Posts Tagged: ARC

Lakeshire Park by Megan Walker- Review

09 Jan, 2020 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lakeshire Park by Megan Walker- Review

Lakeshire Park

on April 7, 2020
Pages: 256
Format: ARC
four-half-stars
Buy the BookGoodreads
Amelia Moore wants only one thing—to secure the future happiness of her younger sister, Clara. With their stepfather’s looming death, the two sisters will soon be on their own—without family, a home, or a penny to their names. When an invitation arrives to join a house party at Lakeshire Park, Amelia grasps at the chance. If she can encourage a match between Clara and their host, Sir Ronald, then at least her sister will be taken care of.

Little does she know that another guest, the arrogant and overconfident Mr. Peter Wood, is after the same goal for his own sister. Amelia and Peter begin a rivalry that Amelia has no choice but to win. But competing against Peter—and eventually playing by his rules—makes Amelia vulnerable to losing the only thing she has left to claim: her heart.

What a witty, charming and fun read. Lakeshire Park took up most of my vacation time. It is a clean Regency you can’t put down. Peter and Amelia have an excellent relationship and captivating conversation through out the unfolding scenes. There are moments which will pull a smile to your face. The first chapter was rough for me, the family strain between Amelia Moore and her sister Clara and their setp-father is painful. He is vengeful, cold and unloving. I held out for a glimmer of hope for the girls.

There’s so much to adore about the adventures of the house party at the Park and Peter Wood. You will love this latest Proper Romance! I highly recommend picking it up when it releases in April.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC

Author Biography

Megan Walker was raised on a berry farm in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where her imagination took her to times past and worlds away. While earning her degree in Early Childhood Education, she married her one true love and started a family. But her imaginings of Regency England wouldn’t leave her alone, so she picked up a pen. And the rest is history. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband and three children.

Summer 2013 Book Wish List- What I Can’t Wait to Read

01 Jul, 2013 by in bea 6 comments

There are so many great books coming out this year! I was able to attend one day on the exhibit floor at BEA and had a wish list of books to watch out for. Here are some of the titles that look A- mazing that are in the line up for this summer, but that I just wasn’t able to pick up. Coming soon…


by Maggie Stiefvater coming September 17th.
Second book in the Raven Boys series.


Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…



by Julianne Donaldson coming September 9, 2013


At eighteen, Kate Worthington knows she should be getting serious about marriage, but her restless heart won t let her settle down. To escape her mother s meddlesome influence, she dreams of traveling with her spinster aunt to exotic India. But when the opportunity arises, Kate finds herself making a bargain with her mother: she will be allowed to go only if she spends a season at the family s wealthy estate, Blackmoore, where she must secure and reject three marriage proposals. Enlisting the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield, Kate sets out to collect her proposals so she can be on her way. But Henry s decision to help threatens to destroy both of their dreams in ways they could never imagine. Set in Northern England in 1820, Blackmoore is a regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn how to listen to her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue, and devotion.




Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 
coming September 10th

In Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life–and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?



Coming July 23rd.

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.

The Moon and More 
by Sarah Dessen
published June 4th.


Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.


Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo’s sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline’s mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he’s convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she’s going?

Sarah Dessen’s devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

by Colleen Gleason
coming September 17th.
Two young women of similar age and standing have disappeared:
one found dead and the other still missing. The only clue to
connect them is a small Egyptian clockwork scarab. Only Miss
Stoker and Miss Holmes are well-positioned enough—similar in
age and stature as they are to the victims—to investigate. An
unlikely pair, the fierce Evaline Stoker and logical Mina Holmes must follow in the footsteps of their infamous families—Miss Holmes has inherited her Uncle Sherlock’s keen investigative skills, while Miss Stoker has accepted her family calling as a hunter of the undead. The partners must find a way to work together, while navigating the advances of a strange yet handsome American, a clever Scotland Yard investigator, and a cunning thief, to solve the mystery of the clockwork scarabs.

Set in steam punk London, steeped in Egyptian mythology
and literary references, with a surprising time travel twist and compelling romantic triangles, Colleen Gleason has crafted a fast-paced and romantic debut young adult novel



I have all of these books pictured plus an ongoing Goodreads list for trade. If you have any from my wish list or others you think I might like, let’s swap! 

Meanwhile, I’ll be wishing for a book fairy 🙂

What books are you most excited for in 2013?

Early Book Review- Longing For Home by Sarah M. Eden

11 Jun, 2013 by in book review, sarah m eden, Shadow Mountain 2 comments

Longing for Home
by Sarah M. Eden
Paperback
Expected publication: August 6th 2013 
by Shadow Mountain 
ISBN 1609074610
Book Source: BEA
5 stars


Book Summary From Goodreads: Twenty-six-year-old Katie Macauley has placed all her hope in Hope Springs, a small town in the 1870 Wyoming Territory. But if she wants to return home to Ireland to make amends with her estranged family, she’ll need to convince the influential Joseph Archer to hold true to his word and keep her on his payroll as his housekeeper despite her Irish roots. The town is caught in an ongoing feud between the Irish and the “Reds” the frontiersmen who would rather see all the Irish run out of town and the Irish immigrants who are fighting to make a home for themselves in the New World. When Joseph agrees to keep Katie on as his housekeeper, the feud erupts anew, and Katie becomes the reluctant figurehead for the Irish townsfolk. As the violence escalates throughout the town, Katie must choose between the two men who have been vying for her love though only one might be able to restore hope to her heart.

