Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.The Book Wars winner for Pure (Covenant #2) By: Jennifer L. Armentrout is...!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: The Dark Days Club
Series: Lady Helen #1
Author: Allison Goodman
Publisher: US - Viking Books for Young Readers, 496 Pages, (January 26th, 2016), UK - Walker Books, 496 Pages, (January 21st, 2016)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository, Foyles

Synopsis: London, April 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation to the Queen. Her life should be about gowns and dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family's housemaids goes missing, Lady Helen is drawn to the shadows of Regency London.

There, she finds William, the Earl of Carlston. He has noticed the disappearance, too, and is one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of powerful demons that has infiltrated every level of society. But Lady Helen’s curiosity is the last thing Carlston wants—especially when he sees the searching intelligence behind her fluttering fan. Should Helen trust a man whose reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her headstrong sense of justice lead them both into a death trap?

In The Dark Days Club, internationally best-selling author Alison Goodman introduces readers to a heroine who is just as remarkable as Eona—and yet again reinvents an establlished literary genre, making it her own.

About the Author:

Alison is the author of EON and EONA, a New York Times Bestselling fantasy duology.

Her latest novel --The Dark Days Club-- is Book 1 in a new trilogy, and will be published in the USA and UK in January 2016, and December 2015 in Australia. It has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly as "a delicious collision of Regency romance and dark fantasy". Alison calls it "Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy in English high society".

EON was short-listed for Victorian, NSW, and WA Premier’s Literary awards, and won the 2008 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. It was also listed as an American Library Association Best Young Adult Book (2010), a James Tiptree Jr. Honour book, and a CBCA Notable Book.

Alison’s first novel, Singing the Dogstar Blues, won the 1998 Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel, and was also listed as an American Library Association Best Book (2004) and CBCA Notable Book. Her second novel, a crime thriller titled Killing the Rabbit, was published in the USA and shortlisted for the 2007 Davitt Award.

Alison was a D.J. O’Hearn Memorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne and holds a Master of Arts. She lives in Australia with her husband and their Machiavellian Jack Russell Terrier, and is currently working on Book 2 and 3 or The Lady Helen series.

Find Allison Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter| Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa Oh gosh, what a choice this week?! Michelle picked a great one to compare side by side... I LOVE them both! I honestly LOVE the both. UGH!

The US cover is dark and haunting, yet beautiful. Look at the intricate background.

The UK cover is also beautiful yet mysterious with a side of classic touch of Victorian feel to it.

I mean,... WOW! I have NO idea which one to choose. Hmmm....

I think I'm going to totally go against the grain and pick the US cover. I can't stop looking at it. I just love everything about how dark it is, how haunting it is and the whole feel of the thing from every angle I look at it.

So, this week the US cover gets my vote! Which one do you like the best? Give us a click and tell us below.

Michelle I first heard about this book at a blogger event, and I will admit that this genre isn't usually my thing, but as soon as Allison got up and read a snippet for us I was hooked.

Looking at these covers next to each other, it's clear to me which one I prefer the most. The US cover is dark, and gloomy, with only the silhouette among the shadows, and I think if I hadn't seen the UK cover or it was against the Australian cover, then this would have been my first pick, but standing next to the UK cover, the US one pales in comparison.

I love everything about the UK cover, from the background imagery, to the characters on the cover. I love the font and the little fan images on the corners.

Its a UK win for me this week, which cover gets your vote?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of The Dark Days Club by Allison Goodman NOW!

Title: Title: Night Study (Soulfinders #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Harlequin UK/ Mira Ink
From: e-ARC from Netgalley
Format: eBook, 400 pages, 26th February 2016
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

Review: 5 stars - Contains spoilers for the earlier books in Snyder’s Chronicles of Ixia series.

“HOLY SNOW CATS!” could there be any more action in this book? I need Dawn Study NOW!!

Night Study continues from the cliff hanger where Shadow Study finished. At the same moment of utter happiness for two of my favourite characters, I was also filled with dread at what may happen.

