Look for Me Under the Rainbow by Bernard Jan

Look for Me Under the Rainbow: A Novella by [Jan, Bernard]

5 Stars

Publisher: Self Published

Date of publication: April 15th, 2018

Genre: Middle Grade

Where you can find Look For Me Under the Rainbow: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Sometimes all you need is a big heart and burning desire.

Danny, a curious harp seal pup, has soft white fur and black innocent eyes. Helen is an environmentalist and member of a young activist crew of the Rainbow Warriors. Their mission is to save animals.

As winter turns into spring, a new generation of seal pups comes to life. A few weeks later, the killing begins. Against a spectacular backdrop of ice and snow, Helen prepares to look horrific human cruelty in the face.

I do not doubt I have a big heart and burning desire, but is that enough for a person to become a Rainbow Warrior, or is there something better? Something only some of us manage to turn into what we have long missed—humanity.

In the race against time and clubs, will Helen save Danny before the hunt begins and the ice turns red?

Though written for younger readers, Look for Me Under the Rainbow will appeal to anyone who cherishes our beautiful planet and wishes to protect its treasures.

Buy this book by Bernard Jan, the author of A World Without Color, and experience another emotional journey.

First Line:

What is man, Mom?
Look for Me Under the Rainbow by Bernard Jan

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Look for Me Under the Rainbow, it caught my interest. I wasn’t expecting the feelings that this book evoked. I felt everything from joy to horror to sadness.

I will admit, I went into Look for Me Under the Rainbow with a certain mindset. I thought that it was going to be a children’s book about a young seal pup named Danny and his adventures. Well, that isn’t the case. Instead, I got a book that showed exactly how hard a harp seal’s life is and the dangers they face.

Danny was a great main character. His curiosity and innocence were what I expected from a harp seal pup. The questions he asked were what I expected a child to ask. But, like all children, Danny disobeys his mother, and there are consequences.

The harp seal pups slaughter was horrifying. I had thought that clubbing them to death had ended. The other horrors that the author described (being skinned alive and left to die) made me sick to my stomach. I kept thinking to myself, “How is that humane??? They are babies!!!” I cannot believe that this is allowed. That is when my horror turned to outrage.

The author also showed what the seals went through if they survived the slaughter. Everything from natural enemies (killer whales and polar bears) to human-made hazards (oil spills to nets left floating in the ocean). It was heartbreaking.

I liked that the author showed that people are trying to do the right thing. The Rainbow Warriors and Helen tried to stop the slaughter. How they did it was smart. I wouldn’t have thought to do that!! But those activists are only a small handful of people. More people need to help.

Look for Me Under the Rainbow is a short book, actually a novella. Marketed towards children, I was a little iffy about the age range on this. I decided on Tween because I felt that the younger kids could be traumatized by the descriptions of the seal pup slaughter.

The end of Look for Me Under the Rainbow wasn’t a happy one. But it wasn’t a sad one either. It was an eye opening one.

I would give Look for Me Under the Rainbow a Tween rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 10 read this book.

I would reread Look for Me Under the Rainbow. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Year I Left by Christine Brae

3 Stars

Publisher: Vesuvian Books

Date of publication: August 20th, 2019

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Where you can find The Year I Left: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Carin Frost doesn’t understand what’s happening to her. A confident businesswoman, wife, and mother, she begins to resent everything about her life. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes her feel. Maybe it’s the recent loss of her mother in a tragic accident. Or maybe she’s just losing her mind.

Enter Matias Torres. As their new business partnership thrives, so does their friendship—and his interest in her. Carin is determined to keep her distance, until a work assignment sends them to Southeast Asia where a storm is brewing on the island. In the midst of the chaos, Matias asks her to do something unimaginable, exhilarating, BOLD. Carin knows the consequences could be dire, but it may be the only way to save herself.

An honest look at love and marriage and the frailties of the human heart, this is a story of a woman’s loss of self and purpose and the journey she takes to find her way back.

