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Book Review: The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

Dec 30, 2019

The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White

Pages: 352
Publish date: November 5th, 2019
Publisher: Penguin – Bantam Juvenile US
ISBN: 9780593123836
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur’s knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

The Guinevere Deception:

Over the past few years, I’ve fallen in love with Kiersten White’s historical fiction and retellings. So when I heard that she would be doing an Arthurian retelling, I knew that I needed to read it. And I’m so glad that I did because The Guinevere Deception was fantastic.

The Guinevere Deception follows Guinevere as she arrives in Camelot to start her life as Arthur’s wife and Queen. But everything isn’t always what it seems. Guinevere isn’t just Arthurs’s wife, but now also his protector. Her real identity is a secret, and she has to navigate court intrigue and all the attempts to save the city that many want to see fall. And it isn’t just humans that want Camelot, but magic as well. But what started as a job, might turn into something much more and Guinevere might end up doing just about everything to save Arthur and Camelot.

Tobias Tullius

Guinevere was a really interesting protagonist and I loved her. For most of The Guinevere Deception, the reader is in the dark on a lot of things, including who Guinevere really is. And that is what made her character so intriguing. She was an unreliable narrator and I love seeing that. Because it gets the reader really think. We don’t know if the person that she is showing is anything like her true self. But as the novel goes on, the reader is slowly able to see who Guinevere truly is. I loved her feistiness and her willingness to protect Arthur and those she grew to love in Camelot. I really enjoyed getting to know all the sides of Guinevere and I can’t wait to see where her character arc is taken.

Arthur was also an intriguing character. For a lot of the book, I felt very distant from him and that made it very hard to connect with him. But as The Guinevere Deception went on, his characterisation really shone through. And there were reasons for his distance. The reader just doesn’t get to know them for some time. Like Guinevere, I can’t wait to see how the next books go for Arthur, I really think that the reader will get to know him a lot more by then.

The romance in The Guinevere Deception had a lot of ups and downs. From the start, the reader knows that both Guinevere and Arthur and married for the protection of Camelot. But as the novel goes, we really get to see them both get to know one another and understand each other. It’s a slow burn kind of romance – a real slow burn. But I also really enjoyed that. It was a real focus on cementing the story and the characters as their own.

Paweł Furman

I think one of the hardest things about The Guinevere Deception, for me, was distancing everything else I know about Guinevere, Arthur, Merlin, and Camelot. I’m a massive fan of the ‘Merlin’ TV series and it took some will and power for me not to imagine them as these characters. But once I was able to do that, I enjoyed the book even more.

If you know anything about Camelot and the Knights of the Round table – you know that there is a lot of characters. And the fact that Kiersten White still had most of them was awesome. I don’t want to spoil too much, but it was a great feeling having prior knowledge of characters and then being right. I can’t wait to see how White takes this in the following novels, it’s going to be really interesting that is for sure.

There is a lot to be said about the plot of The Guinevere Deception. While I really enjoyed it, I can understand that some readers may find it long. But I love court intrigue, it’s one of my favourite things in fantasy novels. I find it so fascinating and always adds another dimension to the novel for me. While the novel was filled with court intrigue, it’s also filled with magic.

I really enjoyed how magic was written and explored in The Guinevere Deception. One of my favourite things about novels that deal with magic. It’s the different ways that magic is represented and used. This is another thing that I cannot wait to see more of as the series go on. Joanna Kosinska

Overall, I loved falling into the world of Kings and Queens. Of Knights and Magic. Of Camelot and King Arthur. It’s something that has always caught my attention, and The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White is such an interesting retelling that I can’t wait to read more. It’s a magical journey that leaves the reader hanging with so many questions but also wants them begging for more. I loved Guinevere and Arthur and I can’t wait to see where their stories go. Full of court intrigue, magic, and unreliable characters, The Guinevere Deception is a series to watch out for, because you never know what is going to happen next.

