TLC Book Tours: Three Souls by Janie Chang

Title: Three Souls
Author: Janie Chang
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: August 20, 2013
Source: TLC Book Tours

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this ... So begins the haunting and captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman named Leiyin, who watches her own funeral from above and wonders why she is being denied entry to the afterlife. Beside her are three souls—stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun—who will guide her toward understanding. She must, they tell her, make amends.

As Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, she sees the spoiled and privileged teenager she once was, a girl who is concerned with her own desires while China is fractured by civil war and social upheaval. At a party, she meets Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator, and instantly falls in love with him.

When Leiyin defies her father to pursue Hanchin, she learns the harsh truth—that she is powerless over her fate. Her punishment for disobedience leads to exile, an unwanted marriage, a pregnancy, and, ultimately, her death. And when she discovers what she must do to be released from limbo into the afterlife, Leiyin realizes that the time for making amends is shorter than she thought.

Suffused with history and literature, Three Souls is an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, forbidden love, and the price we are willing to pay for freedom."

My Two Cents:

"Three Souls" is the story of Leiyin, a young woman in 1930s China. The 1930s were a time of great change for China and Leiyin, who is a very educated woman, is watching all of the changes. The title of the book comes from Leiyin being a ghost. In China, some believe that you really have three souls, all with different attributes. I love historical fiction and I love magical realism so this book was a perfect pick for me!

"Three Souls" begins as Leiyin and her souls are looking back on her life after she passes away. A big part of the book is how you can't truly understand all of the things that happened or did not happen for you until you can truly take stock of your life at the end. It's definitely an interesting idea. I loved Leiyin's character. She starts out only really caring about herself but she realizes how silly she has been as younger person with so much going on politically in China (the revolution was happening at the time). She is married off and begins to realize how horrible she has been. Leiyin isn't always likeable but I really enjoyed seeing how she changed throughout the book.

I really don't read enough historical fiction set in Asia at all. I love when I do get a chance to read a book set in Asia. Chang wove a lot of interesting facts about China's revolution into this book that I loved reading about. The detail was oh so good and made this historical fiction reader's heart very happy.

Magical realism is still one of my favorite elements in any book. I was not familiar with the idea of multiple souls before. I loved how Chang was able to make it feel really real. I think having Leiyin re-visit her life with the three souls also gave the book a really unique perspective.

This is a great historical fiction book with a little bit of magic and awesome detail!

Follow the Rest of the Tour:


Tuesday, February 25th: Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Wednesday, February 26th: Doing Dewey
Thursday, February 27th: From L.A. to LA
Monday, March 3rd: A Reader of Fictions
Tuesday, March 4th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Wednesday, March 5th: Man of La Book
Thursday, March 6th: Drey’s Library
Monday, March 10th: A Bookish Affair
Tuesday, March 11th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, March 12th: Broken Teepee
Thursday, March 13th: The Blog of Lit Wits
Monday, March 17th: Savvy Verse & Wit
Tuesday, March 18th: Ageless Pages Reviews
 

Giveaway: The Book Thief Blu-Ray and Book

Today, I'm very excited to be able to giveaway a copy of The Book Thief blu-ray and book! I absolutely love this story and the book ranks amongst one of my favorites. One lucky winner will win the prize pack (U.S. only)! Fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Hall of Secrets by Cate Campbell

Title: Hall of Secrets
Author: Cate Campbell
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: September 2, 2014
Source: Netgalley

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "For generations, the Benedicts have been one of Seattle's most distinguished families, residing in the splendid Queen Anne mansion known as Benedict Hall amid a host of loyal servants. But the dawn of the 1920s and the aftermath of the Great War have brought dramatic social conflict. Never has this been more apparent than when daughter Margot's thoroughly modern young cousin, Allison, comes to stay.

But Margot is also shocking many of Seattle's genteel citizens, and her engineer beau, by advocating birth control in her medical practice. For amid a tangle of blackmail, manipulation, and old enmities, the Benedicts stand to lose more than money--they may forfeit the very position and reputation that is their only tether to a rapidly changing world."

