Hi, Shelby! Welcome back! It’s been about five years since we last spoke. How have you been and what have you been up to?

Hiiiiii! I’ve been great, and I hope you have been too. It’s hard to believe I’ve written three books since we last spoke, yet here I am, staring down at the most recent of them on my desk. What a wild ride it’s been.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve always loved to read. It’s a passion I inherited from my mother, who, in a single month, reads probably triple the number of books I read all year—mostly romance, with some paranormal and romantasy sprinkled in too. When I was in first grade, she read my first fantasy book to me, and I took to it with such fervor that my school librarian wrote home a few years later; she said I needed to slow down, or else I’d run out of books to read. I didn’t slow down, of course, and I didn’t run out of books either. It drove my friends crazy when I pulled them out during every free minute of class. In hindsight, I don’t blame them at all. I was totally a teacher’s pet all through my school career.

Even so, I still remember my mom’s extensive Nora Roberts collection. She kept those books locked away in her office, and though she forbade me from peeking at them “until I was older,” I snuck in there at every opportunity from about seventh grade and onward. We can laugh about it now, but I’m pretty sure she wanted to tear her hair out at the time. 

I didn’t start writing stories until college—we’ll skip right over the cringey poetry I wrote in middle school—but I didn’t carve out the necessary time to finish any of them until many years later. I’d just had my second child when I sat down to write Serpent & Dove, and writing that book became as much about reclaiming my identity outside motherhood as it did about the words themselves. But that’s a story for another time!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, or maybe The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
• The one that made you want to become an author: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carsine Levine—I still adore this book and have tried in vain to force it upon my two oldest children, who really don’t know what they’re missing.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: If we’re sticking to the theme of foundational childhood reads, I’ve never been able to forget The Arkadians by Lloyd Alexander. I cracked this one open again a few years back, and my god, it informed so much of Serpent & Dove without me even realizing. A corrupt and patriarchal kingdom, witchy women associated with snakes (there’s literally an oracle called the pythoness), talking animals, etc…

The Shadow Bride is the follow up to The Scarlet Veil and it’s out March 25^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Darker, angstier, slow-burn romance?

What can readers expect in the duology’s conclusion?

Expanding on my previous answer, The Shadow Bride is like the emo little sister of The Scarlet Veil. It starts only a couple of weeks after the end of The Scarlet Veil—with Célie adapting, or rather, not adapting, to life as a newborn vampire and navigating new terrain in her relationships with friends and family. Though we’ve heard about her mother and sister throughout the Serpent & Dove trilogy and The Scarlet Veil, they both walk onto the page for the first time in The Shadow Bride, as does a new and diabolical villain. With him comes even greater problems—including a torn veil and undead creatures called revenants—but the greatest danger of all, at least to Célie, is Michal.

He refused to let her go at the end of The Scarlet Veil, and Célie has no idea what to do about it. No idea what to feel about it, except that her new immortal body definitely feels something. Their slow-burn, not-quite-enemies-but-definitely-not-friends relationship is at the heart of this book, and it was truly a privilege to write. I absolutely adore them. To me, they share this rare dynamic where they truly accept all versions of the other—the good, the bad, and the ugly. And in Michal’s case, he not only accepts Célie at her worst, but also reveres her. If you love reading a hero who’s just absolutely infatuated with the heroine, I think you’ll appreciate Michal’s and Célie’s arc in The Shadow Bride.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

Now this is an intriguing question—because yes, and I’ve been foaming at the mouth to talk about it! Specifically, there’s a romance in The Shadow Bride that I didn’t plan or expect, yet when these two characters stepped on the page together, their chemistry had me squealing and kicking my feet. The end of the book stretched a lot longer after I realized there was something between them. I just couldn’t help sprinkling their banter throughout the last act, hinting at their future in the epilogue. I have no plans to write another spin-off in this universe, but if I ever did, it would be about them.

Did you face any challenges with the installment? How did you overcome them?

Five books into my career, the greatest challenge I faced with The Shadow Bride remains the same as with every book since Serpent & Dove. Time. For many reasons, it takes longer than I’d like to draft a book, and deadlines—though a necessary evil—invoke a fight or flight response from my creativity. Usually flight. At this point, no matter how much I prepare or plan, it’s become part of my process to hit a wall about halfway through the manuscript, usually followed by a mental breakdown, and tearfully request an extension. My team has always been very gracious with me, but of course this means my books haven’t published on the standard timeline. Case in point: The Scarlet Veil published in 2023, and The Shadow Bride isn’t publishing until 2025. That’s a long time to expect readers to wait between books, especially teen readers aging out of my demographic. If you’re one of those readers, I’m truly sorry. Hopefully The Shadow Bride will be worth the wait. 

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a proposal for my adult debut! It’s a very exciting and very terrifying time, but I’m having so much fun getting to know these new characters and their world—which might actually be familiar to some of you? I can’t say much else as the project hasn’t actually sold, but I’m crossing every limb to speak more about it later this year. As with all my books, romance is the heart of the story, though the tropes this time around are a little different—it’s a second chance romance, though I’d more accurately call it friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. Lots of history and hard feelings and angst between these two!  

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

This might be cheating as I’ve already picked up this book, but I was lucky enough to read an early copy of Bitten by Jordan Gray last year; it became an instant favorite, and it hits shelves on September 30, 2025. If you love classic paranormal YA—think Hush, Hush or Twilight but with a modern voice—you’re going to adore this book. It follows Vanessa after werewolves brutally murder her best friend, biting her in the process and whisking her away to their glittering fey court where she transforms into a monster. Though she swears to find and kill the werewolves who slaughtered her friend, she also can’t help but fall for their charming yet irreverent prince, Sinclair, and perhaps—but definitely not—his surly bodyguard, Calix. It’s got everything I love in a book: werewolves and forbidden romance and knife-sharp tension, whimsical worldbuilding and balls and just enough grit. Female rage from a just-like-other-girls heroine doing her best amidst tragic circumstances. Please do yourself a favor and put Bitten on your TBR!

Chapter Nine
Petite Menteuse

His blood surges into my mouth, thicker and faster than expected. Hotter. It streams down his throat and shoulder, across my chest, until it paints both of us scarlet. I don’t stop, however. I can’t stop. Though tears pour down my cheeks, though he thrashes against me in shock and horror, spluttering incoherently, I merely thread my arms beneath his shoulders and drag him lower, closer. Easing my access. “C-Célie—” He seizes my waist and attempts to pry me away. “Célie, stop—”

I hardly feel his efforts. His hands could be a gentle caress. Indeed, as his blood fills my body, it becomes startling easy to hold him. To keep him with me forever. Mine. The thought rises like a snarl—and perhaps I do snarl, my teeth sinking deeper—because Jean Luc scrabbles at my nape now, my hair and nightgown, desperate to find purchase. And his fear—I can sense it, scent it, sharper than blood magic and just as potent, even inebriating. It floods the entire alley until I might drown in it, and my jaw clamps instinctively in response. My tongue works frantically. Wasting it. I am wasting his lifeblood, but I cannot control the flow, cannot do anything except bear him to the street and trap him between my knees, pinning his useless hands to the cobblestones. Because I need more of it.

