Lisa’s Looking Forward To #61 – May 12th, 2020

Posted May 6, 2020 by Lisa Mandina in LLFT / 22 Comments

Once again I’ll be joining up with the Can’t Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.  Second week of the month post, which means almost as many books as the beginning of the month! As far as I know these are still scheduled to come out next week, even though I know that some publishing may be getting rescheduled. Anyway, here we go, and it’s a long list, so prepare to do some scrolling!

From my ARC list for May 12th, 2020:

Love the cover and sounds like a sweet fun read right in time for summer.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Netflix/Hallmark Channel rom-coms, this is the story of a girl who decides to give in to the universe and just say yes to everything, bringing her friendship, new experiences, and, if she lets her guard down, true love.

The perfect book to kick off summer! For as long as Rachel Brooks can remember, she’s had capital-G Goals: straight As, academic scholarship, college of her dreams. And it’s all paid off–after years of following the rules and acing every exam, Rachel is graduating at the top of her class and ready to celebrate by . . . doing absolutely nothing. Because Rachel Brooks has spent most of high school saying no. No to dances, no to parties, and most especially, no to boys.

Now, for the first time in her life, there’s nothing stopping Rachel from having a little fun–nothing, that is, except herself. So when she stumbles on a beat up old self-help book–A SEASON OF YES!–a crazy idea pops into her head: What if she just said yes to . . . everything?

And so begins a summer of yes. Yes to new experiences and big mistakes, yes to rekindled friendships and unexpected romances, yes to seeing the world in a whole new way. This book is a fresh and fun take on the coming-of-age novel that explores the quintessential themes of growing up: taking risks, making mistakes, and, of course, love. And who knows? Lindsey Roth Culli’s hilarious and heartwarming debut may just inspire your own SAY YES SUMMER.

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

Even though I’m having trouble with fantasy books right now, when I added this to my planner I wasn’t. Plus, look at that cover!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Five royal houses will hear the call to compete in the Trial for the dragon throne. A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will answer it. Who will win?

When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year, these five outcasts will answer the call….

THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.

THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.

THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.

THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free–he must take what he wants.

THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne.

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

I might be wrong on the publishing date on this one, some of the editions say February. But anyway, this one sounds like a good, but emotional read.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Izzy feels invisible. Trapped under the weight of expectation and censored by shame.

Her mum Steph and best friend Grace have always been there to save her. But with one under the control of her stepfather and the other caught in the throes of new love, Izzy is falling between the cracks.

As threats to her safety grow, Izzy wants to scream. But first she must find her voice.

And if the sky is the limit, then the sky is hers.

[This book contains material which some readers may find distressing, including discussions of rape, coercive behaviour, domestic violence and abuse.]

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

Another mental health type of story, which I guess May is Mental Health Awareness month, so it makes sense a lot of those would be coming out now.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A wildly witty and deeply profound chronicle of teenage anxiety and yearning, perfect for fans of Jesse Andrews and Robyn Schneider.

Dear Universe,
Sorry for interrupting you with my presence, but I’m wondering if you could have my back for once. I recently had a massive chin zit and a period stain you could see from space and my boyfriend kissed someone else and also my dad is dying faster than usual. If you could show up during my last English class so I can graduate and like achieve my potential or something, I’d appreciate it.

It’s senior year, and Chamomile Myles has whiplash from traveling between her two universes: school (the relentless countdown to prom, torturous college applications, and the mindless march toward an uncertain future) and home, where she wrestles a slow, bitter battle with her father’s terminal illness. Enter Brendan, a man-bun- and tutu-wearing hospital volunteer with a penchant for absurdity, who strides boldly between her worlds—and helps her open up a new road between them.

Dear Universe is the dazzling follow-up to Florence Gonsalves’s debut, Love & Other Carnivorous Plants, hailed by School Library Journal as “a must-have sharp, powerful, and witty immersion into the complexities of…mental health.”

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

This is just the perfect story for a booklover I think! At least it sounds like it to me. And the cover is awesome as well.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.

Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking it—and the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself.

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

So, not sure, but this either came out last week, or comes out this week, or doesn’t come out till June 2nd? Any way, I’ll go ahead and share because I have it down for next week and it looks good!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A novel about a Chinese-American teen who is thrust into the world of Beijing high society when she is sent away to spend the summer in China.

Iris Wang is having a bit of a rough start to her summer. In an attempt to snap her out of her funk, Iris’s parents send her away to visit family in Beijing, with the hopes that Iris will “reconnect with her culture” and “find herself.” Iris resents her parents’ high-handedness, but even she admits that this might be a good opportunity to hit the reset button.

