Under The Book Cover: romance

WWW Wednesday: 26 July 2023

Hi hello and welcome to WWW Wednesday! This was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words. This is a really fun and easy weekly post where you answer the three W’s: what are you currently reading, what did you recently finish reading, and what do you think you’ll read next? Let’s get started!
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What are you currently reading?

I’m still making my way through my beta read at the moment! Yes, I know, it’s been a week and I’m still reading? Since it’s a beta read, I want to make sure I’m giving it the attention it deserves and not rushing through and missing things. I’m still loving it, it’s still amazing, and I cannot wait to finish because this is getting absolutely insane and I’m so excited to see it all come together!

What did you recently finish reading?

Because I’ve been dedicating my reading time to my beta read, I haven’t finished anything else recently. And I’m not upset because like I’ve said, I’m loving this book! But this has been taking my attention so I haven't finished any other books recently.

What do you think you'll read next?

I actually just got approved for an eARC of The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon and I’m really excited because not only is the cover stunning (seriously it’s probably one of my favorite covers of 2023) but the synopsis sounds so good! This is definitely a book I’ll be picking up as soon as I can!

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And that’s it for this WWW Wednesday! I’ve been having such a good time with my beta read, y’all. I’m not going to spoil anything out of respect for the author, but I just need to share how much I am genuinely enjoying myself. How has your reading week been? What is a book you’re looking forward to reading next? Is The Hurricane Wars on your TBR or have you read an ARC already? Let me know in the comments below and let’s chat! Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the next chapter!

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WWW Wednesday: 19 July 2023

a trial of lace and bone 7:00:00 AM

What are you currently reading?

I am currently beta reading a pretty fantastic book but I’m not going to give away anything about it out of respect for the author (who is freaking amazing if I may say so). But this is the mood board/vibes that was shared along with some of the more broad themes of the book and if this doesn’t interest you, I don’t know what will. Let me just say, the vibes are immaculate.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Trial of Lace and Bone by Kalista Neith! This is the sequel to Invoking the Blood and oh my goodness it was amazing. I love the world and the characters that Kalista has created so much and this was such a great sequel. It’s a chonky book but it is so addictive and there is so much that happens that it honestly feels like it goes by so fast! Highly recommend if you like vampires, romance, magic, romance, Hades and Persephone vibes, and romance. Did I mention romance?

What do you think you'll read next?

I’m in the mood for a cute romance book, surprisingly, so I might be picking up Role Playing by Cathy Yardley. It sounds really cute and I like the idea of reading a romance book that has older characters as the protagonists! I’ve just been reading a lot of darker stuff lately so I’m hoping this is a good book that will give me the soft and fluffy vibes that I’m in the mood for!

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And that's it for this WWW Wednesday! I’m having a fairly decent reading week so far, I’d say. I’m really loving the book I’m beta reading at the moment and I’m so excited to be helping out in the early stages of this manuscript. I mean it when I say this is going to be a fantastic book and I can’t wait to see where it goes! How has your reading week been? What is a book you’re looking forward to reading next? Have you read either of the books I mentioned today? Let me know in the comments below and let’s chat! Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the next chapter!

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Seung: A Kpop Rockstar Romance by Merilyn Jeulin Release Day Blitz!

2hot2handle 12:00:00 AM

Hi hello and welcome to the release day blitz for Seung: A Kpop Rockstar Romance by Marilyn Jeulin! I'd like to think I'm a fairly big kpop fan so whenever I find a book about kpop stars or even a romance book, I always get so excited to talk about it. Seung is book 4 of 6 in the 2Hot2Handle shared world series, which means that there are six amazing books to add to your TBR! This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info at the end of this post. Let's get started!

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Title: Seung: A Kpop Rockstar Romance

Author: Marilyn Jeulin

Pages: 212

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 18 July 2023

From Goodreads: "Until a few years ago, 2Hot2Handle seemed to be the best-kept secret in K-pop, but that all changed after a famous Asian award show performance. Now, 2H2H is suddenly the hottest thing in music in Asia and the world. For Seok Seung, this period should be the most important of his career. This is when he’ll be recognized for his work in the group alongside his bandmates. However, his mind is not on the comeback or the world tour. Before the sudden fame, Seung was about to quit the K-Pop world, return to France, and be Lucien Seok again. However, he knew he couldn’t let down his fellow members. When the World Tour arrives in Paris, a much-needed break is a blessing in disguise. Being in France should be a relaxing time. But, when Seung and his brother are together, the competition between them threatens to break the last ties that bind them together. Charlotte de Longcamp has returned to France on a mission. She’ll become a full-time artiste and be able to pay the rent without having to do another job. However, she ends up taking a job as a server for Seok Seung’s father instead.

