Category: ARC

The Warehouse by Rob Hart

The Warehouse: A Novel by [Hart, Rob]

4 Stars

Publisher: Crown Publishing, Crown

Date of publication: August 20th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Dystopia

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

Book Synopsis:

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

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

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

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

First Line:

Well, I’m dying!

The Warehouse by Rob Hart

My Review:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: August 20, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Let’s Talk About Sext

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

I Wanna Sext You Up—Book 2

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

Book Synopsis:

Warning: Workplace flirtation may cause side effects.

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

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

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

First Line:

Dirty chai latte!

I Wanna Sext You Up by Evie Claire

My Review:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: August 13th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

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

Goodreads synopsis:

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

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

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

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

My Review

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

Socksmith Men’s Novelty Crew Socks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Campusland by Scott Johnston

Campusland: A Novel by [Johnston, Scott]

3 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: August 13th, 2019

Genre: General Fiction

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

Book Synopsis:

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

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

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

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

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

First Line:

“D’Arcy!” Milton cried from his office.

Campusland by Scott Johnston

My Review:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dark Alpha’s Redemption (Reaper Series: Book 8) by Donna Grant

Dark Alpha's Redemption: A Reaper Novel (Reapers Book 8) by [Grant, Donna]

4 Stars

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

Date of publication: August 6th, 2019

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy

Series: Reaper

Dark Alpha’s Claim—Book 1

Dark Alpha’s Embrace—Book 2

Dark Alpha’s Demand—Book 3

Dark Alpha’s Lover—Book 4

Dark Alpha’s Night—Book 5

Dark Alpha’s Hunger—Book 6 (review here)

Dark Alpha’s Awakening—Book 7 (review here)

Dark Alpha’s Redemption—Book 8

Where you can find Dark Alpha’s Redemption: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…

My duty to Death drives me forward. I’ve never once strayed from my path – not even when the future seemed uncertain. However, Maeve’s intelligence, cunning and determination challenges me in ways I never imagined. Finding out what she knows is the key to learning how to conquer our enemy. The Dark Fae breathes new life into me unlike anything I’ve ever known. For Maeve, I will risk trusting the Dark. For her…I will battle darkness itself

First Line

So much had changed.

Dark Alpha’s Redemption by Donna Grant

My Review:

Dark Alpha’s Redemption was an exciting story. I felt that it was more of a filler book in the series — the calm before the storm (ie, the final battle) book. I didn’t mind that at all.

Dark Alpha’s Redemption focused on Bradach and Maeve’s relationship. It was a romance that I didn’t see coming. If the author had told me, a few books back, that they were going to get together, I would have laughed — not those two. So, yes, I was surprised when I saw that it was Bradach and Maeve.

Maeve and Bradach had some intense sex scenes. I liked that the author chose to build up their sexual attraction. I also loved where they first had sex. It was almost like a vast EFF You to Usaeil. The sex scenes themselves were steaming hot. I was expecting my Kindle to short circuit, that is how hot they are.

I loved that the Dragon Kings were included and they were still searching for Conn. I was waiting for Rhi to show up. I was expecting her to make an appearance. Where was she and what was she doing?

The storyline with Xaneth was heartbreaking. I hope that someone finds him. Because I have a feeling that Usaeil is going to injure or kill him.

I want to know how the Trackers are made!!! I was fascinated by them. The end of the book hinted that the Reapers were going to look into it.

Dark Alpha’s Redemption did have a typical romance HEA. But, before that could happen, I thought that Death’s interrogation of Maeve was perfect. I already can’t wait for the next book!!

I would give Dark Alpha’s Redemption an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Dark Alpha’s Redemption. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Return of the Long Lost Earl: Historical Regency Romance Mystery by Kate Carteret

Return of the Long Lost Earl: Historical Regency Romance Mystery by [Carteret, Kate]

4 Stars

Publisher: Dashing Dandies Publishing

Date of publication: August 3rd 2019

Genre: Romance, Mystery. Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Return of the Long Lost Earl: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

He’s a handsome naval captain with a borrowed identity. She’s a young woman betrothed to a man she’ll never love. Will their attraction for each other prove too strong to fight? READ THE LATEST PAGE-TURNING ROMANTIC MYSTERY FROM AMAZON BEST SELLING AUTHOR KATE CARTERET

For thirteen years, an old secret has lain dormant. Now that the old Earl of Kingsmead is dead, the families who surround that grand old estate have to face the past. In the heart of this carefully crafted tale of love is a web of intrigue just waiting to be uncovered.˃˃˃ A young woman with little say over her future

