February & March 2016 ARC Giveaway - 4 winners

I'm kicking-off my first giveaway in 2016 today and am very excited for you to win and read these four beauties pictured above! They are ARCs I got at Frankfurt Book Fair last year and the copy of Holly Bourne's newest release was sent to me by Usborne. The giveaway is international and ends on February 23rd (my birthday). There will be 4 winners, just tell me which ARC you'd like to win in the widget. Good luck!

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is. 

Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

I was brave
She was reckless
We were trouble

 Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

Summerlost by Ally Condie

It's the first real summer since the devastating accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. But now Cedar and what’s left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They’re just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar. 

How Hard Can Love Be? by Holly Bourne

All Amber wants is a little bit of love. Her mum has never been the caring type, even before she moved to California, got remarried and had a personality transplant. But Amber's hoping that spending the summer with her can change all that.

And then there's prom king Kyle, the guy all the girls want. Can he really be interested in anti-cheerleader Amber? Even with best friends Evie and Lottie's advice, there's no escaping the fact: love is hard.

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ARC Giveaway: Soundless by Richelle Mead

I got two ARCs of SOUNDLESS by Richelle Mead at Frankfurt Book Fair 2015 and want to give away one of these copies to one of my readers. This is your chance to read Richelle's newest book before its official publication date on November 10th 2015. The giveaway is open to international entrants and ends November 3rd 2015. Please enter the giveaway widget below. Good luck!

Soundless by Richelle Mead

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore.

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

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ARC Giveaway: Lies I Told by Michelle Zink

A few days ago I found this ARC of Lies I Told by Michelle Zink in my mailbox. I decided to give it away to one lucky reader who then gets to read Michelle's newest book early. This book is not out until April 2015. Good luck!

What if, after spending a lifetime deceiving everyone around you, you discovered the biggest lies were the ones you've told yourself?

Grace Fontaine has everything: beauty, money, confidence, and the perfect family.

But it’s all a lie.

Grace has been adopted into a family of thieves who con affluent people out of money, jewelry, art, and anything else of value. Grace has never had any difficulty pulling off a job, but when things start to go wrong on the Fontaines' biggest heist yet, Grace finds herself breaking more and more of the rules designed to keep her from getting caught...including the most important one of all: never fall for your mark.

Perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Cecily von Ziegesar, and Gail Carriger, this thrilling, high-stakes novel deftly explores the roles of identity and loyalty while offering a window into the world of the rich and fabulous.

Summary by Goodreads 

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* The giveaway starts on February 8th  and will end on March 15th. 
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The Body Electric by Beth Revis Giveaway

You know you want to win this! A limited signed paperback copy of THE BODY ELECTRIC by Beth Revis. Good luck!

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

So who can she trust?

Summary by Goodreads 

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* INTERNATIONAL
* The giveaway starts on November 28th  and will end on December 15th
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Huge Pre-Order Giveaway - Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

I've got a very special post for you today! Kimberley Griffiths Little is giving away a ton of fabulous goodies to you wonderful readers. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

On November 4th, HarperCollins unveils Forbidden, a seductive YA debut from award-winning middle grade author Kimberley Griffiths Little. Forbidden transports readers back in time to the deadly deserts and sweltering heat of Ancient Mesopotamia for a tale of danger, duty, and forbidden love. Jayden is on the brink of womanhood and betrothed to her tribe’s prince, cold-hearted Horeb. But when tragedy strikes, Jayden meets Kadesh, a mysterious visitor from the south who makes Jayden doubt everything she knows. Torn between loyalty to her tribe and the chance to escape her fate, Jayden must make a choice that will change her life forever.

Kimberley is also offering a HUGE preorder giveaway from October 6th to November 4th (release day!) to celebrate. See below for full details on how to enter.

 
TO ENTER:

* You must preorder Forbidden through an online retailer or your local bookstore, then email a photo of your receipt to forbiddengiveaway@gmail.com.

* Fill out the rafflecopter below

* US/Canada Only

* Ends at midnight EST on November 3, 2014

* Optional entries: share the trailer on your own site or social media, follow Kimberley on twitter, and tweet about the giveaway (can be repeated daily for extra entries!)

 

* Winners will be announced and contacted November 4th (release day!)

* If the winner does not respond with their mailing address within one week, a new winner will be chosen.

