Category: Review (Page 117 of 296)

BOOK REVIEW: The Bookworm Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts

October 29, 2019 / / 4 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: The Bookworm Crush by Lisa Brown RobertsThe Bookworm Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

This spinoff of The Replacement Crush featuring Amy and Toff is sure to melt your heart.

Shy bookworm Amy McIntyre is about to compete for the chance to interview her favorite author, who hasn't spoken to the press in years. The only way to win is to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight, but that level of confidence has never come easy.

The solution? A competition coach. The problem? The best person for the job is the guy she's secretly crushing on…local surfer celebrity Toff Nichols.

He’s a player. He’s a heartthrob. He makes her forget basic things, like how to breathe. How can she feel any confidence around him?

To her surprise, Toff agrees to help. And he’s an excellent teacher. Amy feels braver―maybe even brave enough to admit her feelings for him. When their late night practices become less about coaching and more about making out, Amy’s newfound confidence wavers.

But does Toff really like her or is this just another lesson?

Review:

Surfer Boy + Bookish Girl = Cutest Story Ever!
 
I laughed, cried, sighed and fell madly in love, so it’s no surprise that The Book Worm Crush became an instant favorite!  This story was the perfect mix of being cute and fluffy while also being deep and emotional.  And with characters that leaped off of the pages and easily stole my heart, sigh, I absolutely loved this book.  If you’re looking for one last summerish read or if you love ya romance that is swoon worthy then definitely pick this one up!
 
God, he was a cliché . So was she, with her ridiculous crush on him. Maybe they belonged together after all, like the Instagram commenter suggested.
Yeah, right.

 

Amy is a heroine everyone can root for. She was sweet, shy, loved books, and she was not only a book blogger, but a bookstagrammer too.  So I understood how she felt about wanting to win a contest to meet and interview her unicorn author. She knew that she had to step out of her comfort zone if she wanted to win.  And who better to help coach her on winning and being confident then local surfer celebrity, Toff.  It shouldn’t matter that she’d crushed on him since they were little kids.   Or that she got even more shy and nervous when he was around.  But after the book started off with a huge bang, go raccoons lol!, I knew Amy had it in her to step up to the game and even possibly win.
 
She wasn’t sure how much longer she could pretend to be immune to Toff— fake, real, and everything in between. Her resolve was fading, which was no surprise.

 

When Amy and Toff were together, I couldn’t stop laughing.  There was a whole lot of banter and joking around going on.  And even though Toff was the confident, flirty one, I couldn’t stop grinning any time Amy would throw him off his game.  Their interaction was smile inducing and I felt like I was in on all of their inside jokes.  Btw Bonnie and Clyde was the cutest nicknames ever!  As Toff helped Amy with the contest challenges and becoming more confident, I loved watching their friendship grow.  Even if there were a lots of bumps along the way.
 
He willed her to look him in the eye, hoping she could tell he was serious for once. She took a breath and met his gaze. The energy between them shifted, like an electrical storm descended right over their table, crackling with lightning bolts.

 

Toff was charismatic, insanely talented, and absolutely gorgeous, but he had a guarded heart.  He got through life joking around and not being too serious.  And surfing, competing and girls were his life.  But when Amy came crashing into it, she started to shake everything up.  And as we slowly got to know Toff inside and out, I found myself falling even harder for him.  Yes Toff had some growing up to do, but his progress pulled at my heart and made me love and root for him that much harder.
 
Being with her felt so good. Easy. Fun. Fiery.
Safe.
Right.

 

You guys, I loved every single tiny thing about The Book Worm Crush.  Not only did we get to switch back and forth between Amy and Toff, but there was also so much book talk.  And while this story was absolutely adorable, it had a strong emotional side too.  I kept finding myself getting hit with all of the feels.  I was sitting on a beach reading and couldn’t stop crying.  And then later on I was not just crying, but sobbing.  This story truly has it all!
 
