Blog Tour: Red Hood

Author: Elana Arnold
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Retellings, Fairytales
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Where to Buy:  Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

*Thank you The Fantastic Flying Book Club and Balzer + Bray  for the opportunity to be on this blog tour!*

Synopsis

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked.

And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good. But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her. A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions. About the blood in Bisou’s past and on her hands as she stumbles home. About broken boys and vicious wolves. About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

 

Review

Wow, what a retelling!  Red Hood follows the story of Bisou, a girl willing to fight off those who creep in the night. Elana Arnold took the classic tale of Red Riding Hood and turned it into an action packed adventure. It’s homecoming and Bisou is getting sexy with her boyfriend. When her boyfriend raises his head, shes sees the thing she did not want coming in that exact moment. Embarrassed, she runs off into the woods, encounters a wolf and ultimately kills it. That events leads to a mysterious death of a boy in her high school near the very area she killed the wolf. Did she kill the boy? Was it a boy and not a wolf?

Red Hood tackles some heavy topics in such a unique and great way. It is a story about empowerment. It is written with such craft that I felt as a grown woman in 2020, I can totally relate to some of the topics discussed. Bisou becomes this bad ass main character that you end up rooting for. I really loved Bisou character development throughout the story. As a child she suffered such loss and tragedy that only led her to become stronger as she grew up. She becomes a beacon of sisterhood and fights for the rights of her fellow women. What I loved most about Bisou was her relationship with her boyfriend. You often read books where the boyfriend is still a bit of an alpha even when he isn’t meant to be. Bisou’s boyfriend is supportive, loving and gets her. It was great to have that refresher that all boys do not have to be toxic to be masculine.

On the subject of toxic masculinity, Elana hit that through the park. The wolves hunting the women aren’t only wolves – they are also men and boys. Bisou creates a coven to hunt the wolves and bring peace to the women in her quiet Seattle town. This is a story that gives you message that you are allowed to love your body and you are allowed to rise up against injustice. It is a retelling you don’t expect. A page turning adventure about wolf hunters, sexual experiences, menstruation [in detail] and the upside down turn of events for one young girl. It is a book you want to pick up and not let down!

About the Author

ELANA K. ARNOLD is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children’s books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets.

Author Links: Website |Goodreads| Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Follow the Tour!

http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/12/tour-schedule-red-hood-by-elana-k-arnold.html

Giveaway

Prize: Win a copy of RED HOOD by Elana K. Arnold (US Only)

Starts: 18^th February 2020

Ends: 3^rd March 2020

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b86463/?

Release Blitz: Walking the Line

The trilogy is complete!
Walking The Line by Janine Infante Bosco IS HERE!!!

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2S1U7Vt
Universal → getbook.at/WalkingTheLine

Haven’t met the Satan’s Knights Prospects yet?
Start at the beginning by one-clicking HERE → https://amzn.to/3buT8EG

They’re ALL #FREE with #KindleUnlimited!

BLURB:

Walking the line, exercising self-control, and respecting boundaries was never my thing.

Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife—it’s one of the ten commandments and the number one rule you don’t break when you’re a prospect for the Satan’s Knights. I fell in love with the former vice president’s wife. A lethal mistake on my behalf, that only left me bitter and standing on the edge of an overpass.

I would’ve jumped if it hadn’t been for the terrified girl, crying on the other side of the fence. She was seventeen and the district attorney’s daughter. She was also pregnant with my little brother’s baby. Desperate to avoid the wrath of her powerful father, she hid her pregnancy and protected us all in the process.

If anyone deserved a happy ending it was Carrie.

What she got instead was a damn tragedy. The kind of unimaginable horror that crushes your soul and breaks your heart. Now, we’re both standing on the edge of the overpass, walking a different kind of line, ready to jump.

About Janine

Janine Infante Bosco lives in New York City, she has always loved reading and writing. When she was thirteen, she began to write her own stories and her passion for writing took off as the years went on. At eighteen, she even wrote a full screenplay with dreams of one day becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

Janine writes emotionally charged novels with an emphasis on family bonds, strong willed female characters, and alpha male men who will do anything for the women they love. She loves to interact with fans and fellow avid romance readers like herself.

She is proud of her success as an author and the friendships she’s made in the book community but her greatest accomplishment to date would be her two sons Joseph and Paul.

Find Janine Online
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2GPQxHS
BookBub → http://bit.ly/2XYCjuR
Facebook → http://bit.ly/2WQaEj2
Goodreads → http://bit.ly/2WU2AxI
Instagram → http://bit.ly/2Y0UArg
Pinterest → http://bit.ly/2ZEEnZr
Twitter → http://bit.ly/2x26DJ4
Website → https://www.janineinfantebosco.com

 

Blog Tour: Her Homecoming Wish

Harlequin Reads

Author: Jo McNally
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Publication Date: February 1, 2020
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Where to Buy: Harelquin | Amazon | Target

*Thank you Harlequin Special Edition  for the opportunity to review this story!*

Synopsis

She’s ready to shed her good-girl ways…

“You’re all about following the rules now?

“Pity.”

