Of Lords and Commoners (Lords and Commoners: Book 1) by Lynne Hill-Clark

Of Lords and Commoners: Book 1 (Lords and Commoners Series) by [Lynne Hill-Clark] — **Of Lords and Commoners: Book 1 by Lynne Hill-Clark (Amazon cover)**

Publisher: Hill, Clark, and Associates

Date of publication: June 21st, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Series: Of Lords and Commoners

Of Lords and Commoners—Book 1

Of Prince and Dragons—Book 2

Of Gods and Goddesses—Book 3

Format read in: eBook

Goodreads synopsis:

Humans Have Always Had to Fight Plagues …

The only future Vallachia could have imagined, as well as her wonderfully simple life disappears when she finds herself in a struggle to figure out the rules of a strange new world.

She longs for her old life and the one she truly loves remains out of reach, as she embarks on an inconceivable journey.

Vallachia quickly finds herself on the wrong side of a brewing battle for vampire domination. Not knowing who to trust could have fatal consequences … for millions of people.

First Line:

We ran swiftly through the forest.
Of Lords and Commoners by Lynne Hill-Clark

First Impressions:

I am one of those people who’s impressions of books start with the covers. The cover of Of Lords and Commoners on Goodreads wasn’t much to look at. Black that faded to brown with a family crest under the title and gold words. It was very plain and didn’t give any clue about what the book was about. So visually, it was a nope for me. Fortunately, the blurb made me think twice about reading it.

Of Lords and Commoners is set in the Middle Ages. The first half of the book takes place in Vallachia’s village in the Carpathian Mountains. It doesn’t say precisely where but if I had to guess, Romania. Considering what I have read/know about the Carpathian Mountains, it was an excellent location for the first half of the book.

The book did get off to a slow and somewhat dull start. It was a struggle to get through the first couple of chapters. Once I got through them (once Lord Chastellain and Elijah arrived), the book picked up the pace.

I did feel bad for Vallachia. She was being forced into an impossible position: having to choose between Teller and Elijah. Teller was her childhood love. Elijah was the Lord’s son, who she was developing feelings for. But at the same time, I didn’t quite believe that she was allowed to choose who she was going to marry. It was the Middle Ages. Women didn’t get any say in anything. So for her father to have such a progressive view didn’t ring right to me.

The vampire angle of the book was interesting. I liked how the author stayed true to vampires’ fundamental myths and tweaked them a little bit. The author also added small things that made sense, like flying and swimming under the water. Oh, and the whole not being able to enter a church? Not happening in this book. Vallachia was able to enter several churches after being turned.

Speaking of Vallachia being turned, that was a pivotal scene in the book. Everything that happens from then on is connected to what Lord Chastellain did and what Elijah did (or in this case didn’t) do. I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! Of course, Vallachia’s relationship with her father, brother, best friend, and Teller took a significant turn.

Mid-Book Impressions:

Of Lords and Commoners hit some lag in the middle of the book. There was so much going on that the plotline started to stagnant. Fortunately, the author was able to breathe life back into the plot.

I felt terrible for Vallachia during this part of the book. She had to come to terms with being a vampire and getting involved in vampire politics. She also had to deal with her feeling for both Teller and Elijah. She didn’t have it easy at all.

I didn’t agree with Vallachia returning to her home village. I get that she had serious feelings for Teller, but she was protected with Elijah (safety in numbers). I also didn’t agree with her telling Teller that she was a vampire. His reaction was what I thought it would be. Honestly, it made me dislike him. Of course, then Lord Chastellain showed up and did what he did. That, in turn, forced Vallachia to turn Teller, who then did something unforgivable. But even that didn’t end Vallachia’s feelings for Teller. I did a considerable WTF when she still said she loved him. Seriously????

Interestingly, there was a subplot line about vampire rebellion that started in Constantinople. I wish the author had spent more time describing where the vampires live and even the city itself (there were a couple of well-written scenes, but it left me wanting more). It is that plotline that kept the book moving along. When Vallachia went to Denmark and then London (after she turned Teller), there was so much intrigue!!! There was also some LGBTQ+ representation in the book, which I enjoyed.

End of Book Impressions:

The plotline for Of Lord and Commoners worked itself out. There was new life breathed into the plotline by the increased attacks of the vampire revolution. That sent Vallachia, Elijah, and their friends on missions (for lack of a better word) to other countries to recruit allies. Because of that, I felt that the plotline picked up steam and was fast until the end of the book.

I wish that Teller had made an appearance. I was left wondering what was going on with him. Like Vallachia and her friends, I thought that he was behind the strange vampire-like sickness plaguing people. But that was proven wrong. He just poofed, and I wasn’t a fan of it.

I didn’t like how Vallachia’s brother died. Not going to get into it, but it was wrong!!! I was very frustrated at that.

The author did an excellent job of wrapping everything up by the end of the book. But she left enough unwrapped (the love triangle between Vallachia, Elijah, and Teller and the revolution) to read book 2.

My Overall Thoughts on Of Lords and Commoners:

I enjoyed reading Of Lords and Commoners. While the book was slow to start, did lag in the middle, and had the plotline stagnant at times, it managed to capture my attention. I liked the characters (except for Teller). I did think that it was a little progressive for the time it took place in (Middle Ages), but I soon forgot that. It was just an overall good YA book to read.

I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book. There is graphic violence. But it is a clean book. There is no sex and only a couple of kissing scenes.

