Book Review - W

W by John Banks
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I was definitely in the minority with this one so far. Oh man, this book.
I'm sure where to begin. It was a mish-mash hodge-podge hot mess. I could not find any plot throughout this book. It was impossible to follow. There are numerous stories going on, which don't seem to have any purpose. The Norway story was my favorite and had that been the novel itself, I think I would have enjoyed it. I feel John Banks is definitely talented, but I'm not sure what he's doing with that talent. I don't find this to be anything like Mark Twain as others have suggested. I feel like the author took all his talents and abilities and wrote every random thought, poem, conversation that popped into his head. There was no order, the wording, style, characters all jumped from here to there without any explanations or meaning. I like to read for entertainment and fun and this did not fit the bill. I might consider this author again, but this book was certainly not for me.

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Book Review - Broken Promise (Sons of Broad #3)

Broken Promise by Tara Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third in the Sons of Broad Series by Tara Thomas. I received this book from Netgalley and after I started it, I knew I had to start from the beginning. I hunted down the first two and finished them before diving back into Broken Promise. I did not read any of the prequel novellas which may have been helpful for some more backstory. Each of the books in the series focuses on one of the Benedict brothers. In the last book we are introduced to Kipling. I had a feeling the older mature and seemingly playboy brother was more deep than he let's on.
The romance begins between him and Alyssa, the police officer from the previous books. The romance isn't a surprise, there's a lot of playful banter and sexual innuendos from Kipling in the other books but the feelings behind them aren't introduced until this final installment. A lot of questions are answered in this one. We found out the who and why of the Gentleman which fills in a lot of blanks. I wonder if there's a novella from the POV of the Benedict's mom? That would be an interesting read.

I would definitely read the series in order, otherwise the finale built up in the first two is spoiled in book three. I liked Alyssa. She was a strong heroine but not perfect, you saw the flaws too. I do wonder, whatever happened to her partner from the first book? She originally has a partner, then he just stops coming and no more mention of him. Generally if a department runs two deep, they don't just stop. I also felt her decision to leave the department felt pretty rash. I definitely saw her leaving, but there wasn't much in the way of her decision, just that she made it.
I will say each of these girls seem to come from a home with a rough father.

SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!


The loose ends from the other books all seem to tie up at the end. Some questions I had with the ending is Kipling's injury. We aren't ever really told what happens with him, he seems alright, like he's faking but then ends up in a coma and needing physical therapy? For what?! Also, Jade seems to have no problem being shot since it's no longer mentioned again. The part with Tilly's dad is a bit confusing. It's talked about that he's a hindrance to the Gentleman, but then that's it. So did he plant the evidence? It wasn't very clear. And the decision he made for the Benedict parents was surprising, considering his motive behind it all.

In the end it was a good book, a good series and I am definitely interested in reading more from this author, and perhaps I'll check out the novellas as well.

Thanks for the opportunity!

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Book Review - Darkest Night (Sons of Broad #1)

Darkest Night by Tara Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This author was new-to-me and I'm pleasantly surprised with the result. I haven't really gotten into romantic suspense until now. I actually received an ARC from Netgalley for the third book in the series. I began reading it, and then since I liked the story, I had to hunt down the first two. I have not read any of the author's other work under her pen name or through her novellas.
The Benedict boys each have their own angle and personality and each one will have their own book. The first begins with the youngest, Keaton and his childhood neighbor Tilly. This was a sweet and quick romance that skips the instalove feeling since they were childhood friends and crushes until a tragedy ripped them apart for years. They are later reunited and all the old feelings rush back.
As soon as they are reacquainted, the bodies and danger start showing up at Tilly's door. Keaton's desire to protect her was sweet. The suspense moved quickly and kept me thoroughly engaged. Sometimes the pacing and change of POV threw me, I'm not sure if that was because of the ARC format though.
The gentleman was a character I loved to hate, and I know there is something much deeper for him in all this. The characters weren't super deep, but I could get a good glimpse of them. This book really focuses on a few, I'm imagining the other books each focus on different characters. The only character I wasn't a fan of were the twins, and one of their quick 180 in personality. It just felt forced.
There were some sex scenes, some language, and mature content, it wasn't over the top but definitely an adult read. There were a few references that had me wondering and perhaps there is something in a previous novella that accounts for those details. A few loose ends when this was over, however, it's a series. It wasn't a cliff-hanger, but enough to make me wonder how they will connect in the next book. I will definitely continue in the series and I'm eager to find more from this author.

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Book Review - The Mermaid and the Shoe

The Mermaid and the Shoe by K.G. Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a sweet and beautiful book focusing on how every child is unique and special in their own way. Sometimes their talent lies hidden from others for a time and that doesn't make them any less special. King Neptune's 50 daughters all had amazing talents except for little minnow. Minnow doesn't seem to do anything right and just asks way too many questions. These questions lead her on an adventure as she searches for the answers. I loved the beautiful whimsical pictures of this book. My daughter loves mermaids and this book was no exception for her. It's a quick and easy read and we read it multiple times before bed one night. Definitely will keep an eye on this author in the future.