Geraldine Myers, daughter of Lord Roscoe Myers, has been promised to Gordon Danvers since the two were just children. The son of her father’s closest friend and ally, Gordon is vain, dull, and self-serving. But her father is not a man to be gainsaid, and Geraldine knows that there is little hope of her escaping the marriage.˃˃˃ A handsome Naval Captain with a dead man’s identity

Captain Ashley Winters is a man with a secret. His is a soul on the run from itself, trying to outpace the shadows of his past. He knows there is only one way to find peace at last, and that is to go ahead with the mission he has so carefully planned.˃˃˃ Will she ever really know the true identity of the man she had fallen in love with?

The old Earl of Kingsmead has passed away, his only heir a distant cousin, Basil Danvers. But when Basil dies suddenly on the day the Earl’s last will and testament is read, Kingsmead falls into the hands of his son, Gordon. Now that he has money and power, Geraldine knows that her fate is sealed, and the announcement of their engagement cannot be far away.

But things are not always set in stone, as she discovers at the Kingsmead Estate garden party, the very event at which her engagement was to be announced. A man strides onto the lawn – tall, handsome, and dressed in the finest Naval officer’s uniform. When he declares that he is Hunter Lyndon, the long lost Earl of Kingsmead and a man everybody had thought dead for thirteen years, it seems Geraldine had won a small reprieve.

As the Captain seeks to prove himself the rightful heir, the Myers and Danvers families try everything in their power to hold on to what they see as theirs. Left at the Kingsmead Dower house to spy on the man everybody claims is an impostor, Geraldine finds herself falling for this mysterious man. Is he the tall figure she barely remembers from her childhood, or is he a cruel trickster playing on the emotions of the mother who had lost her son so cruelly?

With her feelings spiralling and her allegiances tested, will Geraldine ever truly know who this handsome, mesmerizing man is? And, as her love deepens, will his identity really matter in the end?

As she draws closer to the truth, Geraldine draws closer to danger in this romantic Regency novel with a twist.

This novel in apx 70,000 words is a clean love story with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happy ever after.

First Line:

“If nothing else, it is perfect weather for a garden party, Geraldine.”

Return of the Long, Lost Earl by Kate Carteret

My Review:

I know that I have mentioned this in past blogs, but I am a massive fan of historical romance. I am not going to fangirl over how much I enjoy them. I’ve done that enough in past blogs. I am also a fan of mystery/thriller/suspense novels. When the two are combined, I am thrilled to death. So when I read the blurb for Return of the Long Lost Earl, I needed to read it. I am glad I did because this was a great combination of historical romance and mystery.

Return of the Long Lost Earl is the story of Lady Geraldine Myers and Captain Ashley Winters. Geraldine is betrothed to the heir of the Earl of Kingsmead. She is unhappy with the decisions being forced upon her. Begging and pleading with her parents and brother fall on deaf ears. Then Captain Ashley Winters shows up at her betrothal party and throws a wrench in things. Is Ashley the long-dead son of the Earl of Kingsmead? If so, who is buried in his grave?

I enjoyed the mystery angle of Return of the Long Lost Earl. The author did what few mystery authors have been able to do. She was able to keep me guessing if Ashley was Hunter. She was also able to take two past murders and intertwine them into the plot. It made for a fantastic read because I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The romance angle of Return of the Long Lost Earl was sweet. It wasn’t love at first sight for Geraldine or Ashley. Instead, they fell for each other as they got to know one another. I also liked that there was no sex. After the last few books that I have read, I need a book where sex wasn’t the main focal point of the book. It was refreshing.

I liked Geraldine. I thought that she was progressive for her time. She wanted to make her own decisions and didn’t want to be forced into things. I liked that she kept an impartial view of Ashley’s claims. She challenged Ashley about why he stayed away from Kingsmead for so long.

I did have my doubts about Ashley. He came across as shady. But as the book went on, I started to wonder if he was Hunter. I liked how the author slowly released bits and pieces of his past. I did like him though, even if I thought he was shady for most of the book.

The end of Return of the Long Lost Earl was terrific. I loved how the author was able to resolve the mystery of who Ashley was along with the other two mysteries brought up in the book. I will say that justice was served. I loved how Ashley and Geraldine got their HEA.

