Author: Jolie

I love to read. My favorite genres are women's fiction, romance, psychological thrillers, fantasy, young adult, steampunk, dystopian, LGBTQIA, and paranormal.

Rend (Riven: Book 2) by Roan Parrish

Rend (Riven, #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 27th, 2018

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA

Series: Riven

Riven—Book 1 (review here)

Rend—Book 2

Raze—Book 3 (expected publication date: July 2nd, 2019)

Where you can find Rend: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings.

Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans.

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds, but when they meet, their chemistry is incendiary. Their romance is unexpected, intense, and forever—at least, that’s what their vows promise. Suddenly, Matt finds himself living a life he never thought possible: safe and secure in the arms of a man who feels like home. But when Rhys leaves to go on tour for his new album, Matt finds himself haunted by the ghosts of his past.

When Rhys returns, he finds Matt twisted by doubt. But Rhys loves Matt fiercely, and he’ll go to hell and back to triumph over Matt’s fears. After secrets are revealed and desires are confessed, Rhys and Matt must learn to trust each other if they’re going to make it. That means they have to fall in love all over again—and this time, it really will be forever.

Roan Parrish’s pitch-perfect Riven novels can be read together or separately:
RIVEN | REND

My review:

Abandoned as a child, Matt is used to being alone. He has formed no lasting relationships with anyone other than his best friends, Grin and Sid. But that changes when Matt meets Rhys at a bar one night. Looking for a casual hookup, Matt finds himself heads over heels in love with Rhys. Rhys makes him feel safe and secure. Something that was missing when he was a child. But that is soon tested when Rhys, a talented musician, goes on tour. Doubt if Rhys’s will come home takes over Matt’s life. Matt’s life starts to spiral out of control during the last weeks of Rhys’s tour. Which worries friends and Rhys. Matt finally comes clean with his fears and his awful childhood. Can Rhys convince Matt that he is there forever? Can Matt overcome his past? Can Rhys convince Matt that his love is forever?

I was pretty excited to read Rend. I was wondering what the story was behind Matt and Rhys’s relationship. So when I saw that this book was about that, I didn’t even hesitate to request it. I will warn you all. This book gets off to a slow start. It creeps the first couple of chapters. Normally, I would be complaining about slow starts to books. But, in this case, it works. It lays the groundwork for Matt and Rhys’s relationship. It also showed how Matt’s childhood affected him as an adult.

I didn’t exactly like Matt when I started reading the book. Without knowing his background, he came across as needy and insecure. But, as I read the book and as I started to learn more about his background, I realized that he was a damaged person. What clued me in was how he acted when Rhys was on tour. His mental state, which was not great when Rhys was there, disintegrated to the point where he couldn’t even function. When he finally told Rhys about his childhood, my heart broke. It broke for the child he was and the damaged man that he became. What I liked is that the author didn’t have Matt’s issues go away when he told Rhys. Instead, it showed Matt working on getting mentally better with Rhys’s help.

I liked Rhys. He was so devoted to Matt. His confusion over Matt’s breakdown was sad. I do think that he should have pushed for more answers about Matt’s past. Especially since they had known each other for only 2-3 months before getting married. I didn’t agree with his reaction when Matt broke down and told him about his childhood. Leaving was the worst thing that he could have done. I did understand why he left. He needed to get his thoughts in order. I would have done the same thing. The talk that Caleb had with Rhys was blunt but true. Rhys couldn’t save everyone from themselves.

Rhys and Matt had their ups and downs in this book. There were points in the book where I wondered if their relationship was going to make it. It showed that while love is great, it is work. I loved it. It wasn’t showing a happily ever after where everything is fine. Matt had some major issues that needed work. While all was fine at the end of the book, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would stay together.

Of course, the sex was insanely hot in this book. Matt and Rhys didn’t lack sexual attraction or chemistry. Put it this way, I had to fan myself after reading some of those scenes. I will warn that some of the sex scenes are explicit.

I loved that Theo and Caleb were in this book. I was wondering if they were going to be. Theo was just as adorable in Rend as he was in Riven. I loved that he took a liking to Matt and looked out for him. I loved that Caleb was able to talk to Rhys about what was happening with Matt. The advice he gave to Rhys was blunt but true.

The end of the book was a tear-jerker. I won’t say exactly what happened but it was amazing. I felt the love!! Besides making me cry, it did make me smile too.

I gave Rend a 4-star rating. I enjoyed reading this romance. This was a gritty, darker romance that resonated with me. I came to care about the main characters. The plotlines were engaging. I did get irritated with Rhys and Matt during separate parts of the book. But, it was nothing that affected my rating of the book.

I would give Rend an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be an abandonment of a child. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Rend. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a warning about triggers.

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

All opinions stated in this review of Rend are mine.

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

Have you read Rend?

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Foam On The Crest Of Waves by Silke Stein

Foam On The Crest Of Waves

4 Stars

Publisher: Self-published

Date of publication: November 25th, 2018

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Where you can find Foam On The Crest Of Waves: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Can facing the past transform the present?

In a small fishing town on the Mendocino coast, the tides of time have washed over rumors and suspicions, yet the members of a maimed family still struggle to cope with their memories.

A broken woman, refusing to let go of her vanished husband.
Her widowed brother, clinging to the shatters of the life he loved.
His delusional daughter, planning to turn mermaid on her fifteenth birthday.

