Guest Review by Jessica: Everything We Lost by Valerie Geary

Summary:

Lucy Durant was only fourteen-years-old when she lost her older brother. First to his paranoid delusions as he became increasingly obsessed with UFOs and government conspiracies. Then, permanently, when he walked into the desert outside Bishop, California, and never returned.

Now on the tenth anniversary of Nolan's mysterious disappearance, Lucy is still struggling with guilt and confusion--her memories from that period are blurry and obscured by time, distance, and alcohol. Now an adult, she's stuck in a holding pattern, hiding out at her father's house, avoiding people, and doing whatever she can to keep herself from thinking about Nolan. But when a series of unsettling events leads Lucy back to Bishop, she is forced to reconcile with her estranged mother and come to terms with the tangled memories of her past to discover what really happened to her brother all those years ago.

Told in Lucy and Nolan's alternating voices, Everything We Lost is a psychological mystery exploring family, beliefs, obsessions, the nature of memory, and fear of the unknown--a haunting, compelling story that will resonate with readers long after the last page is turned.

Publication Date: August 22, 2017

Jessica's Review:

3.5/5 Stars

  

I was torn with this book. The blurb was really interesting and I love a good mystery, but I had a hard time getting into this book because the whole alien/UFO aspect just doesn't work for me. I had a hard time liking or caring what happened to Nolan, but I had a harder time liking Lucy which is a problem since she's the main character. The story and the details were well written, but everything with the characters bothered me, both main characters and side characters.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy for review purposes!

Guest Review by Jessica: Sister, Sister by Sue Fortin

From the bestselling author of The Girl Who Lied

Alice: Beautiful, kind, manipulative, liar.

Clare: Intelligent, loyal, paranoid, jealous.

Clare thinks Alice is a manipulative liar who is trying to steal her life.

Alice thinks Claire is jealous of her long-lost return and place in their family.

One of them is telling the truth. The other is a maniac. Two sisters. One truth.

Publication Date: January 6, 2017

Jessica's Review:

Sister Sister by Sue Fortin had me hooked starting with Claire being in the hospital wondering if she was crazy. Then it went on as a heartbreaking story of a family torn apart without reason. A long lost sister found, a family reunited, then lies lies and more lies! 

This psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It kept me guessing with every page turn. Every time I thought I had it figured out the plot would twist and turn and have me backwards again. Up until the very last chapter I was engulfed in trying to figure out what the truth really was and who was behind all the deception. Definitely 5 stars for me!

5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy for review purposes!

Guest Review: The Memory Jar by Elissa Janine Hoole

Summary:

Since the accident, Taylor's memory has been fuzzy. But at least she's awake. Who knows what her boyfriend, Scott, will remember when he comes out of the coma. Will he remember that Taylor was driving the snowmobile when it crashed? Will he remember the engagement ring? Her pregnancy?

Will he remember that she tried to break up with him?

Taylor doesn't know. And she doesn't know if she wants him to remember. Plenty of things happened that night and before—secrets wrapped in secrets—that she'd prefer be forgotten.

Facing choices she'd rather ignore, Taylor searches for something more solid than whispers and something bigger than blame to face the future and forgive herself.

Publication Date: April 8, 2016

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

"The Memory Jar"

By Elissa Janine Hoole

3/5

"The Memory Jar" is a ratings stumper, as in I had no idea how to rate it. Parts of it were so juvenile that I was loathe to scratch up the required one star, and other parts were so brilliant I'd easily award it all five. I felt kind of like the author could be a gifted Physics student, earning A+ grades on all her finals, while flatly failing every History course she sets foot in, so her end result is a student with a C average. In fact, such a student would have no resemblance to a student who is actually a typical C student, but we have no other way of categorizing people other than sometimes blending their highs and lows into a single recognizable term.

So this book gets three stars.

Why the one star parts? Oh, it's unoriginal, it's predictable, it's got all the tropes of a YA/NA book trotted out in formulaic order… The one interesting organizational aspect of alternating sections titled "Then" and "Now" was done so ham-handedly that sometimes the "Then" was someone else's "Then," not the main character's "Then," which was a heck of a sloppy way to tell a story that ended up needing to be told with a third-person omniscient narrator, rather than these first-person perspectives that do not work together. No lie, I did this same format in fifth grade when I wrote a story about a family of dragons, and either I was talented and ahead of my time (I wasn't) or this author needs a lot more disciplined study of narration before she sees the light of publication (she does). If a story needs to contain multiple perspectives, then set it up that way – don't derail your own narrator to throw in other people's perspectives just in a couple of places because you have no idea how else to work it in. All I could see, as I read, was the glaring evidence of, "She had no idea how to work this in."

Why the five star parts? Well, the characters are real live people, and I didn't like any of them. Taylor, our protag, got on my nerves more than once a chapter, as did Scott her boyfriend, as did Joey her boyfriend's brother, as did Emily, her boyfriend's sister, as did Taylor's mom, who's clearly trying with mixed success to rein in an abusive parenting trait, as did Taylor's bestie whose name I mostly forget but it might be Dani, who was the only one I MIGHT have liked but was also the one character that started to fade to one-dimensional. These characters are REAL. They are so multi-faceted and deep that disliking them is the highest praise I can give in the sense that even my own beloved husband, children, and closest friends piss me off sometimes. Because they are real, flawed people who try hard and make terrible decisions and battle with themselves and sometimes the people around them… and it's what you will recognize because it's everything else you have going on in your own life, too. It's real life. I found real life in these pages, and that is RARE. Suddenly, the author's clumsy hands turned into skilled loomer's hands as she weaved and weaved and weaved and weaved, layering these complex people throughout "Then" and "Now" sections, revealing new layers and facets of each person's identity and history… and it blew me away.

