Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Jul 31, 2019

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid


Published by Atria Books on June 13th, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 388
Format: Audiobook & Hardback
Source: Overdrive via Brooklyn Public Library
Amazon Add to Goodreads
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:


Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Written with Reid's signature talent for creating "complex, likable characters" (Real Simple), this is a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.


       

This is the second book of Taylor Jenkins Reid I have completed in 2 days. I am in love with her writing. I just want to listen and read all of her books! I listened to this book on audio via overdrive through my library. I loved the audiobook. I loved the narrators. They did a great job telling this story.

I heard so many great things about this book and have had it on my TBR since last year and thought it was time to read it while I was also reading Daisy Jones & the Six. I could not put either one down. By far 5 out of 5 stars.

“Never let anyone make you feel ordinary.”

Evelyn Hugo is known for her beauty not as much for her acting. The guys loved her and wanted to be with her, girls wanted to look like her. She was stunning. But now that she is older, she wants to do a tell all and the only person she will talk to is Monique Grant (white and African-American) - a nobody basically from unknown reporter. When this story started I did question myself why Monique and I knew there would be reveal at the end.

Who was Evelyn Hugo's greatest love? That was the question of the book. Out of seven husbands who did she love more. You might be surprised with the answer you get.

“I spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much I loved her.”

“And it will be the tragedy of my life that I cannot love you enough to make you mine. That you cannot be loved enough to be anyone’s.”

Sometimes loving someone is harder than what you think when you are in the eye of everyone. She was famous and always made the headlines with every choice she made. Mostly it was the seven husbands she married. You will the hear the high and lows of her life and the heart breaks that I could feel as I listened to this book. Evelyn is great woman, you just have to see the honesty in her.

“Sometimes reality comes crashing down on you. Other times reality simply waits, patiently, for you to run out of the energy it takes to deny it.”

This book was heartbreaking. This book makes you think about how short life can be and how much time we waste on things that are not important. What will all the money in the world get yo in the end if you don't have your true love. The true love story hid in these pages are done so great and then why - oh why - did she pick Monique to write her tell all. You might be surprised.

This is two different timelines - You have Evelyn and Monique in the present time and as Evelyn tells her story - it takes you to that time and you see the story unfolded then. Beautifully done.

“When you write the ending, Monique, make sure the reader understands that all I was ever really looking for was family. Make sure it’s clear that I found it. Make sure they know that I am heartbroken without it.”

We are also told the story of Celias - which stared in the same movie - Little Women - as Evelyn Hugo. People were afraid of her because of her talent. She was the one they feared at Oscar time. But not Evelyn. Evelyn was happy for her. Evelyn had the biggest heart. She just had to do things she did not want to do to protect the very person she loved so much because she would do anything to not to hurt that love! Celias. but Celias could not get passed the face that Evelyn was bi and even though Evelyn's love was strong for Celias - somethings just hurt no matter how much someone loved another.

“Please never forget that the sun rises and sets with your smile. At least to me it does. You’re the only thing on this planet worth worshipping.”

This story is breath taking and so very well written. The story ended in such sweet tragedy. My heart hurts for all that was lost but everything that was gained. I have by far moved Taylor Jenkins Reid to my tops of my favorite authors. I highly recommend you to pick up her books.
     

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Review: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - BEST BOOK OF 2019

Jul 30, 2019

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid


Published by Ballantine Books on March 5th, 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 368
Format: Audiobook & Hardback
Source: Overdrive via Brooklyn Public Library
AmazonAdd to Goodreads


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
     

TW: drug use, alcoholism, addiction, abortion, cheating, abandonment, deaths, sex (all of your basic 70 troupes)


Goodreads Synopsis:


Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.








"BE STILL MY HEART" TOP BOOK OF 2019

Lets first start by saying I had no desire to read this book at all. But the more I heard about it, the more I wanted to know what everyone was talking about. I am not fond of the 70's lifestyle but i wanted to see what all the hype was about. GUYS! Best book I have ever picked up. I can no express to you or put in words how much I loved this book. This put me back at my teenage heart where I loved music groups and had pictures hanging all over my walls of my favorite singers. I could just see my walls being filled wit pictures and those album covers were epic.