But when a young man realizes he made a mistake, secrets start emerging from the deep. Will they bring further grief, or possibly redemption?

My review:

Abalone has never recovered from the death of her mother. Becoming selectively mute, Abby communicates with gestures and through her jewelry/artwork. Because she won’t talk, Abby hasn’t let on that she plans on turning into a mermaid on her 15th birthday. She believes that her mother is alive, living with the mermaids and wants Abby to join her. Jeremy is Abby’s father. For the past 7 years, he has been in a fog of grief, only coming out to somewhat deal with Abby’s issues. He is jolted out of his fog by a series of events. He is forced to face that his wife wasn’t who he thought she was. Devastated by the disappearance of her husband, Gina has thrown herself into helping Jeremy and Abby. But, Gina knows a secret. A secret that could devastate Jeremy and Abby if they found out. Lief somehow has gotten himself into abalone smuggling without knowing how. His secret passion singing and he has a voice that rivals professionals. Lief has developed a stalker like interest in Abby after she assaults him. What will happen on Abby’s 15th birthday? Can this family survive the secrets? Or will Abby be lost to the mermaids?

Foam on the Crest of Waves is a very loose retelling of The Little Mermaid. The more accurate description would be a reverse telling of The Little Mermaid. What I liked about this book was that the author ran with the retelling. She took that fable and put her own twist on it. I also liked that she followed the original Hans Christian Andersen tale. She did mention the Disney retelling several times during the book. The mural was a huge homage to it. But the bones of the story was the original story.

There was one point in the book where I had several “WTH” moments. I didn’t understand how Lief’s parents didn’t know what he was up to. Didn’t they want to know where he was getting the extra money from? How did they not know about his amazing voice? He had to of sang when he was younger. Abby was 15, why was she allowed to wander all over the place? At one point in the book, she took a train out-of-town and she spent the night in the woods. Jeremy and Gina didn’t notice that she was gone. That drove me nuts.

The only thing that I didn’t like about the book was how it went back and forth in time. One moment I would be reading about Gina and her struggles post-accident, then I would be reading about her life pre-accident. No warning about the change in time periods. It happened. It drove me absolutely nuts.

The plotline involving Abby was broke my heart. She believed that she would turn into a mermaid on her 15th birthday. I liked how the author chose to have Abby doubt if that was going to happen. I liked how what happened the night that Fern died was leaked. It kept me guessing. But the truth of what happened was a shocked the heck out of me. I wasn’t expecting that.

Lief’s storyline was very well written also. He was so conflicted about what he should do with his life. Abby assaulting him made him think about what he was doing with his life. The scene in the woods was the turning point for him. I was afraid for him, considering what Abby was thinking when they were in the water towards the end of the book.

Jeremy was broken. Fern’s death destroyed him. Abby was the only thing that kept him going. But, as the book went on, it seemed like Fern played fast and loose with him. The news he got about Abby the night Fern died was heartbreaking. I did want to know what the DNA test results were, though. It was never mentioned again.

I did like Gina and felt awful for her. I couldn’t imagine not knowing what happened to my husband for 7 years. And the secret that she carried was soul eating. Do I think that she should have told Jeremy sooner? Yes but then the book wouldn’t have played out the way it did.

The end of the book was amazing. I loved how the author brought all the storylines together. It was perfect. The epilogue was great also. But I did worry about Abby. Her final scene bothered me. It made me think that nothing changed with her.

I gave Foam On The Crest Of Waves a 4-star rating. This book was a wonderful retelling of The Little Mermaid. I connected with each character. The plotlines were all very well written. The only thing I didn’t like was how it went back and forth in time. Other than that, a wonderful book.

I would give Foam On The Crest Of Waves an Adult rating. There is sex but it is not graphic. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be the death of a parent, death of a spouse, cheating, traumatic accident, and talk of suicide. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Foam On The Crest Of Waves. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Foam On The Crest Of Waves.

All opinions stated in this review of Foam On The Crest Of Waves are mine.

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

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What About Us (Panic: Book 4) by Sidney Halston

What About Us (Panic, #4)

3.5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 20th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Panic

Pull Me Close–book 1 (review here)

Make Me Stay–book 2 (review here)

Kiss Me Back–book 3 (review here)

What About Us–book 4

Where you can find What About Us: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Irresistible beats and tantalizing bodies heat up the night at South Beach’s most scandalous new club.

Alex: I hate doing business in clubs. Especially one like Duality. I’m here to seal a deal, not indulge in whatever hedonistic illusion they’re selling. Until, through all the skin and sex on display, I see her. Helen Blackwood. The girl who once filled my youthful fantasies, whose name is now synonymous with pain. Her father’s lies destroyed my family, leaving me with nothing to lose. And yet I can’t deny my electric response to her touch . . . or my urge to protect her when I see the bruise on her face.

Helen: Growing up, life prepared me for society galas and powerful men, not minimum-wage jobs or drunk exes with anger issues. But I’m a survivor. So here I am, practically naked, serving drinks at a Miami nightclub. I don’t mind the stares. Apparently, Alex Archer does. After twelve years, we aren’t exactly friends, but money is something we both understand. Something he knows I need. I’ll be his personal assistant, even if it means working with the man I hate . . . and the man I still want. 

No cheating. No cliffhangers. And no dress code.