PRIZES:

(1) GRAND PRIZE WINNER:

1. NEWLY RELEASED Kindle Fire HD6 Tablet with 6" HD Display, Wi-Fi, Front and Rear Cameras, 8 GB -- choose your color! (Black, Magenta, White, Citron, or Cobalt)

2. GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson

3. CHAOS OF STARS by Kiersten White

4. Satin Belly Dance Skirt

5. Belly Dance 150-Coin Hip Scarf

6. Red Silk Veil (not pictured)

7. Red Middle Eastern Earrings

8. Belly dance DVD: Sensual Belly Dance with Blanca, a professional dancer (technique, choreography, and performances)

9. "Will YOU risk it all?" button (not pictured)

10. Set of 10 Book Club Cards

11. Jeweled bookmark (not pictured)

(1) SECOND PLACE WINNER:

1. GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson

2. Red Middle Eastern Earrings

3. Red Silk Veil (not pictured)

4. Belly dance DVD: Sensual Belly Dance with Blanca, a professional dancer (technique, choreography, and performances)

5. "Will YOU risk it all?" button (not pictured)

6. Set of 10 Book Club Cards

7. Jeweled bookmark (not pictured)

(13) RUNNERS-UP WINNERS:

1. Red Middle Eastern Earrings

2. "Will YOU risk it all?" button (not pictured)

3. Set of 10 Book Club Cards

4. Jeweled bookmark (not pictured)

Good luck!

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Preorder: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

About Forbidden: In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.

Follow Kimberley:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About Kimberley: Award-winning author Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico on the banks of the Rio Grande with her husband and their three sons. Her middle-grade novels, When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, have been praised as “fast-paced and dramatic,” with “beautifully realized settings.” Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell. She’s stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria. You can visit her online at www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com.

Share your thoughts on the trailer in the comments!

Frankfurt Book Fair 2014 - Book Haul

After my regular book haul and the US book haul, now comes my Frankfurt Book Fair haul. I've got no idea where to put all the books I got in the past month. I need new shelves...haha. I attended the fair on Saturday and Sunday and met a few of my favourite German bloggers. On Saturday we went to an event with Libba Bray who promoted the release of her The Diviners in Germany. She was so funny and signed my (still unread) UK copy of The Diviners. It was a fun weekend and I'm already looking forward to Frankfurt Book Fair in 2015!

Thanks to Libba Bray for signing my copy of The Diviners!

Books, Books Books...

 

 Harper Collins

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis

The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Sourcebooks

Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards

See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne

 Penguin

Half Bad by Sally Green

Paper Towns by John Green

Sophomore Year Is Greek To Me by Meredith Zeitlin

Harlequin Teen

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

 

Scholastic

Famous Last Words by Katie Alender

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Books Crossing Borders

Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

 

Macmillan

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Scotland Publishers

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

Giveaway

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.  But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

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* You enter for a chance to win a copy of A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
* INTERNATIONAL (please check if The Book Depository ships to your country)
* The giveaway starts on October 14th and will end on October 31st
* Enter the rafflecopter form!
* Good luck :) 

4 Year Blogoversary Celebration

Source

Happy Birthday!
Today on August 10th 2014 Miss Page-Turner's City of Books turns 4! I can't believe how much has happened since I first started blogging. My pile of unread books has never been as big as right now. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Just think about all the reading adventures still ahead. I can never resist a book recommendation from a book blogger whose opinion I value and book taste I trust. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my blog over the years, commented on reviews and read interviews. I can't imagine a life without books and without the book talk on the blog and on Twitter. There are so many people around the world I've 'met' through book blogging and who I'd love to finally meet in person. But for now I can only hand out virtual birthday cake to everyone who comes to celebrate. And because there is always looking ahead and wishing to many more years of happy blogging and reading to all of us, I want to invite you to enter my giveaway for a pre-order of one of these 2014 releases.

Giveaway

Enter the rafflecopter widget below for the chance to win a  paperback copy of one of these books.

Atlantia by Ally Condie

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle
 Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
 Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan

Talon by Julie Kagawa
 The Young Elites by Marie Lu

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

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* You enter for a chance to win one of the books pictured above
* INTERNATIONAL (please check if The Book Depository ships to your country)
* The giveaway starts on August 10th and will end on September 7th
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Blog Tour: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain Q&A + Giveaway

THE SHADOW PRINCE was released March 11th 2014 and here's your chance to win a signed copy if you haven't read it yet. Of course you can always make it a gift for a good friend if you have read it. Also you don't want to miss my Q&A with Bree Despain. Hope you enjoy it!