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Book Review - The Song of Blood and Stone

Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this one and felt it wasn't like anything I've read lately. It was a very easy read, fast paced and intriguing. I finished it within a day. I definitely felt that this book was hitting on a lot of different major issues all at once. It hits racism, refugees, interracial couples, f/f couples, sexual assault, political conflict, and moral dilemmas just to name a few. Race/cultural differences between the opposing sides plays a huge role in this book. I really enjoyed reading how there were good and bad on both sides and not singling one side out as good/evil. One could definitely take this book with a political view but I read for entertainment so I leave politics out of it.
I loved the characters. I found myself rooting for both main characters and connected with them each in different ways. I would loved to have read about Jasminda's life with her family before. I loved her connection to them, but some added memories of her twin brothers or her parents would have really brought them to life. I really liked how independent she was, how she was terrified and strong at the same time. I loved Jack. His identity wasn't a complete surprise by the time it is made known but it didn't detract from the story. I really enjoyed Nash and Usher and hope they make more appearances and perhaps some more depth in the future.
I would not classify this as a YA but more NA. It has some pretty descriptive sex scenes for YA, not too detailed, but way more than I would feel comfortable sharing with my teenager. There are also scenes of attempted rape that are pretty descriptive. There wasn't any language and in between these scenes, it was YA suitable.
The fantasy in this one was light and easy. It didn't get too complicated when speaking of magic, which makes it a fast read. Sometimes too much fantasy can weigh a book down and make it work to get through. This was not one of those. I really loved how the magic is connected to each other, to the earth.
This was a great and easy read and I am glad I was given the opportunity to review it. I will definitely follow the author and I'm eager to read what comes next!

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Book Review - Don't Dangle Your Participle

Don't Dangle Your Participle by Vanita Oelschlager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fun easy read that explained participles. She uses hanging funny participles with pictures to show how to word your sentence to link the participle to the correct noun. It was really useful to my older elementary and middle school kids. My younger kids thought it was funny to read and it gave them a great introduction into participles. Vanita does a great job turning some difficult grammar concepts into a fun experience. She makes them easier and more fun for children to learn and understand. The illustrations are bright and fun!

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Book Review - Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather: A Book of Idioms and Silly Pictures by Vanita Oelschlager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book! It was perfect for my daughter with autism! She has the hardest time grasping idioms. She takes everything so literal. This was perfect, I love the illustrations. My only negative was that it wasn't longer! There was a few idioms that I would have loved to seen added. This was also perfect for my younger kids who don't really understand a lot of idioms.

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Book Review - Knees

Knees: The mixed up world of a boy with dyslexia by Vanita Oelschlager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a super cute book explaining dyslexia and then helping each child realize that everyone has different talents and potential. I read it with my son who has ADHD and he really enjoyed it. We also have a child with autism and it eased into a conversation about how everyone has different challenges in life. These challenges sometimes makes things hard, but they also come with gifts and skills that others don't have. My daughter with autism is a very gifted artist and has an amazing memory. It was great for him to recognize that just because certain things are hard, it doesn't have to define us. I really enjoyed this book and it's subject. Very uplifting, great illustrations and a quick and easy read for everyone in our family. I will definitely keep watching this author.

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Book Review - Ashley Bell

Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have read a ton of Dean Koontz and I traditionally love them. Every now and then though, he throws one out there that I just can't get into. Ashley Bell was one of those. It was SOOOOOO slow and tedious. I was not intrigued or interested, the characters, the plot, nothing did it for me. I found myself skimming through and even that dragged on. It was quite the letdown because I really am a huge fan of many of his books. I will continue with this author, but this one was definitely not for me.

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Book Review - The Quick

The Quick by Lauren Owen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book way more than I did. It was given a lot of hype and it fell very flat. To start with, the beginning dragged on incredibly slow, but some books are like that and you stick it out because the building is worth it in the end. I did love the character/relationship development between Christopher and James. I wasn't even really bothered by the shift in points of view. What I struggled with the most is the plot twist really wasn't very unexpected. I kept expecting something else to change. And when that "twist" came, the writing changed. It wasn't the same. It felt like two separate books smooshed together because they contained the same characters. My least favorite character was Charlotte, and the one I was most interested in was James, but his point of view disappears halfway through the book and it just fell flat to me. The writing itself was good and I definitely think the author has potential for greatness but this debut novel wasn't for me.
I was interested while I was reading but it was easy to stop and once I put the book down I found myself starting other books before finishing this one. It took me a very long time to get through it. There were numerous side plots that distracted from the main storyline and feels like so much of those cross streets were left undone. The ending was depressing and unfulfilling. This was perhaps done as an open ending for a sequel or series. I would like to keep an eye on this author in the future, the potential is definitely there.

