Tag: 4 Stars

Review

Athena’s Choice by Adam Boostrom – My Review

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Release Date: December 13th 2018

Genre: Dystopian Fiction 

~Synopsis~

Athena Vosh lives just like any other teenager from the year 2099. She watches reality shows with her friends, eats well, and occasionally wonders to herself: what would life be like if men were still alive?

It has been almost 50 years since an experimental virus accidentally killed all the men on earth. However, a controversial project is currently underway to bring men back. There’s just one catch. The project has been sabotaged.

So begins the award-winning novel, Athena’s Choice. When the police of 2099 are tasked with finding the saboteur, they receive a mysterious command to investigate the otherwise innocuous Athena Vosh. After it becomes clear that the young girl might know more than she lets on, Athena is brought in to participate in the official investigation. Simultaneously, the girl begins to experience a series of cryptic dreams featuring a ruined library and an old book containing the saboteur’s true identity. As the police close in on their prize, Athena finds herself on a journey of her own. Her clue-filled dreams and incorruptible spirit bring her face-to-face with a pair of forgotten truths about happiness and gender. The world waits to see if men will return as Athena fights a separate battle, culminating in the choice that will define her and others’ lives forever.

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~My Review~

Athena Vosh’s life was pretty normal. As normal as it can be in the year 2099. Every day was the same. Until the dreams started happening. What did they mean? Whisked from her mundane life, she is invited to help solve a crime that’s been committed. Could this be her chance at greatness?

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. A virus that had wiped out the men? Like whoa!! Athena’s Choice is an entertaining read. I was pleasantly surprised! The cover is pretty. I could tell the author put a lot of work into the story and details. Adding touches here and there to tie this story together. It wasn’t hard to imagine a world like that at all. Athena is a likable character. She wasn’t a standout to me but held her own. Some of my fave characters were in the background. Loved Mirza! Even Valerie. This is a new to me author and I look forward to seeing more. A great sci-fi read! I give it 4 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

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Review

Wishes On Falling Stars by S.M. Stryker – My Review

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Release Date: September 3rd 2018

Genre: New Adult Romance

~Synopsis~

I once was told that my wishes would come true if I wished upon a falling star. Well, they were wrong.

Or were they?

I think my heart belonged to Kaiden from the very first moment we met.

We spent a secret weekend together talking about our future, wished upon falling stars, and confessing our love for one another.

Kaiden was my best friend; my future, but after I gave myself to him that special night, he disappeared from my life. That was the last time I saw from him.

Willow was my first, but after that weekend, my life changed forever. I walked away from everything and everyone I ever loved.

Willow thought that if she got married, she could forget the boy she was in love with. But when she found out she was pregnant years later, her husband demanded her to terminate the pregnancy.

Horrified at her husband’s ultimatum, Willow returns to the one place she had always found solace.

After a tragic accident, Kaiden withdrew from everyone he loved, including Willow. By the time he finally realized what he had done, Willow was already gone. Giving herself to another man. She wasn’t his any longer.

Now, ten years later, their paths cross in the one place that had held so much promise. Each carrying secrets, too ashamed and unwilling to share until they realize they only have each other to lean on.

 

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~My Review~

Willow can’t seem to forget about her first love. He was amazing but things didn’t work out. She got married and began her married life. Only it wasn’t what she thought it would be. Willow is faced with some tough decisions. Doing some soul searching she runs into her first love, Kaiden. 

This was a pretty good read. I really enjoyed it. I like the mix of sweet and not so sweet moments that made up the book. I have the audiobook version and the narrator did a good job. Willow is pretty cool! Love her! I give this 4 stars

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

 

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Review

17 Marigold Lane by R.M. Gilmore – My Review

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Release Date: July 22nd 2019

Genre: Teen & Young Adult

~Synopsis~

Prudence Penderhaus, a high school senior recently diagnosed with cancer, uncovers an odd boy and small-town corruption under dreary Pacific Northwest skies in this dark and quirky coming-of-age mystery.

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~My Review~

17 Marigold Lane is a unique and heartfelt read. I did not expect this book to affect me the way it did. Prudence is a quirky and a special girl. Her strength and will to do the right thing made this story a standout for me. Following some terrible news, Pru decides to live life. Take some chances. Once chance leads her to Cassius.

This is a new to me author. I appreciated the fact that a character with special needs was represented. The story had a nice flow. Some moments that pulled on my heart strings. Others that had me angry. That all makes for a pretty good story. I hope there’s another book. I would love to read more from Pru and her crew. I give this 4 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

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Review

Take Me by L. Powell – My Review

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Release Date: January 30th 2019

Genre: Contemporary Romance

~Synopsis~

A holiday romance……. An everlasting reminder…….

All Callie wanted to do was to forget.
All she wanted was to have some fun.
She just needed some time away.
She didn’t want her life to become more complicated.
She didn’t want to feel.
But then she hadn’t planned on falling for Caine Roberts.
Caine is handsome.
Caine makes her skin tingle and her heart race.
Caine makes her forget.
Caine makes their time together exciting.
But Caine also stirs emotions in Callie that she wasn’t prepared for.
Returning to reality forces Callie back into her painful life.
It also means that she has decisions to make.
Will she let her head or her heart take the lead?
No matter what she decides, someone is going to get hurt.
And Callie is desperately hoping that she can protect herself.
Wrong or right?
Fight or flight?