I need more.

Before I can properly adjust my bite, however, my ribs erupt in agony.

“Let him go!” Brigitte’s calloused hands replace Jean Luc’s, and she screams, tearing at my arms before sliding his silver Balisarda through my ribs once more. Twice. Three brutal strokes. Though I choke, snarling and twisting away from her—delirious with pain, burning—my hands refuse to relinquish him. My teeth remain in his throat, even as his movements grow slower. Weaker. Brigitte lifts his Balisarda to strike again, her eyes crazed with fear. The scent only goads me further. “Get away from him! I said get”— she grits her teeth with effort, still swinging wildly—“away!” She hacks at my arms now, merciless in her assault. “Help! Help!”

In a sickening circle of life, however, Jean Luc’s blood heals my wounds as soon as they open, and Brigitte’s sobs soon join my own. “Help!” Her shrieks split the dawn like an axe. “Someone please help us! Please!” In one last, desperate bid to free him, she swings the Balisarda high, higher, before embedding it in my neck.

Pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt rends my body in two. Because this time, she leaves the blade half-buried in my flesh, and I feel every inch of it as I turn, slowly, to face her.

Lethal purpose pounds through my chest as I wrench the Bal- isarda away, as I toss it to the ground and rise to my feet. Though the wound doesn’t heal instantly, vanishing like the others, the skin still knits itself back together. It leaves an angry puckered line.

Too late, she realizes her mistake. Her eyes widen when my lip curls. Her breath catches when my vision sharpens, bleeding red, and—after a split-second deliberation—she darts up the alley in an obvious attempt to lure me away from Jean Luc. And I will oblige her. Oh, yes. I will give her exactly what she wants, and I will relish watching that bright, cold light leave her eyes as she dies to protect him. Blood roars in my ears. Though her gaze darts frantically for a means of escape, there is none.

If she runs, I will catch her, and already my knees bend in anticipation, my entire body trembling, tightening, because I hope she does—I hope she runs.

As if in slow motion, she turns to do just that. And I attack.

It takes less than a second for arms of iron to wrap around my chest, pinning my own to my sides. His scent engulfs me next— rich, decadent—and heat coils tight within my belly in response. Michal. And now I am the one thrashing in vain, seething and snarling against him, helpless to move until he frees me. I should’ve known he wouldn’t leave. I should’ve known he’d interfere—

“Hello again, pet.” His voice drips with apathy, and he shakes his head, heedless of my efforts to snap his shin with my heels. “We really must stop meeting like this.”

“Let me go,” I snarl.

“As much as I’d enjoy watching you eat your fiancé, I don’t care much for the mess it’ll leave behind.”

“I hate you—”

“I know you do, Célie.”

I shudder convulsively at my name on his lips. And I hate my reaction—I do. I hate him. With a vicious curse, I writhe and twist, driving my elbows into his ribs. Attempting to create space, to loosen his grip. My skin tingles intolerably where he touches me, and—and he cannot be here. I told him to leave. Though Jean Luc presses a hand to his throat to stanch the bleeding, the scent of his blood still entwines with the delicious scent of the vampire behind me, the scent of fear. My head spins with it all—each scent more potent than the last—until I am mindless in his arms, delirious. Until all I can hear is the sluggish beat of Jean Luc’s heart and the rapid beat of Brigitte’s.

Until all I can see is scarlet upon the cobblestones, down my front. It coats Michal’s leather sleeves now too.

It makes them slick.

“Y-You’re him,” Brigitte stammers, her face white as she stares at us. “Captain Toussaint told us about you. He said you’re the one who stole her away, who turned her—”

“I suggest”—Michal jerks his chin toward the Tower as she searches frantically for the Balisarda—“you take the good captain and leave, telling no one what transpired here. Vampires have no quarrel with huntsmen.” I can almost hear his eyes flash as he adds, “Yet.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, leech.” In lieu of a Balisarda, Brigitte hurls the word like a weapon. “The Chasseurs will have heard me. They’ll be here any moment, and you and that succubus will get what you deserve—”

“Don’t be foolish, Brigitte.” His teeth grind as my nails claw at his forearms, shredding leather and linen and skin. Drawing fresh blood. His blood. The scent of it breaks over me like a wave. It further lubricates his sleeves. “As we speak, my cousin is waiting outside to compel your precious brethren to return to their rooms. It turns out no one heard your screams after all.”

Brigitte trembles all over now, yet with a shout of triumph, she swoops low and snatches Jean Luc’s Balisarda from the shadows near the steps. “Then I’ll kill you myself,” she says. “I’ll drive this dagger straight through your cold, dead heart.”

My gaze snaps upward at that. Unbidden, a low and guttural sound tears from my throat—a sound I’ve never made before—and I twist again to face her, slipping beneath the slick fabric of Michal’s sleeves. For a single, glorious second, nothing stands between me and Brigitte. I start toward her too swiftly for my mind to follow, to make sense of the sudden fury licking up my spine.

Before I can tear out her throat, however—before I can feast— Michal appears between us. When I snarl again, attempting to dart around him, he sidesteps, and I crash into his chest, too slow to counter him. Brigitte seizes the opportunity to lunge at his back with the Balisarda, but he swats it aside with rapidly thinning patience. When it skids—useless—behind me, Brigitte regains her senses and retreats to Jean Luc’s side.

I glower at her from behind Michal, hissing softly.

She drops to her knees in response, looping her arms under Jean’s shoulders and attempting to drag him backward. Away from me.

A mistake.

It’s like someone else has taken control of my body. All I can see is her hateful face, her hands on Jean Luc, and none of this makes sense. He doesn’t belong to me—I know that—yet the scent of his blood, the scent of Michal, nearly cleaves my body in two with wanting. My spine actually bows with hunger, with pain, and I lunge, baring my teeth, snapping at them—

Michal’s arms wrap around me once more, and he lifts me from my feet as still I strain forward, sobbing now. Vaguely, I realize he speaks low and fast at my ear, but I hear only one word. “Célie,” he breathes. Over and over and over again, he says my name. Just my name. Célie. As if he knows I’ve gone somewhere he cannot follow, and he won’t stop until he drags me back. “You don’t want to kill them. Not truly.”

“You don’t know what I want,” I snarl.

“Oh, but I do.” He still refuses to let me go, holding me tight and fast against him. “Your senses have heightened. Everything feels sharper, brighter, better as a vampire, but the pain feels more intense too. Your teeth are aching. Your head throbs. The scent of his blood has become a heartbeat in your chest, and you can’t hear anything except that frantic drum. You want to rend her limb from limb for touching him because he belongs to you.”

