Jul 11, 2023

Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway! The Genes of Isis by Justin Newland

 

About the Book:
The Genes of Isis by Justin Newland
Publisher: Matador 
Publication Date: May 21, 2018


Akasha is a precocious young girl with dreams of motherhood. She lives in a fantastical world where most of the oceans circulate in the aquamarine sky waters.

Before she was born, the Helios, a tribe of angels from the sun, came to Earth to deliver the Surge, the next step in the evolution of an embryonic human race. Instead they spawned a race of hybrids and infected humanity with a hybrid seed.

Horque manifests on Earth with another tribe of angels, the Solarii, to rescue the genetic mix-up and release the Surge.

Akasha embarks on a journey from maiden to mother and from apprentice to priestess then has a premonition that a great flood is imminent. All three races – humans, hybrids and Solarii – face extinction.

With their world in crisis, Akasha and Horque meet, and a sublime love flashes between them. Is this a cause of hope for humanity and the Solarii? Or will the hybrids destroy them both? Will anyone survive the killing waters of the coming apocalypse?

You can purchase The Genes of Isis at the following Retailers:
        


Praise for THE GENES OF ISIS

“The book is exquisitely written, with good characterization and a compelling plot… Thoroughly recommended.” —Jennifer’s Reviews

“The novel is creative, sophisticated, brilliant! I couldn’t ask for a more Egyptian-esque book!” —Lauren, Books Beyond the Story

THE GENES OF ISIS EXCERPT

The moonlight flooded through the window but Issa was still awake. Once the street cats grew tired of fighting and the hyenas and foxes stopped scavenging, she roused herself and began her descent. Clutching a glow lamp in one hand and Fryme's package in the other, she crept downstairs and stopped in the middle of a corridor, beside a section of wall that would have appeared unremarkable to anyone else. She knew otherwise.

A few words, an arcane utterance, followed by a shimmer of light and the astral curtain disappeared, revealing the secret door. She stepped through it, into the corridor beyond. She was going to the God Crucible, an occult chamber beneath her house. Its astral protections were such that no one, not even Cheiron, the High Priest, suspected its existence. Her breathing was shallow. This was the first point of no return.

Her glow-lamp threw long shadows down the narrow, sloping tunnel. Divided in two, it had steps on one side and a slanting ramp on the other. In front of her on the ground was a piece of white bandage, accidentally torn off the mummified body of her son, which she'd dragged down the ramp before Cheiron had arrived. How heavy he had been. They didn't call it a dead weight for nothing. She could still smell the musty odour of the dust particles she'd dislodged.

At the bottom of the ramp, the tunnel gave way to a dome-shaped chamber, the God Crucible. Her son’s cadaver lay on a bench, and she ran her hand over the embalming bandages. Beside it was a second, vacant bench. There, she would lie during the ritual she was about to perform. 

About the Author

JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe. 

Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. 

The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall. 

The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. 

The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a supernatural thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith. 

His work in progress is a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. The Mark of the Salamander (to be published September 2023) takes us across the open seas of discovery with Sir Francis Drake while The Midnight of Eights culminates the series with the repulse of the Spanish Armada. 

Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts. 

Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

Find the Author



--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

 2 Winners will receive a Signed Copy of THE GENES OF ISIS by Justin Newland.
1 Winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

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Jul 10, 2023

Blog Blast: Giveaway & Excerpt - The Zone by Stu Jones


The Zone by Stu Jones
Series: The Zone #1
Publisher: Dropship Publishing
Publication Date:  July 11, 2023



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27405327-pop-manga-coloring-book?from_search=true  https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Manga-Coloring-Book-Beautiful/dp/0399578471?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399578471&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20

About the Book
Blade Runner meets Judge Dread and The Running Man in this no-holds-barred cyberpunk thriller from Dragon Award Nominee Stu Jones. Start this neon-soaked thrill ride today!

In a tech-addicted dystopia, a young cop struggling to survive is forced into a high-octane gladiatorial grudge match, where sinister corporate overlords pull the strings and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.

ONE WAY IN. NO WAY OUT

In the super-city of Neo Terminus, millions of tech-addicted fans surround a walled-off inner-city wasteland to watch nano-boosted gladiators called Enforcers fight to the death in the Conglomerate-controlled event known as The Zone. Enforcers are promised wealth and celebrity—if they survive.

