Book Review + Giveaway: Not Fit for a King? by Jane Porter

Not Fit for a King? 

By Jane Porter

Release Date: May 22, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: The Impostor Princes . . . 
It's the stuff of fairytales: Hannah agrees to help out a princess, and within hours finds herself engaged to a king! But this dangerous charade has to end fast - the electrifying chemistry between them feels far tooreal!

. . . and the King!
Zale's royal bride-to-be looks like the pampered princess he's being forced to wed - yet she transforms into a feisty woman who makes his blue blood run hot! But is she fit to be his queen? Zale will just have to tempt her out from beneath her tiara to find out!

Review: Aww this was such a cute book! It was definitely like a fairytale, but that's exactly how I like them! The characters are so lovable and they go through so many trials to try and be with their one true love. 

Hannah is a girl everyone can relate to; she's not super skinny, she doesn't always know what the right thing to do is, and she's just a normal girl. Well, until she meets a princess who looks EXACTLY like her, switches places with her, and finds herself drawn to the princess's fiancé. And boy, I can see why Hannah is so fond of him! Zale is the super fit, super sweet prince that really are only found in fairytales. He's tired of being played by Emmeline (the real princess, not Hannah) as she goes off to see her boyfriend while being engaged to him, so he can't understand why she's changed this time he's meeting her. 

As Zale and Hannah grow closer, it gets harder for Hannah to live her lie that she knows will end as soon as Emmeline gets herself on a plane over there and finally switches back. But it would be so hard to resist the handsome king! Watching Zale and Hannah grow closer despite both of their conflicting feelings is so addicting and I didn't want to stop reading their story. As always with these books, it was way too short, but the story was good for the length that was given. Yeah, it was a bit predictable too, but I never said that was a bad thing! If you want to cute book that will just make you feel good after reading it, definitely pick this one up! I can't wait to read the next one book and finally hear Emmeline's side of the story! 

***Giveaway***

I'm so excited to announce that I have a copy of Not Fit for a King and a starbucks gift card to giveaway to my awesome readers! ***US ONLY*** Giveaway ends 7/4!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow My Book Blog Friday (45)

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: Birthday Wishes - Blow out the candles and imagine what character would pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from? 

Answer: 

Aww it's my birthday? Well it's about a month early, but I'll take it! Haha, if I had to choose someone it would be...

Jason from The Boyfriend League. I know a majority of you haven't even heard of this book but it is AWESOME. It's probably one of my favorite all-time books! Jason's a baseball player (pitcher) and he's so sweet, yet kind of shy and reserved. He's so adorable and I just wanted to reach into this book and keep him forever! So if it were my birthday today, I would definitely want Jason to come out of my cake :)

Book Review: God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

God Save the Queen

By Kate Locke

Release Date: July 3, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist. 

The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.

Review: Steampunk is still a pretty new genre to me, but after seeing this cover I knew I had to read it. And I'm SO happy I read it! God Save the Queen was such an awesome story that I just could not put down!

The world created in this book is so unique and so interested to read about. The Aristocrats are victims The Plague, giving them the gift of immorality. Queen Victoria has been ruling for over one hundred years and the vampires and werewolves are not leaving the world any time soon. Oh, and there's Goblins living in the tunnels who eat any meat that crosses their paths.

Xandra is a halvie, not quite an aristocrat and serving in the Queen's royal guard. Xandra's character reminded me so much of Rose from Vampire Academy and that's why I think I liked her so much. She's a strong woman who can sure hold her own. Even when a hunky guy comes into the picture, she doesn't fall to playing the damsel in distress; she can handle her own problems. There is so much secrecy in who Xandra is, who she can really trust, and who the good guys are in society that there's never a dull moment in this book. And the characters were all unique and lovable in their own ways.

My favorite part, though, was how they still wore fancy dresses and corsets because that's just what Queen Victoria was used to. The crazy colored hair of the halvies was so cool too and I wish I could live in their world! Imagine having bright blue hair while wearing the amazing dresses of victorian England. If reading steampunk means escaping into these crazy, cool worlds like the one in God Save the Queen, then I'm definitely checking out more of them! The second book in this series doesn't come out until 2013, so I need something to hold me over until then! Hopefully I can find a book as awesome as this one. If you haven't tried Steampunk, or even if you have and really enjoyed it, you need to read this book! You won't want to put it down :)

Waiting On Wednesday (48)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

The Queen Is Dead

By Kate Locke

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Summary: When her brother Val gets in over his head in an investigation of Half-Blood disappearances and goes missing himself, it's up to Xandra, newly crowned Goblin Queen, to get him back and bring the atrocities to light. Xandra must frequent the seediest parts of London, while also coping with what she is, the political factions vying for her favor, and the all too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who wants her head. Add this to a being a suspect in a murder investigation, a werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell bent on destroying the monarchy, and Xandra barely knows which way is up. One thing she does know is that she's already lost one sibling, she's not about to lose another.




I just finished reading the first book God Save the Queen and it was SO GOOD. I really can't wait to see what happens next but this one doesn't come out until February. Why??? How can I wait that long?? I loved the whole story and vibe of this book and I'm so sad I have to wait months for the next one. I'm definitely going to be checking out more Steampunk novels until then because this genre sure is addicting! 

Movie Review: Battleship

Summary: A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals.

Review: I'm a huge fan of action movies like Transformers, GI Joe, and Independence Day, so I had a good feeling I was going to like this movie. And I was so beyond right. Battleship was freaking AWESOME!

The story of aliens taking over the world is so cliche, but this movie took that story and made it their own by using the game Battleship as an inspiration. And how they incorporate the game into the movie was SO COOL. There was so much action, suspense, and mystery that this movie kept you on your toes the whole time. And the added romance made it perfect for me! It didn't take up the entire storyline, so it's okay for any gender to enjoy. 

The story was a little jumpy near the beginning and the end, but the rest flowed well. I loved all the actors (they were all from movies/shows I've watched, so that was really exciting) and Rihanna was surprisingly a really awesome character. All of the action and military weapons/fighting was really cool too, especially the aliens' new technology that was literally out of this world. I just couldn't get over how cool this movie was after I saw it. I would definitely recommend you see this movie! I don't know why critics didn't like this movie because it was so good! So if you like action/alien/military movies, you should see this movie now! Because it's so awesome and you'll enjoy every minute of it!

Blogspiration (9)

This is a new meme I found hosted by Growing Up YA and Saz101. Bloggers post something that inspires them every week and shares it with their followers! I love this idea, so I decided to try it out! Every Monday I'll share a picture/quote/video of something (most likely book related) that's inspired me this week :) 

This is SO true! I have been to so many places, from Hogwarts and outer space, to California and England without ever leaving my room. I have learned so much about other places, cultures, and lives in general all because of books. They're amazing and that's why I love them so much :)

Stacking the Shelves (8)

Stacking the Shelves is a new meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what they got throughout the week! I know I'm a day late for posting this, but working has completely taken up my time! So sorry for being late, but here's everything I got this past week! 

Library

This one was being advertised on Goodreads and just looked so gosh darn cute! I'm in the mood for a fun read, so I decided to go ahead and get it from the library!

Publisher/Author

Jane Porter's books are awesome, so I'm super excited I got her two newest ones to review this week! And Click is written all in emails (I'm pretty sure), so I'm really interested to see how that one turns out!

Bought

I saw this at the library for only $1 and could not have gotten more excited! Eloisa James's books are AMAZING and this is the first one in her fairy tale romance series. I've read the third one, so I'm so excited to start this one! Cinderella is my favorite princess, so I can't wait to see how this one is! 

And that's what's new for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week? Please share because I'd love to hear! 

Book Review: Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper

Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors

By Molly Harper

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: Just as Jane Jameson’s unlife seems to be stabilizing, fate sinks its fangs firmly into her butt. Despite her near-phobia of all things marital, her no-frills nighttime nuptials to her sexy boyfriend Gabriel are coming along smoothly. But the road to wedded bliss gets bumpy when a teenage acquaintance is fatally wounded in front of Jane’s shop and she turns him to save his life. The Council pronounces Jane responsible for the newborn vamp until he can control his thirst. 

Jane’s kitchen at River Oaks barely holds enough Faux Type O to satiate the cute teen’s appetite and maintain Gabriel’s jealous streak at a slow simmer. As if keeping her hyperactive childe from sucking the blood out of the entire neighborhood isn’t enough to deal with, the persnickety ghost of Jane’s newly deceased Grandma Ruthie has declared a war on the fanged residents of River Oaks. Suddenly, 
choosing monogrammed cocktail napkins and a cake that she can’t eat seems downright relaxing in comparison. 

Tensions inside the house are growing…and outside, a sinister force is aiming a stake straight for the center of Gabriel’s heart. Most brides just have to worry about choosing the right dress, but Jane fears that at this rate, she’ll never make it down the aisle for the wedding all nice girls dream of…

Review: It's over? It's really over?? I think I'm in serious denial right now because I don't want Jane Jameson to ever leave! In the (I'm pretty sure) final Nice Girls book, Jane is even more snarky, sarcastic, and just plain old entertaining. Yet again, someone is out to kill her, so Jane must deal with death threats, the new vampire childe she had to turn, and the upcoming wedding between her and Gabriel. Talk about a busy life.

Gabriel is honestly one of the most perfect boyfriends. He's always there for Jane when she's about to get killed, when she needs advice on being the sire of a teenage boy, and when she's about to go crazy from planning a wedding with her insane friends and family. There was so much suspense when you had no idea when the killer would strike next and the anticipation of the wedding.

It's so sad to think that Jane's journey is over, but I'd like to think that after this book, her and Gabriel live happily ever after for ever and ever. Haha, hopefully they never get tired of each other since they're stuck with each other for the rest of time. But this book went by way too fast and I don't know what I'm going to do without any more crazy stories about Jane! Maybe I'll have to try out Molly Harper's other books! If she can create one amazing series, I'm sure she has some other, even more awesome stores up her sleeve...

Follow My Book Blog Friday (44)

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or was it THAT bad? 

Answer: 

I know, I know, another Harry Potter answer. But it's the only book I could think of! When I first read it, I couldn't believe everything that was happening and I never knew what was going to happen next. Who was going to do? How were they going to die? What would happen to Harry? There was so much suspense and emotion that I was so sad when it was over. So I would love to be able to read this all over again for the first time. Very few books can make me feel that way, so I wish I could experience that emotion again! 

Book Review: Basatai: Outside In by Suzan Battah

Basatai: Outside In

By Suzan Battah

Release Date: April 14

Source: Author

Summary: Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani's blood is spilled in attack and she dies.

S'teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.

Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evolve and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn't believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.

The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet...

Review: I tried to like this book. I really really tried. I think if I were reading this at any other time, I would have been able to finish it, but since I haven't had that much time to read lately, every book I spend my time on has to be worth spending the time reading. And this one just wasn't.

I always need to like the main character, but I wasn't that big of a fan of Armani. She was constantly complaining about how she didn't need help and her attitude just got kind of annoying. And when Rafe came into the picture, I didn't get their instant chemistry at all. Apparently they were soul mates and sparks flew when they were near each other, even when they just met. I really don't like it when people magically are in love before they even talk, so that aspect of this story really bothered me.

The whole world they live in was also confusing. I thought it took too much effort to really understand what was going on, so I stopped after 50 pages. It took me three days to read those 50 pages because I just couldn't get into it, so I decided to put it down because I wasn't enjoying it as much as I wanted to. This book held a lot of potential with an interesting storyline, it just wasn't fun or interesting enough to read.

Waiting On Wednesday (47)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

When In Doubt, Add Butter

By Beth Harbison

Release Date: July 17, 2012

Summary: From the New York Times bestselling author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous and Always Something There to Remind Me comes a delicious new novel about the search for true love and all the ingredients that go into it.

As far as Gemma is concerned, her days of dating are over. In fact, it’s her job to cater other peoples’ dates, and that’s just fine by her. At thirty-seven, she has her own business, working as a private chef, and her life feels full and secure. She’s got six steady clients that keep her hands full. 

There’s Lex, the fussy but fabulous department store owner who loves Oysters Rockefeller and 1950s comfort food; Willa, who needs to lose weight under doctor’s orders but still believes butter makes everything better; a colorful family who may or may not be part of the Russian mob; an überwealthy Georgetown family; the picture-perfect Van Houghtens, whose matriarch is “allergic to everything”; and finally, a man she calls “Mr. Tuesday,” whom she has never met but who she is strangely drawn to. 

For Gemma, cooking is predictable. Recipes are certain. Use good ingredients, follow the directions, and you are assured success. Life, on the other hand, is full of variables. So when Gemma’s takes an unexpected turn on a road she always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and move on in ways she never would have imagined. Because sometimes in life, all you need is a little hope, a lot of courage, and---oh yes---butter.

Ahhh pretty sure I'm drooling over the cupcakes on this cover...they look so yummy! Any cover with food seriously makes me want to read it. But aside from the cover, the story sounds so good too! A bake who are looking for love in their lives sound like someone I want to read about! Can't wait for this one to come out!

Guest Post + Giveaway: Author Elyse Mady

This is a very first here on Peace Love Books, but today I have a guest post by the lovely Elyse Mady to share with you! Elyse is the author of A White Swan Affair (which I'll be posting my review of sometime this week) and she's here today to talk about one of my most favorite topics of all time: Romance. So without further adieu, here's Elyse!

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Historical vs. Contemporary Romance, pros and cons

To celebrate the kick off of my blog tour for my new Regency novel, “The White Swan Affair”, I was planning on doing a very serious “when you write to types of romance” response to the question of the pros and cons of historical and contemporary romance.   After all, I love and write both.  But then I decided that that was too boring.  So I decided to take a very unwriterly approach and just list the five things I love most about both.   Nothing scientific, just fun!

Five Things to Love About Historical Romance

1. Nobody looks at your hero oddly if he’s wearing tight leather pants.  In fact, it’s de rigeur to wear tight leather pants.   He can wear them as tightly as he likes, hopefully paired with an immaculately cut coat of superfine to show off his equally broad shoulders, and it will be a very good thing.  Yum.
2. Your hero will certainly know how to dance.  If your significant other is anything like my significant other, he would rather have unmedicated dental surgery than hit the dance floor.  Even if he does, through some miracle, actually consent to dance, he ends up looking like a cross between a Dalek and a recently reanimated zombie.  Sometimes, a girl just wants a guy to say “I live to waltz” and sweep her off onto the dance floor whilst keeping perfect ¾ time.
3. You can use the words ‘whilst’ and nobody looks at you funny.
4. Email doesn’t exist.  Smart phones can’t interrupt a crucial romantic moment.  Everything moves at a slower pace.  And there is nothing better than slow and languid in a romance novel.
5. Corsets aren’t special underclothes that come with a merry widow set.  Everybody wore them.  Everybody got great cleavage as a result.  Ooh, and garters and stockings.   It’s like sexy dress up (or dress off) is just waiting to happen.  Because variety in the bedroom is never a bad thing.

Five Things to Love About Contemporary Romance

1. Your hero and heroine can be alone in a room together and no one will insist on an immediate marriage to repair the poor girl’s reputation.  As much as I love a marriage of convenience, sometimes you don’t want to commit to a lifetime together just because you spent five minutes with some guy unchaperoned.
2. While your hero probably (hopefully) doesn’t own a pair of tight leather pants, a worn pair of blue jeans, slung low on lean hips are equally yummy and a tight t-shirt can show off his broad shoulders just fine.
3. Your heroine doesn’t have to explain away her unwarranted interest in: a) higher education b) a career c) an interest in wearing pants  d) sex before marriage.
4. Personal hygiene has seen a marked uptick in the past 200 years.  Running water, indoor plumbing and dental care are all pretty much guaranteed.
5. Your hero and your heroine can be expected to know more and have preferences for positions other than missionary while in the bedroom.  Because variety in the bedroom is never a bad thing.

So now I want to know what your favourite things are in Historical and Contemporary romance. One lucky commenter will win a signed e-copy of my new book, “The White Swan Affair” in their choice of format!

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The Choices

 

About the Newest Release

A White Swan Affair
By Elyse Mady
Release Date: May 21, 2012
Summary: London, 1810
After the tragic death of her beloved, Hester Aspinall vowed never to be ruled by her passions again. Still, she is drawn to her landlord, handsome adventurer Thomas Ramsay—but she doesn't fool herself that a man of his station would look twice at a poor tailor's sister.

With the sea for a mistress, Thomas has no intention of entering into matrimony. And yet, he can't get the plain-spoken and desirable Hester out of his mind, even though she's never tried to secure his attentions as other women do.

Everything changes the night Hester's brother is arrested during a raid on a gay brothel, the infamous White Swan. With no one else to turn to, and terrified Robert will hang for his crime, Hester accepts Thomas's offer to bear the cost of the defense. A true gentleman, Thomas expects nothing in return—but Hester can no longer deny her own desires...
She may offer her body eagerly, but can she protect her heart?

Elyse Mady is the author of historical romances “The White Swan Affair” and “The Debutante’s Dilemma”, with Carina Press and two contemporary romances.  Upcoming books include the Regency novella “The Debutante’s Desire”.  She blogs at www.elysemady.com.  You can also find her on Twitter at @elysemady, Facebook and Goodreads.

In addition to her writing commitments, Elyse also teaches film and literature at a local college. With her excellent writerly imagination, she one day dreams of topping the NY Times Bestseller’s List and reclaiming her pre-kid body without the bother of either sit-ups or the denunciation of ice-cream.

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That was so awesome! Thank you so much for your guest post! There's nothing I love more than a good romance, contemporary or historical, so Elyse definitely brought up some excellent points! If you enjoyed this guest post, be sure to check out the historical romance The White Swan Affair and decide for yourself whether historical or contemporary romances hit the spot for you :) 

Blog Tour: BaSatai: Outside In by Suzan Battah

I've got a blog tour to share with you all today! Peace Love Books is a stop for Suzan Battah's Basatai: Outside In!

Basatai: Outside In

By Suzan Battah 

Release Date: April 14, 2012

Summary: Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani's blood is spilled in attack and she dies.

S'teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.

Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evolve and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn't believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.

The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet... ***Review soon to come***

Blogspiration (8)

This is a new meme I found hosted by Growing Up YA and Saz101. Bloggers post something that inspires them every week and shares it with their followers! I love this idea, so I decided to try it out! Every Monday I'll share a picture/quote/video of something (most likely book related) that's inspired me this week :) 

Haha, this is exactly what I feel like every night of my life, especially Friday/Saturday nights. Everyone else wants to go out while I'm perfectly fine staying in a watching a movie :)