The Grid 1: Fall of Justice (The Grid Trilogy: Book 1) by Paul Teague

The Grid 1: Fall of Justice (The Grid Trilogy) by [Paul Teague] — The Grid by Paul Teague

Publisher: Clixeo Publishing

Date of Publication: November 28th, 2015

Genre: Dystopia, Thriller

Purchase Links: Amazon

Series: The Grid Trilogy

The Grid 1: Fall of Justice – Book 1

The Grid 2: Quest for Vengeance – Book 2

The Grid 3: Catharsis – Book 3

Format read in: eBook

Goodreads synopsis:

A fortress city. A terrifying prison. A survivor determined to beat the odds.

Joe Parsons’ father has just disappeared. Growing up in a post-plague world, he knows that justice is in short supply, but he craves answers. He hacks into the sinister Fortrillium network, but when he’s caught red-handed, he’s in for the shock of his life.

Joe is thrown into The Grid, a prison lined with inhumane cages where the only hope of a trial comes from surviving a series of terrifying challenges. Only one person has ever escaped the deadly, gamified colosseum. Hunted by his enemies and in constant danger, Joe must find a way to survive. What he discovers along the way will change his life forever… if he can manage to escape.

Fall of Justice is a gripping work of dystopian sci-fi. If you like tension-filled suspense, fascinating apocalyptic futures, and characters who come to life, then you’ll love the first book in Paul Teague’s The Grid Trilogy.

First Line:

Jay realized that it was all over for him.
The Grid 1: Fall of Justice (The Grid TRILOGY: Book 1) by Paul Teague

First Impressions:

When I first saw The Grid 1 on Amazon, I was intrigued by what the plotline promised. A world decimated by a plague. A city that has become a fortress. A horrific way of dealing with criminals. A small group that is determined to bring down the system. A boy determined to find out what happened to his father. How could I pass it up?

The Grid 1 starts with what happens during the final moments of The Grid (what the televised show is called). It is kind of hard to explain what The Justice Walk is like. All that is revealed in the beginning is that people called Gridders control what happens during the televised events. They control who dies and how they die. There is also a common thread among all the people who were publicly executed. They were innocent. The Fortrillium (the justice system) knows that. The citizens (who are forced to watch) know that. The criminals know that. But they can’t/won’t do anything about it.

After that gruesome first scene (the man gets squeezed to death between two metal plates), the book shifts to Joe, the book’s main hero. I liked this book because when the book shifts between characters (and it does that often), the author lets you know. Take, for instance, the jump from that first scene to when Joe and Lucy were introduced. There is space, then the word Breached, and then the beginning of that subchapter. Most people find that irritating, but I like it. I wouldn’t say I love it when an author jumps from person to person within the same chapter. It confuses and drives me nuts. So, yes, I liked it. I was able to keep track of the characters and plotlines that way.

Anyways, the first half of the book is busy introducing characters. Joe, Lucy, Wiz, Mitchell, Joe’s mother and brother, Harry, Talya, Damien, and President Delman. It also busy setting up what this post-apocalyptic world is like. There are two classes: rich and live on The Silk Road and those who are poor and live in The Climbs. The Silk Road is what I expected. Beautiful houses, plenty of food, water, and medical care (which is important to remember). The Climbs, well, they aren’t nice at all. There are rats, crime, overcrowding, lack of food, basic medical care, and clean water. People reside in dilapidated high rise buildings. If you are elderly or disabled and live on the higher levels, you don’t have much chance of survival. There is also the fear of being sent to The Soak, a prison located under a river. People go in and do not get out. Those that want to try and get out, well they are featured in The Grid.

The author does try to explain what happened to make The City the way it is. It is told by Harry, who is 108 (or so) and who lived through the plague. But Harry is an unreliable narrator. Her memory is starting to go, and she needs to tell people before she dies.

The pacing of the book during the first half was fast. I felt that there were somethings that were skimmed over. There could have been more detail about the intel that Joe and Lucy were doing. Or more information about The Soak. Heck, even better insight into the Gridders or The Justice Lords would have been great. Instead, it was left up in the air until the middle of the book.

Mid-Book Impressions:

The Grid 1 did slow down somewhat during the middle of the book. I didn’t mind it at all. I felt that I was able to process the first half of the book and what was going on in the middle of the book.

Some of the things that I complained about in the first half of The Grid 1 were discussed in the book’s middle. The Soak, Gridders, and The Justice Lords were all addressed in length mid-book. Doing that gave me a better understanding of what was going on. If I was even remotely confused or lacking in details during the first half, it was made up and then some.

There was also a bunch of stuff happening in the middle of the book (besides more information being given). Lucy and Joe get arrested. Harry gets injured. Talya realizes that Damien has iron control over The Justice Lords.

Speaking of Damien, what an evil dude!! I can’t even go into how evil he was. He was a grade-A psychopath, through and through. That one scene in The Climbs made my blood run cold. That was someone drunk on power and used to having his every whim catered too!! It also explained the intel that Lucy and Joe had dug up on him.

President Delman was also featured a bit more in the middle of the book. He wasn’t as bad as Damien, but there was a hidden agenda going on with him. There was also something off about him. Something not right.

There was also more insight given into The Gridders and what their roles were. It was fascinating to learn that they were responsible for everything that happened in The Grid. But, even in The Gridders, there is one evil person.

End of Book Impressions:

I had mixed feelings about the end of The Grid 1. While I liked seeing how they prepped for The Grid, I felt awful for the people who were forced to go on. They had a little bit of everyone there: Murderers, smugglers, mentally ill, arsonists, and then Lucy and Joe. The propaganda surrounding the build-up to The Grid was heartbreaking once it was revealed. They took what these people did (mainly to protect themselves or other people) and twisted it. I got physically sick at what was done to them to prep for The Grid. It gave a sinister meaning to “Psych Eval.”

