Racquel's Top Read Authors

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Authors I've Read The Most Books From 

01. Her Majesty the Empress, Lisa Kleypas, 19 books

Favorite book: Blue-Eyed Devil & everything else

Bow down to the historical and contemporary empress, rocking the scene since 1987!! and writer of true rakes.

It's no secret to anyone that Lisa Kleypas is my favorite author! I talk about her books on Twitter & in real life too ALL THE TIME. I've read 19 Kleypas books and I've loved Every. Single. One. Of. Them. LOVE! Not liking them... LOVING THEM! I still have 19 books left to read by Kleypas but after binging the Wallflowers & Hathaways series, I slowed down because I want to save some LK books for the apocalypse. Or something. 

02. Richelle Mead, 12 books

Favorite book: Shadow Kissed & The Indigo Spell

Love me some vampires, forever and always, amen!!

I love me some Dimitri & Adrian Ivashkov and they're definitely ultimate book boyfriends but man I am HERE FOR ROSE HATHAWAY AND SYDNEY SAGE! I love that she has these two very different girls, one with agency and one without and we see Rose OWNS her agency while Sydney grows to reclaim her agency and it's just beautiful to read about. Rose and Sydney, forever and always.

03. Julie Anne Long, 11 books

Favorite book: What I Did For a Duke

Julie Anne Long AKA Queen of Epic Series! 

Companion family/friend series are The Thing in romance and JAL is The Queen. Her Pennyroyal Green series follows two families that hate each other and the series alternates between the Everseas and Redmonds. Every time I start a new book by her I tell myself to lower my expectations because no way this new book will beat the one before but it is always as amazing and romantic. Her writing is just so magnificent, not overly flowery, but you'll read passages over and over. There are 10 books so far in the Pennyroyal Green series are none of them are the same. Each one of them is fresh but you can expect beautiful writing, amazing characters and a beautiful romance from all of them. This is BIG for me to say because Lisa Kleypas is first and last love, but JAL's historicals rival LK's.

04. Ruthie Knox, 9 books

Favorite book: Making it Last

Hello, sexy and honest romance books! 

Making it Last is a follow up novella to How to Misbehave, also a novella. Making it Last is set 14 years after we met and read about Amber and Tony falling in love. We're ten years into their marriage which just hit a bump and we all know marriage in trouble is my favorite thing to read about EVER. 

05. Julie James, 8 books

Favorite book: All of them!

ALPHA HEROINES!!! 

Julie James is the queen of this list because she's the only one on here who I've read every single one of her books! I am here for smart and sexy romance withOUT a power imbalance between the hero and heroine. Julie James' heroines are successful before the hero came to the picture and YESYESYES. Her books are also all set in Chicago (with the exception of Just the Sexiest Man Alive, set in Los Angeles) and I love this urban setting because I'm very iffy and picky when it comes to small town romance books *shudder*.

06. Sarah Dessen, 8 books

Favorite book: The Truth About Forever & Just Listen

Go to YA contemporary.

Sarah Dessen introduced me to YA and I was in a Sarah Dessen fandom that sparked my love for writing and eventually led me to the book community after a few detours. I love her books because they're subtle, focus and family and friendship and her love interests are NICE! More of these, please!

07. Laura Florand, 7 books

Favorite book: The Chocolate Kiss

Sweet, delicious (French!) romance.

Laura Florand's books are usually set in either in Paris or South France. She writes setting so well and will transform you there. Her writing is absolutely gorgeous, her romance always sweet and swoony and she wrote THREE marriage-in-trouble/marriage novellas so she's clearly a favorite.

08. Elizabeth Hoyt, 7 books

Favorite book: The Leopard Prince

Harry. Pye.

So Elizabeth Hoyt excels at romance, especially forbidden ones! Even though her books always future a mystery/suspense/kidnapping sub-plot which is not something I'm a fan of in historical romance, I still love her books. I'll also be forever grateful to her for The Leopard Prince and Harry Pye and Georgina. Forever and always. A working hero, yay!