The only positive thing that comes with the job is the possibility of reconnecting with Seok Seung. Once upon a time, he was her friend’s younger brother who always hung around their group. But now, he’s one of the most recognizable K-Pop Idols and the object of her affection."

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Read on for an excerpt from Seung: A Kpop Rockstar Romance!

“Welcome back, Lucien,” I mutter under my breath, making my way to the glass door and knocking before looking inside. When there is no response, I grab my phone and dial my father’s number, waiting in the cold, looking up and down the road, until I hear the keys jingling.

“Ah, Lucien!” My father’s face beams while he ushers me quickly inside the restaurant.

“I thought I should come over rather than go home and wake everyone up.”

“Good. Did you have a good flight?” he asks, taking my suitcase, then locking the door. “Your mother stayed up late watching all the comments from the international fans. I think she said your group has gone viral.”

“Really?” My voice sounds harsh while my father walks around the island in the kitchen.

“Are you still thinking about quitting?”

“I don’t know.” My hand runs through my long hair, remembering I must get the pink out of it and dye it back to black before the photoshoot.

“You seemed sure the last time we spoke, Luc.” His voice distracts me as he points at the tray beside his. I walk to the sink, thinking about it before washing my hands.

“Yes, but if the group’s popularity shoots up again, it’ll probably be harder to leave.” The words fall from my lips while my eyes fix on my soapy hands.

“No one can make you stay.” Of course, my father replies. All his life, he has been a free spirit. Even when it came to cooking. That wildness helped him earn two Michelin stars. “Lucien,” his voice brings me back to reality as I pick up the knife and glance at him. “If you want to come back home, all you must do is say the words. I’ll pay the penalties if there are any. I know how hard things have been for you and the team. The dreams you had, the reality of everything. The door is always open. You just need to tell Maman or me.”

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About Marilyn Jeulin:

Born in the Wild West and raised in a tropical paradise, Marilyn has always thirsted for a good story and adventure. She’s a massive fan of Anne Rice, Stephen King, and GRR Martin. And when she’s not reading, she’s an avid gamer. She currently lives in Central Florida with the Frenchman and their two children in a house that looks relatively normal until things go bump in the night.

She also writes Young Adult Paranormal stories under the name, Marilyn Almodovar.

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International. Ends July 25th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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And that does it for this release day blitz! I'm so excited to have been introduced to a whole series of kpop rockstar romance books because I've been itching to dive into a romance series lately and this sounds perfect for me! I hope this post was able to introduce you to not only Seung and Marilyn Jeulin, but also the 2Hot2Handle shared world series! Thank you as always to Rockstar Book Tours for hosting this awesome blitz and be sure to go visit their page for more amazing tour posts. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

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Book Tag Thursday: Insidious Book Tag (Original)

book tag 8:00:00 AM

Hi hello and welcome to Book Tag Thursday! Today, I’ll be doing the Insidious Book Tag, which was created by me! I’m so excited for the release of Insidious: The Red Door that I wanted to do a book tag related to the series. But when I couldn’t seem to find one, I decided to make my own! The Insidious series is one of my all-time favorites, and the fact that we’re getting a new installment that follows the Lambert family ten years later is blowing my mind. You don’t have to know anything about the series to do this tag but if you are a fan, hopefully you’ll enjoy these prompts! Now you're outside. Let my voice be your guide. Keep a steady stride. Into the Further you go. Let’s get started!

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Tiptoe through the tulips: Your favorite “absolutely not” moment in a book

There is a moment in Dead Space by S.A. Barnes that scared me so bad I actually yanked my feet up and had to immediately sit up and check that nothing was about to grab my feet from under the bed. Yes, I protected myself with a blanket because even demons know you can’t grab the feets if they’re under a blanket. But if you haven’t gathered what that moment was, it involves things under the bed and it genuinely made me panic and will probably remain my top “absolutely not” moment,

It's not the house that's haunted: Your go-to haunted house book

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager! I’m a Riley Sager fan girl for sure and this one is a great haunted house story. It’s got Haunting of Hill House vibes and has the signature Riley Sager flair that just makes all of his books on a different level. This was definitely my favorite of his until The Only One Left crashed into my heart, but I’ll always recommend it if you want a great haunted house book!