I will not go into the ending much (other than what I just wrote), but I will say that I was fascinated by what Damien did and where he went. That added an extra depth to his character (other than being an evil psycho).

The Grid 1 ends on a cliffhanger. I was so mad because the book stopped right when it started to get good. I was also a bit irritated. The author ended the book mid-scene. I did a mental “WTF” when that happened. Out of all cliffhangers, being stopped mid-scene is one I dislike the most. It made me almost not want to read the next book.

My Overall Thoughts on The Grid 1: Fall of Justice

I enjoyed reading The Grid 1: Fall of Justice. It was a fast-paced, dystopian book that ticked all of my boxes. It did remind me strongly of The Running Man, but that didn’t deter me from enjoying the read. I wish that more backstory had been given at the beginning of the book (like a prologue of the world before the plague), but the way it was written worked for me. Also, I wouldn’t say I liked that the book ended with a mid-scene cliffhanger. That annoyed the ever-living out of me.

I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book. There is a lot of graphic violence. Other than the violence, it is a clean book: no sex or anything of a sexual nature.

Control Freakz (Control Freakz: Book 1) by Michael Evans

Control Freakz (Control Freakz #1) — **Control Freakz by Michael Evans**

Publisher: Boundless Press

Date of Publication: July 23rd 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound

Series: Control Freakz

Forever Gone—Book 0.5

Control Freakz—Book 1

Delusional—Book 2

Triggered—Book 3

Format read in: eBook

Goodreads synopsis:

Memories will haunt you.

Natalie has lost everything but herself, and she’s just one of thousands. After Protocol 00 is enacted, Natalie’s family is taken by the government, along with the families of her two best friends, Hunter and Ethan. With nothing to lose and the threat of government hitmen kidnapping them at any moment, the three must battle to survive in a horrid, post-apocalyptic world run by President Ash and his invasive government.

Risking ruthless leaders, attempted mind control, and her very existence on the planet, Natalie, along with Hunter and Ethan, will stop at nothing in their quest to regain everything they’ve ever known. But there are unrivaled powers working against them, and with impending doom looming at any moment, there is no one to trust and nowhere to hide. In a life devoid of hope, happiness, and safety, Natalie must battle both the darkness lurking inside and out of her in order to regain one fleeting memory of her past that has all but fallen away for good, but it might already be too late.

First Impressions:

The blurb for Control Freakz was the main reason why I got this book. I like to read YA dystopia, and I was intrigued by the second paragraph of the blurb. A horrible president? A dishonest government? Mind control? Sign me up. Plus, I liked the cover. A girl is standing with her back to you, looking at a foggy (or sandstorms??) scene with nanobots up top. It called to me.

Control Freakz started off running. The pacing of the book was also set. It was lightning fast. What I liked is that the book kept up the pace until the middle of the book. I love it when a book keeps the pace it starts with.

Mental illness was also discussed during the first half of the book. Natalie suffered from depression and anxiety. The author didn’t honey coat it and make it go away after a while. Her depression and anxiety were always there, in varying severity.

Control Freakz is told in 1st person POV. I was okay with that expect that Natalie spent a lot of time internalizing her dialogue. It offered a narrow view of what she was going through. I never thought I would say this, but I wish that another POV was introduced. That way, I could see what else was going on.

The Protocol 00 storyline was introduced within a chapter of the beginning of the book. There wasn’t a whole lot of information given about Protocol 00. All I knew, going into the middle of the book, was that Protocol 00 had something to do with the blue pills. Oh, and also, the President was an evil man who had caused chaos among the American people.

The first half of Control Freakz focused on Natalie, Hunter, and Evan’s escape from Phoenix and their journey to a sanctuary in the mountains. When they did arrive at the camp, there was more chaos before they settled down. That leads to the middle of the book.

Mid-Book Impressions

So, my interest in Control Freakz started to wane by the middle of the book. Even though it had a promising start, I couldn’t help but get a little bored. Instead of focusing on President Ash and the government’s looming threat, it went into camp politics, which bored me. But they played an essential part in setting up for what was going to happen in the last half of the book.

Natalie was driving me nuts. Again, there was a lot of internal dialogue. More talk of wanting to die and wishing life could go back to what it was like. She also screamed a lot. She was annoying. I felt terrible feeling that way because I knew she was suffering from her anxiety and depression, but at the same time, I just wanted her to shut up. I know, yikes!!

I wished that there was another POV that was introduced other than Natalie. Evan would have been a great person, in my mind. There was so much going on with him. He knew that there was something up with the camp leader, and he would find out. He obsessed over it to the point that he went nuts. I would have loved to see what was going on inside his head during that time.

I wasn’t interested in Hunter’s POV. He didn’t have a ton of influence in the book other than keeping Natalie from killing herself. He didn’t jump off the pages or make an impression on me. He was just “blah.” Also, he was too trusting. Way too naive after everything that he had been through.

The storyline about Protocol 00 stalled out too. It seemed unreal that the government knew about the camps of people and didn’t do anything about it. I almost wished that Evan had hacked into the camp leader’s computer sooner. Or that the helicopter came earlier. It would have added a bit of excitement into an otherwise stalled out storyline.