Don’t miss Sidney Halston’s Panic series:
PULL ME CLOSE | MAKE ME STAY | KISS ME BACK | WHAT ABOUT US

My review:

Alex is in Duality, trying to close on a business deal. He has no interest in the façade of sex and hedonism that the club offers. He wouldn’t be in the club but his partner is recovering from a car accident. Alex is more than surprised when he sees Helen working. Helen, whose father destroyed his family. Helen, who has galavanted around the world on the money that her father stole from his family. But, if she had that money, why is she working at Duality? Why does she have a bruise on her cheek? And why is she treating him like a long-lost friend? Alex is determined to find out. But, what he finds out goes against everything that he has thought he had known for the past 15 years. Can Alex reconcile what he now knows with what he thought he knew about Helen?

Helen is a survivor. She was forced to grow up when she was 18 and her father was sent to prison. But she got her life back on track. It took hard work but she did it. Lately, life seems to be biting her in the butt. Her drunken, abusive ex-husband has decided to throw her out of the house after he assaulted her. Then she runs into Alex, her first love and old friend, at the club. Alex makes her an offer that she can’t refuse. The more time she spends in his company, the more she starts to care for him. But she is wary. Alex and his family left her high and dry when she needed them the most. Can she trust Alex? Will Helen be able to see the truth of what her father did? Or will it drive an even bigger wedge between her and Alex?

The one thing I loved about this series is that the author made her characters suffer from real life issues. Take Helen for instance. She was homeless for a while when she was a teenager. Later on in her adulthood, she was the victim of domestic violence. Or Alex. He had some pretty bad anger issues. It was how she handled those issues that made me want to read more of the book (and the series).

I wasn’t sure if I liked Alex and Helen as a couple. I felt that she was going from one bad situation to another. He harbored so much anger towards her that I found it hard to believe that it disappeared overnight. Plus, he acted like a jerk to her at her work. In front of her boss and co-workers. Even they were like “Ummm, you sure about this Helen?” He treated her horribly all the way to almost the end of the book.

I didn’t feel the sexual attraction between Alex and Helen at first. I was too involved in with the drama. I did catch glimpses of it. It didn’t smack you in the face but it was there. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not.

I did like the sex scenes. They packed enough heat to make me fan myself. They were super steamy. Loved them!!!

The end of What About Us was bittersweet. I liked what Alex did for Helen. But it was what Helen did for Alex that made the end of the book. The author did a great job at wrapping up all the plotlines. I do wonder if there is going to be a book 5.

I gave What About Us a 3.5-star rating. I enjoyed reading this book. I liked how the author had her characters suffer from real life issues. It made them more relatable. I also thought that the sex was steamy. But, I didn’t like how Alex treated Helen for 90% of the book. I also didn’t see any sparks between them until after the first time they had sex.

I would give What About Us an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are trigger warnings. They are domestic violence and suicide. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread What About Us. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. But I would include a warning about the triggers.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review What About Us.

All opinions stated in this review of What About Us are mine.

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

Have you read What About Us?

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Accidents Happen by Sharon Karaa

Accidents Happen by [Karaa, Sharon]

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: May 5th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Accidents Happen: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Tabitha was a true survivor – until she wasn’t. One week before her loveless marriage to a wealthy man, a freak accident causes her soul to trade places with a womanizing lush paying penance for his sins as a soul collector. While she waits for Death to unravel the bureaucratic red-tape and return her to her life, she’s forced to take on Mort’s duties, accompanied by the sexiest but rudest man she’s ever met.

Cooper was a bank manager until his demise, and he’s got a lot of making up to do. He’s determined to be the best damn soul collector heav…he…Death has ever seen. Saddled with babysitting the soul of a selfish, amoral airhead, he’s determined to teach her a lesson.

Can Tabitha convince Death to switch her back before her wedding and her reputation are ruined? Will Cooper make her see the error of her ways? Or will Fate have the last laugh and teach them all a lesson in love?

My review:

Tabitha wasn’t having a good day. Her wedding is within a week and she is running behind on errands. On her way to her next errands, Tabitha witnesses an accident. While checking on one of the victims, Tabitha is crushed by a sign. Confused, Tabitha freaks out when approached by Mort. During her freak out, she pushed Mort into her body. Tabitha is soon summoned to Death’s office. There she finds out that her fate is to be determined by a council. Until that day, she is to work with Cooper. The only thing…Cooper is resentful for babysitting her. Cooper also thinks that Tabitha is a selfish person who is only out to do things for herself. Will Tabitha get her body back in time for her wedding? Will Cooper change his mind about Tabitha?

When I started reading Accidents Happen, I wasn’t in a very good mood. I was desperate for a book that would make me forget the reasons why I was in such a bad mood. I wanted a book that would make me laugh out loud. I prayed that this book was the one to do it. And guess what? It did. By the end of the first chapter, I was giggling and grinning. What I also liked about this book was that there were plenty of sad scenes. The laughter and crying parts of the book were evenly distributed.

I disliked Tabitha at first. She came across as self-centered and spoiled. But as the book went on, she grew on me. I started to realize that how she acted was not how she was as a person. That events in her life shaped her. Like Cooper, I misjudged her. The only thing I didn’t fault her for was her attitude towards her mother. That I could understand. By the end of the book, I loved her. She realized that she had to live the life she wanted instead of the life she thought she wanted.

