ARC Review: A Scandalous Bargain by Darcy Burke

November 25, 2020November 22, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Thanks to NetGalley and Darcy Burke Publishing for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Scandalous Bargain (The Pretenders #2)
Publisher: Darcy Burke Publishing
Publication Date: 10 November 2020
Genre: Historical Romance
Panda Rating:

Tricked into marriage five years ago, Thomas Devereaux, Lord Rockbourne is suddenly a widower. Rumors abound that his wife’s death may not have been an accident and given the troubling secrets Thomas keeps buried, even he isn’t entirely sure. But when a woman sees what happened, he agrees to accept her help to disguise the facts in exchange for not divulging her suspicious behavior. Their arrangement grows more complicated under the force of a scorching mutual attraction.

Abandoned by her father—a duke—after the death of her mother—his beloved mistress—Beatrix Linley has fought to become a daughter he could be proud of, that he would regret leaving. She becomes the toast of the Season until her penchant for pilfering pretty things threatens to expose the illicit past she needs desperately to remain hidden. Soon the scandal and darkness both Beatrix and Thomas fear comes to light, compelling them to finally face their demons—and potentially driving them apart forever

#WWWWednesday: 18 November

November 18, 2020November 18, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last Wednesday, I’ve managed to finish ~~two~~ one-ish book(s)! Whoops… I feel like I managed to read more over the last week but I guess my mind is just playing tricks on me 😂

Born at Dawn (Da’Valia Trilogy #1) by Christina Davis ★★★★☆
This was such a fun book and I sped through it so quickly! It was fast-paced and full of action from the very beginning and you can’t help but be sucked into the world that Davis creates. While the world building felt clunky at times, I really liked the characters and I’m so curious about what happens next! Check out my full review!

The Boy, the Wolf and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza ★★★★☆
Okay, I’m cheating a little bit with this one because I still have a teeny bit to finish, but unless something drastic and awful happens in the last 10% this is defo going to be a 4 star! It was so hard to put this down after my lunch break 😭 It’s such a great MG fantasy! My blog tour review is up tomorrow so be on the look out!

Blog Tour Review: The Forgotten Gift by Kathleen McGurl

November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

I’m back with another blog tour today with Rachel’s Random Resources for The Forgotten Gift by Kathleen McGurl. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to click on the banner below to check out the other bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: The Forgotten Gift
Release Date: 11 November 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Panda Rating:

What would you do to protect the ones you love?

1861. George’s life changes forever the day he meets Lucy. She’s beautiful and charming, and he sees a future with her that his position as the second son in a wealthy family has never offered him. But when Lucy dies in a suspected poisoning days after rejecting George, he finds himself swept up into a murder investigation. George loved Lucy; he would never have harmed her. So who did?

Now. On the surface Cassie is happy with her life: a secure job, good friends, and a loving family. When a mysterious gift in a long-forgotten will leads her to a dark secret in her family’s history she’s desperate to learn more. But the secrets in Cassie’s family aren’t all hidden in the past, and her research will soon lead her to a revelation much closer to home – and which will turn everything she knows on its head…

Discover a family’s darkest secrets today. Perfect for fans of The Girl in the Letter, The Beekeeper’s Promise and The Forgotten Village!

BUY NOW: Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

#WWWWednesday: 11 November

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last Wednesday, I’ve managed to finish seven books, three of which were overdue graphic novel ARCs that I got on NetGalley. I don’t know why I put those off for so long but I’m glad that I finally read them and can tick them off my endless to-read list! 😂

Mistletoe & Mr. Right (Moose Springs #2) by Sarah Morgenthaler ★★★★☆
I loved the quirky weird charm of The Tourist Attraction, but I really connected with Lana and Rick and very quickly fell in love with their love in this book! I loved coming back to Moose Springs, although the townspeople were a little harder to love. Lana and Rick both stole my heart and I loved that they were such opposite characters but complemented each other so well. Check out my full review!

The Grémillet Sisters: Sarah’s Dream by Giovanni Di Gregorio, Alessandro Barbucci ★★★☆☆
I requested this because the artwork looked like my favourite kind and I wasn’t wrong! The art style threw me back to my good old W.I.T.C.H. comic reading days (anyone else remember that one?!) and I loved it. The dynamic between the sisters was relatable and the mystery intriguing, but I really wish we got more background… Check out my full review!

ARC Graphic Novel Review: The Grémillet Sisters by Giovanni Di Gregorio, Alessandro Barbucci

November 8, 2020November 7, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads: Sarah’s Dream (The Grémillet Sisters #1)
Publish date: 15 July 2020
Publisher: Europe Comics
Genre: Graphic Novel
Panda Rating:

Being sisters is never easy. But when you’re as different as Sarah, Cassiopeia, and Lucille, it’s even harder! The first is haunted by recurring dreams, the second lives with her head in the clouds, and the last spends most of her time with her cat. Then one day they discover a mysterious photo of their mother pregnant. Where was it taken, and who is the baby? And most importantly, why was this photo hidden away in the depths of the attic? To find out, they’ll have to venture into the tangled forest of the Grémillet family secrets!

