The Liar’s Child by Carla Buckley

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: March 12th, 2019

Genre: General Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller

Where to find The Liar’s Child: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

In this intense and intimate family portrait that moves at a thriller’s pace, a troubled woman faces a gripping moral dilemma after rescuing two abandoned children from a hurricane.

On the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks sits The Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place “home”–and neighbors are seldom neighborly. It’s ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past–and even her name–and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially twelve-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart.

When a raging storm threatens then slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: Rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home–without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences. Some lethal.

Carla Buckley crafts a richly rewarding psychological portrait, combining a heart-wrenching family drama with high-stakes suspense, as the lives of three characters intertwine in an unforgettable story of fury, fate–and redemption.

My review:

I was so excited to read this book. I had read the blurb and thought “This could be a good book”. And guess what, it was a good as I thought it was going to be.

I am going to come straight out and say it, this book was amazing. It was everything that I thought it was going to be and then some. The book is slow to start and I would hate it but in this case, it was needed. There was so much background that the author needed to build up before the story got going. And when the story got going, it didn’t stop.

Family dynamics were a huge focal point in The Liar’s Child. Cassie and Boon had a dysfunctional family. By the descriptions given, it seemed like she was bipolar at the least. She was also known to take off with the kids. Hank, their father, was the only stable person in their lives but he worked a ton of hours. He was never around. I had no doubt that this was the reason why Cassie started hanging around with the kids that she did. I also don’t doubt that was the reason why Boon was the way he was.

Sarawas an enigma. The author made it a point of not releasing a ton of information about her background. Heck, even her name was fake. She was in the Witness Protection program because of a case that she had no choice but to testify in. It was that or jail. Sara was at The Paradise under duress.

To be honest, I didn’t like Sara very much during the book. She was always scheming, seeing who could get her what. She formed friendships to get things. Take her friendship with her boss. She used it to get to her computer and to steal booze from the customers. Let’s not forget to add that she used her boss’s boyfriend to get laid and get a car. I also wanted to know why she was so hot to get out of the Witness Protection program. I understand that she chafed at being watched but hello, she got involved with human trafficking. Which is a bad thing.

I did feel bad for Cassie. She was acting out, hardcore. At 12, she shouldn’t have had to step into her mother’s shoes. While I didn’t agree with how she rebelled (sleeping around, doing drugs, skipping school) but I definitely could understand why. She did love Boon and she did try to protect him. But she also resented him. There were times in the book where I thought that she was going to need a good therapist.

Hank came across as a pushover. He allowed his wife to do whatever she wanted and chose to turn a blind eye to what she was doing. Even when she almost killed Boon, he still coddled her. It should have been a relief when she left. But it seemed to add more stress to him. I didn’t understand exactly why he was so stressed out until the end of the book. That’s when I did an “aha“. But, even that wasn’t what it seemed.

The plotline with the hurricane was almost anti-climatic compared to what was going on with the people. I liked that it didn’t take over the book but instead was the background for everything that happened after the middle.

I am still trying to figure out why Sara decided to take the kids. It wasn’t because she wanted to rescue them or felt bad for them. She felt that they were a pain in the butt and told them so. So why did she? I know that she saw a lot of herself in Cassie. So maybe that called to her. Who knows.

The book wrapped up on a happy note. I was happy to see everyone was thriving and doing well. I wasn’t happy to see that Hank was where he was but I understood why he did it. Never underestimate a parent’s love for their child.

I would give The Liar’s Child an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be the abandonment of a parent, death of a parent, horrific accident involving a child, dealing children services, destruction from a hurricane, underage sex, talk of drug use and a child becoming ill. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Liar’s Child. 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 The Liar’s Child.

All opinions stated in this review of The Liar’s Child are mine.

Moonlight & Whiskey by Tricia Lynne

5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: March 12th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Where to find Moonlight & Whiskey: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

When life gives you curves, you gotta learn how to rock them.

Successful businesswoman Avery Barrows likes her dips and curves, but she’s sick of the haters telling her that she should be ashamed of her body instead of embracing it. Determined to send them a big f*** you, Avery resolves to cut loose during a girls’ trip, hightailing her quick-mouthed, plus-sized self to New Orleans. So, what’s a smart woman with a little extra gotta do to get laid in this town?

Not much if you ask Declan McGinn, the lead singer of BlackSmith. Tall, dark, and tattooed, with a body made for sin, Declan prefers his women as curvy as his guitars. Avery’s sharp tongue and keen mind makes him want her even more.

As they burn up the sheets, Avery and Declan realize this is no one-night (or even one-week) stand. But for all of her bluster, Avery isn’t sure she can handle any more rejection. Besides, Declan has demons of his own. Now Avery has a choice to make: play it safe, or place her trust in the hands of a man who’s as tempting as the devil himself.

