BLOG TOUR: Remembrance by Meg Cabot Review and Giveaway

Today I am thrilled to be taking part in the final day of the blog tour for Remembrance, the 7th book in The Mediator series by the fabulous Meg Cabot, hosted by Me, My Shelf & I. Here are my thoughts on the book, and details on how you can win a copy of Shadowland, the first book in the series.

Series: The Mediator #7
Pages: 400
Source: Edelweiss
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: February 2nd 2016
Genre: Adult Fantasy & Paranormal
Buy The Book: Amazon - B&N
Goodreads

The highly anticipated return of Meg’s bestselling Mediator series featuring fan-favorite ghost whisperer, Susannah Simon.

You can take the boy out of the darkness. But you can’t take the darkness out of the boy.

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva). But when she’s hired as a guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.

What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you? If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.

From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child, to ghosts of a very different kind-including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is
certain must have come from the Devil himself-Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone to her wedding night. Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past-including one she found nearly impossible to resist-strike first? 

My Thoughts:
Where do I even start? The Mediator series was the love of my life whilst I was in my teens. It was the series that first drew me into the YA genre, a genre which I have remained hugely passionate about since then. I owe a lot to Meg Cabot and her books. I couldn’t believe it when Meg announced she’d be releasing an adult update to the series, and I have been eagerly awaiting it for the past couple of years. Suze and Jesse, all grown up. I was so excited!

Suze is engaged to Jesse, but they are far from being married yet. Jesse is trying to secure a grant to help further his medical career, and Suze is working for free at her old high school just to get some experience. And as if Suze wasn’t stressed enough, Paul Slater reappears in her life with news that he’s planning to demolish her old home, the house in which she and Jesse fell in love. 

First of all, let me start by saying how much I related to Suze in this book. No, I am not engaged to a ridiculously attractive, Spanish former-ghost, nor can I communicated with the dead, but I can totally sympathize with the several spot-on rants about graduate life. Having to work for free because no one is willing to pay you after college? I feel you, sister.  

Suze Simon is back on top form in Remembrance, and I was so happy to have her back in my life! She remains one of my all-time favorite female characters because I can’t get enough of her attitude. With confidence, wit, and plenty of sass, she’s an utter joy to read about, and her dialogue was as hilarious as ever. There really aren't enough characters like her in the literature world.

It was great to see Suze and Jesse working together on a ghostly mission once again, though it took me a little while to adjust to Jesse actually being alive this time around! He was back to being the oh-so-hot Spanish God I remember him being. Seriously, he will forever be my ultimate book-boyfriend. 

I also enjoyed getting to catch up with all of the other characters from the series and see how they were getting on now. Meg spared us no details on all the gossip. Seeing Suze’s step-brothers again was great, especially David (he’s still my favorite). Also, if it's possible, I think I love CeeCee more now than I did when I first read the series! Paul, on the other hand, I disliked even more this time around. He's still a complete slime-ball. Will he ever truly redeem himself? I have no idea.

As for the plot itself, it was full of twists and turns. Just when you thought you’d figured something out alongside Suze, a new detail was thrown into the mix. The story was filled with the same thrilling energy that the rest of the series always thrived on. There were also a few emotional scenes with regards to the sensitive subject at the heart of this plot that were handled well.

I’m so thankful to be given the chance to once more delve into the lives of these wonderful characters. There wasn’t one aspect of this novel the left me feeling disappointed, and I am delighted with the ending. Thank you to Meg for a wonderful addition to this series, it was everything I wanted it to be and more!

Royal Rating:

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. Over 25 million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, FL, with her husband. 