But it was also a dopey story, pandering to the YA/NA audience the way the genre does, throwing in a random hot police officer lest the fleeting attention span of barely literate new readers dare to stray back to a reality show on TV for a minute. If I communicate nothing else to the authors I review, it's this: TRUST YOUR READERS. Quit dumbing it down, quit trying to write on the level you think they're on. Whatever age you're writing for, JUST WRITE. And dear Ms. Hoole, I do hope you continue to write, because you have a lot of room to grow and with a little more finesse you'll be blowing me away even more with a next book.

Guest Review: Girls Who Travel by Nicole Trilvas

Summary:

A hilarious, deftly written debut novel about a woman whose wanderlust is about to show her that sometimes you don’t have to travel very far to become the person you want to be…

There are many reasons women shouldn’t travel alone. But as foul-mouthed, sweet-toothed Kika Shores knows, there are many more reasons why they should. After all, most women want a lot more out of life than just having fun. Kika, for one, wants to experience the world.

But ever since she returned from her yearlong backpacking tour, she’s been steeped in misery, battling rush hour with all the other suits. Getting back on the road is all she wants. So when she’s offered a nanny job in London – the land of Cadbury Cream Eggs – she’s happy at the prospect of going back overseas and getting paid for it. But as she’s about to discover, the most exhilarating adventures can happen when you stay in one place…

Wise, witty, and hilarious, Girls Who Travel is an unforgettable novel about the highs and lows of getting what you want—and how it’s the things you least expect that can change your life.

Publication Date: December 1, 2015

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

Buckle up your fanny pack dear reader, because we're going abroad with Kika Shores in "Girls Who Travel." We're hitting Europe and Asia and South America and Scandinavia and… well maybe not Antarctica.  We're going to discover hot beaches and quirky cities and exotic clubs and shake our moneymakers like the rent is due.

That last turn of phrase I stole from the author, Nicole Trilivas, and it's as good an example as any of the irreverent, joyful humor that she infuses her character Kika with. Kika made me laugh once per page, beginning when she is schlupping her way through New York City working for corporate America, bundled against the cold, wondering how she ended up as part of the rat race when she had so recently been traveling the world, free as a bird in an unraveling bikini. Her arch-nemesis in NYC is another scrabbling yet slutty peon on the corporate ladder who couldn't be less like Kika, and her delicious and malicious manipulations set the stage perfectly for Kika's fall from grace.

But that's ok. Kika was never very graceful anyway, and we love her for it.

Through Kika, we yearn for the rough and mysterious Lochlan, her traveling companion whom she had to leave when her money ran, forcing her inevitable return to America. Lochlan continued on alone, eventually finding himself also returning to his native Ireland when his "da" became sick, so after a year apart the two lovebirds find themselves both anchored, and neither is happy about it. As luck would have it, they are anchored on the same continent now that Kika got a job as an au pair in London for an American family who is living abroad. Coincidence? Not really. The family is the same one that got Kika her NYC job, and corporate ties do not acknowledge oceans.

So now our Kika is in London, inadvertently teaching her young charges how to swear like a sailor, and she's catching the eye of the hottie next door who's clearly too posh for his pants and is barely worth a moment of Kika's time. But when she hears his playing his guitar in his garden one day, she can't help but wonder whether there is more to him than his money, and, now that she's thinking about it, why has Lochlan seemed so strange since he learned they could meet up again? Hmmmm.

That's all you get, because another word would spoil all the rest of the plot. Major props to the author for crafting a new take on the NA genre that crosses over to good old Contemporary Lit or Women's Fiction, humble thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy that I received in exchange for an honest review, and bon voyage to the rest of y'alls as you pack it up to go on a journey with Kika.

5/5 Stars

Guest Review: Tragedy Girl by Christine Hurley Deriso

Summary:

Of course Anne would be drawn to Blake. He’s good looking, he’s friendly, and they both bring sob stories to the table: her parents died in a car wreck, his girlfriend, Cara, drowned. Of course Blake would understand what she’s gone through. And of course they can help each other work through the pain. It’s like it was meant to be.

But just as Anne starts to feel she’s finally found something good in all the tragedy, she can’t ignore signs that something’s off. Her friends rarely let her be alone with Blake. Even those closest to Blake seem uneasy around him. And then there are the rumors about the death of Cara, whose body was never recovered. Rumors that suggest Blake’s pain is hiding something darker than Anne can even begin to comprehend...

Publication Date: April 8, 2016

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

"Tragedy Girl" was far from a tragedy and I thank the publisher for the free copy I got in exchange for an honest review. In fact, "Tragedy Girl" was a breath of fresh air – I've stumbled upon some stinkers this week, and this book made up for them. I was beginning to think there was no such thing as YA or NA decent books on the horizon, so this restored my faith a little bit in the genre.

That said, it's not without the tireless cliché that every YA/NA seems to lead with: our heroine, Anne, is an orphan! And a recent one! Her parents died together in a car crash! Right before her senior year in high school! If I had a nickel for every time THAT story has been trotted out, I could build a nickel tower and shout as people walk by it, "LOOK AT HOW MANY NICKELS I HAVE!" I could even add that Anne's parents were "T-boned," which was not only mentioned using this unlovely phrase TWICE in the book, but this is the second book in a week where the heroine's parents were "T-boned" in a fatal accident! Is it something in the water? A silent signed agreement in the super-secret YA/NA author's club? A fad? I dunno, but I hope the fad passes. Also, why is Anne going into her senior year in high school, specifically? Why are all the heroines in today's books? I assumed it was so there could be some legal steamy not-underage-anymore sex, but in "Tragedy Girl" Anne doesn’t get past first base. Hmmm. Anyway.