09. Sherry Thomas, 7 books

Favorite book: Not Quite a Husband & Private Arrangements

Alpha Heroines. Married Couples.

Sherry Thomas is a rockstar who writes super smart romance books AND THE BEST COMPLEX HEROINES IN LIFE!!!! Heroines are my favorites but she also writes my other favorite thing! Marriage in trouble or good ol' married couples. Seriously, every single Sherry Thomas book speaks directly to my soul.

10. Jennifer Ashley, 6 books

Favorite book: All of them!

Victorian Scottish Highland Heroes!

I love Scottish historical romance but most tend to be medieval and I have to take it slow with that sub-genre because a lot of the books blend together so I'm always looking for Regency or Victorian Highland books and this series DELIVERS. It's so addictive, it always leaves me in an epic book hangover when I reread. And OH HEY, did I mention this series has a lot of married couples (which I've already mention a trillion times) who are my FAVORITE!!!

So, do we have any authors in common? Have you tried any of these authors out or need a nudge?

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Read it & Drool: The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand

So I love these type of posts and making graphics for books I loved. The first two I did were for Dangerous Girls, one of my all time favorite books in the universe, and last summer I did one for Boomerang by Noelle August, the perfect summer read (hey, it's summer now! Go read it.) So now I'm doing one for The Chocolate Kiss, my top favorite book and romance of the year. I've already reread it multiple times and pushed it on countless people. The ebook is usually pretty pricey but right now it's $2.51 (and $2.99 for Nook!) so perfect timing!

Without further ado, here is why you'll LOVE READING THE CHOCOLATE KISS BY LAURA FLORAND, the second book in the Amour et Chocolat.

I. It's a magical book with a sparkling romance. There are hints of magical realism in the book and it works so well and enhances the love story, the setting and the background of hot chocolate saloon and pastry shop. The writing and descriptions are outstanding and the book truly has magical feel that will warm you down to your toes.2. Philippe is a world famous pastry chef and Magalie owns a chocolate shop with her two aunts. Be prepared to salivate at the description of the delicious things Philippe makes for Magalie. You will definitely need hot chocolate nearby and macarons. I'm not a fan of macarons at all but I had to go out and try them again after reading this book in hopes of being wrapped up in book's world again.3. The Chocolate Kiss is set in Paris, specifically Île Saint-Loius, the sister island to Île de la Cité, home of the Notre Dame cathedral. While reading The Chocolate Kiss, you WILL be in Paris, on it's island in the Seine, you will be transported there and you will taste and smell Philippe's macarons and Magalie's hot chocolate. Laura Florand's writing is just that good!4. Did I mention the sparking romance? You will root and cheer for Magalie and Philippe so much. The book is extremely romantic but not like what you're expecting. Philippe falls for Magalie but she sees him as her competition. What follows is an epic romance that will make your heart flutter.Once you finish The Chocolate Kiss, with a big sparking romantic sigh, you will have plenty of Laura Florand books to binge read. I was nervous to read the next book in the series, The Chocolate Rose, but it was just as lovely, romantic and amazing and I loved it with all my heart. I was convinced that book 4, The Chocolate Touch, will not live up to these two outstanding books but it definitely did. So did book 5, The Chocolate Heart. So did a prequel novella, Turning Up the Heat. See a pattern here? I haven't picked up a Laura Florand book that hasn't wowed me and made a little place for itself in my heart. 

Finally, if you need MORE convincing than my amazing graphic *wink* and the steal price of the ebook, NPR held a reader poll early in the summary and from over 18,000 votes, they narrowed a down a list of 100 great romance novels and The Chocolate Kiss made the list! (you betcha I listed it as one of my votes!) It's up there with the romance greats & hall of famers and I'm so happy this gem  of a romance is getting recognized.