I thought Cooper was a jerk at the beginning of the book. I understood that he didn’t want to be babysitting Tabitha. But he didn’t have to be cruel to her. He made her collect the souls with Mort’s scythe. Later, it was disclosed that he could have used a taser-like instrument that stunned those souls. He was rude to her too. He jumped to assumptions about her too. I was kind of irritated about that. He thought that she was bad news by the choices she was making in her life. He didn’t bother to get to know her better or even to ask her why she was doing these things. I was surprised when it was revealed why he was collecting souls for Death. That’s when I started to think more of him. I wouldn’t go as far to say that I liked him at the end of the book but I didn’t dislike him.

I loved the storyline with Cooper, Tabitha, and Death. I thought that it was original. I liked that when the souls were collected that they were brought back to meet with their loved ones. I thought it was fascinating that Cooper and the other Collectors existed in Purgatory. Same with the people who worked at the desk. They stayed long enough to work off their sins and then they were reincarnated.

I thought that the storyline with John, Tabitha and John’s secret. I figured out early in the book what John’s secret was and why it was causing him grief. But, I loved seeing the storyline evolve. I can’t much more on the storyline except that I was a little sad for John at the end of the book. It seemed like he lost out on everything.

The storyline involving Mort and Tabitha’s mother was hilarious. I didn’t expect to learn what I did about Tabitha’s mother. But once it was explained, it made sense. I felt awful for her. She had to make a hard choice and if affected her greatly. The bonding that Mort (as Tabitha) stayed. Tabitha’s mother more than made up for the past.

The sexual tension in this book zinged. Oh. My. Lord. Did it zing. Tabitha was attracted to Cooper. I didn’t get a feel for how he felt about her until Silvia’s party. That kiss was scorching. I was hoping for them to have sex to release it. But they didn’t. Which, in hindsight, was a good thing.

The end of the book almost gave me a heart attack. All I have to say is thank God that she picked up on what Mort (I assume) was trying to tell her. I cried at the ending. Sooo, romantic. But it was the epilogue that got me. The author threw in a neat twist that made me go “WTF” as I read it. But it made sense.

I gave Accidents Happen a 4-star rating. I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fast read with characters that I came to care for. The plotlines were interesting and kept my attention. I will admit that I didn’t care for Tabitha and Cooper at first, but they grew on me. The plot twist in the epilogue was worth the wait.

I would give Accidents Happen an Adult rating. There is no sex (there are sexual references/innuendos). There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be suicide and cheating. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Accidents Happen. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a note about the triggers.

I would like to thank Sharon Karaa for allowing me to read and review Accidents Happen.

All opinions stated in this review of Accidents Happen are mine.

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

Have you read Exposed Fury?

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Limetown: The Prequel to the #1 Podcast by Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, and Cote Smith

Limetown: The Prequel to the #1 Podcast

3 Stars

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date of publication: November 13th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find Limetown: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

From the creators of the #1 podcast Limetown, an explosive prequel about a teenager who learns of a mysterious research facility where over three hundred people have disappeared—including her uncle—with clues that become the key to discovering the secrets of this strange town.

On a seemingly ordinary day, seventeen-year-old Lia Haddock hears the news that will change her life forever: three hundred men, women, and children living at a research facility in Limetown, Tennessee, have disappeared without a trace. Among the missing is Emile Haddock, Lia’s uncle.

What happened to the people of Limetown? It’s all anyone can talk about. Except for Lia’s parents, who refuse to discuss what might have happened there. They refuse, even, to discuss anything to do with Emile.

As a student journalist, Lia begins an investigation that will take her far from her home, discovering clues about Emile’s past that lead to a shocking secret—one with unimaginable implications not only for the people of Limetown but for Lia and her family. The only problem is…she’s not the only one looking for answers.

Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie are first-rate storytellers, in every medium. Critics called their podcast Limetown “creepy and otherworldly” (The New York Times) and “endlessly fun” (Vox), and their novel goes back to where it all began. Working with Cote Smith, a PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize Finalist, they’ve crafted an exhilarating mystery that asks big questions about what we owe to our families and what we owe to ourselves, about loss, discovery, and growth. Threaded throughout is Emile’s story—told in these pages for the first time.

My review:

Lia is a high school senior when she hears the news about Limetown. Limetown is a town where three hundred people disappeared without a trace. Among those who disappeared, Lia’s estranged uncle, Emile. Fueled by the need to find out what happened, Lia starts an investigation. What she finds during her investigation makes her question everything that she has been told. What happened at Limetown? Why is Emile at the center of it? How is her mother involved? Who can Lia trust? Where did those people go?

I was pretty excited to start reading Limetown. Even though I haven’t heard the podcast, I figured that I could follow the prequel easy enough. I mean, prequels give information that’s isn’t known in series that follows. Yeah, well that didn’t happen. While Limetown was an interesting read, it left me with more questions than answers.

I didn’t care for Lia. She came across as self-centered the entire book. I did admire her tenacity. She stuck with finding out with what happened to the people in Limetown and her uncle Emile. But her personality was awful. There are very few times where I don’t like the main character and this is one of them. I also didn’t get why she treated her mother the way she did when she found certain things out. She failed to see that everything her mother did was for her. Saying that I do wonder what she is like in the podcast.

