WWW Wednesday – 4/12

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived by Sam on Taking on a World of Words. All you have to do is answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

What are you currently reading?

Silver In The Bone by Alexandra Bracken – Buddy reading this one and doing it on audio, I don’t have a lot of time to listen right now so I am only about 15% in but enjoying it so far.

The Connelly’s of County Down by Tracey Lange – Buddy reading this with some from friends on Instagram for a read a long hosted by Celadon. I am 32% in to it and enjoying it.

If Only You by Chloe Liese – Started this one as soon as it dropped on my kindle Monday night and got to 32% before bed last night, I am off today so I plan on reading it all day today!


What did you recently finish reading?

  • The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth – 3.5 Stars
  • The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren – 4 Stars
  • To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters – 4 Stars

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson – Picked this one up on release day and hoping to get to it this week.
  • Drowning by T.J. Newman – Read the first chapter in this one and really want to get back to it.
  • Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson – Book Tour for next week.

What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Blog Tour: The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

“Chanel Cleeton shows just what an exceptional talent she is in her new book, The Cuban Heiress. While I’ve loved every one of Chanel’s books, I absolutely adored this one. Take one heiress with more than a few secrets, throw in a roguish jewel thief and put them aboard a glittering cruise ship sailing from New York to Havana and you have the perfect historical novel. As soon as I’d finished it, I wanted to read it again. Do not miss this book.”
—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton – Historical Fiction

336 pages

4/11/2023

About the Book

In 1934, the ultimate vacation becomes a fight for survival as the secrets of two women’s pasts collide aboard a luxury cruise liner on a round-trip voyage from New York to Havana in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s page-turning new novel inspired by the true story of the tragedy of the SS Morro Castle.

New York heiress Catherine Dohan seemingly has it all. There’s only one problem. It’s a lie. As soon as the Morro Castle leaves port, Catherine’s past returns with a vengeance and threatens her life. Joining forces with a charismatic jewel thief, Catherine must discover who wants her dead—and why.

Elena Palacio is a dead woman. Or so everyone thinks. After a devastating betrayal left her penniless and on the run, Elena’s journey on the Morro Castle is her last hope. Steeped in secrecy and a burning desire for revenge, her return to Havana is a chance to right the wrong that has been done to her—and her prey is on the ship.

As danger swirls aboard the Morro Castle and their fates intertwine, Elena and Catherine must risk everything to see justice served once and for all.

My Thoughts

Chanel Cleeton does it again with her newest release! This story follows two woman who are on the luxury cruise ship the SS Morro Castle for different reason but may end up needing help from one another. First we have heiress Catherine Dohan who is traveling with her fiancé and then there is Elena Palacio who is thought to be dead and is on the cruise ship to get revenge. I loved both woman and their stories and how everything connects together. Chanel Cleeton is an all time favorite author of mine and she never disappoints. Her characters are always filled with so much life and personality. Another reason I love her books is that they usually teach me something from history that I didn’t know. I loved learning that the SS Morro Castle was a real cruise ship that sank one night due to a fire which just happens to be the setting for this story! Highly recommend if you have read her before or love a good historical fiction. Thank you Berkley for my gifted copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This one gets all the stars!

About the Author

Originally from Florida, Chanel Cleeton grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London, and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

March Reading Stats

Hello Friends! How was everyone’s weekend? I hope everyone had a good one! Mine was busy with kids and then Easter and Birthday celebrations with all the family yesterday, it was a good day. I am finally getting around to March reading stats! I read 13 books which I am very pleased with and for the most part all 1 were pretty enjoyable. I found 2 new all time favorites plus some others that were still really good!

What was your favorite book this month?

