Daisy Update (36)

Hi guys!

So last week was BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! But it was the good kind of busy, so I didn't mind all that much :)

Monday I had the evening shift after my day shift and I don't know what it is lately, but the patients just don't stop coming to the hospital! There are so many, on average there are about 15 people who come to the ER just for pulmonary problems, which may not seem like a lot, but if you have to admit at least 2/3 of them usually, that's a lot of patients! And it's awful when the hospital is full and there is nowhere to put said patients. Lucky for me, everyone who came in Monday evening could go home with a prescription so I didn't have to call every hospital in the area to see if they could still admit patients...

Having an overflow of pulmonary patients also means we have a lot patients not admitted to our own nursing floor but to those of other specialties as a guest bed and this week it was my job to see all those patients. Which means if there are 8-9 of them they're all on a different floor and I needed to start up the computer again, find the nurse who cares for the patient NINE TIMES. This takes HOURS. I felt like I kept running around the hospital and didn't get anything done.

Other than that it was pretty ok to be working 5 days again. The good thing is that you stay in your rythm of getting up early and don't have to constantly check what exactly happened with your patients on the day you had off, so it takes a lot less energy to organize everything. The less good thing is I really miss having a day off to catch up on sleep, reading, eating, grocery shopping (of all things...)... Oh well, now we get a week off every 8 weeks or so, which is nice as well.

Tuesday we had one of the boyfriend's friends come over for dinner and it was really nice! We don't see much of him cause he's busy breaking through with his band (which is seriously awesome, we went to see them a couple of weeks ago and they're REALLY GOOD!) and it was nice to just hang out and talk about everything.

Yesterday we FINALLY had our way overdue Christmas Dinner with some of my friends. It's become a tradition to have dinner at our place with each of the four couples making one course. We'd been trying to plan it for months and finally succeeded. I just love spending time with them, they're all doctors as well and 2 of them work at the same hospital I do, but it's nice to see them outside of work and just eat lots of good food and catch up! We always dress up because it's Christmas dinner and it's a nice change from my usual comfy pants and hoodie I wear on the weekend :) I love having a reason to wear my pretty clothes!

Yesterday the boyfriend and I also did ALL THE CLEANING and because one of my friends was staying over, I couldn't just shove everything in the spare room because she had to sleep there. So this meant I had to actually give everything a more permanent place and it took a LOT of time. But now the house is all clean and tidy which is a good thing :)

Today I'm just going to hang out on the couch and drink tea and read and blog a bit, yay! Oh, and eat leftover New York Cheesecake, YUM!

Oh, and some exciting news: I got a letter saying I'm getting an interview for the residency I applied for a couple of weeks ago, I'm SO EXCITED! And I'm also really nervous! EEE!

Hope you all have a nice Sunday and a great week!

Review of Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Title/Author: Illuminate (Gilded Wings #1) by Aimee Agresti
Publisher/Date published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 6th 2012
How I got this book: bought it

Goodreads summary: Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city — Chicago — and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. I did like it, but I just had some issues with it.

Haven is a smart girl and I LOVED that. She's that girl who does her best in class because she knows what she wants: to be a doctor. So of course I could relate to that! I liked that she had a really great relationship with her adoptive mother and that her friendship with Dante. Of couse she's slightly dazzled by all the glitter of the Lexington and it's staff, but seriously, who wouldn't be?

I liked the part where she gets clues from a book where the writing appears at night when she's alone, it was kinda neat. I just would have liked for Haven to be a bit more curious as to WHO or what was telling her these things and why. She just seems to accept everything and it made me a little iffy. I mean, I would have been totally freaked out and she mostly just takes everything in stride. It's not every day you find out your new boss and your crush are taking souls, are evil and that you're supposed to stop them. I mean, seriously?
Also, I didn't really get why she stayed on at the hotel after some bad things happened. I mean, sure it's all noble to want to take them down and everything, but do you need to sleep under the same roof as these demons for that?? Especially after they found a secret passage in, I could have seen them doing a surprise attack.