Review:  Sarah M. Eden is one of my go to authors for clean, historic romance. So, of course, when I saw stack including Longing for Home at the Shadow Mountain booth at BEA I may have squeed a little. This is my first choice from the books I picked up at Book Expo America. Within days of arriving home from NYC, I had already read and wanted to hug it just as Katie MacAuley hugs her violin on the front cover. 

Katie MacCauley is exiled from her childhood home after famine and harsh landlords cause her father to lose their land and a tragic death claims the life of her sister.  She is far from home in Baltimore when word of opportunity anew reaches the East. But going far away can’t keep the ghosts at bay that keep haunting Katie’s memory. Literally crippled both emotionally and physically she begins to heal form the neglect and guilt harbored deep inside. Ultimately, her dream is to make things right by returning to Ireland, but two men vying for her affection have different plans.

Sarah Eden paints a clear picture of Irish life with historic elements of their homeland, Ireland…the soda bread, the music, the neighborhood gatherings or ceili, and the accent. All of these gave me a glance into what life may have been like for the green settlers who were trying to make their way in a “red” frontiersman’s world, as well as the opposition my ancestors likely faced trying to make their way and earn a living here. The separation and prejudice against the Paddys, or “green” Irish side runs strong and heated fueled by” the red road” where Katie finds herself literally living in the middle. Joseph Archer, a widow with two children, is also torn between the town and the Irish. Enter Tavish, the very confident berry vendor , who is determined to tip the scales in his favor and win the heart of Ms. MacCauley.

As a descendant of the Irish who immigrated to the United States, I absolutely loved Longing for Home. Sarah’s writing keeps getting better and better.  I would highly recommend all of her books.

Excerpt: Katie pulled open the back door only to have it pushed closed once more. For a moment she couldn’t account for such an odd thing. Her mind, however, quickly pieced the mystery together. Mr. Archer stood behind her, his arm reaching out past her shoulder, hand flat against the door. She’d been so lost in her thoughts shed’s never even heard him catch up to her.

Katie kept her back to him and folded her arms in front of her. “Have you come to order me about some more?”

“Order you about?” Though Katie knew Mr. Archer had to be standing almost touching her to have reached the door from behind her, the nearness of his voice still startled her. “If I’ve learned anything about you over the last week, it’s that you do not respond well to being told what to do.” p.151

Content: clean, mild violence

About the author:  Sarah M. Eden is the author of multiple historical romances, including Whitney Award finalists Seeking Persephone (2008, Covenant Communications) and Courting Miss Lancaster(2010, Covenant Communications). Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library. Sarah has twice served as the Master of Ceremonies for the LDStorymakers Writers Conference, acted as the Writer in Residence at the Northwest Writers Retreat and is one-third of the team at the AppendixPodcast.com. Sarah is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg at Foreword Literary Agency.

Find Sarah on Goodreads/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Website


Netgalley YA Early Review- Rebel Spirits by Lois Ruby

16 Apr, 2013 by in Rebel Spirits, scholastic, ya 2 comments

Rebel Spirits 
by Lois Ruby
Hardcover304 pages
Expected publication: June 1st 2013
by Point
ISBN 0545426235
Book Source: Netgalley 
4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Infused with history and mystery, this tale of ghosts, love, and murder takes place in present-day Gettysburg, where the Civil War still looms large.

Lori Chase doesn’t know what to think about ghosts. She may have seen a few in the past, but those were just childish imaginings…right? Only now that she is living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, spirits seem to be on everyone’s mind. The town is obsessed with its bloody Civil War history, and the old inn that Lori’s parents run is supposedly haunted by the souls of dead soldiers.

Then Lori meets one such soldier–the devastatingly handsome Nathaniel Pierce. Nathaniel’s soul cannot rest, and he desperately needs Lori’s help. Because Nathaniel was not killed in the famous battle. He was murdered. Lori begins to investigate the age-old mystery, stumbling upon shocking clues and secrets.

At the same time, she can’t help falling for Nathaniel, just as he is falling for her.


Review: Being the history lover that I am, when I saw this book summary on Netgalley about a Civil War era YA title;  I had to give it a try. And, I’m happy to report I was not disappointed. 

Lori and her parents have just relocated from Philly to Gettysburg to take on ownership of  a bed and breakfast. Along with the staff that seems to think they come with the home, the locals who re enact Civil War battles each year and the teen hot shot who mows the lawn; there is also a resident ghost. Nathaniel is drawn to Lori as someone with the ability to see those who have passed on. She may just be the key to solving his murder and how exactly he ended up buried in the local cemetery instead of being honored as a fallen soldier. With a ring that belonged to Lincoln’s infant son, a night time visitor to the shed behind the hotel and a foggy graveyard there is plenty of suspense.