Towards the end of the middle of the book, though, things began to pick up. Evan did something that I didn’t expect and that Natalie witnessed. He also uncovered a couple of things that made me go, “What?” Natalie, Hunter, and Evan’s run from camp and to Danielle was action-packed.

End of Book Impressions

If my interest in Control Freakz had wavered in the middle of the book, it was fully back by the end. Everything that had been left to decay in the middle of the book exploded. I couldn’t read the end of this book fast enough.

Natalie still annoyed me, but she surprised me. She dared to defy Danielle. She found her voice. But even more so, she went willingly to do something that could result in her death. I was surprised. I do know that her finding and reading those files played a considerable part in it. Well, also Danielle threatening to kill her. I was surprised at where she had to break into. It just didn’t seem realistic to me.

Let’s talk about Danielle. She was an enigma. I didn’t agree with the underhand ways that she went about things, but I could understand why she did it. I also got the impression that there was something else driving her. And it wasn’t because she cared about people.

I still wanted another POV, but I am glad that the author went the way he did with what happened to Evan and Hunter. It would have been confusing to read from either one’s POV because of what happened.

The storyline with Protocol 00 reached a surprising conclusion. I was not expecting what happened to happen. That was a huge surprise. Even more of a surprise was the way the book ended. A freaking cliffhanger. Blah. I wouldn’t say I like those. But I need to read the next book, so I guess it worked.

My Overall Thoughts on Control Freakz

I liked reading Control Freakz. It was well written with memorable characters. The plotline flowed well until the middle of the book. That is where it floundered. Fortunately, the author could get the book back on track, and it flew to the end. There is also an unsubtle political reference and jab at one point in the book. Not going to say what, but it did strike close to home, considering everything that is happening now.

There were some parts that I didn’t like. The book does a lot of internalizing, which annoyed me. Also, there was such a narrow scope to the world. Having more than one POV would have been great instead of just Natalie’s. There is also the beginning of the book. Instead of a build-up to the chaos that happened, the book dove headfirst into it. There were zero backstories, and what backstory that was given was broken up. But, because I did like the book, I was able to look past all of that. But some people might not be able too.

I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read Control Freakz. There is language and a lot of violence. But it is a clean book also. There is no sex. There are a couple of kissing scenes between Hunter and Natalie.

a noble affair by jennie goutet

Publisher:

Date of publication: April 28th, 2016

Genre: Romance

Purchase Links: Kindle | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound |

Format read in: eBook

Goodreads synopsis:

Is there such a thing as Prince Charming?

Chastity didn’t take a teaching job in France to find hers, but a woman can dream, n’est ce pas?

If the father of one of her students—the Viscount Charles Jean Anne Monorie de Brase—is the best local example of princes, Charming or Otherwise, Chastity is ready to put aside any thought of falling in love again.

As much as she would prefer him to keep his distance, it seems there is no avoiding each other. With the ongoing pressure of a repentant ex-boyfriend, a nefarious drug dealer, and an art heist that spans the decades, Chastity and the viscount are thrown together by circumstances she would soon rather forget.

As the intimacy between Charles and Chastity deepens, they must decide if their love is enough to bridge the gap between their disparate worlds, and if happily ever after can exist outside of fairy tales.

First Impressions:

I was pretty excited to start reading A Noble Affair. I have had it sitting on my TBR since October 2018, and I figured that it was time to read it. Plus, the blurb got my interest. Well, I have to say I wasn’t impressed by the first half of the book. There were zero sparks of romance between Charles and Chastity. Instead, it went the exact opposite direction. There was so much animosity between the two that I was taken aback by it.

Chastity’s job as a school teacher was fascinating, but there was little focus on it. Instead, there were a couple of student/teacher meetings, where she accused Charles’s son of doing drugs. Her proof, a whiff of marijuana here and there. I hardcore eye-rolled at that. Frankly, I found her annoying that first half of the book. She led her baby daddy on about being in a relationship. The only thing that I remotely agreed with was that she allowed him to meet their son.

I didn’t care for Charles either. He was an absent parent who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) talk to his son about his slipping grades. Instead, he was focused on his work, appeasing his mother and his girlfriend. There was no mention of what he did for work during the first half of the book. This is important come the middle of the book.

Louis, Charles’s son, was also introduced. I was “meh” about him. I understood why he acted the way he did, but at the same time, I wanted to shake some sense into him. Things got a bit dicey towards the end of the first half of the book.

There were a bunch of secondary characters thrown in during the first half of the book also. I had issues keeping track of them because of how the chapters were written. There was no lead in the next character. Just, bam, here it is. At times, it made no sense. Also, clue in that secondary storyline was introduced while this all happened, and my head was spinning.

Mid-Book Impressions

Chastity and Charles’s romance (or lack of one) was still going strong by the book’s middle. She thought he was an uptight idiot, and he returned the favor. It was kind of amusing to read, though. Their interactions were painful to read. I kept thinking to myself, “And where is this romance?” because there was ZERO.

Instead of the book picking up speed, it faltered, big time. I kept waiting for something to get the book moving. It did happen, but it took forever for it to happen. There were points where I was going to put the book down.

Louis’s storyline because more interesting. There was some intrigue about his dealing, his schoolwork, and him owing the dealer money. I did feel bad for the poor kid because he was in over his head. He was willing to do anything to pay back the money.

The storyline about the art heist was interesting too, but there were some flaws in it. Add in that Louis’s dealer is also the person behind the new heist, which made me go “Hmmm.” Only a couple of chapters sprinkled in the middle of the book explained what happened there.