Have you read The Guinevere Deception? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it any time soon? Have you read any other Kiersten White novels? Let’s Chat!

Books On My Summer TBR | TTT

Dec 17, 2019

This week I’m sharing the books on my Summer TBR. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

While nearly everyone else is going to winter around the world. It’s becoming Summer here in Australia. And it’s out in full force. It’s going to be hot this week that is for sure. So I thought I would share the books that I want to get through this summer. I’m going on a cruise early January, so I’m hoping to read a whole bunch during that time. There is a combination of new releases and backlist titles here. Like always these are in no order.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power: I got this one soon after it was released and still haven’t managed it pick it up. I just haven’t been fully in the mood for it. But I really want to get to it in the next couple of months. It sounds like it’s going to be intense. Plus, I’ve heard all different things about it, so I’m really excited to see where I fall.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers #2) by Brigid Kemmerer: There should be no surprise that this one is on my list. I adored A Curse so Dark and Lonely so much and I can’t wait to see where Brigid takes this world and the characters. But I also don’t think I’m ready for all the heartbreak. It’s going to rip me apart and be so intense.

The How and the Why by Cynthia Hand: This is a new book on my radar and I can’t wait to read it. It sounds so interesting and I’ve already seen so many amazing reviews. The How and the Why sounds heartbreaking but also beautiful. I think it’s going to be of those books that stay with me forever.

Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry: I’m not sure why I haven’t read this one yet. I’ve had it for nearly a year, but I just keep on forgetting I own it. But don’t worry, I’ll be reading it this summer for sure. Katie McGarry has never disappointed me, so I’m really looking forward to reading this. I know I’m going to love so much about it,

The Ones Who Got Away (The Ones Who Got Away #1) by Roni Loren: I’ve been hearing such good things about this series for some time now, and I feel that I can finally pick it up. I think it’s going to tear me apart, but it’s also going to be so beautiful. And I needed to add a romance book to this list.

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett: Again this one I didn’t really need to think about. I love Jenn Bennett’s YA contemporaries and when I heard she was bringing out this YA historical fiction, fantasy. I knew I needed to add it to my TBR. But I haven’t been in a massive fantasy slump lately, so hoping I can dig into this.

Man Cuffed (Man Hands #4) by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby:This is one of the only Sarina Bowen books that I haven’t read it. And I can’t wait to get into it. This whole series is just so fun to read and I can’t wait to see more action.

The Burning Shadow (Origin #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout:After the ending of the first book, I cannot wait to see where this story is taken. There is so much that could happen and it’s going to be really exciting to read. I really enjoy the world that Jennifer L. Armentrout has created and it’s going to be interesting seeing what’s going to happen next.

The Bookworm Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts:I hadn’t heard much about this book when I picked it up, but I think it’s the perfect summer read. This one sounds like it’s going to be fun, moving and just the book that I need to read in a pick me up.

Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman:I got this book way back in May when I was on my holiday and I just haven’t picked it up it. It’s going to be the perfect summer read and I cannot wait to get stuck into it. I already know that I’m going to love it and just, I’m so ready for something like this.

And that is it for this week’s TTT. What are some of the books on your summer/winter TBR? Do we share any that’s the same? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen

Dec 15, 2019

Moonlighter (The Company #1) by Sarina Bowen

Pages: 370
Publish date: October 21st 2019
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
ISBN: 9781942444824
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Only in my family could a professional hockey player earning seven million dollars a year be considered a slacker.

I’m at the height of my athletic career. Yet my arrogant brother is always trying to recruit me into the family business: a global security company so secretive that I don’t even know its name.

Pass, thanks. I don’t need a summer job.

But the jerk ambushes me with a damsel in distress. That damsel is Alex, the competitive, sassy girl I knew when we were kids. Now she’s a drop-dead gorgeous woman in deep trouble.

So guess who’s on a flight to Hawaii?