So I docked a star for that. I ALSO docked a star because the author told me THREE TIMES that one of her characters looks like River Phoenix. 1) Do not ever, ever, ever compare your characters to celebrities. It's your job, Author, to think of original stuff, so do not show your hand wherefrom you draw your inspiration. It's clumsy, and it's classless—make up your OWN character for chrissake. 2) Do not ever, ever, ever tell me more than once, if you insist on doing it at all. You must trust your reader to have followed along and understood and remembered—the second you start beating me over the head because you don't really think I was listening the first time, I Reader have lost my relationship with you Author. This author repeated a number of things, actually (two examples: how Anne is an "eleven on the hotness scale," and how her uncle used a particular phrase meaningfully – these were repeated to the point of ridiculousness. You can have something ringing in a character's ears without jamming it into your readers'), and clearly thinks her readership is operating at an IQ below 70. Which is a shame. I hope her savvy editor gets rid of all that nonsense before this book sees the actual light of day. (We're like 4 months pre-release here.)

SO I docked a star for that, too. However, I added one of them back in because this book was soooooo goooooood!! Whee! I couldn't put it down. No real reason – it's not like I highlighted beautiful turns of phrase that I wanted to remember for the rest of my days, and it's sure not like there was anything particularly original about the plot where Anne goes to a new school as a recent orphan and must make new friends and stumbled upon a hot guy and then unwittingly becomes part of a mystery… Yeah. That's been written a few hundred thousand times before, eh? But every author is unique, clichés aside, and Christine Hurley Deriso sure as shootin' knows how to keep a reader on the hook, guessing, committed, involved, and awake all night as the lure of the next page beckons.

I really appreciate how, actually, the characters were under-described. Gone were the "full lips" and "thick tresses" and blah blah blah. The characters were much left for me to envision on my own. There were a few markers for me to anchor my own mental image on (and yes, Anne has high cheekbones... sigh... but there's actually kind of a reason for that description so she gets a pass), but other than that, the author did not pander to the always-beautiful characters that must populate every book. So props to the author there for rising above that, and letting the plot dictate the action and not someone's beautiful dark-lashed limpid eyeball pools... or whatever. And there was zero mention of how slender/willowy/slim anyone was either. Especially for YA/NA, I appreciated the heck out of that omission too. In fact, I don't think a single girl's build was described, ever. Nor should it be, frankly. Not in this culture, and not in this decade at least. We need to get one generation of girls beyond all that before we re-introduce it, maybe...

Well, I'm getting tangential. Read this book with pleasure, it's really very heart-warming even though it's got tragedy at the root of it. The scenes with Anne's aunt and uncle, the scenes between Anne and her psychiatrist, and even a couple of scenes with Melanie and Lauren who are two friends Anne makes are handled very, very well. There are comments on families and personalities and commitment and friendships and futures, and all of it is worth reading, and in fact, should be far more present in so much more of what we give our young girls and new women to read. Cheers, chicks!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Guest Review: What She Knew by Gilly Macmillian

Summary:

In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother’s search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.

In a heartbeat, everything changes…

Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes.

Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.

As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined it to be, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent’s nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most.

Where is Ben? The clock is ticking...

Publication Date: December 1, 2015

Guest Reviewer Laura's Thoughts:

What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan doesn't require too much to sell it. The story is so obviously captivating. I mean, cute missing British kid. HELLO. There is no forgiving quality in the kidnapper, so we know exactly who to root for (OR DO WE). This novel begs the readers to immediately rally and solve the crime and the only way to do that? READ THE BLOODY BOOK, AND READ IT FAST.

I adored the way she chopped up the novel: through different POV's, official emails, transcripts plus a healthy spattering (ew that phrase) of Internet headlines, blogs and articles. I am a youngish gal; a member of the club that started childhood without the internet but became a person when it started creeping into the households. And maybe I'm reading all the wrong books, but I rarely bump in to novels that utilize the use of Internet to further the story and perspective. And why not! It's our whole world these days, and I appreciated how present it was in MacMillan's debut novel. It showed a different sort of awareness. She recognizes the power of the www and it's capacity to instill fear, incite accusation and promote an total robbery of privacy.

Macmillian did this one thing that really got under my skin at first, and then I went all "dude bro brilliant, just brilliant." When we first met Rachel Jenner, she was breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly in to the camera. We quickly became a character, the audience member she needed to tell her whole story too, granted we could stay quiet and stick with her. YEP, INTO IT. And then...it didn't happen again until we were about 60% through the story.

"I'm also interested to know how uncomfortable you feel now. Whether you’re regretting our agreement. Remember the roles we allocated each other? Me: Ancient Mariner and Narrator. You: Wedding Guest and Patient Listener. Do you wish you could shuffle away yet? Refill your glass perhaps? Now that my grip is loosening whose side are you on?"

Initially, I thought maybe the author was just like, "FUDGE, remember that one time I started doing this one thing? Ok ummmm, *flips through manuscript* let's throw another audience participation post riiiight....*lands randomly on page* HERE." But I couldn't stop thinking about the placement of this passage, and I realized what a sneaky way that was of turning the tables on us! At this point, I had settled back into the role of docile, unaffected and removed reader but with this passage, the author let me know that I was not the only one judging; Rachel was gaging my character as much as I was hers. She knew (ha, title pun kinda) how she was being portrayed in the media and what the world was saying about her and she wanted to check in - hey loyal reader, ya still with me? The stakes in this story immediately felt gargantuan again and I immediately rallied beside Rachel, all over again. And with that renewed sense of duty, I rushed towards the ending.

Take away: What She Knew is the sort of book that does not offend, but doesn't really inspire either. I enjoyed the hell out of it, but I won't be thinking about it after I write this review. I would happily read MacMillan's work again. If this novel is an indication, she has a knack for addictive storytelling and she mixes it wonderfully with well-researched settings and ideas (you'll be an expert on the inner layout of a police station after this one, guaranteed). I feel like I've been reading a lot of these lately, but What She Knew is a great novel if you're looking to be wildly (albeit momentarily) entertained and never have to work too hard. Another beach read for those with a darker disposition.

Thank you publishers for a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. You dah best. :)

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Guest Review: Shade Me by Jennifer Brown

Summary:

Nikki Kill does not see the world like everyone else. In her eyes, happiness is pink, sadness is a mixture of brown and green, and lies are gray. Thanks to a rare phenomenon called synesthesia, Nikki’s senses overlap, in a way that both comforts and overwhelms her.