End of Book Impressions

Chastity and Charles’s romance finally picked up. But weirdly, it was after her son was hit by a car and put in a coma. Guess who his neurosurgeon was? Charles. I was just as surprised as Chastity was when that was revealed. Like I mentioned above, I thought he lived off a trust fund or something like that.

There was still no sparks between Chastity and Charles. The author did try, but their romance didn’t come across as believable. Even the kiss that they shared was “meh.”

The storyline with Louis and his drug use finally came to ahead. Charles finally talked to him about it. I don’t know who was more relieved, Louis or me. It took an entire book for Charles to get around to doing it. It was a lovely scene but long overdue in coming.

The secondary storyline about the art heist ended excitingly. There was a neat twist to that plotline that made me go “No way.“

My Overall Thoughts on A Royal Affair

I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. As a romance, there should have been at least some sort of spark between the main characters. There wasn’t, and it felt fake at the end of the book. It wasn’t believable.

The book’s drug use angle was ridiculous, but I liked how the author chose to show Louis battling through the situation he got himself in. When Louis found himself getting in too deep, he turned to his father. The same father should have been more present in his life.

I loved the art heist storyline. I was shocked at who was behind the heist. I knew that it was the same person supplying Louis his drugs, but I didn’t know his identity. I had a holy crap moment when that happened. Talk about a surprise.

I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read A Noble Affair. It is a clean book. There is no sex and a couple of brief kissing scenes. Several scenes got violent, and a couple where Louis is high. But nothing explicit.

A Letter From America by Geraldine O’Neill

Publisher: Poolbeg Press

Date of publication: August 11th, 2015

Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase Links: Amazon

Format Read in: eBook

Goodreads synopsis:

It is the late 60’s in Tullamore, County Offaly, and life is full of exciting possibilities for Fiona Tracey, as she prepares to leave Ireland to work for a wealthy family in New York.

Fiona’s parents have the local shop and bar, and her younger sisters are already leading independent lives. Bridget is at a convent school preparing to be a nun and Angela has led a life of her own since she was hospitalised up in Dublin for years with childhood polio.

Then, sudden tragedy forces Fiona to postpone her departure for New York. As her mother sinks into illness and depression, her responsibilities mount. When help is offered by her aunt and cousin, Fiona is mystified by her mother’s animosity towards them.

As summer approaches, an American architect, Michael O’Sullivan, takes a room above the bar. Within a short time Fiona finds herself involved in an unexpected and passionate affair.

Then, as a surprising incident threatens Bridget’s vocation, Angela uncovers information which explodes old family secrets.

Before Fiona can embark on an independent life again, perhaps in New York, she must find a new understanding of her family – and of herself.

First Impressions:

My first impression of A Letter From America was that this book was going to be a long but easy read. The slow start was a massive hint to me. I am not a big fan of slow starts, but in this case, it worked.

I don’t know what I thought of Angela, Fiona, Bridget, Nance, Catherine, or Joseph. If I had to form an opinion, I thought they were all, except Catherine, somewhat self-involved. I was also a little irritated about this secret. The half-heard conversations and Nance’s animosity towards Catherine and Joseph had me guessing, early on, about what this secret was.

Going into the middle of the book, I felt terrible for Fiona. She was left to deal with her mother, the bar, and the shop. I admit that I got a little peeved that Bridget or Angela didn’t offer to stay and help.

Mid-Book Impressions

As I mentioned above, I felt terrible for Fiona; she had a lot on her plate. Like I said above, I couldn’t understand why the other two girls didn’t offer to stay and help. Well, the book explains that. See, Bridget is a nun in training, and she had to get back to classes (she is also 14). So asking her to stay home didn’t make sense. Angela did have a job and a social life, but she didn’t make an effort. I wasn’t thrilled with the explanation of why she couldn’t get down.

Michael O’Sullivan is introduced mid-book. An American architect who had bought the cottage his grandmother was born in. Fiona was instantly attracted to him, and he to her. Honestly, I didn’t see it. I felt that there was zero chemistry between them, and I couldn’t see them together in the long run.

Bridget, mid-book, had gotten herself into a pickle at the convent. I was interested in how this came about and how Bridget dealt with it. Out of the three sisters’, she seemed to have a grasp on things. Of course, she was also a teenager and made mistakes. Oh, and she knew about some of the secret that Fiona and Angela had an inkling about. Then she disappeared until the end of the book, which irked me.

Angela had some incredible good luck mid-book. Her good luck extended to home, where she was able to get Nance out of her funk and back to becoming a functioning human being. I was rooting for her, and I did predict what was going to happen.

Onto the secret. At this point, I guessed what it was. Between Fiona and Bridget, I gathered enough information to form my opinion. But, I was only partially right with what I imagined.

End of Book Impressions

I felt that Fiona and Michael’s “romance” ended very predictably. I’m going to admit that I skimmed over her part of the story. It was predictable. Okay, but predictable.

I wasn’t expecting what happened with Bridget. Now talk about throwing me for a loop there. I was glad when everything was resolved, though it was still a pretty crappy thing to do to an entire class.

I did figure out what was going to happen with Angela. Not that it took away from how sweet it was. And I loved Edward. He was perfect for her (with his social awkwardness and all!!).

The secret finally came out. Like I mentioned above, I had only pieced a small part of it together. I wasn’t expecting who the secret was about. Talking to Catherine shedded some light on it. But, in the end, it was Nance who completed the picture.

The last scene of the book was terrific. I liked how everything turned out.

