From My Notebook #5: Book Review -Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

When I read I write notes, thoughts, and quotes about the book in a notebook. I sometimes write drafts or full book reviews in my notebooks too. And sometimes I forget to write up a review from those notes. Or sometimes I would forget to type up and/or post those reviews. So From My Notebook will be the notes, thoughts, quotes, or full reviews that I had in one of my notebooks from other the past years that I forgot to share before. 

Title: Emmy & Oliver
Author: Robin Benway
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Source: e-book
Read: 2016

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?
Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.
She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.
Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.
He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?
Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

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Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

Title: Song of Blood & Stone
(Earthsinger Chronicles #1)
Author: L. Penelope
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Classification: Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Source: e-galley via NetGalley 
(Thank you, St. Martin's Press!)
Read: April 2018

A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers. 
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart. 
Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps. 
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation. 
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war. 

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

From My Notebook #2: Thoughts & Quotes - How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry

When I read I write notes, thoughts, and quotes about the book in a notebook. I sometimes write drafts or full book reviews in my notebooks too. And sometimes I forget to write up a review from those notes. Or sometimes I would forget to type up and/or post those reviews. So From My Notebook will be the notes, thoughts, quotes, or full reviews that I had in one of my notebooks from other the past years that I forgot to share before. 

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

 Title: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Length: 225 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Classification: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Retelling, Holiday-Christmas
Release Date: October 17, 2017
Source: Library Book
Read: January 2018

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe, from New York Times bestselling author, Melissa de la Cruz, is a sweet, sexy and hilarious gender-swapping, genre-satisfying re-telling, set in contemporary America and featuring one snooty Miss Darcy.
Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones—one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the season with her family.
Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32-years-old and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city girls stand in their way?

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The Last Thing You Said by Sara Biren

Title: The Last Thing You Said
Author: Sara Biren
Length: 324 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books
Classification: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Source: e-galley from NetGalley 
(Thank you, Amulet Books!)

Last summer, Lucy’s and Ben’s lives changed in an instant. One moment, they were shyly flirting on a lake raft, finally about to admit their feelings to each other after years of yearning. In the next, Trixie—Lucy’s best friend and Ben’s sister—was gone, her heart giving out during a routine swim. And just like that, the idyllic world they knew turned upside down, and the would-be couple drifted apart, swallowed up by their grief. Now it’s a year later in their small lake town, and as the anniversary of Trixie’s death looms, Lucy and Ben’s undeniable connection pulls them back together. They can’t change what happened the day they lost Trixie, but the summer might finally bring them closer to healing—and to each other.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Letters to the Lost

Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Bloomsbury!)

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Title: Geekerella
Author: Ashley Poston
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books
Classification: Young Adult, Retelling, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Quirk Books!)

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?
Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

Title: Seven Days of You

Author: Cecilia Vinesse
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Little Brown!)

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.
Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Title: The Unexpected Everything

Author: Morgan Matson
Length: 519 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Source: Hardback

Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future. Important internship? Check. Amazing friends? Check. Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?

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The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Title: The Start of Me and You

Author: Emery Lord
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Source: e-book
Read: 2016 

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.
Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.
It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

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The Memory Book by Lara Avery

Title: The Memory Book

Author: Lara Avery
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Poppy
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Source: ARC 

They tell me that my memory will never be the same, that I'll start forgetting things. At first just a little, and then a lot. So I'm writing to remember.
Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way--not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.
So the Memory Book is born: Sammie's notes to her future self, a document of moments great and small. It's where she'll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime crush, Stuart--a brilliant young writer who is home for the summer. And where she'll admit how much she's missed her childhood best friend, Cooper, and even take some of the blame for the fight that ended their friendship.
Through a mix of heartfelt journal entries, mementos, and guest posts from friends and family, readers will fall in love with Sammie, a brave and remarkable girl who learns to live and love life fully, even though it's not the life she planned.

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***I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Title: Girl Against the Universe

Author: Paula Stokes
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Source: e-galley via Edelweiss (Thank you, HarperTeen!)
Read: April 2016

Maguire is bad luck.
No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.
It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.
From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***

Why I Think You Should Read Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Title: Dreamology

Author: Lucy Keating
Length:
Publisher: Harper Teen
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Science Fiction
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Source: ARC via Publisher (Thank you, HarperTeen!)
Read: April 2016

For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.
But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.
When their dreams start to bleed dangerously into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?
Whimsical, romantic and utterly original, Lucy Keating’s debut novel will win readers’ hearts.

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***I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions) by Amy Spalding

Title: The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions)

Author: Amy Spalding
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Poppy
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Source: ARC via the Publisher (Thank you so much, The NOVL!)