It’s going to be a long week in paradise. My job is keeping Alex safe, while her job is torturing me with her tiny bikinis. Or maybe we’re torturing each other. It’s all snark and flirting until the threat against Alex gets serious. And this jock must become her major league protector.

Book name:

I received an earc of Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve been reading Sarina Bowen’s books for a couple of years now, so I’m always excited when she brings something new out. Moonlighter is the start of a new series being dubbed ‘The Company’ and includes characters that we have loved before. Eric Bayer from the Brooklyn Bruisers and Alex, tech CEO and billionaire and things are about to get rocky.

Alex is in need of some help. She is pregnant and things are about to get dangerous. When she needs to be in Hawaii for a conference she calls in the help of Alex’s father and brother and The Company. And Eric is roped into helping her. Now her fake boyfriend and personal bodyguard things are about to get intense. Add in misogynist billionaires and investors, and a past that is catching up with her, Alex is in more danger than she thinks. But Eric and Alex have a past of their own and now stuck together they have to put aside their difference, and maybe this fake relationship will turn into something more.

Khachik Simonian

Eric was a very interesting protagonist, but it did take me a while to like him. He was just really hard to connect with. But as Moonlighter went on, I feel that Eric become more real and so much easier to connect with and like. Eric goes through a lot throughout the novel and there are times where his heart was ripped to pieces. His body is falling apart, the pressure from his family is building and his relationship with Alex is very unsteady. The reader is able to feel how unsteady and unsure Eric is about this life and what to do in the future.

Alex has a lot going on in life even before Moonlighter starts, and things just explode as the novel goes on. I wasn’t a massive fan of Alex throughout the other books, mostly because she was trying to get in between Nate and Rebecca especially in Brooklynaire. But as Moonlighter went on the reader is really able to understand her. One of the major things that I adored about Alex, was that she was this strong independent woman. She had worked her ass off to get where she is and she isn’t going to let anything or anyone stop her. I loved that she stood up to male colleagues and didn’t let them put her down.

The romance had its ups and downs for me. There were parts that I really enjoyed. Like I think Alex and Eric were fantastic together. They have amazing chemistry and I loved reading their interactions. Moonlighter also included two of my favourite tropes – second chance romance and fake dating. These two together were fantastic. In saying that, there were times throughout the book that Alex really got on my nerves. She was one to keep her guard up and that meant she kept everything up even with Eric. This meant that Eric was let down a lot and the reader is able to see the disappointment in him very clearly. After they both let down their walls, things were a little easier.

freestocks.org

Moonlighter felt a lot different from Sarina Bowen’s other books from the start. While it still had that sports romance vibe of her other books, the suspense aspect of the novel really stood. This was a different side of Sarina Bowen that I hadn’t really read before. And while it took a little to get used to, I really enjoyed it. The suspense and action were great and kept me on the edge of my seat. It not only pushed the novel forward, but also set the tone for the rest of this series.

One of the main plotlines in Moonlighter is the fact that Alex is pregnant, the reader already knows somewhat about the pregnancy from the previous series. But we really get to know more about it here. I loved that just because Alex was pregnant she didn’t let it stop her from being the working woman she is. One thing that Sarina Bowen does well is exploring the notion of family. And this is again present in many different ways throughout Moonlighter. Eric’s up and down relationship with his father and brother and Alex becoming a mother and trying to work the whole thing out. I always love seeing with Sarina Bowen does with family and I think she does a fantastic job here.

Elizabeth Tsung

Overall, Moonlighter was a fantastic read. It was a great start to a new series and I can’t wait to see where Sarina Bowen goes with this. There are so many different ways that she could go and it’s going to be an interesting ride. Moonlighter is action-packed, but also has time for those great romance moments that were done so well. The novel explores the notion of second chances, letting tour guard down, and sometimes it’s okay to be vulnerable. If you are looking for a great romance read, that also has a little something more than this is for you.