Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Hope Santa Brings

  

  Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week the topic is

  Books I Hope Santa Brings

Here are ten books I'm hoping to find under my tree this Christmas . . .

 

 

What books are you hoping to receive this Christmas?

 

 

Review - The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

 

  

Title: The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly

Author: Jamie Pacton

Pages: 384

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Release Date: 5th May 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Working as a wench—i.e. waitress—at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.

Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval—if they don’t get fired first.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop.org

My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street Kids*

Teenager Kit Sweetly works as a serving wench at the Castle, a medieval-themed restaurant. Kit's brother is a knight at the Castle, something Kit dreams of being. However, the company policy is that only men can be knights. Determined to become a knight not only for the pay rise, but also to change things at the Castle, Kit replaces her brother during a show where she reveals her identity.

Kit gets into trouble with management, but she isn't going to let that stop her from her quest to get rid of the Castle's gender restrictions. Along with her friends at work and the power of the internet, Kit makes a plan to change the mind of the Castle executives.

Can Kit and her friends become knights?

Going into this book I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the blurb intrigued me and I thought I'd give it a go.

Kit was a relatable and (mostly) likeable protagonist. Her family didn't have much money so Kit had the added pressure of having to help pay towards bills as well as doing schoolwork and trying to get a scholarship. I felt for Kit and wanted things to work out for her, but there were a couple of occasions where she annoyed and frustrated me - one time in particular was when Kit decided she wasn't going to do something and then gave in when someone else told her to do it.

I liked Kit's brother, Chris, and their relationship. I also liked Kit's best friends, Layla and Jett, who were very supportive.

The diversity was really good in this and was probably my favourite thing about the book.

The romance didn't over-shadow the main plot, which I appreciated. While it wasn't one of my favourite romances, I did find it quite sweet at times.

The plot was good overall and I liked the theme of challenging gender restrictions. However, I did lose interest once or twice and it took a little while for me to get back into the storyline. I wasn't as invested as I could have been in what happened and I definitely wasn't gripped or on the edge of my seat, unfortunately.

The writing style was easy to follow and I liked the pop culture references that the author included.

Overall, this was a mixed but mostly enjoyable read.

Blog Tour - A Curse of Roses by Diana Pinguicha

 

 Find the tour schedule here.

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday - Books On My Winter 2020-2021 TBR

 

  Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week the topic is

Books On My Winter 2020-2021 TBR

 

 

 

I have so many books that I want/need to read but here are the ten main ones that I'm hoping to read in the coming months . . .

1. The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

I need to re-read this and the already-published sequels before I read the upcoming release, The Mask Falling.

2. A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

 

 

This is another first book that I need to re-read in order to read the new book, which in this case is the last book in this series.

3. To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

I'm slowly working through a backlog of FairyLoot books and I'm hoping to get to this one soon.

4. Dangerous Remedy (Dangerous Remedy, #1) by Kat Dunn

 

 

 I have a NetGalley copy of this that I need to read.

5. The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

 

 

Another NetGalley eARC that I need to read.

6. My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies, #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

 

 

 I've been meaning to read this for ages and haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

7. Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

 

 

 Another book I've had for ages and haven't read yet.

8. Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

 

 

 You guessed it - another book I've had for ages and haven't read yet.

9. Beach Read by Emily Henry

 

 

 I bought a Kindle copy of this a few months ago and I've seen so much love for it that I'm itching to read it.

10. Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

 

 

 Another NetGalley eARC I need to read.

What books are you planning to read this winter/summer?

Blog Tour + Giveaway - Mortal Sight by Sandra Fernandez Rhoads

 

 

Review - The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly

 

 

Title: The Whispers of War

Author: Julia Kelly

Pages: 336

Publisher: Orion

Release Date: 16th January 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 August, 1939.
Three young women watch the headlines in fear of another devastating war with Germany. A war that could force them to choose between friendship and country.

Determined to find her place in the Home Office's Air Raid Precautions Department, Nora is hopeful that they will be able to avoid another war. Meanwhile, Hazel's irrepressible optimism is disguising two closely guarded secrets from her friends. But it is Marie who has the most to fear. A German ex-pat with family living under Nazi rule, what will happen to her if war is declared?

When Germany invades Poland and tensions on the home front rise, Marie is labelled an enemy alien. Faced with a terrible choice between loyalty and patriotism, her friends must fight to keep Marie safe at any cost.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley*

Marie, Hazel and Nora have been best friends since their time together at boarding school. Now young women, they all live in London and have made different lives for themselves.

Marie is a German who thinks of England as her home. When World War II breaks out, her nationality marks her as alien and an enemy.

Hazel and Nora will do whatever they can to help Marie, even if it means breaking the law.

What secrets are the friends hiding from each other?

What will happen to Marie?

How will World War II change the trio?

Without a doubt, my favourite thing about this book was the female friendships in it - the friendship and bonds between Marie, Hazel and Nora. The were incredibly close and would do anything they could to help each other. It was really nice how supportive they all were.

Marie, Hazel and Nora were different characters who had their own personalities, but they fit together really well and I enjoyed reading about them and finding out their stories. I didn't particularly have a favourite and found them all interesting, likeable and relatable.

The setting of London, both pre and during World War II, was interesting. It didn't feel like the author was trying too hard to make the reader believe the time period - there was just enough detail. I found the internment camps especially interesting to read about as I don't know much about them.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat or shocked by anything that happened. I do feel that I could have been a bit more invested in the characters and what happened to them.

The writing style was easy to follow and there weren't any times when I had to go back because I felt I'd missed something.

There was just the right amount of romance for me, as I think that any more would have overshadowed the theme of friendship.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

December TBR

 

 

 Here are the books I'm hoping to read in December:

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

 

The Merciful Crow (The Merciful Crow, #1) by Margaret Owen

 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

What are you planning to read in December?