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Book Review - The Best of Daughters

The Best of Daughters by Dilly Court
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first introduction to Dilly Court. I must say I was very pleased with this jump into a period novel. I was fascinated with the way that Dilly was able to use accurate verbiage throughout her descriptions and found myself looking up a few words here or there. When the words are added simply to push it onto the reader that the author is knowledgeable it annoys me. Dilly doesn't do this at all. The writing flows and fits and had she used modern words in her descriptions it would have been off-putting.

This book takes you back into times right before WWI when a well-to-do family is flung into a state of trial as her father's business is swindled by his partner and forces them to flee to the countryside giving up the luxuries they once took for granted. Daisy is on the path to finding herself and begins by attending meetings and demonstrations by the suffragettes. This path is halted on their move to the countryside which has Daisy searching for another path..

Most of the characters were likable and loved the family interactions. At the beginning I really struggled with Daisy's infatuation. I really love how we see and most of the other characters develop throughout the novel. At first I thought it was moving particularly slow amidst all the dress fittings and shopping sprees but I really got more into it as the war started. I really loved how much she grew and matured.

I enjoyed the story and the ending. There were no loose ends and everything ended well. There was romance but not a lot of lusty sex scenes, just small kissing scenes. There wasn't language and the war scenes were moving but not too heavy. There wasn't a lot of angst but there was a lot of painful war scenarios.

I definitely enjoyed this one and will find more by this author. I am eager to see what else she has written.

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Book Review - The Fever

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18656036-the-fever" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Fever" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381359885m/18656036.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18656036-the-fever">The Fever</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29593.Megan_Abbott">Megan Abbott</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2421797879">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This one was hard to rate, I actually put it off for quite a long time. The writing wasn't bad, but it was hard to describe what this book was. It wasn't scary, it wasn't a mystery, it was..... I'm not sure. It felt like a labryinth, full of dead-end wrong turns that really have nothing to do with anything other than to distract you. <br /><br />It was full of that teenage pettiness and immaturity that's sometimes fun to endure but this time it seemed over the top. The biggest problem for me was that I felt like there wasn't really anything that happens. But I didn't want to give it a terrible review because the author can write. I could be in the situation, see the characters, watch the interactions, she can tell a story for sure. I think she's a great author, just wish the content was better. <br /><br />The characters did nothing for me, I didn't hate them or love them. They really didn't move me in any way other than making me feel that this family seems to need some therapy to deal with the issues. There was a lot of sexual content in this book for a YA novel. Not that you don't find it in YA or teenage life, but it felt almost forced. A lot of the scenes just didn't feel necessary at all. The family was weirdly sexual, not together, just the whole family seemed to have issues in one way or another. The dad was awkwardly observant of his daughter's friends and their development of the years. The brother carries this awkward relationship as he thinks about his sister in the next room when he's with the girl of the week. The sexting is pretty prevalent and almost felt extreme. Yes, it happens, but to that extent to one guy and push it so hard through the book felt forced. It seemed every situation turned sexual in one way or another or had some sexual comment or component added just to throw it in.<br />This wasn't your typical YA, wasn't much of a mystery or thriller. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this one, BUT I still intend to follow this author, because she definitely has potential since she is a good author.
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Book Review - Lies That Bind Us

Lies That Bind Us by Andrew Hart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!!


I enjoyed this one. It wasn't my fav, but it kept me interested the whole way through. I like how it flowed back and forth in time giving you little hints along the way. It wasn't too much of a mystery to me though, I could tell where it was going. I recognized the meaning of the word, the "mask" and who was responsible pretty early on. I wasn't a super fan of any of the characters. I struggle with feeling compassion for pathological liars and felt the relationships were so fake it was hard to connect with any character. There were a few words that felt forced, but the writing was easy to understand and flowed well. The characters, although I wasn't a super fan, stuck pretty true to their qualities. The end seemed to end too easy, it wasn't much of a mystery. I felt kind of let down the way things worked out, more like a broken puzzle but at least you had all the pieces. Even though it wasn't my favorite, it was a good jump back into fiction after I took a hiatus focusing on school and non-fiction for quite some time.
There is some language and lots of drinking involved.

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Undead Girl Gang - Sneak Peek

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was just a sneak peek, so I can't review the entire book. I did enjoy the first glimpse I got. We are introduced to Riley, recently deceased, by her best friend Mila. I enjoyed Mila as a character. I like how she wasn't content to just let things lie when she was not satisfied that her best friend had committed suicide. I like that she's a girl of action and isn't afraid. It felt like most of the other high school characters are going to be stereotypical cliches, so she will be mostly on her own. However, Riley's brother Xander seems like a promising character and possibly a future romance? There was a bit of language, quite a few F bombs. I can't give much more of a review since it was just a sneak peek.

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