My review

Moonlight & Whiskey is Avery and Declan’s story. Avery is a plus size engineer who is sick of the body shaming that she has been put through. Heading to New Orleans with her bestie, Avery is determined to give the middle finger to all the haters by having the time of her life. Then she meets Declan. Declan hits all Avery’s must-haves: tall, dark, handsome and brooding. With her vacation ending, Avery has some tough choices to make. Will she make the right ones? Or will she lose Declan and her chance for happiness?

It is very rare when a book knocks me off my feet. It is even rarer when that book keeps me off balance for the entire book. Moonlight & Whiskey did that to me. I loved it!!

I loved Avery. I knew I was going to like her when she was getting a Brazillian. My loving her was cemented by the fact that she was relatable. She did have her issues, though. She was afraid of being hurt and kept walls up. Her past with men was horrible. Some of the situations that she had been through made me tear up. Even in the present, she was treated horribly because she was plus size. Miss Piggy and chubs were two of the more awful ones that were in there. How she dealt with the people who put her down was epic.

Declan was sex on a stick. He had me from the minute he walked into Avery. My mental image of him was well kinda like Jason Momoa. No one else existed for him except Avery. I loved that. I also liked that he, too, was relatable. He did awful things in the past. Things that he was still atoning for. He wasn’t perfect. That made him more real to me.

There is a lot of sex in Moonlight & Whiskey. A lot of sex. A lot of different types of sex. Anal. Vanilla. Sex in public (twice). Sex in the shower. Blowjob in front of friends. The author did not hold back and I loved it. Normally I don’t like it when half of the book takes place in bed. But in this case, I was OK with it. It didn’t take away from the book. Mainly because Avery and Declan were getting to know each other on a personal level while going at it like rabbits.

I loved the secondary characters also. Jamie, Matt, Shaun, Kat. They were as fleshed out and relatable as Avery and Declan. I will admit that I was confused with the whole Matt, Declan, Avery pseudo-triangle until it was spelled out at the end of the book. At that point, I went, “Oh okay, now everything makes sense.” But up until that point, I was oh so confused.

I want to get into the end of the book. Oh man, I have so many opinions about what happened between Declan and Avery. But, I can’t because I’d be giving away some major spoilers. I will say that I would have thought the same thing as Avery. I also would have done the same thing also.

You will need tissues for the last few chapters of the book too. There will be happy tears. There will be surprised tears. There will be mad tears. Let’s cut to the chase, you will be a blubbering mess. I know I was. The author did a fantastic job of wrapping up the Avery and Declan’s storylines. But I do hope that she goes on to write Jamie/Kat’s story and Matt’s story. They need to be told.

I would give Moonlight & Whiskey an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is explicit language. There is moderate violence. There are triggers. They would be body shaming, self-esteem issues, the death of a parent, and alienation of a parent. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Moonlight & Whiskey. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Moonlight & Whiskey.

All opinions stated in this review of Moonlight & Whiskey are mine.

If, Then by Kate Hope Day

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Random House, Random House

Date of publication: March 12th, 2019

Genre: General Fiction, Science Fiction

Where you can find If, Then: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The residents of a sleepy mountain town are rocked by troubling visions of an alternate reality in this dazzling debut that combines the family-driven suspense of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere with the inventive storytelling of The Immortalists.

In the quiet haven of Clearing, Oregon, four neighbors find their lives upended when they begin to see themselves in parallel realities. Ginny, a devoted surgeon whose work often takes precedence over her family, has a baffling vision of a beautiful co-worker in Ginny’s own bed and begins to doubt the solidity of her marriage. Ginny’s husband, Mark, a wildlife scientist, sees a vision that suggests impending devastation and grows increasingly paranoid, threatening the safety of his wife and son. Samara, a young woman desperately mourning the recent death of her mother and questioning why her father seems to be coping with such ease, witnesses an apparition of her mother healthy and vibrant and wonders about the secrets her parents may have kept from her. Cass, a brilliant scholar struggling with the demands of new motherhood, catches a glimpse of herself pregnant again, just as she’s on the brink of returning to the project that could define her career.

At first the visions are relatively benign, but they grow increasingly disturbing—and, in some cases, frightening. When a natural disaster threatens Clearing, it becomes obvious that the visions were not what they first seemed and that the town will never be the same.

Startling, deeply imagined, and compulsively readable, Kate Hope Day’s debut novel is about the choices we make that shape our lives and determine our destinies—the moments that alter us so profoundly that it feels as if we’ve entered another reality.

My review

If, Then is the story of 4 neighbors in the town of Clearing, Oregon. Mark is a wildlife scientist. Ginny is a successful surgeon. Samara is still grieving over the death of her mother. Cass is a scholar who is struggling to adjust to being a mother. Each of them has a vision. Mark’s vision, which consists of him living in a tent in the woods, makes him paranoid. Ginny sees herself in a relationship with a coworker. Samara sees her mother alive. Cass sees herself pregnant…again. The visions start coming more until the people affected start questioning their sanity. Why are they having these visions?

