Blog Tour [Review]: Where the Sun Rises

Follow the tour – https://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2022/12/where-sun-rises-by-anna-gomez-and.html

Title: Where the Sun Rises
Author: Anna Gomez & Kristoffer Polaha
Publisher:Rosewind Books
Publication Date: October 2022
Genres: Romance

Where to Buy: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Thank you JeanBookNerd Tours and Rosewind for the opportunity to review and to be a part of this book tour!

Rating: 3.5 Stars – Rounded up to 4 Stars

Synopsis

Book Two in the From Kona with Love series depicting multicultural romance, love, loss, and redemption woven into a family saga set in the beautiful islands of Hawaii. Though connected, each installment can be read as a standalone.

When Maele Moana is paired up with Adam Yates to walk down the aisle together at her friend Andie’s wedding, it isn’t exactly a perfect match. Maele is the daughter of a plantation worker, and Adam is the son of one of the richest men in Oahu.

Their worlds couldn’t be more different. But they have one thing in common.

Big Dreams.

Dreams that will take Maele back to Kauai while Adam pursues an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles.

Adam wants to be in her life, and slowly, Maele lets him in. He inspires her to face her fears, and she restores his faith in redemption. But with love comes sacrifice, and the goals they’ve worked so hard for may end up tearing them apart.

Book Two in the From Kona with Love series is set on the island of Kauai. Where the Sun Rises is a story about overcoming adversity, the promise of young love, and the valor in letting go.

Praise for Where the Sun Rises

“[An] atmospheric romance … Gomez and Polaha’s descriptions of Hawaii are postcard worthy. The breezy pace and gorgeous setting will stoke readers’ wanderlust.” —Publishers Weekly

“A sweet, closed-door, multicultural romance [that] will resonate with readers.” —Booklist

“Gomez and Polaha craft a compelling, clean romance that centers not just on business ambitions, but the impact of deception, honesty, and change in relationships. Its story of love, not giving up, trust, and reinventing one’s life grips readers with promise and hope for a different future. Moments Like This is highly recommended for romance readers looking for an exploration of the fine line between a woman’s strength and her ability to accept the vulnerability and promise of love.” —Midwest Book Review

Review

Going into Where the Sun Rises, I didn’t know it was a 2^nd in a series. IT was well written as somewhat of a standalone that I was bale ot red and enjoy it on its own. Set in Hawaii, the story follows Adam and Maele, two souls struggling to find a piece of themselves. Throughout their journeys they find each other and find a part of what they were searching for in each other as their love grows. The main themes of the story are redemption and healing and it is very prevalent in the storyline of each character. Where the Sun Rises was a good beach read romance. I can picture myself sitting on a beach, with the ocean in my view and diving into this love story. I enjoyed the writing the most because the authors wrote everything so beautifully. The story was filled with vivid details. Maele and Adam as characters didn’t feel rushed as  couple and as individuals. You were bale to invest without having he feeling of missing something that wasn’t written in. The pace overall was good, not too quick of a read but one that you can follow through fairly well. While the story didn’t WOW me, it was overall a great story and an enjoyable read.

About the Authors

Award-winning author Anna Gomez was born in the city of Makati, Philippines and educated abroad before moving to Chicago. She is Global Chief Financial Officer for Mischief at No Fixed Address, a consolidated group of advertising agencies. Gomez was recently selected for the 2020 HERoes Women Role Model Executives list, which celebrates 100 women who are leading by example and driving change to increase gender diversity in the workplace. Gomez has championed various ERGs for Black and API colleagues as well as resources essential to address challenges of ageism. She has sat on several boards and served as treasurer for Breathe for Justice and The Jensen Project, both focused on socio-economic issues, particularly violence against women and human trafficking. She was a keynote speaker in the 2020 Illinois CPA Society Young Professionals Leadership Conference, as well as the Northwest Indiana Influential Women’s Association’s Breaking the Glass Ceiling Event in August 2021.
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

Kristoffer Polaha is best-known for his long starring role in the critically acclaimed series Life Unexpected (The CW). Other TV series credits include Get Shorty with Ray Romano and Chris O’Dowd, the limited series Condor opposite William Hurt and Max Irons, The CW’s Ringer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Valentine, as well as North Shore (FOX).

In addition to co-starring with Rainn Wilson in Backstrom (FOX), he had a multi-season role on the acclaimed series Mad Men (AMC) and Castle (ABC). Polaha is also well-known for starring in Hallmark Channel movies such as Dater’s Handbook with Meghan Markle, and the Mystery 101 franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

Polaha first received attention for his portrayal of John F. Kennedy, Jr. in the TV movie, America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story, opposite Portia de Rossi. He has appeared in numerous independent features, including Where Hope Grows, Devil’s Knot (Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon), and the Tim Tebow film, Run the Race.

