Dive in Review of Common

So you remember awhile back I hosted a cover reveal for a book called Common?

Well I finally got to read it and now I’m posting a review so you can all be excited enough to go read it too.

I’m also the last stop on the book’s release tour.

One person knows of the plot against the royal family and cares enough to try to stop it—the servant girl they banished.

Leah spends her days scrubbing floors, polishing silver, and meekly curtsying to nobility. Nothing distinguishes her from the other commoners serving at the palace, except her red hair.

And her secret friendship with Rafe, the Crown Prince of Imperia.

But Leah’s safe, ordinary world begins to splinter. Unexpected feelings for Rafe surface just as his parents announce his betrothal to a foreign princess. Then she unearths a plot to overthrow the royal family. Her life shatters completely when the queen banishes her for treason.

Harbored by a mysterious group of nuns, Leah must secure Rafe’s safety before it’s too late. But her quest reveals a villain far more sinister than an ambitious nobleman with his eye on the throne.

Can a common maidservant summon the courage to fight for her dearest friend?

Author Bio:

An avid reader since birth (her parents claim she often kept them up late begging to hear just one more story), Laurie Lucking discovered her passion for writing after leaving her career as an attorney to become a stay-at-home mom. She writes young adult fantasy with a strong thread of romance, and her debut novel, Common, releases in 2018 from Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing. Laurie is the secretary of her local ACFW chapter and a co-founder of http://www.landsuncharted.com, a blog for fans of clean young adult speculative fiction. A Midwestern girl through and through, she currently lives in Minnesota with her husband and two young sons. Find out more about Laurie and her writing by visiting http://www.laurielucking.com.

You can find links to purchase it here:  http://www.love2readlove2writepublishing.com/books/common/

 Common by Laurie Lucking is a new YA fantasy novel about knowing your place and not trying to reach for things outside of you current circumstances.

I’m just kidding.

 This book is totally the opposite of that. Even though Leah is a chambermaid she has no problem bucking the system. Everything thing she does from learning to read and write, to meeting the crown prince in a broom closet, (totally clean, nothing kinky happens in the closet, I promise) is forbidden. The real kicker is that she’s so not a rebel.

Leah’s life would improve without the elitist king and queen on the throne, but she goes out of her way to try to save them from an assassin. She could just run away with the prince like he’s been begging her to do for three chapters but she believes their country needs him on the throne. (Also, not to point out the elephant in the broom closet but, he has no marketable skills to speak of.)

 Since were talking the elephant now anyway. I was really underwhelmed by the romance element. Which was fine by the way, I’m not really a romance reader. So I was pleasantly surprised when this turned out to be an espionage story. Court intrigue, secret meetings, assassins, spies and evil wizards are much more my speed.

I hope I haven’t spoiled anything, there is so much going on in this story that you really need to read it for yourself. It’s part romance, part espionage, part magical fantasy, and part spiritual warfare. Yes, read it for the warrior nuns.

*I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes and was asked for nothing but my honest opinion.*

 And so you can back track and check out all the other great stops,

I give you the Blog Tour Schedule:

Monday, February 5^th, Review of Common, Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com

Monday, February 5^th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, Taylor Bennett, www.taylor–bennett.com

Tuesday, February 6^th, Visual Post, Nancy Moors, www.antrimcycle.com

Tuesday, February 6^th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature, Rae E, www.anewlookonbooks.com

Wednesday, February 7^th, Visual Post, J.M. Hackman, www.jmhackman.com

Wednesday, February 7^th, Guest Post: Author’s Journey, Kristen Stieffel, www.newauthors.wordpress.com

Thursday, February 8^th, Guest Post, Laura A. Grace, www.unicornquester.com

Friday, February 9^th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, Jebraun Clifford, www.quillsandinkblotts.wordpress.com/

Friday, February 9^th, Review of Common, Erica Hogan, www.booksaholic.wordpress.com/

Saturday, February 10^th, Top 3 Post, Laurie Lucking, www.landsuncharted.com

Sunday, February 11^th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature: Laurie’s Writing Process, Liv Fisher, www.livkfisher.blogspot.com/

Sunday, February 11^th, Review of Common, Jebraun Clifford, www.jebraunclifford.com/

Monday, February 12^th, Character Interview, Brenda Anderson, www.inspyromance.com/

Monday, February 12^th, Visual Post, Jannette Fuller, www.jannettefuller.com/blog

Tuesday, February 13^th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, KaLyn Cummins, www.authorkacummins.com

Wednesday, February 14^th, Release-Day Feature, Laurie Lucking, www.laurielucking.com (Release Day)

Thursday, February 15^th, Facebook Party Feature, Michele Israel Harper, www.micheleisraelharper.com (Facebook Launch Party)

Friday, February 16^th, Review of Common, Cathrine Bonham, You Are Here.