Books I read in March

  • Total Books – 13
  • Physical Books – 0 Books
  • E-Books – 9 Books
  • Audio – 4 Books
  • ARC’s – 9 Books
  • Library – 3 Books
  • Kindle Unlimited – 0 Books
  • Backlist – 0 Books
  • DNF’s – 0 Books
  • Re-Reads – 0 Books
  • Pages Read – 4,860

Genres

  • Contemporary Romance – 4 Books
  • Fantasy – 2 Books
  • Mystery/Thriller – 3 Book
  • Historical Fiction – 1 Book
  • Historical Romance – 2 Books
  • Sci-fi – 1 Book

( I am only putting each book in what I think is the most prominent category )

Year Book Was Published

  • 2011 – 1 Book
  • 2022 – 1 Books
  • 2023 – 11 Books

Star Ratings

  • 3 Stars – 3 Books
  • 3.5 Stars – 4 Books
  • 4 Stars – 2 Books
  • 4.5 Stars – 2 Books
  • 5 Stars – 2 Books

3 Stars

3.5 Stars

4 Stars

4.5 Stars

5 Stars

ReCap on my Challenges

  • For Kayla’s Buzzword – This month’s word was Secrets and I read Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller.
  • Goodreads Goal – 31/125 = 25 %
  • Backlist Books – 6/30 = 20%
  • Non-Fiction Books – 1/5 = 20%

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

Reading Round Up: March Part 3

Hi Friends! I am here (finally!) with my last round up for March. Overall March was a good reading month for me, I read my most so far for the year and had a few new favorite reads! My favorite is tied between Yours Truly and Happy Place, both were so good and exactly what I needed when I picked them up!

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda – 4.5 Stars Ever since I read All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda she has been an auto buy author for me. I really enjoy her writing style. This book is about a group of “friends” who all survived a tragic accident when in high school and get together every year to mark the anniversary. We get present day chapters from our main POV, Cassidy who is really not looking forward to the trip this year. feeling guilted into going she finds out that secrets are coming out about the past accident and when one of the group goes missing fingers start getting pointed. We also get flash backs to the accident and every one if from a different survivors POV. I really enjoyed this aspect and thats one of the reasons why I love her writing, she just does things a little different. Highly recommend this one and I think it would make a great vacation or summer read. Thank you Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books and Edelweiss for my gifted copy for review!

Ana Maria and The Fox by Liana De La Rosa – 4.5 Stars I am on a tour for this one so my full thoughts will be later. This is a historical romance that follows the eldest Luna sister as she descends upon English society. This book was a lot of fun and I loved the Luna sisters and can not wait for their books to com out. Thank you Berkley for my gifted copy for review.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez – 5 Stars SO GOOD!!!! I can’t really say more because my brain gets stuck but this books was everything I needed when I picked it up! This story follows Dr. Briana Ortiz as she tries to adjust to her divorce, a new doctor who she doesn’t like plus her brother’s failing health. Then one day the offending Dr. Jacob Maddox send Briana a letter and this is the beginning of one of the sweetest exchanges! I loved the letters that they wrote to each and the reason why Jacob started using them in the first place. This book has everything I have come to expect from Abby’s books that includes great writing and realistic characters with a lot of serious and heartwarming emotions! I think everyone needs to go out and read this one ASAP! Thank you Forever and Edelweiss for y gifted copy!

Happy Place by Emily Henry – 5 Stars While I have enjoyed a few of Emily Henry’s books none of them were favorites like they have been for other readers but I get serious fomo when it comes to reading so I went ahead and picked this one up. Let me tell you that was a fantastic idea on my part because I loved this book so much! While I am not usually a fan of second chance romances I do enjoy when the story is about a couple who are trying to make it work and while this is not exactly that it was close. This follows Harriet and Wyn who broke up six months ago but still haven’t told their friends yet and now must pretend to be together for their annual trip with said best friends. One of my favorite parts to this was the mutual longing you could see and feel from both Harriet and Wyn plus the friendships were perfect! This book did a great job of showing the ups and downs of all relationships and what it means when people start changing and lives are starting to look very different from what they are used to. HIGHLY recommend this one. Thank you Berkley and Edelweiss for my gifted copy for review!