I kinda loved Dante, though he's the stereotypical gay best friend you came across in YA a lot. He was fun, but I thought it was a little weird that he wasn't only an excellent cook, but a great stylist AND gave a mean haircut. That's a LOT of accomplishments for being a 16-year-old guy and it made me roll my eyes somewhat.

I did really like the parts we get to see about Haven's powers developing and I thought the thing with the pictures (yes, I'm being cryptic, but it's a spoiler otherwise) was really cool! I also really liked the friendship that develops between Haven and Lance.

As for the romance, I could see how Haven could be dazzled by Lucian, he just didn't do all that much for me, even though he is charming and handsome and everything.
***SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ
I did totally roll my eyes at the whole confession towards the end that it was actually Lance who'd kissed Haven pretty early on in the story because the lights went out and he decided to 'take a chance'. I mean, seriously? And what did he hope to gain by that when Haven didn't know it was him? SERIOUSLY? I like them as a couple, but that was just slightly ridiculous.
END OF SPOILER***

So as you can see, Illuminate left me with mixed feelings. I did like the story in general, but it was a pretty big book and it seemed to take me forever to read it. I did like the characters, but some stuff made me roll my eyes. I am really curious to see what'll happen next though, so I'm going to start Infatuate soon!

My rating: 3 stars

Review of Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Title/Author: Geek Girl by Holly Smale
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins Children's UK, February 28th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Look at that cover! How could I not be all over this??
Guys, I was expecting a fun, cute read and that's exactly what Holly Smale gave me with Geek Girl!

I just wanted to hug Harriet, she's a sweet girl, if really naive and not fully connected to the world. She did come across a bit younger than her age in the way she acts, but not every 15-year-old is equally mature. I loved that she didn't let everything that happened with a new modeling career change her. She's caught up in the fashion, but she's still her own person and I like that. I love that she learns what it means to be a true friend and how you can unintenionally hurt someone.

A lot of the other characters are REALLY quirky and while I had a good laugh over it, I did think that her dad was kinda weird and irresponsible at times and he was actually the only one who annoyed me because of his antics. Harriet's stalker Toby was adorable in his cluelessness and I absolutely LOVED the agent who spotted Harriet, who is so out there and has all these crazy pet names for Harriet, is was FANTASTIC! Seriously.
And though we don't really get to see a lot of him, I really liked Nick as well.

Reading this book felt like a YA version of America's Next Top Model (only set in England and all) and I am addicted to that show, so of course I enjoyed this book! I love to read about the crazy of the fashion industry and this book made me laugh out loud several times! It was a lovely debut and I just saw there'll be a sequel, YAY!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Daisy Update (35) and Book Haul (11)

Hi guys!

The last two weeks have been sorta busy at work, I had my last Wednesday off, as of March 1st we're getting back to working 5 days a week instead of fulltime in 4 days, which was kinda nice... I'm gonna miss my day off! So to make it an epic last day off, I made Mississippi Mud Pie and it was SO GOOD! SO much chocolate-y goodness! I'm gonna have to make it again soon...

So last week I had a 24-hour shift on Saturday, which was crazy busy and had me just conk out when I got home on Sunday. I slept for 5 hours straight and then got up to go have dinner at my parents', which was nice. Monday through Friday I worked the night shift and while I didn't have it as bad as some of my colleagues had it the last couple of weeks, I'm still really glad the week is over and I can go back to working days.

Night shifts are always full of weird stuff you don't come across during the day. Patients crash, I get requests for consults that are just slightly off, like with one where I told the resident calling me that she should call the ICU because based on what she told me and the blood results that particular patient should be intubated. I get phonecalls asking me things that make me wonder why anyone would call me in the middle of the night for it. It's both fun and slightly annoying.