I started off liking If, Then. The author did a great job at setting the groundwork for a great book. Each character (and secondary characters) was relatable in their own way. I was fine with the book until halfway through. Then the book went a different direction. It was that sudden change in the plotline that made me go “Eh?“. I actually had to reread several chapters to understand what I was reading. I do not like when I have to do that.

Like I mentioned above, I liked the characters at the beginning of the book. Each character was relatable and likable. Even when things started to get weird (and man, did they), I still liked them. If I had to pick one who wasn’t a favorite, it was Ginny. She couldn’t make up her mind who she wanted to be with. I wanted to shake her.

I got lost reading the plotline during the 2nd half of the book. What made me lost was Cass’s storyline and the storyline with Other Mark. I had questions about both storylines there were not answered. I can’t get into what they were here but they were legitimate. I also found the main storyline a bit much.

The end of the book seemed rushed. While I am glad that everything worked out, it seemed too pat and a little rushed. I was almost hoping for someone not to have a happy ending. That would have changed things up a little bit.

I gave If, Then a 3-star rating. The book had a great start. It had a great plotline and characters that I could connect with. But, I found the book couldn’t hold my attention after the middle of the book. I got lost reading it and had to reread chapters to make sure I understood what was going on. The characters, for the most part, did stay relatable and likable. I thought that the end of the book was rushed.

I would give If, Then an Adult rating. There is sex (nothing graphic but you knew when the characters were going at it). There is mild violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be the death of a parent, cheating and divorce. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review If, Then.

All opinions stated in this review of If, Then are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read If, Then?

Love it?

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

An Unfortunate Dimension by Dominic Schunker

An Unfortunate Dimension by [Schunker, Dominic]

4 Stars

Publisher: Offworld Publishing

Date of publication: December 7th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia

Where you can find An Unfortunate Dimension: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Synopsis:

An Unfortunate Dimension is a psychological thriller with a twist you’ll never see coming.

Salvador is thrown into battle and intense laser fire. He doesn’t know how he got here or why, and that’s just one of his problems. He’s been experiencing a sort of dimensional schizophrenia, jumping into bizarre scenes past, present and future. Is the universe messing with him, interfering with his only goal, to bring his wife Jemma out of her coma?

He grows sure Jemma is trying to communicate a solution from her dimension, trying to tell him how to save her, to bring her back round. She tells him to look for signs, find a pattern, and soon he does. His dad’s old car, a song, a demon, and Camille, his lost best friend from school.

He learns Jemma was the teacher on going-home-duty when a little girl, Ashlen, vanished a few months ago. Why didn’t she tell him about Ashlen? He becomes convinced it’s a clue. The school is quizzed, the police are quizzed but still no answers. His mission races on when he learns they’ll turn off Jemma’s life support in seven days.

What if Jemma’s goal is not to save herself, but something else? Eventually, he realizes it’s to save Ashlen, to ease her guilt, allow her to recover. That’s the link, here is the reason for the pattern: save Ashen and that will bring Jemma round.

Between dimensions and interactions with Jemma and Camille, from a VR game, space travel and a distant planet awaiting its foretold enlightenment, Salvador knows what he must do. Nothing is as it seems, and the invasive truth is coming.

My review:

I like science fiction but I haven’t been reading a lot of it. To be honest, I got burned out by it. When I saw the blurb for An Unfortunate Dimension, I decided to read it. I am glad that I did because this book was good.

An Unfortunate Dimension is the story of Salvador. Salvador has been having a rough time lately. His wife, Jemma, is in a coma, on life support. Salvador has been experiencing weird occurrences. Like being dropped into an intense laser fight, naked. Or seeing his best friend who disappeared when he was 13 year old. Or seeing a young kidnapping victim alive. Salvador makes the connection between Jemma and the kidnapping victim the same day he is told that he has 7 days before they shut off life support. Convinced that saving Ashlen will save Jemma, Salvador does everything in his power to find her. But things aren’t what they seem. Can Salvador lead the police to Ashlen and save Jemma? Or will he fail?

I had a hard time getting into An Unfortunate Dimension. The beginning was confusing. There was so much going on that I had an issue keeping everything straight. There was a point during the first couple of chapters where I almost DNF’d. But I decided to keep on plugging along. By the 4th chapter, the book smoothed itself out. It turned into the book that I enjoyed reading.

Salvador: I liked Salvador. His grief over losing Jemma came off the pages. Once he realized who Ashlen was to Jemma, he was determined to find her. He was determined to help Jemma so she could be restored to him. He did have his faults. He drank way too much. His choice in friends made me question him on more than one occasion in the book. But what I liked the most about him was that he didn’t question anything that was happening to him. Even when he saw the demon (which would have freaked me out).

The kidnapping storyline was heartbreaking. I liked how the author foreshadowed what was going to happen. I also liked the connection to Camille. I thought it was interesting and I didn’t put two and two together.

The author did a fantastic job with the science fiction storyline. I liked how he included VR in this book. The whole scene with the shaman was creepy but informative. The revelation of the alien planet was creepy too. Knowing what I know now, I understand what that planet was too Salvador.

