After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. 

After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had. 

With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.

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One of my favourite things about this book was the characters. Both Jasmine and Ashton were really charming in their own ways and I loved watching them both grow throughout the novel. 

Jasmine falls in love and trusts too easily. I loved seeing her come to terms with this throughout the book and I also loved the supportive relationship she had with her cousins. Ashton is the opposite, he is really guarded and hardly ever trusts anyone. I loved how both these characters ended up bringing out the best in each other and seeing their relationship blossom throughout the book was really nice!

The setting of this book was also fantastic! I love books that revolve around fame, so I really enjoyed the TV show setting of this one.

I also really liked the scenes from the TV show that we are shown throughout this book. They always tied in with what was happening with Jasmine and Ashton in 'real life' which I really loved. It definitely helped create romantic tension between the characters! 

Overall, You Had Me At Hola is a fast paced, fun rom-com with charming and loveable characters that leap off the page. I think if you like reading adult romances, then you will really enjoy this one. 

Set in the 1990's, Those Who Prey follows Emily, a shy girl who finds that going to college in Boston isn't quite what she expected it to be. Emily feels very lonely at college, she hasn't found her place or any real friends. Then, she is found by a group called The Kingdom. The Kingdom provides her with friends and a purpose and suddenly she doesn't feel quite so alone. Emily begins to dedicate all her time to the Kingdom, skipping classes and even volunteering to go on a mission trip to Italy. 

However, things take a dark turn when the trip isn't what Emily thought it would be. She is stripped of her passport and money and cut off from her family back home. The Kingdom's practises become increasingly manipulative and dangerous and Emily realises that she needs to get out as soon as she can.

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Since studying sociology in school, i've always had a morbid fascination with cults and how they recruit their members. So when I heard about this book, I was instantly intrigued. I've never read any YA novel about this topic before. 

I found the first section of this book really interesting. I could feel Emily slowly getting drawn into the cult and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kept hoping that she would realise that this was bad and get out, but obviously this didn't happen. 

The chapter headings in this book also added a lot to the story, in my opinion. They give you real insight into how the cult was drawing in and manipulating its members. It made Emily's experience even more disturbing and chilling to read.

One thing that really stood out to me in this book was the main character, Emily. I felt like I really understood her thoughts and motives. It made it easy to understand why she would get drawn in to such a fanatical group and be willing to leave behind everything for them. 

There is also a section near the end of this book that deals with the healing process after getting out of a cult. This part was something I really enjoyed reading about and it was great to see the characters finally overcome the long-lasting control that the group had over them.

This book is also really thrilling! Throughout the book you never know who you can trust! Every character seems to have dark secrets and it kept me intrigued until the very end. 

However, one problem I had with this book was that there were lots of things that were left unresolved at the end. I was left with quite a lot of questions that I think should have been answered in this book. I think the ending was a little bit rushed and some things could have been rounded off a little better. 

Overall, if you have any interest in cults and how people end up joining them then I think you will definitely enjoy this book. This book definitely explores this difficult topic in a realistic and interesting way and it will keep you hooked throughout. 

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If you've read this book, let me know what you thought of it! And let me know if you've read anything similar to this! 

*thank you to simon & schuster for providing me with an eARC of this book. In no way does this affect my ability to give my honest opinion on the book*

 Hey everyone! Today I am doing the Badlands book tag which is inspired by Halsey's album! I used to absolutely love this album and when i saw this tag on mousethatreads blog I instantly knew I had to do it!

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Rules 

Link to the original creator: antarireads

Answer the following prompts for each song on the album

Tag some people to celebrate Badlands!

Castle – a Fantasy Book Featuring a Royal Family

 There are so YA many books coming out in November 2020 that i'm really excited for! 

2020 is a very uncertain year for publishing so definitely take some time out of your day to check out these new releases and give the authors some love! 

So, without further ado, lets get into the list! 

Instant Karma - Marissa Meyer

I have loved Marissa Meyer's other books and this is her first contemporary novel so i'm really excited to give it a go! The premise of this one kind of reminds me of early 2000's movies, like freaky friday or 13 going on 30, where there is a little bit of magic weaved into the plot line. So i'm hoping this one will be cheesy and fun like those movies! 

Synopsis: 

Chronic overachiever Prudence Daniels is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her. Pru giddily makes use of the power, punishing everyone from public vandals to karaoke hecklers, but there is one person on whom her powers consistently backfire: Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner and all-around mortal enemy. Soon, Pru begins to uncover truths about Quint, her peers, and even herself that reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed . . . love and hate.

Release Date: November 3rd 

Those Who Prey - Jennifer Moffett

 I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this one, but I haven't gotten round to reading it yet. I will definitely be picking this one up soon though. It is all about a college girl that ends up joining a cult. This is a subject matter i'm really interested in but haven't read before in YA so I cannot wait to read this one. 