As Toff sat across from her, she drank him in. Suntanned and smiling, blue eyes sparkling, he made her heart skip a beat. Confused or not, she was going to enjoy this. Enjoy him. Them.

 

So if you’re a fan of ya, romance, gushing about books or falling in love then definitely add this one to your tbr.  With all of the book love sprinkled throughout the pages, I think book lovers will be just as obsessed about this book as I was.  And while this book is a spin-off from The Replacement Crush, you definitely don’t need to read that book first.  This can easily be read as a standalone, but I fell madly in love with that book too.  So I recommend them both!  So when you pick this book up please come and obsess with me.  I desperately need to talk all about Amy, Toff and of course penguins too!
 
PS I loved Amy’s younger brother, Brayden!  He was sneaky, hilarious and constantly cracked me up.  He is someone I’d love to read about when he’s older.  I can’t even imagine all of the trouble he’d get into as a teenager lol.
 
Happily Ever After, Happy for Now, whatever this was, Amy was embracing it.
No regrets.

 

PPS  There’s a video scene and it was so funny that I re-read that chapter four times.  Yup, it was that fabulous!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

 

BOOK REVIEW: The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie Rutkoski

October 24, 2019 / / 7 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie RutkoskiThe Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1)
by Marie Rutkoski
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.

Quotes are from an uncorrected eARC and are subject to change.

It is a midnight lie, she said.
A kind of lie told for someone else’s sake, a lie that sits between goodness and wrong, just as midnight is the moment between night and morning.

This book….met every expectation I could have had for it. The very first thing I want, no NEED to say in this review, though, is to leave every thought about the Winner’s Trilogy in the back seat. If people “ruin” another book by comparing it to its beloved predecessor or a similar series, I will lose my shit. Yes, this book is by the same author and set it the same world as the previous series, but it is its own entity with its own story and characters. We catch glimpses of old characters that I don’t know if everyone is going to like. I have questions but…I’m assuming we’ll learn more later on.

Anyhow, I was addicted to this book. I started last night and finished today (and that’s with work). I ate up every word, every line, every page. Her writing has cast a spell on me and I honestly don’t even want to be free of. Different aspects reminded me of a few other books, all of which I loved—mainly Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. That book has left one of the biggest emotional impacts on me that no other back has even come close to. I don’t really want to get into what aspects are similar as that would ruin parts of this plot but I just wanted to mention it.

“Nirrim, I can’t be good to you.”
“Then be bad.”

The thing about this book is that you start out knowing very little. My eARC didn’t come with a map and I wasn’t sure if that was because it was an ARC or because that would have clued us in on certain things. Because I trust Rutkoski’s storytelling abilities, I figured there was a reason for us being left in the dark for a while. Having us figure out things as slowly as Nirrim was maddening at times but I got it, I really did. You could tell that she was the way she was, and thought the way she did because of her upbringing. You can’t just change how you see the world when you’ve gone your whole life in a routine along with all of the people around you. I would start to get frustrated with her and how childish and trusting she could be until I stopped myself and reminded myself WHY this was the case. I feel like I’m literally talking myself in circles right now BUT I DON’T WANT TO GIVE ANYTHING AWAY.

Other than the satisfaction of Nirrim slowly tearing the cobwebs from her eyes and figuring things out, my favorite part of this story was Sid. That cheeky lil flirt. OMGGGG. I loved her so much, many flaws and all. I think it’s great that this features its two female MCs in a relationship. You NEVER see that in YA fantasy by a popular author…ever. I’m assuming we’re going to start to see more and more as time goes on but for now, this is the first one that I can think of/ have come into contact with. Their relationship happened a lot quicker than Arin and Kestrel’s but man…I don’t even care. It was straight up lust at first sight and the sexual tension was….so addicting. I loved every single one of their interactions and I am dying to see where things end up in the next book *bites nails*.

This is going to be a book that you DON’T want to miss next year, you guys. Adding some comments under a spoiler tag below!

I realized that wanted in a kind of power even if you don’t get what you want. Wanting illuminates everything you need, and how the world failed you.