First Line

Sometime in the late summer when the air began to tingle and the leaves started to fall, I opened my eyes one morning and my view of the world changed.
The Year I Left by Christine Brae

When I read the blurb for The Year I Left, I was intrigued. A woman suffering from the loss of her mother meets a younger man who sweeps her off her feet. That meeting sets off a series of events that turn her world upside down. That made me go “Hrmmm” and decide to read the book.

I was disappointed by The Year I Left. The book did deliver on what the blurb promised. But, it was the characters that didn’t do it for me.

I did enjoy how The Year I Left was written. It was told in 2nd person and 1st person. I have read a few books where 2nd person was used successfully. The Year I Left was one of those books. Carin’s story was written as journal entries to Matias for the year they spent together. The 1st person part of the book was told from Matias’s point of view after that year had ended. It made The Year I Left a compelling read for me.

Along with how the book was written, I did like the plotline. It was simple and to the point. The author didn’t add drama to spice the plotline up. What Carin and Matias did was enough.

The author was able to keep the plotline’s pace for the entire book. There was no lag or slowing down of plotline. There were a few minor plotlines that were merged into the main plotline throughout the book.

As much as I saw promise and like the plotline, I couldn’t stand the main characters. Unfortunately, that colored my perspective of the book.

Let’s start with Carin. I could not stand her. I understand that her mother’s death and then her dog’s death a few months later scarred her mentally. I could understand her falling into a deep depression. Heck, I could even understand her not paying her bills and ruining her credit. But what I couldn’t understand is how she checked out on her son and husband. The scenes she had with them, she barely interacted with them. When Matias came into the scene, she was all about him. When he showed up on Carin’s mother/son trip to England, she ignored her son and showered Matias with her attention. When she decided to disappear with Matias, she didn’t think about how it would affect her son. As a mother, it made me sick.

I couldn’t stand Matias either. He knew that Carin was married and he still pursued her. If it were only that, I would have been OK with him. But he border lined stalked her. He texted and called her nonstop. Even after she asked him to stop. But it was when they decided to disappear that my annoyance with him morphed into dislike. He could see how much Carin missed her son. Instead of being compassionate and urging her to contact him, he threw a fit like a toddler. I also forgot to mention that he cheated on his fiancee with Carin. All that stuff together made me not like him.

The end of the book was interesting. But, because of what I thought about Matias and Carin, I couldn’t enjoy it. Matias also started acting like he did at the beginning of the book. Again, strong stalker vibes going on. Also, the epilogue didn’t do it for me. I didn’t believe it.

I would give The Year I Left 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 don’t know if I would reread The Year I Left. I do not know if I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Warehouse by Rob Hart

4 Stars

Publisher: Crown Publishing, Crown

Date of publication: August 20th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Dystopia

Where you can find The Warehouse: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition.

Amidst the wreckage, an online retail giant named Cloud reigns supreme. Cloud brands itself not just as an online storefront, but as a global saviour. Yet, beneath the sunny exterior, lurks something far more sinister.

Paxton never thought he’d be working Security for the company that ruined his life, much less that he’d be moving into one of their sprawling live-work facilities. But compared to what’s left outside, perhaps Cloud isn’t so bad. Better still, through his work he meets Zinnia, who fills him with hope for their shared future.

Except that Zinnia is not what she seems. And Paxton, with his all-access security credentials, might just be her meal ticket.
As Paxton and Zinnia’s agendas place them on a collision course, they’re about to learn just how far the Cloud will go to make the world a better place.
To beat the system, you have to be inside it.

First Line:

Well, I’m dying!
The Warehouse by Rob Hart

My Review:

Paxton didn’t want to work for Cloud. The superstore ruined his life and put him out of business. But he needs a job and Cloud is hiring. Zinnia is on a mission. She needs to infiltrate Cloud, and she can’t get caught. She meets Paxton, who has been selected to work for security. Soon, Paxton and Zinnia become embroiled in a scheme that will shake Cloud to its very foundation.