With that, I believe my job here is done. I can go on and on about my love for The Chocolate Kiss but I intended for this post to be short and sweet with the graphic only! As you can see, I mad love for Philippe and Magalie and I hope you'll love them too. Don't forget that the book is currently $2.51 at Amazon and $2.99 at B&N so run, run, run and happy reading!

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Racquel's 2015 Favorite Books So Far

This Week's Topic:

Favorite Books of 2015 so Far

Racquel's picks: top 10 lololol I ain't about the narrowing down life AT ALL since I really believe that a favorite is a favorite, whether you have 3 favorites or 300. I have to share them all! Beware, this is an amazing list except for one fact: 2 YA book. I'm so far behind on reading YA and I vow that this summer I'm going to read a ton of YA to make up for it!!

01. The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand: hands down my favorite book of the year! The writing is absolutely stunning, the setting is Paris and you'll feel like you're there, the romance is an honest to god hate-to-love which is my favorite, it has a hint of magical realism which I LOVE, and finally, macaron and chocolate heaven.

02. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: why didn't anyone tell me Grcaeling is what dreams are made of?! Super romantic, the ultimate OTP, feminist and awesome fantasy? Unbeatable.

03. Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare: my first book of the year set a high standard! It was so delightful and feminist. I loved it.

04. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, narrated by Julia Whelan: This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read and listening to it on audiobook has turned an already amazing book to an extraordinary experience. I can relisten to this audio for everyday of my life. If you take one thing from this blog or me let be this: Read Dangerous Girls and listen to The Sky is Everywhere. The audio just makes the book even more emotional and journey even more beautiful. I am OBSESSED with the audiobook.

05. The Master by Kresley Cole: I'm on my third read of the year of The Master which has the best and hottest opening scene I've ever read. Plus the heroine is hella feisty AND it's female sex positive. Hell yeah. Here's the 7 chapter excerpt that hooked me from page 1 (literally. This is by far my favorite opening chapter/opening scene in the history of all of books).

06. Ruining Mr. Perfect by Marie Hart: I didn't even want to read this book because I wasn't looking forward to the couple and I only read it to read the book after it but NEVER DOUBT because now Ruining Mr. Perfect is my favorite of the McCauley Brothers series! Funny how life works that way.

07. The One in My Heart by Shery Thomas: Sherry. Thomas. 'Nuff said. This is her first contemporary and it's unique because it has some historical romance themes but it works so well!! So emotional like  you'd expect from The Queen.

08. Brown-Eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas: I've been waiting for this book for almost FIVE years. I'll never in my life be as excited for a book again! So much of who I am and what I love is shaped up by Kleypas and specifically this series so I can't believe it has come to an end! Good thing Lisa Kleypas never lets me down so I was not disappointed.

09. Suddenly One Summer by Julie James: I've wanted this book for 2 years and after Lisa Kleypas, JJ is the other author that never lets me down. Another smart, funny and sexy read from the Queen of Contemporary!

10. Blamed by Edie Harris: even though this is romantic suspense, it's out of the world ROMANTIC. I mean pure swoony romance. It was heaven. It's really hard for me to find super romantic books. Not sex wise, but straight up romance that make you clutch your heart and happy sigh.

11. Kiss of Steel by Bec Master: okay whatever this is a steampunk romance but I didn't want it to be all by itself! Anyways, I love me some vampires so I was all over this. I love me some steampunk even more, and what I really really, realllllly love is SLOW BURN and holy moly, this was an epic slow burn!!

12. The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale: The MOST unique historical romance I've ever read. I'll never read another romance like this one and I'm still in awe of the research that went into it. Absolutely breathtaking. Also, shoutout to my boy Fabio!

14 The Seduction of Elliot McBride by Jennifer Ashley: my second favorite historical romance series after the Pennyroyal Green series! I LOVE the fact that it's has VICTORIAN Scottish heroes! It's so sexy AND romantic and the big family dynamic is just spectacular. I always love these books.

15. First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh: it took me a few chapters to get into this but omg when I did I never wanted it to end! Marriage stories will forever by my favorite.

16. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas aka QUEEN: one of my new ALL TIME FAVORITE historical romances!! Gigi and Camden hate each other but they have so much chemistry and ugh they're so snarky with each other and it's just BEAUTIFUL to see their journey!!

17. Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt: thank you Alyssa for this awesome super forbidden romance!! Who doesn't love a good forbidden romance? and in true Hoyt fashion, it was the perfect mix of epic and swoony.

2015 in two words: LAURA FLORAND. The Chocolate Kiss is my favorite book of the year which I've already reread multiple times and pushed on countless people but the whole series is fanfuckingtastic. I was worried about reading The Chocolate Rose because how can it live up to my favorite book of the year? But it did! It's set in south France and it had all the beautiful elements that Florand SLAYS at. Beautiful setting, mouth watering descriptions, amazing chemistry, amazing romance and swoon for days. The exact same thing for The Chocolate Touch which takes us back to Paris. Another 5 star jackpot. As for Turning Up the Heat, it's a marriage in trouble novella so you know I went into it already loving it because I've said this a million times: I LOVE MARRIAGE STORIES!

So have you read and loved/hated any of these? As always, any similar books I should know about? 

Encore: bae forever&ever.

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(Review) Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry

Title: Anticipation
Author: Sarah Mayberry
Series: Brothers Ink, #2
Published: April 2015
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital review copy provided by author for honest review. (Thank you!)

Summary: Blue Sullivan knows a player when she sees one. And Eddie Oliveira—charm and sex personified—was born to play. She never wanted him to say goodbye, so for the last ten years she’s ignored the sizzling attraction between them and focused on being the best sidekick a guy could have. Smart girl, right?

Then Blue has a serious accident, and overnight Eddie changes. Suddenly he’s more intense and singularly devoted…to her. With all this sexy attention, it’s hard to stay within the boundaries she’s scrupulously drawn. The temptation, the anticipation builds and, finally, she has to have what he’s offering. Of course Eddie proves to be brilliant. Now, she worries he’s ruined her forever…and she might regret leaping from friends to lovers.

I love that the title of this book is Anticipation, because that is entirely accurate in regards to my feelings about it. I've been looking forward to Blue and Eddie's story since meeting them in Satisfaction last year. While it is not absolutely necessary to read that one first, I would recommend doing so. It is nice to see Blue and Eddie's dynamic from an outsider's perspective before getting a peek at what is really going on beneath the surface. Plus it's just a great book!

Anticipation does not disappoint! I have a serious weakness for I've-loved-you-forever books. From the very first paragraph, you know that is going to be the case with this one. Blue has had feelings for her best friend Eddie for years, but she is trying to move past them. Alas, she is not, much to her dismay, having very much luck.

This book does have a Big Dangerous Incident. That is common enough in romance novels, and it is usually used as the catalyst to make someone - quite often the hero - realize that he does, in fact, have feelings for the heroine, that he cannot go on living with out her, etc. etc. And I don't know about you, but I've been sick of that plot device since the first ten times I read it. BUT in Anticipation, the Incident actually happens in the first chapter. Blue is hit by a motorcycle while crossing the street, and she winds up in the hospital. While Eddie is extremely upset, obviously, the accident is not merely the hit over the head he has always needed to realize he loves her. He already knows he cares deeply about her; they have been friends for years. It is treated seriously, and it has repercussions. It also leads to her staying at his apartment so he can help her recuperate, which is a 100% awesome setup, let me tell you.

One of the reasons I loved this book is that I was so convinced of how Blue and Eddie knew each other inside out. They were friends - close friends, real friends - for years before the book even started, and that shows in all their interactions. They give each other crap. They joke. They fight. But you always know that there is that foundation of caring that will always remain.

I really enjoyed having Blue as a main character. She is an atypical heroine, definitely, and rather difficult. A talented tattoo artist who wears her hair in varying shades of blue, she has walls a mile thick. She is straightforward and blunt, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. I've seen reviews that said she interfered with their enjoyment of the book, but I personally loved her! My heart broke as she struggled against her natural instincts to run away from anything that might wind up causing her pain.