The plot twist in An Unfortunate Dimension was one that I didn’t see coming. I was taken aback by it. I did a no way. I can’t say too much more about it because I will be giving away spoilers. This is the second book in as many weeks with a plot twist that took my by surprise.

The end of An Unfortunate Dimension is tied into the plot twist. So, I am not going to say anything about it. Only that I was shaking my head and saying “No way” up until the last sentence.

I would give An Unfortunate Dimension an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no on under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread An Unfortunate Dimension. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review An Unfortunate Dimension.

All opinions stated in this review of An Unfortunate Dimension are mine.

Have you read An Unfortunate Dimension?

What are your thoughts on it?

Do you like it when there is a huge plot twist right at the end of the book?

Why or why not?

Let me know!!

Springtime at Hope Cottage (Sweetwater Springs: Book 2) by Annie Rains

Springtime at Hope Cottage: Includes a bonus short story (Sweetwater Springs Book 2) by [Rains, Annie]

4 Stars

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Date of publication: March 5th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Sweetwater Springs

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane—book 1 (review here)

Springtime at Hope Cottage—book 2

A Wedding on Lavender Hill—book 2.5

Meet Me at Sweetwater Springs—book 2.75 (expected publication date August 6th, 2019

Snowfall on Cedar Trail—book 3 (expected publication date October 8th, 2019)

Where you can find Springtime at Hope Cottage: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Synopsis:

Fans of RaeAnne Thayne and Debbie Mason will want to cozy up with this small-town series from USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains.

When opposites attract…

As an editor at a major New York City magazine, Josie Kellum is always on the go…until an injury sidelines her in the small town of Sweetwater Springs. Luckily, her new physical therapist is easy going and easy on the eyes. When their sessions start to heat up, in more ways than one, Josie is intrigued. But she has a city and career she loves waiting for her. So why does the thought of leaving him suddenly feel a lot like leaving home?

Tucker Locklear is just starting to move on after his wife’s death. While he can’t deny his attraction to the gorgeous, vivacious Josie, he won’t risk the pain of losing someone again. The sooner he gets Josie back on her feet and back to her real life, the safer he’ll be. But in Sweetwater Springs, love has a way of mending even the most damaged heart.

Includes the bonus short story “Last Chance Bride” from Hope Ramsay.

My review:

Josie needed a vacation. Sweetwater Springs is the obvious choice. Since her best friend runs a successful B&B. Josie meets Tucker when he picks her up at the airport. Her relationship with him continues after she falls and injures her knee. Tucker, a physical therapist, offers his services. The Josie receives a call. Her apartment was involved in a fire. Which means she can’t go home. Stuck, she agrees to live in an apartment above Tucker’s garage. What could go wrong?

Tucker has decided to move on after his wife’s death, 2 years ago. While he was attracted to Josie, he knows that having a relationship with her wouldn’t happen. But, the more they get thrown together, the more Tucker realizes that he needs Josie in his life. Can he convince her to stay in Sweetwater Springs?

Josie: I liked Josie’s character. I liked that she was real and that she was easy to relate to. She was a spitfire. She didn’t hold back her opinions on things. But she also had a soft side. She didn’t throw temper tantrums when her love interest had different views than her. Instead, she talked about it with him. I loved it.

Tucker: I liked him. He was the perfect foil for Josie’s character. Where she was always on the go, he was more laid back. I did like that he was a physical therapist. It was interesting to read about the different ways that he helped people heal. As for his relationship with Josie, he eased into it. There was no Instalove. No jumping into bed the first hour they met. Instead, he formed a relationship with her. It was refreshing to read.

Springtime at Hope Cottage was a great romance to read. The plot was easy to follow. The romance between Tucker and Josie was realistic and believable.

The plotlines of Springtime at Hope Cottage were well written. There was zero unnecessary drama in the book. Y’all know what I mean. A character comes out of nowhere to throw a wrench in the relationship of the main characters. Not here. The only surprise wasn’t a surprise. I figured it out early in the book. But, I still liked how that storyline played out

My only complaint with Springtime at Hope Cottage was that I didn’t get a feel for Tucker and Josie sexually. There was sexual tension but those scenes were far between. By the time they did have sex, I couldn’t get into it.

The end of Springtime at Hope Cottage was sweet. The author did a fantastic job of wrapping up all the storylines. Nothing was left hanging. There were no sudden twists in the plot. It was a sweet ending to a sweet story.

I would give Springtime at Hope Cottage an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Springtime at Hope Cottage. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Springtime at Hope Cottage.

All opinions stated in this review of Springtime at Hope Cottage are mine.

Have you read Springtime at Hope Cottage?

What are your thoughts on it?

Do opposites really attract?

Let me know!!

Ice Hot (New York Nighthawks: Book 1) by Tracy Goodwin

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: March 5th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: New York Nighthawks

Ice Hot—Book 1

Where to find Ice Hot: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The Nighthawks are hockey’s new expansion team. They’re ice hot. And they’re all about the chase.