Iris expects to eat a few dumplings, meet some of her family, and visit a tourist hotspot or two. What she doesn’t expect is to meet a handsome Mandarin-language tutor named Frank and to be swept up in the ridiculous, opulent world of Beijing’s wealthy elite, leading her to unexpected and extraordinary discoveries about her family, her future, and herself. 

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

An interesting sounding historical fiction/mystery type of story.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Miss Fisher’s Murder Mystery in this rollicking romp of truth, lies, and troubled pasts. 

New Year’s Eve, 1929. 

Millie is running the show at the Cloak & Dagger, a swinging speakeasy in the French Quarter, while her aunt is out of town. The new year is just around the corner, and all of New Orleans is out to celebrate, but even wealthy partiers’ diamond earrings can’t outshine the real star of the night: the boy in the red dress. Marion is the club’s star performer and his fans are legion–if mostly underground.

When a young socialite wielding a photograph of Marion starts asking questions, Millie wonders if she’s just another fan. But then her body is found crumpled in the courtyard, dead from an apparent fall off the club’s balcony, and all signs point to Marion as the murderer. Millie knows he’s innocent, but local detectives aren’t so easily convinced.

As she chases clues that lead to cemeteries and dead ends, Millie’s attention is divided between the wry and beautiful Olive, a waitress at the Cloak & Dagger, and Bennie, the charming bootlegger who’s offered to help her solve the case. The clock is ticking for the fugitive Marion, but the truth of who the killer is might be closer than Millie thinks..

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

So of course I’ll be reading this one and actually posting my review of this later this month. But I’ll have to purchase my physical copy next week from Barnes and Noble, because it will only be available there for a week before it goes to Kindle Unlimited.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Sometimes it takes an outsider to force us to see who we are. The real struggle is accepting what we learn.

For Beverly Townsen, nothing could be closer to the truth. Virtually a shut-in, Beverly has pulled back from Green Valley’s community, preferring the isolation of her farmhouse and her daily routine of viewing home improvement television shows. When the opportunity arises for her own home improvement and a personal re-assessment, she’s not so excited about the reality of real life versus DIY programs.

Jedd Flemming understands physical pain and personal loss, but it’s never stopped him from bucking forward in life. A former military man and rodeo star, his life as a nomad comes to an end with false accusations and a family matter back in the Valley. It’s been a long journey to find his way home and once there, there’s nothing he wants more than to reclaim what he’s lost…and maybe the elusive female reclusive who holds a sliver of his past.

With an unprecedented proposition, Beverly finds a stranger living in her barn, raising horses on borrowed pastures, and plowing his way into her vacant heart. Old hurts linger, but sometimes love in deed is louder than words.

Love in Deed is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #6 in the Green Valley Libaryseries, Green Valley WorldPenny Reid Book Universe.

Sound good? Add to Goodreads HERE.

Final Thoughts:

Eight this week, and I actually had four more that I now notice have been postponed or actually were released early! Are any of these on your TBR, or have you already read them? If so, which do you recommend? Leave me a link to your post in your comment and I’ll be sure to return the visit!

And while you’re here, if you have time, stop by my April Wrap-Up post and enter my giveaway for either a book from my giveaway stack if you’re in the US, or a book from The Book Depository for my international followers.

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22 responses to “Lisa’s Looking Forward To #61 – May 12th, 2020

  1. Oooh nice picks! Lots of new to me ones! I can’t wait to read House of Dragons either! Keep waiting for it to go on sale, but for months, Amazon and B&N have had it at full price. Sigh…I’ll keep waiting I guess! Lol.

    Hope you enjoy all of these once you get to read them!

    Thanks for visiting my WoW!

    • Lisa Mandina

      Was it already out? I keep finding books that I have on my list that changed pub date. I hope you find it on sale soon! Thanks for returning the visit!

  2. By the Book was soo good. I hope you love it as much as I did. I have Summer coming up, but the early reviews have me nervous. Most seem to think the MC is silly, but I have a feeling I might be ok with it. I hope they all work out for you

    • Lisa Mandina

      I didn’t think she was silly, I totally got her. Guess that means I’m silly? LOL!! Yeah, I’ve seen some reviews that make me feel like maybe I was too high in my rating, but that’s how I felt when I finished, so that’s what it got. Thanks for stopping by!

    • Lisa Mandina

      Same! Thought maybe I’d found someone to trade with on Twitter, but I didn’t have anything they wanted. Oh well! Thanks for stopping by!

  3. House of Dragons is my book club pick for the month. I’m very excited for it. Hope you enjoy it!

    Thanks for visiting Shell’s Stories!

  4. House of Dragons! How have I not heard of that one?! I want it! By the Book is one I keep seeing around, and want to try as well. I hope whichever of these you read you love–hopefully all of them!

    Have a great week!

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