Officer Chance Griffin fights to clean up the mean streets of Neo Terminus, and scrape together enough money for his infant son’s vital surgery. Driven by his family’s need, Chance signs on as an Enforcer for The Conglomerate.

As Chance rises to the top of the Enforcer ranks, The Glom’s mysterious Founders coerce him into competing in the greatest Zone trial ever conceived. Chance knows he’s the favorite to win. He believes his family is safe. He believes his son will get the medical care he urgently needs.

Chance is wrong.

Too late, he uncovers a plot by The Glom to rig the trial and enslave the citizens of Neo Terminus, ensuring obedience—forever.

Blinded by fame and fortune, and used as a pawn by the corporate machine, Chance resists. But he is about to discover that every deal with the devil has its price…

THE ZONE BY STU JONES EXCERPT

Up the covered stairs, Chance ran his wrist chip under the domed scan-droid and trudged onto a platform littered with garbage and a handful of people with nowhere else to sleep. Dirty and unmoving, they lay under piles of trash in the deepening cool of night. Could be worse. I could be them, Chance thought. He checked his watch—10:45 p.m. Another sigh escaped him.

“Got any Feels?” A bum sat up regarding Chance with a purple-veined face, smelling of cheap wine. “Or Krystal?”

“No, sir. I don’t do drugs.” Chance eyed the man.

“What about T’s?” the bum said.

“Nope.”

“Thasa jakkin’ lie,” the bum slurred. “I know you got T’s.”

Chance scowled, flicking his eyes at the man. With a whine, the train eased into the station behind him, colored graffiti twisted in ropy bands down the length of the segmented cars.

“What do you want me to say?” Chance said. “Of course, I’ve got T’s. Just none to spare. Get lost.”

“You don’t hafta be an azzole about it,” the bum grumbled.

“Yeah? Well, here’s a tip—Panhandling 101. Don’t insult the people you’re begging from—it’s bad form.” Chance stepped onto the mostly empty train. The bum gave him the finger as the doors closed. Chance shook his head and found a seat. NTPD wasn’t even running off the bums anymore. Not high enough on the list of priorities.

The light rail shoved forward, picking up speed with an electric whine.

Chance leaned back into the smooth plastic bench seat, deep in thought. The clouded windows of the rail car streaked with droplets of rain, and the massive breadth of his city opened up before him. Steam rose in hazy pillars above moldering buildings, run-down apartment towers, the bars, cafés, and clubs with their flashing video signs and holographic displays touting Girls, Guns, Feels, and Sony’s Latest in Cybernetic Enhancements. Ahead, a giant holographic billboard with digital exploding fireworks showcased a recent win by one of The Zone’s Enforcers—a powerful woman in sleek purple and gold tactical armor marked by the call sign Takedown.

Chance gave a cynical chuckle. The opium of the masses.

He scanned the fetid neon cityscape. A darkness, a murky desperation, hung in the air, the atmosphere stale with poverty, oppression, and regret. Chance loved his city. It was all he’d ever known. But he’d grown weary, disillusioned by the sheer unending squalor that wormed its way into every good thing.

How is it possible to find hope in a place like this?


Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter
 3 Winners will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force - hunting the worst of the worst.​

A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).

Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.

Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary. He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle who thinks he's human.

Find the Author


 

Jul 4, 2023

Early Reader Review: Love & Resistance by Kara H.L. Chen

Source: Received from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way atlers my opinion or review.

Love & Resistance by Kara H.L. Chen  Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Publication Date:  July 4, 2023



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27405327-pop-manga-coloring-book?from_search=true  https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Manga-Coloring-Book-Beautiful/dp/0399578471?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399578471&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 
Seventeen-year-old Olivia Chang is at her fourth school in seven years. Her self-imposed solitude is lonely, but safe. At Plainstown High, however, Olivia’s usual plan of anonymity fails when the infamous Mitzi Clarke (influencer, queen bee, bully) makes a pointed racist comment in class. Olivia knows what she must do: let it go. But Olivia is tired of ignoring things just so she can survive. This time, she defends herself.

That is the end of her invisible life.