GIVEAWAY

One winner will get a physical copy of the first Mediator novel, SHADOWLAND Must be 13+ To Enter | Ships in US only | See Terms & Conditions for full contest rules before entering some restrictions apply

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REVIEW: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Bookish Details:
Series: Princess Diaries #11
Pages: 451 Kindle
Publisher: Macmillan (UK)
Release Date: July 2nd 2015
Source: NetGalley
Buy it From: Amazon UK - Waterstones

Synopsis:
In ROYAL WEDDING (William Morrow), Princess Diaries XI, Princess Mia’s planned nuptials to longtime love Michael Moscovitz are in jeopardy when the paparazzi uncover a startling secret: Mia has a long lost younger sister.

Now a scheming politico is using the royal scandal to force Mia’s father from the throne, leaving Genovia without a monarch . . . unless Mia can prove to everyone—especially herself—that she’s finally fit to rule.

ROYAL WEDDING will be the first ever adult installment of the Princess Diaries, published by the adult division of HarperCollins, the company that brought you the YA books in the series.

My Review:

If you're here expecting an informing and insightful review, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you're not going to find one. It's quite impossible for me to come up with anything that isn't overly emotional fangirling.

The Princess Diaries is one of my favourite series of all time, so you can imagine how shocked/confused/ecstatic/emotional I was when I discovered that Meg would be writing a new adult book in the series. I fell in love with Mia's story as a teen, and now I get to rejoin her in adulthood. I couldn't ask for more.

Oh how I have missed the journals of Mia Thermopolis. Catching up with her again after all these years has been such a joy, it's like reuniting with an old friend. She's still as hilarious as ever, and her dramatic life as a royal is just as entertaining to read about as it always was. The story takes place several years after the ending of the tenth book. Mia is now 26, she's still hopelessly in love with Michael, and unbeknown to her at the start, they're about to be engaged. I still adore her and Michael's relationship. And as the book says, he really is the world's greatest lover.

I enjoyed getting to see how the characters were doing in adulthood. Lilly is still wild, Tina is as sweet as usual, and I was completely shocked to see that Boris had become the world's hottest superstar. It was also great to see that Grandmere was her usual self. Her character is fabulously intimidating and always super hilarious. Mia trying to have a touching moment with her near the end of the book was brilliant.

This story takes place around the same time as Meg's spinoff series, 'From The Notebooks of a Middle School Princess' in which twelve-year-old Olivia discovers that she is Mia's half sister and a Princess of Genovia. Because I've read this part of the story from Olivia's perspective, it was great to finally see Mia's reaction to it all. She handled it in true princess style, keeping calm about it on the outside, yet freaking out in her journal.

Now, of course, I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't. BUT THE ENDING. I didn't expect the final few chapters at all, even though there were hints to it throughout the story. I had to put the book down for a little while and have an 'OHMYGOD' moment. It was such a cute surprise.  

Obviously, the book is called Royal Wedding, so it's not exactly a spoiler to talk about the wedding between Michael and Mia. His proposal was so adorable, and so Michael. The scene where Mia is trying on the wedding dresses is awesome because it brings together her friends and finally gives us a chance to see them all interact again.

I had so many high hopes for this book, and it delivered all of them and more. I've loved getting to reconnect with this series throughout the course of this book, and it tied everything up perfectly. Thank you to Meg Cabot for once again creating a story that has left me smiling from ear-to-ear.  

Royal Rating:

Of course I had to give the future Queen of Genovia the highest amount of crowns. 

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10 Reasons Why You Should Read The Princess Diaries

The Princess Diaries found me at the perfect time. I was fourteen, and as someone who kept a diary during my teens, I found myself drawn to a book that was written in a diary-style. I wasn't a huge reader at the time, but I gave it a try anyway. And then I didn’t stop. I faithfully followed the entire series right up until the last book was released. It sculpted my reading tastes, encouraged me to pick up more books, and gave me a genre to love. Since then, I haven’t stopped reading YA.

So The Princess Diaries holds a special place in my heart, and when Meg announced that she would be releasing an adult sequel, I was beyond excited. With Royal Wedding being released this June, (or July for us in the UK) I hope even more people will find their way to the series. I have so many reasons why you should fall into Mia’s world, but I’ve narrowed it down to ten.

