All About Anticipation

July 30, 2016July 30, 2016 Olivia Chanel3 Comments

Today it is all about that anticipation. Anticipation for books. You know the feeling, the one you get when you just can’t wait to read that one book you have had your eye on. In this blog post I feature six books I have a huge anticipation for, three that are already published but I haven’t had the chance to read yet and three that aren’t published yet.

3 Already Published Books I Cannot Wait To Read

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Three books that I can’t wait to read are Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan and Trust Me, I’m Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer.

Six of Crows is a book that has a lot of hype and it seems absolutely amazing, it’s about six outcasts and an impossible heist. The book seems to be action packed and have a cast as diverse and magical. However, the question is if they can all work together in spite of their differences or if they’ll fail trying. You can add it on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon or Book Depository.

You Know Me Well is about a gay girl and gay guy who are classmates that have never talked to each other. Yet during one night they become the best of friends in an instant. This book excites me because the friendship more than the romance seems to be in focus and positive LGBT books are something I love. You can add the book on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon or Book Depository.

Trust Me, I’m Lying is the only book out of the three that I already own. The reason I’m excited about this book is because it’s a teen thriller, with wit and a hint of romance. The book is about a young con artist and how she will use every trick she got in order to find her father before his mark does. You can add it on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon or Book Depository.

3 Books I Cannot Wait To Read That Are Not Published Yet

Three other books I can’t wait to read, that are coming out either later this year or next year, are Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley, Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst and Not Your Sidekick by C. B. Lee.

Our Own Private Universe is about bisexual teenage girl Aki who is only out to her best friend. However, when they go on a four-week youth-group mission trip to Mexico she never expected she’d find someone there who she’d want to date. That is of course until she meets Christa. This book sounds so incredibly cute and lovely, and Robin Talley is one of my favorite authors ever. You just know it’s going to be great. You can add the book on Goodreads and pre-order it on Amazon or Book Depository.

Of Fire and Stars is about a princess, with a gift for magic, betrothed to marry a prince. However, in the nation she is about to become queen magic is forbidden. She meets the prince’s sister and when forced to work together they soon grow a friendship which later blossoms into something more. I don’t know about you guys but I think two princesses falling in love is the coolest. This book is one of my most anticipated books ever. You can add the book on Goodreads and pre-order it on Amazon or Book Depository.

Not Your Sidekick is about a world where superpowers are common yet Jessica doesn’t have any. She finds the perfect paid internship where her crush Abby works, only to find out it’s for the town’s supervillain. However, what started as a fun way to go against her superhero parents turns dangerous when Jessica uncovers a plot bigger than all of them. This book sounds so badass I wish it’d just appear in my hands right now. You can add it on Goodreads and pre-order it on Amazon.

What books do you have a big anticipation for? Any specific books you have your eye on? Let me know in the comments below!

YA Fantasy Gets Social Media: Unicorn Tracks AU

July 23, 2016July 23, 2016 Olivia Chanel5 Comments

Do any of you guys ever read a YA Fantasy book and wonder what the characters in it would do in our time and world? What social media accounts would they have? What would they post? Sometimes imagining your favorite fantasy characters in our world is just the best thing ever. That is why I came up with YA Fantasy Gets Social Media, where I create social media accounts for my favorite fictional characters from young adult fantasy books. I’m not sure how often I’ll do this but I do know that I loved making this post so I’ll definitely make more!

The first YA Fantasy to get social media is *insert super intense drumroll* Unicorn Tracks by Julia Ember. This is by far one of my favorite reads this year. I’m just so in love with Mnemba and Kara, and of course all the magical creatures they encounter. I mean unicorns and mermaids, be right back while I just fangirl for a moment. If you need further convincing as to why you have to read this book, read my review here (I gave it five slices of cake) and add it on Goodreads.