It did leave me with more time at home and I actually went shopping on Thursday and got pretty new pasta plates (I got a giftcard for the store for my graduation about a year ago, I'm so bad at remembering to take giftcards with me when I go shopping!), new fuzzy slippers, 2 cardigans, hair stuff and new shoes! YAY NEW SHOES! They were 70% off, I'd actually tried them on before, but they were a bit too expensive, but obviously they needed to come home with me now :)

Yesterday the boyfriend and I went out to dinner to one of our favourite Mexican restaurants, I LOVE their food! After we just hung out at home and watched The Big Bang Theory and Once Upon A Time. It was really nice to just spend some time together :)

This week is full of BUSY, but not all bad busy other than that the boyfriend and I probably won't see each other much...
I hope you all have a great week!

Book Haul

Egalleys for review

-Of Triton by Anna Banks: I really enjoyed Of Poseidon, so I'm excited to read this sequel!
-Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo: ALL THE EXCITEMENT! Shadow and Bone was one of my favourite reads of 2012 and I can't wait to see what happens next!!
-Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare: I love Tessa Dare's historical romance :)
-The Secret Life of Lady Julia by Lecia Cornwall
-The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen: I'm the master of 'what if', so this book exploring the what if Anne Boleyn had a son sounds fascinating!
-Thinking of You by Jill Mansell: LOVE JILL MANSELL! She's on my auto-buy list, her books are so much fun!
-The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa: I've heard amazing things about The Immortal Rules, I'm excited to start this series!
-Lover Be Mine by Nicole Jordan: feuding families YES!
-Seducing the Princess by Mary Hart Perry: I really enjoyed The Wild Princess and this novel about another of Queen Victoria's daughters sounds wonderful!
-The Marquess Who Loved Me by Sara Ramsey

Bought
-Mind Games by Kiersten White: the cover is gorgeous and the story sounds so exciting!
-Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler: I've been wanting to read this since I first heard about it over a year ago :)
-Belles by Jen Calonita: it sounds like a lot of fun and I've heard really good things about it!
-Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta: LOVED Finnikin of the Rock!
-Sever by Lauren DeStefano: I haven't gotten around to reading Fever yet, but now I will just binge-read them soon :)
-White Cat by Holly Black: loved this book, wanted to own a copy :)
-Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins: I just love this series! I'm really excited to read this soon!
-The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir: Hi, my name is Daisy and I'm obsessed with anything Tudor-related. And it's SIGNED! :D
-Dualed by Elsie Chapman: I've been hearing mixed things about Dualed, I'm hoping I'll love it, cause the general plot has so much potential!
-Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley: it sounds SO CREEPY!
-Jane by April Lindner: I love Jane Eyre and am always down for a modern-day retelling!
-The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
-The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
-The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima: the Seven Realms series ranks among my favourite fantasy series ever, so I figured I should start her other series, I'm counting on it to be EPIC as well!

Leave me a link and I'll be sure to check out your haul!

Review of One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

Title/Author: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (The Rules of Scoundrels #2) by Sarah MacLean
Publisher/Date published: Avon, January 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley and bought myself a shiny finished copy

Goodreads summary: Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.

Like any good scientist, Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion — the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting... and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts — and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

It is no secret that I adore Sarah MacLean's books, they are on my auto-buy list, so I was more than excited to pick this one up! And guys, even with these high expectations I was anything but disappointed!

I LOVED Pippa. People think her odd, but she's just really smart and honest and straight forward and I loved that. I loved her scientific way of looking at things and if she'd been living in our times she'd probably have been a professor. And she named her dog Trotula, poor little dog.

And Cross made me swoon, as good heroes should. He's a powerful man brought to his knees by our odd little heroine and I loved how smart he was and that he just got her! He's very protective and has his secrets and while keeping up a front of being tough is actually a kind man who cares deeply about his family, even though he doesn't get much of a chance to show it.

Pippa and Cross together were just SWOON! Seriously, their interaction was always amusing and interesting and just filled with so much TENSION! The tensions was so stomach-clenchingly good! And they didn't even touch until about 2/3 into the book, GAH! They were such a good match intelectually as well and I loved that!

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover is a book that had me ignoring everything around me while I just read, staying up till 2AM to finish it even while I had a pounding headache I didn't even really notice until I'd closed it, this book was THAT good.
I can't wait till No Good Duke Goes Unpunished is released and we can read Temple's story!

My rating: 5+ stars

Review of Losing It by Cora Carmack

Title/Author: Losing It by Cora Carmack
Publisher/Date published: William Morrow, February 26th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible - a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren’t embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She’d left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

So there's this whole upheaval in the bookish community about the term new adult and the fiction that falls into this category. And Losing It fits nicely into this category and I must say that I like it! I like reading about 20-something college students.

Losing It is a brain candy read, it's really funny and easy to read and it took me virtually no time at all to get through it. The summary reminded me strongly of the first episode of Grey's Anatomy (you know, with Meredith waking up next to Derek and leaving him there and then running into him in the hospital?) and I LOVE Grey's Anatomy, so I figured this would be my kind of story. And while it wasn't the most original, it was fun and sweet! And I loved that the about the author piece at the end says 'Awkward people need love, too', LOVE IT! And so true :)

Bliss is awkward and nice and just a good girl all around and I liked that while she gives into peer pressure at first and gets into stuff she's not ready for, in the end she follows her heart and decides what's best for her. I respect that. She doesn't really have a clue when it comes to guys, but it was sort of endearing and not roll-my-eyes clueless.
And I pretty much loved Garrett, seriously, how can you not adore a guy with a British accent? He was so sweet and just swoonworthy!

And yeah, of course it's totally horrifying that he turns out to be their new teacher, but they made it work. Towards the end it got a little sappy for me, but I can overlook that. I liked that Bliss had real friends who cared about her and that she felt like a genuine college students, sometimes overdoing it with the alcohol and all.

With all the awkwardness Bliss lands herself into, Losing It was a funny, quick read and I'm looking forward to seeing what Cora Carmack has in store for Cade in Faking It!

My rating: 4 stars

Get On My Shelf!: February 2013

So every month after I get my paycheck I feel the urge to (pre)order books, and I thought I'd share with you guys what has me shoveling over the money and which pretties will be mine soon :)

The Originals by Cat Patrick: 17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers: Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

The Book Depository / Goodreads

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo: Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can't outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling's game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier: Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

The Hero's Guide To Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy: Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You remember them, don't you? They're the Princes Charming who finally got some credit after they stepped out of the shadows of their princesses - Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Briar Rose - to defeat an evil witch bent on destroying all their kingdoms.

But alas, such fame and recognition only last so long. And when the princes discover that an object of great power might fall into any number of wrong hands, they are going to have to once again band together to stop it from happening - even if no one will ever know it was they who did it.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins: Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

The Book Depository / Goodreads

Goddess by Josephine Angelini: After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

Impostor by Susanne Winnacker: Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller: On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen: 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?

The Book Depository / Goodreads

Icons by Margaret Stohl: Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan: It was bizarre and inexplicable, and after it happened, Ingrid Waverly was forced to leave her life in London behind. She had to trade a world full of fancy dresses and society events for exile in gothic Paris with her mother and her younger sister, Gabby.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and disturbingly, the house rented by Ingrid's twin brother, Grayson, isn't a house at all. It's an abbey. A creepy, old abbey with a roof lined in stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And to top it all off, Grayson is missing.

Yet no one seems to be concerned about Grayson's whereabouts save for Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant who has some deep and dark secrets of his own.

There's one secret about the city that even Luc can't keep hidden, though: there's a murderer on the loose. And every day that Grayson is missing means there's less chance he's still alive.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn't dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows that he's in grave danger, and that it's up to her and Gabby to find him before all hope is lost.

And yet the path to him is more dangerous than she could ever imagine.

The Book Depository / Goodreads

No cover yet:

The Regency Witches by Alyxandra Harvey: In 1804, three cousins with an unknown family lineage of witchcraft awake to their magical powers; beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, they must navigate the new underworld now open to them, learn to control their new talents, and unravel the secret of one cousin’s mother’s illness, all the while evading fortune seekers, marriage proposals, and a dangerous killer murdering young debutantes.

The Book Depository / Goodreads