When I started reading The Warehouse, I was expecting it to be a book that explored how an online business ran with a dash of mystery thrown in. I was not expecting this book to suck me in from the first page. I finished this book within 2 hours. So yeah, it is a fast read. It also had a well-written plotline with almost no lag. There was a tiny bit of lag when Paxton and Zinnia took their trip, but the author was able to bring plotline back.

I liked Paxton. He seemed resigned to the fact that he was going to work for Cloud. He didn’t hold any resentment towards Cloud for making his business to go under. I thought that he was blind to Zinnia’s schemes. How could he not pick up that something wasn’t quite right with her? I mean, he walked in on her using the hospital computer after her accident!! That drove me nuts.

I didn’t quite like Zinnia, but I also didn’t dislike her either. Her reasons for infiltrating Cloud weren’t clear at first. I wasn’t happy that she was using Paxton, but if I were in her situation, I would have done the same thing. She was a strong individual, though. The beatdown that she gave that one guy was epic.

The mystery angle of the book was well written. While the middle of the book did Zinnia’s first part of her mission, there was a second part to it. The twist to that took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting who it was!!

The dystopian angle of the book, I had no problem believing. I can picture what happened to the world in this book (climate change, gun violence, unemployment) happening in real life. I also have no issue seeing an online company (who I will not name) taking over the world.

I do want to add that I was grossed out about the burgers. I threw up a little in my mouth when it was revealed what they were made of. Talk about gross!!

The end of The Warehouse was pretty standard. There were no dropped storylines. But, I did wonder what happened to Zinnia. I was also thrilled for Paxton and a little mad. What happened to him was not right. I would have flipped my lid if that happened to me.

I would give The Warehouse 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 The Warehouse. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

I Wanna Sext You Up (Let’s Talk About Sext: Book 2) by Evie Claire

I Wanna Sext You Up: A Novel (Let's Talk About Sext Book 2) by [Claire, Evie]

2 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: August 20, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Let’s Talk About Sext

Let’s Talk About Sext—Book 1 (review here)

I Wanna Sext You Up—Book 2

Where you can find I Wanna Sext You Up: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Warning: Workplace flirtation may cause side effects.

Super-geek physician Sam Sherazi, M.D., is clueless about anything that can’t be learned from a textbook. Most people assume he’s an intellectual a-hole with a God complex, but Sam doesn’t need a sparkling bedside manner to treat his patients. Besides, he’d rather not encourage the countless women who are solely attracted to the two little letters at the end of his name—something that’s rubbed him the wrong way ever since he finished med school. But when Lorie Braddock walks into Sam’s office, he finds himself wanting to rub her all sorts of right.

At twenty-five, former beauty queen Lorie Braddock is finally living life on her terms. She’s moved to the big city, landed her dream job, and traded her titles and tiaras for power suits and promotions. But while Lorie’s sprinting up the corporate ladder, her dating life is guided by one simple rule: Don’t dip your pen in the company ink. Until Dr. Sam Sherazi starts invading her thoughts . . . and steaming up her phone with the kind of sexting that makes her want to rewrite all her rules.

Evie Clarie’s red-hot romances can be enjoyed together or separately:
LET’S TALK ABOUT SEXT • I WANNA SEXT YOU UP

First Line:

Dirty chai latte!
I Wanna Sext You Up by Evie Claire

My Review:

I have this thing about completing a series, even if I don’t like them, which is the case in this book. I had read Let’s Talk About Sext and loathed it. I was hoping that it wouldn’t be the case with I Wanna Sext You Up.

The plotline for I Wanna Sext You up was simple. Saam and Lorie have a working relationship. He is a doctor known for being icy cold and anti-social. She is a pharmaceutical rep who is trying to get Saam to try a new drug. What starts as business relationship turns into a sexual relationship. Saam and Lorie’s new relationship could cause a conflict of interest. Will they be able to overcome it? Or will their relationship fail before it starts to get going?

I wasn’t a massive fan of Lorie’s at the beginning of the book. My issue with her was that she was bland. She didn’t get super mad or super happy. I wish she did because it would have made a difference in this review.

