The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart. 1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer... 

I really like this historical fiction books and this time period seems to draw me in. I liked this author when she wrote The Alice Network, so I figured this would be a worthwhile read. I liked how the character Osla was a real person who also dates Prince Philip in real life.  I also finished this book just before Prince Philip's death.  I liked the character development and how it shares their experiences and how they grow as individuals.  So if you like historical fiction then this book is for you. Give this book 4 stars. 

 

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
 J
 
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
 
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
 
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
 
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

This book was interesting, intense and sad at times.  It was great that Finch & Violet found a connection within one another, but in the end it wasn't enough to overcome mental illness.  I found out that this book was also a Netflix film that I plan to watch and compare.   I would give this book 3 stars. 

 

 

American Royals (American Royals #1) by Katharine McGee

 

What if America had a royal family?

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling.

Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her.

And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

        The first part of this story talked about how the royal family comes to be.  It was at the end of the revolutionary war and they offered the Kingship to George Washington. The problem I had with this is that they reason they people fled from Europe and started the war is that they didn't want to be under a king. They wanted a democracy, so if George Washington and the people around them believed that, then why did he accept to be king. 

        This book was full of drama, drama, drama and some romance. They seemed to have first world problems, and some of them figure out that when it is pointed out by some who are less fortunate.  I had to really listen as I was trying to keep track of all the characters and their storylines and how they interwove with each other.   But in the end I just wanted to see how it ended and I am waiting for the next book to come into queue. 

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It's supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother's even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can't imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen's well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls.

Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen's own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found.

I waited a little while for this book as it seemed quite popular on my audiobook app. I had a little bit harder time getting into this one compared to other Katherine Center books I had read. But it really kicked in when the romance aspects starting kicking in and then in the wilderness I liked it. I am not an avid hiker & wouldn't do this hike like ever, but it seemed to really work for her and Jake.   So if you like Katherine Center, I would definitely add this one to the list of to-read. 

 

The Princess and the Fangirl (Once Upon a Con #2) by Ashley Poston

 

The Prince and the Pauper gets a modern makeover in this adorable, witty, and heartwarming young adult novel set in the Geekerella universe by national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year's ExcelsiCon isn't her last, she'll consider her career derailed.

When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That's easier said than done when the girls step into each other's shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these "princesses" race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

This is the second book in the Once Upon a Con series.  This one is from the viewpoint of one of the first books characters that was mentioned a little. This book goes more in depth of her life and her experiences.   I did like the first book better, but this one was also fast paced, but I still found that the main character, Jessica Stone was still a bit of self absorbed.  But together as a team they were able to solve the problem that arose in the storyline. 

Geekerella (Once Upon a Con #1) by Ashley Poston

 

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

The cover of this book caught my eye and looked intriguing.  I have always liked fairly tales that are reimagined.  I liked how this one had a version of a sci-fi element into the story.  I liked how this was like a movie was playing out in my head.   I liked the character development and I liked the ending and how her new friend comes to the rescue.   I would recommend this book for any fairy tale, sci-fi fan.  It was a cute, quick paced story. 

The Betrothed (The Betrothed #1) by Kiera Cass

When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.

This storyline threw me a little & made me think of how these girls were brought up just to be there for the king as prospective brides & not really educated in the issues & world around them.  Hollis is a smart girl, & thinks through her answers she gives to the king. When she meets the new family that come to court with secrets, she is immediately intrigued. In the end she follows her heart even though it goes against what her family wants.  She also has to deal with betrayal and tragedy which do add to the storyline, but I had a hard time with how it all went down.  In the ending part of the story it reminded me a lot of the Bible story of Ruth & how she follows her new family  into the unknown & to trust them.  I had read after this book that there is a sequel to be released later this year, which hopefully will flow smoothly & conclude her story.

 

Country Bride by Debbie Macomber

Kate Logan is devastated when Clay Franklin, her former fiance and the man she's always loved, marries Rorie Campbell instead. But at Clay's wedding--and after a glass of champagne too many-- Kate proposes to her longtime friend, rancher Luke Rivers. Luke accepts her proposal--and refuses to renege on his promise. What's more, he insists that Kate doesn't love Clay--she loves him--

I think this book was a sequel to another book by this author.  When looking up the description via good reads.com I realized this.  It would explain that when this book started out why it describes her love for this man and his new wife & how they met.  I may go back and read the first part, just so I can get the whole picture, but this book definitely stands on its own.