This is by far the best book I have read of 2019! I listened to this on audio but followed along with it in the book. This had a full cast audio and by far the best audiobook I have ever listened to. The book was wrote in an interview format which I was sure how I felt about it at first but I absolutely fell in love with this format. You could feel the 70's coming out of the pages. I really wish that they would put these songs into a CD - the book world would sell this album out. I want to hear the sounds behind all the words and music they were writing and singing. I am a singer so my singer heart is wanting to hear these tunes. I do love how at the end of the book, they wrote the songs out for you so you could read the lyrics but let us please get this album! I wanted this band to be real but it is fictional but it is wrote so well that you fall in love with the cast. They are rude, judgmental, arrogant, and self-absorbed but this cast together made the best music of the 1970's. This is one band that I would want front row seats and back stage passes to.

I don't even know where to start with this cast. The book starts off by introducing all the cast of "THE SIX" - they are being interviewed at how their journey started and how their stardom to fame took off and ended.

Billy - Billy was confused. His life was hard. He never had his father there, he struggled with drugs and made bad decisions but when he missed the birth of his first child, his entire life changed. He struggled with staying away from drinking, drugs, and even Daisy. (BTW, I loved Camila but this thing between Billy and Daisy could have been BIG!!!!! That bad could have exploded!

Camila - I love Camila - the heart of a pure wife and loving mother. It never lost her trust and faith in her family and her husband. She held on.

Graham - Brother to Billy - such a good brother in my thoughts but sometimes being there is not enough and he begins to learn who is there for him.

Karen - OK so I loved Karen. She was all about herself but I still felt connected with her. She reminded me so much of me when I was younger. Never wanted to marry or have kids. It was my life and I wanted to enjoy it and never wanted anyone to interfere with my life. However, I loved her and Graham. My heart wanted this for them and then when "The something" happened - my heart broke and I was devastated at her choice she made. I don't want to spoil that something!

Warren & Eddie - not my favorite two people.

Teddy - Billy's sidekick. Billy was lost without him until one day he has no choice.

Then we meet Daisy - a nobody wanting to be somebody and will do as she pleases to get what she wants. She will dress, walk, talk, and do as she wants regardless of what others think. You wanted to love her, you wanted to hate her, you wanted to be her, but you ended up just feeling sorry for her and loving her completely. She is a complete drug addict, hitting bottoms and coming back only to hit bottom again. Doing things without thinking of her consequences. I wanted to beat her at times, hug her at times, and even cry with her times. Her love for Billy was heartbreaking and doing the right thing at the end was the hardest thing I watched for this band. I loved them even with all the chaos going on around them.

I ended this book laying in bed with my ear buds in my ears and looking at the pages of the book as I read along as I listened and this book stunned me. I did not want it to end. I wanted to see more and hear more. I wanted things to be different. My heart hurt but I knew that the choices made were the right ones even though my mind stood still. I wanted to immediately start the book over and hope things would change if I read it again but HELLO - its a book - it wont change but this journey was so much fun. This is by far the number 1 book of 2019 for me.

This book was full of amazing quotes. I don't normally annotate my books but this book is one I want to re-read and annotate the tail off of it. Here are some of the great ones that stuck out.

“Men often think they deserve a sticker for treating women like people.”

“I think you have to have faith in people before they earn it. Otherwise it's not faith, right?”

“You have these lines you won’t cross. But then you cross them. And suddenly you possess the very dangerous information that you can break the rule and the world won’t instantly come to an end. You’ve taken a big, black, bold line and you’ve made it a little bit gray. And now every time you cross it again, it just gets grayer and grayer until one day you look around and you think, There was a line here once, I think.”

“Passion is...it's fire. And fire is great, man. But we're made of water. Water is how we keep living. Water is what we need to survive.”

“You have to have one person in your life that you know would never do anything to steer you wrong. They may disagree with you. They could even break your heart, from time to time. But you have to have one person, at least, who you know will always tell you the truth.”

“No matter who you choose to go down the road with, you're gonna get hurt. That's just the nature of caring about someone. No matter who you love, they will break your heart along the way.”

“Music is never about music. If it was, we'd be writing songs about guitars. But we don't. We write songs about women."

“But knowing you’re good can only take you so far. At some point, you need someone else to see it, too. Appreciation from people you admire changes how you see yourself.”


This is one book I could go on and on about but I will end here - but highly highly recommend this book, even if you don't read stand-alones or want to give it a try - DO IT!!!!
     