My Overall Thoughts on A Letter From America

This book took me about two days to read because the book is slow. The author did a great job of showing what life in the late 1960’s Ireland was like. She also did a great job of showing how a family comes together during times of crisis. I thought that the author did a fantastic job of creating likable (well for the most part likable) characters who suffered from real-world issues. My only complaint was that I thought the romance parts of the book were forced. I also would have liked to see more of Bridget’s time at the convent.

I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read A Letter From America. It is a relatively clean book. There are some parts of the book where Fiona and Michael kiss and one scene where it is implied that they sleep together.

The Recruit: Book One (The Recruit Series: Book 1) by Elizabeth Kelly

The Recruit: Book One (The Recruit Series 1) by [Elizabeth Kelly]

Publisher:

Date of publication: February 19th, 2014

Series: The Recruit

The Recruit: Book One

The Recruit: Book Two

The Recruit: Book Three

The Recruit: Book Four

The Recruit: Book Five

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy

Purchase Links: Walmart eBooks | Amazon

Format Read in: ebook

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hannah Torrington lives a perfectly normal and ordinary life until the night her sister is murdered by vampires.

Saved by a Lycan named Will and thrust into a world she never knew existed, Hannah is taken to a secret facility that trains men and women to hunt vampires.

Determined to take her revenge for her sister’s death, Hannah joins the recruit program. As she is pushed to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion by the intense training, she fights her forbidden attraction to her instructor Will and struggles to adjust to her new life.

Please Note: This is book one of a trilogy and contains a cliff-hanger ending.

First Impressions:

I wasn’t very impressed with The Recruit when I first started reading it. That first chapter made me think that this was going to be a hot and heavy romance between Will and Hannah with the hunter recruit program somewhat in the background. I did the one thing that I try not to do when reading books. I judged by the first chapter….sigh.

The feelers for the romance between Hannah and Will were laid out there too. Nothing happened though. A couple encounters that raised their sexual tension by almost 100%. But no sex. I was almost glad that they didn’t do anything that first half of the book and I am glad that the author deliberately kept Will being a Lycan a secret (well not exactly a secret, its kind of hard to explain).

Mid Book Impressions:

Remember how I mentioned that I thought that The Recruit was going to be hot and heavy supernatural romance with a secondary plotline about the hunter recruit program? Well, it wasn’t quite like that. The hunter recruit program became the focal point of the book after Hannah joined it. What I liked is that the author didn’t gloss over the training. Instead, she made Hannah suffer through it. My body ached for her during certain scenes. But, Hannah held on and I was happy about that.

Will and Hannah do have sex a few times. Each time was insanely hot. The first time in the training room took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to be so emotional and caring. They were found out after an encounter during a full moon and they were forced to seperate. That is when the author revealed the full scope of both Will and Hannah’s feelings. My heart broke for the both of them.

There was a storyline added late in the book that evolved around the mole in the facility. It started after the “babies” (the recruits) were attacked at a bar. What I liked is that the mole was mentioned a few times but no real details were given.

Also, and I found this was interesting, was the amount of hate that Lycans got in this book. The “babies” were horrified to learn that Will was a Lycan. When it was found out that Hannah was sleeping with him, she was shunned. Even the instructors carried that hate with them. And it wasn’t just a human versus Lycan type deal. It was Lycan versus human too.

End of Book Impressions

If I wasn’t a fan of the beginning of the book, I absolutely loved the end. I loved Hannah’s character development. She went from being a loner who didn’t like anyone in her personal space to this kick ass warrior who wasn’t afraid to get into other people’s personal spaces. I was 100% Team Hannah at the end of the book. I do wish that more of her training with Chen was highlighted but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

Will and Hannah’s relationship ran into a huge wall by the end of the book. I am not going to say what but I will say that I wasn’t surprised. I did think that Will approaching Chen in wolf form was a bit much, though. But I understood why what happened happened. My heart broke for Hannah, though. She was truly the loser in that situation. But, I am rooting for them.

OMG, the fight scenes were out of this world!!! If you don’t like blood and gore, than this isn’t the book for you. Because it is bloody and violent.

The book does end on a cliffhanger. I am not a fan of cliffhangers. I would rather my books end resolved than have everything up in the air. But, they do make me want to read the next book. Will I read book 2? Probably.

My Overall Thoughts on The Recruit: Book One

This is a book that I would reread and a series that I could easily get lost in. It has everything that I liked in these types of books: sex, action and danger. The book didn’t truly get started until after Hannah joined the training facility and it gained momentum from there. Will and Hannah’s sexual tension and sex scenes were fantastic, as were the action scenes. I did figure out who the mole was about halfway through (it was obvious). This was a book that I enjoyed reading and, like I said in the first paragraph, one that I badly misjudged.

I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book. The sex scenes and the fight scenes were graphic.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

The Only Good Indians by [Jones, Stephen Graham]

3 Stars

Publisher: Gallery Pocket Books, Gallery/Saga Press

Date of publication: May 19th, 2020

Genre: Horror

Where you can find The Only Good Indians: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The creeping horror of Paul Tremblay meets Tommy Orange’s There There in a dark novel of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

First Line:

The headline for Richard Boss Ribs would be Indian Man Killed in Dispute Outside Bar.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

My Review:

I was surprised when the publisher granted my wish on NetGalley for this book. I wished for it based on the cover (the side view of the elk) and the blurb. I was looking for a book that would scare me. While The Only Good Indians did scare me, in certain parts of the book, it also bored me.

The Only Good Indians plotline had two paces. It went between going fast and slow. I wished that it had stayed either fast or slow. The constant slowing down of the plotline made it hard to read. I did like that there were no dropped characters or storylines.