My Two Cents:

"Hall of Secrets" takes place in 1920s Seattle and follows two cousins: Allison and Margot. Allison is young and is just trying to find her place in the world. She has a terrible mother who seems bent on making Allison feel bad about herself. Margot is a little older but much more self-assured. She's a doctor and wants to start one of the first women's health centers under the tutelage of Margaret Sanger. There are tons of family secrets in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading and putting together all of the pieces.

I really liked reading about Allison and Margot and how they change throughout the book, especially Allison. When she is first sent to Seattle because she is rebelling against her parents, she is totally lost. She feels like she's being banished even though her home life back in San Francisco wasn't all that great. Her mother is obsessed with her looks and makes Allison feel like she must obsess as well, which causes Allison's downward spiral. I loved Margot because she is so far ahead of her time and so smart. She figures out what is wrong with Allison even before Allison really knows.

I liked the historical aspects of this book. Campbell really added a lot of detail to make Allison and Margot's worlds feel really real. The Boeing family makes an appearance. The book also includes a lot of detail about what was happening with the women's movement at the time, which I absolutely love reading about!

I have always been fascinated by the 1920s and so I was very excited to pick up this book from Netgalley. The 1920s really changed the game for so many people, especially women. I also love reading about Seattle. I've never been but it's definitely on my To-Travel list so I thought I could do a little armchair traveling since I can't really go. Campbell does a great job of really bringing this time and place to life.

Historical fiction fans will eat this up!

  

Review: Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Don't Even Think About It
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publish Date: March 11, 2014
Source: Netgalley

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a YA fiction fan.
• You like a little bit of magic.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening."

My Two Cents:

"Don't Even Think About It" is the story of a bunch of high schoolers that gain telepathic abilities as a side-effect to their flu vaccines. The book follows different high schoolers as the deal with their new found gift... or curse as they find out in some cases.I really enjoyed this book that asks what if we could hear everything that those around us are thinking (thank goodness we can't; I would be in so much trouble)!

I did like this book. It took me a little bit to get into and there were definitely some spots where it got a little bit slow. There were also some parts of the book that were a little bit confusing because of the narration. Parts of the book are narrated by the students collectively and it jumped a little bit between different points of view. I had a hard time keeping up with who was really talking/ thinking.

Overall, this is a fun ride. What I liked most about this book is that it makes you think. At first, it seems like it would be a huge bonus to read each other's minds but through this book, I quickly realized that it didn't seem like it would be that great of a gift. Some things are better left unknown.

This book would be a great choice for when you want an easy read that will still make you think a little bit.

  

HFVBT Review: The Highlander's Triumph by Eliza Knight

Title: The Highlander's Triumph
Author: Eliza Knight
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: June 19, 2013
Source: HFVBT

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "He was a warrior fighting for Scottish freedom. She was his enemy's mistress. Laird Brandon Sinclair has given his life to the Scottish cause. Swearing fealty to Robert the Bruce, he will stop at nothing to see oppression end. Lady Mariana wants nothing more than to break free of the tyrannical hold the English king has on her. When he sends her to Scotland with a message for the rebels, instead of obeying his orders, she finds herself submitting to her desires. After one sizzling, life-altering night, Brandon and Mariana must part ways. But Mariana has no intention of betraying her heart again. And Brandon is determined to get her back. Stealing Longshank's secrets felt like victory, but taking his woman will be this Highlander's ultimate triumph."

My Two Cents:

"The Highlander's Triumph" is the story of Mariana, the mistress to the King of England, who is sent to Scotland to tell off the rebels and ends up finding love with one of them instead. Highlanders win every single time! This book is the fifth in The Stolen Brides series by Eliza Knight. You can jump right into this book if you wish (it's definitely a stand alone book) but if you plan on reading the other books, read the other ones first or else you will know what happens to some of the other characters in the series.