View Spoiler »

Huge thanks to Edelweiss and FSG Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions ♥

BOOK REVIEW: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

October 22, 2019 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: Lock Every Door by Riley SagerLock Every Door by Riley Sager
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

“Welcome to the Bartholomew. I think you’re going to love it here.”

Riley Sager is quickly becoming one my favorite, and more dependable, thriller writers. I really enjoyed [book:Final Girls|32796253] and loved [book:The Last Time I Lied|36626748], so I was very excited to start his third book. And I was far from disappointed. It was an enthralling read with a crazy ending and I loved every minute of it.

Lock Every Door centers on Jules Larsen, a down on her luck 20-something living in New York. Jules recently went through a tough breakup and is crashing with her best friend while she figures out her next steps. As luck would have it, an apartment sitting job is available at the mysterious and infamous Bartholomew, overlooking Central Park. As long as Jules follows the strict rules set in place, she will be paid well and can stay in the building. Simple enough, right?

Even though a mere minute in her company has left me exhausted, I follow. She’s fascinating in the same way tornadoes are fascinating. You want to see how much they’re going to spin.

Not long after moving in, Jules begins to meet the other occupants of the building, including fellow apartment sitter Ingrid. The two become quick friends and begin to look into the mysterious occurrences at the Bartholomew. Jules also befriends her handsome doctor-next door, a former TV starlet and a reclusive author. There’s a lot of fascinating side characters and I really enjoyed getting to know them as the plot was moving along.

Lock Every Door takes the old adage “If something is too good to be true, it probably is” and turns it up to 100. I think most people would understand why Jules and the other apartment sitters would be willing to take on a job with such strict rules for the benefits, despite all the red flags. I didn’t really find myself questioning Jules and her actions, but rooted for her the entire time.

While Sager writes pretty decent characters, where he excels (in my opinion) is the setting/atmosphere and the pacing. I was thoroughly creeped out as Jules tried to get through each night in her big and lonely apartment. I also devoured this book, needing to find out the answers along with Jules. Things definitely started to click into place but I didn’t totally see the big reveal. It was bonkers and I can understand why it might not be for everyone, but I loved it.

I’d recommend going into this book with as little knowledge as possible. It’s been a few weeks and I can still vividly remember the ending, so it definitely knocked a hard punch for me. I am definitely looking forward to whatever Sager gives us next.

“Please,” she hisses, her face still hidden in the shadow. “Please stop asking questions. No one here is going to answer them.”

BOOK REVIEW: Sinful Like Us (Like Us #5) by Krista & Becca Ritchie

October 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: Sinful Like Us (Like Us #5) by Krista & Becca RitchieSinful Like Us (Like Us #5)
by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

HOW CAN IT BE WRONG
IF IT FEELS SO GOOD

Dating an American princess comes with a massive amount of baggage–all of which I’m willing to carry strapped on my back in quicksand and through seven hells. But Jane Cobalt’s baggage, I’m unprepared for. It comes in the form of her five equally famous and notoriously hard-to-please brothers.

I want Jane.
Completely.
Unconditionally.

But when there’s a trip scheduled that I can’t be a part of, I only have one option. It’s immoral.
Something I’d never consider until now.

But, hell, there’s got to be some perks to being a twin. So I’m doing it. I’m switching places with my brother.

Done and done.

It should have been easy.

There were little consequences.

Until the storm hit.

I set the trophy on the table and hear Farrow, his voice picked up on Oscar’s radio. “Cobalts are extra as fuck.”
He’s not wrong.

The reason why I fly through all of these books came to me last night. These characters are home to me. And not just Moffy, Janie, Sulli, and the next generation but the Core 6, too. I have read every book in this series, some a few times over, and I will honestly never get sick of them. Even though the money they have and most of the problems that they face will NEVER be something I have to face, each character has a kernel of something that is relatable.