Always an outsider, just one ‘D’ shy of flunking out, Nikki’s life is on the fast track to nowhere until the night a mysterious call lights her phone up bright orange—the color of emergencies. It’s the local hospital. They need Nikki to identify a Jane Doe who is barely hanging on to life after a horrible attack.

The victim is Peyton Hollis, a popular girl from Nikki’s school who Nikki hardly knows. One thing is clear: Someone wants Peyton dead. But why? And why was Nikki’s cell the only number in Peyton’s phone?

As she tries to decipher the strange kaleidoscope of clues, Nikki finds herself thrust into the dark, glittering world of the ultra-rich Hollis family, and drawn towards Peyton’s handsome, never-do-well older brother Dru. While Nikki’s colors seem to help her unravel the puzzle, what she can’t see is that she may be falling into a trap. The only truth she can be sure of is that death is a deep, pulsing crimson.

Shade Me is award-winning author Jennifer Brown’s first book in a thrilling suspense series about Nikki Kill.

Publication Date: January 16, 2016

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Guest Review:

My birthday is next week. I will be 42. Yes, thank you, I know. I attribute my youthful looks to my high-carb late-night diet, but I realize not everyone can keep up with that program. Well enough about me. The point is, I have solidly transitioned to adult literature, other than a constant and forever love of all things Harry Potter. I read Hunger Games with a little disappointment, rolled my eyes at the whole Divergent thing, and opted right out of The Fault in Our Stars. Teen angst? Can't do it anymore. DONE that, both in life and in literature. Moving on.

But I was given a copy of Shade Me by Jennifer Brown's publisher in exchange for an honest review, and I accepted it mostly because I didn't realize it was a YA book. I wouldn't have necessarily known it was a YA book either, after the first many chapters—I was aware the protagonist was a kick-ass teen named Nikki Kill but a teenage character does not necessitate a teenage audience. Lord of the Flies was not, you know, written for young British schoolchildren just because it stars them. Right? Right.

Nikki won my heart pretty quickly. There are lots of garbage-y stereotypical ways to write about a dark horse teen with no friends who smokes and studies martial arts, and Jennifer Brown fell into none of the traps. Nikki was actually unique and didn't try too hard to prove to the reader how bad-ass she is, making her all the more bad-ass. She has synesthesia too, and while that's interesting and unique, I still think Brown could have devolved into a preschooler's rainbow-world of red and blue and green and yellow… but I was so pleasantly surprised. Her colorful (literally, colorful) descriptions took me into awesome phrases like "ragemonster red" and "brown mist, bruise-violet swirls, sickly green waves" that wed colors to emotions. Nikki's brand of synesthesia is actually intuitive or maybe psychic—her colors can help her spot a liar or a skeptic or even an imminent death. I call it Cheater's Synesthesia, but Brown just calls it Nikki. And I liked it.

Brown falls prey to a couple of amateur writing traps that drive me nuts—her antagonist "bares her teeth," and her protagonist "squints" when she's peering closely or narrowing her eyes. I edit the hell out of both of those mannerisms when I am reading my clients' rough drafts, and I hope Brown's editor doesn't let her get away with them either. Also, I never fully followed some of the family drama and who was whose stepmother, but maybe that was intentionally left vague…? It didn't really matter, since the main thrust of the story was clear and intense and emotive. And very, very colorful.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Guest Review: Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams

Summary:

Each of the three Schuyler sisters has her own world-class problems, but in the autumn of 1966, Pepper Schuyler's problems are in a class of their own. When Pepper fixes up a beautiful and rare vintage Mercedes and sells it at auction, she thinks she's finally found a way to take care of herself and the baby she carries, the result of an affair with a married, legendary politician.

But the car's new owner turns out to have secrets of her own, and as the glamorous and mysterious Annabelle Dommerich takes pregnant Pepper under her wing, the startling provenance of this car comes to light: a Nazi husband, a Jewish lover, a flight from Europe, and a love so profound it transcends decades. As the many threads of Annabelle's life from World War II stretch out to entangle Pepper in 1960s America, and the father of her unborn baby tracks her down to a remote town in coastal Georgia, the two women must come together to face down the shadows of their complicated pasts.

Indomitable heroines, a dazzling world of secrets, champagne at the Paris Ritz, and a sweeping love story for the ages, in New York Times bestselling author Beatriz William's final book about the Schuyler sisters.

Publication Date: November 3, 2015

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

This book is a perfect example of why I am a reader, a lover of literature, a voracious studier of the written word, and a sometimes writer. This book is – this week – the reason I existed and – next week – the reason I will have my head half in the clouds as I let its memory slowly roll off me. I will need to distance myself bit by bit from the characters in order to immerse myself in my own life, unfortunately, because right now they are dancing through the air next to me and demanding my attention. I just finished the last chapter five minutes ago, so you'll forgive why I sound half schizophrenic, but their voices are utterly real in my ear, and will be for days.

"Along the Infinite Sea" makes up for its lackluster and cliché title within the first few sentences of chapter one, and you'll forget what the book is called because it could have been called "Beatriz Williams Writes Some Stuff" and you should still line up at midnight to be the first to buy it at the bookstore because it's that good. So is this where I give you a short synopsis of the plot? No, I think I won't. I knew not-a-thing about it when I first opened it and am so glad I didn't. Apparently (I learned afterwards) it's a partial continuation of some family that Williams wrote about before… and I don't care. They exist in THIS book in a way they cannot possibly in any other and I'm happy to have met them here and nowhere else. Plus, their family is really not the heart of the story so I doubly don't care that they're in other books (I cheated and looked at other reviews real quick, or I wouldn't know this at all).