Saam was alright. He was written to be like what a Dr would be in real life. I didn’t need to know that he was socially awkward all the time. It was interesting the first few times in the book. But after that, eh. I did like his passion for medicine and was hoping that there would be more scenes with him being a Dr in the book.

I got zero sense of any attraction between Saam and Lorie. Even the sexting scenes made me go, “Eh.” Now saying that their first sex scene was AHMAZING!! Unfortunately, it wasn’t repeated. The sex scenes became dull. It frustrated me because I saw what it could be like.

Even though I Wanna Sext You Up is the second book in the Let’s Talk About Sex series, it can be read separately. The characters from the first book do make an appearance in I Wanna Sext You Up, but the author kept it at that, an appearance. Which I was thankful for because I couldn’t stand Phebe.

The end of I Wanna Sext You Up was your typical romance novel ending. Lorie and Saam got their HEA. I am wondering who book three is going to be about. There are a couple of candidates. Guess I will have to see.

I would give Let’s Talk About Sext an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is no violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Let’s Talk About Sext. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Song for a Lost Kingdom (Book 1) by Steve Moretti @morettisteve @Shalini_G26

Song for a Lost Kingdom: Book I by [Moretti, Steve]

4 Stars

Publisher: DWA Media

Date of publication: July 16th 2018

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Time Travel

Series: Song for a Lost Kingdom

Song for a Lost Kingdom—Book 1

Song for a Lost Kingdom—Book 2

Where you can find Song for a Lost Kingdom: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

It would take two women separated by time to complete music with the power to change history. But will it be enough to save the man they care about most?

Adeena Stuart and Katharine Carnegie were born nearly three centuries apart. Yet their music and an ancient cello connect them to each other and to a man doomed by the Battle of Culloden.

In Book I of the Song for A Lost Kingdom series, Adeena receives an untitled musical score from her dying grandmother in Scotland. The music was hidden away for over two hundred and seventy years, as part of a violent family battle between siblings on different sides of the Jacobite rising of 1745.

When the score is played on the oldest surviving cello ever made in the UK, the music connects Adeena directly to the past as Katharine, struggling to find words to complete her symphonic tour-de-force in the midst of 18th Century political rebellion that is threatening to tear apart Scotland and England.

But Adeena is not a scientist or historian. What she wants more than anything is to compose music and to join the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Just as she is about to realize her wish, she’s lifted away, out of her control, and immersed in her ancient family history. As she is buffeted back and forth between the worlds, she grows to want more of the past, even though the promise of her most yearned-for musician dreams is coming true.

Not even her passionate boyfriend can keep her rooted in the present, especially when another man from the past falls for her and her music. Although unsure whether her time travel is a hallucination, she’s willing to steal a five million dollar cello to get back to the 1700’s.

With a clear voice that sets us in modern day Ottawa and old world Scotland, Song for a Lost Kingdom, Book I, begins a journey of discovery between two women who share the same musical soul and love for the same doomed man.

First Line:

Adeena Stuart tried to adjust her eyes against the blinding spotlights.
Song for a Lost Kingdom (Book One) by Steve Moretti

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Song for a Lost Kingdom, I knew that I had to read this book. Not only was this book set in 18th century Scotland, but it was a time travel/love story. So, I dove right in. I am glad that I read the book, but I wish that Adeena was more likable. I will explain in my review why I said that.

Song for a Lost Kingdom starts slowly. The author chose to focus on building the backstories of the main characters. After establishing those backstories, then the main storyline (well the dual main storylines) took off. I loved it!!

There were times in the book where I wanted to throttle Adeena. Yes, I liked, and yes, I thought she was a strong, capable woman. But she was also self-centered and selfish. She put her obsession with the cello ahead of everything else. If someone other than Lang had noticed that the cello on display wasn’t the real one, Tara would have lost her job. I couldn’t connect to her after that.

I did like the time travel angle of the book. It was different having Adeena go back in time while playing the cello. Her physical body stayed in Ottawa. I liked that the author showed what was happening while she was gone. I liked the contrast. I also liked that it took more effort to pull her back to the present day.