Take Jane for instance. She has spent this entire series thus far trying to find what she is passionate about. She has lived in the shadow of her parents and her aunts and uncles and feels deep inside her that she has to pick one thing to be good at. To excel at. To conquer. I love that before she does realize what that might be in this book, that she comes to terms with the fact that she doesn’t have to just find one thing to ~do~ that will make her special. I think that so many of us struggle with that every single day. I LOVE working in my library and most days can be pretty fulfilling but there are a lot of other days where I question if I’m doing enough. If I’m doing my part to help people and serve the community to the best of my ability. The older I get, the more I think its bullshit that teenagers fresh out of high school are forced to decide what they want to for the rest of their life. I’d say 9/10 young people have no fucking clue. AND THAT SHOULD BE OKAY. I personally have figured out what I have liked so far by actually having different jobs and trying them out and working with a myriad of different people.

Jane’s situation might be different because unlike most of us, even if she fails at something, she doesn’t have any kind of financial burden or stress on her back. But that shouldn’t even be focused on. The struggle in general should be. The fact that she has found an equal in Thatcher and that he supports her in every aspect of her life should be.

Did it hurt to see her struggle with fully accepting the fact that she loved Thatcher? Sure. Did it make sense after being in her mind and knowing WHY she was struggling? Yes. I mean she is ROSE CALLOWAY COBALT’S DAUGHTER. Rose, as mentioned several times, is a fucking queen and I could see how Jane might have thought that she needed to be entirely independent by herself and not realizing that she could just take Thatcher’s love and support and have that bolster her up even more than she already was doing herself. The ending was perfect in every way.

I enjoyed seeing everyone and getting to know a few of them more. Loved Kit’s solution for things at the end. Loved seeing more Banks. Still not sure about the future triad but whatever, Imma roll with it. The one thing that I keep feeling like I’m still left in the dark about a tad is the entire Cobalt clan. All of the boys are so………..much………..and I want to get inside all of their minds and figure them the fuck out. Like to me, the Meadows’s and the Hale’s are all pretty straightforward. Not any of those boys. Very curious to see more in the future….

Either way I’m still going to follow this crazy ass family to the ends of this earth and am DYINGGGGGGGGGG to get my hands on the wedding book ANDDDDD Willow and Garrison’s story.

P.S. And I feel like it’s incredibly dumb I need to add this but after reading some of the “reviews” on the next two books I felt like I had to. I read these books for the RELATIONSHIPS and PEOPLE not for the sex that “the middle aged soccer moms get off on.” Like I can see both sides, I really do but damn the amount of one stars and bashing I saw was pretty off the charts. I guess I just haven’t seen enough of the…drama and deleting of comments and whatever. So basically I just don’t want to see anyone being bashed about enjoying the books when they can be so much more than the sexual parts of the relationships. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh

“I’m going to protect you. Sempre toujours.”
I breathe in, shock and something stranger crashing into me.
Sepmpre toujours.
The first word is Italian, the second French.
It means, always always.

BOOK REVIEW: The Burning Shadow (Origin #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

October 12, 2019 / / 6 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: The Burning Shadow (Origin #2) by Jennifer L. ArmentroutThe Burning Shadow (Origin #2)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with The Burning Shadow, the steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.

When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux―only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.

Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is―and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.

Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.

And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.

Review:

The Burning Shadow was absolutely brilliant.  It started out slow and steady and grew into an intricate story that was deep and emotional.  I loved the ties into the Lux Series and that we got to see all of our old friends.  It felt like coming home.  But this book toyed with my emotions in the best way ever!  Lies, love, betrayal, friendship and secrets splashed across the pages and it was beyond impossible to put this book down.

“Evie.” Luc said my name as if it were a prayer and a curse.
I took a breath, but it went nowhere. His forehead touched mine, and I swore my heart stopped right then and there.

Within those first few pages, I was already laughing so hard.  That’s because the story started right where The Darkest Star ended.  With Evie’s mom, Sylvia, making lunch for Evie and Luc.  Sylvia and Luc butted heads in the most horrific ways.  They were a disaster in the making and I couldn’t look away from that train wreck or stop the laughs that were bubbling out of me.