I shake my head vehemently. A liar. A liar, a liar, a liar.

Just like that, I wriggle through his arms—completely out of control—but as before, he appears in front of me. This time, how- ever, he forces me against the alley wall with a hard forearm against my chest. His slippery surcoat has vanished, leaving behind only a shredded black shirt. His collar fell open during our tussle; his cravat lies crumpled and forgotten upon the street. If possible, his disarray makes him feel all the more menacing—wilder, some- how, and darker, like a primeval god looming over me.

“Enough, Célie,” he says with unnerving calm. “Unless you want to bury your fiancé and his new friend, you need to stop pre- tending to be human. Whether you like it or not, you’re a vampire now, and vampires are a predatory species—the predatory species.” His black eyes bore into mine, insistent and immovable, and I know—I know—that his patience has reached its end. “We cannot survive on morality.”

Will you be picking up The Shadow Bride? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Shelby Mahurin, Author of ‘The Shadow Bride’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any!

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
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New York Times bestselling author Andrew Joseph White returns with the transgressive gothic horror of our time! A blood-soaked and nauseating triumph that cuts like a scalpel and reads like your darkest nightmare.

This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson
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The Shadows Between Us meets Six of Crows in this spellbinding new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, and pulse-pounding action, where the eldest daughter of a renowned family on the verge of ruin joins forces with a mysterious, rogue enchanter and a handsome, ambitious heir to win a deadly race.

Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the second book in the captivating Foul Lady Fortune duology following an immortal assassin in 1930s Shanghai as she races to save her country and her love.

Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline
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This queer YA reimagining of The Secret Garden subverts the cishet and white status quo of the original in a tale of family secrets wonderful and horrifying.

Monstrous by Jessica Lewis
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Forced to spend her summer in her aunt’s strange small town, a teen girl discovers dark secrets hidden in the woods. From the author of Bad Witch Burning comes another pulse-pounding novel perfect for fans of Supernatural and Lovecraft Country.

Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass
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Scream meets Clueless in this YA horror from Adam Sass in which two gay teen BFFs find their friendship tested when a serial killer starts targeting their school’s Queer Club.

A Prayer For Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz
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An orphan out to find the truth within a warped religion turns his poetry into prayer―a prayer that awakens a cursed girl hungry for revenge.

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
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Funny, moving, and heart-achingly real, this romantic romp and paranormal romcom debut—through a haunted library with trapdoors, ghosts, and memories—is full of great love that triumphs over even death, perfect for fans of Ninth House and Cemetery Boys.

For Girls Who Walk Through Fire by Kim DeRose
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The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
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A dark and thrilling vampire romance set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series.

If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun
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Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn in this thrillingly romantic, irresistibly fun YA contemporary fantasy debut following a teenage Chinese American ghost speaker who (reluctantly) makes a deal to raise her nemesis from the dead.

When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi
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In this searing contemporary YA novel from new voice Aamna Qureshi, a Muslim teen runs away from home only to find herself on a breathtaking journey of healing, self-love, and hope.​

Nightbreaker by Coco Ma
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Fifteen years ago, The Vanishing thrust Manhattan into darkness, forever changing the City That Never Sleeps. By day, resilient New Yorkers have adapted, clinging to the vestiges of their cosmopolitan lives. By night—well, you never go out at night unless you have a death wish.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
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Bestselling author Ava Reidmakes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok
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For fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Veronica Mars, this whip-smart thriller follows a sapphic detective agency as they seek the truth behind a growing trail of missing girls in small-town Louisiana. 

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For
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14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown – the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker – exploring mermaids like we’ve never seen them before!

A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien
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The heir to an arcane bloodline must outwit their ambitious rival to stop a ruthless magical adversary in Lee Paige O’Brien’s A Hundred Vicious Turns, a YA fantasy debut—first in The Broken Tower series—perfect for fans of A Lesson in Vengeance and Hell Followed With Us.

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr
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In the vein of Grown and The Poet X, Hannah V. Sawyerr’s All the Fighting Parts is a searing and defiant young adult novel in verse about reclaiming agency after a sexual assault within the church community.

Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni
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Mean Girls meets Dear White People in this big-hearted, sharp-witted UK boarding school story about family, friendship, and belonging—with a propulsive mystery at its heart.

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey
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In this highly anticipated companion to the New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, Flora Maxwell heads to Miami to find a path for her future…and finds her heart along the way.

The Society For Soulless Girls by Laura Steven
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A sapphic enemies-to-lovers retelling of Jekyll & Hyde, this dark academia thriller follows two roommates who must solve an infamous cold case of serial murders on their campus after an arcane ritual gone wrong prompts another death.

There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer
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A spine-tingling contemporary horror-comedy novel that follows a scary-movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly game, from debut author Lisa Springer.

Cage of Dreams by Rebecca Schaeffer
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In this thrilling sequel and conclusion to the City of Nightmares duology, Ness is forced to make a twisted deal with the Nightmare Phantom—only to find herself embroiled in the explosive fallout of the agreement when a botched assassination attempt unleashes chaos into the City of Newham.

Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
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The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world’s best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother’s life.

What YA books are you looking forward to picking up this month? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 24 YA Books Releasing In September 2023 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Serpent & Dove is one of my favourite books, so I compiled a list of 10 books that fellow Serpent & Dove fans will probably enjoy. I thought Serpent & Dove fans would like these books because they are also in the romance and/ or fantasy genres and they have similar themes/plotlines as Serpent & Dove (e.g. good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, change versus tradition, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality).

1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
After Jude’s parents are murdered, Jude and her two sisters are kidnapped and forced to live in the High Court of Faerie. Jude is disliked among the fey (especially by Prince Carden) because she is human; so, Jude must resort to tricks and violence if she wants to climb up the Court’s hierarchy. But, when betrayal threatens the safety of the Court, Jude must make an unlikely alliance to save her sisters.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, and change versus tradition

2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
When a young scholar named Diana uncovers a bewitched manuscript (Ashmole 782) in the Oxford library, she sends it back to the stacks because she doesn’t want anything to do with her witch heritage. But, when daemons, vampires, and other magical beings begin appearing in the library, Diana discovers that Ashmole 782 is an important and powerful document that was hidden because it is highly coveted. While trying to stay safe and uncover the secrets of Ashmole 782, Diana befriends a vampire and geneticist named Matthew Clairmont.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against veil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and fate versus freewill

3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
After Feyre kills a faerie that looks like a wolf in the forest, she is kidnapped and taken to live in with her captor in a faerie court. As Feyre starts to grow closer to her captor (the High Lord of the Spring Court named Tamlin), she uncovers dangers threatening both the faerie lands as well as her family in the human world.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, and fate versus freewill

4. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
During his final year at the Watford School of Magicks, Simon Snow (a.k.a. the chosen one) attempts to defeat the Insidious Humdrum (an evil creature who creates magickal dead spots) and figure out whether or not his handsome roommate (Baz Pitch) is a vampire.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, and fate versus freewill

5. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
A retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”, Prince Rhen of Emberfall is cursed by an enchantress to repeat the autumn season until he can get a girl to fall in love with him. Harper, a young girl with cerebral palsy who will do anything to help her sick Mother, is stollen away from her family in Washington D.C. and is forced to live with Rhen in Emberfall. As Harper starts to settle into her new role as a Princess, she eventually gets torn between helping her struggling family in Washington and saving her new home in Emberfall.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality

6. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
After tragedy strikes in the Shadowhunter world, Julian Blackthorn, his younger siblings, and his parabatai (sworn fighting partners who cannot have romantic relationships with each other) Emma Carstairs are left to fend for themselves. While struggling to care for the younger children, Emma and Julian must stop major demonic events from occurring within the city and resist their growing romantic feelings for each other.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good versus evil, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and appearance versus reality

7. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The first son of the United States (Alex) and Prince Henry hate each other. When disgraceful photos of the pair are published, Alex and Henry are forced to pretend to be best friends in order to salvage their reputations. But, when friendship starts to turn into a romantic relationship, Alex and Henry must determine what they are willing sacrifices in order to be together.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, fate versus freewill, and appearance versus reality

8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
When Alina’s best friend is injured while their regiment is crossing the shadow fold (a darkness filled with monsters), Alina uses a dormant power to save his life. As a result, the Darkling brings Alina to the royal court to train with the Grisha (magical elite). As, Alina’s unique powers grow stronger, she uncovers secrets that could be the key to destroying the shadow fold and ending the war.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, secrecy and lies, quest for power, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality

9. The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
After finally breaking the curse that weakened her magic and confined her to the marshlands for years, Elena struggles to return to her former role as the vine witch at the Château Renard vineyards; especially since Elena’s beloved vineyard is now in the possession of Jean-Paul Martel (an amateur vigneron who believes in science, not magic). In order to save her home from the evil hexes covering the vineyard, Elena will have to hide her identity while secretly planning her revenge against the sorcerer who cursed her.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and appearance versus reality

10. The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
Bookworm Becca and star football player Brett start fake dating in order to get their friends off their backs. Shortly after, Brett’s perfect world falls a part and Becca reveals her continued to struggle to overcome pain from her past. As a result, Brett and Becca discover that they have more in common than they expected and the lines between real and fake begin to blur.

Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, secrecy and lies, and appearance versus reality

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 10 Books To Read If You Loved ‘Serpent & Dove’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Ever since Taylor Swift released Folklore back in July, I have been completely obsessed with this mystical and immersive album. It makes you feel like you’re wandering in the forest all by yourself, lost in your thoughts, and searching for something that’s so much bigger than yourself. If you enjoyed it as much as I did, then you’re probably wanting to relive some of the emotions you’ve had while listening to Folklore and what better way to do it than to read some books that are in the same vein! I’ve paired each song with a book or a series that I consider very similar in tone and themes, so hopefully you will find these books as magical as Folklore…

The 1 – On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
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On Chesil Beach is the story of a young love that failed due to miscommunication. Florence and Edward’s wedding night is somewhat of a fiasco because they are both unexperienced and they both harbour a huge fear of letting the other down. Instead of talking openly about those worries and their desires, they keep trying and failing to interpret what the other wants. Shortly after their wedding night, they get a divorce which makes the rest of the book be full of ‘what-ifs’ that are reminiscent to Swift’s lyrics in The 1 (You know the greatest films of all time were never made/But we were something, don’t you think so?/Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool/And if my wishes came true/It would’ve been you).

Cardigan – The Winner’s Curse Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
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These lyrics from Cardigan (Sensual politics/When you are young, they assume you know nothing/But I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss/I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs/The smell of smoke would hang around this long/’Cause I knew everything when I was young) remind me so much of Kestrel, the protagonist of the series who is such a great strategist. Everybody keeps underestimating her all through the series because she’s young, but her intelligence and political skills always make her come on top. Her relationship with Arin also matches the lyrics very well as he’s the only one who really sees her for who she is, he appreciates her and makes her feel valued (And when I felt like I was an old cardigan/Under someone’s bed/You put me on and said I was your favorite).

​The Last Great American Dynasty – What Would Boudicca Do? by Elizabeth Foley & Beth Coates
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What Would Boudicca Do? is a spectacular non-fiction book that introduces you to so many wonderful women that changed the world for the better by not following the rules, by being bold and creative (There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen/She had a marvelous time ruining everything/Flew in all her Bitch Pack friends from the city/Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names/And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet/And losing on card game bets with Dalí). The book also gives amazing advice to modern women on how to solve their problems from dealing with men that keep interrupting them in business meetings to dealing with the pressure social media puts on you to be perfect – all based on how women like Cleopatra, Coco Chanel, and Frida Kahlo acted in similar situations.

Exile – The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
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The Queen of Nothing is the final instalment in the The Folk of the Air trilogy and it explores the aftermath of Jude’s exile, which has been imposed by her fae lover. The two have a very tumultuous enemies-to-lovers relationship that includes constantly trying to best each other, misinterpreting the signals they receive and denying their feelings which reminds me very much of this song (We always walked a very thin line/You didn’t even hear me out/You never gave a warning sign/All this time/I never learned to read your mind/I couldn’t turn things around/’Cause you never gave a warning sign). I can definitely see it playing in the background while Jude is trying to pinpoint the exact moment that lead to her exile.

My Tears Ricochet – A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
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I was struggling to find a book that deals with a betrayal that’s as brutal and heartbreaking as the one depicted In My Tears Ricochet, but then I thought of A Ladder to the Sky which is an incredible fit. Maurice has no remorse while he climbs up the ladder of success by stealing the stories of those who loved him. He plagiarises, he betrays, he destroys lives only to make sure that his name will be immortalised. If the book focuses on Maurice’s perspective and is the account of a ruthless opportunist, the song would present the victims’ perspective (You know I didn’t want to have to haunt you/But what a ghostly scene/You wear the same jewels that I gave you/As you bury me/And when you can’t sleep at night/You hear my stolen lullabies).

Mirrorball – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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One of the most glamorous songs off the album, mirrorball is very similar to Reid’s book in terms of atmosphere. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is about a retired Hollywood movie star who’s ready to finally tell the truth about her scandalous and captivating life that included lots of parties, film premieres and fancy clothes (I’ll get you out on the floor/Shimmering beautiful/ You’ll find me on my tallest tiptoes/Spinning in my highest heels, love/Shining just for you). The protagonist relished being the centre of attention back in the day, had a love life that got everyone talking and her ambition and charm secured her movie icon status (I’m a mirrorball/I can change everything about me to fit in/I’m still trying everything/To keep you looking at me). The book is bigger than life and so is the song, this dramatic flair that they share will have you completely under their spell.