Mnemba and Kara’s iMessage texts

If Mnemba and Kara lived in our time and world they’d both have iPhones (matching ones 0f course because goals) and they’d be all over each other with texts. Mnemba is usually busy during the day holding her guides and Kara must stay behind to do some much needed work with Tumelo in the office. However, when Mnemba gets a little reception in the wild she sometimes texts about the ridiculous things the tourists say. Kara is usually fast to respond, often with a joke and a reminder to stay alert, to which Mnemba replies that she’s the expert.

However, when they’ve been away from each other for a while the texts do get a little more heated and when they think no one is looking they are often found smiling at their phones because of something the other one has sent.

Mnemba and Kara’s Instagram accounts

After that I can see both Mnemba and Kara getting Instagram. I can imagine Mnemba uploading pictures of the quiet views she encounters during her guides. When she’s not too busy keeping the foreigners from getting eaten by animals she might even try to catch a picture of a Chimera just to show Oswe once again who’s the best of the best. When she’s not doing that, Mnemba is probably uploading pictures of her beautiful girlfriend Kara, her very own Chimera. Her favorite photos is always the ones where Kara looks at peace just soaking up the sunshine.

For Kara I can see her Instagram being filled with her research and lots and lots of pictures of the beasts she studies. Everything from unicorns, to river mermaids and griffins. However, a lot of pictures are really just of Michi and him growing up to become the beautiful unicorn he is. When Kara is not taking pictures of animals, she’s probably kissing her girlfriend and trying to sneak a picture or two while she’s still asleep in the morning.

Mnemba and Kara’s Twitter accounts

Twitter is something I think Kara would just love. It’d be the perfect tool for her to promote her book The Beasts of Nazwimbe and also Tumelo’s growing business. Mnemba claimed in the beginning that she sees no use of having a Twitter but after a lot of nagging by Kara, Mnemba just asked her to make an account for her. Mnemba mostly uses her Twitter to retweet all of Kara’s tweets and tell the world how intelligent and beautiful her girlfriend is.

Disclaimer: This Unicorn Tracks AU is purely made as a fun thing for me and is nothing official. These amazing characters belong to Julia Ember but the words are made up by me, not the author. The pictures belong to their respectful owners.

That was it for YA Fantasy Unicorn Tracks Gets Social Media. I hope you thought this post was as fun to read as it was for me to make. I have also uploaded these pictures on my Tumblr so you can reblog it here if you’re also on there. Do you guys think Mnemba or Kara would get any other social media accounts? If yes, which ones?

If you haven’t read Unicorn Tracks yet I really recommend it, here are a few useful links for you. You can go to Julia Ember’s website here, add the book on Goodreads here or just buy it directly on Amazon here. You won’t regret it!

Book Review of Choosing You by Allie Everhart

July 19, 2016September 8, 2020 Olivia Chanel1 Comment

Choosing You by Allie Everhart

Publication Date: September 21, 2013.

Publisher: Waltham Publishing.

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, and College.

Rating:

Selling points: Slow burn romance, mild suspense, and excellent banter.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But her plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a rich prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.

Jade tries to push him away, but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.

As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.

Choosing You is a book I didn’t expect to love but immensely did. It has been in my Kindle library for quite some time now and I finally decided to give it a try, something I’m now so happy about.

“He gives me a cocky grin. He knows damn well I want to see his nearly naked body. Every girl on campus would like to see that.”

Choosing You is a book filled with wit, banter, romance, wealthy families, and suspense. In my eyes, there are so many things this book is doing right. In a lot of ways, this is a typical rich boy meets poor girl story but the story is so much more than that. It’s complex, with a proper relationship build-up and clear character development.

Welcome To Olivia Chanel’s Book Restaurant

July 17, 2016April 3, 2018 Olivia Chanel5 Comments

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Olivia Chanel’s book restaurant. Are you looking for a bite to read? To take a sip of a summer read or just take a dish of a dark and complex heroin for dinner? Then this is the restaurant for you! Down below you can see this week’s menu. We have a wide range of dishes, desserts, drinks and wines you can choose from.