I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to lose myself in him. I wanted to forget, and I wanted to remember.

From there, we were taken on the most epic adventure.  So I was beyond grateful that Evie and Luc got moments where they could sit back for a few minutes and enjoy each other.  Their banter was smile inducing, but they also had these deep, emotional conversations that gutted and elated me.  Especially when Luc gave Evie little pieces of her past.  It felt like we truly got to know everything there was about them and they brought so many emotions out of me.  It wasn’t a surprise that I kept finding myself with tears falling down my face.

“Tell me what you want.” His lips brushed mine in the darkness. “You need to say the words, Evie.”
“You,” I whispered into the space between our mouths, while my heart beat so fast I didn’t understand how it could keep going. “I want you.”

But there was also heart pounding action that made it feel like I was standing on the edge of the cliff.  I was so scared I was going to fall with them down into the abyss, so I was that glued to the pages.  And as the story unfolded, we were given little clues.  When those clues started to come together I literally had chills.  And while some of the twists I figured out, a few of them knocked me on my butt.  My mind was blown.  So hold on because this book turned into a wild and twisted ride.

“You,” he spoke. “It’s only ever been you. Before. Now. Later. There’s been no one else. There . . . just can’t be.”

Luc is still holding onto my number one spot for favorite book boyfriend ever (sorry Daemon!).  The lengths he would go to protect the ones he loved was astronomical.  He did everything to keep them safe, and while sometimes it was selfish, I loved him more for it.  I also loved that he had no idea how to be modest lol.  With hysterical t-shirts, cheesy pickup lines, and being naughty and listening into Evie’s thoughts I seriously loved everything about him.  Even when he was a little too matter of fact or being violent.  His actions shouldn’t have made me laugh, broken hand scene cough cough, but it’s Luc.  I couldn’t help smiling and laughing every time he was around.

“Because I’ve already waited forever for this— for you. I’ve done nothing but watch and wait, and I am not walking away again. If I kiss you, if I touch you again, I will not be able to go back to the way things are now.” The next breath he took trembled as much as I was. “I won’t be able to pretend that you aren’t my everything.”
I couldn’t breathe.

Evie was on a huge emotional journey and grew so much!  She definitely struggled trying to figure out who she truly was.  She had her past and Evelyn Dashed mixed into who she was and my heart hurt for her.  But Evie was strong, resilient and she grew in leaps and bounds.  I was rooting for her every step of the way!  And I loved that she never once lost her confidence, snark or sassiness!

Daemon was quiet for a long moment. “Luc and I would do anything to protect the people we love.”
I stilled, unable to take more than a shallow breath as I stared at the male Luxen. I didn’t know how to respond to that.
“I would beg, plead, barter, and kill to protect Kat,” he continued, voice low, but every word struck me like thunder. “Nothing in this world would stop me, and there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do— and it’s the same for Luc when it comes to you.”

The side characters rounded out this story perfectly.  Zoe was the ultimate bff, I loved Heidi too and everyone from The Lux Series.  You guys.  My heart was elated with how many we got to see, I was screaming.  Ohhhh and be prepared because when Luc and Daemon go head to head, I didn’t know whether to laugh or hold my breath because of what would happen next.  So yes, I loved this book!  It definitely didn’t suffer from second book syndrome.  I loved every twist and turn and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, The Burning Shadow will definitely keep readers hooked and become an instant favorite!

“Evie.” Luc’s voice was quiet but strong.
Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded. “I’m okay. I’m ready.”
And then I stepped forward, hand in hand with Luc, into the unknown.

PS Diesel gets a part in this book and it was so perfect!

PPS I love their Halloween costumes!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)

The Darkest Star #1
Reviews:
Jen		 
The Burning Shadow   #2
Reviews:
Jen
The Brightest Night   #3
Reviews:
Jen
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