With loyalties on the line and the existing tension between Ixia and Sitia even more stretched, it’s down to our trusted band of beloved characters to save the day again.

Yelena and Valek set off for Ixia after hearing some news of enemy assassination, needing to update the Commander. They leave behind Leif and Devlin to investigate Owen Moon’s curare growing operation.

Upon their arrival at the Commander’s castle, Valek has a meeting with the Commander himself. Learning that he now has restricted power over the lower ranking troops and all missions must be authorised by the Commander. Something seems out of place and where there was once trust between them; the relationship between Valek and the Commander is strained.

With trust proving an issue not only with the Commander but with assassin in training Onora and with unwelcome guests in the castle, Valek finds himself torn. Does he follow his orders or his heart?

With the characters separated on their own missions; will the enemy be able to divide and conquer or can our favourite group of soldiers and magicians once again triumph over evil?

The book is told between Valek, Yelena, Janco and Leif’s points of view, this is easy to follow and it’s good to know what is going on with each character as you read through the book.

Chapter 10 caused me to do a happy dance and squeal, I won’t say why but Snyder’s fans won’t be disappointed.

Night Study is a veritable treasure trove of adventure. You never know where the characters are going to get into trouble next.

A quick mention about the characters. The awesome foursome as I call them, are like friends, not literary characters in my mind.

Words cannot describe how much I love Ari and Janco. If it was possible to bring literary characters to life, these two would be top of my list. Strong, witty and with a caring side, Ari and Janco are like big brothers to Yelena. They will do anything in their power to keep her safe even if it does have a habit of landing them in jail.

I still don’t trust Onora, but it is the skill off Snyder that does this. You want to trust Onora, because she’s lined up to take Valek’s job, but secrets from the past lead us to the conclusion that not all is as it seems.

Another brilliant book from Maria V. Snyder that will immerse you in the world of Sitia and Ixia; so much so, that you don’t want Night study to end.

I need it to be 2017 already!!!

Recommended reading if you enjoyed Sarah J. Maas and Trudi Canavan.

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet.  Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Night Study By: Maria V. Snyder is.....  !  Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Pure

Series: (Covenant #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - Spencer Hill Press, 329 Pages (April 3rd, 2012) UK - Hodder Paperback, 400 Pages (September 18th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: There is need. And then there is Fate. Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's other half is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her. When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon--and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude--or killing her. When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa And since a couple of weeks ago we featured the first book - Half-Blood - from the Covenant series I thought we'd talk about another.

This one is a tiny bit different to the first book. The flower are a bit different and while I still love the US cover, because I own it and love these books... I think I like the UK cover for this one a bit better.

It's cleaner. You can read the fonts - title and authors names - so much easier. And the flower is more stunning to me.

So, it's a UK win for me. Which one do you love? Vote below!

Michelle Like our previous post, I also owned the UK copies of this book, and this is the first time I am seeing the US cover.

For me it's a clear winner. I do like the design of the UK one, but I love how dramatic and ethereal the US cover looks. The flower has a luminosity about it that fits in really well with the darker background.

It's a clear US win for me this week, which cover gets your vote?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Pure (Covenant #2) NOW!

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.The Book Wars winner for Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout is...!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Night Study
Series: Soulfinders #2 | Study #5 | The Chronicles of Ixia #8
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: US - Mira, 448 Pages, (January 26th, 2016), UK - Mira INK, 416 Pages, (February 25th, 2016)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository, Foyles

Synopsis: Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

About the author:

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria's been writing fantasy and science fiction since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. A dozen novels and numerous  short stories later, Maria's learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her MA degree in Writing from Seton Hill University where she's been happily sharing her knowledge with the current crop of MFA students. She also enjoys creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, 'cause let's face it, they're cool, although she's been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out. Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.