I would give Return of the Long Lost Earl an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Return of the Long Lost Earl. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Kilwade Tragedy: Tragedies don’t just happen by Terry Keys

The Kilwade Tragedy: Tragedies don't just happen. by [Keys, Terry]

5 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: August 6th, 2019

Genre: General Fiction

Where you can find The Kilwade Tragedy: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Terry Keys, USA Today bestselling author of Lie No More and The Missing pens his most captivating book to date. This is the heart-breaking story about a small-town boy who’d taken everything from everyone until he could take no more. 

Seventeen-year-old Blaze Planter is a Jr. at Kilwade, High School. 
His parents have recently divorced. 
His grades are slipping. 
His anger is growing with each day. 
Relationships with his closest friends are failing. 
Secrets about his life are being uncovered. 
No one understands what he is going through. 
And everyone who has betrayed him needs to be taught a lesson. 
So now he stands with the one friend that has never betrayed him. 
The one friend that does what he asks every time he squeezes the trigger. 
The only friend that he can depend on. 
Tragedies don’t just happen. The signs are simply overlooked every day until it’s too late. 

After the read be sure to review the author’s note where resources for additional help are listed. There are also discussion questions to generate conversation & get adults and student’s talking. 

First Line

Let me just start off by saying that no kid is ever born thinking one day I’m going to kill myself

The Kilwade Tragedy by Terry Keys

My Review:

Before I start this review, I do want to let you all know that this book is trigger heavy. The triggers are bullying, casual drug use, physical violence, online bullying, underage drinking, and the planning/execution of a school shooting in Texas. The Kilwade Tragedy isn’t a book for everyone, but it is a book that needs to be read. So, read with these triggers in mind.

I am not going to lie. The Kilwade Tragedy was a tough book to read. There were points where I wanted to put the book down.

The Kilwade Tragedy explores the events that led Blaze to do what he did. And what is revealed is frightening.

As a mother of school-age children, The Kilwade Tragedy struck a nerve with me. I am uneasy about sending my kids to school. Even though I know that their schools have upgraded their security measures. But the security measures don’t extend to recess, school trips or sporting events. So, yes, what happened at the end of the book chilled me. Reading that was my worst nightmare.

I was impressed with the research that the author did. At the same time, I was chilled. He was able to gain access to several different middle/high schools in his area. NO ONE ASKED WHY HE WAS THERE. I couldn’t believe it.

What saddened me the most about The Kilwade Tragedy is that Blaze was let down. He was screaming for help and kept getting brushed off. By the time his mother got him to a therapist, it was too late. He was already pushed past his breaking point.

The bullying scenes were heartbreaking. I liked how the author showed the escalation of the bullying. It went from name-calling to mental to physical over a year. I liked that the author showed how the school failed Blaze. Oh boy, did they ever. Because the bullies were on the football team, they chose to turn the other cheek until it was too late. When the police went to arrest the boys for assault, they chose to let one of the kids walk because of who his father was. Unfortunately, scenarios like that one are played out all over the country. A zero bullying policy only works if the staff chooses to enforce it for everyone.

The end of The Kilwade Tragedy was chilling. The speech that the principal gave is given too often. But, in this speech, the principal acknowledged that Blaze was failed. And he vowed that change would start with his school.

The author’s note included several links where people could go for help. He also had a question and answer prompt if the book would be read in book clubs.

As I mentioned above, this is a heartbreaking book to read. Reading about what lead a teenager to decide to do a school shooting was hard for me. But I needed to read it.

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

I would reread The Kilwade Tragedy. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey

Because You're Mine: A Novel by [Frey, Rea]

4 Stars

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

Date of publication: August 6th, 2019

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Where you can find Because You’re Mine: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

But it’s the lies that keep you safe. 

Single mother Lee has the daily routine down to a science: shower in six minutes. Cut food into perfect squares. Never leave her on-the-spectrum son Mason in someone else’s care. She’ll do anything—anything—to keep his carefully constructed world from falling apart. Do anything to keep him safe.

But when her best friend Grace convinces her she needs a small break from motherhood to recharge her batteries, Lee gives in to a weekend trip. Surely a long weekend away from home won’t hurt?
Noah, Mason’s handsome, bright, charismatic tutor—the first man in ages Lee’s even noticed—is more than happy to stay with him.

Forty-eight hours later, someone is dead.

But not all is as it seems. Noah may be more than who he claims to be. Grace has a secret—one that will destroy Lee. Lee has secrets of her own that she will do anything to keep hidden.
As the dominoes begin to fall and the past comes to light, perhaps it’s no mystery someone is gone after all…

Because You’re Mine is a breathtaking novel of domestic drama and suspense. 

Prepare to stay up all night.