A ridiculously cute, formerly-famous new guy dropping into your life? It's practically every girl's dream. 
But not Jules McCallister-Morgan's. 
I realize that on paper I look like your standard type-A, neurotic, overachiever. And maybe I am. But I didn't get to be the editor of my school's long-revered newspaper by just showing up*. I have one main goal for my senior year-early acceptance into my first choice Ivy League college-and I will not be deterred by best friends, moms who think I could stand to "live a little," or boys. 
At least, that was the plan before I knew about Alex Powell**.
And before Alex Powell betrayed me***.
I know what you're thinking: Calm down, Jules. But you don't understand. This stuff matters. This is my life. And I'm not going down without a fight. 
----
* Okay, I sort of did. But it's a sore subject.
** I mean, I guess everyone knows about Alex Powell? Two years ago, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing about viral video boy band sensation Chaos 4 All. Two years ago, Alex Powell was famous.
***Some people think I'm overreacting. But this. Means. War.
Filled with romance, rivalry, and passive-aggressive dog walking, Amy Spalding delivers a hilariously relatable high school story that's sure to have you falling for The New Guy.

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***I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Title: Love & Gelato

Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Source: e-galley via Edelweiss (Thank you, Simon Pulse!)

A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping debut novel filled with romance, mystery, and adventure.
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.
But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept from Lina for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and ever herself.
People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more. 

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***

Three Reasons to Read Joyride By Anna Banks (Review + Giveaway!)

Title: Joyride
Author: Anna Banks
Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Source: Hardback 
Read: February 2016

A popular guy and a shy girl with a secret become unlikely accomplices for midnight pranking, and are soon in over their heads—with the law and with each other—in this sparkling standalone from NYT-bestselling author Anna Banks.
It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.
Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber's mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.
All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

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***I received an copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not change how I feel about the story.***

Thank you so much, Anna, for the signed book! Also for the signed bookplates and bookmarks for a giveaway!

The Distance From A to Z by Natalie Blitt

Title: The Distance From A to Z
Author: Natalie Blitt
Length: 316 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (Epic Reads Impulse)
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: January 12, 2016
Source: e-book
Read: January 2016

This full-length novel by debut author Natalie Blitt is a pitch-perfect blend of Stephanie Perkins and Miranda Kenneally that proves the age-old adage: opposites attract.
Seventeen-year old Abby has only one goal for her summer: to make sure she is fluent in French—well, that, and to get as far away from baseball and her Cubs-obsessed family as possible. A summer of culture and language, with no sports in sight.
That turns out to be impossible, though, because her French partner is the exact kind of boy she was hoping to avoid. Eight weeks. 120 hours of class. 80 hours of conversation practice with someone who seems to exclusively wear baseball caps and jerseys.
But Zeke in French is a different person than Zeke in English. And Abby can’t help but fall for him, hard. As Abby begins to suspect that Zeke is hiding something, she has to decide if bridging the gap between the distance between who she is and who he is, is worth the risk. 

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Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira

Title: Bookishly Ever After
(Ever After #1) 
Author: Isabel Bandeira
Length: 350 pages
Publisher: Spencer Hill 
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: January 12, 2016
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Spencer Hill!)
Read: January 2016

In a perfect world, sixteen-year-old Phoebe Martins’ life would be a book. Preferably a YA novel with magic and a hot paranormal love interest. Unfortunately, her life probably wouldn’t even qualify for a quiet contemporary. But when Phoebe finds out that Dev, the hottest guy in the clarinet section, might actually have a crush on her, she turns to her favorite books for advice. Phoebe overhauls her personality to become as awesome as her favorite heroines and win Dev’s heart. But if her plan fails, can she go back to her happy world of fictional boys after falling for the real thing? 

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Title: The Trouble with Destiny
Author: Lauren Morrill
Length: 272 pages
Publisher: Delacorte
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Music
Release Date: December 8, 2015
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Delacorte!)
Read: November 2015

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey... 
With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize. 
Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.
But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

Title: Six Impossible Things
Author: Fiona Wood
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Poppy
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: August 11, 2015
Source: ARC via NOVL Newsletter (Thank you, NOVL!)
1. Kiss Estelle.2. Get a job.3. Cheer my mother up.4. Try not to be a complete nerd/loser.5. Talk to my father when he calls.6. Figure out how to be good.

Nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving, new-school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on Estelle, the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to six impossible things…
In this charming story of one guy’s efforts to get it together when his life is falling apart, award-winning author Fiona Wood introduces an irresistible voice and a delightfully awkward character who is impossible to forget.

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***I received an ARC of this book from the NOVL Newsletter in exchange for an honest review***