Synopsis:

She expected to spend freshman year strolling through the ivy-covered campus with new friends, finally feeling like she belonged. Instead, she walks the campus alone, still not having found her place or her people so far away from home.

But then the Kingdom finds her.

The Kingdom, an exclusive on-campus group, offers everything Emily expected of college and more: acceptance, friends, a potential boyfriend, and a chance to spend the summer in Italy on a mission trip. But the trip is not what she thought it would be. Emily and the others are stripped of their passports and money. They’re cut off from their families back home. The Kingdom’s practices become increasingly manipulative and dangerous.

And someone ends up dead.

Release Date: November 10th

Here the Whole Time - Vitor Martins

This is one I heard about recently and I think the story sounds so fun and sweet! I've also really been wanting to read some more translated fiction and this one is translated from Portuguese. I also want to mention that cover because it is stunning! 

Synopsis: 

Felipe gets it -- he's fat. Not chubby. Not big-boned. Fat. And he doesn't need anyone to remind him, which is, of course, what everyone does. That's why he's been waiting for this moment ever since the school year began: school break. Finally, he'll be able to spend some time far away from school and the classmates who tease him incessantly. His plans include catching up on his favorite TV shows, finishing his to-be-read pile, and watching YouTube tutorials on skills he'll never actually put into practice.

But things get a little out of hand when Felipe's mom informs him that Caio, the neighbor kid from apartment 57, will be spending the next 15 days with them while his parents are on vacation. Felipe is distraught because A) he's had a crush on Caio since, well, forever, and B) Felipe has a list of body image insecurities and absolutely NO idea how he's going to entertain his neighbor for two full weeks.

Suddenly, the days ahead of him that once promised rest and relaxation (not to mention some epic Netflix bingeing) end up bringing a whirlwind of feelings, forcing Felipe to dive head-first into every unresolved issue he has had with himself -- but maybe, just maybe, he'll manage to win over Caio, too.

Release Date: November 10th

Rent a Boyfriend - Gloria Chao

This one has fake-dating! That was enough to make me instantly exciting to read it. Fake Dating is one of my all time favourite rom com tropes and this book sounds so adorable and cute! I cannot wait to read it later this month. 

Synopsis: 

Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.

When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?

Release Date: November 10th

These Violent Delights - Chloe Gong

This one is a Romeo and Juliet retelling setting in 1920's shanghai and it sounds like EVERYTHING! After reading mousethatread's review of this one I have been absolutely dying to read it. 

Synopsis:

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Release Date: November 17th

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories - Holly Black

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Holly Black's folk of the air series! So when I heard she was writing a Cardan Novella, I was instantly excited! 

Synopsis:

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.

Release Date: November 24th

Well thats it for now! There are loads of other amazing November 2020 releases but these are just some of the ones that are on my radar at the moment.

Let me know which new releases you're excited for this month! 

So without further ado, lets get into the tag! 

Lobby: The next book on your TBR

The next book i'm planning on reading is Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller. I received this one recently and it looks like so much fun! I recently read The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller and i fell in love with it so I cannot wait to dive into more of her work! 

Crewmate: An author you trust

For an author I trust, I would definitely have to say Cassandra Clare! I have read most of her books and I've enjoyed them all! Her writing and characters get better and better with every book she writes! 

Imposter: A book that betrayed you

I want to mention a couple of books for this one. There were two books that I was highly anticipating this year and both of them disappointed me so much! 

The first one was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. I absolutely adore the hunger games and when I heard we were getting a prequel I was so excited! Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this one because I just found it really boring. 

The other book that betrayed me was Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin. Serpent & Dove was one of my favourite books of 2019 but Blood & Honey was a massive disappointment for me. The plot felt bitty and the characters I fell in love with were very off in this sequel. I'm still going to read Gods & Monsters to see how this series ends but after this book, i'm not holding out much hope.

Tasks: a Book that took you a long time to finish

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo took me a month to finish! I was really enjoying the book but I read it at a time when I had barely any time to read! 

Sabotage: a book that surprised you

This year I was really surprised by Six of Crows! I really didn't think this book was going to be my cup of tea but I ended up absolutely loving this book! The characters were so engaging and I loved the world building. 

This year i've read and enjoyed lots of books with morally grey characters so I think i've discovered a new favourite trope! 

Thank you for reading this post! I had a lot of fun doing this tag

I'm tagging @perfectpaperbacks @canbefoundfangirling @literaryleisha and anyone else who feels like they'd like to do this tag! 

So my birthstone is an Amethyst so I had to choose a purple book for this prompt! I decided to go with You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson. This book looks like a lot of fun and I think it will be a fun, quick read.