The characters in The Only Good Indians were well written. I did have a problem connecting with the characters. I can pinpoint why I couldn’t connect with them.

I loved the main plotline in The Only Good Indians. I loved that the author used Native American folklore and wove it into the plotline. I liked the build-up to the final encounter was well written. But, I do wish that there was a glossary at the end of the book. It would have helped with some of the Native American terms used in the book.

The horror angle of the book was well written. I did think that it was drawn out towards the end of the book.

The end of The Only Good Indians was interesting. I get that the cycle had to come full circle. I also wasn’t prepared for who Denorah’s stepfather was.

I would give The Only Good Indian an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Only Good Indian. I am on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Stolen Gypsy by Elizabeth Horton-Newton

Stolen Gypsy by [Horton-Newton, Elizabeth]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: April 15th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense

Where you can find Stolen Gypsy: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

“Her parents are dead. The government has failed her. Now she doesn’t even know who she is. Terza Blackstone is rescued by handsome Irishman Tristan Devlin and that begins the search for her true identity. When everything you thought was yours has been stolen from you, there’s only one thing to do. Steal it all back. What do gypsies, the Witness Protection Program, a drug cartel, and a young girl running for her life have in common?”

My Review:

I made the mistake of judging this book but not only the cover but the blurb. I thought that this was going to be your typical young adult/mystery/suspense. I was expecting the usual drama that goes along with a Young Adult novel. So, when I started reading Stolen Gypsy, I was shocked to be proven wrong. This book was nothing like what I thought.

The plot of Stolen Gypsy was simple and then got hard to follow as the book went on. Terza was orphaned when her parents were killed in a car accident. After another car accident, which takes the life of her temporary guardian/lawyer, Terza is rescued by Tristan. She realizes that everything she has been told is a lie. She also realizes that some powerful, dangerous forces want her. One group wants to reclaim her, another group wants to hide her, and the last group wants to kill her. Terza needs to figure out who she can trust and who she can’t. What will happen to Terza? Will she be able to live a normal life? Or will she be on the run for the rest of her life?

I couldn’t help but feel bad for Terza. Her life had been unsettled, and she never formed a real relationship with her parents. Because of that, I could understand why she didn’t feel grief when they were killed. I thought that she dealt with everything that leads up to Tristan, helping her well. But, then again, she didn’t have time to process what was happening to her. Even after that, she barely got time to process the information that was piled on her. I was in awe that she didn’t have a full-fledged breakdown. Because I know I would have. By the end of the book, she wanted everything to end. I didn’t blame her. I would have been tired of dodging cartels and gypsies at every turn.

Tristan was a huge part of the book. I did think that he was going to have some secret identity as a spy or something. It was the way he acted at the beginning of the book. It was a let down when he was revealed to be an average guy. But that let down didn’t last long. I developed a massive crush on him by the end of the book. If only he were real…sigh.

Peter was also a considerable part of the book. I didn’t know what to make of him for most of it. I thought that he was working either for the gypsies or the cartel at one point in the book. I didn’t care for his backstory with Nora and Tristan, but it gave their relationship an edge that was needed.

I wasn’t a massive fan of a Terza/Tristan romance. She was in high school, and he was older. I know its a double standard for me, but I kept cringing whenever they would almost kiss or exchange significant looks. That’s where the author kept it. Except for one kiss, it was innocent.

The plotline had a few twists in it. A couple, I saw coming. But there were some that I didn’t see coming. Most of those happened at the end of the book, so that I won’t get into it. I will say that I was shocked.

The end of the book was satisfying. Not only because of what was implied but also because there were two alternate endings. I loved both of them!!

I would give Stolen Gypsy an Older Teen rating. There is no sex (there are two steamy kissing scenes). There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Stolen Gypsy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read Stolen Gypsy?

What are your thoughts on it?

Let me know!!

Shorefall (Founders: Book 2) by Robert Jackson Bennett

5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Ray

Date of publication: April 21st, 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Founders

Foundryside—Book 1 (Review Here)

Shorefall—Book 2

Where you can find Shorefall: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The upstart firm Foundryside is struggling to make it. Orso Igancio and his star employee, former thief Sancia Grado, are accomplishing brilliant things with scriving, the magical art of encoding sentience into everyday objects, but it’s not enough. The massive merchant houses of Tevanne won’t tolerate competition, and they’re willing to do anything to crush Foundryside.

But even the merchant houses of Tevanne might have met their match. An immensely powerful and deadly entity has been resurrected in the shadows of Tevanne, one that’s not interested in wealth or trade routes: a hierophant, one of the ancient practitioners of scriving. And he has a great fascination for Foundryside, and its employees – especially Sancia.

Now Sancia and the rest of Foundryside must race to combat this new menace, which means understanding the origins of scriving itself – before the hierophant burns Tevanne to the ground.

First Line:

“The gates are just ahead,” said Gregor.
Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

My Review:

I was pretty pumped when I got the email from Del Ray/Random House asking if I wanted to review Shorefall. I had loved Foundryside and was wondering when the next book was going to be published. So, it was a no brainer what my answer was going to be.

Shorefall is the 2nd book in the Founders trilogy. I would highly recommend reading Foundryside first. You would better understand the world, the houses, Sanica, and everything else in the book.