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REVIEW: Heartstopper Volume Two by Alice Oseman

Jul 29, 2019


Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman

Published by Hodder Children's Books on July 2019
Genre: Graphi Novel
Pages: 315
Format: Online
Source: From Tapas
AmazonAdd to GoodreadsTapas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

TW -Bullying and MORE
Goodreads Synopsis:

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. An LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the second volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of The Art of Being Normal, Holly Bourne and Love, Simon.

Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie's gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn't.

But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family ... and himself.

Heartstopper is about friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

This is the second volume of Heartstopper, with more to come.





I
This is the same review from book one because I read these online and don't know where the story actually ends but it basically the same.
did read this for free on the online web comics through Tapas. I started reading it as a fill in between my other books I am reading and actually really loved it. It is LBGT but the story is very soft and cute. You felt like you watching to school kids falling in love - which is what you are reading lol but the story was done very well. The art was very cute and very easy to read and follow.

So as soon as I finished Volume 1 (I think are chapters 1 &2)- I completed Volume 2 (I think are chapters 3). I am not sure how the volumes end on the web comics but I am caught up and waiting for next episode to be published in 3 days for Chapter 4 which is probably going to be Volume 3 when published. I may be wrong but I think that looks right. With out actually having the books in hand, I can't tell where the books end and start. I am thinking of ordering them so I can own them since they are very cute.

Okay now a little about this - we basically have a boy that is gay name Charlie and he meets Nick in school and they become best friends but they are basically fighting to keep their feeling hide. Such a cute book. I don't want to give much off. It is a fast read. Also - there are several Trigger Warnings - but since I have read this off Tapas - I am not sure what TW to post because I don't want to spoil up coming Volumes for those that have not read this yet. - but one of the biggest one is bullying.


Pic Samples:     


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Review: Heartstopper: Volume One

Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman

Published by Self-Published on October  2018
Genre: Graphi Novel
Pages: 288
Format: Online
Source: From Tapas
AmazonAdd to GoodreadsTapas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

TW -Bullying
Goodreads Synopsis:

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?

Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore, and he's sort of got a boyfriend, even if he's kind of mean and only wants to meet up in secret.

Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him. That is, until the start of January, in which Nick and Charlie are placed in the same form group and made to sit together.

They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...


From the author of Solitaire and Radio Silence comes a bind up of the first two chapters of Heartstopper, an ongoing webcomic




I did read this for free on the online web comics through Tapas. I started reading it as a fill in between my other books I am reading and actually really loved it. It is LBGT but the story is very soft and cute. You felt like you watching to school kids falling in love - which is what you are reading lol but the story was done very well. The art was very cute and very easy to read and follow.

So as soon as I finished Volume 1 (I think are chapters 1 &2)- I completed Volume 2 (I think are chapters 3). I am not sure how the volumes end on the web comics but I am caught up and waiting for next episode to be published in 3 days for Chapter 4 which is probably going to be Volume 3 when published. I may be wrong but I think that looks right. With out actually having the books in hand, I can't tell where the books end and start. I am thinking of ordering them so I can own them since they are very cute.

Okay now a little about this - we basically have a boy that is gay name Charlie and he meets Nick in school and they become best friends but they are basically fighting to keep their feeling hide. Such a cute book. I don't want to give much off. It is a fast read. Also - there are several Trigger Warnings - but since I have read this off Tapas - I am not sure what TW to post because I don't want to spoil up coming Volumes for those that have not read this yet. - but one of the biggest one is bullying.


Pic Samples:     


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Review: A Night at the Inn: A Lizzie Borden Short Story: Paranormal Short Story

Jul 24, 2019

A Night at the Inn: A Lizzie Borden Short Story by Kerry Evelyn
Published by Swan Press on October 28, 2018
Genre: Adult Fiction
Time: 33 Minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: From Scribd
AmazonAdd to Goodreads
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Only the cat knows what really happened…

Will Donovan has big plans on his last free weekend
before he joins the FBI. With romance on his mind, he tells his girlfriend Emma she can pick anywhere she wants to go. To his dismay, his mystery-loving girlfriend chooses the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. Not quite the romantic backdrop he had envisioned, but for Emma, he would go anywhere. Especially if it meant securing their future together before he leaves.


At the Inn, things are not what they seem. Late in the night, curious meowing wakens the guests. Perhaps Max, the resident cat, desires a midnight adventure? Fueled by the gruesome tale of Lizzie Borden and her parents’ mysterious deaths, they follow a trail of ever-distancing meowing to an ominous hole inside the basement wall.


Together with their quirky fellow guests from the third floor, can Will and Emma solve the mystery of what really happened back in August of 1892 before time runs out for Will’s big plan to win Emma’s heart for keeps?




