Waiting on Wednesday (34)

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I love the cover for this book. It is beautiful. I also love Beauty and the Beast so I book based on it is definitely right up my alley. I am a big fan of stories with Nyx so I am incredibly excited!

Expected Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads)

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

What books are you waiting to be released???

Raquel

xoxo

Cover Reveal: Broken Glamour by Maggie Marr

The Glamour Series, Book #2

New Adult Contemporary

Releasing March 2014

Cover designed by Okay Creations

Synopsis:

Losing it all…is a new beginning Amanda Legend grew up rich and privileged. Anything was hers for the asking, thanks to her superstar father. That is until Amanda’s honesty about bad behavior from her soon-to-be-new Step Mom, a former school chum, lands Amanda on the outs with her beloved father. No Trust fund. No rarified world. Even if Amanda never wanted the LA lifestyle, she now must survive on her own. A come-back takes heart.... Ryan Sinclair was nearing the pinnacle of his movie career when he drove his Porsche off Malibu Canyon Road. Lucky to be alive, post rehab he's ready to start the long climb back to the top. But to prove to Hollywood that he won't relapse, he's required to get a sober companion. A job she never wanted with the man who helped destroy her life... Amanda Legend may loathe the entertainment world, but she understands the rules. She also knows Ryan Sinclair, understands alcoholics (she grew up around a few) and now, after being banished from her posh lifestyle, needs a paycheck to get to New York. Amanda accepts the job as sober companion to Ryan Sinclair for his first film post rehab. But Amanda must learn to ignore her attraction to Ryan, because falling for a guy like him would pull her back into a world she desperately wants to escape.

  About the Author   Maggie Marr grew up in the Midwest and made the move to Los Angeles to work in the movie business. She was a motion picture literary agent for ICM before becoming a full time writer. She's written for film and TV and ghostwritten for celebrities. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

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Review: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Title: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)

Author: Aimee Carter

Release Date: November 26, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 346

Source: Received egalley for review

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Synopsis:

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Previously titled Masked.

My Thoughts:

I have not read much Dystopian so Pawn was a rare treat for me. This world Aimee Carter has created is all about a single test that decides the rest of your life. If you don’t do well on the test, your whole life is ruined. You are defined by the test. For Kitty, who is not able to read, she is given a III.  In this world, you have to get a IV or above to have a decent life. She decides to run away instead and it isn’t until she is Masked to look like the Prime Minister’s niece Lila Hart that the story actually starts.

Pawn is an awesome mixture of intrigue, betrayal and manipulation. It shows you that even the most powerful family may appear perfect in public but truly is corrupt to the core. Although I thought some parts were predictable, I thought it was still pretty good; other parts of the story kept me on my toes. I am still shocked by some of the things that happened. I mean, I knew some of the events were going to happen but I am still shocked nonetheless.

You really can’t trust anyone in the world of Pawn. Things always seem or appear one way but end up being totally different. Everyone is out for themselves and Kitty ends up right in the middle of it. She is used like a chess piece, everyone wanting her to do different things. Daxton (Prime Minister) and Augusta (his mother) wants to control Kitty while Celia (Lila’s mother) wants her to help carry out her revenge. There are so many elements to this story.

 I really liked Kitty. She is smart, strong, outspoken and determined. She does what is right while trying to protect the ones she loves. In less than 2 weeks, she has to learn everything about Lila: her mannerisms, her accent, and her voice, basically everything about Lila to convince everyone that she is the beloved niece of the Prime Minister. Everywhere she turns, Kitty is faced with threats and conspiracies.

 I liked that the book focused on action although I would have liked to have seen a little more romance in the story. The author’s writing was seamless. Pawn was an engaging read that all dystopian lovers will enjoy. A book based on betrayal, manipulation and political intrigue, this is not a story I will forget anytime soon. 

Thank you Harlequin Teen for sending me this book for an honest review.

My Rating: 

4 out of 5 stars

Raquel

xoxo