I did like Emile. Actually, I pitied him for 75% of the book. His ability made him an outsider. Anytime he even got close to someone, they either got hurt or turned out to be not what he thought they would be. Even his relationship with Lia ended up badly and she was a baby. I did wonder what happened to him at Limetown at the beginning of the book. I can’t say what I thought by the end of the book because I will give away the ending. Let’s say that any pity I felt for Emile went out the window.

I did find the storylines well written. But they failed to hold my attention. My mind kept wandering off mid-paragraph and I had to force myself to focus on reading. Which, in turn, took away from my pleasure in reading the book.

The end of Limetown confused the heck out of me. This is where I wish I had listened to the podcast because I had zero clue what was going on. But, I did know that Lia’s foray to Limetown wasn’t going to end up well. I didn’t expect it to go that bad.

I have Limetown a 3-star rating. I thought the book was well written and an interesting read. But, it failed to hold my attention and left me with more questions than answers. Even though it is a prequel, I would recommend listening to the podcast first.

I would give Limetown an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They are child abuse, drug use, parental abandonment, the death of a parent, unsolved disappearances of the loved one. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21.

I am undecided if I would reread Limetown. I am also undecided if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Limetown.

All opinions stated in this review of Limetown are mine.

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

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Sleepover by Serena Bell

Sleepover

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 13th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Sleepover: Amazon | Barnes, and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

A brand-new contemporary romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Head Over Heels.

The girl next door is the one that got away. He just doesn’t know it yet. . . .

Sawyer: After my wife died, I promised myself I’d never go through the pain of losing someone again. Now I keep my flings neat, tidy, and one-time-only. Besides, my son needs me more than ever. He’s miserable in our new town, so I’m pumped when he makes friends with the kid next door—until I recognize his mom from a one-night stand. Perky and upbeat, Elle Dunning is not my type for anything other than tearing up the sheets. So why do I keep letting myself get roped into game nights and get-togethers?

Elle: It so hasn’t been my year. That’s my first thought when I see my new next-door neighbor. I never would have hooked up with Sawyer Paulson if my husband hadn’t left me for his high-school sweetheart, but because our eight-year-old boys have become best friends, I’ve got to make nice with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent. Yet the more time we spend together, the more Sawyer opens up. We’ve both been hurt—badly. So it’s one thing to send the kids off to sleepaway camp together. It’s quite another to promise each other a lifetime of sleepovers. . . .

My review:

Elle is fresh from a divorce that she didn’t see coming. Still reeling and hurt, she decides that the best thing for her to do is to go to a bar and forget her problems. And oh boy, did she. She met Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent at the bar. Before she knew it, they were having sex up against the outside of the bar. The best sex she has ever had. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent leaves right afterward. Fast forward a few months. Elle has gotten new neighbors. Elle is surprised to see that her new neighbor is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent and his 8-year-old son.

Sawyer is still grieving the death of his wife from cancer. Selling the business and the house that they built together, he moves into a rental to start over fresh. He has never forgotten the blonde that he picked up at the bar a few months back. The blonde that had sadness in her eyes. The blonde that gave him the best one-night stand he ever had. Sawyer is surprised to see the blonde from that night is his next door neighbor. Even more surprising is that she has an 8-year-old son that immediately bonds with his son. He is surprised that he wants Elle as much as he did that night in the bar. He soon finds out that Elle wants him as bad. But, they are both hesitant. A chance encounter with Elle’s ex-husband draws Elle and Sawyer together. They make a pact. No sex until the wedding. Can they both hold out for the wedding? And is there hope for a lasting relationship.

I am going to start this review talking about sex. Or the lack of it. Sleepover did something very rare for a contemporary romance novel. The author had the main characters (Sawyer and Elle) from having actual sex until almost the end of the book. Well, besides the hookup which happened several months earlier. Instead, they kissed, sexted or had oral sex. There was so much build up that when they actually had sex, it was amazing. Put it this way, I needed a fan and a cold shower when the book was over.

But, what I liked the most, is that the author had Sawyer and Elle build up a friendship. They might have started off as sex but they became friends. I loved seeing them bond over the boys and their different hurts. Loved it!!

The main plotline was Elle and Sawyer’s relationship. Even though the book was told in 1st person, I couldn’t tell what Sawyer felt for Elle for the longest time. I don’t even think he knew what he felt until Brooks pointed out the obvious. I knew everything that Elle felt for Sawyer. She wasn’t as hidden with her feelings…lol.

I loved the storyline with the boys. What they did for that transgender girl brought tears to my eyes. I also loved their friendship. Right from the get-go, they were inseparable.

The end of Sleepover was what I expected. It was a true HEA. I loved that Elle and Sawyer were able to talk about things and get things straight. What Sawyer wrote in that journal touched my heart. I was crying with Elle. Also, the end of the book made me smile. Loved how it came full circle!!

I gave Sleepover a 4-star rating. This was a cute book with a realistic romance. The plotlines were great. I loved how the author held off on the sex until the end of the book. The only thing I didn’t like was Elle’s ex. I thought he was a jerk (Mr. Yap perfectly described him….lol).

I would give Sleepover an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be divorce and death of a spouse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

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

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

All opinions stated in this review of Sleepover are mine.