Christian: They call me a hockey god because I’m a beast on the ice . . . and off. Men want to be me and women just want me. But now that the New York Nighthawks expect me to lead their team to victory, it’s all work and no play. My eyes are on the prize. Until I meet Serena Ellis, a sexy, curvalicious blonde who doesn’t know me from jack. And just like that, I’m hooked.

Serena: I don’t do one-night stands—especially with celebrity jocks who date models. Lots of models. But the god of hockey is a temptation that’s hard for mere mortals to resist. And after the best kiss of my life, I’m ready to throw my one-night stand rule out the window. Except Christian Chase won’t let me. He doesn’t want a one-night stand. He wants it all.

My review:

I noticed lately that I have had a lot of hockey-themed romances in my TBR pile. Which is funny because I haven’t followed hockey in years. All these hockey themed romances are telling me something. They are telling me that I need to turn on the games again.

When I read the blurb for Ice Hot, I was kind of “meh” about it. No lying. I got burned out on alpha males. I also got burned out on women who think that they can handle the alphas but end up becoming submissive.

I surprised when Christian and Serena blew those misconceptions out of the water. While the book did start off with a typical alpha male situation, it turned into anything but. Christian was still very much an alpha male on the ice. But off the ice, when he was alone with Serena, he showed a different side. A side that I wasn’t expecting to see in a book like this. I loved it!!

I thought Serena was awesome!! The whole situation with the Slurpee had me cracking up in bed. But what I liked the most about her was that she was one of the most genuinely written characters I have read to date. I read a lot, so that says something. By the end of the book, she morphed into almost hero status in my eyes.

To the young women out there who are watching this, I have a wish. That you embrace the concept that no one defines who you are but you. No man defines you. Neither does social media. Be yourself. Be fearless. Forge your own path. That’s what I am doing with this video**

The author chose to detail cyberbullying in this review. As well as slut/fat shaming. Serena was at the end of that. She had been at the end of the fat shaming her entire life. Her parents did nothing about it. In fact, her father hired the guy who humiliated her. I thought she was strong and my admiration grew as the book went on.

I was heartbroken when Serena and Christian broke up. Now, I wouldn’t normally be mentioning that but it was huge in the book. I am not going to say why they broke up but I will say that I understood why Christian did it. He wanted to protect Serena and in his mind, this was how he could do it.

The only thing that I found fault with was how the team and management handled Mighty. I know that a hockey team needs to be a cohesive unit. Which is why I didn’t understand why nothing was done about Mighty until the end of the book. He caused so much harm, it wasn’t even funny. I was very surprised that Christian held off as long as he did.

The sex scenes were as emotional and intimate as the book was. The author kept up the sexual tension throughout the book. It didn’t go away at all. Actually, it intensified the deeper Christian fell for Serena. It was amazing to read.

You will need tissues for the end of the book. Thankfully, I had a bunch next to me (I am battling a cold). I started bawling the minute Serena met up with her mother and didn’t start until the end of the book. I loved the epilogue and thought the Slurpee was great!!!

I gave Ice Hot an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be online bullying, face to face bullying, fat shaming, slut shaming and bigotry. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Ice Hot. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

**This quote was taken from an unedited ARC.

I would like to thank the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Ice Hot.

All opinions stated in this review of Ice Hot are mine.

Between the Lies by Michelle Adams

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: March 5th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Between the Lies: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Synopsis:

The truth is hiding between the lies.

A page-turning psychological thriller with twists that keep the reader guessing until last page, this addictive read will be loved by fans of Shari Lapena’s A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE and Liz Lawler’s DON’T WAKE UP.

What would you do if you woke up and didn’t know who you were?

Chloe Daniels regains consciousness in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
She doesn’t recognize the strangers who call themselves family. She can’t even remember her own name.

What if your past remained a mystery?

As she slowly recovers, her parents and sister begin to share details of her life.
The successful career. The seaside home. The near-fatal car crash.
But Chloe senses they’re keeping dark secrets – and her determination to uncover the truth will have devastating consequences.

What if the people you should be able to trust are lying to you?

My review:

The plot of Between the Lies was interesting. Chloe Daniels wakes up in the hospital with amnesia. She also has no memory of what happened the night she got into a horrific car crash that left her with a brain injury. Moving in with parents and younger sister, Chloe is mending. Her parents are providing details of her life but Chloe senses that something is missing. So begins her search to find out what secrets her parents are hiding. Also, she is determined to remember what happened the night of the accident. But there is danger with her remembering. Someone close to her doesn’t want that to happen. Can Chloe remember what happened that night? Will she find out the complete truth about who she is?

While I liked the plot of Between the Lines, I felt that it couldn’t keep my interest. There were several times during the course of the book where I couldn’t pay attention to the book. I had to force myself to read it. Also, I felt that there was a lag in the middle of the book.

Chloe: I felt awful for her but I admired her determination to get to the bottom of everything. There was a point in the book where I did think that she should slow down. I also felt that she was too trusting. There was a certain character in the book that made warning bells go off every time she was with that person.