Seven – Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
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Bridge to Terabithia is about Jess Aarons whose biggest dream is to be the fastest runner in his grade and about Leslie Burke, the new girl that outruns him on the very first day of school. It’s about the power of imagination, pure friendships and how much easier things are when you are a child (Please picture me in the trees/I hit my peak at seven/Feet in the swing over the creek/I was too scared to jump in/But I, I was high in the sky/With Pennsylvania under me/Are there still beautiful things?). Just like Swift’s Seven, the book doesn’t shy away from the grittier subjects – it’s not all about getting lost in magical worlds, it’s also about loss, dealing with grief and bullying (And I think you should come live with me/And we can be pirates/Then you won’t have to cry/Or hide in the closet/And just like a folk song/Our love will be passed on).

August – They Say Sarah by Pauline Delabroy-Allard
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They Say Sarah tells the story of a passionate and obsessive love affair between two women, a single mother who is trying to navigate the newly divorced life and a vivacious and talented violinist. The unnamed narrator has a gloomy perspective on life, every day seems to blur into the other, she doesn’t like her job as a teacher anymore and her love life is quite boring all until she meets Sarah. They have a very magnetic connection from the beginning, but there is also this sense of constant desperation at the prospect of their relationship ending (And I can see us twisted in bedsheets/August sipped away like a bottle of wine/’Cause you were never mine). Sarah is very spontaneous and volatile which means that their relationship is full of clandestine meetings, intense break-ups and even more intense reconciliations (To live for the hope of it all/Cancel plans just in case you’d call/And say, “Meet me behind the mall”/So much for summer love and saying “us”/’Cause you weren’t mine to lose/You weren’t mine to lose, no). 

This Is Me Trying – Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson
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This Is Me Trying reminded me very much of Matson’s protagonist, Emily as the lyrics are filled with regret, self-doubt, uncertainty and longing for a time when everything was just fine. In the beginning of the book, we find Emily trying to adjust to an unexciting life without her best-friend, Sloane, the one who always brought her out of her shell and made sure they were always having a great time. The only thing Sloane leaves her is a list of crazy and way out of Emily’s comfort zone activities which she decides to complete hoping that they will bring her closer to Sloane and help her understand why she had left so suddenly (I’ve been having a hard time adjusting/I had the shiniest wheels, now they’re rusting/I didn’t know if you’d care if I came back/I have a lot of regrets about that/Could’ve followed my fears all the way down/And maybe I don’t quite know what to say/But I’m here in your doorway/I just wanted you to know/That this is me trying). Since You’ve Been Gone is a fun summer book about friendships and finding who you are even if it’s scary.

​Illicit Affairs – Normal People by Sally Rooney
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I believe Normal People could have worked for more than one song off this album, but Illicit Affairs fit it perfectly in particular. The book is about Marianne and Connell who start dating each other in secret at the beginning of their senior year of high-school, there are socio-economical differences, their respective reputations at their school and miscommunication that keeps them from admitting that they are together (Make sure nobody sees you leave/Hood over your head, keep your eyes down/Tell your friends you’re out for a run/You’ll be flushed when you return/And that’s the thing about illicit affairs/And clandestine meetings and longing stares/It’s born from just one single glance/But it dies and it dies and it dies/A million little times). Normal People explores the depth of their relationship as the years pass, it shows how strong human connections can be and how the love of someone else can change you for the better. It’s also very angsty at times because of how intense their on-and-off relationship is (Don’t call me kid/Don’t call me baby/Look at this idiotic fool that you made me/You taught me a secret language/I can’t speak with anyone else/And you know damn well/For you I would ruin myself/A million little times).

Invisible String – Lovely War by Julie Berry
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Invisible String is all about fate and a meant-to-be love that could defy all, which made me think of Lovely War almost instantly. Lovely War is about two couples that fall in love during World War I and it’s definitely similar in themes with the song as Aphrodite intervenes on many occasions to make sure that their love will last and they have to overcome so many obstacles in order to stay together (Time, mystical time/Cutting me open, then healing me fine/Were there clues I didn’t see?/And isn’t it just so pretty to think/All along there was some/Invisible string/Tying you to me?). It’s a beautiful tale that similarly to Swift’s song will make you believe that love can conquer it all.

Mad Woman – Sin Eater by Megan Campisi
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Sin Eater is the story of May who is punished to become a Sin Eater after stealing bread, her responsibilities include listening to the confessions of those who are about to die and then eating various foods that are associated with the confessed sins. This was an actual medieval spiritual practice that ensured people will be absolved of their sins and granted passage to heaven as the Sin Eater took all these sins on. Because of this, Sin Eaters are outcasts – no one is allowed to touch them, speak to them unless it’s during a confession which definitely made May feel angry and isolated (And there’s nothing like a mad woman/What a shame she went mad/No one likes a mad woman/You made her like that). There’s the feeling of being wronged, the topic of witches coming up and a whole mystery surrounding a court that is very similar to Elizabeth I’s that make this book so similar to the song (And women like hunting witches too/Doing your dirtiest work for you/It’s obvious that wanting me dead/Has really brought you two together/I’m taking my time, taking my time/’Cause you took everything from me).

Epiphany – The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
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The Nickel Boys is an incredible and haunting book, it’s inspired by real life events which makes it even more heart-breaking. It tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a black boy who is unfairly sentenced to the Nickel Academy, a reformatory school. The Nickel Boys go through so much there, there’s racism, abuse in all of its forms, so much corruption and injustice, it broke my heart to read about it. The writing is so good that it makes you feel all that powerlessness and anger that the characters feel. The fact that we get to see some characters after they get out of the juvenile prison and they are still trying to make sense of what they’ve seen and what they’ve endured there so many years later reminded me a lot of Swift’s song (“Sir, I think he’s bleeding out”/And some things you just can’t speak about/Only twenty minutes to sleep/But you dream of some epiphany/Just one single glimpse of relief/To make some sense of what you’ve seen).

Betty – P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
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I think Betty (I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything/But I know I miss you) reminds me so much of what happens in the second book of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy as it presents similar situations – people messing up because they are young and they don’t know any better. I think both try to send the message that you can love someone and still mess up pretty badly (You heard the rumors from Inez/You can’t believe a word she says/Most times, but this time it was true/The worst thing that I ever did/Was what I did to you). I can’t reveal much of the plot as it’s a sequel, but the whole trilogy is a very adorable coming of age journey – the characters make mistakes, they grow up, they are complex and you will root for them until the very end.