The author was very knowledgeable about the musical angle of the book. There was never a time where I was doubting that he knew what he was talking about.

The 18th-century angle of the book was amazing to read. The research that the author did about Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the events leading up to the battle of Culloden was terrific. Like with the musical angle of the book, I didn’t doubt anything that happened. I also had no problem placing Katharine/Adeena at that time.

The romance between Adeena and Phillipe didn’t give me goosebumps. I could tell, even at the beginning of the book, that they weren’t going to last. I also foretold who Phillipe was going to end up with. Now, the romance between Katharine/Adeena and James gave me goosebumps. Not often that a book can do that to me.

The end of Song for a Lost Kingdom drove me nuts. It ended on a cliffhanger. I had so many questions that went unanswered. Guess I’ll have to read book 2!!

I would give Song for a Lost Kingdom 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 Song for a Lost Kingdom. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Aelia by Jonathan Soler

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: May 28th, 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Where you can find Aelia: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

When the mysterious Aelia arrives in the Kingdom of Namos, she cons her way into the nobility and quickly finds herself caught up in the court’s violent and ruthless intrigue. Her recklessness will lead her to confront the most powerful characters of the kingdom. But will her cunning be enough to survive their murderous plots?

First Line:

After a harsh and merciless winter in which the weakest and most destitute didn’t survive, fine weather finally returned to the Kingdom of Namos.
Aelia by Jonathan Soler

My Review:

I am a huge fan of fantasy. I am also a massive fan of books that have strong woman figures carving out a name for themselves. So when I read the blurb for Aelia, my attention was caught. A fantasy with a strong woman? Count me in!! Aelia lived up to the blurb and then some. It was a fantastic read.

Aelia’s plotline was fast-paced. The author was able to keep the pace of the plotline for the entire book. There was zero lag, which was fantastic because I was expecting it. In a book with a fast-paced plotline like Aelia’s, there is some lag. Not here!!

There was a lot of violence in Aelia. I am not squeamish when it comes to violence in books. So the violence in Aelia didn’t bother me. But it might bother some readers.

There was also one scene where Aelia was sexually assaulted in a field. There were also scenes where Aelia used attempted rape as a reason why she killed people, even if they didn’t touch her. I wasn’t bothered by either. But there might be readers who will be triggered by that.

Aelia was amazing. I was a little suspicious of her at the beginning of the book. But, as the book went on, I started to admire her. She planned each of her endeavors meticulously. She didn’t hold back either. She did whatever it took to get to the next step in her plan. By the end of the book, I couldn’t even predict what she was going to do next.

The end of the book was wild but at the same time a bit anticlimactic. The final battle scene was epic. I did wonder if the author was setting up for a sequel with the way the book ended.

I would give Aelia 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 Aelia. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Red Death by Birgitte Margen

THE RED DEATH (A Pandemic Medical Thriller: Plague) by [MÃ¤rgen, Birgitte]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: September 25th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find The Red Death: Amazon

Book synopsis:

AN ANCIENT DISEASE re-emerges in the heart of New York City—a deadly bacteria that gave rise to the Black Death. Maggie De Luca, an epidemiologist who is fighting her own demons, works to uncover clues to contain the disease, but is always one step behind—her fate determined by the flip of a coin. Microbiologist Michael Harbinger believes he can make a vaccine that can stop the disease, but to do so would require an elusive plant that only grows in a remote region of the Amazon.

With the help of J.D. Stallings, a paleoanthropologist, and Samantha Boutroux, a bacteriologist, they set out to find the plant that holds the key before the Red Death pandemic grips the world—or has the First Horseman of the Apocalypse, Plague, already opened the gates to our final annihilation?

The mother of all plagues is back . . .
Let the death toll begin . . .

“RING AROUND THE ROSIE,
POCKETS FULL OF POSIES,
ASHES . . . ASHES . . .
WE ALL FALL DOWN.”