Chloe’s father: Talk about disliking someone right off the bat. I knew that he was hiding something from Chloe right from the beginning. My dislike for him grew as I read the book. As a parent, I could understand his need for wanting to protect Chloe. But the way he went about it was all wrong. It was wrong. When everything was revealed at the end of the book, he came across as a controlling, weak man.

Chloe’s mother: Out of all the characters in the book (minor and major), she was the one who had my pity the most. Well, other than Chloe. She wanted to tell her daughter the truth. But she was forced to follow her husband. She was abused by Chloe’s father for the entire book. When she found her backbone, it was almost too late.

I did enjoy reading Between the Lies. I thought that the mystery/thriller angle was well written. I know I have said this before, but it isn’t often when a book keeps me guessing. I was surprised by the secrets. I didn’t figure out who was responsible for everything until I was 84% into the book.

There were parts of the book that I didn’t like. These did factor into my rating. Like I said in at the beginning of this review, the book couldn’t hold my attention. There were several times where I had to force myself to read it. I also felt that there was a lag in the middle of the book. I didn’t like Chloe’s father and I felt that her mother needed to grow a backbone sooner than later.

The end of the book was fantastic. The author was able to wrap up all the storylines in a way that satisfied me as a reader. There were no storylines left hanging. Everything was ended or explained. Which was wonderful!!

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

I would reread Between the Lies. 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 Between the Lies.

All opinions stated in this review of Between the Lies are mine.

Have you read Between the Lies?

What were your thoughts on it?

Do you think it is ethical for Dr’s to treat their siblings/wives/children?

Why or why not?

Let me know!!

Only Ever You by Siobhan Davis

5 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: February 28th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Only Ever You: Amazon | Bookbub

Synopsis:

He’s the hot-as-sin rocker hiding a secret that would devastate his fans. She’s the only girl he’s ever loved, but keeping her safe means he had to walk away…

RYDER

My entire life is a lie, propelled by one wrong decision that altered my fate.

If fans knew the truth, they’d run away screaming. But all they see is Ryder Stone, moody guitarist and lead singer of Torment, and a potential notch on their bedpost.

Only two people know who I really am. My manager has a vested interest in keeping my secret, and the girl I was forced to leave behind doesn’t even know the true extent of my shame.

Losing Zeta is both my biggest regret and my proudest moment. But she was the glue keeping me together, and I’m struggling to survive without her. Especially when demons from my past continue to haunt me and the threat of disclosure is ever present.

When she reappears in my life, this time, I’m too weak to push her away.

Her love has the power to save me.

Mine has the power to destroy her.

ZETA

I’ve worked hard to forget my past. To rise above my messed-up childhood and make something of myself; however, there’s no forgetting him.

Ryder’s gorgeous face and drool-worthy body are plastered over tabloids and TV screens, reminding me I’m still in love with the boy who captured my heart in juvie.

When he failed me, I thought I’d never again experience such heart-crushing pain. But watching him fall out of clubs with a succession of different girls renews the agony, resurrecting countless unanswered questions.

Now my boss has sent me to interview him. It’s a massive scoop for the magazine, and turning it down would kill my career. So, I delude myself into thinking I can handle this.

Perhaps this is the closure I need to finally move on.

Except I’m terrified nothing has changed and one look into those soulful eyes will suck me in again.

Ryder almost destroyed me last time. This time, he could ruin me forever.

My review:

This book shattered me. I knew going into it that this was going to be a tough book for me to read. But I didn’t know how tough it was. I also wasn’t prepared for the range of emotions that I had while reading it. My emotions went from extreme anger to horror to happiness. It is very rare that a book can do that to me.

Only Ever You was able to grab me from the beginning and keep me reading. I actually finished the book in 1 day, that is how much I got into it. Ryder and Zeta’s story was one of the most compelling and heartbreaking stories that I have read to date.

I liked how the author split the story into 2 sections with an author’s note and prologue. I will admit, the prologue broke my heart. I was sobbing as I finished it. The prologue was needed. It set the entire tone for the whole book. The events in the first half of the book were needed also. It is where the author showed how damaged Ryder and Zeta were. How hellacious their upbringings were. How those upbringings shaped them.

The second half of the book showed the fallout from the events in the first half and the prologue. I am not going to go much into this part of the book. If I did, I would be giving away some major spoilers. I will say that Ryder was one of the most damaged heroes that I have read…ever. The raw emotion that he expressed touched me in a way that few characters do.

The love story between Zeta and Ryder was heartbreaking and hopeful. I know that is a weird combination to say but it is. I loved seeing Zeta and Ryder together. They were made for each other. But, there was a long stretch where I had doubts if they were going to even get back together. Even towards the end, I had my doubts.

I will say that I liked that the author didn’t have them have sex right away. She kept building up it up. The sexual tension drove me nuts. I kept thinking to myself “How on Earth is she not jumping on him and screaming “Do me now?“

I do want to mention that I thought Gar and Micah were idiots. Gar gave me the heebie-jeebies. That whole scene at Ryder’s Hampton house disgusted me. But it was a fantastic look at how rock stars partied. Excess to the max.