ARC Review: Mistletoe & Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler

November 7, 2020November 12, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mistletoe & Mr. Right (Moose Springs #2)
Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
Publication Date: 06 October 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:

How the moose (almost) stole Christmas.
Lana Montgomery is everything the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska can’t stand: a rich socialite with dreams of changing things for the better. But Lana’s determined to prove that she belongs…even if it means trading her stilettos for snow boots and tracking one of the town’s hairiest Christmas mysteries: the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch hell-bent on destroying every bit of holiday cheer (and tinsel) it can sink its teeth into.

And really…how hard could it be?
The last few years have been tough on Rick Harding, and it’s not getting any easier now that his dream girl’s back in town. When Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the Santa Moose, it’s clear she needs help, fast…and this could be his chance to finally catch her eye. It’s an all-out Christmas war, but if they can nab that darn moose before it destroys the town, Rick and Lana might finally find a place where they both belong…together.

While I enjoyed the weird charm of The Tourist Attraction, I feel like I connected so much more with this second book. I wasn’t sure whether I would like Lana at the end of book one as she seemed a bit of an aloof friend, but this showed me that there’s so much more to her than meets the eye. Was her character a bit of a “not like other rich girls” cliche at times? Maybe! But that really didn’t make me enjoy this story any less!

October 2020 Monthly Wrap Up!

November 5, 2020January 2, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads21 Comments

Well, it’s now the second to last month of 2020 and I don’t know whether to be relieved or cringe at how much there’s still left to do in both my personal and work life, as well as when it comes to reading all the books! Time’s definitely flying although the latter part of October did seem to slow to a crawl (at least for me), and some days ended up feeling like weeks. I bet that’s definitely not going to happen this month though especially with everything that’s on my agenda and it’s low-key giving me some pretty intense anxiety. Welp! 😫 But anyway, let’s stick to the books, right?

In October, I managed to read 17 books. It’s not bad considering my reading slowed down considerably at the end of the month! It was a heavy fantasy month, with sprinklings of contemporary and a dollop or two of historical fiction. I actually didn’t DNF a book in October (yay!) and for the most part, I really enjoyed a lot of my reads although I had no five stars this month! So without further ado… Let’s take a look at what I got through!

#WWWWednesday: 04 November

November 4, 2020November 8, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

It’s funny how an event on the other side of the world has been able to consume my day, as if I really have any stake at all in what’s happening over there. All my friends and many colleagues have been ridiculously preoccupied by the elections, and we’re all waiting with bated breath to see what happens next. It’s been tough watching and it’s still going, but I’m with you all in spirit and really thinking of you, friends! If you need to be distracted, please reach out!

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

It’s still been pretty slow going on the reading front and I think it’s because I’m so distracted by all the books that I want to read and can’t decide which comes first. Since last Wednesday I’ve finished four books and I’m happy to say that all of them were really enjoyable and it was a week of solid fours!

Love Offline by Olivia Spring ★★★★☆
I read this for a blog tour and it was a really fun story full of realistic characters and relatable experiences! The romance was heartwarming and the chemistry between our characters was undeniable. Definitely recommended for those who love a contemporary romance that’s sure to make you laugh and is full of quirky charm! Read my review

The Highland Laird (Lord of the Highlands #8) by Amy Jarecki ★★★★☆
I swooped in on this after reading Julie’s review and well, I’m definitely sold on Scottish historical romances 🤣 I mean, oof. This was such a wonderful romance! The H/H were both great characters and they stole my heart. Despite being total opposites they understand each other more than anyone else, and they truly bring out the best in each other. I adored their love. Review to come!

#WWWWednesday: 28 October

October 29, 2020October 28, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

Ugh, I’ve been hitting struggle town real hard since last week but… is it just me or is this week lasting forever? I can’t believe it’s Wednesday but I really wish it was already Friday 😂

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

It’s been a slow time for reading lately and it’s not just playing my Switch that has me distracted. I’ve been in a reading mood but haven’t been able to really settle on anything lately, and since last week I’ve only managed to finish three books.

Beneath Black Sails (Beneath Black Sails #1) by Clare Sager ★★★★☆
This was an undeniably fun, fast-paced and action-packed story that was able to fully absorb my attention and that’s why I’ve rounded up and kept my review at four stars. There are things that irritated me about the characters and the world-building was lacking, but this was the most pirate filled (romance)fantasy that I’ve ever read and I was here for its pure entertainment. Review coming soon.

#WWWWednesday: 21 October

October 21, 2020October 21, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last week’s update I’ve only managed to read two books. The struggle has been super real what with work really draining my energy, and it feels like I finished reading something other than these two books but… I guess not. Perhaps I’ve just lost the plot and have started making things up? 😂

The Magic Ingredient by Lindy Miller ★★★½
The perfect autumnal romance about second chances, family and discovering what’s important. This was a super sweet and wholesome romance that’s set against the backdrop of a small community, and it has all the wonderful small-town quirkiness that I love in these types of novels! Also, this made me crave sweet desserts like never before! I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to get my hands on a whoopie pie so badly 😂 Read my review.