Oh, Brandon and Mariana, how I loved you so! This book is filled with a really hot romance and a lot of action! I really liked the story between them. Mariana is the mistress to the King and when she is sent on this super dangerous journey to Scotland, she does not even blink. You have to appreciate that kind of bravery. Also, as a King's mistress, she is not nearly as shy as some of the other heroines in this book... so much hotness! Brandon makes for a really fantastic hero. I loved reading about him. He is trying hard to fight for his country and is not afraid to stand up for what he really believes in, which is definitely an admirable quality.

That being said, there is also a lot of great historical detail. I loved being able to see what was going on in Scotland at the time. The historical detail really added a lot to this book. This book is probably my favorite in the series so far. It had a really nice balance between the love story and also what was going on in Scotland at the time.

This was a great historical romance!

Follow the Rest of the Tour:


Monday, February 24
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages (The Highlander’s Reward)
Tuesday, February 25
Guest Post at Broken Teepee
Wednesday, February 26
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Reward)
Thursday, February 27
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Friday, February 28
Interview at Dianne Ascroft Blog
Monday, March 3
Feature & Giveaway at Reviews by Molly
Feature & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection
Tuesday, March 4
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Wednesday, March 5
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Reward & The Highlander’s Conquest)
Thursday, March 6
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Lady & The Highlander’s Warrior Bride)
Friday, March 7
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Triumph)
Review at A Chick Who Reads (The Highlander’s Sin)
Review, Excerpt & Giveaway at Swept Away by Romance (The Highlander’s Reward & The Highlander’s Conquest)
Monday, March 10
Review & Giveaway at From L.A. to LA (The Highlander’s Reward)
Tuesday, March 11
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, March 12
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Lady)
Thursday, March 13
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Sin & The Highlander’s Temptation)
Friday, March 14
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

HFVBT Book Tour Double Review: The Highlander's Lady and The Highlander's Warrior Bride by Eliza Knight

Title: The Highlander's Lady
Author: Eliza Knight
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: December 7, 2012
Source: HFVBT

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "A Highlander tamed…

Laird Daniel Murray seeks adventure, battle and freedom for his countrymen. Putting off his duties as laird—with a promise to his clan he’ll return come spring—Daniel sets off with his men to fight alongside William Wallace and the Bruce. But soon he stumbles across an enchanting lady in need. She tantalizes him with an offer he simply can’t refuse and a desire he attempts to dismiss.

A lady’s passion ignited…

Escaping near death at the treacherous hands of a nearby clan, Lady Myra must find the Bruce and relay the news of an enemy within his own camp. Alone in a world full of danger and the future of her clan at stake, she must trust the handsome, charismatic Highland laird who promises to keep her safe on her journey—and sets her heart to pounding.

Together, Daniel and Myra will risk not only their lives, but their hearts while discovering the true meaning of hope and love in a world fraught with unrest."

My Two Cents:

"The Highlander's Lady" is the third book in The Stolen Bride's series by Eliza Knight. This is another rousing highlander romance and I ate it up. I am loving this series so much! I continued to love the love story in this book and all of the great historical detail.

Unlike the first two books, the hero, Daniel, and heroine, Myra, are both Scottish. They understand that their world and their country is changing rapidly with all of the fighting. The stakes are high for both characters! This book had a little bit more action than the previous two books, which I really, really enjoyed. On top of that, you still get a really great love story and yes, all of the hotness of the previous books is most definitely still pleasant.

I especially loved the historical detail in this book. I really loved seeing how brave Myra was when it came to protecting her family. It would have been so hard for so many to be as brave as she was. I really liked the appearance of the Bruce in this book. He is such a fascinating historical figure and it was awesome to see him brought to life in these pages.

This series is such a treat!

Title: The Highlander's Lady
Author: Eliza Knight
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: March 15, 2013
Source: HFVBT

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Their greatest opponent won’t be battled with a sword…
But with their hearts…

Ronan Sutherland is a fierce warrior. Swearing off all else, he thrives on his powerful position within William Wallace’s army. Freedom for the Scots is his mission—until he meets fair Julianna. She captivates him, intoxicates him…makes him want more out of life than what harsh dangers he’s accustomed to.

Lady Julianna is no meek maiden. She’s trained in the art of war, sister to one of Scotland’s most powerful men, and tasked with keeping the future king safe. Until she’s kidnapped by a rivaling clan. Now her only hope is for the one man she trusts—and desires—to save her.

Together, they’ll have to face down one of Scotland’s most treacherous foes… And keep from falling victim to the one thing they’ve both eluded thus far—love."

My Two Cents:

"The Highlander's Warrior Bride" is the 4th book in this romantic series from Eliza Knight. This series continues to be such a good read. I absolutely love the romance in these books and I really like the great historical detail. I am having so much fun with these books.

Julianna is no shrinking violet. She is a warrior herself and sister to Robert the Bruce, one of the major power players in the Scottish fight for independence. Ronan is also a warrior and he is a little bit intimidated by Julianna. They fall for each other quickly and their story was so good. I loved that Julianna's character was a little bit different than the typical romantic heroine. This lady can really stand her ground. I thought it was interesting to see how she was trained as a warrior. Definitely fun!

I liked the romance in this book. I wish that we got to know a little bit more about the motivations for how they fell for each other but overall I really liked the story. Again, there is a lot of hotness her. Highlanders have to be one of the best kind of romantic heroes!

I'm still loving this series! I like how all of the characters of the various books are connected!

  
 Follow the Rest of the Tour:

Monday, February 24
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages (The Highlander’s Reward)
Tuesday, February 25
Guest Post at Broken Teepee
Wednesday, February 26
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Reward)
Thursday, February 27
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Friday, February 28
Interview at Dianne Ascroft Blog
Monday, March 3
Feature & Giveaway at Reviews by Molly
Feature & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection
Tuesday, March 4
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Wednesday, March 5
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Reward & The Highlander’s Conquest)
Thursday, March 6
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Lady & The Highlander’s Warrior Bride)
Friday, March 7
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Triumph)
Review at A Chick Who Reads (The Highlander’s Sin)
Review, Excerpt & Giveaway at Swept Away by Romance (The Highlander’s Reward & The Highlander’s Conquest)
Monday, March 10
Review & Giveaway at From L.A. to LA (The Highlander’s Reward)
Tuesday, March 11
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, March 12
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Lady)
Thursday, March 13
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Sin & The Highlander’s Temptation)
Friday, March 14
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

 

HF Virtual Book Tour Double Review: The Highlander's Reward and The Highlander's Conquest by Eliza Knight

Over the next two weeks, you are going to see reviews for all of the books in Eliza Knight's The Stolen Bride series. Hurray for historical romance! And then on Friday, March 14th,  Ms. Knight will be stopping by for a guest post and a giveaway.

Title: The Highlander's Reward
Author: Eliza Knight
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: July 19, 2012
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours

What's the Story?:

Synopsis: "She belonged to another…


Lady Arbella de Mowbray abhors the idea of marrying an English noble occupying Scotland. When she reaches Stirling where she is to wed, she is thrown into the midst of a full battle between the Scots and the English. Fighting for her life, she is whisked from her horse by a warrior fighting with William Wallace who escapes with her into the Highlands.
But was destined to be his…

The last thing Laird Magnus Sutherland wants is a wife…but that is exactly what he got when he saved the beautiful English lass. Their countries are at war and they should be each other’s enemy. When she is attacked by one of his own men, he determines the only way to keep her safe is to marry her.

Magnus brings Arbella to his home of Dunrobin Castle. And that’s where the trouble begins… Neither one considered their mock marriage would grow into a deeply passionate love. What’s more, they were both unhappily betrothed and those who’ve been scorned are out for the ultimate revenge."

My Two Cents:

I have been dying to read something (anything) by Eliza Knight for awhile now so I was very excited to see that she was going on tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I knew I had to be on this tour and boy, am I glad that I did. If you are looking for a hot romance set against a backdrop of a fascinating time in the history of the world, you need to read this series. These books were a perfect read for me on a set of cold wintery nights.