Find Maria Online: Website | Blog | Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa These two covers are each beautiful in their own ways. However, the US cover just is captivating to me. It's just so clear and stunning in a way that is a bit lacking in the UK cover.

Don't get me wrong, I love the UK cover as well. It's scenery is stunning too, yet I mean just look at the US cover! Don't you just want to know what she's thinking? What's going on to make her look so forlorn? I know I do!

And so that's what pushes the US cover out over the edge in getting my vote this week. Do you have a favorite? Tell us by voting below.

Michelle This is a tough choice for me this week as I am torn between the covers for different reasons. I love the cover for the UK cover for its scenery, from the land, to the tower, to the stormy sky. I love the different hues of purple and green and how it all works to make this a creepy feeling land. I just wish the blue circle sticker/advert wasn't there. The US cover though wins for me as it not only matches Shadow Study, but this whole series has had a redesign and now this complete series matches, which always wins for booklovers. I love that we get to see Yelena, and also have a very nice scenic view in the background. For me this week I am going to go with my heart and not my orderly brain, and my vote goes to the UK cover. I much prefer the scenery of this one over the US cover. Now that I've left my vote, don't forget to vote for your favourite below.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Night Study by Maria V. Snyder NOW!

bookwars2013@gmail.com

Title: Always Room for Cupcakes
Author: Bethany Lopez
Publisher: 143 Pages (February 2nd, 2016)
From: the Author
Format: e-ARC
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: One day I was be-bopping along jamming to the music in my head while wondering if my thighs could handle grabbing a cupcake on the way home. The next thing I knew, my entire world crashed and burned.

I used to wake up at night in a sweat, crying because I’d dreamt that my husband was cheating on me, or that he hated me, and resented my kids. He’d always hold me close and tell me it was all just a dream, that he loved me and our family and that he’d never let me go.

He was a fucking liar.

Now I spend my days taking photos of scum just like him, trying to be a champion for other's being taken advantage of by the losers in our town, and my nights being a single mom to my beautiful twins.

I've got great friends who have my back, and a sexy, mysterious motorcycle man who keeps showing up when I need him. Maybe things are starting to look up, and one thing's for sure... There's always room for cupcakes.

Review: 3.5 Stars - Always Room for Cupcakes by Bethany Lopez is a fast read about a woman looking to create a new life for herself after finding her husband cheating on her. And as the story goes on we see just how much she’s willing to take on to make the best life she can for her and her two kids.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this… I’m going to say novella because it has that feel to it, was that it has things in it that I love in stories I read. It has a touch of mystery, a bit of danger, a strong female lead and a dark mysterious man who pretty much shows up out of thin air to maybe sweep the main character – Lila – off her feet. Another thing that it has that I love is watching a character grow before your eyes. It had that and then some.

The characters are all different and play off each other extremely well. These characters are a bit of an older bunch than what I’ve been reading lately, so that was a breath of fresh air. Seeing the struggle of a single woman with kids, as she navigates her new life after her marriage and cheating husband was inspiring. How different her husband was to this mysterious man – Cade – who enters her life was perfect and helped to give this female lead a bit of a push into the growth she was on the verge of.

The story is written really well; however it felt like it was missing something. And I think this is what’s difficult when it comes to writing a novella. Trying to balance the story without readers feeling like something was missing.

I do commend Bethany for the book she’s written here. While it feels like there were parts that are missing or a tad rushed, there were others that were spot on and flowed extremely well.

I really did like these characters’ and became invested in them quickly to a point where I wish this had been a full book or maybe the start of a series of books since I wasn’t ready for it to end. And the title fits perfectly with the story, which you’ll just have to read to understand and I suggest you do because it really is a great quick story and I mean, Cupcakes, Mysterious men and danger? Yeah, go jump on it! This title is very adult for all those great adult things and oh so steamy sexy times. And if you’d ask me if I’d read more should this become a series, the answer would be HELL YES! Bring it on! I could always spend more time with Lila and Cade. I mean there’s no real question there at all.