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Tour Schedule

Monday, March 31, 2014

Icey Books — Guest Post + Giveaway
A Dream within a Dream — Review + Giveaway

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Karin's Book Nook — Giveaway
Curling Up with a Good Book — Q&A + Giveaway

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

GreenBeanTeenQueen — Guest Post + Giveaway
Bookaholics Anonymous — Review + Giveaway

Thursday, April 03, 2014

Book Briefs — Review + Giveaway

Friday, April 04, 2014

Two Chicks on Books — Guest Post + Giveaway
Cornucopia of Reviews — Review + Giveaway

Saturday, April 05, 2014

Jenna Does Books — Guest Post + Giveaway
Jean Book Nerd — Q&A + Giveaway

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Fire and Ice Blog — Guest Post + Giveaway
Live to Read — Review + Giveaway

Monday, April 07, 2014

Buried in Books — Review + Giveaway
Book Chic Club — Q&A + Giveaway

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

The Book Swarm — Review + Giveaway
The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia — Guest Post + Giveaway

Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Miss Page-Turner's City of Books — Q&A + Giveaway
Jump Into Books —  Review + Giveaway

Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Cozy Reader — Review + Giveaway
Mod Podge Books — Guest Post + Giveaway

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Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo. The Dark Divine is Bree's debut novel.

Find Bree on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads. 

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 Q&A with Bree Despain 

1) Daphne Raines grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere... uh, Utah. Her mother sternly kept her from leaving town and then suddenly her rock star father shows up and takes her with him to California. A move is a change of location but often signifies an impulse for personal transformation as well. So what's going on inside Daphne's head and heart in the first few chapters of THE SHADOW PRINCE?

Leaving home is both exciting and unsettling for Daphne. She has dreamed of getting out of her tiny town all of her life, but once the opportunity presents itself, it almost terrifies her. I think that’s a natural impulse. Sometimes we dream about something for so long that when we finally get it, we don’t know how to react or even if we want it anymore. Then there is the issue of reality never quite being the same as the dream. It’s quite a jarring realization and takes some adjustment. Daphne has always longed for freedom and adventure, but she also comes to appreciate the love and safety that home has to offer.

2) Where Daphne struggles with her new situation in Olympus Hills, Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has to adapt to life on the surface in general. To fulfill his mission and get Daphne to follow him back to the Underworld, Haden only needs the girl to fall in love with him. His attempts at flirtation are hilarious and clumsy to say the least. Haden could've easily used a lesson in 21st century flirting and dating. Which character from any of your favourite YA reads could you see as his teacher?

Hmmm . . . Perhaps Carswell Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles? He’s roguish and dashing, though Haden might misconstrue any advice he got from him. He’d probably mistake being roguish for being rude.

3) Music is very important for our heroine Daphne, she has incredible talent and dreams of being a singer one day. Which song is currently playing on her iPod and how does it make her feel?

I’m currently obsessed with the song “A King and a Queen” by Okkervil River. I’ve been listening to it on a loop this morning. My favorite part of the song goes: “But the best thing for you would be queen, so be queen. You're all that I need. Though I know that it never can be, I'd be pleased to post your decrees, to fall at your knees, to name all your streets and to sit down and weep when you're carried back through them and set down to sleep, and to lie by your side for sublime centuries, until we crumble to dust when we're crushed by a single sunbeam.” If Daphne were listening to this song, she would be wondering if it were possible to love someone this much…and trying to convince herself not to think about Haden when she contemplates love. Here’s a link so you can listen to the song. (But be warned, you might become obsessed as well.)

4) Haden has a hellishly cute sidekick. His pocket-sized cat Brimstone. How would you describe their bond?

Brimstone is based on one of my cats, Ava. She’s small (but not pocket-sized), shy, kind of ornery, and doesn’t like to be touched. She disdains everyone in the family—except for my 11-year-old son (who has sensory issues and is kind of stand-off-ish at first). Ava loves my son. She waits for him to get home from school, follows him everywhere, and cries outside his door when he goes to bed at night. She won’t let anyone else touch her, but she’d snuggle all day long with my son if she were able to. My son, who doesn’t always have the easiest time socially, feels special because Ava fawns over him and nobody else. They’re like two peas in a pod, and perfect companions for each other. This is how Haden and Brimstone are. They have a lot in common, both having been rejected by the only family they have, and share a special bond because of it. I think of Brim as the older sister Haden always needed. She’s fiercely loyal, she scolds him, encourages him, and even tries to help him out with the ladies. But whatever you do, don’t get her angry!