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh – 3.5 Stars This was an ok rom-com for me, I liked the setting and the writing but the characters and their plot were just not for me. Katie loves her small village of Ennisbawn and thinks there is no place better but she needs to prove that to grumpy Callum who is trying to knock down her beautiful village for a golf course! So by trying to stop the development she decides to bring back a matchmaker festival that they used to be famous for. I will say that their meet cute is probably one of my favorites that I have read in a long time! The author’s writing was really funny and engaging which is why I read this one pretty quickly but I am just not a fan of the matchmaker trope. I am looking forward to reading more from this author because a lot of my friends rave about her! Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for my gifted copy for review!

Top 5 Tuesday: April 4th

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Shanah @the Bionic Bookworm and is now being hosted by Meeghan @Meeghan Reads. This week’s topic is Top 5 anticipated reads for April-June 2023.

Hi friends! I am posting this one on a Thursday because I had a blog tour on the fourth but I really wanted to do this one this week! So here are my top 5 for the next 3 months with some honorable mentions for books I have already read that are coming out!

  • If Only You by Chloe Liese – 4/11 – Can not wait!!!!!
  • True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren – 5/16 Love all of their books and hopefully this one too!
  • Blood Stain Volume 4 by Linda Šejić – 6/13 My all time favorite graphic novel and I am so excited to finally get this one!
  • The Only One Left by Riley Sager – 6/20 Really enjoyed his last few thrillers and this one sounds so good.
  • Capture The Sun by Jessie Mihalik – 6/20 This is the third book in a sci-fi series and I can’t wait to read it!

Honorable Mentions

  • Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez – 5 Stars – Out 4/11 – Such a great romance, I could not put it down!
  • The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton – 5 Stars – Out 4/11 – I love all of her historicals and they always give me new parts of history to research that I knew noting about. This one involves a mystery and I really enjoyed it!
  • The Happy Place by Emily Henry – 5 Stars – Out 4/25 – I am not usually a fan of second chance romances but this one really hit the spot when I read it!

WWW Wednesday – 4/05

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived by Sam on Taking on a World of Words. All you have to do is answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

What are you currently reading?

  • To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters – I am slowly making my way through this one, I am about 15% in and it’s pretty slow going. Hopefully it picks soon.
  • The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth – I am about 35% into this one and it’s ok so far, very easy to read but when I put it down it’s hard to pick it back up. I will hopefully finish it today as it’s my day off.
  • The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren – I am reading this one for my Buzzword this month and I have thoughts, I am only 16% in so I will keep them to myself for now.


What did you recently finish reading?

  • The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh – 3 Stars
  • The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty – 4 Stars

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Silver In The Bone by Alexandra Bracken – Buddy reading this one and will hopefully start it today. This one I have on audio.
  • Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson – Picked this one up yesterday and I honestly don’t know how long I can wait to pick it up!
  • Drowning by T.J. Newman – Read the first chapter in this one and really want to get back to it.

What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Blog Tour: Ana Maria and The Fox by Liana De La Rosa

About the Book – Out Now!!!

A forbidden love between a Mexican heiress and a shrewd British politician makes for a tantalizing Victorian season.

Ana María Luna Valdés has strived to be the perfect daughter, the perfect niece, and the perfect representative of the powerful Luna family. So when Ana María is secretly sent to London with her sisters to seek refuge from the French occupation of Mexico, she experiences her first taste of freedom far from the judgmental eyes of her domineering father. If only she could ignore the piercing looks she receives across ballroom floors from the austere Mr. Fox.

Gideon Fox elevated himself from the London gutters by chasing his burning desire for more: more opportunities, more choices. For everyone. Now, as a member of Parliament, Gideon is on the cusp of securing the votes he needs to put forth a measure to abolish the Atlantic slave trade once and for all—a cause that is close to his heart as the grandson of a formerly enslaved woman. The charmingly vexing Ana María is a distraction he must ignore.

But when Ana María finds herself in the crosshairs of a nefarious nobleman with his own political agenda, Gideon knows he must offer his hand as protection . . . but will this Mexican heiress win his heart as well?