The end of Only Ever You prompted another crying jag. I was wrung out. But, at the same time, I was so happy. I couldn’t have been more happy with how the book ended. And the epilogue. I loved it!!!

I would give Only Ever You an Adult rating. There are explicit sexual scenes. There is language. There is explicit violence. I will include a trigger warning with this also. They would be child abuse, child neglect, child death, attempted rape, drug abuse. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Only Ever You. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review Only Ever You.

All opinions stated in this review of Only Ever You are mine.

Have you read Only Ever You?

What are your thoughts?

Do you enjoy books that are on the darker side?

Let me know

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

The Queen’s Opal (Stone Bearers: Book 1) by Jacque Stevens

The Queen's Opal: A Stone Bearers Novel (Book One) by [Stevens, Jacque]

4 Stars

Publisher: sjacquebooks

Date of publication: December 5th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Stone Bearers

The Stone Bearers—Book 0 (review here)

The Frog’s Princess—Book 0.5

The Queen’s Opal—Book 1

The Queen’s Gift—Book 2

The Queen’s Heir—Book 3

The Queen’s Bane—Book 4

Where you can find The Queen’s Opal: Amazon | BookBub

Synopsis:

Elves never use magic or leave the forest.

They aren’t supposed to get sick either, but Drynn’s mother just died from a mysterious illness, which has targeted the elven queens for generations. With no female heir left, the symbol of the curse—a green stone called the Queen’s Opal—passes to Drynn. Unwilling to lose another family member, Drynn’s impulsive and overprotective brother drags him out of the forest to search for a cure. And the oft-diseased humans seem the most likely place to start.

But the opal isn’t all that it seems. Once outside the forest, it shows Drynn visions of the first queen—a time when the mortal avatars of the lost gods walked the earth and the humans and elves lived in peace. Much has changed in the human lands since then. It’s a darker world, ruled by power-hungry wizards who covet any kind of magic. Magic like the opal. Magic like the natural energy the wizards can see inside the elves.

More than healing one illness, Drynn’s visions call for him to restore the world’s former peace, but if the wrong wizard learns about the elves’ innate gifts, even the forest will no longer be safe.

Family bonds will be tested. Friends will become foes. With two kingdoms spiraling into chaos, can a shy bookworm conquer his fears to bring peace to the realm?

The Queen’s Opal is book one in a new high fantasy adventure series set in the same magical and exotic world as The Stone Bearers (2016).

This coming of age story will appeal to teen and young adult fans of the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cinda Willams Chima (The Demon King), Christopher Paolini (Eragon), and other works of epic sword and sorcery.

Clean Read. Fantasy violence and a few darker themes. Recommended for young adults and teens twelve and up.

Stone Bearers:
0. The Stone Bearers (2016)
0.5. The Frog’s Princess (2016)
1. The Queen’s Opal (2017)
2. The Queen’s Gift (2018)
3. The Queen’s Heir (2018)
4. The Queen’s Bane (Coming 2018)
5. The Queen’s Rite (Coming 2019)

Please Note: The Queen’s Opal is Book One. The Stone Bearers is a standalone novel that can be read before or after the full series.

The short story, The Frog’s Princess, can also be read in any order. Find it in The Fantastic Worlds Anthology (2016) or have a free digital copy delivered to you after signing up for my email list at sjacquebooks.com. Those on my email list will receive monthly emails with updates on deals, review opportunities for new releases, and other exclusive content.

Fairy Ring:
1. Fairy Ring: Shards of Janderelle (2017)
2. Fairy Ring: Changeling of Janderelle (Coming 2018)
3. Fairy Ring: Prince of Janderelle (Coming 2019)

Others:
Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen (2017)
Depths: A Tale of the Little Mermaid (Coming 2018)

My Review:

The Queen’s Opal is the story of Drynn and his journey into the human world. It is also the story of Tayvin and the reason why he wanted to leave the forest. Finally, it is the story of Kol, his secret and his hatred of the robes. What happens when Kol meets Drynn? What happens to Drynn in the human world? Will Tayvin find what he is looking for? Can Kol overcome his hatred for the “robes“? Or will that hatred be his downfall?

Drynn (Aldrayndallen-Falberain): I liked Drynn. The main character in The Queen’s Opal, he was my favorite. I did feel bad for him. His mother dies, his brother forces him on a trip out of the forest and he gets kidnapped. On top of that, he starts to have these strange dreams about the first Queen and her life. He had a lousy couple of months. There was a point in the book where I wondered if he would ever be free of those people. I also was kinda hoping that Tayvin would find him first. I wanted to see a couple of those thieves get drop-kicked into next Monday (Picc and Cain mainly).