"The Highlander's Reward" is the story of Lady Arbella, an English lady who finds herself in Scotland where a war rages. I loved following her story. She thinks she is supposed to be marrying a man that she has never met in the wilds of Scotland. She is saved by a highlander, which goes against everything she thinks that she knows about the men of Scotland, who are supposed to be savages. Arbella falls for Magnus even though she is still quite worried about what might happen to her. I loved this love story so much! Arbella and Magnus are both fantastic characters.

The setting was really great. I haven't read a lot of romances that have to do with highlanders or that are set in Scotland but I can tell you that I think I've found a new book love for sure. This book is not simply a "wallpaper historical romance." You can tell that Knight put a lot of time and effort into making the setting feel real and we the readers reap all of the rewards.

The romance in this book was really fantastic. Yes, Arbella and Magnus seem to fall for each other quickly but Knight is able to make it feel really real. Also, this is a super hot love story and I definitely liked it a lot!

Title:  The Highlander's Conquest
Author: Eliza Knight

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: September 22, 2012
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours

What's the Story?:

Synopsis: "What is a Highlander to do when he falls for the daughter of his enemy?

Highland warrior, Blane Sutherland, has one mission: disguise himself as an Englishman, cross the border and retrieve Lady Aliah de Mowbray. Always up for a challenge, he agrees, pursuing his conquest with vigor–and trying to deny the powerful desire that eclipses him each time he touches his charge. A rogue of the highest order and a younger son, he has nothing to offer a lady but a broken heart.

And what is a lady to do when she cannot trust her heart?

Aliah is skeptical of the English noble who has come to take her to her father and sister in Scotland, but she pushes her doubts aside. Without word in months, she must make certain her family is safe, then she can return to England to join the convent to which she has sworn to pledge her life. But then her escort reveals his true self–he’s a Highlander and his kisses are more seductive than the sweetest of wines.

Surrender never tasted so sweet…"

My Two Cents:

"The Highlander's Conquest" is the second book in Eliza Knight's The Stolen Bride series. You don't necessarily need to read these books in order as all of them are very much stand alone stories but you may want to still read them together as there are glimpses of characters from the other books and you get to see how their stories end up somewhat. I really, really enjoyed this hot romance! Highlanders forever!

Lady Aliah is worried. Her sister went to dangerous Scotland and she hasn't heard from her since. Aliah is worried that she won't hear from her sister before she gives her life to the church and enters a convent. Then an English gentleman shows up and says that he will escort her to Scotland. Aliah quickly finds out that this stranger isn't just anyone and he is definitely not who he says that he is. I liked this story a lot.

Aliah is the sister of Arbella, the heroine of the first book in The Stolen Brides series. Blane is related to Magnus. And yes, we do get to see what happens to Arbella and Magnus after their story ended in the first book! I really liked this love story between Aliah and Blane! I really liked the element of surprise in how Aliah and Blane meet each other. It was definitely unexpected and added a nice twist to the story!

This is a great romantic series!

Follow the Rest of the Tour:


Monday, February 24
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages (The Highlander’s Reward)
Tuesday, February 25
Guest Post at Broken Teepee
Wednesday, February 26
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Reward)
Thursday, February 27
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Friday, February 28
Interview at Dianne Ascroft Blog
Monday, March 3
Feature & Giveaway at Reviews by Molly
Feature & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection
Tuesday, March 4
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Wednesday, March 5
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Reward & The Highlander’s Conquest)
Thursday, March 6
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession (The Highlander’s Conquest)
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Lady & The Highlander’s Warrior Bride)
Friday, March 7
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Triumph)
Review at A Chick Who Reads (The Highlander’s Sin)
Review, Excerpt & Giveaway at Swept Away by Romance (The Highlander’s Reward & The Highlander’s Conquest)
Monday, March 10
Review & Giveaway at From L.A. to LA (The Highlander’s Reward)
Tuesday, March 11
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, March 12
Review at My Not So Vacant Shelf (The Highlander’s Lady)
Thursday, March 13
Review at A Bookish Affair (The Highlander’s Sin & The Highlander’s Temptation)
Friday, March 14
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair