#yafiction

Accomplished by Amanda Quain

About the Book

Title: Accomplished: A Georgie Darcy Novel
Author: Amanda Quain
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: July 26, 2022

Georgiana Darcy gets the Pride & Prejudice retelling she deserves in Amanda Quain’s Accomplished, a sparkling contemporary YA featuring a healthy dose of marching band romance, endless banter, and Charles Bingley as a ripped frat boy.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Georgiana Darcy should have been expelled after The Incident with Wickham Foster last year – at least if you ask any of her Pemberley Academy classmates. She may have escaped expulsion because of her family name, but she didn’t escape the disappointment of her big brother Fitz, the scorn of the entire school, or, it turns out, Wickham’s influence.

But she’s back for her junior year, and she needs to prove to everyone – Fitz, Wickham, her former friends, and maybe even herself – that she’s more than just an embarrassment to the family name. How hard can it be to become the Perfect Darcy? All she has to do is:

– Rebuild her reputation with the marching band (even if it kills her)
– Forget about Wickham and his lies (no matter how tempting they still are), and
– Distract Fitz Darcy — helicopter-sibling extraordinaire — by getting him to fall in love with his classmate, Lizzie Bennet (this one might be difficult…)

Sure, it’s a complicated plan, but so is being a Darcy. With the help of her fellow bandmate, Avery, matchmaking ideas lifted straight from her favorite fanfics, and a whole lot of pancakes, Georgie is going to see every one of her plans through. But when the weight of being the Perfect Darcy comes crashing down, Georgie will have to find her own way before she loses everything permanently—including the one guy who sees her for who she really is.

Purchase your copy here!


About the Author

Storyteller.
Adventurer.
Enthusiasm Enthusiast.
Collector of too many mugs.

Born in Orlando, Florida, Amanda Quain has spent most of her life figuring out the best way to tell stories. Whether it’s best suited for the page or the stage, she’ll follow the thread of a story wherever it takes her. In addition to her work writing both YA novels and plays, Amanda is a bookseller at One More Page Books in Arlington, VA. She is represented by Moe Ferrara at Bookends Literary Agency. She lives outside of Washington, D.C. with her husband and her cat.


My Review

Accomplished: A Georgie Darcy Novel
by Amanda Quain
Rating: 4/5

As someone who loves Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice, I was super excited to read a contemporary retelling but from Georgiana Darcy’s perspective. Due to the YA setting, I expected there to be teenage angst but the character development was a nice touch too.

Georgie was a typical teenager with a lot of privilege who trusted in the wrong person, Wickham, and is now trying to navigate her junior year of high school. Her struggles are real but got a little annoying and unsympathetic after she kept bringing up her woes. The immaturity and naiveté was relatable though and the author relates her obsession with her crush in a very realistic way. (I’m so glad I don’t do that anymore ;)) The story is a bit heavier with the situations Georgie ends up in – I thought her schoolmates were super mean and elitist bullies. There is a sweet love interest for her though which the original story did not have so that was nice. I loved Lizzie’s character and the advice she had for Georgie. Fitz’s character development was also a nice aspect of the story – his relationship with Georgie had its own progression that was very touching.

P.S. I also loved Charlie’s character so much! 😉

Highly recommend if you enjoy a modern, YA take on Pride and Prejudice from Georgiana Darcy’s perspective.

Content: 23 “f” bombs and some other swearing but not overwhelmingly so. No sex scenes.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

The Fabrication of Eden Pruitt by K.E. Ganshert

About the Book

Title: The Fabrication of Eden Pruitt
Series: The Eden Pruitt #1
Author: K.E. Ganshert
Genre: YA Fiction
Release Date: June 14, 2022

Studious and principled Eden Pruitt stepped out of line just once. Unfortunately, that reckless decision ended with an arrest, a mug shot, and two very concerned parents. Now they’re starting over. In Iowa, of all places. On the cusp of her senior year, of all times. The situation is less than ideal but she’ll just have to manage, and without complaint. The change of address was her fault after all, and she isn’t going to make anything harder on her parents, who have already been through enough.

But life in Iowa turns strange fast. Odd things are happening, and Eden has no idea what any of it means. Then she comes home from her first day of school to a ransacked house and the nightmare officially begins. Her parents are missing. She’s convinced something terrible has happened to them. But nobody believes her. Except for a hardened, mysterious stranger who is as dangerous as he is enticing.

Grab your copy here!


About the Author

Award-winning author, Katie (K.E.) Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write. Now she’s a full-time author torn between two genres: young adult fiction of the fantastical variety and contemporary fiction of the inspirational variety. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family. When she’s not penning novels, she volunteers as project manager for a non-profit that serves vulnerable women and children in her daughter’s birth country. You can learn more about Katie and her books by visiting her website (www.katieganshert.com). You can learn more about her heart for vulnerable women and children by Googling Reeds of Hope, The Lokumu Project.

Connect with her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Bookbub


My Review

The Fabrication of Eden Pruitt
by K.E. Ganshert
Book 1 in the Eden Pruitt series
Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. The author knocks it out of the park with a thrilling new YA adventure that hooks you from the start and holds you captive until the end. You won’t want to put the book down and once you do, you’ll want the next book ASAP. I am so excited for the next books in the series.

First, the book cover is gorgeous and I love the monochromatic look.
Second, I love stories with mystery, romance, suspense and sci-fi components. This book pretty much has it all and will keep you guessing. The writing is well written and fast-paced.
Third, the characters are well-developed with just enough to keep you interested but also craving more in future books. Eden Pruitt is a more complex character than initially suspected with many layers to uncover. Cassian is a very mysterious and interesting character that I can’t wait to read more about.
Fourth, the chemistry between Eden and Cassian is swoon worthy and that’s all I’m gonna say 😉

PG-13 content.

Highly recommend if you enjoy YA contemporary fiction with romance, mystery, sci-fi, and suspense.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.


Also Available

Entwined by Jody Hedlund

About the Book

Title: Entwined
Series: Knights of Brethren #2
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Release Date: December 7, 2021

During a time when legends were born . . .

ENTWINED

A princess cursed from birth, a loyal knight worthy of being king, and a sword that can determine their destiny.

After growing up on a remote farm, Lis learns she is the rightful heir to the throne of Norvegia. Even as she does her part to thwart a dangerous plot against the king, she resists pursuing her new identity and resigns herself to a simple life helping her elderly father with their farm.

With the king losing his mind, Sir Ansgar, the highest knight in the land, is desperate to save the sovereign he’s sworn to protect. But before Ansgar can uncover what is causing the king’s demise, he finds himself falsely accused of treason and dismissed from court.

In danger of losing his life, Ansgar takes refuge on Lis’s farm. Love soon blossoms between Ansgar and Lis, even as they realize a future together is impossible. Yet they must unite to save the kingdom from ever-growing forces of evil. Are their destinies entwined? Or will they be ripped apart forever?

The real story of Excalibur continues . . .

Purchase your copy here or read on Kindle Unlimited


About the Author

No 15

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

Connect with Jody: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bookbub | Goodreads


My Review

Entwined
by Jody Hedlund
Book 2 in the Knights of Brethren series
Rating: 4/5

“Everything about him was engaging—his determination to protect the king, his effortless way of conversing, his intelligence and wit, his strong and compelling presence.”

I just flew through this story and enjoyed every moment. The chemistry between lost Princess Lis and Sir Ansgar was so apparent even Red recognized it before the two humans. I was excited to read more in this series and the author did not disappoint. The characters are further developed and it was fun to see my literary “friends” again. Though you could probably read this story as a standalone, it would make a little bit more sense if you read the previous book, Enamored, first. I believe this series will be four books total and I will be reading more in this series.

“The greatest honor a man can experience is dying to himself and living for a greater cause.”

The author’s characters and settings are so well done and the loose retelling of the King Arthur world is beautiful. This story was such a fun escape into Arthurian times but also included some faith aspects which I found appropriate and not forced. Lis must come to grips with her past and her heritage. Ansgar must deal with accusations of treason while trying to protect the king. As frustrating as villains are, the author does a great job with developing her villains and setting up the next books.

“One can never gain something truly valuable without sacrifice.”

Highly recommend for those that enjoy an explosive love story with dragons, bargains, and the magic of the real Excalibur!

Content: Clean read with some violence and action scenes.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.


Also Available

Read my review of Enamored here.