Eddie is a great guy as well, and it is clear that he cares very much about Blue. He also has a great relationship with his brother, a dynamic I very much enjoyed reading. Then there's the chemistry between the two of them (er, "them" being Eddie and Blue, obviously). Yowza! I thought my Nook was going to start shooting sparks at one point.

Overall, Anticipation is definitely a winner. It could be just a standard friends-to-lovers with lots of long-time pining, but Mayberry makes it so much more. She brings the tattoo parlor and the secondary characters to life. Blue and Eddie are flawed people, but she weaves their story together beautifully.

First:Her life would be so much easier if she could hate him.

---

Favorite:Ground rules: anything I can do for myself, I do for myself. Period. End of story. You can, however, bring me food any time you like.

---

Teaser:“I can be as gracious as the next person.”
“If the next person is a sleep-deprived rhino with anger management issues.”

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Ten Books Racquel Plans To Read This Summer

This Week's Topic:

 Ten Books I Plan To Have In My Beach Bag This Summer

Racquel's picks: Since Goodreads doesn't count rereads, I'm behind on my challenge. I'm going to aim to read 50 books this summer starting with these:

01. On the Fence by Kasie West: I've recently read The Distance Between Us, my first West (FINALLY) and I loved it so I need to get to her other books!

02. Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle: I read and LOVED Love, In English last year and summer is the perfect time to read this companion sequel! 

03. Rebound by Noelle August: Boomerang is one my favorite books from last year and I've put off the companion sequel for some reason.

04. Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas: I met Liz at RT15 so I think it's finally time to read her books!

05. Going Rogue by Robin Benway: I just read Also Known As and it was delightful in the typical Robin Benway way so I can't wait to read the sequel.

06. Ripped by Edie Harris: the first book, Blamed, is the perfect mix of romance and suspense so I need to read the companion sequel for more swoony times.

07. Capricious by Gabrielle Prendergast: Audacious is an amazing verse novel and I've been stupid by not buying the sequel immediately.

08. Angelfall by Susan Ee: I want to get the series I've been meaning to read forever and since this one just ended, it's the perfect time to binge read.

09. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty: WHAT AM I WAITING FOR?! I know.

10. Making Pretty by Corey ann Haydu: I just love Haydu's writing and her characters so I suck for not already reading this.

So, any of these also on your lists? Which ones should be a priority?

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(Bout of Books 13) Sharon's Goals & Updates

Nothing draws me out of a book-reading funk like Bout of Books! I am so excited to be participating this time around. I've been reading a bit the past couple days (A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass, and it's AWESOME), but I am totally going to amp it up and try to catch up to my goal, which I'm currently super behind on. I would tell you not to blame Once Upon a Time fanfiction, but, well, I'd be lying.

I'm not setting any specific book goals this time around, besides the fact that I will obviously be continuing A Court of Thorns and Roses. I will also attempt to finish the new Eloisa James, which is currently sitting abandoned on my dresser at about 75 pages in. Other than that, I'll just see what I'm in the mood for! I've heard good things about The Queen's Thief series, so I'm thinking of starting that. Time will tell!

As the OUAT finale is airing tonight (has already aired, actually, but I still have a bit until I can watch it), I will probably have terrible reading productivity for Day One, but I hope to make up for it the rest of the week! And I know it's going to be fun whether I get 200 pages read or actually make my goal of 1,000. I can't wait to see what all of you have planned for this week, too!

My Goals for Bout of Books 13
   • Read 1,000 pages
   • Discover some awesome new blogs and friends
   • Participate in at least one of the Twitter chats (I had to work during both of them. Sad day.)
   • Participate in four or more challenges

Monday, 5/11
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress:
Challenge:
Total Books Read:
Total Pages Read: Nada. Not even a page. Called it.