I have always been fascinated with the story of Lizzie Borden so when I seen this fast read, I wanted to add this to the list of reads. I was headed to bed and I love a fast audiobook before bed. It tends to relax me. This was a fun listen. I really enjoyed it. You did get a glimpse of the story of Lizzie Borden but I also loved the story of the Cat. Very good and fast. I did get confused at first because the narrator is female so i was thinking the guy talking was a girl but Will is a guy folks. lol.

The audiobook on Scribd was only 33 minutes so I don't want to say much because the Goodreads Synopsis explains this book to a "T"
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Review: Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun

Jul 23, 2019

Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Goodreads Synopsis:


Fans of dark fairy-tales like The Hazel Wood and The Cruel Prince will relish this atmospheric and absorbing book based on Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed movie.

Oscar winning writer-director Guillermo del Toro and New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke have come together to transform del Toro’s hit movie Pan’s Labyrinth into an epic and dark fantasy novel for readers of all ages, complete with haunting illustrations and enchanting short stories that flesh out the folklore of this fascinating world.

This spellbinding tale takes readers to a sinister, magical, and war-torn world filled with richly drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous soldiers, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.

A brilliant collaboration between masterful storytellers that’s not to be missed.

“Perfectly unsettling and deeply felt, this reminded me of the best kind of fairytales wherein each chapter is a jewel that, when held up to the light, reframes how we see the world around us.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen and Aru Shah and the End of Time

“A fearless and moving adaption of the film, and a gorgeously written, emotional, frightening parable about the courage of young women amid the brutality of war.” —Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Gone



     

I listened to this on Audio and followed along in the book some.

I feel like I am missing something. Maybe I slept through some of this book. I think I will have to give it a reread because I am so lost. Can someone let me know what happened toward the end?

I really wanted to read it but I just got lost in the scenes. It may be the authors writing style. I have not yet watched the movie yet... Yes I know, where have I been. I will watch it and maybe that will help me to understand the story line of this book.

I do know that Ofelia and her mother move and she finds a Labyrinth in the backyard and she is part of a fairytale she was not aware of. I think the last 2 hours of the book is where I got lost so I may have to just go back a reread that part. There were some dark scenes and some creepy moments. I did enjoy the moment she ate the grapes and the monster came alive and placed the eyes in its hands. LIKE CREEPY! I could just see it and hear the voice of the creature. Very detailed.

I think It was just the last 2 hours so I will try to give that another shot.

I will be watching the movie soon.



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Entangled Teen's SEKRIT Cover Reveal - Crave by Tracy Wolff

Jul 22, 2019

 I have partnered up with Entangled teen to bring you this super high SEKRIT as they call it. I am so excited to be doing this and being involved in this makes my heart happy! I hope you are as excited about this as I am.
 
I am in love with this cover!! Please tell me this includes a little vampire action??? We need to see the paranormal romance to make its way back!

SO with exciting news, I am letting you have a sneak peak at this amazing cover reveal for Crave by Tracy Wolff.



One of Entangled Teen's biggest YA books for 2020 is Crave by New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff.


Crave by New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff


Release Date: April 7, 2020 


Crave is a romantic and thrilling tale of forbidden love, about the undying battle between feeling nothing and feeling so much, it could destroy everyone you love.  


Stayed Tuned for he bonus sneak peak coming soon! Also make sure that you check out the Goodreads page and add it to your TBR.


Meet the Author:

Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.

And for all of those who want the unedited version:
Tracy Wolff lives with four men, teaches writing to local college students and spends as much time as she can manage immersed in worlds of her own creation. Married to the alpha hero of her dreams for twelve years, she is the mother of three young sons who spend most of their time trying to make her as crazy as possible.

You can find Tracy also on Twitter,
www.tracywolff.blogspot.com and www.sizzlingpens.blogspot.com and on her website http://www.tracywolffbooks.com/.


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Review: The Wife Between Us

The Wife Between Us The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:


When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

Read between the lies.
     



The Wife Between us - I didn't love it - I didn't hate it. A solid 4 star.

This book was a book I was confused about. I wanted to love it but there was just something about the story or the characters I did not connect with. Hence why it took me 8 days to listen to it.

But I do have to say I did not see that plot twist at the end. It took me a minute or 2 just to notice what just happened. That twist alone was a 4 star.