This week’s House Special is a very adventurous and sexy dish, one that will make you taste the dreams of Las Vegas. This week the chef has chosen Amour Amour by Krista and Becca Ritchie.

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Freebie Friday #2

July 15, 2016October 18, 2016 Olivia Chanel1 Comment

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Another Friday is here and isn’t it just marvellous? I love Fridays and because it’s Friday I’m here with another Freebie Friday for you guys. I mean it is always a good day for some free books but on a Friday as well, it’s almost as if Christmas came early. For this Freebie Friday I’m going to mention two books I haven’t read yet but grabbed earlier this week, In Too Deep by Mara Jacobs and In Too Deep by Tracey Alvarez.

Even though these two books have the same title, cool I know, they’re quite different. Both in setting and what they’re about. However, they’re both New Adult romances and about love that is a lot more complicated than it should be. Both of these book intrigue me and seem like the perfect read for the summer.

Remember guys, the books I recommend are free the moment I publish my post but I can never guarantee they’re free for long so once you see it, grab it! That’s what I do.

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In Too Deep by Tracey Alvarez

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She vowed never to return.

To save her brother from financial ruin, Piper Harland must do the one thing she swore she’d never do—return to the tiny island home-town where Ryan “West” Westlake crushed her heart. Piper is tough, resilient and a little wild—much like the remote and beautiful Stewart Island where she grew up. As a cop who’s part of the elite New Zealand Police National Dive Squad, bringing the dead back to their families still doesn’t stop the guilt she feels over her father’s drowning death. Now nine years later she’s obligated to return to a hostile community as the outsider, and forced to work with the man who was once her best friend and first lover.

She’s a risk he can’t take.

West is an Island man, through and through. As owner of the local pub, he lives and breathes the local community, and sure as hell can’t imagine living anywhere else. But most of all he refuses to ever fall for a woman like his flighty mother. He lost Piper once to give her the chance to fulfil her dreams of becoming a cop. But now she’s back for an unexpected six week visit to help her brother—his best mate. Maybe West wants her a little bit, maybe he can’t resist the temptation to tease and touch her, but can he fall in love with such a flight risk?

Saying goodbye the second time might just destroy them both.

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In Too Deep by Mara Jacobs

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I didn’t believe in love at first sight, until I first saw Lucas Kade.

I was giving swimming lessons to children when I first saw him. Turns out one of the kids was Lucas’s little brother. So, I’d be seeing a lot more of Lucas. And that was just fine with me.

I had a lot going on—a freshman at an elite college, first time away from home, and, oh yeah, roommates with a girl I’d been sent to spy on. I wasn’t exactly looking for anything exclusive. Something casual, though, would be great.

But there was nothing casual about my feelings for Lucas.

He was a townie, hiding a secret, and I knew better than to get involved. I was always the sensible one, the peacekeeper.

Before I knew it…I was In Too Deep.

This was the free books for this week, have you read any of these already or do you have them on your to be read list?

ARC Review of We Awaken by Calista Lynne

July 14, 2016September 8, 2020 Olivia Chanel1 Comment

We Awaken by Calista Lynne

Publication Date: July 14, 2016.

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBTQIA, and Fantasy.

Rating:

Selling points: Asexual girls, cute romance, and a happy ending.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: Victoria Dinham doesn’t have much left to look forward to. Since her father died in a car accident, she lives only to fulfill her dream of being accepted into the Manhattan Dance Conservatory. But soon she finds another reason to look forward to dreams when she encounters an otherworldly girl named Ashlinn, who bears a message from Victoria’s comatose brother. Ashlinn is tasked with conjuring pleasant dreams for humans, and through the course of their nightly meetings in Victoria’s mind, the two become close. Ashlinn also helps Victoria understand asexuality and realize that she, too, is asexual.