Polaha has a featured role opposite Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 and is in Jurassic World: Dominion.

Polaha was born in Reno, Nevada, and he is married to actress Julianne Morris. They have three sons.
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

Giveaway – Click Below

1 Winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Giveaway is open International

It’s been a while…..

I want to preface this post by stating that this is not a goodbye post or a going on hiatus post. This post is long overdue and I have been avoiding it for months. 2022 was a weird reading year for me – I couldn’t read as often as I used to. Books were not giving me the spark and joy I had relied on for so many years. Frankly, I lacked the time to just sit, breathe and dive into a new literary world and my blog suffered for that. I didn’t intentionally allow myself time to read and most of my self care time prioritize sleep which I desperately needed each week. That being said, as the year came to an end I did some deep reflecting. I realized that reading is an essential part of who I am – along with Anime, KPOP, conventions and DIY stuff. I couldn’t give up on reading and I was doing a disservice to myself by not taking the time to enjoy what I loved most about reading – exploring new worlds.

I don’t know what direction I plan to take this blog in 2023, but I do promise to upload at least one blog post a month. I created this blog as a way for me to look back and read why I enjoyed a book, or why a particular book did not suit me. Through that blog, I gained followers who also enjoyed my thoughts. 2023 is already looking good in terms of my reading goals – I’ve read 4 books so far! But this blog may change. Nothing is set in stone but I do want to write about the other joys and interests in my life. For those who stood on after all this time with no recent blog posts from me, I truly thank you and appreciate you.

Happy New Year All!!

Blog Tour [Review]: Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

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Title: Vespertine
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and Jolly Fish Press for the early review copy and opportunity to be on this tour!

Where to buy: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Rating: 3.5 stars bumped to 4 stars

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens comes a thrilling new YA fantasy about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against restless spirits of the dead.

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

Review

Vespertine is a great read for spooky season! You get possession, magical fighting nuns, spirits and a girls trying to save them all. Margaret Rogerson did not fail to keep me intrigued through most of the story.

The plot was very focused on Artemisia, her relationship with her revenant and her path to fighting the demonic soldiers that have popped up. If you are coming for romance, this may not be the book for you. If you are coming for some banter between a girl and the spirit that possesses her, then this is the perfect read for you. Artemisia, a grey sister, is responsible for purifying and preparing of the dead. One night, after finding a new grey sister in a near death experience and fighting off a spirit, Artemisia worlds takes a shift and she is now on the frontline of a big spiritual battle.

Artemisia is an interesting character. We start off seeing Artemisia as a lone girl; always keeping to herself. As the story grows, so does Artemisia’s will to open up more. We see this most through her many interactions with the revenant that lives within her.  Those interactions open Artemisia up to new conversations and we are introduced to supporting characters that just as interesting as our protagonist. Artemisia continues to shine in the story as a fair, logical and powerful leader who will do what she can to save those around her.

In regards to the worldbuilding, it was pretty simple but it worked for the storyline. The attention was put more of the characters creating a well written character driven plot. The plot overall was pretty consistent, although there were certain points of the story where the dialogue dragged longer than I expected. However, once we got to the action, the scenes were executed well and still kept to the overall tone and consistency of the plot.

Vespertine has dark magic, nuns fighting the supernatural, great dialogue and an overall spooky feel to it all.

About the Author

Margaret Rogerson is the author of the New York Times bestsellers An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns. She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Miami University. When not reading or writing she enjoys sketching, gaming, making pudding, and watching more documentaries than is socially acceptable (according to some). She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, beside a garden full of hummingbirds and roses. Visit her at MargaretRogerson.com.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway

Up for grabs on the book blog tour is two (2) copies of VESPERTINE by Margaret Rogerson, one a physical finished copy and one a digital copy. Open USA only.
Giveaway starts: Monday, September 27, 2021
Giveaway ends: Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. CDT

Direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1e4a114d53/?

Blog Tour [Review]: Chaos on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer

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Title: Chaos on CatNet
Edited by: Naomi Kritzer
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Where to buy: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Thank you Jean BookNerd Tours and Tor Teen for the review copy and spot on this awesome blog tour!

Rating 4 Stars

Synopsis

In this follow-up to the award-winning near future YA thriller Catfishing on CatNet, It takes an AI to catch an AI…

When a mysterious entity starts hacking into social networks and chat rooms to instigate paranoia and violence in the real world, it’s up to Steph and her new friend, Nell, to find a way to stop it—with the help of their benevolent AI friend, CheshireCat.