Peace – Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
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Serpent & Dove is the story of Lou, a witch who is in hiding after fleeing her coven and who ends up marrying Reid, a witch hunter. As you can imagine, the situation is kind of tricky as she ends up living in a place full of witch hunters and she has to hide her identity not only from her husband, but also from everyone else. The dynamics between Lou and Reid remind me especially of this song – Lou is very fiery and impulsive while Reid is the more level-headed one, Lou also makes fun of Reid so many times of his proper manners and how full of integrity he thinks he is in comparison with her and the witches (But I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm/If your cascade, ocean wave blues come/ Your integrity makes me seem small/You paint dreamscapes on the wall/I talk shit with my friends, it’s like I’m wasting your honor). Their initial fake marriage and then the way they develop real feelings for each other, devotion and how they’re capable of sacrificing everything for one another also reminds me of Swift’s lyrics (All these people think love’s for show/But I would die for you in secret/The devil’s in the details, but you got a friend in me/Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?/And you know that I’d swing with you for the fences/Sit with you in the trenches/Give you my wild, give you a child/Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other).

Hoax – Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
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Anna Karenina is the story of a woman who has it all and chooses to give it all up for love. At the beginning everyone envies her for her money, her good marriage and her beauty. After she divorces her husband in order to be with her true love, Count Vronsky, she becomes somewhat of an outcast, her reputation is tainted, everyone gossips about her, her husband won’t let her see her son – the entire world turns on her and it makes her rethink all of her choices. Her love for Vronsky remains a constant even if it’s a faithless love (My only one/My smoking gun/My eclipsed sun/This has broken me down/My sleepless night/My winless fight/This has frozen my ground/ Stood on the cliffside screaming, “Give me a reason”/Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in/Don’t want no other shade of blue but you/No other sadness in the world would do).

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Book Recommendations Based On Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Thanks for being here Shelby! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and about Blood & Honey?

Thanks for having me, Nathalie! I’m happy to be here. And of course—my name is Shelby Mahurin, and I hail from the Middle of Nowhere, Indiana. I love reading paranormal and historical romance. I love dark lipstick. I love the Office. I’m not particularly interesting, but I did used to be a professional photographer. That’s kinda cool, I guess.

Blood & Honey is the sequel to my 2019 debut, Serpent & Dove. It follows Lou and Reid—a witch and witch hunter who fell in love in S&D—as they engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Morgane, queen of the witches and Lou’s very own mother. Part of this game involves gathering allies in the form of Dames Rouges, loup garou, and even Troupe de Fortune, a group of mysterious performers traveling along La Rivière des Dents. It was so much fun to expand the world of Belterra in this book!

How has the process differed for you while writing Blood & Honey vs. Serpent & Dove?

I pantsed the entire first draft of Serpent & Dove. I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going, but I sure had a fabulous time figuring it out. Seriously, I didn’t plan the big plot twist at the end or anything. I literally thought of it as I wrote it. Looking back, it was absolute madness.

While I still do enjoy the discovery aspect of drafting, I consider myself more of a pantser-plotter hybrid now. I create loose outlines, planning the general direction and seeing where it takes me. Of course, I still ended up scrapping a large part of Blood & Honey, but with Book 3, I’m getting better at following through. That’s probably because of my critique partner. I didn’t have one with Serpent & Dove and the first draft of Blood & Honey. She’s a plotter at heart, so she keeps me on track, acknowledging when I have a good spontaneous idea and reeling me back in when I have a…not good one.

I loved exploring Coco’s past a little bit deeper in this sequel, was there anything particularly compelling about her that you felt you needed to get on the page for readers to see when you first started writing the story?

Coco is so much more than Lou’s best friend—she’s a princess in her own right, and I wanted to explore that side of her in Blood & Honey. It just made sense. We travel to her home and meet her kin within these pages; she stars in the titular scene. She’s such a complex character. Though she and Lou are alike in many ways, they’re also not. They share a sense of loss, of guilt, yes, but they feel these emotions for wildly different reasons. We’ll learn some of Coco’s reasons in B&H.

Lou’s hair snafu was horrifyingly hilarious! Have you had any similar misfortunes in your hair life?

I’ve never actually melted my hair (thank GOD), but I did stupidly chop it all off after my wedding. I immediately regretted that decision. Short hair looks wonderful on so many people, but alas, I am not one of them. Lou’s hair fiasco is definitely a self-insert—it’s the stuff of my nightmares.

If you could visit your characters during a moment in time within your book, where would you go?

I think it would’ve been fun to stroll into the bar scene at the beginning of the book. I’d down a couple drinks with Lou and Ansel, poke fun a bit at Reid, flirt with Beau, maybe steal Claud Deveraux’s mandolin—and then promptly leave. Promptly. Otherwise, I’d maybe choose to be a bird overhead or something in La Ventre when the group meets the werewolves.

What is a tale that Lou and Coco might tell that Ansel and Reid might completely fall for?

The real question is what wouldn’t they fall for? Reid would be harder to fool because he’s naturally suspicious of everything they say, but Ansel—they could have fun with Ansel. I can already imagine the shenanigans: Ansel drinking the literal hair of a dog to ease his first hangover (“You’ll be fine in no time,” Coco promises), Ansel sprinkling cinnamon over every meal to make himself more attractive (“It’s a natural aphrodisiac,” Lou insists), Ansel toting around a bulb of garlic to ward off vampires (“You stink,” Reid grumbles.)

Beau was a particularly interesting fellow for me this time around, what are some books that might be tucked away on his shelves?

Ah, Beau. I have to admit I enjoy him more than almost any other character, despite the fact that you won’t find any books on his shelves. Maybe a couple of magazines? And only because he resembles the cover model for that one issue of GQ—except he would wear the suit way better. (Don’t worry; he’s already sent in his headshot twice.)

In all seriousness, instead of reading, he’d probably while his time away on TikTok and Snapchat. Ever thirsty.

I love watching your Instagram stories, and I especially love when you do Q&A’s. Has anything a reader ever mentioned (fan theories/suggestions/concerns) ever get written or explored in your books?

Ha! Thank you! But no, not usually, since at the time of most Q&As, the books have already been written. For example, I didn’t start posting Blood & Honey Q&As until after I’d turned in the book. Same with Serpent & Dove. Of course, some fan theories are going to be right! But not all. To be fair, I do sometimes jot down concerns or questions readers submit if I haven’t yet thought to address them in future books!

Any hints for book 3? Pupdates?! How are you keeping sane before the book release?

So far, I am loving Book 3, which does have an official title now! I think we’ll be announcing both it and the pub date this fall. The weeks leading up to pub have been so crazy busy—we’re moving on top of everything else—that I haven’t had too much time to lose it! Probably a blessing in disguise. If I think too long or too hard about the time and emotion I poured into this book, I might get a little weepy.

Will you be doing an online launch for Blood & Honey?