Tuesday, 5/12
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass (57 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~.25
Total Pages Read: 57

Wednesday, 5/13
Books Read Today:
  Completed: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass (300 pages)
  In-Progress: Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry (130 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~1.5
Total Pages Read: 487

Thursday, 5/14
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry (148 pages)
  In-Progress: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (36 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~2.05
Total Pages Read: 671

Friday, 5/15
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (293 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~2.75
Total Pages Read: 964

Saturday, 5/16
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (104 pages)
  In-Progress:
Challenge: Your Favorite #BOB13 Read, hosted at Once Upon a Chapter

My favorite book of #boutofbooks so far, for today's challenge.

A photo posted by Sharon (@starsaloft) on May 16, 2015 at 6:06pm PDT

Total Books Read: 3
Total Pages Read: 1068

Sunday, 5/17
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress: On the Fence by Kasie West (55 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~3.25
Total Pages Read: 1123 (Made it! Whew!)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

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|12 in 12| Graceling by Kristin Cashore

12 in 12 is me committing to read 12 books in 12 months. These 12 books will be old books that I've had on my TBR since the dawn of time and have been pushed aside for all the SHINY. 

So I know it's May and I'm just now sharing my February pick for 12 in 12 and while I am behind on sharing reviews, I'm not behind on reading the 12 in 12 books so that's all that matters (just roll with it!).

12 in 12 February Pick

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Published January 8th, 2008

Genre: YA fantasy

Rating: A

Goodreads summary:

Elisabeth Page is the daughter of Ben Page, yes, that's right, THE world famous novelist. And yes, she's also the sister of Rascal Page, world famous novelist in his own right. So what does Elisabeth do? Much to her family's disappointment, Elisabeth is a pastry chef. And a pretty damn good one, at Beverly, the hottest restaurant in LA. The last relationship Elisabeth had was with Will, a man she grew up with and whose family ran in the same social circles as her family. But Will's constant jaunts around the world have left her lonely and brokenhearted in L.A.

That is until Daniel Sullivan bids on one of Elisabeth's pastry tutorials at a charity auction. Daniel is everything her family is not: a basketball coach, a non-intellectual, his family doesn't summer on Martha's Vineyard, and the only metaphors he uses are about passing the ball and being a team player. But somehow they fit. Between her family, Will, and the new cooking show that Elisabeth is recruited to star in, Elisabeth's life is suddenly incredibly new and different--the question is, can she embrace being happy or has her family conditioned her to think she's just not good enough?Liza Palmer expertly depicts a woman trying to come to terms with professional success, personal success, and finally dealing with a family that might love her from the bottom of their heart but doesn't necessarily have her best interest always at heart.

Graceling is hand down, one of oldest (if not the oldest) book on my TBR. It's one of the first books that I came across when I started reading. We had multiple copies of it in my 8th grade reading college and I always picked up to read it but I always put it aside. Now I'm a sophomore in class and I FINALLY READ IT!! Alejandra, one of the first bloggers I diligently followed, raved about Graceling in every blog post she wrote and all her Youtube videos and she was RIGHT. Graceling seriously skipped the favorites shelf and went straight to the forever favorite shelf!

Why did I love it so much? Easy peasy. I appreciated how feminist it was. I did a whole review on the feminist aspect of it and specifically Katsa on my other blog, Feminist Talk Books, because it made me THAT HAPPY. But in this review I'll focus on every aspect of the book too.

I loved the fantasy and the world introduced. Graclings are people graced with a skill and instead of the gracelings being superior, they're actually disliked and the property of the king of the land. I liked this twist on being skilled and that it was something that the graced characters really struggled with. It made for beautiful characterization.

Katsa is graced with the skill of fighting and she's toughest and stronger than an army of a kingdom. I loved reading about Katsa's and how her strength meant that her uncle (a king) used her as a killing machine.  Her nickname is The Lady Killer and there is so much complexity and depth with Katsa resenting her job but appreciating her strength. On one hand, she knows about the evil in the world and wants her skill to protect herself and others but she's a slave to her uncle and he turned her into a monster.