Into the Further you go: A book that you stepped out of your comfort zone to read

I’ll just say an entire genre, and that’s romance. Like many people, I judged the romance genre really hard and used to make fun of it. Because all I used to see were the classic (and honestly they need to bring these back because they’re fantastic) bodice-ripper romance novels, so of course I was not about to pick that up. But I’ve been reading more in the genre and in sub-genres and I’ve found that I actually enjoy romance books! That was a big step for me out of my comfort zone of reading but I’m so glad that I took a chance because some of my favorite books I’ve read are romance books!

Specs and Tucker: Your favorite bookish duo

I love Maddie and Tempest from the Maddie Castle series by L.T. Ryan and C.R. Gray! Maddie is a former K9 handler who lost her dog and had her leg shredded, and both things happened with the same bullet. Maddie has to learn how to fight through the awful things that happened to her to help people like she used to, and she gives Tempest, a K9 that lost her human and is struggling to work through her own traumas, a second chance with her. It’s such a good series and I love the two of them together!

Elise Reiner: Your favorite recurring character in a series

Jeremy from the Eluding Destiny series by Charlie Nottingham! I love him so much and it’s kind of hard to explain why without spoiling some pretty big things. But he goes through so much throughout the series and he really struggles, but he is not only my favorite character in this series, he’s one of my all-time favorite characters in any book I’ve ever read. I feel like I see so much of myself in Jeremy and I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a good or bad thing, but Charlie absolutely crushed writing his character and I’ll always love him no matter what.

The Red Face demon: A book that genuinely scared you while reading

If you’ve read this book, you probably know exactly what I’m referring to. Gerald’s Game by Stephen King has a recurring thing that happens to Jessie throughout the book and it scared the holy heck out of me. I haven’t read it in years and it will still pop into my head every so often just before I fall asleep so I’d say that ranks pretty high on the book that genuinely scared me list.

The Bride in Black: A book that has haunted you ever since you read it

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk. I read this in 2011, well over a decade ago, and it has stuck with me ever since. I read it once and will probably never read it again because it traumatized me so much. I’m someone that cannot think about death or I will start to spiral and panic and think about my own mortality, and this book destroyed me when I read it. And now that I’ve had cancer and dealt with spine surgery, I’ve stared death in the face and it’s not fun. Chuck Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors, but he better have enough money to pay my therapy bills because this book wrecked me.

The Man Who Can't Breathe: A book that had you gasping for air because it was so good

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang had me screaming, crying, throwing up, kicking the wall, absolutely deceased. I’m so glad I finally read one of her books because the writing was just otherworldly. I was addicted and found it so easy to just sit there and read this book for long periods of time. I can’t wait to read The Poppy War trilogy and Babel because I definitely need more R.F. Kuang in my life.

The Key Bearer: Bookish tropes that are the key to your heart

Enemies to lovers, only one bed, grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, forbidden romance, I hate everyone but you, who did this to you, touch them and you die, dystopian anything, villain is secretly soft, found family, horror anything, lifting their chin with a blade, intense dancing, reverse harem, aggressive pining.

There are so many and I’m probably missing a ton, but these are the ones that immediately came to mind!

The Red Door: A book or series you want a sequel to/continuation of

You can’t prove that I wrote this prompt just so I could talk about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab again. At least I used a different cover this time, right? But hear me out! I’m not even asking for a continuation of Addie’s story. I’d love to follow Luc more and see what he did while he was away from Addie. I feel like there was so much more to him that we didn’t get to see and I’d love to know what something like him does in his spare time and maybe get to see some more deals he made over the years. I’m content with this being a standalone but there are are definitely times that I find myself wondering what if V.E. Schwab decides to revisit these characters at some point in the future.

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And that does it for the Insidious book tag! I had so much fun creating this and I really hope that it finds someone else who loves the Insidious series. I’m officially tagging anyone that would like to do this but please be sure to link back to my post so others can see where it came from. Have you seen any of the Insidious films? Which one is your favorite? Are you excited for The Red Door? I’d love to chat about all things Insidious so please feel free to leave me a comment below! Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the next chapter! Oh, and don’t forget to close the door on your way out.