Yes! Not a typical launch because of Covid-19, but I will be hosting a live Q&A on my Instagram page at 7pm EST. You can submit your questions beforehand via the Questions sticker in my story (this’ll go up on August 31), or you can wait until we go live. I’ll be answering questions from viewers too! I also have several virtual events planned in September and October with Adrienne Young, Renée Ahdieh, Rena Barron, and Sarah J Maas, along with a couple of panels. You can see more details over on my IG or at www.shelbymahurin.com.

Will you be picking up Blood & Honey? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Shelby Mahurin, Author of ‘Blood & Honey’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

While I try my best to avoid spoilers of the books I’m talking about, it can sometimes be inevitable when talking about sequels. If you haven’t read Serpent & Dove yet, I highly encourage you to read that one before continuing on.

We last saw Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel on the run from Les Dames Blanches. They have nowhere to hide, since they’re also being hunted down by the church and the crown. In order to fight against their enemy, the group will need allies. However, protection comes at a cost, and soon, the group will be separated in order to gather allies. As Lou and Reid try to mend the widening rift between them, they’ll be caught in another of Morgane’s deadly games of cat and mouse.

However brief of a summary, there is so much packed between the pages of this book that it honestly felt like I was reading something much longer. This isn’t to say that it took a long time, because that was not the case at all. I definitely panicked when I realised I only had around 50 pages of the book left. It moves quickly out of necessity, and adds to the added elements of danger and suspense that the characters are facing. What I love are the moments in between, where Shelby manifests some of the best bantering between characters. My favourite scenes are at the beginning of the book, and toward the end when the group is reunited.

The character development here is fascinating. I can’t talk too much about Lou, but there is definitely quite a bit going on within her that makes for some fascinating perspectives. Reid is still struggling with the fact that he’s now the very thing that he vowed to hunt. The inner turmoil within this man is really something because it manages to unseat him in the most unfortunate of moments. Then there’s my dear Coco! Oh, she’s feisty, but her love and bond with Lou just transcend everything. We get to find out so much more about her and her life in this book, and while not all of it is good, there’s definitely some growth. As for Ansel and Beau, both of these gentlemen were equal parts light hearted and serious at the right moments, and while I am lumping them together in this description, they were quite different characters. We get to see sides of both I wasn’t expecting.

Of course, I can’t talk about this book without talking about the romantic tension you could practically cut with a knife. It’s not just Lou and Reid either, and I revelled in the drama of it. The way that tension is woven in with that ending just ties this book together in one of the messiest bows.

Villainess and villains-wise, it often feels like our poor group is definitely fighting against losing odds, and it’s only a matter of time until someone cuts them down. However, the hope that Mahurin writes in her characters is palpable, but so is their despair and desperation to get out of horrible situations. Her descriptions bring the characters and their emotions to life, and it’s set against such a brutal backdrop. I loved getting to explore more of the world, especially at the end of the book.

Something that threw me off a little was that this book’s pacing felt a bit off. Not very noticeable at the beginning, but I definitely felt like there were moments where the book slowed down and it took it a moment to pick up again. Like I said, it’s not too noticeable, but it does make you stumble as you go through the book.

I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the next book, and I’m definitely worried for my favourites. Once you’ve read it, please come and join me in some awed yet worried silent screams into the void. Add this book to your TBR list if you can, it’s definitely worth the wait.

Blood & Honey is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 1st 2020.

Will you be picking up Blood & Honey? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

The hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times and IndieBound bestseller Serpent & Dove—packed with even steamier romance and darker magic—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

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Winter is the best season for staying inside and curling up with a good book. I believe winter is the time when I get most of my reading done and if you’re anything like me, then you’re in need of some recommendations! It doesn’t matter if you see it as a great time for tackling some of the most intimidating books on your shelf or for getting lost in magical fairy-tale-like worlds – this list has a bit of everything and will surely satisfy your bookish needs!

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
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This book follows Lina who is displaced to a Siberian work camp during World War II. It’s a story that underlines the human strength – specifically, the power of hope and kindness. It focuses on what Lithuanians had to endure during the Soviet Occupation, a subject that I’ve never seen discussed until this book. Sepetys’ writing is almost haunting and you will hang on every word of hers.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
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If you’re looking for a winter-y book to match the cold outside, look no further! This one is inspired by Russian folk-lore and it’s set in the Russian wilderness where winter lasts most of the year. Everything is so atmospheric and magic is a big part of it which will surely remind you of reading fairy-tales and getting lost in far-away realms.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
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Besides being very fitting for the season, this book tells the story of Louise le Blanc and Reid Diggory – the first being a witch and the latter being a Chasseur, a witch-hunter. Through some fateful events, they are forced into a marriage which generates some of the funniest and most tension-charged parts of the book. It’s a great take on the enemies-to-lovers trope and the witches make everything so bad-ass.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
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Winter is a great time for hibernation and if you ever thought about sleeping an entire year away, you might want to check out this book! The narrator decides that all she wants to do with her life at the moment is to sleep in order to not have to think about the wreck her life is. As she goes through this experiment, we get to see more about what brought her in this position from the death of her parents to her unhealthy relationships and friendships. If you have no problem reading about unlikable heroines and you’re a fan of dark humour, then this one is for you!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
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If you love reading books that will emotionally wreck you during this period, The Book Thief is narrated by Death itself and even the peculiar narrator ends up feeling sorry for the characters in the end – I think that’s pretty telling. A huge emphasis on books and the power of words will surely draw the readers in as well. I’ve read this book four years ago, yet there are times even now when I still think about Liesel’s story… so moving and beautiful.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
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If classics are your cup of tea, then you might want to check out this drama-filled tale about a woman who’s unsatisfied with her marriage and the consequences of her adultery. It has the specific grandeur of Russian classics, dealing with various social and political themes – it might seem intimidating, but it’s easier to read than most Russian classics.

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
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Vikings are always relevant, but I think this book would be great to cosy with in the colder nights of February. Eelyn is caught by a rival clan and all she wants is to go back home up until she understands that the Riki aren’t all that different from her people. This leads her to a journey to unite the clans in order to face a mutual enemy. This book has very beautiful family dynamics and a slow-burn romance that you will root for.

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
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If you’re interested in the forgotten women of history and art, then this tale that’s focused on the life of Artemisia Gentileschi will be great for you! It deals with sexual assault and shows how Artemisia fought back after being raped by her mentor. I liked the way other powerful women were integrated in this book as well, how the author chose to bind Gentileschi’s trauma to theirs and show why they might have appeared in Artemisia’s paintings. It’s an emotional and empowering novel-in-verse that I’ll never stop recommending.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
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The Secret History tells the story of a group of pretentious students and it’s a classic for the dark academia genre. The characters are so flawed yet fascinating to read about and the plot-lines will keep you on the edge trying to figure out what will happen to the protagonists. Donna Tartt’s writing is mysterious and the book’s atmosphere is almost eerie. If you like books that deal with messed up kids and murder, then this one will definitely be your next favourite!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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I wish I could read this book again for the very first time because that’s how glorious it is. Evelyn Hugo is definitely someone I look up to because of how strong and resilient she is. How she never lets men tell her what to do, how focused she is on her career and on protecting her loved ones. She’s fierce and manages to shine so brightly through this book. Besides how amazing the protagonist is, I loved the cinematic aspects and how well crafted the story is, all the secondary characters are fleshed out and this book is absolutely brilliant!