Tayvin (Tayvinaldrill-Falberain): I understood why he wanted to go to the human world. He wanted to save his brother. He couldn’t deal with losing another family member. He was impulsive and hot-headed at the beginning of the book. But, that tempered as the book went on. By the end of the book, he showed a lot of restraint. Even when Drynn told him what happened to him. I was half expecting him to go off and avenge Drynn.

Kol: I wanted to shake Kol during certain parts of the book. The way he treated Drynn at first. He wasn’t exactly nice. He was also afraid of the robes (wizards). That fear was understandable. He watched his mother burn to death, protecting him from his father. But to act the way he did after Xavien got guardianship over him was jerky. He refused to heed the advice that the dragonet gave him until it was almost too late.

The Queen’s Opal as a great read. The author did a great job with world building. She took what was a flat 2d world and built it up. I can’t wait to see what this world is going to look like in the other books.

She also did a great job with character building. Drynn, Tayvin, and Kol were complex characters with many layers. They were as realistic as two elves and a halfbreed can be.

Any issues that I had with The Queen’s Opal were minor ones. I wished that more went into how the stone chose its bearer. During Drynn’s dreams, Saylee was called to the temple. But how? I also wanted to know why someone so young? With my luck, it will be answered in the next book.

The Queen’s Opal can definitely be read by kids as young as 12. The only thing that I could even see being traumatic for anyone younger are the beatings that Drynn and Kol endured. They were somewhat graphic. There are also scenes where Drynn was chained in a cart and a scene where Drynn was drugged. Other than that, this book is a great starter book for someone starting to read fantasy.

The end of The Queen’s Opal was intriguing. Some storylines were wrapped up. Other’s were started and other’s were left open. It made me want to read book 2 and see where everyone ends up. Also, I loved the epilogue. It was a different way to do things.

I would give The Queen’s Opal a Young Teen rating. There is no sex (only one kiss). There is violence. There is mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 13 read this book.

I would reread The Queen’s Opal. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review The Queen’s Opal.

All opinions stated in this review of The Queen’s Opal are mine

Have you read The Queen’s Opal?

Love it?

Hate it?

Let me know

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

4 Stars

Publisher: Entangled Publishing LLC and Entangled: Amara

Date of publication: February 26th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Where to find The Last Letter: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan

My review:

When I read the blurb of The Last Letter, I knew that it was going to be a good book. A blurb in the form of a last letter? That alone made me go “I need to read this book“. I am so glad that I did because The Last Letter exceeded what I thought about it.

I will warn everyone, you will need tissues while reading The Last Letter. I was ugly crying from the scene where Ella found out that Maisie had cancer to the end of the book. I would invest in a few boxes. You will need them.

I thought that Ella was one of the strongest people I have read in a book to date. Life kept dropping bombshells on her and she didn’t even flinch. She took no flak from people. She also had a softer side. It wasn’t showcased in the book that much but it was there. When it did peek through, I loved it.

I did get annoyed with Ella at several points in the book. Put it this way, she was stubborn and afraid to let someone get close to her. When she did let Beckett in, she did begrudgingly. I did want to smack her upside the head when Beckett had a solution for Maisie’s cancer treatments. If I was in that situation, I would have jumped all over it. I got why she acted that way. Still. I am glad that Ada and Hailey talked some sense into her.

I liked Beckett. He arrived when Ella needed him the most. He stayed through Ella freaking out on him about who he was to Ryan. He was the one who came up with the solution about Maisie’s cancer and insurance. He fell heads over heels for Ella when they were writing letters to each other. He was a nice guy. When he opened up about his past, my heart broke for him.

Like Ella, I did get annoyed with him at points in the book. Like the whole Chaos storyline. How hard would it have been to tell her that he was Chaos? I didn’t understand how that didn’t come up. Ella did point blank ask him how he knew Ryan. That was the perfect time to say “Well, I’m Chaos“. But no, it comes out later in the book. I would have been pissed at him too.

I thought the romance that Beckett and Ella had was a sweet one. Of course, it was bumpy and there was a point where I thought it was over. But it was sweet.

I thought that the storyline with Maisie and her aggressive form of cancer was very well written. The author didn’t paint a rosy picture for us. Instead, she showed the stark realities of having a child with cancer. It was a realistic and heartbreaking look into childhood cancer.

I will say that the storyline with Ella, her ex and his parents made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. How can someone be so heartless? Not once but twice.

I also liked that military dogs are featured in this book. What I liked is that the military let Beckett keep Havoc. Mainly because she only listened to him. I liked how Ella described Havoc and her adjusting to not working. She was being domesticated and learning how to act like a dog.

There was a twist at the end of the book that broke my heart. It was surprised that came out of nowhere. I am not going to give anything away but I will stay that Beckett and Havoc’s training were well used. This is a tissue warning. You will be ugly crying until the end of the book.

The epilogue at the end had me ugly crying. I loved the insight that it gave into Beckett and Ella’s life 4 years later.

I gave The Last Letter an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be childhood cancer, the death of a sibling, the death of a friend, death of a parent and parental abandonment. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Last Letter. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Last Letter.

All opinions stated in this review of The Last Letter are mine.

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