5) THE SHADOW PRINCE is your fourth book, after the THE DARK DIVINE trilogy. In how far has your writing or the writing process changed from your debut novel to THE SHADOW PRINCE now? Or has it changed at all?

My writing process has been completely different for every book I have written. I almost feel like I’m reinventing how I write every sing time I write a book. What worked for one, never seems to work for the next. I wrote my first book over the space of 4 years, meandering around without any outline—just working toward a vague idea I had for an ending. With deadlines, I’ve had to learn to adjust my process to be timelier. THE SHADOW PRINCE was by far my most organized book. I outlined the book scene by scene, writing a detailed description of what happens in each scene on a notecard. Because I was writing the book using alternating POVs, this allowed me to write several scenes from one character’s POV at a time, and then go back and fill in the missing scenes from the other POV.

6) What can we expect from the sequel to THE SHADOW PRINCE? Will Haden be shirtless...at least once?

I can’t say a whole lot about the sequel, but can hint that it has a couple of big twists that will hopefully surprise the readers. I will be sure to make Haden shirtless for at least one scene (just for you).

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 Giveaway

  

Thanks to Egmont USA I'm giving away a signed copy of THE SHADOW PRINCE. The giveaway is open to US and Can residents only and ends April 30th 2014.

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Hope enjoyed my Q&A with Bree and good luck for the giveaway! Now make sure to visit Jump Into Books for a review and another chance to win THE SHADOW PRINCE.

Book Review: Jewel of the Thames by Angela Misri + Giveaway

Title: Jewel of the Thames: A Portia Adams Adventure
Author: Angela Misri
Publisher: Fierce Ink Press
Publishing Date: March 25th 2014
Length: 256 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, mystery, 1930s, England, Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes
Source: Publisher

There’s a new detective at 221 Baker Street

Set against the background of 1930s England, Jewel of the Thames introduces Portia Adams, a budding detective with an interesting — and somewhat mysterious — heritage.

Nineteen-year-old Portia Adams has always been inquisitive. There’s nothing she likes better than working her way through a mystery. When her mother dies, Portia puzzles over why she was left in the care of the extravagant Mrs. Jones but doesn’t have long to dwell on it before she is promptly whisked from Toronto to London by her new guardian. Once there Portia discovers that she has inherited 221 Baker Street — the former offices of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Portia settles into her new home and gets to know her downstairs tenants, including the handsome and charming Brian Dawes. She also finds herself entangled in three cases: the first involving stolen jewelry, the second a sick judge and the final case revolving around a kidnapped child. But the greatest mystery of all is her own. How did she come to inherit this townhouse? And why did her mother keep her heritage from her? Portia has a feeling Mrs. Jones knows more than she is letting on. In fact, she thinks her new guardian may be the biggest clue of all.

Summary by Goodreads 

 

Finally! We have a new detective investigating the YA scene. As soon as you read more about Portia Adams and the cases she's got to solve, you can't resist to get drawn into her story.

Portia Adams makes careful observations and isn't too fast with her verdicts and assumptions. When she presents her view on a case and explains her theory, it's with certainty and not only a vague guess. She's an incorruptible and bright private eye for her very young age. You'll like that about her! Holmes and Watson would be proud of her, too. Knowing that she's living in Baker Street 221 now and working on her cases like a professional. Portia will let you take part in her current investigation and show you new discoveries. While Portia's solving her cases you'll sure learn something useful and curious.

Doesn't Portia moving into the quarters of Baker Street 221 give Angela Misri's story an almost mythical touch? I mean, those two, Holmes and Watson, are probably the world's most famous detective duo and have experienced much approval and quite a fandom in popular culture through TV, movie adaptations and merchanise. This story wouldn't feel as strongly linked to the original Sherlock stories and their appeal if it wasn't for the local proximity to the place that once housed Sherlock's original aura of detective grandness.
 

Angela Misri writes Portia's story as one cohesive story with the same setting and characters but opens a new "casebook", when one case is solved and the next begins. In retrospect, all three cases were very intelligent and not always too easy to solve. You can test your intuition and follow Portia on her investigations and see how she prepares for new situations, absorbs new facts and material to broaden her horizons in various fields. 

Despite its shortness, the story's pace was what dampened my early enthusiam about it to some extent. Meetings with Portia's new mentor and the promising relationship with Brian, the young constable trainee who lives in another Baker Street 221 apartment, weren't as revelatory and progressive as they could've been. Still I accept that a 20th century gentleman needs to take his time before he makes serious advances on a woman he fancies. Let's see how things develop in the next Portia Adams novel.