Do you have any other suggestions? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 10 Books To Enjoy During Winter appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book and bonus points if this book has a great romantic plot to swoon over! It’s also infinitely better when this romance contains a hate to love trope. Don’t you just love the banter? Here are five YA books that contain an enemies to lovers plot that is to die for!

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
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This book takes ‘hate to love’ very literally, as it follows two enemies who quite literally want to kill each other. Serpent & Dove centers around a witch and witch-hunter who are unfortunately joined in holy matrimony. There’s delicious banter, steamy scenes, and a wonderful atmospheric setting based on historical France!

Renegades by Marissa Meyer
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Renegades is Marissa Meyer’s second series and adds a twist to the hate to love trope. We follow Nova Artino, a member of the villain organisation the Anarchists. To take down the superhero organisation called The Renegades, Nova must infiltrate and pretend to be a hero, however, she does not anticipate falling for one of their members. Meyer takes the hate to love trope and subverts it, creating a suspenseful romance. This book takes the ‘it’s complicated’ status to a whole new level!

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
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The next book on the list is one of the softer ones. We follow Esta, a famous time-travelling thief, who goes back to 1900’s New York to locate an ancient artefact. When she meets con man Harte Darrigan, the two clash immensely. Forced to work together to save the fate of all magicians, chaos ensues!

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
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Is any hate to love list really complete without The Cruel Prince on it? This wonderful Fae book follows Jude, a mortal girl, and Cardan, a Fae prince, who can’t stand each other. This is a story full of political intrigue, character development, and steamy romance. If you haven’t joined the hype yet, you absolutely must read this gem!

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
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The last book on this list is the third in a series, but nonetheless worth the read. The Witchlands series by Susan Dennard follows a bunch of people with magical powers all set in a fantastical universe. Bloodwitch specifically focuses on the Bloodwitch Aeduan who is forced to hunt Iseult, a threadwitch. This series is full of amazing worldbuilding, an awesome magic system and features the most intriguing hate to love romance you’ve read in a long time.

What is your favourite hate to love romance? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Five YA Books With Delicious Hate-To-Love Romances appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

While there have been many debut novels released this year, we round up some of the most buzzed about 2019 debuts!

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
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In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
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A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford Rebels, in which a fiercely independent vicar’s daughter takes on a powerful duke in a love story that threatens to upend the British social order.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
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In the early 1900s, a young woman searches for her place in the world after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal
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Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
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Set in a world of powerful women, dark magic, and off-the-charts romance, book one of this stunning fantasy duology will leave readers burning for more.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
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A shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive…

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
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Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Americanah in this disarmingly honest, boldly political, and truly inclusive novel that will speak to anyone who has gone looking for love and found something very different in its place.

The Perfect Son by Lauren North
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A disturbing and shocking debut novel of psychological suspense about a recently widowed mother, her young son, and the lengths she’ll go to in order to keep him safe.

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson
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Eragon meets And I Darken in this thrilling new fantasy debut that follows a fallen princess as she ignites a rebellion to bring back the magical elemental crows that were taken from her people.

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill
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A tender and terrifying literary horror novel–the author’s debut–that tells the story of a family (creators of a haunted house attraction called the Wandering Dark) and the hereditary monsters–both metaphorical and all-too-real–that haunt them.

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
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Seraphina meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that’s full of rivalry, romance… and dragons.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
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Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skilfully animated as necromantic skeletons. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
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Four Queens. A divided nation. A ruthless pickpocket. A noble messenger. And the murders that unite them. An enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
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A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…

There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
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Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows meets Kristin Cashore’s Graceling, with a dash of Winter is Coming, in this showstopping debut YA fantasy!

Shadow Frost by Coco Ma
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From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen
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A uniquely emotional genre-bending debut, Here and Now and Then captures the perfect balance of heart, playfulness, and imagination, offering an intimate glimpse into the crevices of a father’s heart, and its capacity to stretch across both space and time to protect the people that mean the most.

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
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Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
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As one by one her beautiful sisters mysteriously die on their isolated island estate, Annaleigh must unravel the curse that haunts her family. Be careful who you dance with. . . .

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
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One pet crow fights to save humanity from an apocalypse in this uniquely hilarious debut from a genre-bending literary author.

Do you have any new favourite authors from 2019? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Best Debut Novels of 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but sometimes it’s hard not to when the cover is just so gorgeous. Here are 15 of the month’s most beautiful covers from September 2019!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the early 1900s, a young woman searches for her place in the world after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in a world of powerful women, dark magic, and off-the-charts romance, book one of this stunning fantasy duology will leave readers burning for more.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
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For fans of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing, a magnificent novel about four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression, from the New York Times bestselling author of Ordinary Grace.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Sky in the Deep in this bewitching, historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Holly Black and V.E. Schwab.

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett
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The Last Magician meets A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in this thrilling tale filled with magic and set in the mysterious Carpathian Mountains where a girl must hunt down Vlad the Impaler’s cursed ring in order to save her father.

After The Flood by Kassandra Montag
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A compulsively readable novel of dark despair and soaring hope, After the Flood is a magnificent, action packed, and sometimes frightening odyssey laced with wonder—an affecting and wholly original saga both redemptive and astonishing.

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox
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Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts, so he moves to Pale Harbor. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband. As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe.

SLAY by Brittney Morris
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Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther–inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for Black gamers.

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth
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Dark, gripping, and utterly unique, this atmospheric historical fantasy from critically acclaimed author Laura E. Weymouth is perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and Caraval.

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
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Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
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Gothic, intoxicating, feminist, darkly provoking and deeply romantic – this is the breathtakingly imagined untold story of the brides of Dracula, by bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave in her much-anticipated YA debut.

The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt
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The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt is a stunning contemporary fantasy debut about another London, a magical world hidden behind the bustling modern city we know.

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
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Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Ibi Zoboi, and Erika L. Sanchez, this gorgeously written and deeply moving own voices novel is the YA debut from the award-winning author of Inside Out & Back Again.

The Possible World by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz
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An astonishing, deeply moving novel about the converging lives of a young boy who witnesses a brutal murder, the doctor who tends to him, and an elderly woman guarding her long buried past.

No One’s Home by D.M. Pulley
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For fans of The Haunting of Hill House comes a dark tale of a mansion haunted by a legacy of tragedy and a family trapped by lies.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Most Gorgeous Book Covers of September 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.