“She knew her nature. She would recognize it if she came face-to-face with it. It would be a blue-eyed green-eyed monster, wolflike and snarling. A vicious beast that struck out at friends in uncontrollable anger, a killer that offered itself as a vessel of the king's fury. But then it was a strange monster, for beneath its exterior it was frightened and sickened by its own violence. It chastised itself for its savagery. And sometimes it had no heart for violence and rebelled against it utterly. 

So Katsa is really not in a good place in her life or in the best mindset about the world and I found her journey to be amazing! What I loved even more is that Po, the love interest, completely respected Katsa and her strength. He never once resented her for being stronger or held it against it. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Po was such a nice guy, he was definitely complex, but he fit Katsa, who struggles with being used by her uncle, SO WELL. Respect, it is a beautiful thing.

“But you're better than I am, Katsa. And it doesn't humiliate me. It humbles me. But it doesn't humiliate me.” --When Po learns the extent of Katsa's grace. This quote is everything to me.

Plus, Katsa and Po are pretty damn swoony. Their chemistry is off the charts and I had to take frequent pauses so I can calm my grinning, feelsss self. The combination of Po who wore his heart on his sleeve and Katsa who was so closed off was a beautiful dynamic and it was handled with so much respect. Round of applause for Kristin Cashore. The book has a lot of heavy themes and Po and the romance balanced everything out so you have the heavy, tough stuff that Katsa has to work through and the swoon!

Another thing that deserves a round of applause is the fact that Cashore didn't "cure" Katsa from her beliefs when she found love. Katsa spent her life as nothing more than a weapon, harming others, for her uncle who's a king. She doesn't want to ever be tied to anyone and while she loves Po, she doesn't want marriage and is content with being a relationship without the formalities. THANK YOU. Thank you for giving Katsa agency and not belittling her experiences and respecting her views are valid. Katsa also had sexual agency and really, if this book wasn't already perfect, this would have broken the perfection spectrum.

So yeah, I loved this book with everything in me. It did take me a few chapters to get into because the writing is simplistic and distinct but I got used to it soon enough. Whether you're a fantasy fans or hate the genre, I still recommend Graceling because it's an important book.

Rating: [A+++] Every positive review was absolutely RIGHT. A new all time favorite. 

First:

In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind.

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Favorite:

It hurt her eyes, almost, Ror City; and it didn't surprise her that Po should come from a place that shone.

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Teaser:

Mercy was more frightening than murder.

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|Review| Without Words by Ellen O'Connell

Title: Without Words
Author: Ellen O'Connell
Published September 30th, 2014

Genre: historical western romance
Rating: A

Goodreads summary:

Bounty hunter Bret Sterling kills Rufus Petty, thief and murderer, less than ten feet away from a frightened, half-starved woman. Rufus should have surrendered. The woman should have kin to help her. But Rufus went down shooting, and the woman has no one. Bret figures by the time he finds a safe place to leave Hassie Petty, he'll earn the five hundred dollar reward several times over.

Hassie doesn't mourn Rufus, but the loss of the ten dollars he promised her for supplies is a different matter. The bounty hunter gives her nothing, takes everything, ties the body on one horse and orders her on another. Afraid if she defies him, he'll tie her down tighter than Rufus, Hassie mounts up and follows the icy-eyed killer.

Mismatched in every way, the sterling man and petty woman travel the West together, hunting thieves, deserters, and murderers. Wary traveling companions, friends and partners, lovers, Bret and Hassie must decide what they want, what they need, and the price they're willing to pay for love. 

Yet another hit by Ellen O'Connell! Surprise, surprise. Let met say this first: I'm currently in the BIGGEST reading slump of humanity. I can't even make it through two of my most anticipated books of EVER and they're both series enders. I'm actually ashamed to mention what those two books are. I've tried historical romance, medieval romance, contemporary romance, suspense and I cannot finish ANYTHING. But then I started Without Words and it was like my reading slump was put on pause while I devoured this book. I might have been reading it while at a Katy Perry concert, heh.