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

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Exposed Fury by Marie Flanigan

Exposed Fury

4 Stars

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing

Date of publication: August 7th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Where you can find Exposed Fury: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Annie Fitch, a former police detective, struggles to make ends meet as a private investigator in the sleepy town of Leesburg, Virginia. On partial disability because of gunshot injuries, she’s relegated to doing surveillance gigs and background checks. But things are looking up, since her on-again, off-again relationship is back on and might stay that way.

When Annie is hired by Laura Carlton to follow her husband to get evidence of cheating, Annie is certain the case won’t take long. Nick Carlton grew up with money and privilege and has a sex addiction dating back to his high school days. But things go sideways when Annie finds her target dead in an alley just a few blocks from her own home.

Working with her former partner, Gunnar Jansson, Annie digs deeper into Carlton’s background, slowly excavating his past to reveal the multiple suspects and motives. The list includes his many lunch-hour-tryst partners, a local shop owner, and his business partner, among others. Layer by layer, Annie uncovers a truth that runs deeper than anyone expected.

My review:

Annie is a detective turned PI. Forced off the squad due to a brain injury that occurred when she was shot on the job, Annie is struggling to make ends meet. She is also struggling with not having the physical or mental abilities that she had before she was shot. So when Laura contacts her to follow her husband and get evidence of cheating, Annie agrees. What Annie was not expecting was to find Nick’s body during her walk with her dog. She also doesn’t expect to get drawn back into the investigation when Laura hires her to find out who killed Nick. Working with her former partner, Gunnar, Annie digs through the tangled mess that was Nick Carlton’s life. But she is in for a surprise when she figures out who killed Nick and why. Who killed Nick? What was his/her motivation? Can Annie come through this investigation unscathed?

I have come to appreciate a good mystery. A good mystery needs to draw you in and keep you engaged in the story. Which is tricky because the author has to keep the clues to the mystery a secret but at the same time give out hints about what is going on. It’s a balancing act and sometimes, the author slips. There have been books where I have figured out what was going on or who did it by the middle of the book. But with Exposed Fury, that wasn’t the case. Marie Flanigan did a fantastic job of keeping who killed Nick and why under wraps until the end of the book. I will get more into that when I discuss the ending.

I loved Annie. The author did a fantastic job of creating a character that I could relate to. Annie didn’t let her disabilities get in the way of trying to get back on her feet. While she wanted to be back on the force, she understood that it wasn’t going to be. So she decided to become a PI. Her strength came off the pages. I also liked how she knew that she needed help with things and wasn’t afraid to ask. She also had a strong sense of family. While her father drove her nuts, she understood that he was afraid and that was coming from love. Her devotion to her brother was sweet.

The mystery angle of the book was amazing. The author did a fantastic job at keeping who killed Nick a secret until the end of the book. I was in shock over who it was. I had another person pegged for it. So when the plotline did a sudden turn and pointed in another direction, I was shocked. I was also shocked at why that person did it. Another shock.

The author also did a great job at portraying Annie’s continuing recovery from her brain injury. She made a point to let us readers know that Annie was not the same person she was before the brain injury. Annie was a, for lack of a better word, gentler, more emotional person. She empathized with people easier. From what I gleaned from the plot, Annie was more uptight and not as emotional before the injury.

The main plotline, the investigation of Nick’s murder, was interesting and wonderfully written. The author took me on a rollercoaster journey. She fingered so many people who I had a list of suspects to pick from. Red herrings were thrown out left and right. Normally, I would get irritated when that happens. But in this case, it was great and worked with the plotline.

The plotline with Annie’s on again, off again boyfriend was kind of “meh” with me. Not that I didn’t like Ford, I did, but I didn’t like that he was leaving Annie all the time. Like Annie, I would have been upset over his constant coming and going. Plus, he never mentioned what he did for work. Just that it was for the government and he was sent into high-risk areas (like Afghanistan). I wish that there could have been more stability with him. I would have loved more clarity with what he did.

The plotline with Annie’s father drove me nuts. I completely understood where he was coming from. His kid almost died and suffered a brain injury. But he didn’t support her career choice. He kept harping on it. Every single scene he was in, he kept mentioning how she should go back to college, get another job. Annie did brush him off, for the most part, but I got sick of it. I wanted to jump in the book and say “Leave her be!! Support her, darn it.”

Like I mentioned above, I loved the end of the book. The author did a fantastic job at wrapping up Nick’s murder plotline, as well as a couple of the secondary ones. She did leave the one with Annie’s father and Ford open. Like I mentioned above, I was surprised at who did it and the motive behind it. Talk about a plot twist. I did not see it coming at all. And I loved it!! I am hoping that the author will write another book with Annie in it!!

I gave Exposed Fury a 4-star rating. This book was one of the best mystery books I have read to date. The author did a great job at keeping me engaged with the story. There were no dropped or forgotten storylines. I was surprised at the ending. I did not care for Ford or Annie’s father’s attitude.

I would give Exposed Fury an Adult rating. There is sex but it is not graphic (mentioned but no detail). There is language. There is violence. There are trigger warnings. They would be brain injuries, cheating on a partner, the death of a sibling. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Exposed Fury. I would also recommend this book with family and friends. I would mention the triggers.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Exposed Fury.

All opinion stated in this review of Exposed Fury are mine.