Soon, Olivia discovers, and joins forces with, the Nerd Net: a secret society who has been thwarting Mitzi’s reign of terror for months. Together, they plan to unite the masses and create true change at Plainstown High.

But in order to succeed, Olivia must do something even more terrifying than lead a movement: trust other people. She might even make true friends along the way . . . if Mitzi doesn’t destroy her first.
Review: 
Love & Resistance is about a teen girl that is often moving from school to school. She has developed rules for herself around staying invisible and just trying to make it through her time. This year though, there is another classmate that is entitled, popular, and racist. When they have a run in and Olivia speaks up, the floodgates open and she is subject to a lot of bullying and nastiness from this girl, Mitzi, and her group of friends. The plot follows as Olivia makes friends with the Nerd Net, a group of outcasts that have banded together to try to make things better for others experiencing Mitzi's hatred and popularity. 

This was a fun book. A secret group of students banding together for the greater good. It was such a lovely read. I enjoyed the overall plot a good deal but found some holes that I think would have added to the overall theme. I really wanted Mitzi to have her ah-ha moment and that never comes, if not that, I wanted more depth to come out of her background and really having her justify how she is acting. That never came full circle, Mitzi is who she is racism and all, and she is never really punished for her actions. 

I liked the other characters though, I am not sure that this needed the romance element, but it was cute. Olivia is smart and determined and her relationship with her family and heritage is a strong one that I really appreciated seeing throughout the book. I especially liked the diverse cast of characters along with her. Griff was interesting, and I figured out his deal long before it came out in the book, I am not sure how much it adds but I really like the friendship that he and Olivia have and how they become closer through the plot and emotions they feel around helping others. 

The resistance part was entertaining, albeit a little predictable and kind of one-note, but in the end I laughed out loud a good deal while reading and enjoyed this read coinciding with the July 4th holiday weekend. If you are looking for a cute, YA romance with some high school politics, this might be a good fit for you. This book does have elements of bullying, racism, and cyber-bullying.

Jul 3, 2023

Monthly Re-Cap (June 2023) & TBR Pile (July 2023)



Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Here is the progress from June. I got a little distracted by other books but think I did very well. I was able to pull it out in the last few days.



~~Books I Read in June 2023~~  

~~Links to Some Reviews~~



 TBR for July

  1. Finish - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
  2. The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgerson
  3. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
  4. Wayward by Emilia Hart
  5.  The Ashes and the Star Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent
  6. Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Cordova

How was your June reading?  Do you have a Summer reading list?

Feel free to share it in the comments below! I would love to know what you are reading! 

Jul 2, 2023

Building the Book Pile #427

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Hi everyone, Happy 4th of July weekend for those in the US. 

This week I was away for work, I presented some things at my professional conference 😊 I was SUPER anxious about it but everything went really well. Although the whole time I was away, I had a migraine 🥴 so that wasn't ideal. 

I also finished 2 books while I was trying to distract myself from the horrible head, so that is good too. 

Overall, it was a good week for reading and blogging, I hope you enjoyed some of the reviews. More to come soon with my re-cap and TBR for July. 

Be safe! Enjoy the holiday!

-S



Coming up on the Blog

Monthly Re-Cap (June) & TBR Pile (July)

Early Reader Review: Love & Resistance by Kara H.L. Chen (YA)

Recent Read: Neon Gods by Katee Roberts (Adult, Spicy)


Books Received Recently...   
  

I took part in Stuff your Kindle and picked up some romance and steamy genre books. These were all free for Kindle on Friday 6/30, they may also be available on Kindle Unlimited. Realizing I grabbed a few more than I thought...


Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.
Happy Reading!

Jun 30, 2023

Recent Reads: Lovely Violent Things by Trisha Wolfe


Lovely Violent Things by Trisha Wolfe
Series: Hollow Row #2
Publisher: Lock Key Press
Publication Date:  March 29, 2023



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27405327-pop-manga-coloring-book?from_search=true  https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Manga-Coloring-Book-Beautiful/dp/0399578471?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399578471&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20

Format: Ebook
Source: Borrowed - Kindle Unlimited


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 
He’s the devil. And she’s his wicked game.
Book two in the Hollow's Row series.

The night I gave in to Kallum Locke, I sold my soul to the devil. Now that devil has returned for me, a daemon siphoning off what soul I have left.