First Line:

New York City is one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, encompassing a land area of approximately 302.6 square miles, and inhabited with over 8.5 million people.
The Red Death by Birgitte Marden

My Review:

It had been a while since I read a pandemic novel. When I read the blurb for The Red Death, I was intrigued and was eager to read the book. I wasn’t let down. The Red Death was a fantastic book to read.

The plotlines for The Red Death were super fast. From the first point of infection to the end, the author didn’t let the pace falter. I was impressed that she was able to convey the desperation behind the actions of the main characters.

The author also did something that I rarely see most authors do successfully. She took secondary storylines about the plague’s first victims and weaved them into the story. She was able to build a timeline with those victims. As I said, I haven’t seen it done successfully too often, and I loved that she was able to do it.

I loved Maggie. She tried hard to warn the CDC and the hospital about how contagious the disease was. Both times, she was brushed off. I was mad about the CDC brush off. They had a freaking vaccine, and they refused to do anything!! It made me wonder how often this does happen in real life. I also liked that Maggie was determined to find where the disease originated. She did some serious detective work. I was impressed with how she tracked the disease’s origin down.

I did like Michael, but I thought he was a pushover. He came across as too gentle. I didn’t believe that he would survive the Amazon trip. He was too soft. I mean, he took high tech gadgets into an area known not to be hospitable to people.

Stallings rubbed me the wrong way. His first impression was that he was a has-been who was hanging onto decades-old hurts. Plus, Stallings gambled, a lot. With his history with Michael, I didn’t think he would take him to the Amazon. But he did, which amazed me. Also, what surprised me was how his character grew. He turned into someone that Michael needed by his side in the Amazon. In the end, he was the real hero.

What scared me the most about this book was that it could happen in real life. There is always a threat of a pandemic sweeping the country and then the world — scary stuff. For the author to have ground zero be New York City was pure genius. In a city, that size, a disease like the Red Death could spread in days. It didn’t take much to start the spread of the disease.

The ending was great. I liked how the author chose to combine the two storylines. But the epilogue didn’t do it for me. If the author left it with New York City, then I would have liked it. But the whole Las Vegas part of it made me go “meh.”

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

I would reread The Red Death. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: August 13th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Where you can find Things You Can Save in a Fire: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

From the New York Times, bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about family, hope, and learning to love against all odds.

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she’s seen her fair share of them, and she’s excellent at dealing with other people’s tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it’s an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie’s old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren’t exactly thrilled to have a “lady” on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn’t seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can’t think about that. Because she doesn’t fall in love. And because of the advice, her old captain gave her: don’t date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping…but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she’s worked so hard to be taken seriously?

Katherine Center’s Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life, love, and the true meaning of courage.

My Review

Cassie is a hotshot firefighter in Austin, Texas. One of the only female firefighters in a progressive firehouse, Cassie is at the top of her game. Until the night of the awards ceremony, where she attacks the presenter. Given a choice of being fired or reassigned, Cassie takes the reassignment. She is reassigned to a fire station outside of Boston, where she will be taking care of her estranged mother. Cassie is in for a huge change when she joins the department. Underfunded, with inadequate facilities and ripe with sexism, Cassie has her work cut out for her. She also has her work cut out for her in her personal life too. What will happen to Cassie? Can she overcome the odds stacked against her? Will she be able to put the past behind her and move on?

I am going to start this review with a complaint. 95% of the book takes places in a fictitious town of Lillian, Massachusetts. Lillian is located south of Rockport/Gloucester. Which would put it in the Manchester-by-the-Sea/Ipswich area. That is not the Boston area. Boston is an hour drive from there. How do I know? I grew up in that area and lived there until 5 years ago. Where I grew up was 20 mins from Boston and Rockport is 20-30 mins from there. That is not the Boston area. That is considered the North Shore/Cape Anne area. So it irked me when I read that. It was the only thing that I didn’t care for in the book.