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

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You Are The Everything by Karen Rivers

You Are The Everything

3 Stars

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Date of publication: October 30th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult

Where you can find You Are The Every Thing: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Can you want something—or someone—so badly that you change your destiny? Elyse Schmidt never would have believed it, until it happened to her. When Elyse and her not-so-secret crush, Josh Harris, are the sole survivors of a plane crash, tragedy binds them together. It’s as if their love story is meant to be. Everything is perfect, or as perfect as it can be when you’ve literally fallen out of the sky and landed hard on the side of a mountain—until suddenly it isn’t. And when the pieces of Elyse’s life stop fitting together, what is left?

My review: 

Elyse Schmidt is flying home from a band trip to Paris. Having argued with her best friend, Kath, Elyse is sitting next to her crush, Josh Harris. The unthinkable happens when their plane crashes into the side of a mountain. Elyse and Josh are the sole survivors of the crash. A year after the crash, Elyse and Josh are living in Wyoming, dating, and trying to forget the crash that changed their lives. Elyse starts to notice that her perfect world isn’t as perfect as she thought. There are inconsistencies that she keeps noticing. What is happening to her world? Will Elyse figure it out?

You Are The Every Thing is an odd book. First off, it is written in 2nd person. That is something that I am not used to. I have read only one other book where it was written in 2nd person and like this one, I had a hard time following it.

The other thing that I didn’t like about this book was that Elyse insisted on calling Josh by his full name. Josh Harris. Even to his face. It was cute the first few times that it happened. After that, it got repetitive and boring. And it went the same way with Josh calling Elyse by her last name. I wanted to go into the book and yell “Just call him by his and her by their first name, darn it“. I know, overreaction for a book. But man, it drove me nuts.

I didn’t care for Elyse. I couldn’t connect with her at all. Her actions at the beginning of the book started the ball rolling with that. I couldn’t bring myself to like her after that. I can’t say why I didn’t like her but I didn’t.

There were things that I did like about the book. I thought it was very well written. I loved the storyline. The author did a great job at creating a world around Josh and Elyse that I didn’t question. And let’s not forget the ending.

Speaking of the end, I was not ready for it. I should have known what was going to happen because of the hints dropped in the book. Talk about a mind screw.

I gave You Are The Everything a 3-star review. I thought that the book was well written with a great storyline. But, I couldn’t get past that the book was written in 2nd person. I also didn’t care for Elyse. I also didn’t care that she called Josh by his full name….all the flipping time.

I would give You Are The Everything an Older Teen rating. There is sex (not graphic but is mentioned a few times). There is mild language. There is violence. There are no triggers. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread You Are The Everything. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review You Are The Everything.

All opinions stated in the review of You Are The Everything are mine.

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

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Dragon’s Shadow by Allison Morse

Dragon's Shadow

3.5 Stars

Publisher: RABT Book Tours

Date of publication: September 24th, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Where you can find Dragon’s Shadow: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Royal twins ripped apart at birth become reluctant champions of good and evil.

Kylie, a teenage science geek, has no faith in people. Instead, she relies on what she trusts the most, the facts––what she can see, touch, and hear but never feel. With enough pain to deal with in her own world, she is thrust into another––a kingdom at war whose strange inhabitants fear one thing the most––the return of the dragon. All of this is illogical to Kylie, but even more so, when she discovers she belongs there.

Her brother, Prince Jarlon, journeys to kill the dragon who has laid waste to his kingdom. His only hope for destroying the beast is help from his sister, whom he has never met. Will their paths cross before the beast’s malevolence infects Kylie and turns her into his creature or will Jarlon have to destroy her, too?

My review:

Kylie is home on a temporary leave from the asylum that her stepfather sent her to after the death of her mother. She is doing her best to fit into the mold that her school and stepfather wants her to be in. All Kylie wants is to be left alone and study science. Gifted an amulet shortly before her mother died, Kylie cannot figure out what it is. What she finds out exceeds her wildest imagination.

Prince Jarlon is the heir to the Hamadriad kingdom. Jarlon was raised by his uncle, the King after his father was murdered and mother disappeared. Jarlon is part of a prophecy that will start when he turns 18. He is content with learning to be the best swordsman and ambassador at his uncle’s side. Keeping peace between the shinwar, humans, and cortali is a balancing act and Jarlon is becoming good at it. But life has a funny way of throwing curveballs at you. His uncle was killed in an attack on the kingdom and everything that Jarlon had been told has been turned upside down. He learns that he had a twin sister and that she might be the downfall of his kingdom and The Order.  He also learns that if she cannot fight against the dragon’s influence, he will have to kill her. Jarlon sets out on a quest to kill the dragon and save his sister.

I liked Kylie and felt awful that she was hurting so bad after Leora died. Her anger and distrust at Richard came off the pages in waves. I also understood why she had a problem trusting people. How those kids treated her in school was awful. The only one who stood up for her was Matt. I could see why she believed what the Dragon was telling her.

Jarlon annoyed me. He decides to intervene with Tryffin when the crowd was going to send him to jail. He didn’t listen to his cousin when he was told to come with him. Instead, he ran to the King and saw his death. When the Lady of the Eyes decided to show him his past, he fought against it. I thought his ruse to get to Richard by posing as a slaver, with Tryffin as his slave, was good. But he gave the rouge shinwar the directions to the southern cortalis hidden village. I, along with Tryffin,  did a “WTF“. I know he thought he was helping but still. I did think that he was brave when he confronted the Dragon.

