark, with my life, jolts me back to the cold cruel fact that his life may indeed rely on whether or not I can catch the cobra.

My fists uncurl.

Buy Refuge for Masterminds: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Previous books in the series:

Buy A School for Unusual Girls: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Buy Exile for Dreamers: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

About the author:

Kathleen Baldwin loves adventure in books and in real life. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert, was stalked by a mountain lion, lost an argument with a rattlesnake, spent way too long in college, fell in love and married her very own hero.

A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS, the first book in the alternate history series for teens, was awarded Spirit of Texas in 2016, is a Junior Library Guild selection, and Kansas NEA Reading Circle gave it a starred review in their 2016 “Best of the Best” for High Schools. Ian Bryce, producer of Spiderman, Saving Private Ryan, and other notable films optioned the series for film.

REFUGE FOR MASTERMINDS, Book 3 in the Stranje House series, releases May 23rd.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot calls this romantic Regency adventure, "completely original and totally engrossing."

Find Kathleen online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

Release date: March 28, 2017
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 416
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided through Edelweiss
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

I'm kind of two minds about Blood Rose Rebellion. In some ways, I really enjoyed the world Eves created, where the aristocracy partially maintains their power because of their magical abilities, and liked seeing Anna come to understand the world around her. At the same time, though, I was frustrated with Anna a lot of the time, I've seen reviews that mention inaccuracies--though that's obviously not something I can speak on personally--and there were things that just didn't feel right.

First, the good. The setting is just the kind of thing I love! Not only do we start in London, but Anna visits Hungary with her grandmother, a country we don't see a lot of in YA, and it makes for a different feel, and a culture that's enjoyable to learn more about. There's also a lot that's interesting about the magic of the world, with a lot of questions to be answered later on after the events of this book. I'll be curious to see the repercussions to come in the next book. I like when folklore and fairy tales come into play in a world with magic, so all the creatures from the Binding were one of my favorite parts.

On the other hand, Anna is more than a little bit frustrating. I found her to be naive and too changeable. She didn't commit to her decisions, and she's very self-centered, unable to see how her actions will affect others until she's faced with the consequences. And while I liked the eventual romance, it weirds me out that Anna kissed at least three guys in this book. Two seems sufficient, doesn't it?

Even so, enough interesting background was set up that I'm curious for what's to come. I have hope that Anna can grow from what she's experienced, and, hey, maybe she'll only kiss one guy! So, perhaps while I can't recommend it without reservation, Blood Rose Rebellion is an interesting read and a series I will continue.

About the author:

Rosalyn Eves grew up in the Rocky Mountains, dividing her time between reading books and bossing her siblings into performing her dramatic scripts. As an adult, the telling and reading of stories is still one of her favorite things to do. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her chemistry professor husband and three children, watching British period pieces, or hiking through the splendid landscape of southern Utah, where she lives. She dislikes housework on principle. Her first book, BLOOD ROSE REBELLION, comes out Spring 2017 from Knopf.

Review: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

Release date: September 13, 2016
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 403
Format: ARC
Source: Traded
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes.

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.

In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.

But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.

It's no secret that I looooooooove Sharon Cameron's books. I'm still obsessed with Rook, and it's been...awhile...since I read it. So, when friends told me The Forgetting was her best book so far, I was excited, and a little scared. Honestly, I don't know how something could compare to Rook for me, so The Forgetting isn't her best book in my mind--however, it is excellent.

In Nadia's world, what isn't written down didn't happen. The Forgetting happens every twelve years, so people rely on their books to tell them about their pasts. But Nadia remembers. She's only experienced one Forgetting, but she knows what happened before, and the knowing is a danger to her and her family. She wants to know why they forget and why they have walls, just what they are hiding from.

Finding out these whys and whats alongside Nadia is a treat. Being in her head is fascinating, because Nadia is racing against the clock, fighting for the people she loves. She knows her world could emerge completely different after the Forgetting, and she's unwilling to let that happen. And the answers we get? COOL. It's not something you expect, and even once we know, there's more! You'll be guessing all the way through.