The primary plotline of Things You Save in a Fire is forgiveness and healing. When Cassie is introduced, she had shut herself off from everything. She didn’t trust because of events that happened 10 years earlier. Cassie despised her mother and had little to do with her. She didn’t have any close relationships outside of work. After the incident and moving to Rockport, I could see her walls coming down. She started to forgive her mother for leaving. She began to come to terms with her rape. Everything came to a head when Owen was injured in the fire, and DeStasio put the blame on her. That scene with DeStasio was one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have read in a while. The details she went into broke my heart in smithereens. But talking about it helped her heal. And in a way, helped her forgive.

I liked the storyline with the rookie and Cassie. I laughed at her first reaction to seeing him the first time. I felt awful about her panicking when she realized that she like liked him. I cried when she told him (in not so many words) what happened to her. I cheered when she decided to throw caution to the wind and pursue a relationship with him. I will say that I thought it was odd that Owen was only known as “the rookie” for about 75% of the book.

The other plotline that caught my attention was the relationship between Cassie and her mother. Cassie was traumatized by her mother leaving on her 16th birthday. In the 10 years since she left, she had little contact with her. I didn’t blame Cassie for flat out saying no to her when Diana called after the incident. But with her father intervening and being forced to transfer, she had to go. Cassie was forced to face her mother. She was forced to start caring. She was also forced to listen to why Diana left. What Cassie believed happened and what she found out is two different things. Towards the middle of the book, it was revealed why Diana wanted Cassie to come to Massachusetts. I didn’t blame Cassie for her reaction.

I loved that Cassie was a firefighter. There are very few female firefighters. The author did a fantastic job of portraying what Cassie had to do to make the men of the Lillian station respect her. She also did a great job of detailing the harassment that Cassie had to deal with.

I will say that I was surprised when I realized that Cassie was the firefighter from How to Walk Away. That one sentence made me go “No way” when I realized it was her.

The end of Things You Save in a Fire was sad and happy at the same time. I was thrilled that Owen and Cassie got their HEA. I loved Cassie’s mindset at the end of the book. I LOVED IT!!! She did get the best revenge.

I would give Things You Save in a Fire an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be parental abandonment, rape, cancer, and addiction. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would recommend Things You Save in a Fire. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Things You Save in a Fire.

All opinions stated in this review of Things You Save in a Fire are mine.

Campusland by Scott Johnston

Campusland: A Novel by [Johnston, Scott]

3 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: August 13th, 2019

Genre: General Fiction

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

Book Synopsis:

A tumultuous and often hilarious first novel about one year of insanity at the Ivy-like Devon University, a blissful bubble of elite students and the adults at their mercy.

Eph Russell is an English professor up for tenure. He may look and sound privileged, but Eph is right out of gun-rack, Bible-thumping rural Alabama. His beloved Devon, though, has become a place of warring tribes, and there are landmines waiting for Eph that he is unequipped to see. The cultural rules are changing fast.

Lulu Harris is an entitled freshman—er, firstyear—from Manhattan. Her singular ambition is to be a prominent socialite – an “It Girl.” While most would kill for a place at Devon, to her college is a dreary impediment. She is pleasantly surprised to find some people she can tolerate in the Fellingham Society, a group of self-professed campus monarchists. When things become socially difficult, Lulu is forced to re-channel her ambition in a most unexpected way – as a militant feminist. In the process, she and Eph will find their fates at odds.

Also in the mix is Red Wheeler, who is in his seventh year at Devon, and is carefully managing his credits to stay longer. As the alpha dog atop Devon’s progressive hierarchy, Red is the most “woke” guy on campus. But when his position is threatened, he must take measures.

All paths collide in a riotous climax. Campusland is a timely and gleeful skewering of the modern American campus and its tribal culture.

First Line:

“D’Arcy!” Milton cried from his office.
Campusland by Scott Johnston

My Review:

I was eager to read Campusland after reading the blurb. I thought that it was going to be a comedy mixed with today’s social issues. For the most part, that is what I got. But there were certain parts of Campusland where I felt the author was trying too hard. And it was those parts of the book that made it fall short for me.