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Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag!

book tag 8:00:00 AM

Hi hello and welcome to the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag! This tag was originally created by Earl Grey Books and Chami and is an incredibly popular tag that lets you talk about your reading year so far and some things that you're wanting to get to in the second half of the year. I've done this tag for several years and I always get excited when the time comes around for me to do another one. This is a great way for me to see how I’ve done so far with my reading and maybe allows me to see any changes I want to make with my TBR for the second half of the year, which is so helpful. Let’s get started!

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1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2023

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro! This is my favorite book of 2023 so far and one that is easily on my favorite books of all-time list. It was such a fantastic journey with Alejandra and her ancestors and the trauma that they've endured and the entity that haunts them. If you're a fan of books that have generational trauma, empowering females, and creepy entities, then you need to read this!

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2023

That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming. I absolutely loved book one in the Mead Mishaps series and book two was just as fun and adorable. I'm really excited for the third book in the series, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human because I know it's going to be another great installment in one of my new favorite series!

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I know everyone is talking about this book and the pretty first edition with sprayed edges but I haven't exactly heard if the book is good or not. I'm assuming it is because it really is everywhere, but I'd like to find out for myself!

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab. To no one's surprise I'm excited about a V.E. Schwab release! That's sarcasm because of course I'm excited about a V.E. Schwab release and if you've read just one of my blog posts, you would know that. I do need to re-read the series (I read book one and half of book two, don't come at me for not finishing them) but I'll absolutely be ready once September comes around!

5. Biggest disappointment

Okay hear me out, because this wasn't exactly a disappointment. The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca is a book that I initially wasn't a fan of and I gave it 3 stars. I felt like I had missed something while reading that everyone else seemed to get and it made me feel sad because I was just like meh about it after reading. But this book has stuck with me and I keep thinking about it long after reading, and I think that's the sign of a book that left an impact. So, this may have initially been a "disappointment" but I've absolutely changed my mind on this one.

6. Biggest surprise
The Last Word by Taylor Adams. I have a hard time finding thrillers that I actually enjoy because it feels like a lot of them are so similar and follow the same kind of formula, if that makes sense. This one may come across as a generic isolated house thriller, but it was done so well! It actually creeped me out a few times while I was reading in the dark before bed so I think that's a sign of a good book.

7. Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)

Definitely R.F. Kuang. I just finished reading Yellowface and it was my first book by her. For some reason, I've never picked up any of her other books despite them all being on my TBR, but something about Yellowface made me want to read it. I'm so glad I finally read a book by her because I absolutely loved everything about it. I cannot wait to read The Poppy War trilogy and Babel!

8. Newest fictional crush

I don't necessarily have book crushes but I do love characters in books that have crushes! Everett and Sienna from Kisses From Cupid by Kenna Bellrae (they're also in All Hallows' Haunt and that book shows the beginning of their relationship!) are one of my all-time favorite couples. I mean, I honestly love all of the characters that KB has created, but something about Everett and Sienna just hits different. Highly recommend if you enjoy spicy books!

9. Newest favorite character
Alright don’t hate me but I don’t think I have one, and let me explain! I’m the kind of reader that forms an attachment to pretty much every character I read about in some way. I felt the pain of not being enough that Alejandra felt, I understood being an outcast like James, I understood Emma’s depression and desire to no longer live, and the main characters of The Trees Grew Because I Bled There were absolutely cancer and grief and of course, I have been there and experienced those things. I love the characters that I have the privilege to read about for so many different reasons, and I can’t wait to fall in love with more in the books that I’m able to read in the second half of the year!

But also I love James and Becks from A Song of Sin and Salvation.

10. Book that made you cry

A Song of Sin and Salvation by L.H. Blake. I had the wonderful opportunity to read an ARC of this book and it absolutely destroyed me in the best way possible. True story, I went with my husband to get his hair cut at a Great Clips and I was reading this on my phone. I was towards the end at a very cute and intense part of the book (for those that have read it, it's the prom scene) and I was quite literally crying, kicking my feet, and gasping in public surrounded by people. I have never done that before but this book was so good that I couldn't help myself.

11. Book that made you happy

The Fae Queen's Captive by Sierra Simone. I loved this novella, oh my gosh. I read it based off of the recommendation of AModelWho'sRead and I am so glad I did! It was filled with beautiful imagery, a super interesting world, frickin fae politics that made me want so much more because it was that cool, and it was a good amount of spicy and sweet with the main character and fae queen. I just remember reading it and smiling and being so happy that I picked it up.

12. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)
Prince of Thorns & Nightmares by Linsey Miller is so pretty in person, oh my gosh. Linsey sent me an ARC (shoutout to Linsey, I still love you and your grocery lists) and not only did she sign it for me, she stamped the edges with a really pretty flower stamp and I just love it so much.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Any book in my Most Anticipated Releases in the Second Half of 2023 post

14. Favorite Book Community Member
I have a few bookish community members that I absolutely love and find myself going back to constantly to read their reviews or consume the content they release.

a lil bit mads
AModelWho'sRead
Booked and Busy
BooksandLala
chloe bunny
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
gabbyreads
Jess Owens
Jordaline Reads
Katie Colson
oliviareadsalatte
Reading With Meg
Reads with Rachel
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And that does it for the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, 2023 edition! I always love getting to do this tag and looking back on my answers to see how my reading tastes have changed. This is also one of my favorite tags to see the bookish community answer because there are so many different answers to these prompts, and it’s great to see why people choose the answers that they do. Have you done the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag yet this year? What is one book you need to read before the end of 2023? Let me know in the comments below and feel free to link me to your post so I can check out your answers. Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the next chapter!

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Top Ten Tuesday: If You Liked This, Try This!

amélie wen zhao 8:00:00 AM

Hi hello and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This weekly post is hosted by the wonderful Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl so please be sure to go check out her post with all of the information about TTT. This week, the topic is Books for People Who Liked Author X where you pick an author and recommend a book or two that you think someone would enjoy based on their enjoyment of the author. It's basically if you liked this, try this, but with authors. Let's get started!

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Starting off with one of my favorite authors in the spicy romance genre, we have Katee Robert! You’ve probably heard of her Wicked Villains, Dark Olympus, or Deal With a Demon series and all of those are fantastic choices to read. One is spicy Disney villain retellings, another is spicy modern Olympus, and the last is, well, monster lover romance. She has a ton of books and definitely knows what she’s doing when it comes to writing books with great spice, lovable characters, and an addictive story! But if you’ve read all of her books, then what should you pick up next? I recommend Ashley Bennett and Kimberly Lemming. Whether you’re looking for cute, spicy, funny, or adventurous, all three of these authors have something to offer that you’ll absolutely devour!

Tracy Deonn basically exploded the book community with her amazing book Legendborn, which is still one of my favorite fantasy books I’ve ever read. Whether or not I’ll forgive her for writing such an amazing book and then making me wait a million years for the sequel remains to be seen, however. But if you were a fan of Tracy Deonn’s insane world building and writing, allow me to recommend Amélie Wen Zhao, author of the Blood Heir trilogy, and Sophia Slade, author of Nightstrider. All of these authors are fantastic at creating these incredible worlds that you’ll want to spend hours getting lost in and have writing that only amplifies the world they’ve built. These authors are absolute stars and you should definitely read at least one book from each of them so that you can experience their worlds!

Moving on to something a little more…spooky. If you’re a fan of how Catriona Ward writes books that are unsettling, creepy, spooky, whatever word you want to use, then you need to add T. Kingfisher and S.A. Barnes to your list of authors you should read. Sundial was my favorite book of 2022 and I loved how weird and wrong it was, wrong being used in a positive way which probably makes no sense unless you’ve read the book. T. Kingfisher made me so wonderfully uncomfortable with What Moves the Dead, and S.A. Barnes succeeded in making me pull my feet up from the bottom of the bed just in case while I was reading Dead Silence, and I think they both pair perfectly with Catriona Ward’s vibes.

And last, but certainly not least, this one is for my extreme horror fans! If you’re into the more, well, extreme side of horror books, then you’ll undoubtedly know the name Aron Beauregard. He’s an incredible writer who really brings the blood, guts, and gore to his books and I’m always impressed with each book I read from him. So if you’re looking for some new authors in this genre to check out, try Chandler Morrison and Duncan Ralston. Dead Inside is probably the most messed up book I will ever read (for now, at least) and I loved it so much. I wonder what that says about me? And Woom was just so wild that I couldn’t help but laugh because what even happened?! These three extreme horror authors are definitely some of the best in the genre and you won’t be disappointed by any of them!

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And that does it for this Top Ten Tuesday! I actually struggled with this one simply because I wanted to pick the right authors to pair together, and that was harder than I thought it would be. But everyone’s recommendations are going to be different and I’m so excited to see some of them! Did you participate in this weeks Top Ten aTuesday? What are some authors you would recommend? Let me know in the comments below and please be sure to link me your post so I can go discover some new books and authors! My TBR is crying already, I can hear it. Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the next chapter!