My review:

I will start this review with a trigger warning. I am not giving anything away because the author goes into her own experience at the beginning of the book. The triggers are sexual assault, suicide, drug use, and alcoholism. If any of those triggers you, do not to read the book.

I enjoy reading mystery/thriller/suspense novels. I like the charge I get when reading them. I love not knowing what is going to happen next in the book, which is why I decided to review Because You’re Mine. I am glad I did because this book was fantastic!! It was everything I thought it was going to be.

Because You’re Mine has three plotlines. They are Lee, Noah, and Grace. When I first figured that out, I was kind of “eh” about it. If there are many plotlines, I sometimes have an issue keeping track of them. In this case, though, I was good. The author marked each chapter with who it was (Noah, Grace, Lee). She even went one step further and marked it when the book went from past to present. When I noticed that, I whispered a “Thank you.” That is a huge pet peeve of mine when reading books with numerous and intertwining plotlines. They aren’t marked and if there are changes between present and past, forget it.

I will admit, I was a little irritated by the journal entries. I couldn’t understand why they were there. But, as I got into the book, the entries started making sense. Of course, I got who was writing them wrong.

I liked Lee. Life wasn’t easy for her. Raising an autistic child was hard. She had to keep to a precise schedule for Mason, which meant no dating, no men. She was slightly selfish. When she got together with Grace, everything was about her. She never let Grace get a word in edgewise. But, then again, if my only outlet were talking about my past, I would do the same. I will say this; I was not expecting a couple of twists that popped up in her storyline.

I was iffy with Noah. I felt that he was throwing mixed signals at Lee. I didn’t understand why he couldn’t have come clean sooner to her. I did feel bad for him when his secret was revealed. I would not have been able to live with myself after that, which leads to the second secret. If the first secret hadn’t of happened, then the second one definitely wouldn’t have happened.

I thought Grace was a great friend. I felt terrible that she had to hide her secret from Lee. Her stress was palpable. I could understand why she wouldn’t have wanted Lee to know. Her other secret blew my flipping mind. I couldn’t believe it. I put my Kindle down and said “No freaking way.“

I thought that Because You’re Mine was a great fit in the mystery/suspense/thriller category. The author did a fantastic job of keeping Lee, Noah and Grace’s many secrets, well, a secret until the end. I did guess Noah’s and had kind of a feel for Lee’s. But Grace’s, no way. Talk about blindsiding someone.

There are a few sex/sexual scenes in Because You’re Mine. The one involving Noah and Grace disturbed me. Not because of the rough sex but because of what Noah said. I got shivers reading it.

The end of Because You’re Mine messed with me. I was not expecting the 180 a particular character did. Talk about making my mouth drop. I was a little aggravated at the lengths that person was going to go through to get back at people. If you read the book, you know what I am talking about. Other than that, it was one of the best endings I have read in a while.

I would give Because You’re Mine an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is language. There is violence. I would reccomend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Because You’re Mine. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

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

Have you read Because You’re Mine?

What were your thoughts on it?

Can you keep secrets like Lee, Grace, and Noah?

Let me know!!

We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White

We Are All Good People Here: A Novel by [White, Susan Rebecca]

4 Stars

Publisher: Atria Books

Date of Publication: August 6th, 2019

Genre: Women’s Fiction, General Fiction

Where you can find We Are All Good People Here: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

From the author of A Place at the Table and A Soft Place to Land, an “intense, complex, and wholly immersive” (Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author) multigenerational novel that explores the complex relationship between two very different women and the secrets they bequeath to their daughters.

Eve Whalen, privileged child of an old-money Atlanta family, meets Daniella Gold in the fall of 1962, on their first day at Belmont College. Paired as roommates, the two become fast friends. Daniella, raised in Georgetown by a Jewish father and a Methodist mother, has always felt caught between two worlds. But at Belmont, her bond with Eve allows her to finally experience a sense of belonging. That is, until the girls’ expanding awareness of the South’s systematic injustice forces them to question everything they thought they knew about the world and their places in it.

Eve veers toward radicalism—a choice pragmatic Daniella cannot fathom. After a tragedy, Eve returns to Daniella for help in beginning anew, hoping to shed her past. But the past isn’t so easily buried, as Daniella and Eve discover when their daughters are endangered by secrets meant to stay hidden.

Spanning more than thirty years of American history, from the twilight of Kennedy’s Camelot to the beginning of Bill Clinton’s presidency, We Are All Good People Here is “a captivating…meaningful, resonant story” (Emily Giffin, author of All We Ever Wanted) about two flawed but well-meaning women clinging to a lifelong friendship that is tested by the rushing waters of history and their own good intentions.