Campusland is the story of Devon University and the year of upheavals that it endures. Caught in the middle of everything is Eph Russell, an English professor trying to make tenure. He is also trying to make it through the year. Lulu is a first-year who has aspirations to become an Instagram star and a socialite. Instead, she is attending Devon University and hating it. Red, in his seventh year at Devon, is the top social activist on campus. His activities have been limited to small protests. When he is threatened, Red takes drastic measures, which affect Eph and Lulu in ways that they can’t imagine. What will happen when all paths collide? What will happen?

Like I mentioned above, I was excited to read Campusland. I enjoy reading about social issues that are affecting today’s youths (holy crap, I sound so old here!!). The events that happen at Devon University have been ripped, for the most part, from the headlines. As I got into the book, though, I started to feel a disconnect from Campusland.

I did feel sorry for Eph. He was the real victim in this book. He got no say to defend himself from every accusation that was brought against him. Instead, there was an internal investigation. The internal investigation was biased because the woman running it was hell-bent on proving him guilty.

I couldn’t stand Lulu. From the moment she appeared in the book, I disliked her. She was a self-centered, spoiled brat with kleptomaniac tendencies. Everything she did was to promote her brand, which disgusted me later on in the book.

I also didn’t like Red. At first, he came across as one of those stoner activists. But as the book went on, he became more and more devious. His activism became almost militant. I was waiting with bated breath to see if he would leave the book.

I did enjoy seeing what a glimpse into what college is like today. When I was in college, there was nothing like the groups that were shown. Or if there was, they stayed well underground and out of the spotlight.

I was relieved when I finished Campusland. I thought that the author tried too hard to form the characters into stereotypes. While there was humor in the book, the humor felt forced. I will say that the ending of Campusland was interesting. But I didn’t think that the ending was appropriate. I can’t get into it but what Lulu and Red ended up going on to do didn’t make me happy.

I would give Campusland 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 not reread Campusland. I would not recommend it to family and friends.

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

Disorder by Johan Fundin

Disorder: A thriller of both spine-chilling terror and emotional power by [Fundin, Johan]

2 Stars

Publisher: Asioni Press

Date of publication: May 28th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

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

Book Synopsis:

The target of both stalkers and killers, a top fashion model with a rare disease sets out to learn how her pioneering scientist father died, only to find herself in the middle of a vicious conspiracy.

Cat is a hot multimillionaire supermodel but her life is far from perfect. She suffers from a chronic brain disorder and she is being stalked by a figure in a raincoat. Who is he … or it? In connection with the bizarre death of the founder of a groundbreaking biotechnology institute, Cat is pulled into a sinister corporate plot with a global backwash.

First Line:

“Who’s there?”
Disorder by Johan Fundin

My Review:

I rarely give 1 or 2 stars while reviewing a book. Even if I dislike a book, I tend to find something positive to say about it. But there are those books that I can’t say anything positive about. Disorder is one of them.

Disorder’s storyline was confusing. Cat, a supermodel, suffering from narcolepsy, is attacked by a mysterious figure. Many assassins then stalk her as she digs into her father’s death. If the book had stayed focused on that plotline, I would have been okay with it. But the author chose to introduce other storylines that muddied the water. I was left, confused, and disorientated. Which not what I want to be when reading a book.

I wasn’t impressed with the characters either. They were all superficial. I wasn’t a fan with how Cat’s beauty was pushed on me as a reader. She’s a supermodel and guess what; they are all beautiful. I didn’t need to be reminded about it repeatedly. The other characters evoked the same disinterest in me.

I wasn’t a fan of how narcolepsy was portrayed in the book. Narcolepsy is a severe neurological condition. There were points in the book where I felt the author was almost making fun of the disease. Again, another strike against the book.

I didn’t like how the author had Cat and her neurologist become romantically involved. It left a bad taste in my mouth even more so when it was revealed why he was pursuing Cat.

The end of the book left me feeling like I missed something. The author did do a great job of ending most storylines. There were several that were dropped. What also drove me nuts was what happened to Jan. I am not going to give anything away, but it was not realistic. At all.

I would give Disorder 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 Disorder. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

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