10. The movie is good, but the books are way better.

I, like most of you, love The Princess Diaries movie. It’s cute, it’s heart-warming, and it’s perfect sleepover viewing (it also contains both Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, and that’s really awesome). But the books offer SO MUCH MORE. 

Seriously, you miss out on a lot. For example, if you have only ever watched the movie, and never read the books, you do not get to meet the wonderful gem on this earth that Tina Hakim Baba. And you also believe that Mia’s father is dead. But you are wrong. Very, very wrong.

9. The secondary characters are equally awesome

Like Boris, for example. Boris is that adorable, geeky guy that every good YA book series needs. He also provided one of my favourite scenes. It includes a world globe. That’s all I’ll say.

8. Grandmere is fierce

The Dowager Princess Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo is a spectacular character. When you think of grandmothers, you think of crinkled eyes and smiles, stories of the good old days, and baking cookies on a Sunday. Not this grandmother. She is intimidating, she is feisty, and if she doesn’t like you, she will tear you apart. She’s brilliant.

7. Lana Weinberger is more than just the cliché ‘bitch’ character

Lana is a cheerleader, she’s blonde, she dates the guys that every girl wants, and she is the girl that everybody wants to be. And, naturally, she’s Mia’s nemesis. But she becomes so much more than just the stereotypical, bitchy character that you first assume she is.

6. Mia may be a princess, but you can still relate to her

No, you can’t relate to her problem of having her every move followed by the world’s media, and you can’t possibly understand what it’s like to have the weight of an entire country on your shoulders, but you can relate to her as a person. She’s shy, awkward, and she messes up in front of the guys she likes. She's believable. 

5. Family and friendship are important themes

There are arguments and dramas between friends and relatives, but this series shows how important the people closest to you are, and how, in the end, they will always be there to support you. A particular aspect of the series that I like is how much Mia’s friendship with Lilly is tested. It’s no secret that high school can be a challenging time for best friends, and Mia being a princess changes things. It causes strains on the pair of them. But it shows that whatever you’re faced with, your best friends mean the world to you, and you can overcome anything together.

4. The writing is seriously funny

Meg effortlessly puts humor into her stories, and The Princess Diaries is full of funny moments. You will laugh until you cry, and you will have a smile on your face whenever you join Mia in her forever chaotic world.

3. Genovia

I like that Meg created her own fictional country for this series. The place sounds so absolutely gorgeous that I almost want it to be real. It’s exciting to watch Mia fall in love with the country she is princess of, and win its people over.

2. You WILL fall in love with Michael Moscovitz.

What is there not to love about Michael Moscovitz? He’s cute, he’s caring, and he has some seriously adorable romantic gestures up his sleeve. The love story between him and Mia is an epic one. But it’s not without its ups and downs, which only makes their relationship all the more believable. And most importantly, he adored Mia before he found out she had a crown. He’s dreamy and…wait, what do you mean he’s not real?

1. Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo

Of course, she is the number one reason why you need to immerse yourself in her diaries. She’s always entertaining, she’s a great friend, she’s brave, she’s fierce, and she’s basically everything you want in a character. But she isn’t faultless. I don’t know about you, but I’m always irritated whenever I read a YA book that has a seemingly ‘perfect’ protagonist. A girl that can do no wrong and is always selfless and positive. We all know life doesn’t work that way. We don’t always make the right decisions, and we’d be lying if we said we’ve never been selfish before. Mia has her flawed moments, especially when it comes to her relationship with Michael. She doesn’t always do or say the right things, but that’s okay. Part of why she’s a great character is because we get to see her learn and grow along the way. I loved joining her on her journey. 

So there you have it. That is why you need to read The Princess Diaries (if you haven’t already). No matter how old you are, this series is timeless, and it’s just as entertaining to me now as it was when I was a teenager.

For other posts from this year’s Meg-a-Readers, check out the weekly roundup posts over on The Romance Bookie! 

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REVIEW: Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess by Meg Cabot

Bookish Details:
Pages: 192 Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Release Date: May 21st 2015
Source: NetGalley
Buy it From: Amazon - Waterstones

Synopsis:
The first in a brand-new, funny, heart-warming illustrated Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot.

Olivia Grace is completely average. Or so she thinks . . . until Her Royal Highness, Princess Mia Thermopolis turns up at her school one day and whisks Olivia away to New York City! In a limo, no less! Where you can eat all the cookies you want and the ceiling lights up pink and purple - like a disco! But discovering that your father is actually the Prince of Genovia is quite a shock. Especially since it means you're a descendent of the Kingdom of Genovia, and a princess. Olivia's got a lot to learn about her long-lost family - and everyone's got a lot to learn about her!

Olivia chronicles her transformation from ordinary girl to princess in her notebook, with illustrations from Meg Cabot, who studied Fine Arts as an undergraduate.

My Review:

I usually only post reviews for books that are specifically YA, but of course, Meg Cabot is always an exception.

This story follows Olivia as she discovers that she is the half-sister of Princess Mia, and is a Princess of Genovia herself. After living with her aunt’s family since her mother’s death, she feels like she doesn’t have a true family of her own to be a part of.

After word gets out about her being a princess, courtesy of her jealous classmate, the infuriating Annabelle Jenkins, she discovers the truth about her life. After years of having only letters as her source of communication with him, Olivia finally gets to meet her father, Prince Phillippe.

This is a spinoff series of The Princess Diaries for the younger generation, and it will hopefully introduce a whole new batch of readers to Meg Cabot’s wonderful work. Since I spent my own teenage years reading The Princess Diaries, I adored getting to hear from some of my favourite characters again in this new series. The tone of the book and Olivia's voice reminded me why I fell in love with the original series.

It was also great to see the discovery of being a princess from a twelve-year-old’s perspective. Everything is exciting and dramatic. I loved the texts between Olivia and her best friend, Nishi. They are realistic voices for children growing up in the smartphone generation. That’s another reason why kids are going to adore this story, it’s filled with modern references that they’ll be able to recognise and relate to.

Olivia is such a cute protagonist, and her journey throughout this story is one filled with innocence and the beauty of finally finding a place to belong. Her narration of the story is believable and captures attention from the very beginning. And the sketches throughout the book are also super adorable!

This is a fast paced read that’s filled with fun, and I think younger readers are really going to love Olivia. Fans of The Princess Diaries will also enjoy getting the chance to have a little catch-up with Princess Mia before the release of the first adult addition to the original series. I look forward to what the future has in store for Genovia’s latest little princess.  

Royal Rating:

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Waiting on Wednesday: Awaken

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. "Waiting on Wednesday" spotlights upcoming releases that i'm eagerly anticipating.

Awaken by Meg Cabot
Release Date: July 2nd 2013

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, the dark re imagining of the Persephone myth comes to a thrilling conclusion.
Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.
Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.
But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.
If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.

The final book in the Abandon trilogy by the fabulous Meg Cabot! I'm super excited to see how the story ends for Pierce and John.

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Feature: But What About The Cover? #7

'But What About The Cover?' is going to be a weekly feature hosted by The Queen of Teen Fiction. I will be pitching two book covers from various countries up against each other to decide which one is best.

This week the cover spotlight is on Abandon by the fabulous Meg Cabot. Today I will be showing the US and the UK covers for the book.

                                                US                                                     UK

Now, this is way too hard for me to call. Both covers are absolutely stunning! I think that both of the covers represent the story and plot line well. I actually do own both covers because they are so pretty! I like the fact that the UK cover shows both Pierce and John. The design is very clever. That being said, the US cover is equally as eye catching!

So, this one is up to you! What cover do you prefer and why? Let me know!

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Meg-A Readers Blog Hop: I Will Be Forever Grateful

Hey Everyone!

I'm proud to be part of the fabulous Meg-A Readers Blog Hop hosted by The Romance Bookie and Little Miss Drama Queen. My post is about how The Mediator Series completely changed my opinion of reading! Enjoy!

I Will Forever be Grateful

I hated reading. No, really, I did. The worst day of the week at school for me was the day that we had a library session. I actually detested having to pick out a book to read for the week. So how exactly did I end up a complete bookworm within a few years? The answer: The Mediator Series. 

Back in 2008 the only book series I’d ever actually enjoyed reading was Harry Potter. And believe me, even that was a shock for me to have actually read them in the first place. I could just never get into books.

It was by a complete accident that I ended up with a copy of the first Mediator book. I actually won it in a school raffle but because books didn’t interest me, it was just left untouched in my room.

About a week later I fell ill with the worst cold. Since I was stuck in the house with nothing to do, I picked up The Mediator. For the first time in my life, I actually couldn’t put a book down. Even my own mother was like: “Wait, are you reading?? By choice??” 

I completely fell in love with Suze and Jesse. Before I knew it I had ordered the rest of the series from Amazon and was at the end of book 6, crying like a baby. I just loved every aspect of the story and every character was fabulous! 

After I finished the series I then went on to read all of Meg’s other teen books. It was her books that made me passionate about reading – and now I’m a full time bookworm! 

The Mediator is, to this day, STILL the best series I have ever had the pleasure of reading. And trust me, since The Mediator, I have read a lot of book series.

Not only did The Mediator inspire me to read, it also inspired me to draw. I decided one day to draw a fan art of Jesse and Suze because they were just that awesome and since then have continued drawing fan art.

I'm not the only one who Meg has inspired to read with The Mediator Series. My younger sister was constantly asking me how I could read so much, she found it boring. So, I of course gave her my copy of The Mediator and needless to say she is now a huge Meg fan. Win!

It’s safe to say that The Mediator changed my whole opinion on books. Without Meg’s awesome writing, I would never have fallen in love with reading and I would never have started to draw fan art. This blog wouldn’t even exist! For that, I will be forever grateful!

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Review: Underworld by Meg Cabot

Bookish Details:
Series: Abandon Trilogy #2
Pages: 320
Publisher: Point
Source: ARC
Release Date: May 8th 2012 (US)

Goodreads Summary:

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

My Review:

Oh. My. Gosh. I actually couldn’t put this book down. I am not joking. I think it was surgically attached to my hand. Underworld was well worth the agonizing one year wait.

So, I was lucky enough to win an ARC of Underworld from one of Meg’s fabulous competitions. I was so excited to read it! This second instalment in the Abandon trilogy did not disappoint. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me up into all hours of the night trying to find out what was going to happen next.

Underworld gives a much better insight to the characters of John and Peirce. I loved getting to know more about John *swoon* because he was such a mysterious character in book one. We also get to see Peirce grow as a character. I loved how strong she became and how she was willing to stop at nothing to help her cousin Alex, who ends up in danger.

I loved the additional characters that we meet in this book. They add more excitement to life in the Underworld and they defiantly add to the overall story. I was also happy to see more of Mr Smith again because he’s such a sweet character!

The thing I adored most about this book was the progression of John and Peirce’s relationship. You get to see so much more of their feelings for each other throughout the story and how they overcome the issues they face. Some scenes made me need to go and open a window ‘cause they were, you know, HOT. And I love how Meg manages to keep some humour in all of her books, Underworld is no exception.

The ending is a bitch. Simply because it makes you need to read what happens next immediately! But, unfortunately, it’s going to be long wait! I’m so excited to see how this awesome story concludes next year. Be sure to grab a copy of Underworld when it hits bookshelves May 8^th and if you haven’t read Abandon yet (how could you not???) then go read it!

Royal Rating:

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