Also of interest is how Angela Misri interprets her London setting of the 1930s and the history of two fictional characters themselves, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and makes it her own. Sherlock Holmes was originally invented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century. It is fascinating to observe how a character and a story idea that worked so many decades ago, still have the power to draw readers these days in its ban. 

3,5/5 ***/* JEWEL OF THE THAMES: A PORTIA ADAMS ADVENTURE - An atmospheric 20th century London setting, clever cases and a young woman with an unerring instinct for truth and justice.

It's been a while since I've read a Sherlock Holmes' adventure and so JEWEL OF THE THAMES was a welcome reminder of how fun detective stories can be. Portia Adams is the woman you should consult if you are looking for your next YA book!

"My brow furrowed and I opened my mouth to ask what assets those might be, but was surprised
into silence by an old hand that reached between our two chairs to grasp mine. I looked down at our now joined hands and then back up at the older woman, surprised to see tears in her eyes for the first time since meeting her." ― p. 8

JEWEL OF THE THAMES you might enjoy THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by no other than the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. CLARITY by Kim Harrington is a chilling murder mystery of the psychic kind. And THE THOUSAND DOLLAR TAN LINE by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham is about 21st century Tv culture's most famous private investigator teen, Veronica Mars and her cases.

* Be on the look-out for Angela's next Portia Adams Adventure instalments. Click here to find out what they are about.

* Click here to listen to an excerpt of JEWEL OF THE THAMES.

* Have a look at Angela's Pinterest board A Portia Adams Adventure!

* For further information about Angela and her books visit www.aportiaadamsadventure.com.

* Thanks to Fierce Ink Press and Colleen McKie for providing me with a digital review copy!

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Tour Schedule 

March 17 Canlit for Little Canadians — Review
March 18 Canlit for Little Canadians — Q&A
March 19 Nayu’s Reading Corner — Review and Guest post
March 20 Escape Through the Pages — Review
March 20 Jalyn Ely — Review
March 21 Book Angel Booktopia — Spotlight Post
March 23 Glamorous Book Lounge — Review
March 24 The Tales Compendium — Review
March 25 Christine Plouvier, Novelist — Guest Post
March 26 Bookish Comforts — Review
March 26 The Fly Leaf Review — Review
March 27 Liberty Falls Down — Review
March 27 Miss Page Turner — Review
March 28 Miss Page Turner — Q&A
March 31 Rami Ungar The Writer — Q&A
April 2 L.S. Engler — Q&A
April 3 So Here’s Us — Guest Post
April 3 A Book Drunkard — Review

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Giveaway

Thanks to Fierce Ink Press I'm giving away an eCopy of JEWEL OF THE THAMES. The giveaway is open internationally, excluding UK residents, and ends April 15th 2014.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

November Giveaway #3

So many books have been piling up on my book shelves and I decided to do a weekly giveaway. You can enter my giveaway every Saturday and it'll run till Friday. See the list below the rafflecopter widget to see which books are available. The giveaway is open internationally. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Relic by Heather Terrell (ARC)
Wild Born by Brandon Mull (ARC)
Thirteen by Tom Hoyle (ARC)
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini (UK ARC)
Haunted by William Hussey  (UK ARC)  
What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Raising Demons - Rachel Hawkins

Spellbound - Rachel Hawkins

Vanish by Sopie Jordan

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Legend by Marie Lu (signed to Sarah)
Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt

Killer Heels by Rebecca Chance

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Imposter by Jill Hathaway

If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa 

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

November Giveaway #2

So many books have been piling up on my book shelves and I decided to do a weekly giveaway. You can enter my giveaway every Saturday and it'll run till Friday. See the list below the rafflecopter widget to see which books are available. The giveaway is open internationally. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Relic by Heather Terrell (ARC)
Wild Born by Brandon Mull (ARC)
Thirteen by Tom Hoyle (ARC)
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini (UK ARC)
From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer, Valerie Thomas
Haunted by William Hussey  (UK ARC)  
What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Raising Demons - Rachel Hawkins

Spellbound - Rachel Hawkins

Vanish by Sopie Jordan

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Legend by Marie Lu (signed to Sarah)
Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt

Killer Heels by Rebecca Chance

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Imposter by Jill Hathaway

If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa 

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro