And the Winner Is...

I know it's a bit late, but I finally picked the winner for the Jane Porter Giveaway!! And the winner who will be receiving a copy of Not Fit For A King? and a Starbucks gift card is...

Joanne Balinski! 

Congrats Joanne! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did and thank you to everyone else who entered! The winner has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen!

Book Review: His Majesty's Mistake by Jane Porter

His Majesty's Mistake

By Jane Porter

Release Date: June 19, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: She's everything this desert king shouldn't want...   Spurned and publicly humiliated by the father of her child, Princess Emmeline d'Arcy has no ring, no wedding date and no legitimacy for her unborn baby. And the last straw? Having to trade in her gilded lifestyle and pretend to be her twin sister, otherwise known as Sheikh Makin Al-Koury's personal assistant. Accustomed to being waited on hand and foot, Emmeline finds herself having to jump to the click of her boss's skillful fingers-day and night! But once the sheikh uncovers her shameful past, will his touch be nothing but a scorching memory?


Review: In Not Fit For A King?, Emmeline is portrayed as a snotty, stuck-up, selfish Princess who only cares about herself. Because of this, I wasn't too thrilled to read a book from her point of view, but I'm really happy I did! Because literally everyone in her life has misinterpreted her. She's not a spoiled princess, but a helpless girl who just wants to be happy and loved. 

When Emmeline had switched places with Hannah, it was to find Alejandro, a notorious player, and tell him about their baby that she's pregnant with. Unfortunately for her, Emmeline had no idea of Alejandro's reputation until it was too late. Left with no help from her baby's father, Emmeline is lost and still stuck in America as Hannah. Just when she can't take any more, Makin, Hannah's boss, comes and whisks her away to his castle in the desert. 

Makin knows something is different with his assistant and he can't understand why he has become so aware of how feminine she is. Their relationship is definitely heating up and you can't help but feel for Emmeline as she opens up to him after being so hurt by Alejandro. Things got a little slow as Emmeline stayed with Makin in his castle, but you were always left with anticipation of seeing how things would unfold when people figured out that Emmeline actually isn't Hannah. 

This was a cute romance that cleared up any unanswered questions in Not Fit For A King?. It was a quick read and perfect to read on a summer day. So if you want a romance that is quick and light, read Jane Porter's Harlequin Presents novels! You won't want to put them down!

Follow My Book Blog Friday (46)

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: Jumping genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you don't usually like and LOVE it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place. 

Answer: Actually, this happened to me fairly recently! I haven't read a lot of steampunk books, so when I saw God Save the Queen's awesome cover, I decided, why not email the publisher and see if I can review it because it looks so good! They sent me a copy and as soon as I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! Once I finished it, I was like...

And now I really want to read more steampunk. Like right now. Haha, I didn't know the genre was so awesome! And the covers always look so cool! Needless to say, I went out of my comfort zone and it was so definitely worth it! I ended up discovering a genre that I actually really enjoy and can't wait to read more of!

Waiting on Wednesday (49)

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

Pizza, Love and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous

By Kathryn Williams

Release Date: August 21, 2012

Summary: Can a spot on a teen reality show really lead to a scholarship at an elite cooking school AND a summer romance?

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Nicolaides was practically raised in the kitchen of her family’s Italian-Greek restaurant, Taverna Ristorante. When her best friend, Alex, tries to convince her to audition for a new reality show, Teen Test Kitchen, Sophie is reluctant. But the prize includes a full scholarship to one of America's finest culinary schools and a summer in Napa, California, not to mention fame. 

Once on-set, Sophie immediately finds herself in the thick of the drama—including a secret burn book, cutthroat celebrity judges, and a very cute French chef. Sophie must figure out a way to survive all the heat and still stay true to herself. A terrific YA offering--fresh, fun, and sprinkled with romance.

Haha, the title caught me and I knew I had to read this book once I heard it! I love books that have to do with food (well, basically I love food in general...) so this one sounded really fun with the whole Italian-Greek restaurant thing going on. Then, the very last line of the summary had me anticipating the release of this book even more! A sprinkle of romance? Need you say more?? So with a mixture of food and romance, I really can't wait to get my hands on this book and see what the story has in store! It sounds like the kind of fun, light YA books I love and hopefully it can live up to those expectations! 

Review: Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham

Reunited

By Hilary Weisman Graham

Release Date: June 12, 2012

Source: Author

Summary: 1 Concert
2000 Miles
3 Ex-Best Friends

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends.

Back in middle school, the three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock band Level3.

But when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books.

Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3 announces a one-time-only reunion show.

Even though the concert’s 2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of town. Good thing Alice’s graduation gift (a pea-green 1976 VW camper van known as the Pea Pod) is just the vehicle to get them there.

But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show really over?

Review: I cannot believe this was Hilary's debut novel because it was absolutely FANTASTIC! There's nothing better than reading about a summer road trip of three ex-best friends during a nice summer day! The girls are all so different, but completely lovable in their own way that they made they made the book as awesome as it could be. 

Alice heard of the Level3's reunion tour, the same band who united the once best friends so many years ago before their falling out. Before she could chicken out, Alice bought the tickets and approached the other two girls right after graduation, asking them to do this one last hurrah together. Well, one thing turns into another and before they know it, all three girls are on their way to Texas in Alice's 1970s pea green VW van. Talk about a road trip! 

Alice has everythign meticulously planned out, Tiernan brings her angst attitude and blue hair, while Summer is still dealing with boyfriend drama and endless calls from her other popular friends. Despite their completely new lives, these girls forgot everything and being in the Pea Pod (their van) again makes it seem as if they're back in middle school, obsessing over their favorite boy band together. 

And the trip is just so entertaining! New things pop up around every corner and, of course, nothing ever goes as planned. You don't even know if the girls will make it to the concert until the moment actually arrives, which adds a little anticipation to the story. They meet so many interesting people that help bring the girls closer to each other, despite feeling like complete strangers in the beginning. I loved every second of the trio's trip and I was so sad when it finally ended. Maybe there could be a second one for the next summer after the girls have gone their separate ways to college? Because that would be awesome and I know I would read that book! But even if there's not a second book, I would recommend Reunited to anyone who loves a nice Young Adult summer read. It's perfect for laying out in the sun and dreaming of summer road trips and lazy days with your best friends :)

Blogspiration (10)

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 :) 

hahaha this is totally true for me. One time at school, I was reading a really good book and it was like 2 am on a Tuesday night and I had about 10 pages left in my book. The fire alarm went off and everyone had to go outside in the freezing cold and everyone was so mad they were woken up and all they wanted to do was go back to sleep. Me? I was mad because I had 10 pages left and all I wanted to do was go back and finish my book! Twenty minutes later, when everyone else went back inside and to bed, I finally finished my book :) But lack of sleep has definitely been attributed to my need to finish a book :) 

Stacking the Shelves (9)

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! 

From Half Price Books

I know I don't need any more books, but I saw these in the sale corner of Half Price Books and I knew I had to get them! The one I'm most excited for is Dead Until Dark because me and my sister have become obsessed with True Blood! We're almost done with season three now, so I decided to try out the books too! And How to Knit a Love Song seems super cute! So I can't wait to read all of these :)

That's all for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week??