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Hot Key Books Bloggers Brunch Event
Hey everyone, So on Saturday I got invited to go to a special book bloggers brunch at Hot Key Books HQ in London. Obviously, I said yes and, with a rather empty stomach and a super early start, I boarded the coach to London to meet up with a bunch of authors, bloggers and publishers. And it was so awesome. The venue was very packed, and I think to some extent they didn’t anticipate quite so many people turning up. But it was really nice. After grabbing a cup of tea with a fellow blogger called Rubin thanks to turning up too early, we went inside and were immediately…
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The Summer of Us Book Review
The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse Five friends. Five European cities. Ten days. And a messy, complicated, can-this-really-be-happening love story or two… Since the moment they met, best friends Aubrey and Rae have been planning their inter-railing trip around Europe. With graduation just behind them, it ought to be the perfect summer to go on a last adventure together before university. But things are more complicated at eighteen than they were at ten. Accompanying Aubrey and Rae are other friends, each one carrying baggage they can’t put in a suitcase. First there’s Jonah, Aubrey’s popular and dashing boyfriend, and his best friend Gabe, who Audrey may have accidentally kissed. And then…
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Charmcaster Book Review
Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell Please note: This review does not contain spoilers for Charmcaster. However, it will contain spoilers for the first two books in the Spellslinger series, so if you haven’t read them yet, don’t continue reading unless you want spoilers. From Goodreads: ‘I was getting almost as good at running away from enemies as I was at making them in the first place. Turns out, I wasn’t running nearly fast enough.’ Kellen has begun to master his spellslinging and the Argosi tricks for staying alive, and he and Reichis have found a career that suits them both: taking down mercenary mages who make people’s lives miserable. But Ferius is concerned that…
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Starfish Book Review
Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman From Goodreads: Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin. But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the…
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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue Book Review
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee From Goodreads: Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take…
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Orphan Monster Spy Book Launch Party
AKA The One Where We Got Lost and Drunk in London My day started ridiculously early. I’m one of those awful people who can’t manage anything more than the basic zombie functions without a cup of coffee, so I had one and felt a touch more human before I left the house to get the coach to London, but I also stopped at Costa for a large latte with an extra shot. This was probably a mistake. Not least because, while my friend was catching some zzz’s on the three and a half hour coach journey, I was quite literally jittering in my seat while blasting Halsey, trying not to…