I did read a rough rough rough draft given to me by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review, and the fact that nothing was properly indented or paragraphed etc, especially during characters' conversations, made reading this a labor of love since I had to slow down and really figure out who was speaking… and I didn't care. I relished their conversations all the more. I found two horrifying instances where Williams uses the name Florian instead of Stefan (they're both characters and the wrong one rolled off her typing fingertips, methinks) but I have all the faith that the good proofreader at whatever trad publisher is field-goaling this forth will find it. (If not, for godssake Bea, ask me so I can tell you which sentences they are before it's too late.)

Criticism? I wish Annabelle weren't compared to Audrey Hepburn, and several times. The author could have – and did – evoke Audrey in this character without having to hammer the comparison home so. Trust us the readers please – I saw Annabelle just fine without that. I see her now. She'll walk with me these next few days. Ditto referring to Stefan and Johann as "Valjean and Javert" – Williams doesn't need to rely on another author's characters to make hers have a similar enemyship. (Enemyship – think I just made that word up.) I hope that was edited out, because I hope her editor sees how strong her writing is without stooping to using someone else's, as I see. I also wish there wasn't a strange nod to Pepper being related to Nick, which tied her to the other main family in the book, but that link wasn't explored (maybe it is in the companion books?). It was unnecessarily head-scratchy since it led to nothing.

Is that my only criticism? Umm… yup. And none of those criticisms matter at the end of the day. At the end of the book. At the end of each chapter, or even sentence. They don't matter. This book was magnificent. A triumph. Read it next to Julie Orringer's "The Invisible Bridge," Anita Shreve's "Resistance," and Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief," and oh hell, "The Diary of Anne Frank" while you're at it, and weep that this was, and is, our world, and that these authors exist in it to tell the story. I will tell you nothing else about it. Go read it. It'll make your week.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Guest Review: Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

I'd like to introduce you to my newest guest reviewer Lauren (insert big round of applause)! Lauren is a voracious reader and she'll be helping out on my blog from time to time.

Summary:

A chance encounter sparks an unrelenting web of lies in this stunning new psychological thriller from national bestselling author Mary Kubica

She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head...

Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.

Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated.

Publication Date: July 28, 2015

Lauren's Review:

4.5 stars! No spoilers per se, but some details revealed below.

So, briefly: Our bleeding-heart-brakes-for-animals Heidi sees a bedraggled young lady while waiting for the L during a particularly rainy time of year. Chicago, go figure. As sad of a sight this is, Heidi can't help but fly to the rescue after noticing the little baby tucked in her too thin jacket. Heidi brings Willow (ze girl) and Ruby (ze bebe) into her home, much to the chagrin of her workaholic husband, Chris and her attitude ridden daughter, Zoe. Cut to a few very awkward dinners and lots of eye rolling.

This was my very first Kubica experience, having missed The Good Girl (a mistake I plan to remedy ASAP) and I am just so pleased with her! I mean that less in the pat-on-the-head-we're-so-shocked-and-proud-of-you way but more in the YASSSS QUEEEEN kinda way. After a string of novels I felt like I was TRUUUDGING THROUUUGHHH, Pretty Baby was so refreshingly exciting. SQUEEEE!

What starts out as a story that seems to reek more of a disgruntled marriage than any other conflict slowly, so slowly unravels into something much darker. Disclaimer about me as a reader: I don't guess. I don't mentally read ahead. I prefer to take in exactly what's in front of me, so I am constantly shocked and surprised. Maybe I'm just a simpleton. In fact, I don't think it was until this passage, more than halfway through the book that I even realized something was LEGIT AMISS: "

There is a clock in this room, as well, red digital numbers that drift from 2:21 to 4:18 a.m., all in the blink of an eye as I hover, there, at the foot of the sofa bed...

"
Kubica had such a skilled way of building to her conclusion. And I loved her take on chapters. I know she is not the first author to use the POV of multiple characters to break up the novel but it was the perfect way to execute the story. We were able to see what made Willow the way she was without Heidi or Chris having any of this knowledge. We watched Heidi unravel. And with Chris, we witnessed an inconvenienced husband have his reality BROKEN because he stopped looking at his wife long ago.

Sidebar: Zoe, the 12 year old daughter is awful. I don't care. She's awful. Granted her mother is a little intense, but Zoe needs Jesus and boarding school. Sry. Bye.

And then there's Willow. Where to even start. We can blame her for everything coming unhinged if we want, but that's not the right move. We can judge her for keeping little Ruby when it was so wildly clear that she was not fit, equipped, prepared to take care of a child...but that doesn't feel so good either. As her story goes on not only do we learn about her tragedies, we learn about her spirit. She has so much of it. After her parents died and her younger sister was adopted, Willow was forced to spend her formative years with a foster family that sexually, physically and mentally abused her. There is one scene later on in the novel when one of her foster brothers (we like him) sneaks her out of the house and she realizes she hasn't had to wear shoes in six years...because SHE HASN'T LEFT THAT HOUSE IN SIX YEARS. That. Is. Just. And the girl survived it all. Guyz, like, I have a meltdown if I have to put pants on for more than three days in a row.

Pretty Baby ain't fun but it's so readable I can hardly stand it. The pages fly by and the story progresses at such a subtle speed that you, the reader, don't even realize you've been accelerating this whole time and suddenly you're CAREENING towards the conclusion. Insert awesome rollercoaster metaphor here!

If I may say about the ending, the readers are left with an idea of how Willow was doing but we really don't know what is going to happen to Heidi, and her family. Good. They were all outstandingly selfish in their own right, so it's nice to just leave them be, to let them sort themselves out. But Willow, we needed to know how she turns out, that finally she's in the a place where people are nice to her. She's safe, the baby is safe and we can finally put this book down and fall asleep.

Also! I was given a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. NEATO!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Guest Review: The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo

Summary:

Maybe we shouldn’t have fallen so fast and so willingly.

Maybe we shouldn’t have moved in together before we went on our first date.

Maybe we should have given our wounds time to heal before we tore each other to shreds.

Maybe we should have never been together.

Houston has kept a devastating secret from Rory since the day he took her into his home. But the tragic circumstances that brought them together left wounds too deep to heal.

Five years after the breakup, Houston and Rory are thrust together by forces beyond their control. And all the resentments and passion return with more intensity than ever.

Once again, Houston is left with a choice between the truth and the only girl he’s ever loved.

Publication Date: February 20, 2015

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

Strap in, sisters, I'm in a real mood after reading this book. I begrudge every one of the five stars I am awarding "The Way We Fall" by Cassia Leo because in my heart, I gave it one star, and wished it could have been zero. Why? Because I don't like romance novels. I've learned this about myself. I've always been able to appreciate great writing in ANY genre, but I was so annoyed with every cheap character, every over-scripted argument, every predictable story arc, every gratuitous sex scene… that I began to realize that most likely, I hated it all BECAUSE it was a romance novel, and not because it was horribly written.

Don't get me wrong. I'm quite sure it was horribly written. But since I cannot be impartial on that subject anymore, I would never punish a book, or an author, or readers, with my close-mindedness. "I read this book about cats. Well I hate cats, so I gave it one star." You know? I won't be that reviewer. So let's assume that all the reasons I might have hated this book might be all the reasons that a true fan of the romance genre would love this book, and we'll go from there.

Rory is a 24-year-old girl who’s a born-again virgin, more or less, since the one man she's been with is the one man she's loved since childhood and the one man who dumped her horribly and she's never moved on. Or, in romance terms, he was the one throbbing erection in her pulsating womanhood… or something. Houston is her ex-boyfriend, who magically appears in her life again, and seems to be named just so the author can crack two—two!!—Houston jokes. ("Houston, we have lift-off. Houston, we have a problem.")

The book toggles between present day tension and flashback… tension. These two are always tense. Even during the flashbacks while madly in love, they fight, scream at each other, are as crass as possible, and seem to rut only to bury their anger. Wait, I'm sorry… they make beautiful passionate love because that's what romance characters do after fights where they both behave utterly out of character. But this is just me. There are slowly revealed secrets about why they are both in so much pain, regarding Rory's roommate's suicide, and since the roommate was also Houston's sister, we can see why the two characters turned to each other.

But. BUT. Oh, there's so much more. WHY did this Hallie character commit suicide? If only she left a note… (SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT THE MINOR SPOILER) If only she left a note that WEREN'T WRITTEN LIKE ANOTHER ROMANCE CHAPTER. Omg, people, when the SUICIDE NOTE talks about glistening sweat on her ex-lover's back, you know you're reading an author who can't write to save her life, no pun intended. However, the flip side of this is, maybe within the romance genre, this type of thing is just brilliant. Really, I no longer have any idea.

So, other things… Rory's mom is a nightmare, and if you want to write about a mom-character who's a nightmare, knock yourself out. I'm a fan of "Arrested Development" too. But when you are actually trying to paint Rory's mom as a supportive everymom, then… why all the ridiculous inappropriate dialogue? Oh, I know, because the author can't write. And why is the one woman who caused an accident Asian? Maybe the bad guy should be the one black character in the book. Maybe there should also be the token gay party-boy bff… oh wait, he's in the book too. Oh geez. Nothing is original. Not even all the many, many, many pop-culture references, when the characters have inside jokes about this movie and that movie and this movie and that movie and… Cassia Leo is really showing her hand, here, deriving inspiration from every movie from "Lion King" to "Seven" and utterly lacking the finesse to work it in organically, relying instead on stilted references. I cringed, every page. I cringe, now. But (if you're still with me, sisters… Are you still with me? Hello…? Oh hi!) maybe you won't cringe. Because maybe you like romance books, and all this stuff is just part and parcel of watching the girl get the guy, and that scratches an itch we all have, and you're nicer and sweeter and less judgmental than me and maybe you'll like this book just fine.

It would figure I'm on paragraph seven before I say anything nice. So the author finds her stride when she writes the chapters from Houston's point of view. She seems more comfortable with that masculine energy. She also had a snippet of really excellent dialogue (she had several, total, but I can count them on one hand) where Houston and his bestie Troy crack I-screwed-your-mom-last-night jokes and the exchange is totally REAL and legitimately FUNNY and crackles with life. If Cassia Leo is actually capable of writing that exchange, then I will hold her best writing against her. She's capable of doing better than the schlock she's churned out, and she doesn't respect her readers, clearly, since she thinks we're just along for the ride even though it took her as long to write it as it'll take you to read it. But maybe romance readers ARE just along for the ride—we all know the plots are predictable, yes?—so maybe that's not a valid criticism within this genre.

There is clearly no editor – "Gloss Publishing" or whatever is most likely just Cassia Leo hiding behind a li'l LLC she made so she doesn't look all self-published like the rest of us… But those stripes show when she's guilty of every fiction trap that any editor worth her salt would tear apart totally. I'd give you examples of that, but someone might begin to feel that I'm being too negative…? (lol, j/k y'all!) So "Gloss Publishing" sent me a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, which she is sure as hell getting…

So read it, just read it please. I read it, and actually finished it, which is more than I can say for half the books I start. That alone should be worth some stars if I can get over my bias. Apparently it's part of a three-part series so you can watch that relationship arc rise and fall three times in a row! Since that might be your thing as a romance reader! It's NOT my thing, as I've made abundantly clear, and I hope you don't all hate me now. But if this writing is enough to piss you off, then so will Cassia Leo's writing, because I already brought more to the table in this review than she did between her glossy covers.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: The Lies We Tell by Meg Carter

Today I'd like to introduce you to my newest reviewer Joanna! I really enjoy reading her reviews and I'm sure all of you will love them as well. Here's her bio:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at: 

https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Now onto the book review!

Summary:

Can we ever escape our past?

The last time Katy saw Jude was on a school trip, when Jude was attacked by a stranger and Katy ran away. Twenty years later, Jude is back, and her reappearance coincides with a series of unsettling incidents: a stranger appears in the downstairs flat; one night Katy’s house is vandalised; her mother is mugged and her home ransacked. And Jude seems to know an uncomfortable amount about Katy’s current life...

For fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, THE LIES WE TELL is an addictive, complex and completely gripping psychological thriller in which present and past intertwine to devastating effect. Forced to revisit the same rocky waters of friendship and power they inhabited when they were fifteen, as the story reaches its explosive climax, Jude and Katy realise that when it comes to memory, truth and family – nothing and no-one are what they seem.

Publication Date: August 17, 2015

Joanna's Review:

"The Lies We Tell" by Meg Carter started out with a bang: the ending. This is because the complimentary copy I received on my Kindle from the publisher loaded on the very last page, which I read quite closely and earnestly because I thought I was reading the quote which began the whole story, and not the one that ended it. So my experience reading this book was no doubt unique.

Once I got smart and started at the beginning, I discovered that what the ending had given away did nothing to detract me from the growing intrigue of the plot. The book does owe a lot to the forces that create story lines like, "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Two grown women (Jude and Katy) are Carter's protagonist and antagonist, and their teenage selves in flashback reveal what they did, didn't do, may have done, forgot doing, are conflicted about, are vengeful over, last summer. Or in their case, many summers ago. Oh, and for the record, I quite liked the antagonist (Jude) while I good-n-loathed the protagonist (Katy). Is this how I am meant to feel about the characters? It's a question I wouldn't mind asking the author. I kept hoping Katy would take the third overly-long step off a dangerous precipice in her life. Since, in the book, she's already taken two and unfortunately survived them both, neither of which have diddly to do with the plot nor character development.

Other things that have diddly to do with the plot: 1. Pages and pages and pages of skim-worthy prose. 2. Overuse of repeated phrases and words that the author apparently forgot she already used and no editor was kind enough to point out. 3. Lots of bald typos, but perhaps the copy I read wasn't through its final proofread, even though there was no such disclaimer, so I think it's probably just sloppy. 4. Characters who berate the world for the exact same shortcomings, without any intentional parallel drawn among them: it's more like the author could only think of one thing that would really hurt, so she assigned it as a backstory, indiscriminately, to everyone (I'll call it the "Who's Your Daddy Drama"). That said, the author can actually write. She can craft a sentence and sometimes a good one, and she can build a simmering intrigue. She can also throw in gratuitous sexytime which -- in keeping with many other pages -- does nothing to further the plot nor character development, but does stick up like little nippley coming-of-age gems in what's otherwise often a bland whitewash of exposition.  Her fault is that she simmers for too long, and the story gets tiresome -- I finally just skimmed and skimmed to get to the ending of, to find out what all the last secrets are. However: that is also her greatest strength. I skimmed and skimmed to get to the ending, because I wanted to know the ending! I cared! I was ready for some answers and some justice and the big Scooby Doo-style reveal! Of course, I already knew one of the secrets, since my book loaded backwards, but there was plenty else to learn.

The first third of the book showed much promise. After that, it dragged and became quite repetitive and fell apart, losing stars along the way. I'd like to see what the author writes next, since much of this could be a first-book-flaw. And I would read another of her stories; however, I'd just hesitate to recommend this one.

As I mentioned, I did receive a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 Stars

Guest Review: Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto

Summary:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Halo comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series.

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

Publication Date: August 26, 2014

Jessica's Review:

I really liked this book. I'm not sure I'd rush out to buy it or even read it again, but I would definitely recommend it to my friends. I loved the whole mystery aspect and the way Chloe was able to see what happened in the past. I don't generally like to read scary books, but this one was just right and was scary enough to keep the reader wanting more. I'm not sure I'll look at a lake the same again.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: Chase Me by Tessa Bailey

Summary:

College drop-out, Roxy Cumberland, moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actress, but her dwindling bank account is quickly putting the kibosh on that fantasy. To make some quick cash, she signs up to perform singing telegrams. Her first customer is a gorgeous, cocky Manhattan trust-funder if she ever laid eyes on one. And what could be more humiliating than singing an ode to his junk, courtesy of his last one night stand? Maybe the fact that she’s dressed in a giant, pink bunny costume...

After a night out to celebrate winning his last case, lawyer Louis McNally II isn’t prepared for the pounding in his head or the rabbit serenading him from the front door. But the sassy wit and sexy voice of the girl behind the mask intrigues him, and one look at her stunning face—followed by a mind-blowing kiss against his doorjamb—leaves Louis wanting more.

Roxy doesn’t need a spoiled rich boy who’s had everything in life handed to him on a Tiffany platter. But there’s more to Louis than his sexy surface and he’s determined to make Roxy see it...even if it means chasing her all over NYC.

Publication Date: March 15, 2015

Jessica's Review:

I really enjoyed this book which explains why I finished it in less than a day. It's a pretty quick read and the chemistry between Roxy and Louis was the biggest factor there. I loved all the comedy and I really hope the author expands this story with the other characters in the book. I'd definitely read her stuff again.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: Forgive Me by Eliza Freed

Summary:

When two lost souls find each other, are they still lost?

Charlotte O'Brien is lost in the devastation of her parents' death. With her foundation in ruins, she buries herself in an unlikely lover, Jason Leer.

When they're together it's everything, but when they're apart it's utterly frustrating. Can love survive when distance is measured in more than just miles?

Forgive Me is the first book in The Lost Souls Series.

Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Guest Reviewer Jessica's Take:

This story started out well and definitely grabs the reader, but then her behavior and actions made it easy to dislike her. I understand her need to have her own life and to not want to look back with regrets, but some of the things she did with that mind set was just ridiculous. As for Jason, I didn't like how he treated her like a child and I pretty much hated him at the end.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy for review!

Guest Review: The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Goodreads Summary:

In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family. Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality, in this engrossing mystery from international bestselling author Diane Chamberlain.

Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Jessica's Review:

It takes a little bit to get going, but this story really hooked me and I couldn't wait to see how it all turned out. I loved the flashback chapters from Jade's point of view and while the ending wasn't what I was hoping, it still was an amazing book and one worth reading.