The Harbinger killer has descended on Hollow’s Row amid an active case, where I’ve been hired as a consultant to profile two killers. One offering gruesome sacrifices to obtain an ancient philosophy, and the other a bad omen from my past.

A dark truth hovers at the edge of my memories—but is it real, or a trick by the chaos magician himself, meant to trap me in his web of lies and corruption.

Kallum is too consuming, his clashing green-and-blue eyes staring into my depths, demanding I feel the frenzy he teased from my soul.

I have to escape him.

I’ve tasted Halen St. James, my muse of heartbreak. I’ve sank my teeth into her tender flesh, lapped at her tears, marked her as mine…

So I’ll be damned if I let her go now. Not this time—not when I’m so close to revealing our truth. It’s easy to be tricked when you believe your own lies. And, oh, how my little Halen loves her pretty lies.

She’s obsessed with naming me the killer. She’s afraid of me, but I’m not the danger she should fear.

The moth is attracted to sweetness—and my little Halen is the sweetest damn thing.

Halen needs her big bad villain to protect her.
Trigger warnings: Mention of loss of loved ones, grief, attempted SA, violence, gore, murder, detailed crime scenes, knife / sharp object / blood play, breath play, occult references and rituals 

Review: 
This is such a dark series. Halen and Kallum are tasked with solving a case that has now taken several body parts from several victims and left them in a swamp. While the crime scene is eerie already, it is made more maddening that there are no full bodies, and there are random clues spread throughout the swamp. 

When last we left Halen and Kallum, they were unassigned from the case, but brought back on by the locals. At the start of this book, they are both being brought back in and there is a new scene to analyze, but there is also the matter of ensuring Kallum is kept close. Halen still believes he is somehow a part of the Harbinger case as well, but can't figure out why she feels so strongly for him. 

I think that this series so far has done well at the darkness. Kallum is psychotic for sure, but his obsession is what seems to drive him. Halen is also full of sadness and trauma and while she tries to keep it together there is always a breaking point and Kallum is trying to give her the opportunity to break safely under his watch. She isn't comfortable with that but it seems like he if the first in a long time to give her this option and so she leans into it more than she would like. 

There are a lot of emotions at play thoughout their 'romance' if you can call it that. I think that there is something to be said for broken finds broken and they can help each other heal. That being said, I think most are reading the series for Kallum's sexy, dark, weirdness, and there is nothing wrong with that. There is a plot as well, its mystery is interesting and I liked the philosophy that is tied throughout the crimes. I like the dynamic between Halen and the other law enforcement and moreso her relationship with Kallum. Is it twisted, yes, but it hits right. 


Jun 29, 2023

Early Reader Review: A Circle of Stars by Craig Montgomery

Source: From the Author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

A Circle of Stars by Craig Montgomery 
Series: The Stardust Duology #1
Publication Date:  June 16, 2023


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27405327-pop-manga-coloring-book?from_search=true  https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Manga-Coloring-Book-Beautiful/dp/0399578471?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399578471&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 
Sometimes you have to leave home to find it…

All Casper Bell has ever wanted is to belong. But now, abandoned by his friends and family after being outed, he has nothing left to lose when the people of Novilem abduct him.

Except Earth.

Teleported to a world where stars grant humans magic, Casper discovers he has the rare ability to draw power from all twelve astrological signs — a gift that makes him a political pawn for the Estellar Council.

But Novilem’s inhabitants seem as hard and cold as the stone their city
is carved from, and Casper’s new role leaves him more isolated than ever. Until he meets the grandson of the council’s most powerful woman. Helix is kind, playful, and heartbreakingly handsome, yet it’s how Helix makes him feel that gives Casper hope.

As rebellion brinks in the city, even the Council starts to fracture, reaching for extreme measures that could cost Casper not only his newfound abilities, but the first place he has ever wanted to call home. Together with Helix, he must uncover the secrets of his full potential — because the survival of Novilem hinges on Casper’s powers, whether he’s using them or not.

Set inside a hidden lunar city, where astrology is magic and your birth sign defines your social status, A Circle of Stars is a queer young adult fantasy filled with political intrigue and romance.
Review: 
I thought this was an adult sci-fi when I was reading, and now that I am am seeing it as a young adult genre sci-fi... it makes more sense. I am not sure how that got jumbled in my head. Either way I really enjoyed this read, but more makes sense now.