Praise for Catfishing on CatNet

“The characters offer positive, realistic LGBTQIA+ representation―especially nonbinary identities and characters still exploring their identities. Refreshingly, the characters also feel like generally-woke-but-still-imperfect humans. Wickedly funny and thrilling in turns; perfect for readers coming-of-age online.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“Kritzer’s take on a benevolent AI is both whimsical and poignant. An entertaining, heart-filled exploration of today’s online existence and privacy concerns.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Smart, sly, scary, and irrepressibly good fun, this novel has everything I’ve ever wanted from a story: it is a cerebral, funny, tender, big-idea delight. I can’t wait for you to read it.”―Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Award-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon

“An absolutely charming and incredibly gripping, superbly plotted YA thriller.” ―Cory Doctorow, New York Times bestselling author of Little Brother

“Kritzer’s flawless collection taps deep wells of emotion and wonder…. Her work is indisputably speculative, but it’s a perfect entry point to the genre for readers who prefer fantastical and futuristic elements to stay more in the background, with human (and robotic) feelings always at the fore. This splendid treat is not to be missed.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories.

Review

We jump back into the world of Stephanie and a new adventure that proves to be just as thrilling and dangerous as the last. We left Stephanie in Catfishing on Catnet seeing her father; someone she and her mom were on the run for go to prison. We meet Stephanie in a new city, and becoming the new kid in a new school. She sill keeps in touch with her friends form her old home and develops new friendships in this school. She also still interacts with CheshireCat; an AI who is more than content with cat pics.

Stephanie befriends Nell, a formerly homeschooled student who had to move in with her DAD and his new wife after her mom disappeared. Nell is also struggling with no longer being part of the religious group she was brought up with. Stephanie asks for CheshireCat’s help in finding Nell’s Mother, all while a new addicting game has surfaced that rewards people for completing real life tasks. The story takes us on a journey of figuring out the origins of this new game.

Okay, so this read was wild and kept me questioning whether the game was something that was actually in real life. I will have to look it up but I do feel like there was a game similar to what the app is in the book and it didn’t end well. I could be wrong but reading that portion of the book felt so surreal. In terms of my favorite focus of the book, friendships were the theme that shined throughout the story. You are able to see Stephanie and Nell’s friendships grows as they are on the search to find Nell’s girlfriend and take down the creator of the game. It allowed us to see Stephanie creating a new friendship and bond on a mission. I also enjoyed the additions of Stephanie’s sassy and loving grandmother. She exuded warmth and strength and added some levity in a semi-tense storyline.

This book was a page turner for me because I was itching to find out who the creator of the online game was. I was in for a twist I didn’t expect. The story started slow but built up so well. The storyline was pretty solid like the first story, while also tackling so many themes and conversations involving tolerance, violence, etc. If you enjoyed the first Catnet book, you will enjoy Chaos on Catnet.

About the Author

NAOMI KRITZER has been making friends online since her teens, when she had to use a modem to dial up at 2400 baud. She is a writer and blogger who has published a number of short stories and novels for adults, including the Eliana’s Song duology and the Dead Rivers Trilogy. Her 2015 short story “Cat Pictures Please” won the Hugo Award and Locus Award and was a finalist for the Nebula. Naomi lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her family and four cats. The number of cats is subject to change without notice. Edgar Allan Poe Award Winner

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

Giveaway Time!

5 Winners will receive a Copy of CATFISHING ON CATNET & CHAOS ON CATNET by Naomi Kritzer

Giveaway is open to International and end May 17th, 2021. | Must be 13+ to Enter | Click Rafflecopter Pic below to enter!

End of Year Reflection

Hey Everyone!

2020 is coming to a close and I am happy. 2020 was a rough year overall and I am sure many of your fought so hard through your own struggles. If you asked me back in February of this year, would I be working from home, having months long reading slumps and constantly rethinking my future, I would have looked at you like you had two heads. But I have learned so much about myself during this time that I would not have had the time to reflect on.

I enjoy working from home, but I also miss some of the things that came from working in an office of people. I’ve learned that it’s okay not to read over a hundred books a year if you are not motivated to read. I struggled with this the most because often time I felt that I was letting people and myself down. For 2021, I want to be more intentional on what I read, read the books that give me joy and be okay with not being part of the next big hyped up book craze. It’s not healthy for me and my TBR shelves would love me a little more if I choose a book sitting there waiting to be opened and read.

I’ve also realized how awesome it has been seeing people read my reviews, enjoying them and potentially adding a book I gushed about onto their ever growing TBR list. In short, thank you. You following this small blog, reading my reviews and enjoying them in any way has really helped give me the motivation to not only continue but to enjoy blogging. As I write this, I am thinking of so many ideas and topics I can bring to this blog. So again, thank you!

As we end this wild year, I want you all to know that I hope you are doing okay and taking all the self care you need and deserve. 2021 may be unpredictable, but I will make the most positive of it and will continue to bring joy through my reviews.

2020 sucked but it gave us the power to conquer 2021. Happy Early New Year!