Shorefall takes place three years after the events of Foundryside, and Orso, Sanica, Berenice, and Gregor have founded their scriving business. They have become a sort of Robin Hood to the poor but they give out scrives instead of money. After an excursion to steal one of the remaining Houses lexicons, Sanica is contacted by Valeria. Valeria has a warning. Her Maker is coming, and he is getting ready to destroy Tevanne. Sanica and her crew must prepare to fight Valeria’s Maker. But are they prepared for the toll it will take upon the group? And with the lines between good and evil blurred, will Sanica make the right choice?

Shorefall’s plotline was fast-paced. Seeing that this book takes place within a week or so of Valeria’s Maker arriving in Tevanne, there were no dropped plotlines or characters. The writing flowed beautifully when the book had to change from Sanica. There was no awkwardness either. That alone made me love the book.

It did take me some time to read Shorefall. But, and I want to stress this, it wasn’t because the book was awful and I was putting it off. Nope, it was the complete opposite. I slowed down my reading pace so I could savor this book. The writing, the language, the characters were beautifully written.

I can’t get much into the storyline or characters of Shorefall without giving away spoilers. I will say this; the characters blossomed in this book. And the storyline was fantastic. The details that the author thought to include was terrific.

I will touch upon Clef, Valeria, and Valeria’s Maker. There is a massive twist in the plot that I didn’t see coming that involves them. Looking back, it makes total sense. But when I was reading it, I was shocked. I ended up putting my Kindle down and saying, “No freaking way.”

The end of Shorefall made me cry. Again, I can’t say why, but it does involve Orso and Gregor. My heart broke into smithereens during those scenes. With the way the book ended, I am not sure what is going to happen and now will be impatiently waiting for the final book!!

I would give Shorefall an Older Teen rating. There are mentions of sexual situations (no details). There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Shorefall. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

In Her Shadow by Kristin Miller

In Her Shadow: A Novel by [Miller, Kristin]

3.5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: April 21st, 2020

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Women’s Fiction

Where you can find In Her Shadow: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

A pregnant young woman becomes obsessed with the disappearance of her lover’s wife–only to discover that she may be headed for the same fate–from New York Times bestselling author Kristin Miller.

Once his secretary, Colleen is now pregnant with Michael’s baby. When he brings her to his opulent estate, Ravenwood, she is abruptly thrust into a life of luxury she’s never known. But Colleen finds the immense house suffused with the memory of Michael’s beautiful wife, Joanna, who left months ago and who haunts her imagination. It quickly becomes apparent that there is little room for a new mistress of this house: The staff greets her with hostility, and there are entire wings and corridors from which she is prohibited to enter.

Then bones are unearthed in the grove across the street.

When Michael falls under the suspicion of the detectives investigating the case, the soon-to-be mother of his child finds herself hurled deeper into her boyfriend’s dark past–a past that threatens to upend all her dreams. But the terrifying secrets lurking in the shadows of Ravenwood pale in comparison to the drastic measures Colleen will take to stake a claim to her new life.

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, In Her Shadow is the chilling story of one woman’s desperate desire to be loved and the ghosts that get in her way–but only if she lets them.

First Line:

“Help.”
In Her Shadow by Kristin Miller

My Review:

When I read the blurb for In Her Shadow, I was intrigued. Seeing the comparisons to Rebecca caught my interest right away. The blurb deepened my interest in the book. It sounded perfect for me. Then I read it. While I liked some parts of the book, there were other parts that I didn’t like. Those parts did factor in my rating of the review.

In Her Shadow had a fast plotline, which I liked. The book takes place within a week of Colleen moving into Michael’s house, Ravenwood. There were no dropped characters and, more importantly, no dropped storylines. The flow of the book was ok. Because the book had several different POV’s (always in 3rd person), the flow did get interrupted. I felt that if the author kept to Colleen, Michael, and maybe Joanna’s POV, the book would have had a better flow to it. I did not need to read about the detective, Michael’s friends, the cook, or the maid’s POV.

I liked, and felt terrible, for Colleen during the first half of In Her Shadow. She was thrust into a world that she did not know about. She had to deal with a staff that treated her like she was invisible. Adding to that, she was pregnant, and it was high risk. I didn’t blame her for feeling that she was overshadowed in the first days there. I also didn’t blame her for becoming obsessed with Joanna and her legacy. But, saying that, I wasn’t expecting what she found out.

I didn’t like Michael. From the beginning, he came across as skeevy. I had my doubts about him from the start. I mean, who moves on less than a month after his wife disappears? And then gets his new girlfriend pregnant? That was a huge WTF for several people in the book and me. But, as skeevy as he was, I didn’t quite believe that he killed Joanna. He was a coward and a bit of a wuss, but he didn’t spark that “I’m a killer” vibe to me.

The secondary characters most definitely made the book. From the police detective to Joanna’s best frenemy to Michael’s best friend, those characters breathed life into the book when it needed it.

The mystery angle of the book (Joanna’s disappearance) was well written, but it held no mystery for me. I was able to guess what happened to her before the author got there. I also guessed certain specific details that occurred before they happened (if that makes sense).

The thriller angle of the book was very well written. The author was able to keep me on my toes during those scenes.

The end of In Her Shadow was intense. Considering the prologue, I was expecting the book to end a certain way. I was not expecting what happened to happen. But, as I mentioned in the above paragraph, there was a huge plot twist that took me by surprise. I was not expecting what was revealed. I also was not expecting the final chapter or the countdown. Does that mean another book is in the works?

I would give In Her Shadow an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread In Her Shadow. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

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First Impressions:

Mid Book Impressions:

End of Book Impressions

My Overall Thoughts on The Recruit: Book One

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