When Danielle told me about the announcement of this book, I freaked out. O'Connell writes very subtle and VERRYY slow burn romances which is why I LOVE THEM. Subtle + slow burn are my favorite. Seriously, I will always and forever choose subtle and slow burn over anything else. Always.

So Without Words, a bounty hunter hero + a mute heroine (due to a childhood accident), who doesn't already love this book? In true Ellen O'Connell fashion, you have these two mismatched couple, who are thrown at each other under difficult circumstance and from that a beautiful friendship then romance blossoms. Slowly. It was GLORIOUS!

Lets start with Bret Sterling, our hero. He fought for the union in the civil war even though his family were pro-slaves, which alienated him from his family. After the war, everything was in ruins so Bret decided to become a bounty hunter because he was good at it and it provided a lot of money. That's how he meets Hassie, the heroine.

Bret and Hassie venture out on the trail, catching wanted men. Bret originally wanted to make sure he leaves Hassie in a safe place but she insists on staying with him. Hassie has been oppressed her whole life and I loved watching her enjoy being free moving from town to another with Bret. I loved that Bret let her have her freedom and respected her spirit.

I loved Hassie and her journey from being in constantly shitty situations to finding happiness and love. Bret respected her and let her have her freedom when she was with him and enjoy the trail and it was so wonderful and sweet to read about. These two are just the ultimate OTP. Another O'Connell book I can't recommend enough!

Recommend for: fans of the SLOW BURN!

Rating: [A] Holy slow burn heaven!

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Top Ten Books with Sex Positive Heroines

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Books with Sex Positive Heroines 

Racquel's picks: I love the ladies. Whatever their choices are. But ladies who own their sexuality, who are sexually confident before the love interest enters the scene are pretty rare. I mean come on, hiring a guy to teach you the art of seduction is a freaking trope in historical and contemporary romance and NA. I don't explicitly only mean ladies who have sex and they're confident in that. You can have virgins confident in their sexuality. No biggie. I want to see more variety that tells girls its okay because there is so much shaming.

01. Sarah Dessen is really good at writings girls and showing us its okay to experiment and experience.  Dating beyond your first and only boyfriend is a major theme of The Moon and More & This Lullaby features a sexually confident heroine. I'm loving it.

02. Biggest Flirts and every other Jennifer Echols novel. Jennifer Echols is the queen of writing ladies in YA. QUEEN.

03. I love Julie James heroines because they never need the heroes to actually save them. The heroines save themselves. They definitely don't need the hero to come in and show them what sex is.

04. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I will forever love Vampire Academy for Rose Hathaway who has many faults. She's impulsive, aggressive, brazen but thank you Richelle Mead for writing her because we need more Roses. She owns her sexuality which she gets shit for but that just shows how important she is.

05. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: this book is a dream come true. Katsa making choices for herself and she's not "cured" from her beliefs when the love interest enters the scene. Yes please. 

06. The Master by Kresley Cole: Cat doesn't have a lot of experience with men (actually, only one man) but she's still sooooo sexually confident. I LOVE IT.

07. The Star Thief by Jamie Grey. A space pirate who owns her sexuality. MAKES ME JUMP FROM JOY.

08. Love, In English by Karina Halle: two of my favorite things! Really messy, complicated relationships AND a heroine who owns her sexuality. Happy Racquel is happy.

09. Burning by Elana K. Arnold: here is a case of a character who has no experience but she's still confident in her sexuality and want to experiment and experience. I adore this book.

10. Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky: this is an unflinching honest portrayal of sex done in an everyday, normal way. It's such an important book.

So, help me out and HIT ME WITH YO RECS! I know I have plenty more books to read and I have more books on my tbr like this but I NEED MORE!

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