The main plotline with Kylie, her amulet and the Dragon was well written. There were some plot inconsistencies that I picked up on that made me go “EH” and scratch my head. I enjoyed the plotline and rooted for Kylie.

The plotline with Jarlon, Tryffin and the quest to find and kill the Dragon was wonderful as well. Again, there were some inconsistencies that made me scratch my head. But they were nothing that took away from my enjoyment of reading the book.

The end of the book was amazing. What Jarlon and Kylie were able to do together was not something I expected. While the main fight ended the way I thought it would, I wasn’t expecting Kylie’s decision. Also, the end of the book, made me wonder if there was going to be a sequel.

I gave Dragon’s Shadow a 3.5-star rating. This book was vividly written with a fantastic plotline. I did find some plot and character consistencies. Other than that, this was a book that I enjoyed reading.

I would give Dragon’s Shadow an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. There are some triggers. They are mental illness and bullying. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Dragon’s Shadow. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would give a warning about the triggers.

I would like to thank RABT Book Tours for allowing me to read and review Dragon’s Shadow.

All opinions stated in this review of Dragon’s Shadow are mine.

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

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An Unlikely Setup (Welcome to Otter Trail: Book 1) by Margaret Watson

4 Stars

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication: September 12th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Welcome to Otter Trail

An Unlikely Setup—Book 1

Can’t Stand the Heat—Book 2 (review here)

Life Rewritten—Book 3 (review here)

For Baby and Me—Book 4 (review here)

Where you can find An Unlikely Setup: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Maddie’s teenage crush humiliated her fifteen years ago. Now Quinn runs the Otter Tail pub that Maddie inherited and needs to sell. Too bad Maddie’s high school crush on Quinn is still alive and kicking. 

Quinn wants to buy the pub, but can’t afford Maddie’s price, so he plays dirty. His smile, bright blue eyes, and broad shoulders are just his first bid. As they get reacquainted, they realize someone else has plans for the pub. Plans that endanger Maddie and Quinn – and the rest of Otter Tail. 

Can Maddie and Quinn save the pub? Can they put their past behind to create a future together?

My review:

Maddie has returned to Otter Tail after leaving 15 years earlier. When her beloved godfather passed away from leukemia, he left her a house and a pub. Otter Trail has no good memories for her and Maddie plans on leaving as soon as the pub and house are sold. But she is forced to face those memories when she learns that Quinn is managing the pub. Quinn is the reason she never returned to Otter Trail. Quinn and Maddie are soon at odds over what will happen to the pub. Can Maddie and Quinn get over the past? Will they have their HEA or will everything blow up in their faces.

I enjoy reading books where the hero and heroine have to overcome the odds to be together. An Unlikely Setup is such a book. Maddie had to overcome what happened in the past to be with Quinn. Quinn had to overcome his anger and grief to be with Maddie. Both had a hard time of overcoming past and current hurts to forge a relationship with each other. I loved it. I loved that it showed how hard it is to overcome the past. Maddie and Quinn struggled with it. Quinn more than Maddie.

I did like Maddie and I did feel bad for her about what happened between her and Quinn in the past. I had some of the same issues that Maddie did when I was a teen. It hurts to be rejected like that. But, dwelling on it for 15 years? That was a bit much. And judging a whole town on how their teenagers treated her 15 years past was a bit much too. I did like that Maddie was able to finally reconcile her hurt feelings when she talked to Quinn about what happened.

I wasn’t too sure about what Quinn wanted with Maddie. I was starting to think that he was only doing things for her because he wanted the pub. And that the attraction he had to her was part of his end game. I hate writing that because he did keep me guessing. But after Maddie’s house got vandalized, I realized that he cared for her. I do wish that his “secret” was addressed sooner in the book. I did kind of figure out what was going on but still. It would have been nice to hear about it upfront.

The sexual attraction between Quinn and Maddie was understated at times but when it flared up, it was red hot. I loved the whole scene when she wore the skirt to work. I loved seeing Quinn getting turned on. I loved knowing that Maddie knew what it was doing to him. The sexual attraction gave away to some amazing sex scenes. I had to fan myself after some of them. Sex on the beach in the moonlight? Thank you very much!!

The plotline involving Maddie, her secret, Quinn and the pub was well written. I was surprised by Quinn’s reaction to the naughty secret (you have to read the book). His reaction to her main secret was what I thought it was going to be.  I mean, how else was he supposed to feel? Happy that he destroyed a teenage Maddie’s confidence. His reaction to Maddie meeting with the store rep was a bit much. But I get it. I would have freaked out too.

The secondary plotlines and characters were as well written as the main plotline. I liked how she merged the secondary plotlines with the main one at the end of the book. Also, I liked how the secondary characters added that extra “Oomph” to the storyline.

The end of the book was amazing. I had a huge smile at how everything ended. It was perfect!!

I gave An Unlikely Setup a 4-star rating. This was a fast-paced romance novel. The plotlines were fantastic. The characters were well written. This was a book that I enjoyed reading. I also cannot wait to read book 2!!

I would give An Unlikely Setup an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be the death of a parent/parental figure and bullying. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread An Unlikely Setup. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a note about the triggers, though.

I would like to thank the author and Dragonfly Press for allowing me to read and review An Unlikely Setup.

All opinions stated in this review of An Unlikely Setup are mine.

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

Have you read An Unlikely Setup?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

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