4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: The Edge of You by Theresa DaLayne

Goodreads Summary:

Maya knows she’s doing the right thing by moving to Alaska with her parents, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. Forced to give up a scholarship to a prestigious art school, she relocates to a Podunk town with one college the size of her high school cafeteria, all to help hold her family together after the death of her little sister. But a fresh start can only do so much.

Jake doesn’t like handouts and he certainly doesn’t need any distractions. Working on a salmon boat in Kodiak, Alaska is the only way to pay for his mother’s surgery back in the lower forty-eight. Juggling college courses and constant worry about his mother’s health, Jake couldn’t imagine anything else fitting into his life. That is, until he meets Maya, the sexy Californian artist who tints his world in technicolor.

But when Maya’s family starts to crumble and Jake’s mom takes a turn for the worse, will they drag each other down, or can they find what they were missing all along?

In this new adult romance, Theresa DaLayne paints a swoon-worthy story about life under the midnight sun, following your heart, and learning to live on the edge.


Publication Date: September 24, 2014

Jessica's Review:

2.5 stars. I had a hard time with this story. It was a fairly quick read and it was written well, but there was just something about it that bugged me. The whole situation with his mom's abusive boyfriend was unnecessary considering all her health issues and I felt the situation with her parents was too choppy and unresolved. The best friend Beth was awesome, but that was sort of the most redeeming part of the book.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: Truth or Dare by Mira Lyn Kelly

After her one attempt at commitment ends with the discovery that her fiancé already has a wife and kid, Maggie Lawson vows that the only people she’ll love ’til death do they part will be her friends. Unfortunately that means Maggie letting her bestie rope her into a year-long dating dare: score a new date each month or pay a penalty. Seems doable—until Maggie’s date stands her up, leaving only one option: the sexy stud who just moved in upstairs. The problem? He and Maggie can’t stop fighting—and that’s just the beginning.

His name is Tyler Daniels and the last thing he needs is his neighbor distracting him with her girl-next-door smile and sharp tongue. Tyler’s in Chicago for one reason: to woo back his selfish ex in order to reclaim the child he once thought was his—and that means keeping Maggie out of his bed. A tall order, since Maggie has become a bigger temptation than he ever expected to face. But before they can even consider leaving the past behind, Maggie and Tyler must accept a brand-new dare: real, forever love.

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Jessica's Review:

2.5-3 stars. I don't like giving up on a book and that's part of why this one took me so long to complete; I was determined to finish it even though I thought it was super boring. The writing is good and all the key elements that make a story are there, but it just fell flat for me. I didn't connect with the characters and Tyler playing a little whipped boy to Gina was pathetic to read. Definitely not one I'd read again.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

Summary:

Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true—for her parents' sake as well as her own. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, she barely has time to think, let alone date. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B….

Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can't risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, a social life is out of the question. The last thing he wants is for four noisy students to move into the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia's and Ty's paths cross, and soon they can't stay away from each other.

The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can't know what you truly need until you stand to lose it.

Publication Date: August 26, 2014

Jessica's Review:

3.5 stars. There wasn't anything wrong with this story, it was actually quite realistic, but it just sort of dragged on for me. I loved Sam and the dinosaur jokes Nadia shared with him, but despite Ty having Sam and using him as an excuse not to have a relationship with Nadia, there was little of Sam in the actual story. I also didn't connect or care for her friends and roommates.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: Adaptation by Malinda Lo

Goodreads Summary:

Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now.

Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are stranded.

Reese and her debate team partner and longtime crush David are in Arizona when it happens. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On their drive home to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway at night in the middle of Nevada, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won’t tell them what happened, where they are—or how they’ve been miraculously healed.

Things become even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an entirely new direction—and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has worked for decades to keep secret.

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Guest Reviewer Jessica's Take:

I'm really on the fence with this book. It started out sort of slow and weird, so I almost stopped reading it, then the middle picked up and it actually got really good. Then we got to the end. It was just too unrealistic and boring that it took all I had to finish it. I'm writing this and I'm still not sure if I'd recommend reading it.

3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Reviews from Jessica: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon and Ripper by Isabel Allende

Goodreads Summary:

West Hall has always been a town of strange disappearances and legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who was found murdered in the field behind her house in 1908, a few short months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie, drove her mad. People say that Sara's ghost still walks after dark, and some leave offerings on their doorstep to keep her from entering their homes uninvited.

Now, in present day, Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they remain on the fringes, living off the land without internet or outside interference. But one morning Ruthie wakes up to find that Alice has disappeared without a trace. When she searches the house for clues, she is startled to find a secret compartment beneath the floorboards that contains two objects. One, a gun. And two, a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary.

The story the diary tells is one of a mother skating on the edge of sanity, willing to do whatever she can to bring her daughter back even if it means dabbling in dark and dangerous territory. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's death, she discovers that she's not the only one looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

Publication Date: February 11, 2014

Jessica's Review:

3.5 stars. This was the weirdest book. The writing is good and its easy to follow the POV and date switches, but I didn't care for this book. The story was odd and I pretty much guessed what was going to happen long before it did.

Goodreads Summary:

The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Long divorced from Amanda's father, she's reluctant to settle down with either of the men who want her-Alan, the wealthy scion of one of San Francisco's elite families, and Ryan, an enigmatic, scarred former Navy SEAL.

While her mom looks for the good in people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD's Deputy Chief of Homicide. Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.

When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother's life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she's ever faced before it's too late.

Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Jessica's Review:

2.5 stars. The writing is decent and the premise is interesting, but I just could not get in to this book. I love good character development, it gives the reader a chance to connect with those in the book, but this was just a bunch of rambling that eventually became boring. I didn't finish the book and that's rare for me.

Thanks to the publishers for copies of these novels for review!

I appreciate my guest reviewer Jessica stopping by today to share her thoughts on these upcoming releases!