Rebel Spirits would be a good one to teach in the classroom as it is clean and has historical elements. There are a lot of themes that could be explored surrounding Lincoln, the Gettysburg area and period homes. The only minor flaw I struggled with was the role of Lori’s parents. They were completely hands off, wrapped up in managing the affairs of their business until the plot re introduces them at a conveniently crucial time and their reaction seems not in synch with their previous absence of influence in Lori’s comings and goings. I also would have loved more fleshing out of the characters. The romance is sweet and the story stuck with me after I was done!

Content: Some kissing, sneaking out to be together and mild violence.


About the Author:  Lois Ruby is the author of fifteen books for middle-graders and teens, including STEAL AWAY HOME, SKIN DEEP, and THE SECRET OF LAUREL OAKS. She and her husband live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the foothills of the awesome Sandia Mountains. Lois explores lots of haunted places, including ghostly locations in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and even a few spooky spots in Australia and Thailand. No spirits have tapped her on the shoulder yet, but she hasn’t given up hope.

Learn more on goodreads/ author website

Teaser Tuesday & ARC Giveaway

22 Mar, 2011 by in malinda lo 9 comments

Huntress
by Malinda Lo
384 pages
Expected publication: April 5, 2011

by LittleBrown Books
ISBN 031604007X

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

“The fortress was on an island- or perhaps it was simply a particularly large ice floe- and Kaede was rowing toward it. Each stroke took her farther from the beach Taisin stood on, her feet growing colder by the second, and now she heard a sound for the first time: Con speaking in her ear, an urgent tone in his voice. Come back, he was saying to her. Come back.”- p. 59 Huntress

To enter to win a hardback copy or an ARC of Huntress courtesy of Little Brown and Fire and Ice simply fill out this form. Two winners. Giveaway ends on release day April 5, 2011.

We Heart Nook Giveaway

08 Feb, 2011 by in matched, nook giveaway, where the truth lies 15 comments

Fire and Ice is pleased to announce the We Heart Nook Giveaway running February 8-13th. We have teamed up with 13 other blogs for your chance to win

  • a NOOK wi-fi model
  • 3 ebooks from Harlequin Teen!
  • a $40 Barnes and Noble gift card
  • MY SOUL TO STEAL by Rachel Vincent
  • THE ORACLE OF DATING by Allison van Diepen
  • PAST MIDNIGHT by Mara Purnhagen
  • and a hard cover finished copy of DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver

    Here are the Nook Giveaway Rules:
    This is a multiple blog giveaway. Each blog is giving away a prize pack that will include an entry into the Grand Prize Nook giveaway. You can enter every blog’s giveaway, but each blog will have their own giveaway rules, so please be sure to follow them. Each blog will pick a winner – the winner will win the blog prize and an entry into the Nook Giveaway, which means it’s a 1 in 14 chance to win the Nook.

If you enter every contest, you have the possibility of your name being added multiple times in the Nook giveaway.

And, here’s what we are giving away right here at Fire and Ice…


1) An ARC of Matched by Ally Condie
2)An ARC of Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warma

3) A pair of handmade scone and starbucks cup earrings from Jeyam Fimo Creations

4) A Knights Templar handmade beaded book thong

5) bookmarks (2 of which are author signed)

To enter to win our fun prize pack fill out this form. Then head on over to the other blogs in the linky below for your chance at a NOOK grand prize package!

Special thanks to the gals at PageTurners blog for organizing another great giveaway…

Good Luck!

In My Mailbox #15

18 Jun, 2010 by in Spells 6 comments

I went out to get the mail yesterday and lo and behold…Harper Teen sent me an ARC of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. SWEET! I think I literally cheered in my driveway. SO excited to read this one and she was born in Utah!! I truly enjoy reading her blog http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/2009/11/everyone-has-book-inside.html. Luckily, I am reading Spells by Aprilynne Pike; any other book would have been pitched on site. But really who can resist the fae folk… especially Tamani? I am entranced. Reviews on these books coming soon because I can’t wait.

Book Review- Gone by Michael Grant

05 Feb, 2010 by in book review, Michael Grant 3 comments


Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1ST edition (June 24, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061448761
4 stars

Summary from Amazon:

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what’s happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It’s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else…

I received this book in the mail as part of a UK cover set from Egmont Books and I must say I prefer the English cover to the US one 😉 Gone throws a light on what would happen to the world if there were no adults and no accountability… starving children, bullies in the street, anarchy, rich kids against regular kids. As a reader you are pulled into a scene of chaos and wonder as teens and children fend for their lives against mutated forces of nature and residual nuclear fallout. You walk through the every day lives of each character as they search for an autistic brother, rescue a little girl from a burning building and cook food in an abandoned McDonald’s. I enjoyed the premise as well as the interaction between main boy Sam and smart girl Astrid. Super science fiction for young adults. Thanks again to Egmont for the thrilling read!
Book two, “Hunger” is out with part three, “Lies” to be released in May of 2010
Visit Michael Grant’s website at: http://www.thefayz.com/

If you are interested in reading “Gone” or “Hunger” as a part of the book tour, please send me an email at fireandice.heather@gmail.com and I will ship them out to you 🙂