And it's not a Sharon Cameron book if I didn't love the romance! Gray is a bit of a mystery at first, but as he and Nadia get to know one another, their romance is a pleasure to read.

Don't take my saying The Forgetting is not my new favorite Sharon Cameron book as a negative! (I'm really thinking it's more genre-related than anything. I can't resist a retelling of a classic, especially one set in a world than feels like it's from the past but it's really the future!) That doesn't discount that The Forgetting is a truly excellent science fiction novel that'll keep you guessing till the end.

About the author:

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages. She lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee.

April Recap

I did slightly better this month! Not well, but better. I'm gonna take the win. I'm still reading quite a bit, though, so I'm going to be happy enough with this.

What books did I get?

I did okay with this, but I always manage to download too many egalleys. Without fail.

If I Only Had a Duke by Lenora Bell
Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (signed and personalized!)
Rebels Rising by Shanna Swendson

Not the greatest job not buying books, but not terrible either. Hopefully next month will be better. Only thing I didn't buy was Rebel, which I traded for--and about DIED in excitement to get. My collection is perfect. Flora & Ulysses is for my class this summer. And I desperately wanted to go to the launch for Defy the Stars, but timing didn't work out. I did, however, order a signed copy from the event and picked it up, which made it a little better.

As for the egalleys, this may include a couple I got in March, because I didn't feature any in the last recap, but I can't remember exactly when I got all of them.

What did I post?

This is the same number of I posts from my last recap. However, the last recap was for two months! Double the posts!

March Recap (And a Little Bit of February?)

Review: Gilded Cage by Vic James

Review: Hunted by Meagan Spooner

I'm calling this a win for me, but I'm trying to do better!

What did I read?

Again, not embarrassing!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Perfect (Flawed #2) by Cecelia Ahern

When the Marquess Falls (Hellions of Havisham #3.5) by Lorraine Heath

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

How the Duke Was Won (Disgraceful Dukes #1) by Lenora Bell

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

If I Only Had a Duke (Disgraceful Dukes #2) by Lenora Bell

See? I've been reading more than I thought I would, and have quite the backlog of books to review.

Currently reading: When Dimple Met Rishi (though I'll be done by the time this posts!)

Favorite of the month: I think I have to go with Alex, Approximately! I LOVED The Upside of Unrequited, but not as much as Simon, and I loved Born a Crime, but it's so different from my normal stuff, so I guess I'm counting it differently. I dunno. Why do I have to love so many books that I read?

What will I read?

I'm planning on reading heavily from my physical books this month, since I focused on ebooks last month. I didn't do the best with that, but that's okay. If you've seen my TBRs from before, you'll see a few holdovers. I'm really trying to get to them! 

What am I doing?

Well, I've finished my second semester of grad school! I haven't gotten my final grade back yet, but it looks like I'll have a 99 in one class and pass the other--which is a pass/fail pre-requisite--so I'm pleased! I also got to write a giant annotated bibliography on Disney attractions, which was a lot of fun.

I turned 25! I'm still a little salty about it, and kept asking if I could just turn 24 again, but no one told me I could. 

I will be starting summer classes pretty soon, but I'm only taking one. I'll have class through the middle of June and be freeeeee for a little while! I'm taking a class called Materials for Youth, so it shouldn't be too difficult--but it will be work intensive. Looks like we have pretty big assignments that involve reading a book due every 4 or 5 days, so I may...not be the best here. We'll see, I guess.

I'm also trying--again--not to spend money! I need to put it down in writing, and remind myself that I'm saving for school and Disney. Yes, I'm going to Disney World again in September. I might have a problem, but that's alright.

That's it! I'm crossing my fingers I'll be able to get more posts up this month, but we'll see! School has to come first, you know? (I do have at least one blog tour stop scheduled, so that'll happen for sure!)