But then Victoria needs Ashlinn’s aid outside the realm of dreams, and Ashlinn assumes human form to help Victoria make it to her dance audition. They take the opportunity to explore New York City, their feelings for each other, and the nature of their shared asexuality. But like any dream, it’s too good to last. Ashlinn must shrug off her human guise and resume her duties creating pleasant nighttime visions—or all of humanity will pay the price.

Thank you Calista Lynne for my advanced review copy of We Awaken. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

We Awaken is such an important book, this book shows us that interracial couples within the LGBTQIA community can thrive, survive and get the happy ending they deserve. This book is about two asexual girls and their journey together realizing who they are and how they can be together. We Awaken is a reminder that one’s sexuality is yours alone, yours to claim, yours not to claim and no matter what, you are valid just as you are.

There is PRIDE 12 months a year

June 30, 2016April 3, 2018 Olivia ChanelLeave a comment

Today July 30th marks the last day of Pride Month, a month in celebration of the LGBTQIA community. Or more precisely, a month for the celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual people.

“I am a human being just as deserving of love and happiness as the next person. I tell myself this every day.”

– Dirty London by Kelley York

June has been a month filled with both sadness and happiness, one where we have seen that there is still a lot of hate and ignorance towards the LGBTQIA community but also a lot of love. We have seen people come together to fight against that hate, to fight hate with love. As we exit this month, I think we should all remember that though there are people out there who wish great evil upon the LGBT community, there are thousands more that are filled with love, acceptance and hope. Love is love is love, and love always wins in the end.

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This month has been a great month when it comes to books in correlation to the LGBT+ community. We have had Julia Ember (author of Unicorn Tracks) and her #ReadProud challenge which I think has been an absolute success. You can tell that people have really read more LGBTQIA books with this tag, have promoted more of these books and put them in the spotlight they very much deserve.

However, this brings me to another important topic that I think we should all remember. June, the official Pride Month, is a month once a year where we celebrate LGBTQIA, however, we need to remember that every single month is Pride Month for this community. The ups and downs, the good and the bad, they’re something people in this community face every day and therefore the support for this community and the books connected to this community should be there in the spotlight more than just once a year. The support we have seen this month, we should see it every month. We have to support LGBTQIA authors and LGBTQIA books all the time. Therefore I want to recommend you as many LGBTQIA books as I can, both books that are already published and books that are yet to come. We should also remember that when we support authors, we should put extra focus on books that are #ownvoices, and also have intersectional diversity because these are the books that need the attention the most. These are the books readers need.

Addicted Series Lovefest: Why I Love It More Than Chocolate Cake

May 18, 2016July 30, 2016 Olivia Chanel3 Comments

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When I think about the Addicted Series, what it means to me and what I love about it, I’m filled with a lot of emotions that I truly have no idea how to describe properly. You can go your whole life, read a thousand books and though you are wiser for it that might be it. However, if you are lucky you will one day read a book that will change you on a fundamental level, make you question yourself, what you believe in and who you are. A book might just be a bunch of words put together but books also have a great deal of power in them. I was lucky, I read the Addicted series by Krista & Becca Ritchie and it has really changed my life.

“Freedom doesn’t come with age. It doesn’t magically appear when you’re a legal adult. It comes when you stand up for what you believe in.”

– Hothouse Flower

When I think about the characters in the Addicted series I am overwhelmed with love for them, with pride, with hope that even though we all face hardships we can come out on the other side okay. Not just okay but happy and in love, with a life filled with friends and family that loves you.

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The Addicted series started with three sisters and their men, six very different people with their own hard struggles and battles to be fought. Lily Calloway, a girl addicted to sex who never felt important, and Loren Hale, an alcoholic who always found his answers in a bottle. Rose Calloway, who always wanted to be in control of everything even when it was impossible, and Connor Cobalt, a guy who had never loved anyone in his entire life. Daisy Calloway, a girl who was suffocated and never listened to, and Ryke Meadows, the selfless and forgotten son who grew up doing everything to please those who barely acknowledged him.