This book is a science fiction/fantasy about a young queer guy who is kidnapped to another planet to be their savior of sorts. Casper, was finishing high school and got kicked out of his home and disowned for being gay, but lucky for him in some ways, he was picked up by some people because he has the ability to see and use magic. The people of Novilem abduct him and teach him about their magic of the Zodiac houses and he learns that he can harness them all. Capser has been though a lot and shows a lot of strength throughout this book, however at times he is vulnerable and not sure the path he should take. 

I liked the magic system in this book a lot, the houses of the zodiac, all have differing powers and levels that they are in, much like a caste system. I liked the magic part - not the turmoil that the caste system brings upon this plot. The plot itself was really interesting. Sci-fi isn't really my cup of tea but this story kept me interested and I liked the characters a lot. It is told in multiple POV, so you seem more of the overall picture coming together as the reader. 

The middle was a bit off for me though, it was as if this wanted to be an adult story at the beginning and end, but the middle was teh chance for the YA parts. Casper was suddenly very opinionated and whiney and it was a lot. For a while there, I wanted to punch him in the face rather then see him succeed. 

Overall, I liked this book for the diverse cast, the MM queer relationship rep, and the magic system. I found it lacking a bit in the middle but it was a good first book. 

Jun 28, 2023

Early Reader Review: Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

Source: From Amazon First Reads program. This does not alter my opinion or review.

Role Playing by Cathy Yardley 
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date:  July 1, 2023



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27405327-pop-manga-coloring-book?from_search=true  https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Manga-Coloring-Book-Beautiful/dp/0399578471?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399578471&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20

Format: Ebook

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 
Maggie is an unapologetically grumpy forty-eight-year-old hermit. But when her college-aged son makes her a deal—he’ll be more social if she does the same—she can’t refuse. She joins a new online gaming guild led by a friendly healer named Otter. So that nobody gets the wrong idea, she calls herself Bogwitch. Otter is Aiden, a fifty-year-old optimist using the guild as an emotional outlet from his family drama caring for his aging mother while his brother plays house with Aiden’s ex-fiancée. Bogwitch and Otter become fast virtual friends, but there’s a catch. Bogwitch thinks Otter is a college student. Otter assumes Bogwitch is an octogenarian. When they finally meet face to face—after a rocky, shocking start—the unlikely pair of sunshine and stormy personalities grow tentatively closer. But Maggie’s previous relationships have left her bitter, and Aiden’s got a complicated past of his own. Everything’s easier online. Can they make it work in real life?
Review: 
This book was offered through the Amazon First Reads program and I normally pick one up but then have too many other things on my TBR to read them immediately. I was so smitten with this idea and synopsis that I jumped right in and started reading. 

The story follows a divorced mom, Maggie, severe introvert who tries to make more friends to help lead by example for her college age son. She joins an online guild and while playing with them forms a connection with another member. They are local so when the other player needs help she goes to help him. He is her age, which she didn't realize, so it makes for a hilarious introduction between them. It also turns out that they know some of the same people in town and have crossed paths before. 

Aiden is a 50 year old former nurse, home to look after his mother. She is on the decline and his father recently past away. He has been giving up a lot for his family, but they don't seem to appreciate his help. 

I like Maggie and Aiden. Maggie seemed like a cool, down to Earth mom, and I appreciate her hermit like nature. She was introverted but very outspoken and sure of herself.  Aiden was so considerate and his family was complete shit. Sadly both characters had family mistreat them and I think that they bonded over this. 

The plot of the book is them getting together and the trope is friends to more. The book had a lot of really funny, cute parts and it had me giggling and also wanting to play online games again. There were some things that I didn't fully love though. For example, while it takes time to fully explain sexualities and highlight them in this book, it does it in a very 'here's the definition' way, that took me out of the book as a reader. That being said, I think for older readers or ones that are not familiar with the terminology it could be helpful, but it just seemed odd to me and forced. I fully appreciated the rep though. 

Overall, this was a cute, fun, and playful romance. I also really enjoyed the play on the title role-playing in game and out. Could make for some interesting book-club discussion points.