Mackenzie Wallace hopes there’s still some bad boy lurking beneath single father Danny Adams’s upright exterior. Being the proverbial good girl left her brokenhearted and alone in the past. Now she’s back in town and wants excitement with her high school crush—not love. Dan knows their connection runs deep, despite Mackenzie’s protests. But will their new personas work together—especially when Dan’s secret is exposed?

Review

I have to say, this role reversal was a pleasant read. You get the good girl gone rogue, Mackenzie, and the bad boy gone law abiding citizen, Danny in a reunion that was unexpected. Mackenzie is caught in an apprehension until she tells the officer that the store belongs to her father. That officer, Danny, lets go of Mackenzie and can’t believe he is standing in front of his best friend’s younger sister. This starting point led us to a whirlwind of a story where each character is fighting their own identities and keeping the emotional baggage they each hold at a safe distance from each other.

The moment Danny looked at Mackenzie was the moment I knew he was going to fall hard for her. Despite her protests of not liking the former bad boy, Mackenzie couldn’t also help finding Danny charming and at times, irresistible. Adding on a daughter from a failed marriage, Danny is not only thinking for himself when jumping into any romance. Mackenzie wants to be free and live on the wild side after a failed marriage. Their romance was one that was slowly growing, which I appreciated. With that emotional baggage, an insta-love story would have not felt right. Although their humor filled with a dash of spice romance was one focal point, this story was more about what labels given to you when you are younger can impact you as an adult.

For Mackenzie, being perfect is no longer in her list of things to be and that pressure makes it hard for her to feel like she’s gone rogue to get freedom from her past failures. Something about this focal point resonated a bit with me because I know what it feels like to have the weight of perception  of others on you and how it can make you feel inauthentic to yourself to enable that perception. On the flip side, we see how Danny has been doing his best to leave his bad boy past in the past but struggles to show people that he can truly be a changed man. The author did so well in making this a journey of finding and re-discovering themselves in a healthy way. I really enjoyed that the romance was not the main drive of the story, but the ignition the characters needed to appreciate each and themselves.

Overall, this book was a great read. I am a sucker for a romance where two people grow, where there is a man in a uniform and where secrets come to light that bring the couple closer than they have ever expected to become. It was a great romance to read around Valentine’s Day that had a good amount of mushy romance and a great amount of spicy moments, action and raw emotion.

About the Author

Jo McNally lives in upstate New York with 100 pounds of dog and 200 pounds of husband – her slice of the bed is very small. When she’s not writing or reading romance novels (or clinging to the edge of the bed…), she can often be found on the back porch sipping wine with friends, listening to an eclectic playlist. If the weather is perfect, she might join her husband on the golf course, where she always feels far more competitive than her actual skill-level would suggest.

Blog Tour: Temporary Wife Temptation

Harlequin Reads

Author: Jayci Lee
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Publication Date: February 1, 2020
Rating: 4/5 Stars

*Thank you Harlequin Desire  for the opportunity to review this story!*

Synopsis

Much more than he bargained for…

“You want me to find you a wife?”

“No. I want you to be my wife.”

Garrett Song is this close to taking the reins of his family’s LA fashion empire…until the Song matriarch insists he marry her handpicked bride first. To block her matchmaking, he recruits Natalie Sobol to pose as his wife. She needs a fake spouse as badly as he does. But when passion burns down their chaste agreement, the flames could destroy them all…

Review

A marriage of convenience, a child adoption hanging on a promotion and this marriage, A rift in the family dynasty, a powerful chemistry between two people. What do these plot points have in common? They are the basis for Temporary Wife Temptation. We are introduced to Garrett Song and Natalie Sobol, two powerful individuals who can’t help but feel the electric energy that pulls them together. Can this marriage stay as artificial as they want or will their desire for each other mix business with pleasure?

Garrett Song is your charismatic man from a family of wealth. Slated to become the new CEO of his family’s company, he will do what he has to to make sure everything falls in line. Everything, expect an arranged marriage. When Garrett’s grandmother proposes this proposition, Garrett will not let her control who he marries. His plan: marry someone else before his grandmother can do anything to stop it. His ambitious spirit and hidden warm heart will make you swoon for him. His relationship with Natalie is magnetic and feels real. You find yourself rooting for everything to work out for them and with them.

Natalie Sobol is a powerful, tough as nails woman with a heart of gold when it comes to her niece. Fighting for custody of her niece, Natalie’s focus is on getting that prized promotion and a husband. It’s strictly business for her because those factors will help her custody case. I admired her entire character. She was caring, ambitious, determined and ready to make dreams happen, even if it meant marrying the guy she would least expect marrying. Although their marriage seems to be of convenience, Natalie cannot omit the fact that she is deeply attracted to the future CEO of Hansol Industries. Will her passion and goal drive her to rethink her decision?

Overall, this book was amazing! The romance felt real, the story line kept you wanting to turn the page to see what scheme/trouble/scenario Natalie and Garrett would find themselves in. You read carefully hoping each passionate kiss, each lustful stare would bring them closer together. Without spoilers, I will say this, you won’t want to put this book down. You’ll follow along as Natalie and Garrett put everything in line, including their hearts to make this marriage work and impress those into believing their love is real.

About the Author

Jayci Lee writes poignant, funny, and sexy romance. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. She is semi-retired from her 15-year career as a defense litigator, and writes full-time now. She loves food, wine, and travelling, just like her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal. She hopes her books will do the same for you.