My Review

This was such a fun and unique historical romance! I absolutely loved that there was so much diversity in the characters!  This is the first book in a series that follows the Luna sisters who have come to England to escape their home and the war in Mexico. I always enjoy a romance that has good pining and this one really delivered on that. I loved every minute of this story and can’t wait for the sisters books!! Not only was the romance great in this one but so was seeing the relationships between the sisters develop and deepen as well. If you are a fan of historicals or just a good fun romance than I would recommend checking this one out. Highly recommend this one!! Thank you Berkley for my gifted copy for review!

About the Author

Liana De la Rosa is a historical romance author who writes diverse characters in the Regency and Victorian periods. Liana has an English degree from the University of Arizona, and in her past life she owned a mystery shopping company and sold pecans for a large farm. When she’s not writing, Liana is listening to true crime podcasts and pretending she’s a domestic goddess while she wrangles her spirited brood of children with her patient husband in Arizona. Learn more online at www.lianadelarosa.com.

April (Maybe) TBR

Hi Friends! Here is my April TBR! I have been getting a little more reading done every month and for April I would really like to hit 15 books read. I have three arc’s I still need to get to for this month and possibly a head start on my May ones! What are you looking forward to reading this month?

April Arc’s To Read

  • The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth – Out 4/4 – I have started this one and just about 10% in, I am hoping to get it finished by Tuesday.
  • To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters – Out 4/11 – Also started this one and about 20% in, shouldn’t take me too long to finish.
  • Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler – Out 4/18

For Kayla’s Buzzword – This month’s buzzword is “emotions”.

  • The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

Other Reads

  • If Only You By Chloe Liese – Out 4/11 – You better believe I will be staying up late Monday night to start this! I can not wait!!!!
  • Lassiter by J.R. Ward – Out 4/11 – I’m so excited to finally get Lassiter’s story! I have loved him from his first appearance!
  • He’s A Keeper by Stacy Travis – I received this one from Valentine PR and I have been in the mood for a sports romance lately.
  • The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – I started this one back in February and set it down and would really like to finish it this month.

Again these are all books that I would like to read soon but I know I probably won’t get to most of these. What are you reading this month? Are you participating in any fun reading challenges?

Sundays In Bed With…. April 2nd

Hello Friends! It’s Sunday and so I thought I would share my “Sundays in Bed With….” a meme dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning.  The meme was originally hosted by Midnight Book Girl but I found it over on One Book More’s Blog.

Hi Friends! I have been slowly making my way through this audio book and I am 75% in and will hopefully finish it today. The audio for this book is fantastic and I highly recommend picking it up!

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

483 Pages

Published 02/28/2023

From Goodreads:

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power… and the price might be your very soul.

Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

What are you reading in bed today?

April New Releases

Happy April 1st friends! I hope everyone had a great March! Mine was good, not a lot of stress which is always a good thing for me. My kids also had spring break and we spent the week just doing fun things here in Denver. Below are the books I am excited for in April and I have actually already some of them! Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these or if I missed any of your most anticipated releases!

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth out 4/4 – Thriller

Ana Maria and The Fox by Liana De La Rosa out 4/4 – Historical Romance – 4.5 Stars Loved this historical romance, it was a lot of fun.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda out 4/11 – Thriller – 4.5 Stars

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton out 4/11 – Historical Fiction – 5 Stars One of my favorite authors! This book did not disappoint and is now tied for my favorite by her.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez out 4/11 – Romance – 5 Stars Love her and her books!

To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters out 4/11 – Historical Romance – Currently reading

If Only You by Chloe Liese out 4/11 – Romance – CAN NOT WAIT!! One of my most anticipated releases for the year!

Lassiter by JR Ward out 4/11 – Paranormal Romance – We are finally getting Lassiter’s story and I am ready for it!

Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee out 4/11 – Fantasy

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton out 4/18 – Historical Fantasy Romance

The Last Word by Taylor Adams out 4/25 – Thriller

Happy Place by Emily Henry out 4/25 – Romance – 5 Stars – By far my favorite from this author!!