These six people and their lives soon came to be intertwined and changed forever. The girl, now a woman, who once was addicted to sex is now a strong woman who is role model due to her quiet strength. The man who always went to the bottle when things were hard is now a successful business owner and father, and he is there for the people in his life as never before. The woman who wanted to control everything now stands tall knowing she has always fought and done her best for her family while at the same time overcoming her own fears. The man who had never loved anyone before now loves more deeply than anyone ever thought possible while also no longer hiding who he truly is. The woman who was once silenced is now standing up for herself, doing what she loves, fighting for what she believes in with no turning back. The man who did everything for everyone else is now proudly doing things for himself, fighting for the woman he loves and never thought he could have while at the same time living life to the fullest.

“I want to say in the end, but maybe this is still the middle. In the middle.

I’ve watched Lo become sober.

I’ve watched Lily curb a relentless addiction. (I’m proud of you, sis.)

I’ve watched Rose blaze her own trail and put fire to stereotypes.

I’ve watched Connor fall in love. With more than just himself.

I’ve watched Ryke Meadows unclip his shackles and rise again.

And me. I’ve discovered who I am. I’m not letting her go or hiding her to please other people. I am Daisy Petunia Meadows. And I’m here to stay.”

– Long Way Down

The Addicted series might be ending but my love for these characters, for these books and Krista and Becca won’t. I came here for the books, for the characters, but I’m staying for Krista and Becca and the Fizzle Force. If you don’t already know this Krista and Becca, you guys are incredible and amazing people. You are such talented writers, you work harder than anyone I have ever seen. You publish book after book, push yourselves to the limit to get these books out to us while you at the same time give us bonus materials and extras. It doesn’t go unnoticed, all that hard work, all your dedication and all you do for your fans, we see it, I see it. It’s incredible, remarkable and you deserve all the praise, fame and chocolate cake (or any other flavor if chocolate is not your preference *cough* it totally should be *cough*) in the world.

No but really, Krista and Becca, I am honestly so in awe of everything you do but especially the way you interact with your fans. You don’t just see us as someone far away, someone who merely pays for your books and then reads them. The Fizzle Force really is a family and I have found some of best friends in it. I have found a friend in you both too. You are so kind to everyone you talk to, so be it an old fan or new, and you make everyone feel at home in this fandom. Including me.

I hope now that Some Kind of Perfect is almost here you’ll finally get some rest, read some anticipated books, watch your favorite shows and just spend time with whoever makes you happy. I cannot wait to read Some Kind of Perfect and say goodbye to this era, however, I know great things will come from you both in the future and I cannot wait to see it all. I am so proud to call myself a Fizzle Force member, an Addicted series fan and a friend of yours. All the love to you Krista and Becca, to the Fizzle Force that has enriched my life and everything that is to come.

“For the first time, I yearn for tomorrow and cherish yesterday and live for today. It’s peace that no one will take from me.”

– Addicted After All

Book Review of Dreaming of Antigone by Robin Bridges

May 17, 2016September 8, 2020 Olivia ChanelLeave a comment

Dreaming of Antigone by Robin Bridges

Publication Date: March 29, 2016.

Publisher: Kensington Books.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, and Romance.

Rating:

Selling points: Deals with heavy topics such as addiction and abuse. It is a story about forgiveness and love, and it is magically written.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: Every star has its own path…

“I can’t ever be the blazing star that Iris was. I’m still just a cold, dark satellite orbiting a star that went super nova.”