We have an ex-wife that is stalking her ex-husband and soon to be new wife. You assume a lot of things in this book but what you don't assume is that very last chapter and the twist. DONT SKIP TO THE LAST CHAPTER. You will spoil yourself. We watch as the ex-wife obsesses over the soon to be new wife. She sends texts to her ex-husband - she goes and see the soon to be new wife. You assume she is just a jealous ex-wife but there is something behind the scenes that was going on that you don't see until mid way through the book as the story starts to unfold. Then you understand why she is stalking them. But the only thing is - Is the ex-wife the only one doing the stalking??

I did really enjoy this and I wanted to complete it but it was one of those books that when I laid it down - it took me awhile to pick back up but while listening to it, I was enjoying it. But I was glad I completed it and I really enjoyed that complete plot twist.




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Edelweiss ARC: Serpent & Dove

Jul 18, 2019

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I am so excited! I have received my first Edelweiss ARC - Thank you to Harper Teen for providing the ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I am so excited for this book! Time to download and enjoy! I have been seeing this everyone and tons of people raving about it.

Goodreads sysnopsis:

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.


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Review: Personalized Murder

Personalized Murder Personalized Murder by Jeffrey Holt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to the author for reaching out to me asking to review this and this review is of my own opinion.

I did enjoy the book and it was very interesting to see who the author told this story. The book opens great with a series of deaths. It did strike me as a "CLUE" type book. Like - who done it. It is race against the sickness and disease to make sure they can survive. The concept is very good, and It is a strong 4 strong book. The plot was strong and I did very much enjoy the characters.

If you are looking for a good crime/mystery/thriller book! Try this one out.



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ARC Review: Plagued: The Devil Did It by Shakil Somani

Jul 16, 2019

Plagued: The Devil Did It by Shakil Somani
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to the author for reaching out to me asking me to review this on my free will and I am giving my honest thoughts on this.

This is only 53 pages so pretty much what the Goodreads synopsis say, is the story.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lukas "Kas" Green, a successful British filmmaker and billionaire living in Los Angeles, takes the wrong girl home one night - she turns out to literally be the daughter of the Devil.

The Devil punishes Kas by overrunning his brain with the creativity his film career has been built upon.
Consequently, anytime Kas even thinks about sex, his mind is overcome with sketches and hallucinations.

Kas attempts to cure himself of this plague of ideas and distractions, whilst balancing his movie-making career, the overpowering sketch-like stories in his mind and of course, trying to rejoin the population of Bonetown.



My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the first section of the book but I did get a bit lost. The scenes just flip to fast for me with out really knowing what was going on. He does later on explain that the Devil his the father. A lot of time I don't read the synopsis of books before I read them so I was lost about him until he stated that later in the book. He also then explained that the guy was having hallucinations which explained the sudden jump in the scenes. I think if he would have made it longer and added more into the details at what was going on, then I would have not felt as lost until I hit a point and was like - oh that is what is going on.

The art was very well done. I am not sure I enjoyed the story myself - I was left feeling like I wasn't sure what I read but I do believe this is his debut graphic novel. So in time, the story may progress and I may like it.



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Down the TBR Hole - July 2019

Jul 12, 2019



I have been searching for book tags to do and I came across this book tag on "Bookmarkyourthoughts" Blog and wanted to give it a try. 


This was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story — she has a new blog though called Sunflowers and Wonder!


The Rules
  1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
  4. Read the synopses of the books.
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
  6. Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week!
I don't know if I will do this weekly but I may try it monthly. I do need to go on there and see what I have an remove some I don't think I am interested in any longer. I will probably start out with 5 then work my way to more the more I do this.



Signs of a Quiet Heart by Teri McGill


When Robbi Bennett, special education teacher extraordinaire, decided to move from New York to California, it was for reasons beyond trading snowstorms for sunshine and surfing. Following the tragic death of her parents, and several doomed relationships, she craved a fresh start; an opportunity to reinvent herself.

Tyler D’Angelo, bad-boy biker and self-proclaimed man-whore, equates love with weakness. For decades, he has kept his heart on lockdown, but meeting Robbi turns his solitary life inside out as they are inexplicably drawn to each other. Can love be strong enough to overcome a lifetime of fear?

Note: There is a cliffhanger involving secondary characters, which does not affect the romance. The mystery is eventually resolved in Book 2, with the assistance of several new characters.

(This story features deaf and hard-of-hearing characters. The story also involves information related to deafness, deaf education, and American Sign Language.)