First Line:

Daniella’s father steered the Dodge Pioneer up the serpentine drive of Belmont College, home to more than five hundred girls renowned for their Beauty and Brains, or at least that wsa what the boosterish tour guide who had shown Daniella around the previous spring had claimed.

We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White

We Are All Good People Here was an interesting read. I usually don’t like books that follow characters over the decades. Often, I find myself getting confused with what is going on and losing track of the plotline. Not in this book. We Are All Good People Here was an interesting, character-driven book that had me engrossed the entire time.

What I liked the most about this book was how the characters changed with each decade. Each decade showed a different side to Eve and Daniella. I enjoyed seeing the different sides of Eve and Daniella. I liked seeing how they related to each other in those periods of their lives. I loved seeing how their friendship evolved during the 30+ years the book covers. It made for a fantastic read.

I liked how the author had Eve and Daniella be on opposite ends of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. It was interesting to read about Daniella’s time in Mississippi. I was interested in how Eve was immersed in a radical group. It fascinated me.

We Are All Good People Here covers so much that this review would be forever if I wrote about them all. Racism and discrimination were two of the main things discussed. Also discussed where same-sex couples, date rape, drug use, and radicalism. All these issues combined into one book made for a great read.

What I didn’t like was how Eve changed. It didn’t sit right with me. She was immersed in the culture of the underground radicals. So, for her to marry a lawyer and become a “perfect” wife was a hard pill to swallow.

I wasn’t a fan of Eve and Daniella’s kids taking over the book. But, I understood why the author did that. She wanted to introduce the issues that my generation had to deal with growing up.

The end of We Are All Good People Here was almost anticlimactic. I figured that Eve would end up doing what she did. Daniella, I didn’t expect her life to take the course that it did. It was an excellent ending to a great story. The talk that Daniella and Sarah had at the end of the book touched me.

I would give We Are All Good People Here an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread We Are All Good People Here. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney

The Perfect Wife: A Novel by [Delaney, JP]

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: August 6th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

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

Book synopsis:

A missing woman receives a second chance at life, thanks to her billionaire husband–but the consequences are deadly in this gripping psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before.

Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He’s an icon of the tech world, the founder of a lucrative robotics company. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago, and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. She is a miracle of science. 

But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband’s motives–and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what reallyhappened to Abbie half a decade ago?

My review:

When I started reading The Perfect Wife, I was expecting a psychological thriller. I was expecting to read about Abbie’s remembering what happened to her the night of her accident. I was even expecting a few twists to the plot, which the book delivered. What I wasn’t expecting was the science fiction angle of the book. That took me by surprise.

The plotline of The Perfect Wife was interesting. Abbie wakes up wondering who she was. She is filled in by her husband. Abbie is an AI. She is a replica of Tim’s wife who went missing over five years ago. Abbie’s memories of her marriage show that Tim and herself are in love and happy. But Abbie can’t help but think that something is missing. That memories are missing. Abbie soon embarks on a mission to discover her missing memories. She also wants to find out what happened to Abbie 5 years earlier. Did she disappear? Or did something more sinister happen?

I liked Abbie, but I couldn’t get a feel for the AI. She was bland, personality- wise, for 90% of the book. I couldn’t connect to either version of her, which irritated me because I wanted to in the worse way. Abbie before was much more enjoyable.

Tim creeped me out. I understood that he was devastated by Abbie disappearance. But to make an AI that had her memories was creepy. Even creepier was how he was before Abbie. Talk about chills!!

Danny was also an essential character in The Perfect Wife. The author did a tremendous job of describing his form of autism. The author also did a fantastic job of explaining the various schools/treatments that Abbie and Tim tried.

I wasn’t a fan of the switch between 2nd person POV and 3rd person POV. I don’t like 2nd person POV. Add in that it kept switching to 3rd person and I was like “What” during some parts of the plotline. I kept having to reread chapters, and I am not a huge fan of doing that.

The end of The Perfect Wife confused me. I had to read it a few times. Even now, after I have finished the book, I still don’t get it. The author did wrap up the “What Happened To Abbie” storyline well but it didn’t jive with the rest of the story. Plus, what happened to Abbie and Danny at the end. I couldn’t figure out which one was the truth.

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

I am on the fence if I would reread The Perfect Wife. I am also on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Perfect Wife.

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

Have you read The Perfect Wife?

What are your thoughts on it?

Do you think that there will eventually be AI’s that look like human beings?

Let me know!!