~Add to TBR~

~My Review~

Take Me is a heavy and a somewhat tormented read. It’s also about forgiveness and finding love after sorrow. We follow Callie as she navigates her life following a break up with her long time boyfriend. This is by no means a sunshine and rainbows read. If you like dark reads like myself, you will most likely like this book. I loved a lot of the characters, especially Callie’s close friends. The chemistry between Callie and Caine was hot! I did have trouble feeling for Callie at times though. Some of the decisions she made didn’t make sense to me. I know heartbreak can make us do some crazy things but I felt she brought a lot of unnecessary situations unto herself. All in all, I thought this was a pretty good read. This is a new to me author and I look forward to reading more from her! I give this 4 stars.

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Review

Death and Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor – My Review

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Release Date: July 9th 2019

Genre: Family Life Fiction

~Synopsis~

There’s nothing like being told that in three months you’ll be dead to make you think about what you really want in life

“A novel about self-discovery, with plenty of surprises and a snappy, Bridget-Jones-gets-a-terminal-diagnosis vibe.” –Booklist

Jennifer Cole has just been told that she has a terminal blood disorder and has just three months to live–ninety days to say goodbye to friends and family, and to put her affairs in order. Ninety days to come to terms with a diagnosis that is unfair, unexpected, and completely unpronounceable. Focusing on the positives (she won’t have to go on in a world without Bowie or Maya Angelou; she won’t get Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s like her parents, or have teeth that flop out at the mere mention of the word apple), Jennifer realizes she only has one real regret: the relationships she’s lost.

Rather than running off to complete a frantic bucket list, Jennifer chooses to stay put and write a letter to the three most significant people in her life, to say the things she wished she’d said before but never dared: her overbearing, selfish sister, her jelly-spined, cheating ex-husband, and her charming, unreliable ex-boyfriend–and finally tell them the truth.

At first, Jennifer feels cleansed by her catharsis. Liberated, even. Her ex-boyfriend rushes to her side and she even starts to build bridges with her sister Isabelle (that is, once Isabelle’s confirmed that Jennifer’s condition isn’t genetic). But once you start telling the truth, it’s hard to stop. And as Jennifer soon discovers, the truth isn’t always as straightforward as it seems, and death has a way of surprising you….

~My Review~

What would you do if you were told you only had three months to live? I mean we’ve all thought about it at some point. That’s exactly what happened to Jennifer. Where do you go from that? She decides to write letters to the three people who she wanted some type of closure with. We follow Jennifer as she deals with her impending death and the repercussions of her letters.

I enjoyed this book. I wan’t expecting the twist and that ending but totally ok with that! Surprises are good. There are some pretty colorful characters. The jerk ones made you want to strangle them and there were plenty of them in this book. I tried to like Jennifer but some of her decisions and choices made it hard to root for her at times. All in all, this is a good read. It’s a story of hope and of life lessons. You have some feels moments. I look forward to checking out other books by this author. I give this 4 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

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Review

The Suicide King by Vanessa Marie – My Review

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Release Date: July 30th 2019

Genre: Psychological Fiction

~Synopsis~

Jason King thought suicide was the only answer.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
The inner demons were winning and he was ready to surrender.
As far as he was concerned no one would care.
Everyone would be better off.
No one would notice he was gone.
Little did he know how wrong he was.
His actions had consequences.
The reach went further than he could have imagined.
Only his suffering didn’t end.
Stuck in purgatory Jason is forced to walk a new path.
One that shows him how his suicide affected all those involved.
Even the ones he never thought would care.
The ones he never knew it would reach.
In this Scrooged like tale, Jason King will visit all of those who mourn him.
He finds out a little too late how wrong he was about everything.

Trigger Warning: This book contains heavy subject material that may be triggers for some readers.
It contains graphic scenes and covers topics like suicide, abuse, the loss of a child, funerals, and more.
Read at your own risk.

~My Review~

This is a unique twist on life after death. Often times we don’t know the impact we’ve had on people or the effects of our actions and choices. In this book’s afterlife, we do. We see it all. Nothing is sugar coated. I appreciated that. This is a different book than what I’ve read previously from this author. I enjoyed it and I’m also glad the author took this kind of approach. Some parts are raw and there is def some feels. The subject of the book is of a sensitive nature. However, I feel it needs to be talked about. Maybe it will help someone who is in need. I give this 4 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

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Review

What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine – My Review

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Release Date: May 8th 2018

Genre: Fairy Tales

~Synopsis~

Cursed. Maisie Cothay has never known the feel of human flesh: born with the power to kill or resurrect at her slightest touch, she has spent her childhood sequestered in her family’s manor at the edge of a mysterious forest. Maisie’s father, an anthropologist who sees her as more experiment than daughter, has warned Maisie not to venture into the wood. Locals talk of men disappearing within, emerging with addled minds and strange stories. What he does not tell Maisie is that for over a millennium her female ancestors have also vanished into the wood, never to emerge—for she is descended from a long line of cursed women.

But one day Maisie’s father disappears, and Maisie must venture beyond the walls of her carefully constructed life to find him. Away from her home and the wood for the very first time, she encounters a strange world filled with wonder and deception. Yet the farther she strays, the more the wood calls her home. For only there can Maisie finally reckon with her power and come to understand the wildest parts of herself.

~My Review~

The cover is what caught my eye. It’s so pretty! Okay enough of that…on to the book. The pacing of this book is slow. It took awhile for anything “exciting” to happen. While the story is a unique one, I felt it need more. Especially the ending. I felt such a build up and then….nothing. All of that aside, the story as a whole is a good one. One needs to have patience while reading it. This is the type of book that can’t be rushed through. I loved the past flashbacks. Those were my favorite parts! I loved the history the author created for it. The characters were well written, however I felt more could have been done with Maisie. Miss Fine is a new author to me and I look froward to reading more from her! I give this 4 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

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