This has a 3.5 Star rating


Verdict: Delete


Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey . .

This has a 3.73 Star rating


Verdict: Keep (I'm intrigued)


Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields

A teenage assassin kills with a single kiss until she is ordered to kill the one boy she loves..

Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It's a miserable life, but being a visha kanya, a poison maiden, is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she's really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.



This has a 3.67 Star rating

Verdict: Keep (I'm intrigued)


Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride....

All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They've enraptured her mind and spirit and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesel can't help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.

But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds--and the mysterious man who rules it--she soon faces an impossible decision. With time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

Dark, romantic, and powerful, Wintersong will sweep you away into a world you won't soon forget.
  

This has a 3.57 Star rating

Verdict: Delete


Warcross by Marie Lu

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life.

The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

This has a 4.19 Star rating

Verdict: Keep

Books Removed: 2
Books Kept: 3

Let me know what you thought of my choices, did I make any mistakes? Which books would you have gotten rid off?
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W.W.W. Wednesday Tag

Jul 11, 2019

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The Summer Bucket List

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Review requested by author: The Last Stand by Paris Hansch

The Last Stand by Paris Hansch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Goodreads synopsis:

A priestess, a dragon god—and a lie that threatens to destroy them all.

-------------------------------------

Celia is about to break her vow.

As the head priestess of the most powerful dragon temple in the empire—Celia is a shining example of knowledge, purity, and unquestioning loyalty to the imperial couple, the legendary dragon gods themselves.

Sworn caretakers of their citizens, the priestesses must awaken the power of the spirit arts in others and guide the next generations.

But all is not what it seems.  Everything they've been taught, everything Celia knows, is wrong.

Following Celia's disastrous visit to the capital, she is trapped amidst a chaotic scheme that spans over a thousand years beyond her lifetime… and now she is faced with the ultimate betrayal.

Her Imperial Highness seeks to destroy Celia and her people—the very same people who serve her empire without question.

As the other dragon temple's refugees pour in, Celia is forced to decide where her loyalties lie.

Will she make a final stand against a dragon god and protect her family, or will her loyalty to the gods last until her final breath?

Perfect for fans of strong female leads, intricate magic, complex epic fantasy plots and of course, dragons.   

The Last Stand is a prequel novella to the Empire of the Dragon Gods Trilogy with Book One — The Dragon Princess coming soon.  Sneak peek inside!





     

Thank you to the author Paris Hansch for reaching out to me and asking to review your prequel.

The Last Stand by Paris Hansch is the prequel to start of a new fantasy series - Empire of the Dragon Gods.

I wasn't sure when I went into this book what was going on but wow. I was completely surprised and how the story was unfolding itself about 40 pages in. Take note, this is a very small e-book. I read this on PDF and the actual reading pages was around 80 or a few over. So it was a fast read.

Chaos, Destruction and Rebirth… the three legendary dragon
gods who rescued their people from certain death and brought
peace to all for two thousand years.
Or so the legends say.


The year is 1760 - Year of the Fey Dynasty.


Celia is the Head Priestess of Anadrieth's Dragon Temple and she is the most loyal priestess of her time but she was about to break her vow putting her entire kingdom at harm.

Celia is a school teacher and she is so supposed to awake the child's spirits arts element.

>b>The legend of the dragon gods, not a bad place to start.

“Two of the three dragon gods took pity on our plight,
Destruction and Rebirth—the two lovers who could never be apart.
They crossed from the spirit realm to take on human forms,
forging the empire in an effort to bring peace.
Since the dragon gods control the balance of nature they
brought the four elemental spirits with them, granting humans
the power of the spirit arts to protect that newfound peace.”

But after doing the unthinkable, Celia struggled within herself to protect her people. After returning to her kingdom, her husband and daughter can since something is not right.

When War begins to break out between kingdoms, she find out the Legend of the 3 Dragon Gods are not as they appear. As the kingdom of Anadrieth decide what they need to do when getting word of the war - things for this kingdom will change forever.

The plot and world building of this prequel was very well done. I am very much looking for to the trilogy this world is set in.

I also really enjoyed the letter that Marie (the daughter of Celia) wrote in the of the book. The plea for the readers And so I turn to you dear reader, with my request. Help us spread
the word of the truth to as many people who will listen. Please leave a review so others will discover our tale and know what truly happened here. Help us fight back.


I highly recommend this and cant wait to see where the author takes this series .


     

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