Andria’s twin sister, Iris, had adoring friends, a cool boyfriend, a wicked car, and a shelf full of soccer trophies. She had everything, in fact—including a drug problem. Six months after Iris’s death, Andria is trying to keep her grades, her friends, and her family from falling apart. But stargazing and books aren’t enough to ward off her guilt that she—the freak with the scary illness and all-black wardrobe—is still here when Iris isn’t. And then there’s Alex Hammond. The boy Andria blames for Iris’s death. The boy she’s unwittingly started swapping lines of poetry and secrets with, even as she tries to keep hating him.

Heartwrenching, smart, and bold, Dreaming of Antigone is a story about the jagged pieces that lie beneath the surface of the most seemingly perfect life…and how they can fit together to make something wholly unexpected.

Thank you Kensington Books for my eARC of Dreaming of Antigone. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Be aware that this story deals with topics such as suicide, abuse, and addiction.

Dreaming of Antigone is a tragic story about a family surrounded by loss, heartbreak, and secrets with Andria and her twin sister Iris at the center of it all. Iris died of a drug overdose six months ago, something Andria, her family and their friends are still struggling with. Andria is now trying to continue her life through her grief, in a world where she’ll discover that not everything is as it once seemed.

The Fruity Book Tag

May 13, 2016October 19, 2016 Olivia Chanel1 Comment

Hey guys! The other week I was playing around with ideas for the blog and potential blog posts and then this idea hit me. A book tag! I have seen a lot of these going around, and though I have been tagged to do two (I think) I just thought it’d be really fun to make my own. It’s pretty simple, there are six different fruits and six different topics. Down below are my choices but I’m dying to know yours. I don’t know a lot of book bloggers yet but I’m tagging Amy at Book, Babbles and Blues, Sil and Mana at The Book Voyagers, Nini and Devon at Some Love Is Infinite and Nashaly at Books After Midnight. However, if you are reading this and would like to join the fruity fun, then you are hereby TAGGED!

APPLES – a book with forbidden love

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Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick is an old favorite book of mine, and you can definitely see how it’s about forbidden love. It is about Patch, a fallen angel, and Nora, who is everything Patch cannot have. Their love goes against every law, oath and basic common sense in their world filled with fallen angels, humans and the immortals.

PINEAPPLES – a book with a latinx character

Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance by Shellee Roberts is about Mariely Hinojosa, a hispanic girl, with lots of personality and charm. I absolutely love Mariely. She is witty and beautiful, but still insecure about herself from time to time. However, she grows so much throughout this book and no matter what she is faced with, she gets through it due to her strength.

WATERMELONS – a book that takes place in the summer

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The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is about Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad and the summers they spend together at their families’ shared beach house. Jeremiah and Conrad have been Belly’s brother figures, her crushes and more. However, a lot will happen this summer that’ll change their future ones. It’ll be a wonderful and terrific summer all at once.

BANANAS – a book that is anti-slutshaming

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Rikki by Abigail Strom is a New Adult about Rikki and Sam who have hated each other since junior high. However, when they start college they decide on a truce. The reason why this book is anti-slutshaming is because Rikki and her group of friends are so different in their sexual experience yet always respect everyone’s choices.

MANGOES – a book with non-western setting

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Huntress by Malinda Lo is a fantasy book that has Chinese influences and is inspired by I Ching. I actually haven’t read this one yet but from everything I’ve seen and heard I just know I’m dying to. It is a book filled with action and romance, and two girls that have been set out on a mission to save their people’s survival.

POMEGRANATES – a same-sex ship

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Far From You by Tess Sharpe is one of my favorite books of all time. This young adult is about recovering addict Sophie and Mina. Mina died in what everyone thinks was a drug deal gone wrong, however, Sophie was there and is the only one who knows the truth. Mina was murdered. This is a story filled with secrets, two girls who were in love, a hunt for a killer and the dangers that comes with it.

That was it for this fruity book tag, what would have been your answers? Please let me know below or make a post on your own blog, I can’t wait to hear it!

Disclaimer: These pictures were taken from Freepik, a website that provides free graphic resources to everyone. I do in no way claim ownership and all credits goes to the respectful owners.